Life On Mars is the smash-hit cop show starring John Simm as a detective who is involved in a car accident and wakes to find himself transported back to 1973, a world dominated by Ford Cortinas, sheep-skin jackets and very hard coppers.
This CinemaScope treatment of Frank Loesser's hit Broadway musical Guys and Dolls is a deeply rewarding visual and musical experience. Frank Sinatra turns in one of his best screen performances running a close second to Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons, looking adorable and singing sweetly. In essence this is a piece of photographed theatre mounted on a handsome scale. The striking set designs and a brilliantly executed soundtrack are courtesy of two Broadway craftsmen Oliver Smith and conductor Jay Blackton. Photographer Harry Stradling brings a meticulous eye for detail when his camera stationed on the auditorium side of the frame, peers into Miss Adelaide's bathroom cupboard as she views the lines of medicine bottles in her celebrated "lament". Sinatra, in his vocal prime, sings a new number to Adelaide (Vivian Blaine)--arranged by Nelson Riddle--and Brando and Simmons strike chords in all their scenes from their opening duet "I'll Know" through to their evening out at a Havana bistro where she gets pie-eyed on a Bacardi milk-shake, tipsily wondering "If I were a Bell". Stubby Kaye also from the Broadway cast recreates the show-stopping "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat". Michael Kidd's choreography for "Luck Be a Lady" is razor-sharp and superbly captured in the CinemaScope format, though the formalised staging of the opening ought to have been rethought for this medium. The biggest pity is that Loesser amended some of his lyrics and replaced several tunes from his original score with inferior material. On the DVD: The DVD trailer hosted by Ed Sullivan makes much of the $1,000,000 cheque producer Samuel Goldwyn paid for the rights and the previews of the picture he obtained for his weekly television show. There's no denying that the remastered stereophonic soundtrack captures the Broadway sound to thrilling effect without it being overglamorised. The picture looks splendid too--never settle for the compromise version we've endured all these years on television! --Adrian Edwards
Travis Block (Liam Neeson), a shadowy government agent who specializes in removing operatives whose covers have been exposed, uncovers a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks that reaches the highest echelons of power.
An instant werewolf classic, The Howling was directed by Joe Dante, a graduate of Roger Corman's school of low-budget ingenuity who had gained enough momentum with 1978's Piranha to rise to this bigger challenge. He brought along Piranha screenwriter John Sayles, too, and recruited makeup wizard Rob Bottin to create what was then the wildest on-screen transformation ever seen. With Gary Brandner's novel The Howling as a starting point, Sayles and Dante conceived a werewolf colony on the California coast, posing as a self-help haven led by a seemingly benevolent doctor (Patrick Macnee), and populated by a variety of "patients", from sexy, leather-clad sirens (Elisabeth Brooks) to an old coot (John Carradine) who's quite literally long in the tooth. When a TV reporter (Dee Wallace) arrives at the colony to recover from a recent trauma, the resident lycanthropes prepare for a howlin' good time. Dante handles it all with equal measures of humour, sex, gore, and horror, pulling out all the stops when the ravenous Eddie (Dante favourite Robert Picardo, later known as The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager) transforms into a towering , bloodthirsty werewolf. (Bottin's mentor Rick Baker would soon raise the make-up ante with An American Werewolf in London.) As usual in Dante's movies (qv. Gremlins), in-jokes abound, from characters named after werewolf movie directors, amusing cameos (Corman, Sayles, Forrest J Ackerman), and hammy inserts of wolfish cartoons and Allen Ginsberg's "Howl". It's best appreciated now as a quintessential example of early-80s horror, with low-budget limitations evident throughout, but The Howling remains a giddy genre milestone. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
A warm, funny, feel-good series about a family's adventures on a gorgeous Greek island when they uproot from their English home in the hope of a better life. Based on Gerald Durrell's much-loved Corfu trilogy of novels, The Durrells sees impoverished but sparky widow Louisa Durrell make the radical decision to seek out a new destiny for her family when her options in late 1930s England seem to be limited to struggling on or marrying a wealthy but dreary older man. Concerned that the lives of her four children', ranging in age from 11 to 21, are heading down the wrong track, she relocates her reluctant brood to a dilapidated house in the Greek sun. This beautifully-shot series follows the family as they adjust to their new life, face a whole new set of challenges and meet new friends, rivals, lovers and animals.
Far too many film versions of the The Four Feathers have been made over the years, which is especially surprising considering that this 1939 Korda brothers production is surely definitive. The film simultaneously celebrates and pokes fun at British imperialism, showing the kind of dogged stiff-upper-lippery that forged an empire, but also the blinkered attitudes and crass snobbishness of the ruling classes (and those plummy accents--did people ever really talk like that?). Whatever political subtext may or may not be read into it, though, the film is best celebrated for its magnificent vistas: partially made on location in the Sudan, as well as at the famous Denham Studios, this is British cinema from the days when it thought to rival Hollywood for sheer spectacle. Vincent Korda's production design and the glorious early colour cinematography are helped greatly by fellow Hungarian émigré Miklos Rozsa's epic score. John Clements is the notional hero, the man who is determined to show the world he is not a coward after resigning his commission (even though it would surely have saved everyone a lot of bother if he had just stuck with it) but the film is stolen by Ralph Richardson, magnificent as an officer struck blind and led to safety by Clements' Harry Faversham. The latter scenes when Richardson's Captain Durrance realises the truth and its implications are the most poignant and emotionally truthful in the film. C Aubrey Smith is delightful as the old buffer who relives his battles on the dinner table; to a modern audience, however, the "blackface" casting of John Laurie as the Khalifa strikes a discordant note. But adjusting some expectations for its vintage, this is a triumph of derring-do and far and away the most gripping version of this oft-told story on film. --Mark Walker
For the first time in movie history audiences will truly see and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Walking With Dinosaurs is the ultimate immersive big screen adventure for families. Meet dinosaurs more real than you've ever seen as you take off on a thrilling prehistoric adventure where Patchi an underdog dinosaur triumphs against all odds to become a hero for the ages.
The Adventures of Mark Twain is an amazing journey of imagination humour and heart and a must for fans of Aardman Studios. The film features a series of vignettes extracted from several of Mark Twain's works built around a plot that features Twain's attempts to keep his appointment with Halley's Comet. Tom Sawyer Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn stow away with Mark Twain on an incredible journey in Twain's airship. The journey introduces the three friends to a variety of the author's characters from; The Diary of Adam and Eve Huckleberry Finn The Mysterious Stranger The Famous Jumping Frog of Caliverous County and Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven. The sequence based on The Mysterious Stranger reportedly received over ten million views upon being posted on YouTube. The sequence was allegedly banned from TV due to its disturbing content
Retrospective look at the career of seven times WWE champion, The Rock. Featuring 19 of his greatest contests, highlights include his first RAW championship match against Triple H in 1997, through to his epic encounter with Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania XIX.
The decision a group of men make on a fishing trip has far reaching effects in this acclaimed drama.
When Robin of Loxley transformed into Robert of Huntingdon in the third series of Robin of Sherwood, many viewers were understandably confused. Michael Praed left the series for reasons that never really became apparent while Jason Connery clearly wasn't a replacement chosen for similar looks or performance. Across the 13 episodes of the third series, Connery's choice became slowly apparent. The magical stories frequently dipped into darker territory as much as they aimed for uplifting humour. The new Hood was at ease with both, while reuniting the merry band and ultimately wooing the fair Marion all over again. Connery turned in a very confident embodiment of the character, clearly bonding well with the established team of actors. Guest stars lined up to contribute alongside him. Memorable appearances include those of Richard O'Brien, David Rappaport, Matt Frewer, Patricia Hodge, Ian Ogilvy and Lewis Collins. (It's fascinating to speculate how different things could have been if the close-second casting choice of Neil Morrissey had been pursued.) The strangest aspect of the series, however, is knowing in retrospect that everyone's confidence and merriment was for nothing. Scripts were written in readiness for the fourth series, but then the studio went bankrupt. Cliffhangers therefore remain that will confuse viewers far more than the lead's replacement. --Paul Tonks
The Adventures Of Mark Twain is an amazing journey of imagination humour and heart and a must for fans of Aardman Studios. The film features a series of vignettes extracted from several of Mark Twain's works built around a plot that features Twain's attempts to keep his appointment with Halley's Comet. Tom Sawyer Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn stow away with Mark Twain on an incredible journey in Twain's airship. The journey introduces the three friends to a variety of the author's characters from; The Diary of Adam and Eve Huckleberry Finn The Mysterious Stranger The Famous Jumping Frog of Caliverous County and Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven. The sequence based on The Mysterious Stranger reportedly received over ten million views upon being posted on YouTube. The sequence was allegedly banned from TV due to its disturbing content
It is one of humankind s greatest achievements. More than twelve billion miles away a tiny spaceship is leaving our Solar System and entering the void of deep space the first human-made object ever to do so. Slowly dying within its heart is a nuclear generator that will beat for perhaps another decade before the lights on Voyager finally go out. But this little craft will travel on for millions of years, carrying a Golden Record bearing recordings and images of life on Earth. In all likelihood Voyager will outlive humanity. From Crossing The Line Productions, The Farthest celebrates these magnificent machines, the men and women who built them and the vision that propelled them farther than anyone could ever have hoped.
SENSATIONAL SHAKESPEARE Tom Stourton stars as the Bard, as we find out about his humble beginnings, his glove-making father and his early life as an actor. Packed with laughs, facts and quizzes, the show ends with a song featuring every one of his plays. STAGGERING STORYTELLERS Who was the best literary detective? What was the first ever story? Why was Dickens treated like a pop star in America? In its own distinctive and irreverently accurate style, Staggering Storytellers takes a look at some of literature's greatest works and history's wackiest writers. THE GRISLY GREAT FIRE OF LONDON In true Horrible Histories fashion, this special episode explores the disaster and the events that surrounded it. We see how London's Mayor preferred to stay in bed during the fire because he'd been partying the night before, and how Samuel Pepys rushed to bury his parmesan cheese for safety.
What does everybody want? Head to the nearest man cave give your boss a Stone Cold salute and spend the next six hours watching The Attitude Era Vol.2 the hottest set to be released since Sable’s handprint bikini. If you are old enough to order a Steve-Weiser “Hello ladies” was your pick up line in college and you loved WWE before “Federation” became the new “F” word then here is what you need to do. Take this all new collection shine it up real nice flip it sideways and stick it straight up… your DVD player!! Features: 30 unfiltered matches ranging from WWE Championship bouts to rare classics from RAW SmackDown Heat and much more. The entire once in a lifetime cast from the rebellious to the demonic the iconic and the just plain weird. Delicious Divas breaking WWE hearts and boundaries. Vignettes taking you inside the APA’s “office” behind the Walls of Jericho aboard The Godfather’s Ho’ Train and much more!
Hit American sitcom Will and Grace is as perky as Friends and as wittily urbane as Frasier. The premise concerns Will (Eric McCormack), a mildly uptight lawyer who agrees to have as a flatmate his best friend, interior designer Grace (Debra Messing). Their relationship has all the hallmarks of one between lovers--emotional dependency, little things that get on each other's nerves, strong mutual interests and volcanic arguments. The only snag is that while Grace is straight, Will is gay. Though not shy of poking sharp fun at that situation, Will and Grace is among sitcom's most potent and sophisticated antidotes to homophobia. Though initially a little too pleased with its own camp pertness, the show grows and grows on you with successive episodes, finally becoming indispensable. It also benefits from secondary characters Jack (Sean P Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally), also gay and straight respectively, both outrageously and hilariously irresponsible characters: he's a free spirit and freeloader, she's "working" as Grace's assistant even though she doesn't need the money, having married some. Despite its diamond and rapid-fire punch lines, Will and Grace conveys enough sense of the lovelorn predicament of the main characters to prevent it becoming too cute. --David Stubbs
Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis. When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing complex...
A cleverly conceived eerily atmospheric sci-fi chiller Unearthly Stranger stars future Baron Munchausen John Neville as a scientist engaged in an experimental project like no other; Gabriella Licudi is his beautiful but otherworldly wife who becomes the subject of great interest for his government superiors. This original intelligent and compelling feature from award-winning Avengers director John Krish is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. TP91 is a secret and highly complex formula which will enable man to project himself through time and space; work in the field is conducted with the utmost security using the finest scientific brains in the country. When Dr Munro succeeds in solving the first part of the formula he is found dead before he is able to pass on the invaluable result with the all-important paper bearing his calculations in ashes on his desk. His successor government scientist Dr Mark Davidson quickly senses that both he and his new wife are now in grave danger... Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery Promotional Material PDF
The Battle Of River Plate - Ten days before World War II Germany's crack battleship Admiral Graf Spee sails with orders to carry out action against Allied merchant shipping in the South Atlantic. Captained by Hans Langsdorff (Peter Finch) Graf Spee with her superior speed sinks ship after ship. Meanwhile the net is tightening round the German Killer. Outwitted by British Intelligence the Germans are convinced Graf Spee is trapped by a massive naval force. The captain eva
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