The fifth season was the last series of Ally McBeal, and probably the least satisfying. While always at least slightly entertaining, it was troubled by two conflicting imperatives: first, to steer its neurotic characters and multiplicity of sub-plots towards a coherent and credible resolution; second, to sustain another series of a programme that had, by now, exhausted all the plot possibilities that were remotely believable. The result is a bemusing onslaught of new characters (Ally's Mini-Me Jenny and a barely distinguishable phalanx of lantern-jawed male leads), celebrity cameos (Edna Everage, Christina Ricci, Barry White, Matthew Perry, Jon Bon Jovi), several storylines that would test the credulity of any of the curiously indulgent judges before whom Ally's firm practises (notably the arrival of a 10-year-old daughter that Ally didn't know she had) and one misbegotten attempt to anchor the programme to the real world (the "Nine One One" episode, an unwatchably mawkish allegory about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States). Granted that Ally McBeal was never intended to be realistic drama, but when the programme spirals entirely off into the realms of the surreal, any possibility of the sort of identification with the characters on which the programme once relied is lost. Though not without its moments, the sudden redemption of Fish, always the best-written character, is deftly handled. Season Five will be of chief interest to adherents who stuck with it through the first four and so wanted to see how it all ends; in keeping with the central character's defining motifs of solipsism and self-pity, it does so with a whimper. On the DVD: Ally McBeal has episode selector on each disc, and a scene selector within each of those. The final disc contains two short and desultory documentaries on the series billed, somewhat hopefully, as "Special Features". A French audio soundtrack is available, as are subtitles in English, French and Dutch. -Andrew Mueller
In one of the most acclaimed British horror films of recent years orphaned 19 year old call girl Blue is sent to meet a new punter in Brighton unaware of the horrifying impact it will have on her life. Blue begins to fall for the charms of her client Bill and also becomes intrigued by the grand Regency house he is renovating; a once infamous Victorian brothel. Together they uncover a secret room that harbours a shocking history of events relating to Blue's murky family past. A terrible supernatural force is about to be unleashed awakening demons past and present in this terrifying gothic nightmare.
A workout programme with Eastenders star Lucy Benjamin.
Set in the economically depressed austerity Britain of today, Cal is a startlingly powerful drama and the follow-up to the hit 2009 film, Shank. Twenty-year-old Cal returns from France to Britain after receiving news that his mother is ill. His finds his home city of Bristol facing hard economic times brought on by the global economic crisis, with poverty and crime on the rise and rioting and looting almost a nightly occurrence. It's not a warm homecoming as his sick mother remains stubbornly homophobic and wants nothing to do with the now openly gay Cal while his alcoholic and manic Auntie Jane, now living in a rundown council house, dulls her stagnation with welfare funded booze and disturbing attempts to sexually seduce her nephew. Navigating his way across this new landscape he meets a young student who needs his help. However his act of kindness brings him into contact with a lawless drug dealing pimp and a race against time to make peace with his mother and get out of town as quickly as possible. An intense tale of a family mired in poverty, angry and lost but still searching for love, respect and acceptance.
England, 1905: Angel Deverell is a gifted young writer who dreams of success, fame and love. But what will happen if all her dreams come true?
Spaced is a sitcom like no other. The premise is simple enough: Daisy (Jessica Stevenson) and Tim (Simon Pegg) are out of luck and love, so pretend to be a couple in order to rent a flat together. Downstairs neighbour and eccentric painter Brian suspects someone's fibbing, and almost blows their cover with their lecherous lush of a landlady, Marsha. Fortunately he soon falls for Daisy's health-freak friend Twist, while Daisy herself goes ga-ga for pet dog Colin. Tim remains happily platonic with lifemate Mike; a sweet-at-heart guns 'n' ammo obsessive. The series is chock-full of pop culture references. In fact, each episode is themed after at least one movie, with nods to The Shining and Close Encounters of the Third Kind proving especially hilarious. Hardly five minutes goes by without a Star Wars reference, and every second of screen time from Bill Bailey as owner of the comic shop where Tim works is comedic gold. The look of the series is its other outstanding element, with slam-zooms, dizzying montages, and inspired lighting effects (often paying homage to the Evil Dead movies). It's an affectionate fantasy on the life of the twenty-something that's uncomfortably close to the truth. The second series finds the gang at 23 Meteor Street a little older, but definitely none the wiser. Tim's career is hampered by severe hang-ups over The Phantom Menace. Daisy's career is just plain non-existent. There is still a spark of sexual tension between them, but it's overshadowed by Brian and Twist getting it on. Propelling the seven-episode series arc is the threat of Marsha discovering that none of the relationships are what they seem, Mike's increasing jealousy and a new love interest for Tim. That's the basis for a never-ending stream of in-jokes and references that easily match the quality of the first series. Tim has a Return of the Jedi flashback, then déjà vu in reliving the end of The Empire Strikes Back. There are spoofs of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Robocop, The Sixth Sense and comedy rival The Royle Family. There are guest spots from Bill Bailey, Peter (voice of Darth Maul) Serafinowicz and The League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith. Every episode is packed with highlights, but this series' guaranteed geek pant-wetting moments have to be the mock gun battles, slagging off Babylon 5 and learning that "The second rule of Robot Club is: no smoking." Jessica Stevenson won a British Comedy Award for this year. It deserved a whole lot more. --Paul Tonks On the DVD: Series 1 includes trailers, out-takes, deleted scenes with commentary, cast, crew, and character biographies and a full audio commentary by the director and cast. Series 2 features a chaotic but highly enthusiastic commentary from the director and cast, including of course Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, who also talk about some deleted scenes and why they were removed. There's an outtakes blooper reel, as well as a selection of raw location footage and a self-explanatory clip, "Daisy Does Elvis". The most useful feature, though, is the subtitle "Homage-o-Meter" facility, which displays all the movie references throughout the series. --Paul Tonks/Mark Walker
Bold powerful and starkly realistic this chilling cinematic debut of horror master Wes Craven (Scream) is a shocking journey into the heart of evil. Written and directed with almost unbearable dramatic tension (Chicago Sun Times) The Last House on the Left will make you deadbolt your doors and frantically mutter: It's only a movie... it's only a movie... it's only a movie.! Easy going Mari Collingwood and her fun loving friend Phyllis are on their way to a Bloodlust concert to celebrate Mari's 17th birthday when three escaped convicts kidnap and torture them. But Mari and Phyllis are fighters and although they are drugged and beaten into unconsciousness stuffed in a car trunk and driven into the woods for even more brutality they are still alive.... But for how long?
Lucy Lawlwss returns as Xena in the fifth season of the popular fantasy series
Blackmail betrayal a deceitful web of lies crimes of passion lost love intrigue and murder are the vital ingredients that make The High Command such compelling viewing. Set amidst the backdrop of WWI The High Command is a thrilling suspenseful drama based upon a novel by Lewis Robinson adapted for the screen by Walter Meade (Scott Of The Antarctic) and expertly directed by distinguished filmmaker Thorold Dickinson (Secret People The Queen of Spades). Also featuring an early appearance from future film legend James Mason (North by Northwest The Man in Grey) and Lionel Atwill (Doctor X Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman). A high-ranking general is stationed in West Africa but when a new doctor arrives at his post he is forced to face his dark past. The doctor is an old acquaintance and holds a deadly secret about the general a secret that could destroy him forever. That is until the doctor is found murdered and the sinister world of the general begins to unravel.
The original French and German versions of this Brecht-Weill musical are included with subtitles - 'Die Dreigroschenoper' and 'L'Opera De Quat' Sous'. Set in a dreamlike Victorian London this musical tells the story of Mack the Knife and Polly Peachum.
Set against the stunning scenery of the South African bush this boxed set contains both Series One and Series Two of Wild at Heart the story of Danny Trevanion a widowed English vet and his new extended warring family. Sarah Danny's second wife decides the family should all go on holiday to return a sick monkey to its natural habitat in Africa. She hopes the trip as well as being a break from their normal city routine will bring them all closer together as a family. The holiday becomes a permanent adventure when they decide to stay to run a game reserve presenting life-changing opportunities for the whole Trevanion family.
When 12-year-old Mickey Miller moves from New York to Ireland with her family, she soon discovers a link between herself and the 300-year-old legend of the mysterious Black Knight, who regularly haunts the sleepy Irish village of Longwood. With courage and a sharp mind, she sets out to redeem the knight so as to bring lasting peace to Longwood, but first she must save the lives of seven precious white horses and thwart the evil plans of a greedy, ambitious woman. Crumbling castles, mysterious riddles, frightening spirits, beautiful horses and a plucky, fearless heroine.
A group of 30-year-olds who have been friends since high school attempt to throw an end-of-summer orgy.
Director Tony Kaye's (American History X) long-awaited film Detachment stars Academy Award winner Adrien Brody as Henry Barthes, a substitute teacher who conveniently avoids any emotional connections by never staying anywhere long enough to form a bond with either his students or colleagues. A lost soul grappling with a troubled past, Henry finds himself at a public school where an apathetic student body has created a frustrated, burned-out administration. Inadvertently becoming a role model to his students, while also bonding with a runaway teen who is just as lost as he is, Henry finds that he's not alone in a life and death struggle to find beauty in a seemingly vicious and loveless world.Kaye has molded a contemporary vision of people who become increasingly distant from others while still feeling the need to connect. Detachment features a stellar ensemble cast, including Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, William Petersen, Bryan Cranston, Tim Blake Nelson, Lucy Liu, Blythe Danner, James Caan, and newcomers Sami Gayle and Betty Kaye.
Cameron Diaz Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu are Charlies Angels - a trio of elite private investigators who with the latest in high-tech gadgets martial arts techniques and a vast array of disguises unleash their state of the art skills on land sea and air. Their goal to track down a kidnapped billionaire-to-be and keep his top-secret voice identification software out of his lethal hands. Aided by their faithful lieutenant Bosley (Bill Murray) and under the sure hand of their suave playboy boss notorious for his clever ways of avoiding face-to-face meetings the girls must foil an elaborate murder-revenge plot that could destroy individual privacy and corporate security worldwide. Adventure has never been more beautiful!
Derailed (Dir. Bob Misiorowski): A train rockets across Eastern Europe. On board are agent Kristoff (Van Damme) and Galina a beautiful high-tech thief. Holding the passengers hostage are a band of terrorists who have come to steal the bioweapon on board. With the train off course and on a collision course for danger Kristoff becomes a one-man army taking on the terrorists and trying to save the lives of everyone on board. Legionnaire (Dir. Peter MacDonald): The year is 1924 and Alain Lefevre (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a headstrong boxer who has been declared the victor in a heavily wagered boxing match. Two people are dead and the blame has fallen at his feet. With his pockets stuffed with cash he runs through the alleyways desperately hiding in the shadows hunted like an animal. As both the Police and a mobster's henchmen close in Lefereve escapes to the French Foreign Legion. By dawn he is launched into a brutal conflict in a strange and unfamiliar country. What he learns there will change the course of his life forever. Desert Heat (Dir. Danny Mulroon): International star and martial arts master Jean-Claude Van Damme kicks into high gear in Desert Heat a scorching high-intensity action thriller. Desperate to flee the inner demons raging inside him mysterious loner Eddie Lomax (Van-Damme) rides to the last outpost of an abandoned desert highway prepared to end it all. But when a savage gang steals his prized cycle and leaves him for dead Eddie's life is saved by a soulmate from his past. Burning with a new reason to live Eddie sets off on a one-man search-and-destroy mission against his attackers. Fuelled by Van Damme's powerful performance Desert Heat is an explosive and sensational adventures from first to last.
The Angels rescue Marshal Ray Carter (Patrick) from a sticky situation in Mongolia but are forced to leave without what they presume to be his wedding ring. It transpires the ring is one of a coded pair that once combined unlocks the data for the location of the entire witness protection programme! As the other ring has also been taken from it's murdered owner the Angels are charged with tracking it down but along the way they encounter a vengefully violent old flame from Dylan's past and an ex-Angel striking out on her own...
Titles Comprise: Tinker Bell: Though Tinker Bell might have played second fiddle to Peter Pan and Captain Hook in Disney's 1953 classic the beloved fairy gets top billing - and a speaking role - with this animated adventure. Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure: Let your imagination take flight in an enchanting new motion picture starring the world's most beloved fairy! Journey with Tinker Bell beyond Pixie Hollow on an all-new exciting adventure. This year's Autumn Revelry promises to be something special. A blue harvest moon will rise allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree - the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right. With some help from her friend Terence - and a charming rascally firefly named Blaze - Tink braves an astonishing new world and discovers the greatest treasure of all. Tinker Bell And The Lost Treasure is a remarkable tale about the power of true friendship that your family will want to enjoy over and
Never Make A Bet You Can't Afford To Lose. Edward is a compulsive gambler who's lost everything and is forced to work as a numbers runner for Deepthroat a sadistic sociopath and big time professional gambler. From his high tech sanctuary Deepthroat takes perverse pleasure in putting Edward to the test...waiting for him to slip up and checking for every dollar. Edward tries to start a new life with his beautiful girlfriend but when some money is missing Deepthroat wants his payback and one last desperate gamble on human nature will decide their futures.
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