Jackie Chan has become a genre unto himself, and watching Police Story, you'll understand why. The plot is minimal: Chan is a hero cop involved in a raid that goes wrong. He's assigned to guard a witness, the kingpin's attractive female secretary (Brigitte Lin). For the rest of the film, Chan's protecting himself from the secretary, from the gangsters out to silence her and from his own jealous girlfriend (Maggie Cheung). But watching Chan for plot is like watching porno for existential themes. While most modern action films steal cues from Westerns, Chan condenses those open mesas into the dense throngs of modern Hong Kong--and tosses in Buster Keaton slapstick. For example, when the opening raid goes haywire, there's an unbelievable car chase through the steep huddle of a hillside shantytown. That's through. No roads, just shacks. Flimsy shacks. As the film progresses, Chan scales a speeding bus using an umbrella, uses cow dung as an excuse to break into some Shaolin moonwalking and transforms an urban shopping mall into a demented gymnasium (think clothes racks, escalators, and lots of plate glass displays). Chan is amazingly versatile both physically and emotionally--and he's a secure enough star-director to let his co-stars shine, too. --Grant Balfour
Voted ITV's Greatest Programme in a national poll and described as the most successful programme in television history, this collection of eighty episodes of Coronation Street represents the cream of this acclaimed TV drama. You can now relive the trials, tribulations, joy and jubilation as encountered by the folk of Manchester's Coronation Street in the UK's most ompelling soap - a show that has become a national treasure and which will forever have a place in our hearts.With many episodes from this celebrated and award-winning series not seen since their original broadcast, this is an opportunity to revisit old friends and relive some of the key moments and dramatic storylines, including:Richard Hillman's murderous rampagePeter Barlow's bigamyGail and Eileen's street showdownTracy Barlow vs. Karen McDonaldMad Maya's revengeLes and Cilla's fake weddingThe saga of Liam, Carla and TonyBlanche at the alcoholics' support group... and much more
Created by the writing partnership of Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran who went on to create such comedy classics as Birds of a Feather and Goodnight Sweetheart. Originally broadcast on ITV in 1985, Shine on Harvey Moon features a superb cast including Kenneth Cranham, Elizabeth Spriggs, Maggie Steed, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Nigel Planer. More than just a comedy series, Shine on Harvey Moon was also an entertaining historical record of changing attitudes and changing lifestyles in a drastically changed world.After being demobbed from his post as a stores clerk for the RAF stationed in Bombay, former professional footballer Corporal Harvey Moon returned home to the east London district of Hackney only to discover that his family friends and neighbours had assumed him 'missing in action'.This three disc set comprises all eight episodes from Series F our:Kind Hearts and CoronetsAnything GoesMud SticksLove is BlindLover, Come Back to MeAll or Nothing At AllWe're in the MoneyLove and Marriage
Bronson: In 1974 a misguided 19 year old decided he wanted to make a name for himself and so armed with a sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to 7 years in jail Michael Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years and transformed into Charles Bronson Britain's most notorious prisoner. For this controversial but critically acclaimed film from director Nicolas Winding Refn (the Pusher trilogy) Tom Hardy physically transformed himself for the role and gives a performance described by The Sun as utterly brilliant. Love Honour And Obey: Johnny (Jonny Lee Miller) dreams of leaving his dead-end job as a courier. Through his best friend (Jude Law) nephew of the notorious crime lord Ray Kreed (Ray Winstone) he charms his way into the toughest gang in North London. Hungry for some real gangster action Johnny sparks a feud between Ray's gang and another firm in South London. Malice In Wonderland: An American law student in London. Knocked down by a black cab she wakes with amnesia in a world that's a million miles from home - Wonderland. We follow her adventures as she's dragged through an underworld filled with twisted individuals and the lowest low-lifers by the enigmatic cab driver Whitey. She needs to find out who she is where she's from and use what wits she has left to get back home in one piece. As her journey progresses she discovers nothing is what it seems realizes that fate and life are terminally entwined and finds true love lurking in the unlikeliest place.
Whoopi Goldberg returns in a gratuitous, poorly written sequel that contrives a reason to get her character back into Maggie Smith's convent. The "socially conscious" plot finds Goldberg being asked to relate to a bunch of street kids and pull them together into a choir. Since a bad guy is needed, the script grabs that old chestnut about a rich guy (James Coburn) preparing to close down the convent's school, and runs with it. The film is slow and unconvincing from start to finish, although co-stars Mary Wickes and Kathy Najimy get some good laughs, and the music is pretty spirited. --Tom Keogh
The unlikely duo of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are reunited in this sequel. This time round their investigations take them from Hong Kong to L.A.
We return to the sumptuous setting of Downton Abbey for the sixth and final season of this internationally acclaimed hit drama series. As our time with the Crawleys begins to draw to a close and we see what will finally become of them all, the family, and the servants who work for them, remain inseparably interlinked as they face new challenges and begin forging different paths in a rapidly changing world. Secrets and rifts threaten the unity of the family, while those below stairs continue to navigate social changes which put their futures in jeopardy. The final season of the multi-award winning series follows all our favourite characters as they strive to find happiness once and for all. Will Mary choose the right path? Will her sister Edith finally get a break?! Will Carson and Mrs Hughes actually make it up the aisle?And will Anna and Bates overcome the many hurdles that have been set before them? This season offers all the highs and lows, joy and sorrow, that viewers across the globe have grown to love, with the added excitement of discovering how it all wraps up and it should be the most wonderful and satisfying season yet. Includes exclusive clip from Downton Abbey 2015 Christmas special PLUS The Manners of Downton Downton Abbey II an exclusive documentary featuring historian and Downton Abbey historical advisor Alastair Bruce. Bonus Features: The 1920’s Woman, The Cars of Downton, 1920’s Weddings A first look at the 2015 Christmas special- the final ever episode of Downton Abbey PLUS The Manners of Downton Abbey II an exclusive to DVD documentary featuring historian and Downton Abbey historical advisor Alastair Bruce
Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton prove revenge is a dish best served cold. Former college buddies, they reunite at the funeral of a dear friend who took a swan dive onto Fifth Avenue. All three discover they share the same unhappy history of husbands who dove into middle-age by dumping them for trophy wives. Forming a warring triumvirate, they decide to get even, and along the way remind themselves of long-forgotten capabilities. The action gets a little too "wacky" at times, but the gals are great. Portraying an ageing actress, Hawn is sometimes a little too flamboyant, but there is much fun to be had in her flashiness, especially when she pokes fun at Tinseltown and her persona. Instead of her usual brashness, Midler stretches herself and shows us a woman who is not just unhappy, but also deeply sorrowful. Not that she isn't quick with a wisecrack, but her expressive face alone tells the story of her marriage. As the repressed and guilt-ridden spouse of a self-involved ad executive, Keaton finds her anger, and her voice, when her psychiatrist (Marcia Gay Harden) oversteps ethical boundaries. Watching Keaton grow from an ineffectual homemaker into a powerful businessperson reminds us that it has been far too long since she has done a comedy. Director Hugh Wilson smartly chose supporting players who each brought something unique to the film. However, he does not maintain the first hour's effervescent humour throughout the film, as the ending is weakened by a softening of the wives' resolve. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Johnnie To's sharp and atmospheric police crime thriller. Eureka Entertainment to release PTU, an immersive crime thriller from Johnnie To, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as part of The Masters of Cinema Series from 21 June 2021. The first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase. Set against a Hong Kong that never sleeps, a stolen police gun triggers a suspenseful chain of events. Tracking down his missing gun before dawn, Sergeant Lo first has his car vandalised and is then beaten up. Suddenly he finds himself edged between two gangs on the brink of a bloodbath, whilst at the same time staving off investigations by both Vice Squad and Homicide Units embroiled in their own turf war. His only lifeline is a maverick Police Tactical Unit squad who have one night to help him find his gun. An atmospheric noir thriller from director Johnnie To, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present PTU in its UK debut on Blu-ray. Special Features Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) 1080p presentation on Blu-ray Cantonese audio (DTS-HD MA 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options) Optional English dubbed audio Optional English Subtitles and English SDH Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) Archival interview with director Johnnie To Archival interview with actor Simon Yam Archival interview with actress Maggie Siu Trailers A Collector's Booklet featuring new writing by David West (NEO Magazine)
Experience The Fantastic! You've visited lands where a Cyclops roams (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) skeletons duel (Jason and the Argonauts) and cowboys lasso dinosaurs (The Valley of Gwangi). They are the worlds of Ray Harryhausen the stop motion effects master who creates another dazzling realm in Clash of the Titans. Olympian gods mythological monsters and heroic mortals populate this imaginative spectacle. Harry Hamlin is Perseus mortal son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier) and champion of captive Andromeda (Judi Bowker). From that storyline Harryhausen unleashes sea creature Kraken snake haired Medusa swamp denizen Calibos flying horse Pegasus two headed dog Dioskilos giant scorpions and all manner of eye popping adventure. Let the clash begin!
In Blumhouse's Fantasy Island, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky quests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island's mystery in order to escape with their lives.
Fifteen years before Stranger Things combined science fiction, Spielbergian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Richard Kelly set the template and the high-water mark with his debut feature, Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. Donnie is a troubled high school student: in therapy, prone to sleepwalking and in possession of an imaginary friend, a six-foot rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days, 06 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. During that time he will navigate teenage life, narrowly avoid death in the form of a falling jet engine, follow Frank's maladjusted instructions and try to maintain the space-time continuum. Described by its director as The Catcher in the Rye as told by Philip K. Dick, Donnie Darko combines an eye-catching, eclectic cast pre-stardom Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, heartthrob Patrick Swayze, former child star Drew Barrymore, Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell and Katharine Ross, and television favourite Noah Wyle and an evocative soundtrack of 80s classics by Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran. This 4K restoration by Arrow Films allows a modern classic to receive the home video treatment it deserves.
Sigourney Weaver more than earned her Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Gorillas in the Mist, dominating every frame of Michael Apted's biopic about primatologist Dian Fossey. Tenderly mothering an orphaned gorilla infant or terrorising an African poacher with a staged lynching, the statuesque star is never less than fiercely focused, a glamorous warrior for animal rights. As the amateur scientist who researched and spotlighted Rwanda's endangered mountain gorillas in National Geographic, Weaver is the passionate heart that keeps an otherwise flaccid film alive. Unfortunately, the film's stodgy script and direction simply document Fossey's magnificent obsession, offering no insight into what lonely impulse of the soul led this extraordinary woman to climb up an African mountain to bond so strongly with gorillas. Cardboard characters include an eternally smiling, sexless African soulmate (John Omirah Miluwi), a perfect boyfriend (Bryan Brown) who has to be dumped in favour of gorilla-love, and stereotypical villains. Still, the African scenery is spectacular, and who can resist the cross-species thrill when the huge dark hand of Digit, Fossey's favourite, first rests in her outstretched palm? Gorillas in the Mist will please those who savour Sigourney Weaver's Amazonian fervour and the pure fire of her physical and spiritual passion--and harbour a slightly misanthropic fondness for liaisons between beauties and beasts. --Kathleen Murphy
The first three series, plus the Christmas special, of the ITV costume drama following the lives and loves of those above and below stairs in an English stately home. In series one, set before the outbreak of World War One, the Grantham family, long time custodians of Downton Abbey, face a crisis when the heir to the estate dies on the Titanic. With his three daughters unable to inherit by law, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), the current Earl of Grantham, must try and marry his eldest daughter off in order to obtain an heir. Meanwhile, the family's determination to cling to class and rank is mirrored in a number of growing rivalries between the servants which threaten to undermine the smooth running of the house. In series two, after the outbreak of WWI, Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Thomas (Rob James-Collier) are off fighting at the Somme, while both Lord Grantham and William (Thomas Howes) feel frustrated at being barred from taking part in the war. Meanwhile, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) defies her aristocratic position and enlists in the Royal Army Nursing Corps and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) puts on a brave face when Matthew arrives home on leave with his future wife, Lavinia Swire (Zoe Boyle), in tow. In series three, with the war finally over, the 1920s heralds the promise of a new age for those at Downton Abbey. But while the family prepare for the wedding of Lady Mary and Matthew, Lord Grantham learns that the future of Downton is in grave jeopardy after the collapse of investments made with his wife (Elizabeth McGovern)'s fortune. With the family beginning to gather for the wedding celebrations, a grand entrance by Cora's thoroughly modern mother, Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine), threatens to ruffle a few of the Dowager (Maggie Smith)'s feathers.
Hook is Steven Spielberg's most spectacular film of the 90s. It is also seriously underrated, arguably the equal of ET, (1982) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, (1977). An unofficial sequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Hook adopts the startling premise of what happened after "the boy who never grew up", grew up. Robin Williams, in his career best performance, is the corporate suit forced to remember he once was "The Pan", returning to Neverland to battle nefarious Captain Hook (a splendid Dustin Hoffman), for his children's love. This is a ravishingly beautiful, stunningly designed film, at once highly imaginative and with a genuinely magical atmosphere which ranges from exquisite, delicate fantasy to slapstick tomfoolery. There is fine support from Maggie Smith, Julia Roberts and Bob Hoskins, and John Williams' rapturously romantic score is yet another career high. Slated upon release, and dubbed a flop though it grossed $200 million, Hook reacted against the "greed is good" 80s by upholding family values and responsibility while evoking a genuine sense of wonder. Only the somewhat pantomime final showdown disappoints, but alongside Legend, (1985)and Labyrinth, (1986), Hook is ripe for reassessment as a fantasy classic. The DVD transfer is superb and the disc, though not packed with additional features, has some interesting extras. --Gary S. Dalkin
TakenLiam Neeson stars in this action-packed thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. When his daughter is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy (Neeson) sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter. Taken 2Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent 'with a particular set of skills' who stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers. When the Father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape...
A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates.
A prominent young playwright upsets her mother in an interview and is soon kidnapped by her mother's lifelong friends, who slowly reveal the truth about her mother's turbulent history.
Two strangers' lives become inextricably bound together after a devastating plane crash.
This prestigious ensemble brings the world of Downton to life with splendour and passion. Set in England in the years leading up to the First World War Downton Abbey tells the story of a complicated community. The house has been home to the Crawley family for many generations but it is also where their servants live and plan and dream and they are as fiercely jealous of their rank as anyone. Some of them are loyal to the family and committed to Downton as a way of life others are moving through on the look out for betterment or love or just adventure. The difference is that they know so many of the secrets of the family while the family know so few of theirs. But for all the passions that rage beneath the surface this is a secure world serene and ordered and at first glance it seems it will last forever. Little do they know family or staff that the clouds of the conflict that will change everything are already gathering over their heads.
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