Cy Endfield cowrote the epic prequel Zulu Dawn 15 years after his enormously popular Zulu. Set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic Battle of Isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the British army by natives--the British contingent was outnumbered 16-to-1 by the Zulu tribesmen. The film's opinion of events is made immediately clear in its title sequence: ebullient African village life presided over by King Cetshwayo is contrasted with aristocratic artifice under the arrogant eye of General Lord Chelmsford (Peter O'Toole). Chelmsford is at the heart of all that goes wrong, initiating the catastrophic battle with an ultimatum made seemingly for the sake of giving his troops something to do. His detached manner leads to one mistake after another and this is wryly illustrated in a moment when neither he nor his officers can be bothered to pronounce the name of the land they're in. That it's a beautiful land none the less is made clear by the superb cinematography, which drinks in the massive open spaces that shrink the British army to a line of red ants. Splendidly stiff-upper-lipped support comes from a heroic Burt Lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, Bob Hoskins. Although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of Rorke's Drift that followed soon after, Zulu Dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks
Triple bill of family dramas. In Foster' (2011), a young married couple, the Morrisons (Toni Collette and Ioan Gruffudd), have been in mourning for the death of their child for a number of years and are now trying desperately to have another baby. Due to difficulties conceiving they consider adoption, but as their application goes into the adoption agency, a young boy, Eli (Maurice Cole), turns up on their dooprstep. When they take Eli in, he helps them in saving their failing toy business ...
From the blood-stained beaches of Dunkirk to the terror of young aircraft pilots in the depths of war, through to a case of mistaken identity in the German POW camps. From a quiet English village on alert of the arrival of the enemy to the life of an RAF fighter station during the Battle of Britain. Featuring outstanding performances from acting greats such as John Mills and Malcom McDowell, these five classic war films are tales of survival, resolve and bravery. DUNKIRK Dunkirk follows the dramatic events leading up to Operation Dynamo, where the British Army attempted to rescue fellow soldiers and Allied troops from Nazi-occupied France. Starring John Mills. ACES HIGH New air force recruit Peter Firth takes an instant dislike to his embittered squadron leader, Malcolm McDowell. But as the young pilot experiences the tensions and stresses of warfare, his dislike turns to admiration. WENT THE DAY WELL? A rare foray into darker material by Ealing Studios, Alberto Cavalcanti's film tells the story of a quiet English village, infiltrated by German soldiers masquerading as British troops, leaving the plucky villagers to uncover the plot and fight back. THE CAPTIVE HEART WW2 drama based on a true story about a Czech Captain (Michael Redgrave) who to conceal his identity, pretends to be a dead British officer. After being thrown into a German POW camp the other inmates begin to doubt his story and he must do all he can to convince them he's not a spy. ANGELS ONE FIVE The Battle of Britain as seen through the eyes of the operations room of a Kent fighter station during the summer of 1940. A young, inexperienced pilot has trouble settling into squadron life.
Two warring elderly brothers and their respective heirs are determined that each will outlive the other in an attempt to hold onto the family fortune and will stop at nothing even murder to achieve their goal. Bryan Forbes' riotous black comedy, based on the 1889 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, stars some of the greatest talents of the day, including Peter Sellers, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Tony Hancock, Ralph Richardson, Nanette Newman and John Mills. Extras: INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES: High Definition remaster Original mono audio The British Entertainment History Project Interview with Bryan Forbes (1994): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Roy Fowler New and exclusive audio commentary with film historians Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt Interview with Nanette Newman (2018): the award-winning actor talks about The Wrong Box and her work with husband Bryan Forbes Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Vic Pratt, an overview of contemporary critical responses and historic articles on the film World premiere on Blu-ray LIMITED EDITION OF 3,000 copies
Cats is a pop-cultural phenomenon that has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, resulting in more than two billion dollars in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided it until now. This video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium. Most of the cast--assembled from London, Amsterdam and New York productions--are competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr Mistoffelees and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory", and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the covers of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, which is not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots. The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors, John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory", which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theatre standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". On the plus side, most of the characters and lyrics, from TS Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler, Amazon.com
A gripping military drama starring Alec Guinness as Major Jock Sinclair. During World War 2 Sinclair was promoted to Acting CO of his Highland Regiment but now it has returned to Scotland a new CO (John Mills) is to be appointed; leading Jock to pit his wits against the new CO and the other officers in the Mess.
When a young Edwardian family leaves the shores of England to build a home in the wilderness of East Africa what they encounter is beyond their imagination but forever remembered through the eyes of their 11-year-old daughter. Based on the beloved memoir by Elspeth Huxley The Flame Trees of Thika brings to life the color and adventure of turn-of-the-century Kenya. In 1913 Robin (David Robb) and Tilly Grant (Hayley Mills) arrive in Kenya with the dream of transforming a barren plot
A unique collection from the 1970's and 1980's cult tv series - the four classic episodes included are: The Vorpal Blade: A notorious duel to the death in Germany in the 1920's has scarred the lives of many who were involved - including elderly aristocrat Von Baden who recalls the deadly challenge and reveals a shocking secret. The Tribute: Three thrifty ex-colonial ladies are re-united when they learn of the death of a devoted servant who once served all their familie
An acclaimed and memorable drama, Dulcima stars Cathy Come Home's Carol White as a young woman whose determined efforts to escape a life of rural poverty lead to complications and worse. Co-starring Oscar winner John Mills as a lonely, ageing farmer, this earthy, award-winning adaptation of H.E. Bates' classic novel is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Dulcima, a pretty girl treated as a drudge by her family, becomes a housekeeper to Parker, a curmudgeonly widower living in drunken disarray on a neighbouring farm. When she sees the amount of money he has stashed around the place, Dulcima is happy enough to indulge his growing desire for her, and a strange, yet mutually beneficial, relationship develops. But a handsome young gamekeeper, newly arrived on a nearby estate, also catches Dulcima's eye... SPECIAL FEATURES: Original Theatrical Trailers Image Gallery
A World War 2 drama that highlights the characters (all aged only between 19 and 23 years) as much as the actual events. The British submarine Sea Tiger's crew is looking forward to a long shore-leave after months at sea. This is cut short when they are ordered to pursue and sink the German battleship Brandenburg. The crew's sub-Commander (John Mills) struggles to fulfil the mission despite discovering that the battleship is heavily defended. Along the way Sea Tiger encounters many obstacles and once the crew has attempted to sink the battleship they have to escape knowing that they are about to run out of fuel.
Wild At Heart: Series Three (3 Discs)
Sarah (a teenage Jennifer Connelly) rehearses the role of a fairy-tale queen, performing for her stuffed animals. She is about to discover that the time has come to leave her childhood behind. In real life she has to baby-sit her brother and contend with parents who don't understand her at all. Her petulance leads her to call the goblins to take the baby away, but when they actually do, she realises her responsibility to rescue him. Sarah negotiates the Labyrinth to reach the City of the Goblins and the castle of their king. The king is the only other human in the film and is played by a glam-rocking David Bowie, who performs five of his songs. The rest of the cast are puppets, a wonderful array of Jim Henson's imaginative masterpieces. Henson gives credit to children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, and the creatures in the movie will remind Sendak fans of his drawings. The castle of the king is a living MC Escher set that adults will enjoy. The film combines the highest standards of art, costume, and set decoration. Like executive producer George Lucas's other fantasies, Labyrinth mixes adventure with lessons about growing up. --Lloyd Chesley
Jonathan Miller's film of Kingsley Amis' comic novel (adapted for the screen by George Melly), casts Hayley Mills (Whistle Down the Wind, Twisted Nerve) as a naïve young girl who moves from the North of England to teach in a London school and finds herself fending off the advances of a number of lusty suitors, including Oliver Reed, John Bird and Noel Harrison. As much a document of its time as a satire on the sexual mores (and confusions) of the period, Miller's still remarkably fresh debut feature is buoyed by its terrific cast and a typically excellent Stanley Myers score. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio A New Era Revisited (2019, 15 mins): in-depth interview with celebrated actor Hayley Mills Now and Then: Jonathan Miller (1967, 42 mins): archival interview featuring the polymath director in conversation with broadcaster Bernard Braden Make a Film Like You (2019, 8 mins): production manager Denis Johnson Jnr and assistant director Joe Marks recalls the making of Take a Girl Like You Isolated music & effects track Original theatrical trailers Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Set during the Second World War two Irish brothers arrive in London to launch an IRA bombing campaign but one of them begins to have doubts about their mission. John Mills and Dirk Bogarde play the brothers.
Ronald Neame (The Odessa File) directs this stately adaptation of Enid Bagnold's play which tells of a haughty matriarch (Edith Evans, The Whisperers) who employs a governess (Deborah Kerr, The Innocents) with a shadowy past to take care of her troubled teenage granddaughter (Hayley Mills, Take a Girl Like You, Endless Night), and her neglected garden. John Mills (Town on Trial, The Wrong Box) plays the butler who develops a soft spot for the governess, and navigates the fraught interpersonal relationships of the house. A hit with audiences upon its original release, The Chalk Garden benefits from a nuanced screenplay by the great John Michael Hayes (Rear Window) and tasteful photography by Arthur Ibbetson (Where Eagles Dare, Fanatic). INDICATOR STANDARD EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES High Definition remaster Original mono soundtrack Audio commentary with film historians Lucy Bolton and Josephine Botting (2021) The BEHP Interview with Ronald Neame (1991, 107 mins): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the acclaimed director in conversation with Roy Fowler Fertile Ground (2021, 8 mins): assistant production accountant Maurice Landsberger remembers filming at Eastbourne 8mm Location Footage (1963, 1 min): excerpts from John Mills' home movies shot at Beachy Head during production Clever Conversation (2021, 22 mins): appreciation of Malcolm Arnold's score by author and musician David Huckvale Loved and Envied (2021, 11 mins): Josephine Botting on the life and career of Enid Bagnold Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Hobson's Choice (1953) and The Sound Barrier (1952) is a double bill of cleverly juxtaposed films from David Lean's early canon, demonstrating that even without the landmark epics to come, British cinema would have been an infinitely poorer place without his tremendous contribution. Both films reflect his endlessly penetrating view of human behaviour and its perseverance through obstacles great and small. And both are effectively prisms that reflect all the aspects of that view, keeping the audience's sympathies constantly on the move. Hobson's Choice, based on Harold Brighouse's eternally popular 1916 comedy, boasts fine turns from Charles Laughton--at his brilliant, physical best--as the boot-shop owner with three troublesome daughters, and John Mills as the lowly boot maker, elevated and improved by the eldest daughter Maggie in a neat inversion of the Pygmalion fable. But both are kept in their place by Brenda de Banzie's portrayal of Maggie, a performance that glows with intelligence, truth and increasing warmth. The Sound Barrier is a drama about the race for a supersonic aeroplane. Superficially, its setting is quintessential post-World War II Britain: stiff upper lips, twin beds and clipped Rattigan dialogue. But it's prescient stuff. Ralph Richardson's aircraft manufacturer, sinister in his obsession, is an ominously skilful film performance. And Lean's take on the unthinkable cost of human achievement, interwoven with some spectacular cinematography, absorbs and unsettles. It's especially poignant now that the supersonic age has been summarily ended by Concorde's retirement. On the DVD: Hobson's Choice and The Sound Barrier are both black-and-white films presented in 4:3 picture format, from reasonable prints, and with a mono soundtrack of suitably robust quality for Malcolm Arnold's inventive scores. There are no extras, apart from scene indexes. --Piers Ford
Featuring some of the most influential artists of today, "Beautiful Losers" tells the inspiring story of likeminded outsiders who subvert convention and inadvertently become leaders of popular culture.
A coming-of-age story with a twist. A charming, feel-good comedy about living in the moment. The film follows Joan who, after her husband dies, is shocked to discover he had invented an elixir that makes the drinker look young again. Sharing it with her two friends, the three women paint the town red but soon discover that they are no longer equipped to be young in the modern world.
Investigating a murder in a small English town, a brusque Police Inspector (John Mills Hobson's Choice, Ice Cold in Alex, Young Winston) discovers that virtually everyone he encounters has something to hide. Setting the template for British crime thrillers for decades to come (including recent TV hit, Broadchurch),director John Guillermin's audacious, often salacious, drama is untypical of mainstream British cinema of its time. An intelligent and gripping police-procedural thriller and macabre melodrama, Town on Trialis a rare treat which is ripe for rediscovery. Features: High Definition remaster Original mono audio The John Player Lecture with John Mills (1970): archival audio recording of an interview conducted by Margaret Hinxman at London's National Film Theatre New interview with actor Elizabeth Seal (2018) An appreciation by film historian and journalist Barry Forshaw (2018) Adventure in the Hopfields (1954, 60 mins): John Guillermin's early film made for the Children's Film Foundation starring Mandy Miller (The Snorkel) Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Neil Sinyard, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film World premiere on Blu-ray Limited Edition of 3,000 copies All extras subject to change
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