What more is there to say about Orson Welles? One of the most talented and enigmatic artists that Hollywood has ever seen this box set gathers several films in his oeuvre for your viewing pleasure. Citizen Kane (Dir. Orson Welles 1941): In May of 1941 RKO Radio Pictures released a controversial film by a 25-year-old first-time director. That premier of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane was to have a profound and lasting effect of the art of motion pictures. It has been hai
Treachery. Madness. Murder. Mel Gibson plays the leading role in Franco Zeffirelli's version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Gibson plays the prince of medieval Denmark sensing a dark conspiracy behind his royal father's death. Ensnared in this unraveling treachery is one of the most powerful casts ever in a Bard-based film: Glenn Close as Hamlet's mother Gertrude Alan Bates as the usurper Claudius Paul Scofield as the ghost of Hamlet's father Ian Holm as meddling advisor Poloni
After the technical achievement of Babe, it was almost inevitable that "talking animal" effects would be applied to the serious themes of George Orwell's Animal Farm. A bitterly satirical indictment of Stalinist Russia and the failure of Communism, Orwell's 1945 novel is a time-honoured classic, so it's only fitting that this TNT production remains largely faithful to Orwell's potent narrative. A showcase for the impressive creations of Jim Henson's Creature Shop (where director John Stephenson was a veteran supervisor), the film employs animatronic creatures and computer animation to tell the story of uprising, unity, and tragic rebellion among the farm animals.The politics of "Animalism" are initially effective, ousting enemy humans according to rules ordained by Old Major, the barnyard pig whose death sets the stage for the corruptive influence of the pig Napoleon, who cites superior intelligence as his right to dominance. This tyrannical reign destroys the farm's stability, and the film--decidedly not for young children--preserves Orwell's dark, cynical view of absolute power corrupting absolutely. Particularly effective is a propaganda film shown to the barnyard collective, and certain scenes--while not as impressive as the Babe films--powerfully convey the force of Orwell's story through animal "performance". Animal Farm occasionally falters in its emotional impact (the fate of the horse Boxer should be heart-rending, and it isn't), but it's certainly blessed with an elite voice cast, including Peter Ustinov, Patrick Stewart, Pete Postlethwaite, Julia Ormond, Kelsey Grammer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Paul Scofield, and Ian Holm. Not the masterpiece it might've been, this is nevertheless a worthy representation of Orwell's novel. --Jeff Shannon
Featuring rare television performances from Sean Connery Michael Caine and Paul Scofield and with Anna Calder-Marshall as the increasingly savvy Mary MacNeil this trilogy of plays narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier forms a dramatic and controversial study in male behaviour. Part of ITV s celebrated anthology series Saturday Night Theatre Male of the Species was written by Oscar-nominated playwright Alun Owen and originally screened in 1969 to great acclaim earning Primetime Emmy Awards for both Paul Scofield and Anna Calder-Marshall. Never trust a man whoever he is. This is the bitter lesson learned by Mary MacNeil in her relationships with three different men: her father a mendacious womaniser; a smooth-talking office flirt Cornelius; and an elderly barrister Emlyn who is enchanted by Mary s youthful vitality and charm. Only one of these men will win her heart in the end...
Patrick Keiller's imaginative and highly original two films each document a journey undertaken by the unseen 'researcher' Robinson and his similarly unseen companion the film's narrator (voiced by Paul Scofield)London is a journal of 1992 the year of John Major's re-election IRA bombs and the first crack in the House of Windsor. Scathing reflections on the recent past are enlivened by off beat humour and wide-ranging literary anecdotes.Robinson in Space sees Robinson commissioned to undertake a study of the 'problem' of England. Keiller's immaculately framed images and sly deadpan narration take the viewer on an unpredictable exploration of the cultural and economic landscape.
The Film portrays the lives of the Frank family before hiding and during hiding in Nazi Occupied Amsterdam
Franco Zeffirelli's stripped-down, two-hour version of Shakespeare's play stars Mel Gibson as a rather robust version of the ambivalent Danish prince. Gibson is much better in the part than many critics have admitted, his powers of clarity doing much to make this particular Hamlet more accessible than several other filmed versions. The supporting cast is outstanding, including Glenn Close as Gertrude, Alan Bates as Claudius, Ian Holm as Polonius, and Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia. Zeffirelli's vigorous direction employs a lively camera style that nicely alters the viewer's preconceptions about the way Hamlet should look. --Tom Keogh
The sister who drank too much. The daughter who divorced too much. They're all there when Tobias and Agnes have their little get-together and tear-apart... 'A Delicate Balance' was Edward Albee's first Pullitzer Prize winning play and in it he examines the same waspish middle-class America which he explored to such caustic effect in 'Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?'
Battle Of Britain (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1969): This is a spectacular re-telling of a true story that shows courage at its inspiring best. Few defining moments can change the outcome of war; but when the outnumbered Royal Air Force defied unsurmountable odds in engaging the German Luftwaffe they may well have altered the course of history! The Train (Dir. John Frankenheimer 1964): Inspired by a true incident during World War II in 'The Train' Burt Lancaster plays a French Resistance fighter doggedly attempting to stop a train used by the Nazis (led by Paul Scofield as Colonel Von Waldheim) to steal precious French art treasures in the summer of 1944. Featuring spectacular action sequences expertly directed by John Frankenheimer 'The Train' is a truly thrilling war film. The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis superbly recreates the tension of this heroic episode.
The Final Days This compelling drama traces the activities of Richard Nixon's (played by Lane Smith) last days in office as he and his aides try desperately to repair the damage and clear up all allegations about the Watergate scandal. Based on the riveting book by the Pultizer Prize-winning team of Woodward and Bernstein The Final Days not only captures the feverish intensity of the Watergate era but also offers a valuable insight into the psyche of Nixon. Animal Farm Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Manor Farm is an oppressive place for the farm animals and in search of a utopian life (which they believe they can achieve through their new philosophy Animalism) they take over the running of the farm and overthrow Farmer Jones. All is perfect until some animals believe they are more equal than others in George Orwell's timeless satire on the rise of Stalinist Russia given a live action adaptation by John Stephenson. Challenger As the world awaited what should have been a routine lift-off for the space shuttle Challenger unattended complications with equipment turned the mission in to a ticking time-bomb. Adding to the excitement of the mission was the presence of Christa McAuliffe (played by Karen Allen) a small town school teacher chosen from hundreds of candidates to teach the first lesson in space. This compelling account offers a poignant look into the lives of each of the seven Challenger crew members during the months leading up to the launch. Not only devoted to astronauts these heroic seven were also devoted mothers fathers husbands and wives. But during these moments we witness bewildered corporate inability to resolve an issue before it becomes a catastrophe of the highest order. Excitement frustration and grief unfold as the true story of the space shuttle disaster is revealed.
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