A lavish 25th Anniversary edition of the seminal Jewel In The Crown'TV miniseries adapted from Paul Scott's Booker-winning 'Raj Quartet' novels. The British Raj: though their position outwardly seems secure the perceptive among the English nationals in India know that with impending moves towards independence their time in the sub-continent is coming to an end...
A high point of Hitchcock's pre-Hollywood career, 1935's The Thirty-Nine Steps is the first and best of three film versions of John Buchan's rather stiff novel. Robert Donat plays Richard Hannay, who becomes embroiled in a plot to steal military secrets. He finds himself on the run; falsely accused of murder, while also pursuing the dastardly web of spies alluded to in the title. With a plot whose twists and turns match the hilly Scottish terrain in which much of the film is set, The Thirty-Nine Steps combines a breezy suavity with a palpable psychological tension. Hitchcock was already a master at conveying such tension through his cinematic methods, rather than relying just on situation or dialogue. Sometimes his ways of bringing the best out of his actors brought the worst out in himself. If the scene in which Donat is handcuffed to co-star Madeline Carroll has a certain edge, for instance, that's perhaps because the director mischievously cuffed them together in a rehearsal, then left them attached for a whole afternoon, pretending to have lost the key. The movie also introduces Hitchcock's favoured plot device, the "McGuffin" (here, the military secret), the unexplained device or "non-point" on which the movie turns. --David Stubbs
'A Perfect Spy' traces the rise and fall of Magnus Pym and his career through intelligence. From chance meetings with people will be important to him in the future to a life in Czechoslovakia Washington and finally on the run in England Pym weaves his way through the complicated world of espionage. No-one is safe from betrayal not even his father...
He abandoned crown and country for the woman he loved. Everything that is known about Edward VIII is almost totally eclipsed by the world-shattering act which brought his short reign to a close in 1936. To many it seemed a selfish and irresponsible abandonment of duty. To others it was the supreme sacrifice of a man who put love above all things. Based on the definitive biography by Frances Donaldson Edward and Mrs Simpson focuses on the riveting truth behind the sensational headline
A Passage to India, David Lean's adaptation of EM Forster's mysterious tale of racism in colonial India, turned out to be the master director's final film. Subtle and grand at the same time, Lean's adaptation is faithful to the book, rendering its blend of the mystical and the all-too human with exquisite precision. Judy Davis plays a young British woman travelling in India with her fiancé's mother. While visiting a tourist attraction, she has a frightening moment in a cave--one that she eventually spins from an instant of mental meltdown into a tale of a physical attack that ruins several lives. Lean captures Forster's sense of awe at the kind of ageless wisdom and inexplicable phenomena to be encountered in India, as well as the British tendency to dismiss it all as savage, rather than simply different. --Marshall Fine
Based on Kathryn C. Hulme's best selling novel The Nun's Story is an unforgettable revelation of the seldom-seen world behind convent walls. Audrey Hepburn portrays Sister Luke a nun whose life journey leads her to a much desired position as a surgical nurse in a Belgian Congo missionary hospital but who is tortured by self-doubt. After she returns to her native Belgium World War II breaks out and she finds her commitment seriously tested; torn between the pull of the Resistance and the church's neutrality. Directed by four-time Academy Award winner Fred Zinnemann The Nun's Story earned eight Oscar'' nominations including Best Picture Best Director and Best Actress.
Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson star in John Schlesinger's piercing and brilliantly observed suburban drama. A recent divorcée (Jackson) and middle-aged Jewish doctor (Finch) find themselves embroiled in a progressive love triangle with a bisexual artist (Murray Head). Both discover a new freedom with their young lover, as they confront the convention and obstacles that have defined their lives. An exploration of middle-class life and permissiveness in 1970s London, its depiction of homosexuality changed the landscape of LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Featuring outstanding BAFTA-winning performances by Finch and Jackson, Sunday Bloody Sunday is a tender and complex view on the politics of love, lust and longing. Special Features: Presentation in High Definition The Pacemakers: Glenda Jackson (1971, 14 mins): a documentary profile of the actress Glenda Jackson, including footage of the actress performing on the set of Sunday Bloody Sunday **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits Other extras TBC
Sir John Gielgud is joined by an outstanding repertory of actors - including Dame Peggy Ashcroft Sir Anthony Hopkins Lee Remick Ian Richardson and Julian Glover - in this pioneering imaginative series demonstrating the immense variety and emotional impact of English-language poetry from the fourteenth century to the contemporary era. Screened in 1984 and compiled by writer and poet Anthony Thwaite Six Centuries of Verse was the first television series to provide a systematic and chronological overview of the art taking in Chaucer the Medieval and Renaissance periods Shakespeare the Metaphysical poets Milton the Romantic period and modernism through to Philip Larkin and Ted Hughes; the chosen poems both classics and overlooked treasures are placed into context historically and geographically and read in richly evocative settings.
From the acclaimed director of Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Passage To India was Sir David Lean's last ever feature film and a winner of two Oscars®.
Jim and Hilda Bloggs (Sir John Mills and Dame Peggy Ashcroft) are a middle-aged couple, who believe that the British government is in control as they prepare for Nuclear War. When the countdown begins they roll up their shirtsleeves and follow government guidelines that were actually distributed to households around Britain in the 1970s. They paint their windows white, build a fortress of doors and pillows, take the washing in and put away two packets of ginger nuts, one tin of pineapple chunks and a good supply of tea. This cautionary tale is both humorous and macabre in its consideration of one of the most horrific possibilities of modern life. When the Wind Blows is a story about love, tenderness, humanity and hope. Adapted by Raymond Briggs (The Snowman) from his best-selling book, When the Wind Blows features an original soundtrack by Roger Waters, and a title song by David Bowie. Extras: Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition Audio commentary with first assistant editor Joe Fordham and film historian Nick Redman Jimmy Murakami: Non-Alien (2010, 73 mins): feature-length documentary about the film's director Interview with Raymond Briggs (2005, 14 mins) The Wind and the Bomb (1986, 20 mins): the making-of When the Wind Blows Protect and Survive (1975, 51 mins): public information film about how to survive in the event of a nuclear attack Isolated music and effects track Fully illustrated booklet with a new introduction by Raymond Briggs, essays by Jez Stewart, Clare Kitson and Bella Todd and full film credits
Available for the first time on DVD. A lavish 21st Anniversary edition of the seminal 'Jewel In The Crown' TV miniseries adapted from Paul Scott's Booker-winning 'Raj Quartet' novels. The British Raj: though their position outwardly seems secure the perceptive among the English nationals in India know that with impending moves towards independence ""their"" time in the sub-continent is coming to an end...
A collection of classic films from famed British director David Lean. Bridge On The River Kwai (1957): When British P.O.W.s build a vital railway bridge in enemy occupied Burma Allied commandos are assigned to destroy it in David Lean's epic World War II adventure The Bridge on the River Kwai. Spectacularly produced The Bridge on the River Kwai captured the imagination of the public and won seven 1957 Academy Awards including Best Picture Be
Anne, a budding young actress, stumbles across secret recordings of a sinister Nazi appeasement plot that will stop at nothing to achieve its aims.
Oscar-winning actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft stars as an enigmatic elderly Austrian woman travelling across Europe by train. Over the course of one overnight journey she has a profound and unsettling influence on the young Englishman who is her fellow passenger... Originally broadcast in 1980 Caught on a Train was inspired by a journey Stephen Poliakoff made form London to Vienna as a young man of 25. The drama has endured as one of his most popular works. It is by turns both nightm
Dennis Potter has long been acknowledged as one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. No stranger to controversy he refused to compromise his art for the sake of shifting standards of decency and public approval and remains highly regarded by writers and critics alike. Though he had considerable successes with the series format (such as The Singing Detective and Casanova) it is generally accepted that his strongest work is the single play of which he wrote many for both the BBC and ITV. These rarely seen plays form a significant part of Potter's body of work. Cream in my Coffee won the Prix Italia for Best Drama in 1980 and Peggy Ashcroft won the BAFTA for Best Actress. Blade on the Feather won a Best Actor BAFTA for Denholm Elliott as well as one for Best Graphics. Accompanying the plays are two interviews that Potter did for Sir Melvyn Bragg's South Bank Show in the late 1970s. Titles Comprise: 1. Blade on the Feather 2. Rain on the Roof 3. Cream in my Coffee 4. Shaggy Dog 5. Moonlight on the Highway 6. Lay Down Your Arms
Jim and Hilda Bloggs are the typical retired couple in rural England. They drink endless cups of tea and have an unwavering faith in the wisdom of their government. They understand that a Third World War is imminent between the US and the Soviets. However they fail to grasp the concept that war will be fought by nuclear means and what consequences this will have. With the help of government issued pamphlets Jim builds a shelter to protect the couple and although they survive a n
Joseph Losey's lurid and often misunderstood drama stars the great Elizabeth Taylor (Suddenly, Last Summer) as an ageing London prostitute who befriends a young woman (Mia Farrow, See No Evil) that reminds her of her long-dead daughter. As the bizarre relationship between the two evolves, the appearance of Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear), as Farrow's abusive stepfather, ignites deep emotions and dark passions. With its exquisite production design, stylish cinematography and elegant score, Joseph Losey's lost masterpiece finally makes its long-overdue premiere on Blu-ray. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Audio commentary with authors and critics Dean Brandum and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (2019) Archival Interview with Joseph Losey (1969, 15 mins): extract from the French television programme Cinéma critique, featuring the celebrated director promoting the release of Secret Ceremony and an appreciation by critic Michel Mourlet The Beholder's Share (2019, 25 mins): interview with Gavrik Losey, son of Joseph Losey TV version: additional scenes (1971, 18 mins): unique epilogue and prologue produced for US television screenings, with Robert Douglas and Michael Strong Original theatrical trailer Larry Karaszewski trailer commentary (2015, 3 mins): short critical appreciation Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Enter a world where cultures clash so violently that an entire country could split at any moment. Nominated for eleven Academy Awards® and winner of two, A Passage to India is a wonderfully provocative tale, full of vivid characters, all played to near perfection. With a fabulous cast that include Peggy Ashcroft, Judy Davis, James Fox, Sir Alec Guinness, and Nigel Havers, this hauntingly beautiful film is a daring triumph. When liberal-minded English ladies Mrs. Moore (Ashcroft) and Adela Quested (Davis) arrive in India, they're shocked by the extreme racial prejudice that exists here. Fortunately, kind Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee) rises above the intolerance and guides the women on a splendid tour of the mysterious Marabar caves. But the outing turns tragic when Adela suddenly comes running from one of the caves-scratched, bleeding and terribly frightened. News of the incident quickly spreads across the whole of India...igniting a powder keg of tension just waiting to explode. A rich tapestry woven of the clash between cultures, A Passage to India is supreme entertainment, and a visual wonder that is truly spellbinding!
Accesssible for anyone with an interest in Shakespeare students and seasoned theatregoers alike this is a rare opportunity to see the finest actors of their time - including Judi Dench Ben Kingsley Ian McKellen Patrick Stewart and more - work in a series of masterclasses filmed for television on the intricacies and balances of Playing Shakespeare. In 1982 John Barton Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company gathered many of the finest British actors of their generation in one rehearsal room. Their aim was to grapple with the work of Shakespeare - to wrestle with its meaning its poetry its language. To examine the way that sentences are constructed so as to guide the actor. The way in which the drama of the written word is best conveyed to an audience. It makes for a gripping insightful and powerful work of theatre in its own right - harnessing the expertise of this master of Shakespeare's work at the height of his craft inviting the viewer into this intimate and exposing space as he works with the living instruments that will bring these works to life. The results are unforgettable. And whether you are an actor or a member of the audience the lessons to be learned will change the way you practice or experience Shakespeare's work.
Oscar winners Glenda Jackson Peter Finch and John Schlesinger pool their talents for this remarkable exquisitely photographed [and] almost perfectly directed film about two Londoners coping with the noncommittal affections of the lover they have in common. Alex Greville (Jackson) and Daniel Hirsh (Finch) are deeply in love... with a young artist named Bob (Murray Head). And though Bob professes to love each of them he moves freely between them unencumbered by any sense of guilt. Realizing that their situation is a temporary comfort in an uncomfortable world Alex and Daniel each grapple with their predicaments she to face her fear of being alone and he to come to terms with his homosexuality.
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