This superb major BBC documentary provides an entirely fresh perspective on the Somme revealing that there was more to events than just senseless mass slaughter - because it was on those blood-soaked fields that the British Army learned how to defeat its German enemy. Featuring superb and highly authentic dramatic enactments and contemporary combat footage it compares the assault on Thiepval by a company of the 2nd Salford Pals on July 1st 1916 with an attack on the same objective
NEDS (Non Educated Delinquents) is the story of a young man's journey from prize-winning schoolboy to knife-carrying teenager. Struggling against the low expectations of those around him John McGill changes from victim to avenger scholar to Ned altar boy to glue sniffer. When he attempts to change back again his new reality and recent past make conformity near impossible and violent self determination near inevitable.
New York City Ballet 2, like its bestselling predecessor, is still designed to sculpt and tone your body; but this second edition has also learned the lessons of the original routine, which was difficult to use for those without formal ballet training. This second workout attempts to be accessible to all, providing a glossary explaining ballet terminology and introducing such steps as Plies and Tendus. Be warned though, this will still take practise if you are new to ballet. The routine itself is also less demanding than the first, but includes one of the best abs workouts to be found on an exercise programme. While the steps do not offer a cardio workout, they are enjoyable once mastered and will make you feel more graceful. Combining ballet and yoga is all the rage at gyms, so a good tip is to tie this in with your favourite yoga programme for that ideal posture and definition. All in all this is a great improvement on the first edition and certainly more enjoyable than watching a Big Brother celebrity's dance routine. On the DVD: New York City Ballet 2 offers pristine images and a 5.1 Dolby sound. This works wonderfully on the choice of classical and contemporary tracks. There is also the option to develop your own routine, which is useful if you are never sure how much time you have spare to exercise. The DVD also offers a movement combination which slowly takes you through the steps to learn a dance sequence. --Nikki Disney
Meet Ally McBeal she over-analyses her relationships (and sometimes lack of) to the point of becoming emotionally neurotic. Sounds annoying? It can be. Sounds so-American? It can be. Sounds addictive? It will be... They are young successful lawyers some of them could even be called beautiful a lot of them could be called eccentric and they all work and play together. In this first season we are introduced to the Unisex (the bathroom they all share). Ally is living with Renee st
Spanning the three series of this superb sitcom, The Very Best of The Royle Family is a prime taster for those not familiar with the series. Co-created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, who star as Denise and Dave respectively, The Royle Family deserves its own comedic category. They had a hard fight persuading the BBC to leave a laughter track off the show, which would have disrupted its unique ambience and chemistry. Never departing from the house of lazy, good-for-nothing but defiantly sardonic Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson) and wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), The Royle Family chronicles the everyday chat and banal comings and goings of this Northern household, which barely qualifies as "working" class, since mostly they are slumped on the sofa in front of the telly in a cathode-induced stupor. Confused viewers waiting for something to "happen" in the conventional sitcom manner will be disappointed. What they'll get instead is an irresistible stream of dialogue that captures unerringly the humdrum cadences of "ordinary" people. These episodes capture the Royles in customary, festive mood--Denise's marriage, Christmas, baby David's birthday party and so forth--which is good, as we get to see more of Liz Smith's magnificent Nana. As each seemingly inconsequential scene vividly illustrates, this is hardly a romanticised family. Denise is an appallingly negligent mother, there's probably never been a green vegetable in the house, most of their friends, including Darren, are well dodgy, and mum Barbara is unfairly put-upon ("Eh, I've been so busy this morning I haven't had time to smoke", she laments at one point). Yet undoubtedly, unlike their regal counterparts, this Royle Family are close-knit, somehow getting by. The family that watches telly together stays together. On the DVD: The Very Best of the Royle Family, disappointingly, has no extra features. --David Stubbs
Directed by BAFTA-nominee Martyn Friend (New Tricks) and produced by BAFTA-nominee John Harris (The Singing Detective), the series also proved popular in the US, where it was nominated for a CableACE award in 1985 for Best Movie or Mini-series. Shackleton was shot on location in Greenland and features cinematography from BAFTA-winner David Whitson (The Voyage of Charles Darwin), who is no stranger to creating atmospheric journeys of historical figures. The chilling original music score was composed by Francis Shaw. Undeterred by the dangers faced by Roald Amundsen (first to reach the South Pole) and Robert Falcon Scott and his team (who perished on their treacherous journey), Shackleton, in 1914, chooses to lead a team on their famous journey aboard the Endurance. However, when disaster strikes and the ship is trapped and crushed by pack-ice, Shackleton and five of his men must embark on a desperate 800-mile journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia with only the James Caird, a 20-foot lifeboat, to protect them against the furious Southern Ocean. Based on the true stories, recorded in Shackleton's own journals which he kept during his expeditions, this series does not shy away from the harsh realities the men faced in the Antarctic from dwindling supplies to emergency amputations and provides a gripping account of the dangers, frustrations and suffering the determined explorers endured. Unlike recent film and TV adaptations of the story, the BBC's 1983 drama delivers a widely acknowledged true account of the events as they unfolded. It opens with Shackleton planning the expedition and reveals the challenges he faced in finding sponsors. It presents the perilous journey on the James Caird and the South Georgia mountain crossing in keeping with journal records. And, unlike later versions, the BBC's Shackleton delves into his complex relationships with those around him as they all battle to succeed and survive. David Schofield stars as Ernest Shackleton in a remarkable early performance. He would later go on to star in the epic blockbusters: Gladiator, The Walking Dead and Pirates of the Caribbean. David Rodigan (A Woman called Moses) is outstanding as Shackleton's trusted deputy Frank Wild. This critically acclaimed, fact-based drama will definitely appeal to an audience interested in historical biopics and true-life adventures. Generally, fans of brilliantly cast and well-written drama with high production values will be thrilled to hear of Shackleton's long-awaited DVD release.
""A great movie!"" -Pauline Kael The New Yorker. John Travolta (Pulp Fiction Face/Off) stars in this riveting mystery/thriller filled with powerful performances intense action and an ""engrossing web of suspense and intrigue"" (Blockbuster Entertainment Guide). Written and directed by master filmmaker Brian De Palma (Mission: Impossible) Blow Out is a heart-stopping adventure hailed by Rolling Stone as ""an American moviemaking triumph!"" Jack Terri (Travolta) is a talented audio tech
Peter Sellers stars as gang-leader Pearly Gates who has a double life as Monsieur Jules the manager of a fashion house. The criminal world of London is being reduced to chaos by an Australian 'IPO mob' who acting on information provided by Gates' girlfriend Valerie (Nanette Newman) impersonate police officers and take the spoils of the true criminals after the crime has been safely committed. The crimes are relatively victimless involving jewellery thefts from the rich or robbe
Aldo Vanucci (Sellers) also known as 'The Fox' is one of the greatest criminals in the world and master of disguise. After Aldo escaping from his Italian prison he plans to retrieve the ""gold of Cairo"" a large shipment of bullion. Devising the perfect plan after finding the ideal coastal village to unload the shipment Aldo poses as a famous director and persuades the entire population that he has chosen their village as the set for his new movie...
They'll get you in the end! Ghoulies: When a student inherits an old mansion he finds he has also inherited its residents a bunch of slimy hairy fanged creatures who'll do anything for him....even kill. Ghoulies II: The Ghoulies are back in this sequel in which they take over a traveling carnival giving a park full of teenagers a night they'll never forget.
Lola Montes tells the highly controversial yet disturbing true story of the infamous dancer-courtesan. Set at a 19th century circus in Vienna Lola is forced by the merciless ring master to tell the story of her life. Through the flashbacks the crowd learns everything of her exotic past including her stints as mistress to both the Bavarian King and Franz Liszt.
NEDS (Non Educated Delinquents) is the story of a young man's journey from prize-winning schoolboy to knife-carrying teenager. Struggling against the low expectations of those around him John McGill changes from victim to avenger scholar to Ned altar boy to glue sniffer. When he attempts to change back again his new reality and recent past make conformity near impossible and violent self determination near inevitable.
On paper, The Royle Family doesn't sound that promising: a working-class family from Manchester sit in their cluttered living room, watch the telly and argue over domestic details (the arrival of a telephone bill, for instance, provides the big dramatic event of the first episode, which aired in September 1998). But from such small everyday incidents, Royle Family creators Caroline Aherne and Dave Best (who play young couple Denise and Dave) have crafted one of the most successful shows on British television--a comedy about the joys and frustrations of family life that's warm, honest and very, very funny. It's Britain's answer to The Simpsons, whose success the show rivalled when it started broadcasting on BBC2 (the programme jumped channels to BBC1 for its second series). Now in its third series, The Royle Family has seen its characters develop like real folk. Denise and Dave got married and now have a little sprog; Barbara starts menopause (how many sit-coms are brave enough to use that for laughs?) and Denise's kid brother Anthony shakes off his surly adolescence when he turned 18 in series two. Unlike Oasis--who provide the shows theme song "Halfway Round the World"--this programme just keeps getting better. But no soap--not even Brookside in its dafter moments--has one-liners as brilliantly crafted as The Royle Family's. Slouched in his armchair, Jim's dour running commentary on the TV shows that are on at the time are particularly priceless. Changing Rooms, for instance, boils down to "a cockney knocking nails into plywood... Is this what it's come to?" Not quite; as long as the Royle Family are around, there is something worthwhile to watch. --Edward Lawrenson
When Mary-Kate and Ashley visit France they pack their bags for fun... and plot a rendezvous with adventure. Sent to Paris to visit their grandfather the girls fall in love with the city and fall head-over-heels for two French boys. Sightseeing on mopeds they race around Paris on a mission to see the city make new friends and stay one step ahead of their uptight chaperone! From shopping at the stylish French boutiques to exploring the sights and delicious dinner dates at the E
The story tells of a mother who covers up a murder to protect her teenage son from being implicated. But someone knows and soon she is sinking deeper and deeper into a mire of blackmail and extortion.
Start spreadin' the news; Jason's making a brand new start of it in the city that doesn't sleep...
The four films in this Agatha Christie Murder Mystery Collection demonstrate exactly why Christie's reassuringly formulaic whodunits have been extraordinarily resilient source material. In each we find a corpse (or several), an assorted group of suspects gathered in a self-contained location, all with a motive to commit murder, and the coincidental presence of the totem detective (Poirot or Miss Marple). Between 1974 and 1981, producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin mined the Christie seam for some of its ripest riches. Murder on the Orient Express (1974), directed by Sidney Lumet, features a cavalcade of stars including Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, John Gielgud and Sean Connery; while Christie herself gave Albert Finney's Poirot her blessing. The Art Deco setting exudes glamour; the plot is preposterously diverting; the lighting, silvery and washed-out, giving the suspects an appropriately grim and ghoulish air. With a superior Anthony Shaffer screenplay Death on the Nile (1978) saw Peter Ustinov taking over as Poirot. The backdrop of ancient Egyptian monuments helps bring this adaptation a touch of class, complemented by composer Nino Rota's epic theme tune. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) features Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak as rival Hollywood legends descending on a quaint English village to make a film, with Rock Hudson as Taylor's husband and Angela Lansbury as a rather unconvincingly robust Miss Marple. Shaffer returned to the fray, adapting Evil Under the Sun (1981) and moving Poirot from the Cornish Riviera to an island off the coast of Albania. Ustinov reprises his role and Maggie Smith returns, camper than ever, as the hotel owner inconvenienced by murder. On the DVD: It's a pity that the sound quality hasn't been sharpened up, though: Murder on the Orient Express sometimes evokes memories of the muffled incoherence of an old fleapit. Apart from trailers, extras are few and far between. There are no cast lists or filmographies. But Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun both feature interesting short promotional "'making of"' documentaries in 4:3 format. --Piers Ford
After the death of her bullying husband the not-so aged and downtrodden housewife Thelma Caldicot (Pauline Collins) is shipped off to the Twilight Years Rest Home by her money-grabbing son and manipulative daughter in-law. Appalled by the conditions Mrs Caldicot decides to taker matters into her own hands...
Gordon Dunn (Martin Donovan), a visionary scientific pioneer, is found dead shortly after he unveils his newest work: a device able to extract, record, and play a person's memories. Soon, a mysterious man (Peter Dinklage) shows up at his widow's door, claiming to be a friend of her late husband. After stealing the machine from the house, the man uses it to try and solve the mystery of Gordon's death, beginning an investigation of memories that lead him to unexpected and dangerous places. Features: Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Mark Palansky and Actor Peter Dinklage. The Memories We Keep.
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