A group of eager young Navy pilots become frustrated when their superiors enact a non-combat strategy against the Japanese. To make matters worse the pilots must answer to a rigid unyielding commander (Ameche). Against all odds the men fly into action in the decisive Battle of Midway. Nominated for a 1944 Best Original Screenplay Oscar this stunning war drama uses actual combat footage to tell its engrossing story.
The twist of this private-eye show is that in the first episode, gumshoe Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope) is killed off by the villains, subsequently popping up in an immaculate white suit as a ghost visible only to his hardboiled partner Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt). In theory, the supernatural streak--which meant a complex set of rules about Marty's appearances and effects on the physical world--should lead the show into wilder territory, but most episodes squander the team's unique abilities on ordinary cases about blackmail and murder-for-profit. A persistent subplot has the living Jeff getting cosy with the dead Marty's widow Jean (Annette Andre) to the discomfort of her late husband. The elementary effects and the nice underplaying of the leads have a certain period charm, and the show could afford a high calibre of special guest villains and dolly birds. A recent remake with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer hasn't obliterated memories of the original. This disc contains episodes one and two: "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner" and "A Disturbing Case". --Kim Newman
Parting Glances follows New York lovers Michael and Robert on the eve of Robert's departure for Africa where his employer has reassigned him. During the night of farewell partying with friends they come to terms with the end of their relationship. In the background their best friend Nick is dying of AIDS but isn't going to stop drinking and smoking (a fantastic performance of cutting wit from Steve Buscemi). Director Sherwood brings warmth and humour to his characters and depiction
It's good to have a ghost on your side in the private eye business especially in cases when an invisible ally can really turn the tide in your favour. Mike Pratt plays Jeff Randall and Kenneth Cope is his ghostly partner Marty Hopkirk cursed to wander the earth for 100 years. Episode 3 - All Work and No Pay: Poor Jean is plagued by a poltergeist. She is convinced that it is Marty's ghost trying to get in touch with her and suspicious spiritualists the Foster Brothers to try to establish contact. Episode 4 - Never Trust a Ghost: Wandering the streets of London one night Marty witnesses a man Howarth being shot dead in his home. Jeff summons the police but Howarth appears alive and well... Marty however is unconvinced. Episode 5 - That's How Murder Snowballs: A Russian roulette act at a music hall goes horribly wrong when the mind reader is shot dead in front of the audience including Jeff and Marty! Special Guest Star: David Jason. Episode 6 - Just For The Record: Jeff and Jean act as escorts at an international beauty contest. During a sightseeing tour Marty's suspicions are aroused by Miss London's odd behaviour.
It's good to have a ghost on your side in the private eye business especially in cases when an invisable ally can really turn the tide in your favour. Mike Pratt plays Jeff Randall and Kenneth Cope is his ghostly partner Marty Hopkirk cursed to wander the earth for 100 years. Episodes include: Episode 11 - The Ghost Who Saved The Bank At Monte Carlo Episode 12 - For The Girl Who Has Everything Episode 13 - But What A Sweet Little Room Episode 14 - Who Killed Cock Robin?
Testament of Youth is a searing story of love, war and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain which became the classic testimony of that war from a woman's point of view. A powerful and passionate journey from youthful hopes and dreams to the edge of despair and back again; a film about young love, the futility of war and how to make sense of the darkest times. Vera Brittain, irrepressible, intelligent and free-minded, overcomes the prejudices of her family and hometown to win a scholarship to Oxford. With everything to live for, she falls in love with her brother's close friend Roland Leighton as they go to University to pursue their literary dreams. But the First World War is looming and as the boys leave for the front Vera realises she cannot sit idly by as her peers fight for their country, so volunteers as a nurse. She works tirelessly, experiencing all the griefs of war, as one by one her fiancé, her brother and their closest friends are all killed and the pillars of her world shattered. But, an indefatigable spirit, Vera endures and returns to Oxford, irrevocably changed, yet determined to find a new purpose, which spurs her towards a redemptive act of remembrance. Featuring an all-star cast including: Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair, Ex Machina, Anna Karenina), Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Emily Watson (War Horse, The Book Thief), Hayley Atwell (Captain America, The Duchess), Colin Morgan (Merlin), Dominic West (The Wire, 300) and Miranda Richardson (The Phantom of the Opera, Empire of the Sun)
It's good to have a ghost on your side in the private eye business especially in cases when an invisable ally can really turn the tide in your favour. Mike Pratt plays Jeff Randall and Kenneth Cope is his ghostly partner Marty Hopkirk cursed to wander the earth for 100 years. Episode 7 - Murder Aint What It Used To Be?: Marty has a ghostly rival Bugsy a gangster who met his demise in the Roaring Twenties. Not only does he have a repertoire of better tricks he is also out to kill one of Jeff's clients. Episode 8 - Whoever Heard of a Ghost Dying?: A criminal mastermind and his clairvoyant co-conspirator discover the reason for Randall's recent success at detection - the late Marty Hopkirk. They plot to make the duo fall guys for robberies and even try to exoricse poor Marty! Episode 9 - The House On Haunted Hill: It's a case for Marty when Jeff is asked to investigate the mystery of a 'haunted house'. It's just as well as Jeff is preoccupied with solving a diamond robbery. Episode 10 - When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?: The day Randall and Hopkirk have been dreading has arrived. Jeff can no longer see or hear his ghostly partner. To Marty's consternation Jeff doesn't even appeared to be bothered by this!
Way Down East was the most successful film of the 1920s, even more so than the original versions of Ben-Hur or The Ten Commandments. That says much about tastes and values of the day, since this is no visually spectacular epic designed to wow audiences: director DW Griffith gave it the subtitle "A Simple Story of Plain People". The story follows impoverished New England country girl Anna Moore (Lillian Gish) to Boston in search of family aid. Instead she's duped into a fake marriage by playboy Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman). Pregnancy forces Sanderson to abandon her to care for the child alone, which dies soon after birth. The disgrace sends her back into the countryside to work for Squire Bartlett, whose son David (Richard Barthelmess) begins to fall for her. But the dreadful secret threatens to be revealed, since the dastardly Sanderson turns out to be their neighbour. Themes of loyalty and social change come to a head for a thrilling finale. Amazing stunt work occurs on a frozen river's ice sheets that break up, dashing an unconscious Anna toward a waterfall. Populated by eccentric cameo roles, this view of 1920s' life is a far more fascinating exploration of the contemporary female than the novel or disastrous stage play that preceded it. On the DVD: Naturally a movie from 1920 is in mono and 4:3 ratio (which is effectively the old Academy standard ratio). But with subtle colour tints and using a musical score from its 1931 reissue, it still looks pretty good. Only a few reels have suffered damage (eg some heat blisters), otherwise film historian David Shepard's restoration job is commendable. The only extra is an essay on the history of the film which scrolls up the screen as an introduction. --Paul Tonks
An intensely claustrophobic nail-biter to rival prime Hitchcock, 1964's Séance on a Wet Afternoon is a classic British thriller written and directed by Bryan Forbes. Set largely in an imposing Gothic house in north London, the film stars Richard Attenborough as Bill Savage, a man struggling to maintain his marriage to his increasingly unbalanced wife, Myra, played in an Oscar-nominated performance by the little-known but brilliant Broadway actress Kim Stanley. Myra, who believes she is a medium, plans a scheme that will make her famous, involving kidnapping then "psychically" locating a little girl. Attenborough (who won a BAFTA) and Stanley are both superb in what is part riveting battle of wills, part nerve-wracking kidnap thriller with, just possibly, a touch of the supernatural. Gerry Turpin's precise b/w cinematography and John Barry's chilling score add significantly to the atmosphere of dread, and if the plot has one or two gaping holes, Forbes's direction covers them deftly. Forbes explored female delusion again in The Whispers (1967) and The Mad Woman of Chaillot (1969); the film also marked a major entry in his long-term collaboration with John Barry and with his wife, the actress Nanette Newman. Séance clearly had an influence on Attenborough's own directorial contribution to the genre, the highly unsettling Anthony Hopkins vehicle, Magic (1978). On the DVD: Séance on a Wet Afternoon is presented in an excellent 16:9 transfer, anamorphically enhanced for widescreen televisions, that effectively captures the brooding look of Gerry Tupin's BAFTA-nominated cinematography. Unfortunately the print used, though generally very good, does show some damage, including some instances that appear to run through the best part of a reel. Though noticeable and sometimes distracting, they barely mar this gripping film. The mono soundtrack is fine, though there is the very occasional touch of distortion. The disc comes with optional English subtitles, the excellent original trailer and a new and first-rate 33-minute interview with Bryan Forbes in which he engagingly explains every aspect of the making of the film. --Gary S Dalkin
The lives of a single mother and her friends are changed forever after the death of a neighbour which bears all the hallmarks of a racist attack.
An all new Richard Pryor DVD gifting set. The set features 4 DVDs in a slipcase and includes his 1976 comedy musical Car Wash also starring The Pointer Sisters. The 1978 fantasy musical adventure. The Wiz a film based on the classic Wizard of Oz, also starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. The 1978 farcical comedy Which Way is Up sees Pryor acting in three roles, which Eddie Murphy has so famously now made a career of. And finally one of Pryor s greatest commercial successes the 1985 smash hit comedy Brewster s Millions also starring John Candy.
As a child Frank McKlusky (Sheridan) watched his daredevil father ""Madman"" McKlusky become comatose in an ill-fated motorcycle stunt. Now as a risk-avoiding adult he lives with his parents always wears protective gear and works by the Claims Investigator handbook. Insurance fraud wiped out the family finances but Frank's career compensates. When he suspiciously loses his partner on the job Frank must become a master of disguise take on a sexy new partner and grab evidence to bus
Brothers Ray Don (Wendell Wellman) and Bobby Joe Perkins (John Putch) have long memories. Seven years ago they were sent to prison for the brutal murder of a young girl. Now they've escaped from Death Row and they're determined to avenge themselves on the men who sent them there: the psychiatrist Dr. Franklin Judge Collins and the D.A. Walter Davenport.
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