Helene Hanff (Anne Bancroft) and Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins) are lifelong friends who never meet in 84 Charing Cross Road, a unique comedy-drama based on a true story. Hanff and Doel are separated by 3,000 miles of ocean and joined by a passion for old books. Their relationship begins when New- Yorker Hanff orders a copy of Pepys' diary. Doel, as polite and soft-spoken as Hanff is loud and overbearing, fields the request from the titular book shop in London. For the next two decades they correspond without ever actually sitting down for tea and crumpets. Director David Jones (Betrayal) does a reasonably good job of goosing a movie about something as un-cinematic as letter-writing, and the stars have fun chewing scenery on both sides of the Atlantic. The model for this kind of bittersweet relationship is David Lean's Brief Encounter, which, not coincidentally, is glimpsed here when Hanff steps out for a rainy-day matinee. --Glenn Lovell, Amazon.com
Standing out in the crowded field of screen adaptations of the classic Dickens novel A Christmas Carol is hard to do, but this version pulls it off. When a transparent Jacob Marley walks through Ebenezer Scrooge's apartment door, you know you're seeing something both timeless and contemporary. Other strategically placed special effects--a funnel cloud that transports Scrooge and the ghost of Christmas present, the hollow spectre of Christmas future--keep you riveted without slipping into anachronism. But, as good as the technology is, the performances are what really power this 93-minute television interpretation. Patrick Stewart brings a depth to Scrooge that allows the character to go beyond the cartoonish qualities that have made him a Christmas mainstay. That doesn't mean he's any less heartless with his hapless employee Bob Cratchit (Richard E. Grant) or any less dismissive of his well-meaning nephew. A frail-looking Joel Grey makes an excellent ghost of Christmas past, and a superb cast ably fill the remaining roles. Director David Jones, shooting on location in England and at Ealing Studios, has achieved a balance of science and sentiment that will help this version hold up for many years to come. --Kimberly Heinrichs
This box set contains the following films: The Looking Glass War (Dir. Frank Pierson) (1969): In exchange for political asylum Polish defector Leiser (Jones) agrees to return behind the Iron Curtain to confirm the suspicions of the British Security Chief that East Germany is building a rocket in violation of the disarmament pact. Once in East Berlin Leiser falls in love with a beautiful young girl and the couple decide to flee the espionage experts - both East and West - to start a new life together. But they soon find themselves pawns in the brutal game where the stakes are human lives. 84 Charing Cross Road (Dir. David Hugh Jones) (1986): A heart-warming drama in which Anne Bancroft stars as a New York collector of rare books. Little does she know that a letter to a small bookshop in London will lead to a 20 year love affair with the staff and the city... Remains Of The Day (Dir. James Ivory) (1993): Stevens is the perfect English butler. Now employed by Mr Lewis the new American owner of Darlington Hall Stevens has spent the best part of his working life serving Lord Darlington the host of many prestigious international conferences in the 1930s. It was only when war broke out in 1939 that Lord Darlington's involvement with the Nazi party was uncovered. Now twenty years later Stevens realizes that his unquestioning faith and dedication to duty were misplaced and cost him dearly in his own personal life. Over several years he carried on an intense relationship with the Estate's attractive young housekeeper Miss Kenton. But his unwavering sense of duty led Stevens to deny his emotions - and eventually drive away the one woman he loved. Now he wants to make amends... Legends Of The Fall (Dir. Edward Zwick) (1994): Colonel William Ludlow (Sir Anthony Hopkins) built a ranch in the remote foothills of the Montana Rockies where he brought up his three sons away from the carnage of the Indian wars. Alfred (Aidan Quinn) the eldest is dutiful and reserved Samuel (Henry Thomas) the beloved youngest is compassionate and idealistic while the middle brother Tristan (Brad Pitt) has a wild untameable spirit. Into this masculine world enters Susannah Finncannon (Julia Ormond) a beautiful intelligent woman who stirs a passion and rivalry in all three brothers that will change the course of their lives and shape their destinies forever. From the rugged prairie lands of 19th Century America to the trenches of World War I and the changing world beyond 'Legends of the Fall' is a sweeping star-studded epic - a passionate journey into the darkest secrets of love betrayal and the unbreakable bonds of blood. Bram Stoker's Dracula (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola) (1992): Francis Ford Coppola returns to the original source of the Dracula to create a modern masterpiece. It follows the tortured journey of the devastatingly seductive Transylvanian Prince (Gary Oldman) as he moves from Eastern Europe to 19th century London in search of his long lost Elisabeta who is reincarnated as the beautiful Mina (Winona Ryder)... The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Dir. Michael Tuchner) (1982): Classic version of Hugo's tragic tale of unrequited love. Quasimodo is the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame taunted and brutalised by the townspeople because of his repellent appearance. Despite his outward appearance however Quasimodo has a tender heart as he demonstrates when he falls in love with beautiful gypsy girl Esmerelda.
The Dead Are Talking... And She Is Listening. Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is a young newlywed with the unique gift to communicate with spirits of people who have died - a talent that was inherited from her grandmother. The dead seek out Melinda's ability to help them relay significant messages and information to the living. Despite her fear compassion compels her to help these earthbound spirits cross over by completing their unfinished business with the living. Relive these amazing journeys in all 22 first-season episodes. Episodes Comprise: 1. Pilot 2. The Crossing 3. Ghost Interrupted 4. Mended Hearts 5. Lost Boys 6. Homecoming 7. Hope and Mercy 8. On the Wings of a Dove 9. Voices 10. Ghost Bride 11. Shadow Boxer 12. Undead Comic 13. Friendly Neighborhood Ghost 14. Last Execution 15. Melinda's First Ghost 16. Dead Man's Ridge 17. Demon Child 18. Miss Fortune 19. Fury 20. The Vanishing 21. Free Fall 22. The One
Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan, who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels as a sideline, has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones.
On the morning of his 30th birthday Josef K. (MacLachlan) wakes up to every person's worst nightmare when two strange men enter his home to place him under arrest. Bewildered by the reasoning of these two authorities he doesn't take the charges seriously and attempts to carry on his life as usual. When summoned to a hearing in an unfamiliar part of the city however K. refuses to accept the case being brought against him by the system. The more K. tries to fight the unnamed charge
Disney's "A Christmas Carol", a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event
Judi Dench directs Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in the Renaissance Theatre Company's highly ac-claimed presentation of John Osborne's landmark play a work which brought in the generation of 'Angry Young Men', revolutionising theatre and having such a profound effect on drama that it is still felt to this day.A story of disparate characters locked into the raw misery of a self-destructive marriage driven towards crisis point, Look Back in Anger features astonishing performances from both its celebrated leads. Branagh's turn as the mercurial central character, a disappointed working-class graduate railing furiously against bourgeois re-spectability, was hailed by Osborne as 'the best Jimmy Porter ever', while Thompson brings enormous sympathy and depth to the role of the long-suffering Alison the seeming embodiment of all that Jimmy abhors.
An adaptation by Harold Pinter of Franz Kafka's classic novel about one man's paranoia and persecution. Josef K. for no reason he can imagine is suddenly arrested. As he wanders through a maze of bureaucracy declaring his innocence he becomes more and more entangled in the system -- and he puts himself in ever greater danger. And no matter what he does he can't make the nightmare end.
Based on the acclaimed book by neurologist Oliver Sacks, director Penny Marshall's hit 1990 drama Awakenings stars Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer. Sayer is a neurologist who discovers that the drug L-Dopa can be used to "unlock" patients in a mental hospital from the mysterious sleeping sickness that has left them utterly immobilized. Leonard (Robert De Niro) is one such patient who awakens after being in a comatose state for 30 years, leaving Sayer to guide Leonard in adjusting to the world around him. Penelope Ann Miller costars as the daughter of another patient, with whom Leonard falls tenuously in love. Earning Oscar nominations for best picture, actor and screenplay, this moving fact-based drama was a hit with critics and audiences alike. --Jeff Shannon
Fifteen years previously three friends were drafted into the Vietnam War and only two came home. Still traumatised by their experiences and estranged from each other for many years Dave and 'Jacknife' meet again in a confrontation which will test their friendship and shape their futures.
Standing out in the crowded field of screen adaptations of the classic Dickens novel A Christmas Carol is hard to do, but this version pulls it off. When a transparent Jacob Marley walks through Ebenezer Scrooge's apartment door, you know you're seeing something both timeless and contemporary. Other strategically placed special effects--a funnel cloud that transports Scrooge and the ghost of Christmas present, the hollow spectre of Christmas future--keep you riveted without slipping into anachronism. But, as good as the technology is, the performances are what really power this 93-minute television interpretation. Patrick Stewart brings a depth to Scrooge that allows the character to go beyond the cartoonish qualities that have made him a Christmas mainstay. That doesn't mean he's any less heartless with his hapless employee Bob Cratchit (Richard E. Grant) or any less dismissive of his well-meaning nephew. A frail-looking Joel Grey makes an excellent ghost of Christmas past, and a superb cast ably fill the remaining roles. Director David Jones, shooting on location in England and at Ealing Studios, has achieved a balance of science and sentiment that will help this version hold up for many years to come. --Kimberly Heinrichs
Claire thinks she's doing right when she starts up a small company. But everything turns wrong when she finds that the price she pays for a successful business is a failed marriage.
Meet Joe Black: Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) has it all success wealth and power. Days before his 65th birthday he receives a visit from a mysterious stranger Joe Black (Brad Pitt) who soon reveals himself as Death. In exchange for extra time Bill agrees to serve as Joe's earthly guide. But will he regret his choice when Joe unexpectedly falls in love with Bill's beautiful daughter Susan (Claire Forlani)? (Dir. Martin Brest 1998) Legends Of The Fall: Colonel William Ludlow (Sir Anthony Hopkins) built a ranch in the remote foothills of the Montana Rockies where he brought up his three sons away from the carnage of the Indian wars. Alfred (Aidan Quinn) the eldest is dutiful and reserved Samuel (Henry Thomas) the beloved youngest is compassionate and idealistic while the middle brother Tristan (Brad Pitt) has a wild untameable spirit. Into this masculine world enters Susannah Finncannon (Julia Ormond) a beautiful intelligent woman who stirs a passion and rivalry in all three brothers that will change the course of their lives and shape their destinies forever. From the rugged prairie lands of 19th Century America to the trenches of World War I and the changing world beyond 'Legends of the Fall' is a sweeping star-studded epic - a passionate journey into the darkest secrets of love betrayal and the unbreakable bonds of blood. (Dir. Edward Zwick 1994) The Remains Of The Day: Stevens is the perfect English butler. Now employed by Mr Lewis the new American owner of Darlington Hall Stevens has spent the best part of his working life serving Lord Darlington the host of many prestigious international conferences in the 1930s. It was only when war broke out in 1939 that Lord Darlington's involvement with the Nazi party was uncovered. Now twenty years later Stevens realizes that his unquestioning faith and dedication to duty were misplaced and cost him dearly in his own personal life. Over several years he carried on an intense relationship with the Estate's attractive young housekeeper Miss Kenton. But his unwavering sense of duty led Stevens to deny his emotions - and eventually drive away the one woman he loved. Now he wants to make amends... An extraordinary story of blind emotion and repressed love The Remains Of The Day achieved an astounding 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture Best Actor and Best Actress. Anthony Hopkins received the BAFTA Award for the Best Performance by an actor in a leading role. (Dir. James Ivory 1993) 84 Charing Cross Road: A heart-warming drama in which Anne Bancroft stars as a New York collector of rare books. Little does she know that a letter to a small bookshop in London will lead to a 20 year love affair with the staff and the city... Selected as the 1987 Royal Film Performance. (Dir. David Hugh Jones 1986)
Made in 1989 and set 15 years after the end of the Vietnam War, Jacknife tells the story of alcoholic trucker Dave (Ed Harris) who lives with his sister Martha (Kathy Baker). Robert De Niro is Megs, Dave's ex-'Nam sidekick who re-enters his life on the promise of a fishing trip. Megs and Martha embark on a tentative courtship to the seething fury of Dave, who considers Megs "bad news". However, through wartime flashbacks it soon becomes clear that his hitting the bottle is a means of bottling up his feelings about Vietnam, Megs and their mutual buddy Bobby, killed in action. Ruminative and romantic, Jacknife slow-burns its predictable though satisfying way to its resolution, the three main players carrying the burdens of their roles with admirable restraint, especially Ed Harris, whose rage is internalised at the expense of his liver. There are echoes of The Deerhunter but this is not a film of that order or scale, as its low-budget synthesiser soundtrack signifies, feeling at times like a superior made-for-TV affair. On the DVD: A full-screen version with a ratio of 4:3. Neither sound nor picture quality are exactly a showcase for DVD technology, both being a little fuzzy, while the dubbing goes noticeably awry on 42 minutes. Special features are decidedly un-special: the original, lugubrious trailer plus "talent profiles" which are merely lists of the main players' previous films. --David Stubbs
From the Jules Verne classic a hi-tech drilling rig must rescue a research team trapped deep below the Earth's surface. There they discover an exotic world - rich with spectacular flora and fantastical creatures.
Five great dramas in one amazing value box set! Drunks 'Drunks' dramatizes an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting from beginning to end as characters discuss their bout with the bottle. The attendees include Jim who falls off the wagon during the meeting; Louis who is obviously still in denial about his addiction; and Joseph whose drinking caused a drunk-driving death. Others at the meeting from a twenty-something slacker to a well-to-do doctor illustrate the wide range of people affected and sometimes destroyed by alcoholism. The Trial An adaptation by Harold Pinter of Franz Kafka's classic novel about one man's paranoia and persecution. Josef K. for no reason he can imagine is suddenly arrested. As he wanders through a maze of bureaucracy declaring his innocence he becomes more and more entangled in the system putting himself in ever greater danger. And no matter what he does he can't make the nightmare end... Original Intent Jessica Cameron works for a high-powered Los Angeles ad agency. Her husband Matthew is a successful attorney. Although they are happy with their career-driven lives they reconsider their values after Matthew's old college pal Alex drops in for a visit. The guest convinces Matthew to come to the rescue of a homeless shelter that a cold-blooded developer has been trying to shut down. However a major complication develops for the lawyer when he learns that his wife's company represents the villain in another capacity. Power Of Attorney An assistant D.A. becomes obsessed with a mafia chief who he had originally vowed to prosecute and put away for good but finds that he must defend him instead when he leaves the district attorney's office to work for a private law firm who represents the mob... Walking Across Egypt This adaptation of the touching Clyde Edgerton novel stars Ellen Burstyn as Mattie Rigsbee a churchgoing lady in a Deep Southern town whose grown children--a stodgy son (Judge Reinhold) and cold daughter (Gail O'Grady)--have left her lacking for companionship. That need is filled when she makes the acquaintance of the town's dogcatcher played by an unrecognizable Mark Hamill in a scroungy and unexpectedly funny character turn. Through him she makes the acquaintance of his orphaned nephew Wesley (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) a troubled delinquent doing time for car theft. In the unloved teen Mattie sees the chance to practice her Christian ideals of helping the lesser of these thy brethren. In Mattie Wesley sees a chance to get food and cash. Will her religious beliefs be enough to put up with such a troubled and unappreciative child?
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