An American Werewolf in London 1981 R, 97 min. Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: John Landis Cast: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Frank Oz, David Schofield, Lila Kaye, Joe Belcher, Rik Mayall, Sean Baker, Paddy Ryan, Anne-Marie Davies, Don McKillop, Paul Kember
American students David Kessler and Jack Goodman (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne) are backpacking in the English countryside when they are attacked by a werewolf. David survives and is hospitalized, but Jack is killed. During one of David's ensuing nightmares, he is visited by Jack and warned that unless he commits suicide, he will turn into a werewolf during the next full moon. David ignores Jack's advice, and, when David is released from the hospital, he moves in with his nurse, Alex Price (Jenny Agutter). They begin a love affair, and now it is only a short time before the next full moon. Will David's nightmares prove to be true? Wry humor interwoven with horror.
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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby 1982 TV, 510 min. Genre: Drama
Director: John Caird, Jim Goddard, Trevor Nunn Cast: Roger Rees, Emily Richard, David Threlfall, John Woodvine, Jane Downs, Alun Armstrong, Ian McNeice, Lucy Gutteridge, Griffith Jones, John McEnery, Patrick Godfrey, Suzanne Bertish, Griffith Jones, Morland Graham, Ralph Truman
In this made-for-TV miniseries based on Charles Dickens' classic tale, Roger Rees takes on the role of Nicholas Nickleby who, along with his mother (Jane Downs) and sister (Emily Richard), must rely on help from his Uncle Ralph (John Woodvine) until Nicholas can find the means to rescue them from their lot in life. The film won an Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series and received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor (Roger Rees) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (David Threlfall) in a Limited Series
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Persuasion 1995 PG, 103 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Roger Michell Cast: Amanda Root, Ciaran Hinds, Corin Redgrave, Susan Fleetwood, Phoebe Nicholls, Fiona Shaw, Judy Cornwell, John Woodvine, Samuel West, Sophie Thompson, Simon Russell Beale, Felicity Dean, Emma Roberts, Richard McCabe
Based on Jane Austen's novel, this is the tale of two 19th-century people, Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) and Captain Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds), who belong to different worlds in society but rise above criticism and pursue their romance and eventual happiness.
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A Tale of Two Cities 1989 TV, 240 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Philippe Monnier Cast: James Wilby, Xavier Deluc, Serena Gordon, Jean-Pierre Aumont, John Mills, Anna Massey, Muriel Combeau, Alfred Lynch, Kathy Kriegel, Gerard Klein, Jean-Marc Bory, John Woodvine
Sydney Carton (James Wilby) has fallen in love with Lucie (Serena Gordon), but she marries aristocrat Charles Damay (Xavier Deluc) and does not know of Sydney's love for her. Later, the French Revolution has exploded, and Charles has been captured and sentenced to the guillotine. Unselfishly, Sydney comes up with a plot to take Charles's place at the guillotine so that Charles can return to Lucie. This Masterpiece Theater presentation of Dickens' story of ideals during the French Revolution is definitely worth watching. It is a lavish production that originally was shown in episodes in 1989 and 1990.
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Wuthering Heights 1992 PG, 106 min. Genre: Drama / Romance aka: Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
Director: Peter Kosminsky Cast: Juliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes, Janet McTeer, Sophie Ward, Simon Shepherd, Jeremy Northam, Jason Riddington, Simon Ward, Robert Demeger, Dick Sullivan, Paul Geoffrey, John Woodvine, Jennifer Daniel, Janine Wood, Jonathan Firth
Emily Bronte's 18th-century story about star-crossed lovers is again brought to the screen. In this version of the romantic drama, Juliette Binoche plays Cathy, while Ralph Fiennes takes on the role of Heathcliff. As an orphan, Heathcliff was raised by the Earnshaw family, and when Hendley Earnshaw (Jeremy Northam) takes over Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is forced to work in the stables. Meanwhile, Hendley's sister Cathy and Heathcliff fall in love, but Cathy opts for wealth over love and marries Edgar Linton (Simon Shepherd). Cathy dies in childbirth. Eighteen years later, Cathy's daughter Catherine (also played by Juliette Binoche) meets Heathclliff who forces her to marry his son Linton (Jonathan Firth) so that he will have avenged his enemies by controlling the estate. But, Cathy's ghost appears, Heathcliff dies, and, once again, even death cannot part those ill-fated lovers.
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| 1. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
2. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982)
3. Persuasion (1995)
4. A Tale of Two Cities (1989)
5. Wuthering Heights (1992) aka: Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
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