A Christmas Carol 1999  TV, 95 min.
Genre: Family / Drama / Fantasy
Director: David Hugh Jones
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey, Ian McNeice, Saskia Reeves, Desmond Barrit, Bernard Lloyd, Dominic West, Trevor Peacock, Liz Smith, Claire Slater, Ben Tibber, Elizabeth Spriggs, Kenny Doughty, Laura Fraser
Patrick Stewart makes an excellent Ebenezer Scrooge in this fine TV adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic Christmas story. After visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Joel Grey), Present (Desmond Barrit), and Future (Tim Potter), Scrooge re-evaluates his treatment of Tiny Tim (Ben Tibber) and and his family. It ranks among the best of the several film renditions.
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City of Ember 2008 PG, 95 min.
Genre: Family / Adventure / Fantasy
Director: Gil Kenan
Cast: Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Tim Robbins, Harry Treadway, Liz Smith, Martin Landau, David Ryall, Ian McElhinney, B.J. Hogg, Mary Kay Place, Toby Jones, Lucinda Dryzek, Matt Jessup, Lara McIvor, Myles Thompson
Ember is a dark place covered with dirt–an underground world that began a number of generations ago. Mayor Cole (Bill Murray) appears to be in charge, but he follows the orders of bureaucrat Sul (Martin Landau) in a world where power outages are common and food supplies are getting low. Although Loris Harrow (Tim Robbins) and his teenage son Doon (Harry Treadway) run their house on steam and rust, the outlook is not good. Doon and classmate Lina (Saoirse Ronan) want to escape, but they know that if they fail, BIG problems will result. Nevertheless, they piece together a plot that involves a metal box that just may provide the answers to their problems.
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The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover 1989 R, 126 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Peter Greenaway
Cast: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Alan Howard, Tim Roth, Ciaran Hinds, Gary Olsen, Liz Smith, Roger Lloyd-Pack
Georgina (Helen Mirren) has an affair, and with the help of the cook (Richard Bohringer) plots to outdo her sadistic, restaurant-owner husband (Michael Gambon). Lots of sex and violence. There is also an NC-17 rated version.
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The French Lieutenant's Woman 1981  R, 127 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Karel Reisz
Cast: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Emily Morgan, Charlotte Mitchell, Peter Vaughan, Liz Smith, Leo McKern, David Warner, Alun Armstrong, Lynsey Baxter, Jean Faulds, Colin Jeavons, Patience Collier
This "story within a story" is centered on two actors, Anna and Mike (Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons), who have roles as Victorian lovers. While their fictional characters overcome adversities, the actors who play them lose in their own romantic relationship.
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High Spirits 1988  PG-13, 99 min.
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Horror / Romance
Director: Neil Jordan
Cast: Daryl Hannah, Peter O'Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D'Angelo, Liam Neeson, Peter Gallagher, Jennifer Tilly, Ray McAnally, Donal McCann, Connie Booth, Mary Coughlan, Liz Smith, Tom Hickey, Hilary Reynolds, Tony Rohr
Needing money to maintain his family's Irish castle, Peter Plunkett (Peter O'Toole) rents rooms and advertises that the castle is haunted. He even goes so far as to provide "ghosts." Of course, it turns out that the castle really is haunted, and American tourists, including Jack and Sharon (Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo), arrive for a visit. The fun really begins when Jack and Sharon become romantically interested in the real ghosts Mary and Martin (Daryl Hannah and Liam Neeson).
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It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet 1975 G, 94 min.
Genre: Family
aka: All Things Bright and Beautifu
Director: Eric Till
Cast: John Alderson, Colin Blakely, Lisa Harrow, Bill Maynard, Richard Pearson, Paul Shelley, Rosemary Martin, Raymond Francis, Liz Smith, John Barrett
Based on James Herriot's books about life as a 1930s' veterinarian in Yorkshire, John Alderson plays the kindly doctor who ministers to animals in this enjoyable family film.
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Keep the Aspidistra Flying 1997 R, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
aka: A Merry War
Director: Robert Bierman
Cast: Richard E. Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Carter, Harriet Walter, Julian Wadham, Lesley Vickerage, Liz Smith, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, John Clegg, Maggie McCarthy
Based on George Orwell's story, this film is about an aspiring poet, Gordon Comstock (Richard E. Grant), working in the advertising field as a copywriter, who decides to become a full-time poet, but not without major problems.
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Keeping Mum 2005  R, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Niall Johnson
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze, Tamsin Egerton, Toby Parkes, Liz Smith, Emilia Fox, James Booth, Patrick Monckton, Rowley Irlam, Rupert Simonian
The family life of the Reverend Waller Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) and his wife Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) changes forever when their new housekeeper, Grace (Maggie Smith), appears on the scene, and matters appear to change for the better. Unknown to the family, however, Grace has her dark side and believes that homicide is the best way to solve problems–starting with the neighbor's barking dog. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | loved the British dark humor twist. some really funny parts | sorare 05/11/2007 | | |
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A Private Function 1985 R, 93 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Malcolm Mowbray
Cast: Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Richard Griffiths, Tony Haygarth, John Normington, Bill Paterson, Liz Smith, Alison Steadman, Pete Postlethwaite
Set in a Yorkshire village at the end of World War II, the plot revolves around food rationing prevalent in that era. The main focus is on a stolen pig that becomes the center of controversy.
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The Revengers' Comedies 1998  PG-13, 85 min.
Genre: Comedy
aka: Sweet Revenge
Director: Malcolm Mowbray
Cast: Sam Neill, Helena Bonham Carter, Kristin Scott Thomas, Rupert Graves, Martin Clunes, Steve Coogan, John Wood, Liz Smith, Anita Dobson, Charlotte Coleman
This predictable comedy features Sam Neill as suicidal businessman Henry Bell who meets Karen (Helena Bonham Carter). Karen, in turn, plans the same suicide method: jumping off London's Tower Bridge. Their lives change after they talk and plot revenge against each others' enemies.
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Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit 2005 G, 85 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Comedy / Adventure
Director: Nick Park, Steve Box
Cast: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Nicholas Smith, Liz Smith, John Thomson, Mark Gatiss, Vincent Ebrahim, Geraldine McEwan, Edward Kelsey, Dicken Ashworth
It is just two days before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition in Wallace (voice of Peter Sallis) and his wise dog Gromit's (who doesn't speak) neighborhood, and their "Anti-Pesto" vermin removal business is booming. They have a basement filled with bunnies captured from neighbors' gardens. But, a big problem looms when a giant Were-Rabbit appears on the scene and is gobbling up the vegetable gardens. Is Wallace up to the task? An Academy Award was received for Best Animated Feature.
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| 1. Apartment Zero (1988)
2. Bleak Moments (1971)
3. A Christmas Carol (1999)
4. City of Ember (2008)
5. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989)
6. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
7. High Spirits (1988)
8. It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1975)
aka: All Things Bright and Beautifu
9. Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997)
aka: A Merry War
10. Keeping Mum (2005)
11. A Private Function (1985)
12. The Revengers' Comedies (1998)
aka: Sweet Revenge
13. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
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