Bertie & Elizabeth 2002  TV, 120 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Giles Foster
Cast: James Wilby, Juliet Aubrey, Alan Bates, Eileen Atkins, Charles Edwards, Amber Rose Sealey, Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh, Hannah Wiltshire, Robert Hardy, Paul Brooke, Jeremy Child, David Ryall
This British made-for-TV entry is the love story of Bertie and Elizabeth who were married in 1923 and became England's Queen Elizabeth (Juliet Aubrey) and King George VI (James Wilby) in 1936 when his brother Edward VIII abdicated. George provided the leadership needed by his country during World War II but died of cancer in 1952. Elizabeth became the "Queen Mum" and lived until 2002 as a well-loved member of the royal family.
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 Bridget Jones's Diary 2001  R, 95 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Sharon Maguire
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson, Celia Imrie, Embeth Davidtz, Honor Blackman, James Faulkner, Charmian May, Paul Brooke, Shirley Henderson, James Callis
Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is a 30-something single woman who lives in London, works in the publishing industry, and worries about not finding success–both romantically and professionally. After being snubbed by Mark (Colin Firth), Bridget begins writing in her diary about trying to cut back on wine, cigarettes, and men. She begins getting sexy e-mails from her boss Daniel (Hugh Grant) and meets him for dinner. Daniel tells her that he and Mark went to college together, and Mark seduced his fiancee. Later, Bridget runs across Mark again, he expresses an interest in her, and now both men compete for Bridget's attention. Zellweger excels in her role of the biologically ticking Bridget, and she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
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The Lair of the White Worm 1988 R, 93 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Ken Russell
Cast: Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant, Catherine Oxenberg, Peter Capaldi, Sammi Davis, Stratford Johns, Paul Brooke, Imogen Claire, Chris Pitt, Gina McKee, Christopher Gable, Lloyd Peters
Bram Stoker's last novel is adapted for film by Ken Russell who plays it just for fun. An archeologist digs up an odd-looking skull, which is followed by the premature return to town by the mysterious Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe). A local legend tells of a giant worm-like creature that wreaked havoc in the area before it was killed by an ancient ancestor of Lord James D'Ampton (Hugh Grant)–who lives next door to Lady Sylvia. When the skull turns up missing and the townsfolk begin to disappear or act strangely, the indications are that the creature has returned.
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Lighthouse 1999  R, 95 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Simon Hunter
Cast: Rachel Shelley, James Purefoy, Don Warrington, Christopher Adamson, Bob Goody, Pat Kelman, Chris Dunne, Paul Brooke, Norman Mitchell, Jason Round
A psychotic killer, Leo Rook (Christopher Adamson), escapes from a boat taking him to prison. He heads for Ghenna Rocks lighthouse, promptly hacks up the lighthouse staff, turns off the lighthouse beacon, and waits for the prison boat to crash. His ploy works, and Rook is soon joined by six survivors from the sinking boat who, one-by-one, become his next victims.
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Oliver Twist 2005 PG-13, 130 min.
Genre: Family / Drama
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Ben Kingsley, Barney Clark, Leanne Rowe, Mark Strong, Jamie Foreman, Harry Eden, Edward Hardwicke, Ian McNeice, Lewis Chase, Jeremy Swift, Frances Cuka, Alun Armstrong, Paul Brooke, Levi Hayes, Patrick Godfrey
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens' story, Barney Clark takes on the role of well-mannered nine-year-old orphan Oliver Twist who meets London pickpocket Artful Dodger (Harry Eden) and joins a group of boys who steal for their master, Fagin (Ben Kingsley).
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 The Phantom of the Opera 1983 TV, 100 min.
Genre: Drama / Horror
Director: Robert Markowitz
Cast: Maximilian Schell, Jane Seymour, Michael York, Jeremy Kemp, Diana Quick, Ferenc Beganyi, Pal Kovacs, Philip Stone, Paul Brooke, Andras Miko, Gellert Raksanyi, Laszlo Nemeth, Jeno Kis, Laszlo Soos, Denes Ujlaky
This classic story is brought to TV with several deviations from the original story–a major one being that it is set in Budapest rather than Paris. After orchestra leader Sandor's (Maximilian Schell) singer wife (Jane Seymour) receives a bad review and commits suicide, Sandor gets into a fight with the critic (Philip Stone) and is burned with acid. Sandor takes refuge beneath the opera house, and five years later emerges as the masked Phantom. He falls in love with chorus girl Maria Gianelli (also played by Seymour) who greatly resembles his dead wife. Maria is in love with the director of the opera, Michael Hartnell (Michael York), but the Phantom tutors Maria and terrorizes the cast and all those who stand in the way of Maria's stardom. Good cast and scenery.
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 The Phantom of the Opera 2004  PG-13, 143 min.
Genre: Musical / Drama / Romance / Thriller
aka: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Simon Callow, Minnie Driver, Ciaran Hinds, Victor McGuire, Paul Brooke, Murray Melvin, Kevin McNally, James Fleet, Jennifer Ellison, Imogen Bain, Judith Paris
The phantom, a disfigured composer (Gerard Butler), dwells beneath and haunts the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with chorus singer Christine (Emmy Rossum), abducts her, and writes an opera especially for her. But will this be enough to make Christine forget the man she loves? Three Academy Award nominations were received.
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| 1. Bertie & Elizabeth (2002)
2. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
3. The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
4. Lighthouse (1999)
5. Oliver Twist (2005)
6. The Phantom of the Opera (1983)
7. The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
aka: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera
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