Barry Lyndon 1975 PG, 183 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Stanley Kubrick Cast: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Kruger, Steven Berkoff, Gay Hamilton, Leonard Rossiter, Godfrey Quigley, Andre Morell, Arthur O'Sullivan, Marie Kean, Diana Korner, Philip Stone, Frank Middlemass, Murray Melvin
What develops when young Irishman Barry Lyndon (Ryan O'Neal) is tricked into leaving home and goes off to seek his fortune at the hands of a number of unsavory characters is the theme of this film. John Alcott's photography makes this movie worth watching. The film received four Oscars as well as receiving nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Writing.
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Flash Gordon 1980 PG, 110 min. Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Comedy / Thriller
Director: Mike Hodges Cast: Sam J. Jones, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, Richard O'Brien, John Osborne, John Hallam, Philip Stone, Suzanne Danielle, William Hootkins
Emperor Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow) rules the planet Mongo and is plotting to destroy the Earth because he believes it is a threat to his realm. Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones) teams up with his companion Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) to come to the rescue, and along the way is skyjacked aboard Dr. Zarkov's (Topol) spaceship. Now, Flash Gordon's efforts will require more daring as they are drawn to the planet Mongo where Ming plans to take Dale as his concubine.
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 1984 PG, 118 min. Genre: Adventure / Action / Thriller
Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Philip Stone, Amrish Puri, Dan Aykroyd, Roshan Seth, Roy Chiao, David Yip, Ric Young, Philip Tan, Michael Yama, Akio Mitamura
Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is back, and this time he is in India to retrieve a magical stone. The sequence of stunts that takes Indiana from a bar in Shanghai to an Indian village provides great movie fare. Happily, the rest of the film continues in the same excellent vein.
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It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet 1975 G, 94 min. Genre: Family / Drama 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, Philip Stone, Clifford Kershaq, Kevin Moreton, Leslie Sarony, Gwen Nelson
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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The Lord of the Rings 1978 PG, 135 min. Genre: Animation / Adventure / Fantasy
Director: Ralph Bakshi Cast: Christopher Guard, John Hurt, Dominic Guard, Michael Scholes, William Squire, Andre Morell, Norman Bird, Annette Crosbie, Anthony Daniels, Simon Chandler, Michael Graham Cox, David Buck, Peter Woodthorpe, Fraser Kerr, Philip Stone
The Hobbits and Middle Earth are the focus of this film–a combination of animation and live-action cinema–covering part of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy. The Hobbit Frodo (voice of Christopher Guard) is assigned the mission of destroying the all-powerful, magical ring that allows its users to rule the world. With warriors Gandelf (voice of William Squire), Aragorn (voice of John Hurt), and Boromin (voice of Michael Graham Cox) in tow, Frodo sets off on a difficult journey, eluding the evil Mordor's warriors, to take the ring to a place where it can be destroyed.
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Monsignor Quixote 1987 TV, 118 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Rodney Bennett Cast: Alec Guinness, Leo McKern, Ian Richardson, Graham Growden, Maurice Denham, Philip Stone, Rosalie Crutchley, Valentine Pelka, Don Fellows, Gareth Kirkland
This film, based on Graham Greene's novel, is about an unassuming Spanish priest (Alec Guinness) who is appointed a monsignor. The new monsignor is a descendent of Don Quixote, and he–along with a politician (Leo McKern)–retraces the adventures of the infamous knight.
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Moses 1996 TV, 188 min. Genre: Adventure / Drama
Director: Roger Young Cast: Ben Kingsley, Frank Langella, David Suchet, Christopher Lee, Anna Galiena, Enrico Lo Verso, Geraldine McEwan, Maurice Roeves, Anthony Higgins, Philippe Leroy, Philip Stone, Anton Lesser
This made-for-TV account of the Old Testament prophet Moses is highlighted by the fine performance of Ben Kingsley in the title role. The story begins with the baby Moses being placed in a basket by his mother and floated down the Nile to save him from the wicked pharaoh who called for the death of all Hebrew children. Found by a princess, he is raised in luxury, but his destiny is to lead his people out of Egypt to the promised land.
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O Lucky Man! 1973 R, 186 min. Genre: Drama / Comedy / Musical / Fantasy
Director: Lindsay Anderson Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Ralph Richardson, Rachel Roberts, Arthur Lowe, Helen Mirren, Dandy Nichols, Mona Washbourne, Graham Crowden, Peter Jeffrey, Michael Medwin, Alan Price, Philip Stone, Mary MacLeod, Michael Bangerter, Wallas Eaton
This allegory, with the politics of Capitalism as its subject, is told through a young coffee salesman's–Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell)–experiences as he climbs up and falls down the ladder of success. Alan Price adds to the fast-paced story with several songs that reflect Mick's rise and fall: "Someone has to win in the human race, if it isn't you, then it has to be me."
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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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Shadowlands 1985 TV, 73 min. Genre: Drama / Romance aka: C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands
Director: Norman Stone Cast: Joss Ackland, Claire Bloom, David Waller, Rupert Baderman, Rhys Hopkins, Alan MacNaughtan, Tim Preece, Philip Stone, Norman Rutherford
This well-executed biography/drama is based on the real-life romance of a confirmed bachelor, British writer C.S. Lewis (Joss Ackland) and a divorced, American poet Joy Gresham (Claire Bloom). Although he marries her to allow her and her sons to stay in England, love blooms, and they marry in earnest. All goes well, until Joy becomes seriously ill. Remade in 1993.
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The Shining 1980 R, 142 min. Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Stanley Kubrick Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone, Joe Turkel, Anne Jackson, Tony Burton, Barry Dennen, Manning Redwood, Lia Beldam, Billie Gibson, Manning Redwood, Robin Pappas
This film begins with a father (Jack Nicholson) moving his family Wendy and Danny (Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd) up to a mountain retreat where he will be its caretaker for the winter. Sounds heavenly, but then Dad starts to go more than a little stir crazy and is transformed into a demon whose aim is to do in his little family. Based on Stephen King's novel.
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| 1. Barry Lyndon (1975)
2. Flash Gordon (1980)
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
4. It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1975) aka: All Things Bright and Beautifu
5. The Lord of the Rings (1978)
6. Monsignor Quixote (1987)
7. Moses (1996)
8. O Lucky Man! (1973)
9. The Phantom of the Opera (1983)
10. Shadowlands (1985) aka: C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands
11. The Shining (1980)
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