The Age of Innocence 1993  PG, 133 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Joanne Woodward, Alexis Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Mary Beth Hurt, Alec McCowen, Richard E. Grant, Miriam Margolyes, Robert Sean Leonard, Sian Phillips, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Gough
Close attention to detail of settings reflects the mood of this movie. The story is Edith Wharton's 1870s view of the New York elite. A crisis occurs in a love triangle involving Newland Archer, Countess Ellen Olenska, and May Welland (Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder). In the midst of social snobbery, Ellen arrives in New York, and sparks fly when she meets her cousin May's fiance Newland. Winona Ryder was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
|  | |
Alice Through the Looking Glass 1998  TV, 90 min.
Genre: Family / Fantasy
Director: John Henderson
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Ian Holm, Penelope Wilton, Michael Medwin, Geoffrey Palmer, Steve Coogan, Gary Olsen, Ian Richardson, Marc Warren, Sian Phillips, Rebecca R. Palmer, Greg Wise, Louise J. Taylor
In this TV version of the Lewis Carroll classic, grown-up Alice (Kate Beckinsale) is transported through the looking glass while reading to her daughter. Her adventures are enhanced by a combination of live action, animation, and special effects.
| | |
Aristocrats 1999 TV, 295 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: David Caffrey
Cast: Serena Gordon, Alun Armstrong, Geraldine Somerville, Ben Daniels, Julian Fellowes, Diane Fletcher, Anne-Marie Duff, Tom Mullion, Jodhi May, Andrew Havill, George Anton, John Light, Clive Swift, Sian Phillips
This BBC mini-series tells the story of the Lennox sisters–Caroline (Serena Gordon), Emily (Geraldine Somerville), Louisa (Anne-Marie Duff), and Sarah (Jodhi May)–who are great granddaughters of King Charles and his French mistress. In Part 1, Emily, Louisa, and Caroline make their decisions regarding marriage, and Caroline's choice tears the family asunder. Part 2 involves the scandals of Sarah, and Part 3 revolves around the family drama spanning two generations.
| | |
Becket 1964 N/R, 148 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Glenville
Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Donald Wolfit, John Gielgud, Pamela Brown, Martita Hunt, Sian Phillips, Paolo Stoppa, Gino Cervi, Felix Aylmer, David Weston, Percy Herbert, Christopher Rhodes, Inigo Jackson, Niall MacGinnis
Twelfth-century England is the setting for this insightful story. It involves the long friendship between King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Richard Burton). Their friendship reaches a crisis when Becket must choose between his duties to God as Archbishop and his loyalties to the King. Among the several Academy Award nominations were Best Picture, Director, Actor (both Burton and O'Toole), and Supporting Actor (John Gielgud for his role as King Louis VII of France).
| | |
 Clash of the Titans 1981 PG, 118 min.
Genre: Adventure / Fantasy
Director: Desmond Davis
Cast: Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Claire Bloom, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Jack Gwillim, Susan Fleetwood, Sian Phillips
This fantasy film is based on Greek mythology. Perseus (Harry Hamlin) is the mortal son of Zeus who is cast off when his mother angers his father. Once he reaches manhood, he learns that his destiny is to rescue the fair Andromeda by passing several tests, such as taming Pegasus and bringing back the head of Medusa. For now, the gods allowed human courage and daring, but they would be ever alert of the danger of humans' rising above the power of the gods. Great special effects.
| | |
The Doctor and the Devils 1985 R, 93 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Freddie Francis
Cast: Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Twiggy, Julian Sands, Stephen Rea, Phyllis Logan, Beryl Reid, Patrick Stewart, Sian Phillips
In this Mel Brooks production, Doctor Thomas Rock (Timothy Dalton) enlists the aid of grave robbers to obtain cadavers for his scientific experiments.
| | |
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor 1985  TV, 96 min.
Genre: Family / Sci-Fi
Director: Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat
Cast: Warwick Davis, Aubree Miller, Wilford Brimley, Sian Phillips, Carel Struycken, Niki Botelho, Paul Gleason, Eric Walker, Tony Cox, Marianne Horine
The furry creatures originally from the "Star Wars" series are back for a second film. Marauders led by a bad witch attack the Ewok village, and Cindel is the only survivor of the Towani family that crashed on Endor in the first film. She and EwokWicket escape but the other Ewoks are captured. With the help of a hermit, who had also crashed on Endor, they fight back.
| | |
Goodbye, Mr. Chips 1969 G, 150 min.
Genre: Musical / Drama / Romance
Director: Herbert Ross
Cast: Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark, Michael Redgrave, George Baker, Sian Phillips, Michael Bryant, Alison Leggatt, Jeremy Lloyd, Clive Morton, Jack Hedley, Leo Britt, Patricia Hayes, Elspeth March, Jack May, Jenny Runacre
Arthur Chipping "Mr. Chips" (Peter O'Toole) is a professor at Brookfield Academy for Boys in England. He falls in love with music-hall singer Katherine Bridges (Petula Clark) and marries her. As Mrs. Chips, Katherine overcomes her past and warms the hearts of students. Later, she dies, but Mr. Chips continues his teaching career and becomes an icon. Peter O'Toole received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and the film received a nomination for Best Musical Score.
| | |
Heidi 1993 G, 190 min.
Genre: Family / Drama
Director: Michael Ray Rhodes
Cast: Jason Robards, Jane Seymour, Patricia Neal, Noley Thornton, Sian Phillips, Lexi Randall, Jane Hazlegrove, Andrew Bicknell, Benjamin Brazier, Basil Hoskins
The Disney folks bring the classic tale to TV and video with Noley Thornton in the title role, Jane Seymour as the nasty governess, and Jason Robards as Heidi's grandfather. Satisfactory performances throughout.
| | |
 Ivanhoe 1997 TV, 300 min.
Genre: Adventure / Drama
Director: Stuart Orme
Cast: Steven Waddington, Victoria Smurfit, Ralph Brown, Rory Edwards, James Cosmo, Chris Walker, Susan Lynch, Aden Gillett, Christopher Lee, Ciaran Hinds, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Nick Brimble, Trevor Cooper, Ronald Pickup, Sian Phillips
This rousing, made-for-TV miniseries is a good retelling of Sir Walter Scott's tale of the young knight Ivanhoe (Steven Waddington) who battles the evil Prince John (Ralph Brown) and his templar cohorts in 12th-century England. After returning from the Crusades, a disguised Ivanhoe finds himself in the middle of Prince John's efforts to replace Richard (Rory Edwards) as king of England. Ivanhoe enters a tournament to win back the love of Rowena (Victoria Smurfit). He wins the tournament but is injured, and is nursed back to health by Rebecca (Susan Lynch) with whom he falls in love. More problems lie ahead when Rebecca is condemned as a witch and is sentenced to be burned at the stake. Ivanhoe rescues Rebecca, but will he be able to restore Richard to the throne?
| | |
Murphy's War 1971 PG-13, 106 min.
Genre: Adventure
Director: Peter Yates
Cast: Peter O'Toole, Sian Phillips, Philippe Noiret, Horst Janson, John Hallam, Ingo Mogendorf
A U-boat sinks a British merchant ship off the coast of South America during the final days of World War II. Surviving crew members are gunned down by the submarine's crew, and Murphy (Peter O'Toole) is the sole survivor. Rescued by a Frenchman (Philippe Noiret), Murphy is taken to a hospital where he is nursed back to health by Dr. Hayden (Sian Phillips, O'Toole's wife at the time). Now it is time to revenge the sinking by the U-Boat.
| | |
Under Milk Wood 1971 PG, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Andrew Sinclair
Cast: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole, Glynis Johns, Sian Phillips, Vivien Merchant, Victor Spinetti, Ann Beach, Angharad Rees, Ray Smith, Michael Forest, Glynn Edwards
This film adaptation of the Dylan Thomas play involves residents of a Welsh coastal village in stories told by blind, retired mariner, Captain Cat (Peter O'Toole). He recalls the lives of drowned shipmates, other residents of his town of Llareggub, and the love of his life who happened to be a prostitute (Elizabeth Taylor).
| | |
Valmont 1989 R, 137 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Milos Forman
Cast: Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Meg Tilly, Fairuza Balk, Sian Phillips, Jeffrey Jones, Henry Thomas, Fabia Drake, T.P. McKenna, Ian McNeice, Isla Blair, Aleta Mitchell
Chodleros de Laclos' classic, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," is again brought to the screen following Stephen Frears' popular version a year earlier and Roger Vadim's 1959 film. Set in 18th-century France, it is the story of corrupt lovers (Colin Firth and Annette Bening) who make bets about being able to have sex with others just for the fun of it.
| | |
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years 1981 N/R, 390 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Ferdinand Fairfax
Cast: Robert Hardy, Sian Phillips, Nigel Havers, Chloe Salaman, Tamsin Murray-Leach, Katherine Levy, Tim Pigott-Smith, David(2) Swift, Sherrie Hewson, Moray Watson, Paul Freeman
Based on a biography by Sir Martin Gilbert, this good made-for-British TV miniseries covers an important 10 years (1929-1939) before the start of World War II. Winston Churchill was out of power and was a lone voice trying to warn the population and leadership of the threat posed by Hitler's re-arming of Germany. He returned to power after his warnings were proven to be valid.
| | |
Young Cassidy 1965 N/R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Cardiff, John Ford
Cast: Rod Taylor, Maggie Smith, Julie Christie, Flora Robson, Michael Redgrave, Edith Evans, Jack MacGowran, Sian Phillips, T.P. McKenna, Philip O'Flynn, Julie Ross, Arthur O'Sullivan, Joe Lynch
Rod Taylor takes on the roll of John Cassidy in this film based on the life and times of Irish author Sean O'Casey during the early 20th century. Director John Ford fell ill during the shooting of the film and was replaced by Jack Cardiff.
| | |
| 1. The Age of Innocence (1993)
2. Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998)
3. Aristocrats (1999)
4. Becket (1964)
5. Clash of the Titans (1981)
6. The Doctor and the Devils (1985)
7. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
8. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
9. Heidi (1993)
10. Ivanhoe (1997)
11. Murphy's War (1971)
12. Under Milk Wood (1971)
13. Valmont (1989)
14. Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981)
15. Young Cassidy (1965)
In The News
|
