Ian McKellen
This unique and cheeky documentary explores Britain and what makes our country great from our traditions to our self-deprecating sense of humour.
Jane wakes up in a strange attic, in a parallel world, with seemingly no way out. She is stuck in a time-loop, destined to relive the same day over and over with little memory of her doing it before. But with each 'reset' she starts to remember more and more and begins to piece together what may be happening to her, with clues pointing to a Professor Aaron Ostergaard. She makes her way to the mysterious Wytness Quantum Research Centre, run by Charles Marland-White, to try to find a way out.
A family must use a magical box of Animal Crackers to save a rundown circus from being taken over by their evil uncle Horatio P. Huntington.
An edit that brings the Hobbit trilogy closer in line with the book (down to the structure, narrative, and characters) and also pushes the atmosphere closer to what was seen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, while still being careful to keep the lighthearted and fun side of The Hobbit (which made it so special). With all of the useless made up characters & sideplots gone, both Tolkien fans and casual fans alike can now love Peter Jackson’s adaptation in a new way.
The powerful and inspiring true story of the controversial human rights campaigner whose provocative acts of civil disobedience rocked the British establishment, revolutionised attitudes to homosexuality and exposed world tyrants. As social attitudes change and history vindicates Peter's stance on gay rights, his David versus Goliath battles gradually win him status as a national treasure. The film follows Peter as he embarks on his riskiest crusade yet by seeking to disrupt the FIFA World Cup in Moscow to draw attention to the persecution of LGBT+ people in Russia and Chechnya.
Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU is a one-man stage performance by English stage and screen actor Sir Ian McKellen. The performance sees McKellen reprising roles over his career in the theatre (such as the works of William Shakespeare), on film (such as Gandalf in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings film series) while discussing anecdotes throughout his life and career.
An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inclusion and a sometimes uneasy balance between art and commerce. Legends of the stage and screen—including Helen Mirren, Christine Baranski, August Wilson, James Corden, Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen—take us behind the scenes of Broadway's most groundbreaking and beloved shows, from A Chorus Line to Hamilton. Iconic performances by Lin Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, James Earl Jones and Mandy Patinkin lead the way on a hurly burly ride through Times Square, once again the main street of American show business in this documentary directed by Academy-Award nominee Oren Jacoby.
1840 and another ship crashes on the rocks of an almost deserted island in Scotland. Three sailors survive the wreck and make it to shore where the few locals take them in as they wait for the mainland boat to come for them. But the sailors' survival story has only just started as they uncover the strange past of the once vibrant island.
Career con man Roy sets his sights on his latest mark: recently widowed Betty, worth millions. And he means to take it all. But as the two draw closer, what should have been another simple swindle takes on the ultimate stakes.
London, June 29th, 1613. The Globe Theater, ran by the famous playwright William Shakespeare, accidentally burns to ashes. Seriously affected, he stops writing and returns to his hometown, where his wife Anne and daughters Judith and Susanna get surprised to hear he intends to stay there definitively, after two decades working in the capital, neglecting his sincere affections for them.
Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them. Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power struggle with bitter ends.
Built upon a 14 hour interview, McKellen: Playing the Part is a unique journey through the key landmarks of McKellen's life, from early childhood into a demanding career that placed him in the public eye for the best part of his lifetime. Using an abundance of photography from McKellen's private albums and cinematically reconstructed scenes, a raw talent shines through in the intensity, variety and devotion to that moment in the light.
A razor-witted entertainer who found fame as two people - first his drag queen alter ego, Lily Savage, and then as himself. This documentary film charts the unique career of a working class Merseysider whose life away from the spotlight has often been far more dramatic than the consistently successful career he has enjoyed on stage and screen.
Sir Ian McKellen voices an alcoholic kite. A down-and-out who prefers to hang around his dingy local strip joint rather than get out into the blue sky. But when memories of happier times come back to haunt him, he decides to take action and try one last flight.
When news breaks that the county pig fete's being revived, the once-legendary Farmer decides to make one final roll of the dice - and invest his life savings in a thoroughbred piglet with which to breed new life back into his now dilapidated farm. But when he puts young Edmund out to breed and the lad abstains, the Farmer's forced on a journey that will challenge everything he thought he knew about pigs, love and the true value of life.
Features celebrity personalities reading through the safety procedures for flying BA and encouraging people to donate to Comic Relief by putting loose change in any currency into the Flying Start envelope.
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin celebrates one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels inspired millions to reclaim their lives.
A live-action adaptation of Disney's version of the classic tale of a cursed prince and a beautiful young woman who helps him break the spell.
From the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, David Tennant, Catherine Tate and guests mark the life of William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death.
This documentary celebrates one of Britain’s greatest actors, Dame Judi Dench, and looks back over her remarkable 60-year career.
Sir Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine talking about making the film.
One summer's evening, two ageing writers, Hirst and Spooner, meet in a Hampstead pub and continue their drinking into the night at Hirst's stately house nearby. As the pair become increasingly inebriated, and their stories increasingly unbelievable, the lively conversation soon turns into a revealing power game, further complicated by the return home of two sinister younger men.
Acting legend Ian McKellen discusses his impressive range of Shakespearean performances. Since playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night at 12 years old, Ian McKellen has acted in more than half of Shakespeare’s canon on stages worldwide and screens large and small. In a one-man performance filmed at BFI Southbank McKellen offers his unique insights into the problems and joys of interpreting Shakespeare for the theatre, television, radio and cinema.
One fateful night in a small English regional theatre during World War II a troupe of touring actors stage a production of Shakespeares King Lear. Bombs are falling, sirens are wailing, the curtain is up in an hour but the actor/manager Sir who is playing Lear is nowhere to be seen. His dresser Norman must scramble to keep the production alive but will Sir turn up in time and if he does will he be able to perform that night? The Dresser is a wickedly funny and deeply moving story of friendship and loyalty as Sir reflects on his lifelong accomplishments and seeks to reconcile his turbulent friendships with those in his employ before the final curtain.
Bilbo Baggins, along with the wizard Gandalf and 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost dwarf kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Their journey will take them into the wild, trough treacherous lands inhabited by goblins, spiders, trolls and other dangerous creatures! Along the path, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of the ingenuity and courage that surprise even himself, he also gains possession of a magic ring tied to the fate of all Middle-Earth in ways he cannot begin to imagine.
Durin's Folk and the Hill of Sorcery, is a companion film to the Hobbit Fan edit "J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit!" that focuses on the backstory of the dwarves and how it ties into the White Council's investigation into Dol Guldur.
Bilbo Baggins lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire until the wizard Gandalf arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins, and other dangers, not the least of which is an encounter with Gollum and a simple gold ring that is tied to the fate of Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom.
An alternate version of the film has been released on Blu Ray, DVD and digital formats called "X-Men: Days of Future Past: The Rogue Cut." This edition not only includes Rogue's scenes, but there is additional footage as well. IE more time in the airport. Hank and Raven have a moment together. Also the final mutant stand in the future is altered by Rogue's presence.
The film's all-star ensemble cast joins director Bryan Singer and screenwriter Simon Kinberg to share their favorite stories from the set.
The story is set in 1947, following a long-retired Holmes living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and rising detective son. But then he finds himself haunted by an unsolved 50-year old case. Holmes' memory isn't what it used to be, so he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband, a secret bond with his beautiful but unstable wife.
A nine-part making-of documentary that has cast and crew look at story/character areas and the original comics, what Singer brings to the film, cast and performances, costumes, sets and production design, photography and shooting 3D, music, editing, and sound design, various effects, aspects of the "Rogue Cut", the film's reception and what to expect from the next movie.
An adaptation of David Garrick's 1747 afterpiece, this lighthearted comedy follows Miss Biddy Bellair as she pits her suitors against eachother in order to find true love.
Immediately after the events of The Desolation of Smaug, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an army of Orcs led by Azog the Defiler is marching on Erebor, fueled by the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Dwarves, elves and men must unite, and the hope for Middle-Earth falls into Bilbo's hands.
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.
This making-of piece looks at the genesis of this project and how Singer wanted to reunite the original cast again.
A star studded special written and directed by Peter Davison. With the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who about to film, the 'Classic' Doctors are keen to be involved. But do they manage it?
The Appendices: Part Seven - A Long-Expected Journey: The Chronicles of The Hobbit - Part 1
Wolverine faces his ultimate nemesis - and tests of his physical, emotional, and mortal limits - in a life-changing voyage to modern-day Japan.
The Appendices: Part Seven - A Long-Expected Journey: The Chronicles of The Hobbit
The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo has gained the One Ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold back from the Dragon, Smaug.
The first of these is The Appendices: Part 7 – A Long-Expected Journey: The Chronicles of The Hobbit – Part 1, which focuses on the production effort of assembling the crew, casting, pre-production, the actual filming and so forth. The final disc in the set is The Appendices: Part 8 – Return to Middle-Earth. It runs 4 hours and 45 minutes in all. (Which takes the documentary content of this set to a whopping 9 hours and 16 minutes.) It is broken into sections that look more specifically at all of the elaborate design and visual effects work that went into the film.
Funny, passionate, exciting, and smart: ‘Muse Of Fire’ will change the way you feel about Shakespeare forever. This unique feature documentary follows two actors, Giles Terera and Dan Poole, as they travel the world to find out everything they can about tackling the greatest writer of them all. Together they have directed and produced an inspiring film that aims to demystify and illuminate Shakespeare’s work for everyone: from actors, directors and students of all disciplines, right through to the? man on the street? Denmark with Jude Law, Baz Luhrmann in Hollywood, Prison in Berlin, and on the street with Mark Rylance. Think Shakespeare is boring? Think again!
Christmas Eve, 1892, and the falling snow is the stuff of fairy tales. When the fairytale becomes a nightmare and a chilling menace threatens Earth, an unorthodox young governess, Clara, calls on the Doctor for help. But the Doctor is in mourning, reclusive and determined not to engage in the problems of the universe. As old friends return, will the Doctor really abandon humankind, or will he fight to save the world and Christmas from the icy clutches of this mysterious menace?
The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic games.
Looking for Lowry is an entertaining documentary film about the life and work of the much loved British artist L.S. Lowry (1887 – 1976). This contemporary new film illuminates Lowry’s extraordinary vision for the first time in high definition, as we meet those who knew him and those who have been inspired in our post-industrial age by his unique observations of our country and his powerful artistic legacy. Manchester-born rock star Noel Gallagher describes how Lowry’s life chimes with his own: “…for me it’s like when did you first hear the Beatles? Lowry has always been there… I guess all the people Lowry ever met are there in his paintings…”
When his father dies unexpectedly, a young man seeking to cope with his grief goes on a powerful emotional journey through time and space.
8 part series behind the scenes at the famous Theatre Royal, Haymarket, with a focus on a production Waiting for Godot featuring Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Ronald Pickup and Simon Callow. Also covers the early stages of Breakfast at Tiffany's starring Anna Friel and Joseph Cross.
The Prisoner is a 2009 television miniseries based on the 1960s TV series The Prisoner about a man who awakens in a mysterious, picturesque village from which there is no escape and wonders who made the village and why. It was co-produced by American cable network AMC with the British channel ITV.
King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.
'For the Love of God' is the wickedly irreverent tale of Graham (Coogan); an over-grown man-child still living at home under the suffocating glare of his elderly Mother, in her dusty and forgotten Christian bookshop. Graham has a terrible secret - an unholy fantasy - which only he and his Mother's pet Jackdaw (McKellen) know about. Spurred on by the sinister bird and the possibility of consummating his perverse desire, will Graham do the deed before his Mother uncovers the awful truth?
After overhearing a shocking secret, precocious orphan Lyra Belacqua trades her carefree existence roaming the halls of Jordan College for an otherworldly adventure in the far North, unaware that it's part of her destiny.
A behind the scenes look at the making of X-Men: The Last Stand.
A behind the scenes look at the making of the X-Men trilogy made up out of interviews shot during the production of all three films.
London high-society mouse, Roddy is flushed down the toilet by Sid, a common sewer rat. Hang on for a madcap adventure deep in the sewer bowels of Ratropolis, where Roddy meets the resourceful Rita, the rodent-hating Toad and his faithful thugs, Spike and Whitey.
Saint of 9/11 presents the turbulent, restless, spiritual and remarkable journey of Father Mychal Judge. Compassionate champion of the needy and forgotten, a beloved Fire Department Chaplain, rousing Irish-American balladeer and iconoclast, Father wrestled with his own private demons while touching others in powerful and miraculous ways. Mychal Judge knew the pain of loss and suffering. He struggled with alcoholism and was an outspoken AA advocate. Father Judge was a gay man who loved his priestly work. Saint of 9/11 portrays Mychal's life as a spiritual adventure and an honest embrace of life, where alcoholism and sexuality were acknowledged. Saint of 9/11 is the story of a life's journey interrupted. Inspired by his life, the documentary embraces Mychal's full humanity.
A murder in Paris’ Louvre Museum and cryptic clues in some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery. For 2,000 years a secret society closely guards information that — should it come to light — could rock the very foundations of Christianity.
When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men—led by Professor Charles Xavier—and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organised under Xavier's former ally, Magneto.
Zach Riley (Aaron Eckhart) is a psychiatrist, who leaves a job at a prestigious university, to take up a job at the privately run mental institution, 'Millwood'. What he doesnt reveal at the time of his appointment is that this was the very place where his novelist father, T.L. Pierson (Nick Nolte), spent many years of his life.
A shaggy, candy-loving puppy named Dougal along with a group of friends embarks on a dangerous journey in an effort to imprison their oppressor -- the evil ice sorcerer ZeeBad (Zebedee's evil twin). As the world is placed in mortal danger Zeebad who wants to turn the world to ice. Doogal and his friends must recover 3 diamonds that are needed to stop him.
Rafe Esquith, 1992 American Teacher of the Year and National Medal of Arts recipient, teaches 5th-grade children whose parents don't speak English at a school in a dangerous, poor, drug-infested 100% Latino/Asian neighborhood in Los Angeles.
The documentary looks at the rise to celebrity status of NZ actor and musician Bret McKenzie, who appeared for 3 seconds as an extra in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", during the Council of Elrond scene. His brief appearance sparked a huge internet fan-base dedicated to his "brooding pout" and "elvish good looks". McKenzie has been dubbed "FIGWIT", an acronym of "Frodo is Great; Who is That!!?"
Profile of the life, work and ethos behind one of Britain's most controversial and prolific human rights campaigner: gay UK activist Peter Tatchell.
A documentary about the adaptation process of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
A look at the horse wranglers and stunts in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
The culmination of nearly 10 years' work and conclusion to Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the timeless J.R.R. Tolkien classic, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" presents the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil fighting for control of the future of Middle-earth. Hobbits Frodo and Sam reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the `one ring', while Aragorn leads the forces of good against Sauron's evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith.
A documentary about the costume design of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
A documentary about the designing process of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Aragorn is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings as he, Gandalf and the other members of the broken fellowship struggle to save Gondor from Sauron's forces. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam take the ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord's realm.
A documentary about the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The short documentary about X-Men movie is featured on the X-Men 1.5 DVD.
The short documentary about X-Men movie is featured on the X-Men 1.5 DVD.
The Fellowship is scattered. Some brace hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Others must contend with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam are left to take the One Ring, ruler of the accursed Rings of Power, to be destroyed in Mordor, the dark realm where Sauron is supreme.
This is feature-length documentary on the 2-Disc of X2.
We find notes from Singer, Stan Lee, Stewart, McKellen, Berry, Mane, Davison, Romijn-Stamos, Paquin, Jackman, Janssen, and Marsden.
A documentary about the designing of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Frodo and Sam are trekking to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power while Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn search for the orc-captured Merry and Pippin. All along, nefarious wizard Saruman awaits the Fellowship members at the Orthanc Tower in Isengard.
Aragorn is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings as he, Gandalf and the other members of the broken fellowship struggle to save Gondor from Sauron's forces. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam take the ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord's realm.
A short "making of" documentary about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
A documentary about Weta Workshop's work on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A documentary about the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A documentary about Tolkien's early life and the creation of his Middle-Earth franchise
Frodo and Sam are trekking to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power while Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn search for the orc-captured Merry and Pippin. All along, nefarious wizard Saruman awaits the Fellowship members at the Orthanc Tower in Isengard.
A documentary about the casting of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it. But fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who inherits the Ring and steps into legend. A daunting task lies ahead for Frodo when he becomes the Ringbearer - to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged.
A documentary about shooting The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A documentary about the adaptation process of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A documentary about the costume design of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A documentary about the influences on Tolkien, covering in brief his childhood and how he detested the onslaught of industry through the idyllic countryside, moving on to describe his fighting experience from WWI, and closing with a look at the Finnish inspiration for the scholar's self-invented languages of Elfish. In between are interviews with the cast of the films and some clips, by far the most from "The Fellowship of the Ring", but a few glimpses of Rohan riders (from "The Two Towers") are provided. Also, there are interviews with a range of the filmmakers.
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
A portrait of the 30 year relationship between Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. With comments by their friends and family.
A child is born. We see underwater swimmers representing this. He is young, in a jungle setting, with two fanciful "instincts" guiding him as swooping bird-like acrobats initially menace, then delight. As an adolescent, he enters a desert, where a man spins a large cube of metal tubing. He leaves his instinct-guides behind, and enters a garden where two statues dance in a pond. As he watches their sensual acrobatics of love, he becomes a man. He is offered wealth (represented by a golden hat) by a devil figure. In a richly decorated room, a scruffy troupe of a dozen acrobats and a little girl reawaken the old man's youthful nature and love.
A documentary from Universal about the movie The Invisible Man (1933) directed by James Whale.
Charles Dickens' haunting semi-autobiographical tale of a boy who is sent away by his stepfather after his mother dies but manages to triumph over incredible adversities.
David Copperfield (Daniel Radcliffe) lives a nearly idyllic existence with his beautiful mother Clara Emilia Fox) and their housekeeper Peggotty (Pauline Quirke). His life changes forever when his mother re-marries. Mr. Murdstone (Trevor Eve) is a no-nonsense businessman and a strict disciplinarian who believes in corporal punishment. David is soon sent to a strict boarding school, but when his mother dies, his stepfather sends him to London to work in a foul-smelling factory. He forms a close friendship with Mr. Micawber (Bob Hoskins) and moves in with the man and his loving family, but as the Micawbers are forced by circumstance to relocate, he seeks out his aunt Betsey Trotwood (Dame Maggie Smith). She sends him to fine school and he lodges with Mr. Wickfield (Oliver Ford Davies) and his daughter Agnes (Antonia Corrigan). As he grows, older David (Ciarán McMenamin) is apprenticed to a law firm where he soon meets the senior partner's daughter, Dora (Joanna Page)
Written, co-produced and co-directed by David J. Skal, THE WORLD OF GODS AND MONSTERS is a behind-the scenes chronicle of the making of the 1998 Academy Award-winning film GODS AND MONSTERS starring Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser and Lynn Redgrave. Narrated by author/ filmmaker Clive Barker, the documentary interweaves the life and career of James Whale, director of the original FRANKENSTEIN, with the making of the acclaimed biopic. Interviewees include writer/director Bill Condon (Oscar winner for best adapted screenplay), Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, and Christopher Bram, author of the novel FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN, on which the film was based.
It's 1957, and James Whale's heyday as the director of "Frankenstein," "Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man" is long behind him. Retired and a semi-recluse, he lives his days accompanied only by images from his past. When his dour housekeeper, Hannah, hires a handsome young gardener, the flamboyant director and simple yard man develop an unlikely friendship, which will change them forever.
The film tells the story of Russian emigree and the only survivor from ship crash Yanko Goorall and servant Amy Foster in the end of 19th century. When Yanko enters a farm sick and hungry after the shipwreck, everyone is afraid of him, except for Amy, who is very kind and helps him. Soon he becomes like a son for Dr. James Kennedy and romance between Yanko and Amy follows.
A Bit of Scarlet excavates clips from Britain's cinema archives to create a moving and humorous testament to the closeted gay and lesbian images from filmmaking's earliest days.
Max is a handsome young man who, after a fateful tryst with a German soldier, is forced to run for his life. Eventually Max is placed in a concentration camp where he pretends to be Jewish because in the eyes of the Nazis, gays are the lowest form of human being. But it takes a relationship with an openly gay prisoner to teach Max that without the love of another, life is not worth living.
In the early 90's seventy youth from a Hollywood homeless shelter started a theatre project encouraging them to tell their stories.. The youth ran the gamut of racial, cultural and sexual identities. Only ten completed the project and became performers. This film documents the process. The resulting play, Friendly Fire, was performed at the prestigious Los Angeles Festival before going on to tour high schools throughout the city.
In this adaptation of the satirical British novel, Flora Poste, a plucky London society girl orphaned at age 19, finds a new home with some rough relatives, the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm. With a take-charge attitude and some encouragement from her mischievous friend, Mary, Flora changes the Starkadders' lives forever when she settles into their rustic estate, bringing the backward clan up to date and finding inspiration for her novel in the process.
A murderous lust for the British throne sees Richard III (Ian McKellen) descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil war, split between the rivaling houses of York and Lancaster. Richard aspires to a fascist dictatorship, but must first remove the obstacles to his ascension -- among them his brother, his nephews and his brother's wife (Annette Bening). When the Duke of Buckingham (Jim Broadbent) deserts him, Richard's plans are compromised.
An aspiring young physician, Robert Merivel found himself in the service of King Charles II and saves the life of someone close to the King. Merivel joins the King's court and lives the high life provided to someone of his position. Merivel is ordered to marry his King's mistress in order to divert the queens suspicions. He is given one order by the king and that is not to fall in love. The situation worsens when Merivel finds himself in love with his new wife. Eventually, the King finds out and relieves Merivel of his position and wealth. His fall from grace leaves Merivel where he first started. And through his travels and reunions with an old friend, he rediscovers his love for true medicine and what it really means to be a physician.
Jack always lands on his feet. He lands on his feet when he marries the beautiful Sarah. He lands on his feet when he buys a luxurious new home. However, when Sarah goes into labour, he takes a tumble down the stairs and lands on his head. When he comes around he discovers he is the proud father of a baby girl, but deficient in the spouse department to the tune of 1.
Matt Hobbs is a talented but unsuccessful actor. When estranged (and strange) ex-wife Beth dumps their daughter Jeannie on Matt, father and daughter have a lot of adjusting to do. His budding relationship with attractive production assistant Cathy Breslow is made complicated, while the precocious child is overly accustomed to getting her own way. Matt eventually faces the choice of family vs career in a particularly difficult way.
Based on the 1930's comic strip, puts the hero up against his arch enemy, Shiwan Khan, who plans to take over the world by holding a city to ransom using an atom bomb. Using his powers of invisibility and "The power to cloud men's minds", the Shadow comes blazing to the city's rescue with explosive results.
Simon and Mark live together in London. When Mark dies of AIDS, Simon gets on with his life rather quickly, too quickly to suit the ghost of Mark, who reappears to disrupt Simon's cruising and then moves back into their flat to prompt Simon to experience and express feelings. Simon is adamant that feelings, especially love, are not for him. Subplots develop as Mark and Simon observe their neighbor Siobhan's love life and as Simon spends his days as a satellite-TV installer partnered with Dogger, a homophobe ignorant that Simon is gay. Is there any key that can unlock Simon's feelings and allow Mark to rest in peace?
The glories of Ancient Rome are explored in ROMAN CITY, based on David Macaulay's acclaimed book. This animated and live-action video recounts life in Verbonia, a fictional city in Gaul. A well-planned town with all modern conveniences, it is threatened by conflict between conquerors and conquered. Macaulay also visits Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia, Nimes, Orange, and Rome, to view actual Roman architecture and engineering greatness.
The story of a young, gay, black, con artist who, posing as the son of Sidney Poitier, cunningly maneuvers his way into the lives of a white, upper-class New York family.
The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.
Danny is obsessed with a fictional movie character action hero Jack Slater. When a magical ticket transports him into Jack's latest adventure, Danny finds himself in a world where movie magic and reality collide. Now it's up to Danny to save the life of his hero and new friend.
Miniseries based on the first of the Tales of the City series of novels by Armistead Maupin.
Based on a true story, this is the tale of Josephine Monaghan, a young woman of the mid-19th century who is thrown out of her parents' home after being seduced by the family's portrait photographer and giving birth to an illegitimate child. Josephine quickly learns that young, female, pretty, and alone are a bad combination for life in the wild west. In her desperation to survive, Josephine disguises herself as "Jo", a young man, and struggles to make a life for herself in a dingy frontier mining town. Can "Little Jo" live and love without revealing his/her secret?
An English bon-vivant osteopath is enchanted with a young exotic dancer and invites her to live with him. He serves as friend and mentor, and through his contacts and parties she and her friend meet and date members of the Conservative Party. Eventually a scandal occurs when her affair with the Minister of War goes public, threatening their lifestyles and their freedom.
When Mary Ashley is approached to become ambassador of the United States of America in Romania she does not take the offer because her husband does not want to give up his well-going doctor's office. Shortly afterward Dr. Edward Ashley gets killed in a car accident. After this Mary Ashley reconsiders the offer and finally accepts. Arrived in Romania she is confronted with a complex plot in which the American President's current plans to improve relations between the US and communist countries shall be sabotaged.
A man with learning difficulties suffers neglect and ill-treatment, and this is only exasperated when his parents die and nobody seems to know what to do with him. A sequel to this film, titled "Walter and June", was released in 1983 and set 19 years later in time. In the United States, these two are sometimes bundled together under the title "Loving Walter".
John Barton holds a master class in how to play Shakespeare, using members of the RSC doing scenes, sonnets, and commentary as prime examples.
Sequel to the TV film "Walter". In the United States, the two films have been released together on DVD as a package, called "Loving Walter".
During the French Revolution, a mysterious English nobleman known only as The Scarlet Pimpernel (a humble wayside flower), snatches French aristos from the jaws of the guillotine, while posing as the foppish Sir Percy Blakeney in society. Percy falls for and marries the beautiful actress Marguerite St. Just, but she is involved with Chauvelin and Robespierre, and Percy's marriage to her may endanger the Pimpernel's plans to save the little Dauphin
A record of McKellen's one-man Broadway show about the Bard.
Following the banning and burning of his novel, "The Rainbow," D.H. Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, move to the United States, and then to Mexico. When Lawrence contracts tuberculosis, they return to England for a short time, then to Italy, where Lawrence writes "Lady Chatterley's Lover."
Macbeth is a 1978 videotaped version of Trevor Nunn's Royal Shakespeare Company production of the play by William Shakespeare. Produced by Thames Television, it features Ian McKellen as Macbeth and Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth. The TV version was directed by Philip Casson. The original stage production was performed at The Other Place, the RSC's small studio theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. It had been performed in the round before small audiences, with a bare stage and simple costuming. The recording preserves this style: the actors perform on a circular set and with a mostly black background changes of setting are indicated only by lighting changes.
Career army man Bill Paterson faces discharge in this examination of the harsh treatment of British NCOs.
Armchair Thriller is a British television programme, broadcast on ITV in two series in 1978 and 1980. Owing something to some of the off-shoots of the earlier Armchair Theatre, the new series used scripts adapted from published novels and stories. Although not properly a horror series it included several supernatural elements. Armchair Thriller was produced by Thames Television, but it included serials made by Southern Television. The format was of a twice weekly 25 minute episodes, usually screened on a Tuesday or Thursday at 20:00-21:00.
BBC2 Playhouse is a one hour UK anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas created by Sara Pia Anderson and produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Among its many notable guest stars were Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Liam Neeson, Paul Scofield, Deborah Kerr, Ben Kingsley, Donald Pleasence, Brenda Blethyn, and Peggy Ashcroft. It premiered in the UK on March 13, 1974 and ran through May 20, 1983.
The Tragedy of King Richard II, by William Shakespeare. The actions and repercussions of a proud King, whose vanity and selfishness lead to his downfall.
Set in Leningrad. Follows the lives of three young Russians from the terror of the German siege of Leningrad through the uncertainty of the postwar years to the space age.
Intellectually driven doctoral student Rosamund Stacey, while undertaking graduate work at the British Museum, becomes pregnant after a brief affair with a television newsreader. Against the advice of her best friend, Lydia, Rosamund chooses to keep the baby and adjusts her life to include both her studies and her pregnancy. However, when the baby is born, an unforeseen complication threatens the self-sufficient life Rosamund plans for herself.
While Old England is being ransacked by roving Danes in the 9th century, Alfred is planning to join the priesthood. But observing the rape of his land, he puts away his religious vows to take up arms against the invaders, leading the English Christians to fight for their country. Alfred soundly defeats the Danes and becomes a hero. But now, although Alfred still longs for the priesthood, he is torn between his passion for God and his lust for blood.
David Copperfield is a BBC television serial starring Ian McKellen in the title role of the adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel that began airing in January 1966. It also featured Tina Packer as Dora, Flora Robson as Betsey Trotwood, Gordon Gostelow as Barkis, and Christopher Guard as young David. The screenplay adaptation was written by Vincent Tilsley.
Coronation Street is a British television soap opera first broadcast on Granada Television in 1960. It was soon syndicated on other ITV franchises. The programme concerns the lives of the residents of Coronation Street in Weatherfield, a fictional area of Salford, and centres around its terraced houses, cafe, corner shop, newsagents, textile factory and the Rovers Return pub. The programme was devised in 1960 by local scriptwriter Tony Warren at the recently formed Granada Television in Manchester. Warren's initial kitchen sink drama proposal was rejected by the station's founder Sidney Bernstein but he was persuaded by producer Harry Elton to produce the programme for thirteen pilot episodes. It was first broadcast on 9 December 1960 and within six months had become the most-watched programme on British television. It has been one of the most financially lucrative programmes on British commercial television, underpinning the success of the Granada Television franchise and the broadcaster ITV. Coronation Street is made by Granada Television at Granada Studios in Manchester. It is shown in all ITV regions as well as internationally. On 17 September 2010, it became the world's longest-running TV soap opera in production. Coronation Street is noted for its depiction of a down-to-earth working class community combined with light-hearted humour and strong characters.
In 1934 London, Jimmy Erskine, the most feared drama critic in town, finds himself in the crosshairs of his newspaper’s new owner. Nina Land, the actress determined to win his favor, becomes entangled in a dangerous web of blackmail, deceit and murder.
A modern-day version of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', which explores a young man's psyche as he contemplates avenging his father's death.
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
