John Arthur Movies
- 2002
Based on actual events that took place in Waterford, Ireland, in the late 1700s, director Stefan Schwartz's romantic comedy-drama concerns itself with a group of abductors who kidnap usually willing young women in order to persuade them to wed. Set during an era where law dictates that the eldest sons inherit family estates and younger siblings are left to either enter the priesthood or the military, young noblemen decide to take matters into their own hands by abducting the young heiresses and charming them for a night before releasing them to make their ultimate decision. As Anne (Sophia Myles) is subjected to the uninvited advances of Power (Liam Cunningham), Abduction Club member Byrne (Daniel Lapaine) schemes to kidnap Anne's older sister Catherine (Alice Evans). Though the kidnapping plan is foiled when Anne decides to tag along, Byrne's friend Strang (Matthew Rhys) finds himself attracted to the younger sister despite Abduction Club rules stating that abductees must be at least 18 (Anne is 17) and that no more than one member of the same family is to be abducted at any given time. Strang is subsequently expelled by Abduction Club leader Sir Myles (Patrick Malahide), and the fledgling affections of the mismatched couple face a formidable challenge as the local militia is tipped off to their scheme. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alice Evans, Daniel Lapaine, (more)
- 1982
Created by David Butler, the British drama series We'll Meet Again took place during WWII. The members of the U.S. 8th Air Force, 525th Bomb Group, found themselves billeted in the Suffolk community of Market Wetherby. The locals weren't altogether thrilled by the presence of the "overpaid, oversexed, and over-here" Yanks, but along the way a few of the flyboys managed to make headway with some of the British lasses in the region. Rich with period detail, the series invoked warm nostalgic feelings within most viewers, even though much of the dialogue dealt with rationing, buzz-bombing, and other wartime iniquities. Opening with a 90-minute episode on February 19, 1982, We'll Meet Again quickly settled into a weekly 60-minute slot, proving so popular with British viewers that its story line was serialized in a national newspaper. The 13th and final episode aired on May 14, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Susannah York, Ronald Hines, (more)
A William Diehl novel was the source of the noirish nailbiter Sharky's Machine. Sharky (Burt Reynolds) is an undercover cop who fouls up an assignment and is kicked downstairs to the vice squad -- a rough-shod bunch of hellraisers who make life miserable. Soon, however, Sharky's life does a 180 when he encounters Dominoe (Rachel Ward) a prostitute seemingly in danger from her interaction with a number of very seedy thugs. To protect her, Sharky lines the high-rise apartment across from her residence with security cameras and surveillance equipment -- which only makes matters sticky as Sharky begins to fall in love with her. The film opened to a very warm critical reception (Janet Maslin observed that "Burt Reynolds establishes himself as yet another movie star who is as valuable behind the camera as he is in front of it"). It also features one of the most dangerous stunts on film, wherein the late stuntman Dar Robinson free falls from 16 stories off the ground. The "machine" of the title refers to Sharky's fellow cops, played by heavyweights Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Bernie Casey, and others. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Vittorio Gassman, (more)
