Alex McAvoy Movies
Produced for Scottish television, Venus Peter was financed by the Orkney Islands Council. The title character is transformed into a "sea child" when he is baptized with salt water. Though his family tries hard to accustom him to life on land, Peter (Gordon R. Strachan) yearns to go to sea -- or, at the very least, to escape his cloistered community. He finds a kindred spirit in Princess Paloma (Juliet Cadzow), the village "looney," who, alas, is eventually carted away to an institution. Briefly fascinated by poetry and music, thanks to his lovely teacher Miss Balsibie (Sinead Cusack), Peter is disillusioned when he finds his teacher in the arms of her lover (and out of her clothing). The final blow to Peter's idealism comes when his grandfather's ship is repossessed. Despite the bleakness of his surroundings and his seemingly dead-end existence, however, Peter never completely lets go of his dreams, and the film ends on a positive note. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gordon R. Strachan, Ray McAnally, (more)
Inspired by Pink Floyd's album of the same name, Pink Floyd: The Wall is a dark, expressionistic musical, told from the point of view of Pink, a depressed rock musician. The film is structured around Pink's reflections on his life, all of which center on the building of "the wall." This wall is a metaphor for psychological isolation, a barrier Pink creates to distance himself from his pain. The foundations for this wall are lain in childhood, with the death of Pink's father leaving him to be raised by an overprotective mother and a repressive school system. He seeks freedom from this world through writing and music. However, even after he achieves success as a rock star, the wall continues to grow, with Pink feeling trapped by fame and wounded by his failed personal relationships. Lost in despair and self-loathing, he attempts to isolate himself from the world entirely. Director Alan Parker approaches this material in a highly stylized manner, mingling animation and dream-like sequences to suggest Pink's perception of the world. These techniques complement the almost constant music, which the film often uses in place of dialogue. Songs include "Another Brick in the Wall" and "Comfortably Numb". ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, (more)
In this British tragi-comedy taking place among emotionally bankrupt upper-class Scottish countrymen, Peter O'Toole plays Sir Charles Henry Arbuthnot Pinkerton Ferguson, a mentally disturbed Scotsman, living on his uncared-for farm, who also harbors an incestuous yearning for his sister Hilary (Susannah York), who is staying with Sir Charles after a fight with her husband Douglas (Michael Craig). However, while at a local sheep auction, Hilary encounters Douglas and she realizes she still loves him. Hilary and Douglas agree to meet that night at a country dance. But Sir Charles finds out about their intended rendezvous and at the dance that night, continually interrupts Hilary and Douglas's reunion. Sir Charles further hampers a reconciliation by allowing Hilary to think that Douglas is the father of a maid's illegitimate child. Hilary, in reaction, goes wild and becomes the complete party girl, propositioning the band leader but going off with Jock (Brian Blessed), the real father of the maid's child. When Sir Charles finds Hilary asleep in his car the next morning, and Hilary tells him of her antics of the night before, Sir Charles lapses into a deep depression as he realizes that his sister is lost to him. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Susannah York, (more)
Created by humorist Neil Munro, Scottish barge captain Para Handy and his crew were featured in a number of popular British TV sitcoms, including BBC1's 1966 offering The Vital Spark (the title referred to Capt. Handy's dilapidated boat). Originating as a one-off on the Comedy Playhouse anthology, this incarnation of Handy and company lasted 12 episodes, which aired from 1966 to 1967. The star of the series Roddy McMillan, revived his Para Handy characterization when The Vital Spark resurfaced on BBC1 in 1973, yielding six more half-hour episodes, and one hour-long special. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roddy McMillan, John Grieve, (more)





