Clive Wood Movies

2005  
R  
As three bomb-toting Muslim fundamentalists hold the citizens of a London restaurant hostage, the revelation that one of the terrorists has been researching a little-known Russian explosive known as "Red Mercury" promos authorities to handle the situation with extreme caution in director Roy Battersby's topical thriller. An informer has revealed that a trio of terrorists has been lying in hiding in the English capitol, and when chases breaks out the three bombers storm into a popular Greek restaurant and hold the frightened diners hostage. The perpetrators are Mushtaq (Alex Caan), Asif (Navin Chowdhry), and Shahid (San Shella). As the Gold Commander (Pete Postlethwaite) and counterterrorism expert Sofia Warburton (Juliet Stevenson) do their best to assess the situation from the outside, restaurant owner Penelope (Stockard Channing) and a pair of quick-thinking customers that includes American lawyer Sidney Lowe (Ron Silver) and author Neil Ashton (David Bradley) do their best to keep the heads cool on the inside. Later, when the authorities discover that the three terrorists are well-educated British citizens who were likely recruited by fundamentalists during their studies, Sofia finds that they have also come into possession with an extremely volatile Russian-produced explosive. With time quickly running as tempers begin to flare, the desperate counterterrorism expert contacts her ex-husband Lindsay (Nigel Terry) - a one-time mole whose inside information may prove vital in saving countless lives - in a last ditch attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
David BradleyStockard Channing, (more)
 
2003  
 
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An elderly king must come to terms with his past as he plots his nation's future in this historical drama. In 1183, aging monarch King Henry II (Patrick Stewart) decides it is time to pick an heir to his throne, and he must choose one of his three sons -- John (Rafe Spall), Geoffrey (John Light), or Richard (Andrew Howard) -- to rule the British empire. Henry wants to announce his successor at a Christmas gathering of his court a few weeks hence, and in time for the event, he has decided to free his headstrong wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Glenn Close), who has been held in captivity for attempting to overthrow her husband's rule and expressing her displeasure with his mistress, Alais (Yuliya Vysotskaya). As Henry and Eleanor become re-acquainted, they are reminded of the love they share as well as the strife that drives them apart, and while Henry finds himself favoring his youngest son, John, for his post, Eleanor makes a strong case for her first-born, Richard, with Geoffrey attempting to consolidate influence in a bid for power. However, as the king looks back at his long past and short future, he comes to the sad realization that none of his sons are truly fit to rule. James Goldman wrote the screenplay for this, the second screen adaptation of his award-winning play, which finally came to fruition 5 years after Goldman's death. Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn starred in the Oscar-winning 1968 version. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Glenn ClosePatrick Stewart, (more)
 
2000  
 
The 11th feature-length episode of the British detective series Midsomer Murders, "Blue Herrings" finds Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby (John Nettles) taking a "working vacation" so he can redecorate his digs. But first, Barnaby pays a visit to his Aunt Alice (Phyllis Calvert), who is convalescing from an operation at the Lawnside Nursing Home. Murder inevitably rears its ugly head when several of Alice's fellow patients die mysteriously after altering their wills. First telecast in the U.K. on January 22, 2000, "Blue Herrings" made its American cable-TV bow on September 23 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
John NettlesDaniel Casey, (more)
 
1992  
 
Lisa Harrow and Peter McEnery were among the powerhouse performers appearing in the two-part British miniseries Witchcraft. The story concerned the efforts by a detail-obsessed movie director to film the biography of an infamous 17th century Witchfinder. To this end, the director insisted upon shooting at the same locations where the Witchfinder had carried out his atrocities. The "fun" begins when the ghost of the film's "hero" suddenly pops up to wreak fatal havoc upon cast and crew alike. Witchcraft was originally broadcast in 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Gareth ArmstrongJudy Campbell, (more)
 
1992  
 
Until not so very long ago, European-ruled islands in the Caribbean had a very distinct class structure, with European-born whites at the top, followed by the local variety, mulattos of every kind in the middle, and fully ethnic people of color at the bottom. Despite that, in this film set in 1946, one of the more liberal British-born whites has allowed his twelve-year-old son Alan to become friends with two kids from the bottom of the social ladder. This gains the boy some brickbats from his schoolmates but otherwise seems not to be a problem. Jailin is a girl whom Alan is almost in love with. Kaiser is her older brother, and Alan's relationship with him is considerably edgier but still friendly. However, on the island around him, nonwhites are being given the vote for the first time, and interracial tensions are growing more dangerous. Outside events may dictate an early end to Alan's unusual friendships. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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Starring:
Patrick BerginSusan Wooldridge, (more)
 
1991  
R  
In this low-budget Italian actioner, the dogs of war do their thing in the steamy, dangerous jungles of Vietnam. Much of the loosely structured, episodic tale is about the black market activities that the US government knew were going on, but carefully chose to ignore. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Clive WoodBaird Stafford, (more)
 
1991  
 
Filmed in England, Crucifer of Blood is a made-for-cable movie based on the 1978 Sherlock Holmes play by Paul Giovanni. Charlton Heston portrays the Great Detective, aided by Richard Johnson as faithful Dr. Watson. The storyline, based on Conan Doyle's "Sign of Four", involves intrigues that set in motion in India during a native mutiny in the 1850s. A murder was committed over a valuable treasure, and the four British military officers responsible signed a pact of secrecy, with the additional proviso that they'd forever be "kind" to one another. Three decades later in 1887, the four men find their past catching up with them in a most fatal manner. Was the Indian treasure cursed? And will Holmes be able to stem the tide of blood and death? Crucifer of Blood is directed with verve and style by Frasier C. Heston, son of star Charlton. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1989  
 
This full-blooded TV adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island was written, produced and directed by Frasier Heston. His father, Charlton Heston plays Long John Silver. Eschewing the cuteness of Wallace Beery and the unadulterated ham of Robert Newton, Heston plays the character as written: a cold, crafty, cunning rogue, by turns charming and deadly, but never to be underestimated. The plot adheres with utter fidelity to the Stevenson novel, beginning with innkeeper's son Jim Hawkins (Christian Bale) finding himself in possession of a treasure map from the doomed Captain Billy Bones (Oliver Reed). In the company of Dr. Livesey (Julian Glover) and Squire Trelawny (Richard Johnson), Jim ships out on the Hispaniola, in search of gold doubloons and pieces of eight. Hand-picking the crew for this mission is the ship's one-legged cook Long John Silver, who fully intends to mutiny, kill the treasure hunters, and claim the gold for himself. Featured in the cast are Clive Woods as Captain Smollett, Christopher Lee as Blind Pew, and Nicholas Amer as addled hermit Ben Gunn. Treasure Island premiered January 22, 1990, over the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1988  
 
No Crying He Makes is a BBC-produced thriller starring George Baker. The scene is the British town of Kingomarkham; the time is Christmas Eve. Detectives Waxford and Burden are assigned to probe the case of an "infant switch" in a local hospital. The real mother may be in just as much danger as her missing baby. Based on a story by Ruth Rendell, No Crying He Makes was telecast in the US over the Arts & Entertainment cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1988  
R  
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On August 8, 1963, the Royal Mail train, on its nighttime run from London to Glasgow, was robbed by 15 men who got away with 2.6 million pounds (today the equivalent of $35 million). Buster tells the story of one of the junior robbers, Buster Edwards (played by pop singer Phil Collins), in a crime that came to be known as the Great Train Robbery. The film details the planning of the famous heist, but its main concern is Buster's relationship with his family and his devotion to his wife June (Julie Walters). The Edwards are like a British Kramden family, trying to make ends meet from day-to-day in their rental apartment, but instead of a bus driver, Buster is a two-bit thief who has the fine luck of hardly ever getting caught. After the Royal mail train robbery, the heat intensifies, since the Conservative Government, already smarting from the Profumo scandal, latches onto the train robbery as a means to deflect attention from the scandal by bringing the train robbers quickly to justice. Buster and June go into hiding and have a series of close calls before finally escaping to Mexico. Finally in paradise, the Edwards find their money quickly being eaten up and discover that they cannot adapt to the Mexico milieu. June, for her part, is homesick, and Buster, always ready to keep her happy, makes the grand gesture -- to return to England and turn himself in to the police. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Starring:
Phil CollinsJulie Walters, (more)
 
1985  
R  
This densely-packed film is based on a book by Tom Hart about the struggles of a young Yorkshire boy trying to come to grips with squabbling parents, a doctor who wants to institutionalize him because of his epilepsy, and a mother who refuses to accept that he is different in any way -- and that is only the half of it. The boy, Tim (Andrew Hawley), also acts as a go-between for his friend Carns (Liam Neeson) who is having an affair with a married woman (Miranda Richardson). Eventually, things start to sort themselves out, and Tim sees life getting more interesting when he and his friend Win (Kate Foster) slowly get a relationship going. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Tom BellLiam Neeson, (more)