Michael Cox Movies
- 1991
- R
Filmed in color, Caught Looking offers a "virtual reality" overview of the gay experience from the Victorian era to the present. ~ All Movie Guide
John Madden's sweeping drama After the War tells the tale of a quarter-century relationship between two men who share a similar wartime experience and a similar religious background. Michael Jordan grew up in a well-heeled British family, while Joe Hirsch spent much of his childhood on the run from the Nazis. The two become friends when they are both enrolled at the same school in 1942. They survive anti-Semitic taunts together. Joe grows into a powerful media figure, while Michael becomes a respected man of the arts. The film charts a quarter-century of their history together, detailing a relationship that is equally affectionate and hostile. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susannah York, Denis Quilley, (more)
- 1988
There is certainly nothing wrong with this remake of the Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing mystery of 1939. The question, however, is why one would want to substitute others when the original was so superlative. Jeremy Brett, however, does a fine job as Sherlock Holms as he investigates strange happenings at the Baskerville Hall--all of which seem to prove that the family is being haunted by the ghost of a dog. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett
- 1976
The title told the whole story in this British anthology series. Seven famous 19th century British scandals were dramatized in brisk, 60-minute playlets, highlighting both the tawdry details and the human element. The very eclectic casts ranged from eminent Shakespearean Nigel Havers to former "mod" model Twiggy. Victorian Scandals was originally presented in 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nigel Havers, Twiggy, (more)
- 1973
The British drama series Sam covered nearly a two-decade time span, from the early '30s to the late '40s. After the death of his father, young Sam Wilson (played as a child by Kevin Moreton) and his mother moved in with their grandparents in a grimy Yorkshire mining town. The series followed Sam into adulthood, with future Taggart star Mark McManus taking over from Kevin Moreton during the second season. Presented by Granada Television, Sam was broadcast from 1973 to 1975, yielding 39 hour-long episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Legendary bargain-basement filmmaker Andy Milligan tries yet again (and fails yet again) to pull off a period horror piece, this time applying his trademark touch to the legend of Sweeney Todd. Viewers are thus presented with Victorian England, Milligan style -- replete with thrift shop costumes and New Yorkers trying to pull off British accents. As in the oft-told tale, the infamous Demon Barber of Fleet Street slashes his customers into cutlets, providing a local baker with yummy filling for his popular meat pies. When their scheme is undone by the lady friend of a recent victim, they eventually turn on each other. This could be construed as part of a trilogy, being the last of three films Milligan shot back-to-back using the same late 19th-century English setting (i.e. re-using the same costumes): it follows The Body Beneath and The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! Mostly a showcase for gory special-effects, Bloodthirsty Butchers fails precisely because the effects are anything but special. Those who get a campy kick out of Milligan's awful films (The Ghastly Ones, The Body Beneath) might enjoy this one for the unintentional hilarity of bouncing hands, Styrofoam breasts, and an excessive amount of phony stage-blood, but others are advised to stay away. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
