Graham McTavish Movies
The assassination of Julius Caesar has plunged Rome into chaos, and the only hope for the once-thriving empire lies in the ability of his 18-year-old nephew Octavius to defeat the manipulative Marc Anthony in this epic miniseries starring Santiago Cabrera and directed by John Gray, Kim Manners, and Greg Yaitanes. On the eve of Caesar's demise, Rome is thrown into anarchy and Octavius is thrust into exile with his guardian Tyrannus lest he meet a similar fate as his uncle at the hands of those who wish to see Caesar's bloodline severed once and for all. In the years that follow, Octavius is trained by his faithful mentor for the day he will return to Rome and seek revenge against the man who orchestrated his uncle's downfall. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An unusually principled young Viking becomes increasing uncomfortable with all the killing and plundering that goes with the job, and sets out on a magical journey in order to bring about world peace. Former Monty Python member Terry Jones attempts to have his story of Erik's seemingly hopeless quest operate as both witty, lunatic satire and sincere children's fantasy. However, despite a good cast and some interesting design elements, the film fails to completely succeed at either of its goals. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Robbins, Gary Cady, (more)
With a cruel, keen edge, this taut social drama slices deeply into Thatcher's England to expose a grim underbelly of racism, cynicism and despair. Reuben James is a black paratrooper who has spent the last nine years serving in the British army and who finally gets discharged to return to his home in South London. There he discovers that the residents have been ravaged by the poverty of the decade and many have turned to crime to survive, while others do their best in the midst of crushing hopelessness to find order and meaning. He too fights the same battles as he struggles to find work. He is disillusioned to discover that to racist employers, his sterling service record is almost worthless. The poor veteran suffers a final blow when he learns that because he was born on the common-wealth island of St. Lucia, and because the laws have suddenly changed, he is no longer considered a British citizen. Now he must quickly make a decision about the rest of his life. Meanwhile, back in the neighborhood, tempers fray, frustration mounts and violence ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Amanda Redman, (more)
Two twins with very diverse lifestyles and hopelessly disparate problems find their lives set for a head on collision due to a simple case of mistaken identity in this action comedy that proves sometimes sibling similarities only run skin deep. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Stinshoff, Hendrik Duryn, (more)
Former Monty Python members Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Michael Palin were reunited by director Jones for this live-action adaptation of the 1908 children's fantasy classic by Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932). The actors have only slight physical changes to suggest animal characteristics, plus tails protruding from their Edwardian-style costumes. In pre-WW I England, fascist Weasels prowl the countryside, forcing modest Mole (Steve Coogan) from his underground home after the Weasels acquire the meadow from wealthy, waddling Mr. Toad (Jones). Toad's inheritance is leaking away because of his fascination with the recently invented motorcar. After Mole takes shelter with refined Rat (Idle), the two set out for Toad's cavernous mansion. Toad crashes into another vehicle, but unfortunately, his attorney (Cleese) has nothing nice to say in Toad's defense. Toad's behavior in court prompts the judge (Stephen Fry) to give him a century-long jail sentence. Rat and Mole plan to spring Toad with the help of the hibernating Badger (Nicol Williamson), but Toad simultaneously puts his own escape plan into motion. Back at Toad Hall, the Weasels construct a dog-food factory and intend to destroy the main house by blowing it up-so the threatened animals make plans to retake Toad Hall.
Crew members who worked on past Python films include James Acheson (production/costume design) and John Du Prez (original music and songs). Lawrence Van Gelder (New York Times) reviewed, "The Wind in the Willows, brimming with verbal and visual wit and imagination, driven by high adventure, reveling in English eccentricity, enlivened by bursts of song, unafraid of ideas and filled with color and splendid performances, exposes most other movies intended to attract children as out-and-out pap." This film should not be confused with the 1996 animated adaptation which also has Michael Palin in the cast. Filmed at Burnham Beeches (in Buckinghamshire, England). Other earlier versions: the second half of Disney's animated The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949); live-action by the Minneapolis Children's Theatre (1983); stop-motion animation for British TV (1983); 1982 stop-motion animation by John Semper (Spider-Man); and Rankin-Bass animation for U.S. TV (1987). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Crew members who worked on past Python films include James Acheson (production/costume design) and John Du Prez (original music and songs). Lawrence Van Gelder (New York Times) reviewed, "The Wind in the Willows, brimming with verbal and visual wit and imagination, driven by high adventure, reveling in English eccentricity, enlivened by bursts of song, unafraid of ideas and filled with color and splendid performances, exposes most other movies intended to attract children as out-and-out pap." This film should not be confused with the 1996 animated adaptation which also has Michael Palin in the cast. Filmed at Burnham Beeches (in Buckinghamshire, England). Other earlier versions: the second half of Disney's animated The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949); live-action by the Minneapolis Children's Theatre (1983); stop-motion animation for British TV (1983); 1982 stop-motion animation by John Semper (Spider-Man); and Rankin-Bass animation for U.S. TV (1987). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, (more)
When a group of missionary aid workers in Myanmar disappear into the vast green inferno, vigilante Vietnam War veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) leaves his job as a Salween River boatman behind to accompany a group of mercenaries on a daring rescue mission. It's been 20 years since Rambo helped mujahedeen rebels fend off Soviet invaders in Afghanistan, and these days the former soldier lives a simple life in northern Thailand. Meanwhile, the world's longest-running civil war rages into its 60th year on the nearby Thai-Burma border. One day, human rights missionaries Sarah Miller (Julie Benz) and Michael Burnett (Paul Schulze) show up asking Rambo to guide them up the Salween so they can get some much-needed food and medical supplies to the desperate Karen tribe. According to Sarah and Michael, the Burmese military has planted land mines all along the roads leading into the tribe's village, making it virtually impossible to reach the tribe via land. Two weeks after Rambo drops the group off in dangerous territory, pastor Arthur Marsh (Ken Howard) arrives with a chilling message: the aid workers never returned from their mission into the jungle, and the embassies refuse to help Marsh and his fellow missionaries find their missing friends. Now, despite the fact that Rambo has long since sworn off all forms of violence, the knowledge that innocent missionaries are being used as pawns in a brutal war leaves him with no other choice than to venture behind enemy lines on his most dangerous mission to date. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, (more)
- 2002
Follow along with documentary filmmakers as they explore the mystery of England's sophisticated crop-circles in a film produced to explore the possibility that these mysterious creations may carry important messages for all of mankind. Eyewitness accounts, expert commentary, rare photographs, and archival footage combine to offer a comprehensive history of the crop circle while links to such other mysterious monuments such as Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids offer startling evidence that their may be more to this strange phenomenon than many would suspect. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
A sophisticated London professional discovers that you can't pick your family when the uncouth sister she never knew interrupts her life in an attempt to locate their long-lost father, whom the former had always assumed to be dead. Catherine St. John-Burke (Isabelle Defaut) lives alone in London's Chelsea district. She's obsessed with status, but her recent affair with a married man reveals that she's still not entirely comfortable with her own lot in life. Then there's Shirley Zachary (Emily Corcoran), an uneducated Kiwi woman who never gives a second thought to issues of status and style. When Catherine returns home one day to find Shirley drinking beer in her living room, her first instinct is to scream for help. According to Shirley, the two polar opposites are half-sisters, and their father is still very much alive. Not only that, but in the wake of their mothers' recent deaths, he's currently attempting to make claims on both of their properties. Unconvinced, Catherine takes Shirley to get a DNA test and discovers that her half-sister is telling the truth. But how can Catherine and Shirley ever hope to find their father Jack (Nicholas Bell) when the elusive scammer is hiding out from the mob? Setting out on the trail of a mysterious figure named "Sir Crawford," the girls begin to suspect that they're on the right track and do everything in their power to get rightful ownership of their inheritance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Defaut, Emily Corcoran, (more)
- 2010
Director Robin Hardy revisits his 1974 cult classic The Wicker Man with this related horror film concerning a cowboy (Henry Garrett) and a gospel singer (Brittania Nicol) who stop in Ireland on a missionary excursion only to come in contact with an aristocrat (Graham McTavish) whose nefarious plans don't include being reformed by their Christian ways. Christopher Lee returns for a small role in this semi-sequel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brittania Nicol, Henry Garrett, (more)
