Brian Croucher Movies

For I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, director Mike Hodges re-teams with Trevor Preston, the respected British television writer with whom he made a series of documentaries for ITV back in the 1960s. The film also brings the director together again with actor Clive Owen, the star of his previous film, Croupier, which signaled Hodges' resurgence. Owen plays Will Graham, a former London gangster who moved out to the country after suffering a breakdown of some sort. Will works clearing forests, and lives out of his van, until he loses his job over a lack of proper documentation. Meanwhile, Will's younger brother, Davey, is enjoying his life as a womanizing man about town, and dabbling in drug dealing, until one night, when an older man, Boad (Malcolm McDowell), has him followed and brutally assaults him. The traumatized Davey returns home and takes his own life. Will, uncertain as to where to go, finds himself drawn back to London, where he learns of Davey's death from Mrs. Barz (Sylvia Syms), his landlady. Will investigates what happened that night with his old friend, Mickser (Jamie Foreman). As Will tries to piece together what happened, he goes to visit Helen (Charlotte Rampling), his former lover, who is less than thrilled to see him after he abandoned her years earlier and eventually cut off all contact. The current neighborhood crime boss, Turner (Ken Stott), knows what Will is capable of, and sees him as a threat. Eventually, Will uncovers the truth, and is faced with the unpleasant prospect of avenging Davey's death. Screenwriter Preston took the title for the film from a sardonic song by the late Warren Zevon. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

The many small dramas that go on simultaneously on a small Gaelic-speaking island off the coast of Scotland are the subject of this affectionate drama. Callum (Iain F. Macleod) can't decide whether to study hard and wind up going to a big university or to slack off some and stick around so he can be with his first girlfriend, Kirsty. Meanwhile, retired schoolmaster McAllister (Ken Hutchison) is secretly in love with a young nurse (Wilma Kennedy) who is about to get married to a young man nearer her own age. McAllister amuses himself by keenly observing all the goings-on around his village, and is fascinated by a resident whose origins are unknown to anyone, who does not reveal anything about himself. English subtitles are provided when the dialog is in Gaelic. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This is a standard sci-fi horror-thriller that mixes romance together with lumpy underground mutants and a pivotal mad scientist doing dirty deals with a gangland boss. The boss's former fair maiden ("maiden" only in the vaguest of definitions), happens to have been kidnapped from a brothel and is held hostage by the underground lumpies. It seems the unbalanced Dr. Savary (the late Denholm Elliott) has concocted a potion that will make dreams come true -- and leave ugly physical distortions in the process. When a former hitman is hired to save the kidnappee before the boss goon blasts away the mutant-dreamers, the end results are not what the drug lord expects. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A minor installment in the BBC's otherwise superb Hammer House of Horror television series, this installment details the woes suffered by a suburban family whose house displays the usual earmarks of rampant poltergeistism -- ranging from body parts in the fridge to literal geysers of blood bursting from overhead plumbing during the daughter's birthday party. The setpieces are obviously derivative of The Amityville Horror, with the only original twists arriving at the ending -- which turns out to be quite a groaner. Released in the U.S. first to cable TV, then to the "Thrillervideo" label, with bumper segments hosted by buxom horror vixen Elvira, who peppers the proceedings with her usual banter -- to wit: "When a house starts bleeding, it's darn near impossible to get a tourniquet on that sucker." ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Blake (Gareth Thomas) wants to get his hands on the stolen weapon Imipak, which is capable of dispensing destruction over great distances. Likewise anxious to gain control of Imipak, Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce) creates a clone of Blake as a means to her ends. Unfortunately for all concerned, the clone has his (or its) own agenda. Brian Croucher takes over from Stephen Greif in the role of Blake's perennial adversary, Travis. "Weapon" originally aired on January 23, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to cover up her own misdeeds, Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce) betrays her confederate, Travis (Brian Croucher), putting him on trial for his life. Meanwhile, Blake (Gareth Thomas), consumed with guilt over the death of the Gans, has exiled himself on a supposedly dead planet. The climax finds Avon (Paul Darrow) mounting a rescue attempt that will profoundly affect both Blake and Travis. "Trial" was first broadcast on February 13, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Under the power of an unknown telepathic force, Blake (Gareth Thomas) pilots the Liberator to a tiny asteroid. Here he is approached by guerilla fighter LeGrand (Frieda Knorr), who wants Blake to spearhead a peaceful overthrow of the Federation. Unfortunately, LeGrand's "trusted" aide, Shivan, turns out to be none other than Blake's old adversary, Travis (Brian Croucher), who, as usual, has an agenda all his own. "Voice From the Past" originally aired on March 13, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Blake (Gareth Thomas) learns that the location of Star One, currently the nerve center of the Federation, is known to Gola (Bruce Purchase), the leader of the barbarian Goths. In order to get this vital information, Blake's cohort, Jenna, has to agree to marry the fearsome-looking Gola. As it happens, however, the outcome of the story rests with Gola's exiled father, who is on the brink of death. "The Keeper" was originally telecast on March 27, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tom Bell starred in this six-part British miniseries as Frank Ross, a nasty career criminal freshly released from prison. Hardly the better for his experience, Ross was consumed with the desire to get even with the person responsible for his incarceration. The "hero" was surrounded by such equally odious characters as his unhinged wife Anne (Lynn Farleigh) and his lowlife buddies Chris (Brian Croucher) and Ralph (John Junkin). Out was broadcast by Thames Television from July 24 to August 28, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The TARDIS materializes within the workings of the Sandminer, huge mining-refining machine on a faraway planet. Barely escaping the ravages of a violent sandstorm, the Doctor (Tom Baker) and his new companion Leela (Louise Jameson) soon learn that their troubles are just beginning. "The Robots of Death, Episode 1" of the four-part series first aired on January 29, 1977. This Doctor Who adventure was written by Chris Boucher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The villain was the hero of this 16-episode British drama series. Stephen Yardley starred as William "Spider" Scott, a wily cat burglar known to the coppers as the "XYY Man." Dogging Spider's trail every inch of the way was stalwart Detective Sergeant George Bulman (Don Henderson), who scored such a hit with viewers that he was spun off into his own series, Strangers and Bulman. The XYY Man originally aired in the U.K. from 1976 to 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Roger Corman's New World Pictures took a stab at the tale of the nefarious real-life graverobbers -- and filled it with the studio's usual quota of nudity, softcore sex and tacky humor. The result is pretty much as one would expect -- nothing to rival the excellent Flesh and the Fiends, or even Tod Slaughter's campy The Greed of William Hart. Harry Andrews plays the unscrupulous Dr. Knox, who enlists the aid of grave-plundering dirtbags Derren Nesbitt and Glynn Edwards in obtaining fresh cadavers for the medical academy. When the demand increases and local cemeteries begin to run dry, the industrious pair turn to the living to keep the doctor supplied. This time out, Burke and Hare are particularly randy fellows, who spend more time carousing in Edinburgh whorehouses than stalking their prey. Despite the macabre subject matter, the producers opted for sexploitation over gruesome horror, but the end result is decidedly dull. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide