Michael Culver Movies

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

The unidentified body of a woman is discovered in a field near Shrewbury Abbey. The locals suspect that the dead woman was the wife of town potter Ruald (Gregor Tutter), who claims not to have seen his wife since she went on a pilgrimage the year before. Suspected of murder, Ruald puts his fate in the hands of amateur sleuth Brother Cadfael ( Derek Jacobi), who tries to make sense of such seemingly unrelated clues as a vial of hemlock and a missing ring. As the evidence mounts, Cadfael begins to suspect that the killer is lurking somewhere within the abbey itself. Adapted by Christopher Russell from the novel by Ellis Peters, "The Potter's Field" was first broadcast in England on December 28, 1998; it was shown in America the following year as part of the PBS Mystery anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After Brother Eluric, a young monk, begins courting a beautiful young widow in Shrewsbury town he is found brutally murdered. Cadfael's (Derek Jacobi) ensuing investigation lead from Eluric's death to another murder, which exposes the greed and hypocrisy at work amongst the town's residents. The widow, meanwhile, has no interest in any of her numerous suitors, but ends up finding love with a very unlikely candidate for her affections. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Brother Cadfael and his fellow 12th Century holy men at Shrewsbury Abbey return in this mystery based on the novel by Ellis Peters. The festivities of the annual Shrewsbury Fair are spoiled when a travelling merchant is murdered; his harsh personality earned him few friends among the local salespeople, but Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) believes something more serious than an argument gone too far is involved -- especially after another merchant is killed. A young woman's life is put in danger by the crimes, and she's brought to the Abbey for her own safety; however, she's kidnapped shortly after the key suspect dies while trying to escape questioning. As Cadfael and his brothers attempt to find the girl, the former soldier finds himself challenged to a battle with swords by the man responsible for the killings. Brother Cadfael: St. Peter's Fair was produced for British television and first aired in America on the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In acquiescence to the wish of the Prior of Shrewsbury Abbey to have the bones of St. Winifred on display, a group of monks trek to Wales to dig up her remains. The monks are met with great hostility that escalates when a man opposed to their excavation is found dead. The monks are held under suspicion, and things are further complicated by a young monk's insistence that he is seeing visions of St. Winifred. Although Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) exposes the monk's vision as fraudulent, he withholds the truth behind the monk's lies. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Twelfth century warrior-turned-monk Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) tackles another murder mystery in the 90-minute drama "The Sanctuary Sparrow." A prominent goldsmith is robbed and murdered during his son's wedding. Accused of the crime, traveling juggler Walter (Roy Barraclough) takes refuge in Shrewbury Abbey. Believing in the juggler's innocence, Cadfael uses his scientific know-how to scrutinize the clues at hand -- and comes to the unpleasant conclusion that the actual murderer is someone he knows all too well. Adapted by Russell Lewis from the novel by Ellis Peters, "The Sanctuary Sparrow" aired in England on June 5, 1994, then ran in the U.S. as part of the PBS anthology Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted for television by Russell Lewis from the novel by Ellis Peters, "Monk's Hood" was the fourth in a series of 90-minute Cadfael mysteries. In 12th century Shrewsbury, a young man is murdered, apparently so that the killer can get his or her hands on the victim's inheritance. Investigating the case, warrior-turned-monk Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) is enmeshed in the bureaucracy of conflicting Welsh and Norman Laws. Complicating matters is the fact that the dead man was killed by one of Cadfael's own poisonous concoctions -- and, even more intriguing, the victim's widow Aldith (Sophie Lawrence) was Cadfael's childhood sweetheart. First broadcast in England on June 19, 1994, "Monk's Hood" appeared in America a few months later as part of the PBS anthology Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The satirical Kingsley Amis novel The Green Man served as the basis for this three-part BBC2 miniseries. Albert Finney headed the cast as Maurice Allington, the libidinous, money-grubbing owner of a quaint British bed-and-breakfast hotel. In hopes of attracting customers, and also desirous of bedding every eligible woman in the region, Allington began spreading rumors that his hotel "the Green Man" was haunted by the ghost of a notorious 17th century occult scientist. The hero was hoist on his own petard when it turned out that the ghost actually did "reside" on the premises -- and with several companion ghosts in the bargain. The Green Man was originally broadcast from October 28 to November 11, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: The Moving Finger was first aired in 1985. Maud Calthorp (Dilys Hamlett) calls in Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) to investigate a hate-mail case in the small village of Lymston. The problem is kept relatively quiet until lawyer Edward Symmington (Michael Culver) discovers his wife dead after receiving one of the letters. The coroner says suicide, but Miss Marple is convinced otherwise. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Anthony Bate, Derek Jacobi, and Michael Culver star in director Gordon Flemyng's docudrama detailing the Russian spy scandal that rocked Great Britain at the absolute height of the Cold War. In the three decades after college buddies Kim Philby (Bate), Guy Burgess (Jacobi), and Donald MacLean (Culver) were recruited to work as Russian spies, each of the men maintained high-level government security posts. Later, after passing along valuable U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, the three double agents were exposed, ultimately defecting to the Soviet Union in order to escape prosecution. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When she's hired to nurse the daughter of an American ambassador, a woman begins influencing the girl's actions, as well as those of her two sisters. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Like the earlier BBC anthology The Villains, the similarly titled Villains dramatized the lives of criminals both famous and obscure. Unlike the earlier series, which focused on England's North Country, the later program detailed stories about crooks and scoundrels from all parts of the British Isles, and from all walks of life. Bob Hoskins and Alun Armstrong were among the many major actors who appeared in the series' 13 hour-long episodes. Villains aired in Great Britain beginning July 22, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This is one of the programs, which are available separately, of the TV series based on the popular children's story of a beautiful black horse who is much abused by society in general. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide