Eric Donkin Movies

The Gilbert and Sullivan musical is performed by members of the Stratford Festival. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Gilbert and Sullivan's satiric operetta is translated into modern times in this video, which records a performance of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's 1984 production of the show. Iolanthe is a fairy who dared to marry a mortal man; banished from the dominion of the magical creatures, Iolanthe was forced to leave her husband and raised her son, Strephon, on her own. Years later, Strephon has fallen in love with Phyllis, whose guardian is the Lord Chancellor of the Court of Chancery. Phyllis is also enamoured of Strephon, but since he earns his living as a lowly sheep herder, the Lord Chancellor opposes their marriage. Wanting her son to be happy, Iolanthe conspires with her fairy friends to overcome the Lord Chancellor's opposition, but this leads to even further complications. Noted classical vocalist Maureen Forrester stars as the Queen of the Fairies. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Agency tackles the question of the efficiency of media manipulation. An unscrupulous advertising agency, in league with equally untrustworthy political campaign manager Robert Mitchum, plants subliminal messages in its TV commercials. Just as Vance Packard warned in the 1950s expose The Hidden Persuaders, these hidden messages persuade the viewers to vote for Mitchum's candidate. Given the potency of the the film's premise, it's disappointing to watch director George Gaczender handle the material (based on a novel by Paul Gottleib) is so cut-and-dried a fashion. But Mitchum is good, as are his costars Valerie Perrine, Lee Majors, Saul Rubinek and Alexandra Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi