Fabia Drake Movies

The third adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' classic novel Les Liasons Dangereuses, Milos Forman's Valmont was released one year after Stephen Frears' more famous version of the de Laclos original, Dangerous Liaisons. The plot remains the same: two debauched, depraved 18th century French aristocrats, the Vicomte de Valmont (Colin Firth) and the Marquise de Merteuil (Annette Bening), conspire to destroy several innocent lives, just for the fun of it. But whereas Stephen Frears concentrated on the machinations of the marquise, Forman, per his film's title, devotes most of his screen space to Valmont (played in the Frears version by John Malkovich). In fact, Forman's film concludes with Valmont's conscience-stricken renunciation of his past sins, and his duel to the death, rather than de Meurteil's well-deserved comeuppance. Forman has chosen to set the story back some 50 years, de-emphasizing the opulence that was vital to Frears' vision; he has also utilized a younger cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by E.M. Forster, A Room with a View is a shining example of Merchant-Ivory's ability to achieve maximum quality and opulence at minimum cost. Set during the Edwardian Era, the film stars Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy Honeychurch, who like all proper young British ladies is compelled to tour Europe in the company of an older chaperone -- in this instance, her spinster cousin Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith). While in Italy, the ladies make the acquaintance of a wide variety of personalities; the most fascinating of their fellow tourists -- at least in Lucy's eyes -- is free-spirited George Emerson (Julian Sands). Aware that her cousin is becoming too familiar with Emerson, Charlotte demands that Lucy return to England posthaste. Lucy complacently settles for the tiresomely traditional courtship of nerdish Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis) -- and then Mr. Emerson moves into the neighborhood. Lucy now finds herself on the horns of a dilemma: Should she opt for a safe, proper marriage to Cecil, or the bohemian unpredictability of the charismatic Emerson? A winner of three Academy Awards, A Room with a View is not what one could call fast-moving, but fans of the Merchant-Ivory team will enjoy luxuriating in the film's leisurely pace and stimulating cast of characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Best known for his 1978 film The Deer Hunter or perhaps the less-successful Heaven's Gate, director Michael Cimino turned to this fast-paced actioner set in an authentic (back lot) Chinatown. This thriller stars a rogue Polish-American cop (Mickey Rourke) out to not only keep Chinatown safe for the local consumers, but to dismantle its deep-rooted crime and drug cartels as well. No one backs the crusading cop in the latter objective, and as he faces a suave and wily crime boss (John Lone of The Last Emperor) and a libidinous newscaster (Ariane), he may be taking on more than he can handle. At least his wife thinks so, and the guys at City Hall think so -- but mayhem and murder will strew the streets with corpses before the smoke clears and the dust settles, and a vague, unresolved future sets in. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this interesting horror movie, a pleasure-seeking noblewoman uses contemporary black magic to toy with the young lovers who surround her. The story is also known as The Devil's Widow and The Ballad of Tam-Lin. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Having been kidnapped and drugged after resigning his position, a British intelligence agent (Patrick McGoohan) awakens in the Village (a mysterious, Orwellian community). Now known as Number Six, he is expected to provide information to the enigmatic Number Two (Guy Doleman) if he ever hopes to escape the Village and return home. Things take an even more perplexing turn when Cobb (Paul Eddington), an old friend of Number Six, suddenly shows up...and just as suddenly kills himself. In one of her last appearances, (Virginia Maskell) guest-stars as "the Woman." "The Arrival" was co-written by series producer David Tomblin and George Markstein. This inaugural episode of The Prisoner first aired in England on October 1, 1967, and in America on June 1, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The BBC comedy series World of Wooster was based on P.G. Wodehouse's whimsical short stories about upper-class twit Bertie Wooster (Ian Carmichael) and his ever-resourceful (and infinitely more intelligent) butler Jeeves (Dennis Price). Most of the stories dealt with Bertie's desultory romances, with Jeeves forever coming to the rescue of his master when things threatened to go beyond the point of no return. Debuting May 30, 1965, the series ran for three seasons; by the time of its final telecast on November 16, 1967, the title had been changed to The World of Wodehouse so that those P.G. Wodehouse stories not featuring Jeeves and Wooster could be utilized. Alas, of the series' 20 videotaped episodes, only two are currently known to exist in the BBC vaults. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a writer tries to scare up some quick cash by writing a book about the Loch Ness monster. Unfortunately, none of the publishers will buy it. The writer and his bohemian friends then create a mock monster, photograph it, and head for Scotland to convince the locals of the picture's veracity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The celebrated stage farce 3DThe Middle Watch3D was the basis of the maritime comedy 3DGirls at Sea3D. While briefly in port, the British battleship 3DScotia3D, hosts a wild party, brimming over with wine, women and more women. Three of the female revellers-Mary (Ann Kimball), Jill (Mary Steele) and Antoinette (Nadine Tallier) are inadvertently left on board when the 3DScotia3D sets sail. It's up to the ship's by-the-book captain (Guy Rolfe) to keep the ladies safe-and out of sight-as the 3DScotia3D engages in maneuvers off the coast of Italy. Michael Hordern has some dryly amusing moments as the hapless Admiral, who suspects that something's amiss-but never suspects that it's 3Dthree3D misses. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After years of faithful supporting service, British comic actor Ronald Shiner was finally rewarded with a few leading roles in the 1950s. In Not Wanted on Voyage, Shiner plays cockney ship's steward Higgins, who tends to the needs of the various passengers on a Tangiers-bound luxury liner. When a valuable necklace is stolen from one of the vacationing dowagers, Higgins and his buddy Hollebone (Brian Rix) decide to play detective, hoping for a huge reward upon recovering the missing item. Along the way, Higgins and Hollebone find it necessary to disguise themselves as Arabs, leading to a wacky slapstick chase. Even those filmgoers who'd seen and heard the wheezy gags in Not Wanted on Voyage in earlier films were amused by the breezy ridiculousness of the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jill Day plays Mary in this frolicksome British comedy. While on vacation in Switzerland, Mary finds herself the object of several tourists' affection. Two of the men, Nigel Patrick and David Tomlinson, are British. The third, Leo McKern, is a wealthy, boorish Greek. Throughout the film, the actors remain vastly superior to their material. All for Mary was adapted from a play by Harold Beck and Kay Bannerman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy of misunderstanding, a husband misses the train his wife is aboard and ends up staying at the very same hotel where his lovely ex-fiancee is holed up. She too has since married, and things get quite hectic when both of their jealous respective spouses suddenly show up. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

No relation to the 1924 D. W. Griffith film of the same name, Isn't Life Wonderful! is a bucolic British comedy which goes for quiet chuckles rather than bellylaughs. Set in a sleepy rural village in the early 1900s, the film centers around the efforts to transform sorry old sot Uncle Willie (Donald Wolfit) into a gentleman of prestige and property. It is all for the benefit of young Virginia (Dianne Foster), the American fiancee of Willie's prim-and-proper nephew Frank (Robert Urquardt). Set up by friends and relatives in the bicycle business, Uncle Willie continues his wastrelly ways, but somehow manages to make a success of his little shop. Somehow all this leads to a hectic finale at a health spa, replete with an amusing car chase. As a novelty, Isn't Life Wonderful! is told from the point of view of the film's youngest character, played by 6-year-old Peter Asher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

White Corridors was based on Yeoman Hospital, a novel by Helen Ashton. Told episodically, the story concentrates on the day-to-day activities in a busy hospital, where research pathologist Neil Marriner (James Donald) conducts experiments in the hopes of curing diseases impervious to penicillin. Marriner is aided in this endeavor by lady surgeon Dr. Sophie Dean (Googie Withers), who happens to be in love with him. After a tragedy occurs for which Marriner holds himself responsible, the film builds steadily to an exciting climax involving a untested -- and potentially dangerous -- serum. The top-rank British supporting cast includes Barry Jones, Moira Lister, Petula Clark, Basil Radford, Dagmar (later Dana) Wynter, Bernard Lee, and, in a minor role, future "Dr. Who" Patrick Troughton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide