Don McCorkindale Movies
A mechanic in the British drug trade finds himself caught in the middle of some dangerous circumstances in this crime thriller. XXXX (Daniel Craig) is a nameless go-between in the British mob who buys drugs from underground wholesalers and them sells them to street dealers, keeping the system flowing and making a tidy profit in the process. XXXX is looking forward to getting out of the game, and has displayed both smarts and caution in how he's handled his business, but before his overseer Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) will let him go, he has a couple of favors that need to be done. First, Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon) is a mob boss whose daughter has gotten hooked on hard drugs and run away from home; Jimmy needs XXXX to find them girl and bring her to him before Eddie's men can get hold of her. Second, Dragan (Dragan Micanovic) is a Ecstasy wholesaler who has had a large shipment stolen by Duke (Jamie Foreman); Jimmy wants XXXX to get the Ecstasy back to Dragan, but Duke isn't eager to sell and Dragan is becoming impatient. Between these two matters, XXXX isn't so sure he'll get out of the business alive, especially after he finds himself falling for Duke's nephew's girlfriend, Tammy (Sienna Miller). Layer Cake marked the directorial debut for Matthew Vaughn, best known as a producer for Guy Ritchie's lad-centric crime movies. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, (more)
A portrait of a cold-blooded young gangster living and loathing in 1960s London, this drama features Malcolm McDowell in a major role in his first British picture in years. McDowell opens the film as the present day Gangster 55, who learns that an old associate, gangster Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), has just been released from prison after serving a 30-year sentence. The story then flashes back to 1968, when the young Gangster 55 (Paul Bettany) makes Mays' acquaintance and subsequently wins his trust by dealing with his enemies from a rival gang. The relationship between the two men is threatened when Mays falls for Karen (Saffron Burrows), a no-nonsense dancer. When 55 learns that Lennie (Jamie Foreman), a rival gang leader, plans to ambush Mays and Karen one night, he pits the two gangs against one another so that he can emerge as Gangster No. 1. The film was directed by Paul McGuigan, who previously examined the crusty underbelly of British society with his screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh's The Acid House (1998). ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, (more)
- 1993
This drama is adapted from Dicken's unfinished novel and centers upon a choirmaster who is insanely jealous of his fiancee. This jealousy causes him many problems down the road. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Powell, Jonathan Phillips, (more)
- 1985
"The Blue Carbuncle" is an episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It's an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories, produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke) as the two help find the thieves of a famous blue gemstone stolen from the Countess of Morcar (Rosalind Knight). This series re-creates the adventures of Conan Doyle's Victorian detective with impeccable faithfulness to the original story first published in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century. 13 of the Holmes short stories were adapted in this series, which was followed by two sequels, The Return of Sherlock Holmes and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes as well as several TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1975
- R
Peter Fonda stars as a diamond mine security officer who fakes a robbery in order to gain the respect of the group of mercenaries he needs to help him pull off the biggest heist in history. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas, Peter Fonda, (more)
- 1963
The seventh film in the long-running "Carry On" series (24 more were to follow), this chapter features Sidney James as Charlie, owner of the Speedee Cab Company. Business has been good for Charlie, so good that it's been a source of great aggravation for his wife Peggy (Hattie Jacques), who complains that he never spends any time with her anymore. When Charlie misses taking his wife out on their anniversary because he's busy with work, Peggy decides that she's had enough, and she fights fire with fire by starting her own taxi service, Glamcabs. Unlike the other cab companies in town, Glamcabs' fleet of drivers are exclusively beautiful women in skimpy uniforms, which not surprisingly makes them the taxi of choice for men in town. Glamcabs takes a big bite out of Speedee's business, which leads to an all-out war between Charlie and Peggy. The "Carry On" gang followed this with Carry On Spying; two more "Carry On" titles hit theaters before the end of 1964. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sidney James, Hattie Jacques, (more)
- 1959
A cynical wounded war hero becomes the athletic director at a boys' camp. The lively children brighten his days and make him more optimistic about life. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
- 1955
The British-filmed The Blue Peter was released in the US under the title Navy Heroes. This was an oblique reference to the protagonist, a wartime hero played by Kieron Moore. Disoriented and aimless after the war, Moore accepts a job as a physical trainer at a school for boys. In helping these kids find their proper niche in society, Moore helps himself to find his own ultimate purpose in life. Filmed in color, The Blue Peter scores best in its exterior scenes, wherein we see the salutary results of Moore's tough but compassionate training methods. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1938
This musical features many popular ballads from the 1880s as it tells the tale of a cabaret singer and her boozy husband who travel to the South African gold fields to seek their fortune. They choose an empty mine, and while her husband hopefully works in the mine, the woman gets a singing job in a local saloon. Time passes, and eventually she and the handsome proprietor begin falling in love. By the story's end though, the woman returns to her neer-do-well but sweet husband. Together they begin looking for the elusive mother lode. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gracie Fields, Victor McLaglen, (more)
- 1936
The British Excuse My Glove proves that Hollywood had no monopoly on trying to turn athletes into actors. Top British boxer Len Harvey stars as a peace-loving collector of fine glass. He is goaded into fisticuffs at a funfair, where the mercenary carnival manager sizes up Harvey as a potential goldmine. The reluctant pugilist rises to fame, despite the efforts of a rival entrepreneur. While Excuse My Glove may seem like so much plum pudding to American moviegoers, the film is a treat for English boxing fans, with many British boxing greats of the 1930s (including the modestly named Bombardier Billy Wells) in supporting and bit roles. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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