Brian Osborne Movies
Written by George Eliot (of Silas Marner fame), the 1859 novel Adam Bede trenchantly addresses the issues of ingrained social prejudices. Played in this British TV adaptation by Iain Glen, the titular Adam Bede is a humble carpenter, enamored of the beautiful but shallow Hetty Sorel (Patsy Kensit). Surrendering to the "political correctness" of her times, Hetty spurns Adam in favor of a wealthy marriage to a nobleman, Lord Arthur (James Wilby). Though he is deeply hurt by this, Adam never relinquishes his love for Hetty and spends the balance of the story trying to win her back in his own single-minded, diligent fashion. Counterbalancing the romantic melodrama is the calm, good-hearted presence of Adam's erstwhile sweetheart, Dinah Morris (Susannah Harker), perhaps the only character in the novel without an agenda. Adapted for television by Maggie Wadey, Adam Bede made its BBC debut in 1991, then aired as part of the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre on March 1, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patsy Kensit, James Wilby, (more)
Anthony Hopkins essayed the title role in the four-part British miniseries A Married Man. During his annual holiday, contentedly married barrister John Strickland (Hopkins) found himself casually entering into a brief extramarital affair. As noted by author Piers Paul Read, upon whose novel the miniseries was based, to fully understand the disastrous events following Strickland's indiscretion, one must have a basic knowledge of the English Legal Profession. By the time the story had ended, there was nary a viewer who didn't possess that knowledge. Co-produced by Channel 4 and London Weekend Television, A Married Man first aired in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Ciaran Madden, (more)
Deke DaSilva (Sylvester Stallone) and Matthew Fox (Billy Dee Williams) are New York police officers specially assigned to a special multi-national team dedicated to tracking down terrorist Wulfgar (Rutger Hauer). Wulfgar planted a bomb in a London department store, killing several children and he is now an outcast, hunted by both the police and his fellow gang members. He has extensive plastic surgery and resumes his activities aided by Shakka (Persis Khambutta), a completely psychotic fellow outcast. Soon DaSilva and Wulfgar are engaged in a violent battle of wits as Wulfgar resumes his terrorist activities and threatens New York . This very effective thriller features a chilling performance by Rutger Hauer as the handsome, ruthless cold-blooded killer who charms women into helping him and then kills them. Sylvester Stallone gives an unusually understated emotionally vulnerable performance as a man trying to save lives while he saves his own marriage. The film makes excellent use of New York locales, particularly during a terrifying hijacking of a cable car where Wulfgar coolly decides which of the hostages will live or die. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, (more)
- 1976
- R
The long-running series of British "Carry On" comedies was nearing the end of the line when this 28th film in the cycle was released in 1976. Set in World War II, Carry On England explores what happens when the British military decides to set up an experimental mixed-gender anti-aircraft battery. While commanding officer Captain Melly (Kenneth Connor) is a stickler for military discipline, it soon becomes obvious that the interaction of male and female soldiers doesn't lend itself to a crack fighting unit, though it makes for plenty of broad physical comedy, especially with Major Bloomer (Windsor Davies), Melly's second-in-command, on deck. Judy Geeson, Patrick Mower, Jack Douglas, and Joan Sims lead the supporting cast. This feature was followed by That's Carry On (1977), a "greatest hits" collection of highlights from the series, and Carry On Emmanuelle (1978), which marked the end of the series until 1992's Carry On Columbus. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Connor, Windsor Davies, (more)
- 1975
- R
This threadbare "Carry On" comedy is set in the 18th century and concerns a fellow with a dual identity: by day, he's the Reverend Flasher; after dusk, he moonlights as the treacherous highwayman Dick Turpin. (Both are played by Sidney James). Dogooders Captain Desmond Fancey (Kenneth Williams) and Sgt. Jock Strapp (Jack Douglas) search for this elusive scoundrel who is robbing travelers every evening. Adding fool to the fire is Mme. Desiree (Joan Sims) and her entourage of doxies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney James, Barbara Windsor, (more)
- 1975
- R
The British comedy group chalks up another few laughs as some folks attempt to camp out on the location of an archaeological dig. Unfortunately, the dig in question happens amid the busyness of the holiday season; matters grow more complicated when a sexy female Russian woman (Elke Sommer) joins in, and soon an oversized wolfhound and a mynah bird with a naughty turn of phrase become implicated, creating additional panic and chaos. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elke Sommer, Kenny Williams, (more)
- 1974
- R
This film brings more ribald nonsense from the British "Carry On" gang. This time the setting is the Spanish resort town of Elsbels. A group of stereotypical British tourists - led by courier Stuart Farquhar (Kenneth Williams) show up for a four-day weekend at a "luxury hotel." There are only two setbacks: the hotel doesn't seem to be finished yet...and it's raining through the roof. Oh, yes...all the staff members look suspiciously like the same person. Stalwart "Carry On" troupers Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor and Hattie Jacques are in attendance, while the toothsome Barbara Windsor shows up as "Miss Sadie Tompkins". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney James, Kenny Williams, (more)
- 1973
- R
The "Carry On" gang returns with Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) conning the local council into running a beauty pageant to promote their community. He's thrilled with the prospect of entertaining all the lovely young contestants, but his girlfriend has a different plan in mind. Soon, a women's liberation group invades the premises and takes over -- promptly ruining everything. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney James, Joan Sims, (more)
The last of four "medical" entries in the Carry On series is also the lewdest; whether it's the funniest is a matter of taste (taste?) The action takes places at Finisham Maternity Hospital. If you liked that "Finisham" gag, you'll adore such characters as Susan Ball, Miss Willing, and Mrs. Putzova. Oh, yes, we must have a plot somewhere. It seems that a group of thieves hope to steal a huge shipment of contraceptives from the hospital. Alas and alack for them, Matron (Hattie Jacques) and head doctor Sir Bernard Cutting (Kenneth Williams) remain forever underfoot. Other stalwart Carry On-ers in the cast, many in surprisingly fleeting roles, include Kevin Connor, Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Bless This House is a feature-length spinoff of the British TV sitcom of the same name. The episodic nature of the film suggests that it was cobbled together from various half hours of the original series. Sidney James and Diana Coupland play the nonplussed owners of a "money pit" new home. Their misadventures involve fire, water, homemade booze, and angry neighbors. Most American viewers got their first chance to savor Bless This House when the featurized version was made available to cable TV in the early 1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- Add Upstairs, Downstairs: Series 01 to QueueAdd Upstairs, Downstairs: Series 01 to top of Queue
The first season of the British drama series Upstairs, Downstairs takes place from November 1903 through June 1909, an era popularly known as "Edwardian" in honor of King Edward VII. Fans of the series will notice that the familiar characters are still in the developmental process during the first 13 episodes--especially the Bellamy's cook Mrs. Bridges (Angela Baddeley), who comes off as a nasty virago and a closet boozer! Penned by novelist Fay Weldon, who won a Writers' Guild Award for her efforts, the opening episode "On Trial" (originally filmed in black and white due to budgetary limitations, but reshot in color for syndication) introduces Pauline Collins as the Bellamy household's troublesome new under-housemaid, who after trying to pass herself off as a Frenchwoman named Clemence is revealed to be a cockney named Sarah (or at least she settles on Sarah!). Forced to leave the house in disgrace after an unpleasant incident involving duplicitous manservant Alfred (George Innes), Sarah ends up living in squalor, a plight that touches her former employers Richard and Marjorie Bellamy (David Langton ,Rachel Gurney) to the extent that she is rehired--which proves in later episodes to be major mistake! In other developments, the Bellamys' rebellious daughter Elizabeth (Nicola Pagett) shocks her family by choosing "progressive" poet Lawrence Kirbridge (Ian Ogilvy) as her fiancée, a decision culminating in marriage at season's end. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's irresponsible brother James plunges into the first of several misbegotten liasons, this one with a flashy actress. The season's best and most famous episode is "I Dies from Love", the story of a tragic "downstairs" romance. When the first season of Upstairs, Downstairs was picked up for American play in January of 1974, it was combined with the series' second season, which takes place in the years 1908-1909. Of the 26 combined episodes, only 13 initially aired in the US, allowing PBS to bill the remaining 13 as "the lost episodes" a few decades later! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, (more)
