Peter Guinness Movies
Duncan (Adrian Paul), Tessa (Alexandra Van Der Noot), and Richie (Stan Kirsch) are the guests of Tessa's old friend Allan Rothwood (Anthony Head). The visit turns unpleasant when Col. Belian (Peter Guinness), the head of a small private army, accuses Allan's son, Mark (Jason Riddington), of raping Belian's stepdaughter, Lori (Marion Cotillard). Further complicating matters, at least so far as Duncan is concerned, is the revelation that Belian is an Immortal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Paul, Alexandra Van Der Noot, (more)
A sequel to 1980's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, this BBC miniseries once again focuses on British spy George Smiley (Sir Alec Guinness), once again called out of retirement, this time by the fussy Oliver Lacon Anthony Bate, to deal with a scandal in the British spy establishment. An ex-Russian general and British spy (Curt Jurgens) is found brutally murdered in a London park after frantically contacting the British Secret Service. His cryptic message: "Tell Max it concerns the Sandman." It seems that the general and his crony Otto Leipzig (Vladek Sheybal) were cooking up a scheme to blackmail the head of the Russian secret service, Karla (Patrick Stewart), when they were murdered. Smiley gathers his old associates (almost all the actors reprising roles from the first miniseries) and picks up the general's harrowing trail. He finds that Karla has been secretly supporting a daughter in the West through almost comically inept intermediaries such as Grigoriov (Michael Lonsdale). This information allows him to face off against his old adversary and avenge the humiliation he and his agency suffered with the double agent Karla had in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Made in 1982, the sequel has one major casting substitution: Michael Byrne instead of Michael Jayston as Peter Guillam, Smiley's faithful lieutenant. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Guinness, Vass Anderson, (more)
- 1983
- R
The Keep is an ambitious visual feast from director Michael Mann, whose previous effort was the moody, stylish Thief, and who would soon produce the quintessential pastel-colored '80s TV series Miami Vice. Adapted from the novel by F. Paul Wilson and set in German-occupied Romania of 1943, the film introduces the invaders to the dark presence lurking within the walls of an ancient fortress in the Carpathian Alps -- a presence which doesn't take well to unwanted guests. When soldiers under the command of Captain Woermann (Jurgen Prochnow) begin to die horribly, he receives the unwanted assistance of Nazi Major Kampffer (Gabriel Byrne), who immediately assumes command and forcibly enlists the aid of the local expert on ancient languages, the Jewish Doctor Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellen), in the translation of the cryptic writings left near a murdered soldier's body. When Cuza comes face-to-face with the Keep's ancient resident -- an ethereal creature which gains strength by draining the life-force from its enemies -- he forms a pact with the creature in the hope that it will escape and destroy Hitler's armies. When a mysterious stranger (Scott Glenn) arrives at the nearby village and befriends Cuza's daughter Eva (Alberta Watson), he reveals the true nature of the beast within the Keep, as well as his intent to destroy it before Cuza can release it -- a task which, if failed, will spell doom for all mankind. The film's fever-dream-logic casts a hypnotic spell -- ably assisted by Tangerine Dream's pulsating, ethereal music (including electronic variations on a theme by Thomas Tallis) -- with a story that seems to play by the Keep's own eerie supernatural rules. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, (more)
- 1985
All the main characters from the popular TV sitcom Family Ties were carried over into this made-for-TV feature. Michael J. Fox heads the cast as insufferable/lovable young conservative Alex Keaton, who this time around is attending Oxford on a summer scholarship. The Keaton family--ex-hippie parents Elyse (Meredith Baxter Birney) and Steven (Michael Gross), and sisters Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers)--decide to go along with Alex in order to enjoy a vacation in England. The script contrives to have the Keatons behave wildly out of character by getting involved in a hackneyed espionage plot. The film looks more like one of those Dell Comics "specials" or Ace Paperback TV show tie-ins rather than a logical extension of the original series. Family Ties Vacation was first telecast September 23, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross, (more)
- 1989
Woman in Black was originally made for British TV. It's a melodrama, as the title should make abundantly clear. Adrian Rawlins stars as a vacationing barrister. He becomes involved in bizarre activities at a seaside resort, predicated by an elusive mystery woman. Woman in Black was picked up for American exposure by the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Rawlins, Bernard Hepton, (more)
- 1990
In this intricately layered, dark story, a woman whose guardian sexually abused her tells her story. It seems that her guardian also used her life as the basis for a series of stories about a woman known as Blackeyes. The real-life woman and the fictional woman each tell their stories, while attempting to cope with their lives in the present. Eventually, both commit suicide, but not before the real-life woman has taken revenge on the man who warped (and stole) her life. This story was brought to the screen by the prolific (and ailing) director Dennis Potter who was responsible for such stunning works as The Singing Detective. There is no evidence that Blackeyes has ever received a U.S. screening. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Gough, Carol Royle, (more)
- 1991
"The Creeping Man" is a reclusive hunchback who has been making surprise appearances of late. Most recently, the shadowy figure has been nosing around the home of a respected professor. The professor's daughter seems to be the object of the hunchback's snooping -- but why? Once again, Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) has been called in to get to the bottom of things. "The Creeping Man" is one of the more complex 50-minute entries in the British Casebook of Sherlock Holmes TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett
Crash landing on a barren penal-colony planet with an unwelcomed visitor in tow, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) contends with a group of hardened convicts while using nothing but her wits to battle a terrifying new breed of alien. The sole survivor of her crashed escape pod, Ripley is rescued from the craft by the remaining inhabitants of Fiorina 161, a group of rapists and murders who chose to repent for their sins in deep space after the penal colony was officially decommissioned. When remaining warden Andrews (Brian Glover) announces Ripley's presence to the inmates, their spiritual leader, Dillon (Charles S. Dutton), begins to fear that her presence will stir up trouble. As a result, Ripley is placed in the care of prison doctor Clemens (Charles Dance), and restricted to the infirmary until a rescue ship arrives. But Ripley isn't the only new visitor on Fiorina 161; an alien stowaway survived the crash as well, and it has planted its seed in a feral dog. Before long, a new breed of alien has burst from the dog's chest, a stealthy hunter that moves on all fours and can navigate the darkened prison corridors virtually undetected. When the inmates start to disappear, the remaining survivors must fight for their lives without weapons to defend themselves. The only person who knows the alien well enough to beat it is Ripley, and while her plan to corner and kill the creature just might work, a horrifying discovery reveals that her fight is far from over. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, (more)
- 1997
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The new parish priest of Shrewsbury, Father Ailnoth, proves to be most unpopular with his parishioners. After refusing to baptize the illegitimate baby of a prostitute, he's found dead in the river; unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of murder suspects. Cadfael's (Derek Jacobi) subsequent investigation fails to expose the murderer, but a new clue presents itself when he finds the priest's old skull cap on a nail underneath the bridge. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Filmed in South Africa, this lengthy biographical drama details events in the life of 19th-century British imperialist Cecil Rhodes (Martin Shaw) through an extensive series of overlapping flashbacks. The BBC original ran for eight hours, but for telecasting in the United States, the BBC edited the film down to six hours. The U.S. premiere was on PBS' Masterpiece Theater on January 4-6, 1998. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russell Baker, Martin Shaw, (more)
Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman gets a few new twists in a screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. In this version, Ichabod (Johnny Depp) is a New York City detective whose unorthodox techniques and penchant for gadgets make him unpopular with is colleagues. He is sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of bizarre murders, in which a number of people have been found dead in the woods, with their heads cut off. Local legend has it that a Hessian ghost rides through the woods on horseback, lopping off the heads of the unsuspecting and unbelieving. Ichabod refuses to believe in this legend, convinced that there must be a logical explanation for the murders. In time, Ichabod becomes smitten with a local lass, Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), who is the sweetheart of the burly Brom Bones (Casper Van Dien), and he becomes determined to capture the murderer to prove his bravery and win her heart. Christopher Walken, Jeffrey Jones, and Christopher Lee highlight the supporting cast; Lee's appearance is particularly apt, since Burton has cited the Hammer films of the 1960s as a major influence in making this film. Andrew Kevin Walker and Tom Stoppard contributed to the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, (more)
A fish-out-of-water comedy in the vein of 1997's oft-imitated The Full Monty, Greenfingers takes as its inspiration the true story of a group of British criminals who bettered themselves through the delicate art of gardening. Croupier's Clive Owen plays Colin Briggs, a taciturn inmate doing time for murder. When it's suggested he transfer to a minimum-security prison, Colin is reluctant; at the idyllic Edgefield compound, he's slow to warm to his gregarious, botanically inclined roomie Fergus (Waking Ned Devine's David Kelly). When the warden forces Colin and his prison mates to cultivate the prison's grounds, however, the men decide it's a fate better than mopping the lavatory, and begin to take pride in their work. Their stellar efforts attract the attention of haughty celebrity gardener Georgina Woodhouse (Helen Mirren), who arranges furlough work for the men. Colin becomes particularly fervent with his bulbs and seeds, not to mention his affection for Georgina's daughter Primrose (Natasha Little). When he's offered the chance to go straight, Colin is torn between the freedom of the outside world and the comforts of his lockup flowerbed. Greenfingers made its North American premiere at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival before making the U.S. festival rounds. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Owen, David Kelly, (more)
In this made-for-TV retelling of the classic tale A Thousand and One Nights, a woman discovers the ability to spin a good yarn is literally a matter of life and death. Schahriar (Dougray Scott), a powerful sultan who rules Bagdad, has developed a bitterness and distrust of women ever since he discovered his first wife was unfaithful to him. He no longer trusts the fair sex and has vowed to never marry again, but circumstances force him to wed Scheherezade (Mili Avital), a beautiful girl he's known since he was a child. Schahriar decides that if he must marry Scheherezade, he will murder her after their wedding night. Scheherezade, however, is understandably unenthusiastic about this idea, and to postpone her execution, begins regaling Schahriar with a long series of fascinating stories; by keeping him intrigued with her fables of adventure and honor, she hopes his heart will soften and she will be allowed to live. Scheherezade's stories include the tales of Ali Baba (Rufus Sewell), BacBac the Hunchback (Alexei Sayle), Aladdin (Jason Scott-Lee), the Genie of the Lamp (John Leguizamo), and many more. Arabian Nights was originally shown as a two-part miniseries, with the first episode airing on ABC on April 30, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mili Avital, Dougray Scott, (more)
- 2003
A spin-off of the 2001 TV movie of the same name, the British action-adventure series Red Cap was devoted to the exploits of the U.K. Army's Special Investigation Branch, a team of "military detectives" who pulled off elaborate sting operations to thwart the enemies of democracy. In other words, it was Mission: Impossible with uniforms and an accent. During the series' first season, the dramatic tension was enhanced by the fact that the seven-person SI team consisted of six men and one woman, compelling Sgt. Jo McDonagh (played by former EastEnders regular Tamzin Outhwaite), who had to go out of her way to prove that she was just as good as the other "guys." Created by Patrick Harbinson, Red Cap debuted over BBC1 on January 7, 2003, and was brought to the United States via the BBC America cable service beginning July 6 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tamzin Outhwaite, Douglas Hodge, (more)
From the mind of bestselling author Terry Pratchet comes this off-the-wall holiday film. In the parallel universe of Discworld, they don't celebrate Christmas. Instead, children look forward to December 32nd, also known as Hogswatchnight, when they'll receive gifts, not from Santa Claus, but from The Hogfather. However, this year, The Hogfather has disappeared, and there may be no Hogswatchnight. So, it's up to Death to assume the role and fulfill all of the children's wishes. Ian Richardson narrates. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Jason, David Warner, (more)
