Julian Glover Movies
Trained at RADA, spindly British actor Julian Glover made his film bow as Lt. Matherton in the Oscar-winning Tom Jones (1963). Glover has since proven equally adept at chop-licking villainy and eccentric comedy relief. His movie roles include Shrdlu in The Adding Machine (1968), Kristatos in For Your Eyes Only (1977), General Veers in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), King Richard in the made-for-TV Ivanhoe (1982), Walter Donahue in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Dr. Livesey in the Charlton Heston version of Treasure Island (1989) and King Gustav in King Ralph (1992). Julian Glover also appeared as megalomanic heavy Dr. Stefan Kilkis in the campy TV series QED (1982). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideKiefer Sutherland stars as an NYPD detective-turned-security guard who discovers something sinister lurking in the mirrors of a fire-damaged department store in Haute Tension writer/director Alexandre Aja's menacing study in the origins of evil. It's been just about a year since mercurial police detective Ben Carson (Sutherland) was suspended from the NYPD for the fatal shooting of an undercover officer, and ever since that fateful day he's been locked in a self-destructive spiral of anger and alcoholism. Increasingly isolated from his wife and kids, Ben spends most nights crashed-out at his sister Angela's (Amy Smart) apartment in Queens. But Ben hasn't given up hope just yet, and in order to get his life back together and prove that he's still capable of supporting his family he takes a job as the night watchman at the Mayflower department store. The Mayflower used to be a lavish symbol of inner-city prosperity, that is, until a raging inferno gutted the building while claiming numerous lives in the process. These days, the Mayflower is a scorched reminder of human misery, the ornate mirrors therein reflecting a suffering so profound that it begins to wear on Ben's already-fragile psyche. Not only that, but whatever force dwells behind the shimmering glass seems to have gained the power to alter reality as well.
After Ben gazes into the mirrors and sees a vision of himself being relentlessly tortured, he is horrified to experience violent convulsions, spontaneous bleeding, and frightening asphyxiation. And while his sister is always willing to lend a sympathetic ear, she chalks the anomalies up to an unusually potent mix of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately for Ben, his estranged wife, Amy (Paula Patton), isn't nearly as forgiving. A prosaic NYPD medical examiner who has seen her fair share of tragedy, Amy fears that Ben's erratic behavior could be placing their children in danger. Later, as Ben begins to draw connections between his increasingly gruesome visions and a former Mayflower security guard who vanished without a trace, he begins to suspect that an unimaginable evil is using the mirrors as a gateway into the real world, and that his family is in mortal danger from forces beyond their realm of understanding. Perhaps if he Ben can manage to convince Amy that their children's lives are at risk, he can summon the courage to face the greatest evil he has ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
After Ben gazes into the mirrors and sees a vision of himself being relentlessly tortured, he is horrified to experience violent convulsions, spontaneous bleeding, and frightening asphyxiation. And while his sister is always willing to lend a sympathetic ear, she chalks the anomalies up to an unusually potent mix of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately for Ben, his estranged wife, Amy (Paula Patton), isn't nearly as forgiving. A prosaic NYPD medical examiner who has seen her fair share of tragedy, Amy fears that Ben's erratic behavior could be placing their children in danger. Later, as Ben begins to draw connections between his increasingly gruesome visions and a former Mayflower security guard who vanished without a trace, he begins to suspect that an unimaginable evil is using the mirrors as a gateway into the real world, and that his family is in mortal danger from forces beyond their realm of understanding. Perhaps if he Ben can manage to convince Amy that their children's lives are at risk, he can summon the courage to face the greatest evil he has ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, (more)
Both laughs and thrills are on the masthead in this comedy drama about a would-be reporter written and directed by Woody Allen. Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) is an American journalism student who travels to England to visit friends. While in London, she attends a magic show where magician Sid "Splendini" Waterman (Woody Allen) brings her on-stage as part of a trick in which he makes her disappear. However, while waiting to be "de-materialized," she's visited by the ghost of a murdered reporter (Ian McShane), who passes along the scoop of the decade. The spirit claims that Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), the wealthy and handsome son of a well-known aristocrat, is leading a double life as "the Tarot Card Killer," a serial murderer who has been terrifying the nation and eluding police. With the magician's help, Jane begins investigating the story and is able to piece together some incriminating evidence against Lyman. However, the more she learns, the more dangerous her investigation becomes -- especially when she falls into a romance with the suspected killer. Scoop was Woody Allen's second consecutive film with leading lady Scarlett Johansson, after the critically acclaimed Match Point; it was also Allen's second feature to be shot in Great Britain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, (more)
A pair of dentists deal their own unique blow against the Third Reich in this low-key British comedy, which is actually based on a true story. In 1942, war rages all through Europe as Nazi Germany has taken France, attacked London, and defeated British forces at Dunkirk. In the midst of this chaos, Sgt. Peter King (Kenneth Cranham) and Pvt. Leslie Cuthbertson (Leo Bill) are serving in the village of Aldershot as part of the Royal Army Dental Corps, whose motto is "An Army Who Can't Bite, Can't Fight!" Eager to do more than fill cavities or pull wisdom teeth as the fate of Great Britain hangs in the balance, Sgt. King hatches a mad scheme to leave his post, make his way across the English Channel, and launch his own miniature invasion of France. Logically assuming that some assistance would be a good idea, he persuades Pvt. Cuthbertson to join him, and armed with ten grenades, a pair of pistols, and 20 bullets, they set out to take on the Vichy troops all by themselves. Derek Jacobi and Rosanna Lavelle highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Cranham, Leo Bill, (more)
Anders Ronnow Klarlund's fantasy-action film Strings tells the tale of Hal Tara, the son of a slain ruler who sets out to settle the score with those who dispatched his father. Interestingly, all of the characters in the film are marionettes, explaining the title of the film to some degree. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James McAvoy, Catherine McCormack, (more)
Homer's sprawling tale of love and war in ancient Greece comes to the screen in all its grandeur in this epic-scale adventure. In 1193 B.C., Paris, Prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom), has fallen in love; however, the beautiful woman who has beguiled him is Helen, Queen of Sparta (Diane Kruger), who is wed to King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). While Helen is hardly immune to Paris' charms, this doesn't blunt Menelaus' fury when Paris steals her away from him. Menelaus' brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox), the power-hungry king of the Mycenaeans, is eager to expand his empire through Troy to the lands of the Aegean Sea, and he uses Paris' romantic slight against Menelaus as an excuse to wage an all-out war against the great walled city. Priam, King of Troy (Peter O'Toole), summons his armies, led by Prince Hector (Eric Bana), to meet the onslaught of Agamemnon's forces, but while the great city has yet to yield in a battle, Agamemnon has a formidable ally -- Achilles (Brad Pitt), a mighty and seemingly unstoppable warrior whose presence could tip the scales in Agamemnon's favor. Sean Bean, Julie Christie, Saffron Burrows, and Rose Byrne highlight the film's supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

- 2002
- PG
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Youthful wizard Harry Potter returns to the screen in this, the second film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's wildly popular series of novels for young people. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) return for a second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Headmaster Dumbledore (Richard Harris), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), and Hagrid the Giant (Robbie Coltrane) are joined by new faculty members Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), a self-centered expert in Defense against the Dark Arts, and Sprout (Miriam Margolyes), who teaches Herbology. However, it isn't long before Harry and company discover something is amiss at Hogwarts: Students are petrified like statues, threats are written in blood on the walls, and a deadly monster is on the loose. It seems that someone has opened the mysterious Chamber of Secrets, letting loose the monster and all its calamitous powers. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to find the secret chamber and slay the beast, speculation is rife that one of the heirs of Salazar Slytherin, the co-founder of the school, opened the chamber as a warning against the presence of "mudbloods" (magic-users of impure lineage) at the school -- and that the culprit may be fellow student Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets featured Richard Harris' second and final appearance as Headmaster Dumbledore; he died less than a month before the film was released in the United States. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, (more)
A man hoping to win the favor of a King finds that his heart has gotten in the way in this lavishly-produced comedy-drama. In 1671, the Prince du Conde (Julian Glover) is a figure of French nobility who is deep in debt and suffering from gout. Hoping to buoy his fortunes and his reputation, du Conde wants to win command of the French Army in an anticipated conflict with Holland. When du Conde receives word from the Marquis de Lauzun (Tim Roth) that that King Louis XIV (Julian Sands) wishes to spend three days at his estate, du Conde is determined to pull out all the stops, and he asks Francois Vatel (Gerard Depardieu) to make the arrangements. Vatel is a master chef with a genius for arranging spectacular entertainments, and he is determined that this will be a weekend that the king will always remember. But that's before Vatel meets Anne de Montausier (Uma Thurman), a lovely courtesan traveling with the king's party. Anne is the king's new mistress, but that doesn't stop Vatel from falling in love with her, and he is determined to win her heart. Produced in both English and French language versions, Vatel was chosen to open the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Féodor Atkine, Hywel Bennett, (more)
This is the first in a television series of British-made murder mysteries, adapted from Caroline Graham's novels about the polite and enigmatic Inspector Barnaby (John Nettles). Barnaby is married to the equally low-key Joyce (Jane Wymark), and they have an assertive daughter, Cully (Laura Howard). Barnaby's opposite is his acerbic partner, Troy (Daniel Casey). This pilot episode is set in the English county Midsomer. After the death of elderly Emily Simpson (Renee Asherson), her friend gets Barnaby to investigate, and the suspects include Michael Lacey (Jonathan Firth), curiously attached to his attractive sister Katherine (Emily Mortimer). The series premiered June 28, 1998 on A&E. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Nettles, Daniel Casey, (more)
Ellis Peters' 12th-century monk who finds time in his daily devotionals to ferret out crime comes alive in this made-for-TV drama. A young man named Meriet (Christian Anholt) arrives at Shrewsbury Abbey eager to become a novice, but Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) somehow doubts the boy's good intentions, and a Senior Cleric decides to take a look into his past. When the Cleric turns up dead, Meriet confesses to the murder, but once Cadfael learns more about the young man's troubled history, he wonders if Meriet might be offering himself as a sacrifice to cover someone else's tracks. Brother Cadfael: The Devil's Novice also features Terence Hardiman and Mark Charnock; the drama was originally shown in the U.S. as part of the PBS series Mystery! ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The frightening underworld of neo-Nazism is the subject of this made-for-television drama. Oliver Platt stars as Yaron Svoray, an American journalist who goes to Germany to do a story on neo-Nazis. He gets mistakenly branded a sympathizer of the cause but uses his new status as a way to uncover secret information about the members and their leaders. The movie was based on the non-fiction book co-authored by Svoray called In Hitler's Shadow. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Platt, Arliss Howard, (more)
Sometimes a family title, among the nobility of England, goes to the "collateral" heirs -- people not in the direct line of decent, like cousins, great-nephews and the like. On rare occasions, these people are not even aware that they are about to be elevated to the House of Lords, and they have been living more-or-less ordinary lives. In this comedy, the family which lacks direct heirs is the Royal Family of England -- as all of the likely heirs have died one after the other in swift succession. In this comedy, the "collateral heir" is an exuberant, fence-busting All-American slob (and pretty good rock n' roll musician) by the name of Ralph (John Goodman). Unknown to him, his grandmother had an affair with a royal prince. Ralph's a good guy, and eager to please. He recognizes the importance of the royal hoopla to England and works very hard to fit in as its new designated king. He is assisted by the ever-unctuous, very serious family factotum Willingham (Peter O'Toole). The trouble is, he doesn't have instincts for politics English-style, and he is constantly "putting a foot wrong," as they might say. The most difficult situation for him is when he develops a new love interest, and she's not "acceptable" to the upper crust. In addition to being hounded by the tabloids, he finds that "the good of the state" requires that he drop his new girlfriend. Things really come to a head just before Ralph's coronation as king. Reviewers generally loathed this feel-good comedy, but audiences seem to have enjoyed it tremendously, and it has done well in video and TV airings. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Peter O'Toole, (more)

- 1989
- PG13
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The third installment in the widely beloved Spielberg/Lucas Indiana Jones saga begins with an introduction to a younger Indy (played by the late River Phoenix), who, through a fast-paced prologue, gives the audience insight into the roots of his taste for adventure, fear of snakes, and dogged determination to take historical artifacts out of the hands of bad guys and into the museums in which they belong. A grown-up Indy (Harrison Ford) reveals himself shortly afterward in a familiar classroom scene, teaching archeology to a disproportionate number of starry-eyed female college students in 1938. Once again, however, Mr. Jones is drawn away from his day job after an art collector (Julian Glover) approaches him with a proposition to find the much sought after Holy Grail. Circumstances reveal that there was another avid archeologist in search of the famed cup -- Indiana Jones' father, Dr. Henry Jones (Sean Connery) -- who had recently disappeared during his efforts. The junior and senior members of the Jones family find themselves in a series of tough situations in locales ranging from Venice to the most treacherous spots in the Middle East. Complicating the situation further is the presence of Elsa (Alison Doody), a beautiful and intelligent woman with one fatal flaw: she's an undercover Nazi agent. The search for the grail is a dangerous quest, and its discovery may prove fatal to those who seek it for personal gain. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade earned a then record-breaking $50 million in its first week of release. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, (more)
This full-blooded TV adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island was written, produced and directed by Frasier Heston. His father, Charlton Heston plays Long John Silver. Eschewing the cuteness of Wallace Beery and the unadulterated ham of Robert Newton, Heston plays the character as written: a cold, crafty, cunning rogue, by turns charming and deadly, but never to be underestimated. The plot adheres with utter fidelity to the Stevenson novel, beginning with innkeeper's son Jim Hawkins (Christian Bale) finding himself in possession of a treasure map from the doomed Captain Billy Bones (Oliver Reed). In the company of Dr. Livesey (Julian Glover) and Squire Trelawny (Richard Johnson), Jim ships out on the Hispaniola, in search of gold doubloons and pieces of eight. Hand-picking the crew for this mission is the ship's one-legged cook Long John Silver, who fully intends to mutiny, kill the treasure hunters, and claim the gold for himself. Featured in the cast are Clive Woods as Captain Smollett, Christopher Lee as Blind Pew, and Nicholas Amer as addled hermit Ben Gunn. Treasure Island premiered January 22, 1990, over the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When a famous artist agrees to visit a wildlife preserve in Africa to draw attention to the illegal hunting of elephants, she finds herself involved in a personal war between two old rivals--an elephant poacher and a park ranger who has fallen in love with her. This suspenseful drama was filmed in Zimbabwe. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
WWII was remembered from a distinctly feminist point of view in the long-running British drama series Wish Me Luck. Jane Asher was cast as Faith Ashley, London-based coordinator for a team of female resistance fighters, who journeyed behind enemy lines to confound the Nazis. Ashley's chief operatives (and virtually the only ones to survive all 23 episodes) were Liz Grainger (Kate Buffery) and Matty Firman (Suzanna Hamilton). Created by Jill Hyem and Lavinia Warner, whose earlier credits included the internationally syndicated POW-camp series Tenko, Wish Me Luck was telecast in England from 1988 to 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Buffery, Suzanna Hamilton, (more)
Richard Attenborough directed this dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko (Denzel Washington), a courageous and outspoken black anti-apartheid activist. Woods and his wife Wendy (Penelope Wilton) get to know Biko, and they become friends, until Biko is brutally murdered at the hands of government troops in 1977 for his activities against the country's repression of the black majority population. Donald is shocked and appalled by Biko's murder and determined that the truth about Biko will become known to the world; eventually, Donald and Wendy Woods and their children must leave South Africa (and nearly everything they have) as they spread the word about Biko's life and death to ensure that he did not die in vain. Washington received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Biko. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Penelope Wilton, (more)
This uninspiring drama was unfortunately the last feature film directed by Richard Marquard and was released posthumously. Bob Dylan plays the retired and reclusive rock star (there's a stretch) Billy Parker who falls for aspiring rocker Molly McGuire (Fiona) and takes her under his wing on his tour of England to benefit from his experience. When Molly is "discovered" by lecherous music promoter James Colt (Rupert Everett), Billy flies the coop back to his stateside chicken farm while Molly makes music magic. Billy and Molly are eventually reunited when she returns for a triumphant tour of the United States. Songs from Dylan, Neil Young, Shel Silverstein, Andy Goldmark, Tony Swan, Wang Chung, John Dexter, Cyril Neville, John Hiatt, and Steve Jolley help the thin script and uninspired thesping. The film opens up with the 1982 hit Tainted Love from Soft Cell. Musicians Ian Dury and Richie Havens are included in the acting cast. One can only wonder if the feature was just wrapped up too quickly after the untimely death of Marquand from a stroke at age 49 on September 4th, 1987. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Dylan, Rupert Everett, (more)
Scripted by Frederick Forsyth from his own novel, The Fourth Protocol is a fact-based spy thriller. The titular protocol is a secret agreement between America, Britain and Russia to cease smuggling nuclear weapons into their respective countries. This figures into the schemes of several rogue spies, who hope to destroy NATO by embarking on just such a smuggling endeavor. Russian agent Valeri Petrofsky (Pierce Brosnan) is ordered to stage a nuclear accident in England, then arrange the evidence to point to the Americans. British intelligence agent John Preston (Michael Caine) begins wondering why such nuclear-weapon components like lithium are showing up in the unlikeliest places. Ignored by his superiors, who figure that Preston is merely an old-line anti-Commie paranoic, Preston gathers the clues that will enable him to find out who's behind the potential breaking of The Fourth Protocol. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan, (more)
Described as a "biographical drama," the made-for-TV Mandela is the story of South African human-rights advocate Nelson Mandela, who at the time this film was made was in the 25th year of a prison sentence. Covering the years 1948 to 1987, the film traces Mandela's (Danny Glover) matriculation from young lawyer to fervent anti-Apartheid political activist. At first a proponent of nonviolence, Mandela is radicalized after the Sharpeville massacre of 1960. Thrown in jail by the white-dominated government in 1962, Mandela passes the cudgel to his wife Winnie (Alfre Woodard), who perseveres despite constant persecution from the powers-that-be. Understandably concentrating on Mandela's private life, the film is somewhat wanting in terms of personal glimpses, but this is a forgivable creative lapse. Likewise excusable is the partisan nature of Ronald Harwood's teleplay. Filmed on location in Zimbabwe, Mandela originally ran 139 minutes when it first aired September 20, 1977 over the HBO Cable service; it was subsequently shortened to 135 minutes when shown on network television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This is a very macho action film in which the good guys are just that "guys". Col. Cooper (David Carridine) has been captured by the North Vietnamese and wheels and deals his way out of this predicament with the sleazy Vietnamese commandant, Capt. Vinh (Mako). Vinh agrees to let Cooper and the other P.O.W.s leave if Cooper will take Vinh and his ill-gotten gains back with them to the United States. Cooper agrees, and then has to struggle with the ever-frustrating Sparks (Charles R. Floyd), who thinks he knows better than anyone else about how to escape from the camp. The motley crew set off into the jungle, encountering the enemy and a very uncooperative Mother Nature along the way. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Charles R. Floyd, (more)
This two-part TV movie recounts the life of Anna Anderson, who until the day she died at age 82 insisted that she was really Anastasia Romanov, daughter of Czar Nicholas. Anna first makes her claim in 1920, when she is an inmate in a Berlin asylum. Her story of escape from the Bolsheviks who killed the rest of her family in 1918 seems so vivid that many Russian expatriates are willing to believe her. The film concludes in 1928, with Anna restating her claim before the surviving Romanovs living in New York. Amy Irving plays the leading character in a lady-or-the-tiger fashion, so that we never know if she truly swallows her own tale or if she's merely a clever charlatan. Olivia DeHavilland, Rex Harrison, Claire Bloom, Omar Sharif and Susan Lucci co-star in this opulent, location-filmed production, which originally aired on December 7 and 8, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Irving
Filmed on location, this first episode of Magnum, P.I.'s two-part Season Six opener (originally telecast in a single two-hour timeslot) finds Magnum (Tom Selleck) and Higgins (John Hillerman) journeying to London at the behest of their boss, novelist Robin Masters. As Higgins explains the duties of managing Masters' new British estate to caretaker Ian MacKerras (Peter Davison), Magnum looks an old war buddy, Geoffrey St. Clair. The detective has been plagued of late by eerie premonitiions suggesting that Geoffrey has met with disaster--and sure enough, no sooner has he arrived than Magnum is informed that Geoffrey has died. Against his better judgement, our hero finds himself falling in love with his unfortunate friend's widow Penelope (Francesca Annis). Meanwhile, Higgins braces himself for a visit with his father, whom he hasn't seen nor spoken to in over thirty years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide




























