Nickolas Grace Movies
British supporting actor Nickolas Grace first appeared onscreen in the '80s. ~ All Movie Guide- 1992
In the inaugural episode of popular Brit-com Absolutely Fabulous, a drinking binge and a fashion event provide the framework in which to introduce several of the show's primary characters: slothful forty-ish PR exec Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders); her caustic, no-nonsense daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha); her hard-drinking, coke-snorting, sexed-up best friend, Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley); and Bubble (Jane Horrocks), her intellect-free personal assistant. As the show begins, Edina is nursing yet another hangover -- until she realizes that today's the day the firm she owns is throwing a great big fashion show. After trading barbs with Saffron (or "Saffy") and lunching with the chic, disdainful Patsy, Edina finally drags herself into the office for a few hours of frantic activity. Bubble reports that big draw Yasmin LeBon has dropped out of the runway ranks and that Princess Anne has replaced Princess Diana on the guest list. Vowing to get the frumpy, fashion-challenged royal into a designer gown if it's the last thing she does, "Eddy" rushes around at the last minute to fill her event with such B-list celebrities as Betty Boo and Danni Minogue. After the event, Eddy proceeds to get utterly smashed with her perennial partner in crime, Patsy, much to the disgust of an unsympathetic Saffy, who locks her mother out of the house. Absolutely Fabulous: Fashion was originally broadcast on BBC 1 on November 12, 1992. In a flashback sequence, the episode introduces Edina's mother, June (June Whitfield), who will become a regular guest-star in subsequent episodes. Several other characters and plot threads are introduced obliquely, including Eddy's relationships with her ex-husbands and her long-lost son, Serge. Absolutely Fabulous: Fashion also includes countless jokey references to minor British celebrities whose names may mystify American audiences. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Produced for British television, Daniel Deronda was adapted from George Eliot's final novel, written in 1874 (and first filmed in 1921). As was her habit, Eliot laid bare the hypocrisy and venality of Victorian-era "class culture," at the same time admitting that a certain amount of conformity was necessary if one hoped to survive in a world where nonconformity was not only looked down upon but actively suppressed. Essentially, both the novel and the TV presentation are comprised of two separate stories, linked together by the titular Daniel Deronda (Hugh Dancy), a young man of Jewish heritage. In the main narrative, Daniel is attracted to the spoiled, headstrong Gwendolen Harleth (Romola Garai), who is reluctantly poised to enter into a marriage of convenience with the wealthy, snobbish, and intensely anti-Semitic Henleigh Grancourt (Hugh Bonneville). This romantic intrigue is played against the curious relationship between Daniel and the Zionist visionary Mordecai (Daniel Evans), who tirelessly proselytizes in favor of a permanent homeland for the Jewish people. Things come to a head when Daniel finds himself falling in love with Mordecai's sister Mirah (Jodhi May). Originally telecast in three parts on the BBC beginning December 7, 2002, Daniel Deronda was re-edited as a two-parter for the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre, where it first aired on March 30, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Nick Diamond (Colin Dale) is a private detective hired by a South American midget to guard a box containing a rare treasure. When Nick is jailed, his kid brother Tim (Dursley McLinden) is called on to take the case. Tim dodges bullets and escapes from being bound and gagged while battling hard-nosed cop Boyle (Jimmy Nail) and the shadowy thugs out to get the treasure. Susanna York plays the chanteuse Lauren Bacardi in this film-noir styled children's crime drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dursley McLinden, Colin Dale, (more)
- 1988
- R
Jemma Redgrave is on the verge of marrying caddish Mark Greenstreet. Spending the night in her spooky old family mansion, Jemma stares into a mirror and begins experiencing terrifying dreams. She sees her past, present and future in a Bosch-like kaleidescope. And without knowing how or why, Jemma drags American tourist Kathleen Wilhoite, herself the victim of a troubled past, into her nightmarish visions. Its powerhouse opening sequence aside, Dream Demon tends to be rather slow going, despite some very convincing special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Wilhoite, Jemma Redgrave, (more)
In this entry in the continuing exploits of Sherlock Holmes, the great detective must track down his nemesis Professor Moriarty after the villain kidnaps Holme's brother Mycroft. The evil doctor is forcing his captive to decode highly classified military documents. The film is also called Hands of a Murderer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Woodward, John Hillerman, (more)
Two women, related but separated by one generation and 60 years, have parallel experiences in the evocative mystical environment of India in this period drama from producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Although a little slow-paced for some, and slightly confusing because the stories of the two women are intercut, the scenery and script evoke a time and place that mesmerize. Based on the 1975 novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, a long-time collaborator in Merchant-Ivory Productions, the story begins with Ann (Julie Christie) who discovers some letters written by her grandfather's first wife Olivia (Greta Scacchi) that open up a whole new world as Ann travels to India to continue researching her grandmother's past. The letters reveal that when she was young, the free-spirited grandmother fell in love with an Indian nobleman (Shashi Kapoor) and left her husband -- an administrator in the British colonial government -- for her lover. After Ann arrives in India, her life and the modern rush of cars and people are played off against flashbacks to Olivia's life in a colonial setting. When the environment of each woman is compared and the nature of their momentous decisions placed side-by-side, their rites of passage and the society that dominated their choices stand out in high relief. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala won "Best Adapted Screenplay" at the 1983 British Academy Awards for her script of Heat And Dust. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Christie, Christopher Cazenove, (more)
George Baxt scripted this extraordinarily good chiller from a story by Milton Subotsky, who also co-produced. A college student (Venetia Stevenson) with an interest in witchcraft goes to the Massachusetts town of Whitewood. It's a foggy, spooky town which gets even scarier when Stevenson discovers that the owner of the Raven's Inn, Mrs. Newlis (Patricia Jessel) is in fact a 268-year old witch. Jessel sold her soul to the Devil to regain her life after being burned at the stake. The whole town is her coven, including Stevenson's kindly history professor (Christopher Lee). Stevenson's boyfriend and brother arrive to look for her and discover human sacrifices and all sorts of evil goings-on. One of the few horror films of the period which still has the power to frighten, Horror Hotel is required viewing for genre fans. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1984
A notorious, internationally known sex symbol (Phoebe Cates) attempts to track down her birth mother in this glitzy, deliciously trashy melodrama. The mother could be one of three women, all of whom have vowed to never reveal the secret truth behind the child's illegitimate birth. Based on the novel by Shirley Conran. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bess Armstrong, Brooke Adams, (more)
- 1986
Set in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by the media, this British satire offers the origin of Max Headroom (Matt Frewer), a computer-generated pseudo-clone of a slain newsman (also played by Frewer). Created and directed by music-video alums Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, the feature served as the pilot for a short-lived U.S. TV program. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- Add Merlin to Queue
This four-hour fantasy miniseries, elaborating on the Arthurian legend and filmed in England and Wales, offers a portrait of the wizard Merlin (Sam Neill), following his life as a youth (Daniel Brocklebank) to his later conflicts with the evil Queen Mab (Miranda Richardson) and his love for Nimue (Isabella Rossellini), who is kidnapped by Lord Vortigern (Rutger Hauer). Amid battles and displays of magic and mysticism (courtesy of London's Framestore and the Jim Henson Creature Shop), Merlin strides the English countryside encountering Excalibur, the unbreakable sword, and a Camelot cast of colorful characters including the morphing manservant Frik (Martin Short), Morgan le Fey (Helena Bonham Carter), King Arthur (Paul Curran), Lancelot (Jeremy Sheffield), and Guinevere (Lena Heady). Premiered April 26, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Neill, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
- 2002
Based on the best-selling novel by Irish comedian Spike Milligan, Puckoon is a political satire about a town cut in half by the partitioning of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1924. The action takes place in a town known as Puckoon where an ordinary fellow named Dan Madigan wakes up one day to find barbed-wire fences running right through his neighbors' houses. All at once, Madigan's friends begin altering their personalities to suit the side of the fence they've found themselves on. So it's up to Madigan, the last sane man in town, to restore order. Originally written in 1963, Puckoon is considered the forerunner of anti-humor comedy which became the staple of shows like Monty Python and Saturday Night Live. ~ Connor McMadden, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Hughes, Elliott Gould, (more)
- 1983
In this adventure, the elderly outlaw Adam Bell and Robin team up to take on the Sheriff of Nottingham after the sheriff's nephew is kidnapped. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this adventure, the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham arrests Maid Marion after she returns from helping the new outlaw leader, Robert of Huntington, recover from his recent injuries. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this mystical adventure, brave Robin and his merry men manage use ingenuity and a bit of magic to save Maid Marian from a fate worse than death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this installment of the BBC series Robin Hood... The Legend, Robin of Locksley is killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Just before his death, he chose Robert of Hunnington (Jason Connery) to be his successor. Robert is reluctant to assume the mantle, while the merry men refuse to unite under a new leader. However, they are forced into action when Maid Marion is kidnapped, and they must reunite to save her. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In the The Swords of Wayland installment of the BBC series Robin Hood... The Legend, an evil sorceress possesses magical powers that terrorize Robin Hood and his merry men, as well as the citizens of Nottingham. Of course, Robin and his men have to battle the sorceress in this engrossing, action-filled update of the Robin Hood legend. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In Robin Hood... The Legend: The Time of the Wolf, Robin discovers that one of his old enemies is about to unleash a diabolical plan of evil on the world, and he decides that he is the only man who can prevent the terror. Though the plot is silly, the action and performances are engaging, making the film rather enjoyable mindless entertainment ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Michael Praed took over from Jason Connery (Sean's son) in the title role of Robin Hood: The Swords of Wayland, one of several mid-1980s British TV movies based on the legendary do-gooder. As in most of these "revisionist" films, Robin's battle is not with such corporeal villains as Prince John or the Sheriff of Nottingham, but with the Supernatural. This time he's up against an evil priestess, played by onetime TV-commercial favorite Rula Lenska. Judi Trott repeats her role of Maid Marian from the earlier Jason Connery "Robin Hood" installments. Robin Hood: The Swords of Wayland was filmed in 1984; its American cable-TV debut occurred five years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
Ken Russell's adaptation of Oscar Wilde's Salome, Salome's Last Dance takes the form of a play within a film. Wilde (Nickolas Grace) arrives at a brothel with his lover, Bosey (aka Lord Alfred Douglas played by Douglas Hodge), where the proprietor, Alfred (Stratford Johns), has gathered his staff and assorted other colorful characters to mount a simple production of Wilde's new play. And so, with Alfred playing Herod, and Bosey playing John the Baptist, and with Wilde himself looking on with varying degrees of interest, the play is performed. Salome (Imogen Millais-Scott) is the daughter of Herodias (Glenda Jackson), who has abandoned her husband, since murdered, for his brother, Herod. Herod has an eye for Salome, but she mocks his interest. One evening, she hears the ranting of John the Baptist, who is Herod's prisoner, and demands that he be brought before her. She is very taken with the prophet, and attempts to seduce him while the captain of the guards, who is smitten with her, looks on. The young captain kills himself, and the prophet spurns her and is beaten. Still, she insists that she will kiss him, as he is brought away. Salome manipulates the horny Herod, who promises her anything if she will dance for him. She agrees, against the wishes of Herodias. While she performs, Wilde slips off with a young male performer, arousing Bosey's jealousy. After Salome's erotic dance (at the end of which she momentarily changes sexes), she confounds Herod by demanding the prophet's head. Russell himself has a small role in the film, as a photographer of ill repute. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenda Jackson, Stratford Johns, (more)
Calling to mind the whimsical, swinging London comedies of the 1960s, such as the Blake Edwards Pink Panther films and the collaborations of The Beatles with director Richard Lester, this frantic romantic comedy is an airy, pop example of the British New Wave. Dylan Dan Futterman and Jez Stuart Townsend are friends from opposite sides of the Atlantic using their special skills -- Dylan is a slick-talking American, while Jez is a humble British computer expert -- to bilk England's wealthy. Both orphans, they plan to accumulate enough pounds to buy the luxurious mansion home they never had as children. Their scams include selling phony voice-recognition software and reinstalling the same insulation into various homes. Into their lives comes Georgie (Kate Beckinsale), a beautiful girl engaged to a rich jerk. Dylan and Jez hire Georgie as a secretary and both fall in love with her, though Jez's feelings are a bit more sincere. At first appalled by her employers' scams, Georgie believes their lie that they intend to give the money to the poor. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Futterman, Stuart Townsend, (more)
