Celia Gregory Movies
- 1993
The Baby of Macon is a sumptuous-looking but ultimately shallow tale of manipulation, greed, and religious fanaticism set in Peter Greenaway's favorite, the 17th century. In the city of Macon, an ugly woman suddenly bears a beautiful, healthy baby. Her fellow citizens perceive it as a wonder, with rumors circulating that she could not be the real mother of the child. Her 18-year-old virginal daughter (Julia Ormond) tries to use the situation, claiming that the baby is her own and was born as a result of an immaculate conception. The citizens start to worship the baby and the outraged Roman Catholic Church finally intervenes. Aiming at disclosure of the whole Christian mythology, which, according to Greenaway, always served to manipulate people, The Baby of Macon lacks passion or commitment. Even the much publicized violence, including an unseen multiple rape and the onscreen dismemberment of the baby, seems routine and uninspired rather than shocking. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Ormond, Ralph Fiennes, (more)
- 1991
The Problem of Thor Bridge involves a pretty governess, her master, and his invalid wife. The wife dies under highly questionable circumstances. Before the husband can be brought to the police to "assist them in their inquiries," he disappears. It's up to Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) to put all the pieces in place. Like all the entries in the British made-for-TV Casebook of Sherlock Holmes entries, "The Problem of Thor Bridge" is drawn from the "Canon" penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett
The internationally produced The Inside Man was inspired by a true story. In 1981, a Soviet submarine ran aground on the coast of Sweden. The sub was carrying a hush-hush laser search device, which promptly vanished. In this 1984 recreation of the incident, Dennis Hopper is cast as the CIA agent assigned to track down the missing laser. Aided by young assistant Gosta Ekman Jr., Hopper finds himself in a life-and-death struggle with a variety of foreign agents, each with his own agenda. Hardy Kruger co-stars in this rugged adventure yarn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Hardy Kruger, (more)
- 1984
This is another installment in the excellent Hammer House of Horror series, repackaged for U.S. cable television and, once again, for Thrillervideo, featuring host bumpers (so to speak) from buxom horror hostess Elvira. This chapter stars Diana Dors as the caretaker of a creepy old house set in the heart of the forest, who takes in a stranded young couple with car trouble. Once tucked in for the night, the pair begin to experience mutual dreams about a pack of werewolves roaming the region by night. The dreams, of course, are not entirely what they seem...and neither is their hostess. This is one of the more chilling and graphic entries in the short-lived series; however, the Thrillervideo cut is missing much of the overt sexual content and gore of the original version. ~ Cavett Binion, 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)
- 1979
What happened when best-selling mystery novelist Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days back in 1926? The British Agatha "answers" that question. Vanessa Redgrave is cast as Ms. Christie, who vanished from her home not long after her husband (Timothy Dalton) informed her that he was leaving her. Nearly two weeks later, after being the subject of a nationwide search, Christie showed up none the worse for wear at a health spa in Yorkshire, insisting that she could remember nothing of her experiences during her disappearance. According to scriptwriters Kathleen Tynan and Arthur Hopcraft, Christie was located before her return by American reporter Wally Stanton (an uncomfortable-looking Dustin Hoffman), after enjoying a brief romantic fling with the authoress. The journalist decided to keep his discovery a secret. Another plot wrinkle concerns Christie's plan for revenge against her errant husband -- a scheme with all the earmarks of a Miss Marple or Poirot whodunit. Agatha represented former TV director Michael Apted's matriculation to A-pictures with major stars; he fared better with his subsequent endeavor, Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Vanessa Redgrave, (more)
