Neil McKay Movies
As originally aired on British television, this docudrama miniseries concerns Fred West (Dominic West), a notorious serial killer convicted for torturing, raping and murdering at least 11 young women and girls at his home in Gloucester, England, most of them between 1973-1979 - often in collusion with his wife Rosemary. The dramatic focus, here, is not the Wests' marital relationship per se, but Fred's interaction with Janet Leach (Emily Watson) , an "appropriate adult" assigned to assist him during his police interviews and formal charging. The film explores Fred 's perception of Janet as a confidante and a friend, and his disclosure o horrific facts to her, that she in turn uses to aid the investigation. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2011
This documentary utilizes state-of-the-art technology in order to explain how the Titanic was constructed, and how it sank on its maiden voyage - with many of the men who helped build it on board. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2006
- Add See No Evil: The Story of the Moors Murders to Queue Add See No Evil: The Story of the Moors Murders to top of Queue
From 1963 to 1965, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley embarked on a vicious crime spree that would go haunt England for decades to come. Over the course of those two dark years, Brady and Hindley abducted two teenagers and three young children, sexually assaulting each before brutally ending their lives and disposing of the bodies in shallow graves across Manchester's dreary Saddleworth Moor. Forty years after the court case that brought Brady and Hindley to justice, director Christopher Menual marks the anniversary of the so-called "Trial of the Century" with this dramatization of the crimes starring Sean Harris and Maxine Peake. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Harris, Maxine Peake, (more)
- 2000
Originally seen on Britain's Channel 4 in 2000, the TV docudrama Innocents was based on one of the United Kingdom's most tragic and egregious examples of wholesale medical incompetence. The story takes place within the walls of the British Royal Infirmary, a children's hospital. The introduction of a miraculous new open-herart surgical procedure briefly provides hope for thousands of children born with congenital birth defects in the early '90s. Even though a disturbing number of children die on the operating table, the hospital's staff, not to mention the press and the public, choose to concentrate on the happy survivors. But anesthetist Dr. Stephen Bolsin (Aden Gillett) begins to have doubts as to the effectiveness of the procedure, especially when noticing that conditions in the post-op rooms are dismally unsanitary. Despite Bolsin's suspicions, his subsequent one-man investigation, and his highly public whistle-blowing, it takes nearly a decade before the Infirmary's celebrated chief surgeon James Wishheart (Roger Brierly) is forced to confront his fatal shortcomings as an angel of mercy. Innocents was telecast in America as part of the PBS Masterpiece Theatre anthology on May 6, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
The two-part, two-hour British TV drama This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper was inspired by a true crime story which held Northern England in thrall in the late '70s. Alun Armstrong starred as Asst. Chief Constable George Oldfield, the Yorkshire police official who made it his mission in life to track down the person responsible for the murder and mutilation of 13 prostitutes. When a tape recording purportedly made by the perpetrator was sent to Oldfield's office, the press declared that the case was practically closed -- but Oldfield had been sent on too many false leads and wild goose chases to declare victory. Also appearing was Craig Cheetham as principal suspect Peter Sutcliffe. This production was presented by Granada Television on January 26 and February 2, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Emily Bronte's enduring tale of a love struggling against all odds is brought to the screen once again in this adaptation created for British television. Cathy (Orla Brady) is the daughter of the goodhearted Hareton Earnshaw (Matthew MacFadyen), who allows a lost soul, Heathcliff (Robert Cavanah), to move into their home. While Cathy and Heathcliff outwardly appear to have little in common, they soon feel a strong attraction to one another, and Heathcliff pledges his undying love to her. However, circumstances conspire to keep them apart; Cathy's brother doesn't want Heathcliff to see her, her wealthy family sees a marriage between them as unthinkable, and in time Cathy agrees to an arranged marriage with Edgar Linton (Crispin Bonham-Carter). But none of this changes the desire Heathcliff feels for the woman he loves. Wuthering Heights first aired in the United States as part of the award-winning anthology series Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Cavanah
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