John Hallam

In acquiescence to the wish of the Prior of Shrewsbury Abbey to have the bones of St. Winifred on display, a group of monks trek to Wales to dig up her remains. The monks are met with great hostility that escalates when a man opposed to their excavation is found dead. The monks are held under suspicion, and things are further complicated by a young monk's insistence that he is seeing visions of St. Winifred. Although Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) exposes the monk's vision as fraudulent, he withholds the truth behind the monk's lies. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

This film is a '90s version of the classic Robin Hood story, with Kevin Costner starring as the good-guy thief. Costner is joined in his efforts against the murdering Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) by Morgan Freeman who plays a philosophizing Moor, and by Nick Brimble, who plays Little John (anything but little). After Robin barely survives a watery skirmish with Little John, the two become allies and Robin joins forces with Little John's band of robber thieves to overcome the evils of the dastardly Nottingham sheriff. ~ All Movie Guide

In this English drama, set during World War I, a strange, deaf man, known to all as "The Birdman" (Paul Scofield), must enlist the help of young Daniel Pender (Max Rennie) and Gracie Jenkins (Helen Pearce) to prevent the narwhal whales from suffering abuse at the hands of the local islanders. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Director Tobe Hooper adapts Colin Wilson's edgy novel The Space Vampires in this in this horror/sci-fi epic with a cult following. The story concerns a joint British-American space probe of Hailey's Comet. Inside the comet, the astronauts, headed by Carlsen (Steve Railsback), find a spaceship that contains the dead bodies of several aliens, along with the naked bodies of three human-like creatures in suspended animation. They bring the aliens aboard the ship for examination, but the specimens are sloppily guarded and soon the trio spread contagion among the population of the ship. Returning to earth, the beautiful space vampire (Mathilda May) escapes into London and begins to feed of the bodies of the unwary Britons, turning the city into a zombie-populated wasteland. It is now left for Carlsen to stop the vampire invaders. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

After introducing how Santa and Mrs. Claus came to the North Pole and began their work delivering toys at Christmas time, this routine children's film segues into a story about an evil corporate magnate (John Lithgow). One of Santa's elves (Dudley Moore) goes to work for the nasty tycoon and invents a wild array of far-out toys. Then there is a little boy who does not believe in Santa Claus and a girl who finds out about the toymaker's plans to defraud his company. Santa's reindeer are a little under the weather, not to mention Santa himself. This labyrinth of subplots quickly draws attention away from the story, wherever it is. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

This British TV miniseries, filmed in Australia, is based on the same source play (by John Colton and Margaret Lindon) and novel (by Helen Simpson) as the 1949 Hitchcock film Under Capricorn. Lisa Harrow stars in the role played for Hitchcock by Ingrid Bergman: the highborn alcoholic wife of lowborn Australian landowner Peter Cousens. Harrow's brother was killed, presumably by Cousens, during an attempt to stop the wedding, whereupon Cousens was permitted (under 19th century English law) to emigrate to Australia to begin life anew. Irishman John Hallam, Harrow's cousin, enters the scene. He hopes to bring Harrow back from her drink-besotted state, but this is made impossible due to the behind-the-scenes intrigues of maid Julia Blake, who harbors a fatal secret involving Harrow and Cousens. Edited into a 150-minute version, the 1982 Under Capricorn was first shown in the US on the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Saint and the Brave Goose was culled from the revived Saint TV series of the late 1970s. Ian Ogilvy takes over from Roger Moore in the role of international adventurer Simon Templar, aka "The Saint." In this one, Templar comes to the aid of an imperiled young widow, played by Gale Hunnicutt. Stratford Johns is also in the cast, but you'll have to see for yourself which side he's on. Released theatrically in US, The Saint and the Brave Goose found its true home on the Late, Late Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charles Bronson is out for revenge (and doesn't that sound familiar) in this action drama. Jackie Pruit (Jill Ireland) is the girlfriend of notorious gangster Joe Bomposa (Rod Steiger). When it looks as if Jackie's life is being threatened by Bomposa's goons, the FBI moves in to protect her, in hopes that she'll have incriminating evidence that the Bureau can use against Bomposa in court. Veteran agent Charlie Congers (Bronson) is assigned to watch over Jackie, and while it soon becomes obvious that she knows almost nothing about Bomposa that would be of any use to the FBI, he also falls in love with her. However, Bomposa decides that it would be a lot more convenient to have Jackie out of the way, and he orders her to be executed. Bomposa's henchmen manage to slip through FBI security and murder her, but now they have to answer to the angry and vengeful Congers. Love and Bullets also features Strother Martin, Bradford Dillman, Henry Silva, and Paul Koslo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Created by Barry Thomas, the weekly British drama series Wings was set during WWI. The series' 26 episodes dealt with the exploits of the Royal Flying Corps, specifically the division commandeered by Alan Farmer (Tim Woodward), Charles Gaylion (Michael Cochrane), and Richard Bravington (David Troughton, son of Doctor Who star Patrick Troughton). Naturally, these courageous aviators found time to dally with various damsels, among them Alan's wife Molly (Anne Kristen) and the toothsome Lorna Collins (Sarah Porter). Premiering January 2, 1977, Wings lasted two seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A former policeman investigates a series of murders by centering on an organization which re-creates medieval battles. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

A righteous police officer investigating the disappearance of a young girl comes into conflict with the unusual residents of a secluded Scottish isle in this unsettling, intelligent chiller. Brought to the island of Summerisle by an anonymous letter, Edward Woodward's constable is surprised to discover that the island's population suspiciously denies the missing girl's very existence. Even more shocking, at least to the traditionally pious law office, the island is ruled by a libertarian society organized around pagan rituals. Repelled by the open acceptance of sexuality, nature worship, and even witchcraft, the officer takes an antagonistic attitude towards the people and their leader, an eccentric but charming English lord (Christopher Lee). The officer's unease intensifies as he continues his investigation, slowly coming to fear that the girl's disappearance may be linked in a particularly horrifying manner to an upcoming public festival. Anthony Shaffer's meticulously crafted screenplay creates a thoroughly convincing alternative society, building tension through slow discovery and indirect suggestion and making the terrifying climax all the more effective. Performances are also perfectly tuned, with Woodward suitably priggish as the investigator and horror icon Lee delivering one of his most accomplished performances as Lord Summerisle. Little noticed during its original theatrical run due to studio edits and a limited release, the film's intelligence and uncanny tone has since attracted a devoted cult following. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

In The Offence, Sean Connery plays Johnson, a normally unflappable British police inspector who is emotionally shaken by a case of child molestation. For reasons he cannot explain, he is driven to kill the suspect while interrogating him and is suspended from the force. The incident leads to a nervous breakdown -- and the implication that Johnson had beaten the molester to death to purge himself of his own hidden pederastic tendencies. Based on John Hopkins' stage play This Story of Yours, The Offence made little headway at the box office, but United Artists was compelled to release the film to assure Connery's participation in UA's next James Bond movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nicholas and Alexandra covers the rise and fall of the last of the Russian Romanovs. We first meet Czar Nicholas (Michael Jayston) and his German bride Alexandra (Janet Suzman) at their 1894 wedding. Though Nicholas is devoted to Alexandra, the Russian populace is less politely inclined to having a "foreigner" as their Czarina. Alexandra gains favor when she gives birth to the much-loved Prince Alexis (Roderick Noble). Alas, Alexis suffers from hemophilia, a disease which strikes every second generation of Alexandra's family. When all conventional medical ministrations fail, Alexandra puts the fate of her son in the hands of mystical holy man Rasputin (Tom Baker, later famous for his portrayal of Doctor Who). As Rasputin's influence and power grows, the Russian peasantry becomes more restless and disgruntled. They are now willing to listen to the speeches of such rabble-rousers as Lenin (Michael Bryant) and Trotsky (Brian Cox), who sow the seeds of revolution. Even after the murder of Rasputin, the Bolsheviks are unsatisfied: The revolution finally comes to pass in October of 1917. At first, the moderate Kerensky (John McEnery) pleads with his followers to allow the Romanovs safe passage out of Russia. But the radicals seize control, and on July 16, 1918, the royal family is summarily executed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide