John Hallam Movies

Virtue battles treachery in this made-for-TV peroid drama. Prince Wenceslas (Jonathan Brandis) is the seventeen-year-old heir to the Czech crown, who has been pledged to marry the lovely Johanna (Charlotte Chatton), whose father, Duke Phillip (Leo McKern), is a man of no small power and wealth. However, Wenceslas's humorless stepmother, The Queen (Stefanie Powers), is determined to see her son Boleslav (Oliver Milburn) usurp Wenceslas as the nation's future leader. While the Prince's grandmother, Queen Ludmilla (Joan Fontaine) rallies the support of the church and the people behind Wenceslas, The Queen and her partner Lord Tunna (Perry King) will use any means necessary to achieve their dishonest ends. Good King Wenceslas first aired on the Family Channel cable television network on November 26, 1994. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the three-part story "Ghost Light," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) have arrived at Ace's ancestral home, Gabriel Chase, in 1883. Hoping to discover the source of Ace's nightmares, the Doctor at first concludes that the house is haunted by traditional ghosts. He quickly changes his mind when he is confronted with a spectral light, a pantry full of radioactive silverware, a Neanderthal house servant -- and a spaceship in the cellar. Written by Marc Platt, "Ghost Light, Episode 2" originally aired on October 18, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, 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

A 19th Century family living in Northumberland struggles to restore their family name amidst numerous scandalous accusations in this adaptation of a story originally penned by author Catherine Cookson. The Mallen family seems to have fallen under a curse, and now it appears as if defeated patriarch Thomas Mallen has done irreparable damage to the family name. But the rest of the family isn't willing to lie down and die without a fight, and now, as accusations of power-mongering and sexual indiscretions continue to damage their once luminous reputation, they prepare to make one last effort to pull themselves back from the brink. ~ Jason Buchanan, 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

Peter Yates directed this quirky World War II war drama starring Peter O'Toole as Murphy, an Irishman who survives the torpedoing of a merchantman ship off the jungle coast of Venezuela by a German U-boat. Murphy is rescued by French oil engineer, Louis Brezon (Philippe Noiret), who reluctantly takes Murphy to a nearby Quaker mission hospital. Nursed back to health by a missionary nurse (Sian Phillips), Murphy himself nurses a grudge against the German U-boat that blew up the British merchant ship. Meanwhile, a pilot is brought to the mission whose plane had been shot down by the Germans. He begs Murphy to find his airplane to keep it out of enemy hands. But after the pilot dies, Murphy has another idea -- to find the plane, locate the hated U-boat, and blow it to smithereens. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Jack Sheppard (Tommy Steele) is the locksmith's apprentice who is forced into highway robbery when he is betrayed by Jonathan Wild (Stanley Baker). Jack runs for his life and takes to a life of crime. He is captured but breaks out of jail, quickly becoming the subject of lore, legend and song. The arrogant and popular Jack ends up heading for the gallows after taunting the King, the Lord Chancellor and a harridan aristocratic dowager. Wild tries to track down the elusive robber and collect on the reward like he has done so many times before in this dramatic adventure biography. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Jim Stockton (James Davis) leads a group of pioneers into California and trouble in this routine western by director Edward L. Cahn. Stockton gets caught up in the battles and grievances between the Mexicans, white Californians, and Native Americans that rage during the 1840s -- the Mexican-American war, in other words. With enough action scenes to keep the story, such as it is, moving right along, and with scenic views of the scrub-filled desert and lead female Consuela (Nancy Hadley), the 68-minute running time passes fairly quickly. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, 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

This melodramatic crime drama tells the story of homosexual gang leader Vic Dakin (Richard Burton), who likes a bit of rough sex with his petty criminal pal Wolfe (Ian McShane). Aside from payroll robberies, his gang is not above blackmailing sexually deviant members of Parliament. A Scotland Yard Police Inspector, played by Nigel Davenport, has been after his gang for years and does everything in his power to close it down. When one of the gang members, Frank (Joss Ackland), winds up hospitalized for an ulcer and looks likely to spill the beans to the police, some complicated shenanigans take place. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Director Bruce Beresford has safely stayed within the domain of the Bible and not strayed into patches of Hollywood fiction in this routine version of the story of David (Richard Gere). For that reason, anyone unfamiliar with Biblical history might be puzzled by the episodic presentation of David's life. In the opening scenes, Samuel condemns Saul and anoints the young David as his heir, and in fairly quick succession David slays Goliath, incurs Saul's jealous wrath, leaves, and, much later, comes back to rule after Saul has died. Once David is on the throne, Bathsheba and then Absalom enter into the picture. Interspersed are brutal scenes of fighting, but not much in the way of motivation for David's complex behavior. Gaps in the narration or unclear motivation may be the result of trying to cover too many events in a 114-minute running time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, 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