Basil Henson Movies

Created by James Mitchell, the long-running British drama series When the Boat Comes In was set in the decades between the two World Wars. Disillusioned by his wartime experiences in France, ex-sergeant Jack Ford (James Bolam) arrived in the town of Gallowshields on Tyneside in search of a job -- any job. Unfortunately, what with the nationwide financial recession, virtually no one in town had any employment to offer. Aligning himself with the equally impoverished Seaton family, Jack set about to improve his fortunes -- and somewhere along the line, he wed the lovely Jessie Seaton (Susan Jameson). An entertaining capsule of the confusion and sociopolitical upheaval in Britain after WWI, When the Boat Comes In was almost painfully accurate in its period detail, right down to the contemporary-sounding theme tune, performed by Alex Glasgow. Debuting January 8, 1976, the series yielded 51 episodes before folding in 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jon Finch stars as Jerry Cornelius, swinging London's leading scientific genius, in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed science fiction novel by Michael Moorcock. As the world teeters on the brink of collapse following a nuclear war, Jerry discovers that a batch of microfilm containing "the final programme" -- the plan for an ideal, self-replicating human being, which was designed by his father -- has fallen into the wrong hands. With the assistance of Miss Brunner (Jenny Runacre), a voracious and bisexual computer expert, Jerry discovers the programme has been taken by his unscrupulous brother Frank (Derrick O'Connor), and Jerry and Miss Brunner must recover it and put the system to work, leading to the creation of a new messiah (which isn't quite what one would expect). The distinguished supporting cast for this thoughtful bit of satire includes Patrick Magee, Sterling Hayden, and George Coulouris. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Based on a novel by Winston Graham, The Walking Stick stars Samantha Eggar as Deborah, a polio-stricken woman courted by charming artist Leigh Hartley (David Hemmings). She moves in with Leigh, who immediately suggests that she help him rob the antique store where she works. Her common sense clouded by love, Deborah agrees. She is laboring under the misapprehension that Leigh will use the stolen loot to open up their own antique shop. He of course has no such intention, having orchestrated the whole romance for his own greedy gain. Both Samantha Eggar and David Hemmings are too talented for the sluggish goings-on in The Walking Stick, but actors do have to eat once in a while. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This low-budget horror film offers a veritable feast of campy fare as it tells the tale of an insane scientist's attempt to bring back the Third Reich by thawing out the prominent Nazis he has been storing in a deep freeze since WW II. He successfully thaws them out and gets them moving, but unfortunately their brains do not function correctly. In an attempt to rectify the situation, the doctor shaves and cuts off a young woman's head, lays it on a table, wires it to a strange machine, and forces her to control the zombie men telepathically. Unfortunately, she is mule-stubborn and refuses to do this. Instead, she telepathically calls for help, and then using her increasing powers, reanimates a few handy severed arms to take care of the wicked Nazis. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Julie Christie won an Oscar for her portrayal of a bored, amoral fashion model in this cynical melodrama from director John Schlesinger. Following the break-up of a teenage marriage, Diana Scott (Christie) drifts into the world of modeling and acting, where she meets a television news reporter, Robert Gold (Dirk Bogarde), who leaves his family for her and introduces her to a more powerful and wealthy set. Soon Diana meets somebody more attractive: public relations mogul Miles Brand (Laurence Harvey). After briefly leaving and then drifting back into Robert's life, experiencing an orgy and even getting an abortion, Diana eventually leaves the swinging London scene behind and settles down to an unfulfilling if comfortable life as the wife of millionaire Italian widower Cesare (Jose-Luis deVillalonga). Shocking in its day, Darling (1965) won Oscars for its costumes and script from Frederic Raphael. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi