Harry Landis Movies
- 1995
This four-part British miniseries was based on the second of the three Johnny Maxwell books by children's author Terry Pratchett (who also wrote the teleplay). This time around, young Johnny (Andrew Falvey) came to the rescue of several restless ghosts. This required the hero to prevent a local cemetery from being plowed over by the usual evil land developers. More whimsical than weird, Johnny and the Dead originally aired from April 4 to 25, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew Falvey, George Baker, (more)
This demented fusion of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the legend of Jack the Ripper marks one of the final roles for Anthony Perkins, and certainly one of the weirdest performances of his career. Perkins plays Dr. Jekyll as more of a dedicated 19th-century man of medicine than an obsessed eccentric -- whose research into a safe form of anaesthetic leads to the accidental discovery of cocaine! Jekyll's inadvertent freebasing of the vapors from a cocaine/ether mixture triggers his transformation into Hyde - a murderer of prostitutes who dubs himself "Jack," thus allowing the convenient transition into the "Jack the Ripper" phase of the plot. This Hungarian production has fairly high production values, but Perkins' over-the-top antics and some glaring anachronisms (Jack's streetwalker victims sport accessories that look like Madonna's hand-me-downs) make it impossible to take seriously as a horror film. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Perkins, Glynis Barber, (more)
Sean Connery stars in Caspar Wrede's hostage melodrama, featuring lustrous cinematography by Sven Nykvist. A group of terrorists hijack an airplane and hold the passengers at bay until political prisoners are released. Sent in to stop them is Scandinavian government agent Nils Tahlvik (Sean Connery). The ensuing battle-of-wills gives the terrorists the edge. But when they try to make it out of the country, Nils is after them in hot pursuit. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Ian McShane, (more)
- 1964
When a country clergyman is found dead with a gun and a roll of microfilm in his possession, Steed poses as the man's replacement. This enables him to gain access to the venerable crime organization Bibliotek, at present locked in a power struggle. This episode marks the second time that The Avengers utilized a machine gun-wielding nun as a plot device. Written by Eric Paice, "The Little Wonders" first aired in England on January 11, 1964; American viewers finally caught up with the episode when it was shown on the A&E cable network on March 25, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This conventional military drama is meant to showcase the conflict between an individual's right to religious belief (and experiences) and the army's right to punish what it sees as a violation of direct orders, especially when the violation leads to a fatality. Private Potter (Tom Courtenay in another of his early roles) is a new recruit, wet behind the ears and now one of the men on patrol on a Mediterranean island, looking for a terrorist. The commanding officer orders complete silence while the patrol carefully makes its way through unknown territory. Suddenly, Private Potter screams loudly -- it is obvious he is terrified -- and the entire mission has to be abandoned. Worse yet, one of the soldiers is killed. Facing the possibility of a court-martial for his actions, Potter maintains he saw a vision of God. Several others maintain he is lying. Involved in the final decision are army brass, a psychiatrist, a priest, and a doctor. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Courtenay, James Maxwell, (more)
- 1959
Set in an anti-aircraft station along the British coast, this light comedy features Donald Sinden as Lt. Gordon Brown and Barbara Murray as his wife, Private Betty Brown. When a group of female recruits are posted to the base, the handsome lieutenant attracts their attention, especially the attention of blonde charmer Private Marge White (Carole Lesley). Then Lt. Brown's wife Betty gets posted to the base as well, and that causes no end of trouble. Regulations require that they cannot be working out of the same place, and so they hide their relationship. Meanwhile, the enamored Marge does not have a clue and neither does Major Pym (Naunton Wayne). The good Major then gives the flummoxed lieutenant leave to go visit his wife, and matters deteriorate even more. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Sinden, Barbara Murray, (more)
- 1958
One of the most significant moments in the history of British warfare (in both the best and worst sense) is given reverent but reserved treatment in Dunkirk. The film takes place during the 1940 evacuation of Allied troops across the English channel. One party of British soldiers becomes detached from the rest of the retreating Allies. John Mills plays an inexperienced lance corporal who resists an increase in rank, but when the chips are down performs with courage and authority in organizing the lost troop and shepherding them to Dunkirk. Running 135 minutes in its original release (much of the footage comprised of newsreel shots), Dunkirk was based on two novels: Eleston Trever's The Big Pick-Up and Lt. Col. Ewan Hunter and Maj. J. S. Bradford's Dunkirk. The above time pertains to the original British theatrical version; the film was reedited and shortened to 113 minutes for U.S. release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Mills, Bernard Lee, (more)
In Nicholas Ray's WWII drama, two British officers, Captain Leith (Richard Burton) and Major Brand (German character actor Curd Jürgens, who would later play Bond foe Karl Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me), a South African, are being considered to lead a daring raid to steal crucial documents from a Nazi stronghold in Libya. The two don't seem particularly fond of each other. Brand's wife, Jane (Ruth Roman of Strangers on a Train), arrives on the base. There's an odd awkwardness when Brand introduces her to Leith at the officers' club. It turns out the two already know each other, intimately. They were romantically involved long ago, until Leith broke it off without warning. Jane later met Brand. Leith and Jane keep their relationship a secret from Brand, but he realizes something's up when he goes out for a bit and comes back to find them dancing together. He later gets angry when his wife slips up and refers to Leith as "Jimmy." Brand and Leith are chosen to lead the mission together. Jane says goodbye to Leith, and Wilkins (Nigel Green of The Ipcress File) and some other soldiers see them together. The raid goes fairly smoothly, until Brand can't bring himself to kill a German sentry, and Leith feels compelled to step in and do it for him. Brand's resentment of Leith grows. The team steals the documents and heads out across the desert to make their escape. They're attacked by a German patrol, and after the melee, Brand arouses suspicious when he orders Leith to stay with three badly wounded soldiers while the rest of the group leaves for the rendezvous point. Bitter Victory is based on the novel by René Hardy. Jean-Luc Godard famously said of the film in his review, "Nicholas Ray is cinema." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Burton, Curd Jürgens, (more)
- 1956
Filmed in Surrey, England, Hell in Korea was shipped out to more conservative movie houses as A Hill in Korea. The title essentially tells all in this no-nonsense account of a group of UN soldiers during the Korean "police action" of the early 1950s. This "skeleton" patrol maintains its tenuous hold over a strategic hill, while determining the best method of sneaking into a communist-held village. While Korean veterans tended to dismiss the film as Hollywood-style hokum, Hell in Korea has stood the test of time far better than many other more elaborate "realistic" wartime dramas. The film, based on a novel by Max Catto, served as the movie debut of Michael Caine, who does not receive screen credit in the original prints--an oversight rectified in TV prints issued after Caine's rise to stardom. In his second film, Robert Shaw is securely ensconced in a good supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Baker, Harry Andrews, (more)
