Ray Marioni Movies
- 1989
- PG
The Queen of Hearts is an essentially Italian story given full and proper treatment by a virtually all-British crew. Anita Zagaria plays a lovely Italian lass, consigned to an arranged marriage with a wealthy Sicilian man. She balks at the altar and runs off, while the jilted bridegroom swears revenge. She marries another Italian (Joseph Long), and together they set up the quaint "Lucky Cafe" in the middle of London. Though the family vendetta that results from this union has its unfortunate consequences, there are quite a few laughs along the way as well. The Queen of Hearts was directed by Jon Amiel, best known for his handling of the quirky TV serial The Singing Detective. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vittorio Duse, Joseph Long, (more)
In this run-of-the-mill horror film, it is the Christmas season, and derelicts who need money for food and/or booze get jobs playing Saint Nick in the city's department stores. An insane killer has taken a strong dislike to these Santas and either violently does them in or disfigures them in very ugly ways. A Scotland Yard detective (Edmund Purdom, also the director) has been assigned to capture the serial killer, but when he is unable to get results fast enough, he is replaced by Sgt. Powell (Mark Jones). The list of suspects includes the Scotland Yard detective, a reporter who happens to be on the scene just after one of the crimes is committed, and another fellow who was also around for several of the attacks and is indirectly related to one of the victims. The puzzle will hopefully be solved while some Santas (Father Christmas in England) are still around. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmund Purdom, Alan Lake, (more)
- 1983
Director David Jones adapted Harold Pinter's play of the same name -- with the help of Pinter himself -- to better fit this chronologically reversed drama of love and betrayal to the medium of film. The action starts with a scene in a London pub in which Jerry (Jeremy Irons) and Emma (Patricia Hodge) hold a subtly sardonic conversation on the nature of human failings as they meet for the first time after the end of their affair. The next scene, introduced by an intertitle, details how their romance fizzled and is followed by the next vignette, one year earlier, on how Jerry broke the news to Emma's husband Robert (Ben Kingsley) that he and Emma were lovers. And so it continues, through a total of nine scenes, back to the beginning of a complex, interpersonal drama. The film benefits considerably from Kingsley and Irons as the lead males, and the backwards story is in no way hard to follow. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Irons, Ben Kingsley, (more)
- 1969
- PG
This crime drama finds American agent Novak (Yul Brynner) sent to Scotland Yard to help uncover a gang of forgers, murderers and counterfeiters. Even when the British agent Thompson (Edward Woodward) is assigned to help, Novak still remains suspicious of everyone. From Liverpool, the duo traces the Owl (Charles Gray) to London where they hope to meet up with the mysterious gang leader Mr. Big. Novak eventually trusts Thompson as the two close in on the gang that is raking in millions with their illegal activities. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Charles Gray, (more)
