Christopher Benjamin Movies

A destitute but determined young woman living in turn-of-the-century England ascends the social ranks after authoring a series of successful romantic novels in French writer/director François Ozon's first English-language feature. Romola Garai takes on the title role in a French and Belgian co-production co-starring Sam Neill, Charlotte Rampling, and Michael Fassbender and financed by Fidélité Films, Canal+, Celluliod Dreams, France 2, and Pan-Européenne. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The difficult realities of life in Britain during the early Industrial Age are explored in this made-for-television adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens. Thomas Gradgrind (Bob Peck) is a schoolteacher working in Coketown, a grim industrial town in the North of England, who believes that facts are of supreme importance and imagination is folly. Gradgrind imposes his philosophies on his children, arranging for his daughter, Louisa (Beatie Edney), to marry Josiah Bounderby (Alan Bates), a businessman old enough to be her father, who also employs her brother, Tom (Christien Anholt). As Louisa tries to find a way out of her relationship with Bounderby, she finds herself pursued by the even more repellant James Harthouse (Richard E. Grant). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Peter Davison stars as bespectacled, aristocratic private detective Albert Campion in this two-part adaptation of Margery Allingham's novel Flowers for the Judge. Campion finds it curous that no one seems terribly concerned when the director of London's prestigious House of Barnabas publishing firm suddenly vanishes. An investigation is conducted the vault in the director's office, yielding a rare old manuscript--and also the missing man's corpse. With a plethora of suspects and a paucity of clues, Campion may not be able to solve this case, which by his own admission has "more holes than a string bag." In America, "lowers for the Judge" was telecast December 27, 1990, and January 3, 1991 as part of the PBS anthology Mystery! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anthony Burgess translated and adapted this staging of Edmond Rostand's 19th century theatrical classic. Derek Jacobi (of I Claudius) fame stars as Cyrano de Bergerac, the ski-nosed poet, philosopher and swordsman. Believing that the beautiful Roxanne will shrink from his ugliness, Cyrano woos her by proxy, feeding the handsome but empty-headed Christian the honey'd words of love that will win the lady's heart. Jacobi is given powerhouse support by the Royal Shakespeare Company, including the exquisite Sinead Cusack as Roxanne. Videotaped for British television, Cyrano de Bergerac was telecast in America on selected PBS and cable-TV outlets. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hawk the Slayer will appeal most to undiscriminating fans of the sword-and-sorcery genre. The title character, played by John Terry, is on a lifelong quest for "The Power", an enchanted flying sword. Alas, Hawk's evil brother Voltan (Jack Palance) likewise covets The Power. A plethora of violence ensues, culminating in a slow-motion duel to the death between hero and villain. Among Hawk's comrades are a dwarf and an elf, who are "R2D2 and C3PO" in everything except name and appearance. Hardly the best of its kind, Hawk the Slayer is redeemed by the unbridled hamminess of Jack Palance, who seems to be the only one who realizes that the whole affair is to silly to be taken seriously. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the six-part Doctor Who adventure "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," the Doctor (Tom Baker) becomes involved with a murder investigation in Victorian London. Befriending police pathologist Prof. Lightfoot (Trevor Baxter), the Doctor tries to determine the connection between the murders, a deadly Chinese Tong faction called the Black Scorpion, and some mysterious tufts of rat hair. The trail leads to a prositution ring headed by Tong leader Weng-Chiang (Michael Spice) -- who, in typical Doctor Who fashion, is not precisely what he seems to be. Written by Robert Holmes, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Episode 2" originally aired on March 5, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the six-part Doctor Who adventure "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," 51st century war criminal Magnus Greel (Michael Spice) and the Peking Homonculus (Deep Roy) have infiltrated the London home of 19th century police pathologist Prof. Lightfoot (Trevor Baxter). Now nothing can stop Greel from retrieving his time cabinet, which will enable him to continue wreaking havoc throughout the centuries. Oh, wait, there is something that can stop him -- and that something is, of course, the Doctor (Tom Baker). Written by Robert Holmes, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Episode 6" originally aired on April 2, 1977, as the final episode of Doctor Who's 14th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fourth episode of the six-part Doctor Who adventure "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," the Doctor (Tom Baker) has followed the bizarre trail of clues in a series of murders in Victorian London to the headquarters of Chinese Tong functionary Weng-Chiang (Michael Spice). It turns out that this worthy is actually Magnus Greel, a war criminal who has escaped from the 51st century. Weakened during his journey back in time, Greel requires the life-forces of young women to survive -- hence the murder spree. But why has Greel chosen to materialize at this particular time, in this particular location? Written by Robert Holmes, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Episode 4" originally aired on March 19, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the seven-part story "Inferno," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) hopes that the sticky substance found near the earth's core during a government drilling project will enable him to reactivate the TARDIS. It does: Thrust sideways in time, the Doctor re-emerges in an alternate universe, where Britain has become a fascist state. This episode is famous amongst Doctor Who aficionados thanks to a single record-breaking stunt fall. Written by Don Houghton, "Inferno, Episode 2" first aired on May 16, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fourth episode of the seven-part story "Inferno," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is still trapped in an alternate universe, where the fascist government of England insists upon pursuing Project Inferno, intended to find new energy sources at the center of the earth. Alas, the Doctor is armed with the foreknowledge that this supposedly beneficial project will result in the destruction of the world. But inasmuch as the government is now a dictatorship, no one will listen to the Doctor's grim prognostications. Written by Don Houghton, "Inferno, Episode 4" first aired on May 30, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the seven-part story "Inferno," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is able to escape the destruction of the alternative-universe earth, brought about by a drilling project designed to locate new energy sources. Returning to his own universe, the Doctor races to prevent a similar disaster befalling the "real" earth. But in doing so, he may be profoundly altering the future of humankind in other ways -- and not necessarily for the better. Caroline John makes her farewell appearance as Dr. Liz Shaw. Written by Don Houghton, "Inferno, Episode 7" first aired on June 20, 1970, as the final episode of Doctor Who's seventh season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite the security implicit in its name, the Ministry of Top Secret Information is the site of a brutal murder. This leads Steed and Tara to the inescapable conclusion that the Ministry harbors a traitor in its bosom. There's only one problem: The most logical suspect is a man whom Steed killed several years earlier. Written by Brian Clemens, "Split!" was first telecast in America on April 10, 1968; its British TV debut was delayed until October 23 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First broadcast in England on January 21, 1968, "The Girl Who Was Death" was written by Terence Feely, from an idea by David Tomblin, producer of The Prisoner and director of this episode. Again mysteriously transported from The Village, Number Six finds himself in an isolated lighthouse with a girl named Sonia (Justine Lord) who by some fluke of fate has apparently caused the deaths of at least three men. Referring to herself as "Death", Sonia insists that she and Number Six are made for each other, inasmuch as he has survived so many previous attempts on his life. As the story progresses, it becomes painfully obvious that the so-called lighthouse is actually a nuclear missile, designed by Sonia's demented father (Kenneth Griffith) to destroy London. Originally intended as a two-part episode, "The Girl Who Was Death" was diminished to a single installment because of star Patrick McGoohan's commitment to the theatrical feature Ice Station Zebra; in fact, McGoohan is absent from much of the proceedings, requiring the producers to use doubles and stock shots for certain linking scenes. The episode made its American TV debut on September 7, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide