Michael Ripper
- 1986
- R
A moribund nightclub on the fringes of Liverpool's sprawl is the primary setting for this frenetic, dark, and confusing comedy done in a heavy regional "dialect" by director Peter Smith. Set on New Year's Eve, the film chronicles the rivalry between elderly Irish Catholic and Protestant attendees at a party held in a gritty pub in Liverpool. Mixed in with the warring oldsters are some shady types such as Billy the Beast, the killer of an Ulster terrorist. The club's new manager has a talent for dealing with mayhem and violence, but his first challenge lies in handling the punk rock band perversely scheduled to entertain the oldsters by the disgruntled former manager. After that challenge, he is faced with a magician on the verge of a nervous breakdown and other kinds of chaos that tear through the place. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Angelis, Avis Bunnage, (more)
- 1983
The fourth and final seven-episode season of the British sitcom Butterflies was initially telecast from September 7 through October 19, 1983. Wealthy businessman Leonard is "Back From New York" in the opening, but will this mean that he and bored housewife Ria (Wendy Craig) will finally consummate their clandestine but heretofore chaste relationship? The title character in the next episode, "Amanda," is an old and dear friend of Ria's husband Ben (Geoffrey Palmer), whose presence makes Ria wonder anew if it would be worth it to chuck Ben in favor of Leonard. Next up, Ben and Ria find that someone -- perhaps their sons Russell (Andrew Hall) and Adam (Nicholas Parkhurst) -- has left a cache of pot in their home during their absence. "Cleaning Windows" represents the latest business enterprise for Adam and Russell. In "Calling," Russell's girlfriend announces that she wants to keep her baby -- but not Russell! "Breaking Up" finds Ria finally calling it quits with Leonard. But in the season closer, "Loose Ends," Ria still hasn't chosen between dashing Leonard and dull old Ben. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer, (more)
- 1980
Like the previous season, season three of the British sitcom Butterflies yields seven episodes, originally broadcast from September 9 through October 21, 1980. Things get rolling with "An Empty Cage," in which Adam (Nicholas Parkhurst), layabout son of Ben and Ria Parkinson (Geoffrey Palmer, Wendy Craig), surprises one and all by getting a job -- while Ria, again depressed over her dead-end existence, once more crosses the path of her would-be lover Leonard (Bruce Montague). Next up is "Ruby's Crisis," wherein the Parkinsons' cleaning lady, Ruby (Joyce Windsor), turns to kleptomania out of boredom. The Parkinsons' other son Russell (Andrew Hall) is given some startling news by his girlfriend Jeannie in "Pregnancy." Small wonder after all this that the next episode is titled "Problems, Problems." Then in "Happy Birthday, Ria," the Parkinsons' holiday in Paris turns sour when Ria renews a bad friendship. And in the season finale, "Parting," it looks as though Ria and Leonard's relationship will take a serious turn when Leonard insists that Ria spend some time with him before he leaves for New York. As a coda to the third season, a ten minute Butterflies sketch was included in the December 1982 BBC1special "The Funny Side of Christmas." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer, (more)
- 1979
The second season of the British sitcom Butterflies runs seven episodes, initially broadcast from October 29 through December 10 1979. In "Leaving," dissatisfied housewife Ria (Wendy Craig) again considers cheating on her dull hubby Ben (Geoffrey Palmer) when she has a chance encounter with her platonic male friend Leonard (Bruce Montague), while Ria's son Adam (Nicholas Parkhurst) runs away from home -- almost. In "Worrying," Ben experiences an epiphany after suffering what he thinks is a heart attack. Ria's argument with God in "A Dog's Life" is a sure sign that she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. In "Keeping Fit," Adam and his brother Russell (Andrew Hall) take their practical joking too far, while Leonard becomes seriously ill. "An Attractive Visitor" is a woman named Susanna, who has an eye for Ben and the boys -- and a surprising revelation for Ria. And in "Lunch With Leonard," Ria once again contemplates leaving Ben for Leonard, but Leonard has some disturbing news. Season seven is rounded off with a brief special Christmas telecast, originally seen on December 22, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer, (more)
- 1978
Season one of the bittersweet British sitcom Butterflies runs six episodes, originally telecast from November 10 through December 15, 1978. The series opens with "When Ria Met Leonard," detailing the humdrum existence of the Parkinson family, and bored housewife Ria Parkinson (Wendy Craig)'s first encounter with the wealthy and outwardly adventurous Leonard Dutton (Bruce Montague). The second episode "Breaking the Silence" further underlines the basic lack of communication amongst the Parkinsons, with a situation between Ria's dentist husband Ben (Geoffrey Palmer) and teenage son Russell (Andrew Hall). "Thinking About a Job" finds Ria figuring out a "respectable" method of staying close to her new dream man by applying for the position of Leonard's chauffeur, while Ben bemoans the fact that Russell and his brother Adam (Nicholas Lyndhurst) have taken to entertaining on the sidewalk to pick up spending money. "How About Lunch" not only delineates Ben's failed attempt at being "spontaneous," but also introduces Michael Ripper in the role of Leonard's new chauffeur, Thomas. In "The Lovers," activist wannabe Russell chains himself to a statue as a means of protesting capitalism. And in the final offering of the season, "He'll Have to Go," Ria strives not to be the "perfect wife" as she prepares for a crucial meeting with Leonard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer, (more)
A poor commoner and a young prince each find out how the other half lives in this adventure story based on the classic tale by Mark Twain. Tom Canty (Mark Lester) is a young man from a laboring family who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward (also played by Lester), the son of King Henry VIII (Charlton Heston) and heir to his throne. Tom and Edward meet by chance, and they decide to exchange places briefly as a lark; Edward will get to live as an ordinary boy, and Tom will be able to enjoy the perks of royalty. But the two are separated before they can let everyone in on the joke, and Tom discovers as he pretends to be Price Edward that the castle is awash in corruption. Originally released as Crossed Swords, The Prince and the Pauper also features Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, George C. Scott, and Rex Harrison. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, (more)
- 1975
- R
Peter Cushing stars as a police investigator whose search into a series of murders--committed during the full moon--leads him to a French zoo run by a strange keeper. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Bill Fraser and Raymond Huntley star in the raucous British farce That's Your Funeral. Fraser and Huntley play Bullstrode and Holroyd, rival undertakers. The animosity between the two is amplified when drug traffickers attempt to use coffins and hearses to smuggle their wares. David Battley and John Ronane co-star in the sitcomish goings-on. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
Peter Cushing delivers one of his finest hand-wringing performances as Emmanuel Hildern, a Victorian man of science who relates a mad tale of horror to his half-brother and professional rival James (Christopher Lee). His tale begins with the discovery of the weird skeletal remains of a large unknown humanoid in Papua, new Guinea, which he carts back to England for study. Even more unusual than the skeleton's ghastly appearance is its ability to grow new flesh when moistened with water. Further research reveals that the creature may actually be instilled with the very essence of malevolence (basically freeze-dried, instant evil), indicating that it would be best kept out of the rain. Despite an incongruous subplot involving the doctor's insane daughter, whom he believes can be cured by injections of serum derived from the creature's reanimated tissue, this is an effectively creepy period piece with heady Gothic atmosphere (and a neat twist ending) that ranks among director Freddie Francis's finest work. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
One of a handful of Hammer "Dracula" films starring Christopher Lee, The Scars of Dracula begins as Count Dracula (Lee) rises from the grave once again. Buckets of blood and vats of violence will delight fans of horror. A young man and his girlfriend find themselves in Dracula's castle where Dracula sinks his teeth into five victims and tortures a servant in a graphically violent scene. A priest is attacked by a bat and meets his maker much earlier than anticipated. Naturally, the girl is soon coveted by Dracula, and the heroic young man must come to her rescue. There are typical scenes of religious defilement, arson, and the requisite wooden cross that wards off the evil bloodsucker. Dracula meets his fiery demise (yeah, right) when the foreboding castle is torched. No matter how he meets his end, rest assured Dracula will rise once again from any grave he finds himself in at the end of every film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Dennis Waterman, (more)
One of the more accomplished entries in Hammer's Dracula series (which would soon lapse into creative anemia during the 1970s), this fourth installment finds Christopher Lee in top form as the Count, who returns to menacing life after three middle-aged swingers decide to dabble in black magic to bolster their sagging sex lives. Dracula is reborn when the trio's blood-drinking rituals lead to the destruction of his devil-worshipping colleague Lord Courtley (Ralph Bates), whereupon the Count unleashes his deadly wrath on those responsible, even involving members of their families in his scheme of revenge, which culminates in a dramatic finale in a recently reconstructed cathedral. Fine direction from Hammer regular Peter Sasdy enlivens a middling script, and an early appearance from the lovely Linda Hayden (later to star in the eerie Blood on Satan's Claw) is a definite plus. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, (more)
- 1970
- R
A quartet of bizarre British blue bloods get their kicks by kidnapping male victims and bringing them to their estate in the country. After one man (Hugh Armstrong) is killed in an in-house chase, a local playboy (Michael Bryant) is blackmailed into coming to the house. The four fiends chase him down, but he manages to have the brother and the nanny kill each other, leaving him to the mercy of the mother and demented daughter. The two offer to share the man between themselves, but the playboy has already planned the mother's imminent demise. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Bryant, Ursula Howells, (more)
- 1969
A spaceman -- with a raygun -- for hire takes on a crooked land baron in this drama that moves Western themes into outer space. In the year 2021, Bill Kemp (James Olson), the first man to walk on Mars, is an astronaut for hire, renting his services to the highest bidder. J.J. Hubbard (Warren Mitchell) is a multi-millionaire who pays Kemp to help blast an oncoming asteroid out of its orbit so that it will avoid the Earth and crash into the moon. However, Hubbard's goal is hardly benevolent. The moon is being excavated for mineral resources, and since fragments of the asteroid in question resemble jewels, it will allow Hubbard to fraudulently jack up land prices on the lunar surface. Kemp also learns that Hubbard was responsible for the death of the brother of Clementine Taplin (Catherine Schell), the woman he loves. Kemp realizes that he can no longer do business with Hubbard, and he sets out to foil Hubbard's schemes before it's too late. Moon Zero Two was directed by Roy Thomas Baker, who also made a number of pictures for Hammer Films, including the respected sci-fi cult film Quatermass and the Pit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Olson, Catherine Schell, (more)
When a young girl is found hanging in the local church with fang marks in her neck, the townsfolk immediately suspect Dracula (Christopher Lee) is behind the evil deed. Although he has supposedly been dead for quite some time, the vile vampire is the prime suspect. The Monsignor (Rupert Davies) is called in to exorcise the local castle where Dracula once lived. The diabolical Dracula forces the holy man's assistant to help him in his thirst for blood. His next victim is the Monsignor's niece, who works at the local pub. The prince of darkness meets his demise when he is impaled on a crucifix -- at least until he can find another script that he and his agent can agree on. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, (more)
The Lost Continent is a crazy-quilt of a film, with chunks of several unrelated plotlines sewn together willy nilly. Eric Porter plays Lansen, the captain of a tramp steamer who has agreed to deliver contraband dynamite for a hefty price. His passengers are a polyglot of the good, the bad and the worse. Shipwrecked on an mysterious isle in the Sargasso Sea, Lansen and party find themselves prisoners of a bizarre inbred colony still governed by the long-abandoned edicts of the Spanish Inquisition. The film is no more coherent than the original Dennis Wheatley novel Uncharted Seas, but that doesn't detract from its endearing wackiness. To their credit, the cast members of Lost Continent play the script straight, which merely adds to the kinky fun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Porter, Suzanna Leigh, (more)
- 1968
A very popular and fondly remembered British TV series from the Swingin' Sixties, Freewheelers was a "boy's own adventure"-style actioner involving a band of intrepid teenagers. Linking up with a secret government agency, the kids did battle against an exhausting array of villains, beginning with Von Gelb, an ex-Nazi who tried to resuscitate the Third Reich from his motor-launch headquarters. Though played tongue in cheek and larger than life, the series seldom descended into outrageous camp. The large and ever changing cast of regulars included, at one time or another, Hammer Films stalwarts Geoffrey Toone and Michael Ripper, onetime Bugaloos ingenue Caroline Ellis, and future Doctor Who regular Wendy Padbury. Making its Southern Television debut on April 4, 1968, Freewheelers ultimately clocked in at a daunting 104 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The famously inept but accidentally brilliant Inspector Clouseau returns to help foil a group of daring robbers in this comedy, the only film in the long-running series not to feature Peter Sellers as the bumbling inspector. Instead, the talented Alan Arkin assumes the role, blundering his way through the expected series of absurd, slapstick situations. The plot centers on a series of Swiss bank robberies under investigation by an uptight Scotland Yard inspector (Patrick Cargill), who naturally becomes infuriated by Clouseau's unwelcome intervention. Meanwhile, the robbers decide to confuse matters by wearing Clouseau masks, offering further opportunities for farcical mistaken identities. Due to the absence of both Sellers and director Blake Edwards, Inspector Clouseau has largely been forgotten in comparison to the other Pink Panther films, though it maintains some interest as a curious aberration in the popular comic series. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Frank Finlay, (more)
- 1967
Noted British horror director Freddie Francis and author Robert Bloch, who wrote Psycho, combined their talents for this tale of terror. Pop singer Vicki Robbins (Suzanna Leigh) collapses from exhaustion and takes a vacation on a small resort island. She soon meets Mr. Hargrove (Guy Doleman), a difficult man with a failing marriage who owns the resort and keeps bees as a hobby. Charming Manfred (Frank Finlay), who also lives on the island, keeps bees as well, and he soon strikes up a friendship with Vicki. However, when first a dog and then Hargrove's wife are killed by bee stings, Vicki discovers that someone on the island is breeding a strain of killer bees, and she has to find out who is responsible and what can be done before they kill again. Keep an eye peeled for a short appearance by the British beat combo The Birds, whose guitarist, Ron Wood, would later become a star playing with The Faces (featuring Rod Stewart) and The Rolling Stones. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanna Leigh, Frank Finlay, (more)
- 1967
Nigel Kneale's Quatermass TV series spawned a brief film series produced over an eleven-year period; 1967's Quatermass and the Pit, released in the US as Five Million Years to Earth, was the third and (until 1979's Quatermass Conclusion) last. As in previous chapters in the Kneale saga, the film begins with a baffling scientific discovery. This time it's a bunch of prehistoric skulls, discovered during a subway excavation in the heart of London. Sequestered in a lab, the skulls start to emanate a bizarre force over the populace, resulting in death and destruction. Professor Quatermass (Andrew Keir) concludes that the skulls are the residue of an extraterrestrial invading army -- a theory which (as usual) is scoffed at by the authorities until it's almost too late. Blessed with superb special effects and an expertly sustained tension level, Quatermass and the Pit is easily the best of the short-lived "Quatermass" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Donald, Andrew Keir, (more)
The Torture Garden is an "omnibus" chiller, adapted from four short stories by Robert Bloch (Psycho). Each is introduced by Burgess Meredith, playing a sinister carnival barker by the name of Dr. Diabolo. The doctor's audience consists of five people, four of whom are apprised of their ultimate fates as Diabolo weaves his stories. In "Enoch," a young playboy falls under the spell of a cannibalistic cat. In "Terror Over Hollywood," a famous movie star is revealed to be an android. In "Mr. Steinway," the "villain" is a killer piano. And in "The Man Who Collected Poe," the title character murders another collector over a valuable Poe manuscript--only to receive retribution from ol' Edgar himself. If we told you anything about the fifth person in Meredith's audience, we'd be giving away the ending, wouldn't we now? The individual episodes tend to rise and fall depending upon the strength of their stars. Among those present in Torture Garden are horror-flick regulars Jack Palance, Peter Cushing, Robert Hutton, Michael Ripper and Niall McGinniss. No, this isn't a Hammer Production; it was put together by Hammer's principal British rival of the 1960s, Amicus Films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Palance, Burgess Meredith, (more)
- 1967
A murderous mummy is on the loose and it's got the Hammer Films stamp on it, but this tame terror flick never gets the bandages off when it comes to thrills, chills, and gore. A British archeological team consisting of Sir Basil Walden (Andre Morrell), Paul Preston (David Buck), a photographer (Tim Barrett), and psychic linguist Claire (Maggie Kimberley) discover the tomb of Kah-to-Bey, a young heir to Pharaoh who died trying to escape a rebellion. The boy was buried by a loyal slave named Prem, whose mummy stands in a Cairo museum. The expedition is joined by Preston's wealthy, press-hungry father Stanley (John Phillips), who insists they return to Cairo with the body despite warnings of a curse by the tomb's guardian. The curse soon proves to be true as the slave's mummy is reanimated by the guardian and begins murdering each of the explorers who entered the tomb. While Stanley Preston unsuccessfully tries to save his own skin, Paul and Claire find themselves in a showdown with the seemingly indestructible mummy -- until they discover that the strange writing on the boy Pharaoh's shroud may be the secret to their survival. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andre Morell, John Phillips, (more)
- 1966
In this lively British parody of James Bond movies, a dashing secret agent goes to extremes to save the British Parliament from a communist take-over. To do this, he must keep the Ripper, a notorious double-agent from stealing a newly developed aircraft metal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Adams, Dawn Addams, (more)
- 1966
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Cartoonist Ronald Searle's delightfully diabolical private-school girls are back in action in The Great St. Trinian's Bank Robbery. Comedian Frankie Howerd plays the head of a train-robbery gang who cleverly hides the loot from their biggest haul (presumably the infamous "Great Train Robbery" of 1963) in a deserted old mansion. The gang waits the traditional seven years for the statute of limitations to run out then returns to the mansion to dig up their $7 million booty. Unfortunately, the joint has been converted into the new site for St. Trinian's School for Girls. Even more unfortunately (for the crooks, but not the audience) those "girls" are all holy terrors. The film's climax occurs during a riotous Parents' Day ceremony, which predictably segues into a wild train chase. Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery might have been funnier had Alastair Sim, the star of the first three "St. Trinian's" entries, made a return appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Howerd, Reg Varney, (more)
- 1966
This chilling monster film metaphorically examines the horrors brought home by British colonialism. Harry and Valerie (Ray Barrett, Jennifer Daniel) inherit the Cornwall home of Harry's brother, who died under mysterious circumstances. The local villagers are tight-lipped and afraid, and the couple's neighbor, the hostile Dr. Franklin (Noel Willman), hides in a large mansion with his frightened daughter Anna (Jacqueline Pearce) and a strange foreign man (Marne Maitland). The truth is that Franklin had been investigating a secret tribe of snake-people on his last trip to Borneo, and they had reacted to his intrusion by making Anna one of them. As a result, the girl turns into a hideous cobra-woman every winter, with bulging eyes, a scaly face, and large, venomous fangs. Other than the unusual monster, The Reptile may as well be a direct remake of Hammer's The Mummy, a film which this one apes in many of its contrivances. Director John Gilling does manage some effective setpieces, such as the sulfur-spring below the mansion, which keeps Anna warm as she writhes beneath a blanket to shed her skin. Underrated character-actor Michael Ripper appears in one of his more substantial roles as Tom, the local pub-owner, who goes from avoidance to digging up graves and risking his life to save the couple. There are some inconsistencies in Anthony Hinds' script, but the film is handsomely mounted and delivers its share of shocks. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, (more)
