Christopher Biggins Movies

Captured live at the Royal Court theater in May of 2006, this 35 year anniversary concert performance of The Rocky Horror Show offers infectious proof of how a show that premiered in the Royal Court's cramped Theater Upstairs on June 6, 1973 went on to become a worldwide sensation. In this performance, Rocky Horror Show creator Richard O'Brien performs alongside such original cast members as Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and Rayner Bourton while surprising the audience with such unexpected as former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head as the incomparable Dr. Frank-N-Furter. With narration rewritten by 'Brien himself and a few other famous faces in the remarkable cast, this is one release that no true Rocky Horror Fan should be without. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Previously adapted for British television in 1976, Edith Nesbit's 1904 children's novel The Phoenix and the Carpet was again brought to the small screen by the BBC beginning November 16, 1997. The plot remained the same, with five Victorian-era children coming into possession of an enchanted carpet and a magical egg, which hatched into a garrulous Phoenix. David Suchet of Poirot fame was heard as the Phoenix's voice this time out. Dramatized by Helen Creswell, this version of The Phoenix and the Carpet ran for six 30-minute episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Life continues apace for Edina (Jennifer Saunders), Patsy (Joanna Lumley), and Saffron (Julia Sawalha). Eddy has adopted a dolphin as both house pet and PR client; Pats has moved out of Odd Bins to make room for a new liquor aisle; and Saffy has finally found a boyfriend -- the wealthy, condescending Paolo Carlo (Tom Hollander). Mother (June Whitfield), meanwhile, has taken up with a cadre of in-your-face, elderly "snowbirds," while Bubble (Jane Horrocks) is out of the picture, busy with her new job at French Vogue. Pats and Eddy decide to vacation in Val d'sere, which, as with their earlier vacations in Absolutely Fabulous: France and Absolutely Fabulous: Morocco, turns out to be less welcoming than they'd hoped. While Pats takes up with a hunky ski instructor, Eddy has a near-death experience out on the slopes in which God appears to her in the form of Marianne Faithfull. Convinced she has been spared for some larger purpose, Eddy returns home to find that her mother's new friends have taken up residence in their camper van in the front drive. A more pressing concern arrives in the form of Saffy's engagement to Paolo; a meeting between the Monsoon clan and the mega-rich Carlo family goes poorly at first, but when Patsy realizes that Paolo's mother, Kalishia (Carmen Du Sautoy), is actually a former B-movie bimbo, the fearful society matron finds herself de-fanged. Soon life is a blur of wedding preparations, from fittings at Christian Lacroix's designer boutique to involuntary depilatory sessions forced on the hapless bride-to-be. The action climaxes at the ceremony itself, where the guests include a who's who of previous "AbFab" guest stars. Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout was originally broadcast as a two-part TV movie on BBC 1 in 1996, a year after the end of the third "AbFab" series. It would be the last installment until series four began in 2001. Former Shakespear's Sister member Marcella Detroit appears as God's angelic sidekick; the singer also contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including a new rendition of the show's unmistakable theme music, "This Wheel's on Fire." Nickey Clarke, Suzy Menkes, Bruce Oldfield, Christopher Biggins, and Lacroix appear as themselves. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

This collection of skits from the fourth series of French & Saunders lives up to its title. Although the comedic duo takes aim at British culture, BBC TV, pop stars, and the Middle Ages, most of the material focuses on Hollywood parody. Dawn French takes on a pair of box-office villains as she pokes fun at Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs and Kathy Bates in Misery; partner Jennifer Saunders, meanwhile, essays the Jodie Foster and James Caan roles, respectively. French experiences the familiar progression from face-hugger to stomach-exploder in a send-up of Aliens that also features Kathy Burke standing in for Jenette Goldstein as Pvt. Vasquez. Thelma and Louise also gets the patented F&S treatment. Other sketches include faux music videos for the Mamas and the Papas, Guns N' Roses, and Shakespear's Sister; "Lucky Bitches," a parody of celebrity sisters Joan and Jackie Collins; and an elaborate re-creation of the historical soap House of Eliott, in which the show's original stars, Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard, appear. The DVD edition of French & Saunders: At the Movies also includes the duo's 1999 Christmas special French & Saunders: The Phantom Millennium, an elaborate parody of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Filmed in 1979 and released publicly one year later, The Tempest is an abstract 16-millimeter feature film based loosely on the "magical" Shakespeare play. Director/writer Derek Jarman also throws in a few Shakespearean sonnets when the spirit moves him. Essentially, Jarman uses the material as the basis for a homosexual metaphor, most notably in the Prospero/Caliban relationship. He would further elaborate this concept in his next film, The Angelic Conversation. Jarman's The Tempest by its very nature speaks to a small, specialized audience. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Here's another the raunchy British "Adventures" series, released on the heels of Adventures of a Private Eye. Christopher Neil plays the title character, a bloke named Sid South. In course of his job, Sid runs up against thieves, would-be spies, motorcyle salesmen, and a bevy of cute female tennis players. It was perhaps a "given" that he'd also run across a character named Crapper. The delightful Anna Quayle lends a bit of comic dignity to proceedings. Star Neil also wrote the film's incidental music. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi