Sylvia Syms Movies

British screen favorites Timothy Spall and Martin Clunes headline the rollicking survivalist farce Neville's Island, which combines the premises of Deliverance and Robinson Crusoe, wrapped in distinctly English humor. When four white-collared businessmen undertake a team-building exercise, little can they foresee the disaster that will capsize their boat and deliver them to an uncharted, vacant island. Stripped of luxuries and creature comforts, this quartet of hapless, helpless businessmen must quickly learn to fend for themselves, against the harsh brutality of the natural world - while constantly bemoaning the absence of a swimming pool; a soft, warm bed; and a hot plate of Yorkshire pudding. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The Glass Virgin is a 1995 UK television miniseries directed by Sarah Hellings, adapted from the best-selling novel by Catherine Cookson. In 19th century England, wealthy young Annabella Lagrange lives a comfortable and secluded life on her family's country estate, where her parents (Nigel Havers and Christine Kavanagh) own a glass works. As a child (played by Samantha Glenn), she develops a special friendship with the charming stable boy Manuel Mendoza (Brendan Coyle). When she turns 18 (played by Emily Mortimer), she marries her cousin Stephen (Anthony Walters) and sees what the world is really like. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Michael Winner directs a curious amalgam of his own Death Wish and Abel Ferrara's Ms. 45, in this intense, post-feminist serial-killer movie, based on the bestseller by Helen Zahavi. After an explosive love affair crashes and burns, Bella (Lia Williams) leaves London for Brighton, where she begins to receive a series of obscene telephone calls from her deranged neighbor. Soon her neighbor also begins to stalk her. When the local police refuse to help her, Bella determines to take the matter into her own hands. Finally, at the urging of a loony Asian clairvoyant (Ian Richardson), Bella sneaks into the stalker's apartment in the dead of night and beats him to death with a claw-hammer. And to Bella's surprise, she finds that she likes it. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the three-part story "Ghost Light," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) have arrived at Ace's ancestral home, Gabriel Chase, in 1883. Hoping to discover the source of Ace's nightmares, the Doctor at first concludes that the house is haunted by traditional ghosts. He quickly changes his mind when he is confronted with a spectral light, a pantry full of radioactive silverware, a Neanderthal house servant -- and a spaceship in the cellar. Written by Marc Platt, "Ghost Light, Episode 2" originally aired on October 18, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joan Hickson stars as Miss Jane Marple in this made-for-TV adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery tales. An odd advertisement appears in the Chipping Cleghorne Gazette, which announces that a murder will take place on October 5 at 7 p.m. at a cottage in Little Paddocks. While the neighbors and assembled curiosity seekers who show up are expecting some sort of a stunt, it turns out the advertiser was good to their word, and three shots ring out, leaving a man dead. So who is the killer, and why did they commit such a bizarre crime? Could it be retiree Mrs. Blacklock (Ursula Howells), her cousins Julia (Samantha Bond) or Patrick (Simon Shepherd), her close friend Miss Bunner (Renee Asherson), or gardener Mrs. Haymes (Nicola King), all of whom happened to be living at the scene of the crime? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The rise of teen culture in 1950s Britain provides the backdrop for Julien Temple's unconventional rock musical Absolute Beginners. The film centers on Colin, an 18-year-old with a talent for photography and a fondness for the neon nightlife of British jazz clubs. He also is in love with Crepe Suzette, an impulsive, ambitious young beauty who abandons him after attracting the attention of a powerful fashion designer. Depressed and aimless, Colin turns for help to a flashy ad executive (David Bowie) who promises to make him a star photographer. The former lovers take parallel paths to success, capitalizing on the youth mania gripping the nation. The film's nostalgic yet gently satirical look at teen culture is tempered by a recognition of the era's social tension, particularly a disturbing rise in racism. Despite these serious undertones, however, the film tells its story with a colorful vibrancy reminiscent of both MTV and old Hollywood musicals, filled with such show-stopping numbers as a memorable sequence in which Bowie dances on a giant typewriter. Critical reception was mixed, with some hailing the film's spectacular cinematography and ambitious scope, while others found the mixture of tones and style too inconsistent. The film also drew lukewarm response at the box office, with the memorable soundtrack receiving more attention than the film itself. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

When a locked vault causes problems in the robbery of a bank, the gunman hold a bank manager and his family hostage. ~ All Movie Guide

Child actor Mark Lester proved that his sudden ascension to stardom in Oliver wasn't a fluke with Run Wild, Run Free. Lester plays a psychosomatically mute young Dartmoor boy, who avoids all human contact whenever possible. He is fascinated by nature, but cannot convey this love to his unimaginative parents (Sylvia Sims and Gordon Jackson). Through the kindness of a retired colonel (John Mills), likewise a nature aficionado, the boy is allowed to help train a white colt. When the colt becomes trapped in a quagmire, the boy is able to use his voice once more to summon help. Run Wild, Run Free was originally titled The White Colt which was the title of the David Rook novel on which it was based. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this psychological drama, the daughter of a British barrister is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Her bereaved father swears his revenge. When the man's neighbor is killed, the barrister finds himself accused of the death. He begins to wonder if he is not going stark raving mad. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Saint was a long-running (1963-1969) British TV series based on characters created by Leslie Charteris. Roger Moore stars as Simon Templar, a handsome soldier-of-fortune of dubious principles and morals, but a handy man to have around whenever someone truly deserving is in distress. The Fiction Makers originated as a two-part Saint adventure, first telecast as episodes #104 and #105 in 1968 then released theatrically as a feature film. This time, Templar is assigned to protect famed novelist Amos Klein from vengeful gangsters. The assignment turns out to be a pleasurable one when "Amos Klein" is revealed to be a gorgeous woman (Sylvia Syms). The Fiction Makers was written by John Kruse and Harry W. Junkin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This big-budget, big-studio espionage film is set in the last years of World War II. George Peppard, Tom Courtenay and Jeremy Kemp parachute into Germany, with orders to destroy the Nazis' V-1 rocket base at Peenemunde. Given the order of billing, guess which special operative survives the longest. This being an MGM production, Peppard has time to commiserate with Sophia Loren, the wife of the Nazi collaborator whom Peppard is pretending to be. If you're wondering about the film's outcome, remember who won the war. Operation Crossbow failed badly in its first release; MGM, deciding that the title misled moviegoers into thinking that the picture was a "Robin Hood" derivation, cleared up matters by renaming the film The Great Spy Mission. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tony Hancock, as big a comedy star as it was possible to be in the Britain of 1963, decided to pull a "Charlie Chaplin" with The Punch and Judy Man. He plays an end-of-pier seashore entertainer who is loved by children but reviled by adults. Hancock's efforts to establish himself as a man of importance invariably end in disappointment and despair. Not even Tony Hancock's legion of fans could be persuaded to drink up the bathos ladled out in The Punch and Judy Man. Ironically, Hancock in real life ended up committing suicide in 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide