Tom Watson Movies

A fanciful retelling of the story of Napoleon Bonaparte (played by heralded actor Ian Holm, this British costume comedy suggests that it was Napoleon's double, not the man himself, who died on St. Helena Island. The film begins by presenting Napoleon after his defeat at Waterloo, at the home of a young boy (Tom Watson), where he watches a slide show of his actions and begins to tell his story. The film flashes back to Napoleon's six years of house arrest, when he dictated his memoirs to an aide (Murray Melvin). He has concocted a scheme with his sidekicks Montholon (Nigel Terry) and Bertrand (Hugh Bonneville) and a valet named Marchand (Eddie Marsan) to plant a double in his place so he can escape to Paris, where he can then reclaim his throne as emperor of France. Posing as a galley hand, Napoleon steals a ship, but mistakenly arrives in Belgium, where he must then make his way back to France by barge. When he finally arrives in Paris, he discovers his contact, Truchaut, has died, and he enlists the help of his widow Pumpkin (played by Mifune's Iben Hjelje). Unable to reveal his true identity, Napoleon kills time by using Pumpkin and other supporters to start a profitable business, and Pumpkin begins to find herself drawn to Napoleon, though knowing his real identity. The film was directed by American filmmaker Alan Taylor, who helmed the quirky 1995 comedy Palookaville. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

Screenwriter and director John Byrne transformed his own 1983 off-Broadway play into this coming-of-age comedy-drama that is divided into six segments, each one a different day during one week in the lives of its main characters. Spanky Farrell (Russell Barr), Hector McKenzie (Bill Gardiner), and Phil McCann (Robin Laing) are a trio of working class teenage boys who labor in a drab Scottish carpet factory in 1957. Each of the lads dreams of a way out of his dreary life: Spanky desires to relocate to the U.S., Hector plans to marry a coworker -- Lucille (Louise Berry), who works in the mailroom -- and Phil toils as an artist, assembling a portfolio that he hopes will earn him an art school admission. While they plan for the future, the three young men are also eagerly anticipating a staff-sponsored dance that's going to be held that weekend by their company. Byrne's original stage production starred Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn and Val Kilmer in the leads. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Back in the Russia of 1918, Duncan's life was saved by fellow Immortal Drakov (Peter Firth).Out of gratitude, Duncan (Adrian Paul) promised never to fight or interfere with Drakov, no matter what the circumstances. 74 years later, Drakov, in the guise of security advisor Arthur Drake, has embarked upon a killing spree to prevent the signing of an international peace treaty. Duncan recognizes "Drake" and knows full well what he is up to -- but, bound by his promise, he can do nothing. Alas, by honoring his word, Duncan has placed two innocent lives in dire jeopardy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-cable TV movie, a young, windowed American travels to Scotland to explore the home of her ancestors. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Underwater Menace," the mad Professor Zaroff (Joseph Furst) launches his scheme to empty the oceans and split the world right down the middle. With the help of a fishlike tribe, the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his companions stage a counteroffensive, but time is quickly running out for mankind. Written by Geoffrey Orme, Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace, Episode 4 was first telecast on February 4, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Underwater Menace," the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) learns that Professor Zaroff (Joseph Furst) intends to empty the oceans and split the world in twain. On a more positive note, the Doctor's companions, Ben (Michael Craze) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), make some friends in their new underwater surroundings. Written by Geoffrey Orme, Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace, Episode 2 was first telecast on January 21, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the future, an oppressive government maintains control of public opinion by outlawing literature and maintaining a group of enforcers known as "firemen" to perform the necessary book burnings. This is the premise of Ray Bradbury's acclaimed science-fiction novel Fahrenheit 451, which became the source material for French director François Truffaut's English-language debut. While some liberties are taken with the description of the world, the narrative remains the same, as fireman Montag (Oskar Werner) begins to question the morality of his vocation. Curious about the world of books, he soon falls in love with a beautiful young member of a pro-literature underground -- and with literature itself. Critics were divided on the effectiveness of the result; some praised the unique design and eerie color cinematography by Nicolas Roeg, while others found the film's stylized approach overly distancing and attacked the central performances as unnatural. In any case, however, the film inarguably succeeds in making Truffaut's reverence for the written word abundantly clear, especially during the film's justifiably famous finale. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

The Silent Enemy is based on Commander Crabb, a book by Marshall Pugh. This is the true story of young Lieutenant Crabb (Laurence Harvey), who in 1941 arrives in Gilbaltar to learn the rudiments of deep-sea diving. Crabb isn't interested in recreation, however; there's a war on, and it is common knowledge that a band of Italian frogmen have been sabotaging the British naval forces. Without official permission, Crabb and a band of hardy volunteers take on the task of scuttling the enemy's guerilla activities. Silent Enemy is at its best during its underwater sequences, in which both British and Italian frogmen deploy an astonishing variety of deep-sea weaponry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide