William Brayne Movies

Rival agents from both England and Russia race to gain control of a valuable plane. ~ John Bush, Rovi

Flame to the Phoenix manages to transcend its skintight budget and variable English-language dubbing. The time is the eve of WW II, and the place is Poland. When the Germans stage their invasion, most of the country is caught helpless and unawares. With no heavy artillery to speak of, the Poles must rely on their antiquated cavalry to offer resistance. Surprisingly, the cavalry proves quite efficient in warding off Hitler's panzer columns--at least for a while. Offsetting the desperate courage of the Polish military and civilians are the futile efforts by British diplomats to prevent Germany from embarking upon its hellish course. The storyline of Flame to the Phoenix tends to be disorganized, but overall the film is a worthy tribute to the valiant men and women who died fighting an apparently lost cause. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This spin-off from the British cop series XYY Man was built around two of the earlier series' most popular characters, Detective Sergeants Bulman (Don Henderson) and Willis (Dennis Blanche). On this occasion, the two protagonists were attached to Unit 23, a Northern police squad assigned to handle difficult cases all over the British Isles. During the series' third year, the members of Unit 23 concentrated their efforts in a single crime-ridden district, and accordingly the group was renamed the Inner City Squad. Created by Murray Smith, Strangers was carried by Granada Television for 32 hour-long episodes from June 5, 1978 to October 20, 1982, ultimately yielding a spin-off of its own, Bulman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This in-depth look at the nature and complexity of the welfare system prompted New York Social Welfare Commissioner James R. Dumpson to comment, "I wish all the public, as well as legislators and politicians, could see this film. It could have been made in any urban area in the United States." Acclaimed documentarian Frederick Wiseman examines a wide diversity of welfare-related situations during the film's 167 minutes. Areas covered include unemployment, housing, divorce, medical and psychiatric problems, concerns of the elderly, child abuse, and abandoned children. Both welfare workers and clients are seen struggling to interpret the laws, rules and regulations that govern their work and lives. Richard Zoglin (Time) wrote that Wiseman's cameras "have observed institutions from a New York City welfare office to Dallas's Neiman-Marcus department store, all with the same unvarnished...style." ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Celebrated filmmaker Frederick Wiseman offers another striking look at the inner workings of a well-known institution in this documentary. Shot in 1970, at the height of the Vietnam war and as popular opinion in America was beginning to swing against the conflict, Basic Training follows a company of U.S. Army draftees and volunteers as they go through initial military training at Fort Knox in Kentucky. Wiseman observes without intruding as the young men are taught the basics of fighting in the field and doing things the Army way. But as Basic Training follows the progress of the young soldiers who fit into the system, it also offers a look at a few who clearly do not; one recruit, who can't seem to master the basic tasks assigned to him and learns his sense of humor runs counter to that of his commanders, eventually attempts suicide, and finds few sympathetic voices among his superiors as he tries to come to terms with his troubles. Basic Training was the first of several films in which Wiseman examined various aspects of the American military, followed by Sinai Field Mission (1978), Manoeuvre (1979) and Missile (1987). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Timothy Bartlett (Norman Wisdom) is a middle-aged banker who is sent to a seaside resort for a banker's convention. He fears the meetings will be frightfully dull, but things change when two amorous hippie girls take Timothy for a sail on the sea of love. Timothy goes middle-aged crazy, making a spectacle of himself in hippie clothes as he tries to fit into the swinging scene. Nude dips in the ocean are followed and preceded by wild parties as he tries to recapture the days of his flaming youth. After he feels remorse and embarrassment over his behavior, he calls on his wife to join him at the convention to rekindle their love in this lowbrow comedy. The British rock group The Pretty Things provides the music. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi