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Simon R. Lewis Movies

2000  
 
Adrian Dunbar starred in this two-part British drama as the ethically challenged Detective Chief Inspector Mike Love. Although Love invariably got results, pulling dozens of vicious criminals off the streets, his methods were, to say the least, questionable, and there was every possibility that he was mired knee-deep in corruption. Thus, Love's superiors launched an inquiry into his activities -- and in an ironic twist, the man leading the investigation was Mike's best friend, Detective Constable Lenny Milton (Ray Winstone). Presented by Granada Television, the two 90-minute episodes of Tough Love were telecast on October 1 and 8, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Adrian DunbarRay Winstone, (more)
 
1997  
 
Add Touching Evil: The Lost Boys to Queue Add Touching Evil: The Lost Boys to top of Queue  
The fate of three missing boys lies in the determination of a detective committed to ensuring their safe return in this mystery starring Robson Green and featuring a special appearance by Star Wars star Ian McDiarmid. Three children are missing, and the only clues in the case are a daffodil, a yellow Volvo, and the ominous account of an unstable psychic. Despite the grim outlook of the case, Detective Inspector Dave Creegan (Green)'s gut instinct tells him that the kids are still alive. When the trail of evidence leads Creegan to the door of pharmaceutical engineer Dr. Ronald Hinks (McDiarmid), the case that once seemed cut and dry soon hits a dead end thanks to a lack of sufficient evidence. Now, as the case hits a stalemate and time begins running out for the innocent victims, Creegan must choose between playing by the rules and relegating the children to certain death, or taking a daring gamble that just could bring the boys back home safely. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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1994  
 
Add Sharpe's Honour to Queue Add Sharpe's Honour to top of Queue  
In this action adventure, author Bernard Cornwell's fictional Major Sharpe goes undercover as a Spanish rebel and proves that, despite recent accusations to the contrary, he is indeed an honorable man. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sean BeanDaragh O'Malley, (more)
 
1994  
 
Add Sharpe's Enemy to Queue Add Sharpe's Enemy to top of Queue  
In this war adventure a brave British GI saves the beautiful wife of a colonel from a group of AWOL soldiers. The plot is based on a Bernard Cornwell novel. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sean BeanAssumpta Serna, (more)
 
1993  
 
Created by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe was the umbrella title for a collection of two-hour British historical dramas, telecast annually in two- to three-episode clusters from May 5, 1993 to May 21, 1997. Sean Bean starred as Richard Sharpe, a fearless and enterprising Yorkshire-born military officer who saw his duty and did it throughout the Napoleonic Wars. Abigail Cruttenden was eventually added to the cast as Sharpe's wife Jane. Individual episode titles included "Sharpe's Rifles" (the first program), "Sharpe's Eagle," "Sharpe's Company," "Sharpe's Gold," "Sharpe's Sword," "Sharpe's Siege," "Sharpe's Justice," "Sharpe's Revenge," and the inevitable finale, "Sharpe's Waterloo." Virtually all the episodes were filmed on location in Crimea and Portugal. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1993  
 
Add Sharpe's Rifles to Queue Add Sharpe's Rifles to top of Queue  
In this action adventure, author Bernard Cornwell's fictional Major Sharpe is faced with the daunting task of teaching a ceremonial battalion to fight for real. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Sean BeanDaragh O'Malley, (more)
 
1989  
R  
Originally conceived as a Return of the Living Dead sequel and later inexplicably re-titled (despite the highly questionable marketing value of a C.H.U.D. franchise) this clunky attempt at a horror satire involves a pair of teenage do-nothings who abscond from a military base with a corpse who turns out to be a zombie, the by-product of a backfired military experiment. Despite the C.H.U.D. (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller) references, Bud (Gerrit Graham) is really a zombie of the George Romero variety, chomping down on human flesh and spreading the virulent zombie plague to those unfortunate enough to be onscreen long enough. Eye-rolling Graham is fun to watch, as always, and Robert Vaughn puts in a goofy performance as a rabidly gung-ho general, but they provide scarce gems of humor in a morass of reconstituted horror plot elements and lame jokes. The end product is more C.R.U.D. than C.H.U.D. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

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Starring:
Brian RobbinsBill Calvert, (more)
 
1989  
 
Add Age Old Friends to Queue Add Age Old Friends to top of Queue  
Hume Cronyn and Vincent Gardenia star as two retirement-home residents, longtime friends who possess wildly diverse temperaments. - John Cooper (Cronyn) is crotchety and physically frail, but his brain is sharp as a tack. Michael Aylott (Gardenia) is easygoing and in excellent health, but his mind is slowly deteriorating. The two men form an "us against the world" bond, which crumbles when Michael's memory further fails him and John is advised to move back in with his family. Adapted by Bob Larbey from his Broadway play A Month of Sundays, Age Old Friends was first telecast over the HBO cable service on December 16, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Hume CronynVincent Gardenia, (more)
 
1988  
R  
Add The Chocolate War to Queue Add The Chocolate War to top of Queue  
The independently produced Chocolate War marked actor Keith Gordon's directorial debut. Adapted from the popular novel by Robert Cormier (I Am the Cheese), it functions as a political allegory set in a curricular context, in the same vein as Rene Daalder's Massacre at Central High (1976). In War, Ilan Mitchell-Smith plays Jerry, a new enrollee at the exclusive Catholic prep school St. Trinity. He attempts to fit in by joining the football team, but immediately runs head-first into Brother Leon (John Glover), a ruthless academician striving for a promotion to headmaster, and The Vigils, a underground student gang that wields a massive amount of power within the school. The abusive Leon attempts to goad as many students as possible into selling chocolates for the school fundraiser, but Vigil leader Archie (Wally Ward) has Jerry publicly refuse to sell any for ten days, as one of the annual 'hazing' rituals that the Vigils dole out to freshman enrollees. Jerry agrees, which turns him into a rebel hero among his fellow students, but he then extends his refusal beyond the week-and-a-half limit imposed by Archie, which puts him head-to-head with both Leon and the Vigils. However, instead of turning into an underdog story at that point, The Chocolate War remains realistic and cynical.

~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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Starring:
John GloverIlan Mitchell-Smith, (more)
 
1988  
R  
A young Ohio man moves to Los Angeles in search of a career and a girlfriend in this romantic comedy, whose action centers on the '80s singles scene. Eddy (David Packer) heads to California after his cousin, Skip (Scott McGinnis), promises him a job in the ad biz, but Eddy ends up with the unenviable task of handing out flyers on the beach. Turning his focus from the professional to the romantic, Eddy joins a video dating service and endures a series of inaccurate match-ups that drive him to adopt wilder and wilder guises for his video ads. Along the way, he meets Peggy Kellogg (Bridget Fonda), an employee of the dating service, but she's always got her boyfriend on her arm. Frustrated over Peggy's inaccessibility and the dead-end job he's unfairly been stuck with, Eddy finally decides to take a gamble -- to be himself in the yuppie fantasia of L.A. The soundtrack to You Can't Hurry Love features singer Phil Collins' cover of the '60s song from which the film takes its name. Kristy McNichol, Charles Grodin, and Sally Kellerman all appear in cameo roles. Kellerman previously appeared in writer/director Richard Martini's previous outing as a screenwriter, Three for the Road. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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Starring:
David PackerScott McGinnis, (more)
 
1988  
R  
When a biker's retarded brother is murdered, three irresponsible out-of-town college girls, Genevieve (Anastasia Fielding), Carlyle (Michelle Johnson), and Alex (Cristen Kauffman), are blamed for the boy's death, leading to deadly consequences. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

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Starring:
Michelle JohnsonJohn di Aquino, (more)
 
1986  
PG13  
Add Absolute Beginners to Queue Add Absolute Beginners to top of Queue  
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, Rovi

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Starring:
Eddie O'ConnellPatsy Kensit, (more)