Peter Sinclair Movies

The Harder They Come director Perry Henzel returns to the Caribbean paradise which inspired that reggae-infused classic to tell this breezy tale of a worldly, New York producer who travels to Jamaica to lens a commercial, only to find her latest production thrown into question when her star player storms off of the set. Susan (Susan O'Meara)'s latest project is a shampoo commercial that she envisions shooting against the backdrop of Jamaica's breathtaking beaches and waterfalls. When the shoot doesn't go as planned and Susan's fair-haired lead (P.J. Soles) abandons the production, the producer and a local crewman (Carl Bradshaw) voyage deep into rural Jamaica in search of the vanished actress. Shot in the 1970s and subsequently stalled when the negative went missing, Henzel's follow-up to the 1972 Jimmy Cliff classic was eventually completed in the early years of the new millennium when the director surprisingly stumbled across the long-lost footage in a New York film lab. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

It's said that you can't take on City Hall, but one man takes a game stab at the bus company in this comedy-drama from the U.K. Donovan (Colin Firth) is a genial eccentric who arrives in the small Scottish town of Port Clyde and rents a room in the home of a woman named Lucy (Katy Murphy). Life has not been kind to Lucy; after the death of her mother, Lucy was left to care for her bother Sandy (David Brown), who is mentally retarded, and her grandmother (Liz Smith), who is slipping into senility. These days, Lucy finds solace in drinking and an affair with a married man, Clive (David O'Hara), who has an alcohol problem of his own but dreams of leaving his wife and his job for better things. Sandy attends a special school for the challenged, but when the local bus service decides to do away with the route he takes to class, Lucy has no idea of what to do for him. Donovan, however, sees an opportunity in this problem; he buys a bus and starts a one-vehicle transportation service of his own, asking his passengers to only pay what they can afford and hiring Sandy as his fare collector when he isn't busy at school. The people of Port Clyde take to Donovan's new bus service, but the local transit authorities aren't at all happy to have competition, and Donovan finds his new business in hot water. Donovan Quick was the first theatrical feature from director David Blair, who previously made a name for himself in British television productions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Adapted from a novel by Rosemunde Pilcher, the British miniseries September boasted a fairly impressive cast in a fairly impressive production. Jacqueline Bisset starred as Pandora, a worldly middle-aged woman who after many years at large returned to her hometown, a provincial Scottish village. No sooner had Pandora arrived than she lived up to her name by opening a veritable trunk full of uncomfortable memories -- especially among those with whom she had been "familiar" in the old days. A Portman production, September was offered in two 90-minute installments by Britain's Sky One satellite service in 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This British concert documentary follows that country's very popular standup comedian and television performer Lenny Henry, who is largely unknown in the U.S. It was filmed in 1989 at London's Hackney Empire Theatre. In order to add interest to what might otherwise be a pedestrian performance show, there are backstage scenes in which Lenny impersonates such luminaries as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin, who all have advice for Lenny. ($Lenny Henry is best known for lampooning musicians and the British music world, and his humor particularly addresses the situation of blacks in contemporary British society. In one skit, he plays a Lou Rawls-type crooner of sexually stimulating ballads by the name of "Theophilus P. Wildebeeste." In others, he plays the reggae star "Fred Dread," blues singer "Smith," and the small-time DJ "Delbert Wilkins." In character as "Smith," Lenny performs a duet with the legendary rock guitarist Jeff Beck. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The beat of "go-go" music -- hip-hop oriented dance music with a heavy emphasis on percussion -- provides the backdrop for this drama about corruption and racism in Washington D.C. There are the good guys who play and promote the music, the bad guys who deal in drugs and crime, the bad racist cop out to close the go-go clubs once and for all, and the powerless reporter (Art Garfunkel) who is caught in the middle. While the script raises interesting points about police persecution of African-American men and journalistic credibility in coverage of issues regarding the black community, music is the dominant force in this film, with performances by Trouble Funk, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers and edds & The Boys. The film also deserves credit for portraying a side of Washington, D.C. not often shown on screen. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

British sado-exploitation guru Pete Walker directed this mundane horror-mystery about an American pop star (Jack Jones) who, after a long hiatus, decides to return to England in an attempt to jump-start his career and finds himself immersed in a supernatural mystery involving the grisly murder of his estranged wife at their London flat. Through revelations provided by his wife's ghost, he attempts to solve the murder -- which may have been committed by something not entirely human. Although nowhere near as bloody as Walker's notorious cult classics Schizo or The Confessional, this is still rather gruesome stuff, enlivened somewhat by the presence of Pamela Stephenson as the latest object of Jones' affection. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Britain's Merton Park Productions briefly put its Edgar Wallace series on the back burner for the 1965 sci-fier Invasion. Per its title, the film involves a massive invasion of earth by extraterrestrials. Keeping within its tight budget, the film depicts only a handful of the invaders, who are fended off by the staff of a small hospital. Head doctor Edward Judd, who is caring for an imprisoned alien, decides to protect his patient from the invaders, who plan to kill the prisoner before he can betray them. Armed with little more than his wits, Judd saves himself and his charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The British The Court Martial of Major Keller is similar in theme if not in outcome to the American film Time Limit. Major Keller (Lawrence Payne) is up on charges for killing his superior officer. He refuses to defend himself, leaving it to his attorney to probe the reason for his silence. An intensive line of questioning reveals that Keller's motives were patriotic: His commander was about to desert to the enemy. Court Martial of Major Keller was written by Brian Clemens, a loyal staffer on TV's long-running The Avengers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, a girls school gym teacher is almost lynched after he is accused of murder. Fortunately, the art teacher, his girl friend, saves him. Together they begin investigating the crime and successfully expose the real culprit before he strikes again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this charming children's adventure, a big game hunter's son doesn't share his father's love of killing; he prefers his animals alive. He dreams of having his very own coatimundi. Trouble begins when one of the rare creatures disappears from the local zoo. A newsreel cameraman is blamed for the theft until the boy steps forward and confesses his crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a clever chemist develops a pill that cures smokers of nicotine addiction. Realizing the marketing potential, he makes his discovery public, but encounters strong resistance from the international tobacco industry, which does its best to stop him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a snooty socialite is so embarrassed by her father, an ex-con, that she tries to have him sent to Australia. That doesn't work so she locks him in an attic. That doesn't work either. In the end, the father gets a job as the governor's handyman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this action-filled crime drama, a tough journalist relentlessly pursues a fleeing racketeer. When the gangster realizes that he is being pursued, he captures the reporter and then goes after his moll whom he suspects of ratting on him. The reporter escapes and rescues the girl. Meanwhile, the mobster is shot down in a police shoot-out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide