Yelland, David

Chariots of Fire (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Winner of four Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture! The inspiring true story of British athletes competing in the 1924 Olympics. Ben Cross and Ian Charleson head a sterling cast of newcomers and veterans. The story told in flashback of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society.Running Time: 124 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 085393190828

The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for best picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies. Vangelis's soaring synthesized score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson

Chariots of Fire

The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for best picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies. Vangelis's soaring synthesized score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson

Rumpole of the Bailey - The Lost Episode

"You'll have a bit of fun with this one, Mr. Rumpole," and so will fans of this venerable BBC series. This may not be Horace Rumpole's absolute finest hour (65 minutes, to be exact), but it is his first. John Mortimer introduced his crusty, irrepressible British barrister in this long-lost 1975 television play, originally broadcast as part of the anthology series Play for Today. Leo McKern doesn't portray so much as inhabit Rumpole, as cynical about the justice system ("Crime doesn't pay, but it's a living") as he is passionate about defending his clients; in this case, a sullen black youth accused of stabbing a stranger at a bus stop. Though his wife ("she who must be obeyed") needles him as "an old Bailey hack," he rises to the occasion after determining that there is more to this "20-minute case" than simply "just another boy with a dagger." It's grand fun watching Rumpole get the best of scowling judges and corrupt policemen. Rumpole could very well have been reviewing this episode when he tells his son, Nick, "Sometimes, it goes well... sweet and easy as knocking back a pint of Guinness." -- Donald Liebenson

Stranded

Preaching To The Perverted: Guinevere Turner Signature Edition

Peter is hired to infiltrate the seedy, psychosexual London S&M scene. He must gather evidence of -physical assaults- to prosecute and shut the down this sexual hell. Inevitably, Peter goes too deep and falls for the irresistable Mistress Tanya Cheex. Will he accomplish his mission or be lured into this modern day Pompeii?

SPECIAL FEATURES: New 10th Anniversary Audio Commentary by Guinevere Turner, New 16 x 9 Anamorphic Video, Commentary by Director Stuart Urban , -Making of'-documentary, Premiere Party Featurette, Tanya's Toons: Interactive Comic Story Strip.

Chariots of Fire (Full Screen Edition)

The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for best picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies. Vangelis's soaring synthesized score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson

David Copperfield (BBC)

In this definitive BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens classic David Copperfield struggles to fulfill his potential after enduring the hardships of cruelty poverty and injustice. Starring David Yelland Arthur Lowe Martin Jarvis Liz Smith Patricia Routledge. System Requirements:Running Time 325 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 741952638292 Manufacturer No: KOCDV6382

The Bretts

In London's West End, the 1920s are one long and glittering post-war celebration. Nightlife fills society restaurants and the theatre business is booming. The spirit of the age creates stars whose social escapades seem as daring as their dramatic roles.

This "Masterpiece Theatre" presentation, created by playwright Rosemary Anne Sisson, shows the public triumphs and behind-the-scenes traumas that are all part of one family's flamboyant life in the theatre.

Since the 1890s, Charles and Lydia Brett have been the reigning luminaries of the West End stage: They are fiercely competitive, with a sophistication, charm and drop-dead chic that make them the darlings of London's theatre world. Sparkling with wit and period style, "The Bretts" recaptures the glamour and the grit, the vanities and the gifts of the dramatic artiste in the days when moving pictures learned to talk and the theatre was home to a host of rising stars.

Liberty - The American Revolution

Looking for an overview of the American Revolution akin to Ken Burns's The Civil War? Look no further! Liberty! The American Revolution successfully takes a unique, detailed peek into the 25 years of events that led to the establishment of the United States of America. The British are not painted as rigid "bad guys," nor the colonists as the rebellious "good guys." Instead, it correlates the complicated struggle between Britain and the American colonies to a stern mother and her teenage child longing for independence. Beginning after the French and Indian War (1763), Liberty! kicks off with the issue of taxation, the colonies' revolt, a declaration of independence, war with the British, eventual victory, and the establishment of a country and constitution unlike any in the history of mankind. The men and women involved are portrayed by actors and actresses reciting original documents, letters, and articles from the times. Well-edited, these soliloquies create an interesting feeling of conversation and continuity, almost as though you are getting a firsthand account of the events as they unravel. Though there are good battle descriptions (particularly Gen. Washington crossing the Delaware, Gen. Burgoyne at Saratoga, and Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown), the emphasis of Liberty! is on policy, events leading to war, deteriorating relationships, and ongoing governing challenges rather then actual military strategy. Nonetheless, this documentary is as exciting and interesting as any historical movie you will likely see, and a lot more accurate. --Rob Bracco

Lewis and Clark and Other Great Adventures