Clegg, Tom

Poirot - The Complete Collection (Lord Edgeware Dies / The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / Evil Under the Sun / Murder in Mesopotamia)

Four beautifully made mysteries comprise this boxed-set collection of Agatha Christie classics, in which David Suchet perfectly captures the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in which yet another of Poirot's retirements is interrupted with murder, is an admirable adaptation of a nearly unfilmable plot. Lord Edgeware Dies offers the pleasing combination of murder, theater folk, and a glimpse of a besotted Poirot. Evil Under the Sun features cold-blooded murder at a sunny health resort, and Murder in Mesopotamia doubles the fun by dropping all the intrigue into an archaeological dig. Each mystery is lovingly crafted with clever direction, a clear fondness for Christie's work, and painstakingly accurate period settings. Suchet and Hugh Fraser (as Captain Hastings) make a marvelous pair, capturing both the easy companionship and the frequent bickering of true friendship. Special DVD features include an index of all the Hercule Poirot stories and biographies of Agatha Christie and David Suchet. --Ali Davis

Bravo Two Zero

The story of the British Special Air Service Bravo Two Zero patrol that fought bravely in the Gulf war while on a mission to retrieve SCUD missles that were being used by Saddam Hussein to terrorize his neighbors.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-JUL-2004
Media Type: DVD

Sean Bean has yet to star in a major movie, but he proves his charisma in Bravo Two Zero, based on the true story of a British Special Forces unit behind enemy lines during the Gulf War. Bravo Two Zero begins with the men taking leave of their wives, children, and girlfriends, then takes us step by step through the procedures that lead to going to war: not simply the gathering of equipment and intelligence, but things like "proof of life" statements--something idiosyncratic that, if the soldiers are captured, will demonstrate that they are still alive. Sent to cut an information line, the squad loses radio contact, and the men are forced to abandon their gear and head for the border of Syria. From there things only get worse, and some viewers may find the going brutal. These realistic details give the movie its punch, but it's Bean who keeps you caring. --Bret Fetzer

Sharpe's Challenge

A year after the battle of Waterloo dispatches from India warn that a local Maharaja is threatening British interests. Wellington sends Sharpe to investigate on what turns out to be his most dangerous mission to date. The last scout sent Sharpe's best friend Sergeant Harper -- has gone missing and reports suggests that the real power behind the risings is Colonel Dodd a malcontent East India Company Officer and that the Maharaja has gathered into his impregnable fort. Once inside the fort things do not quite go as Sharpe has planned.Running Time: 138 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 794051267023 Manufacturer No: E2670

If the fearless Richard Sharpe is the Indiana Jones of His Majesty's colonial army, then Sean Bean is the dashing, captivating Harrison Ford of the adventure series--handsome, rugged, and charismatic. Bean, who proves here he's every bit the international action star, brings his righteous determination to this installment of the popular Bernard Cornwell Sharpe series. Set in the early 19th century, when the British Empire has a lot of skirmishes to quell and rebellions to quash, Sharpe's Challenge brings our hero to remote India, where a renegade British officer has joined forces with a local rajah, wreaking havoc on civilians and His Majesty's troops as well. At the behest of the Duke of Wellington, Sharpe sets off to India on what will prove a wildly unpredictable and dangerous mission, with kidnappings, horrific assassinations (a nail into the top of the skull is a preferred method), and treachery at every turn. The cast, including Toby Stephens as Dodd, Michael Cochrane as the sneering Simmerson, the delightful Irish actor Daragh O'Malley as Sharpe's loyal sidekick, and the lovely Padma Lakshmi as a sultry force to be reckoned with, are uniformly strong. But it's Bean, with his world-weary demeanor and craggily handsome features, who commands this rollicking yarn. The film, shown on British television, was shot on location in glorious, dusty, romantic Rajasthan, India, and the whole effect is equal parts Raiders of the Lost Ark, Master and Commander, and the American TV hit House, with Bean wearing heroism and cynicism quite comfortably, thank you very much. Extras include a behind-the-scenes documentary and some deleted scenes. --A.T. Hurley

Rosemary & Thyme - Series One

American detectives are usually played by tough guys and busty babes, but the British have more esoteric tastes: The sleuths of Rosemary & Thyme are a pair of middle-aged ladies with a horticulture business. Rosemary Boxer (Felicity Kendal, star of the classic Britcom Good Neighbors), a former academic, teamed up with new divorcee (and former policewoman) Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) over a murder case involving poisonous weeds and oozing red sap--plants and murder have been intertwined ever since. A dying lawn leads to a pretty Polish blonde pushed from a roof; while Rosemary tosses off tidbits about Victorian gardening techniques and the Latin name for the early spider orchid, the bones of a buried racehorse reveal other secrets. In one clever episode, flowers are the murder weapon themselves (though to say how would spoil the fun). Some mystery aficionados may find Rosemary & Thyme a bit abrupt; the hour-long format doesn't allow for the elegant unfolding and deft misdirection of an Agatha Christie adaptation. But the interplay between rambunctious Rosemary and pragmatic Laura is addictive, and the suggestion--spoken aloud in one episode, but underlying the entire series--that English flora respond to the evil deeds of humankind lends an almost metaphysical air to the pair's dual pursuits. Gardening fans will also appreciate the many lovely gardens, which the series lovingly displays. --Bret Fetzer

Laura Thyme, a former policewoman and garden-loving housewife, has just lost her husband to a much younger woman when she meets Rosemary Boxer, a plant biologist who has just lost her university teaching post. A suspicious death brings them together, and they combine their gardening skills and natural curiosity to dig deeper. Despite the success of their first "case," Laura and Rosemary hope their blossoming friendship will lead to gardening commissions, not detective work. But mysteries have a habit of following them around in this appealing series that combines two British specialties: gardening and mystery.

Shot on location in stunning countryside settings, Rosemary & Thyme stars the dynamic acting duo Felicity Kendal (Good Neighbors, The Camomile Lawn) and Pam Ferris (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Matilda).

DVD special features include an interview with Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris, production notes, photo gallery, and more.

Sharpe's Sword Collection Set

"Handsomely mounted epic." - Wall Street Journal

Acclaimed actor Sean Bean (The Island, The Lord of the Rings) stars in this action-packed series set in the midst of the desperate missions and battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Adapted from Bernard Cornwell's bestselling novels, Bean portrays maverick British officer Richard Sharpe who rises through the ranks of Wellington's army by his own daring deeds and ambition. Fast-moving, hard-hitting adventure, Sharpe brings to the screen all the danger, romance and sheer spectacle of one of the bloodiest periods in English warfare.

Includes: Sharpe's Gold / Sharpe's Battle / Sharpe's Sword / Sharpe's Regiment / Sharpe's Siege approx. 8 hrs. col.

Sharpes - Rifles Collection Set

No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: UN
Release Date: 1-NOV-2005
Media Type: DVD

Poirot - Murder in Mesopotamia

Hercule Poirot visits his old friend Captain Hastings at an archeological dig in Iraq and uncovers a multitude of secrets. The plot has all the makings of a soap opera: an impostor, drug addiction, jealousy, forged letters, theft, and of course, murder. But Poirot's sophistication, as expertly portrayed by David Suchet in a crisp linen suit, helps Murder in Mesopotamia to rise above melodrama most of the time. Poirot has his own poignant drama woven into the plot: he was originally invited to Baghdad by the Countess Vera Rosakoff (whom viewers may remember from "The Double Clue" in Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 5) but she is not at her hotel when he arrives. Poirot's dejection at her continued absence makes an apt framing device for this tale of a murderer driven by passion. Lively acting and an exotic, sun-drenched set enhance this video adaptation, making it as sinfully enjoyable as a good dose of juicy gossip. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

David Suchet returns in an all-new original Poirot Movie! An archaeologist's beautiful but unpopular wife is murdered while the couple is on the Middle East excavating a historical site. At the request of local authorities, a vacationing Hercule Poirot takes on the case in one of Agatha Christie's best-known tales.

Sharpe's Revenge Collection Set

"A thoroughly entertaining tale." - TV Guide

Acclaimed actor Sean Bean (The Island, The Lord of the Rings) stars in this action-packed series set in the midst of the desperate missions and battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Adapted from Bernard Cornwell's bestselling novels, Bean portrays maverick British officer Richard Sharpe who rises through the ranks of Wellington's army by his own daring deeds and ambition. Fast-moving, hard-hitting adventure, Sharpe brings to the screen all the danger, romance and sheer spectacle of one of the bloodiest periods in English warfare.

Includes: Sharpe's Mission / Sharpe's Revenge / Sharpe's Justice / Sharpe's Waterloo / Sharpe the Legend approx. 8 hrs. col.

Sharpe's Complete Collection

No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 14-FEB-2006
Media Type: DVD

Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy

A lavish production that captures the pomp, ceremony, and complexity of British and Indian politics, Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy stars the great Nicol Williamson (Excalibur, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution) in one of his last substantial roles. As the six-part mini-series begins, Mountbatten accepts a position that almost everyone around him thinks is folly: The Viceroy of India, specifically charged with overseeing the transition to India's independence from British rule. Only his wife, Edwina Mountbatten (Janet Suzman, The Singing Detective), supports him and, in India, finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the troubles of the country's emergence. This Masterpiece Theatre production is a bit like its subject: Stodgy in many ways but with surprising and engaging flashes of wit and drama. This idealized portrait of Mountbatten presents him as noble but accessible, wise and spontaneous---but Williamson's charisma and talent makes him vivid nonetheless. Intriguingly, what grows most compelling about Lord Mountbatten might sound like its dullest aspect; namely, the slow and often chaotic navigation of the political world. The series meticulously follows the seemingly endless tasks involved in forming a country, then dives into the struggle that followed, as Pakistan was created as a solution to horrific religious strife. Mountbatten shuttles diplomatically amongst the Indian leaders--Gandhi (Sam Dastor), Nehru (Ian Richardson, Gormenghast), Patel (A. K. Hangal), and Jinnah (Vladek Sheybal), who becomes the villain of the piece, with his Machiavellian scheming and heavy-lidded eyes. Some may find it questionable or even offensive to have India's history filtered through the life of a British politician (as well as the casting of a U.K. actor as Nehru); but Lord Mountbatten, despite its Eurocentric bent, strives to give a respectful portrait of this tumultuous era. --Bret Fetzer

A great grandson of Queen Victoria, nephew of the Tsar, and cousin of the Prince of Wales, Lord Louis Mountbatten had proven his mettle as Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia during World War II. But his toughest mission came after the war, when British Prime Minister Attlee tapped Mountbatten to oversee India's transition to self-rule.

This Emmy®-winning Masterpiece Theatre classic portrays the human drama behind the history. As blood runs in the streets, Mountbatten (Nicol Williamson) becomes the go-between for the charismatic leaders at the heart of the struggle: the Congress Party's Pandit Nehru (Ian Richardson) and Sardar Patel (A.K. Hangal), the Muslim League's Ali Jinnah (Vladek Sheybal), and the father of independent India, Mahatma Gandhi (Sam Dastor). The task is daunting, but the blue-blooded Englishman and his compassionate wife (Janet Suzman) soldier on, ending 200 years of British rule in India.