Lawrence, Diarmuid

Emma (A&E, 1997)

Emma woodhouse has a rigid sense of propriety as regards matrimonial alliances. Unfortunately she insists on matchmaking for her less forceful friend harriet and so causes her to come to grief. Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 08/29/2000 Starring: Kate Beckinsale Mark Strong Run time: 125 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Diarmuid Lawrence

Similar to the equally excellent Valmont, this version of Jane Austen's classic novel had the misfortune of following a sumptuous big-star version with Gwyneth Paltrow, which was released the summer before. And, just as 1989's Valmont suffered comparisons with Dangerous Liaisons, inevitably these Emmas were held up next to one another.

This delicious Emma concerns a young woman of financial substance (Kate Beckinsale), who fancies herself a matchmaker, especially with shy Miss Harriet Smith (Samantha Morton, who also appears in A&E's Jane Eyre). In Emma's swirling world of social activity and social consciousness, one's position and stature is a constant preoccupation. But to her credit, Emma, albeit a busybody, has compassion for all classes, and for her kindly but hypochondriacal father (Bernard Hepton).

This miniseries is more subtle than the grand theatrical release, is truer to the novel, and gives a richer explanation of the relationship between Emma associates Jane Fairfax (beautiful Olivia Williams of Rushmore) and the duplicitous Frank Churchill (Raymond Coulthard). Of course, at the center, as in all Austen stories, is the romance between the unsuspecting leading lady and an unlikely, but wholly suitable gentleman. In this case, it's Emma and her brother-in-law, the righteous (as played here) Mr. Knightley (Mark Strong). Strong's Mr. Knightley is more reserved, less coy than Jeremy Northam's; he plays Knightley more like Mr. Darcy (the leading man in Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which A&E also offers in a wonderful miniseries). Beckinsale proves to be utterly delightful and in no way should this excellent adaptation be ignored. --N.F. Mendoza

Heat of the Sun Boxed Set (Private Lives / Hide in Plain Sight / The Sport of Kings)

Former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve) finds himself in colonial Nairobi, the setting of Out of Africa, as head of a new criminal investigation unit. Imagine an athletic Hercule Poirot in the heat of the Kenyan sun. Superintendent Tyburn's unrelentingly independent policing style is remarkably effective against the murder, arson, blackmail, slave-trading, and other crimes that await him. The most serious impediments to Tyburn's investigations come from pompous Police Commissioner Ronald Burkitt (Michael Byrne) and the elitist, expatriate community's secret passions and vices. The outstanding cast includes Tyburn's talented crime-solving assistants, Constable Jonah Karinde (Freddie Annobil-Dodoo) and Assistant Superintendent James Valentine (Julian Rhind-Tutt), and his romantic interest, Emma Fitzgerald (Susannah Harker). The attractive, strong-willed biplane pilot Fitzgerald bears remarkable similarity to the real-life Beryl Markham, who recounted her experiences in West with the Night. The three episodes, "Private Lives," "Hide in Plain Sight," and "The Sport of Kings," are well written and action-packed. Mobil Masterpiece Theatre's Heat of the Sun will delight fans of fine detective work. --Tara Chace

A tangled web of blackmail murder passion and more awaits former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve from The Politician's Wife) when he arrives in Nairobi. He has been sent to head up a new criminal investigation unit under the command of pompous local police commissioner Ronald Burkitt (Michael Byrne). In these three mysteries: Private Lives Hide in Plain Sight and The Sport of Kings Tyburn uses his cunning courage and headstrong policing style to battle arson drug-dealing murder and the creeping colonialism of Kenya's hedonistic expatriate community.System Requirements: Running Time 360 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 783421337695 Manufacturer No: WG33769

A&E Literary Classics - The Romance Collection Megaset (Pride and Prejudice / Emma / Victoria & Albert / Tom Jones / Jane Eyre / Lorna Doone / Ivanhoe / The Scarlet Pimpernel)

This is a set of some of A&E's most popular literary adaptations on DVD in one 'mega-set', as follows: Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Emma, A&E's Original Movie Victoria & Albert, Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, R.D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone, Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, and the Baroness D'Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel (Books 1, 2, & 3).

P.D. James - The Murder Room

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 10/25/2005 Run time: 180 minutes Rating: Nr

The Murder Room finds Martin Shaw's second effort at playing novelist P.D. James's renowned poet and detective hero, Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh, all the more powerful yet painfully human as the character sorts out a double homicide and looks into his own heart to understand his emotional isolation. A psychiatrist, Neville Dupayne (Michael Maloney), and a young model (Ty Glaser) are gruesomely murdered within minutes of each other--one in a car garage and the other in a nearby wing, called the Murder Room, of a museum. The Murder Room focuses on famous killings in British history, and Dalgliesh finds it noteworthy that the two deaths he's investigating bear similarities to monstrous crimes described in the Room's display cases. Complicating matters is interference from British intelligence, which has its reasons for wanting the case handled discreetly. Kerry Fox, Samantha Bond, Nicholas Le Provost, and Sid Mitchell are all terrific as sundry suspects, and Tilly Blackwood and William Beck are a lot of fun as Dalgliesh's sometimes awkward Detective Inspector team. The suspense gets red-hot at times, and not just about the crime. The real question in The Murder Room is whether Dalgliesh can get his personal life together in time to accept the love being offered by the delightful Emma Lavenham (Janie Dee), the enchanting scholar he met in Death in Holy Orders. --Tom Keogh

Jericho of Scotland Yard - Set 2

Amidst the social upheaval of post-war 1950s London, Inspector Michael Jericho (Robert Lindsay, Horatio Hornblower, Oliver Twist) unravels headline-grabbing mysteries at Scotland Yard. His diligent team includes faithful friend and colleague Detective Sergeant Clive Harvey (David Troughton, Foyle's War) and the ambitious young Detective Constable John Caldicott (Ciarán McMenamin, David Copperfield). To Murder and Create: A distinguished scientist involved in atomic weapons research is brutally murdered on Valentine's Day. Was this murder politically motivated, or the work of an overzealous hate mail writer interested in derailing his scientific work? Suddenly more murders committed in a similar fashion are popping up around London. Are they connected to the scientist? Jericho and his team must race against the clock to catch their killer. The Hollow Men: As a smog envelops London, bringing the city to a standstill, a serial killer begins targeting courting couples. The press suspects it to be the work of `The Butcher', believed to be responsible for a series of unsolved murders from the thirties. Jericho traces the murders back to a cinema where the couples had seen the same film prior to their deaths. Deadly secrets reveal themselves as Jericho's team investigates further.

The Hanging Gale

Donegal 1846. The four upstanding sons of the Phelan family two farmers, a schoolteacher, and a priest are torn between nonviolent protest and bloody revolt when the injustices of the landholding system and the onset of the potato blight combine to devastate their community. Though his predecessor was murdered, the new land manager, Captain Townsend (Michael Kitchen), upholds the law while appealing to the absentee landowner for reasonable accommodation for the suffering tenants. Three of the Phelan sons try to work with Captain Townsend, but one takes the law into his own hands, setting off a chain of events that tests the brothers love for their country and each other.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE production notes, photo gallery, and cast filmographies.

RECOMMENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES

Jericho of Scotland Yard - Set 1

The Killing of Johnny Swan an episode of the mystery series Jericho again stars Robert Lindsay as the 1950s Scotland Yard Inspector. This time he investigates the murder of a celebrated athlete who was found dead along side his new bride the night after their wedding. Suspects include some of Swan's contemporaries as well as someone who has an axe to grind with Jericho himself. ~ Perry Seibert All Movie GuideSystem Requirements:Run Time: 224 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE UPC: 783421388598 Manufacturer No: WG38859

This is not your grandma's PBS mystery, set in a quiet, subtle British countryside. Containing multiple storylines including racism, kidnapping, infidelity, and murder (of course) in an urban setting, Jericho plays more like an episode of the Law and Order series. The complexity of Detective Jericho brings depth to these stories. Robert Lindsay (of Horatio Hornblower) portrays this multi-dimensional man; though straight-faced, on-point, and brutally serious in his professional endeavors, off-duty reveals his charming, quick-witted, and humorous side, which also can turn deeply introspective and lonely. Flashbacks from his youth reveal a troubled story, making him intriguing enough to keep you interested, without going overboard on the drama. In this modern series set in 1950s London, a seemingly unrelated murder and kidnapping occur at the same time, piquing the curiosity of the detective as he struggles to find the connection. Under scrutiny of the press, the public, and the victims' families, Jericho performs the daunting task of deciphering the truth amongst an abundance of suspects, all hiding their own secrets. Fans of the genre will enjoy this two-disc set, yet the sleekness, color, and fast-pace will appeal to those who may tend to shy away from such programs. Mind the DVD menu as it treats each two-part episode as one. After the first episode ends (credits and all) you have to wait through another set of opening credits and Mystery! intro a second time, before the next (or final half) episode. --Rachel Moss

Ultimate Force [Region 2]

Ultimate Force [Region 2]

Messiah [Region 2]