Filmmaker William Oldroyd’s debut feature is a stunning Victorian dark period drama adapted from Russian writer Nikola Leskov’s 1865 novella Lady Macbeth of Mitsensk. Relocated to a remote part of the British northern countryside it is the compelling tale of how a reluctant teenage bride took matters into her own hands to re-shape her destiny … Continue reading
Fresh from watching the second series of ‘Downton Abbey’ the Emmy Award winning period drama, I had a urge to seeing some more work of one of it’s biggest stars, Dame Maggie Smith who now appears to be more regal than the aristocratic characters she excels at playing. My search turned up this rather intriguing … Continue reading
University lecturer Nick is taking his school-teacher wife Meg on a weekend trip to Paris to celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary. They live in a suburb of Birmingham in the Midlands of the UK which is a place of little joy. Nick is hoping this trip will kick-start their neglected sex-life into action again, whereas … Continue reading
To Brits of a certain age, particularly Londoners, despite their acts of unspeakable violence the Kray Brothers have always been considered with great affection as part of the folklore of the East End in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. Their exploits filled the tabloid newspapers at the time, as despite their thinly veiled gangster activities … Continue reading
Hard to believe that in just a months time John Lennon, the most infamous member of the Beatles, would have been celebrating his 73d birthday. In the 33 years since he was gunned down outside the Dakota the attention to his colorful life never seems to dim. A couple of years ago there was Sam … Continue reading