Lord Peter Wimsey - The Nine Tailors [VHS]

Lord Peter Wimsey - The Nine Tailors [VHS]
Ian Carmichael (Actor), Glyn Houston (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(18)

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Review & Description

Ian Carmichael stars as Dorothy L. Sayers' aristocratic detective in the most requested title in this phenomenally popular mystery series. Fans call The Nine Tailors not just Sayers' best novel but "one of the great novels of the century." Lord Peter finds himself caught up in a case involving a mutilated corpse, a 20-year-old jewel robbery, an outbreak of Spanish influenza and a set of nine church bells. Devotees of Dorothy L. Sayers's impeccable sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, will want to pour themselves "two large whiskeys" to toast the release of this 1974 miniseries based on one of Sayers's most popular novels. Ian Carmichael stars in his signature role as the future aristocratic detective, who, as a young soldier en route to the battlefield, becomes embroiled in "a very distressing story." Someone has stolen "a king's ransom" in uninsured emeralds from the estate of Sir Charles (Desmond Llewelyn, better known to James Bond fans as "Q") on the night of his son's wedding. No mystery here: In this case, the butler really did do it. But that's only the beginning in a puzzler that will span 20 years, when Wimsey inadvertently returns to the scene of the crime and steps into some "damn bad business" involving a recently discovered mutilated body. He discovers at the bottom of a well and in a church tower baffling clues that harken back to that fateful robbery and the still-missing jewels. The nine tailors, by the way, refers to nine church bells and the arcane tradition of change ringing. This entry in the Wimsey series offers the usual pleasures of splendid acting, colorful characters, and intriguing story. We also get to see how Bunter became Wimsey's faithful manservant. Suffice to say, The Nine Tailors will really ring your bell. --Donald Liebenson Read more

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Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 1 [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 1 [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape
(19)

16 used & new from $2.22

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Review & Description

The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim: Inspector Japp is called in when a wealthy banker mysteriously disappears on a walk to the post office. Poirot, who's become fascinated with performing magic tricks, makes a wager with Japp that he can solve the mystery without ever leaving his flat.

The Veiled Lady: After witnessing a jewelry heist, Poirot is musing about the thrills of the criminal life when a mysterious lady requests his help thwarting a blackmailer. Stealthy investigative tactics land Poirot briefly on the wrong side of the law.

The Lost Mine: Poirot is taking a drubbing in a Monopoly match against Hastings when they are interrupted by an aristocratic banker who asks Poirot to investigate the disappearance of a client. The man, who was to sell the bank a map to a valuable silver mine, is found murdered and a young stockbroker is implicated.Each tape in this attractive boxed set features a one-hour episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot, which originally aired in the U.S. in the early 1990s. Based on stories from Poirot Investigates, all three episodes feature the Belgian sleuth's familiar sidekicks Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran), and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson). David Suchet stars as Hercule Poirot, the dapper detective defined by his carefully waxed mustache and the genius of his "little gray cells."

Poirot shows his firsthand knowledge of criminal methods in "The Veiled Lady," in which a simple case of blackmail turns into a more sinister affair that briefly lands Poirot in jail. But in "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim," the detective's little gray cells do all the work, as he accepts a wager from Japp to solve the case without leaving his apartment; while waiting for Hastings to bring him clues, Poirot exercises his brain by learning magic tricks that help him uncover the sleight of hand behind the banker's disappearance. Banking is again the theme in "The Lost Mine," underscored by a running game of Monopoly between Poirot and Hastings. The way the series weaves such metaphors into the episodes adds a welcome touch of humor while also giving Suchet the opportunity to flesh out his character. Expertly cast and beautifully filmed, the episodes are worth watching again and again--even when you already know whodunit. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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Perfect Spy [VHS]

Perfect Spy [VHS]
Jane Booker (Actor), Ray McAnally (Actor), Peter Smith (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(20)

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Review & Description

Magnus Pym, master spy, disappears in a search for himself in this brilliant John le Carre story. As seen on Masterpiece Theatre, this is the complex psychological portrait of the forces of nature and nurture that bring one into a life of spying. A Perfect Spy is a captivating, straight-ahead adaptation of John Le Carré's novel about the development of a Cold War double agent, Magnus Pym, whose life since childhood has taught him the art and elements of deceit. Peter Egan (Bean: The Movie) plays the adult Pym, raised in part by his con-man father, Rick (Ray McAnally), and the latter's community of accomplices. Stranded in Vienna while working an angle for Rick that goes wrong, young Magnus (Benedict Taylor) makes a connection with a down-on-his-luck writer, Axel (Rudinger Weigang). That relationship will come back to haunt him when Axel--later a Communist spy--recruits Magnus to divide his loyalties between East and West.

Typical of a Le Carré drama, the role of nature versus nurture in the spy business is a complex and fascinating mystery. Magnus has always been a talented liar--it was part of his survival in childhood--and seems most comfortable infiltrating others' secrets and tempting danger. But he is slowly and effortlessly outsmarted by those who know how to maneuver a man into a corner before he realizes he has run out of options. The cast of this 1988 British television miniseries is the best thing about the production, especially McAnally (My Left Foot), who died the following year. Arthur Hopcraft's smooth adaptation of Le Carré's story keeps the sometimes complicated narrative accessible, --Tom Keogh Read more

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Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime - Tommy & Tuppence, Set 1 [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime - Tommy & Tuppence, Set 1 [VHS]
Francesca Annis (Actor), James Warwick (Actor), John A. Davis (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(26)

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Review & Description

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford show up rarely in Agatha Christie's books, but when they do, one thing's for certain: both they and the readers will have a good time. The same is true, for the most part, in this set introducing the adventure-seeking couple who take over a London detective agency. Oddly, Tommy and Tuppence made their television debut before Christie's better-known crime solvers, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. The video quality of the second two tapes (whose four episodes take place chronologically after the first tape, but were produced earlier) betrays a low budget, and the acting occasionally verges on farce--especially when it comes to Tuppence's obsession with hats. But then, the couple were always a lighthearted counterpoint to the more serious sleuthing of Poirot and Miss Marple. The lovely Francesca Annis (seen more recently in Wives and Daughters) is disarming as Tuppence, masking her shrewd eye with dippy charm; she may get the bellboy's name wrong every time, but she can spot the criminal faster than her straight-man husband. As Tommy, James Warwick expertly melds dinner-party suavity with bumbling boy-next-door charm. The pair are at their best in the two-hour feature "The Secret Adversary," which comprises the first tape. This tale of kidnapping and political intrigue reunites the childhood friends, thus beginning their life as Partners in Crime. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime - Tommy & Tuppence, Set 2 [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime - Tommy & Tuppence, Set 2 [VHS]
Francesca Annis (Actor), James Warwick (Actor), John A. Davis (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(11)

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Review & Description

Tommy and Tuppence stars James Warwick and Francesca Annis as Agatha Christie's husband-and-wife team of detectives. Together they zoom around 1920's England in a very posh car and solve all kinds of high-society crimes, from forgery at an exclusive nightclub to the mysterious disappearance of an Arctic explorer's fiancée. The show benefits from two charming lead performances and some wonderful period details--Annis seems to change her hat and her dress every 30 seconds--but it is at best only moderately entertaining. The years have not been kind to this type of mystery, in which murder is the equivalent of an especially tricky crossword puzzle, offering the amateur sleuths an opportunity to avoid boredom and have a terribly thrilling time. Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple survive, both in print and on film, because the central characters are interesting enough to make us forgive weak plotting and a lack of depth, but Tommy and Tuppence don't have the staying power of Christie's more famous creations. Their adventures are fun in small doses, and if you're in the mood for some witty repartee, but otherwise this series is little more than a quaint relic of a bygone age. --Simon Leake Read more

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Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 7 [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 7 [VHS]
David Suchet (Actor), Hugh Fraser (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(13)

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Review & Description

The supernatural provides an eerie undertone in this trio of episodes featuring Agatha Christie's most famous detective. Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) experiments with the Ouija board and tarot cards; she even hypnotizes a murder victim's widow (with some success) in "The Underdog." And is an ancient Egyptian curse responsible for the four untimely deaths in "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb"? Poirot braves the untidy desert sand to find out. Finally, in "Yellow Iris," friends and family gather for dinner to commemorate the second anniversary of a woman's death; the atmosphere at the table is so charged one almost expects the victim to come back from the dead.

As always, the fastidious habits of Poirot (played to perfection by David Suchet) and the charming naiveté of his assistant Hastings (Hugh Fraser) add just the right touch of levity to these grim tales. For this, one must credit the scriptwriters as much as the actors--their addition of witty exchanges and subplots make Christie's stories even more delightful onscreen than on the printed page. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries (Strong Poison / Have His Carcase / Gaudy Night) [VHS]

Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries (Strong Poison / Have His Carcase / Gaudy Night) [VHS]
Harriet Walter (Actor), Edward Petherbridge (Actor), Christopher Hodson (Director), Michael Simpson (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(91)

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Review & Description

Three elegant murder mysteries adapted from the crime novels of Dorothy L. Sayers which chronicle the relationship of amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane unfolds in a realm of romance and intrigue. Includes the mysteries: "Strong Poison," "Have His Carcass" and "Gaudy Night." Three Dorothy L. Sayers mysteries involving amateur sleuth extraordinaire Lord Peter Wimsey and the lovely Harriet Vane are realized to perfection in these 1987 BBC adaptations. In Strong Poison, Harriet (Harriet Walter) is on trial for murder. Lord Peter (Edward Petherbridge) becomes enchanted by her and decides she cannot possibly be guilty. What follows are the twin stories of Lord Peter's search to find the real killer and his romantic pursuit of Harriet. Both are charming. As always, Sayers has plotted her story brilliantly, with a satisfying mystery and a sly comic touch (a gentle poke at the spiritualist movement is particularly fun). The period atmosphere is pulled off naturally and with close attention to detail, and the adaptation has a careful reverence for Sayers's novel. The performances are all remarkably strong. Petherbridge is perfect as Wimsey, revealing his brilliance and allowing him to be hopelessly in love without ever damaging his dignity. Walter plays Harriet with rich nuance, saying as much with her silences as she does with her lines, and Richard Morant is quietly fantastic as the remarkable Bunting.

Harriet, fresh from the trial, tries to get away from it all and ends up stumbling over a recently killed body in Have His Carcass. Unable to resist a crime (or, for that matter, Harriet), Lord Peter is soon on the case. In Gaudy Night, Lord Peter is still proposing at frequent intervals, and Harriet, though unable to say yes, is also unable to send Lord Peter entirely away. But enough with the romance. As Wimsey heads off for some foreign service work, Harriet visits her Oxford alma mater and lands smack in the middle of a poison-pen scandal. Harriet's status as a mystery writer, naturally, means she's the one who should investigate. Sayers clearly had fun writing this one, using Harriet to gently tweak her own profession, at the same time both parodying and defending the cloistered life at a women's college. --Ali Davis Read more

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Agatha Christie's Miss Marple Collection 2 (VHS Boxed Set)

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple Collection 2 (VHS Boxed Set)
Joan Hickson (Actor), Caroline Blakiston (Actor), David Tucker (Director), Julian Amyes (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(25)

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Brother Cadfael Series 2 Box Set: The Devil's Novice,St. Peter's Fair and The Virgin in the Ice [VHS]

Brother Cadfael Series 2 Box Set: The Devil's Novice,St. Peter's Fair and The Virgin in the Ice [VHS]
Derek Jacobi (Actor), Michael Culver (Actor), Herbert Wise (Director), Malcolm Mowbray (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(13)

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Review & Description

Never tell Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk, your theory of how a crime "must" have been committed. "We must always be wary of 'must,'" he states. "Nothing is certain." And so attest these three divine mysteries based on the books by Ellis Peters and originally broadcast in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! Each feature-length episode in this boxed set is self-contained but plays against the backdrop of England's civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius, Gladiator) stars as Cadfael, who at one point is aptly described as "an odd kind of monk." The former "soldier, sailor, sinner, and Crusader" has his faith tested by crimes of royal intrigue and baffling murders that seem to plague the neutral ground of 12th-century Shrewsbury. The best of the three, "The Virgin in the Ice," is a good introduction for Cadfael initiates. This story of "violence and cruelty" involves the near-fatal beating of a young monk, the murder of a nun, and the disappearance of two children. Viewers' advisory: one of the chapters in the scene selection menu on the DVD contains a major spoiler. The "strange difficulties" continue in "The Devil's Novice," in which Cadfael's suspicions about a recently arrived novice are heightened by the murder of the bishop's chaplain. Finally, the local merchants are revolting, and the murder of two tradesmen further mar the festivities in "St. Peter's Fair." All three episodes costar Eoin McCarthy as local undersheriff Hugh Beringar, who relies on Cadfael when murder subverts his efforts to keep the peace. A tense standoff between these two friends heightens the climax of "St. Peter's Fair." Americans have never seen a sleuth such as Cadfael, a fascinating character who is at once a man of God, of science, and even of action. You'll find few Benedictine monks so skilled at using a quarterstaff. --Donald Liebenson Read more

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Ruth Rendell - Road Rage [VHS]

Ruth Rendell - Road Rage [VHS]
George Baker (Actor), Louie Ramsay (Actor), Bruce MacDonald (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(2)

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Review & Description

Modernity's classic conflict with the primitive wild is ablaze in this enthralling story of bloodshed in the battle between trees and pavement. Based on a Ruth Rendell novel, the story concerns a protracted fight by pro-environment extremists to stop a road from being built through a forest near Kingsmarkham. Detective Chief Inspector Wexford (George Baker) looks on in dismay as eco-terrorists and local bailiffs beat and maim one another, but he becomes directly involved when a weird series of daytime kidnappings--including the disappearance of his wife, Dora--are linked to a militant group.

As police procedurals go, Road Rage is a model of tea-sipping restraint: neither Wexford nor his close colleague, Mike Burden (Christopher Ravenscroft), ever loses his professional demeanor despite personal involvement in the case. Adapted for the screen by Baker, Road Rage is most interesting for its startling counterpoint between criminal monstrosity and heroic decency. --Tom Keogh Read more

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Poirot: Complete Collection [VHS]

Poirot: Complete Collection [VHS]
David Suchet (Actor), Hugh Fraser (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(24)

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Review & Description

Dressed to the nines, impeccably mannered and infuriatingly arch, Hercule Poirot is a detective like no other. Agatha Christie's dapper Belgian sleuth has delighted mystery fans for generations, and David Suchet has won universal praise for his pitch-perfect portrayal of Poirot on screen. Now, Suchet's first four feature-length Poirot mysteries are available together in this collector's set. Produced by Brian Eastman (Traffik, Jeeves & Wooster), these exquisitely crafted tales of death and deception were filmed on location throughout Europe and the Middle East. THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD--Poirot's retirement in a quiet country village is abruptly ended by the death of his disagreeable neighbor. LORD EDGWARE DIES--Intervening in a sticky marital situation, Poirot suddenly finds himself in the midst of murder. MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA--Poirot is visiting an ancient site in Iraq when the head archeologist's unpopular wife is killed. EVIL UNDER THE SUN--Death intrudes on Poirot's island holiday, and only he can determine who is responsible.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 Read more

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The Best of Cracker Mysteries [VHS]

The Best of Cracker Mysteries [VHS]
Robbie Coltrane (Actor), Geraldine Somerville (Actor), Charles McDougall (Director), Jean Stewart (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(3)

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Review & Description

Mystery fans tend to like their heroes fallible--gumshoes like Phillip Marlowe, DCI Jane Tennyson, and Dave Robicheaux have all been guilty of moral lapses in the course of righting larger wrongs. But it's hard to imagine a protagonist less saintly than Dr. Eddie Fitzgerald, a forensic psychologist based in northern England--his thirst for alcohol and gambling are surpassed only by his arrogance and famous temper. As played by the incomparable Robbie Coltrane, Fitz is so overbearing and rigid in his beliefs he can be a little hard to take, yet his innate brilliance at solving crimes and his essential goodness--that admittedly can seem all but buried under his bristly exterior--keep the viewer engaged and rooting for him.

These episodes, from the series produced by Granada TV and aired in the U.S. by A&E, are among its finest. The Mad Woman in the Attic (directed by Welcome to Sarajevo's Michael Winterbottom) traces the case of a soft-spoken man with that hoariest of television ailments, amnesia, after having jumped (or was he pushed?) from a moving train upon which a young woman was horrifically slashed to death. Fitz must determine if the suspect is innocent or playing deadly mind games. The Cable Ace-winning To Say I Love You finds Fitz on the trail of a neo-Bonnie-and-Clyde couple on a murderous rampage across the British countryside. And One Day a Lemming Will Fly features a teen suicide that turns out to be murder, and Fitz must battle a complacent police force as much as he does the elusive criminal. For crime fans, Cracker is indispensable and is an impressive reminder of what television can achieve when it sets its sights high enough. --Anne Hurley Read more

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Poirot - The Movie Collection 2 [VHS]

Poirot - The Movie Collection 2 [VHS]
David Suchet (Actor), Hugh Fraser (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(2)

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Review & Description

DETECTIVE EXTRAORDINARE! The incomparable HERCULE POIROT cracks his most challenging cases in four movie-length episodes from the popular TV series. As portrayed by DAVID SUCHET in this acclaimed British production, Agatha Christie’s brilliant Belgian sleuth became the most watched detective in the history of the PBS Mystery! series and a hit all over again on A&E. Set in and around elegant, upper-crust 1930s London.

DUMB WITNESS — Poirot confronts a case where the only witness is the victim’s fox terrier.

HERCULE POIROT’S CHRISTMAS — Choosing work over a cold flat, Poirot spends Christmas in a picturesque village solving a baffling mystery.

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK — When a killer stalks a London student hostel run by Miss Lemon’s sister, Poirot races against time to trap the culprit.

MURDER ON THE LINKS — On holiday with Hastings at a French seaside resort, Poirot gets drawn into a case that seems eerily familiar. Read more

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Our Mutual Friend [VHS]

Our Mutual Friend [VHS]
Paul McGann (Actor), Keeley Hawes (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(45)

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Review & Description

The body of John Harmon, a young man returning from South Africa to claim his inheritance, is pulled from the River Thames, setting in motion the plot of Charles Dickens's darkest and most complex novel. Harmon had been expected to marry Bella Wilfer, a young woman chosen by his father, but now the Harmon fortune will go to the poor but honest Mr. Boffin and his wife. The Boffins adopt Bella, and together they begin to climb the ladder of London society, under the watchful eye of Boffin's new secretary, who may not be what he seems. Meanwhile Eugene Wrayburn, an idle young lawyer, falls for Lizzie Hexam, the daughter of the man who pulled Harmon's body from the river, but he must compete for her affections with the schoolmaster Bradley Headstone. As the fortunes of the characters rise and fall, the River Thames flows eternally on, the symbolic backbone of this remarkable story.

Dickens was the master of Victorian social satire, ruthlessly exposing the cruelty and absurdity that supported the strictly hierarchical class structure of the day. This superb production does his novel justice, fleshing out the satirical bones of the plot with performances that eschew caricature in favor of psychological depth. Anna Friel's Bella is wonderfully complex, her innate goodness struggling with her love of money and desire for advancement. Paul McGann, as the lawyer Wrayburn, is also superb, wrestling with the implications of his feelings for Lizzie. And of course, this being Dickens and the BBC, there's a terrific supporting cast, including Timothy Spall as the melancholy articulator of skeletons, Mr. Venus. At six hours, Our Mutual Friend is a long production, but not a moment too long. A mystery, a love story, a critique of the pursuit of wealth and status, this is perhaps the best adaptation of Dickens ever to be committed to film. --Simon Leake Read more

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Alexander Solzhenitsyn's First Circle [VHS]

Alexander Solzhenitsyn's First Circle [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape
(3)

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Review & Description

December 1949. Joseph Stalin rules Russia through a brutal regime of terror and systematized torture. Inside Mavrino Prison, the first circle of penal hell in Stalin's Russia, the inmates - physicists, mathematicians, electrical engineers, and technical experts - are forced to operate a scientific research center. The term of their sentence is undefined. A discovery useful to the government could mean freedom. A failure could mean a labor camp in Siberia. From a phone booth on a dark Moscow street, a man makes a furtive and hurried phone call to the American Embassy. His call is being recorded by The Ministry of Security, for whom establishing the caller's identity becomes a matter of mounting urgency. At Mavrino, a voice print analysis machine is in late-stage development. The pressure to complete it becomes relentless. As tension, suspicion and the risk of betrayal mount each scientist must struggle to retain his humanity in the face of overwhelming tyranny. Read more

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Lord Peter Wimsey: Clouds of Witness [VHS]

Lord Peter Wimsey: Clouds of Witness [VHS]
Ian Carmichael (Actor), Glyn Houston (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(25)

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Review & Description

Ah, there's nothing quite like settling in and getting cozy with a complicated British country-estate murder. In the BBC adaptation of Dorothy Sayers's detective novel, which also aired on PBS, the brilliant Lord Peter Wimsey brings his investigative talents to use close to home. His future brother-in-law is slain during a country retreat, and while there seems to be no shortage of possible suspects, the investigation quickly centers on Wimsey's brother Gerald, the Duke of Windsor. The five-tape adaptation takes its delicious time in delving deeper into the psyche of the unhappy circle around the deceased, as Wimsey tries to avert a full trial of a peer of the realm. Ian Carmichael shines as Wimsey, one of English detective fiction's most memorable heroes--more nimble than Miss Marple, more willful than Poirot, more upbeat than Adam Dalgliesh. All mystery fans need for a lovely and satisfying afternoon is this series and a couple of strong pots of tea. --Anne Hurley Read more

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Lord Peter Wimsey: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club [VHS]

Lord Peter Wimsey: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club [VHS]
Ian Carmichael (Actor), John Quentin (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(13)

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Review & Description

"I'm investigating when a man died of natural causes," states aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, "but it's beginning to look more interesting everyday." So it is in this impeccably mounted 1972 BBC miniseries, which would make Dorothy L. Sayers's peerless literary creation proud.

Ian Carmichael stars in his signature role as the stylish, cultured, and erudite Wimsey, whose investigation into the death of General Fentiman is as irresistible as "poking sticks into a peaceful and mysterious-looking pond to see what was on the bottom." Fentiman died in his favorite chair at the staid Bellona Club. Oddly enough, his sister died the same day. Wimsey agrees to try and determine when Fentiman died ("I shall enjoy it," he exults). In a nutshell, as one character states (which is always helpful in increasingly complicated cases like this), dispersion of the inheritance will become "uncommonly awkward" depending on who died first.

The "whendunit" becomes a whodunit when it is revealed that the general was poisoned. The unflappable Wimsey has a colorful gallery of suspects to consider, including the increasingly unhinged George, one of the general's grandsons (why is he smashing a bottle of digitalis?), and Ann Dorland, who stands to benefit most if the general died first (what's the deal with the books on chemistry and poisons she has recently purchased?). Other memorable characters further enliven the proceedings, among them the Munns, George's bickering (and at one point blackmailing) landlords.

As the very British title suggests, this is not a crime thriller to set the pulse racing (the discovery of Fentiman's body is referred to as "something rather unpleasant"). But as the mystery unfolds over the course of 180 minutes (and 4 volumes), it is as captivating as a good late-night read. --Donald Liebenson Read more

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The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 (Voice of Terror / Secret Weapon / In Washington / Faces Death) [VHS]

The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 (Voice of Terror / Secret Weapon / In Washington / Faces Death) [VHS]
Basil Rathbone (Actor), Nigel Bruce (Actor), John Rawlins (Director), Roy William Neill (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(37)

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Review & Description

Contains four classic feature films:
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942) - When taunting saboteurs warn of a Nazi invasion of the British Isles through a horrific radio menace, the British Intelligence's Inner Council calls in Sherlock Holmes to help in the crisis. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942) – The great detective must stop the Nazis from getting their hands on a new bombsight, wrapped in a code of dancing men.

SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943) – Top-secret documents are missing and a British secret service agent is dead. Holmes and Watson go to Washington to recover the documents before they fall into the wrong hands.

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943) - Holmes and Watson are summoned to Musgrave Manor to investigate a murder. Holmes solves a complicated puzzle of an ancient family ritual to expose the murderer.

BONUS MATERIAL
Commentary from renowned British author David Stuart Davies
Photo Gallery
Original Movie Posters
Television Archive. Read more

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Unsuitable Job for a Woman [VHS]

Unsuitable Job for a Woman [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape
(4)

Buy new: $39.99 $19.83
15 used & new from $0.89

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Campion: The Complete First Season [VHS]

Campion: The Complete First Season [VHS]
Peter Davison (Actor), Brian Glover (Actor), Martyn Friend (Director), Michael Owen Morris (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(25)

10 used & new from $39.96

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Review & Description

Behind his distinctive owlish glasses and gentle, deceptive naivete, Albert Campion conceals a passion for excitement and danger. Peter Davison (All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who) plays Margery Allingham's enigmatic sleuth, with Brian Glover as his loyal but slightly shady manservant in these classic mysteries set in the 1930's. "Do you take the long road?" asks a gruff restaurant manager of a hapless drifter. Thus is launched one of the serpentine mysteries written by Margery Allingham, featuring a genteel 1930s sleuth named Albert Campion (played by Peter Davison, a former Doctor Who), whose bland good manners mask a macabre humor and a relish for solving crimes. All of Allingham's stories take the long road, winding their way through a collection of eccentric personalities, improbable murders, and unexpected narrative twists.

Look to the Lady centers around the attempted theft of a 1000-year-old golden chalice from the upper-class family entrusted with it care, encompassing witchcraft, a vast criminal organization, strange rituals, and a murderous horse. The Case of the Late Pig takes Campion and his cantankerous manservant Lugg (Brian Glover) into the British countryside, where they encounter a childhood bully, enigmatic letters, a human corpse replaced by a dead pig, and some very important ice cubes. In Police at the Funeral, Campion and Lugg investigate a murder among an upper-crust family of bickering middle-aged siblings and their imperious mother. And in Death of a Ghost the normally unflappable sleuth loses a bit of his objectivity when murder strikes among some good friends, the bohemian enclave that's built up around a deceased artist who decreed that every year after his death one of his 12 last paintings should be unveiled. During a sudden blackout at the annual event, someone stabs an abrasive young artist with a pair of ornate scissors. Campion's interplay with the crusty Lugg, a former burglar with an almost impenetrable Cockney accent, is the series' strongest element. The roundabout plots poke fun at the conventions of murder mysteries while providing all the comfortable pleasures of the genre. --Bret Fetzer Read more

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Brother Cadfael Series 1 Box Set: The Sanctuary Sparrow, One Corpse Too Many, Monk's Hood and The Leper of St. Giles [VHS]

Brother Cadfael Series 1 Box Set: The Sanctuary Sparrow, One Corpse Too Many, Monk's Hood and The Leper of St. Giles [VHS]
Derek Jacobi (Actor), Michael Culver (Actor), Graham Theakston (Director), Sebastian Graham Jones (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(16)

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Review & Description

The Sanctuary Sparrow, One Corpse Too Many, Monk's Hood and The Leper of St. Giles. Read more

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Agatha Christie - Miss Marple Collection 1 - Boxed Set [VHS]

Agatha Christie - Miss Marple Collection 1 - Boxed Set [VHS]
Joan Hickson (Actor), Geraldine Alexander (Actor), Christopher Petit (Director), John Davies (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(94)

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Review & Description

Dame Christie's most popular character, prim and proper Miss Jane Marple, is adored worldwide by mystery fans for her razor-sharp mind, intuitive understanding of criminal behavior, and trademark knitting needles. Enjoy four feature-film adaptations of Miss Marple's greatest mysteries in one collectible 2-pack. It's hours of great whodunnits for all ages. One of Agatha Christie's most popular characters, the beloved Miss Marple, is brought to life in these classic BBC and A&E Home Video mysteries. Included in the boxed set are 4:50 from Paddington, Sleeping Murder, The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side, and A Caribbean Mystery. The delightful Joan Hickson is always entertaining as the prim and proper Miss Marple, complete with her elderly woman charm and perpetually clicking knitting needles.

In 4:50 from Paddington, Miss Marple's good friend Elspeth McGillicuddy witnesses a man strangle a woman on a passing train, and it's up to Miss Marple to uncover the mystery. In Sleeping Murder, the Reeds move into their dream house, where Mrs. Reed is plagued by the vision of a body in the hall. In turn they call upon Miss Marple to help them uncover this strange phenomenon. When the American movie star Marina Gregg in The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side is almost murdered while filming her new picture, she's fortunate to have the help of Miss Marple to sniff out the evil culprit. A Caribbean Mystery has Miss Marple, who's in need of rest and relaxation, deciding to holiday in the West Indies. Her holiday soon turns into a working vacation when it's time for her to gather the usual suspects. This boxed set is a must-have for the video libraries of all whodunit enthusiasts and Miss Marple admirers. --Samantha Allen Storey Read more

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Best of Lovejoy Mysteries [VHS]

Best of Lovejoy Mysteries [VHS]
Ian McShane (Actor), Dudley Sutton (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(11)

Buy new: $39.95 $19.95
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Review & Description

" He's charming, handsome and brilliant and not to be trusted for a second. He's Ian McShane as Lovejoy, the disreputable antiques dealer whose ability to spot a genuine antique at a glance is rivaled only by his rare knack for getting into trouble. Clad in his trademark black leather jacket, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Lovejoy scours the countryside in search of valuable antiques and speedy profit. What he usually finds in the seemingly quiet world of antique shops and auctions is trickery, forgery, double-dealing, foul play, and sometimes even murder! But there's no need to worry. This rogue always finds a way to scrounge and scrimp his way out of trouble, conjuring up the most outrageous money-making schemes and swindling even his most loyal allies. With his inimitable charm, sardonic wit, and his trusted aides Tinker Dill, Lady Jane Felsham, and Eric Catchpole, Lovejoy is ready to play any game of deception- and win! Please note: This special sale price applies only to orders placed online, and is NOT applicable to telephone orders."The antique game is more fun when Lovejoy makes up his own rules, and this four-tape set finds the irascible antique hunter and scam artist up to his neck in trouble as usual--just the way he likes it.

"Friends in High Places" (the first episode of the third season) catches Lovejoy six months after his biggest score ever, already broke and aching to get back in action, and sure enough he leaps into a plot involving a possibly invaluable ancient Incan gold ring that certain parties want so desperately that they kidnap Lovejoy's own friends as a bargaining chip. "Love Knots" sends Lovejoy and his crew researching Muslim carpets after a bidding war leads to the theft of a seemingly worthless Berber rug. A mysterious Scottish sect obsessed with a commemorative sword sets the stage for "Scotch on the Rocks," a particularly wry episode guest starring Edward Hardwicke as a kilt-garbed gentleman with a penchant for strange dinner rituals. Finally, "The Ring" delivers the Lovejoy we've come to fear and love when he stages an "only slightly illegal" scheme at an auction and, in desperation, involves his gal pal Lady Jane Feldsham without clueing her in to the sting. Ian McShane brings the charming rascal to life with a twinkle in his eye and infrequent asides to the audience, as if we were willing coconspirators. I can't imagine a con man I'd rather be working with. --Sean Axmaker Read more

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Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Movie Collection [VHS]
David Suchet (Actor), Hugh Fraser (Actor), Ross Devenish (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(15)

16 used & new from $6.49

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Review & Description

This is a collection of five feature-length episodes of the Poirot mysteries.

The ABC Murders - This is the episode that star David Suchet calls his favorite. Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is challenged by an alphabet-obsessed murderer who announces his next victims through a series of letters addressed to Poirot himself.
Death in the Clouds - A ruthless blackmailer is killed on board an airborne plane filled with likely suspects.
Mysterious Affair at Styles - The Cavendish household is wrought with tension due to the marriage of John Cavendish's widowed mother to a suspicious younger man. When the tension turns deadly, Poirot and Hasting unite to solve the case.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - Further adventures of Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian sleuth. Peril at End House - A flying ace plays a pivotal role in a case in which Poirot and Hastings swim through a sea of red herrings to arrive at the truth.Deadlier than a nest of vipers and twistier than a mountain road--it's Poirot: The Movie Collection. Agatha Christie's supersleuth (played by David Suchet) is a proper, precise little man who cannot bring himself to eat hard-boiled eggs of different sizes, but it is exactly this obsession with detail that leads him to solve the five baffling cases presented in this boxed set. A lady's shoe buckle, a broken coffee cup, a poison dart pipe: these are the ingredients with which Christie brewed her classic mysteries, and the producers of these video adaptations pay an equal attention to detail in re-creating the stories on the small screen. Stunning aerial shots of England's coast and countryside are matched by elegant and elaborate costumes, particularly when it comes to ladies' headgear. Of course, nothing can outshine the fine performances of Suchet (who makes Poirot's fussy habits endearing and delivers wisecracks with unparalleled subtlety) and his supporting cast; Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran), and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) add comic relief and camaraderie to the proceedings.

The DVD transfers are generally crisp in both picture and sound quality. Special features include biographies of Suchet and Christie, Poirot trivia questions, and a filmography of all the Agatha Christie's Poirot episodes. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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