Why Didn't They Ask Evans [VHS]

Why Didn't They Ask Evans [VHS]
Francesca Annis (Actor), John Gielgud (Actor), John Davies (Director), Tony Wharmby (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(16)

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Review & Description

Brew some tea and curl up by the fire for murder, intrigue, and madcap upper-class high jinks in Agatha Christie's Why Didn't They Ask Evans? James Warwick and Francesca Annis play plucky amateur sleuths Bobby Jones and Lady Frankie Derwent (and yes, you've also seen them paired as plucky amateur Christie sleuths Tommy & Tuppence). In the very opening scene, Bobby happens upon a dying man who whispers the mysterious title question and we're off. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? has everything one looks for in an old-fashioned bloodcurdler: murder, false identities, a mysterious institution, and even morphine addiction. Warwick and Annis have the light touch of seasoned pros and slide with ease into the period setting. The rest of the cast dives into the fun and includes such noble veterans as Sir John Gielgud and Joan Hickson, herself one of the more memorable incarnations of Christie's Miss Marple. --Ali Davis Read more

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An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Box Set) [VHS]

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Box Set) [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape

9 used & new from $5.75

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Review & Description

Based on a novel by best-selling crime writer P.D. James, Helen Baxendale stars as private detective Cordelia Gray in this murder mystery series, featuring two three-part mysteries--Sacrifice and A Last Embrace.

Inheriting a ramshackle detective agency from her eccentric ex-policeman boss, Cordelia is thrown into a world of excitement and danger as she takes on an unlikely career as a private detective!

Young, headstrong, and sometimes scared, Cordelia quickly learns the ropes. In Sacrifice, she investigates an apparent suicide in which things are not what they seem. In A Last Embrace, Cordelia's investigation of a man's alleged infidelities uncovers lies, secret lovers, betrayal^Eand murder! Read more

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Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Series 2) (Box Set) [VHS]

Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Series 2) (Box Set) [VHS]
Helen Baxendale (Actor), Annette Crosbie (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(4)

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10 used & new from $2.77

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Review & Description

P.D. James's Headstrong heroine Cordelia Gray (Helen Baxendale, Friends) returns as she plunges once more into the murky world of crime.

Cordelia has resolved to make her mark on the ramshackle detective agency she inherited from her boss, and develop her career as a private detective. But there's an unexpected development--she finds herself pregnant. Still she is determined that the prospect of motherhood will not affect her ambitions.

The fiercely independent young detective matched wits with a pair of murderous thugs and snares an unlikely killer with a connection to Scotland Yard, proof to one and all that her profession is hardly an unsuitable job for a woman or a mother. Read more

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Mr. Wong Series Box Set [VHS]

Mr. Wong Series Box Set [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape

Buy new: $49.99 $27.97
9 used & new from $7.98

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Alfred Hitchcock Collection (Sabotage / Man Who Knew Too Much / 39 Steps / Lady Vanishes / Young and Innocent / Number 17 / Rich and Strange / Murder / Secret Agent) [VHS]

Alfred Hitchcock Collection (Sabotage / Man Who Knew Too Much / 39 Steps / Lady Vanishes / Young and Innocent / Number 17 / Rich and Strange / Murder / Secret Agent) [VHS]
Sylvia Sidney (Actor), Oskar Homolka (Actor), Alfred Hitchcock (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(22)

Buy new: $49.99 $6.64
45 used & new from $2.75

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Review & Description

This set of five titles from the British phase of Alfred Hitchcock's early career serves as an outstanding reflection on the great director's evolving preoccupations and pet themes in the 1930s. The earliest inclusion is the 1930 Murder, starring Herbert Marshall as a famous stage actor who takes it upon himself to investigate a murder for which a young actress has been wrongly convicted. Clever and witty, the film finds Hitch exploring the blurry dualisms of reality and illusion, guilt and innocence, and watching and doing. The 1932 Number 17 is Hitchcock in a particularly playful vein. A bit bored by the "old dark house" Gothic tone of the story, he uses the film as an opportunity to push the limits of camera mobility, the emotional underpinnings of shots, and the sheer fun of using model trains and other vehicles to create climactic chases. In the 1934 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, the director matches a sophisticated tone with a gut-wrenching tale of a child kidnapped by spies. A fascinating study in contrast with Hitch's 1956 edition of the story (the one starring James Stewart and Doris Day), this film highlights both his interest in the burden of secrecy as well as his youthful efforts at visual experimentation. The 1936 Sabotage is a stunning story of a naive woman's revenge-killing of her husband, a German spy, and the subsequent cover-up of her deed both by fate and by a police detective who chooses to keep quiet about her guilt. Finally, the 1936 Secret Agent, starring John Gielgud, Robert Young, Madeleine Carroll, and Peter Lorre in an espionage story of concealed identities and assassination, is dense with ideas about lies and the brutality of the hidden. A few features later, Alfred Hitchcock belonged to Hollywood, and the American cinema took a giant leap forward. But in this boxed set can be seen the blueprint of his genius. The prints of the films used in this set are serviceable and probably comparable to average 16mm classroom or museum presentations. The DVDs also include Hitchcock filmographies, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access. --Tom Keogh Read more

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Alfred Hitchcock Collection [VHS]

Alfred Hitchcock Collection [VHS]
Anthony Perkins (Actor), Janet Leigh (Actor), Alfred Hitchcock (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(8)

Buy new: $179.98 $74.00
18 used & new from $22.00

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Never Come Back (Vols. 1-3) [VHS]

Never Come Back (Vols. 1-3) [VHS]
Nathaniel Parker (Actor), James Fox (Actor), Ben Bolt (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(3)

3 used & new from $8.95

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Midsomer Murders, Set 4 [VHS]

Midsomer Murders, Set 4 [VHS]
John Nettles (Actor), Jane Wymark (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(25)

2 used & new from $39.95

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Review & Description

The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles (Bergerac) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby with Daniel Casey (The Wingless Bird) as his eager young assistant. Guest stars include Hugh Bonneville, Gemma Jones, Wendy Craig, and Paul Venables. Includes the following mysteries:
Tainted Fruit — A wealthy young landlady in Midsomer Malham fears for her life after she callously ignores the plight of an elderly tenant.
Ring Out Your Dead — Just before a big competition, someone starts killing members of the church bell-ringing team in Midsomer Wellow.
Murder on St. Malley’s Day — After a murder at the Devington School in Midsomer Parva, members of an elite student club close ranks.
Market for Murder — In lovely Midsomer Market, a ladies reading group starts losing members to murder.
A Worm in the Bud — A woman is found dead in Setwale Wood, an apparent suicide, except that her suicide note is emailed after her body has already been sighted. Read more

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Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Collection [VHS]

Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Collection [VHS]
Powers Boothe (Actor), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Actor), Peter R. Hunt (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(23)

9 used & new from $9.79

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Review & Description

For this set, you'd better peel off your trench coat, pour yourself a stiff drink, and get ready for a slick look at the dirty secrets of Deco Era Hollywood with the private dick who knows them all. HBO's Philip Marlowe, Private Eye takes Raymond Chandler's grittiest short stories and transforms them into stylish, atmospheric production pieces. In these six hour-long tales, you're taken on a tough tour through the decaying glamour of Los Angeles, from the mansions and movie studios to the jazz joints and one-night cheap hotels. Every character has a story to tell, and every one of them has a secret to keep. Powers Boothe does a wonderful job bringing the hardest of hard-boiled detectives to life in these colorful cases of corruption and revenge. In early episodes, the supporting players are occasionally overwhelmed by Boothe's talent, but overall, the acting is tight--and Chandler's dialogue is still razor sharp decades after it was written. The stories will keep you guessing until the end...which is exactly what you'd expect from a master of mystery. But the real triumph of the series is in bringing the grim noir morality tales to life, painstakingly re-creating the sweaty streets and penthouse suites of a great city gone to seed. When all the elements come together, you can almost taste the cigarettes, feel the sweat, and smell the aroma of cordite and dime-store perfume. --Grant Balfour Read more

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Inspector Morse (Collection Set 3) [VHS]

Inspector Morse (Collection Set 3) [VHS]
John Thaw (Actor), Kevin Whately (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(3)

22 used & new from $14.10

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Review & Description

Inspector Morse Set 3 contains: 1) Fat Chance 2) Second Time Around 3) Masonic Mysteries 4) Driven to Distraction 5) Sins of the Father 6) Promised Land Read more

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Inspector Morse (Collection Set 4) [VHS]

Inspector Morse (Collection Set 4) [VHS]
John Thaw (Actor), Kevin Whately (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(9)

16 used & new from $19.10

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Review & Description

The set includes the following:
"Happy Families"
"Dead on Time"
"Greeks Bearing Gifts"
"Who Killed Harry Field"
"Death of the Self"
"Absolute Conviction" Read more

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Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 2 [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 2 [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape
(14)

Buy new: $39.99 $31.99
24 used & new from $0.80

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Review & Description

The Cornish Mystery: Poirot takes on the case of a wife who suspects her dentist husband is slowly poisoning her because he's fallen in love with his young assistant.

Double Sin: Poirot tells a startled Hastings he's decided to retire and suggests they take a trip to the seaside. On the way, Hastings befriends a young woman who finds she's missing some valuable antiques.

The Adventure of the Cheap Flat: An FBI agent who comes to London to try and catch a glamorous nightclub singer turned spy dismisses Poirot as a "gumshoe." Unimpressed with the pompous G-man's tactics, Poirot is drawn into the case after meeting a young couple who've gotten too good a bargain on a prime apartment.Poison, stolen antiques, and international intrigue--all of these are just another day's work for Agatha Christie's famed detective Hercule Poirot. In the three episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot collected in this boxed set, the dapper Belgian sleuth (David Suchet) and his faithful associate Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) match wits with Scotland Yard and the FBI.

Unlike the brash, gun-toting FBI agent (William Hootkins) in "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat," Poirot refuses to accept the obvious solution to any crime and uses his polite European manners to catch the real culprits off guard. Suchet captures the essence of Poirot's shrewdness and charm with such marvelously subtle gestures as lighting a suspect's cigarette while recounting the details of her crime. In "Double Sin" and "The Cornish Mystery," Poirot travels to the Lake District and Cornwall, giving viewers the benefit of beautiful scenery in addition to a delicious mystery. Like Suchet, the producers of the series paid meticulous attention to detail when creating the sets and costumes, and the results are sure to delight Christie fans and make new ones. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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Brother Cadfael, Set 4 (The Pilgrim of Hate / The Holy Thief / The Potter's Field) [VHS]

Brother Cadfael, Set 4 (The Pilgrim of Hate / The Holy Thief / The Potter's Field) [VHS]
Derek Jacobi (Actor), Michael Culver (Actor), Sebastian Graham Jones (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(14)

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Review & Description

The Pilgrim of Hate
Brother Cadfael, the Sherlock Holmes of the medieval world, discovers a corpse among the parade of the infirm and diseased taking refuge in the abbey on "Cripples Day." Thieves and con men ply their trades among the pilgrims so there is no shortage of suspects, but a few personalities leap from the crowd, namely a bitter young man accompanied by his pickpocket sister and a dying pilgrim making the trek barefoot while his pious brother pushes him along. The struggle between faith and dogma that rings through all of the Cadfael mysteries takes center stage in this story. The piety of the more judgmental Brothers of the Order comes across as hypocritical in their dealings with the unwashed peasants (who are, much to the monks' dismay, detained within the abbey walls during the investigation), but even their intolerance pales next to Cadfael's terrible discovery in the murder.

The Potter's Field
The brothers of the Shrewsbury monastery are doing some innocent backyard plowing when they turn up a murder victim's corpse--perhaps that of the former wife of their own Brother Ruald. Shrewsbury boils with rumors and accusations as a civil war devastates the countryside. The Potter's Field is a terrific mystery, filled with compelling human drama as well as a knotty riddle with a shocking solution. The production has an authentic feel, showing both the practicalities and the squalor of medieval life, and the direction artfully enhances the story. The acting is excellent across the board, with Jacobi's surehanded embodiment of Cadfael leading the way. This is an excellent, satisfying mystery.

The Holy Thief
Suspicion falls on the holy, the holier-than-thou, and the unholy when the sacred relics of Saint Winifred are stolen from the abbey and the pious prior of a fallen monastery and a greedy land baron both lay claim to them. Kidnapping, the jewel robbery, and murder only complicate the efforts of Brother Cadfael to separate holy miracle from worldly conspiracy. Derek Jacobi fills Brother Cadfael with a warmth to match his logic and a passion for justice that stands in contrast to the often fatal superstition of his world (trial by water as binding law). This episode is one of the darkest and most interesting entries in the series. --Sean Axmaker Read more

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Forgotten [VHS]

Forgotten [VHS]
Amanda Burton (Actor), Sally Faulkner (Actor), Ben Bolt (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(8)

2 used & new from $19.95

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Review & Description

A sense of unease permeates Forgotten, a three-part mystery series produced by London Weekend Television. The first episode opens in a fairy-tale atmosphere of little girls in white dresses and flower wreaths skipping through the woods in an English country village. The fairy tale turns nightmare when one girl meets an unfortunate end and a mysterious stranger (Amanda Burton) checks into the bed and breakfast run by Ben Turner (Paul McGann) and his wife Natalie (Zara Turner). Threatening letters follow, and the ensuing investigation turns up more than a few surprises. A few plot twists seem contrived, but the film's focus on the relationships between husband and wife, parent and child--enhanced by the expertly restrained performances of the cast--make it a compelling glimpse of human drama as well as a shockingly suspenseful mystery. The end is guaranteed to surprise and disturb even the most astute armchair detective. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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The Best of Hitchcock - Volume 1 (Psycho, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Topaz, Rope, Shadow of a Doubt, Family Plot, Alfred Hitchcock Presents #1) [VHS]

The Best of Hitchcock - Volume 1 (Psycho, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Topaz, Rope, Shadow of a Doubt, Family Plot, Alfred Hitchcock Presents #1) [VHS]
Anthony Perkins (Actor), Janet Leigh (Actor), Alfred Hitchcock (Director), Gus Van Sant (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(3)

Buy new: $99.98 $24.98
7 used & new from $24.98

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Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings [VHS]

Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings [VHS]
Ian Carmichael (Actor), Glyn Houston (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(18)

Buy new: $59.99 $19.69
32 used & new from $2.27

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Review & Description

Lord Peter Wimsey (Ian Carmichael) and his manservant, Bunter (Glyn Houston), take a holiday in Scotland, but instead of spending his time fishing and playing the odd round of golf, Wimsey soon finds himself traipsing through the bracken in pursuit of a killer. It's a thankless task, really, considering that no one in town is sorry the victim is dead; one villager describes him as "a bitterly unpopular man... with a permanent grudge against everybody." Six of the dead man's fellow artists have recently argued with him, and none has a satisfactory alibi. With the invaluable aid of Bunter--who somehow manages to do a considerable amount of sleuthing, win the heart of a local chambermaid, and still prepare a full dinner before his master's return each day--Wimsey must determine which five are red herrings, and which one is guilty. Two of the four one-hour episodes end in cliffhangers (one literally) that are guaranteed to have viewers popping in the next tape as soon as they can slide it out of the box. Carmichael easily slips from charming to cunning as the witty and quick-witted Wimsey; unfortunately, while both the acting and scenery are a pleasure to watch, the solution is ultimately disappointing--an anti-climactic conclusion to an otherwise enjoyable holiday in the world of Dorothy L. Sayers's creation. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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P.D. James - A Taste for Death [VHS]

P.D. James - A Taste for Death [VHS]
Roy Marsden (Actor), Wendy Hiller (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(6)

3 used & new from $5.45

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Review & Description

Commander Dalgliesh uncovers the devious schemes and dark secrets that lurk behind the respectable façade of a government minister’s household in a complex case of multiple murder and heart-pounding suspense.Roy Marsden returns for another of his ever-deepening performances as Inspector Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard, the protagonist hero of a series of much-honored, P.D. James mystery novels. A perfect match of procedural deduction, horrifying but imaginative crimes to solve, and James's familiar embrace of resonant characterization, A Taste for Death finds Dalgliesh investigating twin murders in a London church: one victim a beleaguered, former minister of the Crown and a man of Dalgliesh's favorable acquaintance, the other a homeless man accustomed to finding shelter in the vestibule. Dalgliesh, a perfect and perhaps unique blend of humble compassion and take-no-prisoners probing mind, becomes the thread in a complex tale of multiple motives, seething emotions, unusual suspects, and such puzzling clues as a burnt diary, all in the effort to find an elusive link between two dead men of very different breeding and destinies. --Tom Keogh Read more

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The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Well-Schooled in Murder / Payment in Blood / For the Sake of Elena / Missing Joseph [VHS]

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Well-Schooled in Murder / Payment in Blood / For the Sake of Elena / Missing Joseph [VHS]
James McAvoy (Actor), Naomi Frederick (Actor), Kim Flitcroft (Director), Richard Laxton (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(35)

11 used & new from $4.13

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Review & Description

Love, life and murder. Just a few of Inspector Lynley’s mysteries. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries feature the most celebrated British detective duo in years: Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small). Over the course of more than 10 intriguing Elizabeth George novels, beginning with A Great Deliverance, Lynley and Havers have won millions of loyal fans. It’s no mystery why. Decidedly uppercrust detective Lynley and his partner Havers endure a marriage made at police headquarters. Lynley is suave, sophisticated, and the eighth Earl of Asherton. Havers is rumpled, resentful, and working class—with an inborn dislike of the highborn. Despite their differences, the sleuths evolve into a potent team, employing their cunning, intuition, and street smarts to unravel some of the most heinous—and suspenseful—crimes. Well-Schooled In Murder When a student from prestigious Bredgar Hall is found dead under bizarre circumstances, Lynley receives a call from an old school chum asking for help. The Inspector and Havers soon discover hints of impropriety among both masters and students and race to crack the case before more students come into harm’s way. Payment in Blood A playwright is murdered in her sleep on the eve of her new play’s debut, forcing Lynley and Havers to select from an entire cast of suspects. The mysterious drama is further complicated by Lynley’s deepening feelings for a woman involved with the play’s director, who is himself a prime suspect. For The Sake Of Elena The fog lifts over the green hills of Cambridge, revealing the lifeless body of a prominent professor’s daughter, a young woman admired for being fun-loving, popular, daring—and deaf. The mystery is far from academic as Lynley and Havers discover fatal twists that sealed the fate of one dysfunctional family. Missing Joseph A rural vicar is the victim of hemlock poisoning. Lynley and Havers discover that everyone from the local herbalist and her troubled teenage daughter to the local constable has a motive. The duo combs the countryside sifting for clues, and finally uncovers the secrets behind the murder.As Diana Rigg, the host of Mystery!, the venerable PBS series which premiered these films, observes, Inspector Lynley gives his partner, Barbara Havers, class, while she gives him nothing but grief. That's not quite the case, although by the final episode in this four-part series, they can be heard bantering like David and Maddie from Moonlighting. And what is that tentatively wistful look on Havers' face while Lynley regards his relationship with an unrequited love? The Inspector Lynley Mysteries reunites author Elizabeth George's mismatched partners first introduced onscreen in A Great Deliverance. Nathaniel Parker (Eddie Murphy's ghostly host in The Haunted Mansion) stars as Lynley, Oxford-educated detective, and eighth earl of Asherton. Sharon Small costars as Havers, a working class cop. Their class differences and personal prejudices are well delineated in "Well Schooled in Murder," set at a posh boarding school where a young student has been slain, and "For the Sake of Elena," which investigates the death of a Cambridge Universty professor's deaf daughter.

The other two cases are more intriguingly personal, as Lynley is reunited with lifelong friend Helen Clyde. In "Payment in Blood," she is one of a cast of suspects when a playwright is slaughtered. In "Missing Joseph," she returns as a profiler, who assists Lynley in the case of a poisoned vicar. We also see the softer side of Havers as she deals with her increasingly senile mother. While fans of George's books may regret the abridgements necessary to bring each episode in at 90 minutes, mystery buffs will enjoy the contemporary spin on classic genre conventions, and Lynley and Havers' prickly relationship, which is at the heart of the series. --Donald Liebenson Read more

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Heat of the Sun [VHS]

Heat of the Sun [VHS]
Trevor Eve (Actor), Freddie Annobil-Dodoo (Actor), Paul Seed (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(57)

10 used & new from $7.00

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Review & Description

A tangled web of blackmail, murder, passion, and more awaits former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn (Trevor Eve; 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.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 Read more

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The Singing Detective [VHS]

The Singing Detective [VHS]
Michael Gambon (Actor), Patrick Malahide (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(96)

Buy new: $59.98 $28.99
7 used & new from $10.84

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Review & Description

The late Dennis Potter was a master at mining the popular songs of the 1930s and '40s for dramatic effect, but he never did it better than in this British miniseries starring the inestimable Michael Gambon. Gambon plays a mystery writer named Philip E. Marlow, who is suffering a torturous bout of psoriatic arthritis in a British hospital, where he is a victim of both his disease and the national health plan. Unable to move without pain, he escapes into his imagination, plotting out a murder tale in which he is both a big-band singer and a private eye. But Potter and director Jon Amiel also mix in flashbacks of Marlow's youth and his unhappy marriage to explain how the real Marlow reached this sorry pass. Flawlessly, intricately, kaleidoscopically assembled, the six one-hour episodes of this British miniseries fly by like some fantastic fever dream. --Marshall Fine Read more

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Sherlock Holmes Collection [VHS]

Sherlock Holmes Collection [VHS]
Ronald Howard (Actor), Howard Marion-Crawford (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape
(6)

29 used & new from $5.18

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A Perfect Spy [VHS]

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

Buy new: $39.98 $34.88
15 used & new from $5.10

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Review & Description

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 Poirot, Vol. 4 [VHS]

Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 4 [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape
(15)

Buy new: $39.99 $32.77
18 used & new from $4.63

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Review & Description

In two of the three episodes included here, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot tries to solve a crime before it's even happened. In "Wasps' Nest," it's a murder--but the victim isn't the person you'd expect. In "The Million-Dollar Bond Robbery," it's the theft of American bonds en route from London to New York. But even the most devious criminal mind is no match for Agatha Christie's famous detective. These videos, originally produced for the BBC, are sure to delight old fans and enchant new ones. David Suchet's portrayal gives Poirot a depth of character often missing from other screen versions; Suchet's Poirot is charming, witty, finicky, and sometimes downright testy. Yet he is always compassionate, especially in the more somber "Plymouth Express," in which a mining magnate's daughter is killed for her jewels. The series' producers spared no expense with the set, re-creating mid-1930s London from Poirot's well-appointed art deco apartment to the seedy side streets where bookies and jewel thieves ply their trade. In "The Million-Dollar Bond Robbery," black-and-white footage of Poirot and his associate, Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), has even been worked into a historical newsreel of the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary. With details like these, the series brings to life not only one of the most famous detectives in fiction, but also an entire bygone era. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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Poirot - Collector's Set 9 [VHS]

Poirot - Collector's Set 9 [VHS]
David Suchet (Actor), Hugh Fraser (Actor), Ken Grieve (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(12)

Buy new: $39.99 $25.00
5 used & new from $11.90

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Review & Description

The Agatha Christie's Poirot collection is known as a mystery series, but what makes these videos such a delightful enhancement to the original books is their deft touch of humor. In "Dead Man's Mirror," for example, the widow of the murdered man claims to communicate with the spirit of an ancient Egyptian. Her supernatural tendencies cause more than a few giggles--especially when she mentions the spirit, Saffra, during an interview, and Inspector Japp immediately pulls out his notebook and asks for Saffra's address. In "Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan," Poirot is mistaken for a man in a newspaper contest, and his investigations into the theft of a pearl necklace are repeatedly interrupted by people demanding their prize of 10 pounds; these intermittent scenes add a welcome levity to one of the series' more tedious plots. While less droll than the others, "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook" has unexpected plot twists as the seemingly simple case of a runaway servant unfurls to reveal a larger scheme of embezzlement and murder. David Suchet's ability to poke gentle fun at Poirot without ever breaking character makes the enjoyment of these episodes complete. --Larisa Lomacky Moore Read more

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Rumpole of the Bailey, Six Volume Gift Set [VHS]

Rumpole of the Bailey, Six Volume Gift Set [VHS]
Format: VHS Tape
(45)

20 used & new from $10.99

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Review & Description

Before there was Quincy and The Practice, there was Rumpole. Rumpole of the Bailey is, quite simply, one of the finest television series, and it has served as a model for all law dramas that followed it. Edgy and satirical, Rumpole is based on John Mortimer's books of the same name. A determined and committed criminal defense barrister (whose clients have included three generations of the Timson family, among others) at the Old Bailey (criminal court), esteemed actor Leo McKern portrays the antihero Rumpole. As champion of the downtrodden, the self-righteous Rumpole loves to get in trouble with his wife Hilda, his peers, the head of chambers, and judges, to name but a few. A connoisseur of Wordsworth, cigars, and cheap liquor, McKern's usually disheveled Rumpole belies the character's dry sense of humor and astute skill as a barrister. The upwardly mobile Hilda is played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, known for her Miss Toliver in Alcatraz Island, and Justice Sir Guthrie Fetherston is played by Peter Bowles, known for his Richard DeVere in TV's To the Manor Born.

Each volume features two episodes. Included in this set are "Rumpole and the Younger Generation," "Rumpole and the Honourable Member," "Rumpole and the Married Lady," "Rumpole and the Learned Friends," "Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade," "Rumpole and the Man of God," "Rumpole and the Case of Identity," "Rumpole and the Show Folk," "Rumpole and the Fascist Beast," "Rumpole and the Age for Retirement," "Rumpole and the Bright Seraphim," and "Rumpole and the Barrow Boy."

Typical of British drama, production values are low while the caliber of scriptwriting and acting is unsurpassed. A rare example of a television serial that is as appealing and engaging on its 10th viewing as it was on its first. --Erik Macki Read more

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Dick Francis - The Racing Game, Vol. 2 [VHS]

Dick Francis - The Racing Game, Vol. 2 [VHS]
Mike Gwilym (Actor), Mick Ford (Actor) | Format: VHS Tape

Buy new: $29.98 $2.35
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Heat of the Sun (Boxed Set) (1998) [VHS]

Heat of the Sun (Boxed Set) (1998) [VHS]
Trevor Eve (Actor), Freddie Annobil-Dodoo (Actor), Paul Seed (Director) | Format: VHS Tape
(57)

Buy new: $39.99 $20.97
17 used & new from $3.99

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Review & Description

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 Read more

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