Mon, Sep 7, 1992
Barry Norman casts a critical eye over the new cinema releases. Films under review are Christopher Columbus: the Discovery, which features Marlon Brando in a cameo role; Housesitter starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn; and Bob Roberts, a biting satire on American electioneering, written and directed by, and starring Tim Robbins, recently seen in The Player. Plus a preview of this autumn's new films.
Mon, Sep 14, 1992
Barry Norman casts a critical eye over the new cinema releases. Films reviewed tonight include Clint Eastwood in the western Unforgiven; Tom Hanks stars with Geena Davis and Madonna in the baseball film A League of Their Own, and talks to Barry Norman about the film and about working with director Penny Marshall; and The Hours and the Times, a prize-winning film that captures the troubled relationship between John Lennon and Brian Epstein.
Mon, Sep 21, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases including Patriot Games (1992), the sequel to The Hunt for Red October, in which Harrison Ford portrays a CIA agent caught up in a deadly game of international terrorism. Just Like a Woman (1992) stars Julie Walters as a landlady who falls in love with her new lodger, only to discover he likes to dress up as a woman. And Casablanca (1942), 50 years old, receives a fresh outing on video, accompanied by a behind-the-scenes documentary.
Mon, Sep 28, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases including: Carry On Columbus, a comedy in which former Carry On members Bernard Cribbins and Jim Dale are joined by Julian Clary and Rik Mayall. Roland Joffe's City of Joy, starring Patrick Swayze and Pauline Collins. And Bitter Moon, Roman Polanski 's film about sexual obsession. Plus a location report from Peter's Friends, Kenneth Branagh's third film as director, about a reunion of former college friends.
Mon, Oct 5, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases including: Boomerang, the new Eddie Murphy film in which the love of his life (Robin Givens) rejects him in favour of her career; Beauty and the Beast, the acclaimed Disney cartoon; and As You Like It, Christine Edzard's version of the Shakespeare play. Plus, to celebrate 21 years of the programme, Barry Norman selects his all-time favourites.
Mon, Oct 12, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases including: Strictly Ballroom, an Australian film which takes an affectionate look at the world of competitive ballroom dancing. Wuthering Heights is a re-working of the Emily Bronte classic starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. Also, the full story of how Fatal Attraction originally ended, or would have ended, but for the intervention of the studio bosses. Adrian Lyne talks through the development of some of the key scenes from the film, to coincide with its video release.
Mon, Oct 19, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases, including: 1492 - Conquest of Paradise, starring Gerard Depardieu. Ridley Scott's film is the third on the exploits of the intrepid explorer, Christopher Columbus, to be made this year. How does it compare? Husbands and Wives, Woody Allen 's latest work. Allen has been in the news over revelations about his personal life. Is his new film a case of life imitating art, and is he back on form? Plus, on location, Sir Richard Attenborough talks about his new film Charlie, based on the life of Charlie Chaplin.
Mon, Oct 26, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases, including: Glengarry Glen Ross, the film of David Mamet's award-winning play starring Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin and Jack Lemmon; Unlawful Entry, featuring Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta; and Gerard Depardieu's film Mon Père Ce Héros, a romantic: comedy about a father and daughter on holiday.
Mon, Nov 16, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases, including: Sister Act, the surprise hit of the American summer, starring Whoopi Goldberg as a nightclub singer seeking refuge from the Mob in a convent; Single White Female, featuring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh - when a woman advertises for a flatmate her worst fears become a nightmare; Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me, David Lynch's big screen "prequel" to his cult TV series. And a report on location with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her.
Mon, Nov 23, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new ' cinema releases, including: Of Mice and Men starring John Malkovich in an adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel; and The Waterdance featuring Eric Stolz and Wesley Snipes in a tale of relationships, recovery and dignity in a hospital ward. And there are reports on the release of the "director's cut" of Blade Runner, how films and merchandising spin-offs are big business, and initial reaction in America to Spike Lee's new film Malcolm X.
Mon, Nov 30, 1992
An interview with Meryl Streep. Acclaimed as one of the top actresses of the last decade, she has in recent years veered away from serious roles; her latest film, Death Becomes Her, is a black comedy in which she plays an actress desperately trying to hold back the years. Streep is vociferous on the inequality of fees paid to female stars, and still deplores the lack of good roles for women.
Mon, Dec 7, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases, including: Home Alone 2 - Lost In New York, with Macaulay Culkin reprising his role as the boy who is always left behind; and Into the West, a modern fable about two young boys from a travelling family, filmed in the west of Ireland. Plus a report on how films and merchandising spin offs are big business.
Mon, Dec 14, 1992
Barry Norman reviews the new cinema releases, including: Chaplin - Sir Richard Attenborough's film interpretation of the life of the Little Tramp in which Robert Downey jr gives a remarkable portrayal of the comic genius; The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - starring Michael Caine as well as Kermit and Miss Piggy. And Rob Reiner talks about directing his latest film A Few Good Men, and what it was like working with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson.
Mon, Dec 21, 1992
What sort of a year has it been in the cinema? Husbands and Wives brought Woody Allen notoriety and a return to top form as a film-maker. Clint Eastwood proved the western is still alive and kicking in Unforgiven. And the Walt Disney studio delighted young and old alike with Beauty and the Beast. Cape Fear shocked, Strictly Ballroom delighted, with its frenzied blend of dance, drama and romance and A League of Their Own scored a round of laughs. Will these, or JFK, make it into the final selection - and what of Howards End, The Last of the Mohicans, 1492 and Chaplin? Barry Norman chooses his 1992 favourites, and looks at the facts, figures and new developments of the year. Also, a report from America on the film scene there.
Mon, Jan 25, 1993
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Francis Ford Coppola's lavish version of the Bram Stoker novel starring Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins and Winona Ryder; and Passenger 57 (1992), about a flight from Florida to Los Angeles which gets hijacked. And Tom Brook talks to Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon in America about their new film Lorenzo's Oil (1992), a real-life story about parents who try to find a cure for the rare blood disease affecting their child.
Mon, Jun 14, 1993
The last in the present series reviews this week's new releases, which include The Trial, Boxing Helena and Fire in the Sky. There's a look ahead to the big budget blockbusters scheduled to open here in the summer, including Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Last Action Hero, and Made in America, with Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. And Tom Brook reports from New York on the initial reaction to the summer movies.
Mon, Sep 27, 1993
This Boy's Life features Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin in the true life story of Tobias Wolf, a wild and reckless boy struggling to survive in Washington; and Like Water for Chocolate, which has become a surprise "art house" hit in America. Based on the highly-acclaimed Mexican love story, the film combines culinary magic with a tale of romance. Director Tony Scott talks about his new film True Romance, starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, and written by Quentin Tarantino, director of the controversial Reservoir Dogs. Plus a look at the re-release of the classic oldie An Affair to Remember, starring Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.
Mon, Oct 4, 1993
Tonight's films under review: Raining Stones is Ken Loach's latest work, examining the plight of a working class family in the north of England. Hard Boiled - does this violent film mark a return to the excesses of Reservoir Dogs and Bad Lieutenant? And British director Danny Cannon's debut feature Young Americans stars Harvey Keitel as a tough New York cop working in London. Plus an exclusive interview with Maggie Smith who has just returned from America having completed Sister Act 2 and whose latest film, The Secret Garden, opens next week.
Mon, Oct 25, 1993
Tonight's films under review: The Piano was the joint winner of the Palme D'Or in Cannes. It stars Holly Hunter (Best Actress), Sam Neill and Harvey Keitel. Jane Campion directed this moving tale of an arranged marriage and a prized piano. Dirty Weekend is the harrowing story of the revenge taken by a woman who has had enough of bad relationships. Michael Winner directs Helen Zahavi's controversial tale. And Bette Midler stars as a 17th-century witch conjured up in present-day Salem in the comedy Hocus Pocus.
Mon, Nov 1, 1993
Tonight's films under review: Dave with Kevin Kline, Mike Leigh's Naked and The Real McCoy starring Val Kilmer and Kim Basinger. This Thursday, the London Film Festival opens with Merchant Ivory's Remains of the Day, starring Anthony Hopkins. As well as showcasing the best of world cinema, several big films will be screened including Altman's prize-winning Short Cuts, Farewell My Concubine and Robert De Niro's directorial debut A Bronx Tale.
Mon, Nov 8, 1993
Tonight's films under review: "Remains of the Day", the latest Merchant Ivory production starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Michael J Fox stars in "The Concierge", and "Guilty as Sin" pairs Rebecca De Mornay and Don Johnson. Plus a report on "Aladdin" and the animation techniques which have made this Disney's most popular cartoon.
Mon, Nov 15, 1993
Tonight's films under review: The Man without a Face, starring and directed by Mel Gibson , is about a man who becomes a recluse after a car accident disfigures his face. Demolition Man in which Sylvestor Stallone and Wesley Snipes team up for a futuristic adventure, and Walt Disney's Aladdin, the most successful cartoon in history, arrives in London. And as Pearl and Dean celebrate their 40th anniversary, there's a look at just how effective the cinema is as an advertising medium.
Mon, Nov 22, 1993
Tonight's films under review: CB4, an affectionate send-up of the rap and hip hop music scene and the people surrounding it. Benefit of the Doubt stars Donald Sutherland and Amy Irving - a woman's nightmare comes back to haunt her when her estranged father is released from prison. John Woo directs his first Hollywood picture, Hard Target, starring Jean Claude Van Damme. And Tom Brook meets the stars of movie hit The Addams Family, Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia, who talk about its sequel, Addams Family Values.
Mon, Nov 29, 1993
Tonight's films under review: Walt Disney's Aladdin, which opens nationwide on Friday after a record-breaking start in London, has proved the most successful animated film in history; and The Hawk, starring Helen Mirren as a housewife suspecting her husband of being a serial killer. There's also a report on an enterprising scheme to revitalise the Ealing Studios - members of the public can invest in a piece of British film-making - and how the stars and creative people might be attracted to film in this most famous of studios. Plus a look at the latest movie news and charts.
Mon, Dec 6, 1993
Tonight's films under review: Addams Family Values,in which Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston reprise their roles in another gathering of that most peculiar of families. American Heart, directed by Martin Bell, is about a man's hope for a new life on release from prison. It stars Jeff Bridges who also produces for the first time. And Tom Brook talks to Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid about their film, Undercover Blues, in which they play a married couple engaged in the business of spying. Herbert Ross directs.
Mon, Dec 13, 1993
Tonight's films under review: Mel Brooks's Robin Hood-Men in Tights, a spoof of the famous legend; Steven Soderbergh's Kingof the Hill is set during the Depression years as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy; and Richard Dreyfuss teams with Emilio Estevez for Another Stakeout. Tom Brook meets Robin Williams who talks about Mrs Doubtfire. When divorce means separation from his three children, Williams, an out-of-work voice-over artist, disguises himself as an elderly English nanny and lands a job caring for his own kids. Plus the latest movie news and charts.
Tue, Dec 28, 1993
It's been a year of mixed fortunes for the film business. In a year when ticket sales In Britain soared to around 112 million thanks to big commercial blockbusters like Jurassic Park and The Fugitive, cinema found Itself under intense moral scrutiny regarding its effects on the nation's morals. Barry Norman chooses his ten favourite films of 1993, covering the full range of the year's releases. "We all sat down with a list of the films we'd reviewed this year and picked the ones we'd enjoyed the most," says Film 93 producer Bruce Thompson. "My list doesn't agree with Barry's. He didn't even mention The Fugitive, which was my favourite and did phenomenal business." In between each choice of film, Barry looks back at the issues that have affected the industry over the year. "It's been a strange year for British films", says Thompson. "There's really only one film in Barry's top ten that you could definitely say is 100 per cent British, but a lot of them have British stars, directors or writers. It's difficult to say exactly what a British film is these days. We undoubtedly have the creative talent, but most movies are made by American companies."
Mon, Feb 28, 1994
Tonight's programme is given over to an interview with one of the film industry's best known outsiders, Robert Altman. In a frank discussion that covers his beliefs and work ethics, Altman explains how he has survived the Hollywood jungle (don't worry the accountants and they won't worry you) and describes how he has been in and out of favour with the film industry since he made MASH in 1970. When Barry Norman suggests to Robert Altman that he is a maverick, the film director denies it but says "not everything has to be done the same way". Since MASH, Altman has made 30 films including Nashville, Popeye and, in 1992, The Player. He says he is proud of them all though: "these films are like children to me and you tend to love your least successful child the most". His latest film, Short Cuts, has just earned him an Oscar nomination for best director.
Mon, Sep 26, 1994
Tonight: Speed (1994) has been a surprise "runaway" hit, quite literally. It stars Keanu Reeves, as a policeman attempting to stop a bus, wired to explode if it slows down to under 50 mph. Ladybird Ladybird (1994) looks at the tragic life of Maggie, her children, and her struggle to keep her relationship intact; directed by Ken Loach. And Tom Hanks talks to Barry Norman about Forrest Gump (1994), the most unlikely of American heroes.
Tue, Dec 20, 1994
Tonight's films under review include The Specialist starring Sylvester Stallone as an explosives expert hired by Sharon Stone to settle an old score against a Cuban drug ring, Timecopstarring Jean-Claude Van Damme , Wes Craven 's New Nightmare, and Hal Hartley 's Amateur. Also, Tom Brook meets Warren Beatty and Annette Bening to talk about Love Affair, the second remake of the classic love story.
Mon, Apr 17, 1995
Barry Norman meets Woody Allen whose latest film Bullets over Broadway received seven Oscar nominations. He talks about his method of working, how he directs and his ability to persuade actors to appear in his films for reduced fees. He also discusses his separation from wife Mia Farrow, and the fact that he is now unable to have contact with his daughter.
Mon, May 1, 1995
Tonight's films under review include Little Odessa, featuring Tim Roth, Edward Furlong and Vanessa Redgrave; ID, a look at football hooliganism; The Steal, about an attempt to steal L30 million from a bank; and Clerks, about life in a convenience store. Shirley MacLaine talks about Guarding Tess, and there's location report from the set of Jack and Sarah.
Mon, Oct 16, 1995
Films reviewed this evening include: Nine Months (1995), an American comedy about fatherhood starring Hugh Grant and Tom Arnold; Clueless (1995), about a group of rich school children living it up in Beverly Hills; The Postman (1994), a romantic Italian comedy about a postman whose life is transformed when he delivers letters to a famous poet; and Canadian Bacon (1995), an American comedy starring John Candy and Alan Alda, directed by Michael Moore, creator and star of BBC2's TV Nation (1994). Plus, a report on the work of the Children's Film and Television Foundation.
Mon, Oct 30, 1995
Tonight's programme looks at some of the films featuring in the 39th London Film Festival, including: Strange Days, starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett ; Desperado, starring Antonio Banderas ; Woody Allen 's Mighty Aphrodite; and Martin Scorsese 's Casino, starring Sharon Stone and Robert De Niro. Plus, director Diane Keaton and actress Andie MacDowell talk about Unstrung Heroes. Tonight's Vintage Year is 1965.