Father of writer Joe Shrapnel and actors Lex Shrapnel & Tom Shrapnel John Shrapnel was at the City of London School at the same time as director Michael Apted. He was an excellent Hamlet in the 1960 school play, directed by Mike's House Master. On the track, this contributor remembers his season's best time for 100 yards of 12 seconds. But he worked hard and enthusiastically! John's splendid vo ... show all
Father of writer Joe Shrapnel and actors Lex Shrapnel & Tom Shrapnel John Shrapnel was at the City of London School at the same time as director Michael Apted. He was an excellent Hamlet in the 1960 school play, directed by Mike's House Master. On the track, this contributor remembers his season's best time for 100 yards of 12 seconds. But he worked hard and enthusiastically! John's splendid voice is familiar to British TV viewers by way of many narrations and voice overs. hide
Genres:Drama Countries:Austria | Germany | Hungary | Luxembourg | Switzerland | UK Directors:Simon Aeby Actors:Steven Berkoff | Nikolaj Coster-Waldau | Patrick Godfrey | Lee Ingleby | Eddie Marsan | Joe Mason | Peter McDonald | John Shrapnel | Julie Cox | Lili Geszler | Anastasia Griffith
This Simon Aeby's scope period drama uses its narrative to explore conflicts and tensions during the notorious 16th century Inquisition. Nikolaj Coster Waldau and Peter McDonald play Martin and Georg, two men who meet and bond as youths in a European monastery, then part ways and diverge paths; Georg becomes a cleric at a nearby abbey, Martin a soldier in the Army. The adult men reconnect following a fifteen year absence, and not long after, Martin (in the face of overwhelming dissuasion from Georg) falls head over heels in love with Anna - a social outcast because of her father's role as executioner. Martin and Anna marry, and - in a beat that recalls Berlanga's El Verdugo - Martin is forced to enter his father's line of work as a decapitator - a role he performs fluidly and effectively. Trouble brews, however, on two fronts: from Fabio, a handicapped local who covets Martin's new job, and from an Inquisitor (legendary playwright Steven Berkoff) who arrives to oversee George's execution when the local archbishop grows dissatisfied with him - forcing Martin to step in and act as George's salvation. Meanwhile, Brother Bernhard schemes to rob the church of stability.
Genres:Biography | Drama | History Countries:France | UK Directors:Shekhar Kapur Actors:Jordi Mollà | Geoffrey Rush | Aimee King | Cate Blanchett | John Shrapnel | Susan Lynch | Elise McCave | Samantha Morton | Abbie Cornish | Penelope McGhie | Rhys Ifans | Eddie Redmayne | Stuart McLoughlin | Clive Owen | Adrian Scarborough
Nearly a decade after Cate Blanchett drew the attention of audiences and critics alike with ELIZABETH, the Oscar-winning actress returns to the role of the Virgin Queen. Though the protestant ruler has been on the throne for decades in 1585, Elizabeth I's reign is still under attack from both inside her country and from the continent. Her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton), carries the favour of the nation's Catholics as she schemes for the throne from prison, while Spain's King Philip II (Jordi Molla) plots an invasion with the power of his famous armada. But Elizabeth is also concerned with the arrival of Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), a charming pirate and adventurer. Unable to reconcile her feelings with her crown, she encourages Bess (Abbie Cornish), her beloved lady-in-waiting, to pursue a relationship with Raleigh.
Nine years haven't dulled Blanchett's ability to play this—or any other—character with an impressive range of fire and tenderness. Her chemistry with the infinitely watchable Owen is one of the film's highlights. As in ELIZABETH, director Shekhar Kapur doesn't restrict himself from using artfully constructed shots that aren't normally used in period dramas. It's a modern retelling of history, and Kapur and his director of photograpy, Remi Adefarasin, aren't content to let the film have the standard look of many films in the genre. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne follows the same logic, creating stunning dresses for Elizabeth that draw inspiration both from modernity and the time period. If Blanchett weren't such a gifted actress, the gorgeous costumes might threaten to overtake her as the star of the film. Download:1080p720pDivXiPod
Genres:Action | Drama | History | Romance Countries:Malta | UK | USA Directors:Wolfgang Petersen Actors:Julian Glover | Brian Cox | Nathan Jones | Adoni Maropis | Jacob Smith | Brad Pitt | John Shrapnel | Brendan Gleeson | Diane Kruger | Eric Bana | Orlando Bloom | Siri Svegler | Lucie Barat | Ken Bones | Manuel Cauchi
It is the year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age. Two emerging nations begin to clash after Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnom to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans. But they come to a stop by Hector, Prince of Troy. The whole movie shows their battle struggles, and the foreshadowing of fate in this remake by Wolfgang Petersen of Homer's "The Iliad." Download:1080p720pDVDDivXiPodPDA
Genres:Comedy | Drama | Romance Countries:UK | USA Directors:Roger Michell Actors:Julia Roberts | Hugh Grant | Richard McCabe | Rhys Ifans | James Dreyfus | Dylan Moran | Roger Frost | Henry Goodman | Julian Rhind-Tutt | Lorelei King | John Shrapnel | Clarke Peters | Arturo Venegas | Yolanda Vazquez | Mischa Barton
Every man's dream comes true for William Thacker, a successless Notting Hill bookstore owner, when Anna Scott, the world's most beautiful woman and best-liked actress, enters his shop. A little later, he still can't believe it himself, William runs into her again - this time spilling orange juice over her. Anna accepts his offer to change in his nearby apartment, and thanks him with a kiss, which seems to surprise her even more than him. Eventually, Anna and William get to know each other better over the months, but being together with the world's most wanted woman is not easy - neither around your closest friends, nor in front of the all-devouring press. Download:720pDVDDivXPDA
Genres: Drama
