Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace 1999, VHS
"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event ... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga. The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breathing Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity.
Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981/84/88) VHS
In 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' Indiana Jones is assigned to find the mystically empowered Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain it for their own evil use. In 'Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom' Indiana goes in search of the Ankara Stone, but manages to free hundreds of children in the process. In 'Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade' the fearless archaeologist is once again pitted against the Nazis as he musters up every last ounce of courage and cunning to rescue his father and the Holy Grail. Includes the 'Young Indiana Jones - Oganga The Giver And Taker Of Life'.
Friends Series 6 1999, VHS
Friends has never failed in the follow-up to a cliff-hanger ending. Season Five built up lots of continuing threads and left everyone in Las Vegas, with Monica and Chandler stunned to see Rachel and Ross come running out of a wedding chapel.
Episodes 1- 4 Featuring the episodes: 'The One After Vegas', The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel', 'The One With Ross' Denial' and 'The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance' in which Joey gets a hernia weightlifting but finds that his health insurance has lapsed.
Episodes 5- 8 Featuring the episodes: 'The One With Joey's Porsche', 'The One On The Last Night', 'The One Where Phoebe Runs' and 'The One With Ross' Teeth' in which Phoebe spreads a rumour that Rachel's boss made a pass at her in the photocopy room.
Episodes 9- 12 Featuring the episodes: 'The One Where Ross Got High', 'The One With The Routine', 'The One With The Apothecary' and 'The One With The Joke' in which Ross and Chandler can't agree on who submitted a joke to Playboy Magazine.
Pride and Prejudice 1995, VHS
This five-hour adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was a massive success, getting the nation's ladies very excited by Colin Firth's Mr Darcy, no more so than when he appeared, in a scene not in the novel, in a wet shirt. The result is certainly a colourful, vibrant romantic drama, which, though adored by millions, was not without its critics. Some argued it was unnecessarily sensational, or, given that the BBC had already made a fine Pride and Prejudice (1979) from a script by Fay Weldon, simply unnecessary.
Synopsis : Two-part adaptation of Jane Austen's novel about five unmarried sisters in 19th century England. Double Pack.
Walking with Dinosaurs 1999, VHS
Walking With Dinosaurs was the undoubted television event of 1999. Extending the computer graphics techniques developed for Jurassic Park, the six 30-minute programmes became the first blockbuster special-effects documentary. Here was natural history with a difference, the remarkable visuals enabling the programme-makers to show what life may have been like during the estimated 160 million years When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth. As well as the dinosaurs, the programmes investigate the plants, insects, climate and geography of the distant past, and consider the mystery of why the creatures became extinct so suddenly. There has been some argument over how much is scientific fact, and how much is entertaining speculation, but for the moment this series must stand as the definitive visual chronicle of the life and times of the fascinating "terrible lizards".
Brideshead Revisited Box Set 1981, VHS
Synopsis : The complete television production of 'Brideshead Revisited', featuring eleven episodes in a three cassette box set. Based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh.
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