The Lickerish Quartet (1. IMDb. Edit. A jaded, wealthy couple watch a blue movie in their castle home along with her adult son. The son is testy, so they go into town and watch a circus- like thrill ride. The daredevil woman in the show looks exactly like one of the women in the movie, so the man invites her to join them for a nightcap. Tensions among the family seem to rise. She stays overnight, and during her 2. She, in turn, keeps asking, ? Rillington Place Blu- ray Review. You've heard of Jack the Ripper, but maybe not John Christie, an equally notorious British serial killer who murdered seven women and one infant over a 1. His grisly story is the stuff of English legend, and in 1. American director Richard Fleischer crossed the pond to immortalize it on celluloid. The result, '1. 0 Rillington Place' (Christie's address and the scene of all of his crimes), is a deeply unsettling yet masterfully made film that's often difficult to watch, thanks to Fleischer's frank treatment of the material and exceptional performances by a highly talented cast. The Christie case is noteworthy not only for its perpetrator's horrific deeds and calculated method of killing, but also because of its impact on the British judicial system, which mishandled the investigation and convicted an innocent man of one of the murders. That man, Timothy Evans, an illiterate, hot- tempered bloke who rented a flat in Christie's rundown tenement with his wife Beryl and baby daughter Geraldine, fell prey to Christie's subtle yet relentless manipulations, which - compounded by Evans' fear, confusion, and compromised mental faculties - ultimately destroyed him. It's a devastating tale that resonates all the more strongly because it's true. And even though countless subsequent serial killers - from Charles Manson and David Berkowitz to Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer - have somewhat desensitized us to such demented and heartless violence, '1. Rillington Place' often provokes a queasy feeling of unease, despite the lack of any gore. That's a credit to Fleischer's keen storytelling ability and Clive Exton's tightly constructed script, both of which keep an intimate focus on the characters and foster a sustained aura of dread and claustrophobia. A veteran of the serial killer genre (if there is such a thing), Fleischer had previously directed 'Compulsion' (which chronicles the explosive Leopold- Loeb case) and 'The Boston Strangler,' yet his disturbing portrait of Christie raises the creepiness quotient exponentially. Like Hitchcock, Fleischer eschews graphic depictions of violence in favor of images of fear and foreboding that heighten the heinous nature of the crimes and their shocking impact. Ver Arrival Online HD (2013) de Joshua Hoareau - Pel The audio on the HD DVD of 'The Thing' was offered in Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 Surround audio. Universal has bumped up the Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5. It all begins in the movie's opening frames, when the seemingly mild- mannered, attentive, and caring Christie (Richard Attenborough) quickly dispatches his first victim, a woman with severe bronchitis who hopes Christie's miracle elixir will cure her ills. With the same cordiality as Sweeney Todd in his tonsorial parlor before he slits his patients' throats, Christie sits the woman down in his ramshackle abode and puts a mask over her face so she can breathe in the vapors from a mysterious chalky brew. Yet unbeknownst to this naive and trusting soul, he laces the mixture with gas, and as she inhales the acrid fumes, she frantically and futilely tries to wriggle free of Christie's ever tightening grip, until at last she succumbs. Fast forward five years to 1. Evans family. The simple- minded Tim (John Hurt) toils at a menial job and regales his buddies with tall tales about his bogus privileged background while his comely wife Beryl (Judy Geeson) tends to their adorable baby girl. The couple loudly quarrels on a number of occasions, but the tensions reach a fever pitch when Beryl discovers she's once again pregnant. With no money for a second child, Beryl decides abortion is the only viable option and turns to Christie for fatherly guidance. Abortions, of course, are illegal, but the diabolical Christie convinces Beryl he has some medical training and can perform the procedure himself. With some trepidation, Beryl agrees, and after Christie has his way with her, he hatches a plot to pin her death on her distraught and frightened husband, who doesn't possess the tools to see through him. Ver The Arrival Online HD (2014) de Mike Stanley - Pel
The first half of '1. Rillington Place' immerses us in Christie's sick mind, and when it becomes clear what he intends to do to Beryl, it's more than most of us can bear. I found myself squirming more than once, wishing I could stop the inevitable, and that's a tribute to Fleischer's measured pacing and understated approach. Like the characters, we long to escape Christie's stranglehold, so when the film shifts gears midway through and becomes a police procedural and courtroom drama, it's a welcome relief. The story's second half, however, is even more fascinating (and depressing), as we witness a monumental miscarriage of justice that's almost as sickening as Christie's murders. Whenever possible, Exton used actual court transcripts in place of invented dialogue, which lends the film a brutal authenticity similar - and more exploitative - movies lack. Attenborough is magnificent in the unsavory role. Donning a prosthetic bald skull (Christie had an enlarged head) and replicating Christie's quiet vocal tones (supposedly a result of being gassed during service in World War I), Attenborough fully inhabits the psychopathic killer whose kindly, timid demeanor masked his violent tendencies and distasteful fetishes. Though best known for his roles in 'The Great Escape' and 'Jurassic Park,' and for directing the Oscar- winning 'Gandhi,' Attenborough paints arguably his most vivid character portrait here, making an indelible impression in a completely unsympathetic part. And yet somehow the young Hurt eclipses him. In a performance of astonishing emotional intensity, Hurt brings Timothy Evans to brilliant life, embracing every facet of his personality, from the blustery braggart and bullying husband to the doting father and insecure simpleton. His raw, unbridled grief over his wife's death is a sight to behold, as is his dazed acceptance of Christie's manipulations and growing realization that the man he so implicitly trusted has cruelly betrayed him. Hurt has filed many riveting performances throughout his long and fruitful career, but this one ranks among his very best. There's nothing cheap or crude about '1. Rillington Place,' despite its chilling subject matter. Fleischer's semi- documentary approach elevates the material, but doesn't make it any easier to digest. Though I appreciate the artistry and performances, I'm not sure I ever want to visit '1. Rillington Place' again. And that is probably the greatest compliment I can pay this hard- hitting, well- crafted examination of unvarnished evil. The Blu- ray: Vital Disc Stats'1. Rillington Place' arrives on Blu- ray in a limited to 3,0. An eight- page booklet featuring an essay by Twilight Time staffer Julie Kirgo, selected scene shots, and a reproduction of the movie's poster art is tucked inside the front cover. Video codec is 1. AVC MPEG- 4 and audio is DTS- HD Master Audio 1. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.
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