Channel Four Films (United Kingdom): 8

Velvet Goldmine (1998), a musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons, follows British journalist Arthur Stuart as he delves into the mysterious withdrawal of 1970s glam rock icon Brian Slade. Stuart interviews those involved in Slade’s career, each recalling their experiences which become a vignette for that particular segment of Slade’s life. Along with exploring the vibrant rock shows, fashion, and journalism of 1970s Britain, the film also touches on ...

Elizabeth (1998), a British biographical period drama film directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by Michael Hirst, tells the story of Catholic Queen Mary I of England’s death in 1558. The forty-two year old daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon is believed to have died from a cancerous tumor in her womb. With Mary gone, her twenty-five year old half sister Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn, is released from house arrest for suspected involvement in Thomas Wyatt the Younger’s rebellion. As the new Queen of England, Elizabeth inherits a ...

A film called A Life Less Ordinary (1997) is categorized as a British romantic black comedy. In this movie, angels from Heaven have the duty of ensuring that humans on Earth find true love. One particular angel, known as the ‘Captain’ and named Gabriel, becomes disgruntled when reviewing the performance of angel partners O’Reilly and Jackson. He notices that all of their recent cases have resulted in either divorce or misery for the couple involved. To shake things up, Gabriel suggests a new approach: if their next assigned pair fails to fall and remain in love (which he admits is a challenging task), O’Reilly and Jackson must remain on Earth ...

Trainspotting (1996), directed by Danny Boyle, is a British dark comedy-drama from 1996. At the age of 26, Mark Renton is an unemployed heroin addict living with his parents in Leith, Edinburgh. He frequently indulges in drugs with his group of ‘friends’, which includes the unreliable and womanizing Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, the clumsy Daniel ‘Spud’ Murphy, and their dealer known as ‘Mother Superior’. Renton’s other acquaintances are the aggressive alcoholic Francis ‘Franco’ Begbie and honest footballer Tommy Mackenzie, both of whom warn him about the ...

Safe (1995) is an American psychological horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore. Carol White is a housewife in an affluent Los Angeles suburb. She fills her days with activities such as gardening, aerobics, and socializing with friends. Despite appearances of stability, her marriage and family life lack passion and her friends keep their distance. After the renovation of her home, Carol begins to experience physical ailments in ordinary situations: uncontrollable coughing from nearby exhaust fumes while driving, difficulty breathing at ...

Backbeat (1994), an independent drama directed by Iain Softley, follows the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, West Germany. John Lennon and his fellow rock-and-roll band members – Paul McCartney, Pete Best, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe – venture to Hamburg in pursuit of success. As they gain popularity, particularly among the girls, Stuart grapples with balancing his passion for painting and being the group’s bass guitarist. On top of that, he falls deeply in love with a German girl. The group must now confront some important choices.

The debut feature film directed by Danny Boyle, Shallow Grave (1994), follows chartered accountant David Stevens and his flatmates, physician Juliet Miller and journalist Alex Law in Edinburgh. In need of a new housemate, the trio conducts interviews in a cruel and calculated manner, taking pleasure in the applicants’ discomfort. They ultimately choose an enigmatic man named Hugo as their new roommate. However, shortly after moving in, the group discovers Hugo’s lifeless body from a suspected overdose along with a large sum of money in a suitcase. They make the decision to conceal his death and keep the ...

Mira Nair’s romantic drama film, Mississippi Masala (1991), follows the story of Jay, Kinnu, and their daughter Mina, a family of Ugandan Indians. After dictator Idi Amin expels Asians from Uganda in 1972, the family tearfully leaves their home behind and settles in Greenwood, Mississippi with relatives who own motels there. Despite spending years in England before arriving in America, Jay struggles to adapt to his new life and longs to return to Kampala. His distrust towards black people stems from the effects of Amin’s rule. Meanwhile, Mina has fully embraced American culture and has a diverse group of ...