PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (United Kingdom): 21

Notting Hill (1999), a romantic comedy directed by Roger Michell, features a screenplay by Richard Curtis. It follows the story of William Thacker, owner of a travel book store in the vibrant Notting Hill district of London. Following his divorce from his wife, who had left him for another man, he shares an apartment with Spike – his carefree and rather messy Welsh roommate. One day, fate brings famous Hollywood actress Anna Scott into William’s shop, where she purchases a book. As she leaves, however, a mishap causes her to cross paths with William again ...

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 ...

Hard Rain (1998), an action thriller flick by former cinematographer-turned director Mikael Salomon and written by Graham Yost, follows the story of armored truck drivers Tom and his uncle Charlie. Braving conditions of heavy rain and flooding, they are on a mission to collect money from banks in an evacuated Huntingburg, Indiana. However, things take an intense turn when they are ambushed by a gang of armed robbers led by Jim and accompanied by Kenny, Mr. Mehlor, and Ray. In the midst of chaos, Charlie calls for help but is tragically killed by Kenny while Tom narrowly ...

The American fantasy drama film, What Dreams May Come (1998), was directed by Vincent Ward and adapted from Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. During a vacation in Switzerland, pediatrician Chris Nielsen falls in love with artist Annie Collins. They have two children, Ian and Marie, but their happy life is shattered when the kids die in a car accident. Tragically, Chris himself dies in a car crash four years later. Confused and unaware that he has passed away, Chris remains on Earth and watches as Annie struggles with her grief. Despite being warned not to ...

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) is a popular British crime film both written and directed by Guy Ritchie. The movie not only gained international recognition for Ritchie, but also marked the feature film debuts of actors Jason Statham and  Vinnie Jones, both known for their previous careers as a diver and footballer, respectively. With a modest budget of $1.35 million, the film proved to be a major hit by earning over $28 million at the box office. Its plot ...

Going All the Way (1997) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Mark Pellington, in his feature film debut. Set in 1954, it follows the story of two soldiers who meet on a train to Indianapolis after serving in the Korean War. One is GI Sonny Burns, while the other is popular athlete Gunner Casselman. Despite their differences, they quickly form a strong bond of friendship. Sonny’s mother Alma and his father Elwood are very strict, while Gunner’s mother Nina is more alluring. Sonny has a girlfriend, Buddy Porte, while Gunner dates Deedee. Sonny also teaches photography to Gunner and they become ...

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 ...

Batman & Robin (1997) is a film based on the popular DC Comics characters created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. As the last installment of Warner Bros.’s initial Batman series, it follows the dynamic duo as they face off against a new villain, Mr. Freeze. The icy adversary has been causing chaos with his diamond thefts, leading Batman and Robin to a showdown in the natural history museum. During their confrontation, Freeze makes a daring escape with an even bigger diamond, leaving Robin frozen and Batman unable to pursue him. However, as they dig deeper into ...

The American mystery thriller film, The Game (1997), directed by David Fincher, follows the story of Nicholas Van Orton – a self-absorbed investment banker in San Francisco. On his 48th birthday, Nicholas meets with his estranged younger brother, Conrad, who surprises him with a unique gift – a voucher for a ‘game’ offered by Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). Despite being skeptical at first, Nicholas decides to apply for the game at the CRS office. However, the extensive psychological and physical examinations he must undergo only serve to irritate him. Eventually, he is informed that his ...

Based on the 1881 novel by Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady (1996) is a British-American film directed by Jane Campion and adapted by Laura Jones. Isabel Archer, a striking woman, has turned down multiple potential suitors including Lord Warburton and Caspar Goodwood, whom she had initially given hope to. Her close friend Henrietta arranges for Caspar’s visit, as she deeply cares for Isabel. Isabel’s fierce personality and independent nature are admired by her cousin Ralph Touchett, who convinces his father ...

Sleepers (1996), an American crime drama film, was written, produced and directed by Barry Levinson. It is based on Lorenzo Carcaterra’s novel of the same name. Childhood friends Lorenzo ‘Shakes’ Carcaterra, Tommy Marcano, Michael Sullivan and John Reilly reside in Hell’s Kitchen during the 1960s. Their parish priest Father ‘Bobby’ Carillo, who has had a troubled past himself, attempts to guide them towards making good decisions. While still engaging in pranks and working for local gangster King Benny, the boys take things too far when ...

The black comedy crime film, Fargo (1996), was written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. In the year 1987, Jerry Lundegaard, an executive sales manager at a Minneapolis car dealership owned by his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson, finds himself in desperate need of money. He devises a plan to have his wife Jean kidnapped. Shep Proudfoot, a mechanic and convicted felon, sets up a meeting for Jerry in Fargo, North Dakota with criminals Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud. They agree to carry out the job. In exchange for their services, Jerry gives them a new ...

Home for the Holidays (1995) is an American family comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster. Claudia Larson, a single mother who was recently let go from her job, flies from Chicago to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, Adele and Henry. Meanwhile, her daughter opts to stay home with her boyfriend. On the plane, Claudia calls her brother Tommy, who she thinks won’t be at the dinner, and vents about her struggles on his voicemail. At their parents’ house in Baltimore, Tommy shows up with his business partner Leo Fish – whom Claudia mistakes for his new romantic partner. While Claudia is happy ...

Batman Forever (1995) is an American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. It is based on the DC Comics character Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The movie takes place in Gotham City, where Batman intervenes in a hostage situation caused by Two-Face, who was once the district attorney Harvey Dent. However, Two-Face manages to escape. Through flashbacks, we learn that Two-Face was disfigured with acid by mobster Sal Maroni, which ...

The crime thriller film, The Usual Suspects (1995), directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, follows a group of criminals. One of them, Dean Keaton, is found dying on a ship in San Pedro Bay after a confrontation with a mysterious figure known as ‘Keyser’. The ship is set on fire, leaving only two survivors: Arkosh Kovash, a Hungarian mobster with severe burns, and Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, a con artist with physical disabilities. U.S. Customs agent Dave Kujan flies from New York City to Los Angeles to interrogate Verbal while FBI ...

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.

Directed by Antonia Bird, the British drama film Priest (1994) tells the story of Father Greg Pilkington. Upon his arrival at St Mary’s parish in inner-city Liverpool, Father Pilkington is faced with two issues that challenge his faith. Firstly, he discovers that another priest, Father Matthew Thomas, is engaged in a sexual relationship with their housekeeper Maria Kerrigan. Furthermore, Father Thomas is known for his liberal views and support of Liberation Theology, causing frequent clashes with the Bishop who still values his abilities. While Father Pilkington is offended by ...

Kalifornia (1993), an American road thriller film directed by Dominic Sena, follows the story of Brian Kessler and Carrie Laughlin. Brian, a graduate student and journalist, has recently secured a book deal after his article on serial killers gained attention. In order to gather material for his book, Brian and Carrie plan to travel from Kentucky to California, stopping at notorious murder sites for Carrie’s photographs. However, with limited funds, Brian decides to post a ride-share ad on campus. Meanwhile, Early Grayce, a violent parolee who has just lost his job, is pressured by his parole officer to attend a ...

Tim Burton directed Batman Returns (1992), a superhero movie with a screenplay by Daniel Waters. Set in Gotham City, the film tells the story of two wealthy parents who reject their deformed son Oswald and leave him to be raised by penguins in the sewers. Thirty-three years later, during the holiday season, a powerful businessman named Max Shreck is kidnapped by the Red Triangle gang – a former circus troupe known for abducting children across the country – and taken to an abandoned zoo. The leader of the gang, Oswald (now going by the name Penguin), uses evidence of ...

Batman (1989), a superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, is directed by Tim Burton. It marks the beginning of Warner Bros.’ original Batman film series. At a fundraiser hosted by billionaire Bruce Wayne, who is secretly Batman, reporter Alexander Knox and photojournalist Vicki Vale investigate sightings of the ‘Batman’, a masked vigilante targeting criminals in Gotham City. It was during this event that Wayne becomes enamored with Vale. ...