awwatchedthese's - Rented List

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"Captain Phillips" is a multi-layered examination of the true story of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates.

Based on a true story, the film focuses on the Alabama's commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. The two men are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips' unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

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"Jackie" is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman). 'Jackie' places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband's assassination.

Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband's legacy and the world of "Camelot" that they created and loved so well.

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After Dr. Clint Reed (Richard Widmark) is called in to supervise an autopsy of a unknown man, he discovers that the John Doe died of pneumonic plague.

Revealing his discovery to the mayor and city officials, Reed is informed that he has 48 hours before the public will be told about a potential outbreak. Joined by Captain Tom Warren (Paul Douglas) and his wife, Nancy (Barbara Bel Geddes), Reed must race against time to find out where the unknown man came from.

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Percy Brand's (Michael Redgrave)'s son, Colin (Jeremy Burnham), thinks his father is a clergyman, when Percy's real vocation is that of confidence trickster - his frequent spells 'inside' explained away as missionary trips abroad.

When a grown-up Colin studies law and eventually becomes a judge's marshal, his father feels bound to retire to a fishing village. He cannot keep ii away from his life of crime, however, and in no time at all he's getting involved in the local squire's brandy smuggling activities...

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"Stan and Ollie" tells the untold story of the world's greatest comedy act - Laurel and Hardy - with exceptional performances from Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. In the twilight of their careers and facing an uncertain future, Laurel and Hardy set out on a tour of Great Britain and Ireland.

After an inauspicious beginning their friendship and performances shine through, making each other and their audiences laugh whilst winning the love and affection of legions of adoring fans.

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One of the most memorable and popular productions in the Francis Durbridge Presents series, 'Bat Out of Hell' commenced transmission on 26th November 1966.

The nation became gripped by the story of lovers Diana Stewart (Sylvia Syms) and Mark Paxton (John Thaw), whose plan to murder Diana's husband Geoffrey (Noel Johnson) soon comes to fruition. But then Geoffrey's body disappears and Diana receives a phone call that shocks her to the core... In the grand tradition of Durbridge thrillers, further mysteries and murders rapidly follow in a serpentine plot that culminates with a truly jaw-dropping climax.

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Recently divorced car salesman Al (Danny Aiello) is sat in his favourite diner when the precocious Elie (Angelina Jolie) breezes into the diner and beckons him over.

It doesn't take much to persuade Al to drive her from LA to the trailer park in the Mojave Desert where she lives with her mum Julie (Anne Archer). Al discovers romance with the free-spirited Julie despite the nearby presence of her boyfriend Boyd, who seems likely to go berserk at any moment. Strange events follow and it's up to Al to find an explanation.

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Somewhere in the vicinity of the dusty Arizona burg of Integrity lies a fortune in stolen gold, buried at a desert waterhole by three confederates.

Zeroing in on the hidden wealth is conniving gambler Lewton Cole (James Coburn), who's armed with a promising map, riding a stolen horse, and pursued by a less-than-law-abiding sheriff (Carroll O'Connor). And adding to the greed, corruption and lawlessness is a wonderfully misfit collection of additional treasure-seekers, including the original thieves and an Army cavalry troop-all intent on claiming the loot. Will they all converge on Waterhole #3 at the same moment?

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A tangled web of deceit pitches three lovers together with the added proposition of a baby! Claire Ryan (Anna Friel), a young woman with a strange relationship to the truth, is left literally holding the baby when her doting, not to mention gorgeous boyfriend James (Jamie Draven) discovers the

child he thought was his is actually the result of a previous relationship. As Claire craves space to contemplate her future, little does she know that both men will make it rather harder for her to move on than she anticipated...

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Meet the most unconventional investigative duo of any time - Jeff Slade and Holly Turner, in the mystery adventure series Crime Traveller.

Sleuths come and go, working on intuition, luck and clues, but Slade and his science officer colleague Holly are armed with something extra in their fight against crime - their very own Time Machine. Invented and developed over the years by Holly's father, quantum physicist Professor Fredrick Turner, the Time Machine is a bizarre mixture of DIY technology, but it works. Unfortunately the Professor disappeared during one of his time travel experiments, leaving his daughter convinced that he is still out there somewhere, stuck in another dimension. Holly is now in charge of the Professor's extraordinary legacy, which is kept hidden in her apartment. When Slade, a charming maverick detective, discovers the Time Machine's existence, he convinces Holly to use it in order to solve major crimes. The scene is set for a rollercoaster ride, through the present and the past. High speed chases and intriguing puzzles are solved with the aid of their unreliable Time Machine, in this stylish, fast-paced drama.

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"Manhunt" is a captivating mini series based on the true story of a murder investigation that kept the people of Britain gripped - and defined a detective's career. Starring Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) as DCI Colin Sutton, the story begins in August 2004 when a young woman's body is found.

Sutton is appointed senior investigating officer but initially struggles: there's no forensics, motive or witnesses. Painstaking detective work finally delivers a suspect - Levi Bellfield (Celyn Jones), but now the hunt is on for enough evidence to arrest him and make sure he's found guilty at trial. 'Manhunt' follows the compelling story of how DCI Sutton charged one of Britain's most notorious killers with two murders, as well as an attempted murder, whilst also impelling Surrey police to consider Bellfield as prime suspect in the high-profile murder of Milly Dowler.

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The Man is Oldenshaw: an immodest, ex-Oxford type with a mind trained to devour information like a computer. He rose to prominence during the planning of D-Day. His partner is Dimmock, a former student of the Ohio Institute of Criminology: Oldenshaw's red-brick equal.

Room 17 is the secret centre of operations for the Department of Special Research, a unit set up to study the criminal mind and handle cases that have baffled the police and security services. Answerable only to the Prime Minister, 'The Men in Room 17' pull the strings that make the undercover world dance, without even leaving the confines of their Whitehall office.

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After the war, Jim Harding (Douglass Montgomery) is desperate to put his knowledge of chemistry to good use but his wife's greed forces him to sell potions for baldness and stomach disorders in a fairground booth on Blackpool's Golden Mile.

His marriage hits rock bottom when his wife Diana (Patricia Burke) dates a theatrical impresario behind his back and Jim falls in love with the beautiful Jane Thompson (Hazel Court), who runs the candyfloss stall opposite. But Jim's newfound happiness is cut short when his wife finds out about their affair and refuses to give him a divorce. As their marriage disintegrates into constant bickering, Jim takes a walk along Blackpool's crowded shore and decides to murder his wife...

When Sally (Francesca Annis) moves to London to pursue a modelling career, she moves in with Angela (Anneke Wills) and Dee (Suzanna Leigh) and discovers the world of the carefree bachelor girl, over a weekend of parties and romantic encounters.

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Richard Vernon and Michael Aldridge star as Home Office-appointed criminologists in this clever, humorous and highly original Granada series.

Devised and co-written by the award-winning Robin Chapman - the creator of the series' famous prequel 'The Man in Room 17' and a veteran screenwriter and novelist whose credits also include the highly controversial 'Big Breadwinner Hog' - 'The Fellows' charts the continuing work and often strained relationship of Room 17's former occupants Oldenshaw and Dimmock. Now appointed to the Peel Research Fellowship at All Saints' College, Cambridge, they no longer simply solve crimes, trap spies and hunt traitors; their new brief is to investigate the changing nature of crime, ultimately advising the police, legislature and government. But the familiar cat-and-mouse game with the criminal fraternity isn't over yet, and and their ingeniously unorthodox tactics help to ensnare several lynchpins of organised crime - including infamous gangland boss