Rentals
Unavailable on DVD
This collection showcases a selection of hard-to-see features that are unavailable to watch anywhere else (legally) in the UK.
From Peter Sellers' sole feature-film directorial credit, Mr. Topaze, to Dennis Potter's Secret Friends, this collection features a trove of (largely) unseen delights.
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Mr. TopazeMr. Topaze
Comedy 1961 97 minsDirector: Peter Sellers
Charming character comedy, unseen for decades, starring Peter Sellers as a school teacher corrupted by big business.
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Diary of a Mad HousewifeDiary of a Mad Housewife
Drama 1970 95 minsDirector: Frank Perry
Frank Perry's biting '70s satire about a smart, affluent homemaker hideously mistreated by chauvinists, stars a Golden Globe-winning Carrie Snodgress and Frank Langella in his film debut.
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LambLamb
Drama 1985 110 minsDirector: Colin Gregg
In one of Liam Neesonβs earliest starring roles, he plays an errant priest who kidnaps a vulnerable boy from an abusive Catholic school
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ExtremesExtremes
Documentary 1971 81 minsDirector: Anthony Klinger and Michael Lytton
In-your-face 70s documentary exploring the lives of Hell's Angels, hippies, skinheads, rudeboys, mods and drug addicts.
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Remembrance of Things FastRemembrance of Things Fast
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1993 62 minsDirector: John Maybury
John Mayburyβs dark, queer state of the nation film starring Tilda Swinton and Rupert Everett
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The Golden MadonnaThe Golden Madonna
Drama 1949 88 minsDirector: Ladislao Vajda
When she inherits an Italian palazzo, a young woman takes on more than she bargained for
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MantrapMantrap
Drama 1953 79 minsDirector: Terence Fisher
Hammer thriller in which a wrongly imprisoned man escapes to find the real murderer.
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Conflict of WingsConflict of Wings
Drama 1954 85 minsDirector: John Eldridge
When the RAF tries to take over an island for target practice, the locals rally to prevent them.
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Happiness of Three WomenHappiness of Three Women
Comedy 1954 79 minsDirector: Maurice Elvey
The Wishing Well Inn in rural Wales is the bustling centre of love and intrigue in this charming romance starring Petula Clarke.
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DoombeachDoombeach
Thriller 1989 76 minsDirector: Colin Finbow
A truant schoolboy sabotages the secretive power station he believes killed his friend. With Glenda Jackson.
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Blue ScarBlue Scar
Drama 1949 97 minsDirector: Jill Craigie
A stirring tale of love, music, and coalmining in Abergwynfi, South Wales.
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Captain StirrickCaptain Stirrick
Children's 1982 95 minsDirector: Colin Finbow
Pickpockets, mad puppets, and murder β all from the 1840 press accounts of a real case that lead to the gallows β conceived as a musical by the Childrenβs Film Unit.
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VroomVroom
Drama 1988 88 minsDirector: Beeban Kidron
Beeban Kidronβs first feature film follows Clive Owen, David Thewlis and Diana Quick as they take to the road in a bubblegum-pink Chevrolet.
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What Every Woman WantsWhat Every Woman Wants
Drama 1954 88 minsDirector: Maurice Elvey
The trials and tribulations of 1950s working class family life are engagingly evoked in this warm-hearted drama of urban England.
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Twice BrandedTwice Branded
Drama 1936 69 minsDirector: Maclean Rogers
The great James Mason has a juicy early role in this dynamic vintage drama of false imprisonment, disgrace, deception and family intrigue.
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Secret FriendsSecret Friends
Drama 1992 97 minsDirector: Dennis Potter
Alan Bates stars as an illustrator whose life begins to unravel as fantasy and reality collide in Dennis Potterβs psychosexual drama.
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Death in High HeelsDeath in High Heels
Crime 1947 47 minsDirector: Lionel Tomlinson
When one of the ladies at a posh couturier is poisoned, all the staff come under suspicion.
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DoublecrossDoublecross
Comedy 1956 71 minsDirector: Anthony Squire
Exciting British B-movie about a Cornish poacher who clashes with dangerous international spies.
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Blanche FuryBlanche Fury
Melodrama 1948 94 minsDirector: Marc AllΓ©gret
Valerie Hobson stars as the scheming governess with designs on taking over the Fury estate, in this atmospheric Gothic melodrama
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The Silent PlaygroundThe Silent Playground
Crime 1964 72 minsDirector: Stanley Goulder
A warning tale about the dangers of taking sweets from strangers.
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The Boy and the BridgeThe Boy and the Bridge
Children's 1959 87 minsDirector: Kevin McClory
A child's-eye-view of one of the capital's most iconic landmarks, with stunning views of the Thames and its traffic.
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The Triple EchoThe Triple Echo
War 1973 93 minsDirector: Michael Apted
Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson star in the rarely seen drama about an AWOL soldier who disguises as a woman to avoid capture.
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JustineJustine
Drama 1976 90 minsDirector: Stewart Mackinnon
Stewart Mackinnonβs avant-garde adaptation of Marquis de Sadeβs infamous erotic novel has been near impossible to see since 1976.
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BedeliaBedelia
Drama 1946 90 minsDirector: Lance Comfort
Britainβs top star Margaret Lockwood plays a devoted wife who is not quite what she seems.
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Secret RitesSecret Rites
Documentary 1971 47 minsDirector: Derek Ford
'King of the Witches' Alex Sanders initiates doe-eyed Penny into the ways of his coven.
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Welcome II the TerrordomeWelcome II the Terrordome
Drama 1995 94 minsDirector: Ngozi Onwurah
A ferocious dystopian nightmare, this was the first film directed by a Black British woman to receive a UK theatrical release.
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The Gypsy and the GentlemanThe Gypsy and the Gentleman
Period drama 1958 107 minsDirector: Joseph Losey
Joseph Loseyβs 1958 film tells the engaging and twisty story of a golddigging Belle (Melina Mecouri) who meets her match in the cunning Sir. Paul Deverill (Keith Michell).
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Which Side Are You On? Songs, Poems and Experiences of the Miners' Strike, 1984Which Side Are You On? Songs, Poems and Experiences of the Miners' Strike, 1984
Anthology 1985 54 minsDirector: Ken Loach
Ken Loachβs documentary focuses on the 1984 Minerβs Strike, capturing a range of complicated emotions, situations, and circumstances.
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The God KingThe God King
Historical drama 1974 99 minsDirector: Lester James Peries
Epic tale set in 5th century Sri Lanka, following the battle for the throne between Kassapa and his father King Dhatusena.
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Black Bird Descending: Tense AlignmentBlack Bird Descending: Tense Alignment
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1977 109 minsDirector: Malcolm Le Grice
A brilliantly constructed, melancholic ode to the passing of time by Malcolm Le Grice
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Spirit of AlbionSpirit of Albion
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1987 60 minsDirector: Richard Philpott
On the road with New Age travellers: political disquiet in the apocalyptic years of the mid-80s.
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Flight from ViennaFlight from Vienna
Drama 1955 57 minsDirector: Denis Kavanagh
Filmmaker Denis Kavanagh teams with venerable British actor John Bentley in this thrilling drama about a refugee who becomes enrolled in espionage.
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Food of LoveFood of Love
Drama 1997 109 minsDirector: Stephen Poliakoff
Richard E. Grant leads a dramatic reunion as friends and lovers gather to perform Shakespeareβs Twelfth Night in Stephen Poliakoffβs romantic comedy.
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Stories of Our LivesStories of Our Lives
Documentary 2014 61 minsDirector: Jim Chuchu
Five stories of forbidden desire, courageously collected to tell the hidden truths of LGBT life in Kenya.
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Dog Eat DogDog Eat Dog
Comedy 2001 93 minsDirector: Moody Shoaibi
David Oyelowo makes his first feature film role as one of posse of DJs who enrage a local drug baron after stealing his dog.
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The Optimists of Nine ElmsThe Optimists of Nine Elms
Drama 1973 106 minsDirector: Anthony Simmons
Peter Sellers is superb in a warm, wistful family drama, in which two Battersea kids forge an unlikely alliance with a faded music hall star.
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Peter IbbetsonPeter Ibbetson
Drama 1935 85 minsDirector: Henry Hathaway
One of the most unjustly overlooked fables from Hollywoodβs golden age, a stunning romantic fantasy about two divided lovers united in a dream world.
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Love Me TonightLove Me Tonight
Comedy 1932 89 minsDirector: Rouben Mamoulian
Rouben Mamoulianβs highly inventive romantic comedy set new standards for the use of music in film. And itβs still an utterly charming romantic delight.
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Wild WestWild West
Comedy 1993 84 minsDirector: David Attwood
Defying opposition from his conservative Pakistani family, Zaf Ayub dreams of becoming Southall's greatest gift to country & western.
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TravellerTraveller
Drama 1981 81 minsDirector: Joe Comerford
Reluctant newlywed travellers Angela and Michael try to smuggle goods across the border in this lyrical Irish road movie written by Neil Jordan.
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A Private EnterpriseA Private Enterprise
Drama 1975 72 minsDirector: Peter K. Smith
The trials and tribulations of Shiv, a South Asian entrepreneur trying to set up a business in industrial Birmingham
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UnderageUnderage
Documentary 1982 57 minsDirector: Kim Longinotto and Lizzie Lemon
Racism, glue-sniffing, petty theft and promiscuity - Coventry teenagers at play.
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Giro CityGiro City
Drama 1982 102 minsDirector: Karl Francis
Glenda Jackson and Jon Finch play Welsh investigative journalists covering the Troubles in Northern Ireland only to unearth censorship and corruption back home.
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Smack and ThistleSmack and Thistle
Drama 1989 95 minsDirector: Tunde Ikoli
When a young black wide-boy rescues a rich white girl from a heroin overdose β and falls for her β heβs drawn into a world of high-class crime.
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The Tell-Tale HeartThe Tell-Tale Heart
Horror 1934 50 minsDirector: Brian Desmond Hurst
A madman harbours murderous thoughts about an old relative with an evil eye in this chilling Edgar Allan Poe adaptation
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Nelly's VersionNelly's Version
Drama 1983 103 minsDirector: Maurice Hatton
Legendary British actress Eileen Atkins stars as a woman with no memory or recollection, only knowing her own name.
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Solomon and GaenorSolomon and Gaenor
Romance 1999 104 minsDirector: Paul Morrison
The moving and passionate story of illicit love between a Welsh girl and a Jewish boy, set against a backdrop of industrial unrest in the Welsh Valleys of 1911.
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HeroHero
Fantasy 1982 91 minsDirector: Barney Platts-Mills
In a medieval Scotland where sorcery still reigns, a young knight joins a band of warriors but becomes enmeshed in a power struggle with their leader.
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Foreign MoonForeign Moon
Drama 1996 87 minsDirector: Zhang Zeming
A beautiful tale of three Chinese migrants who find love and companionship while struggling to work and survive in London.
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We Went to WonderlandWe Went to Wonderland
Documentary 2008 72 minsDirector: Xiaolu Guo
British-Chinese filmmaker Xiaolu Guo follows her ageing parents' journey to the West as they visit Europe. A rare chance to see one of Guoβs most personal films.
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CocaineCocaine
Crime 1922 50 minsSilentDirector: Graham Cutts
A decadent, controversial tale of London's seedy underbelly, where an elegant Chinese club host enslaves the weak with white powder.
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Skid KidsSkid Kids
Action and Adventure 1953 49 minsDirector: Don Chaffey
Young 'Swanky' Clarke, leader of the Burton Bullets Cycle Speedway Club, foils bicycle thieves on the streets of 1950s Bermondsey.
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Child's PlayChild's Play
Comedy 1954 68 minsDirector: Margaret Thomson
Splitting the atom is as easy as ABC in this family-friendly adventure.
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A Bit of ScarletA Bit of Scarlet
Documentary 1996 71 minsDirector: Andrea Weiss
Mapping how British film and TV depicts the gay and lesbian lifestyle, Andrea Weiss raids the archives for her funny and persuasive documentary.
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Night of the FilmmakersNight of the Filmmakers
Documentary 1995 51 minsDirector: Edgar Reitz
From the director of Heimat, a mini-epic about the history of German cinema.
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Yang Β± Yin - Gender in Chinese CinemaYang Β± Yin - Gender in Chinese Cinema
Documentary 1997 79 minsDirector: Stanley Kwan Kam-pang
An inspirational and star-laden journey through Chinese cinema in the company of John Woo, Chen Kaige, Ang Lee and Tsui Hark.
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Irish Cinema - Ourselves Alone?Irish Cinema - Ourselves Alone?
Documentary 1996 51 minsDirector: Donald Taylor Black
Irish images, foreign fathers: asking why a nation's cinematic identity has been outsourced.
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Cinema of Unease A Personal Journey by Sam NeillCinema of Unease A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
Documentary 1995 52 minsDirector: Sam Neill and Judy Rymer
Take a trip with Sam Neill through his country's celluloid culture.
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A Century of Australian CinemaA Century of Australian Cinema
Documentary 1996 68 minsDirector: George Miller
Mad Max director George Miller explores the tradition of film production in Australia.
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100 Years of Polish Cinema100 Years of Polish Cinema
Documentary 1996 61 minsDirector: Pawel Lozinski
A history of Polish movies perceived by cinemagoers of all ages.
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SoursweetSoursweet
Drama 1989 111 minsDirector: Mike Newell
Hong Kong newlyweds seek a fresh start in 60s Britain, but fall foul of the Triad underworld in this adaptation of Timothy Mo's blackly comic novel.
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Speak Like a ChildSpeak Like a Child
Drama 1998 77 minsDirector: John Akomfrah
Moving drama about three close friends forever tied to a dark secret from their teenage past.
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Ping PongPing Pong
Comedy 1987 100 minsDirector: Leong Po-Chih
A young lawyer has to execute the will of a Chinese man found dead in a phone box in a witty comic thriller - the first British-Chinese feature film.
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BabymotherBabymother
Musical 1998 77 minsDirector: Julian Henriques
Neeta and her crew rise to dancehall fame in North West London's Caribbean community, in the first Black British musical.
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Man without DesireMan without Desire
Fantasy 1924 108 minsSilentDirector: Adrian Brunel
A sumptuous silent drama of love, frustrated desire and suspended animation in 18th-century Venice.
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Friendship's DeathFriendship's Death
Science Fiction 1987 72 minsDirector: Peter Wollen
Tilda Swinton plays an extra-terrestrial android discussing lifeβs big questions with a British war correspondent in this unique sci-fi by influential film theorist Peter Wollen.
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Hidden CityHidden City
Thriller 1987 108 minsDirector: Stephen Poliakoff
Charles Dance stars in Stephen Poliakoffβs debut feature film about a writer whose research uncovers a conspiracy of hidden artefacts.
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MonsMons
Documentary 1926 110 minsSilentDirector: Walter Summers
Arrival of the British Army in France
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Another SkyAnother Sky
Romance 1955 86 minsDirector: Gavin Lambert
Two cultures collide in a beautifully photographed love story - an ode to Morocco, its music, its people and way of life.
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YpresYpres
Documentary 1925 79 minsSilentDirector: Walter Summers
Battle film made as a memorial to the dead of WWI, documenting events at Ypres using reconstructed and genuine footage.
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Self MadeSelf Made
Documentary 2011 84 minsDirector: Gillian Wearing
Artist Gillian Wearingβs βdocumentaryβ observes seven people creating (fantasy?) identities in collaboration with a drama teacher. Raw and revealing.
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Sons of the SeaSons of the Sea
Crime 1926 76 minsSilentDirector: H. Bruce Woolfe
Two boys answer the call of the sea as Royal Navy recruits in this adventure of the seven seas.
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3 Steps to Heaven3 Steps to Heaven
Drama 1995 87 minsDirector: Constantine Giannaris
Edgy mixture of black comedy and urban drama about a woman uncovering the hidden truths about her dead lover.
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Poppies of FlandersPoppies of Flanders
War 1928 122 minsSilentDirector: Arthur Maude
Powerful wartime drama that sees rivals in love becoming comrades-in-arms in the trenches of the Western Front.
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A Window in LondonA Window in London
Melodrama 1940 76 minsDirector: Herbert Mason
Michael Redgrave's construction worker is embroiled in murder and intrigue in this lively British thriller, packed with pre-war London locations.
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