With an Introduction Notes & Bibliography by Michael Irwin Emeritus Professor of English University of Kent Canterbury The young Thomas Hardy working as an architect but fired with literary ambition tried for years to get into print He finally succeeded with Desperate Remedies a 'sensation novel' in the mode of Wilkie Collins Here was a racy specimen of the genre replete with sudden death dark mysteries intriguing clues fire & storm flight & pursuit Anyone who enjoys The Woman in White is likely to enjoy Desperate Remedies But that is only half the story Hardy contrived also in this unlikely context to give a first airing to various of the ideas & technical experiments which were to characterise his later fiction The result is an exhilaratingly uneven work at any point in the narrative some brilliant passage of description or metaphor may burst out like a firework Desperate Remedies can be relished both for what it is & for what it promises ...

Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Among the alleys galleries & flesh-houses of 19th-century London a group of young artists crash through Victorian society Calling themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood they might present a real threat to the art establishment – if lust poverty jealousy & rivalry don’t tear them apart first… They are three talented & good-looking young bucks thrill-seeking & on-the-make on the grubby streets of London But these are no punk rockers this is 1851 & these lads-- Dante Gabriel Rossetti William Holman Hunt & John Millais – are among Britain’s most celebrated artists Styling themselves as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood they declare their irreverent genius to the artistic establishment as frequently & as loudly as they can Unfortunately for them only one man seems to be listening Fred Walters a shy hanger-on who ingratiates himself with them by locating the “perfect model” – flame-haired Lizzie Siddal a hat-shop assistant Young naive & high on laudanum the Brotherhood manage to affront polite society with their lewd behaviour but can they produce the work that will exemplify their revolutionary stance? & as they encounter success failure love & rejection can they overcome their own personal doubts & demons? Special Features AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANNY MOYLDESPERATE ROMANTICS
- A PORTRAIT A Behind the scenes featurette
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Chris Eliopoulos' Desperate Times is a comic strip-style humor series about two twenty-something guys their pet drunken sloth & their journey from early adulthood lives into a married life for one & continuing single life for the other ...

Ziauddin Sardar one of the foremost Muslim intellectuals in Britain learned the Koran at his mother's knee in Pakistan As a young student in London he set out to grasp the meaning of his religion & hopefully to find 'paradise' his quest leading him throughout the Muslim world from Iran to China to Turkey Along the way he accepts that he may never reach paradise
- but it's the journey that's important At a time when the view of Islam in the West is so often distorted & simplistic Desperately Seeking Paradise
- self-mocking frank & passionate
- is essential reading


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Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play If you know what to look for you can find almost anything in the personal adsincluding the love of your life! Rosanna Arquette is irresistible & in her first starring role pop star Madonna gives a marvelously comic performance in this delightful madcap comedy about mistaken identity Bored New Jersey housewife Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) fills her days by reading the personal ads & following an ongoing romance between Jim (Robert Joy) & Susan (Madonna) a mysterious drifter who appears to lead the kind of free-spirited life about which Roberta can only dream & dream she does until the day she actually shows up at the couple&s pre-arranged rendezvous in New York City & after a bump on the head a bout of amnesia turns Roberta into Susan & opens the door to intrigue laughter & love! ...

Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Despicable Me In a happy suburban neighbourhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes sits a black house with a dead lawn Unbeknownst to the neighbours hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout Surrounded by an army of tireless little yellow minions we discover Gru (Steve Carell) planning the biggest heist in the history of the world He is going to steal the moon (Yes the moon!) to prove to his Mum (Julie Andrews) that he is better than the other super-villains especially the new kid on the block Vector (Jason Segal) Gru delights in all things wicked Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays freeze guns & battle-ready vehicles for land & air he vanquishes all who stand in his way Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him & see something that no one else has ever seen a potential dad One of the world’s greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge three little girls named Margo Edith & Agnes in the box office hit Despicable Me Despicable Me 2 Get ready for more minion madness! This hilarious animated adventure sees the return of Gru (Steve Carell) who is retiring from the life of a super villain However he is unwillingly recruited by the Anti-Villain league to help deal with a powerful new super criminal Supported by the girls the hilarious minions … & a host of new & outrageously funny characters ...

Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play A double bill of children&s feature films & Hop& (2011) a state-of-the-art blend of CGI-animation & live action follows EB (voice of Russell Brand) the teenage son of the Easter Bunny When EB arrives in Hollywood with ambitions of finding fame his dreams are almost cut short when he is hit by a car driven by unemployed slacker Fred (James Marsden) Deciding to get what he can out of the situation EB convinces Fred to take him home while he recovers from his injuries Fred finds himself with a very demanding house-guest & the duo embark on a battle of wills that may just teach them both something important & Despicable Me& (2010) a computer-animated feature follows an arch criminal who has a change of heart Trying to outdo his main rival Vector (voice of Jason Segel) serial villain Gru (Steve Carell) hatches a plan to steal the moon aided by his army of genetically altered corn pops All goes according to plan until the arrival at his door of three little orphan girls Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) Agnes (Elsie Fisher) & Edith (Dana Gaier) in search of a father figure ...

Please note this is a region B Blu-ray & will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play In a happy suburban neighbourhood with its well-kept gardens & white picket fences sits a black house with a dead lawn! This is the secret hideout of Gru (Steve Carell) who with his army of excitable little yellow minions plans to TAKE OVER THE WORLD Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays freeze guns & battle ready vehicles for land & air Gru is accustomed to defeating all who stand in his way But the arrival of three little orphaned girls & their determination to make him their Dad threatens his reputation as a SUPER-VILLAIN! BONUS FEATURES • 3 Mini Movies Starring the Minions • The World of Despicable Me • Despicable Beats • Gru’s Rocket Builder • Miss Hattie’s Top Secret Cookie Recipes • Commentary with the Directors & the Minions • The Voices of Despicable Me • Super Silly Fun Land • Pocket BLU • BD-LIVE • & MORE! BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE GRU-CONTROL You never know what will happen next when Gru & the Minions take over the screen while you watch the movie! ALSO

Includes:: 3 MINI-MOVIES STARRING THE MINIONS -Orientation Day -Home Makeover -Banana

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Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play In a happy suburban neighbourhood with its well-kept gardens & white picket fences sits a black house with a dead lawn! This is the secret hideout of Gru (Steve Carell) who with his army of excitable little yellow minions plans to TAKE OVER THE WORLD Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays freeze guns & battle ready vehicles for land & air Gru is accustomed to defeating all who stand in his way But the arrival of three little orphaned girls & their determination to make him their Dad threatens his reputation as a SUPER-VILLAIN! BONUS FEATURES • 3 Mini Movies Starring the Minions • The World of Despicable Me • Gru’s Rocket Builder & MORE! ...

Please note this is a region B Blu-ray & will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play Please note the UV copy is only compatible in participating regions please visit the UV website for full details Despicable Me Gru delights in all things wicked Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays freeze guns & battle-ready vehicles for land & air he vanquishes all who stand in his way Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him & see something that no one else has ever seen a potential Dad One of the world&s greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge three little girls named Margo Edith & Agnes Despicable Me 2 This hilarious animated adventure sees the return of Gru (Steve Carell) who is retiring from the life of a super villain However he is unwillingly recruited by the Anti-Villain league to help deal with a powerful new super criminal Supported by the girls the hilarious minions & a host of new & outrageously funny characters Actors Steve Carell Jason Segel Russell Brand Julie Andrews Will Arnett Kristen Wiig Miranda Cosgrove Ken Jeong & Steve Coogan Director Pierre Louis Padang Coffin & Chris Renaud Certificate Universal Suitable for All Year 2010 ; 2013 Screen Widescreen 1851 Languages English
- DTS-HD Master Audio (51) Additional Languages Spanish ; Hungarian ; Polish ; Arabic ; Hindi ; Catalan ; English Audio Description Subtitles English for the hearing impaired ; Spanish ; Hungarian ; Polish ; Arabic ; Catalan ; Hindi Closed Captions Yes Duration 1 hour & 33 minutes (approx)
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