Monarch (2000)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Purely Joyful Movie!

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This is a fab little gem as the posters say. I didn't quite know what to expect as this isn't a thriller, nor is it a horror or for that matter much of a costume drama. What unfold here is almost a playlette but in a real location. TP McKenna is a powerful Henry despite being towards the end of his life and every inch the king. Nice to see a different take on the usual school history version of Henry and his wives. That said the wives do make an appearance but a the less said here the better save for spoilers. I liked this film and think that if you are in the right mood you will connect with it. For those willing to try something away from the bodice ripping TV movie versions of Henry (all gelled back hair and waxed chests) this makes for a pleasant change and at least has something to say. Shot on a shoe string over just a few weeks make the achievement all the more impressive. This film has certainly been through the wars, having been released in the late 90s to not much ado and then lost. The extras on the DVD reveal the fascinating story of the original camera negative and how this was the key to this HD remastered release which hits cinemas again some twenty years after its first bow.

I was lucky enough to see this film at the cinema when it was released and now have my DVD copy in this beautifully remastered version.Great performances by the late TP McKenna; Jean March and Peter Miles, of Doctor Who fame.The film which is shot at Charlton House, with its dark and sinister interiors which really lends itself to the nature of this broody and macabre film.There is also a small cast which I think has helped play with the uncomfortable feel you get of the surroundings.The soundtrack comprising of a chamber sized orchestra and I believe some crash cymbals all help enhance the mood of the film throughout.This movie is definitely a must have to go with your DVD collection.

Henry VIII is s tough nut to crack in terms of drama. Either it becomes a romantic soap opera or an epic of the David Lean proportions. Either way this can be a hard ear to connect with. John Walsh's film has got some balls. With a budget that would only buy a few costumes on a Hollywood film, he has woven a tale that's manages to engage and offer a new perspective on this most written about, talked about and most filmed monarch in history.The film is a hidden gem and so is the cast. Irish stage actor TP McKenna embodies Henry and acts the rest of the cast off the screen. That is until he meets his match in the 'form' of Jean Marsh, enough said here otherwise it's a spoiler. Get the film, have a look and then look at the costume dramas that are consuming our Sunday night TV. I want Walsh to have another crack at history, he's clear got the knack.

The late T.P. McKenna will soon be making a comeback of sorts with the re-release of 'Monarch' on blu-ray. This was a film feature he made in 1996 for John Walsh making his drama debut. The enterprising young graduate of the London Film School aimed high with a part-fact/part-fiction account of an isolated King Henry VIII in the last year of his life who, after he is injured on a hunting trip, is forced to take refuge in a strange manor house, well away from the protection of his palaces and his court. There are fears of enemies within and without the walls as the king glowers in a virtual state of persecution. In his delirium a conflation of his wives attends his bedside (all played by Jean Marsh). Even Ebenezer Scrooge only had to cope with three ghosts in the one night. Cinematographer, Ray Andrew (noted for his camera work on The Shining, Das Boot and An American Werewolf In London) enhances the film's tension with a subdued, almost Stygian lighting plot providing each frame with a painterly quality. This is an assured feature film debut by John Walsh, however, it might be said to be a matter of regret that his notable successes as an award-winning documentary film maker have kept him from following up on his success with Monarch. Perhaps, with the restoration of the original negative for its blu-Ray release, Walsh will be inspired to return to the dramatic form. For now, a distinct gem of a movie has been remounted and will soon be ready for a whole new audience.