Latest news with #EmiliaFox
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Death is part of your daily life': Ex-homicide detective reveals what it's REALLY like to discover a dead body - and why it's not like Silent Witness
Investigating grisly crime scenes on a notorious strip dubbed 'Murder Mile' would be a baptism of fire for most trainee detectives. But for Damian Allain, the scourge of knife crime and shootings in Peckham, south-east London, in the late 1980s was what spiked his interest in becoming a homicide detective for Britain's biggest police force. Having served 31 years in the Metropolitan Police, the former detective chief inspector has been confronted with harrowing crime scenes that most of us will never face in a lifetime. It's a far cry from what you see on BBC hit drama Silent Witness, he admits, joking that you wouldn't have a pathologist, in this case actress Emilia Fox, 'running around trying to investigate the murder'. From finding a bloodied woman beaten and strangled to death in the shower cubicle of an office to staring down at the disfigured face of a man who was burned alive in the boot of a car in a twisted revenge plot, Mr Allain has seen it all. 'Death is part of your daily life,' he tells MailOnline in the brutally honest assessment you would expect from a hardened detective who has worked on the frontlines of homicide crime for three decades. It is clear that having worked on hundreds of murder cases, attending countless crime scenes and post-mortems, Mr Allain has become astonishingly desensitised to seeing dead bodies. 'It's obviously quite shocking,' he concedes. 'But you're there to do a professional job and you put any anxieties aside. You've got to crack on and just investigate the circumstances. There's a great sense of professional pride that takes over.' Seeing murder victims is something detectives just get used to, he says, adding: 'You're immersed in that environment. You go to post-mortems and crime scenes and see death as part of your daily life.' The harder part, Mr Allain admits, is meeting the victims' grieving families and supporting them when they see the beaten or burned bodies of their loved ones. He says in the past 'you would actively dissuade families to view the remains', but the 'culture has changed' and relatives often want to see the remains to 'see their loved one for the last time'. Mr Allain added: 'No two people grieve the same way, you do get different reactions... I've had every emotion in front of me from families being perfectly lucid - not visibly distressed - through to people flailing around on the floor in grief.' 'Sometimes there's even anger directed towards you because they see you as the authority.' His first homicide case, in 1991, was a 'nasty' murder in Peckham where an old man was queuing up in a benefits office when three men dragged him into a disused warehouse and beat him to death. 'This guy was clubbed to death and then they set the whole building on fire,' he recalled. 'This poor guy's remains were found and I was the exhibits officer on that case which was quite unusual for a trainee detective back then.' Mr Allain, now a lecturer in policing, criminology and the criminal justice system at Brunel University of London, tells MailOnline about three memorable cases that have stuck with him throughout his career and beyond his retirement in 2017. The first case that sticks in Mr Allain's mind was finding the beaten and strangled body of New Zealander Cathy Marlow, who was murdered in her office block in Vauxhall by her ex-colleague Matthew Fagan, in 2007. Ms Marlow was killed after a cruel quirk of fate put them in the same place at the same time. She had come into work on the weekend only to find Fagan, who had been fired from the company, stealing computers. Ms Marlow's body was found in a shower cubicle at her office after she was tied up and throttled with her own scarf at the offices of market research company Research Now. Mr Allain was met with a grisly scene, where the walls and floor of the office were smeared with blood. 'She suffered a really significant head injury, there was lots of blood. And there were drag marks in blood down a corridor into a shower room and she was found slumped. in a shower room. The actual cause of the death was strangulation.' Mr Allain said he 'vividly' remembers Ms Marlow's family coming over from New Zealand after her death. 'Just imagine that you live on the other side of the world, and you get a call to say she's been murdered in her office block in the way that she had been,' he said. 'I just remember them being very lost really. They were in shock and didn't know where to turn and of course they were in a foreign country.' The detective also managed to piece together how the murderer proceeded to then steal the laptops as they found his blood - indicating there had been a struggle - under the desks where he had gone to disconnect the cables. The murderer had tried to claim he was mugged in Peckham at the time the attack took place in a bid to provide a false alibi. However, CCTV showed him going to and from the premises and when he was eventually charged and his name released to the public, someone called to say he had sold them the laptops on the following Sunday. Mr Allain admitted that forensic evidence is absolutely crucial when first approaching a crime scene as it brings the 'scene to life to determine what's happened' which can help you start to identity lines of investigation. Another case which sticks in the mind of Mr Allain after all these years is the grisly love triangle murder of a TV executive in February 2012. Gagandip Singh, 21, was bundled into the back of a boot before the vehicle was set on fire in Blackheath, south-east London. Harinder Shoker, 20, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 22 years for murder, while Darren Peters, 20, was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter. Mr Singh was murdered in a cold-blooded revenge plot after he allegedly attempted to rape 20-year-old Mundill Mahil. Mahil, who lured Mr Singh to her university house in Brighton, was jailed for six years for causing grievous bodily harm. The victim was unaware that Shoker and Peters were waiting for him in the bedroom and they violently attacked him, wrapped him in a duvet and put him in the boot of his Mercedes before taking the car to Blackheath and burning it. Mr Singh was still alive when the car went up in flames and died of breathing in toxic fumes. Recalling the gruesome case, Mr Allain said: 'When he arrived, he goes in there and he's basically battered with a camera tripod and he's bundled into his own Mercedes and then driven up to Blackheath, where they torched the car.' He continued: 'Obviously, we've got a situation where there's disfigurement of the body. It obviously makes life slightly more difficult. 'When you've got fire involved, of course that destroys any potential often for forensic evidence as well. 'You've got little or no chance of getting any sort of DNA or any other trace evidence, and you've obviously got the added where you've got to identify who the victim is, because visual identification is often impossible. 'You've got to manage the family as well in terms of do they want to see their loved one? We would never accept a visual identification, but obviously, once we know who the victim is, either through odontology or through DNA, the family may well want to view the body and that happened in this case. 'The mother and her daughter [Gagandip's sister] were insistent on seeing him which is difficult to manage.' The victim's sister, Amandip Kaur Singh, previously relieved the harrowing moment on 5Star, saying: 'Having to see the burnt body is something I can't believe, I don't know how we got through that. 'There was no skin, he had gone charcoal colour. His eyes had sunk in. He didn't even look like a human. It was scary, but he was my brother so I had to go.' Mr Allain said the case was 'memorable in a number of ways'. 'I think we picked that job up on a early Saturday morning, and by Wednesday we charged three people with murder and it was quite fast moving investigation.' Despite the fast investigation, the detective also encountered stumbling blocks that could have hampered the investigation. There were five students living in the house, none of whom contacted the police and left the address, while a neighbour subsequently told police they saw two men carrying a 'bulky object covered in a duvet' to the boot. He took down the number plate but only told police when they carried out house to house inquiries. Mr Allain explains: 'So you've got five medical students there who know something really bad has happened there. They don't contact the cops. 'And obviously you've got someone down the street who's seen something suspicious and didn't call the cops, which is fine, but it's a good example of the fact that don't assume that because someone's seen or heard anything that they are going to contact you.' The third case he recalls investigating was the gruesome murder of George Francis, a career criminal who was linked to the £26million Brinks-Mat heist. Mr Francis, 63, was shot four times at his haulage firm in Bermondsey, south London, by contract killers in 2003. Terence Conaghan, from Glasgow, and John O'Flynn, from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, were convicted of murder. Mr Francis was savagely shot in the face, back, arm and finger after he tried to collect a £70,000 debt from a business contact, his Old Bailey trial heard at the time. The gangster was found slumped in the front seat with his legs hanging out of the front passenger door after he was gunned down while collecting a newspaper from his car. Mr Francis, described by prosecutors as a 'career criminal' with a 'chequered history' is believed to have played a role in helping to dispose of a large part of the Brinks-Mat gold bullion heist in 1983. Adding to the 'Brinks-Mat curse', he was the ninth man linked to the robbery to be killed Recalling the case, Mr Allain told MailOnline: 'That was quite an interesting case. It was challenging in a number of ways, because it cut across not just homicide, but organised crime.' In grisly detail, he revealed: 'It was an execution style shooting as well. The guy just turned up for work and he was just shot point blank range in the head. He was shot four times. 'It's quite chilling to think that the guy's just driving to work and then, all of a sudden, he's been shot in quite a cool and collected fashion.' Mr Allain explained how one of the first decisions to make in this case was whether you are going to 'extricate the body from the vehicle or take the vehicle with the body inside to a sterile location where you can conduct forensic work'. Mr Allain and and his team were able to snare the killers after a pair of glasses and a cigarette left at the scene showed traces of O'Flynn and Conaghan's DNA. Despite working on some horrific murder cases, the former detective is incredibly matter of fact when it comes to discovering dead bodies. He tells MailOnline: 'I think your initial feeling is dependent on the circumstances. You can be shocked in terms of how that person has died. With Cathy Marlow, she's died in her office block in quite an horrific attack... that does make you stop and think and it is quite shocking. 'But then there's a great sense of professional pride that takes over and think in terms of the mindset of just as horrific as this is, it is now my job to try and unpick what's happened and how it's happened, and start to bring offenders to justice.' The former detective says while he enjoys the odd investigative drama, his real obsession is true crime. He explains: 'It's interesting when you watch Silent Witness because you see the pathologist running around trying to investigate the murder, which obviously doesn't happen... it's totally in the world of fiction. 'There is a balance to be struck in making entertaining television to the public and having some level of continuity about policing practice.' 'Some of these dramatized murder series are pretty true true to life, and others go off on a bit of a fictional tangent sometimes, with a view to entertaining the public. 'I do watch occasionally some of these dramatized programs. But I also watch quite a lot of true crime,' he said.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- The Sun
Who was sex worker Janine Downes and what do we know about her brutal murder?
A NEW Channel 4 documentary series investigates the brutal death of a 22-year-old sex worker more than 30 years ago who may have been caught up in a criminal drug ring. In the Footsteps of Killers delves into the case of Janine Downes, a mother-of-three, who was murdered in Wolverhampton on February 2, 1991. 1 Who was Janine Downes? Janine had been working in the red-light district of the city and was last seen climbing into a distinctive blue car before her naked and beaten body was discovered in a hedge on the A464 near Hatton, just outside of Shifnal. She was found wearing only a paisley patterned blouse, a bra and blue ankle socks and had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Despite a continuous and full police investigation, no one has ever been arrested or convicted of her murder. Emilia Fox, criminologist David Wilson and former senior detective Dr Graham Hill take up the cold case for Channel 4 and interview key witnesses, looking for clues in Wolverhampton's red-light district. Lines of inquiry centre around the possibility Janine was the victim of a potential serial killer and linked to a local criminal drug and sex ring. Their inquiries initially lead them to the man dubbed the Midlands Ripper, who was convicted of two other women's murders, but there is nothing that links him to Janine's brutal death due to a lack of CSI-style evidence. Instead, they suspect Janine's murder could be connected to local pimps after discovering they were involved with drug-dealing gangs in the city. Janine's murder remains under investigation by West Mercia Police. On the 30th anniversary of her death, Detective Inspector Lee Holehouse appealed for anyone with information about her death to come forward. Chilling moment cops find dismembered victims of Australia's 'worst ever serial killing' rotting in barrels At the time, DI Holehouse, from West Mercia Police's Major Investigation Unit, said: 'Now is the 30th anniversary of Janine's death. 'To date, despite a continuous and full investigation and several arrests being made, nobody has been charged with her murder and I desperately want to change that. 'We the police are still unclear as to what happened to Janine in the hours and days before her death. We are unclear as to whether it's likely that Janine was killed by a stranger or someone known to her. 'We do know that Janine was a sex worker working in the Wolverhampton area at around the time of her death and would appeal to anybody who was within this circle at the time or even now and may who have information to contact us. 'Moreover, I appeal to anybody with any information which may lead to the identity of Janine's killer to get in touch in order that we can get the justice that Janine and her family deserve. 'Somebody somewhere knows what happened. Janine's family have lived without closure for far too long. If you know what happened or have any information which may help, please help us.' To report information about Janine's death visit the Tell Us About Section of the West Mercia Police website Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via the Crimestoppers website. The Murder of Janine Downes is on Channel 4 at 10pm on July 22.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Emilia Fox on what's lovely about turning 50
Emilia Fox saw turning 50 as a significant milestone in her life – but not a scary one. The actress, who's starred in the crime drama Silent Witness for an impressive 21 years, is as busy with work as ever. She is happily 'sandwiched' between a teenage daughter and ageing parents, yet has more energy than ever and says she's looking forward to the next half of her life. 'Do you know what's lovely about turning 50?' she asks. 'It's seen in a very different way to what it was, and people are really recognising that it's a time when we still want to be busy – we have the choice. 'I think people do see 50 as a significant milestone in life – my goodness, we're lucky if we get to 50 and feel healthy and fit and well. I think 50 is a great time to reflect on what's happened in the first half of your life and what you'd like the second half to look like – I remember really thinking about that on my 50th birthday. 'Turning 50 is not like the closing of a chapter, it's the opening of a new one, which is full of energy and possibility, and I think that's a really positive message.' Acting is in Fox's blood – she's the daughter of actors Edward Fox and Joanna David, sister of actor Freddie Fox, her uncle is the actor James Fox and her cousins are the actors Jack, Laurence, and Lydia Fox – and she's not letting age dampen her passion for the profession at all. 'Work-wise, it seems to be really busy, and I feel very lucky to be working at this time, because people are celebrating and writing for women of all ages now, and life experience seems to be more interesting to write about and see on screen or on stage. And that seems to be recognised in a different way to, say, my mum's generation – she's an actress, and it's been much harder for her getting older in the business.' Fox is currently filming the 29th series of Silent Witness 'which I can't quite believe', she admits, co-presents the BBC crime documentaries In the Footsteps of Killers, has just recorded an Audible Crime Scenes series and appeared in the film Legend Has It. She will also start filming a new series of the crime TV show Signora Volpe in Rome in the autumn. 'My life is full, and I really love it,' she declares.' I feel busy, and when I'm busy, I feel like I've got more energy. I don't feel like slowing down, I feel very happy, and I have a clarity about being 50 and knowing what I want to do. Actually, being 50 has created more opportunities.' And Fox, who lives with her 14-year-old daughter Rose and her partner Jonathan Stadlen, is pleased to say that hitting 50 hasn't had any negative health repercussions either – which she credits, in part at least, to her healthy upbringing. 'I was brought up by parents who live very healthily and well, they've never gone to a gym and they've never been on a diet, but they ate well, and they kept very active, so I was brought up with that kind of mentality,' she explains. 'I enjoy eating well, and I do care about exercising. I think as much as feeling physically better with it, I feel mentally better too when I'm exercising and – it's probably just psychological – it makes me feel like I'm fitter to do lots of things work-wise. 'Aches and pains-wise I feel okay, but my dad has terrible knee and neck pain and I look at that and think we're so lucky if we feel fit and healthy. There couldn't be anything more important than that, to have your health. But I wish I could take the pain away from my dad, I really do.' Fox says that because of her work playing the forensic pathologist Nikki Alexander in Silent Witness, she finds human anatomy 'endlessly fascinating', and admits: 'Working on Silent Witness, you get to see inside the human body, and boy, when you've seen inside a human being, does it make you want to look after your body and try and keep those aches and pains away as much as possible.' She says she's been very lucky to have had a steady role in Silent Witness for 21 years, because acting is such a 'precarious profession', and she admits: 'Silent Witness was my dream job. I was brought up on the crime genre, reading Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes and watching Inspector Morse. I absolutely loved it from childhood, and then being asked to be in Silent Witness was like the dream job come true.' She loves playing Nikki, of course, and says: 'She's seen me through life's ups and downs, she's been like a friend. She's always been there, and the show has always been a joy to come back to.' There are similarities between herself and Nikki, she says, not least because they both love their work, are passionate, and will go the extra mile to do their best. But there are clear differences too, and Fox explains: 'When I go home, I'm a mum to Rose, and Nikki doesn't have children, so I can separate my life from my work quite easily, as much as I enjoy being intertwined with Nikki too.' She's 'very close' to her daughter, she says, explaining fondly: 'We have great chats, whether that's about school life or friends or relationships, and it's really fun seeing that bit of life with her and through her eyes. 'Certainly, when you're in the sandwich years, which I am now, with a teenage daughter and my parents getting older, you're being pulled in one direction, where you're looking to bring up a young woman, but you're also looking at the future and what that holds and whether you're prepared for it.' That need to prepare for the future now she's in her 50s is the reason Fox is backing a new campaign to get one million more Brits seeking financial advice in their later years. A report for My Pension Expert's One Million More campaign found the majority (58%) of people aged 65 and over have never sought advice about their pension, despite figures showing those that did get advice boosted their retirement income by an average of 8.5%. 'Lots of us, while we turn to expert advice for things like booking a holiday or those kinds of life decisions, we're not seeking expert advice for significant life decisions like planning a financial future,' explains Fox. 'If individuals start saving for their pension now, they can significantly boost their retirement income – and to do that, you've got to seek financial advice from the experts.' She adds: 'Suddenly, in your 50s, there comes a bit of clarity – you've got all that life experience behind you, and it's never too late to take action and plan for a more secure retirement, whether that's for an income supplement or for planning some of the pleasures to look forward to in the second half of life.'
Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Silent Witness star Emilia Fox 'thinking about end of life' and major challenge
Silent Witness star Emilia Fox talks about parenting, perfect days and planning for the future - and explains why working on the show for 21 years has changed her views on life and death She's played Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC drama Silent Witness for the past 21 years, but it's clear Emilia Fox still loves her 'dream role', which she says fits in comfortably with her role as mother to 14-year-old Rose, her daughter from her relationship with actor and director Jeremy Gilley. The London-born actress – who is the daughter of actors Edward Fox and Joanna David – has been in a relationship with TV production company boss Jonathan Stadlen, 44, for the last four years. She turns 51 next month, but says she wasn't remotely fazed by her milestone birthday last year. 'I'm really, really in a happy place now, and feeling enjoyably busy in a full life,' she beams. Here, the unflinchingly positive star discusses the joys of bonding with her teenage daughter and reveals what makes her perfect weekend… You turned 50 last year. Did that feel daunting? When I turned 40, people asked how I felt, but I think I was so busy that I didn't really stop to think about it. Turning 50, I like the feeling of stopping to think about it and also being able to acknowledge all of life's experiences so far – the twists and turns. It's often said that there are fewer opportunities for actresses as they get older. Would you agree? For a different generation, this was a very hard time. I saw it with my mum where, as women got older, they were getting fewer and fewer parts but, in fact, the writing today is embracing women of all ages, so it's an exciting time to be part of this profession. You've worked virtually non-stop since your daughter, Rose, was born. Has that been tricky to balance? I'm so lucky that I've been able to work and look after Rose. Being able to be there for her has been massively important. Silent Witness used to be filmed around the corner from me and they were very conscious of how much I wanted to be a present mother, so they made it work so I could be home at a normal time. Rose is now 14. How are you coping with parenting a teenager? We've got a good, close relationship and I just really want to be alongside her. I think teenagers need you in very different ways. They need guidance and advice about school life and friends and relationships. So I'm very happy to be alongside her for that. You come from an acting dynasty. Do you think Rose might follow you into the industry? My mum and dad never encouraged me to be an actor. In fact it was the opposite. They knew I'd seen the profession without the rose-tinted spectacles on – I'd seen the highs and the lows. What I want to do for Rose is for her to feel that she's been given the broadest possible horizons. I was very lucky – I was waitressing and I got the chance to audition for Pride and Prejudice. I sort of fell into the job and I didn't really think about it. But I would like her to look at it and go, 'What do I want to do in my life? What are the opportunities and the choices?' I didn't really think about the choices until now – and I'm 50. There's been a running theme of crime throughout your career. Are you as fascinated by it as your audiences are? I was a voracious reader as a child and I was brought up on the mysteries of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. That evolved into things like Inspector Morse on TV. It's the mystery of the crime genre I love, and when I got offered Silent Witness, it was the dream role. You've been working on the Channel 4 documentary series In The Footsteps Of Killers since 2021. Is there a big difference between playing Dr Nikki Alexander and looking at real-life crimes? There's a massive difference. In Silent Witness, we wrap up a story in two hours and there's a conclusion. In The Footsteps Of Killers , which I do with the brilliant and fascinating criminologist Professor David Wilson, is about cold cases, because it's so hard to keep the spotlight on them, and the hope is that someone might come forward. There are bereaved families who have lost loved ones and don't have the answers. It's utterly heartbreaking for them. Switching off from such gritty work must be hard. What does your perfect weekend look like? When I'm working I like getting up early, around 5am, because it's a good time to learn my lines. The days are just packed, so it gives me that quiet time to have a coffee, which I love – maybe too much – and to get on top of things before the day's started. But my perfect weekend would be Rose being here and going to a market, picking up some food and bringing it home. We also have two Daschunds, Dolly and Clive, who are very much part of family life, and Rose and I are loving going to the theatre together at the moment. It's a real revelation that we can go to the same shows. We have so much fun, so going to a matinee show would be great, then supper with friends and an early night. The really simple things in life are the things I love the most. Tell us about the pension campaign you're involved in. As a nation, we're not very good at talking openly about money, are we? I learnt that only one in three people in their fifties is getting pension advice, so I want to help turn the topic into a positive message. Turning 50 is like entering a sort of Renaissance period. We aren't slowing down, we're still busy and we still want to enjoy life. I got to 50 and there was a sudden moment of clarity, thinking, 'OK, that was the first half of my life – what do I want the second half to look like?' And, of course, there's an element of financial planning in there. What do you hope the next few years will bring? The main things are to spend time with Rose, keep working, be with my mum and dad as they get older, and also to learn something new and set myself some sort of fitness challenge – like the Appalachian Trail. It's all the things I love in life. My dad is 88, and working on Silent Witness makes you think about life – the living of it and also the end of it, which, hopefully for my dad, is far off. But I really do feel these are precious years. I'd also like to learn more about my passions, to learn more about flowers and horticulture. Oh, and learn to cook properly! * Emilia Fox is working with My Pension Expert to get one million more Brits seeking financial advice by 2030
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: a sobering film about the rise of extreme weather
9pm, BBC One The anatomy of a modern climate catastrophe is revealed in this sobering documentary about the appalling floods that hit Valencia in October 2024. The first part of the film deals with the events as they were experienced by the citizens, 228 of whom didn't live to tell the tale. But there's also an insight into how humanity will have to adapt to increasingly volatile weather as failures in forecasting and preparation are laid bare. Phil Harrison 8pm, Channel 4 S'mores the merrier: this week the remaining pastry chef duos must come up with their own spin on the gooey US campfire treat while also rustling up a batch of creamy framboisier slices. If all that weren't stress-inducing enough, the showpiece challenge requires them to evoke their favourite visual artists – in spectacular fashion. Graeme Virtue 9pm, BBC Three Byron (Ellis Howard) hits rock bottom as the bracing dramatisation of Paris Lees' memoir delivers a punchy final double bill. A scary stint in prison features a nice guest role for Rhys Connah (Ryan in Happy Valley) as a bully with hidden vulnerabilities. Then Byron emerges – with nowhere to go but up. Jack Seale 10pm, Channel 4 Another cold case reopened by criminologist David Wilson, detective Graham Hill and moonlighting actor Emilia Fox. This time, it's the unexplained 2018 disappearance of Georgina Gharsallah, whose mother, Andrea, has campaigned to uncover the truth about her daughter's fate. Was she abducted? PH 10pm, BBC Four A gently lyrical film following Mongolian farmers Davaa and Zaya, who are forced to move to the city after a sandstorm (arguably caused by climate breakdown) kills their flock of sheep. It's not a straight narrative – the tale is told in an often dreamlike style, emphasising the connection between the people and their land. PH 10.05pm, ITV2 A fun new sitcom by Jordan Gray, Transaction makes salient points about inclusion while remaining enjoyably snarky. Gray is Olivia, a transgender woman and happily jobless slacker who is persuaded to do a few shifts at a supermarket because its boss, Simon (Nick Frost), is under fire for an (accidentally) transphobic advertising campaign. PH Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015), 9pm, ITV4This limber 2015 film is the second in a string of fruitful collaborations between director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B Jordan – it set in train a new run of boxing dramas set in Rocky World. Jordan plays Adonis Johnson, the unknown son of Rocky Balboa's opponent turned friend Apollo Creed. Adonis has the fight gene, too, so he turns up in Philadelphia to get Rocky (a convincingly weary Sylvester Stallone) to train him. There's enough ring work for the action fan, but it's also an exploration of family ties and the meaning of legacy. Simon Wardell
