Oscar winning Argo makes a break for Virgin Movies

Having just won three Academy Awards, Argo has today become available on Virgin Movies, the on demand movie pay-per-view service from Virgin Media.

On the back of a hugely successful awards season, Argo, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, has already been rated by British movie fans alongside household favourite escapes including The Shawshank Redemption, The Great Escape and Sleeping with the Enemy in a poll by Virgin Media.

Named one of the top ten escape films of all time even before its general release, Argo is based upon a real life mission to rescue six American hostages under the guise of an entirely fictitious film crew by the Canadian Government during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.

Nick Forward, editor in chief of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, said: We want to help film fans get the best movies as soon as possible. Like most Brits, we love tenacious plots and our poll has shown that whether it is a thriller, action movie or animation, real life stories like Argo can be as captivating as any plot conjured up by a scriptwriter. With one of the greatest escape plots of all time, there are a lot of reasons to see Argo as soon as you can. The fact that everyday film fans are already ranking it alongside well established classics, as well as its huge success at the award ceremonies Argo has many of the hallmarks for long-term success.

Whether it's evading prisons, rescuing diplomats under the guise of movie makers, escaping evil farmers or feigning death to escape an abusive marriage, Virgin Media's poll shows Brit's love of tenacious plots and daring escapes.

The epic The Shawshank Redemption was crowned the nation's favourite escape film thanks to Andy Dufresne tenaciously concealing tools to break free from jail and his enduring friendship with Red. The Great Escape, based upon allied escape plans from Stallug Luft III during World War 2 followed closely behind. Psychological thriller, Sleeping with the Enemy, in which Julia Robert's character escapes from an abusive husband by feigning her own death clinched third place.

With over 500 of the latest films straight from the cinema ready to watch right now, either on TV or online, Virgin Movies is the most comprehensive way of instantly watching new movies in the comfort of your own home or on the move. The service is available online to anyone in the UK, including non-Virgin Media subscribers at www.virginmedia.com/movies.

Argo is available to view now on Virgin Movies. www.virginmedia.com/movies.

Virgin Media's Top Ten Escape Movies as voted for by the public

The Shawshank Redemption

The Great Escape

Sleeping with the Enemy

Chicken Run

Escape from Alcatraz

The Hangover

Argo

Alien

Jurassic Park

Thelma and Louise

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

Survey sample size: 1,000 respondents, 27th February 2012

For journalist enquiries contact

Press Office

t: 0207 909 2225

e: pressoffice@virginmedia.co.uk

LINK:	http://mediacentre.virginmedia.com/Stories/Oscar-winning-Argo-makes-a-...
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