"Actor: Al St John"

• That's Carry On | DVD | (07/07/2003) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-7.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Celebrating twenty years of classic Carry On films two of the film's best loved stars Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor return to Pinewood Film Studios to unwrap some rib-tickling moments to the series. From the original military mayhem of 'Carry On Sergeant' through to the really ancient archaeological gags of 'Carry On Behind' our saucy hosts get their titters out for this laugh-a-second gallop through the most successful series of British comedy films ever made. With a cast

• Brother Sun, Sister Moon | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  It seemed like a good idea in 1973: a musical scored by Donovan about the life and times of St. Francis of Assisi, the passionate ascetic who expressed love for God by loving nature. But the finished product was something else. Filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli (Endless Love) makes a decorous effort at communicating the ideals of Francis and even tweaking the character toward flower-power relevance. But the result is feel-good fluff, a boring movie that doesn't penetrate its subject as much as reinvent him toward a modern bias. Graham Faulkner is entirely forgettable in the lead and Donovan's songs on this project aren't exactly first-rate, either. --Tom Keogh

• Sharpe's Battle / Sharpe's Sword | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £6.54   |  Saving you £8.45 (56.40%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe (1993-7) ran to 14 full-length television films that follow the adventures of the titular soldier through the later years of the Napoleonic Wars. The programmes are an outstanding achievement for the small screen, dominated by Sean Bean's central performance as the heroic, troubled outsider who turns out to be a resourceful and loyal leader. Bolstered by a strong supporting cast, particularly Daragh O'Malley as Harper and (in later episodes) Abigail Cruttenden as Jane, Sharpe is often visually striking, the action tense and gripping. Consistency is maintained by all 14 episodes being directed by Tom Clegg. On the DVD: Sharpe on DVD's sound is full-bodied stereo while the very "sharp" (pun intended) picture has been transferred slightly letterboxed at 14:9. Though looking much better than the original TV transmissions the occasionally cropped framing makes it apparent the films were shot in 16:9 widescreen, so it is regrettable they have not been transferred to DVD in that format. Otherwise these are first-rate releases. --Gary S Dalkin

• Prick Up Your Ears | DVD | (10/10/2005) from £7.97   |  Saving you £0.02 (0.25%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Based on John Lahr's biography of the same name and co-written by Alan Bennett, Prick Up Your Ears charts the 16-year relationship between the monstrously talented but deeply selfish playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman), author of West End farces such as Loot and What the Butler Saw, and his neurotic but nevertheless wronged lover and collaborator Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina). Halliwell introduced Orton to art, literature and gay sex only to see his protégeacute; outstrip his mentor with innate and rampant talent for sexual conquest. By turns hilarious and excoriatingly painful, it's as much a tribute to an anti-hero of our times-Orton's ruthless frankness and anarchic mindset helped form the basis of what's called the "queer" sensibility today--as it is a portrait of the Swinging 60s just after the reform of anti-homosexuality laws irrevocably changed society. The modern-day framing device has Lahr (Wallace Shawn) researching his book through interviews with Peggy Ramsay (Vanessa Redgrave), Orton's agent and the diary he wrote, a nimble device which ends up drawing a provocative parallel between Orton and Halliwell's relationship and that of Lahr and his wife (Lindsay Duncan). Director Stephen Frears, fresh off the back of the also-gay-themed My Beautiful Laundrette, nimbly balances our sympathies for both the protagonists while the leads give what may in retrospect look like the standout performances of their careers: Oldman was never more feral and charming, while Molina, foppishingly fretting over his wig and decrying that his lover "even sleeps better than I do" is simply heartbreaking. --Leslie Felperin

• Bach: Cantatas | DVD | (02/11/2001) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-0.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Taking the Bach Cantatas as a basis for a year-long pilgrimage in 2000, conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner led the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists on an emotional and artistically triumphant world tour to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death. Many of the Cantatas were performed in religious buildings throughout Europe and even in New York, at appropriate times in the liturgical calendar. These performances feature Cantatas 179, 199 and 113, all composed for the 11th Sunday after Trinity, in marvellously dramatic interpretations by the Choir and soloists including soprano Magdalena Kozen, alto William Towers, tenor Mark Padmore and Stephan Loges. Gardiner’s mission to expose the delicacy of emotion at the heart of Bach’s deceptively simple melodies pays dividends in settings which range from baroque German cathedrals to the austere bleakness of Iona. Filmed by BBC Wales, the concerts create a moving spiritual journey in which the music itself is allowed to take centre stage thanks to the passion of the performances and, above all, to Gardiner’s vision of Bach’s continuing relevance in the modern world at the beginning of a new millennium. On the DVD: thanks to the crystal clarity of the PCM Stereo soundtrack and Surround Sound, it’s possible to reproduce at home the distinctive acoustics of the different venues where the cantatas are performed. The picture quality (anamorphic 16:9 ratio) makes for the standard television viewing experience but it’s the music which counts. Extras include a 60-minute documentary explaining Gardiner’s vision for the pilgrimage, with further performance extracts, giving a sense of the sheer size and ambition of the project--not least the logistical issues of moving a large group of performers around such a diverse range of locations. It also shows the extent to which the performers become absorbed by Bach’s music and through it, discover new aspects of their own spirituality. Extensive booklet notes include full texts of the featured Cantatas and the double-sided disc allows viewing in PAL or NTSC format.--Piers Ford

• Auf Wiedersehen Pet - Series 2 - Vol. 2 : Episodes 4-6 | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £10.98   |  Saving you £4.00 (44.49%)   |  RRP £12.99

  First broadcast in 1983 with its second series airing in 1986, Auf Wiedersehen Pet was an unlikely comedy hit about a group of British labourers forced to work in Germany during the recession. Scripted by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, (previously responsible for Porridge and The Likely Lads) its main players are likable stereotypes from all over England: Barry (Timothy Spall), the bumbling, haplessly pretentious Brummie; gentle West Country giant Bomber (Pat Roach); amiable scouse Moxey (Christopher Fairbank); and the three Geordies, nervous Neville (Kevin Whately), loudmouth xenophobic lummox Oz (Jimmy Nail) and put-upon Dennis (Tim Healy), the reluctant gaffer of the mob. The second series saw the lads reunited to work for a dubious entrepreneur called Ally Fraser to whom Dennis owes money, and the location varying from Spain to Derbyshire. Gary Holton (cheeky cockney Wayne) died during the making of the series and Clement and La Frenais farmed out several episodes to other writers, such as Stan Hey, but the characters were well established by this point and the comedy held up. An episode in which the gang upset the locals of a stuffy country pub with their very presence is particularly memorable. A belated third series followed in 2002. --David Stubbs

• Agatha Christie's Marple - The Moving Finger | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £5.98   |  Saving you £4.01 (67.06%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Agatha Christie's classic sleuth Miss Marple (here essayed by Geraldine McEwan) takes on another case of murder most foul.... After a serious motorcycle accident the dashing Jerry Burton (James D'Arcy) arrives in the sleepy village of Lymstock with his sister Joanna (Emilia Fox) to recuperate. Their expectations of peace and quiet are quickly dashed when they discover a poison pen-writer is at large in the village. Together Miss Marple and Jerry set out to stop the malicious mess

• The Blues Brothers | DVD | (07/11/2005) from £14.87   |  Saving you £15.12 (101.68%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The Blues Brothers (Dir. John Landis 1980): They'll never get caught. They're on a mission from God. After the release of Jake Blues (John Belushi) from prison he and brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) go to visit the orphanage where they were raised by nuns. They learn that the church stopped its support and will sell the place unless the tax on the property is paid within 11 days. The brothers decide to raise the money by putting their blues band back together and stagin

• Jungle Book (Disney) | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £19.35   |  Saving you £8.63 (52.75%)   |  RRP £24.99

  One of the most popular Disney films ever The Jungle Book is a song-filled celebration of friendship fun and adventure set in a lush and colourful world. Inspired by Rudyard Kipling's""Mowgli"" stories Disney's 19th animated masterpiece was the last animated feature that had Walt Disney's personal touch. The jubilant adventure begins when Mowgli a little boy raised by wolves is urged by his friend Bagheera a wise old panther to seek safety in the man-village. Feeling very much at home in the jungle Mowgli resists and runs off. Much to Bagherra's dismay Mowgli meets a new friend with a happy-go-lucky- philosophy of life- Baloo the bear a lovable "" jungle bum."" Together the three buddies find the journey back to civilization anything but civilized! They encounter a crazy orangutan the hypnotic and sly snake Kaa and the menacing Shere Khan!

• The Souler Opposite | DVD | (14/01/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Barry is a single stand-up comedian looking for Ms. Right. When he meets Thea a political activist romance blooms. But the relationship runs into trouble during the political season when Thea must go on the campaign trail. Barry decides to follow the woman he loves no matter what happens. All Barry Singer wants is a woman to like him for who he pretends to be...

• Gentleman's Agreement / Twelve O'Clock High / The Bravados / The Gunfighter | DVD | (31/05/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £34.99

  Four classic Gregory Peck films are featured on this fantastic box set. Gentleman's Agreement: Director Elia Kazan and producer Darryl F. Zanuck caused a sensation with ""the most spellbinding story ever put on celluloid"" (Hollywood Reporter) recipient of three Academy Awards including Best Picture. One of the first films to directly tackle racial prejudice this acclaimed adaptation of Laura Z. Hobson's bestseller stars Gregory Peck as a journalist assigned to write a series

• This Life - The Complete Series One | DVD | (27/02/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Few would have guessed from its initial headline-grabbing shock tactics, but the BBC's This Life went on to become one of the most influential television dramas of the 1990s. The show's creators certainly went for the jugular with liberal smatterings of sex, drugs and general debauchery--not many television shows then or now come with an 18 certificate. But beneath all the surface gloss lay a drama of real substance. The first 11 episodes begin with the five individuals coming together in London's legal world and then take us through their shared experiences. This Life's great strength was that there was enough drama between the main protagonists to maintain the show's momentum, while introducing just the right amount of secondary characters (Delilah, Ferdy)--a trick that Queer as Folk, perhaps the show's natural successor, was also to employ. The chemistry between the leading players has rarely been bettered since and, all in all, This Life has aged not a jot. On the DVD: while there is little in the way of extra features, the DVD format suits This Life perfectly. And where 430 minutes of VHS would be too unwieldy, this two-disc collection is sharp and snappy. The menu layout is excellent, enabling easy access to those classic moments, and the hip soundtrack (The Prodigy, Iggy Pop, Dubstar) sounds crisp and clear. --Phil Udell

• A Kind Of Loving | DVD | (25/06/2001) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-10.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Pity poor Vic (Alan Bates): when he begins a relationship with Ingrid (June Ritchie), a typist at the Lancashire factory where he works as a draughtsman; his life comes apart at the seams. Ingrid's gossiping, malicious friends are bad enough, but her mother Mrs Rothwell (the terrifying Thora Hird) is something else. Vic has to marry Ingrid-she's pregnant--and the only place for them to stay is chez Rothwell. There's a tenderness about A Kind of Loving which you don't find in the more abrasive "kitchen sink" films of the 60s. Vic is not a rebel like Arthur Seton in Saturday Night, Sunday Morning or a macho lunk like Richard Harris' rugby-league player in This Sporting Life. He's a likable, easygoing youngster who soon discovers that real-life love affairs are infinitely messier than he and his mates could ever have imagined. The acute, witty screenplay, adapted by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse from Stan Barstow's novel, shows how limited Vic and Ingrid's choices really are. They have no privacy or independence. Bounced into a marriage that neither necessarily wants, their romance quickly sours. Mrs Rothwell is truly the mother-in-law from Hell--a busybody and a tyrant. Look out for the Queen Victoria-like expression on her face when a drunken Vic throws up in her front room. Debut-feature director John Schlesinger captures the humour and the pathos in the young lovers' plight without ever making fun of them. --Geoffrey Macnab

• The Howling | DVD | (18/10/2004) from £13.54   |  Saving you £6.45 (47.64%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Severely shaken after a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer TV newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace-Stone) takes some much-needed time off. Hoping to conquer her inner demons she heads for the 'Colony' a secluded retreat where her new neighbors are just a tad too eager to make her feel at home. Also there seems to be a bizarre link between her would-be attacker and this supposedly safe haven. And when after nights of being tormented by savage shrieks and unearthly cries Kar

• Kim Possible: The Secret Files | DVD | (09/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £11.99

  A Disney animated series which follows the adventures of teenage heroine Kim Possible as she attempts to save the world while undergoing the trials of everyday teendom at high school! Episodes comprise: Attack Of The Killer Bebes Downhill Partners and Crush.

• British Thriller Film Collection | DVD | (17/07/2017) from £6.44   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A great value triple fillm collection of superb British thrillers that includes Gunpowder, The Woman in Question & Girl In The Headlines. Starring Gordon Jackson, Debra Burton, Stephen Crane, Anthony Crewe,Ian Hendry and Ronald Fraser.

• Rasputin | DVD | (24/07/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Prince Alexei heir to the last Tsar is a hemophiliac. The Tsarina is persuaded to allow a mysterious monk Rasputin to use his powers of healing on the Prince. Against the wishes of the Tsar Rasputin tends to the young Prince - with frighteningly successful results. So begins a relationship which ended in Rasputin's murder and the eventual downfall of Imperial Russia...

• Three O'Clock High | DVD | (04/05/2009) from £16.28   |  Saving you £-6.29 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Jerry Mitchell just bumped into Buddy Revell. Now Jerry isn't thinking about math or english. Because at three o'clock he's history. Jerry Mitchell's having one of those days: he's late for high school his car has a flat and he's been sent to the dean's office. But worst of all he's just ticked off muscle-bound bully Buddy Revell who challenges him to a fight at 3 p.m. Jerry has just seven hours his lightning-quick wit and a savvy kid sister to find a way out of this mess

• Two Mules For Sister Sara | DVD | (19/08/2002) from £7.55   |  Saving you £2.44 (32.32%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Set in Mexico a nun called Sara is rescued from three cowboys by Hogan (Clint Eastwood) who is on his way to do some reconnaissance for a future mission to capture a French fort. The French are chasing Sara but not for the reasons she tells Hogan so he decides to help her in return for information about the fort defences. Inevitably the two become good friends but Sara has a secret..

• Storm And Sorrow | DVD | (02/08/2004) from £5.99   |  Saving you £-2.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Twenty five year old Molly Higgins has been invited to join the American climbing team on a world class expedition in the Soviet Union. Tackling the storm ravaged peaks of a treacherous mountain range is a dangerous task taken on by only a select few. The chance of a lifetime Molly willingly accepts the challenge. Confronting the climb however isn't the only obstacle in Molly's way...