"Actor: Alec Guinness"

• The Lavender Hill Mob | DVD | (21/06/2004) from £7.09   |  Saving you £9.90 (139.63%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Directed by Charles Crichton, who would much later direct John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda (1988), 1951's The Lavender Hill Mob is the most ruefully thrilling of the Ealing Comedies. Alec Guinness plays a bowler-hatted escort of bullion to the refineries. His seeming timidity, weak 'r's and punctiliousness mask a typically Guinness-like patient cunning. "I was aware I was widiculed but that was pwecisely the effect I was stwiving to achieve". He's actually plotting a heist. With more conventionally cockney villains Sid James and Alfie Bass in tow, as well as the respectable but ruined Stanley Holloway, Guinness' perfect criminal plan works in exquisite detail, then unravels just as exquisitely, culminating in a nail-biting police car chase in which you can't help rooting for the villains. The Lavender Hill Mob depicts a London still up to its knees in rubble from World War II, a world of new hope but continued austerity, a budding new order in which everything seems up for grabs; as such it could be regarded as a lighter hearted cinematic cousin to Carol Reed's 1949 masterpiece The Third Man. The Lavender Hill Mob also sees the first, fleeting on-screen appearance of Audrey Hepburn in the opening sequence. --David Stubbs

• Cromwell | DVD | (10/11/2003) from £6.99   |  Saving you £6.00 (85.84%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Disgusted with the religious policies of King Charles I Oliver Cromwell plans to take his family to the New World. But on the eve of their departure Cromwell is drawn into the tangled web of religious tension and political infighting that will result in the British Civil War...

• Ealing Studios Boxset 3 | DVD | (16/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A box set of classic film gems from Ealing studios Includes: 1. The Ladykillers (Dir. Alexander Mackendrick 1955) 2. The Man in The White Suit (Dir. Alexander Mackendrick 1951) 3. The Magnet (Dir. Charles Frend 1950) 4. Scott of The Antarctic (Dir. Charles Frend 1948)

• Star Wars : A New Hope | DVD | (01/06/2015) from £2.95   |  Saving you £17.04 (577.63%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Nearly two decades after the rise of the Empire young farmer Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) meets Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke’s Jedi training telling him of the Rebels’ battle against the Empire and the power known as the Force. Soon Luke Obi-Wan and a charismatic mercenary named Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee sidekick Chewbacca join forces to rescue Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the Empire’s massive warship the Death Star controlled by Darth Vader.

• A Passage To India | DVD | (31/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A Passage to India, David Lean's adaptation of EM Forster's mysterious tale of racism in colonial India, turned out to be the master director's final film. Subtle and grand at the same time, Lean's adaptation is faithful to the book, rendering its blend of the mystical and the all-too human with exquisite precision. Judy Davis plays a young British woman travelling in India with her fiancé's mother. While visiting a tourist attraction, she has a frightening moment in a cave--one that she eventually spins from an instant of mental meltdown into a tale of a physical attack that ruins several lives. Lean captures Forster's sense of awe at the kind of ageless wisdom and inexplicable phenomena to be encountered in India, as well as the British tendency to dismiss it all as savage, rather than simply different. --Marshall Fine

• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi | Blu Ray | (24/08/2020) from £6.61   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star. The Rebel fleet counters with a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel. Special Features: Audio Commentary By George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt, and Dennis Muren Archival Audio Commentary By The Cast And Crew Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi Bonus Disc Conversations: The Effects Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds of Ben Burtt Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer It Began TV Spot Climactic Chapter TV Spot Tatooine Overview Endor Overview Harrison Ford Interview Death Star II Space Battle Overview Vader's Arrival And Reaching Out To Luke Tatooine Sandstorm Rebel Raid On The Bunker Jerjerrod's Conflict Battle Of Endor: The Lost Rebels Rancor Maquette EV-9D9 Salacious B. Crumb C-3PO's Head With Eye Poked Out Leia's Boussh Costume Lando Skiff Guard Costume Jabba's Radio-Controlled Eyes AT-ST Walker Model Speeder Bike Imperial Shuttle Model Ewok Hang Glider Maquette Imperial Shuttle Landing Matte Painting Endor Landing Platform Matte Painting Ewok Costume Biker Scout Costume B-wing Fighter Model TIE Interceptor Model Death Star Under Construction Model Imperial Shuttle Bay Matte Painting Admiral Ackbar Costume Death Star Equator Docking Bay Matte Painting Millennium Falcon In Hangar Matte Painting Jabba's Palace, Road Creature Matte Painting Sarlacc Pit Matte Painting

• Last Holiday | DVD | (31/01/2011) from £9.48   |  Saving you £9.50 (146.38%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Queen Latifah plays a shy cookware salesperson who throws caution to the wind when she learns her days are numbered.

• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back | Blu Ray | (24/08/2020) from £8.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Rebels scatter after the Empire attacks their base on the ice planet Hoth. Han Solo and Princess Leia are pursued by Imperials, while Luke trains with Jedi Master Yoda. Luke battles Darth Vader and learns the shocking truth of his past. Special Features: Audio Commentary By George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren Archival Audio Commentary By The Cast And Crew Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Bonus Disc Conversations: The Lost Interviews Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled A Conversation With The Masters (2010) Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk Hoth Overview George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979 Irvin Kershner Interview Dagobah Overview Pursued by the Imperial Fleet Overview George Lucas On The Force: 2010 Cloud City Overview Han And Leia: Extended Echo Base Argument Luke's Recovery Luke And Leia: Medical Center Wampa Attacks The Fate of General Veers Yoda's Test Hiding In The Asteroid Alternate Han And Leia Kiss Lobot's Capture Leia Tends To Luke AT-AT Walker Fallen Model Snowspeeder Model Tauntaun Maquette Rebel Transport Model Hoth Landscape Matte Painting Leia Hoth Costume Han Solo Interior: Hoth Costume Yoda Model Luke's Severed Head Dagobah Bog Matte Painting Dagobah Matte Painting Luke's Tan Costume Star Destroyer Model Millennium Falcon Model Space Slug Darth Vader's Star Destroyer Model Star Destroyer Hull Model Executor Bridge Matte Painting Boba Fett Prototype Costume Imperial Officer Costume Rebel Cruiser Model Twin-Pod Cloud Car Model Cloud City Models Cloud City Matte Painting Cloud City Landing Platform Matte Painting Cloud City Core Vane Matte Painting Cloud City Core Vane Platform Matte Painting Lando Bespin Costume Cloud City Slave I Matte Painting

• Our Man In Havana | Blu Ray | (30/10/2023) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

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• Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) | DVD | (20/09/2004) from £9.99   |  Saving you £35.00 (350.35%)   |  RRP £44.99

  Four-disc set includes: Episode IV, A New Hope (Special Edition)--with commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min) Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back (Special Edition)--with commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min) Episode VI, Return of the Jedi (Special Edition)--commentary by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min) Bonus disc: all-new bonus features, including the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three filmsSubitles (all material across all four discs): English, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish Click here to see detailed information on the special features included on the bonus disc. Amazon.co.uk Review George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy is a clever synthesis of pop-cultural and mythological references, taking classic fairy-tale themes, adding more than a dash of Arthurian legend, and providing cinematic high adventure inspired as much by Kurosawa's Samurai epics as by Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. As a result, audiences of all ages can find something to identify with in Luke Skywalker's journey from disaffected teenager dreaming of adventure to Jedi Knight and saviour of the galaxy. He not only rescues a Princess, but discovers she's a close relative. And if there's a lesson to be gleaned from the Skywalker clan, it's that no matter how bad things get in the average dysfunctional family, it's never too late for reconciliation. Originally released in 1977, Star Wars, the first film, was made as a standalone. Perhaps that's why Obi-Wan Kenobi seems a tad inconsistent in his attitude towards his old pupil Anakin Skywalker, and perhaps also why Luke is allowed to develop a guilt-free crush on Princess Leia. Lucas's story, told from the point of view of the two bickering droids (a device taken from Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress), also borrows freely from Errol Flynn's Robin Hood, as does John Williams's seminal Korngold-inspired music score. Thanks in equal part to Leigh Brackett's screenplay and Irvin Kershner's direction The Empire Strikes Back (1980) is the most grown-up instalment in the series. The basic fairy-tale is developed and expanded, with the principal characters experiencing emotional turmoil--blossoming romance, mixed feelings and confused loyalties--amid a very real threat of annihilation as Darth Vader's motivations become chillingly personal. Luke's quasi-Arthurian destiny is complicated still further by the half-truths of his wizardly mentors; and swashbuckler Han Solo finds the past catching up with him, quite literally in the form of bounty hunter Boba Fett. The film is graced by more fabulous landscapes (ice, forest, clouds), more unforgettable new characters (Yoda), more groundbreaking special effects (the asteroid chase), and John Williams's finest score. The difficult third film, 1983's Return of the Jedi, seems schizophrenic in its intentions, hoping to please both the kiddies who bought all the toys and an older audience who appreciated the narrative's epic and mythological strands. The result is a film that splits awkwardly into two. One thread, which might be subtitled "The Redemption of Anakin Skywalker", pursues the story of the Skywalker family to a cathartic conclusion. The other thread, which might be described as "The Care Bears Go to War", attempts to say something profound about primitivism versus technological sophistication, but just gets silly as furry midgets doing Tarzan whoops defeat the Emperor's crack legions. In 1997 Lucas re-released the three original films in digitally remastered "Special Edition" versions, in which many scenes have been restored and enhanced (some would say "unnecessarily tinkered with"). Despite loud and continued criticisms from fans, these Special Editions are now considered definitive, if only by Lucasfilm. --Mark Walker

• The Man In The White Suit (Blu-ray + DVD) | Blu Ray | (19/11/2012) from £11.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (66.72%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the birth of one of Ealing's greatest directors, Alexander Mackendrick, StudioCanal are releasing the restored version of the DVD and the first ever Blu-Ray of The Man In The White Suit starring Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker. Ealing Studios' output from the 1940s and 1950s helped define what was arguably the golden age for British cinema. It fostered great directors such as Alexander Mackendrick and Robert Hamer, while giving stars such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers the chance to shine. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness), a humble inventor, develops a fabric which never gets dirty or wears out. This would seem to be a boon for mankind, but the established garment manufacturers don't see it that way; they try to suppress it. Nevertheless, Sidney is determined to put his invention on the market, forcing the clothing factory bigwigs to resort to more desperate measures. Special Features: Exclusive 'Revisiting The Man In The White Suit' Featurette Stills Gallery Restoration Comparison Trailer

• Kind Hearts & Coronets 70th Anniversary Collector's Edition | Blu Ray | (11/04/2022) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  June 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the original UK release of KIND HEARTS & CORONETS, the jewel in Ealing Studios' crown, and arguably one of the finest British films ever made. To celebrate this anniversary STUDIOCANAL are releasing this stunning Collector's Edition as part of their Vintage Classics Collection on June 24th 2019. The Collector's Edition includes the restored film on Blu-ray, DVD plus booklet (with contributions from Ealing expert Matthew Sweet), art cards including original costume illustrations and theatrical poster. Hailing from the Golden-Age of Ealing comedies (Passport to Pimlico and Whisky Galore! also turn 70 this year) KIND HEARTS & CORONETS stars Dennis Price as the debonair yet impoverished Louis Mazzini, the would-be Duke of Chalfont whose mother was disinherited by her noble family, the D'Ascoynes, for marrying beneath her. When her dying wish to be buried in the family crypt is refused, Louis vows to avenge his mother and work his way up the family tree, by engaging in the gentle art of murder. One by one he attempts to kill off the eight successors that stand in the way of his becoming Duke all played by Alec Guinness in an unforgettable tour-de-force performance. Directed by Robert Hamer (who co-wrote the screenplay with John Dighton) KIND HEARTS & CORONETS also stars Joan Greenwood as the husky-voiced siren Sibella and Valerie Hobson as the refined and virtuous Edith D'Ascoyne, both of whom threaten to distract Louis from his murderous quest. A wonderfully entertaining combination of biting class satire, hilarious farce and pitch-black comedy, this story of a suave and elegant serial murderer is as sharp and funny today as ever. The 35mm nitrate original negative of Kind Hearts & Coronets was scanned in 4K resolution at 16bit by the BFI archive. The resulting files were sent to Silver Salt Restoration, for restoration and colour grading. Extensive manual correction was carried out on a frame by frame basis to fix large dirt debris, warping, tears, scuffs and scratches. It was colour corrected by Senior Colourist, Steve Bearman. Extras: The Collector's Edition includes the restored film on Blu-ray, DVD plus booklet, art cards and theatrical poster. Once More with Ealing - a brand new featurette including interviews with filmmakers Whit Stillman, Paul King, Stephen Woolley and critic Peter Bradshaw discussing their love for Ealing and the brilliant legacy of Kind Hearts & Coronets; Audio Commentary with Terence Davies, Peter Bradshaw and Matthew Guinness; Alternate US Ending + commentary; John Landis intro; BFI's Introducing Ealing Studios; Those British Faces: Dennis Price; Behind the Scenes stills gallery; Costumes stills gallery

• Tunes Of Glory | DVD | (18/05/2009) from £9.01   |  Saving you £-3.02 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Major Jock Sinclair has been in this Highland regiment since he joined as a boy piper. During the Second World War as Second-in-Command he was made acting Commanding Officer. Now the regiment has returned to Scotland and a new commanding officer is to be appointed. Jock's own cleverness is pitted against his new CO his daughter his girlfriend and the other officers in the Mess.

• The Ladykillers UHD BD | Blu Ray | (08/03/2021) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  This stunning new 4K restoration of 1955 Ealing comedy THE LADYKILLERS and the first from the original 3 strip technicolour negative, showcases Alexander Mackendrick's vision is its full glory. Considered by many as the finest British comedy ever made, THE LADYKILLERS follows the hilarious capers of a group of small-time crooks, taking on more than they can handle in the form of their sweet elderly landlord, Mrs. Wilberforce (BAFTA Award winning actress Katie Johnson; How To Murder A Rich Uncle). The criminal gang, posing as a string quartet, are unprepared for their landlord's meddling when one of the ˜musicians' cases gets caught in a door, revealing the group's true identity. Featuring an impressive all-star lineup, with the finest comedy actors of the day; Alec Guinness (Kind Hearts and Coronets, Lavender Hill Mob) plays the gang's mastermind ˜Professor Marcus', Cecil Parker (A French Mistress) is Claude otherwise known as ˜Major Courtney', Peter Sellers (I'm Alright Jack) is Harry aka ˜Mr. Robinson', Herbert Lom (The Pink Panther) is Louis aka ˜Mr. Harvey' and Danny Green (A Kid For Two Farthings) plays One Round also known as ˜Mr. Lawson'. Special Features Blu-ray Disc 1 and Ultra HD NEW Investigating the Ladykillers featurette NEW Colour in The Ladykillers: an interview with Professor Keith Johnston Audio commentary with author and film scholar Philip Kemp Lobby Cards gallery Behind the scenes stills gallery Blu-ray Disc 2 Peter Sellers spoof trailer from the set of The Ladykillers King's Cross Locations featurette with Alan Dein Audio Interview with Assistant Director Tom Pevsner Audio Interview with Unit Production Manager David Peers Forever Ealing Documentary Excerpt from BBC Omnibus ˜Made in Ealing' (1986) Trailer Includes the feature in both 1.37 and 1.66 aspect ratios - first time both have been available together

• The Ladykillers | DVD | (07/09/2015) from £9.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (80.08%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Although you never really fear for Mrs "lop-sided" Wilberforce or General Gordon (her parrot) in The Ladykillers, the criminal gang who come to stay are clearly dangerous. Alec Guinness is extraordinary as the buck-toothed mastermind, and once the hijacked lolly is stowed in their digs it's a joy to watch him scheme to eliminate the other crooks and abscond with it all. Herbert Lom's thuggishness, Peter Seller's nervy twitching, and Danny Green's lumbering cloddishness are a treat, but are wickedly done away with one by one under cover of locomotive smoke plumes. So many set-pieces make this a classic: sending the landlady to collect the stolen money at the station, Frankie Howerd's boisterous fruit seller cameo, and keeping alive the idea that the gang's a musical troupe with a penchant for Boccherini and Haydn. Some inspired set design and camera work even add an expressionistic quality. --Paul Tonks

• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back | DVD | (24/08/2020) from £4.02   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Rebels scatter after the Empire attacks their base on the ice planet Hoth. Han Solo and Princess Leia are pursued by Imperials, while Luke trains with Jedi Master Yoda. Luke battles Darth Vader and learns the shocking truth of his past.

• Ealing Comedy DVD Collection - The Ladykillers/Kind Hearts and Coronets/The Lavender Hill Mob/The Man in the White Suit | DVD | (02/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Four of the British film industry's best-loved comedies in one box set makes The Ealing Comedy Collection absolutely essential for anyone who has any passion at all for movies. The set contains Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955). Ealing's greatest comedies captured the essence of post-war Britain, both in their evocation of a land once blighted by war but now rising doggedly and optimistically again from the ashes, and in their mordant yet graceful humour. They portray a country with an antiquated class system whose crumbling conventions are being undermined by a new spirit of individual opportunism. In the delightfully wicked Kind Hearts and Coronets, a serial killer politely murders his way into the peerage; in The Lavender Hill Mob a put-upon bank clerk schemes to rob his employers; The Man in the White Suit is a harshly satirical depiction of idealism crushed by the status quo; while The Ladykillers mocks both the criminals and the authorities with its unlikely octogenarian heroine Mrs "lop-sided" Wilberforce. Many factors contribute to the success of these films--including fine music scores from composers such as Benjamin Frankel (Man in the White Suit) and Tristram Cary (The Ladykillers); positively symphonic sound effects (White Suit); marvellously evocative locations (the environs of King's Cross in Ladykillers, for example); and writing that always displays Ealing's unique perspective on British social mores ("All the exuberance of Chaucer without, happily, any of the concomitant crudities of his period")--yet arguably their greatest asset is Alec Guinness, whose multifaceted performances are the keystone upon which Ealing built its biting, often macabre, yet always elegant comedy. On the DVD: The Ealing Comedy Collection presents the four discs in a fold-out package with postcards of the original poster artwork for each. Aside from theatrical trailers on each disc there are no extra features, which is a pity given the importance of these films. The Ladykillers is in muted Technicolor and presented in 1.66:1 ratio, the three earlier films are all black and white 1.33:1. Sound is perfectly adequate mono throughout. --Mark Walker

• Oliver Twist -- Special Edition | DVD | (26/09/2008) from £12.98   |  Saving you £3.01 (23.19%)   |  RRP £15.99

  There have been many film and TV adaptations of Oliver Twist but this 1948 production from director David Lean remains the definitive screen interpretation of the Charles Dickens classic. From the ominous symbolism of its opening storm sequence (in which Oliver's pregnant, ill-fated mother struggles to reach shelter before childbirth) to the mob-scene climax that provokes Bill Sikes's dreadful comeuppance, this breathtaking black-and-white film remains loyal to Dickens while distilling the story into its purest cinematic essence.Every detail is perfect--Lean even includes a coffin-shaped snuffbox for the cruel Mr. Sowerberry--and as young Oliver, eight-year-old John Howard Davies (who would later produce Monty Python's Flying Circus for the BBC) perfectly expresses the orphan's boyish wonderment, stern determination and waifish vulnerability. Best of all is Alec Guinness as Fagin, so devious and yet so delightfully appealing under his beak-nosed (and, at the time, highly controversial) make-up. (Many complained that Fagin's huge nose and greedy demeanour presented an anti-Semitic stereotype, even though Lean never identifies Fagin as Jewish; for this reason, the film wasn't shown in the US until three years after its British release.) Likewise, young Anthony Newley is artfully dodgy as Fagin's loyal accomplice, the Artful Dodger. Guinness's performance would later provide strong inspiration for Ron Moody's equally splendid portrayal of Fagin in the Oscar-winning Oliver! and while that 1968 musical remains wonderfully entertaining, it is Lean's film that hews closest to Dickens' vision. The authentic recreation of 19th-century London is marvellous to behold; Guy Green's cinematography is so shadowy and stylised that it almost qualifies as Dickensian film noir. Lean is surprisingly blunt in conveying Dickens's theme of cruelty but his film never loses sight of the warmth and humanity that Oliver embodies. --Jeff Shannon

• Lawrence of Arabia (60th Anniversary Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (07/06/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Scrooge | DVD | (22/11/2004) from £5.45   |  Saving you £10.54 (193.40%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A mixed bag as variations on A Christmas Carol go, this 1970 British musical tells the usual story of Scrooge (Albert Finney) and his spirits on Christmas Eve, although the whole thing is set to music by Leslie Bricusse. Except for Finney's feisty and involved performance, however, there isn't much to recommend this. The songs, which absorb so much of the evolving story line and emotions, are not all that good. Plenty of support, however, from the likes of Roy Kinnear (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) and Dame Edith Evans (Tom Jones), the handsome production is directed by veteran Ronald Neame (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). --Tom Keogh