"Actor: Ann Reinking"

• Annie/Matilda | DVD | (30/04/2007) from £5.99   |  Saving you £4.00 (66.78%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Matilda (Dir. Danny DeVito 1996): Unfortunately for Matilda her father Harry (Danny DeVito) is a used car salesman who bamboozles innocent customers and her mother Zinnia (Rhea Perlman) lives for bingo and soap operas. Far from noticing what a special child Matilda is they barely notice her at all! They bundle Matilda off to Cruncham Hall a bleak school where students cower before the whip hand and fist of a hulking monster headmistress Miss Trunchball (Pam Ferris). But amid Crunchem's darkness Matilda discovers remarkable skills - including a very special talent that allows her to turn the table on the wicked grown ups in her world! Annie (Dir. John Huston 1982): The irresistable orphan of comic-strip and box office fame comes to life in this acclaimed musical production. Annie is the story of a plucky red-haired girl who dreams of a life away outside her orphanage and its gin-soaked tyrant Miss Hannigan (played to perfection by Carol Burnett). One day Annie meets the famous billionaire ""Daddy"" Warbucks and the pair share spectacular times in 1930s New York City. But Miss Hannigan and her zany villainous colleagues are determined to spoil the fun for America's favourite orphan...

• Annie | DVD | (19/04/2004) from £4.31   |  Saving you £8.68 (201.39%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Annie is the story of a plucky red-haired girl who dreams of a life away outside her orphanage and its gin-soaked tyrant Miss Hannigan (played to perfection by Carol Burnett). One day Annie meets the famous billionaire ""Daddy"" Warbucks and the pair share spectacular times in 1930's New York City. But Miss Hannigan and her zany villainous colleagues are determined to spoil the fun for America's favourite orphan...

• All That Jazz | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £8.10   |  Saving you £-2.11 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Choreographer-turned-director Bob Fosse turns the camera on himself in All That Jazz, a nervy, sometimes unnerving 1979 feature, a nakedly autobiographical piece that veers from gritty drama to razzle-dazzle musical, allegory to satire. It's an indication of his bravura, and possibly his self-absorption, that Fosse (who also co-wrote the script) literally opens alter ego Joe Gideon's heart in a key scene--an unflinching glimpse of cardiac surgery, shot during an actual open-heart procedure. Roy Scheider makes a brave and largely successful leap out of his usual romantic lead roles to step into Gideon's dancing pumps and supplies a plausible sketch of an extravagant, self-destructive, self-loathing creative dynamo, while Jessica Lange serves as a largely allegorical Muse, one of the various women that the philandering Gideon pursues (and usually abandons). Gideon's other romantic partners include Fosse's own protégé (and a major keeper of his choreographic style since his death) Ann Reinking, whose leggy grace is seductive both "onstage" and off. Fosse/Gideon's collision course with mortality, as well as his priapic obsession with the opposite sex, may offer insights into the libidinal core of the choreographer's dynamic, sexualised style of dance, but musical aficionados will be forgiven for fast-forwarding to cut out the self-analysis and focus on the music, period. At its best--as in the knockout opening, scored to George Benson's strutting version of "On Broadway", which fuses music, dance and dazzling camera work into a paean to Fosse's hoofer nation--All That Jazz offers a sequence of classic Fosse numbers--hard-edged, caustic and joyously physical. --Sam Sutherland

• Annie / Oliver / Matilda / Madeline | DVD | (16/11/2015) from £9.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Collection of four classic children's films. 'Annie' (1982) is the story of the eponymous optimistic orphan (Aileen Quinn) who lives a miserable life in an children's home run by the awful Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett). One day, she sees her chance to escape and sets off on a journey which will take her to the door of childless millionaire Daddy Warbucks (Albert Finney). In 'Oliver' (1968) young Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) escapes from the workhouse, where he has been brutally treated all of his life, and joins the gang of street urchins led by the rascal Fagin (Ron Moody). Oliver is trained as a pick-pocket, but ends up being caught for a crime he did not commit. However, this seemingly unfortunate accident brings him closer to his real family. 'Matilda' (1996) stars Mara Wilson as the exceptionally gifted and intelligent child who is ignored by her stupid parents Harry (Danny DeVito) and Zinnia (Rhea Perlman). A keen reader, her dearest wish is to be sent to school, but the establishment Harry selects is Crunchemhall, run by the tyrannical Miss Trunchball (Pam Ferris). Her cruelty to her pupils causes Matilda to vow revenge, and her newly discovered telekinetic powers give her the chance to do so. 'Madeline' (1998) stars Hatty Jones as the most mischievous of the twelve friends who live at a Parisian school run by Miss Clavel (Frances McDormand). Her sunny existence is threatened by starchy old Lord Covington (Nigel Hawthorne) who is on a campaign to have the school closed down. It is up to Madeline and her friends, who include the equally precocious Pepito (Kristian de la Osa) and a dog who saved her from drowning, to stop him.

• Annie | DVD | (10/09/2018) from £5.95   |  Saving you £2.04 (34.29%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Annie is the story of a plucky, redhaired girl who dreams of a life away outside of her orphanage and its ginsoaked tyrant, Miss Hannigan (played to perfection by Carol Burnett). One day Annie meets the famous billionaire, Daddy Warbucks (Albert Finney), and the pair share spectacular times in the New York City of the 1930s. But Miss Hannigan and her zany, villainous colleagues are determined to spoil the fun for America's favourite orphan Based on the smashhit Broadway musical, ANNIE features a chorus of terrific songs, including It's a Hard Knock Life and Tomorrow. Features: My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn Musical Performance of It's The HardKnock Life Sing Along with Annie Act Along with Annie The Age of Annie Trivia Game

• Annie | DVD | (01/03/2010) from £9.28   |  Saving you £0.71 (7.65%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Annie

• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang / Oliver / Annie | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Dir. Ken Hughes 1968): Everything Caractacus Potts invents goes wrong - even his sweets are full of holes. So how can he have created a car that not only drives but floats and flies as well? Find out as the fantasmagorical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang takes your family on a magical musical adventure you won't forget. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has never looked or sounded better. With its catchy tunes including the Oscar nominated theme tune (Best Song 1968) marvelous cast and enchanting storyline this delightful film is first-class family entertainment and definitely far toot sweet to miss! Annie (Dir. John Huston 1982): A plucky red-haired girl dreams of a life away outside her orphanage and its gin-soaked tyrant Miss Hannigan (played to perfection by Carol Burnett). One day Annie meets the famous billionaire Daddy Warbucks and the pair share spectacular times in 1930's New York City. But Miss Hannigan and her zany villainous colleagues are determined to spoil the fun for America's favourite orphan... Oliver! (Dir. Carol Reed 1968): Young Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) is an orphan who escapes the cheerless life of the workhouse and takes to the streets of 19th-Century London. He''s immediately taken in by a band of street urchins headed by the lovable villain Fagin (Ron Moody) his fiendish henchman Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) and his loyal apprentice The Artful Dodger (Jack Wild). Through his education in the fine points of pick-pocketing Oliver makes away with an unexpected treasure... a home and a family of his own.

• Fosse | DVD | (04/08/2003) from £12.96   |  Saving you £5.02 (50.35%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Fosse was the Broadway hit of 1999, celebrating the genius of legendary film-and-stage choreographer Bob Fosse in a rich, fiery homage with the very best of his work. This performance, recorded towards the end of a run that lasted more than two years, captures perfectly the energy and commitment of the dancers in bringing the extraordinary shapes and angles of his choreography to life. The presence of Fosse's protégés, cochoreographer Ann Reinking and that most fluid of dancers Ben Vereen, ensures that the spirit and dedication at the heart of Fosse's work are preserved intact. This is no opportunist "best-of" compilation. The numbers merge seamlessly into a glorious patchwork of movements and moods. Fosse took up the reigns of musical theatre dance from Astaire, Kelly and Balanchine and, thanks to the changing times and material--Sweet Charity, Chicago and Cabaret loom large--was able to inject a new, raw sexuality which these dancers seize with relish. It's a resolutely ensemble piece. Musical buffs may be disappointed by the lack of big solo numbers--Vereen's poignant "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries" aside--but in many ways this is also a long overdue celebration of the chorus line. Fosse treated his dancers as individuals, each with a contribution to make. That attention to detail makes for moments of terrific intensity amongst the full-blooded company numbers. On the DVD: Fosse makes a lavish televisual production, presented in 16:9 format--great for covering the width of the stage--and a choice of stereo or surround-sound audio. Some multiple viewing angles would have been nice, if only to get a different perspective on the complex moves. The only extra is a short interview with Ann Reinking, Ben Vereen and Dana Moore in which all three testify to the importance of Fosse both to their own careers and as an all-time giant talent of musical theatre. --Piers Ford

• Annie | DVD | (11/12/2000) from £8.74   |  Saving you £7.24 (125.91%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Though it's not in the same league as the classic screen musicals, Annie's heartwarming rags-to-riches storyline, social comment (shallow as it may be) and catchy songs make for an entertaining and unpretentious 90 minutes' viewing. Aileen Quinn is the irrepressible titular orphan, by no means as irritating as she looks in the cover picture; Albert Finney is Oliver Warbucks, the tyrannical tycoon (with a hidden heart of gold, of course) who adopts her for a week in the interests of good PR. The real show-stopper, though, is Carol Burnett as the gin-soaked harpy Miss Hannigan, ruling with an iron fist over an orphanage full of unruly girls, flirting with every man in sight and eventually scheming with her unscrupulous brother (Tim Curry) to kidnap Annie and reap a fat Warbucks reward cheque. While the songs--including "Tomorrow", "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" and "It's a Hard Knock Life"--are excellent, the kids' voices are shrill and the production pretty low-rent: Annie is very obviously a stage show brought to screen on a low budget. But while it lacks the polish that make the Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe musicals so special, it's funny and sweet and has a rough charm all its own. On the DVD: The film is presented in widescreen, preserving its original 2.35:1 aspect, and is enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TVs; the soundtrack is Dolby surround, though as noted above the music score is relatively rough and ready so top-notch sound isn't actually as important as it would be in other musicals. The extras are pretty disappointing--an uninspired interactive menu features only the obligatory multi-language subtitles, (very) short biographies of the key cast members, a few publicity cards and posters, the theatrical trailer and--most interestingly--an isolated musical score. No commentary from director John Huston, no documentaries, nothing about the 1930s cartoon strip that was, apparently, one of the most popular of its day. There's actually more information in the accompanying booklet than there is on the disc. --Rikki Price

• Annie / Matilda / Fly Away Home | DVD | (11/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Includes Annie Matilda and Fly Away Home. Annie: The irresistable orphan of comic-strip and box office fame comes to life in this acclaimed musical production. In her search for her true parents Annie has many adventures and encounters a number of colourful characters. Matilda: The hilarious story of Matilda based on the book by Roald Dahl. Once upon a time there lived a quite extraordinary little girl named Matilda but unfortunately her parents were so obsessed with their own lives they never noticed Matilda. They send her to Crunchem Hall a horrible boarding school run by a bossy headmistress Miss Trunchbull. There Matilda discovers remarkable skills which allow her to turn the tables on the wicked grown-ups in her world. Fly Away Home: Young Amy (Anna Paquin) is reunited with her father (Jeff Daniels) after a nine-year separation. One day Amy discovers a nest of orphaned goose eggs and decides to take them home and nurture them until they hatch. When the newly hatched goslings adopt her as their Mother Goose Amy and her father become airborne adventurers battling against bad weather and a host of other pitfalls in their efforts to teach the geese to fly...

• Annie / Pollyanna / Return To Oz | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Annie (Dir. Rob Marshall 1999): As seen on The Wonderful World of Disney this new production of the classic musical features an all-star cast belting out the beloved songs. Original Broadway Annie Andrea McArdle makes and appearance too! Fun for the whole family. Pollyanna (Dir. David Swift 1960): The heartwarming story of a young girl who brings goodwill and happiness to the residents of a New England town. Hayley Mills won an honorary Academy Award for her performance. Return To Oz (Dir. Walter Murch 1985): In 1899 Dorothy Gale returns to the land of Oz only to find the enchanting Emerald City in ruins and all her old friends have been captured by the Nome King and the evil Princess Mombi...

• All That Jazz | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Part tragic part comic this outrageous look at life in the fast lane is the Academy Award-winning musical about Bob Fosse's excessive life in show business (here played by an Oscar-nominated Roy Scheider). Dazzlingly presented this electrifying story about the perils of pushing yourself too hard is filled with Fosse's legendary song-and-dance choreography. Bonus CD Tracklisting: 1. Main Title (Instrumental) 2. On Broadway (George Benson) 3. Michelle 4. Take Off With Us 5. Vivaldi Concert In G (Instrumental) 6. Ponte Vecchio (Instrumental) 7. Everything Old Is New Again 8. South MT Sinai Parade (Instrumental) 9. After You've Gone (Leland Palmer) 10. There Will Be Some Changes Made (Ann Reinking) 11. Who's Sorry Now? 12. Some Of These Days 13. Going Home Now (Instrumental) 14. Bye Bye Love (Ben Vereen & Ray Scheider)

• All That Jazz | DVD | (23/04/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Part tragic part comic this outrageous look at life in the fast lane is the Academy Award-winning musical about Bob Fosse's excessive life in show business (here played by an Oscar-nominated Roy Scheider). Dazzlingly presented this electrifying story about the perils of pushing yourself too hard is filled with Fosse's legendary song-and-dance choreography.