"Actor: Arthur"

• Lawrence of Arabia - Two Disc Set | DVD | (09/04/2001) from £4.87   |  Saving you £20.12 (413.14%)   |  RRP £24.99

  In 1962 Lawrence of Arabia scooped another seven Oscars for David Lean and crew after his previous epic, The Bridge on the River Kwai, had performed exactly the same feat a few years earlier. Supported in this Great War desert adventure by a superb cast including Alex Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole gives a complex, star-making performance as the enigmatic TE Lawrence. The magnificent action and vast desert panoramas were captured in luminous 70mm by Cinematographer Freddie Young, here beginning a partnership with Lean that continued through Dr Zhivago (1965) and Ryan's Daughter (1970). Yet what made the film truly outstanding was Robert (A Man For All Seasons) Bolt's literate screenplay, marking the beginning of yet another ongoing collaboration with Lean. The final partnership established was between director and French composer Maurice Jarre, who won one of the Oscars and scored all Lean's remaining films, up to and including A Passage to India in 1984. Fully restored in 1989, this complete version of Lean's masterpiece remains one of cinema's all-time classic visions. --Gary S Dalkin On the DVD: This vast movie is spread leisurely across two discs, with Maurice Jarre's overture standing in as intermission music for the first track of disc two. But the clarity of the anamorphic widescreen picture and Dolby 5.1 soundtrack justify the decision not to cram the whole thing onto one side of a disc. The movie has never looked nor sounded better than here: the desert landscapes are incredibly detailed, with the tiny nomadic figures in the far distance clearly visible on the small screen; the remastered soundtrack, too, is a joy. Thanks are due to Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg who supervised (and financed) the restoration of the picture in 1989; on disc two Spielberg chats about why David Lean is his favourite director, and why Lawrence had such a profound influence on him both as a child and as a filmmaker (he regularly re-watches the movie before starting any new project). Other features include an excellent and exhaustive "making-of" documentary with contributions from surviving cast and crew (an avuncular Omar Sharif is particularly entertaining as he reminisces about meeting the hawk-like Lean for the first time), some contemporary featurettes designed to promote the movie and a DVD-ROM facility. The extra features are good--especially the documentary--but the breathtaking quality of both anamorphic picture and digital sound are what make this DVD package a triumph. --Mark Walker

• Donnie Darko | DVD | (19/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Highschooler Donnie is plagued by visions of a giant evil rabbit who orders him to commit acts of violence and predicts the impending end of the world.

• Gonks Go Beat | Blu Ray | (27/05/2019) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Kenneth Connor, Terry Scott and Are You Being Served's Frank Thornton star in this groovy comedy-musical-sci-fi fantasia that could only have been made in the '60s! Featuring performances from Lulu and the Luvvers, The Nashville Teens and the Graham Bond Organisation, Gonks Go Beat is presented here as a High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. In the far future, Earth has split into two musically-opposing factions: Beatland where all the cool cats live and Balladisle, where it's customary to sport smart jumpers and trouser creases. Perturbed at this squabbling The Great Galaxian decides to send an ambassador to bring harmony to these unruly Earthlings. Unfortunately, the only one available is a rather unorthodox chap with a disgraceful record of incompetence! Special Features: Theatrical trailer Image gallery PDF material

• Mr Men - The Complete Original Series 1 | DVD | (14/06/2003) from £15.50   |  Saving you £-9.51 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The original thirteen episodes from the first series of the Mr Men. Original artwork adapted by Adam Hargreaves.

• Genevieve | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £13.66   |  Saving you £-0.68 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  For anyone who travels the congested roads of Britain these days the utterly delightful Genevieve will provoke a wistful, nostalgic sigh of regret for times gone by when there were no motorways, traffic jams were almost non-existent and friendly police motorcyclists riding classic Nortons (without helmets) cheerfully let people driving vintage cars race each other along country lanes. Even in 1953, Henry Cornelius’ gentle comedy must have seemed pleasingly old-fashioned, concerned as it is with the antics of two obsessive enthusiasts on the annual London to Brighton classic car rally. The principal quartet could hardly be bettered: though John Gregson is something of a cold fish as Genevieve’s proud owner, the radiant warmth of Dinah Sheridan as his long-suffering wife more than compensates. Kenneth More is ideally cast in the role of boastful rival enthusiast and Kay Kendall has possibly the best comic moment of all when she astonishes everyone with her drunken trumpet playing. Cornelius also directed Ealing’s Passport to Pimlico, so his sure eye for gently mocking and celebrating British eccentricities is never in doubt. The screenplay by (American writer) William Rose now seems like an elegy to a way of life long disappeared: the pivotal moment when Gregson stops to humour a passing old buffer about his love of classic cars comes from a vanished era of politeness before road rage; as does the priceless exchange between hotel owner Joyce Grenfell and her aged resident: "No one’s ever complained before", says the mystified Grenfell after Gregson and Sheridan moan about the facilities, "Are they Americans?" asks the old lady, unable to conceive that anyone British could say such things. Genevieve is both a wonderful period comedy and a nostalgic portrait of England the way it used to be. On the DVD: the "Special Edition" version of Genevieve has a decent new documentary with reminiscences from Dinah Sheridan (still radiant), the director of photography and the film’s editor, who talk about the challenges of filming on location. Most treasurable of all, though, is legendary harmonica player Larry Adler, who remembers his distinctive score with much fondness and is not at all embittered by his Hollywood blacklisting, which meant he was denied an Academy Award nomination. There’s also a short piece on some of the locations used (which for economic reasons were mostly in the lanes around Pinewood studios), cast biographies and a gallery of stills. The 4:3 ratio colour picture looks pretty good for its age and the mono sound is adequate. --Mark Walker

• Elmer Gantry | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £15.29   |  Saving you £-2.30 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Brothers and sisters, can we get a witness for Elmer Gantry, a woeful tale of saints and sinners? Burt Lancaster earned his only Oscar as the wide-smiling, glad-handing, soul-saving charlatan Gantry, a salesman who turns his gift for preaching into a career at the pulpit. Climbing on board the barnstorming evangelical tour of revivalist Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons), Gantry declaims, invokes, and sermonises his way to the top, until a former flame-turned-prostitute (Shirley Jones in an Oscar-winning performance) threatens to reveal his dark past as a womaniser and con man. Lancaster harnesses all his physical vigour and natural charisma for this role, literally throwing himself into his preaching with the suppleness of an acrobat and the sing-song delivery of a gospel singer--he even brays like a hound to show the Holy Spirit within him. Gantry is a showman, pure and simple, and while he doesn't fool true-believer Sister Sharon, he gives her a few object lessons in playing the crowd. Director Richard Brooks, who also took home an Oscar for his screenplay (adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel), creates a rousing drama both on and off the pulpit, and provides fine roles for an excellent supporting cast, including Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger, John McIntire, and singer Patti Page. --Sean Axmaker

• Grave Encounters 1 & 2 Boxset (2 discs) | DVD | (04/02/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Grave Encounters 1: A ghost-hunting reality TV show crew arrive at an abandoned psychiatric hospital where unexplained phenomena has been reported for years. Locking themselves inside the building for the night they begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera. But they quickly realize that the building is more than just haunted - it is alive - and it has no intention of ever letting them leave... This will be their final episode. Grave Encounters 2: A film...

• Tommy Cooper at ITV | DVD | (21/11/2022) from £37.97   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  With his uniquely chaotic blend of fluffed magic and lame jokes, Tommy Cooper was a constant and instantly recognisable presence on television for four decades. A firm favourite with the public, his variety shows were always eagerly awaited - Eric Sykes hailed Tommy Cooper as the funniest man in the world , so it's hardly surprising that it was noted he only had to walk on stage to cause hysterics ! Cooper appeared in many series and specials on television over four decades and this special set contains all the existing shows he made for the ITV regions. They feature a veritable galaxy of guest stars, including Richard Briers, Arthur Lowe, Warren Mitchell, June Whitfield, Patricia Hayes, Bernard Cribbins, Patrick Cargill, Michael Bentine, Thora Hird, Diana Dors, Eric Sykes, Liz Fraser and Ronnies Barker and Corbett!

• Halloween | DVD | (30/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  A group of teens win a contest to spend a night in Michael Myers' childhood home to be broadcast live on the internet. But things go frightfully wrong and the game turns into a struggle to make it out of the house alive.

• Dad's Army - Series 7 | DVD | (03/07/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Vintage comedy by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. As Walmington-on-Sea trembles at the thought of a mighty Nazi invasion the indefatigable Captain Mainwaring and his eager Home Guard are ready and waiting - regardless that some of them are so old they can hardly stand up... Winner of 3 Writers Guild awards and a BAFTA. Episodes Comprise: 1. Everybody's Trucking 2. Man of Action 3. Gorilla Warfare 4. The Godiva Affair 5. The Captain's Car 6. Turkey Dinner

• The Army Game - Vol. 1 | DVD | (06/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The Army Game was a sitcom giant of its time and one of ITV's most popular shows. Created by Sid Colin it pre-dated the more famous Dad's Army by a number of years. A group of men serving out time as conscripts in the army are determined to dodge duty and derive maximum fun out of a situation they'd rather not be in. Because WWII was only 12 years passed and national service was very much a reality many viewers found they could identify with the characters and the situation th

• A Foreign Affair (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (22/06/2020) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From the inimitable Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend) comes this classic comedy that mixes romance with hard-boiled wit in a story about stiff-necked Iowa congresswoman Phoebe Frost (Jean Arthur Shane) mired in jaded post-war Berlin. As she investigates the morale of American troops, Phoebe is cynically wooed by fellow Iowan Captain John Pringle (John Lund), who is trying to cover up his affair with Nazi-tainted chanteuse Erika von Schlütow (Marlene Dietrich Witness for the Prosecution, The Blue Angel). Filled with sharp dialogue and satiric jabs, A Foreign Affair is one of Wilder's most beloved comedies, and The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film in its UK debut on Blu-ray. Special Features: 1080p presentation on Blu-ray Uncompressed LPCM 2.0 audio Audio commentary by film historian Joseph McBride New video piece on the film by critic Kat Ellinger Archival interview with Billy Wilder Theatrical trailer A collector's booklet featuring new writing by film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas; a new essay by critic Richard Combs; and more!

• Dad's Army - Series 9 | DVD | (21/05/2007) from £9.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (30.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Vintage comedy by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. As Walmington-on-Sea trembles at the thought of a mighty Nazi invasion the indefatigable Captain Mainwaring and his eager Home Guard are ready and waiting - regardless that some of them are so old they can hardly stand up... Episodes Comprise: 1. Wake-Up Walmington 2. The Making of Private Pike 3. Knights of Madness 4. The Miser's Hoard 5. Number Engaged 6. Never Too Old

• Mary Poppins Returns Doublepack | Blu Ray | (15/04/2019) from £7.50   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Mary Poppins: Stuffy parents in Victorian London are looking for a nanny, but the children write their own ad which is torn up and thrown into the fire. Miraculously, the paper reassembles and floats up the chimney flue, and along comes Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) on her umbrella/parachute. She brings fun and magic to the children's lives, as well as a guiding hand. The film won Oscars for Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Song and Best Visual Effects. Mary Poppins Returns: In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives Bonus Features: Mary Poppins: Mary-Oke Sing-Along with the movie Mary Poppins from page to stage Re-Trailer DVD Bonus: Disney's Song Selection Re-trailer DVD Bonus: Audio Commentary Step In Time A Magical Musical Reunion Featuring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke And Richard Sherman Deleted Song: Chimpanzoo Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making Of Mary Poppins The Gala World Premiere The Cat That Looked At A King From Mary Poppins Opens The Door By P.L. Travers Movie Magic Deconstruction Of A Scene: Jolly Holliday Deconstruction Of A Scene: Step In Time Dick Van Dyke Make-Up Test Publicity (8 Trailers*) A Musical Journey With Richard Sherman The Gala World Premiere Party Becoming Mr. Sherman Mary Poppins Returns:Play Movie with Sing-Along Mode The Practically Perfect Making of Mary Poppins Returns Seeing Things from a Different Point of View : The Musical Numbers of Mary Poppins Returns Back to Cherry Tree Lane: Dick Van Dyke Returns Practically Perfect Bloopers Deleted Scene: Leaving Topsy's Deleted Scene: Trip A Little Light Fantastic Deleted Song - The Anthropomorphic Zoo

• David Lean Collection | DVD | (17/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A collection of classic films from famed British director David Lean. Bridge On The River Kwai (1957): When British P.O.W.s build a vital railway bridge in enemy occupied Burma Allied commandos are assigned to destroy it in David Lean's epic World War II adventure The Bridge on the River Kwai. Spectacularly produced The Bridge on the River Kwai captured the imagination of the public and won seven 1957 Academy Awards including Best Picture Be

• Pocketful Of Miracles | DVD | (03/05/2004) from £8.72   |  Saving you £4.27 (48.97%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Impoverished Broadway peddler ""Apple Annie"" (Bette Davis) has a problem. Her daughter Louise (Ann-Margret) educated abroad since infancy is coming for a visit and bringing her wealthy fianc with her. The problem is that Louise has believed all her life that Annie's a wealthy dowager and the poor old woman doesn't know what to do! Enter ""Dave The Dude"" (Glenn Ford) - a big-hearted racketeer - who enlists aid to pass Annie off as a high-society grande dame so Louise can marry her fa

• The Secret Of Nimh | DVD | (02/04/2001) from £9.43   |  Saving you £3.56 (37.75%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In his book, Robert C. O'Brien called his brave widow mouse "Mrs. Frisby", but Disney escapee animator Don Bluth must have thought children would laugh the wrong way at that. They renamed her "Mrs. Brisby" for The Secret of NIMH. That acronym stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, and the rats that live near Mrs. Brisby came from NIMH--they have strange ways. But they're the only ones who can save her house and her children, so Brisby seeks them out with the help of a humorous crow (Dom DeLuise). The magic gets laid on a little thick but this is Don Bluth's most successful attempt to achieve a complete, sincere, animated film. It's often forgotten, but it's a true surprise and a rare treat in the vast wasteland of insubstantial children's fare. --Keith Simanton, Amazon.com

• Bedknobs And Broomsticks | DVD | (22/07/2002) from £4.24   |  Saving you £13.75 (324.29%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Angela Lansbury plays a good witch who uses her powers against the Nazis in World War II and is aided by three children in the effort. This 1971 movie directed by Disney stalwart Robert Stevenson (Mary Poppins) was never up to the studio's best efforts--the music isn't all that good and the idea just doesn't quite catch on. But Lansbury, David Tomlinson and the late Roddy McDowall are good and there are some clever sequences blending animation and live action, most memorably a soccer game between the kids and some cartoon animals. --Tom Keogh

• Shane | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £6.30   |  Saving you £9.69 (153.81%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Consciously crafted by director George Stevens as a piece of American myth making, Shane is on nearly everyone's shortlist of great movie Westerns. A buckskin knight, Shane (Alan Ladd) rides into the middle of a range war between farmers and cattlemen, quickly siding with the "sod-busters". While helping a kindly farmer (Van Heflin), Shane falls platonically in love with the man's wife (Jean Arthur, in the last screen performance of a marvellous career). Though the showdowns are exciting, and the story simple but involving, what most people will remember about this movie is the friendship between the stoical Shane and the young son of the farmers. The kid is played by Brandon De Wilde, an amazing child performer; his parting scene with Shane is guaranteed to draw tears from even the most stony-hearted moviegoer. And speaking of stony hearts, Jack Palance made a sensational impression as the evil gunslinger sent to clean house--he has fewer lines of dialogue than he has lines in his magnificently craggy face, but he makes them count. The photography, highlighting the landscape near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won an Oscar. --Robert Horton

• Network | DVD | (17/03/2003) from £17.11   |  Saving you £-1.12 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Media madness reigns supreme in screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's scathing satire about the uses and abuses of network television. But while Chayefsky's and director Sidney Lumet's take on television may seem quaint in the age of "reality TV" and Jerry Springer's talk-show fisticuffs, Network is every bit as potent now as it was when the film was released in 1976. And because Chayefsky was one of the greatest of all dramatists, his Oscar-winning script about the ratings frenzy at the cost of cultural integrity is a showcase for powerhouse acting by Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight (who each won Oscars), and Oscar nominee William Holden in one of his finest roles. Finch plays a veteran network anchorman who's been fired because of low ratings. His character's response is to announce he'll kill himself on live television two weeks hence. What follows, along with skyrocketing ratings, is the anchorman's descent into insanity, during which he fervently rages against the medium that made him a celebrity. Dunaway plays the frigid, ratings-obsessed producer who pursues success with cold-blooded zeal; Holden is the married executive who tries to thaw her out during his own seething midlife crisis. Through it all, Chayefsky (via Finch) urges the viewer to repeat the now-famous mantra "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" to reclaim our humanity from the medium that threatens to steal it away. --Jeff Shannon