"Actor: Bill Cook"

• The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary Edition | Blu Ray | (23/10/2017) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his sceptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story. And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity... The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

• The Lost Prince | DVD | (20/01/2003) from £6.12   |  Saving you £9.87 (161.27%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A marvellous reinvention of the costume epic, The Lost Prince is Stephen Poliakoff's absorbing study of the turbulent years leading up to and during the First World War, seen through the percipient eyes of a scarcely remembered royal child. Extensively researched, impeccably cast, beautifully filmed, written and directed by Poliakoff himself with masterly economy and restraint, this is a timely reminder that original, intelligent drama can work as prime time entertainment while appealing on multiple levels; and there isn't an escaped soap star in sight. Johnnie, the prince kept hidden away by his parents Queen Mary and George V for fear that his epileptic fits and idiosyncratic ways might draw unwelcome attention, is not presented as a tragic figure. His view of the great events which shatter his family and change the world forever is direct and uncluttered. Poliakoff celebrates his apartness--and that of all children who are different--as a force for good, without judging the standards, protocols and contemporary medical theories which kept him on the periphery of society. The series makes the most of its well-chosen locations, and from Johnnie's garden at Sandringham to the assassination of the Russian imperial family, it maintains a hypnotic and elegiac quality The acting is first-rate, too. Gina McKee is profoundly moving as Johnnie's devoted nurse Lalla; and Miranda Richardson's Mary is an extraordinary performance, the controlled façade of single-minded focus occasionally fracturing to reveal a flash of humanity. This production is exquisite in every respect. On the DVD: The Lost Prince is presented in its original transmission format of 16:9. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, enhanced by Adrian Johnston's haunting score is crystal clear. Extras include Poliakoff's revealing commentary, with occasional input from Johnston and designer John-Paul Kelly, and a couple of documentary fragments which show the production in progress and place it in context with the rest of Poliakoff's work. --Piers Ford

• The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary Edition | DVD | (23/10/2017) from £5.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his sceptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story. And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity... The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

• Defence Of The Realm | DVD | (11/10/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  In the politically charged atmosphere of Margaret Thatcher's Britain, newspaper reporters are hungry for the big story that will make them stars and their newspapers famous. Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne in his first starring role) is one such reporter for the London Daily Dispatch. A top member of Parliament (Ian Bannen) is the focus of the latest political scandal: he has been photographed with a prostitute who is known to have Russian contacts. Nick barrels into the scandal full-bore, despite warnings from his mentor (a deft Denholm Elliott). Nick receives a tip that makes his story a front-page item and he quickly becomes a celebrity himself. But as he soon discovers, there is much more to the story than he imagined. Director David Drury (Prime Suspect 3) keeps this highly complex, John le Carré-esque story moving swiftly. The clues are hard to find at times but it is not because the story is told unclearly; rather, the filmmakers have decided that audiences can think for themselves and piece together the information along with Nick. Defence of the Realm overlooked and truly entertaining thinking person's film. --Doug Thomas

• The Sins | DVD | (28/03/2011) from £6.98   |  Saving you £13.01 (186.39%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The immensely versatile Pete Postlethwaite stars in The Sins, a seven-part serio-comic drama set amongst London's criminal fraternity, with each episode taking as its loose theme one of the seven deadly sins. Postlethwaite, who seems able to shine in anything from Hollywood blockbusters to low-budget Brit flicks, stars as Len Green, an ex-con getaway driver who shocks his friends and family when, on release from a four-year stretch, he denounces his former life of crime in favour of more cultured endeavours. Whilst this decision, and the effects it has on those close to him, forms the story arc, the real meat of the series is to be found in his relationships with his wife (played by the perennially excellent and hugely underrated Geraldine James), his daughters--Faith, Hope, Charity and Chastity--his surrogate son, Carl and, perhaps, most importantly, his uncle and mentor, Irwin (Frank Finlay). Each case of temptation and sin is examined in turn (all handled by different directors but remaining part of a cohesive whole), as Len's rose-tinted view of his family life is gradually shattered by a series of harsh home truths. There's plenty of comedy throughout, much of it stemming from Len's new career as an undertaker, but it takes actors of Postlethwaite, Finlay and James' stature to handle the often abrupt shifts from light to shade as the series progresses into a darker place. Perfectly rounded (no chance of a second series, given the nature of the denouement), the extended format enables Postlethwaite to develop and enhance his character in a way that no two-hour film could ever offer. The producers even had the good taste to include a Tindersticks song as the theme. --Phil Udell

• The Princess Bride | DVD | (17/09/2007) from £6.79   |  Saving you £9.20 (135.49%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A young boy confined to bed with the flu is less than thrilled when his grandfather (Peter Falk) arrives to read him the story of The Princess Bride. It tells the adventures of Buttercup the most beautiful woman in the world and Westley the man she loves in the fairy-tale kingdom of Florin. When Buttercup is kidnapped Westley has to overcome some pretty tough obstacles if he is to rescue her from the clutches of three kidnappers - scaling the cliffs of insanity battling rodents of unusual size facing tortue in the Pit of Despair... True love has never been a snap.

• The Gauntlet | DVD | (23/08/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Clint Eastwood is a down-and-out cop who is sent on a routine mission to pick up a witness and deliver her to the Phoenix courthouse. Sounds easy until he realises he's been set up by the man who gave him this simple assignment. The interplay between Eastwood and the witness, a clever prostitute played by the actor's former girlfriend, Sondra Locke, is tough and playful. They obviously had strong chemistry. The story is highly implausible at times, but the action sequences are satisfying. Eastwood directs The Gauntlet very much in the style of his Academy Award-winning Western Unforgiven. Although the body count is surprisingly low for an Eastwood action film, a house, several cars and a large bus get shot through with more holes than a big wheel of Swiss cheese. For Eastwood fans, this is the laconic hero at his prime. --Richard Natale

• Dead Calm | DVD | (21/02/2000) from £8.57   |  Saving you £5.42 (63.24%)   |  RRP £13.99

  There are several occasions when this rousing Australian thriller from 1987 should have ended with a well-placed shot from a speargun or a stronger knot of rope, but you don't think about these small details when you're being scared out of your wits. In a role that catapulted her to international stardom, Nicole Kidman plays a young wife who has joined her husband (Sam Neill) on a yachting trip to recover from the tragic death of their son. Far out to sea, they encounter a sinking ship with one survivor (Billy Zane, 10 years before Titanic) but inviting him aboard turns out to be a very bad mistake. While Neill attempts to salvage the sinking boat, Kidman is fighting for her life against the psychotic Zane--a villain so creepy that you eagerly look forward to his demise. By the time that moment arrives director Phillip Noyce has resorted to a typical slasher-movie climax (proving that no boat should be without a flare gun) but until then Dead Calm is a nail-biting thriller that's guaranteed to keep you in a state of nail-biting suspense. --Jeff Shannon

• Desperate Justice | DVD | (08/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £1.99

  A harrowing, if limited, 1993 thriller, Desperate Justice stars Lesley Ann Warren as Carol, a mother whose young daughter is raped by the caretaker of her school and left in a coma. The culprit is quickly rounded up; however, the case against him is dismissed for lack of rock-solid evidence. In a moment of blind fear and rage, Carol metes out summary justice of her own--and must face up to the consequences. Desperate Justice is suitably restrained in dealing with the violence central to its subject matter. While competently enough scripted and acted to retain the viewer's interest and sympathy, it has a slightly fuzzy, sucrose feel about it that acts as a general anaesthetic against the inevitably disturbing subject matter. The final scenes in particular achieve a tidy, somewhat predictable sense of "closure" so beloved by Americans. Despite its made-for-TV air, Desperate Justice has just enough about it to ensure a passable late night 90 minutes over a mug of Horlicks. On the DVD: This is not the sort of movie that was ever designed to benefit from DVD enhancement. Picture format is 4:3. As well as trailers, there are included here items entitled "About the film" and "About the stars", which turn out to be perfunctory text-only blurbs. --David Stubbs

• Traveller | DVD | (27/01/2014) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-4.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Billy Cook makes his feature film debut in this drama about a young man trapped between two worlds: gypsy and non-gypsy. When Owen McBride (Cook) witnesses a violent crime, he risks his own life to rescue a stranger from the brink of death at the hands of a bloodthirsty gang. Billy is forced to go into hiding to escape the unwanted company of the gangsters who appear to be tracking his every move. As Billy seeks refuge with his father, Blackberry (David Essex), he takes a job as a wild horse ...

• American Gigolo | DVD | (05/03/2001) from £8.10   |  Saving you £4.89 (60.37%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Julian Kay is on the prowl and looking for someone to please. Boyish and sensual he speaks five or six languages and is equally comfortable as a chauffeur for a wealthy middle-aged matron and as a translator/companion for the lonely wife of an executive. He is the 'American Gigolo'. But Julian's love-for-sale lifestyle turns deadly when a client is murdered and Julian became the prime suspect. Richard Gere is electrifying as Julian in this stylish sexually charged drama from Pa

• On A Clear Day | DVD | (19/11/2007) from £4.11   |  Saving you £1.88 (45.74%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A depressed man decides to swim the channel in this movie from director Gaby Dellal.

• The Secret Policeman's Ball - The Complete Edition | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A collection of all The Secret Policeman's Ball concerts in aid of Amnesty International. A unique collection containing over 10 hours and spanning 3 decades of live comedy and music for Amnesty. Includes performances by Peter Cook Sting Dudley Moore Rowan Atkinson John Cleese Eric Clapton Michael Palin and many more... This 4 disc set includes the following shows: Pleasure At Her Majesty's (1976) Mermaid Frolics (1977) The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979) The Secret Poli

• Lucky Break / Very Annie Mary | DVD | (03/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Lucky Break Small time villians Jimmy and Rudy are caught doing a bank raid and are put in HM Prison Long Rudford. Whilst there they hatch an escape plan which involves them staging the prison governor's musical 'Nelson'. Very Annie Mary Tells the story of Annie Mary a woman in her early thirties living in the Rhondda Valley South Wales who is forced to make changes in her life when her father suffers a major stroke. The future of the family business is left in her hands and so she hatches a plan to raise money the only way she can.

• The Secret Policeman's Ball - The Middle Years | DVD | (25/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A charity performance in aid of Amnesty international Filmed live over four nights at the Theatre Royal Drury lane London. The show includes sketeches from the Monty Python team and musical numbers from artists such as Sting and Eric Clapton.

• On A Clear Day | DVD | (30/01/2006) from £9.97   |  Saving you £9.02 (47.50%)   |  RRP £18.99

  A depressed man decides to swim the channel in this movie from director Gaby Dellal.