"Actor: Bruce Locke"

• Robocop Trilogy | DVD | (04/02/2002) from £39.99   |  Saving you £-7.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £32.99

  Paul Verhoeven was almost unknown in Hollywood prior to the release of RoboCop in 1987. But after this ultra-violent yet strangely subversive and satirical sci-fi picture became a huge hit his reputation for extravagant and excessive, yet superbly well-crafted filmmaking was assured. Controversial as ever, Verhoeven saw the blue-collar cop (Peter Weller) who is transformed into an invincible cyborg as "an American Jesus with a gun", and so the film dabbles with death and resurrection imagery as well as mercilessly satirising Reagan-era America. No targets escape Verhoeven's unflinching camera eye, from yuppie excess and corporate backstabbing to rampant consumerism and vacuous media personalities. As with his later sci-fi satire Starship Troopers the extremely bloody violence resolutely remains on the same level as a Tom and Jerry cartoon. The inevitable sequel, competently directed by Irvin Kershner, thankfully continues to mine the dark vein of anti-consumerist satire while being reflexively aware that it is itself a shining example of that which it is lampooning. Sadly the third instalment in the series, now without Peter Weller in the title role, is exactly the kind of dumbed-down production-line flick that the corporate suits of OCP might have dreamed up at a marketing meeting. Its only virtue is a decent music score from regular Verhoeven collaborator Basil Poledouris, whose splendid march theme returned from the original score. On the DVD: Packaged in a fold-out slipcase these three discs make a very collectable set. All are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic prints, although only the first movie has any extra material worth mentioning. Here the Director's Cut option allows the viewer to see Paul Verhoeven's more explicitly violent versions of Murphy's "assassination", ED-209's bloody malfunction and the shootout finale. These extended sequences are handily signposted in the scene selection menu, and the filming of them can be seen in a sequence of Director's Cut footage. Deleted scenes include "Topless Pizza" ("I'll buy that for a dollar!") and there are two contemporary "making of" featurettes plus a good, new half-hour retrospective. Both the latter and the director's commentary make abundantly clear the Reagan-era satire and are chock full of quotable lines from Verhoeven--"I wanted to show Satan killing Jesus"--and his producer--"Fascism for liberals". Stop-motion animator Phil Tippett gives a commentary on the storyboard-to-film comparisons, and there are the usual trailers and photos. Showing just how much the sequels are rated in comparison, the second and third discs have nothing but theatrical trailers and their sound is just Dolby 2.0 whereas the original movie has been remastered into Dolby 5.1.--Mark Walker

• Willard | DVD | (30/10/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  As accomplished as it is superfluous, Willard is a stylish horror film with plenty of style but precious little horror. Genre buffs will appreciate it as a visually superior sequel/remake of its popular 1971 predecessor, giving Crispin Glover a title role perfectly suited to his uniquely odd persona, in the same league as Psycho's Norman Bates. This time, Willard's the psychotically lonely son of the original film's now-deceased protagonist: a milquetoast introvert who befriends an army of obedient rats--lethal allies when Willard's pushed to his emotional breaking point by his abusive boss (R. Lee Ermey). In keeping with his memorably macabre episodes of X-Files, writer-director Glen Morgan excels with dreary atmosphere and mischievously morbid humor (including an ill-fated cat named Scully), and Glover gives his best performance since River's Edge. But even the furry villain Ben--an oversized rat with attitude--is more funny than frightful. With some justification, Glover's fans will appreciate the open door to a sequel. --Jeff Shannon

• Wings Of Eagles | DVD | (19/03/2018) from £4.89   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eric Liddell - China's first gold medalist and one of Scotland's greatest athletes - returns to war-torn China.

• Willard & Ben Dvd | DVD | (07/04/2023) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Willard (Blu-Ray) | Blu Ray | (30/10/2017) from £18.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Not much is going right for meek misfit Willard Stiles. He's constantly screamed at by his overbearing mother, ruthlessly bullied by the boss who stole his father's business and mercilessly laughed at by his co-workers. Willard eventually turns to a colony of rats for friendship and with training they will soon do anything for their new friend. It's time for Willard to get even. Special Features: New 4K scan of the original camera negative Audio commentary with Actor Bruce Davison Interview with Actor Bruce Davison Theatrical trailer TV spot Radio spots Stills gallery

• Mortal Kombat Conquest - Final Battle | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The fate of all realms is at risk when Rayden protector of the Earth Realm and Shao Khan the evil emperor of the Outworld pit their mighty powers against each other in a brutal and final showdown... Based on the video game Mortal Kombat.

• Servants Of Twilight | DVD | (09/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Based on the well known thriller written by the horror author Dean R. Koontz. A group of religious fanatics claim that a six year old boy called Joey is an agent of the devil and set out to destroy him.....