"Actor: Charles Smith"

• The Buddy Holly Story (Reissue) Blu-Ray | Blu Ray | (22/02/2021) from £11.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Buddy Holly laid the foundations for a generation of popular music with his ground-breaking combination of country music and rhythm & blues. This film tells his story from its explosive beginning to its tragic end with Gary Busey giving an electrifying, Oscar® nominated performance (Best Actor - 1978) as the young genius from Lubbock, Texas, who changed the tune of rock n roll history. Young Buddys studious appearance gave no hint of the new music which was about to take the world by storm. His unique brand of rock n roll catapulted him and the Crickets to national stardom in just three short years with hits such as Thatll Be The Day and Peggy Sue. Despite opposition from the mainly redneck Texas community, his mother who nagged him to get a proper job and his girlfriend who wanted to tame him - by the age of 22, Holly had it all but the trials and tribulations of fame began to take its toll and his brilliant career ended in tragedy all too quickly. The Buddy Holly Story is one of the best biopics ever produced for cinema and features 12 of his greatest hit songs as well as winning the 1978 Academy Award TM for Best Score Adaptation. Its dynamic tribute to one of the most influential rock n rollers of all time and his legacy. Audio Commentary from the Director Steve Rash and Gary Busy Origintal Theatrical Trailer Play film with isolated score track

• Philadelphia | DVD | (25/05/1998) from £7.37   |  Saving you £5.62 (76.26%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Philadelphia wasn't the first movie about AIDS (it followed such worthy independent films as Parting Glances and Longtime Companion), but it was the first Hollywood studio picture to take AIDS as its primary subject. In that sense, Philadelphia is a historically important film. As such, it's worth remembering that director Jonathan Demme (Melvin and Howard, Something Wild, The Silence of the Lambs) wasn't interested in preaching to the converted; he set out to make a film that would connect with a mainstream audience. And he succeeded. Philadelphia was not only a hit, it also won Oscars for Bruce Springsteen's haunting "The Streets of Philadelphia," and for Tom Hanks as the gay lawyer Andrew Beckett who is unjustly fired by his firm because he has AIDS. Denzel Washington is another lawyer (functioning as the mainstream-audience surrogate) who reluctantly takes Beckett's case and learns to overcome his misconceptions about the disease, about those who contract it, and about gay people in general. The combined warmth and humanism of Hanks and Demme were absolutely essential to making this picture a success. The cast also features Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas (as Beckett's lover), Joanne Woodward, and Robert Ridgely, and, of course, those Demme regulars Charles Napier, Tracey Walter and Roger Corman. --Jim Emerson

• Tears Of The Sun | DVD | (16/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Bruce Willis plays a Special-Ops commander who leads his team into the jungle of Nigeria to rescue a doctor (Monica Belluci) who will only go with them if they also agree to rescue 70 refugees.

• The Hot Spot | DVD | (19/05/2003) from £29.49   |  Saving you £-16.50 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Hot Spot is best known to lecherous film buffs for Jennifer Connelly's topless scene, but this sultry southern noir deserves more than prurient interest. It's arguably Dennis Hopper's best directorial effort (OK, so that's not saying much), and Charles Williams' source novel Hell Hath No Fury finds Hopper in a comfortable B-movie milieu, riffing on Double Indemnity with an overripe tale of sex, greed and blackmail in an unnamed Texan town. Fresh from the final season of Miami Vice, Don Johnson stars as a shifty drifter, conning his way into a salesman job on a used-car lot, where the boss's insatiable wife (Virginia Madsen) offers him sexual favours and a lovely secretary's (Connelly) innocence is threatened by a percolating scandal. Nobody's really innocent, of course, and Hopper spices this languid web of secrets with enough trashy misbehaviour to qualify The Hot Spot as a bona fide guilty pleasure. --Jeff Shannon

• American Graffiti | Blu Ray | (25/07/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This Academy Award-nominated classic voted one of the American Film Institute's top 100 Films Of All Time features the coming-of-age of four teenagers on their last summer night before college. Rediscover drag racing Inspiration Point and drive-ins all over again in this nostalgic look back at the early '60s. The incredible soundtrack brings you the most memorable rock 'n' roll hits of the era. Directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola this classic stars Harrison Ford Richard Dreyfuss Ron Howard Suzanne Somers Cindy Williams Wolfman Jack and Mackenzie Phillips. Capture the heart of America's last age of innocence with American Graffiti.

• Larry McMurtry's Streets Of Laredo | DVD | (13/06/2005) from £8.08   |  Saving you £16.91 (209.28%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Streets Of Laredo is the third title in the Lonesome Dove Saga. An exhilarating tale of legend and heroism continues the epic of the waning years of the Texas Rangers. Captain Woodrow Call is long in the tooth but still a legendary hunter. He is hired to track down a young Mexican train robber and killer Joey Garza. Riding with Call are an Eastern city slicker a witless deputy and one of the last remaining members of the Hat Creek outfit Pea-Eye Parker. Their long chase leads the

• Suddenly | DVD | (31/03/2003) from £6.93   |  Saving you £-2.94 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Nothing ever happens in Suddenly. It's a just small town with small concerns. That is until the President decides to show up... In this intelligent 1954 film noir thriller Frank Sinatra delivers an electrifying lead performance as psychotic undercover assassin John Baron. Alleged to have been viewed by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963 only days prior to the shooting of President Kennedy 'Suddenly' was subsequently withdrawn from circulation by United Artists at Sinatra's personal request. Chillingly prophetic in it's subject matter 'Suddenly' is a killer addition to any noir collection...

• The Untouchables | DVD | (04/06/2001) from £5.25   |  Saving you £10.74 (204.57%)   |  RRP £15.99

  As noted critic Pauline Kael wrote, the 1987 box-office hit The Untouchables is "like an attempt to visualise the public's collective dream of Chicago gangsters". In other words, this lavish reworking of the vintage TV series is a rousing pot-boiler from a bygone era, so beautifully designed and photographed--and so craftily directed by Brian De Palma--that the historical reality of Prohibition-era Chicago could only pale in comparison. From a script by David Mamet, the film pits four underdog heroes (the maverick lawmen known as the Untouchables) against a singular villain in Al Capone, played by Robert De Niro as a dapper Caesar holding court (and a baseball bat) against any and all challengers. Kevin Costner is the naive federal agent Eliot Ness, whose lack of experience is tempered by the streetwise alliance of a seasoned Chicago cop (Sean Connery, in an Oscar-winning performance), a rookie marksman (Andy Garcia) and an accountant (Charles Martin Smith) who holds the key to Capone's potential downfall. The movie approaches greatness on the strength of its set pieces, such as the siege near the Canadian border, the venal ambush at Connery's apartment and the train-station shootout partially modelled after the "Odessa steps" sequences of the Russian classic Battleship Potemkin. It's thrilling stuff, fuelled by Ennio Morricone's dynamic score, but it's also manipulative and obvious. If you're inclined to be critical, the film gives you reason to complain. If you'd rather sit back and enjoy a first-rate production with an all-star cast, The Untouchables may very well strike you as a classic. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• The Hot Spot (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (19/06/2023) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Harry, a drifter (Don Johnson, Miami Vice) rolls into town and talks his way into a job at a car dealership where he becomes caught between two beautiful women, the boss's conniving wife Dolly (Virginia Madsen, Candyman) and Gloria (Jennifer Connelly, Requiem for a Dream) a naive young accountant whose life is complicated by blackmail. When Harry plans to rob the local bank, he becomes enmeshed in a lethal web of lust, greed and extortion, whose only escape is murder. Adapted from Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams, The Hot Spot is a dusty, sweaty modern noir that updates the pulp formula of twists and turns with an intensity to match director Dennis Hopper's earlier film roles. Directed by Hopper (Easy Rider, Out of the Blue) with verve, the stellar cast are supported by William Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption), Charles Martin Smith (The Untouchables) and Jack Nance (Eraserhead) accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack featuring Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal and original music by Jack Nitzsche. Limited Edition Features 2K restoration by Kino Lorber, overseen and approved by cinematographer Ueli Steiger Uncompressed mono PCM audio Archival interview with Dennis Hopper who discusses The Hot Spot and features footage of John Lee Hooker and images from the set (1991) Interviews with stars Virginia Madsen (2021, 7 mins) and William Sadler (2021, 7 mins) Nick Dawson on Dennis Hopper and The Hot Spot, an interview with the editor of Dennis Hopper: Interviews (2023) Duane Swierczynski on Charles Williams' source novel, the crime writer and expert looks at the adaptation and provides a background of the author (2023) Trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Reversible sleeve featuring original and new artwork by Time Tomorrow Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by critics Elena Lazic on the film; Leslie Byron Pitt on the erotic thriller genre and the film's place within it; and an archival piece on the film featuring an interview with Hopper by RJ Smith Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

• The Triangle | DVD | (29/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In the Bermuda Triangle nothing stays lost forever... From director Brian Singer (X-Men Usual Suspects) and producer Dean Devlin (Stargate Independence Day) comes a stunning new original mini-series courtesy of the Sci-fi Channel. Billionaire Eric Benireall (Sam Neill) is losing his cargo ships and their crews at a frightening pace - and he wants answers. His bemused hand-picked team of a subject-specific experts include: sceptical tabloid journalist Howard

• Everything To Gain | DVD | (07/05/2001) from £11.36   |  Saving you £-5.37 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Mallory Jordan feels she can no longer face up to life after her family are wiped out in a brutal street robbery. Her only confidante is Detective DiMarco whose support and help makes her realise that after losing everything she now has everything to gain. Based on the novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

• Once Upon A Forest | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A magical animated world based on the story by Rae Lambert which follows the antics of Abigail the Woodmouse Edgar the Mole and Russell the Hedgehog.

• Herbie Goes Bananas | DVD | (12/01/2004) from £5.47   |  Saving you £10.78 (256.06%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Set in exotic locations in Central America the internationally renowned Herbie everyone's favourite ""love bug"" demonstrates his special brand of car-isma and high-octane humour in this action-packed stunt-filled comedy outing. The fun begins when Herbie sets sail for Rio de Janeiro's Grande Premio racing competition with his two new owners. En route they get sidetracked by a smuggling syndicate pestered by a pint-sized pickpocket and bullied by a raging bull. Laughter shifts in

• Gaslight | DVD | (16/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A psychological thriller about a man who plots to drive his wife insane so that he can get his hands on some jewels which are hidden in their London home.

• American Graffiti | Blu Ray | (31/05/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Night Stalker | Blu Ray | (02/10/2018) from £27.24   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Cluny Brown (The Criterion Collection) | Blu Ray | (17/09/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Forever And A Day | DVD | (25/05/2015) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  1940s drama made by the collaborative efforts of seven directors and 21 writers. Gates Trimble Pomfret (Ken Smith) travels from America to England during the Blitz in order to sell his family's home in London. When he gets to the house he discovers that Leslie Trimble (Ruth Warrick) has been living there and refuses to move. As Leslie tries to persuade Gates not to sell up, she recounts the house's 140-year history hoping to appeal to his romantic side.

• A Low Down Dirty Shame | DVD | (08/03/2004) from £5.38   |  Saving you £9.61 (178.62%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Outrageous comedian Keenen Ivory Wayans is Shame a down-on-his-luck ex-cop turned private investigator. He's hired to track down his seductive former girlfriend - and $20 million in stolen drug money. With his trusty sidekick Peaches (Jada Pinkett) Shame aims to make a buck and clear his name in what becomes his wildest and most dangerous assignment ever.

• Starman | DVD | (08/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Starman is easily director John Carpenter's warmest and most beguiling film, and the only one that ever earned him an Oscar nomination. While most movie buffs are likely to call Halloween the best movie from Carpenter, die-hard romantics and anyone who cried while watching E.T. will vote in favour of the director's 1984 hit. Jeff Bridges is the alien visitor to Earth who is knocked off course and must take an interstate road trip to rendezvous with a mothership from his home planet. To complete this journey he assumes the physical form of the dead husband of a Wisconsin widow (Karen Allen) who responds first with fear, then sympathy, and finally love. Carpenter's graceful strategy is to switch the focus of this E.T.-like film from science fiction to a gentle road-movie love story, made believable by the memorable performances of Bridges and Allen. It's a bit heavy-handed with tenacious government agents who view the Starman as an alien threat (don't they always?), but Carpenter handles the action with intelligent flair, sensitivity and lighthearted humour. If you're not choked up during the final scene, well, you just might not be human. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com On the DVD: Starman on disc is presented in anamorphic widescreen transferred from NTSC and letterboxed at 2.35.1. The picture is clear and sharp with very little grain. The soundtrack is crisp, perfectly complementing the romantic nature of this film. The overriding reason to shell out on this special edition is the commentary from John Carpenter and Jeff Bridges, in which director and actor show a genuine affection for the film. Other extras are a featurette filmed around the original release in 1884, a music video starring Bridges and costar Karen Allen covering The Everly Brothers classic "All I Have to Do is Dream", and a trailer for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. --Kristen Bowditch