"Actor: Charles"

• Dracula Prince Of Darkness | DVD | (29/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  As the third in what became a series of eight, Prince of Darkness was distinguished among the Hammer Dracula movies for several reasons. It was the third and last directed by Terence Fisher and his familiarity with the mythos and studio practices meant the rushed production still came out looking spectacular in places. Moving into the tail end of the 1960s, Hammer looked for ways of cost cutting: the film's dramatic finale on a frozen river takes place on a two-for-one set being used simultaneously for another shoot. This was also the series entry that included a substitute for the Renfield character missing from the first movie. Thorley Walters as Ludwig is a colourful cameo and that's also all that can be said of Christopher Lee. Despite top billing, the mute monster occupies but a fraction of the overall on-screen time. The real frights come from gaunt butler Klove who scares the life (literally) out of hapless travellers Alan, Charles, Helen and Diana. Surely their fate would ensure no-one else took the mountain pass to Carlsbad? But only two years later, audiences discovered Dracula Has Risen from the Grave. On the DVD: apart from scene access there's nothing making use of the DVD format here. The 2.55:1 presentation is certainly welcome, and the mono audio somehow feels appropriate. --Paul Tonks

• John Carpenter's THE THING (4K Ultra HD) (+ Blu-ray 2D) | Blu Ray | (23/09/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The X Files: Nothing Important Happened Today | DVD | (10/06/2002) from £3.80   |  Saving you £12.19 (320.79%)   |  RRP £15.99

  It has become traditional for The X-Files to kick off each new season with a humourless conspiracy two-parter, and Season 9 is no exception: in The X Files: Nothing Important Happened Today David Duchovny’s Mulder is gone, along with everything in his apartment, and Gillian Anderson’s Scully is mostly at home with her perhaps-telekinetic baby, which leaves the bulk of the investigation to promising new characters Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish).The A-plot features Lucy Lawless as a water-breathing terminatrix who could be an alien, a government experiment or a mermaid without it making any difference, but too much time is spent on impossible-to-follow subplots about internal FBI politics and everyone’s intricate backstory (if ever a release needed a "previously..." prologue, this is it). Usually, the series gets over these heart-sinking openers and livens up a bit, but this time there’s a feeling that this is the end of the line for a thoroughly battered premise.Chris Carter joins Gene Roddenberry in the exclusive category of producer-creators who turn in the worst scripts for their own shows, and all the strengths of The X-Files (shivers, wit, provocative ideas) are missing in action here as the engine grinds on empty.On the DVD: The X-Files: Nothing Important Happened Today on disc arrives with two three-minute filler featurettes, focusing on Gish’s character and the making of this show. The good news is that this anamorphic widescreen release is the best The X-Files has ever looked in a television format, showing that however dramatically exhausted it might be, the show remains technically impressive. --Kim Newman

• Mr St. Nick | DVD | (05/10/2015) from £4.99   |  Saving you £16.00 (320.64%)   |  RRP £20.99

  Seasonal family comedy starring Kelsey Grammer as Santa Claus's pleasure-seeking son. Shirking his duties and refusing to take life's responsibilities seriously, Nick prefers to spend the festive season hanging out at the beach with his friends. Meanwhile, back at the family home Mistletoe Manor, Santa Claus Senior (Charles Durning) and his wife Queen Carlotta (Katherine Helmond) are feeling their age and bemoaning the absence of the wayward Crown Prince.

• Edgar Wallace Presents: The Missing Million | DVD | (22/07/2013) from £12.98   |  Saving you £-1.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Silent-era star John Stuart, Linden Travers and Patricia Hilliard feature in this atmospheric British wartime thriller, adapted from a story by Edgar Wallace - one of the twentieth century's most celebrated and prolific crime writers. The Missing Million is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements. When Rex Walton, millionaire man-about-town, mysteriously disappears on the eve of his wedding, a chain of violent and incomprehensible events is set into action...

• Even More Great Comedy Moments | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £6.87   |  Saving you £9.12 (132.75%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A compilation of best bits from BBC comedy. Programme excerpts include: 'The Office' 'I'm Alan Partridge' 'The League Of Gentleman' 'Only Fools And Horses' 'Shooting Stars' 'Absolutely Fabulous' and 'Red Dwarf'.

• A Woman's Vengeance | DVD | (25/04/2016) from £8.75   |  Saving you £4.24 (48.46%)   |  RRP £12.99

• Savate | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £4.95   |  Saving you £-1.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  The true story of the worlds first kickboxer. In 1865 a corrupt Texas land owner's plan to evict innocent settlers is stopped dead by a new kind of fighter.

• Red Sun | DVD | (07/02/2005) from £14.71   |  Saving you £-4.72 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  East meets West in this classic train robbery movie as one of the bandits gets away with not only all the money but a priceless Samurai Sword owned by Japanese gentleman Kuroda Jubie. Kuruda and his allies tear off in search of the stolen sword only to discover a violent twist of events that will change their lives forever...

• Messenger Of Death | DVD | (03/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Could a simple feud between brothers lead to the brutal massacre of an entire family? Garret Smith (Bronson) travels to a remote Rocky Mountain town to investigate and uncovers far more sinister motives. As he gets closer to the bizarre truth Smith unravels a plot of greed revenge and religious zealotry. But can he get to the bottom of the murders before an 'avenging angel' visits him with an equally deadly message?

• The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer | DVD | (13/09/2002) from £12.23   |  Saving you £-6.24 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Mark Twain's Beloved Story. Live Action.

• Bachelor Mother | DVD | (21/04/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This sparkling comedy was Oscar nominated. Polly (Ginger Rogers) a clerk at Merlin's Department Store is mistakenly presumed to be the mother of a young child. Outraged at Polly's unmotherly conduct David Merlin (David Niven) becomes determined to keep the single woman and 'her' baby together in this wonderful comedy of errors.

• Carry On Spying | DVD | (27/08/2001) from £7.98   |  Saving you £6.01 (75.31%)   |  RRP £13.99

  While the later chapters of the Carry On series have received fairly constant exposure, some earlier examples such as 1964's Spying remain relatively unseen. Given the brash production and ensemble playing of the more well-known films, this black and white version of the Carry On world seems oddly low-key in comparison. Four of the soon-to-be-regular cast are in attendance--Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey--and there are many signs of a formula in development (the double entrendres, bad puns, Windsor's ill-fitting clothing). Of course, with its obsession with sex and bodily functions it's all very English and parts have dated horribly, not least the casual racism of some of the secondary characters, but fans of this most unique of genres will find much to tickle their fancy. And don't they look so young?On the DVD: Given the long history and colourful characters of the series, there must be scope for much behind the scenes and documentary footage, but this disc is totally bereft of any extras bar scene selection. There is also little to add to the original black and white film stock, although the soundtrack, chock full of humorous instrumentation, sounds pretty good. --Phil Udell

• The Big Clock DVD | DVD | (23/08/2010) from £17.53   |  Saving you £-4.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  George Stroud (Ray Milland) executive editor at Crimeways magazine is involved with the wrong woman - his boss's. When Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton) his boss kills her in an argument he begins to cover his tracks and frame an innocent man whose identity he doesn't know but was seen outside her home just before the murder. Janoth knows someone saw him but not who . He puts Stroud in charge of finding the unidentified witness but the trouble is that Stroud was the missing man...

• Evil Awakens | DVD | (11/08/2014) from £21.58   |  Saving you £-5.59 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  During a bloody coup, a ruthless Greek general seizes the bride of an officer in his army. When the officer, Arias, turns to legendary Hercules for help, he discovers the fallen hero has been living in exile, banished for killing his family. Initially Hercules refuses, but when he sees this as a chance for salvation, he agrees to help Arius. Together they must battle the general's army, as well as the demi-god's demons, in order to rescue the bride and reclaim the honour of Hercules.

• Carry On Teacher | DVD | (27/08/2001) from £6.66   |  Saving you £10.33 (155.11%)   |  RRP £16.99

  When Carry On Teacher was released in 1959, the series was still in its infancy but all the familiar constituent parts were already in place. Innuendo, naturally, reigns supreme and on the brink of the permissive 1960s it's surprising what Peter Rodgers and the gang were able to get away with. "Are you satisfied with your equipment, Miss Allcock?", child psychologist Leslie Phillips asks gym mistress Joan Sims. Naturally, it isn't five minutes before Miss Allcock's shorts have split, leading to a series of pants gags. And we're off. For Carry On fans, Teacher contains many of the funniest lines and certainly some of the best performances from the whole series. Kenneth Williams is still acting rather than giving his mannerisms a good work out. Hattie Jacques is establishing her gorgon-with-a-soft-centre-for-the-right-man persona and Charles Hawtrey's birdlike twitching makes him ideal as the precious music teacher. A youthful Carol White and Richard O'Sullivan are among the scheming pupils. But you don't have to be a diehard Carry On fan to appreciate the boisterous, sub-St Trinians comedy. And thanks to Ted Ray's poignant acting as the headmaster, there's a real moment of Mr Chips-style bathos at the very end. On the DVD: Carry On Teacher doesn't gain much from being presented in widescreen. Much of its appeal lies in its familiarity. All we ask for is a clear print--and in black and white this is diamond sharp--and decent sound quality. The whole thing fits like a comfortable old shoe. But apart from the scene index there are no extras on the disc. Given the cult status of the Carry On films, and the wealth of documentary material which has been made about them and their stars, you'd think something extra could have been offered with the DVD releases to make them a more worthwhile alternative to the video. --Piers Ford

• F1 2022 Official Review | DVD | (28/12/2022) from £20.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Yellow Sky | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Outlaw chief James 'Stretch' Dawson (Gregory Peck) takes refuge in a frontier ghost town where the only inhabitants are the elderly 'Grandpa' (James Barton) and his pretty granddaughter Constance Mae (Anne Baxter). When it becomes apparent that Grandpa is sitting on a large amount of gold 'Stretch's' compadres led by 'Dude' (Richard Widmark) plot the old man's downfall and claim the booty for themselves. However Stretch falls for the granddaughter and cannot abide the intention

• Assassination | DVD | (07/11/2005) from £7.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (38.50%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Hard-hitting action cross-country adventure...and a government conspiracy that goes all the way to the top! In this pulse-pounding political thriller action-superstar - the late - Charles Bronson is at his rugged best as a man on a mission to protect the First Lady from ruthless assassins who'll stop at nothing to kill her! When veteran Secret Service Agent Jay Killian (Bronson) is assigned to protect the president's pampered and difficult wife (Jill Ireland) he knows she will be

• French Connection / French Connection 2 | DVD | (25/02/2002) from £78.81   |  Saving you £-47.56 (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A milestone film from 1971 and winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, The French Connection transformed the crime thriller with its gritty, authentic story about New York City police detectives on the trail of a large shipment of heroin. Based on an actual police case and the illustrious career of New York cop Eddie Egan, the film stars Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, whose unorthodox methods of crime fighting are anything but diplomatic. With his partner (Roy Scheider), Popeye investigates the international shipment of heroin masterminded by the suave Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who eludes Popeye throughout an escalating series of pursuits. The obsessive tension of Doyle's investigation reaches peak intensity during the film's breathtaking car chase, in which Doyle races under New York's elevated train tracks in a borrowed sedan--a sequence that earned an Oscar for editing and was instantly hailed as one of the greatest chase scenes ever filmed. Produced on location, The French Connection had an immediate influence on dozens of movies and TV shows to follow, virtually redefining the crime thriller with its combination of brutal realism and high-octane craftsmanship. Boosted by the film's phenomenal success, director William Friedkin took his attention towards redefining the horror genre with his next film The Exorcist.--Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com Following on from the original four years later, French Connection II takes "Popeye" Doyle to Marsailles to hunt down Alain Charnier, the "daddy" of the smuggling ring. Gene Hackman returns to revive his role as Doyle the brutal and uncompromising narcotics detective, and turns in an equally hard hitting performance to that offered in the original.