"Actor: Crossley"

• The Secret Garden | DVD | (22/11/1999) from £4.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (180.36%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Filmed before (and quite nicely) in 1949, Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's story was remade for this admirable 1993 release, executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. Splendidly adapted by Edward Scissorhands screenwriter Caroline Thompson, the film opens in India during the early 1900s, when young Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is orphaned and sent to England to live in Misselthwaite Manor, the gloomy estate of her brooding and melancholy uncle, Lord Craven (John Lynch). Because the uncle is almost always away on travels, struggling to forget the death of his beloved wife, Mary is left mostly alone to explore the estate. Eventually she befriends the young brother of a staff maid and Lord Craven's apparently crippled son, who has been needlessly bedridden for years. Together the three children restore a neglected garden on the estate grounds, and in doing so they set the stage for a moving reaffirmation of life and love. Filmed with graceful style and careful attention to the intelligence and cleverness of young children, The Secret Garden is that rarest breed of family film that transcends its own generic category, encouraging a sense of wonder and optimism to become a rewarding experience for viewers of any age. --Jeff Shannon

• Secret Garden, The / Black Beauty | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.49   |  Saving you £4.50 (69.34%)   |  RRP £10.99

  It's a special garden where friendships blossom illnesses fade away and sorrows flee. There troubled orphan Mary (Kate Maberly) her spoiled sickly cousin Colin (Heydon Prowse) and kindly country boy Dickon (Andrew Knott) discover that a world of caring can make a world of difference. Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic story blooms anew in this enchanting new version lovingly adapted by Caroline Thompson and directed by Agnieszka Holland also starring Maggie Smith and John Lynch.

• A Midsummer Night's Dream | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £5.98   |  Saving you £4.01 (67.06%)   |  RRP £9.99

  With its clearcut "play within a play" narrative and simple contrasts between the human and spirit worlds, A Midsummer Night's Dream has long been a popular introduction to Shakespeare, and Adrian Noble's 1994 RSC production reinforces why. It's a colourful and physical presentation (the latter explains the PG rating), portraying character confrontations with often reckless abandon. The ploy of giving the whole play the appearance of a child's dream is a neat touch that doesn't quite work, as the child himself, Osheen Jones, can have only a minimal amount to do on stage. Casting the main actors in dual roles works well. Alex Jennings is secure as Theseus and Oberon, but Lindsay Duncan all but steals the show as Hippolyta and Titania; her amorous encounter with Bottom, given with gusto by Desmond Barrit, has a lewd quality that Elizabethan audiences might have appreciated. Despite his dreadful 1980s hairdo, Barry Lynch is animated as Puck, while Emily Raymond's plaintive Helena is the pick of the lovers. Howard Blake turns in a sensitive and atmospheric score. On the DVD: The 16:9 anamorphic picture reproduces excellently in the widescreen format, Dolby Surround sound vividly conveying the spatial realism of Noble's staging. No subtitles, which could be a drawback, but the 12 access points divide the 99-minute production into educational-sized chunks. Sensibly edited, and imaginatively directed, this production ought to have wide appeal. --Richard Whitehouse

• Darkness Falls | DVD | (21/04/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A young man Kyle (Kley) is considered insane by everyone in town with the exception of his childhood girlfriend Caitlin (Caufield) and her younger brother Michael (Cormie). Kyle must confront his fears and his past to save Michael from the hands of a small town's legendary evil the Tooth Fairy.

• Little Princess, A / The Secret Garden / Black Beauty | DVD | (11/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Little PrincessSara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) shares a life of wonder in exotic India with her devoted father (Liam Cunningham). But war draws Sara's father into the military and Sara is sent to a new York boarding school run by the strict Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron) to whom exuberant Sara is a troublemaker. But with courage imagination and kindness Sara overcomes her hardships - and changes her life and the fortunes of those around her. Experience this jewel of a movie (Leonard Maltin) for anyone who ever wishes are dreams. Secret GardenIt's a special garden where friendships blossom illnesses fade away and sorrows flee. There troubled orphan Mary (Kate Maberly) her spoiled sickly cousin Colin (Heydon Prowse) and kindly country boy Dickon (Andrew Knott) discover that a world of caring can make a world of difference. Black BeautyWritten and directed by Caroline Thompson this is the most faithful of the book's several filmings. You'll cherish rebellious filly Ginger mischievous pony Merrylegs and gallant Beauty Whose generous heart guides him under caretakers both kindly and harsh from Farmer Grey (Sean Bean) and young groom Joe Green (Andrew Knott) to sweet-natured cabbie Jerry Barker (David Thewlis).

• Ahmad Jamal - Live in Cannes With Gary Burton | DVD | (01/01/2005) from £11.07   |  Saving you £-1.08 (-10.80%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A live perfomance from Cannes by Ahmad Jamal. Tracklisting: Introduction (Spoken) / Ahmad Jamal Acorn / Morning Of The Carnival / My Funny Valentine / One / Ahmad Jamal Feat. Gary Burton Bogota / Dolphin Dance / Tones For Joan's Bones / Autumn Leaves