"Actor: David Collings"

• The Thirty Nine Steps | DVD | (15/01/2001) from £4.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (100.20%)   |  RRP £9.99

  It's not the 1935 Hitchcock classic, but this sturdy 1978 adaptation of John Buchan's The Thirty Nine Steps is still a rollicking good adventure. In keeping with the Boys' Own derring-do of the story (set in Edwardian London and the Scottish Highlands), the movie maintains a brisk pace that's interrupted only for tea or cocktails. Robert Powell is Richard Hannay, the man who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a dastardly Prussian plot to assassinate the Greek Prime Minister. Framed for murder, Hannay must flee to Scotland and attempt to clear his name whilst outwitting the prune-faced Prussian agents. Among all the deftly choreographed action sequences and careful period settings there's a strong vein of humour in the film, and if it wasn't for the numerous murders there would be little reason for PG certification. The grand dénouement comes with the realisation that the predicted time for the assassination is linked to Big Ben; unlike the earlier movie this version climaxes memorably with Powell hanging from the clock's minute hand. It might not be Hitchcock behind the lens, but it's still jolly good fun. --Joan Byrne

• Elizabeth R | DVD | (20/03/2006) from £9.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (200.20%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A chronicle of England's Golden Age during the late 16th century recounting the life and times of the remarkable Elizabeth I in a cycle of six plays. Academy Award-winning actress Glenda Jackson stars in one of the most popular and acclaimed Masterpiece Theatre presentations ever created the story of England's Queen Elizabeth I. Filled with palace intrigue royal romance and stunning historical detail it traces her reign from a young Princess through almost 50 years of rule over

• Blake's 7 - Series 4 | DVD | (24/04/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Intergalactic adventure with an interplanetary resistance group battling for survival against a totalitarian super-power. Roaming a universe of boundless space and restrictive discipline freedom-fighter Blake with the crew of spaceship Liberator is locked in combat with the all-powerful forces of the Federation. This DVD release features all 13 episodes from the final series of Blake's 7. Episodes Comprise: 1. Rescue 2. Power 3. Traitor 4. Stardrive 5. Anima

• Scrooge | DVD | (22/11/2004) from £5.45   |  Saving you £10.54 (193.40%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A mixed bag as variations on A Christmas Carol go, this 1970 British musical tells the usual story of Scrooge (Albert Finney) and his spirits on Christmas Eve, although the whole thing is set to music by Leslie Bricusse. Except for Finney's feisty and involved performance, however, there isn't much to recommend this. The songs, which absorb so much of the evolving story line and emotions, are not all that good. Plenty of support, however, from the likes of Roy Kinnear (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) and Dame Edith Evans (Tom Jones), the handsome production is directed by veteran Ronald Neame (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). --Tom Keogh

• Sapphire And Steel - Assignments 1-3 | DVD | (12/08/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £40.99

  One of the oddest shows ever mounted for mainstream UK television, Sapphire & Steel was one of ITV's many short-lived attempts at grabbing the sci-fi cult status of the BBC's Doctor Who. Ex-Man From U.N.C.L.E. David McCallum and ex-Avenger Joanna Lumley play human-looking incarnations of the eponymous substances, mysterious investigators working at the behest of an apparent God of Order and zipping about TARDIS-like to cope with anomalies in the time-stream that manifest as apparent supernatural forces in remote English locales like an isolated farmhouse (Adventure One), a deserted rural railway station (Adventure Two) and a high-rise block of flats (Adventure Three). McCallum and Lumley play their "medium atomic weights" with blank style and a few touches of baffled humour, not to mention visual flair in the case of Lumley's blue fashions and occasional glowing eyes. But the lengthy serial format, strictly limited guest casts and claustrophobic confinement to studio floor sets tend to mean individual serials straggle on with a great deal of repetition, providing longeurs as six or eight-part stories seem to take forever to get moving and then resolve. Shot on video, with a few strange 1970s effects (evil follow-spots, floating pillows), this remains prime cult material, though it's hard to sit still for more than one episode at a time. It will take an extremely devoted fan to get through all three adventures in under six months. On the DVD: Sapphire & Steel on disc has to be reckoned a disappointment when compared with the wealth of extra material included on the Gerry Anderson or Doctor Who DVDs. This set stretches only to a few press releases and a TV Times article from the launch of the series that tries hard to build up a mystique about the show which it would take some years to actually acquire. There are basic bios of the two stars, and some unresonant stills. Image quality-wise, this looks much the same as previous VHS releases: shot on video, with only a few tiny film inserts for Adventure Three (on the roof of a London building), the series' transfer to DVD is plagued by artefacting of various kinds (some of which can just about be passed off as visual effects), but then again so were the original transmissions. The pristine look is especially unfortunate in exposing the extremely ordinary trickery as far less terrifying than the onscreen characters make them out to be. --Kim Newman

• Delius - Song Of Summer | DVD | (10/04/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Perhaps the finest of the series of biographical films that Ken Russell made for the BBC in the sixties 'Song of Summer' is an immensely moving story of sacrifice idealism and musical genius. Based on Eric Fenby's 1936 memoir 'Delius As I Knew Him' it traces the last years of Frederick Delius and Fenby's dedication in giving up five years of his life to helping the blind paralysed composer set down the unfinished scores he could hear in his head. There are terrific performa

• Monkey! - Episodes 16-18 | DVD | (23/09/2002) from £10.45   |  Saving you £9.54 (91.29%)   |  RRP £19.99

  'Monkey' a television programme that defies description but we'll give it a go: a bizarre combination of spectacular acrobatics and martial arts; tacky special effects; magic tricks; 70's disco music; hilarious dubbing; crazy storylines; the odd bit of Buddhist philosophy thrown in for good measure and an unforgettable theme song. The Most Monstrous Monster: Desperate to please Chun-Shou the woman he hopes to marry the unhappy King of Unicorns promises to find a new toy f

• Sapphire And Steel - Assignments 4-6 | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £40.99

  Starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum Sapphire And Steel was one of the most enigmatic and acclaimed of all ITC-produced adventures. It continues to baffle and delight viewers twenty years later. Sapphire (Lumley) and Steel (McCallum) are the mysterious agents charged with protecting the Universe from the malevolent forces of Time with their uncanny powers. Assignment IV an evil amorphous entity uses photographs to move between time dimensions. It takes over a junkshop and entraps the inhabitants. A golden anniversary party where the guests are being killed off is the subject of Assignment V. Sapphire and Steel meet another element/detective Silver at an abandoned petrol station in Assignment VI and become embroiled in mystery.

• The Professionals - Volume 5 | DVD | (24/01/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Thrown together to join George Cowley's new C15 organisation....Hard men no patience nor time for subtleties. Charged with combating terrorists criminals and corruption wherever they find it. Capable of using any means necessary. The only people they can trust are themselves... Hunter/Hunted: There's trouble for Doyle when the hi-tech sniper rifle he's testing is stolen. Charged with recovering it he's soon to learn that the thief has him in his sights! First Night: When an Israeli minister goes missing in London it falls to CI5 to find him. How can they do this when the only clue is a blurred photograph? The Rack: An incident at CI5 has the authorities believing Doyle has killed a suspect. The department's always had enemies and this is their perfect excuse to have it shut down... Man Without A Past: A bomb in a restaurant kills bystanders and severely injures Bodie's girlfriend. Who was responsible? Bodie and Doyle investigate to find out who was really the target and why...

• Monkey | DVD | (06/02/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Born from an egg on a mountain top The punkiest Monkey that ever popped He knew every magic trick under the sun To tease the gods and everyone can have some fun.Monkey magic Monkey magic Monkey magic Monkey magic Monkey magic Monkey magic Monkey magic Monkey magic! Monkey a television programme that defies description but we'll give it a go: a bizarre combination of spectacular acrobatics and martial arts; tacky special effects; magic tricks; 70's disco music; hilarious dubbing; crazy storylines; the odd bit of Buddhist philosophy thrown in for good measure and an unforgettable theme song. Episodes comprise: Even Monsters Can Be People: When Monkey kills a girl and her elderly parents Tripitaka is left with no choice but to punish him and send him back home to his mountain of fruit and flowers. No one believed Monkey's story that the people he killed were red blue and yellow demons disguised as humans. When the pilgrims later discover that Monkey was telling the truth Tripitaka finds himself in grave danger and wishes he'd never denied the demon's existence. The Country Of Nightmares: On their way to India the pilgrims must pass through the Land of Nightmares inhabited by all the legions of Hell bad demons and wicked spirits. All humans who go there are eaten and all others must take a magic test upon entry to the land. To allow Tripitaka to travel through safely Monkey disguises him as a beautiful longhaired female demon and teaches him some basic magic. Will the King of Bad Dreams see through Tripitaka's disguise? The End Of The Way: Tripitaka and his disciples are just a few days away from reaching India - they can clearly see the Gold Temple of the Thunderclap ahead. The King of All Geological Ages appears and says he'll stop them reaching India. Pigsy finds the king's beautiful wife strangely familiar he knows her from somewhere. The king captures Tripitaka and puts the indestructible Iron Collar of Death on him to choke him to death. This looks like the end for Tripitaka.

• UFO - Vol. 7 | DVD | (12/08/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Gerry Anderson's classic sci-fi series. The operatives of the secret Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation (S.H.A.D.O.) defend the earth from extra-terrestrials who are abducting humans to obtain their organs which can be transplanted into their own bodies... Episodes include: Destruction The Man Who Came Back The Psychobombs