"Actor: David Fraser"

• The Lord of the Rings (Animated Version) | DVD | (26/11/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is a bold, colourful, ambitious failure. Severely truncated, this two-hour version tackles only about half the story, climaxing with the battle of Helm's Deep and leaving poor Frodo and Sam still stuck on the borders of Mordor with Gollum. Allegedly, the director ran out of money and was unable to complete the project. As far as the film does go, however, it is a generally successful attempt at rendering Tolkien's landscapes of the imagination. Bakshi's animation uses a blend of conventional drawing and rotoscoped (traced) animated movements from live-action footage. The latter is at least in part a money-saving device, but it does succeed in lending some depth and a sense of otherworldly menace to the Black Riders and hordes of Orcs: Frodo's encounter at the ford of Rivendell, for example, is one of the movie's best scenes thanks to this mixture of animation techniques. Backdrops are detailed and well-conceived, and all the main characters are strongly drawn. Among a good cast, John Hurt (Aragorn) and C3PO himself, Anthony Daniels (Legolas), provide sterling voice characterisation, while Peter Woodthorpe gives what is surely the definitive Gollum (he revived his portrayal a couple of years later for BBC Radio's exhaustive 13-hour dramatisation). The film's other outstanding virtue is avant-garde composer Leonard Rosenman's magnificent score in which chaotic musical fragments gradually coalesce to produce the triumphant march theme that closes the picture. None of which makes up for the incompleteness of the movie, nor the severe abridging of the story actually filmed. Add to that some oddities--such as intermittently referring to Saruman as "Aruman"--and the final verdict must be that this is a brave yet ultimately unsatisfying work, noteworthy as the first attempt at transferring Tolkien to the big screen but one whose virtues are overshadowed by incompleteness. --Mark Walker

• Casanova | DVD | (23/05/2005) from £5.03   |  Saving you £12.96 (257.65%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Fast paced and edgy this mini-series (first shown on BBC3) alternates between the gripping love triangle involving the young Casanova Henriette and her husband Grimani and the swan song of the world's most notorious lothario! Written by Russell T. Davies creator of 'Queer As Folk' and the scribe behind the new 'Doctor Who'.

• Poirot - Complete Collection | DVD | (30/03/2009) from £86.95   |  Saving you £13.04 (15.00%)   |  RRP £99.99

  Poirot: Complete Box Set

• Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) | DVD | (20/09/2004) from £9.99   |  Saving you £35.00 (350.35%)   |  RRP £44.99

  Four-disc set includes: Episode IV, A New Hope (Special Edition)--with commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min) Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back (Special Edition)--with commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min) Episode VI, Return of the Jedi (Special Edition)--commentary by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min) Bonus disc: all-new bonus features, including the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three filmsSubitles (all material across all four discs): English, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish Click here to see detailed information on the special features included on the bonus disc. Amazon.co.uk Review George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy is a clever synthesis of pop-cultural and mythological references, taking classic fairy-tale themes, adding more than a dash of Arthurian legend, and providing cinematic high adventure inspired as much by Kurosawa's Samurai epics as by Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. As a result, audiences of all ages can find something to identify with in Luke Skywalker's journey from disaffected teenager dreaming of adventure to Jedi Knight and saviour of the galaxy. He not only rescues a Princess, but discovers she's a close relative. And if there's a lesson to be gleaned from the Skywalker clan, it's that no matter how bad things get in the average dysfunctional family, it's never too late for reconciliation. Originally released in 1977, Star Wars, the first film, was made as a standalone. Perhaps that's why Obi-Wan Kenobi seems a tad inconsistent in his attitude towards his old pupil Anakin Skywalker, and perhaps also why Luke is allowed to develop a guilt-free crush on Princess Leia. Lucas's story, told from the point of view of the two bickering droids (a device taken from Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress), also borrows freely from Errol Flynn's Robin Hood, as does John Williams's seminal Korngold-inspired music score. Thanks in equal part to Leigh Brackett's screenplay and Irvin Kershner's direction The Empire Strikes Back (1980) is the most grown-up instalment in the series. The basic fairy-tale is developed and expanded, with the principal characters experiencing emotional turmoil--blossoming romance, mixed feelings and confused loyalties--amid a very real threat of annihilation as Darth Vader's motivations become chillingly personal. Luke's quasi-Arthurian destiny is complicated still further by the half-truths of his wizardly mentors; and swashbuckler Han Solo finds the past catching up with him, quite literally in the form of bounty hunter Boba Fett. The film is graced by more fabulous landscapes (ice, forest, clouds), more unforgettable new characters (Yoda), more groundbreaking special effects (the asteroid chase), and John Williams's finest score. The difficult third film, 1983's Return of the Jedi, seems schizophrenic in its intentions, hoping to please both the kiddies who bought all the toys and an older audience who appreciated the narrative's epic and mythological strands. The result is a film that splits awkwardly into two. One thread, which might be subtitled "The Redemption of Anakin Skywalker", pursues the story of the Skywalker family to a cathartic conclusion. The other thread, which might be described as "The Care Bears Go to War", attempts to say something profound about primitivism versus technological sophistication, but just gets silly as furry midgets doing Tarzan whoops defeat the Emperor's crack legions. In 1997 Lucas re-released the three original films in digitally remastered "Special Edition" versions, in which many scenes have been restored and enhanced (some would say "unnecessarily tinkered with"). Despite loud and continued criticisms from fans, these Special Editions are now considered definitive, if only by Lucasfilm. --Mark Walker

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Death In The Clouds | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £8.98   |  Saving you £4.00 (66.78%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Poirot is at the French Open Tennis Championship when he witnesses an inebriated Lady Hornbury telling Mme Giselle that she has no more money. On the flight back from Paris Mme Giselle is killed with a poisoned dart. What seems like a straightforward case becomes complicated by the presence of Daniel Clancy a detective writer with a knowledge of blow pipes and by the sudden appearance of Mme Giselle's illegitimate daughter who arrives to claim her inheritance...

• Family At War: Complete Set | DVD | (07/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• That's Your Funeral | DVD | (17/04/2017) from £8.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Bill Fraser and Raymond Huntley star in the raucous British farce That's Your Funeral based on the hugely successful 1970's TV series. Holroyd's are a long established firm of funeral directors run by Emmanuel Holroyd (Raymond Huntley) and Basil Bulstrode (Bill Fraser). Business is good for Holroyd's until a new firm of undertakers comes to town with new ideas and an attractive female employee (Sue Lloyd). Plenty of laughs follow as the two rival firms compete with each other for business. The competition between the two firms mounts when there is a mix up over two coffins delivered to the local railway station with hilarious consequences. But are the new firm all that they seem and what are they really transporting in their coffins?

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Murder In Mesopotamia | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £9.97   |  Saving you £0.02 (0.20%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Due to a series of coincidences Poirot meets his old friend Captain Hastings at the headquarters of an archaeological dig in Mesopotamia where an Arab worker has recently been found strangled. All those working on the dig in the Iraqi desert are either friends or colleagues of the project leader the renowned American archaeologist Dr Leidner. Tension at Expedition House worsens when the beautiful young wife of Dr Leidner wakes screaming in the night claiming she has seen a mysterious face at the window. It is now Poirot's turn to start digging and he soon finds that sexual jealousy professional rivalry and dark personal secrets abound in the hothouse atmosphere of Mesopotamia.

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - The ABC Murders | DVD | (16/06/2003) from £6.87   |  Saving you £3.12 (45.41%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Three bodies are found. Beside each lies a copy of the ABC Railway Guide. The police are baffled. But the killer has made one mistake; he has challenged Hercule Poirot to unmask him...

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Yellow Iris / The Case Of The Missing Will | DVD | (16/06/2003) from £10.42   |  Saving you £2.56 (34.45%)   |  RRP £9.99

  More intriguing investigations for Agatha Christie's famed Belgian detective... Yellow Iris: A new French restaurant is opening in London. Poirot is reminded of an unsolved case that occured at a restaurant with the same name in Buenos Aires where the wife of an oil tycoon died mysteriously. When the London restaurant opens events appear to be repeating themselves but this time Poirot is determined not to fail. The Case Of The Missing Will: Poirot and Hastings are in Cambridge attending a Union Society debate. Poirot's old friend Andrew Marsh is one of the speakers. Marsh is in poor health and later at his home announces that he intends to change his will the next day. When on the following morning he is found dead in the nearby wood Poirot becomes involved in a case of infedelity illegitimacy and inheritance.

• Two Way Stretch | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A great British crime comedy always worth another watch, Two Way Stretch is the one about the cosily imprisoned crooks who hatch a scheme to pull off a heist with a perfect alibi by breaking out of their nick, doing the job and then breaking back into the jug again to serve out their sentences. Peter Sellers, usually an eccentric support in these things, takes a rare lead as cocky mastermind Dodger Lane, confident enough to share the screen with performers who would be doing serious time if scene-stealing were an actual offence. The chief delight of the film, obvious inspiration for Blakey from On the Buses, is Lionel Jeffries' bristling, infuriated, hilariously humiliated warder Sidney Crout, forever fuming as Dodger gets away with some new scheme. Also in on the scam: Wilfrid Hyde White as a bogus clergyman of extreme unctuousness, David Lodge as the dim-witted muscle bloke, and Bernard Cribbins in the nice young man part. The wayward plot finds room for cameos from such national institutions as Beryl Reid, Irene Handl and Liz Fraser. Director Robert Day, probably best known for the Hammer version of She, is nobody's idea of an auteur, but he puts this pacey little gem together perfectly. The British cinema has been turning out an unheralded series of wonderful caper comedies for decades, from The Lavender Hill Mob through A Fish Called Wanda to The Parole Officer; this effort--along with the follow-up The Wrong Arm of the Law--ranks among the best. On the DVD: Two Way Stretch comes to disc in a nice print. The film is also available as part of the four-disc Peter Sellers Collection.--Kim Newman

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Hickory Dickory Dock | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £6.98   |  Saving you £3.01 (43.12%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Petty thefts are followed by brutal but mysterious murders at a student hostel in Hickory Road. Even the ingenious little grey cells of Poirot's mind find the circumstances difficult to comprehend. What is the significance of the slashed rucksack the stolen lightbulbs and the lethal morphine tartrate which is substituted for an unsuspecting student's sleeping powder?

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Plymouth Express / Wasp's Nest | DVD | (12/05/2003) from £4.98   |  Saving you £5.01 (100.60%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Plymouth Express: A train journey ends in tragedy forcing Poirot to instigate an investigation. Wasps' Nest: Poirot visits a garden fete bumping into the son of an old friend and mysterious beautiful girlfriend...

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Evil Under The Sun | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  It seems that Hercule Poirot's luxuriant lifestyle catches up with him when at the opening of his good friend Captain Hasting's new restaurant he suffers a minor heart-attack. He's overweight and has a poor diet and on doctors orders he's sent along with trusty Hastings to the island retreat Sandy Cove to aid his recovery. Upon their arrival Poirot is immediately struck by the eccentric characters already there in particular Arlena Stuart the famous yet scandalous socialite. Despite his orders to relax he observes Arlena openly flauting her affair in her front of her husband with a grief stricken younger man. As his little grey cells work over time he forsees tragedy...

• The Long And The Short And The Tall | DVD | (28/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A sonic warfare unit is sent into the Malayan jungle to monitor the Japanese in 1942. Tensions arise when the radio malfunctions and a lone Japanese soldier stumbles across the patrol's location.

• Divorcing Jack | DVD | (27/01/2003) from £8.38   |  Saving you £5.61 (66.95%)   |  RRP £13.99

  He's Irish he drinks is a touch cynical and when he has time he writes a newspaper column. On the eve of the country's first election as an independent state Dan Starkey's life is about to change after he finds the young woman he has just made love to dead and his only ally is a nun..

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Hollow | DVD | (13/09/2004) from £14.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Poirot joins Sir Henry Angkatell and fellow guests at Sir Henry's country retreat The Hollow. When the handsome doctor John Christow is found dead Poirot investigates and in doing so uncovers a love triangle. A crime of passion or a pack of lies? Confused by the different stories told by the family and guests Poirot starts to believe that he is deliberately being kept from the truth.

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Poirot's dentist Morley is found dead in surgery. It appears to be a simple case of suicide but why has Morley's secretary received a hoax phone call claiming her Aunt was ill? And who is the woman with the broken shoe buckle masquerading as Miss Sainsbury Seale? When a Mr Amberiotis is found dead in his hotel room with an overdose of Novocaine Poirot begins to assemble the evidence...

• Confessions From A Holiday Camp | DVD | (20/12/2004) from £24.00   |  Saving you £-18.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Available for the first time on DVD! Timmy and Sid are entertainment officers at a holiday camp. They must organise a beauty contest successfully or find themselves out of work!

• Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot - Double Sin / The Adventure Of The Cheap Flat | DVD | (12/05/2003) from £9.75   |  Saving you £0.24 (2.46%)   |  RRP £9.99

  David Suchet and Hugh Fraser team up again as the great detective Hercule Poirot and trusty Captain Hastings for more engaging adventures in Double Sin / The Adventure of the Cheap Flat. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat blends international intrigue with the gentle comic relief of a foolish American FBI agent. Double Sin contains a novel twist: Poirot announces his retirement and Hastings is left to solve the case by himself. The cast has the easy rapport of old friends and as always Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp and Pauline Moran as the remarkable Miss Lemon are welcome companions. Brew some tea, check it for arsenic and get ready for a thoroughly entertaining evening. --Ali Davis