"Actor: David"

• K.D. Lang - Live By Request | DVD | (24/09/2001) from £7.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (87.61%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Live by Request is, most certainly, a live recording of KD Lang, though nobody in the audience seems to do much requesting. Taped in December 2000 in New York, it shows Lang and her band before a smallish audience, rattling out a few of her better-known songs and some of Lang's generally creditable readings of standards, in between interruptions from a host who walks Lang through brief discussions of her career and influences. Listening to Lang sing is, of course, no hardship: few indeed are the vocalists who can mix it with the legacies of Roy Orbison ("Crying") and Patsy Cline ("Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray") and emerge with dignity intact, never mind reputation enhanced. That said, whatever intensity there may have been about the show on the night has not translated to this recording, and this is little more than a succession of polite performances greeted by polite applause. On the DVD: The picture format is the 4:3 television standard, and there are three sound modes to choose from (Dolby Digital Surround, DTS Surround, PCM Stereo). The menu of songs is easily navigable, but there are disappointingly no bonus features. --Andrew Mueller

• Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings ) | DVD | (27/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Based on the series of novels written by Dorothy L Sayers in the 1920s and 30s, Lord Peter Wimsey was dramatised for TV by the BBC between 1972-5. Ian Carmichael, veteran of British film comedy, played the genial, aristocratic sleuth; Glyn Houston was his manservant Bunter. The pair are similar to PG Wodehouse's Jeeves and Bertie Wooster (whom Carmichael played in an earlier TV adaptation) though here the duo are equal in intelligence, breezing about the country together in Wimsey's Bentley and stumbling with morbid regularity upon baffling murder mysteries to test their wits. Those for whom this series forms hazy memories of childhood might be surprised at its somewhat stagy, lingering interior shots, the spartan paucity of music, the miserly attitude towards locations, especially foreign ones, and the rather genteel, leisurely pace of these programmes, besides which Inspector Morse seems like Quentin Tarantino in comparison. It seems that initially the BBC was reluctant to commission the series and ventured on production with a wary eye on the budget. The Britain depicted by Sayers is, by and large, populated by either the upper classes or heavily accented, rum-do-and-no-mistake lower orders, which some might find consoling. However, the acting is generally excellent and the murder mysteries are sophisticated parlour games, the televisual equivalent of a good, absorbing jigsaw puzzle. There were five feature-length adaptations in all. "Five Red Herrings" is the last and perhaps the least of the series, involving a trout fishing holiday interrupted by the death of a local artist. --David Stubbs

• Coraline -LAIKA Studios Edition | Blu Ray | (31/08/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Escape to Burma | DVD | (19/06/2017) from £8.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jim Brecan (Ryan) may have killed his partner, a local prince in British Burma. The bereaved father wants Brecan's head, but until the murder can be solved, Brecan finds refuge on the teak plantation of wealthy colonial elephant trainer Gwen Moore (Stanwyck), where mutual attraction occurs.

• Best Defense | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy star in this anti-establishment comedy about a disenchanted military scientist whose shortcomings have a knock-on effect on a hapless soldier caught-up in a war he has no place being in. With some classic Murphy dialogue and screwball antics Best Defence is an alternative look at the dynamics of modern warfare.

• Top Of The World | DVD | (29/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  It all begins like the perfect day for ex-cop now ex-con Ray Mercer (Peter Weller). He finally gets out of jail is met by his stunningly beautiful wife visits a Las Vegas casino and wins a massive jackpot. But having gently tapped him on the shoulder Lady Luck is now about to punch Ray very hard in the face. Still on parole he shouldn’t even be in the casino his unfaithful wife wants a divorce and suddenly he’s caught up in a brutal heist that’s gone catastrophically wrong. And as the bodies start piling up higher that the casino’s chips the trouble really starts when mysterious gangster ‘The Butcher’ arrives...

• My Blue Heaven | DVD | (26/02/2007) from £4.44   |  Saving you £8.55 (192.57%)   |  RRP £12.99

  My Blue Heaven is an entertaining musical romp with a rich story as well as plenty of comedy and romance! Kitty (Betty Grable) and Jack (Dan Dailey) are a popular husband-and-wife entertainer team making their move from radio to television. However as exciting as this progress is they believe their lives will be complete when they can start a family. But when they decide to adopt - a process fraught with problems and disappointments - they are ultimately rewarded with an overabundance of babies! Peppered with songs and dances this dazzling film also features a spectacular all-star cast including Mitzi Gaynor in her first film role.

• Cyborg 3 | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £9.00   |  Saving you £-3.02 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Enter the dark world of sythentic humanoids where ruthless recyclers scavenge cyborg parts and sell them to the highest bidder.

• 9.1/2 Weeks / Showgirls / Body Of Evidence | DVD | (15/09/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  9 1/2 Weeks: Elizabeth (Basinger) is a Soho gallery worker romantically uninvolved since a painful divorce. John (Rourke) is a wealthy commodities broker emotionally alone no matter who he's with. A chance meeting draws them into each other's worlds. Obsession takes them further into a mutual world of eroticism and emotional awakenings. Showgirls: Leave your inhibitions at the door and experience the sensation of Showgirls Las Vegas the pleasure capital of the world where stardom can be found..at a price. Fuelled by naked ambition Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) is willing to pay that price working as a stripper and lap-dancer in the seedy back room of the Cheetah Club. She is soon discovered by Cristal (Gina Gershon) the seductive star of the biggest sexiest show in Vegas who together with her lover Zack (Kyle MacLachlan) gives her the chance to fulfil her wildest dreams. Behind the glamour lies the sordid side to the nightlife full of traps set with lust and jealousy. Body Of Evidence: Seductive gallery owner Rebecca Carlson (Madonna) is accused of a unique crime - using violent sex to murder a wealthy businessman. Frank Dulaney (Willem Dafoe) is the lawyer trying to defend her helpless to resist her extraordinary brand of lovemaking...

• Buffy Season 3 | DVD | (18/09/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Action-packed Season Three develops major characters and plot lines brewing over the last couple of years. The Mayor, this season's major baddie, wants to become an invincible demon by slaughtering everyone at Sunnydale High's graduation ceremony but he's going to torture them all by giving his speech first. Bad-girl vampire-slayer Faith wants to get one over on Buffy and becomes even more rotten. Angel comes back from hell but isn't sure what to do about his girlfriend. Willow meets her evil gay vampire duplicate from another dimension. Xander loses his virginity but still has to contemplate his essential uselessness. Cordelia gets less whiny and has to work in a dress-shop when her father becomes bankrupt. Giles wears tweed and drinks tea, though it is revealed that he used to be a warlock and in a punk band. Besides the soap opera, there are monsters, curses and vampires (inevitably). --Kim Newman On the DVD: The DVDs are presented in a standard television 4:3 picture ratio and in a clear Dolby sound that does full justice both to the sparkling dialogue and to the always impressive indie-rock and orchestral scores. Special features include an overview of Season Three by its creator Joss Whedon, and by writers Marti Noxon, David Fury, Doug Petrie and Jane Espenson and documentaries on the weapons, clothes special effects of the show and the speech/verbal tone which makes it what it is-"Buffyspeak". The episodes "Helpless", "Bad Girls", "Consequences" and "Earshot" have commentaries by, Fury, Petrie, director James Gershman and Espenson, in which we find out some fascinating details about the way the scripts mutate and about the particular illuminations added to scripts by actors' performances. After complaints about the Season 2 DVD packaging, the disc envelopes include a protective coating. --Roz Kaveney

• Hilary And Jackie | DVD | (10/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticised for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book,A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. Hilary and Jackie is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak

• Calamity Jane | DVD | (25/07/2005) from £10.93   |  Saving you £8.05 (101.39%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The TV movie remake of the classic 1953 Oscar winning western this tells the story of the famous cowgirl who could outshoot and top any man at everything in the west along with her up-and down romance with Wild Bill Hickok...

• Pitch Black - Steelbook - Universal 100th Anniversary Edition | Blu Ray | (18/02/2013) from £24.95   |  Saving you £-4.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick (Vin Diesel) isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the survivors are forced to turn to Riddick and his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light.

• Blade Runner 2049 3D, 2 Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (15/02/2018) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Brotherhood of the Rose | DVD | (23/05/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

• Count Duckula - The Complete Second Series | DVD | (26/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  In the heart of Transylvan-ia In the Vampire Hall of Fame-yeah There's not a vampire zanier than...DUCKULA!He won't bite beast or man 'Cos he's a vegetari-an.And things never run to plan for...DUCKULA!If you're looking for some fun You can always count upon Come and find the one they call...DUCKULA!Heh heh. Count Duckula!Heh heh heh heh heh heh! From the genius' at Cosgrove Hall Count Duckula recalls the spirit of their earlier master-work Dangermouse and is indeed a spin-off from an episode where Dangermouse must retrieve a feather from a vampire duck! David Jason a favourite voice-over artist at the animation studio provides the voice behind the pacifist vampire duck. The complete second series of this cult cartoon. Episodes Comprise: 1. Ghostly Gold 2. Ducknapped 3. The Lost Valley 4. Incredible Shrinking Duck 5. Hi-Duck 6. Prime Time Duck 7. Bloodsucking Fruit Bats Of The Lower Amazon 8. The Count And Pauper 9. In Arctic Circles 10. Transylvanian Take Away 11. Who Dunnit? 12. No Yaks Please We're Tibetian 13. Beau Duckula 14. Mississippi Duck 15. Amnesiac Duck 16. Mysteries Of The Wax Museum 17. Return Of The Curse Of The Secret Of The Mummy's Tomb Meets Franken Duckua's Monster 18. Lost City Of Atlantis 19. Bad Luck Duck

• Daddy Collection, The - Scum / Births, Marriages And Deaths / Last Orders | DVD | (13/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Scum: Alan Clarke's Scum shows a vicious system and doesn't pull any of the punches - or kicks - so relentlessly deployed in the battles between rivals in the power stakes that incarceration promotes. It's the brutal story of life in a modern-day Borstal. Run by the violence and cruelty of both inmates and officers the system is a jungle which brutalizes all within its walls. Carlin who has been transferred from another Borstal for retaliation against violent officers is thrown into this human quagmire - and what follows is a harsh and bitter battle for survival. He realises that the only way is by beating the system at its own game and eventually erupts as leader of a bloody climatic riot. Last Orders: This adaptation of Graham Swift's 1996 Booker Prize winning novel Last Orders by writer/director Fred Schepisi is an affecting movie about death friendship and booze starring a first rate cast of British actors. Jack Dodds (Michael Caine) was a regular guy so why the strange last order to have his ashes thrown off the pier at Margate? And why did his wife Amy (Helen Mirren) refuse to do it? As their Mercedes speeds towards the sea an emotional mystery unfolds where the men try to understand Jack's death by reliving their life through him... the war the children the good times and the bad. The journey becomes a pub crawl full of drink-ups and punch-ups and the men discover that through it all it's your friends who break your heart and... and your friends who mend it. Births Marriages And Deaths: Alan Graham and Terry have been best mates since primary school. Now pushing forty the three friends are still inseparable. Naturally Alan and Graham are going to give Terry a stag night to remember. A big fry-up breakfast bubbly down the dogs for a flutter ten-pin bowling... fantastic. But when the boys pay a late night revenge visit to their despised former headmaster things begin to go disastrously wrong. A tragic accident sets off an unforeseen chain of events revealing terrible secrets. Life will never be the same again.

• Home Team | DVD | (01/11/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Forced into community service at a children's home Butler (Steve Guttenberg) finds himself on the receiving end of the unruly kids wild antics and practical jokes. The home's administrator Karen is desperate to find an outlet for the kids undoubted energy and tries to persuade Butler to coach the kids at football. But Butler rejects the idea as the memories of his past career are just too much. So this hopeless group of misfits find themselves on a seemingly never-ending losing streak. However when the team are publicly humiliated they return home to find an even greater disaster has befallen them and not only does the team face disbanding but the boys themselves may be split up forever. Deep in despair Karen comes up with a seemingly hair brained plan to save both the team and the boys future together. However the plan depends on Butler's help!

• The Professionals - Vol. 1 | DVD | (26/09/2005) from £24.98   |  Saving you £15.01 (60.09%)   |  RRP £39.99

  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... Features all 14 episodes from the first series broadcast in 1977 uncut and digitally remastered!

• Hush | DVD | (04/10/2010) from £5.38   |  Saving you £14.61 (73.10%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In the tradition of Die! Die! My Darling comes this tale of a young heroine made miserable by a lover's eccentric relations. Gwyneth Paltrow plays a New Yorker who marries a handsome boyfriend (Jonathon Schaech) and--following a confidence-shattering encounter with Manhattan crime--moves to his family's thoroughbred ranch. There, the young man's dominating mother (a hammy, Blanche DuBois-like role for Jessica Lange) goes to war with new bride's claim on mama's Oedipal turf. A stock thriller ensues and while one has a sense of déjà vu about the whole thing, the film is fun for its audacity, its underpinnings of dime-store psychology and some gothic stereotypes. (Hal Holbrook is perfect as one's fantasy of a country doctor.) --Tom Keogh