"Actor: Dexter Bell"

• King Kong | Blu Ray | (20/02/2017) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's King Kong, a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature.... There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of King Kong; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it. Despite the visual challenges of King Kong, the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com

• Tube Tales | DVD | (28/10/2002) from £7.43   |  Saving you £-1.44 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  London's Tubes: cylindrical objects underground crammed full of blank faces with blank pasts and blank futures. However, Tube Tales endeavours to expel this theory, even if it's just for the length of time it takes nine short stories to flicker past your eyes. Created via a competition in Time Out magazine, which asked their readers to send in stories relating to experiences on the London Underground, a group of directors were then charged with the task of bringing the public' s images of the tube to life for 12 minutes each. Showcased at the London Film Festival 1999 and then moving on to be shown on Sky Premier a few days later (this being the first film Sky has produced) it is possibly one of the most intriguing and underrated dramas to come out of Britain at the turn of the new century. These films offer a great showcase for British talent, combining established stars like Ray Winston in "My Father the Liar" with new up-and-coming actors like Hans Matheson in "Steal Away", the film also offers a great chance to play spot-the-star. Along with this Tube Tales offers many actors their first chance to try out their talents behind the lens with directorial debuts from Ewan McGregor-"Bone", a beautiful story of a man's fleeting obsession with a photograph--and Jude Law--"A Bird in the Hand", which brings a little bit of nature back to the Cement City. Both these directors choose to offer very calm and ambling visuals with little dialogue (how many people actually talk to strangers on the Tube?), allowing the power of images and body language to take hold. In another way Bob Hoskins "My Father the Liar" and Gaby Dellal's "Rosebud" offers us a version of the tube through the eyes of a child, a place populated by innocents and full of terror. In diverse contrast are the offerings from Armando Iannucci ("Mouth") and Stephen Hopkins ("Horny"), who both offer a grotesque humoristic interpretation of their stories. However, the true showpiece of these films is the last, Charles McDougall's "Steal Away", an energetic and exuberant piece which turns into a spiritual journey. Many of these films wash over your emotions, evoking laughter, innocence and desire, but "Steal Away" leaves you with strong opinions on the nature of humanity. Nikki Disney On the DVD: The special features are predictably laid out like a tube map. Given the wealth of talent on display in Tube Tales the disc is happily littered with interviews, trailers and on-location features, offering opinions and theories on the Tube from the huge cast and crew that went into the making of these films. Picture and sound quality are impeccable.

• King Kong Extended Edition (2006) | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £17.93   |  Saving you £7.06 (39.38%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The eighth wonder of the world! Thirteen additional minutes of epic adventure exotic creatures and awesome special effects make the King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition the definitive version of Peter Jackson's must-see must-have action adventure epic. Exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses of Jackson and his crew give fans an unprecedented window into the sweeping cinematic vision that makes the King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition a spectacular film experience that movie lovers will not want to miss! It is 1933 and vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Oscar nominee Naomi Watts) has found herself - like so many other New Yorkers during the Great Depression - without the means to earn a living. Unwilling to compromise and allow herself to sink into a career in burlesque she considers her limited options while aimlessly wandering the streets of Manhattan. When her hunger drives her to unsuccessfully try to steal an apple from a fruit vendor's stall she is rescued - literally - by filmmaker and multiple hyphenate Carl Denham (Jack Black). It seems that the entrepreneur-raconteur-adventurer is no stranger to theft having that day lifted the only existing print of his most recent and unfinished film from under his studio executives' noses when they threatened to pull his completion funds. Carl has until the end of the day to get his crew onboard the Singapore-bound tramp steamer the S.S. Venture in hopes of completing his travelogue/action film. With that the showman is certain he will finally achieve the personal greatness he knows awaits him around the corner - and although the crew believe that corner to be Singapore Denham actually hopes to find and capture on film the mysterious place of legend: Skull Island. Unfortunately for Carl his headlining actress has pulled out of his project but his search for a size-four leading lady (the costumes have all been made) has fatefully led him to Ann. The struggling actress is reluctant to sign on with Denham until she learns that the up-and-coming socially relevant playwright Jack Driscoll (Oscar winner Adrien Brody) is penning the screenplay - the fees his friend Carl pays for potboiling adventure are a welcome supplement to Driscoll's nominal income from his stage plays. With his newly discovered star and coerced screenwriter reluctantly onboard Denham's 'moving picture ship' heads out of New York Harbor... and toward a destiny that none aboard could possibly foresee...

• Mangler 2, The: Graduation Day | DVD | (08/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Escape Before It Rips You Apart. A terrifying new chapter in The Mangler legacy! What was designed to provide maximum security to Royal Collegiate College suddenly sets out to kill and destroy everyone in its path. Now virtual reality means virtual death!

• King Kong | UMD | (10/04/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99