"Actor: Grant Nickalls"

• Glitter | DVD | (09/10/2003) from £6.73   |  Saving you £-0.74 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Pop diva Mariah Carey plays a young young singer who is eager to become a big star who dates a DJ who helps her get into the music business.

• Glitter | DVD | (06/05/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Set in the mid-1980s against a backdrop of the rising club scene Glitter is the tale of Billie Frank, a modest young singer with a phenomenal talent just hoping to make it big in New York City. Billie (Mariah Carey) hooks up with super-cool club DJ and producer Dice (Max Beesley) and, as you might guess, hits the big time. But as both her lover and producer, Dice is a bit put out by the label's recommendation that Billie finds a more talented producer, while at the same time her girlfriends are telling her to "kick him to the kerb". So that's the basic gist. Throw in an estranged alcoholic mother and the rags-to-riches story is complete, or sadly not as the case might be. Presumably because the story is an old chestnut that everyone involved knows has been roasted a few too many times already the filmmakers thought it wasn't worth bothering with trying to make the plot even vaguely interesting, and it drags for what seems like days. The two leads are likeable characters, though their performances don't make up for the plodding storyline. Mariah is just Mariah--smiling, singing and equally accomplished at both--whereas Beesley is let down by his shocking American accent. If you like the sound of early US Garage and post-disco dance music then Mariah's soundtrack is a winner (although it got slated) but Glitter isn't even one of those films that's so bad it's good. It's just dull. On the DVD: Glitter comes complete with a redundant director's commentary that attempts to explain events requiring no explanation, a cheesy trailer which is very sparkly, plus bog-standard discographies and filmographies of the cast and director.--David Trueman

• Love On The Land | DVD | (15/05/2004) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-16.99 (-170.10%)   |  RRP £9.99

  An epic drama spanning forty years in the lives of Thomas and Kate Linthorne through their trials and tribulations while raising their children during the period after the Civil War. As they rise from poverty to wealth this story captures the power of love and the meaning of sacrifice. When Thomas Linthorne sets out to start a new life he acquires a large piece of land and goes on a search for the woman of his dreams. He rescues Kate from an abusive relationship and they develop a strong love for one another. Kate is unaware of the threat that is standing before her when a beautiful married woman moves in next door. Thomas' choices threaten to destroy his family his marriage and his life. Adapted from George Dell's critically acclaimed novel 'The Earth Abides'.