"Actor: Howard"

• Born Yesterday | DVD | (05/08/2002) from £18.55   |  Saving you £-5.56 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Born Yesterday was the box-office comedy hit of 1950 and won a Best Actress Oscar for the exceptional Judy Holliday, recreating her long-running Broadway triumph as Billie Dawn, the quintessential dumb blonde who finally gets herself some smarts. The film resonates with the sophisticated sparring in Garson Kanin's script and there are tightly controlled performances from William Holden as the cynical journalist hired to polish Billie up for Washington society and Broderick Crawford as Harry Brock, her rough, crooked and ambitious boyfriend. But Born Yesterday is Holliday's picture, as she runs the gamut from brassy insouciance to tentative, vulnerable enlightenment. She hasn't thought of her estranged father in five years: "It's nothing against him. I haven't thought of anything in five years." Her gradual awakening to the realisation that she is a stooge for Brock's corrupt business deals, and the way she sheds her chorus girl's intellect in the face of growing political awareness, are brilliantly traced. Holliday's dead-pan delivery makes the pathos of her self-discovery both hilarious and deeply touching; it's the hallmark of a comic genius, which makes the sparseness of her subsequent film appearances all the more regrettable. On the DVD: Born Yesterday is presented in full screen (1.33:1) ratio. Like the mono soundtrack, the black and white picture quality has triumphantly survived its more than half century. Extras include a gallery of vintage advertisements and an original theatrical trailer, plus filmographies and welcome, comprehensive booklet notes. --Piers Ford

• The Naked City | DVD | (13/07/2009) from £27.00   |  Saving you £-7.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Master of film noir Jules Dassin directs this influential crime thriller starring Barry Fitzgerald and Don Taylor as two detectives trying to decipher the clues of the vicious murder of the beautiful Jean Dexter. With the tabloids following the story closely the two set to work with an army of detectives and forensic professionals. On discovering Jean's shady relationship with cheating Frank Niles they begin to unravel the clues that some stolen jewelry is leading them on. However with the killer still at large the detectives are in a dangerous position; as they get ever closer to the truth they begin to realise the threat they are putting themselves in.

• Rank 70 Years | DVD | (18/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  During the 1940s the Rank Organisation was a phenomenal success in the film world boasting five studios two newsreels a great many production companies a staff of 31 000 650 cinemas and an incredible turnover of 45 million. To celebrate 70 years of Britain's most acclaimed film studio this fantastic collection encompasses some of Ranks most prestigious and successful films. The Red Shoes The tragic and romantic story of Vicky Page the brilliant young dancer who must giv

• Kramer vs Kramer | DVD | (02/05/2011) from £4.38   |  Saving you £1.61 (36.76%)   |  RRP £5.99

  It might have started out as a small, rather arty divorce drama but Kramer vs Kramer was the biggest cinema hit of 1979. It confirmed Dustin Hoffman's status as a major star in a performance that combined his trademark twitchy intensity with deep sensitivity. And it provided Meryl Streep with a pivotal role in her rise to big-screen greatness. Both won Oscars, as did director Robert Benton and the film itself scooped the Best Picture award. Kramer vs Kramer has worn well into the 21st century. Although clearly of its time--by the late 1970s, microscopic relationship analysis had become the theme of commercial cinema--it stands on the strength of its central performances. Hoffman's Ted Kramer is a vision of the Graduate grown up: serious, focused and thrown by anything that threatens his upwardly mobile professional trajectory. The news that his wife, who he has failed to notice teetering on the edge of a breakdown, is leaving him and their son sends him into a tailspin. The film is as much about his resilience and fulfilment as it is the story of a divorce and custody battle. Justin Henry is extraordinary as Billy, the boy caught in the middle, and turns in a remarkably complex, thoughtful performance, which is light years from the archetypal all-American kid you might anticipate. And in just a handful of scenes, Streep is mesmerising as Joanna, the deserting wife and mother who you just can't bring yourself to hate. Yes, this is soap opera. But it belongs up there with all the finest cinematic human dramas. On the DVD: The widescreen presentation ensures a theatrically authentic experience, with some fantastic shots of New York city coming into their own. The mono sound is adequate for the relative intimacy of most of the dialogue. But the real bonus is the retrospective documentary in which director and writer Benton, producer Stanley Jaffe and the cast look back with touching satisfaction at a piece which clearly meant a great deal to them all. Hoffman's initial reluctance (he was going through a real-life divorce) to get involved, the process of working with a gifted child actor and Streep's desire to make Joanna understood are all recalled in fascinating detail. --Piers Ford

• Bottoms Up! | Blu Ray | (20/07/2020) from £14.71   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Based on the enormously popular television and radio sitcom Whack-O!, this uproarious comedy stars Jimmy Edwards in his signature role of a devious, cane-brandishing headmaster. Co-scripted by Michael Pertwee and Whack-O! writers Frank Muir and Denis Norden, Bottoms Up! is featured here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Chiselbury School, allegedly, is an academy 'for the sons of gentlefolk'. Far from being gentlemen, however, the boys are an undisciplined rabble... it is, in fact, a school like no other! But Chiselbury's head, Professor Jim Edwards, is about to put into action a novel scheme to raise the school's profile...

• The Thorn Birds: Series 1 | DVD | (01/11/2004) from £9.94   |  Saving you £11.05 (111.17%)   |  RRP £20.99

  The second most-watched mini-series (after Roots) of all time, The Thorn Birds was originally broadcast in 1983 and captivated viewers with its story of a lifelong conflict between the spirit and the flesh. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Colleen McCullough, the production stars Richard Chamberlain as a Catholic priest named Ralph de Bricassart, whose life in Australia between 1920 and 1962 is one long torment as he pines for his lover, Meggie Carson (Rachel Ward), while seeking advancement in his clergyman career. The passion and the guilt make for compelling drama, but a stellar cast of supporting players adds muscle to the proceedings: Barbara Stanwyck (who won an Emmy for her work as Meggie's tough grandmother), Jean Simmons, Richard Kiley, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown, and Mare Winningham. Chamberlain, who was something of the king of the miniseries form at the time, is very good in the lead, as is the often-underrated Ward. Their affair is indeed irresistible to watch, which proves to be true, too, of the story's thick weave of church politics, forbidden desire, social change over decades, and family secrets. --Tom Keogh

• Clockwise | Blu Ray | (18/11/2019) from £14.39   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  John Cleese, at his harried best in this hilarious British comedy, plays a school headmaster obsessed with punctuality. His best laid plans to attend a headmasters' conference go wrong when he boards the wrong train. He turns back to find alternative means of transport, hijacking one of his pupils who is taking the afternoon off school in her father's car. As the journey descends into further chaos, the head begins to lose his schoolmasterly poise. Extras: Interview with Michael Frayn Clock watching with Mr. Cleese Stills gallery

• Ludwig | DVD | (19/06/2006) from £31.03   |  Saving you £-18.04 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Visconti's 1972 film is a lavish and operatic portrait of Ludwig II the `Mad King' of Bavaria. From his glittering coronation to his mysterious suicide Ludwig II (1845-86) epitomised the doomed nineteenth-century Romantic hero. A loner by nature he was tormented by his unrequited love for his cousin Empress Elisabeth of Austria who sensed his true sexual nature and fragile grip on reality. But as war raged around him Ludwig's sole obsession remained the visionary music of Ric

• Father Goose | DVD | (04/05/2007) from £32.97   |  Saving you £-22.98 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  During World War II South Sea beachcomber Walter Eckland is persuaded to spy on planes passing over his island. He gets more than he bargained for as schoolteacher Catherine Frenau arrives on the run from the Japanese with her pupils in tow!

• The Missionary (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (26/08/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin writes and stars in this ribald comedy of sex and sensibility. Timid Reverend Charles Fortescue returns to London in 1906 after ten years of service in Africa to start a mission to save the fallen women of Soho. But his dedication to tending to the needs of those in his care soon meets with the disapproval of the church and his patron. Directed by Richard Loncraine (Richard III, Bellman & True), The Missionary is a charming and beautifully detailed comedy which boasts a superb supporting cast that includes Maggie Smith, Trevor Howard, Denholm Elliott, Michael Hordern, Graham Crowden and Neil Innes. This world Blu-ray premiere edition boasts a stunning new 2K restoration from the original negatives, supervised and approved by cinematographer Peter Hannan and director Richard Loncraine, finally enabling the film to be seen in its original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio for the first time ever on any home video format. Limited Edition Features: New 2K restoration by Powerhouse Films from the original negative, supervised and approved by cinematographer Peter Hannan and director Richard Loncraine Original stereo audio Audio commentary with director Richard Loncraine (2019) Making the Missionary (2019): featuring new and exclusive interviews with stars Michael Palin and Maggie Smith Interview with Shuna Harwood (2019): new interview with the costume designer Interview with Mike Moran (2019): the film's composer discusses his collaborations with HandMade Films Interview with Ken Lintott (2019): new interview with the make-up artist Interview with Tony Jackson (2019): new interview with the sound recordist Rob Deering on ˜The Missionary' (2019): an appreciation by the comedian, musician and writer Theatrical trailer Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by John Oliver, extracts from Michael Palin's diaries on the film's location shooting, archival interviews with Palin, an overview of contemporary critical responses, archival articles, and film credits First ever home video presentation in the film's original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio World premiere on Blu-ray Limited Edition of 5,000 copies All extras subject to change

• Love On The Dole | DVD | (09/02/2004) from £24.50   |  Saving you £-11.51 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A stylish British drama which studies love and life in a depressed industrial town in Northern England. Deborah Kerr stars in this vividly characterised story of a penniless family struggling through the depression years. Kerr is a mill girl in love with Evans who loses his job and refuses to marry her on ""dole money"". He is killed in a demonstration against conditions and unemployment so Kerr marries an old bookie she doesn't love in order to get jobs for her father and brother. Thi

• Spider-Man 3 | DVD | (27/08/2018) from £4.90   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has finally managed to strike a balance between his devotion to M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) and his duties as a superhero. But when his suit suddenly changes, turning jetblack and enhancing his powers, it transforms Peter, bringing out a dark vengeful side that he struggles to control. He must now battle his inner demons as two of the mostfeared villains yet, Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace), gather unparalleled power and a thirst for revenge which threatens Peter and everyone he loves. Features: Commentaries

• White Palace | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Glenn Savan's depressing and self-loathing novel about a 27-year-old upper-class Jewish widower mired in self-pity after his beloved wife dies, and who finds love and sexual rebirth with a trailer-trash older woman, was brought to the big screen by the competent director Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman, Message in a Bottle). But the savage irony in Savan's book has been face-lifted by screenwriters Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) and Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People) into something else entirely: what passes for low-rent "slumming" in Hollywood means hiring sexy Susan Sarandon to play Nora Baker, the poor, uneducated 43-year-old waitress in a White Palace burger joint who strikes up an unlikely relationship with sad Max Baron (James Spader). Widower Max attends a bachelor party for best pal Neil (Jason Alexander) and discovers that the local White Palace has stiffed the boys a whopping six burgers. Max barges into the joint, bent on getting his money back, and meets a testy Nora, who is bemused at the young man's insolence. While driving home, Max stops abruptly at a bar for a drink. Inside, Nora is nursing a vodka and takes a shine to the tuxedo-clad, handsome, and morose younger man. He gives her a lift, she seduces him, and the rest of the movie examines how two such opposites in manners and morals can find happiness. The only common bond they have is great sex and a private tragedy. White Palace nudges at the dark journey and the smashing of illusion that was at the heart of the novel, but there is still a fairy-tale element to the film that negates the earthy essence that distinguished the book. In Mandoki's vision, White Palace is about overcoming class, family, and outside opinion to find true love. In Savan's book, Max wastes into decline while Nora ultimately thrives in the quest for truth, redemption, and self-forgiveness. She becomes his salvation only after he stops hating himself. But mainstream Hollywood shuns making "protagonists" so mad, bad, or sad, and as such, too much glitter is tossed on Spader, while Sarandon, as usual, is the only one who seems to embody and understand her character's angst. She deserved her Oscar for Nora, not the nun in Dead Man Walking. --Paula Nechak

• Russell Howard's Good News - Best of Series 1 | DVD | (15/11/2010) from £5.98   |  Saving you £14.01 (234.28%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Russell Howard's Good News: Best Of Series 1

• The Philadelphia Story | Blu Ray | (13/11/2017) from £17.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  James Stewart, Cary Grant, and the unstoppable Katharine Hepburn star in Hollywood's greatest romantic comedy With this furiously witty comedy of manners, KATHARINE HEPBURN (Woman of the Year) revitalized her career and cemented her status as the era's most iconic leading lady thanks in great part to her own shrewd orchestrations. While starring in the PHILIP BARRY stage play The Philadelphia Story, Hepburn snapped up the screen rights, handpicking her friend GEORGE CUKOR (Adam's Rib) to direct. The intoxicating screenplay by DONALD OGDEN STEWART (Holiday) pits the formidable Philadelphia socialite Tracy Lord (Hepburn, at her most luminous) against various romantic foils, chief among them her charismatic exhusband (His Girl Friday's CARY GRANT), who disrupts her imminent marriage by paying her family estate a visit, accompanied by a tabloid reporter on assignment to cover the wedding of the year (JAMES STEWART, in his only Academy Award®winning performance). A fast-talking screwball comedy as well as a tale of regrets and reconciliation, this convergence of golden-age talent is one of the greatest American films of all time. BONUS FEATURES SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Audio commentary from 2005 featuring film scholar Jeanine Basinger New introduction to actor Katharine Hepburn's role in the development of the film by documentarians David Heeley and Joan Kramer In Search of Tracy Lord, a new documentary about the origin of the character and her social milieu Two full episodes of The Dick Cavett Show from 1973, featuring rare interviews with Hepburn, plus an excerpt of a 1978 interview from that show with director George Cukor Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film from 1943, featuring an introduction by filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille Restoration demonstration PLUS: An essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme

• Apollo 13 | DVD | (11/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  ""Houston we have a problem"". Stranded 205 000 miles from Earth in a crippled spacecraft astronauts Jim Lovell (Hanks) Fred Haise (Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Bacon) fight a desperate battle to survive. Meanwhile at Mission Control astronaut Ken Mattingly (Sinise) flight director Gene Kranz (Harris) and a heroic ground crew race against time and the odds to bring them home. It's a breathtaking adventure that tells a story of courage faith and ingenuity that is all the more re

• Moonstruck (The Criterion Collection) | Blu Ray | (17/11/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Russell Howard's Good News - Best of Series 2 | DVD | (24/09/2012) from £5.81   |  Saving you £14.18 (244.06%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Russell Howard's Good News is BBC Three's most successful entertainment show. This feature-length DVD brings you the best bits from Series Two together with previously unseen extras. Following the success of the bestselling 'Best of Series One', this DVD brings you Russell's unique take on the world, as he gives the big and the bizarre news topics of the day a refreshingly positive and hilarious spin.

• The Queen of Spades (Vintage Classics) | Blu Ray | (23/01/2023) from £10.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A breathtaking new restoration of Thorold Dickinson's 1949 classic THE QUEEN OF SPADES. Based upon a short ghost story by celebrated Russian author Alexander Pushkin, THE QUEEN OF SPADES is considered legendary filmmaker Thorold Dickinson's most accomplished piece of work. Starring Anton Walbrook (The Red Shoes) and Dame Edith Evans (Scrooge, Tom Jones) it remains an atmospheric and macabre classic like no other. An army officer has become obsessed with playing cards. Convinced that an elderly countess possesses the secret of winning every game, the young officer's obsession leads him into a satanic world of madness, mayhem and murder where death is only the beginning. Product Features NEW - Anna Bogutskaya plays The Queen of Spades The Nightmare People: Thorold Dickinson on Saturday Night at the Movies Audio Commentary by Nick Pinkerton Introduction by Martin Scorsese Analysis of The Queen of Spades by Philip Horne Audio interview with Thorold Dickinson (1951) Audio Interview with Thorold Dickinson (1968) Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery Original Trailer

• The Help | Blu Ray | (12/03/2012) from £10.00   |  Saving you £12.99 (129.90%)   |  RRP £22.99

  The Help is a provocative and inspiring look at what happens when a southern town's unspoken code of rules and behaviour is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.