"Actor: Howard"

• The Hasty Heart | DVD | (11/08/2014) from £11.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Richard Todd Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal star in this sensitive adaptation of John Patrick's play focusing on a proud Scottish soldier who has little time to live and the friendships he eventually makes among those around him. A huge success in 1949 The Hasty Heart received two Golden Globes as well as an Oscar nomination for Todd for his performance as the surly mistrustful Corporal MacLachlan. This classic film is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements. Burma 1945: a group of Allied soldiers languishes in a military hospital each man longing for the day he may return home. Easy-going 'Yank' shares a ward with Londoner 'Tommy' New Zealander 'Kiwi' Australian 'Digger' and 'Blossom' a Basuto African who speaks no English; all are in the care of the sympathetic Sister Margaret Parker. When told they will be joined by a young Scot who – unbeknown to him – has but weeks to live they react with a mixture of compassion and trepidation. But little could have prepared them for the gruff recalcitrance and downright hostility of Cpl. Lachlan 'Lachie' MacLachlan... Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailer Extensive Image Galleries

• Rambo | DVD | (23/06/2008) from £7.90   |  Saving you £13.35 (201.05%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In Thailand, John Rambo (Stallone) assembles a group of mercenaries and leads them up the Salween River to a Burmese village where a group of Christian Aid workers are being held hostage.

• Tequila Sunrise | DVD | (25/09/1998) from £16.99   |  Saving you £-3.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Robert Towne is one of Hollywood's most celebrated screenwriters, but because his directorial efforts have been few and far between, anticipation was high when this star-powered crime story was released in 1988. Critical reaction was decidedly mixed, but there's plenty to admire in this silky, visually seductive film about a drug dealer (Mel Gibson) whose best friend from high-school (Kurt Russell) is now working for the Los Angeles sheriff's drug detail. Their personal and professional conflicts are intensified by their love for the same woman, a waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) at the Italian restaurant they both frequent. There's a big deal going down with a drug lord (the late Raul Julia), but as it twists and turns, Towne's story is really more about personal loyalties and individual honour. And even if it doesn't quite hold together, the movie's got a fantastic look to it (courtesy of the great cinematographer Conrad Hall), and the three stars bring depth and dimension to their well-written roles. --Jeff Shannon

• The Great Gatsby | DVD | (08/12/2003) from £5.30   |  Saving you £10.69 (201.70%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Perhaps no movie could capture F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby in its entirety, but this adaptation, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, is certainly a handsome try, putting costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. The problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the jazz age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton

• The Naked City | Blu Ray | (27/10/2014) from £15.84   |  Saving you £7.14 (55.56%)   |  RRP £19.99

  There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This is one of them. Jules Dassin followed up his explosive prison picture Brute Force with another slice of hard-boiled crime fiction. Within a decade he’d make Thieves’ Highway Night and the City and Rififi thus confirming Dassin’s position as one of the all-time-great film noir directors. New York the middle of summer. A blonde ex-model is murdered in her bathtub and detectives Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) and Halloran (Don Taylor) are assigned to the case. Their investigation will lead them through the entire city from Park Avenue to the Lower East Side culminating in a thrilling climax atop the Williamsburg Bridge. Inspired by the work of the infamous tabloid photographer Weegee The Naked City was the first major Hollywood production to be shot entirely on the streets of New York making use of more than a hundred authentic locations. Both its editing and its cinematographer would earn Academy Awards while the film itself would be recognised by the Library of Congress as one of American cinema’s most significant motion pictures. Special Edition Contents: New high definition digital transfer of the film High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation Original mono 1.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray) Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired Audio commentary by screenwriter Malvin Wald Jules Dassin at LACMA – a 40-minute interview with Bruce Goldstein in which the director discusses his career The Hollywood Ten – a 1950 documentary short on the ten filmmakers blacklisted from Hollywood for their refusal to name names before the House of Un-American Activities including The Naked City’s screenwriter Albert Maltz Gallery of production stills by infamous photojournalist Weegee Theatrical trailer Reversible sleeve featuring the original poster and newly commissioned artwork by Vladimir Zimakov Collector’s booklet containing new writing on the film by Alastair Philips Barry Salt and Sergio Angelini illustrated with original production stills

• Spider-Man 3 | Blu Ray | (08/07/2019) from £18.00   |  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: Cast & Crew Commentaries Blooper Reel Grains of Sand Building Sandman featurette ReImagining The Goblin featurette Covered In Black Creating Venom featurette Music Video Trailers And more!

• Bell, Book And Candle | DVD | (19/08/2002) from £11.33   |  Saving you £1.66 (14.65%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Bell, Book and Candle (1958) is a sparkling, exotic and intelligent comedy based on John Van Druten's original play about the unlikely subject of witchcraft in Manhattan. In his last romantic lead role, James Stewart is publisher Shep Henderson, sucked into the underworld of Greenwich Village by the extraordinarily beautiful Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak). Their liaison kicks off when Gillian employs her skills to indulge in a bit of fun. By the time Shep gets wise and rejects the artificial premise for a relationship, she has sacrificed her powers to emotional awakening and all is set for a happy ending. Largely thanks to an eccentric supporting cast, which includes Jack Lemmon as Gillian's warlock brother, Hermione Gingold as a fruity nightclub owner and Elsa Lanchester as Gillian's dotty aunt, the film has a delightfully off-centre quality. It's also a bittersweet allegory about being different. "We forfeit everything and then we end up in a little world of separateness from everyone", sighs Gillian. Novak is at the height of her beauty and here, as in her other 1958 triumph Vertigo (also with Stewart), her other-worldly quality fits the character so perfectly that her thespian limitations are well disguised. It's entrancing in every sense. On the DVD: Bell, Book and Candle's vibrant Technicolor explodes from the screen in this DVD release, which is enhanced for 16:9 widescreen televisions. Everything looks fresh and new--particularly the exotic nightclub scenes--and the mono soundtrack has lasted well. Extras include selected filmographies and original trailers, and detailed background in the booklet notes. --Piers Ford

• 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 £14.98   |  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