"Actor: J"

• The Russia House | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £6.99   |  Saving you £6.00 (85.84%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Intelligent casting, strong performances and the persuasive chemistry between Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer prove the virtues in director Fred Schepisi's well-intended but problematic screen realization of this John Le Carré espionage thriller. At its best, The Russia House depicts the bittersweet nuances of the pivotal affair between a weary, alcoholic London publisher (Connery) and the mysterious Russian beauty (Pfeiffer) who sends him a fateful manuscript exposing the weaknesses beneath Soviet defence technology. Connery's Barley is a gritty, all-too-human figure who's palpably revived by his awakening feelings for Pfeiffer's wan, vulnerable Katya, whose own reciprocal emotions are equally convincing. Together, they weave a poignant romantic duet. The problems, meanwhile, emanate from the story line that brings these opposites together. Le Carré's novels are absorbing but typically internal odysseys that seldom offer the level of straightforward action or simple arcs of plot that the big screen thrives on. For The Russia House, written as glasnost eclipsed the cold war's overt rivalries, Le Carré means to measure how old adversaries must calibrate their battle to a more subtle, subdued match of wits. Barley himself becomes enmeshed in the mystery of the manuscript because British intelligence chooses to use him as cat's paw rather than become directly involved. Such subtlety may be a more realistic take on the spy games of the recent past but it makes for an often tedious, talky alternative to taut heroics that Connery codified in his most celebrated early espionage role. If the suspense thus suffers, we're still left with an affecting love story, as well as some convincing sniping between British and US intelligence operatives, beautifully cast with James Fox, Roy Scheider and John Mahoney. Veteran playwright Tom Stoppard brings considerable style to the dialogue, without solving the problem of giving us more than those verbal exchanges to sustain dramatic interest. --Sam Sutherland

• Homicide | DVD | (13/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Bob Gold is a cop. A good cop. But tonight he will betray his friends disgrace the force and commit an act of violence because he believes it is the only right thing to do... Cop Bobby Gold and his partner Tim Sullivan accidentally discover the murder of an elderly Jewish shopkeeper. What seems like a simple robbery gone wrong leads the investigation to Zionist vigilantes and an anti-Jewish conspiracy. Gold must then confront his loyalties to the force and question his own ethni

• Peggy Sue Got Married | DVD | (05/05/2005) from £16.95   |  Saving you £-10.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Francis Ford Coppola's passable 1986 comedy stars Kathleen Turner as an unhappy, middle-aged woman who goes back in time to her high school years and meets her future husband (Nicolas Cage) all over again. A lightweight entry from Coppola, the film has some clever, backward-looking jokes; and the lead actress does bring intelligence and searching emotions to her role. Cage (Coppola's nephew)--who specialised in these dumb-guy roles back then (see Raising Arizona)--is in sharp, raw form. Worth a visit, but don't expect to be bowled over this time by the legendary director.--Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• The 15:17 to Paris | DVD | (04/06/2018) from £7.19   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  On August 21, 2015, the world was transfixed by reports of a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans. Director Clint Eastwood follows the course of these friends' lives, from childhood through the unlikely events leading up to the attack. Their bond becomes their greatest weapon throughout the harrowing ordeal, allowing them to save the lives of 500+ passengers. Experience the extraordinary bravery of these men who are portrayed here by the actual heroes themselves. Extras: The 15:17 to Paris: Portrait of Courage

• The Cassandra Crossing | DVD | (28/02/2000) from £4.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (40.08%)   |  RRP £6.99

  The Cassandra Crossing is an all-star disaster spectacular telling of the terrifying odyssey of 1000 doomed passengers trapped aboard a plague infested train. A terrorist infected with a deadly virus boards the Stockholm to Geneva Express and exposes all aboard to the disease. Colonel MacKenzie (Burt Lancaster) is called into handle the situation and finds Dr. Chamberlain (Richard Harris) who is on board the train. Mackenzie decides to re-route the train to the Cassandra Crossi

• Mr Calzaghe | DVD | (23/11/2015) from £8.95   |  Saving you £11.04 (123.35%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Mr. Calzaghe is the incredible real-life Rocky story of a true British boxing legend. Joe Calzaghe and his father Enzo come from humble beginnings in Newbridge, Wales. Through sheer grit and determination this father-son team have travelled the globe from Cardiff to Las Vegas to take on the vicious world of boxing, beat the best fighters that America could throw at them to show they are a force to be reckoned with. A definitive story told in their own words and featuring contributions from Chris Eubank, Mikkel Kessler and Michael J. Fox, Mr. Calzaghe is not only the thrilling and pulse-pounding account of an amazing career but a moving celebration of the unique bond between a father and son that created a sporting legend.

• 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

• Bones - Series 2 - Complete | DVD | (15/10/2007) from £7.99   |  Saving you £32.00 (400.50%)   |  RRP £39.99

  To Unravel A Murder You Have To Strip It To The Bone. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels as a sideline has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. Consequently law enforcement calls her in to assist with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless. Brennan often finds herself teamed w

• Dragons: Riders of Berk - Part 2 | DVD | (07/04/2014) from £4.98   |  Saving you £1.01 (20.28%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Dragons: Riders Of Berk - Part 2

• The Abyss | DVD | (26/02/2001) from £23.99   |  Saving you £-20.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  James Cameron's 1989 aquatic epic The Abyss was, quite literally, a watershed in the annals of filmmaking: not only was it the first (and only) movie to be shot almost entirely underwater, in the largest tank ever used for a movie set, and to use live dialogue from specially designed headsets, it also pushed forward the boundaries of computer animation in one gigantic leap. The famous water tentacle sequence is now regarded as the defining moment when CGI came of age; ironically perhaps, its very success has ensured that the punishing realism of the setting, which is the best thing about the movie, is likely never to be attempted again. But the impressive technical aspects aside, is the movie any good? Granted it contains any number of striking moments, from forcing a rat to breathe liquid (it really works, apparently) to resurrecting a drowned Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. But the story is a slim one for the running time, especially in the extended Special Edition version which plays almost half an hour longer than the theatrical cut and contains a completely excised subplot featuring much too much heavy-handed moralising: "How all the world can stop fighting and learn to get along with each other", by James Cameron esq. All you need is love, apparently. Here is one rare example of the theatrical cut being preferable to the director's. Now, if only he had cut the love story from Titanic too On the DVD: The Abyss Special Edition two-disc set has plenty of neat extra features, but is let down a little by the non-anamorphic 2.35:1 letterboxed picture. Sound, on the other hand, is vivid THX mastered Dolby 5.1. Happily, the first disc contains both the original theatrical cut and the extended special-edition version. There's a reasonably informative though inevitably rather dry text-only commentary. The principal extra on Disc 2 is a 60-minute documentary, "Under Pressure", with retrospective interviews in which cast and crew detail the extraordinary challenges involved in making the film, and more than one near-death experience. In addition there's the complete screenplay, various different pieces on the effects sequences, storyboards, artwork, DVD-ROM features--in short, plenty to keep even jaded DVD enthusiasts amused for hours. The menu interfaces for both discs are a treat and the set comes with a good 12-page booklet. --Mark Walker

• Matrix Trilogy, The / The Matrix / The Matrix Reloaded / Matrix Revolutions | DVD | (17/10/2005) from £18.89   |  Saving you £2.10 (11.12%)   |  RRP £20.99

  The Wachowski Brothers trilogy is brought together on this fantastic boxed set. The Matrix: Perception: The Everyday World is Real. Reality: That World is a hoax an elaborate deception spun by all-powerful machines of artificial intelligence that control us. Mind blowing stunts. Techno-slamming visuals. Megakick action. Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne lead the fight to free humankind in The Matrix the cyber thriller that you will watch again and again. Written and Direc

• Contraband | DVD | (16/07/2012) from £4.89   |  Saving you £15.10 (308.79%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Mark Wahlberg leads the cast of Contraband, a fast-paced thriller about a man trying to stay out of a world he worked so hard to leave behind and the family he'll do anything to protect.

• Macho Callahan | Blu Ray | (21/09/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Secret of My Success | DVD | (04/07/2005) from £11.24   |  Saving you £-5.25 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Can a kid from Kansas come to New York to conquer the business world and maneuver his way from the mailroom to the boardroom in a matter of weeks? Michael J. Fox proves it can be done in this very funny lampoon of corporate business life. Fresh out of college he's determined to climb New York's corporate ladder in record time by masquerading as an up-and-coming executive even though he's really the new mail boy. However Fox's plans begin to go awry when the boss's wife falls in love with him and he falls in love with a junior executive who also happens to be the boss's mistress...

• Hoffa | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Director and co-star Danny DeVito spins David Mamet's literate screenplay into an unforgettable biopic starring Jack Nicholson as Jimmy Hoffa the legendary Teamster boss whose mysterious disappearance has never been explained. The film traces Hoffa's passionate struggle to shape the nation's most influential labor union his relationship with the mob and his subsequent conviction and prison term at the hand of Robert Kennedy...

• Charlie's Angels (2000) / Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - Set | Blu Ray | (21/10/2019) from £9.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Three women, detectives with a mysterious boss, retrieve stolen voice-ID software, using martial arts, tech skills, and sex appeal.

• A Few Good Men | Blu Ray | (03/12/2007) from £5.59   |  Saving you £14.40 (257.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  One man is dead. Two men are accused of his murder. The entire Marines Corps is on trial. And 'A Few Good Men' are about to ignite the most explosive episode in US military history. Universally acclaimed A Few Good Men unites the big screen's biggest stars as Hollywood heavyweights Jack Nicholson Tom Cruise and Demi Moore lead an all star cast in director Rob Reiner's powerful account of corruption cover-up and a relentless quest for justice within the sacred corridors of the US Navy. With powerful performances from Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland A Few Good Men makes its mark as the major movie triumph of the decade.

• The Smurfs/The Smurfs 2 | DVD | (02/12/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  The SmurfsWhen the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village they tumble from their magical world and into ours - in fact right in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The Smurfs 2Evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties hoping they will let him harness the magical Smurf-essence. However he soon discovers that he needs the help of Smurfette who knows the secret to turning the Naughties into real Smurfs. When Gargamel and his Naughties kidnap Smurfette from Smurf Village and bring her to Paris it's up to Papa Clumsy Grouchy and Vanity to reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow and rescue her!

• Dark Skies | Blu Ray | (05/08/2013) from £18.59   |  Saving you £-0.60 (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Dark Skies, the latest box office smash hit nerve-shredder from the producers of Sinister and Insidious ramps up the fear factor, as a family find themselves terrorised by an unknown force.

• Brotherhood Of The Wolf (Director's Cut) (2 BLU-RAY Discs) | Blu Ray | (15/05/2023) from £11.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A stunning new restoration of the director's cut of the thrilling 2001 cult classic BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF by director Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Jérémie Renier, Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci.During the reign of Louis XV an isolated district of south-central France is haunted by the Beast of Gévaudan which has savagely killed over 100 people, mostly women and children. As panic sweeps across the region, the King sends his finest military minds, the scientist and adventurer Grégoire de Fronsac and his martial-arts-trained Iroquois blood brother Mani to flush out the Beast and kill it...Product FeaturesBLU-RAY 1BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF Director's Cut (2022 restoration)Audio Commentary with Christophe GansAudio Commentary with Vincent Cassel & Samuel Le BihanNEW TrailerBLU-RAY 2NEW Interview with Christophe Gans & Jean-Baptiste ThoretThe Guts of the BeastBehind the scenesDeleted Scenes:The FightThe CrowFronsac and SardisThe Frozen LakeThe House TessierMontageLa Legend: a programme on the origins of The BeastTheatrical TrailerRestored Original trailer