"Actor: Jackie Hall"

• Superman | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.19   |  Saving you £6.80 (94.58%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Modern blockbuster cinema came of age with the release of three huge science fiction/fantasy extravaganzas in the late 1970s. In 1978 Superman was the last of these, a gigantic hit unfairly overshadowed by Star Wars (1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Christopher Reeve is completely convincing as both Superman and mild-mannered alter ego Clarke Kent, sparking real chemistry with Margot Kidder's fellow reporter Lois Lane. Very much a film of two halves, the opening tells the origin of Superman from the apocalyptic fate of Krypton to his nostalgically rendered boyhood in the mid-West. After a wonderful sequence introducing the Fortress of Solitude the film changes gear as the adult Clarke Kent arrives in Metropolis and Superman battles arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). Though the tone becomes lighter and introduces comedy, Superman succeeds because Donner plays the titular character straight. From Marlon Brando's heavyweight cameo to the surprisingly wrenching finale, Superman unfolds as an epic modern myth, a spiritual fable for a secular age and a fantastic entertainment for the young at heart. With breathtaking production design, still special effects, gorgeous cinematography, thrilling set-pieces, wit, romance and John Williams' extraordinarily rich music score, Superman has the power to make you believe a man can fly.On the DVD: Superman is presented in an extended director's cut which adds eight minutes to the theatrical original. The restored material is so artfully integrated many viewers may not even notice, but it would have been nice to at least have the opportunity to watch the original via seamless branching. The sound has been remixed into extraordinarily powerful Dolby Digital 5.1--the superb main title sequence is worth the price alone--and the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is, except for some unavoidably grainy effects shots, pristine. The commentary by Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz reveals more about the background than all but the most dedicated fan will ever need to know, while film music aficionados will revel in the opportunity to listen to John Williams' score isolated in Dolby Digital 5.1. On the second side of the disc are a eight alternate John Williams music cues, a selection of deleted scenes and the screen tests of a variety of would-be Lois Lanes, introduced and with optional commentary by casting director Lynn Stalmaster. These are fascinating, and show how right for the part Margot Kidder really was. A DVD-ROM only feature presents the storyboards plus various Web features, while the real highlight is a 90-minute documentary divided into three sections covering pre-production, filming and special effects. The picture quality on all the extras is very good indeed. An enthralling package, DVD doesn't get much better than this. --Gary S Dalkin

• Superman 2 | DVD | (24/09/2001) from £4.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (180.36%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Director Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night) took over the franchise with this first sequel in the series, though the film doesn't look much like his usual stylish work. (Superman III is far more Lesteresque.) Still, there is a lot to like about this film, which finds Superman grappling with the conflict between his responsibilities as Earth's saviour and his own needs of the heart. Choosing the latter, he gives up his powers to be with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), but the timing is awful: three renegades from his home planet, Krypton, are smashing up the White House, aided by the mocking Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). The film isn't nearly as ambitious as its predecessor, but the accent on relationships over special effects (not that there aren't plenty of them) is very satisfying. --Tom Keogh

• The Blair Witch Project | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later the footage was found.

• Rush Hour 1 And 2 | DVD | (27/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Rush Hour: Two cops from very different worlds must learn to trust each other before they can win a high-stakes battle against a ruthless enemy who threatens to demolish the fragile peace between their countries. The fastest hands in the east meets the loudest mouth in the west! Rush Hour 2: Chopsocky action star Jackie Chan reteams with motormouth Chris Tucker in this 'Rush Hour' sequel as the mismatched cop duo investigate several bombings in Hong Kong attributed

• Rush Hour | DVD | (11/10/2010) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan cause chaos in Paris in this, the third instalment of their comedy action franchise.

• Superman / Superman 2 | DVD | (24/09/2001) from £8.89   |  Saving you £22.10 (248.59%)   |  RRP £30.99

  Modern blockbuster cinema came of age with the release of three huge science fiction/fantasy extravaganzas in the late 1970s. In 1978 Superman was the last of these, a gigantic hit unfairly overshadowed by Star Wars (1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Christopher Reeve is completely convincing as both Superman and mild-mannered alter ego Clarke Kent, sparking real chemistry with Margot Kidder's fellow reporter Lois Lane. Though the tone becomes lighter and introduces comedy as Superman battles arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) the film succeeds because Donner plays the titular character straight. From Marlon Brando's heavyweight cameo to the surprisingly wrenching finale, Superman unfolds as an epic modern myth, a spiritual fable for a secular age and a fantastic entertainment for the young at heart. With breathtaking production design, special effects, gorgeous cinematography, thrilling set-pieces, wit, romance and John Williams' extraordinarily rich music score, Superman has the power to make you believe a man can fly.Although Superman II is credited to director Richard Lester the film is largely the work of Richard Donner, who shot 70 per cent of the footage back-to-back with Superman at a staggering combined cost of $55 million. Indeed, while each film works perfectly well alone, together they form four-and-a-half hours of the finest fantasy in cinema history. Superman II sees the release of the three super-villains exiled at the beginning of Superman, then without the need to tell Superman's origins offers a full two hours of rip-roaring comic-book action. The villains, led by a marvellously menacing Terrance Stamp, prove stronger adversaries than Lex Luthor, while Clarke's romance with Lois Lane is developed through polished comedy and a serious subplot in which Superman must chose between love and duty. From an atom bomb on the Eiffel Tower to an epic battle amid the skyscrapers of Metropolis (New York) the action and special effects are superb, the characters portrayed with verve and the story delivered with just the right amount of seriousness. A rousing entertainment very nearly as fine as its predecessor, the wirework battles paved the way for Hong Kong's seminal Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (1983) and ultimately The Matrix (1999).On the DVD: Superman is presented in an extended director's cut which adds eight minutes to the theatrical original. The restored material is so artfully integrated many viewers may not even notice, but it would have been nice to at least have the opportunity to watch the original via seamless branching. The sound has been remixed into extraordinarily powerful Dolby Digital 5.1--the superb main title sequence is worth the price alone--and the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is, except for some unavoidably grainy effects shots, pristine. The commentary by Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz reveals more about the background than all but the most dedicated fan will ever need to know, while film music aficionados will revel in the opportunity to listen to John Williams' score isolated in Dolby Digital 5.1. On the second side of the disc are a eight alternate John Williams music cues, a selection of deleted scenes and the screen tests of a variety of would-be Lois Lanes, introduced and with optional commentary by casting director Lynn Stalmaster. These are fascinating, and show how right for the part Margot Kidder really was. A DVD-ROM only feature presents the storyboards plus various Web features, while the real highlight is a 90-minute documentary divided into three sections covering pre-production, filming and special effects. The picture quality on all the extras is very good indeed. An enthralling package, DVD doesn't get much better than this. In contrast to the fantastic Superman DVD the Superman II disc is a bare-bones release with the original trailer being the only extra. The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is absolutely first-rate, but if Superman can be presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound with an isolated score there is absolutely no excuse for the sequel being offered in lacklustre stereo. --Gary S Dalkin

• That Certain Age | DVD | (02/05/2011) from £6.48   |  Saving you £8.50 (189.31%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Fullerton's an affluent middle class American family have the balance of their lifestyle upset when young Alice Fullerton falls in love with a talented news reporter invited to lodge in their house. Despite the efforts of her mother father boyfriend and even the reporter himself nothing can deter the girl of a certain age from her heart's desire.

• Rush Hour | UMD | (01/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The plot line may sound familiar: Two mismatched cops are assigned as reluctant partners to solve a crime. Culturally they are complete opposites, and they quickly realize they can't stand each other. One (Jackie Chan) believes in doing things by the book. He is a man with integrity and nerves of steel. The other (Chris Tucker) is an amiable rebel who can't stand authority figures. He's a man who has to do everything on his own, much to the displeasure of his superior officer, who in turn thinks this cop is a loose cannon but tolerates him because he gets the job done. Directed by Brett Ratner, Rush Hour doesn't break any new ground in terms of story, stunts, or direction. It rehashes just about every "buddy" movie ever made--in fact, it makes films such as Tango and Cash seem utterly original and clever by comparison. So, why did this uninspired movie make over $120 million at the box office? Was the whole world suffering from temporary insanity? Hardly. The explanation for the success of Rush Hour is quite simple: chemistry. The casting of veteran action maestro Jackie Chan with the charming and often hilarious Chris Tucker was a serendipitous stroke of genius. Fans of Jackie Chan may be slightly disappointed by the lack of action set pieces that emphasize his kung-fu craft. On the other hand, those who know the history of this seasoned Hong Kong actor will be able to appreciate that Rush Hour was the mainstream breakthrough that Chan had deserved for years. Coupled with the charismatic scene-stealer Tucker, Chan gets to flex his comic muscles to great effect. From their first scenes together to the trademark Chan outtakes during the end credits, their ability to play off of one another is a joy to behold, and this mischievous interaction is what saves the film from slipping into the depths of pitiful mediocrity. --Jeremy Storey

• The Thin Blue Line | DVD | (07/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Errol Morris's unique documentary dramatically re-enacts the crime scene and investigation of a police officer's murder in Dallas. A drifter Randall Adams ran out of gas in Texas and was picked up by a 16-year-old runaway David Harris. Later that night they drank some beer smoked some marijuana and went to the movies. Then their stories diverge. Adams claims that he left for his motel where he was staying with his brother and went to sleep. Harris however says that they were stopped by police late that night and Adams suddenly shot the officer approaching their car. The film shows the evidence gathered by the police who were under extreme pressure to clear the case. It strongly makes a point that the circumstantial evidence was very flimsy. In fact it becomes apparent that Harris was a much more likely suspect and was in the middle of a 'crime spree ' eventually ending up on Death Row himself for the later commission of other crimes. Morris implies that the D.A.'s and judge's desire for the death penalty in this case (which Harris would have been ineligible for due to his youth) made Adams a scapegoat on which to pin this heinous crime.

• Criterion Collection: Thin Blue Line | Blu Ray | (24/03/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Classic Horror - Vol. 2 | DVD | (09/01/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Includes: 1. Carnival Of Souls 2. The Ape Man 3. Mesa Of Lost Women 4. Creature From The Haunted Sea 5. The Devil Bat 6. Vampire Bat 7. Dementia 13 8. Shock 9. Black Dragon For more information on individual films please refer to the individual products.

• Soldier Girls | DVD | (07/11/2005) from £6.73   |  Saving you £3.26 (48.44%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Nick Broomfield travels to Fort Georgia where he follows the lives of a number of inductees as they go though Basic Army training. It soon becomes apparent some are far less suited to this rigorous lifestyle than others and in a fashion honed over several subsequent films Broomfield zeroes in on only the most interesting funny sad and strange figures there. Including those in charge!