"Actor: James G"

• Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York | DVD | (16/04/2001) from £14.98   |  Saving you £0.01 (0.10%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Amid the lo-fi wasteland of the 1990s, Dream Theater were an unashamedly unhip throwback to the glory days of progressive rock; and in their 1999 album Scenes from a Memory they even dared to exhume that once-extinct species, the concept album. In 2000 the band took Scenes on the road, and the resulting concert footage is a testament both to their musical creativity and the fanatical loyalty of their audiences. Filmed on a sweltering August evening in New York, this was the last time the band played the album right through, using an on-stage narrator and even bringing on a Gospel choir for the grand finale. But the heat of the night is nothing to that generated by the blistering performances from a group of unrepentant musos who like nothing better than to play in complex time signatures and thrash out lengthy riffs at dizzying speed. Those not already converted will doubtless be puzzled by the sight of five hairy blokes earnestly expounding a quasi-operatic story of dying and "learning to live", while drummer/director Mike Portnoy’s decision to intercut film snippets of the album's story with the concert footage seems redundant. But fans of this band, and anyone who yearn for the classic days of Rush, Genesis and Yes, will have nothing to complain about here: don’t believe the music press, prog-rock is alive and well. On the DVD: here’s a disc that’s going to make this band's audience very happy indeed. Aside from the main concert itself there are five additional tracks--and this being Dream Theater, they are all pretty substantial, climaxing with the epic "A Change of Seasons". Then there’s a fun 25-minute behind-the-scenes documentary with crew and fans waxing enthusiastic about the band, and even more additional concert footage. The whole band gather to provide a concert commentary, which ordinarily might seem an odd thing to do, but this is prog-rock after all. A picture gallery of tour photos rounds out the extras. Sound is unfussy Dolby stereo.--Mark Walker

• When The Boat Comes In - Series 2 - Part 2 | DVD | (15/03/2004) from £14.75   |  Saving you £5.24 (35.53%)   |  RRP £19.99

  More from the classic BBC drama set on Tyneside at the end of the first world war starring James Bolam as the loveable rogue Jack Ford....

• Brother | DVD | (13/01/2003) from £7.54   |  Saving you £-2.55 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  Written, directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano, Brother is the story of a displaced yakuza gangster (Takeshi Kitano), whose crime family is annihilated in a Tokyo gang war, and who flies to LA in search of his brother.

• Hiroshima | DVD | (06/01/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Beginning in the frenzied final months of World War II Hiroshima rockets backand forth between Truman Churchill and Hirohito to reach behind the headlines and tell the story of men and women both public and private whose lives and careers would be forever changed by this event creating a balanced portrait of the political moral and above all human cost of this historical decision. 'Hiroshima' weaves an unforgettable tapestry of those events which led to the decision which would indelibly change the course of human destiny.

• Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera -- Metropolitan Opera/Levine | DVD | (09/09/2002) from £15.79   |  Saving you £1.20 (7.60%)   |  RRP £16.99

  A performance of Verdi's opera 'Un Ballo In Maschera' by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra And Chorus; conducted by James Levine. Singers include: Luciano Pavarotti and Aprile Millo. Directed by Brian Large.

• Darn Good Westerns Box Set #1 | DVD | (10/10/2011) from £5.98   |  Saving you £14.00 (350.88%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Stranger on Horseback: Judge Thorne (Joel McCrea) is a circuit judge who comes to a small western town which is under the feudal thumb of the Bannerman family.Four Fast Guns: After blasting the 'town-tamer' that was meant to travel to the town of Purgatory, gunfighter Tom Sabin (James Craig) takes his place and rides into Purgatory.Outlaw Women: Dr. Bob Ridgeway (Allan Nixon) is leaving the town of Silver Creek because there is nothing for him to do but pull slugs out of gunfighters.

• Spider-Man | Blu Ray | (15/01/2018) from £20.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is an ordinary guy who lives with his beloved aunt and uncle and quietly pines for the girl next door, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). But when a geneticallymodified 'superspider' bites him while on a school trip, Peter develops unusual skills  fantastic acrobatic strength, supernatural awareness and a talent for webspinning. It's not until tragedy strikes at home that Peter decides to use his new powers to fight crime under a secret identity: SPIDERMAN! When the evil Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) attacks the good people of New York and endangers the life of Mary Jane, Peter commits himself to the ultimate tests: to thwart his archenemy and to win the heart of the girl that he loves.

• The Triumph | DVD | (29/06/2009) from £55.39   |  Saving you £-50.40 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  The Triumph (aka The Ron Clark Story)

• No Angels | DVD | (21/03/2005) from £5.99   |  Saving you £19.00 (317.20%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Every day the girls face life death and lunacy on the wards of St. Margaret's; every night they let off steam with a dangerous appetite for uncomplicated sex and unruly misbehaviour. Anji is set on an arranged marriage and Beth is determined to settle down with a rich consultant. In the meantime however they're both happy to practice their bedside manners. For single mum Lia juggling work and home can prove tricky. And acting sister Kate soon finds out that juggling work and love is even trickier... Still they can always rely on each other. And if the drugs don't work it's probably because the junior doctor's taken them. Featuring every episode from the first series!

• Romance And Cigarettes | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £6.56   |  Saving you £9.43 (143.75%)   |  RRP £15.99

  James Gandolfini and Kate Winslet star in this acclaimed musical comedy drama from director John Turturro.

• For The Boys | DVD | (25/02/2013) from £4.75   |  Saving you £5.24 (110.32%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Bette Midler poured her heart and soul into For the Boys, the story of a pair of entertainers who repeatedly took time from their careers to entertain US troops at war, from World War II to Vietnam--and it sank like a stone at the box office. Granted, it's corny and emotionally over the top. It is the tale of an unlikely team of singer and comedian (played by Midler and James Caan), who are brought together for a reunion show in their dotage. As they nervously anticipate seeing each other for the first time in years, they are flooded with memories of their earlier days as a hot show-biz couple whose own troubles always took second place to their patriotic urge to buoy the boys in uniform. Some say this was a veiled film version of the Martha Raye story; Midler gives it her all and Caan isn't bad. But director Mark Rydell lays on the schmaltz so thickly at times that it overpowers the tougher material. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com

• The Doug McClure Fantasy Adventure Triple Pack | DVD | (21/03/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Three cracking Doug McClure titles in one fantastic box set. The Land That Time Forgot: The adventure you will never forget... Edgar Rice Burroughs collaborated with Michael Moorcock to write the script for The Land Before Time adapted from his own novel. A German U-boat torpedos a British ship during WW1 and the survivors are taken onboard. But the U-boat gets lost and drifts into a mist-filled prehistoric land. Soon they find themselves battling dinosaurs neanderthals

• Bridget Jones 1 & 2 (Box Set) | DVD | (25/02/2005) from £9.58   |  Saving you £20.41 (213.05%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Bridget Jones' Diary: In the screen adaptation of 'Bridget Jones Diary' Helen Fielding's international best-selling phenomenon documentary filmmaker Sharon Maguire has managed a rare feat: a film as captivating as the novel! Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is a pretty and neurotic thirtysomething singleton (in her vernacular) who vows to take control of her life after being humiliated by handsome standoffish barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at her parents' New Year's party. Determined to lose weight and cut back on vices like wine cigarettes and workaholic-alcoholic-misogynistic men Bridget begins a diary to chart her progress. Unfortunately the P.R. executive hits a snag when her boss gorgeous cad Daniel (Hugh Grant) instigates a sexy e-mail flirtation. Despite her tendency to bungle book launch parties and any situation involving the ever-disapproving Mark Darcy Bridget's winning combination of charm vulnerability and wit intrigues not only the seductively dangerous Daniel but also the arrogant barrister. Featuring a note-perfect performance by Zellweger a devilish one by Grant and the inspired casting of Firth (the object of Bridget's lusty fantasies in the book) 'Bridget Jones Diary' is a clever delightful romantic comedy guaranteed to please old fans and win new ones. Bridget Jones's Diary 2 - The Edge Of Reason: She's back! The perfect boyfriend the perfect life what could possibly go wrong? Four weeks into her relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is already becoming uncomfortable. With the reappearance of old flame daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) things are about to get very complicated...

• Merlin: Complete Series 1 | DVD | (21/10/2013) from £9.96   |  Saving you £15.03 (150.90%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The creators of Merlin position their hero as the original Harry Potter: a headstrong young wizard with mixed feelings about--and sometimes outright hostility toward--the destiny that's been thrust upon him. Merlin is a reboot of Arthurian legend, starting when all the heroes and sorcerous folk were teenagers, bursting with hormones and wrestling with the powers-that-be, particularly Arthur's heavy-handed father, Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head, best known as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), a benevolent tyrant who's banished magic from Camelot. Merlin (Colin Morgan, an impish lad with prominent ears) comes to the kingdom with high hopes and innate magical powers. He's taken under the wing of the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson, One Foot in the Grave), but additionally becomes the servant of young Arthur (Bradley James), a handsome and talented fighter who's also a bully and a snob. Rounding out the main cast are Morgana (Katie McGrath), who will one day be Merlin's foe but is now Uther's ward, and Gwen (Angel Coulby), a.k.a. Guinevere, the woman who will one day be the center of a legendary love triangle--but who is now Morgana's maid. Clearly, Merlin wants to shake up any preconception about these stuffy old stories, presenting a multi-ethnic Camelot with contemporary language and attitudes. Despite all this, Merlin quickly becomes addictive. The dialogue and special effects can be cheesy (particularly when the CGI monsters have to interact with actors), but the cast is charming and the stories, while a tad formulaic, keep things moving. Morgan is appropriately dweeby (but also has killer cheekbones), James combines football-quarterback good looks with a hint of sensitivity, McGrath is luscious and impetuous, and Coulby has earthy spunk. The heavy lifting, acting-wise, is ably handled by Head and Wilson. The first season deftly explores the origins of the pillars of Arthurian mythos, from the sword Excalibur to a very dashing (but born of peasant stock) Lancelot to the mysterious birth of Arthur himself. Add to it all an imprisoned dragon, voiced by John Hurt (Alien, The Elephant Man) and prone to cryptic but sometimes helpful advice, and you have an engaging fantasy series.--Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• The Guns of Navarone SteelBook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) | Blu Ray | (07/11/2023) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• A Kind Of Loving | DVD | (25/06/2001) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-10.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Pity poor Vic (Alan Bates): when he begins a relationship with Ingrid (June Ritchie), a typist at the Lancashire factory where he works as a draughtsman; his life comes apart at the seams. Ingrid's gossiping, malicious friends are bad enough, but her mother Mrs Rothwell (the terrifying Thora Hird) is something else. Vic has to marry Ingrid-she's pregnant--and the only place for them to stay is chez Rothwell. There's a tenderness about A Kind of Loving which you don't find in the more abrasive "kitchen sink" films of the 60s. Vic is not a rebel like Arthur Seton in Saturday Night, Sunday Morning or a macho lunk like Richard Harris' rugby-league player in This Sporting Life. He's a likable, easygoing youngster who soon discovers that real-life love affairs are infinitely messier than he and his mates could ever have imagined. The acute, witty screenplay, adapted by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse from Stan Barstow's novel, shows how limited Vic and Ingrid's choices really are. They have no privacy or independence. Bounced into a marriage that neither necessarily wants, their romance quickly sours. Mrs Rothwell is truly the mother-in-law from Hell--a busybody and a tyrant. Look out for the Queen Victoria-like expression on her face when a drunken Vic throws up in her front room. Debut-feature director John Schlesinger captures the humour and the pathos in the young lovers' plight without ever making fun of them. --Geoffrey Macnab

• Coming to America | Blu Ray | (03/06/2013) from £6.87   |  Saving you £13.12 (190.98%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Eddie Murphy's 1988 vehicle Coming to America was probably the point at which his status as a mainstream big-screen comedian finally gelled, following the highly successful 48 Hours pairing with Nick Nolte. Never mind the hackneyed storyline: under John Landis's tight direction, he turns in a star performance (and several brilliant cameos) that is disciplined and extremely funny. Murphy plays an African prince who comes to New York officially to sow his wild oats. Privately, he is seeking a bride he can marry for love rather than one chosen by his parents. With his companion (Arsenio Hall, who pushes Murphy all the way in the comedy stakes), he settles in the borough of Queens and takes a job in a hamburger joint. A succession of hilarious satire-barbed adventures ensue, plus the required romantic conclusion. The script is crammed with ripe one-liners , but "Freeze, you diseased rhinoceros pizzle" has to be the most devastating hold-up line of all time. Film buffs will appreciate a brief appearance by Don Ameche as a down-and-out, but this is Murphy's film and he generates warmth enough to convert the most ambivalent viewer. On the DVD: The only--rather pointless--extra on offer is the original theatrical trailer which adds nothing apart from a rapid recap of the story. But the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation (the picture quality is diamond sharp) and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack recreate the original authentic cinematic experience. The choreography of 1980s pop diva Paula Abdul in the lavish wedding scenes and Nile Rodgers' pounding musical score are the main beneficiaries. --Piers Ford

• Immediate Family | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Michael and Linda Spector are a mature successful couple who have everything it takes to be parents; except a baby. Mary Stuart Masterson and Kevin Dillon are Lucy and Sam a teenage couple who have a baby on the way; yet aren't ready to be parents... Laughter and tears are mixed together in this funny uplifting look at two very different couples who unexpectedly find a common bond and ultimately bring out the best in each other.

• Wanted | Blu Ray | (01/12/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  "Wanted" tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. In 2008, the world will be introduced to a hero for a new generation: Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy).

• Puccini: Tosca -- 2002 Film Version | DVD | (23/06/2003) from £15.98   |  Saving you £9.01 (36.10%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Benoit Jacquot's filmed Tosca treads a fine line between operatic staginess and cinematic contrivance. As per the libretto, each act takes place in a single setting, but with the singers here miming to a pre-recorded soundtrack. Jacquot freely reminds us of the conceit with cutaways to the recording session itself--revealing conductor, orchestra and soloists at work--thus a bridge is made between the on-screen action and the music-making itself, and the inherent duality of any opera production is laid refreshingly bare. The same cannot be said for the director's decision to interpolate spoken dialogue over the music in key places--a distraction not an enhancement. Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna are glamorous and attractive enough to make the most of their Hollywood-style close-ups; their singing easily bears similar close scrutiny--as anyone who owns the CD soundtrack album will surely already know. If Alagna lacks a little power as Cavaradossi on record, his charismatic screen presence happily compensates; Gheorghiu is both vocally and physically almost ideal as Tosca. Ruggero Raimondi's Scarpia completes an outstanding trio, and in the pit (or, rather, in the studio) conductor Antonio Pappano handles the drama of Puccini's score without missing a single nuance. Both musically and visually, then, this is a Tosca to treasure. On the DVD: Tosca on disc looks vibrant in this warm, widescreen picture accompanied by a DTS 5.1 soundtrack. Three filmed interviews--with Gheorghiu, Pappano and Jacquot--provide some insight into the making of this production. --Mark Walker