"Actor: James"

• Gandhi | DVD | (04/07/2011) from £7.55   |  Saving you £-1.56 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Gandhi is a great subject, but is Gandhi a great film? Undoubtedly it is, not least because it is one of the last old-school epics ever made, a glorious visual treat featuring tens of thousands of extras (real people, not digital effects) and sumptuous Panavision cinematography. But a true epic is about more than just widescreen photography, it concerns itself with noble subjects too, and the life story of Mahatma Gandhi is one of the noblest of all. Both the man and the film have profound things to say about the meaning of freedom and racial harmony, as well as how to achieve them. Ben Kingsley, in his first major screen role, bears the heavy responsibility of the central performance and carries it off magnificently; without his magnetic and utterly convincing portrayal the film would founder in the very first scene. Sir Richard Attenborough surrounds his main character with a cast of distinguished thespians (Trevor Howard, John Mills, John Gielgud and Martin Sheen, to name but four), none of whom do anything but provide the most sympathetic support. John Briley's literate screenplay achieves the almost impossible task of distilling the bewildering complexities of Anglo-Indian politics. Attenborough's treatment is openly reverential, but, given the saint-like character of his subject, it's hard to see how it could have been anything else. He doesn't flinch from the implication that the Mahatma was naïve to expect a unified India, for example, but instead lets Gandhi's actions speak for themselves. The outstanding achievement of this labour of love is that it tells the story of an avowed pacifist who never raised a hand in anger, of a man who never held high office, of a man who shied away from publicity, and turns it into three hours of utterly mesmerising cinema.On the DVD: The anamorphic (16:9) picture of the original 2.35:1 image has a certain softness to it that may reflect the age of the print, but somehow seems entirely in keeping with the subject . Sound is Dolby 5.1. The extras are fairly brief, but worthwhile: original newsreel footage of Gandhi includes an astonishingly patronising British news account of his visit to England; in a recent interview, Ben Kinglsey chats enthusiastically about the film and the difficulties he experienced bringing the character to life. The dull "making-of" feature is simply a montage of stills. --Mark Walker

• Dumbo (Special Edition) | DVD | (22/03/2010) from £9.15   |  Saving you £-2.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  A Disney "classic" that actually is a classic, Dumbo should be part of your movie collection whether or not you have children. The storytelling was never as lean as in Dumbo, the songs rarely as haunting (or just plain weird), the characters rarely so well defined. The film pits the "cold, cruel, heartless" world that can't accept abnormality against a plucky, and mute, hero. Jumbo Jr. (Dumbo is a mean-spirited nickname) is ostracised from the circus pack shortly after his delivery by the stork because of his big ears. His mother sticks up for him and is shackled. He's jeered by children (an insightful scene has one boy poking fun at Dumbo's ears, even though the youngster's ears are also ungainly), used by the circus folk, and demoted to appearing with the clowns. Only the decent Timothy Q. Mouse looks out for the little guy. Concerns about the un-PC "Jim Crow" crows, who mock Dumbo with the wonderful "When I See an Elephant Fly", should be moderated by remembering that the crows are the only social group in the film who act kindly to the little outcast. If you don't mist up during the "Baby Mine" scene, you may be legally pronounced dead. --Keith Simanton

• Blade Runner | 4K UHD | (04/09/2017) from £21.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When Ridley Scott's cut of Blade Runner was finally released in 1993, one had to wonder why the studio hadn't done it right the first time--11 years earlier. This version is so much better, mostly because of what's been eliminated (the ludicrous and redundant voice-over narration and the phoney happy ending) rather than what's been added (a bit more character development and a brief unicorn dream). Star Harrison Ford originally recorded the narration under duress at the insistence of Warner Bros. executives who thought the story needed further "explanation"; he later confessed that he thought if he did it badly they wouldn't use it. (Moral: Never overestimate the taste of movie executives.) The movie's spectacular futuristic vision of Los Angeles--a perpetually dark and rainy metropolis that's the nightmare antithesis of "Sunny Southern California"--is still its most seductive feature, another worldly atmosphere in which you can immerse yourself. The movie's shadowy visual style, along with its classic private-detective/murder-mystery plot line (with Ford on the trail of a murderous android, or "replicant"), makes Blade Runner one of the few science fiction pictures to legitimately claim a place in the film noir tradition. And, as in the best noir, the sleuth discovers a whole lot more (about himself and the people he encounters) than he anticipates. The cast also includes Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah Rutger Hauer and M. Emmet Walsh. --Jim Emerson

• Inbetweeners - Series 1 - 3 - Complete | DVD | (25/10/2010) from £9.93   |  Saving you £2.06 (20.75%)   |  RRP £11.99

  The Inbetweeners is a series about four teenagers growing up in suburbia; a world of futile crushes sibling brawls getting drunk too quickly fancying the girl next door casting aspersions on your friend's sexuality and riding rollercoasters.

• Monsters, Inc. (Disney Pixar) Fullscreen (4:3) Single-Disc Edition | DVD | (07/09/2002) from £9.15   |  Saving you £-3.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  From the team that brought you "Toy Story" comes this CGI tale about the monsters that every child knows live in the cupboard! However these monsters are far less fierce that they'd have us believe.

• Dead Poets Society | DVD | (13/05/2002) from £6.92   |  Saving you £9.07 (131.07%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Robin Williams stars as an English teacher who doesn't fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches but his charisma and love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society with a bohemian bent. The script is well-meaning but a little trite, though director Peter Weir (The Truman Show) adds layers of emotional depth in scenes of conflict between the kids and adults. (A subplot involving one father's terrible pressure on his son--played by Robert Sean Leonard--to drop his interest in the theatre reaches heartbreaking proportions). Williams is given plenty of latitude to work in his brand of improvisational humour, though it is all well-woven into his character's style of instruction. --Tom Keogh

• Vicar of Dibley Immaculate Collection | DVD | (05/06/2023) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Doctor Strangelove | DVD | (18/02/2002) from £6.99   |  Saving you £13.00 (185.98%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Arguably the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick's cold war classic is the ultimate satire of the nuclear age. Dr Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, to give it its full title, is a perfect spoof of political and military insanity, beginning when General Jack D Ripper (Sterling Hayden), a maniacal warrior obsessed with "the purity of precious bodily fluids", mounts his singular campaign against Communism by ordering a squadron of B-52 bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviets counter the threat with a so-called "Doomsday Device," and the world hangs in the balance while the US president (Peter Sellers) engages in hilarious hot-line negotiations with his Soviet counterpart. Sellers also plays a British military attaché and the mad scientist Dr Strangelove; George C Scott is outrageously frantic as General Buck Turgidson, whose presidential advice consists mainly of panic and statistics about "acceptable losses". With dialogue ("You can't fight here! This is the war room!") and images (Slim Pickens's character riding the bomb to oblivion) that have become a part of our cultural vocabulary, Kubrick's film regularly appears on critics' lists of the all-time best. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Avengers: Age of Ultron | DVD | (14/09/2015) from £9.15   |  Saving you £-2.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron ” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes including Iron Man Captain America Thor The Incredible Hulk Black Widow and Hawkeye are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” stars Robert Downey Jr. who returns as Iron Man along with Chris Evans as Captain America Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk.  Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers Wanda Maximoff played by Elizabeth Olsen and Pietro Maximoff played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

• Eat, Pray, Love | DVD | (07/02/2011) from £4.90   |  Saving you £15.09 (307.96%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having - a husband, a house, a successful career - yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life.

• The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall | DVD | (14/11/2011) from £6.98   |  Saving you £13.01 (186.39%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom Of The Opera is a worldwide entertainment phenomenon. It has been staged in 145 cities across 27 countries and its box office sales eclipse Avatar, Titanic and Star Wars. Seen by over 130 million people, the stage show has never been available to own on DVD or Blu-ray. Until now. To celebrate its 25th Anniversary year, Cameron Mackintosh presents The Phantom Of The Opera in a fully-staged, lavish production, set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of the Royal Albert Hall. Phantom Of The Opera At The Albert Hall stars Ramin Karimloo as 'The Phantom' and Sierra Boggess as 'Christine'. They are joined by Barry James as 'Monsieur Firmin', Gareth Snook as 'Monsieur Andr', Liz Robertson as 'Madame Giry', Wynne Evans as 'Piangi' and a supporting cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.This is a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime staging of the world's biggest musical, and a must-have on DVD and Blu-ray for fans everywhere.

• Dumbo | Blu Ray | (31/10/2011) from £4.78   |  Saving you £18.21 (380.96%)   |  RRP £22.99

  A Disney "classic" that actually is a classic, Dumbo should be part of your movie collection whether or not you have children. The storytelling was never as lean as in Dumbo, the songs rarely as haunting (or just plain weird), the characters rarely so well defined. The film pits the "cold, cruel, heartless" world that can't accept abnormality against a plucky, and mute, hero. Jumbo Jr. (Dumbo is a mean-spirited nickname) is ostracised from the circus pack shortly after his delivery by the stork because of his big ears. His mother sticks up for him and is shackled. He's jeered by children (an insightful scene has one boy poking fun at Dumbo's ears, even though the youngster's ears are also ungainly), used by the circus folk, and demoted to appearing with the clowns. Only the decent Timothy Q. Mouse looks out for the little guy. Concerns about the un-PC "Jim Crow" crows, who mock Dumbo with the wonderful "When I See an Elephant Fly", should be moderated by remembering that the crows are the only social group in the film who act kindly to the little outcast. If you don't mist up during the "Baby Mine" scene, you may be legally pronounced dead. --Keith Simanton

• Line of Duty - Series 1-6 Complete Box Set | DVD | (31/05/2021) from £39.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From the creator and producers of Bodyguard. This thrilling British police drama has earned universal praise for its nail-biting action, complex characters, and intricate plotting (TV Guide). At anti-corruption unit AC-12, Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar, Blood) leads his team of DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston, The Nest) and DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure, This Is England) in investigating suspected cases of police corruption•and in the process, they begin to uncover a conspiracy that reaches to the heights of the force. Includes: Five behind-the-scenes featurettes, Actor filmographies, picture galleries.

• Hell's Angels | Blu Ray | (24/11/2025) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Disney & Pixar's Lightyear DVD | DVD | (29/08/2022) from £8.44   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  ! Disney and Pixar's Lightyear the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure, alongside a group of ambitious recruits, and his robot companion Sox Bonus Features: Lightyear Filmmaker Commentary

• The Jewel In The Crown - Complete Series - 25th Anniversary Edition | DVD | (24/08/2009) from £14.15   |  Saving you £15.84 (111.94%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A lavish 25th Anniversary edition of the seminal Jewel In The Crown'TV miniseries adapted from Paul Scott's Booker-winning 'Raj Quartet' novels. The British Raj: though their position outwardly seems secure the perceptive among the English nationals in India know that with impending moves towards independence their time in the sub-continent is coming to an end...

• Smurfs (2025) | DVD | (31/12/2026) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Golden Child | DVD | (04/06/2001) from £7.05   |  Saving you £5.94 (84.26%)   |  RRP £12.99

  As The Chosen One Eddie Murphy's on a madcap mission to save The Golden Child a youth with mystical powers who's been abducted by an evil cult. He battles a band of super-nasties scrambles through a booby-trapped chamber of horrors and traverses Tibet to obtain a sacred dagger. But it's Murphy's wit that turns out to be his sharpest weapon in this 24-karat comedy adventure.

• The Walking Dead Season 8 | DVD | (24/09/2018) from £10.32   |  Saving you £14.67 (142.15%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Last season, Rick Grimes and his group of survivors were reminded how brutal the world they live in can be. After feeling powerless under Negan's rules and demands, Rick rallied Hilltop and the Kingdom to fight back against the Saviours. Now, Rick is ready to bring all-out war, as the unified communities fight for a better future. Although the Saviours are larger, better-equipped and ruthless, Rick and the unified communities are fighting not just for survival but for a better future. With Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel leading the Kingdom, Negan and the Saviours' grip on this world may finally be coming to an end.

• The Fifth Element | DVD | (25/10/1999) from £7.93   |  Saving you £4.06 (51.20%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Ancient curses, all-powerful monsters, shape-changing assassins, scantily-clad stewardesses, laser battles, huge explosions, a perfect woman, a malcontent hero--what more can you ask of a big-budget science fiction movie? Luc Besson's high-octane film The Fifth Element incorporates presidents, rock stars and cab drivers into its peculiar plot, traversing worlds and encountering some pretty wild aliens. Bruce Willis stars as a down-and-out cabbie who must win the love of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to save Earth from destruction by Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman) and a dark, unearthly force that makes Darth Vader look like an Ewok. --Geoff Riley