"Actor: Jersey Joe Walcott"

• The Harder They Fall | DVD | (27/01/2003) from £7.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (62.58%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A movie that proved a fine swansong for Humphrey Bogart, The Harder They Fall is a gripping drama set against a background of fixed boxing matches. Not so much about the fights as the exploitation of the sport, the film is based on a novel by Budd Schulberg, whose Oscar-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront (1954) helped turn Rod Steiger into a star. Here Steiger delivers an equally bravura performance as the chillingly corrupt manager, Nick Benko, a man who will do anything to turn a buck. Bogart meanwhile is outstanding as unemployed sports writer Eddie Willis, hired against his better judgement to promote a no-hope Argentinean boxer, Toro Moreno (Mike Lane). Powerfully written, if built around the unlikely premise of building a 10th-rate fighter into a world-class contender, the drama is essentially a battle for Willis's soul as he is torn between money and conscience. Though the scenes with Bogart and Steiger facing off are the strongest and a veritable masterclass of hardboiled characterisation, Mark Robson, who also helmed the Kirk Douglas boxing classic Champion (1949), directs with a convincingly dirty realism, the final punishing and bloody match a clear influence on Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980). On the DVD: The Harder They Fall's anamorphic 1.77:1 transfer is excellent with only one brief scene showing any significant print damage. Burnett Guffey's noir-ish black-and-white cinematography looks sharp and fresh as the day it was shot, with only minimal grain. The mono sound is strong and clear, without a hint of distortion or compression. The only extra is a scored gallery of posters and lobby cards from other Bogart films available on Columbia. There are dubbed versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian, and a plethora of subtitle options. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Greatest - Muhammad Ali | DVD | (10/03/2003) from £5.58   |  Saving you £4.41 (79.03%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Universally accepted as a true icon of the 20th Century Muhammad Ali's phenomenal achievements spanned sport politics and religion. One man - photographer William Klein - had comprehensive access to the events that shaped Ali's legend. In 1964 the young outspoken Cassius Clay successfully defeated the seemingly invincible Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston - the manner of Clay's victory and his amazing persona made him an instant superstar. Through this incredible period and Clay's subsequent rematches with Liston William Klein enjoyed unrivalled access to Clay's camp - witnessing at first hand Cassius Clay becoming Muhammad Ali and angering the American people with his allegiance to Islam. Forward to Zaire 1974 and the return of Muhammad Ali to the world stage. Having been stripped of his title and condemned by the American Government for refusing to go to Vietnam Ali arrived in his spiritual homeland to face another invincible champion George Foreman. As Ali reclaimed the crown for a second time Klein was ever present capturing the full story at close quarters. A truly remarkable piece of film history!

• Muhammad Ali - The Greatest | DVD | (11/02/2002) from £4.98   |  Saving you £13.00 (653.27%)   |  RRP £14.99

  This programme is the definitive biography of Muhammad Ali the true story of his ups and downs both in and out of the ring. With the backdrop of racial segregation find out how a young loud overconfident boy from Southern USA started on his long journey to success. Defeating Sonny Liston Ali (born Clay) would carry on the legacy left by the likes of Johnson and Louis. But Ali's life is as peppered with lows as it is with highs. His refusal to be drafted for service in Vietnam an

• Muhammad Ali - The Greatest | DVD | (07/05/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99