"Actor: John B"

• Alien Quadrilogy | DVD | (08/12/2003) from £24.99   |  Saving you £35.00 (140.06%)   |  RRP £59.99

  The Alien Quadrilogy is a nine-disc box set devoted to the four Alien films. Although previously available on DVD as the Alien Legacy, here the films have been repackaged with vastly more extras and with upgraded sound and vision. For anyone who hasn't been in hypersleep for the last 25 years this series needs no introduction, though for the first time each film now comes in both original and "Special Edition" form. Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 Director's Cut is fiddling for the sake of it. Watch once then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely the Special Edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice finally to have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered and finished-off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to the story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien Resurrection (1997) was always a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the Special Edition just makes it eight minutes longer. On the DVD: Alien Quadrilogy offers all films except Alien3 with DTS soundtracks, the latter having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here--and there are subtitles for hard of hearing both for the films and the commentaries. Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented at 4:3 with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including a Channel 4 hour-long documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. Exhaustive hardly beings to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set which establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and which looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S Dalkin

• Every Woman Has A Secret | DVD | (02/04/2007) from £5.38   |  Saving you £-1.39 (-34.80%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Heather is a young and very attractive attorney who is given the case of a lifetime when her firm's most prestigious client Harry Fletcher is charged with the murder of his wife Raquel. Harry is an extremely charming and handsome man but unfortunately all the evidence seems to point to him being the murderer. The only thing missing is the body. Heather cannot resist Harry's seductive charm and they engage in a torrid and passionate affair. Who says you shouldn't mix business and

• Sliding Doors | DVD | (13/03/2006) from £8.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (77.86%)   |  RRP £15.99

  There are two sides to every story. Helen is about to live both of them... at the same time. Romance was never this much fun. The split-second moments that can take a life down one path instead of another form the tantalising 'what if?' in this delightful romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow plays London publicist Helen effortlessly sliding between parallel storylines that show what happens if she does or does not catch a morning train back to her apartment. Lo

• Daddy's Home: 2-Movie Collection | Blu Ray | (19/03/2018) from £11.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  (Daddy's Home) A mild-mannered radio executive strives to become the best stepdad to his wife's two children, but complications ensue when their freewheeling and freeloading real father arrives, forcing him to compete for the affection of the kids. (Daddy's Home 2) Father Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and stepfather Brad's (Will Ferrell) newfound partnership is put to the test when Dusty's old-school, macho Dad (Mel Gibson) and Brad's gentle Dad (John Lithgow) arrive just in time to turn the holidays upside down.

• Thunderbirds: Volume 5 | DVD | (19/07/2004) from £9.21   |  Saving you £6.78 (73.62%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Filmed in VIDECOLOR [explosions, drum roll, music builds to a climax] and SUPERMARIONATION"! The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a masterclass in Gerry Anderson's marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that (a) the show is in colour and (b) it's got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale, pre-dating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armaggedon by 30 years and more (the acting is better, too), and fetishising gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly, it transpires that the visual effects are by Derek Meddings, whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here.As to the characters, the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences' affections to their cool machines--the real stars of the show--while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls (number plate FAB1), driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker, whose "Yes, milady" catch phrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. (Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey, stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company.) The puppet stunt-work is breathtakingly audacious, and every week's death-defying escapade is nail-bitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered, Thunderbirds is children's TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood.On this DVD: The four episodes are: "The Man from MI5", "Cry Wolf", "Danger at Ocean Deep" and "Move and You're Dead".

• The Office: An American Workplace Seasons 1-3 | DVD | (13/10/2008) from £34.95   |  Saving you £10.04 (28.73%)   |  RRP £44.99

  Season OneThe British sitcom The Office has the most devoted American following since Monty Python, so an American remake seemed doomed. Amazingly, the remake actually finds its own enjoyable version of the original's uncanny comedy of embarrassment. Office manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell, The Daily Show, The 40 Year-Old Virgin) believes he's the beloved leader of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of a paper products company--but his relentless and painfully forced efforts at comedy creep out everyone around him, including paranoid Dwight (Rainn Wilson, who had a memorable recurring role on Six Feet Under), nervous receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer, LolliLove), and aimless salesman Jim (John Krasinski, A New Wave), who's smitten with the already engaged Pam. The pilot episode suffers from closely replicating the British pilot, but after that The Office finds its own footing, turning diversity training, an office birthday party, and a basketball game into excruciating yet hypnotically funny rituals of humiliation. Carell, though clearly talented, can't match Ricky Gervais' unique performance as the aggressively needy British manager (it's hard to imagine that anyone could); as a result, the supporting roles become more prominent, and Wilson, Fischer, and Krasinski quickly create a rapport that matches and may even exceed that of their British counterparts.--Bret FetzerSeason TwoThank goodness for second seasons. While the first season of The Office started dubiously with a pilot that was just a poor copy of the original British version, it did manage to provide enough good material to stay on the air and hint that better was yet to come. And here it is. The second season of The Office finds its own footing and manages to do the near-impossible by not only breaking free of the gravity of that excellent BBC version to stand solidly on its own, but establishing it as one of the best comedies on TV. Season 2 starts out strong with "The Dundies," where Regional Manager, Michael Scott (Steve Carell, The 40 Year Old Virgin) hosts the company’s annual office-awards event with his signature less-than-perfect grace. Things seem to only get worse for him this season as he bumbles a potential affair with his boss, Jan (Melora Harding), angers his employees by reading their emails ("Email Surveillance"), cooks his foot ("The Injury"), and accidentally destroys the warehouse with a forklift in "Boys and Girls," one of the season’s highlight episodes. Always at his side is the clueless paranoid Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), the Assistant Regional Manager ("Assistant to the Regional Manager," Michael always reminds him in one of the show’s running jokes). One of the reasons for the show’s improvement in the second season is increased focus on Dwight’s character, who’s becoming something of a pop-culture icon right down to having his own bobblehead. He in turn provides so much good material for Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinsky) to play off of, to their own amusement. But of course, Pam and Jim’s simmering relationship is the real meat of the show, as their compatibility becomes more obvious, Jim’s feelings for her continue to grow, and Pam struggles with the impending marriage to her less-than-caring boyfriend, Roy (David Denman). Things have to come to a head, and they do nicely in the final episode, "Casino Night." As strong as the leading characters are in The Office, it’s the excellent peripheral characters that really make the show hilarious, especially dimwitted office-slug Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), long-suffering intern Ryan (B.J. Novak), office-ditz Kelly (Mindy Kaling), and ultra-conservative Angela (Angela Kinsey). --Daniel VanciniSeason ThreeAfter a shaky first season of finding its footing, and a second season of establishing itself as one of the funniest shows on TV, the third season of The Office finds the show in its strongest form yet, thanks in large part to the addition of some new characters and stronger plotlines centered on office romances. A corporate merger brings the Stamford staff to the Scranton office of Dunder-Mifflin a quarter of the way through the season giving a nice boost to the season's arc of story lines, especially the addition of Andy (Ed Helms, another Daily Show alum in a role that seems custom made for him) who serves as yet another foil to Dwight (Rainn Wilson) in his unending fight for Michael's approval. As the season begins, the focus is more on Michael (Steve Carell) and his unique "leadership" style in the Scranton office. "A good boss gruntles the disgruntled," and despite his best intentions, he proceeds to somehow screw it up, as in the opening episode, "Gay Witch Hunt," in which he accidentally outs a gay employee. In the second episode, "The Convention," Michael tries to get the party started at the Mid-Market Office Supply Convention ("fun jeans"), and ends up revealing his insecurity about Jim's (John Krasinski) decision to move to Stamford. It leads up to "The Coup," where Dwight meets with Michael's Boss Jan (Melora Hardin) in a misguided attempt to take control of the office. The merger of the two offices into the Scranton location provides the fuel needed to continue the Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer) subplot as Jim returns with his new girlfriend, Karen (Rashida Jones) who also transferred, and with Pam no longer engaged to Roy, the tension among them increases significantly. Other major plot points this season include: Dwight shows his true feelings for Angela in an excellent climax to one of the funniest subplots on the show; Michael negotiates a raise after learning he barely makes more than his subordinates; new office suck-up Andy is forced into anger management classes; and finally, in what may be the most bizarre company retreat in history, a day at the beach ends with Pam revealing her true feelings for Jim in front of the entire office. The season wraps up in unpredictable fashion when Karen, Michael, and Jim all travel to headquarters to interview for the same position. The strength of this season just continues to solidify The Office's place as the preeminent satire of today's cubicle culture. --Daniel Vancini

• Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 4K UHD | (03/07/2017) from £10.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Big budget sci-fi action based on the original film series of the late 1960s and early 1970s. James Franco stars as Will Rodman, a genetic engineer working in present-day San Francisco who is performing scientific tests on apes in his attempt to find a cure for Alzheimer's. His first test subject is Caesar (Andy Serkis), the prototype of a new breed of apes with human-like intelligence. But when Caesar breaks free, a revolution is triggered and an epic war for supremacy breaks out between humankind and the primates of the world.

• McLintock | DVD | (02/07/2007) from £5.98   |  Saving you £-2.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  He Tamed The West But Could He Tame Her? Cattle baron banker and model citizen George McLintock has the world in his hands. The only thing missing is his wife Katherine who left him two years earlier suspecting him of adultery. In an effort to get on with his life McLintock saves a beautiful but impoverished widow from resettlement and hires her as his cook welcoming both her and her two children into his home. Sparks begin to fly and McLintock's simple and serene lifestyle comes to a crashing halt as an unexpected turn of events results in brawls gunfire an Indian attack the engagement of his only daughter and the return of Mrs. McLintock!

• The Field | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £19.98   |  Saving you £-9.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Irish director Jim Sheridan made The Field after scoring an art house hit and Oscar nominations for his previous film, My Left Foot. Set in Ireland during the 1930s, this ambitious and hard-hitting drama is about one man's obsession with a plot of land that his family has tended for generations. The results are decidedly mixed, and it's obvious that this kind of tragic allegory is better suited for the stage (where it originated as a play by John B Keane). What makes the film worthwhile is the Oscar-nominated performance by Richard Harris as "Bull" McCabe, the fiercely stubborn man who's nurtured a prime field of rented land for decades, only to lose it when the owner auctions the land to an unwelcome American (Tom Berenger). Rather than sacrifice his life's work to this brazen invader, McCabe wages a personal war with powerfully tragic results. It's unfortunate that this potent drama never really connects on an emotional level, but Harris is never less than fascinating in a role that virtually seems to consume him as an actor. His performance approaches greatness, even when the film falls somewhat short of its dramatic ambitions. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Swordfish | Blu Ray | (04/12/2006) from £12.39   |  Saving you £12.60 (101.69%)   |  RRP £24.99

  From the director of "Gone in 60 Seconds" comes an action/thriller with John Travolta as the world's most dangerous spy, Halle Berry as his voluptuous girlfriend, and Hugh Jackman as the hacker crucial to their plans to steal billions from the government.

• The Grifters (Dual Format Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (21/05/2018) from £15.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From director Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons) and producer Martin Scorsese, comes The Grifters, a taut thriller in which seduction and betrayal could lead to murder. Adapted for the screen by Donald E. Westlake, from a novel by Jim Thompson, The Grifters features a stellar cast, including Anjelica Huston (Crimes and Misdemeanors), John Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank), and Annette Bening (American Beauty). When small-time cheat Roy Dillon (Cusack) winds up in hospital following an unsuccessful scam, it sets up a confrontation between his estranged mother Lilly (Huston) and alluring girlfriend Myra (Bening). Both Lilly and Myra are con artists playing the game in a league far above Roy, and always looking for their next victim. As Roy finds himself caught in a complicated web of passion and mistrust, the question is who's conning who? Brand New Extras: Seduction. Betrayal. Murder: The Making of The Grifters: A brand new feature length documentary on the film's production, including new interviews with director Stephen Frears, cinematographer Oliver Stapleton, editor Mick Audsley, executive producer Barbara De Fina and co-producer Peggy Rajski. Limited edition booklet: Includes ˜Jim Thompson, Noir, and the Popular Front', an essay on the American author's societal influences by David Cochran, and ˜Elmer Bernstein: Grit not Grift', a review of the legendary composer's career by Charlie Brigden.

• Tin Men | DVD | (17/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Cruise back to Baltimore 1963 to the time and turf of a rare American breed: The 'Tin Man' (aluminium siding salesman). Two less-than-honest rivals in the tin game (Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito) meet in a fender bender but their bruised egos and quick tempers turn the minor accident into a major vendetta against each other's symbols of success - their prized Cadillacs. In what would seem to be a coup de grace Dreyfuss decides to seduce DeVito's neglected wife (Barbara Hershe

• Someone To Watch Over Me | DVD | (08/11/2004) from £8.29   |  Saving you £-2.30 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Someone to Watch Over Me is a stylish, smart film noir directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner). The movie stars Tom Berenger as a New York cop and family man who falls for the rich and beautiful witness (Mimi Rogers) he's assigned to protect. Scott, who always displays a distinctive eye for extraordinary art direction, does something here he should be doing a lot more often: directing contemporary noir. Berenger and Rogers rise to the occasion, seemingly aware that they're making something special. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Lords Of Dogtown | DVD | (06/06/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Anyone who grew up in Southern California will talk with both nostalgia and frustration about the periodic summers of drought in which the oppressive heat is exacerbated by a shortage of its antidote--fresh water. In 1975 a clan of scruffy rebellious teens found a way to turn this dearth to their advantage using the sloping bowl of empty suburban swimming pools to create a new underground sport - skateboarding. The development explosion and corporate co-opting of this now ubiquitous sport was the subject of Stacy Peralta's acclaimed 2002 documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. Peralta one of the original skaters who came to be known as the Z-Boys has penned this dramatized account of his own story a kinetic and gripping tale with dramatic turns reflective of the extreme crests and falls of those concrete waves.

• Boys From the Blackstuff - Parts 1 And 2 | DVD | (03/04/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  1. Jobs For The BoysChrissie assembles an unofficial building gang but their moonlighting is being watched by the Department of Employment's investigators. A raid by the fraud squad leads to tragedy2. MoonlighterDixie father of four and once the proud foreman is working illicitly on the docks when he discovers happenings that he'd rather not see. Meanwhile after threats from the Department of Employment his wife Freda is too scared to open the door.3. Shop Thy NeighbourChrissie's dole money has been stopped pending the enquiry into the 'moonlighting' affair. With no food in the cupboard the scene is set for a showdown with his wife Angie - this after all was going to be her time4. Yosser's StoryOnce Yosser dreamt of making it big. Now his manic search for work alternates with fruitless efforts to avoid eviction and keep his three children from being taken into care.5. George's Last RideA lifetime of adversity has left George's beliefs unbroken. When the end comes Chrissie discovers a legacy and finds that something must be said.

• Montana Sky | DVD | (15/10/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  When wealthy cattleman Jack Mercy dies he leaves his large Montana ranch to his three daughters - all half-sisters and complete strangers to one another. But it turns out this multimillionaire has one post mortem catch before his fortune can be doled out. According to his will the three women will only receive their inheritance under one condition: they must live together at the ranch for a full year. The trio expects this forced family reunion won't be a walk in the park but they don't anticipate a saboteur in their presence who is determined to see them fail. It's up to the three unsuspecting sisters to deal with their father's mess or kiss their inheritance goodbye! This is an unforgettable family tale of fortune love mystery and murder.

• The Duchess Of Duke Street - Series 1 - Part 2 | DVD | (05/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Gemma Jones stars as Louisa Trotter a cook for the upperclass at a fancy hotel. Very similar in style to 'Upstairs Downstairs' this classic British TV series first aired in 1976.

• P.D. James - Death Of An Expert Witness - Parts 1 To 6 | DVD | (19/04/2004) from £29.99   |  Saving you £-12.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The first televisual adaptation of the P.D. James mysteries featuring Detective Adam Dagliesh.... Scotland Yard's senior murder detective Adam Dalgliesh is called to an isolated chalk quarry to investigate the murder of a young girl in the back of a derelict car. Could she be a victim of the back seat strangler? On his return to London Dalgliesh is called to another suspicious death at Hoggatt's government controlled forensic science laboratory. He soon discovers that the laboratory is a hot-bed of intrigue and jealousy making almost everyone a possible suspect. Whilst focusing on his investigations Dalgliesh battles to set aside the personal tragedy of losing his wife and their first baby in childbirth.

• A Touch of Frost: Series 4 | DVD | (01/06/2009) from £12.99   |  Saving you £14.00 (107.78%)   |  RRP £26.99

  The fourth series of investigations featuring hard-bitten policeman Frost... Episode titles: Paying the Price Unknown Soldiers The Things We Do for Love Fun Times For Swingers Deep Waters.

• Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts | Blu Ray | (09/08/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A