"Actor: John Cook"

• Black Beauty | DVD | (21/08/2000) from £4.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (180.36%)   |  RRP £13.99

  When a girl is given the horse of her dreams the pair form a bond of love and trust that will last forever. Polly and her Black Beauty share wondrous adventures and face hardship and danger with brother Bertie Merry Legs the pony and the other residents of their lush country estate. All of the splendor and excitement of Anna Sewell's classic novel are thrilling to boys and girls.

• Rosemary's Baby | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £6.73   |  Saving you £6.26 (93.02%)   |  RRP £12.99

  For Rosemary’s Baby, his modern horror tale about Satanic worship and a pregnant woman’s decline into madness, Roman Polanski moves from the traditional monolithic mansions of Gothic flicks to an apartment building in New York City. Based on Ira Levin’s novel, the story concerns Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse who find the apartment of their dreams in a luxurious complex in Manhattan. Soon after moving in and making friends with a group of elderly neighbours, Guy’s career takes off and Rosemary discovers she is pregnant. Their happiness seems complete. But gradually Rosemary begins to sense that something is wrong with this baby, and slowly and surely her life begins to unravel. Polanski uses such subtle means to build up the sense of preternatural disquiet that initially you suspect Rosemary’s prenatal paranoia to be a figment of her imagination. But the guilty parties and their demonic plan to make Rosemary the receptacle of their master’s child are eventually revealed and, as Rosemary looses her grip on reality, she realises that no one can be trusted. The performances are excellent throughout; Farrow as the young wife is so fragile that you wonder how she made it unscathed to adulthood and John Cassavetes is horrifyingly duplicitous as her husband Guy. But the real star is Polanski’s masterful direction. The mood is at the same time oppressive and hysterical with the mounting terror coming from the situation and gradually unravelling plot rather than any schlock horror moments. On the DVD: the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack shows off Christopher Komeda’s eerie "lullaby" score to it’s haunting best. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and is relatively free of speckle and dust, some scenes filmed in low light are slightly grainier but this adds to the oppressive tension that Polanski is building up in the film. In terms of extras there is a 20-minute "making of" feature from 1968 and retrospective interviews with Polanski, production designer Richard Sylbert and producer Robert Evans. --Kristen Bowditch

• Early Doors - Series 1 And 2 | DVD | (26/09/2005) from £5.94   |  Saving you £2.05 (34.51%)   |  RRP £7.99

  This box set features both series 1 and 2 of Early Doors. Series 1: A gentle yet compelling story of life love loneliness and blocked urinals. Each evening the regulars bring their particular foibles and characteristics up to the bar. Overhearing their conversations and reliving the events in each of their lives is both moving and amusing. Series 2: The welcome return of the critically acclaimed comedy set entirely in The Grapes a small pub in the Nor

• The Big Sleep | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made screen history together more than once, but they were never more popular than in this 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel, directed by Howard Hawks (To Have and Have Not). Bogart plays private eye Philip Marlowe, who is hired by a wealthy socialite (Bacall) to look into troubles stirred up by her wild, young sister (Martha Vickers). Legendarily complicated (so much so that even Chandler had trouble following the plot), the film is nonetheless hugely entertaining and atmospheric, an electrifying plunge into the exotica of detective fiction. William Faulkner wrote the screenplay. --Tom Keogh

• Dark Star -- 30th Anniversary Special Edition | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Dark Star is absurd, surreal and very funny. John Carpenter once described it as "Waiting for Godot in space." (It's also, surely, one of the primary inspirations for Red Dwarf.) Made at a cost of practically nothing, the film's effects are nevertheless impressive and, along with the number of ideas crammed into its 83 minutes, ought to shame makers of science fiction films costing hundreds of times more. The story concerns the Dark Star's crew who are on a 20-year mission to destroy unstable planets and make way for future colonisation. The smart bombs they use to effect this zoom off cheerfully to do their duty. But unlike Star Trek, in which order prevails, the nerves of this crew are becoming increasingly frayed to the point of psychosis. Their captain has been killed by a radiation leak that also destroyed their toilet paper. "Don't give me any of that 'Intelligent Life' stuff," says Commander Doolittle when presented with the possibility of alien life. "Find me something I can blow up." When an asteroid storm causes a malfunction, Bomb Number 20 (the most cheerful character in the film) has to be repeatedly talked out of exploding prematurely, each time becoming more and more peevish, until they have to teach him phenomenology to make him doubt his existence. And the film's apocalyptic ending, lifted almost wholly from Ray Bradbury's story "Kaleidoscope", has the remaining crew drifting away from each other in space, each to a suitably absurd end. --Jim Gay

• The Wrong Box (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (27/07/2020) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Two warring elderly brothers and their respective heirs are determined that each will outlive the other in an attempt to hold onto the family fortune, and will stop at nothing even murder to achieve their goal. Bryan Forbes' riotous black comedy, based on the 1889 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, stars some of the greatest talents of the day, including Peter Sellers, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Tony Hancock, Ralph Richardson, Nanette Newman and John Mills. Extras: High Definition remaster Original mono audio The BEHP Interview with Bryan Forbes (1994, 102 mins): an archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Roy Fowler Audio commentary with film historians Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt Box of Delights (2018, 21 mins): award-winning actor Nanette Newman talks about The Wrong Box and her work with husband Bryan Forbes Box Cutting (2018, 10 mins): a new interview with assistant editor Willy Kemplen Chasing the Cast (2018, 11 mins): second assistant director Hugh Harlow recalls his experiences on set Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

• Whoops Apocalypse | DVD | (12/05/2003) from £5.39   |  Saving you £4.60 (85.34%)   |  RRP £9.99

  What do yo get if you mix warped British humour with political intrigue Royal kidnaps hostile invasions nuclear bombs British Task Forces mad international terrorists and the SAS? Total mayhem!

• Into the West | DVD | (02/04/2015) from £16.46   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Hound of the Baskervilles | DVD | (17/02/2003) from £19.99   |  Saving you £-4.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  With 17 previous screen adaptations behind it, this 2002 BBC version of The Hound of the Baskervilles might have been inhibited by the sheer weight of expectation. But in this production--marking the centenary of Arthur Conan Doyle's novel--director David Attwood rings the changes subtly and strikingly, helped by Allan Cubitt's tautly argued script and Christopher Hall's vivid production: the viewer feels the "presence" of the moors as never before. Richard Roxburgh is a thoughtful, understated Sherlock Holmes--self-absorbed yet observant of life around him. There's nothing bumbling or ineffectual about Ian Hart's Dr Watson--a resourceful thinker who, often sceptical of Holmes, complements him in human awareness. Richard E Grant dons a plausibly sociopathic manner as Stapleton, and there's a touching portrayal of his put-upon sister from Neve McIntosh. John Nettles and Geraldine James contribute sterling character parts as Dr and Mrs Mortimer, and Matt Day is a suave, not too sophisticated Sir Henry Baskerville. It adds up to a convincing rethink of a hallowed tale. On the DVD: The Hound of the Baskervilles on disc comes with a 16:9 picture that reproduces the sombre atmosphere of Baskerville Hall--shot at a variety of English locations--with real immediacy, and the Dolby Digital sound has 5.1 surround enhancement. Subtitles are in 11 languages, with 10 scene selections--framed in a stylishly- presented main menu. Special Features include a 12-minute making of documentary and interviews with the cast members, as well as a running commentary from Attwood and Hall. --Richard Whitehouse

• Shane | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £6.30   |  Saving you £9.69 (153.81%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Consciously crafted by director George Stevens as a piece of American myth making, Shane is on nearly everyone's shortlist of great movie Westerns. A buckskin knight, Shane (Alan Ladd) rides into the middle of a range war between farmers and cattlemen, quickly siding with the "sod-busters". While helping a kindly farmer (Van Heflin), Shane falls platonically in love with the man's wife (Jean Arthur, in the last screen performance of a marvellous career). Though the showdowns are exciting, and the story simple but involving, what most people will remember about this movie is the friendship between the stoical Shane and the young son of the farmers. The kid is played by Brandon De Wilde, an amazing child performer; his parting scene with Shane is guaranteed to draw tears from even the most stony-hearted moviegoer. And speaking of stony hearts, Jack Palance made a sensational impression as the evil gunslinger sent to clean house--he has fewer lines of dialogue than he has lines in his magnificently craggy face, but he makes them count. The photography, highlighting the landscape near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won an Oscar. --Robert Horton

• Whoops Apocalypse - The Complete Apocalypse | DVD | (29/03/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Whoops Apocalypse: Complete Series (Dir. John Reardon): Whoops Apocalypse was a comedy series from the 1980's which depicted the frightening and fantastic decisions made by politicians and world leaders as the the end of the world approached. Anarchic alternative and inspired Whoops Apocalypse was a sitcom ahead of it's time and boasted a cast including John Cleese Jeffrey Palmer Rick Mayall and Alexi Sayle. Episodes Comprise: 1. Road To Jerusalem 2. Autumn Cannibalism 3. How To Get Rid Of It 4. Lucifer And The Lord 5. The Violet Hour 6. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Whoops Apocalypse (Dir. Tom Bussmann 1986): What do you get if you mix warped British humour with political intrigue Royal kidnaps hostile invasions nuclear bombs British Task Forces mad international terrorists and the SAS? Total mayhem!

• Magnum PI - Series 1 | DVD | (13/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £34.99

  A ratings hit for eight seasons on CBS, the action-mystery series Magnum, P.I. makes its DVD boxed set debut in an impressive five-disc package that offers not only the entire first season, but some rarely seen episodes. Positioned in the old Hawaii Five-O time slot (Thursdays at 9) in December of 1980, Magnum quickly became a hit, thanks to the combination of smart and witty scripting, gorgeous locations, and the considerable charm of lead Tom Selleck as former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum, who gives up his position to become a private investigator on Oahu with the help of fellow Vietnam vets T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) and Rick (Larry Manetti). Magnum also provided security for the lavish estate of wealthy (and never-seen) mystery writer Robin Masters, which gave him access to the author's expensive vehicles (including a prized Ferrari), much to the disapproval of Masters's manservant Higgins (Jonathan Hillerman). A rare series that skillfully blended action, humor, drama, and suspense, Magnum, P.I.'s first season gets the boxed set treatment its fans have been hoping for, with all 18 first-season episodes (including the two-part pilot, "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii") included on four discs. The fifth disc contains four rarely shown bonus episodes, including season 3's "Ki'ls Don't Lie," which featured a crossover plot with Simon and Simon, as well as its conclusion ("Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend"), which kicked off S&S's second season; the latter episode has never been aired as part of Magnum's syndicated package, which is another reason for fans to pick up and enjoy this long-awaited set. --Paul Gaita

• Torque | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.17   |  Saving you £6.82 (95.12%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A biker must outride an FBI agent hot on his trail and two fearsome gang leaders out for his blood in this explosive slice of action.

• Roman Polanski Collection | DVD | (16/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A talented musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps of World War II.

• Dark Star | DVD | (17/01/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The crew of the spaceship Dark Star are on a 20-year mission to destroy unstable planets and make way for future colonisation by using smart bombs which zoom off cheerfully to do their duty. But unlike the orderly inhabitants of Star Trek's Enterprise, the nerves of this crew are becoming frayed to the point of psychosis. Their captain has been killed by a radiation leak that also destroyed their toilet paper. "Don't give me any of that 'Intelligent Life' stuff", says Commander Doolittle when presented with the possibility of alien life, "Find me something I can blow up". When an asteroid storm causes a malfunction, Bomb Number 20 (the most cheerful character in the film) has to be repeatedly talked out of exploding prematurely, each time becoming more and more peevish, until they have to teach him phenomenology to make him doubt his existence. And the film's apocalyptic ending, lifted almost wholly from Ray Bradbury's short story "Kaleidoscope" has the remaining crew drifting away from each other in space, each to a suitably absurd end. Absurd, surreal and very funny. John Carpenter once described Dark Star as "Waiting for Godot in space". Made at a cost of practically nothing, the film's effects are nevertheless impressive and, along with the number of ideas crammed into its 83 minutes, ought to shame makers of science fiction films costing hundreds of times more. --Jim Gay

• The Unbelievable Truth | DVD | (27/05/2013) from £8.00   |  Saving you £7.99 (99.88%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Audry (Adrienne Shelly) is a Long Island teenager beset with worries - college, parents, nuclear war and frustrated by small town life. When mysterious Josh (Robert Burke) arrives and goes to work as a mechanic for Audrey's father, she feels overwhelmingly attracted to him, despite town rumours that he's a murderer.

• Sex Pistols - The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle | DVD | (13/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  The Sex Pistols star in Julien Temple's at times surreal at times hilarious factional documentary that charts the rise and fall of punk's most notorious band through the eyes of its calculating and grandiose manager Malcolm McLaren played here with full Machiavellian swagger. Written and directed by Temple whilst he was still a film student it mixes animation and midgets with footage of some of the Sex Pistols' most electrifying live performances. Originally released in UK theatres in 1980 the film presents the band's success as an elaborate scam perpetrated by McLaren to make ""a million pounds"" at the expense of record companies outraged moralists the British Royal Family - and even the fans and band members themselves. As the film's original tagline stated The Great Rock Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the film that incriminated its audience. As the brief but beautiful period of punk rock is now as far away from 2007 as 1976/77 was from the end of World War 2 it will be hard for anyone under 35 to comprehend just how shocking this film was and the incredible controversy it caused as depressed Britain blighted by inner city riots and waking to the birth of Thatcherism lurched into the Eighties. However watching it again it is still immensely powerful just as riveting still retains the capability to shock and is as valid now as it was then. More than 25 years after their break-up the Sex Pistols' music continues to influence punk and post-punk bands the world over - and The Great Rock Rock 'n' Roll Swindle shows why. It helped add to the band's already riotous reputation with scenes of Sid Vicious attacking a Parisienne prostitute (with a French tart) the subversive Queen's Silver Jubilee Day concert on the Thames in 1977 their infamous appearance on the ""Bill Grundy Show"" and underage female nudity. It even had to contend with the death of Sid Vicious who died between the ending of filming and its theatrical release. But it is the Sex Pistols music that emerges as the films biggest star: performances of ""Anarchy In The UK"" ""God Save The Queen"" and ""Holidays In The Sun"" are mesmeric while Vicious' ""My Way"" maintains an air of tragedy and exquisiteness at once. Tenpole Tudor (ingeniously called ""Tadpole"" by Irene Handl in the film) weighs in with vocals on ""Who Killed Bambi"" and ""Rock Around The Clock"" and even on-the-run Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs turns up to sing on ""No One Is Innocent"" and ""Belsen Vos A Gasser"". Having spawned the phrase ""making cash from chaos"" it's worth remembering that the Sex Pistols were voted the ""1977 Young Businessmen of the Year"" by their antitheses in the City of London..

• The Falcon Mystery Movie Collection: Volume 2 | DVD | (19/02/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Sex Pistols - The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle | DVD | (13/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The film that incriminates its audience. The most notorious band in the world. In ten simple lessons manager Malcom McLaren tells their fabulous story. A dramatised history of the Sex Pistols the notorious band who began the new wave of rock. A humorous cynical look at the music industry. Tunes include: Anarchy in the UK God Save the Queen Pretty Vacant Who Killed Bambi and My Way...

• Sharpe's Honour / Sharpe's Gold | DVD | (10/06/2002) from £5.92   |  Saving you £9.07 (60.50%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe (1993-7) ran to 14 full-length television films that follow the adventures of the titular soldier through the later years of the Napoleonic Wars. The programmes are an outstanding achievement for the small screen, dominated by Sean Bean’s central performance as the heroic, troubled outsider who turns out to be a resourceful and loyal leader. Bolstered by a strong supporting cast, particularly Daragh O'Malley as Harper and (in later episodes) Abigail Cruttenden as Jane, Sharpe is often visually striking, the action tense and gripping. Consistency is maintained by all 14 episodes being directed by Tom Clegg. On the DVD: Sharpe on DVD contains a photo gallery and several screens of background text. The sound is full-bodied stereo while the very "sharp" (pun intended) picture has been transferred slightly letterboxed at 14:9. Though looking much better than the original TV transmissions the occasionally cropped framing makes it apparent the films were shot in 16:9 widescreen, so it is regrettable they have not been transferred to DVD in that format. Otherwise these are first-rate releases.--Gary S Dalkin