"Actor: John Ford"

• The Mummy's Hand / The Mummy's Tomb (BD) | Blu Ray | (08/05/2017) from £9.95   |  Saving you £0.54 (5.43%)   |  RRP £10.49

  THE MUMMY'S HAND In this acclaimed follow-up to the popular original, an expedition of American archaeologists, headed by Steve Banning (Dick Foran) and Baby Jenson (Wallace Ford), travels to Egypt in search of the undiscovered tomb of the Princess Ananka. There they soon discover the clues that lead them to a 3000-year-old mummy, who is guarded by a sinister high priest (Eduardo Ciannelli). Reluctantly funded by a magician (Cecil Kellaway) and his beautiful daughter (Peggy Moran), the expedition has its hands full battling the mummy, who goes on a killing rampage during each full moon, in this frightening chiller masterpiece. THE MUMMY'S TOMB The ancient Egyptian Mummy, Kharis, is transported from his homeland with the high priest Mehemet (Turhan Bey) to wreak vengeance on the family who has defiled thE sacred bomb of his beloved Princess Ananka. Compassionately portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr., Kharis travels to the United States, with companion Mehemet, to seek archaeologist Stephen A. Banning (Dick Foran). Systematically, the last surviving members of the original expedition are killed while Mehemet falls in love with Isobel Evans (Elyse Knox), Banning's beautiful fiancee. He futilely tries to use the Mummy to ensnare Isobel to be his high priestess, but is prevented by a fiery mob which destroys him and the mummy in this classic chiller.

• Staying Alive | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £25.90   |  Saving you £-9.91 (-62.00%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Sequel to 'Saturday Night Fever' where Tony Manero older but not much wiser pursues his search for stardom on the Broadway stage...

• The Abyss | DVD | (26/02/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  James Cameron's 1989 aquatic epic The Abyss was, quite literally, a watershed in the annals of filmmaking: not only was it the first (and only) movie to be shot almost entirely underwater, in the largest tank ever used for a movie set, and to use live dialogue from specially designed headsets, it also pushed forward the boundaries of computer animation in one gigantic leap. The famous water tentacle sequence is now regarded as the defining moment when CGI came of age; ironically perhaps, its very success has ensured that the punishing realism of the setting, which is the best thing about the movie, is likely never to be attempted again. But the impressive technical aspects aside, is the movie any good? Granted it contains any number of striking moments, from forcing a rat to breathe liquid (it really works, apparently) to resurrecting a drowned Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. But the story is a slim one for the running time, especially in the extended Special Edition version which plays almost half an hour longer than the theatrical cut and contains a completely excised subplot featuring much too much heavy-handed moralising: "How all the world can stop fighting and learn to get along with each other", by James Cameron esq. All you need is love, apparently. Here is one rare example of the theatrical cut being preferable to the director's. Now, if only he had cut the love story from Titanic too On the DVD: The Abyss Special Edition two-disc set has plenty of neat extra features, but is let down a little by the non-anamorphic 2.35:1 letterboxed picture. Sound, on the other hand, is vivid THX mastered Dolby 5.1. Happily, the first disc contains both the original theatrical cut and the extended special-edition version. There's a reasonably informative though inevitably rather dry text-only commentary. The principal extra on Disc 2 is a 60-minute documentary, "Under Pressure", with retrospective interviews in which cast and crew detail the extraordinary challenges involved in making the film, and more than one near-death experience. In addition there's the complete screenplay, various different pieces on the effects sequences, storyboards, artwork, DVD-ROM features--in short, plenty to keep even jaded DVD enthusiasts amused for hours. The menu interfaces for both discs are a treat and the set comes with a good 12-page booklet. --Mark Walker

• The Best of 8 out of 10 Cats | DVD | (20/11/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Jim Carr hosts the best of the irreverent Channel 4 comedy show.

• The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Series 1 | DVD | (09/09/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  All five feature-length spinoffs from the classic 1960s spy series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E'. With weapons in hand - and tongues in cheek - agents Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) carry out the bidding of U.N.C.L.E. chief Alexander Waverly (Leo G. Carroll). Guest stars include Joan Crawford, Rip Torn, Herbert Lom, Telly Savalas, Terry-Thomas, John Carradine and Leslie Nielson. Films are: 'The Spy With No Face', 'One Spy Too Many', 'Karate Killers', 'Helicopter ...

• Bicentennial Man | DVD | (03/07/2000) from £26.96   |  Saving you £-22.97 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Bicentennial Man was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent, releases, Jakob the Liar and Patch Adams. But this near-approximation of a science-fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus (Mrs Doubtfire), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference. Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humour and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings. As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the Home Alone director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. -- Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• The Unforgiven | DVD | (01/03/2004) from £6.98   |  Saving you £6.01 (86.10%)   |  RRP £12.99

  No relation to the 1992 Clint Eastwood film of almost the same name, 1959's The Unforgiven is based--like John Ford's The Searchers--on a novel by Alan LeMay. Again the story focuses on a frontier family divided by racism. But instead of the complex, endlessly resonant demonology of the Ford picture, here John Huston aims for a pat, civil-rights-era allegory of loving solidarity triumphing over societal prejudice--and, to be sure, some noble but dangerous Kiowas. Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn costar as, respectively, the eldest son of a ranching family and the beloved sister who's not his sister at all, but an Indian. However, the film's dark heart belongs to Joseph Wiseman as an avenging ghost who materialises out of the wind and Lillian Gish as the matriarch who will do whatever she must to protect her clan. --Richard T Jameson

• The Lion In Winter | DVD | (08/09/2003) from £8.66   |  Saving you £4.33 (50.00%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In this 12th-century version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), meet on Christmas Eve to discuss the future of the throne. These two are having slight marital problems, as she is kept in captivity most of the year for raising a rebellion against him, and he flaunts his young mistress. Then there are the problems raised by their three treacherous and traitorous sons. James Goldman won an Oscar for the brilliant screenplay, based on his Broadway play. It is a tad wordy, as the action is kept to a minimum, but those words are sharp as daggers. The humour is wicked and black and delivered with very dry, dead-on precision. Sparks fly and the screen sizzles whenever Hepburn and O'Toole tango, which is often. Both were nominated for Academy Awards for their vigorous performances. (She won, he didn't.) There is also an infamous homoerotic exchange between Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) and Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins). Both actors were making their feature film debuts. --Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com

• War Hunt | DVD | (07/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  No one is a better soldier than Pvt. Raymond Endore (John Saxon) at least in his own mind. Stationed in Korea as the conflict between the United States and the divided peninsula is coming to an end Endore sleeps while his platoon works to gear up for his nightly patrols of the area. These patrols used to bring vital information but now they have become a nightly ritual for Endore to slash the throats of suspected enemies tolerated by a Captain (Charles Aidman) who fears Endore's unstable nature. A Korean war orphan (Tommy Matsuda) befriends Endore as well as an idealistic soldier (Robert Redford) and these two soldiers must decide the fate of the child as the ceasefire is announced.... Madness in men during their tour of duty a subject also at the heart of Hell Is For Heroes and Attack! is the focus of this brutal 1961 war drama. Redford in his film debut offers a strong counterpart to the criminally underrated John Saxon (who would go on to a career of character work) who gives a stunning performance as a killer who only seems at peace after taking the life of another victim.

• The Man Who Sued God | DVD | (01/12/2003) from £6.48   |  Saving you £4.77 (91.38%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Man Who Sued God defies simple definition, managing to be several types of movie all at the same time. As a theological-romantic-comedy-drama, it's in a somewhat unique category all of its own. Perhaps only Billy Connolly could carry off a central role that combines slapstick with raging anger, puppy-dog disappointment and strong language delivered in his distinctive accent. These facets of performance are used and abused in a tale that feels like it really ought to be based on a true story, but isn't. Connolly's life as a fisherman is sunk by the destruction of his boat by a bolt of lightning. The insurance company won't pay up because it falls under that age-old excuse of being an "Act of God". So Connolly decides to sue the deity. The premise raises issues about how the law and the church have apparently conspired together. But at heart the film is a simple character study, so any pondering on legal or theological implications will have to be done on your own time; the screen is occupied with family issues, underhand dealings and a maybe-maybe romance with Judy Davis. Big Yin fans at least will enjoy the Connolly's composite character. --Paul Tonks

• Widow's Peak | DVD | (15/03/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Edwina has moved into the neighbourhood known as 'Widows' Peak' so called due to the prevalent maritial status of the residents. The residents are all curious about their new neighbour Edwina including Mrs Counihan the residents leader whose son is busy wooing Edwina. Miss O'Hare and Edwina have an immediate dislike for each other and some accidential encounters look like Edwina is trying to ruin her new rival.

• Morning Departure | DVD | (13/04/2015) from £6.72   |  Saving you £6.27 (93.30%)   |  RRP £12.99

  World War Two thriller starring John Mills. While out on routine patrol, the Royal Navy submarine Trojan accidentally strikes an electronically-operated drifting mine, and plunges immediately to the sea bed. As time - and air - start to run out, the Captain, Lt Cmdr Armstrong (Mills) gathers the handful of survivors together and tries to figure out the best means of escape. Richard Attenborough and Nigel Patrick co-star.

• Duel At Diablo | DVD | (01/03/2004) from £7.96   |  Saving you £5.03 (63.19%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Sidney Poitier and James Garner put in excellent performances as men on either side of the colour divide forced to fight side by side against the might of the Apache Indians...

• Get Carter | DVD | (24/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Why did Hollywood think it was a good idea to take Get Carter--Mike Hodges' classic 1971 study in gangster psychology--transplant the setting from decaying Tyneside to a present-day American metropolis, neuter the screenplay so that precious little of the original's acerbic humour and subtlety remain, and assign the lead role of Jack Carter, memorably taken by Michael Caine in the original, to Sylvester Stallone? No amount of Rocky-cum-Rambo routines can convince you that he's remotely inside the character, even though here Carter's psychotic side has been airbrushed out as he seeks revenge for the murder of his brother and rape of his niece. Miranda Richardson is a wearily sympathetic Gloria, and Rachel Leigh Cook a not-too-bratish Doreen (is this actually used as an American name?). Mickey Rourke looks suitably wasted as loutish businessman Cyrus; Alan Cumming is an annoyingly smug computer whizz Kinnear (wouldn't you have pulled the trigger?), while Michael Caine loses all credibility for his cameo appearance as Cliff Brumby. Did he really need the cash? On the DVD: Get Carter on disc is a classy but lifeless production. Extras include the theatrical trailer, cast and crew details, and six deleted scenes which are too brief to be more than off-cuts. Three spoken and nine subtitled languages are provided, and there's director Stephen Kay's pithy running commentary to enjoy. Even he, however, often sounds at a loss to explain just why the film was made. Thank goodness the original movie is also available on DVD. --Richard Whitehouse

• Down From The Mountain | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £14.54   |  Saving you £5.45 (37.48%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Down from the Mountain is a treasurable record of a unique event: a live concert from Nashville featuring the artists and songs from the Coen Brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Anyone who was delighted by that enchanting film and its traditional Americana soundtrack will find this concert an irresistible delight. It's not just a rehashing of the songs from the film, however, but an opportunity for some of the finest names in Bluegrass to perform a variety of traditional songs. Here we have Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris playing separately before coming together for an a cappella rendition of "(Didn't Leave) Nobody but the Baby". Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley chills the spine with his lonesome "O Death", while bluesman Chris Thomas King wails "John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto'". There are other marvellous performances from old-timey stalwarts The Cox Family and The Whites, more Gospel-infused singing from the Fairfield Four, and impressively authentic fiddling from John Hartford. Oddly, the only song not to be heard is the original film's standout item, "Man of Constant Sorrow". The concert is also available on CD. On the DVD: The disc's packaging is misleading, as it only lists 12 songs when there are several more in the concert, all of which are listed and can be accessed from the menu. There's a good 25-minute backstage documentary also included, plus some liner notes from the Coens. --Mark Walker

• Christine | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £22.98   |  Saving you £-16.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  She can't (and won't) drive 55.... Stephen King's novel about the twisted love affair between a boy and his car gets transferred to the screen, courtesy of suspense master John Carpenter. Although lacking some of the more outré supernatural elements of the source material, this high-octane cinematic tune-up more than delivers the goods, horror-wise (Christine's midnight rampages will never be forgotten)--as well as being a sly exposé of the random cruelties within the high-school pecking order. Keith Gordon (who has gone on to become a stellar director in his own right, with films such as A Midnight Clear and Mother Night to his credit) gives a wonderfully controlled central performance. Carpenter's atmospheric original score is backed up by a well-chosen collection of rock classics, including George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone" (the titular character's all-too-apt theme song). --Andrew Wright, Amazon.com

• Abbott And Costello - The Collection | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £39.99   |  Saving you £-19.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £20.00

  *Titles to be confirmed

• Fort Apache (John Wayne) | DVD | (05/06/2006) from £12.70   |  Saving you £-2.71 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Henry Fonda is the strict new commander of a frontier fort (Henry Fonda) who soon clashes with his more experienced second in command (John Wayne), jepordising the fragile peace with the native americans.

• A Rather English Marriage | DVD | (21/05/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Adapted from Angela Lambert's novel this is the story of two widowers coming to terms with loss and loneliness. An RAF squadron leader (Finney) and a retired milkman (Courtenay) decide move in together after they are both widowed on the very same night. The two quickly bond having shared a past in the service. However the introduction of beautiful lady with some ulterior motives threatens the friendship of the odd couple. Based on the novel by Angela Lambert.

• The American West Of John Ford | DVD | (25/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  A documentary which focuses on the director John Ford and his interest in the western film. Featuring insights from the actors who so often starred in his westerns; James Stewart John Wayne and Henry Fonda.