"Actor: John Ley"

• Zulu Dawn | DVD | (05/01/2004) from £12.80   |  Saving you £1.19 (9.30%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Cy Endfield cowrote the epic prequel Zulu Dawn 15 years after his enormously popular Zulu. Set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic Battle of Isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the British army by natives--the British contingent was outnumbered 16-to-1 by the Zulu tribesmen. The film's opinion of events is made immediately clear in its title sequence: ebullient African village life presided over by King Cetshwayo is contrasted with aristocratic artifice under the arrogant eye of General Lord Chelmsford (Peter O'Toole). Chelmsford is at the heart of all that goes wrong, initiating the catastrophic battle with an ultimatum made seemingly for the sake of giving his troops something to do. His detached manner leads to one mistake after another and this is wryly illustrated in a moment when neither he nor his officers can be bothered to pronounce the name of the land they're in. That it's a beautiful land none the less is made clear by the superb cinematography, which drinks in the massive open spaces that shrink the British army to a line of red ants. Splendidly stiff-upper-lipped support comes from a heroic Burt Lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, Bob Hoskins. Although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of Rorke's Drift that followed soon after, Zulu Dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks

• Point Break | DVD | (31/01/2000) from £11.77   |  Saving you £8.22 (69.84%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A rash of daring bank robberies erupt in which the bad guys all wear the masks of worse guys--former presidents (nice touch). Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), an impossibly named former football star who blew out his knee and became a studly crime-busting fed instead, figures out that none of the heists occur during surfing season and all of them occur when, so to speak, surf's down. So obviously, he reasons, we're dealing with some surfer-dude bank robbers. He goes undercover with just such a group, led by a very spiritual, very guru-type guy played by Patrick Swayze, who has some muddled philosophies when it comes to materialism. If you can buy all that, this efficiently directed (by Kathryn Bigelow) action flick has some diverting moments (credit it, for example, for anticipating the extreme-sports fad). But Reeves' intelligent-sounding lines don't make him seem remotely intelligent and that plot makes him look positively brilliant. --David Kronke

• Man Of La Mancha | DVD | (05/12/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Peter O'Toole Sophia Loren and James Coco dream the impossible dream. The hit stage musical given the movie treatment. A skinny old gentleman with wispy white hair dreams the impossible dream... He is Don Quixote de La Mancha the knight errant. Don Quixote is the mad aging nobleman who embarrasses his respectable family by his adventures. Backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza he duels windmills and defends his perfect lady Dulcinea (who is actually a downtrodden w

• The Man From Earth | DVD | (07/07/2008) from £28.88   |  Saving you £-13.89 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  On a cold night in a remote cabin Professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith of CSI: Miami) gathers his most trusted colleagues for an extraordinary announcement: He is an immortal who has migrated through 140 centuries of evolution and must now move on. Is Oldman truly Cro-Magnon or simply insane? Now one man will force these scientists and scholars to confront their own notions of history religion and humanity all leading to a final revelation that may shatter their world forever.

• Set It Off | DVD | (30/01/2013) from £19.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Even when it misses a dramatic opportunity in favour of generic action, Set It Off benefits from a sharp understanding of its well-drawn central characters. They are a quartet of young African American women in Los Angeles (Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise), all struggling against a system that seems designed to prevent them from realising their dreams. The movie establishes their plight with credible attention to emotional detail, making their decision to rob banks believable enough to give the ensuing plot its inevitably tragic momentum. Co-written by the screenwriter of What's Love Got to Do With It?, the film conveys genuine compassion for its characters, and the ensemble cast is uniformly strong--especially Queen Latifah as a brash lesbian whose fate is as certain as her forceful attitude.Set It Off expresses a real sense that these women have been close friends for years, and that gives the film additional impact, even when their transition to crime and violence feels somewhat forced and superficial. A romantic subplot involving Pinkett and a social-climbing banker (Blair Underwood) is too contrived to be convincing, and director F. Gary Gray (Friday) tries too hard to combine hard-hitting action with social relevance (a weakness shared by Gray's following film, The Negotiator). Still, Set It Off effectively avoids passing judgement; its emotional complexity transcends simple notions of right and wrong, injecting vitality--and a kind of renegade integrity--into the traditions of a familiar plot. --Jeff Shannon

• The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin - The Complete Third Series | DVD | (19/05/2003) from £6.36   |  Saving you £9.63 (151.42%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Boasting a virtuoso comic performance from Leonard Rossiter The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976-79) remains one of the greatest of all television sitcoms. Writer David Nobbs combined the surrealist absurdity of Monty Python with an on-going story line that unfolded through each of the three seasons with a clear beginning, middle and end; a ground-breaking development in 70s TV comedy. The first and best season charts middle-aged, middle-management executive Reginald Perrin as he breaks-down under the stress of middle-class life until he informs the world that half the parking meters in London have Dutch Parking Meter Disease. He fakes suicide and returns to court his wife Elizabeth (Pauline Yates) in disguise, a plot development that formed the entire basis of Mrs Doubtfire (1993). Series Two is broader, the rapid-fire dialogue still razor sharp and loaded with caustic wit and ingenious silliness, as a now sane Reggie takes on the madness of the business world by opening a chain of shops selling rubbish. The third season, set in a health farm, is routine, the edge blunted by routine sitcom conventions. At its best The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is hilarious and moving, its depiction of English middle-class life spot on, its satire prophetic. Reggie's visual fantasies hark back to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and Billy Liar (1963), and look forward to Ally McBeal (1997-2002) and are the icing on the cake of a fine, original and highly imaginative show. On the DVD: Reginald Perrin's discs contain one complete seven episode season. There are no extras. The sound is good mono and the 4:3 picture is generally fine, though some of the exterior shot-on-film scenes have deteriorated and there are occasional signs of minor damage to the original video masters. Even so, for a 1970s sitcom shot on video the picture is excellent and far superior to the original broadcasts. --Gary S Dalkin

• So Little Time | DVD | (09/11/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Marius Goring and Maria Schell give intense performances in this poignant romantic drama set in Nazi-occupied Belgium. Based on Noelle Henry's novel Je ne suis pas une heroine, So Little Time's love story between a young Belgian woman and a German officer proved highly controversial on its release in 1952, ensuring that it has never been released on home video until now. It is featured here in a brand-new digital transfer, with its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. When war clouds burst over Europe for the second time in a generation, the Belgians again suffer the humiliation of occupation; Madam de Malvines and her daughter Nicole find their chateau outside Brussels partially requisitioned by Colonel von Hohensee, the local German commander. Despite their initial hostility, however, Nicole and Hohensee find they have something in common: a love of music. Nicole eventually begins to see Hohensee as an artist first and a soldier second and comes to realise that she is hopelessly in love with him and that he, too, deeply loves her... SPECIAL FEATURES: Original theatrical trailer Image gallery Promotional material PDF

• The Wrong Box - Limited Edition | Blu Ray | (26/11/2018) from £N/A   |  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: INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES: High Definition remaster Original mono audio The British Entertainment History Project Interview with Bryan Forbes (1994): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Roy Fowler New and exclusive audio commentary with film historians Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt Interview with Nanette Newman (2018): the award-winning actor talks about The Wrong Box and her work with husband Bryan Forbes Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Vic Pratt, an overview of contemporary critical responses and historic articles on the film World premiere on Blu-ray LIMITED EDITION OF 3,000 copies

• Britannic | DVD | (27/05/2002) from £12.54   |  Saving you £-6.55 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  It was the sister ship of the infamous Titanic...and its final destiny was the same. Experience the true untold story of Britannic a tumultuous epic voyage of human passion courage and betrayal aboard an ill-fated ocean liner bound for a shattering demise. With the world at war an undercover British agent (Amanda Ryan) embarks the Britannic in search of a German spy believed to be on board to sabotage the ship. Posing as a governess the undercover agent finds herself falling in love with the ship's chaplain (Edward Atterton Man In The Iron Mask). In a stunning discovery the lovers suddenly find themselves enemies of war. And when a massive explosion deals a deathblow to the ship their battle becomes one for their own survival. With a dynamic international cast and story line that hosts a chilling tale of espionage politics and romance Britannic brings one of history's most devastating events to riveting new life.

• WWE Wrestlemania XXII (3 Disc Box Set) | DVD | (03/07/2006) from £40.48   |  Saving you £-10.49 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Bout List: 1. WWE Championship: John Cena vs Triple H 2. World Heavyweight Champion: Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton 3. No Holds Barred Match: Mr McMahon vs Shawn Michaels 4. Hardcore Match: Edge vs. Mick Foley 5. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Shelton Benjamin vs RVD vs Ric Flair vs Finlay vs Matt Hardy vs Lashley 6. Casket Match: Undertaker vs Mark Henry 7. United States Champion: Chris Benoit vs JBL 8. World Tag Team Championship: Big Show & Kane vs Chris Masters

• The Jungle Book 1 and 2 | Blu Ray | (05/08/2013) from £7.25   |  Saving you £19.31 (266.34%)   |  RRP £26.56

  The jungle has never looked so lush and sounded so good! Now on Blu-ray for the first time Disney's song-filled celebration comes vibrantly to life with a new digital restoration and glorious high definition picture. Meet the most unforgettable characters and embark on a thrilling adventure with Mowgli as he journeys deep into the jungle and learns 'The Bare Necessities' of life from happy-go-lucky Baloo the bear. Meet Bagheera the wise old panther and crazy King Louie the orang-utan. But watch out for cunning Shere Khan the tiger and Kaa the ssssneakiest snake in the jungle! Bursting with wild fun toe-tapping music and beloved characters this timeless masterpiece celebrates the true meaning of friendship. Experience all the excitement of Disney's jumpin' jungle classic and share the wonder with someone you love. Special Features: I Wan'na Be Like You: Hangin' Out At Disney's Animal Kingdom Alternate Ending Growing Up With Nine Old Men Audio Commentary With Composer Richard M. Sherman Animator Andreas Deja And The Voice Of Mowgli Bruce Reitherman Plus Guest Archival Appearances Backstage Disney The Bare Necessities: The Making Of The Jungle Book Walt's Lasting Impressions Kings Of The Jungle Drawn To The Voices The Jungle Beat The Last Act Disney's Kipling: Walt's Magic Touch On A Literary Classic The Lure Of 'The Jungle Book' Mowgli's Return To The Wild Frank and Ollie: Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston Discuss Character Animation Music and More Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson Brothers All The Song Of The Seeonee The Bare Necessities (Demo Version) Monkey See Monkey Do I Knew I Belonged To Her In A Day's Work The Mighty Hunters 'I Wan'na Be Like You' Music Video Performed By Jonas Brothers Sing Along With The Movie Introduction By Richard Sherman (for Int'l Only)

• Cats - Ultimate Edition | DVD | (13/10/2000) from £19.46   |  Saving you £-13.47 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Cats is a pop-cultural phenomenon that has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, resulting in more than two billion dollars in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided it until now. This video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium. Most of the cast--assembled from London, Amsterdam and New York productions--are competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr Mistoffelees and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory", and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the covers of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, which is not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots. The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors, John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory", which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theatre standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". On the plus side, most of the characters and lyrics, from TS Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler, Amazon.com

• Dead Poets Society / Good Will Hunting | DVD | (15/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Dead Poets Society (1989): Academy Award winner Robin Williams delivers a brilliant performance in one of Hollywood's most compelling and thought-provoking motion pictures. Williams portrays passionate English professor John Keating who in an age of crew cuts sport coats and cheerless conformity inspires his students to live life to the fullest exclaiming... ""Carpe diem lads! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary!"" The charismatic teacher's emotionally charged challenge is met by his students with irrepressible enthusiasm - changing their lives forever. Magnificently directed by Peter Weir (The Truman Show) Dead Poets Society earned unparalleled praise among audiences and critics alike. Discover for yourself what all the cheering's about. (Dir. Peter Weir Cert. PG) Good Will Hunting (1997): Will Hunting (Damon) is a headstrong working-class genius. After one too many run-ins with the law Will's last chance is a psychology professor (Williams). Experience this powerful and unforgettable movie. From highly acclaimed director Gus Van Sant this triumphant story was nominated for 9 Academy Awards - winning Oscars for Robin Williams and hot newcomers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and also features nominee Minnie Driver. (Dir. Gus Van Sant Cert. 15)

• James Bond - For Your Eyes Only (Ultimate Edition 2 Disc Set) | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £4.98   |  Saving you £12.01 (241.16%)   |  RRP £16.99

  When a British ship sinks in foreign waters the world's superpowers begin a feverish race to find its cargo: a nuclear submarine control system. And 007 (Roger Moore) is thrust into one of his most riveting adventures as he rushes to join the search...and prevent global devastation!

• Dulcima | Blu Ray | (24/08/2020) from £9.68   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An acclaimed and memorable drama, Dulcima stars Cathy Come Home's Carol White as a young woman whose determined efforts to escape a life of rural poverty lead to complications and worse. Co-starring Oscar winner John Mills as a lonely, ageing farmer, this earthy, award-winning adaptation of H.E. Bates' classic novel is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Dulcima, a pretty girl treated as a drudge by her family, becomes a housekeeper to Parker, a curmudgeonly widower living in drunken disarray on a neighbouring farm. When she sees the amount of money he has stashed around the place, Dulcima is happy enough to indulge his growing desire for her, and a strange, yet mutually beneficial, relationship develops. But a handsome young gamekeeper, newly arrived on a nearby estate, also catches Dulcima's eye... SPECIAL FEATURES: Original Theatrical Trailers Image Gallery

• Dawson's Creek: The Finale | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £5.90   |  Saving you £10.09 (171.02%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Bringing the sixth and final season of 'Dawson's Creek' to a close this disc features the two-part finale aptly titled 'All Good Things Must Come To An End'. Dawson Joey Pacey Jen and Jack are reunited in Capeside after five years to celebrate Dawson's mum's wedding. But the celebratory mood comes to an end when they receive some heartbreaking news. As the gang faces a future more uncertain than ever before Joey struggles to come to terms with her true feelings for Dawson Pa

• Dawson's Creek: Season 3 | DVD | (23/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £44.99

  Jen is a cheerleader and Jack's on the football team. I got sane and everyone else went crazy?" That's how Andie (Meredith Monroe) sums up the topsy-turvy beginning to the third season of Dawson's Creek, in which nothing seems to be as it should and the series takes a major turn. It's junior year at Capeside High, and Jack (Kerr Smith), the town's resident gay teen, is indeed on the football team, and Jen (Michelle Williams) finds herself the object of unexpected and unwelcome popularity among her fellow students, especially the freshman quarterback (Michael Pitt). Pacey (Joshua Jackson) finds that his relationship with Andie can't be restored, and Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes), after the events of last year, both think it's for the best that they're no longer together--they just never think it at the same time. Significant events include the friends starting to date outside their circle, Dawson's giving up some of his aspirations, a ! crisis for the school's new principal, a college tour, and the openings of the Potter Bed & Breakfast and Leery Fresh Fish. But the Dawson-Joey relationship is still the heart of the Creek, and it comes to a head in one of the series' most memorable episodes, "The Longest Day," and then the season finale. Even in its first season without series creator Kevin Williamson, Dawson's Creek still had plenty of punch. On the DVDs, executive producer Paul Stupin does his usual commentary track for two episodes, and he's joined by Kerr Smith. They discuss the series itself, Smith's character, and Smith's subsequent career more than the events of the episodes. The second-season DVD set disappointed many fans by replacing a large portion of the music, and that trend continues in the third season, most surprisingly in the loss of Paula Cole's theme song. Instead, the opening credits feature Jann Arden's "Run Like Mad," which was used briefly in the international broadcast. Stupin explains the switch as an attempt to do something different and creative, but then admits there was also "a bit of an economic reality." Fortunately, the DVDs do have John Lennon's "Imagine" and Mary Beth Maziarz's "Daydream Believers"--songs that in dramatic context simply could not have been replaced--and it could be argued that a veteran viewer might skip the opening credits anyway. Still, for many fans, the music made Dawson's Creek what it was, and without all of it--especially the theme song--the DVDs seem like a compromise rather than a permanent keepsake. --David Horiuchi

• Stephen King's The Shining | DVD | (10/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Stephen King's The Shining is a new adaptation from the author himself, made for American television, that bears very little resemblance to the 1980 Stanley Kubrick version. Which is not surprising since Kubrick practically threw out most of King's novel and presented his own version of the story. Here King redresses the balance in a mini-series that follows his original almost to the letter, and manages to be effectively creepy despite the budget and censorship limitations of the TV format. Stephen Weber takes over the role of Jack Torrance, the caretaker who slowly descends into madness in the haunted Overlook Hotel. His performance is as far from Jack Nicholson as you could get, with his insanity building slowly and menacingly rather than being virtually mad from the get-go. Rebecca de Mornay is superb as Wendy Torrance, struggling to hold her fragile family together amid the spooky goings on. Young Courtlan Mead plays Danny, whose unique gifts give the story its title, as one of those infuriating TV brats who overacts left right and centre. Fortunately, there are enough creepy moments and a fair few frights to hold the whole thing together: the woman in the bathtub scene being a stand out shocker. Sure, there is nothing quite like Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" moment, but this is the story King wanted to tell and it still shines brighter than most of the other recent screen adaptations of his work. On the DVD: Stephen King's The Shining is a nicely packaged set, with the film spread over two discs complete with a commentary featuring Stephen King himself, instantly making this set a must-have for his fans. There are also several deleted scenes which add some interest to parts of the movie. The transfer is good, considering its TV origins, and the crisp sound captures every spooky moment on this well-thought-out and presented set. --Jonathan Weir

• When The Boat Comes In - Series 2 | DVD | (19/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  James Bolam stars as the lovable rogue Jack Ford in this classic series set in Tyneside at the end of the First World War.

• Oliver Twist / Great Expectations | DVD | (17/03/2008) from £9.94   |  Saving you £3.05 (30.68%)   |  RRP £12.99

  An astonishingly good David Lean double-bill featuring his two Dickensian adaptations, Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), this is a reminder that cinema does not necessarily have to debase its literary sources, sometimes it can enhance them. Lean's painterly eye for evocative locations--be they windswept marshes or bustling London streets--provides the backdrop, but his focus on smaller details--the ominous tree in the graveyard with its almost human face, the reaction of Bill Sikes' dog to Nancy's murder--adds the vital ingredient that brings both place and character to life. Starring a youthful John Mills as Pip, Lean's Great Expectations is an unadulterated delight, a serendipitous gelling of screenplay, direction, cinematography and acting that produces an almost perfect film. The cast is exemplary, with Alec Guinness in his first (official) role as Pip's loyal pal Herbert Pocket; Martita Hunt is a cadaverous Miss Havisham; Finlay Currie transforms himself from truly threatening to entirely sympathetic as Magwitch; while the young Jean Simmons makes more of an impact as the girl Estella than Valerie Hobson does as the older incarnation. Perhaps best of all, though, is Francis Sullivan as the pragmatic but kindly attorney Jaggers. The cinematography alone (courtesy of Guy Green) would qualify Oliver Twist as a classic: the opening sequence of a lone woman struggling through the storm is an indelible cinematic image. Fortunately, Lean's film has many more aces up its sleeve thereafter, notably Alec Guinness' grotesque Fagin--a caricature certainly, but a three-dimensional one--and Robert Newton's utterly pitiless Bill Sikes. The skewed angles and unsettling chiaroscuro lighting transform London itself into another threatening character. --Mark Walker