"Actor: Julian Barnes"

• The Four Feathers | DVD | (14/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  What it lacks in grandeur, this 1978 TV version of The Four Feathers makes up for in fidelity to AEW Mason's classic novel. By cannibalising the superior 1939 production for epic shots and sequences, this modest adaptation draws attention to its meagre production values, relying heavily on casting and chemistry to compensate. That it succeeds, more or less, in capturing the essence of Mason's grand adventure is largely due to the appeal of Beau Bridges and Jane Seymour in the prime of their early careers. (Bridges' film career was gaining momentum; Seymour would rise from here to the similarly romantic Somewhere in Time.) Bridges is the shamed soldier Harry Faversham, transcending cowardice by rescuing his closest friends during Britain's bloody campaign in 1870s Sudan; Seymour is his beloved back home, torn between Harry and the seemingly braver Jack (Robert Powell). TV veteran Don Sharp provides tepid direction, while screenwriter Gerald DiPego would continue his prolific career for decades to come. --Jeff Shannon

• The Man From Elysian Fields | DVD | (26/01/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Add The Man from Elysian Fields to the list of essential movies about the pains of writing. This wry comedy-drama charts the frustrations of a financially strapped novelist (Andy Garcia) as he desperately and secretly agrees to be an "escort" for ladies who need, err, escorting. This leads him into a Faustian bargain to help a beautiful client (Olivia Williams) whose husband, a once-great, now-dying writer (a mighty James Coburn), is struggling with a final work. Of course the fact that the men are sharing a project and a woman complicates matters--and Garcia's loyal wife (Julianna Margulies) is curious about all these nights spent away. The movie explores different levels of compromise and betrayal, yet it remains tartly amusing throughout. And it has a glorious casting inspiration: the director of the mysterious escort service is played by Mick Jagger, looking decadently elegant and purring like a vaguely satanic Siamese cat. --Robert Horton

• The Tigon Collection | DVD | (21/02/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  A chilling collection of classic horror movies comprising: Witchfinder General (1968): England is torn in civil struggle as the Royalists battle the Parliamentary Party for control. This conflict distracts people from rational thought and allows unscrupulous men to gain local power by exploiting village superstitions. One of these men is Matthew Hopkins who tours the land offering his services as a persecutor of witches. Aided by his sadistic accomplice John Stearne he trav