"Actor: K"

• Leonard Bernstein: Trouble In Tahiti | DVD | (20/01/2003) from £23.05   |  Saving you £-3.06 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This new film of Leonard Bernstein's music-theatre piece Trouble in Tahiti, produced by BBC Wales and Opus Arte and directed by Tom Cairns, makes a strong case for a neglected work. Bernstein wrote his satire on American materialism in 1952, drawing on elements of opera, revue and musical comedy to tell a story of a marriage that's turned sour amid the trappings of suburban prosperity. The brevity of the piece, which flashes by in 39 minutes, perhaps accounts for its rare appearances, making this version specially welcome. Tom Cairns directs with style and panache, moving the camera effortlessly to and fro between the seven scenes. Amir Hosseinpour's choreography recalls with affection the heyday of the MGM musical then at its zenith. The film opens with a Greek-style chorus singing in scat jazz fashion to a montage of 1950s imagery: flickering television adverts, manicured lawns and white picket fences. Characters within the narrative appear in flash-back in home video footage. This is all highly diverting and possibly a ruse to mask some dramatic weakness in the story written by Bernstein himself. The wife never offers an explanation for her visit to the cinema to see Trouble in Tahiti instead of attending her son's school play, nor do we see the boy again after witnessing his parents having a tiff. The two principals, Karl Daymond as Sam and Stephanie Novacek as Dinah, are well cast and sing in a natural and pleasing manner with clear diction. The scat vocal trio is well matched and the City of London Sinfonia under Paul Daniel catch the spirit of the jazz inflected score as if it were second nature. On the DVD: Trouble in Tahiti is shot in wide-screen, appropriate for the era that gave us CinemaScope. There are subtitles in German, Spanish and French. A full translation in English is printed in the booklet. The extras include an introduction that partly overlaps with "A Very Testing Piece", in which Paul Daniel touches on the parallel with Bernstein's own unhappy childhood. Humphrey Burton in "Not Particularly Romantic" elaborates on this theme and goes on to offer a further fascinating commentary on Bernstein, whom he knew well. --Adrian Edwards

• Joe | DVD | (12/01/2009) from £21.58   |  Saving you £-5.59 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Bill is a wealthy businessman whose beautiful promising daughter has just decided to run away with her heroin-addicted boyfriend. Whilst wandering the city streets in search his daughter Bill takes refuge in a downtown bar where he meets Joe a frustrated patriotic bigoted and hateful factory worker. Striking up an unlikely friendship both head off into the night intent on tracking down Bill's daughter and putting the world to right. A destination and an objective that finally leads to a dark and unforgettable climax. Extremely controversial and notorious on its initial release in 1970 Joe has since become a rarely seen cult gem. Symbolising the conflict between the counter culture and the establishment Joe daringly reflects a country in turmoil and a society fraying at the edges.

• Frankenhooker | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The Frankenstein legend gets stitched up by the makers of Basket Case and Brian Damage in this outrageous horror comedy. When his pretty fiance goes to pieces under the blades of a runaway lawnmower aspiring mad scientist Jeffrey Franken hatches an unorthodox scheme to bring his beloved back to life. With the help of an explosive super drug Jeffrey reassembles his girlfriend from the body parts of New York prostitutes. But his dream-girl runs amok on 42nd Street turning tricks

• Dragon Goes House-Hunting: The Complete Season | Blu Ray | (26/04/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Shikoku | DVD | (24/01/2005) from £5.38   |  Saving you £10.61 (197.21%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Some things are better left dead... As an adult Hinako returns to the island of Shikoku which she left when her parents moved her to Tokyo as a child. Upon her return she learns that her childhood best friend Sayori (Chiaki Kuriyama the vicious Go-Go Yubari from Kill Bill Vol. 1) - whom she lost touch with after moving to the city -drowned in a lake at the age of 16. Hinako's other friend from childhood Fumiya was dating Sayori when she died and he claims to be haunted by her

• Violation Of Trust | DVD | (26/11/2001) from £5.91   |  Saving you £0.08 (1.30%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A recently divorced woman attempts to reconcile her relation-ship with her daughter Justine. As they begin to develop trust and understanding Justine is arrested for the murder of a school -friend...

• Rossini - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (Wunderlich, Keilberth) | DVD | (17/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Rossini - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (Wunderlich Keilberth)

• Witch Hunter Robin Complete - Anime Legends | DVD | (26/04/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Throughout the ages creatures with paranormal powers called 'Witches' have lived alongside us. For years a secret organization called Salomon has been hunting them down and whilst run by priests and based in Italy it does have a Japanese branch; the STN-J... After the death of one of the STN-J's hunters Salomon dispatches a new hunter to help them combat witches in Japan by the name of Robin. Robin is both young being only 15 years old and inexperienced with her powers but after being teamed up with the best hunter the STN-J has Amon she begins to realize just what it takes to be a hunter!

• Wildflower | DVD | (02/08/2004) from £5.25   |  Saving you £-1.26 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  When Ellie Perkins came across a shed that she has been forbidden to approach she makes a discovery that shall forever change her and lives of those around her. Locked inside is 17 year old Alice Guthrie epileptic and partly deaf imprisoned like a wild animal by her abusive stepfather and ignored by her mother..

• Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria (REGION 1) | DVD | (10/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria from the Theatre du Jeu de Paume, July 2002.

• Who Do You Think You Are? Complete Series 1-7 | DVD | (22/08/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £119.99

  Who Do You Think You Are? follows the journeys of over sixty well known personalities as they explore their family trees uncover their family history and discover fascinating and poignant facts about their ancestors that have been until recently hidden in the annals of time. Now in a premiere event all seven series and the new Who Do You Think You Are? USA are brought together in one unique boxed set; sixty-six incredible stories one compulsively watchable collection.

• Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman | DVD | (02/02/2003) from £8.46   |  Saving you £11.53 (136.29%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A one-armed swordsman saves the life of a young boy sentenced to death for stopping an official procession. The local peasants however suffer in the aftermath as all are massacred and Zatoichi is caught up in the maelstrom...

• The Dead Of Night | DVD | (30/01/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Everyone is dying to fit in. A dark presence is creeping over the city and a group of innocent teenagers are in its path. When Gerald a psychotic escapes from a mental institution leaving a trail of murders behind him he heads for the city and straight to the cemetery. When the hip kids from Kent High School decide to hang out in the same cemetery that night they too become taken over by the creatures from the dead who lurk there. One-by-one they are overcome by these

• Spider-Man (Deluxe Edition) | DVD | (17/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £8.99

  Spider-Man returns to battle a host of new baddies in the third adventure based on the popular comic book hero.

• Whiplash | Blu Ray | (01/06/2015) from £29.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (-7.10%)   |  RRP £27.99

  Andrew is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man's life. Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability-and his sanity.

• Samurai Rebellion | DVD | (20/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Sasahara (Mifune) has spent his life as a retainer in the service of his lord. Yet when his lord seizes his daughter-in-law for his own gratification Sasahara is brought into conflict not only with his master but also his oldest friend Asano (Nakadai)...

• A Different Kind Of Christmas | DVD | (22/09/2003) from £5.37   |  Saving you £0.62 (11.55%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Amazing things happen when you believe....A quiet neighbourhood is reeling with the shock of Santa Claus moving into town. The children are in seventh heaven but the traffic jams reindeers and popping snow machines prove too much for Santa's neighbours and they call in local mayoral candidate (Shelley Long) to shut down Santa's Dream World.Reporter Frank Mallory (Barry Bostwick) is intrigued by Elizabeth's lack of Christmas spirit and interested in what makes Santa tick.Santa has used his magic to light up other lives but is it too late to reunite his own family?

• The Journey | DVD | (28/01/2013) from £4.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (61.60%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Ligy J Pullappally presents a story of two beautiful young women living in an idyllic Indian village. Young Kiran, who is both studious and reserved finds herself falling in love with her best friend, the outgoing and charismatic Delilah. But when the scandal sweeps the town and the girl's secret is discovered, Delilah's mortified mother confronts her and demands that the relationship ends. Worse still, to save her reputation and the family name, an arranged marriage is planned. A sensual and beautiful tale of forbidden love, The Journey (Sancharram), was the winner of the Best Film at the 40th Chicago International Film Festival and tells a story of sexual taboos in a traditional community.

• Samson and Delilah (Alvez Da Cruz, Uleman) | DVD | (02/02/2008) from £10.43   |  Saving you £3.56 (25.40%)   |  RRP £13.99

  The Old Testament tale of Samson and Delilah gets a new twist as director Corina van Eijk brings the beloved Saint-Sans opera to the screen in this film starring Charles Alves da Cruz as the legendary strongman and Klara Uleman as the temptress who brings about his downfall. The Israelites are engaged in a bloody battle against the Philistines and Samson is the influential judge and powerful warrior who has given the war-weary Israelites a newfound sense of hope. That hope is soon diminished however when the irresistible Delilah ensnares the long haired Samson in a hopeless web of passion. Samson draws power from his flowing locks and without them he is but a mortal man. The only way to defeat Samson is to shear his formidable mane and the temptress Delilah is the only one capable of getting close enough to do so.

• Phantasmagoria | DVD | (06/09/2021) from £10.05   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A