"Actor: Lancaster"

• Judgement At Nuremberg | DVD | (07/04/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Stanley Kramer's film is based on a television play by Abby Mann. Over ten years after the end of World War Two, judge Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracey) is sent to Germany to preside over the prosecution of Nazis, including Ernst Janning (Burt Lancaster). While the prosecuting attorney bases his case on the war crimes and atrocities committed by those on trial, defence counsel Hans Rolfe (Maximillian Schell) claims that to try Nazi officers for simply obeying Hitler's commands is equivalent to jud...

• Field of Dreams | DVD | (23/07/2003) from £6.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (128.76%)   |  RRP £15.99

  'Field of Dreams' begins in an Iowa cornfield when Ray Kinsella hears a mysterious voice - ''If you build it he will come'' and sees a brief vision. With the support of his wife Annie Ray Kinsella pursues his dream and encounters several memorable characters along the way Terence Mann a legendary yet reclusive author ''Doc'' Graham and the infamous Shoeless Joe Jackson. 'Field of Dreams' is the story of a simple Iowa farmer who against all odds finds the courage to believe in his dreams.

• Marc Polo | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  First broadcast in 1982 this Emmy award winning epic adventure cost a staggering ten million dollars and featured an all-star Oscar winning cast. Filmed on location in Italy Morocco Nepal and China this lavish mini-series was the first Western production to film in China after WWII and took over thirteen months to complete. An epic in every sense of the word. Born in Venice in 1254 Marco Polo was just 17 when he set off with his father and uncle to travel the Silk Road to China. Their adventurous journey through Asia which lasted three and half years took them through uncharted territory and went down in history as one of the greatest exploratory journeys of all time. Marco then spent 17 years in Peking as the guest of the Great Khan winning the trust and respect of the Emperor for whom he carried out various diplomatic missions. Marco took great care to understand and record the culture language traditions and customs of the people he met during his long travels and as a result became one of history's legendary explorers.

• Ashes to Ashes Series 3 | DVD | (05/07/2010) from £35.34   |  Saving you £4.65 (13.16%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The follow up to Life On Mars sees the return of DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister)! But he's no longer the self styled 'Sheriff Of Manchester' - drawn by the action and intrigue of the London Met Gene's turned his attentions to taking on the 'southern nancy' criminal scum! He is joined by his faithful sidekicks Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster). DCI Alex Drake is thrown into the mix - after suffering a horrific accident in 2008 she finds herself in 1981 alongside Hunt and his team.

• Gettysburg | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £5.49   |  Saving you £8.50 (154.83%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Thanks to generous funding from media mogul Ted Turner, first-time director Ronald F Maxwell was able to make an almost word-for-word adaptation of Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Killer Angels. Running over four hours, Gettysburg (1993) splits into two convenient parts for TV viewing (although a 70mm print was given limited theatrical release). This story of three bloody days of conflict in July, 1863 (an unimaginable 50,000 casualties), is divided equally between Union and Confederate forces. On the Union side, Jeff Daniels is the quietly heroic Colonel Joshua Chamberlain; Sam Elliott is utterly convincing as General Buford, the Union cavalryman who holds the Confederate army at bay on the first day. Martin Sheen plays an oddly subdued and vacillating General Lee--a controversial portrait of the legendary Confederate chief--while Tom Berenger, despite being almost hidden underneath an enormous authentically period-style beard, is strong and authoritative as General Longstreet (whose opposition to Lee's plans gave many in the Confederacy a reason to blame him for the disaster at Gettysburg). Chamberlain's last-ditch defence of Little Round Top, which prevented the Union forces from being flanked on the second day of battle, forms the climax to the first half; the heartbreaking Pickett's Charge--the Confederates' disastrous frontal assault on the entrenched Union lines on the third day--is the movie's greatest set piece and one of the most compelling reasons to endure a little too much stodgy dialogue (lifted directly from the novel) and an apparently over-reverential attitude to the subject-matter. But much of this movie was made in and around the actual battle site, so it's only to be expected that the cast and crew tread carefully, as if literally under the watchful eyes of the men whose lives they are re-enacting. And re-enactment is the key: with a cast of thousands in splendidly detailed period costumes, cannonades galore and massed ranks of musketry, the sheer scale of the military spectacle is endlessly impressive. If as a piece of filmmaking it has many faults, as an historical re-enactment Gettysburg is unsurpassed--even by the epic Waterloo (1970), which drafted in a large chunk of the Russian army as Napoleonic extras. --Mark Walker

• Zulu Dawn | DVD | (27/04/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In 1879 the British Colonies in response to the perceived threat of the Zulu Nation deliver a deliberately unacceptable ultimatum to the King who responds by putting his people on a war footing. Confident in their weapons technology and organization's ability to crush the seemingly outclassed primitive enemy the British invade Zululand. General Lord Chelmsford sends in hundreds of British troops in order to squash the spear-carrying Africans with superior fire power. The sheer number of Zulus however overwhelms the British infantry.

• The Lakes - The Complete First And Second Series | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The Lakes brought writer Jimmy McGovern and actor John Simm a great deal of critical praise in 1997. Following a particularly dry period for British TV drama, the show's realistic characterisations and their painfully honest decisions hit audiences hard. Simm is a twentysomething trapped in a life of compulsive gambling, theft and being on the dole in Liverpool. On a whim he heads north to the Lake District. He expects to find the countryside quietude where his hidden poetical leanings might find a home, but instead gets caught up in a community like any other. Lies, temptation and tragedy beset every household just as much as the big city. The focus of Series 1 is Danny's relationship with Emma (Emma Cunniffe) and the consequences of having a child. As time races by, his link to the Lakes becomes an exercise in torment when the eyes of blame fall easily upon him after the accidental deaths of four schoolgirls. Stoking the flames of a series of secondary explosions in waiting are a pair of affairs, one adulterous, the other complicated by religion. In the far longer sequel series that came two years later, these back-stories would come to the fore. Although exploring Danny's tortured soul might have been the obvious continuation, instead an almost Hitchcockian murder scenario occupies far more screen time. But by stretching things out, this second series does not have the same self-contained impact of the original. Additional writers only served to drag out Danny's boy-to-man journey. Ultimately, lessons are learned, including the realistic conclusion that life is without a poetical status quo. Despite the tail-off in overall quality, you'd be hard pressed to identify a better British drama in the years since. On the DVD: The Lakes complete series 1 and 2 box set comes with two separate commentary tracks for the very first episode. In interviews, John Simm fondly recalls how cold the lake water was and director David Blair recalls putting him in it. It's a shame the two weren't recorded together. It's also a shame that's all there is in this package. Even a few cast biographies would have been welcome. Picture is 4:3 and stereo sound is as you'd expect from 1990s UK TV. --Paul Tonks

• Local Hero | DVD | (12/05/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  The Knox Oil and Gas Company lives in the top of a huge Houston skyscraper thousands of miles from the North Sea oil - and light years away from the sleepy Scottish seaside village it wants to buy raze and replace with refineries and deep-water docks. Knox sends its ace deal-maker and chief negotiator to handle the negotiations. But instead of encountering stiff local resistance he finds cheerful prospective millionaires beautiful northern lights and a mermaid with webbed toes. One of the most enchanting comedies in years Bill Forsyth's slyly original comic lark is pure cinema magic.

• The Swimmer | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Burt Lancaster gives one of his most daringly complex performances in The Swimmer, a fascinating adaptation of John Cheever's celebrated short story. At first it seems that middle-aged businessman Ned Merrill (Lancaster) is merely enjoying a spontaneous adventure, swimming from pool to pool among the well-tended estates of his affluent Connecticut neighbourhood. But as Ned encounters a variety of neighbours, we see from their reactions that he's on an entirely different kind of journey, balanced on the edge of some mysterious psychosis that we can't fully understand until the film's final, devastating image. A compelling portrait of loss, refracted memories, and deep-rooted emotional denial, The Swimmer sprung from the same late-60s soil that yielded similarly ground-breaking literary films such as The Graduate and Goodbye, Columbus. It's an egotistical showcase for the physical prowess of its 55-year-old star, but Lancaster turns it into something deeper, more disturbing, and completely unforgettable. --Jeff Shannon

• The Swimmer (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (25/03/2024) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the few bona fide counter-cultural films to be produced by a major studio, The Swimmer is a sun-scorched and surreal suburban satire that boasts a fine performance from Burt Lancaster (Castle Keep, Buffalo Bill and the Indians) as Ned Merrill, the all-American man who one day determines to swim home to his Connecticut mansion via a series of pools in his neighbourhood. Directed by Frank Perry (Diary of a Mad Housewife) imbues Eleanor Perry's (David and Lisa, Ladybug Ladybug) adaptation of John Cheever's short story with stunning expressionistic flourishes, creating a true masterpiece of cinema. Product Features 2014 restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio Audio commentary with Frank Perry biographer Justin Bozung (2022) Marge Champion on 'The Swimmer' (2013, 18 mins): onstage interview with the actor, conducted by filmmaker Allison Anders at the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, after a screening of The Swimmer Against the Tide (2022, 11 mins): actor, comedian and filmmaker Richard Ayoade discusses the unique genius of the Perrys' film 'The Swimmer' Read by John Cheever (2004, 26 mins): the original New Yorker short story read by the author Title sequence outtakes Isolated music & effects track Original theatrical trailer Illeana Douglas trailer commentary (2019, 6 mins) TV spots Image galleries: storyboards, deleted scenes, promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

• The Train | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £15.28   |  Saving you £-2.29 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Inspired by a true incident during World War II in 'The Train' Burt Lancaster plays a French Resistance fighter doggedly attempting to stop a train used by the Nazis (led by Paul Scofield as Colonel Von Waldheim) to steal precious French art treasures in the summer of 1944. Featuring spectacular action sequences expertly directed by John Frankenheimer 'The Train' is a truly thrilling war film. The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis superbly recreates the te

• Castle Keep | DVD | (23/08/2004) from £9.47   |  Saving you £3.52 (37.17%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Near the end of World War II American Major Falconer (Lancaster) leads his weary eight-man squadron to a perfectly preserved medieval castle in the Ardennes Forest. Castle Keep's owner the aging Count of Maldorais (Jean-Pierre Aumont) shelters the servicemen in hopes they will defend his fortress and his priceless collection of art masterpieces from the advancing German troops. But the servicemen have plans of their own. Major Falconer begins an illicit affair with the count's beau

• Birdman Of Alcatraz | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £8.18   |  Saving you £7.81 (95.48%)   |  RRP £15.99

  How does bitter convict Robert Stroud cope with a lifetime of solitary confinement? The answer in a sense comes from above in the form of a feeble sparrow he finds in the isolation yard. Stroud brings this newfound companion to his cell nurses it to health and from that point on there's no turning back. Despite having only a third grade education and no hope of parole Stroud becomes a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind prison walls

• 1900 - Novecento | DVD | (28/07/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A history of Italy from 1900 to 1945 is reflected through the friendship of two men across class lines. 1900 is a monumental epic about the political turmoil between WWI and WWII created in the spirit of Once Upon A Time in America.

• Ashes To Ashes - Series 3 | DVD | (28/02/2011) from £20.18   |  Saving you £19.81 (98.17%)   |  RRP £39.99

  We've come so far and now the end is near. The journey that began with Life on Mars concludes as Alex Drake embarks on her final mission: to uncover the truth about Gene Hunt and unlock the dark secrets of this World. Alex is back only this time it's 1983 and something feels different. The arrival of DCI Jim Keats sent by Scotland Yard to monitor the station's performance throws some unexpected light on past events. Haunted by the ghost of a policeman Alex decides that her only hope in getting home lies in finding out what really happened to Sam Tyler.

• The Leopard | Blu Ray | (21/06/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Against a dramatic 19th century backdrop of radical Italian Nationalism Luchino Visconti's masterful epic The Leopard follows the Sicilian Prince of Salina and his family as they adjust to the social turbulence of revolutionary times. Burt Lancaster's formidable portrayal of the Prince is deftly supported by charged performances from the outstanding Alain Delon and incomparable Claudia Cardinale. Visconti's sumptuous evocation of an era - with beautiful photography design costumes and Nino Rota's rousing score - glitters with set pieces culminating in the acclaimed ballroom sequence as the film moves gracefully to its meditative climax. Presented complete and uncut this stunning High Definition transfer - from the original 70mm negatives - was overseen by the film's director of photography Giuseppe Rotunno and features fully restored picture and sound.

• Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) (Masters of Cinema) Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) | Blu Ray | (31/10/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Eureka Entertainment to release Robert Aldrich's TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING, a nail-biting thriller starring screen legend Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark, on home video for the first time in the UK in a Dual Format edition, as part of the Masters of Cinema series, on 17 October 2016. High among idiosyncratic auteur Robert Aldrich's most powerful and intense dramas, Twilight's Last Gleaming is a thunderous political thriller and race-against-time doomsday classic. Burt Lancaster stars as the Air Force general Lawrence Dell who seizes control of a stockpile of nuclear missiles to force the US President (Charles Durning) to tell the truth about the Vietnam war. As negotiations get ever more desperate, General MacKenzie (Richard Widmark) leads an elite fighting team into the complex to disable Dell and his team directly. One of the most overlooked nail biters of the 1970s, Twilight's Last Gleaming is presented here on UK home video for the first time in a new Dual-Format edition. SPECIAL FEATURES: High-definition digital restoration Uncompressed PCM audio on the Blu-ray English subtitles for the deaf and hearing-impaired Aldrich Over Munich - The Making of Twilight's Last Gleaming documentary PLUS: A booklet featuring new writing and archival images

• 1900 (Novecento) (1977) | Blu Ray | (18/04/2016) from £59.99   |  Saving you £-40.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Eureka Entertainment to release Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 (NOVECENTO), a stunning five-hour saga featuring an award-winning international cast including Robert De Niro and Gérard Depardieu, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK on 18 April 2016. After the international firestorm of Last Tango in Paris, Bernardo Bertolucci went on to create one of the grandest and most legendary epics in modern cinema. A stunning five-hour saga following the intertwined fates of two childhood friends born on the same day in 1900 at opposite ends of the social scale through five decades of class struggle. Described by Pauline Kael as making most other films look like something you hold up on the end of a toothpick, Robert De Niro and Gérard Depardieu headline an extraordinary cast, including Burt Lancaster, Alida Valli, Sterling Hayden, Stefania Sandrelli and Donald Sutherland. Lustrously photographed by Vittorio Storaro and scored by Ennio Morricone, the Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this singular work in a new Blu-ray edition.

• The Sweet Smell Of Success | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A classic from the late 1950s, The Sweet Smell of Success looks at the string-pulling behind-the-scenes action between desperate press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) and the ultimate power broker in that long-ago showbiz Manhattan, gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster). Written by Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets (who based the Hunsecker character on the similarly brutal and power-mad Walter Winchell), the film follows Falco's attempts to promote a client through Hunsecker's column--until he is forced to make a deal with the devil and help Hunsecker ruin a jazz musician who has the nerve to date Hunsecker's sister. Shooting on location, mostly at night, director Alexander MacKendrick and cinematographer James Wong Howe capture this New York demi-monde in silky black and white, in which neon and shadows share a scarily symbiotic relationship--a near-match for the poisonous give-and-take between the edgy Curtis and the dismissive Lancaster. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com

• The Professionals | DVD | (16/06/2003) from £19.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Director Richard Brooks' marvellous ode to friendship, loyalty and disillusionment The Professionals may not have the stylistic bravado or fatalistic doom of Sam Peckinpah's more famous The Wild Bunch, but Brooks' storytelling is simple and steady and just as insightful. The difference is that Brooks is a lot more optimistic. Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster are buddies who have drifted into oblivion after fighting together in the Mexican Revolution. Marvin, the principled loyalist and munitions expert, lost his wife and his heart. Lancaster, the dynamite expert and unprincipled adventurer, keeps losing his pants. They team up with wrangler Robert Ryan and archer Woody Strode to rescue the beguiling Claudia Cardinale, who has been kidnapped by their old revolutionary buddie Jack Palance. So it's back into bloody Mexico they go on a "mission of mercy" for railroad tycoon Ralph Bellamy, who's paying handsomely for the return of his wife. But nothing is what it seems in this exciting, existential adventure, which was beautifully shot by Conrad Hall. Sarcastic quips, philosophical musings and heart-rending reversals underlie Brooks' humanistic sentiments. These are tired, world-weary men who somehow find the strength and the will to pull together for the sake of love and commitment. Through it all, Brooks seems to be lamenting a decline in professionalism much deeper than his story. He's decrying Hollywood and the society at large, anticipating Peckinpah's later strategy. --Bill Desowitz