"Actor: Patricia"

• Tavener - Fall And Resurrection | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £7.55   |  Saving you £12.44 (164.77%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Fall and Resurrection was conceived by Sir John Tavener, perhaps the leading present-day composer of British spiritual music, to mark the new Millennium. Its premiere, preserved on this recording, took place at St Paul's Cathedral in January 2000, the acoustic of that historical venue contributing much to an intensely emotional experience for the audience, the singers and the musicians. It is an epic, tonal poem in which Tavener sublimates his own artistic achievement in a series of primordial movements and chants which encapsulate moments before, during and after Creation, ultimately offering a vision of divine hope which is tumultuous and profoundly moving. The performances, particularly from soprano Patricia Rozario and bass Stephen Richardson, are absorbing; Richard Hickox at the helm of the City of London Sinfonia ensures that all due attention is paid to the complexity and detail of Tavener's score, which is based on a Byzantine chant and including a variety of ancient instruments, from the kaval to Tibetan temple bowls. As Tavener explains in the accompanying interviews, he sees music as "liquid metaphysics", and truly sacred music can only be achieved through the total self-effacement of the composer. Thus he sets the listener--and viewer--a daunting task. Rising to it is not merely an auditory challenge. It requires an almost physical surrender. This is music which is absorbed as much as heard. On the DVD: Fall and Resurrection, presented in 16:9 anamorphic format, is splendidly delivered via a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound audio track which transports the viewer to the vaulting interior heights of St. Paul's Cathedral. Extras include two interviews with Tavener in which he talks with fascinating intensity about his own faith, the role of the composer and the complex musical and spiritual images encompassed by this work. --Piers Ford

• Love For Lydia - Episodes 1 To 5 | DVD | (19/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The first five episodes of the lavish ITV costume drama series set in the late 1920s as Lydia Aspen a provincial heiress who develops from an awkward teenager into a wild flapper toys with the affections of the men around her...

• Lexx - Season 2 - Vol. 3 | DVD | (15/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  LEXX 2.3 takes the crew of the LEXX to hitherto unseen areas of rudeness and adventure and continues the adventures where no other crew would even dare to go before! 2.11 NOOK: Xev Stan and Kai visit Nook a quiet settlement inhabited by monks -all of which haven 't seen a woman before.As Xev sends temperatures soaring can Nook survive her visit? 2.12 NORB: Mantrid 's representative arrives on the LEXX intent on showing them up close what the madman 's game is.Soon the LEXX is being taken apart from the inside out ... 2.13 TWILIGHT: On a planet with properties to heal the dead Xev brings Stan to recover from an accident.But the dead are animated and can smell their flesh -and they 're hungry ... 2.14 PATCHES IN THE SKY: Stan takes a trip into a drug-fuelled nightmare and encounters his nemesis Gigarotta.His only hope of escape has flipped because of all the patches in the sky ... 2.15 WOZ: Xev 's body is about to shut down and Stan and Kai have to take her on a magical journey to see the wonderful Wuzzard of Woz and show her there 's no place like home!

• Merlin's Shop Of Mystical Wonders | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £7.23   |  Saving you £-6.24 (-630.30%)   |  RRP £0.99

  *More details coming soon....

• The Mummy/The Mummy Returns/The Scorpion King | DVD | (02/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Mummy (Dir. Stephen Sommers 1999): Deep in the Egyptian desert a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure have just unearthed a 3 000 year old legacy of terror... Combining the thrills of a rousing adventure with the suspense of Universal's legendary 1932 horror classic The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser is a true nonstop action epic filled with dazzling visual effects top-notch talent and superb storytelling. The Mummy Returns (Dir. Stephen Sommers 2001): Set in 1933 ten years after the events in the first film Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) is married to Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and the couple has settled in London raising their 9-year-old son Alex (Freddie Boath). When a chain of events finds the corpse of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) resurrected in the British Museum Imhotep walks the earth determined to fulfill his quest for immortality. But another force has also been set loose one born of the darkest rituals of ancient Egyptian mysticism and even more powerful than Imhotep. When these forces clash the fate of the world will hang in the balance sending the O'Connell's on a mission to save the world and their son before it is too late... The Scorpion King (Dir. Charles Russell 2002): In the notorious city of Gomorrah evil warlord Memnon is determined to lay to waste all the nomadic peoples of the desert. Because the few remaining tribes are virtually powerless against him they decide to hire a skilled assassin Mathayus to eliminate Memnon's most prized asset: the sorceress Cassandra who lies at the root of Memnon's power. Mathayus's plan however is to kidnap Cassandra rather than kill her. He knows if he takes her deep into the desert badlands as his hostage Memnon and his henchman will stop at nothing to rescue her...

• True Romance | UMD | (12/06/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £18.99

• Demoniacs | DVD | (26/07/2004) from £18.88   |  Saving you £-3.89 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Lured into shipwrecking their vessel and promptly murdered by a gang intent on stealing their cargo the spirits of the two murdered girls make a pact with the devil for revenge...

• Final Mission | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Captain Tom 'Outlaw' is a crack pilot on a secret experimental Air Force programme. He knows he's been trained to hunt and destroy but he doesn't know he's been programmed to kill on command until he finds out the hard way...

• Serial Experiments Lain - Vol. 2 | DVD | (08/03/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  KNIGHTS: a super hacker group that has great influence in the wired. No one knows who the members are but they control information and sometimes develop and distribute illegal information equipment. When Lain metaphorsizes her physical self into the wired to search for an answer to incidents of kids committing suicide she finds that the KNIGHTS are behind these incidents... Includes episodes 5-7: Distortion Kids Society.

• Beginners II Yoga | DVD | (27/03/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

• Girl Slaves Of Morgana Le Fay | DVD | (16/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Driving in their car through Auveregne one summer two young girls Anna and Francoise find themselves in the kingdom of the mythic Morgana Queen of the Fairies. Ever since Merlin taught her his skills centuries ago Morgana has gone on living by obtaining the souls of young women who pass through her kingdom. In exchange she gives her captives eternal youth and beauty. Those who refuse her grow old in the dungeons of her castle.

• Lexx - Season 2 - Vol. 2 | DVD | (18/02/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A "Light Universe" and a "Dark Zone" keep good and bad apart for the characters of Lexx, even though it's often hard to tell the difference between the two in this offbeat and unique sci-fi show that delights in its own nastiness. The episodes in this second collection from the second series are: "Stan's Trial", "Love Grows", "White Trash", "791" and "Wake the Dead". In "Stan's Trial", he's still desperate for some "bingo bongo yum yum time", which blinds him to a sting operation laid at the Celes Pleasure Liner. His alleged traitorous past finally catches up, and the events of "Giga Shadow" are made clear. A new, shorter title sequence opens the gender questioning "Love Grows". The Lexx accidentally eats a rubbish dumper and the toxic cargo has an adverse effect on everyone--to say the least. Their sex organs are swapped! A cliffhanger surprise leads directly into "White Trash", where we find the yokel clan family have been stowed away since before the destruction of The Cluster. On a crashed ship a cyborg pilot has been decapitated, which gives 790 an idea. While Kai and Xev find a hold full of prisoners with their hearts removed, 791 is born--with more than just a little personality re-programming. This homage to Alien ends with Xev's immortal line: "You may still only be a head 790. But you're the best head I ever had." Then we're back into spoof territory as "Wake the Dead" enjoys turning The Lexx into the stomping ground for a crazed teen killer. Still asleep from a joyride begun 287 years before, the group of "deserving" kids are dispatched with glee in a great performance by Michael McManus. There's even a shower murder with a musical nod to Psycho from composer Marty Simon. And we finally see a Lexx toilet--and its tongue! On the DVD: the most exciting extra for fans is a commentary from Brian Downey (Stan) and writer Lex Giggeroff on the episode "Wake the Dead". They have great fun discussing Xenia Seeberg's wigs and confirm that this was indeed pitched as a "teen slasher flick". Also featured is a gallery of nine stills, some hilarious text "Faxx" about all five episodes, biographies of Stan and Lyekka, and a "Story So Far" re-cap. The 10-minute "Making of Lexx the Series Part 2" documentary is the same as the VHS release. --Paul Tonks

• Soccer Superstars: World Cup Heroes - Lothar Matthaus | DVD | (05/06/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Few thought that any German player would be able to emulate the incredible playing qualities of 'the Kaiser' Franz Beckenbauer... They were wrong. This documentary takes a look at the life and career of Lothar Matthaus. Born in Erlangen on January 21st 1961 Matthaus is one of the finest midfielders that Germany or any other nation has ever produced. From the much-fabled 'libero' position effectively created by Beckenbauer Matthaus commanded the German team over 3 decades. The man has played in a record 5 World Cups captaining the team to victory in 1990. The following year his success was consolidated by the accolade of FIFA World Player of the Year. Recently he's moved into coaching where he's had a degree of success but courted controversy for a few abrupt resignations. However the footballing community fully expect Lothar to achieve greatness in the coaching field eventually. This documentary features interviews with residents from Lothar Matthaus' hometown and the people who were influential in his life. Not only that but Lothar himself offers his own thoughts on his achievements. With a smattering of top quality footage of Matthaus in action this is ideal viewing for fans of the player and the game.

• Vivaldi: Orlando Furioso | DVD | (22/06/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  For those with any interest in Vivaldi's operas Orlando Furioso is essential viewing, being a 1989 San Francisco Opera revival by Pier Luigi Pizzi of his own 1979 production which was largely responsible for beginning modern interest in Vivaldi's stage work. The composer first premiered Orlando finto pazzo in 1714, but the Orlando Furioso finalised in 1727 was so heavily reworked as to be virtually an entirely new opera, and so successful Handel set the same epic poem by Aristo under the title Alcina in 1735. Vivaldi's opera is not of that calibre, offering rather too much functional recitative and only a handful of truly memorable arias. However, the cast perform with such commitment and style as to make the work thoroughly enjoyable. It is a tale of romantic and magical intrigue on a small island, inevitably echoing Shakespeare's The Tempest, and the classically elegant set-design and colourful costumes evoke a suitable sense of fantasy. Mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne makes the title role her own while Susan Patterson is a characterful and strong-minded Angelica. William Matteuzzi makes a sympathetic Medoro, notably outmanoeuvred in love, while as the sorceress Alcina Kathleen Kuhlann is a appropriately complex and powerful in revealing the loneliness at the heart of her corruption. On the DVD: There are no features other than the two trailers which appear on almost all Arthaus releases. The production is presented in the original television 4:3 and the image is little better than a good video. The picture is not especially detailed and too often the performer's faces are slightly out of focus while the sets are pin-sharp. Overall the image suffers the usual problems from originally being shot on professional video, in addition to which some compression artefacting is noticeable. The prologic sound is fine, though appears simply to down mix the main stereo signal to the rear channel and the result is more accurate if switched to straight stereo. --Gary S Dalkin

• Love For Lydia - Episodes 10 To 13 | DVD | (14/06/2004) from £14.74   |  Saving you £5.25 (26.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Set in the late 1920's Lydia Aspen is a provincial heiress who develops from a bashful teenager to a wild flapper while toying with the affections of the men who are around her. Originally broadcast on ITV this double DVD presents the final four episodes of the lavish costume drama.

• Diary Of A Serial Killer | DVD | (23/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A psychological thriller about an obsessed serial killer and a writer who wants the story....

• Marlene | DVD | (20/07/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Marlene is no standard movie star documentary. It is a mystery story a discourse on truth and fiction a battle with a sacred monster a caustic comedy of errors and the story of the making of a film all rolled into one. Despite personally selecting Schell to make the film about her Dietrich soon fell out with the director but rather than be a liability to the film it is its saving grace rescuing it from conventionality and turning it into a unique and richly entertaining record of an encounter with a real-life legend.

• Battle Cry / Objective Burma / Operation Pacific | DVD | (21/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £30.99

  Battle Cry: A tight-knit group of marines have adventures in both love and war as they progress from boot camp training to a New Zealand ops base and on to the hard-fought invasion of Saipan. Operation Pacific: 'Duke' Gifford an ultra devoted commander feeling guilty about the death of his former commanding officer and the failure of his marriage leads his submarine crew up into uncharted waters in the battle for the Pacific... Objective Burma: A crack squad of paratroopers parachute into Japanese-occupied Burma with a dangerous and important mission: to locate and blow up a radar station. When an ambush cuts off their only escape route his troop are forced into the swamp-infested hell of the Burmese jungle. The harrowing fight for survival begins in a realistic account of the grim hardships facing brave men in battle...

• I Think I Do | DVD | (11/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Matt has Carol. Carol has Prozac. Beth has everyone. Bob wants Brendan – and has done for years. Sarah wants Brendan – for old times’ sake. Sterling loves himself and themed weddings. Eric just loves getting stoned. Question is what does Brendan want? The screwball who-will-marry-who antics of The Philadelphia Story are given a gay update for the 90’s in this deliriously romantic comedy. Bob (Arquette) has a mad crush on college frat boy room-mate Brendan (Maelan). Brendan finds out freaks out and sleeps with Sarah. Five years later they and college chums all reunite for a wedding. As everyone parties and consumes just enough booze libidos are inflamed and inhibitions are lowered. Is the bedroom-eyed Brendan really longing for Bob? Will Sarah bed Brendan if only for old times’ sake? Will Sterling marry Bob and get his hoped-for themed wedding? The disastrous possibilities make for great hilarious comedy.

• Monteverdi: L'Incoronazione di Poppea | DVD | (04/12/2000) from £2.96   |  Saving you £23.29 (1,370.00%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea (1642) marks one of the very foundations of opera. Revolving around real historical characters, the Roman emperor Nero, his love for Poppea, the betrayal of the empress Octavia, and death of the philosopher Seneca, Monteverdi pits human love, ambition and intrigue against the fates. The set, a symbolic part-globe, and the costumes drawn from various ages suggest--very much in the way of the surreal film of Shakespeare's Titus (1999)--that the concerns of ancient Rome are timeless. With the emphasis on the text (the music alone does not hold the attention for 150 minutes) conductor Jacobs depends upon an excellent cast to bring the production alive. Patricia Schumann dominates the stage, her Poppea is warm, sensual and likeable, without being entirely trustworthy, an effective counterpart to Richard Croft's Nero. Darla Brooks brings just the right degree of vivacious gullibility to Drusilla, while Curtis Ryam offers eccentric comedy as Arnalta. As Ottone Jeffrey Gall is a man acutely tormented by love. Recorded at the 1993 Schwetzinger Festspiele, there is no sign of an audience, the many close-ups suggesting this performance was specially given for video. On the DVD: There are subtitle options for English, French and German, but no special features. The booklet is well documented but does not contain the libretto. The sound is good PCM stereo while the 4:3 image (not 16:9 as stated on the packaging) is better than video but otherwise unremarkable. --Gary S. Dalkin