"Actor: Patrick"

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 40th Anniversary | Blu Ray | (09/10/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Released in 1977, Close Encounters of the Third Kind was that year's cerebral alternative to Star Wars. It's arguably the archetypal Spielberg film, featuring a fantasy-meets-reality storyline (to be developed further in E.T.), a misunderstood Everyman character (Richard Dreyfuss), apparently hostile government agents (long before The X-Files), a sense of childlike awe in the face of the otherworldly, and a sweeping feel for epic film-making learned from the classic school of David Lean. Contributing to the film's overall success are the Oscar-winning cinematography from Vilmos Zsigmond, Douglas Trumbull's lavish effects and an extraordinary score from John Williams that develops from eerie atonality à la Ligeti to the gorgeous sentiment of "When You Wish Upon a Star" over the end credits. Not content with the final result, Spielberg tinkered with the editing and inserted some new scenes to make a "Special Edition" in 1980 which ran three minutes shorter than the original, then made further revisions to create a slightly longer "Collector's Edition" in 1998. This later version deletes the mothership interior scenes that were inserted in the "Special Edition" and restores the original ending. On the DVD: CE3K is packaged here with confusing documentation that fails to make clear any differences between earlier versions of the film and this "Collector's Edition"--worse, the back cover blurb misleadingly implies that this disc is the 1980 "Special Edition" edit. It is not. A gorgeous anamorphic widescreen print of Spielberg's 1998 "Collector's Edition" edit occupies the first disc: this is the version with the original theatrical ending restored but new scenes from the "Special Edition" retained. The second disc rounds up sundry deleted scenes that were either dropped from the original version or never made it into the film at all--fans of the "Special Edition" can find the mothership interior sequence here. The excellent "making-of" documentary dates from 1997 and has interviews with almost everyone involved, including the director speaking from the set of Saving Private Ryan. Thankfully the superb picture and sound of the feature make this set entirely compelling and more than compensate for the inadequate packaging. --Mark Walker

• Captain Clegg (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (26/02/2024) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Peter Cushing (The Gorgon, Corruption) and Oliver Reed (The Scarlet Blade) star in Peter Graham Scotts Captain Clegg, which sees the legendary Hammer Films studio fuse horror and adventure in a film that was released in the US as Night Creatures. When Captain Collier (Patrick Allen, Never Take Sweets from a Stranger) investigates reports of smuggling in the tiny coastal village of Dymchurch, the villagers, under the leadership of Parson Blyss (Cushing), refuse to co-operate. Colliers men are plagued by apparitions of marsh phantoms and tales of Captain Clegg, the fearsome pirate leader who was buried there... Or was he?

• A Clockwork Orange | Blu Ray | (15/04/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The controversy that surrounded Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgess's dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange while the film was out of circulation suggested that it was like Romper Stomper: a glamorisation of the violent, virile lifestyle of its teenage protagonist, with a hypocritical gloss of condemnation to mask delight in rape and ultra-violence. Actually, it is as fable-like and abstract as The Pilgrim's Progress, with characters deliberately played as goonish sitcom creations. The anarchic rampage of Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a bowler-hatted juvenile delinquent of the future, is all over at the end of the first act. Apprehended by equally brutal authorities, he changes from defiant thug to cringing bootlicker, volunteering for a behaviourist experiment that removes his capacity to do evil.It's all stylised: from Burgess' invented pidgin Russian (snarled unforgettably by McDowell) to 2001-style slow tracks through sculpturally perfect sets (as with many Kubrick movies, the story could be told through decor alone) and exaggerated, grotesque performances on a par with those of Dr Strangelove (especially from Patrick Magee and Aubrey Morris). Made in 1971, based on a novel from 1962, A Clockwork Orange resonates across the years. Its future is now quaint, with Magee pecking out "subversive literature" on a giant IBM typewriter and "lovely, lovely Ludwig Van" on mini-cassette tapes. However, the world of "Municipal Flat Block 18A, Linear North" is very much with us: a housing estate where classical murals are obscenely vandalised, passers-by are rare and yobs loll about with nothing better to do than hurt people. On the DVD: The extras are skimpy, with just an impressionist trailer in the style of the film used to brainwash Alex and a list of awards for which Clockwork Orange was nominated and awarded. The box promises soundtracks in English, French and Italian and subtitles in ten languages, but the disc just has two English soundtracks (mono and Dolby Surround 5.1) and two sets of English subtitles. The terrific-looking "digitally restored and remastered" print is letterboxed at 1.66:1 and on a widescreen TV plays best at 14:9. The film looks as good as it ever has, with rich stable colours (especially and appropriately the orangey-red of the credits and the blood) and a clarity that highlights previously unnoticed details such as Alex's gouged eyeball cufflinks and enables you to read the newspaper articles which flash by. The 5.1 soundtrack option is amazingly rich, benefiting the nuances of performance as much as the classical/electronic music score and the subtly unsettling sound effects. --Kim Newman

• Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-3 | DVD | (15/11/2021) from £49.97   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Season One Welcome to Star Trek: Discovery Season One, an odyssey that unfolds a decade before the era of Star Trek: The Original Series . Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham formerly one of Starfleet's most respected first officers and now its first mutineer. A human raised as a Vulcan, Burnham learned early that all life is born from chaos. Her defiance of a direct order resulted in an all-out war with the Klingon Empire and she was sentenced to life in prison until Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) recruits her aboard the U.S.S. Discovery . Joining her on this dramatic, epic journey are First Officer Saru (Doug Jones), Chief of Security Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif), Chief Engineer Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Cadet Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Together, their powers of logic, science and compassion will meld on their quest for victory, survival and ultimately, peace in the universe. Season Two After answering a distress signal from the U.S.S. Enterprise, the U.S.S. Discovery welcomes aboard Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and begins a new mission to investigate the meaning behind seven mysterious red signals. Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) grapples with her past growing up on Vulcan with her foster parents and brother Spock (Ethan Peck). Season Three Season 3: After following Commander Michael Burnham into a wormhole, the U.S.S. Discovery lands in an unrecognizable world 1,000 years in the future. With Starfleet and the Federation on the brink of collapse due to a catastrophic event known as The Burn, the Discovery crew, with the help of new and mysterious allies Book (David Ajala) and Adira (Blu del Barrio), must uncover what caused The Burn and restore hope to the galaxy.

• X-Men | Blu Ray | (20/04/2009) from £6.22   |  Saving you £13.77 (221.38%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Marvel Comics' team of mutant superheroes The X-Men return in a sequel to the blockbuster hit of 2001.

• Educating Rita | DVD | (21/05/2018) from £6.34   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Remains Of The Day | DVD | (22/10/2001) from £6.98   |  Saving you £6.01 (86.10%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Remains of the Day is one of Merchant-Ivory's most thought-provoking films. Anthony Hopkins is a model of restraint and propriety as Stevens, the butler who "knows his place"; Emma Thompson is the animated and sympathetic Miss Kenton, the housekeeper whose attraction to Stevens is doomed to disappointment. As Nazi appeaser Lord Darlington, James Fox clings to the notion of a gentleman's agreement in the ruthless political climate before World War Two. Hugh Grant is his journalist nephew all too aware of reality, while Christopher Reeves gives a spirited portrayal of an American senator, whose purchase of Darlington Hall 20 years on sends Stevens on a journey to right the mistake he made out of loyalty. As a period drama with an ever-relevant message, this 1993 film is absorbing viewing all the way. On the DVD: the letterbox widescreen format reproduces the 2.35:1 aspect ratio with absolute clarity. Subtitles are in French and German, with audio subtitles also in English, Italian and Spanish, and with 28 separate chapter selections. The "making-of" featurette and retrospective documentary complement each other with their "during and after" perspectives, while "Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honour" is an interesting short on the question of appeasement and war. The running commentary from Thompson, Merchant and Ivory is more of a once-only diversion. --Richard Whitehouse

• Doctor Who - Fury From The Deep | Blu Ray | (14/09/2020) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Fury From the Deep is the missing sixth serial of the fifth season of Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from March to April 1968. Starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, the story concerns a colony of sentient, parasitic seaweed, last seen in the eighteenth century, returning to attack a number of gas instillations in the North Sea in an attempt to take over humanity. No full episodes of this story exist within the BBC archives, and only snippets of footage and still images are around to represent the story. However, off-air recordings of the soundtrack do exist, thus making the animation of a complete serial possible once again. The six new animated episodes are being made in full colour and high definition. The DVD/Blu-ray release will also include those surviving clips from the original 1968 production.

• Scrooge | DVD | (23/11/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Boondock Saints | DVD | (28/10/2002) from £6.40   |  Saving you £-0.41 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  With the advent of satellite broadcasting resurrecting the art of the TV movie, films like the invigorating The Boondock Saints are becoming more frequent. Made for Sky, the movie eschews big-screen production values but is still good value for money. Although the story of two Irish-American brothers who set out on a believed divine mission to wipe out the worst of the criminal element of Boston at times seems like an imitation of the superb Dogma, both films were actually made in the same year. The film is not without its faults, notably the poor performances of Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as the two brothers--both of whom adopt ludicrous Irish accents. Far better is Willem Dafoe, who steals the show as FBI agent Smecker, and the manic David Della Rocco. Still, The Boondock Saints is highly watchable and keeps the viewer interested throughout with a strong story, frequent black humour and arresting visuals. And there aren't many places where you will come across Billy Connolly as a Mafia contract killer. --Phil Udell

• The Wedding Singer | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £4.90   |  Saving you £15.09 (307.96%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Don't just think of The Wedding Singer as an Adam Sandler comedy--though it most certainly is that. But also think of it as the tip of the wave of the 1980s nostalgia craze that followed on the heels of the 1970s nostalgia craze. Set in the post-disco, new wave era, the film tells the story of Robbie Hart (Sandler), the king of small-town wedding-band singers, who once dreamt of being a rock star. But his contentment with life shatters when his fiancée stands him up at the altar. After wallowing in self-pity (by musically attacking the next wedding couple he serenades) and swearing off women, he helps a new friend, Julia (Drew Barrymore), get ready for her impending nuptials--only to find himself falling in love with her. If you're a Sandler fan, you'll enjoy him as an actual adult, though a wise-cracking one. And dig all those kooky 80s reference jokes and that greatest-hits-of-early-MTV soundtrack. --Marshall Fine

• Patriot Games | Blu Ray | (23/05/2022) from £21.25   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Harrison Ford made his debut as Jack Ryan in this explosive thriller based on Tom Clancy's international bestseller. With his days as an intelligence agent behind him, former CIA analyst Ryan and his family find themselves caught in the middle of a terrorist attack on a member of the Royal Family in London. Ryan helps to thwart the assailants and becomes a local hero, but his courageous act marks him as a target, and puts his family in danger.

• Jason King: The Complete Series | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £31.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  First introduced to fans in the hugely successful ITC series Department S, this is Jason King, brought vividly to life by Peter Wyngarde in a series of high-spirited adventures which turned him into a world-famous celebrity. Jason King is an author and bon vivant who savours life to the full, from good food to gorgeous girls. Wherever he goes in search of material for his books he encounters more stirring drama, deeper intrigue, more unexpected situations and more beautiful women than any one man has the right to experience! Coping with everything in his own elegant, flamboyant manner, anything can happen to him and usually does! Features: Wanna Watch a Television Series? Chapter Two: Fish out of Water - The last part of our exclusive two-part documentary on Department S and Jason King, narrated by Peter Bowles and featuring contributions from Cyril Frankel, Kate O'Mara and Burt Kwouk Extensive episodic image galleries (discs 1-7) Textless opening and closing titles and Adcap A suite of Laurie Johnson's incidental music, with accompanying image gallery Archive interview with Peter Wyngarde on Russell Harty's show in 1973 PDF material The Crossfire a play from 1967 featuring Peter Wyngarde

• Dirty Dancing | Blu Ray | (17/09/2018) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  This timeless, Oscar®* winning classic is a phenomenally popular coming-of-age tale, beloved by generations. Teenager Baby (Jennifer Grey), goes with her family on vacation to Kellerman's holiday resort in the Catskill Mountains. Things are pretty tame until she meets Johnny (Patrick Swayze), a dance teacher at the resort who mesmerises Baby with his dance moves, his passion and his misunderstood ˜bad boy' image. During the summer of 1963, Johnny teaches Baby how to dance. And, more importantly, how to love.

• Doctor Who - Lost In Time | DVD | (01/11/2004) from £9.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (200.20%)   |  RRP £29.99

  This very special Doctor Who release features available episodes and rare footage from 18 black & white episodes where the complete story is no longer in the BBC archives. Including the newly discovered episode 'The Daleks' Masterplan' in addition to a further Dalek adventure two Cyberman stories plus both the Yeti escapades this release is a must-have purchase for all Whovians! Disc 1: 'The Crusade' episodes One and Three (with commentary by Julian Glover and Gary Russell)

• Dallas - Season 11 | DVD | (20/07/2009) from £24.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (16.70%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Power wealth sex glorious extravagance. One place has them all: Dallas!

• Better Call Saul: Season 3 | DVD | (27/11/2017) from £26.63   |  Saving you £-14.28 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.35

  The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer, Jimmy McGill, in the time leading up to establishing his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Click Images to Enlarge

• Westerns Collection | DVD | (18/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £18.99

  The Searchers: John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards an ex-Confederate who sets out to find his niece captured by Comanches who massacred his family. He won't surrender to hunger thirst the elements or loneliness. And in his obsessive quest Ethan finds something unexpected: his own humanity. One of the most influential movies ever made. Unforgiven: an exciting modern classic that rode off with four 1992 Academy Awards. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman play retired down-on-their-luck outlaws who pick up their guns one last time to collect a bounty offered by the vengeful prostitutes of the remote Wyoming town of Big Whiskey: Richard Harris is an ill-fated interloper a colourful killer-for-hire called English Bob. Gene Hackman is the sly and brutal local sheriff whose brand of Law enforcement ranges from unconventional to ruthless. Big trouble is coming to Big Whiskey...

• Ghost (2 Disc Special Edition) | DVD | (05/03/2007) from £9.43   |  Saving you £10.56 (52.80%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A romantic thriller in which yuppie banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered but returns to Earth as a ghost to protect his grief-stricken young girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore) and solve his own murder. As he cannot communicate directly with his love he turns to fake medium Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) for help. Nobody is more shocked than Oda Mae to discover she has the genuine power to contact the dead. Goldberg won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance and Bruce Joel Rubin won the statuette for Best Original Screenplay.

• Joan Of Arc | DVD | (24/02/2003) from £13.72   |  Saving you £-4.74 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The extraordinary story tells of a quest that took as illiterate French peasant girl and transformed her into one of the most revered leaders of all time.