"Actor: Richard Ri"

• Rambo Trilogy (Three Disc Box Set) | DVD | (10/10/2005) from £37.00   |  Saving you £2.99 (8.08%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Sylvester Stallone never courted as much controversy as he did with the screen violence of the Rambo trilogy. From 1982 to 1988, they kept his name above Schwarzenegger's in the muscle hero league, with "Rambo" becoming a descriptive phrase in the language to describe gung-ho aggression (in Japanese, "rambo" means "violence"). The strangest part of the character's success is that originally he had none. Both David Morrell's novel and the original incarnation of First Blood had the Vietnam vet committing suicide after his rampage through small town America. The un-Hollywood ending was changed when Stallone and the producers recognised here was a character with possibilities. First Blood: Part II was co-written by James (Titanic) Cameron, a man who has always recognised box office possibilities. Stallone took a very relevant (to 1985) issue of surviving POWs and created an alternative end to the Vietnam War. This was achieved courtesy of the Cold War animosity that still existed towards the Russians, embodied in a suitably vile cameo from Steven Berkoff. A little love interest helped ground the movie and prevent it from completely turning into a video game, as did the best of Jerry Goldsmith's stirring scores for the trilogy. After saving himself and then his Country, Rambo III was simply about saving his friend Richard Crenna. The code of honour was by this point watered down into a song lyric, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Nevertheless the final instalment continues to say something about the indomitable American spirit that will not accept defeat lightly. Patriotism may never have been portrayed quite so bloodily before Rambo's arrival, but at least a generation learned to question attitudes to war veterans, as well as the benefits of carrying a compass in your hunting knife. On the DVD: The Rambo trilogy on disc brings together all three movies in crisp 2.35:1 widescreen transfers. Sadly the extras are a little thin considering how much more was on the old Laser Discs. The first film has but a trailer; the third has a few minutes of behind the scenes material; the second has quite a few mini-documentaries that could really have done with being edited together, and having repeated interviews cut out. But there's still fun to be had hearing how deep and meaningful the movies were in conception.--Paul Tonks

• Mask | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £11.17   |  Saving you £-1.18 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Sometimes the most unlikely people become heroes. Based on the true story of a teenager with a facial deformity from a rare disorder that no child has been known to survive. Cher won Best Actress Award at Cannes for her performance as Rocky's mother in this emotional and spirited drama.

• The Sound Of Music - 2 disc Special Edition | DVD | (09/04/2001) from £12.82   |  Saving you £7.17 (55.93%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The most widely seen movie produced by a Hollywood studio, The Sound of Music grows fresher with each viewing. Though it was planned meticulously in pre-production (save for the scene where Maria and the children take a dipping in an Austrian lake that nearly cost a life), on each viewing one is struck anew by the spontaneous almost improvisatory air of the acting, notably of Julie Andrews under Robert Wise's direction. There are also the little human touches he brings to, for instance, the scene where Maria leads the children to the hills, over bridges and along tow paths where the smallest boy trips up and momentarily gets left behind: it creates a feeling that most of us have encountered. From the opening pre-credit sequence of muted excitement as the camera roves over the Austrian Alps (photographed in magnificent colour), where little phrases from the wind instruments on the soundtrack are flung as if on the breeze, foreshadowing the title song to follow, the production never puts a foot wrong. On the DVD: On the first disc the film itself has never looked or sounded better since its original presentation in Todd AO (prints of which are said to have disappeared forever). The disc also contains a separate audio guide that takes the viewer through the film sequence by sequence, with director Robert Wise commenting on the weather, the production design by Boris Leven, the sequences filmed on location and in Hollywood (like the interiors of the Von Trapp villa), and the naming of other actors who were eager for the lead roles, notably Doris Day and Yul Brynner. On the second disc there are the documentaries. "Salzburg Sight and Sound" was Charmian Carr's own record of her time on location in the summer of 1964, playing Liesl, the eldest Von Trapp daughter. "From Fact to Fiction", running two hours, begins with the birth of Maria in 1905 who inspired the film, charts her subsequent marriage to Captain Von Trapp, their escape from Nazi Germany not across the Alps but via a train across the Italian boarder, their home in Vermont and thence to the German film of the family that was brought to the attention of Rodgers and Hammerstein as an ideal vehicle for a stage musical. A second group of documentaries covers previews, television and radio commercials and a 1973 interview with Wise and Andrews. Overall, this is a marathon package but in its way is as compelling as the film itself. --Adrian Edwards

• First Blood | Blu Ray | (04/08/2008) from £14.98   |  Saving you £5.01 (33.44%)   |  RRP £19.99

  He never fought a battle he couldn't win: except the conflict raging within his own soul. Academy Award winner Sylvester Stallone stars as war hero John Rambo. An ex-Green Beret haunted by memories of Vietnam he was once the perfect killing machine. Now he's searching for peace but finds instead an over-zealous small-town sheriff who's spoiling for a fight. All hell breaks loose when an unjustly imprisoned Rambo escapes and becomes the target of a massive manhunt. Now he must use his cunning combat skills and weapons training to stay alive and outwit his pursuers. Co-starring Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna First Blood is an explosive action-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final powerful frame.

• Blue Lights | DVD | (08/05/2023) from £11.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Pianist | DVD | (18/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A talented musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps of World War II.

• Peppa Pig Peppa s Circus | DVD | (07/04/2014) from £4.89   |  Saving you £5.10 (104.29%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Grandpa Pig puts up a tent in the garden so Peppa and her friends decide to stage a circus inside it. 10 all new episodes!

• Rambo: First Blood | DVD | (12/11/2018) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When small town Washington sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) detains a vagrant drifter for resisting arrest, little does he realise that he has set in motion a series of events that bring mayhem and bloody reckoning to his community. The shabby vagrant is in fact former Green Beret John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a hero of the Vietnam War who has returned home to find America no longer wants him. Responding to brutal treatment from Teasle's Deputies with sudden ferociousness, Rambo makes a daring escape from the town jail, steals a motorcycle and roars off towards the wilderness with the sheriffs not far behind Based on the bestselling novel by David Morrell, filmed during a brutal winter in British Columbia, First Blood is a breathtaking portrayal of America at odds with itself. Features: Rambo takes the '80s Part 1 Drawing First Blood - Making Of Alternate Ending Outtake Deleted scene: Dream in Saigon Original Trailer Sylvester Stallone Audio commentary Screenwriter David Morell Audio commentary

• Cleopatra -- Three-Disc Special Edition | DVD | (15/04/2002) from £24.94   |  Saving you £0.05 (0.20%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Still the most expensive movie ever made, Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. It also scandalised the world with the very public affair of its two major stars, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But Joseph L Mankiewicz's 1963 epic deserves to be remembered for more than its off-screen troubles. An extravagantly elaborate production, the sets and costumes alone are awe-inspiring; Mankiewicz's own literate screenplay draws heavily on the classics and Shakespeare; while the supporting cast, led by Rex Harrison as Caesar and Roddy McDowall as his nephew (and future emperor) Octavian, are all first-rate thespians and generally put in more convincing performances than either of the two leads. Mankiewicz's original intention was to make two three-hour films: the first being Caesar and Cleopatra, the second Antony and Cleopatra. But before the film’s completion, and following a boardroom coup worthy of Ancient Rome itself, legendary mogul Darryl F Zanuck took back control of Fox and insisted that Cleopatra be cut to a more economical length. A heartbroken Mankiewicz was forced to trim his six-hour vision down to four. This was the "roadshow" version shown at the film’s premiere and now restored here for the first time. Then following adverse criticism and pressure from cinema chains Zanuck demanded more cuts, and the final released version ran a mere three hours--half the original length. Capitalising on the feverish publicity surrounding Burton and Taylor, the shortened version played up both their on- and off-screen romance. This longer four-hour roadshow version allows for a broader view of the film, adding some depth to the politics and manipulation of the characters. But the director’s original six-hour edit has been lost. Perhaps one day it will be rediscovered in the vaults and Mankiewicz’s much-maligned movie will finally be seen the way it was meant to be. Until then, Cleopatra remains an epic curiosity rather than the complete spectacle it should be. On the DVD: this handsome three-disc set spreads the restored four-hour print of the movie across two discs. The anamorphic widescreen print looks quite magnificent and Alex North’s wondrous score comes up like new in Dolby 5.1 sound. There’s a patchy and only intermittently revealing commentary from Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky. Much better is the comprehensive two-hour documentary that occupies disc three, which tells in hair-raising detail the extraordinary story of a film production that became totally out of control. This is accompanied by some short archival material, but the documentary alone is a compelling reason to acquire this set. --Mark Walker

• Clint Eastwood Westerns Collection (3 Discs) | Blu Ray | (17/04/2019) from £16.15   |  Saving you £23.84 (147.62%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Classic westerns collection of 3 Blu-ray discs starring Clint Eastwood in 1080p High Definition.

• The Pianist | DVD | (01/03/2004) from £5.05   |  Saving you £4.94 (97.82%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A talented musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps of World War II.

• Watership Down | DVD | (29/08/2005) from £6.21   |  Saving you £7.78 (125.28%)   |  RRP £13.99

  From Richard Adams' best seller comes a beautifully realized animated adventure about a nomadic band of rabbits. Nestled among the rolling hills and peaceful meadows of England lives a community of rabbits. When their warren is threatened a small group of brave rabbits escapes into the unknown countryside in search of a new home. Led by the visionary Fiver the courageous Bigwig the clever Blackberry and the honerable Hazel they face daunting challenges and use their strength and

• Peter Pan (2003) | DVD | (26/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Fine casting, genuinely special effects and a keen combination of whimsy and danger make this Peter Pan the one to beat among all previous adaptations of JM Barrie's classic children's fantasy. The technical advances of CGI make the magic of Barrie's tale come alive and the spectacular effects combined with luminous live action create an action-packed Neverland that's both believable and breathtakingly artificial, like a Maxfield Parrish landscape springing vividly to life before your eyes. More importantly, however, is the fact that director PJ Hogan (whose films include Muriel's Wedding and My Best Friend's Wedding) has taken care to develop a substantial, pre-adolescent affection between the boyish sprite Peter (Jeremy Sumpter) and resourceful London girl Wendy, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood in a marvellous screen debut. This emotional bond--and the mixed blessing of Peter's eternal childhood--is what gives Hogan's Peter Pan it's rich emotional subtext, added to an already bountiful adventure that's equal parts delightful and menacing, especially when the villainous pirate Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs, doubling as Wendy's father) threatens to spoil the fun. With a mischievously dazzling Tinker Bell (played by Swimming Pool's Ludivine Sagnier) and no expense spared on its lavish Australian production, this Peter Pan gets it entirely right by presenting childhood as fun and frightening, in all its wondrous joys and sorrows. --Jeff Shannon

• Withnail and I | Blu Ray | (09/02/2015) from £11.21   |  Saving you £6.78 (60.48%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Set in 1969, the year in which the hippy dreams of so many young Englishmen went sour, 1986's Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I is an enduring British cult. Fellow enthusiasts cry immortal phrases from the endlessly brilliant script to one another like mating calls; "Scrubbers!", "We want the finest wines known to humanity and we want them now!" Withnail is played by the emaciated but defiantly effete Richard E Grant, "I" (i.e., Marwood) by Paul McGann. Out-of-work actors living in desperate penury in a rancid London flat, their lives are a continual struggle to keep warm, alive and in Marwood's case sane, until the pubs open. A sojourn in the country cottage of Withnail's gay Uncle Monty only redoubles their privations--they have to kill a live chicken to eat. The arrival of Monty spells further misery for Marwood as he must fend off his attentions. This borderline homophobic interlude apart, Withnail and I is a delight, enhanced by an aimless but appallingly eventful plot. Popular among students, it strikes a chord with anyone who has undergone a period of debauchery and impoverished squalor prior to finding their way onto life's straight and narrow.--David Stubbs

• Coupling - Complete Series 1-4 Box Set (Special Collectors Edition) | DVD | (16/08/2004) from £48.89   |  Saving you £1.10 (2.25%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Two's Company. Three's a crowd. So what do you do with six? Who do you know who is over thirty sort-of-single and has a satisfying regular sex-life? Anyone? Being single isn't easy. But at least you've got your friends. But what happens when one of your friends falls in love with one of your friends' friends? This funny up-front series about love and lust amongst thirtysomethings centres around Susan and Steve - two lively sexy funny people who get together and start going out. Featuring series 1 to 4 of the hit BBC sitcom!

• Sleepy Hollow | DVD | (24/07/2000) from £5.73   |  Saving you £14.26 (248.87%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Tim Burton's unique take on the tale of the headless horseman, with Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci.

• Earthquake | DVD | (06/06/2011) from £10.98   |  Saving you £-0.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  When the most catastrophic earthquake of all time rips through Southern California it levels Los Angeles and sends shockwaves through the lives of all who live there... Charlton Heston stars as a construction engineer whose life is devastated when the quake hits in a disaster film which showcases some of the most chilling special effects ever filmed!

• Gladiator - 15th Anniversary Edition | Blu Ray | (04/05/2015) from £9.59   |  Saving you £17.40 (181.44%)   |  RRP £26.99

  When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.

• Tremors | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £6.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (20.04%)   |  RRP £5.99

  They say there's nothing new under the sun. But under the ground... Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward star as two country handymen who lead a cast of zany characters to safety in this exciting sci-fi creature comedy. Just as Val McKee (Bacon) and Earl Basset (Ward) decide to leave Perfection Nevada strange rumblings prevent their departure. With the help of a shapely seismology student (Finn Carter) they discover their desolate town is infested with gigantic man-eating creatures that live below the ground.

• Forces Of Nature | DVD | (02/07/2006) from £8.14   |  Saving you £11.11 (161.48%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Plane crashes, pickpockets, hurricanes--heaven and hell is moving to prevent our able hero Ben (Ben Affleck) from marrying his sweetie (Maura Tierney) in Savannah. At every turn he runs into someone else despairing about the woes of married life. And of course, temptation proves overwhelming in the face of travelling companion Sarah (Sandra Bullock), the wild woman whom he can't seem--or doesn't want--to lose. After a wayward bird flies into the engine of his aeroplane, Ben is forced to find another way to his wedding. He finds himself stuck with Sarah, whom he carried from the plane after she was whacked in the head by his laptop. The heat between them is unmistakable, and the drama in the film comes from the "will he or won't he", both in terms of sleeping with Sarah and meeting up with his bride. Forces of Nature is a fun and sentimental road-trip film, but Ben is so straight-laced, you can't help but want him to fall flat on his face just a little. Bullock is the life of this film, although her free-spirited ways get a bit tired (responsibility is not all bad). The highlight of this movie, though, is definitely the cinematography. The beautiful rain shots and the colours of the scenes lend to the unsettling mood. While the jokes are not rip-roaring, Forces of Nature is to be reckoned with for those times when a light-hearted film is what you need. --Jenny Brown, Amazon.com