"Actor: Roy Wood"

• Housesitter | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £9.43   |  Saving you £0.56 (5.94%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A slick, smart vehicle for Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, Housesitter offers an acceptably daffy premise and enough inventive business to sustain it through to the, not unexpected, happy ending. Architect Martin builds a dream home for his childhood sweetheart (Dana Delaney) only to be rejected when he proposes marriage. After a one-night stand, Hawn--a daffy waitress with a gift for making up improbable but convincing lies--moves into Martin's house and tells his parents (Donald Moffatt, Julie Harris) and the whole community that she is his surprise new wife. When he sees how this impresses Delaney, Martin goes along with the charade, encouraging wilder and wilder fictions and doing his best to join in so that he can rush through to a divorce and move on to the woman he has always wanted. Hawn has to recruit a couple of winos to pose as her parents and impress Martin's boss into giving him a promotion, but we glimpse her real misery at his eventual intention to toss her out of the make-believe world she has created because her own real background is so grim. Its sit-com hi-jinx are manic enough not to be strangled by an inevitable dip in to sentiment towards the end, and Hawn, who always has to work hard, is better matched against the apparently effortless Martin than in their subsequent pairing in Out-of-Towners. Martin, often wasted in comparatively straight roles, has a few wild and crazy scenes as Hawn prompts him into joining her improvised fantasies. Director Frank Oz, a frequent Martin collaborator (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Shop of Horrors, Bowfinger), is the model of a proper, competent, professional craftsman when he sets out to put a comedy together--but the film misses streaks of lunacy or cruelty that might have made it funnier and more affecting. On the DVD: The disc offers a pristine widescreen non-anamorphic transfer, letterboxed to 1.85:1. There are no extra features to speak of, just text-based production notes, cast and director bios, plus a trailer and an assortment of language and subtitle options. --Kim Newman

• The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash | DVD | (25/04/2005) from £16.92   |  Saving you £-10.93 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  First screened on BBC2 in 1978, at a time when the standing of The Beatles was at its lowest, The Rutles--All You Need is Cash is the original and (pace This is Spinal Tap) best "rockumentary" spoof. Codirector Eric Idle was then enjoying success with Rutland Weekend Television, while his script displays the same feeling for the inane non-sequitur evident in his Monty Python work. The band's progress from "penniless, untalented nobodies" to "rich, untalented somebodies" is vividly brought to life--with dialogue adapted from actual Beatles interviews and newsreels, and a roster of songs sounding uncannily close to Beatles originals thanks to "Nasty" Neil Innes' genius for pastiche. Interviews with a suitably primed Mick Jagger and Paul Simon give added realism, as do cameos from George Harrison (one-time Beach Boy Rikki Fataar plays his Rutles double Stig) and Stones guitarist Ron Wood. Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi make characterful, pre-Blues Brothers appearances. On the DVD: The Rutles--All You Need is Cash has come up well in this DVD transfer. The fullscreen 4:3 ratio picture and mono sound wear their age well, enhanced by the extra scenes included. There's further interview material with Jagger and Simon, and a specially recorded, though wholly unfunny, DVD introduction from Idle, who also contributes a running commentary. All in all, this is an ideal way to get to know, or renew acquaintance with, a film that brings the swinging 60s back down to earth. --Richard Whitehouse

• X Files: Season 8 | DVD | (14/03/2005) from £16.96   |  Saving you £18.03 (106.31%)   |  RRP £34.99

  From the arrival of Agent John Doggett in 'Within' and Mulder's miraculous resurrection in 'Deadalive' to the birth of Scully's baby in 'Existence' these Season Eight episodes are a must for every X-Files fan! Episodes comprise: 1. Within 2. Without 3. Patience 4. Roadrunners 5. Invocation 6. Redrum 7. Via Negativa 8. Surekill 9. Salvage 10. Badlaa 11. The Gift 12. Medusa 13. Per Manum 14. This Is Not Happening 15. DeadAlive 16. Three Words 17. Empedocles 18. Vienen 19. Alon

• Dark Command (John Wayne) | DVD | (05/06/2006) from £6.83   |  Saving you £3.16 (46.27%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A Civil War tale based on the exploits of the notorious outlaw Quantrill. The Duke plays a U.S. Marshal out to stop the cutthroat raider and his band. Based on the novel by W.R. Burnett.

• The Russia House | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £8.96   |  Saving you £4.03 (44.98%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Intelligent casting, strong performances and the persuasive chemistry between Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer prove the virtues in director Fred Schepisi's well-intended but problematic screen realization of this John Le Carré espionage thriller. At its best, The Russia House depicts the bittersweet nuances of the pivotal affair between a weary, alcoholic London publisher (Connery) and the mysterious Russian beauty (Pfeiffer) who sends him a fateful manuscript exposing the weaknesses beneath Soviet defence technology. Connery's Barley is a gritty, all-too-human figure who's palpably revived by his awakening feelings for Pfeiffer's wan, vulnerable Katya, whose own reciprocal emotions are equally convincing. Together, they weave a poignant romantic duet. The problems, meanwhile, emanate from the story line that brings these opposites together. Le Carré's novels are absorbing but typically internal odysseys that seldom offer the level of straightforward action or simple arcs of plot that the big screen thrives on. For The Russia House, written as glasnost eclipsed the cold war's overt rivalries, Le Carré means to measure how old adversaries must calibrate their battle to a more subtle, subdued match of wits. Barley himself becomes enmeshed in the mystery of the manuscript because British intelligence chooses to use him as cat's paw rather than become directly involved. Such subtlety may be a more realistic take on the spy games of the recent past but it makes for an often tedious, talky alternative to taut heroics that Connery codified in his most celebrated early espionage role. If the suspense thus suffers, we're still left with an affecting love story, as well as some convincing sniping between British and US intelligence operatives, beautifully cast with James Fox, Roy Scheider and John Mahoney. Veteran playwright Tom Stoppard brings considerable style to the dialogue, without solving the problem of giving us more than those verbal exchanges to sustain dramatic interest. --Sam Sutherland

• The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash | DVD | (21/01/2002) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-4.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Originally hatched in 1978 as a short film parody, The Rutles was later expanded into a 70-minute mockumentary about a trend-setting quartet of British mop-tops and became one of Eric Idle's better projects outside Monty Python. Taking the career (and hagiography) of The Beatles and inverting them quite nicely, Idle conjures up four doppelgangers who offer the familiar mannerisms but practically none of the intelligence of their models. If that sounds like the same gag that powered This is Spinal Tap (which emerged six years later), it is, with the crucial difference that Idle's lampoon is precise where Tap was consciously generic. In telling the saga of the Rutles, Idle (who doubles as earnest narrator and McCartney-esque Rutle Dirk McQuigley) works from a rich and immediately familiar trove of pop lore, and he has a ball revisiting and reinventing milestones from the Fab Four's fabled history. The attention to period detail helps elevate the gags further, but Idle's real secret weapon is Neil Innes, standing in as Ron Nasty, the Rutles' answer to John Lennon: it's Innes who serves as the musical architect for the wonderful Beatles parodies that give All You Need is Cash a delicious kick, and Innes--a one-time principal in the legendary Bonzo Dog Band--is gifted enough to capture the band's lyricism and energy as well as their shifting sense of style. With the blessing and on-camera participation of George Harrison, and wry cameos from Mick Jagger and Paul Simon, All You Need is Cash is a perfect companion to the Beatles' own glorious screen comedies and a great antidote to sanctimonious pop documentaries. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com

• Invaders -Season 1 | DVD | (17/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  US science-fiction TV hit - Invaders aired during the '60s. Created by Larry Cohen it tells the story of extra-terrestrials who flee their dying planet and come to conquer Earth. Roy Thinnes stars as architect David Vincent who accidentally learns of the plot and makes it his mission to foil them at every turn. Invaders is a must for fans of science fiction and seventies drama everywhere.

• Loot | DVD | (28/08/2017) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  British comedy adaptated from the play by Joe Orton. Two bank robbers, Dennis (Hywel Bennett) and Hal (Roy Holder), are on the run from the police after a successful heist. Needing somewhere to hide the loot, they turn to a funeral parlour where they can stash the cash in Hal's recently-deceased mother's coffin. Taking the coffin, they turn to Hal's father (Milo O'Shea) and hide it in the bathroom of his hotel. Before long the hotel is host to the eccentric Inspector Truscott (Richard Attenborough) as he traces the crooks, and the promiscuous nurse Fay (Lee Remick), who is also on the trail of the stolen money.

• The Hound Of The Baskervilles | DVD | (30/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £1.99

  It could have been a stroke of genius reuniting Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore in a send-up of The Hound of the Baskervilles. In the event, director Paul Morrissey goes for Carry On-style humour: plenty of coarse word-play and camp innuendo, but little wit or subtlety. Cooke is a rather androgynous Sherlock Holmes, while Moore inexplicably attempts a Welsh accent to portray Dr Watson (his cameo as Holmes' mother is far less contrived). The support cast is a compendium of British comedy acting of the period--all now departed, and clearly relishing the one-liners and musical-hall farce. There are excellent contributions from Max Wall, Joan Greenwood (priceless in the seduction scene), and--in one of his last major screen appearances--Terry Thomas, as well as a winning "madame" from Penelope Keith. Don't expect even a free adaptation of Conan Doyle's novel, just let the humour take its enjoyably silly course. On the DVD: The Hound of the Baskervilles film reproduces very decently in the 4:3 aspect ratio, with stereo sound that's not too artificial in effect. Special features consist of nine biographical overviews, the re-release trailer, and a six-minute interview with director Morrissey. Die-hard fans of "Pete and Dud" will most welcome the inclusion of the original theatrical feature, playing for almost 80 minutes and featuring extra footage of Moore's wonderfully inept piano playing. --Richard Whitehouse

• White Countess | DVD | (21/08/2006) from £5.88   |  Saving you £14.11 (239.97%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Set in Shanghai in the late 1930s, this is the story of the relationship between a disillusioned former US diplomat and a refugee White Russian countess.

• London's Burning - The Complete First Series | DVD | (23/05/2005) from £15.91   |  Saving you £12.07 (93.42%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Blackwall Fire Station's Blue Watch takes to the streets again in the highly-popular drama series of the 80s and early 90s. Viewers loved the quirky but human characters that put their lives on the line with every episode and this set features some of the most fondly remembered including female fire-fighter Josie Lawrence ""Bayleaf"" ""Sicknote"" and ""Charisma"". This set not only features the original pilot film (by celebrated and award-winning writer Jack Rosenthal) but all five ep

• Loot | Blu Ray | (28/08/2017) from £11.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  British comedy adaptated from the play by Joe Orton. Two bank robbers, Dennis (Hywel Bennett) and Hal (Roy Holder), are on the run from the police after a successful heist. Needing somewhere to hide the loot, they turn to a funeral parlour where they can stash the cash in Hal's recently-deceased mother's coffin. Taking the coffin, they turn to Hal's father (Milo O'Shea) and hide it in the bathroom of his hotel. Before long the hotel is host to the eccentric Inspector Truscott (Richard Attenborough) as he traces the crooks, and the promiscuous nurse Fay (Lee Remick), who is also on the trail of the stolen money.

• Loving Memory (Blu-ray + DVD) | Blu Ray | (23/08/2010) from £15.99   |  Saving you £4.00 (25.02%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Tony Scott's (True Romance Top Gun Days of Thunder ) first feature Loving Memory (1970) was made with assistance from the BFI's Production Board. Beautifully photographed by acclaimed cinematographer Chris Menges - who captures the misty mystery of the Yorkshire moors - the film follows the story of a brother and sister living alone with their memories and a macabre secret. Now one of Hollywood's most bankable UK ex-pats the then 26 year-old Tony Scott's low budget film achieved critical praise and plaudits for its strong narrative going on to open the new NFT 2 in September 1970. Also Included here as an extra is Scott's earlier short film One of the Missing (1968) and Ridley Scott's 1965 short Boy and Bicycle (1965).

• Bronco Bullfrog (Blu-ray + DVD) | Blu Ray | (13/09/2010) from £15.99   |  Saving you £4.00 (25.02%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A leading cult film of the 1960s and one of the finest records of Mod culture in British cinema Bronco Bullfrog was largely improvised by a non-professional cast of teenagers from Stratford East London and is loosely based on events taken from the actors' lives. Seventeen-year-old Del and fifteen-year-old Irene suffer the perennial problems of teenage lovers - no money and nowhere to go. Del's resentful suspicious dad and Irene's uptight comically snobbish mum only make things worse. So they turn for help to old friend Bronco Bullfrog fresh out of Borstal and pursuing an enviably independent lifestyle. A wonderful time capsule of late 60s London this is filmmaking with a spontaneity wit and endearing humanity that still feels strikingly fresh.

• The S.A.S. Band | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Spikes All Star Band is a unique assembly of some of the fines musicians and singers in the world. Formed by Spike Edney former keyboard player with Queen the response to the first concert in 1994 was so positive that it led to a gigs and TV appearances. Members include Roger Taylor Fish Roger Chapman Steve Lukather Chaka Khan Leo Sayer Mica Paris Brian May and many more. Tracks include Blinded By The Light (Chris Thompson) All I Need Is A Miracle (Paul Young) Big Area (Mark Shaw) Fire (Arthur Brown) My Generation (Leo Sayer and Damon Hill) Every Time You Go Away (Paul Young) Hammer To Fall (Tony Hadley) Radio Ga Ga (Roger Taylor).

• Roy Rogers Collection | DVD | (30/10/2006) from £25.63   |  Saving you £-5.64 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Featuring 10 films starring the 'Singing Cowboy'! Includes: 1. Heldorado (1946) 2. In Old Cheyenne (1941) 3. King Of The Cowboys (1943) 4. Sheriff Of Tombstone (1941) 5. Bad Man Of Deadwood (1941) 6. Rough Riders Round Up (1939) 7. Young Bill Hickok (1940) 8. My Pal Trigger (1946) 9. Old Caliente (1939) 10. Lone Ranger

• The Secret Identity of Jack the Ripper | DVD | (02/02/2004) from £4.97   |  Saving you £4.02 (80.89%)   |  RRP £8.99

  A detailed gripping Crimewatch investigation into the mysteries of these heinous 19th century crimes. To coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Jack The Ripper killings a respected team of world-renowned forensic scientists criminologists and Ripper-ologists (including forensic pathologist Dr. William Eckert the Curator of Scotland Yard's Black Museum William Waddell FBI Special Agents Roy Hazelwood and John Douglas Queen's Counsel Ann Mallalieu Donald Rumbelow and Martin Fido) were gathered together for a live news-making television event with one purpose: to uncover The Secret Identity of Jack The Ripper. Presented by Peter Ustinov this documentary employs state-of-the-art methods of criminal analysis developed by the F.B.I. constructs vivid re-enactments of the crimes and presents profiles of each of the prime suspects as the experts attempt to positively identify Jack the Ripper.

• In Old Caliente | DVD | (21/02/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Lots of action and an abundance of music take center stage in this classic Roy Rogers' western. The action takes place in the frontier town of Caliente California shortly after that state's admittance to the Union. It is a turbulent time when land-hungry settlers fortune hunters and outlaws threaten the existence of the Old Spanish dons and their sprawling ranchos. Roy stars as the right-hand man for one of the Spanish aristocrats Don Miguel (Frank Puglia). Another of the original Spanish-Americans Delgado (Jack LaRue) robs Don Miguel's son of $40 000 and places the blame on the upstart American settlers. It's up to Roy to settle accounts which he does in an exciting fight at the edge of the ocean.

• Loot | DVD | (20/06/2005) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-4.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Bodies banks and birds! Dennis (Bennett) and Hal (Holder) are inseparable. They are also irreverent boisterous highly sexed and eager to acquire a fortune by the most expedient method...robbery. The only problem is that they have to hide their loot. Fortunately Dennis works as an undertaker so a conffin seems like the perfect place to hide it. But the moment that they try to fit the loot and a stiff in to a coffin things start to go wrong...and soon the boys have trouble o

• Housesitter | DVD | (25/06/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A slick, smart vehicle for Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, Housesitter offers an acceptably daffy premise and enough inventive business to sustain it through to the, not unexpected, happy ending. Architect Martin builds a dream home for his childhood sweetheart (Dana Delaney) only to be rejected when he proposes marriage. After a one-night stand, Hawn--a daffy waitress with a gift for making up improbable but convincing lies--moves into Martin's house and tells his parents (Donald Moffatt, Julie Harris) and the whole community that she is his surprise new wife. When he sees how this impresses Delaney, Martin goes along with the charade, encouraging wilder and wilder fictions and doing his best to join in so that he can rush through to a divorce and move on to the woman he has always wanted. Hawn has to recruit a couple of winos to pose as her parents and impress Martin's boss into giving him a promotion, but we glimpse her real misery at his eventual intention to toss her out of the make-believe world she has created because her own real background is so grim. Its sit-com hi-jinx are manic enough not to be strangled by an inevitable dip in to sentiment towards the end, and Hawn, who always has to work hard, is better matched against the apparently effortless Martin than in their subsequent pairing in Out-of-Towners. Martin, often wasted in comparatively straight roles, has a few wild and crazy scenes as Hawn prompts him into joining her improvised fantasies. Director Frank Oz, a frequent Martin collaborator (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Shop of Horrors, Bowfinger), is the model of a proper, competent, professional craftsman when he sets out to put a comedy together--but the film misses streaks of lunacy or cruelty that might have made it funnier and more affecting. On the DVD: The disc offers a pristine widescreen non-anamorphic transfer, letterboxed to 1.85:1. There are no extra features to speak of, just text-based production notes, cast and director bios, plus a trailer and an assortment of language and subtitle options. --Kim Newman