"Actor: Rupert Frazer"

• Shackleton | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £6.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (42.92%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Shackleton is not a biopic of the great Anglo-Irish explorer but a dramatisation of the failed trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-16. As written and directed by Charles (Longtitude) Sturridge the production, filmed on real ice floes in Greenland, stays remarkably close to the facts, capturing the look of the surviving expedition photos of Frank Hurley (collected in the book South With Endurance) with great fidelity. Kenneth Branagh makes no attempt at an authentic accent but otherwise gives a powerful impression of a most commanding personality. When the expedition ship Endurance became locked in the Antarctic ice Shackleton vowed to bring every man home alive, and against virtually impossible odds, including a 700-mile journey in an open boat through some of the worst seas in the world, he did just that. This superlative mini-series realises the story with production values and cinematography which would not disgrace a big-budget feature (Hurley's own 1919 documentary film can be seen on video in South). Intense physical drama, strong performances and Adrian Johnston's fine score combine here to deeply moving effect, marred only a little by a rushed conclusion. With Roland Huntford, author of the definitive Shackleton biography, as production advisor, this easily stands as the benchmark for all future comparable films. --Gary S Dalkin

• Testament of Youth | DVD | (10/05/2010) from £19.98   |  Saving you £0.01 (0.05%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Cheryl Campbell stars in this enriching and award-winning adaptation of Vera Brittain's autobiography set between 1913 and 1925. At the outbreak of the First World War a young Vera finds herself torn between her studies at Oxford and the decision she will take to enrol as a volunteer nurse caring for casualties from the Front. Little does she realise that the faces passing before her will include those closest to her. Devastating in its portrayal of the impact of war on a whole generation Testament of Youth is a passionate powerful and personal record Vera Brittain's experiences during the First World War and serves as a moving memorial to a lost generation.

• Shadow Run | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Shadow Run ought to be considerably more interesting than it is--Geoffrey Reeve is an efficient director and both Michael Caine and James Fox turn in icy performances as, respectively, an almost completely ruthless thief and the renegade intelligence man who hires him for that one last big job. Caine in particular is convincing in the half-hearted attacks of compunction that never stop him killing obstacles. Many of the bit-players--Lesley Grantham, for example--do a lot with almost nonexistent parts. The film counterpoints the planning of the heist with the social embarrassments of the fat schoolboy who becomes, by a series of coincidences, too informed about it and, ultimately, Caine's secret sharer. Reeve is rather too in love with the cathedral school background of the subplot and skimps too much on the complicated technical business of getting a computerised security van into a radio blackout zone. Still, the boy is excellent, and Caine's affair with the doomed hooker Rae Baker has some much-needed moments of wit. On the DVD: Disappointingly, the DVD, whose Dolby surround sound does miracles for the scenes of schoolboy choristers, is presented in pan and scan 1.33:1, and has no extra features except for chapter selection and trailers for other films.--Roz Kaveney

• The House Of Eliott - Series 2 | DVD | (09/01/2006) from £16.88   |  Saving you £43.11 (255.39%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Louise Lombard and Stella Gonet return as the Eliott sisters in the second series of this wonderful BBC costume drama. The House of Eliott is now the smartest most prestigious establishment in London and the Eliott sisters have to contend with the pressures of running their empire as well as the problems in their private lives. Beatrice's devotion to the business puts a tremendous strain on her marriage while Evie embarks upon a liaison which threatens to ruin both her life and th

• Empire Of The Sun - Special Edition | DVD | (06/03/2006) from £7.49   |  Saving you £9.50 (55.90%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12 years old at the time? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war. In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic", derivative coming-of-age films, Empire of the Sun stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent The Last Emperor (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, Empire of the Sun helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone and look for future efforts Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. --N.F. Mendoza

• Shadow Run | DVD | (25/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Caine is a London gangster who backed up by an upper-class bad guy (Fox) plans to do a job on an armoured transport van filled with paper for the Royal Mint. This is the paper used to make twenty and fifty pound notes so a load of such paper would be worth as much as 110 million on the black market. The only problem is getting to the van...

• Penmarric | DVD | (19/03/2007) from £16.55   |  Saving you £13.44 (81.21%)   |  RRP £29.99

  An epic tale of obsessive love and grand ambition. Based on the best-selling novel by Susan Howatch Penmarric is a truly epic and sweeping story of love greed and ambition set against the rugged beauty of Cornwall. On the wild Cornish coast stands the grand estate of Penmarric its stately house lands and mines. It offers wealth and power - but it can also destroy those who seek to become its master. Mark Castallack Master of Penmarric marries the fiery Janna daughter of a lowly fisherman. But a terrible secret will tear his family apart and echo down the decades. Love obsession betrayal and tragedy will set husband against wife father against son and brother against brother in the brooding shadows of the great house. One of the BBC's best-loved drama series of all time Penmarric is a powerful and unforgettable saga that spans three generations from Victorian England to the Second World War. Available for the first time on DVD this 3 disc collection includes all twelve episodes plus a special souvenir booklet.

• The House Of Eliott - Series 2 - Vol. 3 | DVD | (06/03/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The House of Eliott runs into trouble retaining its clients when Evie's affair becomes public. Beatrice and Evie's private lives are both going through traumatic changes the workroom staff is unhappy because of a cut in their wages and there is a general strike raging. Episode 9: Beatrice moves in with Evie and following Ralph's disappearence with their savings they forced to cut staff wages. The sisters are struggling to find inspiration. Episode 10: Beatrice and Evi

• The Agatha Christie Hour - The Case Of The Middle-Aged Wife / In A Glass Darkly | DVD | (10/05/2010) from £6.23   |  Saving you £1.76 (28.25%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Episodes Comprise: The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife: When Mrs Packington whose husband is paying more attention to his young secretary answers an ad in the papers reading ARE YOU HAPPY? IF NOT CONSULT MR PARKER PYNE she soon finds herself being dazzled and swept off her feet by the handsome Claude Luttrell. In A Glass Darkly: Matthew Armitage is startled by a vision in his mirror: he sees a man with a scarred neck strangling a beautiful blonde. He later meets the woman in his vision Sylvia and notes her fiance's scarred neck. Mathew tells Sylvia of his premonition and the engagement is broken off. But is that all there is to it?

• Empire Of The Sun (2 Disc Special Edition) | DVD | (07/08/2006) from £30.78   |  Saving you £-13.79 (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Nominated for six Academy Awards and winner of three BAFTAs Steven Spielberg's tale of a youngster's harrowing and remarkable experiences in World War II-era China stars: Christian Bale John Malkovich Miranda Richardson Nigel Havers Joe Pantoliano Ben Stiller and Leslie Phillips. Empire of the Sun is an inspiring action-packed epic of a small boy in a great war. That boy is Jim Graham a young Briton whose unconquerable spirit soars high and free above the harsh confines of a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Through his eyes we see the fascination and horror of war. And we see a child's hold onto childhood weaken as his struggle to survive grows fiercer. Based on J.G.Ballard's memorable best seller this first major Hollywood studio production ever to shoot in the People 's Republic of China earned 1987 National Board of Review awards for Best Picture and Director as well as a special citation for Outstanding Juvenile Performance for Christian Bale as Jim.

• The House Of Eliott - Series 2 - Vol. 2 | DVD | (06/02/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The House Of Eliott continues with its reputation as the most elegant couture house in London and the Eliott sisters juggle with running their empire keeping the workroom seamstress happy and the bank at bay. Evie meets Lord Alexander Monford at Montford Hall and there is instant chemistry between them. Episode 5: The sisters are designing the costumes for a new abstract ballet and the workroom girls are excitedly making Till's wedding dress. A financial problem results in a

• Empire of the Sun | Blu Ray | (12/12/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun is an inspiring, action-packed epic of a small boy in a great war. That boy is Jim Graham, a young Briton whose unconquerable spirit soars high and free above the harsh confines of a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Through his eyes we see the fascination and horror of war. And we see Jim's hold on childhood weaken as his struggle to survive grows fiercer.Based on J. G. Ballard's memorable best-seller, this first major Hollywood studio production ever to shoot in the People's Republic of China earned 1987 National Board of Review awards for Best Picture and Director, as well as a special citation for Outstanding Juvenile Performance for Christian Bale as Jim.IncludesAll-New Digital Transfer Remastered in 1080p Hi-DefBehind-the-Scenes Documentary The China Odyssey: 'Empire of the Sun,' a Film by Steven Spielberg