"Actor: Sam Francis"

• The Infernal Affairs Trilogy Criterion Collection - UK Only - Original titles: Mou gaan dou, II and III: Jung gik mou gaan | Blu Ray | (28/11/2022) from £47.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The explosively stylish, gripping saga of two rival moles that jolted the Hong Kong crime drama to new life is now available in one box set.The Hong Kong crime drama was jolted to new life with the release of the Infernal Affairs trilogy, a bracing, explosively stylish critical and commercial triumph that introduced a dazzling level of narrative and thematic complexity to the genre with its gripping saga of two rival moles-played by superstars TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI (In the Mood for Love) and ANDY LAU TAK-WAH (As Tears Go By)- who navigate slippery moral choices as they move between the intersecting territories of Hong Kong's police force and its criminal underworld.Set during the uncertainty of the city-state's handover from Britain to China and steeped in Buddhist philosophy, these ingeniously crafted tales of self-deception and betrayal mirror Hong Kong's own fractured identity and the psychic schisms of life in a postcolonial purgatory.Infernal AffairsTwo of Hong Kong cinema's most iconic leading men, TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI and ANDY LAU TAK-WAH, face off in the breath-taking thriller that revitalized the citystate's twenty-first-century film industry, launched a blockbuster franchise, and inspired Martin Scorsese's The Departed.The setup is diabolical in its simplicity: two undercover moles-a police officer (Leung) assigned to infiltrate a ruthless triad by posing as a gangster, and a gangster (Lau) who becomes a police officer in order to serve as a spy for the underworld-find themselves locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse, each racing against time to unmask the other. As the shifting loyalties, murky moral compromises, and deadly betrayals mount, Infernal Affairs raises haunting questions about what it means to live a double life, lost in a labyrinth of conflicting identities and allegiances.Infernal Affairs IIThe first of two sequels to follow in the wake of the massively successful Infernal Affairs softens the original's furious pulp punch in favour of something more sweeping, elegiac, and overtly political. Flashing back in time, Infernal Affairs II traces the tangled parallel histories that bind the trilogy's two pairs of adversaries: the young, duelling moles (here played by EDISON CHEN KOON-HEI and SHAWN YUE MAN-LOK), and the ascendant crime boss (ERIC TSANG CHI-WAI) and police inspector (ANTHONY WONG CHAU-SANG) whose respective rises reveal a shocking hidden connection.Unfolding against the political and psychological upheaval of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China, this elegant, character-driven crime drama powerfully connects its themes of split loyalties to the city-state's own postcolonial identity crisis.Infernal Affairs IIITONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI and ANDY LAU TAK-WAH return for the cathartic conclusion of the Infernal Affairs trilogy, which layers on even more deep-cover intrigue while steering the series into increasingly complex psychological territory. Dancing back and forth in time to before and after the events of the original film, Infernal Affairs III follows triad gangster turned corrupt cop Lau Kin-ming (Lau) as he goes to dangerous lengths to avoid detection, matches wits with a devious rival in the force (LEON LAI), and finds himself haunted by the fate of his former undercover nemesis (Leung). A swirl of flashbacks, memories, and hallucinations culminates in a dreamlike merging of identities that drives home the trilogy's vision of a world in which traditional distinctions between good and evil have all but collapsed.Product FeaturesNew 4K digital restorations, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracksAudio commentaries for Infernal Affairs and Infernal Affairs II featuring codirectors Andrew Lau Wai-keung and Alan Mak and screenwriter Felix Chong Man-keungAlternate ending for Infernal AffairsNew interview with Lau and MakArchival interviews with Lau, Mak, Chong, and actors Andy Lau Tak-wah, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Anthony Wong Chau-sang, Kelly Chen Wai-lam, Edison Chen Koon-hei, Eric Tsang Chi-wai, and Chapman To Man-chakMaking-of programmesBehind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and outtakesTrailersNew English subtitle translationsPLUS: An essay by film critic Justin Chang

• Evil Cult | DVD | (02/06/2003) from £4.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (20.04%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The Evil Cult (aka "Lord of the Wu Tang") is a wildly and wacky supernatural epic in which Jet Li masquerades as Mo-kei, a weakling warrior orphaned as a child when his parents are killed by two evil Jinx warlords. Chased out of the Wu Tang compound by a leader who considers him a liability, Mo-kei (and his female protectress) find themselves trapped in a dark abyss where they stumble upon a "cooking monk" trapped in a massive boulder who holds the secret to a lost form of Shaolin kung fu. They trick him into teaching Mo-kei the secret of his "solar stance". Newly empowered, Mo-kei sets off to find his maternal grandfather, King of the Gold Lion (de facto leader of the Evil Cult), to rally his clan with the Wu Tang in order to defeat the stifling government forces and exact revenge on the terrible Jinxes. Martial Law's Sammo Hung appears as Chang San Fung, Tai Chi Master of the Wu Tang clan (Hung also choreographed the action sequences for this film). Director Wong Jing (who also helmed the God of Gamblers series, Hard Boiled 2, and Return to a Better Tomorrow) just about keeps a handle on the plot and ably directs the stunning action sequences, some of which occur on battlefields swarming with soldiers. On the DVD: the main feature is presented in letterboxed format with original Cantonese dialogue and English subtitles. The print is generally of good quality but afflicted with blemishes and white flecks throughout. The subtitles are clear but their awkward translation and speed of transition serve at times to make an already convoluted plot harder to understand. It's a shame that an option to listen to a dubbed soundtrack wasn't added as the dubbed theatrical trailer (included here) enhances the daffiness of the movie. Other extras include comprehensive cast and crew filmographies and a small selection of stills. --Chris Campion

• The Incredible Hulk | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £7.70   |  Saving you £8.29 (107.66%)   |  RRP £15.99

  To paraphrase the Green Goliath himself, this Incredible Hulk release is a smash, providing 83 minutes of exciting sci-fi with enough action to satisfy Hulk novices and scripting that hews to its Marvel Comics origin (which will please longtime devotees). This set compiles the first four episodes of the 1996-97 animated series that outline the Hulk's origins as well as the struggles of his human alter ego Bruce Banner to rid himself of the creature. The episodes also make fine use of Marvel's rosters of heroes and villains; in the two-part "Return of the Beast", the Hulk tangles with the Leader, the Gargoyle and the hideous Abomination, and in "Raw Power" he's up against the malevolent ZZZAX; in "Helping Hand, Iron Fist", he goes mano-a-mano with Iron Man and War Machine. Terrific performances (TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno provides the creature's voice) and extensive extras make this a must-have for comic and cartoon aficionados. On the DVD:: The Incredible Hulk DVD will provide some clarity to viewers unfamiliar with his past and it also provides some choice trivia for those better versed in Hulk lore. The most enjoyable extra is "Inside the Hulk", which accesses interesting comments and factoids from comic book writer Peter David and Hulk creator Stan Lee throughout the four episodes. The always-exuberant Lee also provides brief introductions to each episode and, in "Stan Lee's Soapbox", voices his feelings on comics and his own unparalleled career. Older audiences will undoubtedly be amused by the inclusion of the first three episodes from the 1966 Incredible Hulk animated series. But primitive cels aside, the episodes will be of interest to vintage comic book fans, as they utilise original Hulk artist Jack Kirby's drawings. --Paul Gaita

• Cardcaptors - The Movie | DVD | (11/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  When Sakura Avalon accidentally set free the mystical cards contained within the Clow Book she never dreamed it would be her quest to recapture them and return them to their rightful place. Sakura and her friends have won a trip to Hong Kong and although they love the city they feel that something strange is happening. Could there be evil spirits lurking nearby? Suddenly captured by a powerful Sorceress and transported to another dimension Sakura must fight to rescue her friends

• Under The Skin | DVD | (24/01/2005) from £10.35   |  Saving you £9.64 (93.14%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Things are going badly for Iris. Her mother has been given only weeks to live and she feels increasingly distant from her happily married and heavily pregnant older sister Rose. Unable to deal with her grief and jealousy Iris ditches her job her flat and her boyfriend and prowls the streets looking for love in all the wrong places. Sexy dark and ultimately uplifting Carine Adler's stylish debut won the Michael Powell award at the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Critics Prize at th

• Gen X Cops | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Produced by Jackie Chan (who also makes an uncredited cameo), Gen-X Cops is an attempt to kick-start a franchise that will play well in the international market--hence the odd mix of Cantonese and English dialogue throughout. Match, Alien and Jack are three unruly students kicked out of cadet college and adopted as a crack undercover unit of delinquent Gen-X Cops by a put-upon police inspector given to epileptic fits in times of stress. Augmented by token hacker chick Y2K, they are assigned to a case involving a shadowy, arms-dealing Yakuza and double-crossing Triad warlords. The principal cast, mainly made up of unknowns, models and Cantonese pop stars, inject their roles with an infectious charm and enthusiasm while Benny Chan (Code of Honour) admirably keeps a handle on the non-stop plot twists. The action relies more on gunplay and pyrotechnics than martial arts. The three leads dodge bullets and bomb blasts without the aid of stuntmen. Among several stunning set pieces are a gun battle in a labyrinthine boat warehouse, skydiving from skyscrapers and an explosive finale in Hong Kong's famed conference centre. On the DVD: Fully-animated menus and 30-chapter scene selection are just the tip of the iceberg with this feature-packed DVD. Extras include "No Pain No Gain", a 30-minute "making of" documentary, a music video for the Gen-X theme tune "You Can't Stop Me", in which the actors make like the Shanghai Sex Pistols but come off like Boyzone gone bad. There are also extensive cast and crew features and production notes. The transfer of the main feature is sharp and clear, presented in letterboxed widescreen with Dolby sound. An impressive selection of viewing options includes Cantonese dialogue with removable English sub-titles or an alternative English-dubbed audio track. --Chris Campion

• No Good Deed | DVD | (26/07/2004) from £5.98   |  Saving you £7.01 (117.22%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Jack a police officer is taken hostage inside a house that is being used by a gang of bank robbers. When he is left alone with gang member Erin they become attracted to each other... Based on a short story entitled 'The House on Turk Street' by classic pulp novelist Dashiell Hammett.

• Take An Easy Ride - Special Edition | DVD | (24/05/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Take An Easy Ride: Special Edition

• Double Platinum | DVD | (19/06/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A soapy backstage melodrama originally produced for network broadcast, Double Platinum downplays showbiz verisimilitude to turn on the tears. With 60s soul queen Diana Ross and 90s pop princess Brandy sharing production credit as well as billing, this formulaic tearjerker focuses on its stars' dramatic chops more than their musical prowess, a choice that won't deter their respective audiences, even as it disappoints less partisan music fans who might have hoped for a stronger musical component.Olivia King (Ross) is the former St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family for pop stardom, only to return 18 years later determined to meet, and reconcile with, her daughter, Kayla (Brandy), now nurturing her own footlight fantasies. But when the prodigal mom finally does reveal herself to the bright, feisty teen, Kayla is outraged and then hard-boiled. Olivia's offer to help the undeniably talented girl make industry contacts is accepted, with the bitter caveat that the superstar should abandon any hopes of a true maternal bond with her embittered daughter. The usually imperious Olivia meekly accepts those terms, while the secretly yearning Kayla keeps up her tough-cookie cover, but the plot telegraphs its ultimate destination, even as the tears flow.Both stars acquit themselves well in the story's stormier clashes, and the emotional tug of the story is well engineered to soak hankies. Less credulous viewers will be hampered by the original songs--when Ross steps on-stage, her regal demeanour and flashy (if occasionally silly) gowns support her supposed status as a legend, but the utterly forgettable, generic songs she mouths deflate that image. That said, viewers less interested in the actual music than the glitzy idea of the two characters may well be content to wallow in the waterworks of a story that could as easily have been titled Divas: The Next Generation. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com

• The Contemporary Arts | DVD | (21/03/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Discover the world of fine art with the people who made it happen. Arata Isokai: The architect of the Museum of Contemporary Art reveals the motivation of the design of his symbolically imaginative buildings. Eui Kyu Kim: The renowned Korean Artist who creates spiritual canvases that emphasise the curves and contours of the body. Ed Ruscha: Considered to be one of the first modern artists who embraced the impersonality of billboard advertising to philosophise about the arbitrariness of the painted and printed expression. Bob Branaman: A Distinguished film-maker print-maker and painter whose work encompasses a broad and eclectic range of subject matter from the treatment of the aboriginal people in America to his love of the female form. Don Williams: Using the medium of pastel in realistic fashion by documenting his surroundings with a camera and incorporating the photographs into hauntingly realistic pastels. The Fauves: An overview of the sensation that this group created in art during the early 1900's and the lasting influence they have even today. Sam Francis: A montage of Francis' watercolours at the hight of his popularity reviewed by Andre Emmerlich. Man Ray: Ranging from the sublime to the bizarre Man Ray was a visionary in contemporary art. His fine and graphic art was innovative and his photography continually went beyond all accepted boundaries. He is still an art icon 30 years after his death. Aurobora Press: Housed in one of downtown San Francisco's oldest buildings this turn of the century firehouse has been revived as a living studio where artists can work through their inspiration in a nurturing comfortable setting. Richard Pousette-Dart: One of the original Abstract Expressionists who now enjoys the notoriety that his New York contemporaries have long experienced. Often termed 'painterly' abstraction learn how Pousette's work expresses an evocative field of colour hinting at myth ritual and psychological themes. Wrapped In Glory: The tale of how American history has been recorded stitch by stitch in rare and beautiful quilts that demonstrate how utility meets art. The Eight: A survey of paintings by the group of 'Eight' who broke away from the established traditions of American art and imposed an influence that remains present even today. Andre Emmerlich: Perhaps the world's most famous art dealer candidly reveals the relationship between the artist and the dealer and the myth of the discovered artist.

• Good People | Blu Ray | (05/10/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Academy Award ® Nominees James Franco* (Homefront) and Kate Hudson** (The Killer Inside Me) star in GOOD PEOPLE as a debt-ridden couple who discover a hidden bag of cash in their dead tenant's apartment. When they decide to spend it, they find themselves pulled deeper and deeper into a world of deception and they soon become the target of a deadly adversary Academy Award® Nominee Tom Wilkinson*** (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Omar Sy (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Anna Friel (Limitless) also star in this contemporary action-thriller.

• An Exploration Of The Contemporary Arts 1 | DVD | (22/11/2004) from £32.37   |  Saving you £-7.38 (-29.50%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Discover the world of fine art with the people who made it happen. Arata Isokai: The architect of the Museum of Contemporary Art reveals the motivation of the design of his symbolically imaginative buildings. Eui Kyu Kim: The renowned Korean Artist who creates spiritual canvases that emphasise the curves and contours of the body. Ed Ruscha: Considered to be one of the first modern artists who embraced the impersonality of billboard advertising to philosophise

• My Pal Trigger | DVD | (14/02/2005) from £15.98   |  Saving you £1.01 (5.90%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Gabby refuses to breed his horse the Golden Sovereign with Roy's. When the Sovereign and Roy's horse escape Skoville shoots the Sovereign by mistake but Roy is blamed and jailed. A year later Roy returns with Trigger the son of the Sovereign. When Skoville slips and reveals he was present when the horse was shot Roy sees a chance to clear his name.

• Heart | DVD | (02/04/2007) from £9.22   |  Saving you £-5.23 (-131.10%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Eddie Brennan once a boxer with a killer right is now a has-been who loads trucks for a living. A worn out boxer who dreams of making a comeback seems the perfect candidate for a rigged fight against an up and coming young fighter...