"Actor: Sutherland"

• Verdi: Il Trovatore -- Opera Australia | DVD | (05/06/2002) from £29.99   |  Saving you £-5.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Il Trovatore, Verdi's 1853 maelstrom of passion, infanticide, double-crossing and revenge, would be a mightily gamy affair if it didn't contain some of his finest arias, a cracker of a tenor's role and one of opera's most powerfully-written characters in the old gypsy woman, Azucena. Although Joan Sutherland, who plays the self-sacrificing lady-in-waiting Leonora in this 1983 Australia Opera production at Sydney Opera House, is the headline star, in truth the supreme assets of this recording are mezzo-soprano Lauris Elms' Azucena, a beautifully sung performance of haunted, wild-eyed sadness; and Sydney Nolan's wonderfully infernal sets, all purple and burnt ochre with suggestions of distorted faces. Sutherland came late to a part which allowed her to sing up a storm without taxing her rather stolid acting style. Her husband and musical director Richard Bonynge gives her the space to unleash some of Verdi's most fluidly opulent melodies--"D'amor sull'ali rosee" is a case in point--whose beauty is often at odds with the underlying horrors of the tale, based on a rather dodgy Spanish melodrama by Gutierrez. Sutherland has strong support from tenor Kenneth Collins as the doomed Manrico and Jonathan Summers as the vengeful Count. On the DVD: Il Trovatore on disc offers the inevitable shortcomings of a filmed for television performance: to the detriment of Nolan's designs (and the hard-pressed make-up team), the lighting doesn't translate well to video. Presented in 4:3 picture format, the quality is frequently murky. The PCM Stereo soundtrack also has its flat and fuzzy moments, particularly during chorus scenes ("Vedi! Le fosche notturne spoglie") when the orchestra drowns out the singing. But on the whole Sutherland et al sound great.--Piers Ford

• Strauss: Die Fledermaus -- Royal Opera House | DVD | (16/01/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Originally broadcast live by the BBC from the Royal Opera House on New Year's Eve 1990, this production of Die Fledermaus, Johann Strauss' masterpiece of comic operetta, was a truly historic occasion, marking the retirement from the stage of one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century, Dame Joan Sutherland. Sung in English, in a version by John Mortimer, conducted by Sutherland's husband Richard Bonynge and directed for television by Humphrey Burton, this is an exceptional translation from stage to screen. The story, an elaborate farce with elements of satirical comedy set around a lavish masked ball in 19th-century Vienna comes to life through outstanding performances by a large, vivacious cast, including Judith Howarth, Nancy Gustason and Jochen Kowalski as Prince Orlofsky. Gorgeously designed, wonderfully costumed and enthusiastically played as it is, attention inevitably centres on the "special recital" by the "surprise guests": Sutherland herself, Marilyn Horne and Luciano Pavarotti. No finer, more exhilarating and touching a farewell could have been imagined. After the curtain there is a short, on-stage tribute to Sutherland by Jeremy Isaacs, bringing to a close a glorious, unforgettable evening of music-making for which the word "glittering" might have been invented. --Gary S. Dalkin On the DVD: By presenting the production on two discs the picture quality is maximised, and, by the standards of live-filmed opera, is very good indeed. The discs are presented with PCM stereo sound and a 4:3 TV ratio image. There are options for French and German subtitles, but unless trailers for two further Arthaus DVDs count, there are no extras. The booklet is well documented, though lacking the libretto. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Flashback | DVD | (08/12/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Inspired casting puts sparks into Flashback, a comedy of counterculture clash between an aging 1960s radical and a buttoned-down FBI agent. Dennis Hopper plays an Abbie Hoffman-esque 1960s activist and prankster who lands in the custody of a conservative young agent (a suitably uptight Kiefer Sutherland) and proceeds literally to unravel the agent's carefully constructed front through a series of slippery mind games. Hopper has a blast as the unreformed relic, and Carol Kane is delightful as a hippie holdout who puts both men back in touch with their identities. There are few surprises, plenty of heart, and even a little sentiment in this story of rebellion and the legacy of the counterculture. The soundtrack is gilded with well-chosen 1960s anthems. --Sean Axmaker

• 24: Complete Season 7 | Blu Ray | (19/10/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £64.99

  The eagerly anticipated Season 7 starts with Jack being forced to stand trial for human rights violations after returning from Africa but he is soon drafted back into action when terrorists threaten America's national security by taking control of its communication systems. As Bauer sets out to uncover who is behind the menacing plot he discovers an old friend he believed to be dead could be involved.

• A Few Good Men / As Good As It Gets / Five Easy Pieces | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A Few Good Men Collector's Edition (Dir. Rob Reiner 1992): One man is dead. Two men are accused of his murder. The entire Marines Corps is on trial. And 'A Few Good Men' are about to ignite the most explosive episode in US military history. Universally acclaimed A Few Good Men unites the big screen's biggest stars as Hollywood heavyweights Jack Nicholson Tom Cruise and Demi Moore lead an all star cast in director Rob Reiner's powerful account of corruption cover-up and a relentless quest for justice within the sacred corridors of the US Navy. As Good As It Get's (Dir. James L. Brooks 1997): Nicholson gives a show-stopping performance as Melvin Udall an obsessive-compulsive novelist who takes pride in his ability to affront repulse offend and wound. His targets are random his aim reckless. Winner of three Golden Globe Awards two Oscars and a staggering further five Oscar nominations As Good As It Gets is a comedy from the heart that goes straight for the throat! Five Easy Pieces (Dir. Bob Rafelson 1970): In an Academy Award nominated performance for Best Actor (1970) Jack Nicholson is outstanding in Five Easy Pieces the acclaimed drama from director Bob Rafelson. Although a brilliant classical pianist from an intellectual well-to-do family - Robert Dupea (Nicholson) has made a career out of running from job to job and woman to woman. Presently working in an oil field Dupea spends most of his free time downing beers playing poker and being non-committal with his sexy but witless girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black). But when he is summoned to his father's deathbed Dupea returns home with Rayette where he meets and falls for a sophisticated woman (Susan Anspach). Now caught between his conflicting lifestyles the gifted but troubled Dupea must face issues that will change his life forever. Deceptively simple but one of the most complex and interesting films of its time.

• The Eagle Has Landed | DVD | (25/07/2005) from £5.98   |  Saving you £0.01 (0.17%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The daring World War II plot that changed the course of history. In November 1943 Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasance) received a simple message The Eagle Has Landed. It meant that a crack force of German paratroopers were safely in England poised and ready to kidnap the Prime Minister of England Winston Churchill. The force is under the command of Colonel Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine). All goes smoothly as the German force disguised in Polish uniforms is accepted by the villagers. But one of the men is killed while rescuing a little girl and his German uniform is discovered. The entire village has to be taken hostage and hidden in the town church. Agents and counteragents work desperately to keep the scheme alive. Steiner himself takes a dangerous gamble. He overpowers an American ranger commandeers his jeep and uniform and drives to the mansion where Churchill is relaxing. The action and suspense are nonstop in this World War II thriller which also stars Treat Williams Larry Hagman Anthony Quayle and Jean Marsh.

• Joan Sutherland - The Best Of | DVD | (03/04/2006) from £12.84   |  Saving you £2.15 (16.74%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Dame Joan Sutherland Australian Icon and declared National Treasure has been described as the foremost soprano of our age and one of the greatest operatic artists of all time. This DVD contains highlights of her stage performances with Opera Australia including many of her most internationally famous and highly acclaimed roles. Featuring: Lucrezia BorgiaAdriana LecouvreurLa fille duRegimentDialogues of the CarmelitesNormaDie FledermausIl trovator

• Monsters Vs Aliens 3D (Blu-ray 3D + Blu ray + DVD) | Blu Ray | (05/12/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £26.99

  Co-directors of Shrek 2 and Shark Tale team up for Monsters VS Aliens, a fantastic adventure that combines B-movie nostalgia with futuristic technology to create a 3-D animated adventure for the whole family. When an alien attacks the earth, the monsters must step up and become heroes to rescue humanity. This Dreamworks Animation offering features a cast of celebrity voices, including Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, and Seth Rogen.

• Path To War | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £15.17   |  Saving you £-9.18 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  As the successor to a martyred president Lyndon B. Johnson sought to transform America into a 'Great Society' of equal opportunity. Instead he became the symbol for the most unpopular war in U.S. history. Michael Gambon (as President Johnson) Donald Sutherland (as Clark Gifford) and Alec Baldwin (as Robert McNamara) star in a compelling drama of soaring ambition and shattered dreams set inside the LBJ White House in the volatile years leading up to and during Vietnam. This HBO production was decorated director John Frankenheimer's final film.

• Mirrors | Blu Ray | (25/05/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £25.99

  An ex cop-come-security guard (Kiefer Sutherland) becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding the Mirrors in the derelict department store he is guarding. What he uncovers endangers him and his family with sinister consequences.

• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me | DVD | (17/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Fire Walk With Me is a rare spin-off that refuses to repeat what worked on TV. Despite mannerisms and "draggy" spots, Twin Peaks emerged as one of the wonders of American TV: scary and funny, erotic and serious, offensive and freakish. It meandered in an always interesting but sometimes frustrating way through two seasons, then signed off with a cliff-hanger upon cancellation. When Lynch announced he would continue the saga with a theatrical movie, fans assumed he would: (a) pull out the stops to show what evils really lurked behind the pretty façade of that small town, and (b) wrap up a storyline which tailed off with Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) possessed by the evil spirit "Bob". As it happens, Lynch delivered on (a) but refrained from fulfilling clause (b), opting to do a prequel--adapted in part from The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, a tie-in novel by Jennifer (Boxing Helena) Lynch--which sets up the series by following the last week in the life of the "prom queen from Hell". Fire Walk With Me assumes you will be familiar with the series (some bits are incomprehensible unless you paid attention while other bits are just incomprehensible), making it most accessible to Twin Peaks initiates though sometimes deliberately offensive to them. It then omits several of the show's stars (Michael Ontkean, Richard Beymer, Joan Chen, Sherilyn Fenn) and a great many of the "lovable" aspects (wry jokes, damn fine coffee), relegating MacLachlan to a walk-on since the story happens before Cooper was assigned to Twin Peaks. Some instances of joyless sex and violence exceed anything Lynch could do on television, but for the most part he creates an atmosphere of dread through edgy performances, unsettling lighting and sound effects and sheer grimness. Without the catchphrases and the quirky charm, the film never feels cuddly in the way the TV show did, but it is one of Lynch's finest works and, though deeply uncomfortable, a TV spin-off which ranks with the best in both media. On the DVD: The DVD is Region 0 with a widescreen print, augmented for 16x9 televisions. It holds a better-looking transfer than previous video or laserdisc releases and offers an eerie red room/blue rose menu. However the disc offers absolutely no notes, trailers, crib sheets, bios, or other extra features. --Kim Newman

• The Stallone Action Icons Collection | DVD | (04/08/2008) from £5.14   |  Saving you £19.85 (386.19%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Titles Comprise: Lock UpFrank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled however Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day. CliffhangerSarah was an inexperienced climber. She trusted Gabe to rescue her. But something went wrong high above the valley floor. Sylvester Stallone John Lithgow Michael Rooker Janine Turner and Ralph Waite star in this high-altitude avalanche of action: a non-stop adventure peaked with suspense and capped with heart-quaking terror. For Rocky Mountain Rescue the mission is almost routine: locate five climbers. With the woman he loves (Turner) and his best friend (Rooker) Gabe Walker (Stallone) braves the icy peaks only to discover that the distress call is really a trap set by merciless international terrorist Eric Qualen (Lithgow). Now millions of dollars and their own lives hang in the balance. Against explosive firepower bitter cold and dizzying heights Walker must outwit Qualen in a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Death Race 2000In the year 2000 auto racing has become very dangerous: it's not only how fast you drive but how many pedestrians you hit. David Carradine takes on Sylvester Stallone in this adrenaline thriller that will surely make you look both ways before you cross the road. Directed by Paul Bartel of 'Eating Raoul' fame and produced by Roger Corman.

• Four Chilling Horrors | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £16.18   |  Saving you £-4.19 (N/A%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Titles Comprise: Talking Lives (unrated): When Montreal detectives handling a local homicide investigation reluctantly ask for an outsider's help to get inside the head of a cunning serial killer top FBI profiler Illeana Scott joins the case. With meticulous insight she theorizes that the chameleon-like killer is life-jacking - assuming the lives and identities of his victims. Her seemingly cold demeanor alienates her from the territorial local police force - she's at her best when she's working alone. But when an unexpected attraction sparks a complicated romantic entanglement the consummate specialist begins to doubt her finely-honed instincts. Alone in an unfamiliar city with no one she can trust Agent Scott suddenly finds herself on a twisted and terrifying journey surrounded by suspects in a case that has become chillingly personal. Dead Calm: Take an ocean voyage of full-masted fright with Dead Calm a spare smart seductive piece of movie-making with enough tension to keep us all hyperventilating for hours Thriller specialist Philip Noyee directs three splendid actors - Sam Neill Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane - in riveting performances. Joe and Rae Ingram (Neill and Kidman) do the right thing and rescue the half-delirious sole survivor (Zane) of a crippled schooner. But soon the stranger will plunge the unwary pair into an intense battle of cat and mouse. And life or death. House of Wax (2005) : What begins as a weekend getaway for six friends becomes a terrifying fight for their lives in House Of Wax an exciting re-imagining of the 1953 horror classic from Dark Castle Entertainment and producers Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis. A road trip to one of the biggest college football games of the year takes a turn for the worse for Carly Paige and their friends when they decide to camp out for the night before heading to the game. A confrontation with a mysterious trucker at the camp site leaves everyone unsettled and Carly has her hands full trying to keep the peace between her boyfriend Wade and her hot-headed brother Nick. They wake up the next morning to find that their car might have been deliberately tampered with. At the risk of being stranded they accept a local's invitation for a ride into Ambrose the only town for miles. Once there they are drawn to Ambrose's main attraction - Trudy's House of Wax which is filled with remarkably life-like wax sculptures. But as they soon discover there is a shocking reason the exhibits look so real. As the friends uncover the town's dark secrets they are stalked by a mysterious killer and find themselves in a bloody battle for survival. The group must find a way out of Ambrose - or become permanent additions to the House Of Wax. Sphere: Far below the surface in the mid-Pacific U.S. officials have isolated what may be the greatest discovery in human history. They've found a huge spacecraft that plunged into the depths - 300 years ago. What is the spacecraft's origin? Could there still be living intelligence aboard? Dustin Hoffman Sharon Stone and Samuel L. Jackson portray members of an elite underwater team charged with finding the answers in 'Sphere' the deep-water suspense science-fiction adventure that shapes a new dimension in thrills bringing the underwater squad face to face with a mysterious terror as near as their own thoughts...

• The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 3 | DVD | (20/11/2017) from £13.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Brand New NOT Sealed

• Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me | DVD | (08/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Meet Laura Palmer... In a town where nothing is as it seems... And everyone has something to hide. A young girl named Teresa Banks is found brutally murdered. The FBI agents leading the investigation are drawn into a bizarre and dangerous world and then disappear. The case is handed to Agent Dale Cooper. He knows it is only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. Welcome to Twin Peaks an idyllic part of small-town America one year later. A picture postcard settin

• Casanova (Restored Edition) | Blu Ray | (07/09/2015) from £12.79   |  Saving you £5.20 (40.66%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Federico Fellini's darkest film cracks through the myth of Giacomo Casanova. As played by Donald Sutherland (M.A.S.H, Don't Look Now), the notorious womanizer is presented as a pitiable and terrifying figure. Casanova craves respect as a scholar and yearns to pursue his interest in alchemy. A sex scandal lands him in prison, but an escape to Paris provides him a new lease of life. Yet every Court in Europe and its attendant patrons and hostesses will only entertain him if he lives up to his reputation in theritual displays of sex and courtship which form part of the daily life of 18th Century Europe. Fellini had dealt with the theme of the frustration of human desires in La Dolce Vita and 8 ½. In Casanova, the nobleman's search for happiness achieves tragedy, a painful reflection of the human condition. Fellini's Casanova is celebrated for its production values and costume design, for which Danilo Donati won Academy and BAFTA awards, and is made memorable by Nino Rota's unusual haunting score. This twilight work is one of the greatest films of the 1970s. Sutherland's performance is the most astonishing piece of screen acting since Brando's in Last Tango in Paris - Time Out A spectacular visual fantasy which succeeds in capturing the emotional and moral void at the heart of the Casanova myth ... a beautiful, indulgent private fantasy - Film4

• The Dirty Dozen | DVD | (19/06/2006) from £12.71   |  Saving you £3.28 (25.81%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Train them! Excite them! Arm them!...Then turn them loose on the Nazis! Atten-hut! Twelve jailbirds will earn their freedom... if they survive a suicide mission against the Nazi brass. Tough-as-nails Lee Marvin leads a nothing-to-lose convict squad in this all-time action trendsetter. They don't make 'em like this anymore!

• Donizetti - Lucia Di Lammermoor (Bonynge) | DVD | (21/11/2005) from £17.90   |  Saving you £2.09 (11.68%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Lucia di Lammermoor - Tragic Drama in Three Acts.With an exhilarating performance of her signature role Dame Joan Sutherland captivates the audience in this elaborate production of Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece taped during its celebrated 1982 run at the Metropolitan Opera.

• Fellini's Casanova | DVD | (01/05/2010) from £11.59   |  Saving you £1.40 (12.08%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A film of rare visual daring and imagination in which each frame is meticulously and attentively designed Fellini's Casanova is one of the Italian maestro's most sumptuous productions. In an astonishing piece of screen acting Donald Sutherland portrays Casanova in his waning days engaging in various amorous and political adventures with an air of bored detachment as he travels through a disease-ridden Europe. Imbued with a romantic pessimism the film debunks the myth of Casanova as a great lover and instead presents him as an ordinary man swept along by extraordinary circumstances. Featuring a compelling and complex score by long-standing collaborator Nina Rota Fellini's Casanova also boasts Oscar-winning costume design by Danilo Donati. Shot entirely on the lavish soundstages of Rome's Cinecitta Studios the film is popularly viewed as the directors elegiac farewell to a bygone era of Italian Cinema.

• Desert Saints | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £9.25   |  Saving you £10.74 (116.11%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The ultimate hitman is about to meet his match. When clients need a flawless assassin to take out their high profile targets they call on a mysterious hitman know only as Banks. But deep in the heart of the desert this cunning killer is about to make the biggest mistake of his life. He's teaming up with a sexy hitchhiker who seems like the perfect accomplice...for the right price.