"Actor: Virginia McKenna"

• The Cruel Sea | DVD | (18/04/2005) from £13.46   |  Saving you £0.53 (3.94%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Nicholas Monsarrat's novel is an unflinching, realistic and emotionally involving account of naval life during the Second World War in which the "heroes" are the men, the "heroines" the ships and the "villain" is not so much the German U-Boats lurking below as "the cruel sea" itself. This 1953 film has become a classic of British cinema largely because it is a straightforward, no-frills adaptation of the book and retain's much of the original's compelling yet almost understated dramatic focus. On convoy duty in the North Atlantic, the crew of HMS Compass Rose face as a matter of routine the threat of destruction from U-Boats as well as a constant struggle against the elements. The convoys themselves are Britain's only lifeline and their loss would lead to certain defeat, but in the early years of the war the ships sent to protect them can do almost nothing to prevent the U-Boat attacks. Jack Hawkins gives one of his finest performances as Captain Ericson, the commander who has to balance destroying the enemy against saving the lives of the men under his care. In one unforgettable scene--a crucial turning point for all the characters--he must decide whether to depth charge a suspected submarine despite the presence of British sailors in the water. As with the book, the individual officers and their lives are carefully delineated, helped by the strength of a cast of (then) young actors (notably Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliot). Ultimately what makes The Cruel Sea such an undeniable classic is that it has neither the flag-waving jingoism nor the war-is-hell melodrama so common to most war movies: instead it relates in an almost matter-of-fact way the bitterness of the conflict at sea fought by ordinary men placed in the most extraordinary of circumstances. --Mark Walker

• Father's Doing Fine | DVD | (10/11/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on Noel Langley’s play Little Lambs Eat Ivy (a title inspired by Milton Drake’s 1943 novelty hit) Father’s Doing Fine hilariously charts the adventures of an impoverished upper-class family consisting of a widowed mother and her four daughters. The love affairs of the two unmarried daughters some worthless shares a thieving butler the unpaid rent the matrimonial difficulties of a third daughter and the approaching “accouchement” of the eldest provide the story. Featuring Richard Attenborough as a frantic father-to-be and Heather Thatcher as straitened matriarch Lady Buckering this star-studded domestic comedy is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery Promotional Materials PDFs

• Ring of Bright Water | Blu Ray | (21/05/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Lions Are Free | DVD | (16/10/2006) from £12.79   |  Saving you £0.20 (1.50%)   |  RRP £12.99

  What happened to the lions in the internationally famous film Born Free? The human stars of Born Free Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna were haunted by the 'loss' of their lions after filming ended. In The Lions Are Free Bill travels back to remote Kenya to find the legendary George Adamson and to be re-united with some big cat companions and to see how they had adapted to life in the wild. Adamson's struggle to return his man-made pride to a free and natural life makes for a moving unique documentary which continues to inspire all lovers of wildlife.

• Ghost / Sliding Doors | DVD | (18/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Sliding Doors: The split-second moments that can take a life down one path instead of another form the tantalising 'what if?' in this delightful romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow plays London publicist Helen effortlessly sliding between parallel storylines that show what happens if she does or does not catch a morning train back to her apartment. Love. Romantic entanglements. Deception. Trust. Friendship. Comedy. All come into focus as the two stories shift back and forth overlap then surprisingly converge in the most romantic comedy in years. Don't miss it - romance was never this much fun! Ghost: A romantic thriller in which yuppie banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered but returns to Earth as a ghost to protect his grief-stricken young girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore) and solve his own murder. As he cannot communicate directly with his love he turns to fake medium Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) for help. Nobody is more shocked than Oda Mae to discover she has the genuine power to contact the dead. Goldberg won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance and Bruce Joel Rubin won the statuette for Best Original Screenplay.

• Women Of Courage - Nurse Edith Cavell / Carve Her Name With Pride / A Town Like Alice | DVD | (12/12/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Nurse Edith Cavell: Starring Anna Neagle and directed by Herbert Wilcox this is the gripping true story of an English nurse caught up in the horrors of the First World War. Working tirelessly to save lives in a Brussels hospital Edith Cavell makes no distinction between the civilian casualties Allied troops and the German soldiers brought in for treatment. However her sympathy for the plight of the Belgians and the rapacious behavior of their German conquerors soon leads her to become involved with a secret underground resistance movement. Carve Her Name With Pride The moving and dramatic story of Violette Szabo (McKenna) a courageous WW2 secret agent who was captured in northern France... Carve Her Name With Pride is the inspiring true life story of Violette Szabo. During World War II Violette (Virgina McKenna) volunteers to parachute into France as a secret agent to aid a Resistance group. Her mission successful she joins the Resistance where she stays until captured by the Germans. Tortured by the Gestapo for information she refuses to betray her comrades... Directed by Lewis Gilbert Carve Her Name With Pride is a moving tale about the endurance of the human spirit in even the most adverse circumstances. A Town Like Alice Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch star in this moving story about a party of women compelled to trek through the Malayan jungle during World War II as no Japanese office will take responsibility for their care. Based on Nevil Shute's best selling novel the film tells how the women come to terms with their hardships and how they are befriended by a tough Australian prisoner of war who dreams of returning to his home town of Alice Springs...

• The Queen's Garden | DVD | (14/07/2008) from £11.79   |  Saving you £-0.80 (-7.30%)   |  RRP £10.99

  The Queens Garden

• Echoes of Camusfearna | DVD | (11/06/2007) from £13.48   |  Saving you £-3.49 (-34.90%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The West of Scotland the last stronghold of the wild sea otter was made famous by Gavin Maxwell and 'Ring of Bright Water'. Today his legacy continues through the work of Paul and Grace Yoxon who care for the rescued otters. This film featuring haunting images of Camusfearna and Skye tells their story and contains previously unseen footage of Gavin Maxwell with the otters.

• Duel Of Hearts | DVD | (29/07/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  A rather jarring mix of period drama, trashy romance and all-star blockbuster, Duel of Hearts is a swashbuckling, bodice-ripping tale of slightly dubious quality. Based on a novel by Barbara Cartland, it provides the usual dollops of intrigue and love, although its choice of a female protagonist does at least give it some twist. The splendidly named Lady Caroline Faye (Alison Doody) is the story's plucky heroine, fighting to prove the innocence of her beau Lord Vane Brecon and discover his troubling inner turmoil. Donning a disguise that seems to consist largely of wearing her hair in a different manner, Lady Caroline places herself among the very people that would seek Brecon's undoing. Those looking for high quality drama should probably go elsewhere, but this is an entertaining enough piece of silliness, combining the history of Regency England with the production values of a daytime American soap opera. On the DVD: Duel of Hearts on DVD has had very little effort put into it, which is perhaps no surprise given the rather slapdash nature of the main feature. The sound has been digitally remastered but the picture quality hasn't, and has that dubious made-for-television look. The interactive menu is unattractive and unimaginative and there are no extras. --Phil Udell

• Puccini | DVD | (18/01/2010) from £8.95   |  Saving you £5.04 (56.31%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Tony Palmer: Puccini

• The Disappearance | DVD | (01/09/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Jay Mallory (Donald Sutherland - The Italian Job). is a man with no past and dubious future. He is an assassin murdering for money no question asked. But when Mallory accept a 'hit' that proves to be more dangerous than he anticipates. The tables are turned. His wife disappears and as Mallory is drawn in further he realises that there could be more than an ironic link between the new target and the disappearance of his wife. A tense intelligent and disturbingly dark thriller.