"Actor: Whoopi Goldberg"

• Ghost | DVD | (11/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The biggest hit of 1990, Ghost is part comedy, part romance, part supernatural thriller. Patrick Swayze, previously best known for Dirty Dancing, stars as Sam, the banker who is killed following a mugging. Caught in a limbo between here and the afterlife, he uses Whoopi Goldberg's fake psychic as an intermediary to warn wife Molly (Demi Moore) that his death was no accident but a murder and that she is in danger too. Ghost's original popularity and notoriety originally arose not from its dealings with the supernatural but the scene involving Moore fondly astride her potter's wheel fashioning a somewhat phallic-shaped vase, with Swayze fondly astride her. So infamous did this scene become that it's now more likely to raise a chuckle than a sultry sigh. As for the rest of the movie, it still somehow manages to engage despite the awkward juxtaposition of lachrymose melodrama and zaniness. Demi Moore, whose massive Hollywood success was always a mystery to some, is a little flat as the tomboy-coiffed Molly, her tears occasionally seeming onion-induced. Swayze, however, delivers as Sam while Whoopi Goldberg turns in the best performance of her career, delivering the requisite zip and sass to what otherwise might have been a morose movie. On the DVD: Though well restored, DVD enhancement has only served to emphasise the slightly quaint feel of the special effects here--Ghost was made just prior to the digital era. Otherwise, this is a good package and an essential purchase for fans. There's a 22-minute featurette, "Remembering the Magic", in which scriptwriter Bruce Joel Rubin explains that the film was inspired by the scene in Hamlet in which the Prince meets his Father, and how initially appalled he was that his masterpiece of the supernatural was to be directed by Jerry Zucker, previously responsible for Airplane!. They also reveal that Tina Turner was originally cast for the Goldberg role. Zucker and Rubin team up for a funny commentary track. --David Stubbs

• Sister Act / Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit | DVD | (01/09/2008) from £9.89   |  Saving you £8.10 (81.90%)   |  RRP £17.99

  In Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg plays a Reno lounge singer who hides out as a nun when her villainous boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) goes gunning for her. Maggie Smith is the mother superior who has to cope with Whoopi's unorthodox behaviour, but the cute script turns the tables and shows the latter energising the stodgy convent with song and attitude. A real crowd-pleaser and a perfect vehicle for Goldberg, this is a happy experience all around. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com Whoopi Goldberg returns in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, a gratuitous, poorly written sequel that contrives a reason to get her character back into Maggie Smith's convent. The "socially conscious" plot finds Goldberg being asked to relate to a bunch of street kids and pull them together into a choir. Since a bad guy is needed, the script grabs that old chestnut about a rich guy (James Coburn) preparing to close down the convent's school, and runs with it. The film is slow and unconvincing from start to finish, although co-stars Mary Wickes and Kathy Najimy get some good laughs, and the music is pretty spirited. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• The Color Purple | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £4.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (180.36%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Steven Spielberg, proving he's one of the few modern filmmakers who has the visual fluency to be capable of making a great silent film, took a melodramatic, DW Griffith-inspired approach to filming Alice Walker's novel. His tactics made the film controversial, but also a popular hit. You can argue with the appropriateness of Spielberg's decision, but his astonishing facility with images is undeniable--from the exhilarating and eye-popping opening shots of children playing in paradisiacal purple fields to the way he conveys the brutality of a rape by showing hanging leather belts banging against the head of the shaking bed. In a way it's a shame that Whoopi Goldberg, a stage monologist who made her screen debut in this movie, went on to become so famous, because it was, in part, her unfamiliarity that made her understated performance as Celie so effective. (This may be the first and last time that the adjective understated can be applied to Goldberg.) Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture and actress (supporting players Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery were also nominated), it was quite a scandal--and a crushing blow to Spielberg--when The Color Purple won none. --Jim Emerson

• Sister Act | DVD | (06/11/2001) from £4.95   |  Saving you £10.04 (202.83%)   |  RRP £14.99

  In Sister Act Whoopi Goldberg plays a Reno lounge singer who hides out as a nun when her villainous boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) goes gunning for her. Maggie Smith is the mother superior who has to cope with Whoopi's unorthodox behaviour, but the cute script turns the tables and shows the latter energising the stodgy convent with song and attitude. A real crowd-pleaser and a perfect vehicle for Goldberg, this is a happy experience all around. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Ghost 4K UHD | Blu Ray | (21/10/2024) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the most memorable romantic films ever and winner* of two Academy Awards®, Sam (Patrick Swayze), living as a ghost, discovers his death wasn't just a random robbery gone bad. To help him reconnect with the love of his life, Molly (Demi Moore), and solve his own murder, he enlists the talents of a skeptical psychic (Oscar®-winner Whoopi Goldberg), who doesn't even believe her own abilities. Ghost is a supernatural mystery-thriller that will cross over into your heart and never leave. Ghost will surprise you, delight you, make you believe. Patrick Swayze plays a ghost who teams up with a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to uncover the truth behind his murder and to rescue his sweetheart (Demi Moore) from a similar fate.

• Lion King UHD | 4K UHD | (03/12/2018) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Roaring onto dazzling 4K Ultra HD™ for the first time celebrate the full glory of Disney's magnificent coming-of-age masterpiece, The Lion King! With humour and heart, breathtaking animation, and award-winning music, this much-beloved story transports you to the Pride Lands and inspires generations of fans. Extras: 5 Song Selections Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation The Recording Sessions Inside The Story Room With Introduction by Co-Directors Roger Allers And Rob Minkoff Visualising A Villain Classic Bonus

• Rat Race | DVD | (04/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  In this madcap comedy six strangers in Las Vegas are given the chance to win millions of dollars, but there's a catch: they must race for it, and winner takes all!

• Alice in Wonderland | DVD | (07/05/2007) from £7.03   |  Saving you £-3.04 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll's masterpiece of fantasy radiates with a star-studded cast overflowing charm and dazzling effects! The adventure begins as Alice slips down a rabbit hole and tumbles into Wonderland - a dream land where the official language is Jabberwocky and the official sense is nonsense! Meet a zany cast of characters: the tricky Cheshire Cat (Whoopi Goldberg) the wild Mad Hatter (Martin Short) at his very strange tea party play silly word games with Major Catapillar (Ben Kingsley) or stop to chat with the talking flowers. Until Alice finds herself in the croquet court with the Queen of Hearts (Miranda Rcihardson) - where the knave stands accused of stealing tarts. When Alice is called as a witness in the comical trial that follows she confuses the King and Queen who banish her to the real world where she returns as an inspired changed young woman. Alice in Wonderland's vivid landscapes and unforgettable characters will delight and mesmerize everyone who sees it.

• The Rugrats Movie | DVD | (17/04/2000) from £6.97   |  Saving you £6.02 (86.37%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The first theatrical film from the popular television series became the surprise hit of the 1998 holiday box-office crunch, trouncing the highly competitive kids market. The key ingredient to the Rugrats' success is the writing. Venturing into their first theatrical movie, the pals--including the intrepid nappie-wearing Tommy Pickles, the nervous Chuckie, the twins Lil and Phil, and the wonderfully prissy Angelica--garble English into funny prose ("I want those fugitives back in custard-y!") and use movie references in their fantasy life. The opening here is a dead-on spoof of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The big news for the movie is that Tommy gets a new baby brother, named Dylan (or Dil for short). The rest of the film has no real plot but is a series of adventures, as the clan gets lost in the forest riding an inventive Reptar wagon that is the 1990s equivalent of the car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Parents search for the kids, the kids learn new lessons and everyone goes home happy. The Rugrats Movie is not as wildly appealing as A Bug's Life but is far goofier and wackier with its animation. There's also a tremendous sense of joy that is often missing from cartoons these days and the songs used in the film--from such diverse musicians as Busta Rhymes, Iggy Pop, Lisa Loeb, Lou Rawls, Beck and Devo--add to the fun. It's an acquired taste, but the creators' first efforts to take the 10-minute TV sketches into an 80-minute feature pay off. --Doug Thomas

• A Little Bit Of Heaven | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.75   |  Saving you £13.24 (196.15%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A Little Bit of Heaven is a love story set in New Orleans about an irreverent young woman who unexpectedly falls in love with her doctor.

• Eddie | DVD | (13/09/2004) from £6.85   |  Saving you £-0.86 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Available for the first time on DVD! A New York limo driver wins a competition to become coach of the New York Knicks...

• The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata | DVD | (21/05/2012) from £4.49   |  Saving you £7.50 (167.04%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Hilarity reigns in the motion picture comedy-adventure that takes you waaay back to the beginning before Simba's tale began... and beyond! From their uniquely hysterical perspective, Timon and his windy pal Pumbaa - the greatest unsung heroes of the Savannah!-reveal where they came from, how they helped Simba save the Serengeti and what really happened behind the scenes of The Lion King's biggest events.This essential chapter of The Lion King trilogy features the original all-star voice cast as your favourite characters and music by Elton John and Tim Rice. You will feel the love for every outrageously funny moment!

• The Lion King Special Edition | DVD | (31/10/2003) from £10.46   |  Saving you £12.53 (119.79%)   |  RRP £22.99

  Disney's 1994 animated feature, The Lion King, was a huge smash in cinemas and continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed stage production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is deposed by a jealous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking and the songs from Tim Rice and Elton John, accompanied by a colourful score, are more palatable than in many recent Disney features. --Tom Keogh On the DVD: The Lion King Special Edition is a superb restoration: take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This special edition also adds a 90-second song ("Morning Report") that originated in the lavish stage musical. To Disney's credit, the original theatrical version is also included, both restored and featuring two 5.1 soundtracks: Dolby Digital and a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, which does sound brighter. As with the Disney Platinum line, everything is thrown into the discs, except an outsider's voice (the rah-rahs of Disney grow tiresome at times). The excellent commentary from the directors and producer, originally on the laser disc, is hidden under the audio set-up menu. The second disc is organised by 20-minute-ish "journeys" tackling the elements of story, music and so on, including good background on the awkward Shakespearean origins at Disney where it was referred as "Bamlet". The most interesting journey follows the landmark stage production, and the kids should be transfixed by shots of the real African wildlife in the animal journey. Three deleted segments are real curios, including an opening lyric for "Hakuna Matata". Most set-top DVD games are usually pretty thin (DVD-ROM is where it's at), but the Safari game is an exception--the kids should love the roaring animals (in 5.1 Surround, no less). One serious demerit is the needless and complicated second navigation system that is listed by continent but just shows the same features reordered. --Doug Thomas

• Jumpin' Jack Flash | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £8.25   |  Saving you £4.74 (57.45%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Computer operator Terry Dolittle (Goldberg) becomes involved in international espionage when a desperate message from a British Intelligence officer appears on her computer terminal...

• Star Trek: Picard - Season Two | DVD | (14/11/2022) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Season two of Star Trek: Picard takes the legendary Jean-Luc Picard and his crew on a bold and exciting new journey: into the past. Picard must enlist friends both old and new to confront the perils of 21st century Earth in a desperate race against time to save the galaxy's future - and face the ultimate trial from one of his greatest foes. Product Features Deleted and Extended Scenes The USS Stargazer The Chateau The Trial is Over Rebuilding the Borg Queen Picard Props Picard Passages Gag Reel

• Monkeybone | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £9.43   |  Saving you £3.56 (27.40%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Brendan Fraser stars as Stu Milely,a mild-mannered cartoonist whose most famous creation is the anarchic Monkeybone. After an accident Stu wakes up in the fictional world he created, and soon realises Monkeybone has taken over his body in the real world,

• Ghost (2 Disc Special Edition) | DVD | (05/03/2007) from £9.43   |  Saving you £10.56 (52.80%)   |  RRP £19.99

  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.

• Corrina, Corrina | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In Corrina, Corrina Ray Liotta plays a 1950s jingle composer whose wife dies, leaving him to raise their grieving young daughter (Tina Majorino) alone. Dad hires an African-American housekeeper (Whoopi Goldberg), who helps fill the gap in the child's life--and then Dad's life. Soon an interracial relationship crossing the social mores of the era is underway. Written and directed by Jessie Nelson (The Story of Us), the film is a spot-on recreation of 1950s suburbia without gratuitous kitsch. Liotta is perfect as a working man of the day, given to white shirts and narrow ties; Goldberg gives one of her finest performances as the level-headed Corrina; and little Majorino is heartbreakingly effective. But the film entirely bears the stamp of one person, and that's Nelson, who has a wonderfully witty eye and a sophisticated but sensitive approach to the crosscurrents of emotion at play in this story. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Magical Legend of the Leprechauns | DVD | (10/05/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  A businessman rents a cottage on the enchanted Emerald Isle which is occupied by a family of leprechauns.

• Ghost | Blu Ray | (11/05/2009) from £7.00   |  Saving you £12.99 (185.57%)   |  RRP £19.99

  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.