Comedy

• Jack Dee - Live At The London Palladium | DVD | (16/05/2005) from £7.40   |  Saving you £9.59 (129.59%)   |  RRP £16.99

  The devastatingly deadpan comedian Jack Dee captured live at London's world famous Palladium venue available on DVD for the first time.

• Commedia all'italiana: Three Films by Dino Risi | Blu Ray | (21/08/2023) from £40.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Comedy ruled the box office in Italy from the late 1950s to the 1970s where the commedia all'italiana also found critical success. Great talent behind and in front of the camera delivered a series of brilliant films that gave an incredible spin on familiar genres with comedic overtones that often held a dark and biting critique of social mores that would provoke a challenge to a society in need of change. Feted at local awards ceremonies and European festivals as well as garnering attention from the Academy Awards this prestige would propel the films and filmmakers to international stardom but many would go unreleased in the UK for home viewing. At last, this ongoing series shines a light on this misunderstood filmmaking style with the first collection focusing on three films by master director Dino Risi, presented from new restorations and featuring a suite of contextualising extras. From a prestigious lineage in the ancient art of satirical theatre in commedia dell'arte, the Italian-style comedy distinguished itself in the late 1950s from the earlier broad comedies popularised by the likes of Toto and Vittorio De Sica with a ruthless approach to social satire focused on cynicism and the grotesque. An early example of the switch in tone can be found in Dino Risi's Il vedovo, in which Italy's preeminent comedy actor Alberto Sordi plays a philandering husband of a wealthy and successful woman who simply tolerates her husband's ineptitude. Until he sees a potential plan for her death, which would result in a great inheritance for him. One of the greatest Italian actors of all time, Vittorio Gassman (Bitter Rice) known as Il Mattatore 'The Showman' earns his name from this film and his wonderful performance as an actor with the uncanny ability to mimic regional accents, allowing him to pull off a series of scams. Ingeniously plotted by screenwriters Ettore Scola and Ruggero Maccari who were behind some of the greatest films in the commedia all'italiana including Il Sorpasso and Ugly, Dirty and Bad. Alternately known as Love & Larceny, Dino Risi (Anima Persa) directs this classic comedy which was nominated for the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and makes its English-subtitled Blu-ray debut. A career highlight for director Dino Risi and his star Vittorio Gasman, Il sorpasso isn't just one of the heights of commedia all'italiana but of all Italian cinema. Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Conformist) plays Roberto, a shy law student who meets Bruno (Gassman), a larger-than-life Roman playboy who convinces Roberto to join him on a road trip from Rome to the Tuscan countryside. Their travels teach them about each other and themselves, oscillating between comedy and tragedy with powerful and affecting commentary on the easy life. Long admired in Italy, the film has influenced comedic filmmakers including Alexander Payne (Sideways) and Aziz Ansari (Master of None). Radiance Films is proud to present this seminal film in the UK for the first time from a new 4K restoration. Product Features 2016 4K restoration of Il Sorpasso carried out by L'Immagine Ritrovata at the Cineteca di Bologna, presented in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) for the first time in the UK High-Definition digital transfers of Il Mattatore and Il Vedovo, presented in world premieres on Blu-ray Original uncompressed Italian mono PCM audio Newly translated optional English subtitles Newly designed artwork based on original posters Limited Edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by scholars and critics including Robert Gordon on the commedia all'italiana boom, Gino Moliterno on Il vedovo; Pasquale Iannone on Age and Scarpelli and the key screenwriters of the commedia all'italiana movement, Christina Newland on Italian machismo and Il sorpasso; a newly translated interview with Dino Risi by Lorenzo Codelli; and extracts of writing by Risi Limited Edition of 3,000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings IL SORPASSO [THE EASY LIFE] Appreciation of the film by Italian cinema expert Richard Dyer Archival interview with Dino Risi by critic Jean Gili (2004) Jean-Louis Trintignant on Il Sorpasso - an introduction by the actor for a French TV broadcast of the film (1983, 8 mins) L'estate di Bruno Cortona - Castiglioncello nell'anno del Sorpasso (Gloria De Antoni, 2012) - an extract from the documentary made for the 50th anniversary of Il Sorpasso featuring the cast and crew On a Trintignant Kick - An audio essay and tribute to Jean-Louis Trintignant by critic and author Tim Lucas, looking at his life and work in the 1960s (2023, 58 mins) Trailer IL MATTATORE [THE SHOWMAN] Interview with Andrea Bini, author of Male Anxiety and Psychopathology in Film: Comedy Italian Style Speaking with Gassman - documentary on the working relationship between Vittorio Gassman and Dino Risi, by Risi's son Marco (2005) Love & Larceny - Michel Hazanavicius on Il Mattatore, an appreciation of the film and Vittorio Gassman by the director of The Artist Trailer IL VEDOVO [THE WIDOWER] Neorealismo rosa - a visual essay by Italian cinema professor and author of Comedy Italian Style Remi Fournier Lanzoni on the softening of neo-realism which laid the groundwork for the emergence of commedia all'italiana Alberto Sordi - a visual essay by critic Kat Ellinger about the great Italian actor Trailer Extras subject to change.

• Chewin' The Fat - Complete Collection | DVD | (23/02/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Includes: 'Chewin' The Fat - Series 1' 'Chewin' The Fat - Series 2' Chewin' The Fat - Series 3' and 'Chewin' The Fat - Series 4'.

• Carry On - The Ultimate Collection | DVD | (01/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £199.99

  This box set features a veritable campsite of bawdy comedic treats from the Carry On crew! Includes: 1. Carry On Abroad (1972) 2. Carry On Again Doctor (1972) 3. Carry On Doctor (1967) 4. Carry On Don't Lose Your Head (1966) 5. Carry On England (1976) 6. Carry On Follow That Camel (1967) 7. Carry On Matron (1972) 8. Carry On at Your Convenience (1971) 9. Carry On Behind (1975) 10. Carry On Camping (1969) 11. Carry On Dick (1974) 12. Carry On Emmanuelle (1978) 13. Carry On Girls (1973) 14. Carry On Henry (1971) 15. Carry On Holiday 16. Carry On Loving (1970) 17. Carry On Up The Jungle (1970) 18. Carry On up the Khyber (1968) 19. Carry On Sergeant (1958) 20. Carry On Nurse (1959) 21. Carry On Teacher (1959) 22. Carry On Constable (1960) 23. Carry On Regardless (1961) 24. Carry On Cruising (1962) 25. Carry On Cabby (1963) 26. Carry On Jack (1963) 27. Carry On Spying (1964) 28. Carry On Cleo (1964) 29. Carry On Cowboy (1965) 30. Carry On Screaming! (1966)

• Twentieth Century (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (22/03/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The second film Howard Hawks (The Criminal Code) made at Columbia Pictures is among his greatest works. John Barrymore plays a theatre impresario down on his luck. Carole Lombard is his former protégé, now a major star. When the two meet by chance aboard the Twentieth Century locomotive, their love-hate relationship is reignited. Now recognised as a classic, Twentieth Century is the film which established the template for the screwball comedy and made Lombard a star. Extras 4K restoration Original mono soundtrack Audio commentary with novelist and film historian Farran Smith Nehme (2021) Stars in Her Eyes (2021): academic Lucy Bolton discusses the film career of Carole Lombard Howard Hawks Study Day (1997): archival audio recording of an event from the British Film Institute's 1997 Howard Hawks retrospective at the National Film Theatre, London Super 8 version: cut-down home cinema presentation Image gallery: publicity and promotional material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, extracts from interviews with Howard Hawks, overview of contemporary and modern critical responses, and film credits World premiere on Blu-ray Limited edition of 3,000 copies All extras subject to change

• Gasbags | DVD | (20/08/2007) from £8.59   |  Saving you £1.40 (16.30%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Flanagan & Allen Nervo & Knox and Naughton & Gold do their bit for the war effort as the Crazy Gang inadvertantly invade Germany when their barrage balloon gets swept away in a sudden gust of wind.

• Jingle All The Way | DVD | (07/11/2005) from £4.89   |  Saving you £3.10 (63.39%)   |  RRP £7.99

  It's Christmas Eve, and Arnold needs to find a Turbo Man action figure, the craze of the season. Only they're sold out, of course. So the race is on, and the Austrian Oak must do fierce battle with other shoppers and merchants alike, all for the prize toy with which to purchase his son's affections. All of which is unwittingly very sad, on the content level. But the film supposes itself to be amiable enough, on its own shabby terms, even when it climbs out of the screen and starts gnawing at your furniture. If the humour were to get broader it would make HDTV obsolete. The tone can only be termed good-naturedly mean-spirited. Goofy carnival music runs continuously in the background so we never forget that what we're seeing is, er, um, funny. All the action is composed of comic violence, like an unhip Warner Bros. cartoon. Do the filmmakers actually consider this cynical foray to be indicative of the Christmas spirit? Apparently so, because the resolution has Arnold winning quite inadvertently, and offers no clear alternative to the competitive commercialism that drives the film's attempts at humour. In a key scene that's meant to be touching, Arnold and his chief rival Sinbad sit down for a heart-to-heart in which we learn that receiving much-wanted Christmas presents in our formative years is responsible for our success in adulthood. You get that Turbo Man, you'll be a billionaire; don't get it, you'll be a loser. Such is the formidable challenge of parenthood, to cater to the child's whims while it can still make a difference. This is what's wrong with America. --Jim Gay, Amazon.com

• Explorers Collector's Edition - Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (25/05/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Scrooged | Blu Ray | (01/10/2012) from £7.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (150.19%)   |  RRP £19.99

  High-spirited high jinks on Christmas Eve put Frank Cross (Bill Murray) in a ghostly time warp in this hilarious take-off of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.Cross, who has made the meteoric rise from the depths of the mailroom to TV network president, is mean, nasty, uncaring, unforgiving and has a sadistic sense of humor - perfect qualities for a modern-day Scrooge.Before the night is over, he'll be visited by a maniacal New York cab driver from the past, a present-day fairy who's into pratfalls and, finally, a ghoulish, seven-foot headless messenger from the future...

• 17 Again | Blu Ray | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  "17 Again" offers the question; what if you could go back and do things a little differently? Well, a man heading nowhere fast wishes exactly that and one morning wakes up as his 17-years-old self with a chance at rewriting history!

• Johnny Be Good | DVD | (24/01/2005) from £6.40   |  Saving you £6.59 (50.70%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Every college in the country wants Johnny. 'Cause when he's good he's very very good. And when he's bad he's better. It's an avalanche of wine women and cash kickbacks when two of the biggest college football factories in the country scramble to get Johnny Walker on their rosters. They'd give anything for an arm like Johnny's. And they're willing to offer anybody to see that they get him. Moving from lusty limousine rides to all-night strip joints Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall The

• Peter Kay - The Getaway Driver / 3 Coronation Street Episodes | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £5.61   |  Saving you £1.64 (37.70%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Three blokes. Two minutes. One robbery. Included is the comic strip drama ""Two Minutes"" one of the first programs in which the comedian starred alongside Matthew Dunster and Pearce Quiggley. Their hilarious adventure starts when they attempt to rob the local pub for the evening's takings but with Peter Kay playing the getaway driver the usual comedy ensues. This footage has never been seen before. Also on the DVD are bonus features including footage of episodes of ""Corona

• Wolfcop | DVD | (13/10/2014) from £6.63   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Small town cop Lou Garou drinks too much and when bad things happen he tends to look the other way. One night acting out of character Lou follows up on a disturbance call in a remote area but shortly after he arrives on the scene he blacks out. When he wakes up he can’t remember anything his senses are heightened and his hair is growing at a rapid rate. That night Lou’s transformation from man into rage-fuelled werewolf takes shape. During the day Lou struggles to remain in control while working to uncover the mystery of who did this to him. The only question is will Lou be able to make things right before his inner monster takes control again?

• American Pie | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £29.68   |  Saving you £0.31 (1.04%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Kids no more, the American Pie crowd return to take on another rite of passage: Jim and Michelle's marriage. Bachelor parties, bridesmaids and dirty jokes galore in another slice of outrageous comedy.

• Bill & Ted Face The Music | Blu Ray | (25/01/2021) from £20.15   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The stakes are higher than ever for the time-traveling exploits of William Bill S. Preston Esq. and Theodore Ted Logan. Yet to fulfill their rock and roll destiny, the now middle aged best friends set out on a new adventure when a visitor from the future warns them that only their song can save life as we know it. Along the way, they will be helped by their daughters, a new batch of historical figures, and a few music legends - to seek the song that will set their world right and bring harmony in the universe. Bill & Ted Face the Music is directed by Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest), from a screenplay by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) - and produced by Scott Kroopf, Alex Lebovici, and Steve Ponce.

• The Man In The White Suit | DVD | (21/06/2004) from £6.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (100.14%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Ealing Comedy--cosy, gentle and whimsical, right? In this case, think again. Alexander Mackendrick was always the most politically aware of the Ealing directors, and in The Man in the White Suit he takes the studio's favourite theme of the little man up against the system and gives it a sharp satirical twist. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness at his most unworldly), a maverick scientist working in a Northern textile mill, invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. He's hailed as a genius--until management and unions alike realise what his brainwave implies. Mackendrick's humour is exact and pointed, and the satire turns savage as a lynch mob of bosses and workers hunt Sidney down through dark narrow streets. Mackendrick's disenchanted view of hidebound, class-ridden British society still rings horribly true, and he draws note-perfect performances from the cream of British character actors: Cecil Parker as the liberal mill-owner (based it's said, on Ealing boss Michael Balcon); Ernest Thesiger as the evil old godfather of the industry; and, wittily sensual as Sidney's confidante, the ever-wonderful Joan Greenwood. Plus, listen out for the "voice" of Sidney's bizarre apparatus, the funniest and most unforgettable sound effect ever devised. --Philip Kemp

• Serving Sara | DVD | (05/07/2004) from £6.71   |  Saving you £11.28 (168.11%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Joe Tyler is a process server who will do anything it takes to deliver legal documents to unsuspecting victims. But nothing in Joe's bag of tricks prepares him for Sara the stunning soon-to-be ex-wife of a playboy cattle baron named Gordon Moore. When Joe serves Sara with Gordon's divorce papers Sara presents an offer Joe can't refuse: serve Gordon with Sara's papers first and earn a cool million dollars! Pursued by Joe's greedy boss and bumbling office rival Joe and Sara begi

• The Very Best Of The Royle Family | DVD | (25/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Spanning the three series of this superb sitcom, The Very Best of The Royle Family is a prime taster for those not familiar with the series. Co-created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, who star as Denise and Dave respectively, The Royle Family deserves its own comedic category. They had a hard fight persuading the BBC to leave a laughter track off the show, which would have disrupted its unique ambience and chemistry. Never departing from the house of lazy, good-for-nothing but defiantly sardonic Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson) and wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), The Royle Family chronicles the everyday chat and banal comings and goings of this Northern household, which barely qualifies as "working" class, since mostly they are slumped on the sofa in front of the telly in a cathode-induced stupor. Confused viewers waiting for something to "happen" in the conventional sitcom manner will be disappointed. What they'll get instead is an irresistible stream of dialogue that captures unerringly the humdrum cadences of "ordinary" people. These episodes capture the Royles in customary, festive mood--Denise's marriage, Christmas, baby David's birthday party and so forth--which is good, as we get to see more of Liz Smith's magnificent Nana. As each seemingly inconsequential scene vividly illustrates, this is hardly a romanticised family. Denise is an appallingly negligent mother, there's probably never been a green vegetable in the house, most of their friends, including Darren, are well dodgy, and mum Barbara is unfairly put-upon ("Eh, I've been so busy this morning I haven't had time to smoke", she laments at one point). Yet undoubtedly, unlike their regal counterparts, this Royle Family are close-knit, somehow getting by. The family that watches telly together stays together. On the DVD: The Very Best of the Royle Family, disappointingly, has no extra features. --David Stubbs

• British Film Comedy: The 70s | DVD | (29/10/2018) from £13.13   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  THE BEST OF BENNY HILL This hilarious compilation celebrates the unique talents of comedy superstar Benny Hill with an uproarious collection of the characters and sketches that made him a household name the world over! THE HOUSE IN NIGHTMARE PARK Struggling actor Foster Twelvetrees can hardly believe his luck when he's invited to the country home of a well-off family. Joy soon turns to horror when he discovers dead bodies, foul intentions, lots of snakes and a madwoman in the attic! THE LOVERS! Like everyone else, Geoffrey and Beryl want to fall in love or they think they do; like everyone else since Adam and Eve. But Adam and Eve didn't live in Manchester in 1972... SUNSTRUCK Anticipating a Bondi Beach lifestyle, emigrating schoolteacher Stanley Evans is sadly disappointed when he arrives in Kookaburra Springs to find a town with two buildings: an old pub and a ramshackle schoolhouse!

• Ladies Who Do | Blu Ray | (14/11/2022) from £12.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When charwoman Mrs Cragg (Peggy Mount), learns that her entire street is to be demolished by some unscrupulous business types, she and her friends decide to take matters into their own hands. Using important financial information gathered from the offices at which they regularly clean, the group seek to make a fortune in insider dealing to save their homes.Starring a host of British household favourites such as Harry H Corbett (Steptoe and Son), Dandy Nichols (Till Death Us Do Part) and Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who), Ladies Who Do is a classic ˜small woman takes on the world' vintage comedy from veteran director C.M Pennington-Richards.