"Director: John R"

• The Eagle Has Landed | DVD | (19/07/2007) from £4.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (20.04%)   |  RRP £5.99

  This 1976 adventure story set in World War II concerns a Nazi plot to kidnap Churchill from his retreat--or murder him if need be. The large, great cast and a director, John Sturges, who's been down this road of ensemble action before (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape) make this project exciting if not as memorable as Sturges' more famous works. The weak ending doesn't help. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Christine (Blu-Ray) | Blu Ray | (16/10/2017) from £12.00   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  HOW DO YOU KILL SOMETHING THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE ALIVE? She was born bad. Plain and simple. Somewhere deep on a darkened assembly line. Christine. A '58 Plymouth Fury possessed by Hell. She's taken control of her teenage owner, Arnie. Her previous owner is not alive to warn him. And now she's steering straight for the one person in her way. Arnie's girlfriend, Leigh. The other woman. INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES: ¢ 2K restoration ¢ Original stereo audio ¢ Alternative 5.1 surround sound track ¢ Audio commentary with director John Carpenter and actor Keith Gordon ¢ Christine: Ignition, Fast and Furious & Finish Line (2003, 48 mins): three-part ˜making of' documentary, featuring interviews with cast and crew, including John Carpenter and Keith Gordon ¢ Deleted scenes (26 mins): twenty-one sequences which never made the final cut ¢ Isolated score: experience John Carpenter's original soundtrack music ¢ Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography ¢ Theatrical trailers ¢ TV spots ¢ New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

• Saxondale - Series 1-2 - Complete | DVD | (26/10/2009) from £13.99   |  Saving you £6.00 (42.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Tommy Saxondale has been through the rock and roll mill and lived to tell the tale. He plays fast and loose shoots from the hip and tells no lies - he's a true maverick. Tommy never took the corporate dollar. He doesn't work for 'the man'; he's his own man. These and other moth-eaten cliches are how Tommy would describe himself. But when Tommy removes his rose-tinted Aviator shades he can't deny a few basic facts; he was a middle-ranking roadie for 20 years but for the past ten years he has been at the cutting edge of the pest control industry... in Hertfordshire.

• Dark Star -- 30th Anniversary Special Edition | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Dark Star is absurd, surreal and very funny. John Carpenter once described it as "Waiting for Godot in space." (It's also, surely, one of the primary inspirations for Red Dwarf.) Made at a cost of practically nothing, the film's effects are nevertheless impressive and, along with the number of ideas crammed into its 83 minutes, ought to shame makers of science fiction films costing hundreds of times more. The story concerns the Dark Star's crew who are on a 20-year mission to destroy unstable planets and make way for future colonisation. The smart bombs they use to effect this zoom off cheerfully to do their duty. But unlike Star Trek, in which order prevails, the nerves of this crew are becoming increasingly frayed to the point of psychosis. Their captain has been killed by a radiation leak that also destroyed their toilet paper. "Don't give me any of that 'Intelligent Life' stuff," says Commander Doolittle when presented with the possibility of alien life. "Find me something I can blow up." When an asteroid storm causes a malfunction, Bomb Number 20 (the most cheerful character in the film) has to be repeatedly talked out of exploding prematurely, each time becoming more and more peevish, until they have to teach him phenomenology to make him doubt his existence. And the film's apocalyptic ending, lifted almost wholly from Ray Bradbury's story "Kaleidoscope", has the remaining crew drifting away from each other in space, each to a suitably absurd end. --Jim Gay

• Hamburger Hill | DVD | (23/07/2001) from £5.14   |  Saving you £7.85 (152.72%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Because Hamburger Hill was released less than a year after Oliver Stone's Platoon and within months of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, this exceptionally well-made film about one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War was largely overshadowed and overlooked. It's a pity, because in some respects this is the best of the Vietnam films of the late 1980s, at least in terms of the everyday authenticity it depicts. Stripped clean of dramatically extraneous narrative, the movie opts instead for a straightforward approach to its day-by-day account of one of the war's costliest victories--a deadly siege on Hill 937 in the Ashau Valley, where soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division engaged the enemy over the course of 11 brutal assaults between May 10 and May 20, 1969. The film specifically follows the 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, a mixture of "new guys" and battle-weary "short-timers" who fought against terrifying odds and suffered a 70 per cent casualty rate. From first scene to last, Hamburger Hill traces the rise and fall of their battle experience, from the horror of fire-fights to the camaraderie of men who've faced death and survived. Racial tensions flare and subside, trusts are established and courage emerges from unexpected places. Through it all, writer Jim Carabatsos and director John Irvin maintain a purity of focus that pays tribute to the soldier's life without promoting false patriotism or gung-ho theatrics. In addition, the film features a cast full of talented and well-known actors in the early stages of their careers, including Dylan McDermott and Don Cheadle (Devil in a Blue Dress, Boogie Nights). Colour accuracy, image clarity and the explosive soundtrack have been remarkably preserved in a flawless DVD transfer, lending even greater immediacy to this underrated film. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• The Train | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £15.28   |  Saving you £-2.29 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Inspired by a true incident during World War II in 'The Train' Burt Lancaster plays a French Resistance fighter doggedly attempting to stop a train used by the Nazis (led by Paul Scofield as Colonel Von Waldheim) to steal precious French art treasures in the summer of 1944. Featuring spectacular action sequences expertly directed by John Frankenheimer 'The Train' is a truly thrilling war film. The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis superbly recreates the te

• Yes Honestly - The Complete Series 1 | DVD | (01/07/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Liza Goddard and Donal Donnelly star in this sparkling sitcom which follows the blossoming romance between Matthew Browne, a struggling composer, and his secretary Lily Pond Browne. Spinning off from LWT's popular No - Honestly (starring Pauline Collins and John Alderton), Yes - Honestly was again written by husband and wife Terence Brady and best-selling author Charlotte Bingham, and aired in 1976 and 1977; this complete first series - boasting a theme song co-written and sung by rock legend Georgie Fame - is now available for the first time on DVD. Matthew and Lily make a charming young couple, despite their differences and their occasional inability to see eye-to-eye. And although they're very much in love, they seem to encounter more than their fair share of obstacles and inconveniences, including visits from Lily's eccentric Russian family and Matt's dreaded mother, and a persistent scarcity of funds - not helped when Matthew's disapproving family decide to cut him off without a shilling...

• Norman Wisdom - One Good Turn | DVD | (21/10/2009) from £5.30   |  Saving you £-0.31 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  A film starring Norman Wisdom, Joan Rice, Shirley Abicair, Director John Paddy Carstairs, Writers Jon Paddy Carstairs, Maurice Cowan, Ted Willis and Dorothy Whipple. producer Maurice Cowan. Rereleased by Granada Ventures Limited

• The Protectors: The Complete Series | DVD | (23/08/2010) from £33.92   |  Saving you £26.07 (76.86%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Each of the world's major cities has its best detective agency and each of these has its best agents; super-agents like The Protectors.The most sensitive baffling dangerous assignments are handled by this trio of adventurers with no equal among private eyes. In their nerve-tingling assignments they function as a highly trained team but they know that the next mission might mean death - and they live as if each moment were their last. Robert Vaughn stars as Harry Rule the suave American who leads their operations and works from a London office; Nyree Dawn Porter is the elegant Rome-based Contessa di Contini and Tony Anholt is Paul Buchet a French agent operating out of a Paris apartment. Produced by Gerry Anderson and Reg Hill (Thunderbirds) this glossy stylish series was one of ITC's most lavish and ambitious projects boasting intriguing action-packed storylines and location filming in some of Europe's most glamorous cities. John Thaw Diana Quick Stephanie Beacham Peter Bowles Patrick Troughton and George Baker are among the many stars making guest appearances while Tony Christie sings the show's theme tune Avenues and Alleyways - a UK Top 40 hit on its re-release in 2005. This 7-disc set comprises all 52 half-hour episodes originally aired between 1972 and 1974.

• Far From the Madding Crowd | DVD | (01/06/2015) from £9.85   |  Saving you £8.14 (82.64%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Headstrong and passionate Bathsheba Everdene (Julie Christie) unexpectedly inherits a large farm in rural Dorset. Struggling to manage the farm herself, she captivates the hearts and minds of three very different men: an honest and hardworking sheep farmer (Alan Bates), a wealthy but tortured landowner (Peter Finch), and a reckless and violent swordsman (Terence Stamp). But as emotions become entangled, free spirited and innocent folly soon leads to devastating tragedy. The restoration process of Far From the Madding Crowd was overseen by the film's cinematographer and acclaimed director, Nicolas Roeg. The Digital Film restoration was funded by STUDIOCANAL in collaboration the BFI's Unlocking Film Heritage programme, Awarding funds from the National Lottery. Extras: New Interview with Terence Stamp New Interview with Frederic Raphael New Interview with Nic Roeg New featurette Devizes, then and now Original Location featurette

• Mortal Kombat - Annihilation | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Mortal Kombat 2 – Annihilation begins in every way where the blockbuster adventure mortal Kombat left off. This time though with more spectacular fight sequences more astonishing special effects and the whole world as an arena for battle. A band of fearless fighters have defeated the evil warlords of the Out-world. But Shao – Kahn the feared Emperor of Out-world breaks the sacred rules of Mortal Kombat and arrives on earth with his extermination squads to conquer

• The Cedar Tree: The Complete Series 1 - Volume 3 | DVD | (15/07/2013) from £12.17   |  Saving you £12.82 (105.34%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Created by Upstairs Downstairs' Alfred Shaugnessy, The Cedar Tree is a study of one fictional aristocratic family, the Bournes of Larkfield Manor, focusing particularly on daughters Elizabeth (21), Anne (18), and Victoria (16). Dependent on their parents for income and bound by the remnants of the previous century's code of social behaviour, they represent a small backwater of Thirties' life. The girls' great hope is to find a suitable husband, and their expectations are high; but who is to k...

• Prime Suspect 2 | DVD | (06/11/2006) from £4.24   |  Saving you £10.01 (335.91%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A year after proving that she can handle a murder enquiry as well as any man D.C.I. Tennison is launched back into battle at Scotland Yard. The body of a young girl is discovered in a shallow grave in the back garden of a terraced house in an Afro-Carribean neighbourhood of London. The difficult job of identifying the body and finding the murderer is only made worse when the controversial subject of racism rears its ugly head. Having to contend with prejudice and misunderstanding from both the locals and from within her own team and dealing with a boss who has one eye on his own promotion D.C.I. Tennison has to use her powers of ingenuity courage and compassion as she faces the political disapproval of the public and her colleagues.

• I Was Monty's Double | DVD | (29/01/2007) from £9.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (30.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In World War II North Africa an actor is set the task of posing as Field Marshal Montgomery in an effort to confuse the Nazis. Based on a true story.

• Carnivale - Series 2 | DVD | (08/07/2005) from £13.85   |  Saving you £26.14 (188.74%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Into each generation is born a creature of light and a creature of darkness. 1934. The Dustbowl. The last great age of magic. In a time of titanic sandstorms vile plagues drought and pestilence - signs of God's fury and harbingers of the Apocalypse - the final conflict between good and evil is about to begin. The battle will take place in the Heartland of an empire called America. And when it is over man will forever trade away wonder for reason. A sweeping epic that is bot

• Play for Today: Volume One (4-disc Blu-ray Boxset) | Blu Ray | (16/11/2020) from £40.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  50 years on from its first transmission, the BBC's Play for Today anthology series remains one of British television's most influential and celebrated achievements. Between 1970 and 1984, plays which combined some of the era's finest writing, acting and directing talents were broadcast direct to living rooms, regularly challenging viewers and pushing the boundaries of TV drama. Featuring plays by the likes of Ingmar Bergman, Julia Jones and Colin Welland and featuring a roster of eminent British actors, Play for Today: Volume One brings together seven iconic dramas on Bluray for the very first time, in a collection that exemplifies the breadth and brilliance of this groundbreaking series. The set includes five plays which have been restored from the original negatives held in the BBC archive. The Plays: The Lie (Written by Ingmar Bergman | Dir. Alan Bridges, 1970) Shakespeare or Bust (Written by Peter Terson | Dir. Brian Parker, 1973) Back of Beyond (Written by Julia Jones | Dir. Desmond Davis, 1974) Passage to England (Written by Leon Griffiths | Dir. John Mackenzie, 1975) Our Flesh and Blood (Written by Mike Stott | Dir. Pedr James, 1977) A Photograph (Written by John Bowen | Dir. John Glenister, 1977) Your Man from Six Counties (Written by Colin Welland | Dir. Barry Davis, 1976)

• Fawlty Towers - Complete Fawlty Towers | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Fawlty Towers remains a timeless example of comic writing acting and characterisation at its very best. This fantastic complete collection set features all 12 episodes from this classic series. Episodes titles: 1. A Touch of Class 2. The Builders 3. The Wedding Party 4. The Hotel Inspectors 5. Gourmet Night 6. The Germans 7. Communication Problems 8. The Psychiatrist 9. Waldorf Salad 10. The Kipper and the Corpse 11. The Anniversary 12. Basil the Rat

• The Great Escape - World Cup Special Edition | DVD | (20/05/2002) from £10.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (109.19%)   |  RRP £22.99

  A stirring example of courage and the indomitable human spirit, for many John Sturges' The Great Escape is both the definitive World War II drama and the nonpareil prison escape movie. Featuring an unequalled ensemble cast in a rivetingly authentic true-life scenario set to Elmer Bernstein's admirable music (who writes contrapuntal march themes these days?), this picture is both a template for subsequent action-adventure movies and one of the last glories of Golden Age Hollywood. Reunited with the director who made him a star in The Magnificent Seven Steve McQueen presents a career-defining performance as the laconic Hilts, the baseball-loving, motorbike-riding "Cooler King". The rest of the all-male Anglo-American cast--Dickie Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, James Garner, Charles Bronson, David McCallum, James Coburn and Gordon Jackson--make the most of their meaty roles (though you have to forgive Coburn his Australian accent). Closely based on Paul Brickhill's book, the various escape attempts, scrounging, forging and ferreting activities are authentically realised thanks also to the presence of technical advisor Wally Flood on set, one of the original tunnel-digging POWs. Sturges orchestrates the climactic mass break-out with total conviction, giving us both high action and very poignant human drama. Without trivialising the grim reality, The Great Escape thrillingly celebrates the heroism of men who never gave up the fight. On the DVD: The Great Escape World Cup Special Edition includes all the features of the two-disc special edition, plus a full-size St George's Cross England flag, a feature on England footballers' World Cup memories and World Cup-themed packaging. --Mark Walker

• Birdman Of Alcatraz | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £8.18   |  Saving you £7.81 (95.48%)   |  RRP £15.99

  How does bitter convict Robert Stroud cope with a lifetime of solitary confinement? The answer in a sense comes from above in the form of a feeble sparrow he finds in the isolation yard. Stroud brings this newfound companion to his cell nurses it to health and from that point on there's no turning back. Despite having only a third grade education and no hope of parole Stroud becomes a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind prison walls

• Inspector Morse - Disc 21 And 22 - Dead On Time / Happy Families | DVD | (12/08/2002) from £4.98   |  Saving you £10.01 (201.00%)   |  RRP £14.99

  When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford