"Director: Lewis GILBERT"

• Gosford Park/Ladies in/Before | DVD | (24/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Gosford Park: Robert Altman directs this elegant period drama and Agatha Christie-style murder mystery that features the cream of British acting talent. Gathered at aristocrat Michael Gambon's big house are fellow toffs Charles Dance, James Wilby and Jeremy Northam (as British matinee idol Ivor Novello) among others. Meanwhile, downstairs in the bustling servant's quarters we encounter Alan Bates and Helen Mirren as the head male and female members of staff. The various intrigues that play out between members of the different classes and sexes are all observed with Altman's customary withering eye and trademark roving camerawork. After a murder is committed, comical pipe-smoking detective Stephen Fry arrives, but the solution is arrived at in an unconventional way. With an impeccable ensemble cast that Merchant Ivory would die for, Gosford Park is a classy piece of cinema from a great director getting back to the top of his form. Ladies In Lavender: Award winning actresses Dame Judi Dench and Maggie Smith star in this evocative, heart-warming story of unfulfilled dreams, innocence and unrequited love. Cornwall in 1936 remains as ever a timeless place. Sisters, Janet and Ursula Widdington discover a castaway on the beach below their house. With the help of the local doctor they nurse him back to health. During his convalescence the sisters discover his talent as a musician and the unsettling effect he has on them both - especially Ursula, whose life will never be the same again. Before You Go: Directed by veteran British film-maker Lewis Gilbert (Shirley Valentine, Educating Rita), Before You Go is based on Shelagh Stephenson's play 'The Memory of Water'. Three sisters (Julie Walters, Joanne Whalley and Victoria Hamilton) return to their family home in Northumberland following the death of their mother (Patricia Hodge). Family memories are soon rekindled in this beautifully acted, touching comedy drama...

• Carve Her Name With Pride | DVD | (12/09/2016) from £7.79   |  Saving you £2.20 (28.24%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Virginia McKenna gives a moving, BAFTA-nominated performance as Violette Szabo, one of the Second World War's most revered heroines. The dramatic story of her resistance work, imprisonment and ultimate fate, Carve Her Name with Pride stands as a tribute to the secret agent who would be posthumously awarded the George Cross for her vital and courageous role in the fight against Nazism. Directed by the Oscar-nominated Lewis Gilbert and co-starring Paul Scofield and Jack Warner, this classic feature is presented in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Following her recruitment by the Special Operations Executive, Violette Szabo volunteers to be parachuted into occupied France to re-organise a shattered resistance group. Though successful in destabilising German reinforcements for the battles raging on the Normandy front, Violette knows only too well that the life expectancy of an undercover operative can usually be measured in weeks and months... SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio commentary with Virginia McKenna and John Shirley (Editor) Original Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery

• Moonraker | DVD | (01/10/2012) from £4.52   |  Saving you £8.47 (187.39%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Agent 007 (Roger Moore) blasts into orbit in this action-packed adventure that takes him to Venice, Rio de Janeiro and outer space. When Bond investigates the hijacking of an American space shuttle, he and beautiful CIA agent Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) are soon locked in a life-or-death struggle against Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale), a power-mad industrialist whose horrific scheme may destroy all human life on earth!

• Carve Her Name With Pride | DVD | (22/01/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  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.

• You Only Live Twice | DVD | (03/11/2003) from £6.00   |  Saving you £7.25 (152.95%)   |  RRP £11.99

  The film boasts the best of the Bond title songs (this one sung on a dreamy track by Nancy Sinatra), but the movie itself is one of the weaker ones of the Sean Connery phase of the 007 franchise. The story concerns an effort by the evil organisation SPECTRE to start a world war, but the not-so-super villain behind the plot is the awfully civilised Donald Pleasence. The thin script is by Roald Dahl (shouldn't we have expected a better Bond nemesis from the creator of mad genius Willy Wonka?), and direction is by British veteran Lewis Gilbert (Alfie). But the movie can't hold a candle to Dr. No, From Russia with Love, or Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.comOn the DVD: This was another troubled production according to the insightful "making of" documentary: director and producers luckily avoided boarding a plane out of Tokyo that crashed and killed everyone on board; the Japanese actresses couldn't speak English and one threatened suicide if she was dropped from the part; and the aerial cameraman filming the helicopter fight had his leg sliced off by a rotor blade. Maurice Binder's evocative main title designs are the subject of the second documentary, "Silhouettes", in which his colleagues voiceboth their admiration of his art and frustration at his chaotic working practices. The commentary is another edited selection of interviews with principal cast and crew. An animated storyboard sequence, trailers, radio spots and a handsome booklet add up to another winning entry in this series. --Mark Walker

• Kenneth More Collection | DVD | (15/10/2007) from £15.89   |  Saving you £6.63 (41.72%)   |  RRP £22.52

  Affable bright and breezy Kenneth More epitomised the traditional English virtues of fortitude and fun. At the height of his fame in the 1950s he was Britain's most popular film star and had appeared in a string of box office hits including Genevieve (1953) Doctor in the House (1954) Reach for the Sky (1956) and A Night to Remember (1958). Like many British actors he commuted between film and theatre and steadily became of or Britain's most treasured actors. This 8 disc collection celebrates some of his greatest work. Films include: Chance of a Lifetime (1950): The workers in a small plough factory take over the firm but when a large order falls through the old management come back to help out. Genevieve (1953): Two friends race their vintage cars on the annual London to Brighton rally. But once they place a 'friendly' wager on who will win the race the competitive juices start flowing! Genevieve is the name of one of the cars which like her competitor runs into one problem after another. A Night to Remember (1958): Based on the best selling book by Walter Lord this is the true story of the R.M.S. Titanic which struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Europe to New York in 1912. The Galloping Major (1951): An elderly pet shop owner who sets up a scheme to buy ""Montana Mist "" a race horse who promises to finish in the money. When the animals are switched at an auction his lifelong dream comes crashing down - unless the old glue horse he has purchased turns out to be more than meets the eye. North West Frontier (1959): Captain Scott (More) is sent by the British Governor in India to rescue a five year old Hindu prince and his American governess (Bacall) when a rebellion breaks out among the tribesmen. Pursued by the abductors the trio commandeer a derelict steam train to take them 300 miles through the mountains to safety... Reach for the Sky (1956): A story of one man's indomitable courage and endurance. As a young sports-loving Pilot Officer Douglas Bader loses both legs in a flying accident. Not only does he overcome his devastating disability; he goes on to become a Battle of Britain ace. Eventually Bader is shot down and imprisoned in Germany. In 1945 when three hundred aircraft fly in triumph over London led by a solitary Spitfire the honour of leading the fly-past goes to Douglas Bader. This is the story of one of the few to whom so many owed so much.

• Moonraker | Blu Ray | (14/09/2015) from £5.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (200.33%)   |  RRP £17.99

  James Bond blasts into orbit in this pulse-pounding adventure that takes him from Venice to Rio de Janeiro to outer space! Roger Moore stars for the fourth time as Agent 007 and joins forces with NASA scientist Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) to prevent a power-mad industrialist (Michael Lonsdale) from destroying all human life on Earth

• James Bond - 23 Film Collection | Blu Ray | (14/09/2015) from £62.99   |  Saving you £47.00 (74.62%)   |  RRP £109.99

  All the Bond films are gathered together in this one-of-a-kind boxed set– every gorgeous girl nefarious villain and charismatic star from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig. Experience BOND with this fitting tribute to the most iconic and enduring secret agent in movie history.  Collection Contents: 23 films on Blu-ray™ from Dr. No to Skyfall plus space reserved for SPECTRE™ Doctor No His name is Bond James Bond and here in his explosive film debut Ian Fleming's immortal action hero blazes through one of his most spectacular adventures. Sean Connery embodies the suave yet lethal cool of agent 007 as he battles the mysterious Dr. No a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space programme. From Russia with Love Sean Connery returns as James Bond in this thrill-a-minute adventure featuring remarkable villains beautiful women and exotic locales! This time Bond squares off against the evil spectre organisation in a race to seize the Soviet Lektor decoding machine thrusting him into a thrilling boat chase a brutal helicopter attack and a deadly brawl aboard the Orient Express. Click Images to Enlarge Goldfinger From the opening bomb blast outside a steamy nightclub to a last-minute escape from the president's personal jet James Bond's third screen adventure is an exhilarating pulse-pounding thrill ride! Sean Connery returns as Agent 007 and faces off with a maniacal villain bent on destroying all the gold in Fort Knox - and obliterating the world economy! Goldfinger is 'the best...of all the Bonds' (Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times)! Thunderball The thrills never let up as James Bond drives into this riveting adventure filled with explosive confrontations and amazing underwater action! Sean Connery brings his characteristic style and magnetism to agent 007 as he travels to Nassau to track down a villainous criminal who is threatening to plunge the world into a nuclear holocaust. You Only Live Twice A disaster in space pushes humankind toward World War III and only James Bond can prevent it in this magnificent pull-out-all-the-stops movie spectacular. Sean Connery returns as Agent 007 who travels to Japan to stop the evil spectre organisation and its diabolical leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence) from instigating global warfare from his massive headquarters in an inactive volcano. On Her Majestys Secret Service James Bond goes undercover in the treacherous Swiss Alps in this action-packed epic filled with artillery-laden ski pursuits incredible stunts and nonstop thrills! George Lazenby leaps into the role of Agent 007 with supreme confidence and undeniable charisma even finding love with the beautiful and seductive Tracy Di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg). But first Bond must stop evil genius Blofeld (Telly Savalas) from realising a germ warfare plot that could kill millions! Diamonds Are Forever A fortune in stolen diamonds thrusts James Bond into action in this thrilling adventure! Sean Connery returns as Agent 007 and teams up with the beautiful Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) to prevent his nemesis Blofeld (Charles Gray) from using the diamonds in a deadly laser satellite. Live and Let Die James Bond battles the forces of black magic in this high-octane adventure that hurtles him from the streets of New York City to Louisiana’s bayou country. With charm wit and deadly assurance Roger Moore steps in as Agent 007 and takes on a powerful drug lord (Yaphet Kotto) with a diabolical scheme to conquer the world. The Man with the Golden Gun James Bond has been marked for death and he'll need all his lethal instincts and seductive charm to survive in this action-packed adventure! Roger Moore returns as Agent 007 and faces off in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with assassin Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). Featuring a wild automobile chase through Bangkok and Bond's stunning confrontation with an entire martial-arts school The Man with the Golden Gun delivers nonstop excitement! The Spy Who Loved Me Nobody does it better than Bond and he proves it once more in this explosively entertaining adventure that takes him from the Egyptian pyramids to the ocean floor and to a gravity-defying mountaintop ski chase! Roger Moore brings inimitable style to Agent 007 as he teams with beautiful Russian agent Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) to stop the megalomaniac Stromberg (Curt Jurgens) from unleashing a horrific scheme for world domination. Moonraker James Bond blasts into orbit in this pulse-pounding adventure that takes him from Venice to Rio de Janeiro and to outer space! Roger Moore stars for the fourth time as Agent 007 and joins forces with Nasa scientist Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) to prevent a power-mad industrialist (Michael Lonsdale) from destroying all human life on Earth. For Your Eyes Only James Bond is thrust into one of his most riveting adventures in this jam-packed free-for-all of outrageous stunts passionate encounters and exciting confrontations. Roger Moore portrays Agent 007 with lethal determination in a plot that finds him infiltrating the Greek underworld to locate a stolen device capable of controlling a fleet of nuclear submarines. Octopussy From a thrilling jet chase to a climactic countdown to nuclear disaster James Bond is back in an electrifying adventure that pushes the limit for nonstop excitement. Roger Moore portrays the immortal action hero perfectly capturing Agent 007's deadly expertise acerbic wit and overpowering sex appeal as he investigates the murder of a fellow agent who was clutching a priceless Faberge egg at the time of his death. Never Say Never Again Sean Connery is back for his final performance as agent James Bond in this high-velocity action thriller. Agent 007 is hurried into a pulse-pounding race to save the world from Armageddon when two atomic warheads are hijacked by the evil SPECTRE organisation. A View to Kill Roger Moore lends humour elegance and lethal charm to his final performance as James Bond in A View to a Kill. Bond confronts Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) who has devised a plan to corner the world's microchip market even if he has to kill millions to do it! But before Bond can stop the madman he must confront Zorin's beautiful and deadly companion May Day (Grace Jones). Licence to Kill James Bond turns renegade to hunt down a master criminal in this pulse-pounding thrill ride that's packed with awesome stunts subtle humour and explosive confrontations. Timothy Dalton brings urgency charm and deadly determination to his portrayal of the superagent who leaves the British Secret Service and begins a fierce vendetta after his friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison) is brutally attacked by drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). GoldenEye The effortlessly suave and sophisticated Pierce Brosnan makes his acclaimed debut as Agent 007 in this rip-roaring espionage thriller featuring the most eye-popping opening sequence yet! When an MI6 agent (Sean Bean) turns rogue and plans world domination with a terrifying satellite-borne weapon Bond must pursue his former ally to Cuba Monte Carlo Switzerland and even Russia all whilst dodging a sexy deadly femme fatale (Famke Janssen) who will stop at nothing to put the 'squeeze' on the intrepid spy! Tomorrow Never Dies Pierce Brosnan returns as the fearless cunning and devastatingly cool Secret Agent 007 in this thrilling adventure! When a ruthless media tycoon (Jonathan Pryce) tries to destabilise the world economy by orchestrating a deadly standoff between world superpowers in an attempt to achieve high ratings for his media conglomerate Bond must step in to prevent World War III! Co-starring the gorgeous Teri Hatcher and Michelle Yeoh this high-tech action-adventure will exhilarate Bond fans of all ages! The World Is Not Enough Pierce Brosnan returns as sexy super-spy James Bond. The agent's assignment is as follows: he must protect Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) the sole heir of a British oil tycoon from the influence of terrorist Renard (Robert Carlyle). Unfortunately she double-crosses him and the world's oil supply is put in peril. Now he must take on Renard a villain who feels no physical pain with the help of do-gooder scientist Christmas Jones (Denise Richards). Die Another Day James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) pulls out all the stops to take you on an unforgettable adrenaline-pumping ride across the globe in this action-filled adventure! From a dark cell in a north Korean prison to the beautiful beaches of Cuba 007 is on the trail of a diabolical genius who's hell-bent on slicing up the earth - literally. Casino Royale Daniel Craig stars as the latest incarnation of James Bond in the 21st instalment of the franchise. Based on one of the original Ian Fleming novels the story follows a young Bond at the beginning of his career having just received his double-0 status. For his latest mission 007 travels to Montenegro to investigate the highly exclusive Casino Royale where Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) a money man for an international terrorist group is raising funds for their misdeeds through high-stakes gambling. The rookie MI6 agent aided by British Treasury agent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) is tasked with infiltrating the group and ultimately defeating the rogue player both on and off the tables. Quantum of Solace On a nonstop quest for justice that crisscrosses the globe Bond meets the beautiful but feisty Camille (Olga Kurylenko) who leads him to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) a ruthless businessman and major force within the mysterious Quantum organisation. When Bond uncovers a conspiracy to take control of one of the world's most important natural resources he must navigate a minefield of treachery deception and murder to neutralise Quantum before it’s too late! Skyfall James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds his loyalty to M (Judi Dench) tested as her past returns to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack from a cyber-terrorist 007 must do everything it takes to track down the threat. Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men Vicky Cristina Barcelona) is superb as the sinister villain Raoul Silva and as the film unfolds you discover his dark past.

• Scarlet Thread | DVD | (21/05/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This 1951 Nettlefold Production was directed by top British director Lewis Gilbert who directed Alfie, Shirley Valentine,Moonraker, Sink The Bismark and Reach for the Sky as well as many others..Scarlet Thread was one of his earliest works and he displays his obvious talent in this production.Laurence Harvey stars as a small time crook looking for the high life and Sydney Tafler as an educated gang boss living the high life - both take part in a robbery that goes wrong.Good scenes of Cambridge and supporting cast Harry Fowler, Kathleen Bryon and good time girl Dora Bryan make for anenjoyable British crime drama.

• James Bond - You Only Live Twice (Ultimate Edition 2 Disc Set) | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £10.31   |  Saving you £9.67 (132.10%)   |  RRP £16.99

  You only live twiceOnce when you are bornand once When you look death in the face. The fifth film in the Bond series 'You Only Live Twice' unveils the sinister visage of Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the very first time! The film is also memorable for its incredible ''400 000 set of Blofeld's Volcano operational base complete with the rocket laucher helicopter landing pad monorail and massive shutter. Q's invention 'Little Nellie' - a one man miniature helicopter - also makes a big impact. An American space mission is interrupted when one of their capsules is literally swallowed up by what they suspect is a Russian spaceship. The Americans threaten to retaliate but the British think otherwise. Everything depends on Bond as he goes undercover in Japan and discovers that Blofeld is the creator of these interceptor rockets...

• Comedy Classics - Time Gentlemen Please | DVD | (02/04/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Long Lost Comedy Classics is a collection of films from a golden age of British Cinema remembered for timeless stars and some unique movies that have stood the test of time. So why not take a trip down memory lane and see how cinema used to be? The Prime Minister is planning a celebratory visit to the model village of Little Hayhoe where a new factory has created the utopian state of total employment. Everyone is content it seems and looking forward to the occasion. That is almost everyone. Local lay-about Dan Dance still refuses to work sleeps under the stars and is a potential cause of huge embarrassment to the local dignitaries. So without further delay Dan's shipped off to the local almshouse where he awaits an uncertain yet very funny future.

• Classic War Stories - 5 Film Collection | DVD | (19/11/2012) from £23.65   |  Saving you £-11.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.65

  The Longest Day: On June 6, 1944, the Allied Invasion of France marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes and 4,000 ships, comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen. Presented in its original black & white version, 'The Longest Day' is a vivid, hour-by-hour re-creation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast, and told from the perspectives of both sides, it is a fascinating look ...

• Children's Film Foundation Collection: Runaways | DVD | (21/04/2014) from £15.98   |  Saving you £6.00 (42.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  JOHNNY ON THE RUN | HIDE AND SEEK | TERRY ON THE FENCE For Over 30 years the Children’s Film Foundation produced quality entertainment for young audiences employing the cream of British filmmaking talent. Newly transferred from the best available elements held in the BFI National Archive these much-loved and fondly remembered films finally return to the screen after many years out of distribution in this specially curated DVD release from the BFI. Johnny on the Run a superb early work by illustrious British director Lewis Gilbert (You Only Live Twice Education Rita Alfie) follows orphaned Polish refugee Janek who runs into trouble in the shape of two scheming thieves. Starring Sydney Tafler (Carve Her Name with Pride The Spy Who Loved Me) as a cunning spiv and featuring an appearance from John Laurie (The 39 Steps Dad’s Army) Johnny on the Run is an action-packed adventure with a remarkable performance from its young lead. Hide and Seek stars a teenage Gary Kemp (The Krays) as do-gooding Chris who becomes entangled with a borstal escapee known locally as the Deptford Dodger. With friend Bev Chris traces the ungrateful Dodger’s disreputable dad. With Roy Dotrice and Robin Askwith in supporting roles this thriller is among the best of the Foundation’s 1970s output. In Terry on the Fence when our 11-year-old protagionist runs away from home he only intends to put the wind up his parents. But a gang of older bullies led by tough-nut Les soon draw him into their daunting world of break-ins and stolen goods. Based on the book by author Bernard Ashley Terry on the Fence goes far beyond the concept of goodies and baddies to the ambiguity at the heart of Terry’s moral dilemma.

• Carve Her Name With Pride | DVD | (16/06/2003) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-10.01 (-100.20%)   |  RRP £9.99

  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.

• James Bond - Moonraker (Ultimate Edition 2 Disc Set) | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £6.42   |  Saving you £10.57 (164.64%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Agent 007 (Roger Moore) blasts into orbit in this action-packed adventure that takes him to Venice Rio de Janeiro and outer space. When Bond investigates the hijacking of an American space shuttle he and beautiful CIA agent Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) are soon locked in a life-or-death struggle against Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) a power-mad industrialist whose horrific scheme may destroy all human life on earth!

• James Bond Ultimate Roger Moore | DVD | (27/11/2006) from £60.73   |  Saving you £-10.74 (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  This fantastic box set comprises every Roger Moore performance as the irrepressible 007. Titles Comprise: 1. Live And Let Die (1973) 2. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) 3 .The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) 4. Moonraker (1979) 5. For Your Eyes Only (1981) 6. Octopussy (1983) 7. A View To A Kill (1985) For individual synopses and special features please refer to the singular Ultimate Edition of each film.

• The 7th Dawn | DVD | (23/02/2015) from £13.49   |  Saving you £-0.50 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  William Holden, Tetsurô Tamba and Capucine star in this classic drama from director Lewis Gilbert. After the end of World War II, three guerillas who fought the Japanese are assigned to very different sides of the Communist insurgency. Major Ferris (Holden) becomes the owner of a rubber plantation, his mistress Dhana (Capucine) is the head of a schoolteacher's union and Ng (Tamba) travels to Moscow to seek an education. When Ng returns a changed man Dhana finds she is torn between the two men.

• You Only Live Twice | Blu Ray | (17/04/2019) from £9.19   |  Saving you £8.80 (95.76%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A disaster in space pushes humankind toward World War III, and only James Bond can prevent it in this magnificent, pull-out-all-the-stops movie spectacular. Sean Connery returns as Agent 007, who travels to Japan to stop the evil SPECTRE organisation and its diabolical leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence), from instigating global warfare from his massive headquarters in an inactive volcano.

• Moonraker | DVD | (20/10/2008) from £7.96   |  Saving you £10.02 (201.61%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Agent 007 (Roger Moore) blasts into orbit in this action-packed adventure that takes him to Venice Rio de Janeiro and outer space. When Bond investigates the hijacking of an American space shuttle he and beautiful CIA agent Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) are soon locked in a life-or-death struggle against Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) a power-mad industrialist whose horrific scheme may destroy all human life on earth!

• H.M.S. Defiant | DVD | (18/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Set in 1797 at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars, HMS Defiant is an enthralling British naval drama made to capitalise upon MGM's epic remake of Mutiny on the Bounty, also released in 1962. Based on the novel Mutiny by Frank Tilsey and starring Alex Guinness as a fair-minded captain locked in psychological conflict with Dirk Bogarde, his manipulative, coldly malicious first officer, the parallels with the famous true story are clear. However there were many naval mutinies at this period and this large-scale saga, which includes some spectacularly staged widescreen naval battles, offers a realistic depiction of life in the British navy at the time--from the press gangs and floggings, to the appalling food and living conditions. Director Lewis Gilbert--who previously helmed Sink the Bismarck! (1960)--strikes a good balance between the personal drama and sweeping maritime adventure. Guinness successfully varies his firm-but-fair officer from The Bridge on the River Kwai, Bogarde is chillingly hateful and Anthony Quayle gives strong support. ITV's recent Hornblower cumulatively offers a more detailed portrait of the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars, though the TV series cannot match the visual scale of this big-screen production. On the DVD: HMS Defiant is presented anamorphically enhanced at 2.35:1, though a little of the original CinemaScope frame is still cropped at the sides. The image is generally very good, though a handful of scenes near the end show considerable print damage and there is an inconstancy of colour grading between some shots. Grain is variable, but not generally a problem, though some unattractive "ringing" from edge enhancement is noticeable, particularly around Alex Guinness when he stands against a bright sky. The sound is in very clear mono with just occasional distortion on the music score. The disc offers the option of watching with dubbed French, German, Italian or Spanish soundtracks. The original trailer is included--under the American title of Damn the Defiant!--as are trailers for three other classic war films. The only other extra features are a small gallery of original publicity materials and three very basic filmographies. --Gary S Dalkin