"Director: Marc Levin"

• Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey | DVD | (12/12/2008) from £19.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (15.01%)   |  RRP £22.99

  It may have been underrated when first broadcast, but executive producer Martin Scorsese's homage to the blues is a truly significant, if imperfect, achievement. "Musical journey" is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for these seven approximately 90-minute films follow the blues--the foundation of jazz, soul, R&B, and rock & roll--from its African roots to its Mississippi Delta origins, up the river to Memphis and Chicago, then to New York, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Some of the films (like Wim Wenders's The Soul of a Man and Charles Burnett's Warming by the Devil's Fire) use extensive fictional film sequences, generally to good effect. There's also plenty of documentary footage, interviews, and contemporary studio performances recorded especially for these films. The last are among the best aspects of the DVDs, as the bonus material features the set's only complete tunes. Lou Reed's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" and the ElektriK Mud Kats' (with Chuck D. of Public Enemy) hip-hop-cum-traditional updating of Muddy Waters's "Mannish Boy" are among the best of them; on the other hand, a rendition of "Cry Me a River" by Lulu (?!) is a curious choice, even with Jeff Beck on hand. The absence of lengthier vintage clips, meanwhile, is the principal drawback. For that reason alone, Clint Eastwood's Piano Blues is the best of the lot; a musician himself, Eastwood simply lets the players play, which means we get extensive file footage of the likes of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Nat "King" Cole, as well as new performances by Ray Charles, Dr. John, and others. Overall, this is a set to savor, a worthwhile investment guaranteed to grow on you over the course of repeated viewings. --Sam Graham

• Mr Untouchable | DVD | (25/02/2008) from £4.98   |  Saving you £11.01 (221.08%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Real Story Behind American Gangster This is the true-life story of a junkie turned multimillionaire drug-lord. Mr Untouchable takes you deep inside the heroin game. With the first hand testimony of the black Godfather himself Nicky Barnes. This is an epic story of business excess greed and revenge. Nicky Barnes was the most powerful black drug kingpin in New York City history. From humble beginnings he came to dominate the heroin distribution business and make himself and his comrades rich beyond their wildest dreams. Trusted and trained by the Italians he set up his own black crime family 'The Council' a formidable drug collective. The film has secured the testimony of Nicky Barnes himself. Barnes has broken the street code and his 23-year silence to tell all in this epic American dream story. We have also interviewed former members of The Council and others in the Barnes drug Collective. This is an inside look at the heroin business from the Kingpin at the top to the dealer and user on the street.

• Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: Godfathers and Sons | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £9.75   |  Saving you £0.24 (2.40%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Director Marc Levin travels to Chicago with hip-hop legend Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess and heir to the Chess Records legacy) to explore the heyday of Chicago blues as they unite to produce an album that brings veteran blues players together with contemporary hip hop musicians. Along with never-before-seen archival footage of Howlin' Wolf Muddy Waters and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band are original performances by Koko Taylor Otis Rush Magic S

• Protocols Of Zion | DVD | (17/09/2007) from £8.64   |  Saving you £7.35 (46.00%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Most Persistent Conspiracy Theory Of All Time...Has Met Its Match. Despite all the evidence millions around the world continue to blame the Jews for 9/11. This belief is a modern-day incarnation of the infamous ""The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion "" the century old forgery that some people claimed to be the Jews' master plan to rule the world. Filmmaker Marc Levin sets out to understand why this racist tract has been revived and to challenge one of the most persistent insidious conspiracy theories of all time. In the course of his explosive journey Levin finds himself delving into the heart of hate facing those who would traffic in bigotry.

• Godfathers And Sons | DVD | (27/02/2006) from £7.29   |  Saving you £2.70 (37.04%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Director Marc Levin travels to Chicago with hip-hop legend Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess and heir to the Chess Records legacy) to explore the heyday of Chicago blues as they unite to produce an album that brings veteran blues players together with contemporary hip hop musicians. Along with never-before-seen archival footage of Howlin' Wolf Muddy Waters and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band are original performances by Koko Taylor Otis Rush Magic Sl