Drama

• Hotel Du Lac | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £19.95   |  Saving you £-3.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Hotel du Lac is an impeccably produced BBC television adaptation of Anita Brookner's Booker Prize-winning novel. Middle-aged writer Edith Hope has fled London and romantic disappointment to find sanctuary at a luxury hotel on a Swiss Lake, but finding no escape from her loneliness must eventually face her past. Edith is played with compassion by Anna Massey, her intellect and wit acting as a defence against her own failings, and support comes from a superb cast including Denholm Elliott, Googie Withers, Julia McKenzie, Patricia Hodge, Irene Handl and Barry Foster. Brookner's apparently slight but multi-layered tale is skilfully crafted by writer Christopher Hampton, who has with such films as Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and The Quiet American (2002) become a master of literary adaptation. Giles Foster's direction focuses on bringing the best from his cast, rather than attempting any sort of cinematic sweep, and Carl Davis' eloquent theme music makes the introspection all the more touching. Ultimately, though, it is Anna Massey's insightful central performance which makes Hotel du Lac such a memorable slice of television. On the DVD: Hotel du Lac is presented in the original TV broadcast 4:3 ratio with a very poor, extremely grainy and soft picture. The sound is reasonable mono, clear and free from distortion though lacking in dynamic range. The only extra, though one well worth having, is a serious and highly informative commentary from Giles, Hampton and producer Sue Birtwistle. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Sandbaggers - Series 2 | DVD | (15/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Both a critical and ratings success on its original ITV transmission The Sandbaggers was lauded in 2003 by the New York Times as being ""The best spy series in TV history"". 'The Sandbaggers' is a nickname for the Special Section of the British Secret Service - a team of special agents who were deployed during the Cold War. Run by the dour single-minded Neil Burnside (Roy Marsden) the 'Sandbaggers' are headed by the brash but conscientious Willie Caine (Ray Lonnen). In

• Essential Becker Collection | Blu Ray | (28/11/2022) from £46.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jacques Becker was an important and influential French filmmaker who was admired by the directors that led the French New Wave movement. He made his directorial debut in 1942 after a year in a German prisoner-of war camp. The entire output of his working career was only 13 films including some of the greatest French masterpieces. Becker had a very strong presence in French cinema and constantly tried to create something different which is noticeable in his films as each is unique and very different in style and genre. This essential collection includes 5 films of the prestigious filmmaker: Falbalas (1944), Edward and Caroline (1951), Casque d'Or (1952), Touchez pas au Grisbi (1954) and Le Trou (1960). Product Features FALBALAS (1944) Falbalas: A Family Affair Fashion and Clothing: Jean Paul Gaultier Interview with Micheline Presle Auditions Falbalas: Restored Version EDWARD AND CAROLINE (1951) Interview with Ginette Vincendeau Edouard et Caroline on AU CINEMA CE SOIR © Ina - 1974 Jacques Becker on LE JAZZ ET JEUNESSE © Ina - 1956 CASQUE D'OR (1952) Alex and Marie: Once upon a time there was Casque d'Or In the heart of hearts: the legend of Casque d'Or Trailer TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954) Interview With Ginette Vincendeau Interview With Jean Becker Interview With Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau On Gros Plan © Ina - 1957 LE TROU (1960) Interview with Ginette Vincendeau Interview with Jean Becker Interview with Philippe Leroy L'Envers du décors : A Behind The Scenes Featurette Interview With Jean Keraudy

• The Wooden Horse | DVD | (29/01/2007) from £10.35   |  Saving you £2.64 (25.51%)   |  RRP £12.99

  War drama where a bunch of British prisoners of war attempt to escape from a Nazi prison camp by tunnelling under a vaulting horse.

• The Long Good Friday | DVD | (19/02/2007) from £8.63   |  Saving you £-2.64 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Harold a prosperous English gangster is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places. A mysterious syndicate is trying to muscle in on his action and Harold wants to know who they are. He finds out soon enough and bloody mayhem ensues.

• Sound Of Metal | Blu Ray | (31/05/2021) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke) live together, two nomads traveling gig to gig on an endless American tour. Their music is loud, frenzied and passionate, until one day Ruben is overwhelmed by a severe ringing in his ears, which quickly gives way to deafness. Ruben is suddenly overcome by anxiety, depression, and soon enough his past addictions begin to surface. Ruben checks himself into a home for deaf addicts run by an eccentric deaf veteran, Joe. In this world of silence and under Joe's tough, observant care, Ruben must confront himself more honestly than ever before. But the love and sound of his old life echoes in Ruben's mind, calling for him to return

• Charles Dickens Collection | DVD | (24/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £99.99

  Martin Chuzzlewit (Dir. Pedr James 1994): Martin Chuzzlewit is a wealthy old man. But who will inherit his riches? He has disinherited his grandson young Martin suspecting the motives of the young man's love for Mary Chuzzlewit's nurse and companion. With such a prize to play for the rest of his family - including the snivelling hypocrite Pecksniff and the fabulously evil Jonas - bring forth all of their cunning greed and selfishness. With his grandson floundering in Amer

• Charmed - Season 2 | DVD | (01/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  In Charmed the three Halliwell sisters have accepted their destiny of protecting the innocent and vanquishing evil doers even though that is generally not on the agenda of every twenty-something on the fast track to discovering what life's all about. Prue (Doherty) the oldest is driven to succeed and dislikes the free-spirited antics of the youngest sister Phoebe (Milano). Piper (Combs) the earthy middle sister mediates between her siblings. Prue has the power to

• The Lotus Eaters - Complete Series 2 | DVD | (02/11/2009) from £34.99   |  Saving you £-13.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £21.99

  The story of mysterious couple Erik Shepherd and his wife Ann continues in the second series of this classic BBC drama. Erik comes back to his bar in Crete when he discovers that Ann has lost her memory. The couple return to face death deception and intrigue - a new game is being played out and Police Chief Michael Krasakis warns Erik that no one can be trusted. Who is Gerald Mace and why is he so interested in the Shepherds? Is Erik right to place his trust in Sam Webber? And why is the Shepherds' old friend Dr Dartington behaving so strangely? Erik comes to realise that nothing is what it seems as the saga of The Lotus Eaters reaches its shattering conclusion... The second series of this classic BBC drama has been unseen on network television for over 30 years and is now available on DVD for the first time.

• The Mayor of Casterbridge | DVD | (01/01/2008) from £9.98   |  Saving you £-2.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Travelling the dirt roads of Wessex in search of work, Michael Henchard (Ciaran Hinds) a farm worker, auctions his wife Susan (Juliet Aubrey) and baby daughter in a moment of drunken madness at a country fair.Years later, Susan and her daughter Elizabeth-Jane (Jodhi May) return, seeking Michael in Casterbridge where he has become a rich and respected member of Wessex society. Driven by the need to make amends, he remarries Susan but in a tragic twist of fate, she dies, but not before leaving a letter containing a shocking revelation.As a romance blossoms between Elizabeth-Jane and the mayor's charismatic business manager Farfrae (James Purefoy). Henchard become convinced that the young man is determined to destroy him and orders Elizabeth-Jane never to see him again, setting a chain of events in motion that will change their lives forever.

• Cul-De-Sac: Digitally Remastered | DVD | (26/07/2010) from £9.45   |  Saving you £8.54 (90.37%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A mismatched couple (he effeminate and petulant she sensual and enigmatic) share a bizarre sexual relationship living in a remote castle. Their very isolation from the world prevents their eccentric partnership from foundering. Only an outsider can disrupt their make-believe lifestyle. That disruption arrives in the belligerent form of Richard and Albert two oddball gangsters straight out of a 1940's film noir wounded desperate and on the run. They demand shelter and as Richard waits for instructions from his gangland boss he slips into a dangerous round of game-playing with his unwilling hosts. But it seems that Richard is not always to have the upper hand...

• The Look Of Love | DVD | (19/08/2013) from £7.55   |  Saving you £10.44 (138.28%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Steve Coogan's passion project reunites him with longtime collaborator Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, A Cock and Bull Story) for the real life story of the 'King of Soho', the legendary gentleman's club owner and porn publisher Paul Raymond.

• The Fountain | Blu Ray | (28/05/2007) from £12.55   |  Saving you £7.44 (59.28%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, "The Fountain" is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world.

• Akio Jissoji - The Buddhist Trilogy | Blu Ray | (31/05/2021) from £19.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Akio Jissôji created a rich and diverse body of work during his five decades in Japan's film and television industries. For some, he is best-known for his science fiction: the 1960s TV series Ultraman and 1988's box-office success Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. For others, it is his 1990s adaptations of horror and mystery novelist Edogawa Rampo, such as Watcher in the Attic and Murder on D Street. And then there are his New Wave films for the Art Theatre Guild, three of which This Transient Life, Mandala and Poem, forming The Buddhist Trilogy are collected here.Winner of the Golden Leopard award at the 1970 Locarno Film Festival, This Transient Life is among the Art Theatre Guild's most successful and most controversial productions. The film concerns a brother and sister from a rich family who defy the expectations placed on them: he has little interest in further education or his father's business, instead obsessing over Buddhist statues; she continually refuses a string of suitors and the prospect of marriage. Their closeness, and isolation, gives way to an incestuous relationship which, in turn, breeds disaster.Mandala, Jissôji's first colour feature, maintained the controversial subject matter, focussing on a cult who recruit through rape and hope to achieve true ecstasy through sexual release. Shot, as with all of Jissôji's Art Theatre Guild works, in a radically stylised manner, the film sits somewhere between the pinku genre and the fiercely experimental approach of his Japanese New Wave contemporaries.The final entry in the trilogy, Poem, returns to black and white and is centred on the austere existence of a young houseboy who becomes helplessly embroiled in the schemes of two brothers. Written by Toshirô Ishidô (screenwriter of Nagisa Ôshima's The Sun's Burial and Shôhei Imamura's Black Rain), who also penned This Transient Life and Mandala, Poem continues the trilogy's exploration of faith in a post-industrial world.Special Features:High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of This Transient Life, Mandala and PoemOriginal uncompressed LPCM mono 1.0 audio on all three filmsOptional English subtitlesIntroductions to all three films by David Desser, author of Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New WaveScene-select commentaries on all three films by DesserTheatrical trailers for Mandala and PoemReversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm

• The Jane Austen Book Club | DVD | (17/03/2008) from £3.70   |  Saving you £16.29 (440.27%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships -- both old and new -- begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.

• All Eyez on Me | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.19   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  ALL EYEZ ON ME tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur. The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world's most recognized and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, Shakur's raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing.

• Michael Powell: Early Works (2-disc Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (23/09/2024) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Throughout the 1930s, director Michael Powell (The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death, Peeping Tom) honed his craft on a succession of modestly budgeted feature films produced under the United Kingdom's screen 'quota' system. Many of these titles remain lost but, those which survive, reveal a burgeoning talent that readily established Powell as one of British cinema's leading lights. This new 2-disc collection brings together five of those early films directed by Powell, newly remastered by the BFI National Archive, including murder mysteries, sensational thrillers and a comedy caper. Discover the formative works of a filmmaking icon, available on Blu-ray for the first time. The Films: Rynox (1932, 47 mins) Hotel Splendide (1932, 53 mins) The Night of the Party (1934, 63 mins) Her Last Affaire (1936, 68 mins) Behind the Mask (aka The Man Behind the Mask) (1936, 55 mins)Special Features Newly remastered from original camera materials and presented in High DefinitionNewly recorded audio commentaries by Marc David Jacobs (Rynox, Behind the Mask, Emeric Powell Home Movie), Lawrence Napper and Dom Delargy (Hotel Splendide), Jo Botting and Vic Pratt (Night of the Party), and Ian Christie (Her Last Affaire), Bryony Dixon (Riviera Revels)Riviera Revels: Travelaughs No. 1 and No. 2 (1927): Powell himself appears in these rare short comedy curiosities from the silent eraInside the Archive: The Early films of Michael Powell (2024): a new documentary exploring the BFI National Archive's role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.Vanishing in Thunder: The Unmade Films of Michael Powell (2023): documentary by Henry Barnes exploring some of Michael Powell's unrealised filmsEmeric Pressburger Home Movie (1954): Powell and Pressburger are both seen on camera as they travel to Argentina for a 1954 Film Festival**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Booklet featuring contributions from James Bell, Marc David Jacobs, Lawrence Napper, Pamela Hutchinson, Ian Christie, Bryony Dixon, Claire Smith, Josephine Botting and Kieron Webb

• Taking Sides | DVD | (05/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Istvan Szabo's film Taking Sides - based on true events - recreates the suspenseful post-World War II interrogation of Dr Wilhelm Furtwangler (Stellan Skarsgard) the brilliant conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic who is considered by some to have been the most brilliant conductor of the 20th century. In the course of his de-Nazification by the Allies Furtwangler is forced by a tough-talking American Major (Harvey Keitel) to re-examine his role during the Third Reich in the most u

• Two For The Money | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £6.07   |  Saving you £3.92 (64.58%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A former college sports star aligns himself with one of the most renowned bookies in new York in this drama.

• The Quiet American | DVD | (02/05/2011) from £14.20   |  Saving you £5.79 (40.77%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Nothing, and no one, is as it seems, in this adaptation of Graham Greene's classic and prophetic story of love, betrayal, murder and the origin of the American war in Southeast Asia.