Drama

• The Waltons - Season 1 | DVD | (01/11/2004) from £29.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (36.68%)   |  RRP £40.99

  The Walton' nearly 10-year run grew out of the popular, 1971 made-for-TV movie The Homecoming, which was derived from a Depression-era, rustic setting ("Walton's Mountain"), and characters based on Earl Hamner Jr.'s autobiographical novel Spencer's Mountain--itself the source for a very nice 1963 feature film starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. That's a lot of entertainment sprouting from Hamner's prose. But something about his seminal story of family values, rugged independence, and big dreams amidst a hardscrabble existence captured the hearts of American audiences, many of whom personally recalled severe economic adversity in the 1930s. The Waltons: The Complete First Season collects those initial episodes from the series building on the strengths of the Homecoming pilot, which introduced the extended Walton clan led by a strong-willed mill owner, John (Andrew Duggan), and his equally resolute wife, Olivia (Patricia Neal). The Waltons recast those key roles (as well as a few others) with Ralph Waite and Michael Learned (yup, a female), but Richard Thomas carried over as oldest child John-Boy Walton, an aspiring writer whose cusp-of-manhood view informs the series. Will Geer (Seconds) replaced Edgar Bergen as Grandpa Walton, Ellen Corby remained as Grandma, and John and Olivia's large brood (seven kids in all) were filled out by largely unknown, young actors. The episodes, still delightful and touching, strong on production values and unusually tight and polished for primetime drama, tended to focus on creator Hamner's pet themes of self-sacrifice and heroic effort when the going got tough. Year 1 highlights include "The Carnival", in which the impoverished Waltons, who can't pay for tickets to see a circus performance, end up sheltering stranded carney folk. "The Typewriter" is a classic about John-Boy "borrowing" a museum's antique typewriter, only to have his sister Mary Ellen (Judy Norton) sell it as junk. "The Sinner" concerns the arrival of a fundamentalist minister on Walton's Mountain, finding comfort in the words of religious iconoclast John Walton after the clergyman makes a fool of himself with moonshine. That's Hamner himself providing touches of narration. During the long run of the multiple-award-winning The Waltons, there were many changes in casting and storylines. But this boxed set reveals a fine series in its pristine state. --Tom Keogh

• Eric Rohmer 100 - Comedies and Proverbs | Blu Ray | (20/04/2020) from £45.49   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Rohmer 100: Celebrating Éric Rohmer's Centenary Éric Rohmer enjoyed a remarkable career. Between 1949, when he started work on his first short film, to the release of his final effort, The Romance of Astrea and Celadon, in 2007, Rohmer directed some 28 features, as well as numerous shorts and documentaries, many of them masterpieces. The Comedies and Proverbs series brings together six of the Éric Rohmer's best; the first entry in the series, The Aviator's Wife, sees François become obsessed with the idea that his Girlfriend is being unfaithful. A Good Marriage follows Sabine in her pursuit of matrimony with Edmond, who it seems is the only person that doesn't know the two are set to marry. In Pauline at the Beach the titular Pauline and her cousin Marion discover lovers new and old during a summer vacation. Full Moon in Paris centres on Louise who although in a relationship with Remi seeks the freedom of single life. The Green Ray sees Delphine let down by her holiday companion, travelling alone she witnesses a remarkable natural phenomenon. The sixth and final tale in the series, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, tells the story of new-to-town Blanche and her colleague Léa whose relationships become entangled. Complemented by numerous bonus features, this special edition Blu-ray set provides both a welcome opportunity for the newcomer to explore the work of a great director as well as a must-have collection for the die-hard Rohmer fan. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of six Éric Rohmer features: The Aviator's Wife, A Good Marriage, Pauline at the Beach, Full Moon in Paris, The Green Ray, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Original French mono soundtracks (uncompressed PCM) Optional English subtitles Introductions to The Aviator's Wife, A Good Marriage, Pauline at the Beach, Full Moon in Paris and The Green Ray by Éric Rohmer In depth appreciation of Rohmer by filmmaker and actor Richard Ayoade Effraction: Tchéky Karyo, an hour-long French television documentary profile of the Full Moon in Paris actor On-set report from the making of My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Archive interview with André Dussollier on The Aviator's Wife Archive interview with Claude-Jean Philippe and Caroline Champetier on Pauline at the Beach Archive interview with Arielle Dombasle on Pauline at the Beach Archive interview with Pascale Ogier on Full Moon in Paris Archive interview with Marie Rivière on The Green Ray Changing Landscapes, a 1964 documentary short directed by Rohmer Audio interview with Rohmer Trailers for all six films Reverible sleeves featuring six artwork options

• The Madame Blanc Mysteries Series 2 | DVD | (20/02/2023) from £21.97   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Hatred - Murder of the Innocent | DVD | (30/04/2018) from £11.24   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Hatred Murder of the Innocent is another bigbudget, highly anticipated production that tackles the Volhynian tragedy of 1943, in which up to 60,000 Poles were murdered by Ukrainian nationalists under German occupation, and up to 20,000 Ukrainians were killed in revenge attacks. Controversial enough to be banned in Ukraine, Hatred won 11 Polish Film awards and was nominated for a further 6. Despite being in love with a Ukrainian boy, called Petro, Polish girl Zosia is forced into marrying a wealthy widower, Maciej. When the war begins, Maciej is conscripted to the Polish Army to fight against the Germans in the September Campaign. When the campaign is lost, Maciej and other survivors try to return to their homes. In the meantime, Zosia gets pregnant by Petro but wants Maciej to believe that the child is his. Are the was ranges around them can Zoysia protect herself and her son against the was raging around them? Wo y (2016). An epic period piece. Set over the course of six years, the story mostly takes place during World War Two in a small village in the eponymous region of Volhynia - a village inhabited by Ukrainians, Poles, and Jews. The life of this small community is then torn apart by history. In the spring of 1943, a wave of ethnic cleansing sweeps over the region. In a sea of brutality and hate, the film's protagonist Zosia G owacka tries to save the lives of her children and her own. Despite being in love with a Ukrainian boy from the same village, the Polish girl named Zosia is forced into marrying a wealthy widower. Soon World War II begins and ethnic tensions arise. Amidst the war chaos Zosia tries to survive.

• Gandhi | Blu Ray | (16/02/2009) from £6.79   |  Saving you £13.20 (194.40%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Richard Attenborough's award-winning epic recounts the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi. In South Africa a young Indian lawyer is booted off a train for refusing to ride second-class. Upon his return to his native India and fed up with the unjust political system he joins the Indian Congress Party which encourages social change through passive resistance. When his subversive activities land him in jail masses of low-skilled workers strike to support his non-violent yet revolutionary position. Back in India Gandhi renounces the Western way of life and struggles to organize Indian labor against British colonialism. A strike costs many British soldiers their lives so the crown responds by slaughtering 1 500 Indians. Enraged the ascetic spiritual leader continues to preach pacifism until he has lead India out from under the tyranny of British imperialism.

• The Gospel Of John | DVD | (01/11/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  The Gospel John best-loved of the four gospels vividly comes to life in a faithful and powerful dramatization of the Biblical text. It meticulously re-creates the era of Jesus during a tumultuous period that changed the course of history. Starring Henry Ian Cusick (Lost Dead Like Me) as Jesus. Narrated by Christopher Plummer and with a cast of over 2 500 The Gospel of John has been adapted for the screen word for word based on the American Bible Society's Good News Bible. Directed by acclaimed British Director Philip Saville.

• Say Anything | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.45   |  Saving you £6.54 (101.39%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Seven years after he earned his first screen credit as the writer of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, former Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe made his directorial debut with this acclaimed romantic comedy starring John Cusack and Ione Skye as unlikely lovers on the cusp of adulthood. The casting is perfect and Crowe's rookie direction is appropriately unobtrusive, no doubt influenced by his actor-loving, Oscar-winning mentor, James L. Brooks. But the real strength of Crowe's work is his exceptional writing, his timely grasp of contemporary rhythms and language (he's frequently called "the voice of a generation"), and the rich humour and depth of his fully developed characters. In Say Anything, Cusack and Skye play recent high-school graduates enjoying one final summer before leaping into a lifetime of adult responsibilities. Lloyd (Cusack) is an aspiring kickboxer with no definite plans; Diane (Skye) is a valedictorian with plans to further her education in Europe. Together they find unlikely bliss, but there's also turbulence when Diane's father (John Mahoney)--who only wants what's best for his daughter--is charged with fraud and tax evasion. Favouring strong performances over obtrusive visual style, Crowe focuses on his unique characters and the ambitions and fears that define them; the movie's a treasure trove of quiet, often humorous revelations of personality. Lili Taylor and Eric Stoltz score high marks for memorable supporting roles, and Cusack's own sister Joan is perfect in scenes with her on- and offscreen brother. A rare romantic comedy that's as funny as it is dramatically honest, Say Anything marked the arrival of a gifted writer-director who followed up with the underrated Singles before scoring his first box-office smash with Jerry Maguire. --Jeff Shannon

• Defintiive Edition - Raging Bull | DVD | (05/03/2007) from £8.22   |  Saving you £4.77 (58.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  "Raging Bull" is arguably the finest work from the Scorsese and De Niro partnership. De Niro gives an amazing portrayal of a man whose animal side lurks just beneath the surface, ever ready to erupt.

• Good Fight Season 4 | DVD | (03/05/2021) from £19.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Race relations, gender constructs and power dynamics continue to get their day in court in Season 4 of The Good Fight. The attorneys at Reddick, Boseman and Lockhart adjust to life as the new subsidiary of the world's seventh largest law fi rm, STR Laurie. While bristling under the eye of their corporate overlords, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and colleagues investigate the impact of the mysterious Memo 618. Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald) makes an unexpected, strong connection with a new associate. Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) tackles a high-profi le divorce case with a temperamental partner, and Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo) considers an intriguing proposition from the DNC.

• Trial And Retribution - The Fifth Collection | DVD | (02/02/2009) from £21.21   |  Saving you £3.78 (17.82%)   |  RRP £24.99

  From BAFTA-winning writer Lynda La Plante comes one of the most innovative and long-running crime series on television. Chief Superintendent Mike Walker (David Hayman) is an old-school detective with a dubious past working with the career-driven DCI Roisin Connor (Victoria Smurfit). Together they take you on an incredible often shocking journey from crime scene to courtroom and beyond. Rules Of The Game: Heathrow Airport a steaming hot summer's day a suitcase abandoned in the middle of the long stay car park. But it's not the usual sort of suspect package - inside is the naked body of dead girl. The involvement of an influential Ukrainian millionaire doesn't make the case any easier. Kill The King: When a friend of DCS Mike Walker paediatric surgeon Professor Jonathan Carlisle is found dead DCI Roisin Connor uncovers conflicts stirred by a recent operation that resulted in the death of a young girl. There's more than one suspect and the question is what tips the balance from anger to murder? Conviction: On an East London estate Terry Dyer returns from prison to uncover the truth behind a murder he claims he didn't commit. Buried secrets of terrible events are unearthed as DCI Roisin Connor heads up the team in this explosive tale of injustice revenge and how the best intentions can go tragically wrong. The Box: DCS Walker returns home to Glasgow as he investigates the case of a missing woman married to Kevin Reid a man with dark ties to his brother Ronnie. When the woman is discovered dead the police are convinced the brothers must be involved. Can the truth be uncovered before it is taken to the grave?

• Lewis - Series 6 | DVD | (11/06/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Detective Inspector Lewis (Kevin Whately) and Detective Sergeant Hathaway make an eagerly anticipated return in 4 more stories of intriguing murder mystery set in and around Oxford and its magnificent University campus.Episodes Comprise: Generation Of VipersThe Soul Of GeniusFearful SymmetryThe Age Of Foolishness

• Two Thousand Acres Of Sky - Complete - Series One To Three | DVD | (13/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Series 1: Abby Wallace (Collins) her two children and her best friend Kenny (Kaye) move to a secluded island where they try to fit in with an initially suspicious local population. What complicates matters further is that Kenny loves the children and Abby but oblivious she explores other amorous options on the island... Series 2: 2000 Acres Of Sky continues with eight more episodes from this very popular Drama Series. Can a beautiful friendship turn to romance? In

• Cake | DVD | (29/06/2015) from £4.98   |  Saving you £15.01 (301.41%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Claire Bennett (Jennifer Aniston) is in pain. Her physical pain is evident in the scars that line her body and the way she carries herself wincing with each tentative step. She’s no good at hiding her emotional pain either. Blunt to the point of searing insult Claire’s anger seethes out of her with nearly every interaction. She has driven away her husband her friends— even her chronic-pain support group has kicked her out. The only one left in Claire’s otherwise solitary existence is her housekeeper- cum-caretaker Silvana (Academy Award nominee Adriana Barraza) who barely tolerates her boss’ need for liquor and prescription pills. But the suicide of Nina (Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick) one of Claire’s fellow chronic-pain group members prompts another fixation. In pursuing questions about the death of a woman she barely knew Claire explores the boundaries between life and death abandonment and heartbreak danger and salvation. As she inserts herself into the lives of Nina’s husband (Sam Worthington) and the son Nina left behind Claire just might find salvation. From director Daniel Barnz CAKE stars Jennifer Aniston and Sam Worthington with Anna Kendrick.  Also starring are Adriana Barraza Felicity Huffman William H. Macy and Chris Messina.  The film is written by Patrick Tobin and produced by Ben Barnz Kristin Hahn Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon.  The executive producers are Jennifer Aniston Yu Wei-Chung 俞惟中 Patty Long and Shyam Madiraju with Stephanie Caleb Scott Karol Wayne Marc Godfrey and Liz Destro serving as co-producers.  Barnz’s creative behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography Rachel Morrison production designer Joseph T. Garrity editors Kristina Boden ACE and Michelle Harrison and costume designer Karyn Wagner.  The music is by Christophe Beck with Linda Cohen serving as music supervisor. Bonus Features:  The Many Layers of Cake: Learning To Live Again The Icing on the Cake: Meet The Cast Click Images to Enlarge

• Pearl Harbor DVD (2 Disc Set) | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £5.14   |  Saving you £14.85 (288.91%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale star in this epic tale of two great friends caught up in the infamous attack on the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor in 1941, an event which spurred the US involvement in World War II.

• Dinner Of Herbs | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £5.67   |  Saving you £4.32 (76.19%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on Catherine Cookson's best-selling novel of murder passion and betrayed friendships this sweeping drama spans forty years during the second half of the 19th century. Roddy Greenback arrives in a remote Northumberland community. His father meets a violent death leaving the boy alone with no family to speak of. The young Roddy is adopted and raised by Kate Makepeace a good friend of his father and develops a close friendship with Hal and Mary Ellen but their sibling bond is put to the test as they become adults. The hidden secrets of the past are painfully unearthed as their lives continue to be intertwined by a tragic destiny.

• Villain | Blu Ray | (30/03/2020) from £10.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  1971 British gangster drama VILLAIN is directed by Michael Tuchner, his feature film debut. Starring Richard Burton (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf) as a sadistic London gang leader inspired by Ronnie Kray, the film is based on James Barlow's 1968 book Burden of Proof. East end gang chief Vic Dakin is a violent psychopath who lives with his mother (Cathleen Nesbitt, An Affair to Remember) whilst making a living by running a prosperous protection racket. After a tip off for a potential payroll heist opportunity, Dakin starts planning the job, bringing in a gang from the criminal underworld alongside associate Wolfe Lissner (Ian McShane, John Wick). Detective Inspector Robert Matthews (Nigel Davenport, Chariots of Fire) has been tasked to arrest Dakin when he makes his first mistake and is watching his every move, determined to catch him in the act. When a gang member is hospitalised and Matthews is closing in, can Dakin silence him before he confesses all? Extras: New: Interview with Ian McShane New: Interview with cultural historian Matthew Sweet Original Trailer Behind the scenes stills gallery

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 3 Part 1 | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £4.73   |  Saving you £35.26 (745.45%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Now firmly established as the top-rated US drama, by its third year CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a show positively glowing with confidence. Even when individual cases seem either too contrived or too easily resolved, the indefatigable night shift at the Las Vegas PD crime lab always look the part, solving conundrums and discovering microscopic damning evidence while, apparently, never shedding their own loose hair or skin cells all over the supposedly quarantined crime scenes. In reality, Catherine Willows' flowing blonde locks would contaminate any evidence she collected, but in the world of CSI only the bad guys leave body parts behind--the CSIs themselves are so good they're positively pristine. The first 12 episodes of season 3 on this three-disc set present more deliciously bizarre situations for the problem-solving sleuths: cannibalism, snuff movies, dwarfs, death while drag racing, bodies falling from the sky, and various dismemberments all tax the team's acumen. These are all double or multiple-case episodes, though in a characteristic trick of the writing sometimes apparently unrelated murders turn out to be connected (or vice versa, as in "Blood Lust", where a road accident victim is not what he seems, and the death of the driver at the hands of an angry mob is made all the more tragic.) The mix of genuine forensic science with the glossiest Jerry Bruckheimer production values, plus the virtues of a good ensemble cast headed by William Peterson's modern-day Sherlock Holmes, remains as compelling as ever. --Mark Walker

• The Heiress | DVD | (20/02/2006) from £7.90   |  Saving you £2.09 (26.46%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Olivia de Havilland won her second Academy Award for The Heiress giving one of her finest screen performances in this version of the Ruth and Augustus Goetz play based on Henry James's 'Washington Square'. In 1840's New York Catherine lives with her father Dr. Sloper a physician. Her mother died some years before and Dr. Sloper still idolizes her. He never misses an opportunity to compare his daughter to her - a comparison the daughter cannot win. When Morris Towns

• All That Heaven Allows (Criterion Collection) - UK Only | Blu Ray | (13/03/2023) from £26.08   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  This heartbreakingly beautiful indictment of 1950s American mores by Douglas Sirk (Written on the Wind) follows the blossoming love between a well-off suburban widow (Magnificent Obsession's Jane Wyman) and her handsome and earthy younger gardener (Rock Hudson). After their romance prompts the scorn of her selfish children and snooty country club friends, she must decide whether to pursue her own happiness or carry on a lonely, hemmed-in existence for the sake of the approval of others. With the help of ace cinematographer Russell Metty (Spartacus), Sirk imbued nearly every shot with a vivid and distinct emotional tenor. a profoundly felt film about class and conformity in small-town America, All That Heaven Allows is a pinnacle of expressionistic Hollywood melodrama.Special Edition ContentNew 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrackAudio commentary featuring John Mercer, co-author of Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility, and film scholar Tamar Jeffers-McdonaldRock Hudson's Home Movies (1992), a ground-breaking essay film about the actor by Mark RappaportFrench television interview with Sirk from 1982 excerpts from Behind the Mirror: A Profile of Douglas Sirk, a 1979 BBC documentary featuring rare interview footage with the directorContract Kid: William Reynolds on Douglas Sirk, a 2007 interview with the actor, who co-starred in three Sirk films, including All That Heaven Allows TrailerPlus: a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Laura Mulvey and an excerpt from a 1971 essay by filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder on Sirk

• Robert Redford | DVD | (13/03/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The mystical tale of a World War One veteran (Matt Damon) and championship golfer who returns to his sport with the aid of his caddy (Will Smith) who teaches him how to master any challenge in life.