Drama

• Empire Of Light Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (15/03/2023) from £11.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From director and writer Sam Mendes (1917 and Skyfall), and set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times.

• Breezy | Blu Ray | (12/09/2016) from £7.81   |  Saving you £12.18 (155.95%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Breezy (Kay Lenz), a young, footloose hitch-hiker escaping from a lecherous driver, takes refuge in the car of Frank Harman (William Holden). He's a divorced, middle-aged real estate agent and these two very different people don't see eye to eye when they come across an injured dog. But somehow he and Breezy come to forge an unusual relationship, against all conventional expectations.

• The Dark Tower | Blu Ray | (15/07/2019) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Based on the best-selling book series by highly-acclaimed author Stephen King. The last Gunslinger, Roland (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the epic battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black. Blu-ray Disc Special Features: Deleted Scenes Blooper Reel Last Time Around Filmmakers and the Author Pay Tribute to the Novels The World Has Moved On... The Sets and Locations Stephen King: Inspirations Discover the Journey From Book Series To Screen A Look Through The Keyhole Vignettes Narrated By Roland & The Man In Black The Man In Black The Gunslinger In Action

• Russian Ark | DVD | (29/09/2003) from £6.81   |  Saving you £13.18 (193.54%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Russian master Alexander Sokurov has tapped into the very flow of history itself for the flabbergasting Russian Ark. Thanks to the miracles of digital video, Sokurov (and cinematographer Tilman Buttner) uses a single, unbroken, 90-minute shot to wind his way through the Hermitage in St Petersburg--the repository of Russian art and the former home to royalty. Gliding through time, we glimpse Catherine II, modern-day museumgoers, and the doomed family of Nicholas II. History collapses on itself, as the opulence of the past and the horrors of the 20th century collide, and each door that opens onto yet another breathtaking gallery is another century to be heard from. The movie climaxes with a grand ball and thousands of extras, prompting thoughts of just how crazy Sokurov had to be to try a technical challenge like this--and how far a distance we've travelled, both physically and spiritually, since the movie began. --Robert Horton

• The Ides of March | DVD | (05/03/2012) from £4.90   |  Saving you £15.09 (307.96%)   |  RRP £19.99

  THE IDES OF MARCH is the much anticipated political thriller written and directed by George Clooney and starring George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, released in the UK on October 28.

• On Chesil Beach | Blu Ray | (17/09/2018) from £4.94   |  Saving you £10.05 (203.44%)   |  RRP £14.99

  It is summer 1962, and England is still a year away from huge social changes: Beatlemania, the sexual revolution and the Swinging Sixties. Florence (Ronan) and Edward (Howle) are just married and honeymooning on the dramatic coastline of Chesil Beach in Dorset. However, the hotel is old fashioned and stifling, and underlying tensions between the young couple surface and cast unexpected shadows over their long anticipated wedding night. From the precise depiction of two young lovers, to the touching story of how their unexpressed misunderstandings and fears shape the rest of their lives, ON CHESIL BEACH is a tender story which shows how the entire course of a life can be changed, by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.

• Mary Magdalene | Blu Ray | (23/07/2018) from £21.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Mary Magdalene is an authentic and humanistic portrait of one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood spiritual figures in history. The biblical biopic tells the story of Mary (Rooney Mara), a young woman in search of a new way of living. Constricted by the hierarchies of the day, Mary defies her traditional family to join a new social movement led by the charismatic Jesus of Nazareth (Joaquin Phoenix). She soon finds a place for herself within the movement and at the heart of a journey that will lead to Jerusalem. Written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett, Mary Magdalene also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tahar Rahim.

• The Five Pennies | DVD | (24/09/2007) from £7.05   |  Saving you £2.94 (41.70%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The musical biopic of jazz great Red Nichols features a healthy dose of melodrama along with the melodies. As the famed Dixieland cornetist he runs into opposition to his sound but breaks through to success. He marries a warm patient woman (Bel Geddes) and even finds time to raise a family. Then tragedy strikes when their daughter contracts polio. The jazzman puts down his horn to stand by her. Among the musical cameos is a hot turn by Armstrong in a duet with Kaye.

• Blitz Street | DVD | (31/05/2010) from £8.05   |  Saving you £7.94 (98.63%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In the 1940s Germany unleashed a ferocious bombing campaign on Britain designed to crush British morale. To mark the 70th anniversary of this key event in our island's history Tony Robinson presents a four-part science and history series which gives a flavour of what it must have been like to live under constant bombardment and examines why the Blitz failed. With the help of the Ministry of Defence a row of terraced houses Blitz Street has been built on a remote military base and subjected to a range of large-scale bombs and explosives similar to those used by the German air force the Luftwaffe. This series reveals the impact of real explosives on bricks and mortar and allows government scientists to study the power and mechanics of Second World War bombs for the first time with precise measurements of the blast waves and dangerous after-effects of flying shrapnel. High-speed cameras operating at 1 000 frames per second reveal the detail of each blast to explain how it could be that people had their clothes ripped from them or could end up lifted onto the roofs of their homes. Calling on eye-witness accounts from the Blitz the programme details the immense psychological damage caused to individuals caught up in the bombing raids and explores how in response to the Luftwaffe's assault Churchill rapidly reorganised and improved defences.

• Larks on a String (Skrivánci na niti) | DVD | (14/03/2011) from £11.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (8.34%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Shot in 1969 but banned by the Czech government until the fall of the Communist regime in 1990 Menzel's wry comic drama is a hymn to humanity and nonconformity. The film's principal characters are residents of a state-run junkyard / labour camp for those whose actions have been deemed 'counter-revolutionary'. On one side of the yard live the men most sent here for 're-education'. On the other side are a group of women interned for the crime of attempted defection. Separately the two groups lazily toil sorting out piles of scrap metal (one huge pile is nothing less than a veritable mountain of crucifixes and religious icons); together they flirt philosophize and occasionally sneak off behind the hillocks of slag to make love. Larks On A String is at once a stinging indictment of the repressive politics of Czechoslovakia's past and an endearing comedy and affecting love story.

• Pretty Red Dress | Blu Ray | (07/08/2023) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Travis has just been released from prison and it quickly becomes apparent that everything has changed while he's been gone. While girlfriend Candice is on the up and auditioning to star in a musical, teenage daughter Kenisha is struggling in school and her relationship with her mum is tense. When Travis buys Candice her dream dress for an audition, rather than smoothing over the family's problems, it ends up creating even more As secrets and desires left unsaid threaten to spill out, Travis is forced to re-examine who he is and how he wants to be perceived in the world. A debut feature from writer and director Dionne Edwards, Pretty Red Dress has breakthrough performances from Natey Jones (National Theatre Live: Small Island), newcomer Temilola Olatunbosun, and the chart-topping singer and West End actor Alexandra Burke in her first film role. Product Features Assorted cast and crew interviews (2022) Audio commentary with writer and director Dionne Edwards and producer Georgia Goggin Trailer **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film

• The Camomile Lawn | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £27.94   |  Saving you £-17.95 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Adapted from the novel by Mary Wesley, The Camomile Lawn proved one of Channel Four's most successful dramas, telling an intricate story set during World War II and over two days in 1984. In this portrait of the Home Front in Cornwall and London in the Blitz, the titular lawn becomes a symbol for halcyon pre-war days, and also for a lost innocence on a personal level. For this is very much about growing up and sex, including rape and child abuse (both handled tactfully, mainly in dialogue), adulatory, ménage á trois, bisexuality and rampant promiscuity. The attitudes, from the war-damaged, nihilistic Oliver, (a powerfully charismatic Toby Stephens) to the mercenary Calypso (an incendiary Jennifer Ehle), and some individual scenes, shock in their very matter-of-factness. What could be salacious soap is leavened by a comic touch, intensified by tragedy and elevated to intensely moving drama during its final half hour set around a funeral in 1984. Generally excellent production values make the best of the television budget, and there are outstanding performances by a large cast including Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington (reunited from The Good Life), Tara Fitzgerald in her first starring role, and especially Rebecca Hall as Sophy. On the DVD: The four episodes are presented on two discs, with a total running time of approximately four hours 22 minutes. There are no special features of any sort. The picture is standard television 4:3, and while marginally better than VHS has a slight softness, with occasional after-images to shots with moving lights betraying that the series was made on video rather than film. Some scenes are rather grainy and there is the occasion brief instance of MPEG artifacting. The sound is stereo and appears to have been remixed from mono, some elements such as the music remaining in mono, while some sound effects are stereo. --Gary S Dalkin

• Much Ado About Nothing | DVD | (07/10/2013) from £6.46   |  Saving you £11.53 (178.48%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Leonato (Clark Gregg) the governor of Messina is visited by his friend Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) who is returning from a victorious campaign against his rebellious brother Don John (Sean Maher). Accompanying Don Pedro are two of his officers: Benedick (Alexis Denisof) and Claudio (Fran Kranz). While in Messina Claudio falls for Leonato's daughter Hero (Jillian Morgese) while Benedick verbally spars with Beatrice (Amy Acker) the governor's niece. The budding love between Claudio and Hero prompts Don Pedro to arrange with Leonato for marriage. In the days leading up to the ceremony Don Pedro with the help of Leonato Claudia and Hero attempts to sport with Benedick and Beatrice in an effort to trick the two falling in love. Meanwhile the villainous Don John with the help of his comrade (Riki Lindhome) and Borachio (Spencer Treat Clark) plots against the happy couple using his own form of trickery to try to destroy the marriage before it begins. A series of comic and tragic events may continue to keep the two couples from truly finding happiness but then again perhaps love may prevail.

• Yield to the Night | Blu Ray | (12/10/2020) from £10.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The powerful story of salesgirl Mary Hilton (Diana Dors) who, after being convicted of murder and sentenced to hang, spends her final weeks in a condemned cell remembering the events that led to her crime. She met and fell hopelessly in love with impoverished musician Jim Lancaster (Michael Craig), and left her neglectful husband for him, only to find his attraction to her deflected by his involvement with rich socialite Lucy Carpenter (Mercia Shaw). When Jim's relationship with Lucy takes a tragic turn, Mary is heartbroken and snaps - transforming her love for him into a murderous hatred for her rival. Alone, imprisoned and desperately afraid; as each day the end grows closer and she attempts to settle matters with her family as she awaits her final sentencing, or a possible reprieve. Extras: New: Interview with Michael Craig New: Interview with Melanie Williams, film historian and author Film Fanfare - no 19 - Diana Dors interview(1956) Film Fanfare - no 12 - Yield to the Night Premiere (1957) Behind the Scenes stills gallery

• This Happy Breed | Blu Ray | (18/06/2012) from £16.98   |  Saving you £5.00 (33.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Noel Coward's celebration of the strength and humour of the British working class in times of crisis struck a resounding impact with viewing audiences when first released, and still does to this day. Chronicling the trials and tribulations of the Gibbons family from the end of World War One, Coward's anthem to British resilience became the most successful film of 1944.This Happy Breed was David Lean's first credit as a solo director and was the first in a succession of worldwide hits for him and his distinctive visual style. Both Robert Newton and Celia Johnson preside over the ups and downs of their family with great humour and patience, ably supported by John Mills and Stanley Holloway. This is a High Definition digital restoration from the original film elements.

• JFK | DVD | (01/06/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Not a John F Kennedy biopic, but a film of New Orleans' attorney Jim Garrison's investigation into the President's assassination, JFK is that rarest of things, a modern Hollywood drama which credits the audience with serious intelligence and ultimately proves itself a great film. Oliver Stone's film has the archetypal story, visual scale and substance to match; not just a gripping real-life conspiracy thriller, but a fable for the fall of the American dream (a theme further explored by the director in Nixon and Any Given Sunday). JFK doesn't reveal exactly what happened in Dallas on 22 November 1963--those who knew generally took their secrets to the grave--but marshals a vast wealth of facts and plausible theories, trusting the audience to draw its own conclusions. Following less than a year after Dances With Wolves (1990), these two epics mark the high point of Kevin Costner's career and the vast supporting cast here, including Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, is superb. Quite simply the best American political film ever made. --Gary S Dalkin

• Cold Blood - Complete Series | DVD | (14/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Wicklow was jailed after a killing spree so macabre that he has become one of Britain's most notorious murderers vilified by the popular press and despised by fellow inmates. His notoriety is compounded by the fact that detectives investigating his crimes have never found the body of his last victim. However no one is safe with Wicklow behind bars

• Jackie Brown - 2 Disc Collector's Edition | DVD | (16/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The curiosity of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown is Robert Forster's worldly wise bail bondsman Max Cherry, the most alive character in this adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. The film is more "rum" than "punch", though, with a slow, decaffeinated story of six characters glued to a half million dollars brought illegally into the country. The money belongs to Ordell (Samuel L Jackson), a gunrunner just bright enough to control his universe and do his own dirty work. His just-paroled friend Louis (Robert De Niro) is just taking up space and could be interested in the money. However, his loyalties are in question between his old partner and Ordell's doped-up girl (Bridget Fonda). Certainly Federal Agent Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) wants to arrest Ordell with the illegal money. The key is the title character, a late-40-ish flight-attendant (Pam Grier) who can pull her own weight and soon has both sides believing she's working for them. Tarantino changed the race of Jackie and Ordell, a move that means little except that it allows him to heap on black culture and language, something he has a gift and passion for, though the film is not a salute to Grier's blaxploitation films beyond the soundtrack. Unexpectedly the most fascinating scenes are between Grier and Forster: glowing in the limelight of their first major Hollywood film after decades of work. --Doug Thomas

• Family Business | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £5.44   |  Saving you £7.55 (138.79%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Connery Hoffman and Broderick star as three generations of a family formerly linked to organized crime. Grandfather Jesse has been in and out of jail and his son Vito has decided to leave a life of crime in order to become a respectable family man but when grandson Adam comes up with a can't-miss heist plan the intergenerational sparks begin to fly.

• Separate Tables (DVD + Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (20/08/2018) from £17.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Delbert Mann's 1958 classic MGM drama Separate Tables, based on a Terence Rattigan play and co-scripted by Rattigan himself, is a star-studded character study of a group of residents at a small British seaside town. Lovely but vulnerable Anne Shankland (Rita Hayworth) travels to the hotel in hopes of starting over with her ex-husband, John (Burt Lancaster), but she does not know that he is already engaged to Pat Cooper (Wendy Hiller), the manager of the hotel. Meanwhile, Mrs Railton-bell (Gladys Cooper) discovers the hidden truth about war veteran Major Pollack (David Niven). Considered daring in its day due to its frank discussions of sexual topics, Separate Tables was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and won for Best Actor (David Niven) and Best Supporting Actress (Wendy Hiller). Special features: Other extras TBC Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits