"Actor: Al St John"

• The Old Grey Whistle Test 2 | DVD | (13/10/2003) from £7.07   |  Saving you £12.92 (182.74%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In some ways The Old Grey Whistle Test Volume 2 is more interesting than its predecessor, as it covers the show's enjoyably uncomfortable period of transition from beard-rock to punk/new wave. Hence, the music ranges across the likes of Loggins and Messina (the frightful "The House at Pooh Corner"), the Who, Judee Sill, Argent (doing "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You", which all Bill and Ted fans probably think is a Kiss original), Roy Harper, the Adverts, the Undertones (not playing "Teenage Kicks", sadly), Patti Smith and Siouxie and the Banshees. There's also some arty stuff that doesn't really fit into either camp, including Kevin Ayers and Roxy Music at their uncommercially weirdest. There are a few nicely revelatory moments, too, such as the realisation that Thomas Dolby's "Hyperactive" was in fact a nu-jazz masterpiece born 20 years too soon and that Robbie Williams should cover Aztec Camera's wonderful "Walk Out to Winter" immediately. This is an enjoyable and diverse collection of music from a fairly fraught period in the history of more-or-less popular music, so it's good to be reminded just how much good stuff was actually happening amidst the melée. On the DVD: The Old Grey Whistle Test 2 comes on only one disc (the first was a two-disc set), but you still get 30 or so excellent tracks plus all the trimmings, so that's hardly a fault. The layout features the same kind of horribly overdesigned menus as its predecessor: there's no obvious chapter sub-menu, believe it or not; instead, you have to access individual tracks through the artists' gallery in the extras section! Aargh! Other extras include contributor profiles, additional linking material and the wonderful Old Grey Squirrel Test animation, which mere words would only spoil for those who have yet to see it. --Roger Thomas

• The Joe Louis Story | DVD | (26/01/2004) from £12.98   |  Saving you £0.01 (0.10%)   |  RRP £12.99

  There has never been a more complete fighter than Joe Louis having all the attributes in one compact explosive package that made him the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He was world heavyweight champion from June 1937 to March 1949; his reign of 11 years & 8 months remains the longest in division history successfully defending his title 25 times before retiring in 1949 only to return because of his dire financial situation to lose title shot against Ezzard Charles in 1950 a

• Double Indemnity (1944) (Criterion Collection) UK Only | Blu Ray | (30/05/2022) from £32.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Has dialogue ever been more perfectly hard-boiled? Has a femme fatale ever been as deliciously evil as BARBARA STANWYCK (The Lady Eve)? And has 1940s Los Angeles ever looked so seductively sordid? Working with cowriter RAYMOND CHANDLER, director BILLY WILDER (Ace in the Hole) launched himself onto the Hollywood A-list with this paragon of film-noir fatalism from JAMES M. CAIN's pulp novel. When slick salesman Walter Neff (The Caine Mutiny's FRED MACMURRAY) walks into the swank home of dissatisfied housewife Phyllis Dietrichson (Stanwyck), he intends to sell her insurance, but he winds up becoming entangled with her in a far more sinister way. Featuring scene-stealing supporting work from EDWARD G. ROBINSON and the chiaroscuro of cinematographer JOHN F. SEITZ (Sunset Blvd.), Double Indemnity is one of the most wickedly perverse stories ever told and the cynical standard by which all noir must be measured. Product Features New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Audio commentary featuring film critic Richard Schickel New interview with film scholar Noah Isenberg, editor of Billy Wilder on Assignment New conversation between film historians Eddie Muller and Imogen Sara Smith Billy, How Did You Do It?, a 1992 film by Volker Schlöndorff and Gisela Grischow featuring interviews with director Billy Wilder Shadows of Suspense, a 2006 documentary on the making of Double Indemnity Audio excerpts from 1971 and 1972 interviews with cinematographer John F. Seitz Radio adaptations from 1945 and 1950 Trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

• 8 Seconds | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  A gruelling competition of nerve strength and skill to stay on top of 2 000 pounds of wild animal for eight seconds: that's professional bull-riding. Champion Cowboy Lane Frost is driven by an obsession to exceed his father's expectations and gain his love. But the sacrifices he makes to his craft threatens not only his marriage but also his friendships. Set against an unpredictably precarious world this is a bittersweet love story about a maverick hero who elevated his sport in

• Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 2 | DVD | (01/11/2004) from £35.90   |  Saving you £34.09 (94.96%)   |  RRP £69.99

  Episodes comprise: 1. Amok Time 2. Who Mourns For Adonais? 3. The Changeling 4. Mirror Mirror 5. The Apple 6. The Doomsday Machine 7. Catspaw 8. I Mudd 9. Metamorphosis 10. Journey To Babel 11. Friday's Child 12. The Deadly Years 13. Obsession 14. Wolf In The Fold 15. The Trouble With Tribbles 16. The Gamesters Of Triskelion 17. A Piece Of The Action 18. The Immunity Syndrome 19. A Private Little War 20. Return To Tomorrow 21. Patterns Of Force 22. By Any Other Name 23. The O

• Mary, Mother Of Jesus | DVD | (22/09/2003) from £19.59   |  Saving you £-17.60 (N/A%)   |  RRP £1.99

  The world's greatest story seen from the eyes of the Virgin Mary as she watches her infant son Jesus grow to manhood inspiring the known world with his miracles and teachings on the Word of God. The Angel Gabriel visits the 16 year-old Mary and tells her that she has been chosen to give birth to the Son of God. The child is born in Bethlehem and so begins a very human and touching story of love sacrifice and inspirational faith highlighting a real mother's concern for a son who knows that he must die on the cross so he can be born again.

• Inspector Morse - Disc 3 And 4 - Service Of All The Dead / Wolvercote Tongue | DVD | (20/05/2002) from £9.98   |  Saving you £5.01 (33.40%)   |  RRP £14.99

  When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford

• Mistress Of Seduction 2 | DVD | (25/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  By day the beautiful and sexy Samantha has a job as a Pr executive. Yet by night she indulges herself in erotic novels that spark lustful feelings beyond her wildest imagination...

• Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare | DVD | (17/07/2000) from £10.87   |  Saving you £-4.88 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Everyone has nightmares. But only Alice Cooper would defy rock 'n' roll convention and present these images in his legendary show ""Welcome To My Nightmare."" The first full-blown rock theatre extravaganza ever this is the concert that amazed audiences and critics everywhere. Alice stars in this visual feast which was to set the standard for all other rock tours to follow with its elaborate and innovative staging. Featuring hits and classic songs (including ""I'm Eighteen "" ""School'

• A Christmas Carol - The Northern Ballet Theatre | DVD | (31/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Charles Dickens' immortal tale here revels in a delightful adaptation for dance drama in three acts by Christopher Gable distinguished choreographer actor and former Royal Ballet star who died in 1998. The work is laced with Carl Davis' sparkling Christmas music which also requires the dancers to sing at various points. The featured company is the renowned Northern Ballet Theatre who here dance with infectious ebullience and vivacity.

• The Anniversary Party | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £6.20   |  Saving you £13.79 (222.42%)   |  RRP £19.99

  When novelist Joe (Alan Cumming) and his actress wife Sally (Jennifer Jason Leigh) throw themselves a party to celebrate the sixth anniversary of their turbulent marriage both the hosts and the guests start telling each other the one thing they never hear in Hollywood - the truth! This scathingly funny drama takes an unflinching look at new friends old lovers annoying neighbours marriage and the movie business...

• Earth vs The Spider | DVD | (01/04/2002) from £9.21   |  Saving you £10.78 (117.05%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Earth vs. The Spider can't really make up its mind whether it's an homage to the B-movie horror genre (the title, but nothing else, has been lifted from the 1958 drive-in "classic"), a too-ironic-for-its-own-good spoof, or an uncomplicated but genuine monster flick. It passes as any of the above, so take your pick. The plot is hardly demanding: nerd's pal is murdered, nerd vows revenge, nerd injects himself with bug juice which turns him into a spider-like monstrosity, offs some bad guys then gets shot dead. Despite its lack of content, the movie's merciful brevity (one hour 26 minutes, roughly what all movies used to be) means that the pace is fast and that there's no room for padding (or real sub-plots, for that matter). The special effects are good and used surprisingly sparingly, which is a nice touch, and the brief coda is sarcastically witty. There's also what seems at first to be a nod in the direction of Toho's multi-monster epics, but those two giant furry caterpillars are in fact Theresa Russell's eyebrows. On the DVD: Earth vs. The Spider on disc is presented in 1.77:1 ratio. Extras include filmographies and a very brief "making of". The preliminary sketches of the creature in the photo gallery are well worth seeing. --Roger Thomas

• The Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog - Best Hedgehog And Three Other Stories | DVD | (11/06/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Featuring four episodes from the series Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog. Episodes Comprise: 1. Best Hedgehog 2. The Robotnik Express 3. Too Tall Tails 4. Tails' New Home

• The Mighty Celt | DVD | (30/01/2006) from £12.35   |  Saving you £3.64 (29.47%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A gutsy 14-year-old boy and his greyhound are the focus of his Belfast-set flick.

• Jezebel's Kiss | DVD | (15/12/2003) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-16.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

• Film Noir Thrillers | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

• Shooters | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  With a cast of non-actors drawn from the very world which the film portrays Shooters is not just another British genre gangster film - it's a film about real British gangsters. Semi-improvised on the streets of Liverpool Dan Reed's drama brings the true face of Britain's underworld to light. If Ken Loach made a gangster film it might look something like this.

• Rollerball / Fortress / Future Sport | DVD | (06/09/2004) from £17.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  RollerBall (2001): Rollerball takes place in the not too distant future and the future is fierce. A notorious renegade sport Rollerball packs arenas all over the world. A global viewership bets and roots for star players Jonathan Cross (Chris Klein) Marcus Ridley (LL Cool J) and their beautiful teammate Aurora (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos) who skate and motorcycle past opponents to score. Despite the danger of the fame the real threat lies in team owner Petrovich (Jean Reno) who sacrifices anything and anyone to maximize ratings which are worth more to him than the final score. In an heroic move Jonathan and his teammates attempt to expose the corruption and treachery. It's a risky play and the penalty is lethal... Fortress: Christopher Lambert stars as John Brennick a man about to experience the ultimate in criminal punishment - the Fortress. The setting is the United States in the future. With resources scarce and population soaring couples are allowed just one child. Former Black Beret Captain John Brennick and his wife Karen have broken the law. After the loss of their first child Karen is pregnant again. Caught and tried for their crime they are sent to the Fortress the most sophisticated maximum-security prison on the planet a jail built 30 storeys underground and equipped with technology beyond imagination. Each prisoner is implanted with an 'intestinator'; a device designed to inflict severe pain or death for any violation of the prison rules. Unrelenting and unforgiving the Fortress is a hellhole prison of the future. Escape-proof. Built to hold anything...except an innocent man. Future Sport: Wesley Snipes and Dean Cain star in the turbo charged sci-fi thrill ride where the only game is war... The year is 2025 and global tension is rapidly growing between the Hawaiian Liberation Organisation and the North American Alliance. On the brink of war superstar athlete Tre Ramsey (Cain) must fight with all his powers to save himself his team and the fate of his country. The question of the territory is set to be solved by holding a game of futuresport - a violent basketball and skateboarding which requires the utmost skill and agility - hold on to the ball for more than five seconds and electricity shoots through your body. Obike Fixx (Snipes) the creator of the game is coaching the HLO team - who seem willing to play by Street Rules thus increasing the danger level in the high-stakes game.

• The Stranger | DVD | (07/03/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  The Stranger, according to Orson Welles, "is the worst of my films. There is nothing of me in that picture. I did it to prove that I could put out a movie as well as anyone else." True, set beside Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, or even The Trial, The Stranger is as close to production-line stuff as the great Orson ever came. But even on autopilot Welles still leaves most filmmakers standing. The shadow of the Second World War hangs heavy over the plot. A war crimes investigator, played by Edward G Robinson, tracks down a senior Nazi, Franz Kindler, to a sleepy New England town where he's living in concealment as a respected college professor. The script, credited to Anthony Veiller but with uncredited input from Welles and John Huston, is riddled with implausibilities: we're asked to believe, for a start, that there'd be no extant photos of a top Nazi leader. The casting's badly skewed, too. Welles wanted Agnes Moorehead as the investigator and Robinson as Kindler, but his producer, Sam Spiegel, wouldn't wear it. So Welles himself plays the supposedly cautious and self-effacing fugitive--and if there was one thing Welles could never play, it was unobtrusive. What's more, Spiegel chopped out most of the two opening reels set in South America, in Welles' view, "the best stuff in the picture". Still, the film's far from a write-off. Welles' eye for stunning visuals rarely deserted him and, aided by Russell Metty's skewed, shadowy photography, The Stranger builds to a doomy grand guignol climax in a clock tower that Hitchcock must surely have recalled when he made Vertigo. And Robinson, dogged in pursuit, is as quietly excellent as ever. On the DVD: not much in the way of extras, except a waffly full-length commentary from Russell Cawthorne that tells us about the history of clock-making and where Edward G was buried, but precious little about the making of the film. Print and sound are acceptable, but though remastering is claimed, there's little evidence of it. --Philip Kemp

• The Blob | DVD | (12/07/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Indescribable indestructable nothing can stop it!! A mass from outer space lands on earth it grows in proportion to the number of humans it devours.....