"Actor: Allen"

• J. Strauss II: Die Fledermaus -- Glyndebourne | DVD | (20/02/2004) from £24.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (20.01%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Johann Strauss II's wonderfully convoluted and ingenious Viennese farce Die Fledermaus is a masterpiece of operetta. The tale spins waltz-like around the philandering Von Eisenstein (Thomas Allen), his wife Rosalinde (Pamela Armstrong), who is tempted by singing teacher Alfred (Par Lindskog), and Adele (Lyubov Petrova), Rosalinde's maid. Following Shakespeare's romantic comedy template there is much mistaken identity, confusion of purpose and cross-dressing, with the events unfolding around an increasingly drunken masked ball and the morning after in the local jail. The champagne-fuelled entertainment carries various satiric undertones, but this adaptation by director Stephen Lawless and Daniel Dooner emphasises colour, wit and flamboyance, always ensuring the jokes work well for a modern audience. The production requires acting as strong as the excellent singing, and Thomas Allen delivers a subtly layered interpretation of Eisenstein, while Pamela Armstrong's Rosalinde offers a winning study in smouldering sensuality, well contrasted with Lyubov Petrova's more directly sexual Adele. The revolving set mirrors the swirling Strauss dances and the elegant design is a perfect match for the boldly extrovert costumes. If this Glyndebourne 2003 production doesn't match Dame Joan Sutherland's retirement performance at the Royal Opera House in 1977 for historic value, it is easily as much fun and the production values are second to none. On the DVD: Die Fledermaus is presented on a two-disc edition with Acts 1 and 2 on the first disc and Act 3 and 37 minutes of extras on the second DVD. The 16:9 anamorphically enhanced image is as strong and detailed as BBC live digital video recording can be and the sound is offered in excellent stereo, as well as superb 5.1 DTS, which places the listener in the acoustic equivalent of the best seat in the house. The extras begin with 20 minutes of short but worthwhile interviews with Pamela Armstrong, Thomas Allen, Hakan Hagegard, conductor Vladimir Jurowski and director Stephen Lawless. There is a five-minute feature on the history of the waltz and a four-minute humorous interlude in which Udo Samel explores the pleasures of champagne in his character as the gaoler Frosch. More substantial if less entertaining is Return of the Architect (8 min), a look at the design and construction of the modern Glyndebourne opera house. The set is completed with routine photo and costume galleries and a nicely produced booklet illustrated with good quality colour photographs. Optional subtitles are available in Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Philadelphia Experiment | DVD | (26/03/2007) from £23.39   |  Saving you £-17.40 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Based on an ""actual event"" that took place in 1943 about a US Navy Destroyer Escort that disappeared from Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and sent two men 40 years into the future in 1984.

• The Other Side Of Underneath | DVD | (13/07/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Arden's violent and powerful adaptation of her work with The Holocaust women's theatre troupe looks into the mind of a woman labelled schizophrenic - and finds not madness but tortured sexual guilt created by the taboos of society

• In Fear | Blu Ray | (10/03/2014) from £22.98   |  Saving you £2.00 (9.53%)   |  RRP £22.99

  The film stars Iain De Caestecker (Filth) and Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures) as a young couple fighting to make it through the night when they find themselves trapped in a maze of country roads.

• The Last Showing | DVD | (25/08/2014) from £4.63   |  Saving you £8.36 (180.56%)   |  RRP £12.99

  When projectionist Stuart Lloyd (Englund) is made redundant by the multiplex cinema he has given his life to he looks to exact vengeance on a generation that no longer requires his skills. Trapping an innocent young couple inside the cinema after a midnight screening of a horror movie he decides to create his own film using the CCTV cameras. As the pair struggle to escape his deadly plot Stuart’s movie has one final killer twist: he wants to become the hero.

• The Gay Falcon | DVD | (12/03/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Gay Lawrence, known as The Falcon, is a renowned sleuth and womanizer. He has just promised his fiance, Elinor, that he will give up these pursuits when a pretty woman, Helen, arrives and asks for his help. Happily forgetting his vow, The Falcon agrees to take on the case.With his associate, Goldy, and Elinor, The Falcon attends a gala party thrown by a prominent socialite, Maxine Wood.During the party, a valuable diamond belonging to Mrs.Gardiner is stolen, and Mrs.Gardiner is murdered. Gay deduces that the theft is really a clever scheme on the part of a group of impoverished society women to defraud their insurance companies Maxine asks The Falcon to break up the ring.This proves easier said than done. There are more murders and The Falcon himself is nearly killed. At last, accompanied police Captain Waldeck, The Falcon pays a call to Maxine. At that moment, Manuel Retana, a guest from the party, breaks in and threatens to kill Maxine. As he lunges for her, The Falcon Steps in and tries to intercede... but Manuel falls dead, killed by the jab of a hypodermic needle. The police think Manuel killed himself, but The Falcon knows better. He reveals that Maxine is the head of the gang of jewel thieves The case solved, The Falcon returns to his fiance... until the next time.

• Jack Frost II | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Sequel to the horror 'Jack Frost'. The evil snowman is resurrected but now he's resistant to fire bullets and even chemical anti-freeze! With revenge on his mind Jack sets out on a chilling killing spree that threatens to ice everyone around him...

• Shadows And Fog | Blu Ray | (03/04/2017) from £12.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of Woody Allen's strangest films, this studio-bound fantasy turned his Kafkaesque one-act play Death (1975) into a full-blown homage to German Expressionist filmmakers like Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau and G.W. Pabst, brought to life by one of the starriest casts he ever assembled: Kathy Bates, John Cusack, Mia Farrow, Jodie Foster, Julie Kavner, Madonna, John Malkovich, Donald Pleasence and Lily Tomlin, plus Allen himself. He plays the cowardly Kleinman, reluctantly recruited by a vigilante mob in search of a serial killer. When he finds himself involved with a troupe of circus performers whose sword-swallower Irmy (Farrow) and clown Paul (Malkovich) want to leave to start a family, Kleinman thinks that this is a welcome distraction but the killer has other ideas... Described by the New York Times as a brazen, irrepressible original, Shadows and Fog is the most visually and narratively unpredictable of Allen's films. Carlo di Palma's dazzling cinematography makes full use of the title elements, but it's the richness of the multi-layered narrative, with its Shakespearean oscillation between burlesque comedy and poignant tragedy that really sticks in the mind.

• Kiss Toledo Goodbye | DVD | (29/07/2003) from £2.84   |  Saving you £-0.85 (N/A%)   |  RRP £1.99

  A combination of award-winning talent and some of Hollywood's hottest rising stars combine in this hilarious comedy thriller in the vein of 'Naked Gun' and 'Airplane'. Rising star Micheal Rappaport reveals his comedic talents as Kevin Gower who stands on the threshold of marriage to his childhood sweetheart Deeann Emory (Christine Taylor) when his life is thrown into turmoil when one quiet afternoon he is assisted into waiting limousine by a local wiseguy Max (Christopher Walken) for a meeting with local godfather Sal Fortuna (Robert Forster). Running or in Kevin's case tripping sliding collapsing and colliding for his life he faces cross and double-cross in his side-splitting escapades and we laugh and cry as we wait to see if Kevin will ultimately survive or discover if he will have to finally Kiss Toledo Goodbye.

• Pixar - Ultimate Collection (Disney Pixar) | DVD | (30/06/2008) from £99.99   |  Saving you £-42.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £57.99

  This box set features the following films: Toy Story As 6-year-old Andy's favourite toy Woody (Tom Hanks) a take-charge pull-string cowboy is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings crash-lands into Woody's world. Toy Story 2 While Andy is away at summer camp Woody is toynapped by Al a greedy toy collector. His best friends including Buzz Mr Potato Head Slinky Dog and Rex set out on a heroic rescue mission to save him. Along the way they meet a whole host of new friends including Jessie the cow girl and Bullseye the horse. Together the Toy Story 2 gang set out to make sure Woody is home safely before Andy returns..... A Bugs Life: On behalf of ""oppressed bugs everywhere"" an inventive ant named Flik hires ""warrior bugs"" to defend his colony from a horde of greedy grasshoppers led by Hopper. But when Flik's cavalry turns out to be a motley group of flea circus performers the stage is set for comic confusion...as well as unlikely heroes! Monsters Inc: Monsters Inc. is the largest scare factory in the monster world and the top Kid-Scarer is James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) a huge intimidating monster with blue fur large purple spots and horns known as ""Sulley"" to his friends. His Scare Assistant best friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) a lime green opinionated feisty monster. And visiting from the human world is Boo a tiny girl who turns the monster world upside down and teaches Sulley and Mike that laughter is more powerful than a scream. Finding Nemo: Nemo an adventurous young clownfish is unexpectedly taken to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to Marlin (Albert Brooks) his worrisome father and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish to make the epic journey to bring Nemo home. The Incredibles: Bob Parr was once known as Mr Incredible the world's greatest superhero. Fifteen years later Bob and his wife Helen (Formerly Elastigirl) have adopted civillian identities and retreated to the suburbs to lead ""normal lives"" with their three children. However Bob is thrown back into the world of super-heroism when he receives a mysterious communication summoning him to a remote island for a top-secret mission. Cars: Speeding on his way to a big race Lightning McQueen crashes into Radiator Springs destroying lots of the inhabitants' belongings! In order to make up for what he did the raucous roadster is sentenced to community service. Though he will do anything to get away from the work McQueen must learn to respect and bond with the Radiator Springs inhabitants in order to get out of the town and back on the racetrack... Ratatouille: A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly roden

• The Stunt Man | DVD | (24/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Vietnam veteran Cameron (Steve Railsback) is on the run from the police when he stumbles onto the set of a war movie directed by megalomaniac Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole). But when the young fugitive is forced to replace a dead stunt man he falls in love with the movies leading lady (Barbara Hershey) while trying to avoid getting arrested or killed. Is Eli trying to capture Cameron's death on film? And what happens to a paranoid stunt man when illusion and reality change places?

• Mission Impossible - Season 1 | DVD | (20/11/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £44.99

  An elite covert operations unit known as the Impossible Mission Taskforce (IMF) carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure capture or death. Their mission should they choose to accept it is given by the unseen figure known only as the 'Secretary' who instructions are relaid on a tape guaranteed to self-destruct in five seconds... Episodes Comprise: 1. Pilot episode 2. Memory 3. Operation Rogosh 4. Old Man Out (Part 1) 5. Old Man Out (Part 2) 6. Odds On Evil 7. Wheels 8. The Ransom 9. A Spool There Was 10. The Carriers 11. Zubrovnik's Ghost 12. Fakeout 13. Elena 14. The Short Tail Spy 15. The Legacy 16. The Reluctant Dragon 17. The Frame 18. The Trial 19. The Diamond 20. The Legend 21. Snowball In Hell 22. The Confession 23. Action! 24. The Train 25. Shock 26. A Cube Of Sugar 27. The Traitor 28. The Psychic

• The Santa Clause/Santa Clause 2 - Limited Edition | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £8.95   |  Saving you £6.04 (67.49%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Tim Allen makes an impressive screen debut in Disney's well-written seasonal film The Santa Clause. Divorced toy company executive Scott Calvin is pleased to have his son Charlie for Christmas, though the boy himself isn't happy about it. But when Santa Claus accidentally topples off the roof of the house and falls with a thud in the snow, Scott finds himself taking the merry old elf's place and earning new respect in his son's eyes. When the night ends, the reindeer take them to the North Pole, and Scott discovers that by donning the fabled red suit, he's inadvertently agreed to become the next Santa Claus. It's an enjoyable, straightforward family film, anchored by the affable charisma of Allen.--Bret Fetzer Considering how lame a sequel it could have been, The Santa Clause 2 makes for a pleasant seasonal diversion. It's got the familiar smell of Disney marketeering, and more than a few parents will object to this further embellishment of the St Nick legend, but Tim Allen's amiable presence provides ample compensation. According to the "Missus Clause" in his North Pole contract, he can't continue to be the real Santa until he gets married. It's all as sweet as spiced eggnog, with that warmed-over feel of a mandated sequel, but the Christmas spirit does prevail with the sound of sleigh bells and Allen's rosy-cheeked "Ho, ho, ho!". --Jeff Shannon

• 1941 | DVD | (28/12/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Now, some 30 years after it bowed at cinemas, Steven Spielberg's wartime comedy "1941" is at last making its way to DVD in a superlative anniversary edition.

• Venom | DVD | (06/07/2015) from £11.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (50.05%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Peter Sykes directs this classic horror starring Simon Brent. The film follows artist Paul Greville (Brent) as he arrives in a picturesque village and finds there is more to the locals than meets the eye when he becomes involved with the daughter of a man who conducts experiments on animals.

• Where's The Money | DVD | (06/11/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In this outrageously fresh comedy, Del (Bachelor), a quick-witted young man from the streets of South Central Los Angeles, learns that his still-in-prison father (Epps) and just-out-of-jail uncle (Crews) stole a million dollars and stashed it in the basement of an old flophouse. There's just one problem: A major university is encroaching on the 'hood and that old flophouse is a newly gentrified (all-white) fraternity house. Now, with the help of his dream woman (Graham) and best friend (Maldonado), Del must rush the frat, ingratiate himself with the fraternity brothers (Paul and Brener), and grab the cash before his crazy, gun-wielding uncle (Crews) or a local gangster (Method Man) get there first. Special Features: The Making of Where's the Money Gag Reel Deleted Scenes

• Blue Manhattan | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £7.46   |  Saving you £-4.47 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  One of the most radical films of its time. Brian De Palma takes a preverse look at what goes on behind closed doors in post-Vietnam New York City.

• Barney's Great Adventure | DVD | (02/02/2015) from £5.98   |  Saving you £4.01 (67.06%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Mom and Dad dump son Cody, daughter Abby, her best friend Marcella and a baby on the farm with Grandpa and Grandma. Purple dinosaur Barney soon appears to entertain kids, and when a large colorful egg deposited on a farm by a shooting star is accidentally carted off, Barney and Kids start their chase for it.

• Face/Off / The Rock / Con Air | DVD | (15/05/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Face/Off (1997): Oscar-winning superstar Nicolas Cage and screen icon John Travolta battle head to head in 'Face/Off' the ultimate cat and mouse thriller directed by the world's most acclaimed action film director John Woo. To avenge the senseless murder of his son FBI agent Sean Archer undergoes a radical new surgery allowing him to switch faces with the comatose terrorist Castor Troy and assumes Sean's identity the real Sean is thrust into an unimaginable nightmare fig

• Mr Saturday Night | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £21.72   |  Saving you £-11.73 (-117.40%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Comedian Billy Crystal invested a life's worth of experience into his directorial debut, starring in and cowriting it as well. Mr. Saturday Night is a fascinating alternate biography of the career he never had. From the 1920s to the 90s, the movie uses flashbacks to follow a comedian's turbulent journey from making the family laugh, to stardom, to retirement. Buddy Young Jr (Crystal) and his brother Stan (David Paymer) show us the decidedly unfunny behind-the-scenes family events that can bolster or destroy an act. It's unfortunate that the flip side of Buddy's comic face is a viciously cruel streak. Distanced from his daughter and with Stan's need to move on, the contemporary segments are tinged with tragedy. They're assisted immeasurably by some impressive old-age make-up (which so often fails), transforming Crystal into an unrecognisable cantankerous creature. The gags come thick and fast; there are numerous cameos and the good-natured tone of the movie make it universally appealing. If only more acts from Saturday Night Live had been handled as well. On the DVD: Mr. Saturday Night is a standard transfer with no frills in 4:3 and stereo. The extras package offers a series of mini-interviews that are interesting in themselves, but inexplicably repeated in the accompanying five-minute featurette. --Paul Tonks