"Actor: Ann Rice"

• Pierrepoint | DVD | (09/09/2007) from £6.32   |  Saving you £13.67 (216.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Following in the footsteps of his father, Albert joins the 'family business'... being a master craftsman hangman.

• Mare of Easttown | Blu Ray | (13/09/2021) from £14.84   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An HBO limited series focused on family and community, Mare of Easttown stars Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan, a respected small-town Pennsylvania detective investigating a brutal local murder while also balancing her own personal life, which is rapidly falling apart around her.Considered a local hero for a game-clinching jump shot on her high school basketball team, Mare is the sole detective on her police force, which spends most of its time handling drug-related offenses. Behind the scenes, Mare is dealing with the unaddressed loss of her son, running a busy household filled with her mother, teenage daughter, and grandson, and an ex-husband who lives a stone's throw away with his new fiance.As pressure mounts to solve a missing person's case growing increasingly cold, the murder of a teen girl finds Mare obsessed with bringing the killer to justice in a town where everyone is a potential suspect.

• Mare of Easttown | DVD | (13/09/2021) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An HBO limited series focused on family and community, Mare of Easttown stars Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan, a respected small-town Pennsylvania detective investigating a brutal local murder while also balancing her own personal life, which is rapidly falling apart around her. Considered a local hero for a game-clinching jump shot on her high school basketball team, Mare is the sole detective on her police force, which spends most of its time handling drug-related offenses. Behind the scenes, Mare is dealing with the unaddressed loss of her son, running a busy household filled with her mother, teenage daughter, and grandson, and an ex-husband who lives a stone's throw away with his new fiance. As pressure mounts to solve a missing person's case growing increasingly cold, the murder of a teen girl finds Mare obsessed with bringing the killer to justice in a town where everyone is a potential suspect.

• The Challenge | DVD | (16/02/2004) from £5.38   |  Saving you £8.61 (160.04%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Estranged teen sisters who live on opposite sides of the country are brought together as teammates in the TV show ""The Challenge"" much to their surprise. In order to win the grand prize - college scholarships - they'll need to reconcile their differences work together and keep their romances a secret from the producers all at the same time!

• Cat In The Hat, The | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.15   |  Saving you £-0.83 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.32

  Mike Myers stars as the title character in the big screen adaptation of the classic children's book by Dr. Seuss.

• Hotel Du Lac | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £12.81   |  Saving you £3.18 (24.82%)   |  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

• Better Than Chocolate | DVD | (21/01/2002) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Many lesbian movies are long on charm and short on production values; Better Than Chocolate has a solid dose of both and steamy sex scenes to boot. Our heroine Maggie (Karyn Dwyer), a clerk at a lesbian bookshop, meets footloose butch Kim (Christina Cox) and, after Kim's van is towed away, they move in together. Unfortunately for their romantic bliss, Maggie's mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson), and teenage brother move in that very evening thanks to Lila's impending divorce. But what really complicates matters is that Maggie can't bring herself to come out to her mother. Even when she tries, Lila steamrollers through the conversation, as if she knows what's coming and doesn't want to hear it. Interwoven with this is the struggle of Judy (Peter Outerbridge), a male-to-female transsexual who's in love with the bookshop's owner, Frances (Ann-Marie MacDonald), who's freaking out because customs officers are holding a list of books at the border that they claim are obscene. The overlapping plots are deftly juggled, the personal and political are compellingly interwoven, and, most satisfying of all, the characters have problems that aren't going to be easily resolved. A handful of candy-coloured lip-synching musical numbers give the movie some flash and the sex scenes give it some heat, but it's the elements of sorrow and ambiguity that really make the joy in Better Than Chocolate something to savour. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• Widows - Series 1 and 2 | DVD | (19/04/2010) from £28.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (3.45%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Widows - Series 1 And 2

• Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) -- Royal Opera House/Davis | DVD | (22/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A performance of the David McVicar production of Mozart's last opera. Colin Davis conducts the Royal Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Recorded at Covent Garden.

• Down From The Mountain | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £14.54   |  Saving you £5.45 (37.48%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Down from the Mountain is a treasurable record of a unique event: a live concert from Nashville featuring the artists and songs from the Coen Brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Anyone who was delighted by that enchanting film and its traditional Americana soundtrack will find this concert an irresistible delight. It's not just a rehashing of the songs from the film, however, but an opportunity for some of the finest names in Bluegrass to perform a variety of traditional songs. Here we have Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris playing separately before coming together for an a cappella rendition of "(Didn't Leave) Nobody but the Baby". Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley chills the spine with his lonesome "O Death", while bluesman Chris Thomas King wails "John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto'". There are other marvellous performances from old-timey stalwarts The Cox Family and The Whites, more Gospel-infused singing from the Fairfield Four, and impressively authentic fiddling from John Hartford. Oddly, the only song not to be heard is the original film's standout item, "Man of Constant Sorrow". The concert is also available on CD. On the DVD: The disc's packaging is misleading, as it only lists 12 songs when there are several more in the concert, all of which are listed and can be accessed from the menu. There's a good 25-minute backstage documentary also included, plus some liner notes from the Coens. --Mark Walker

• Doctor In Distress | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  When the usually ranting and raving Sir Lancelot Spratt becomes gentle and considerate the hospital inhabitants become positively alarmed until Dr Simon Sparrow diagnoses the trouble: love!

• Widows - Series 1 | DVD | (13/05/2002) from £16.16   |  Saving you £8.83 (35.30%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Three armed robbers Harry Rawlins Terry Miller and Joe Pirelli die when the security van that they are robbing catches fire in the Kingsway Tunnel in London. Their widows Dolly Rawlins Shirley Miller and Linda Pirelli find their husbands' plans for the robbery and decide to stage it themselves.... Originally transmitted in 1983 this release contains all six episodes from the first series.

• Midsomer Murders - Tainted Fruit | DVD | (27/12/2004) from £7.93   |  Saving you £9.06 (114.25%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Death threats against the daughter of the manor Melissa Townsend bring Barnaby and Sergeant Troy to the affluent village of Midsomer Malham. Melissa is blamed by some for causing the death of a local poacher. District nurse Sally Ricksworth is found in a confused state at the wheel of her crashed car on the same day that a quantity of barbiturates and syringes are discovered stolen from the veterinary surgery. Later that day the detectives find Melissa dead with a syringe in he

• Samhain | DVD | (24/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Evil roams the woods of Ireland... Two American tourists on a romantic camping trip are brutally murdered. A few days later during the ancient festival of 'Samhain' a group of American University students moves in a beautiful cottage surrounded by a lush forest and a majestic lake They are here to learn about the rituals of the Ancient Druids and other Celtic legends. But in the remains of an abandoned copper mine lives the ancestors of an incestuous clan of cannibals. Sta

• Inspector Morse - Series 5 | DVD | (21/02/2005) from £24.95   |  Saving you £0.04 (0.20%)   |  RRP £24.99

  This box set features the entire fifth series of the classic British Television drama Inspector Morse. Episodes comprise: 1. Second Time Around: Morse becomes concerned when an ex-Deputy Police Commissioner is murdered. He also discovers that there exists a connection between a missing chapter from the murdered man's memoirs and himself... 2. Fat Chance: A woman deacon dies in suspicious circumstances and Morse is called in... 3. Who Killed Harry Field?:

• Thoroughly Modern Millie (Special Roadshow Edition) | Blu Ray | (24/08/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• 3 Tough Guys Of The Silver Screen - Vol. 2 - Vengeance Valley / The Big Trees / The Man From Utah | DVD | (06/12/2004) from £6.73   |  Saving you £-1.74 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  Vengeance Valley: An unusual Western for its time Vengeance Valley gave Burt Lancaster his first Western role. His athletic prowess made him perfect for the genre and he'd go on to make Gunfight At O.K. Corral Apache and The Unforgiven among others. Vengeance Valley emphasises character development and the solid cast meets the challenge. Robert Walker plays Burt's foster brother. Joanne Dru John Ireland Ted de Corsia Hugh O'Brien and Glenn Strange lend support. One o

• Carmen | DVD | (12/02/2003) from £28.55   |  Saving you £1.44 (5.04%)   |  RRP £29.99

  All too often Bizet's great comic opera Carmen has been pared down to its basic bodice-ripping components, leaving its adored melodies with only torrid clichés to cling on to. Nothing of the sort happens here. David McVicar's 2002 production for Glyndebourne restores it to its rightful place as a stupendous musical entertainment. Bold, lusty, tightly directed and designed in sanguine shades of red and black, this Carmen spills and bustles across the stage and out of the screen like a living painting. At first glance, Anne Sofie von Otter is not an obvious choice for the title role, but just look at how she seizes and inhabits the character, wrenching her from the jaws of dark, sultry stereotype and rendering a complex modern woman. Her Carmen both revels in and is tormented by the ripe sexuality that fascinates her lovers and sets her apart from the other women. Von Otter's interpretation suggests it has its roots in a hinterland of wretched, bitter experience; the "Habanera", the "Gypsy Song" and the "Seguidilla" become multi-layered expressions of hope and desire: we never forget that for all its gusto, Carmen ends up a tragedy. And the men aren't ciphers. Laurent Naouri's proud Escamillo and Marcus Haddock's immature, damaged Don José are rounded, richly sung characters. So too, is Lisa Milne's touching Micaëla. All told, this Carmen is full-length, fibrous and, with conductor Philippe Jordan at the helm, a triumph. On the DVD: Carmen is spread over two discs, presented in anamorphic widescreen format that opens up the stage and capitalises on some refreshingly brisk camerawork. The sound quality (Digital Surround sound) is finely balanced. A rich set of extras includes fascinating short documentaries on various aspects of the production, from stage fights to characterisation and costume design. There's also a useful spoken synopsis and a stroll through the famous Glyndebourne Gardens. --Piers Ford

• Townes Van Zandt - Be Here To Love Me | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The ultimate songwriter's songwriter Townes Van Zandt had a profound impact on generations of musicians from Bob Dylan to Norah Jones yet he avoided the commercial success enjoyed by many of his own fans. Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt provides an intimate portrait of the legendary artist's haunting music and life. Margaret Brown's critically acclaimed documentary Be Here To Love Me combines interviews with friends and family with never seen footage of Townes Van Zandt from rare performance and interview footage to intimate portraits shot in Van Zandt's own home throughout the years. It also includes appearances by many famous musicians including Willie Nelson Lyle Lovett Kris Kristofferson Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. Tracklist: 1. What A Song Is All About 2. A Cult Figure 3. A Privileged Youth 4. Wild Crazy Things 5. Houston In The '60's 6. Wandering 7. A Genius 8. Addiction 9. Here For The Music 10. Cutting Records 11. Home And Family 12. Flyin' Shoes 13. If I Needed You 14. Pancho & Lefty 15. Marie 16. Normal Life 17. Rake 18. End Credits

• Normal | DVD | (17/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A poignant and funny portrait of a marriage that undergoes a wrenching examination... After 25 years of a loving marriage in a small midwestern town husband Roy announces to his wife Irma that he is a woman trapped in a man's body and wants to have a sex change operation.