"Actor: Carlos Lauchu"

• Stargate (Director's Cut) | DVD | (15/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A self-consciously epic sci-fi adventure of Cecil B DeMille-sized proportions, Stargate refreshes and combines several well-worn sci-fi and sword 'n' sandal genre conventions with some Erich von Daniken-style Biblical Egyptology. The directing-writing-producing team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin had previously collaborated on B-movies Moon 44 (1990) and Universal Soldier (1992), but handed a significantly bigger budget they were able to give their Steven Spielberg pretensions free reign here ("Indiana Jones and his Close Encounters with the Chariots of the Gods" might be a suitable subtitle). James Spader is endearingly dithery as the fish-out-of-water academic who finds himself teamed with taciturn tough guy Kurt Russell: the two excellent leads are largely responsible for imparting what depth there is to otherwise two-dimensional characters. British composer David Arnold makes his major studio debut in the grandest fashion with an outstanding score that pays suitable homage to epic film music (John Williams' CE3K and Maurice Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia in particular). It's all done with such unabashed enthusiasm that viewers will happily forgive the film's derivative elements and even overlook the high-camp theatricality of Jaye Davidson's bizarre bad guy. Despite subsequent huge box-office hits (Independence Day, Godzilla, The Patriot), Stargate remains Emmerich and Devlin's freshest, most satisfying film. On the DVD: This special edition version adds approximately seven minutes of additional footage, much of which is in the form of slightly extended scenes, but does also include an opening sequence in Ancient Egypt, a scene with Kurt Russell and the fossilised Horus guards, and Ra's bath scene. These are also collected in a bonus "Promo Reel". The anamorphic widescreen presentation of the 2.35:1 Panavision picture looks sharp and clear, although some of the additional footage is degraded; the sound is suitably spectacular 5.1 or DTS. Devlin and Emmerich provide a relaxed, chatty commentary ("We have nothing to do with the TV series"!), although you have to access this from the Set Up menu not the Special Features menu. There's a photo gallery and trailer, but sadly no "making-of" documentary. --Mark Walker

• Spy Hard | DVD | (12/02/2001) from £11.24   |  Saving you £3.75 (33.36%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Leslie Nielsen takes espionage less than seriously in the outrageously funny parody of the spy world! Secret agent WD- 40 (Nielsen) is assigned to foil the evil plan of his arch enemy General Rancor - a tyrannical madman who lost two limbs in an explosion and is now unarmed and dangerous! WD-40's mission is to save the world from destruction rescue the daughter of his former partner and of course do some ""undercover"" work with a sexy fellow agent (Nicollette Sheridan). Guided by a

• The Silencers | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Sinister assassins intent on silencing witnesses of UFO sightings are an undercover guards from an extra-terrestrial race planning to take over Earth.

• Ring Of Steel | DVD | (19/06/2000) from £12.11   |  Saving you £-3.13 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  It only takes one fatal flash of a broken blade to trap a young man in the arena of death where victory is bought with blood and the greatest reward will be living to fight another day... Unknown to Alex Freyer after accidentally killing his opponent in a fencing match his every move is being watched by a man with deadly ambitions. A man who presides over The Ring Of Steel an underground 'club' where the rich and powerful bet for the highest stakes: other men's lives...