"Actor: Chris Wallace"

• The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary Edition | Blu Ray | (23/10/2017) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his sceptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story. And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity... The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

• The Princess Bride | DVD | (23/07/2001) from £9.65   |  Saving you £10.34 (107.15%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Director Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride is a gently amusing, affectionate pastiche of a medieval fairytale adventure, offering a similar blend of warm, literate humour as his Stand By Me (1985) and When Harry Met Sally (1989). Adapted from his own novel, William Goldman's script plays with the conventions of such 1980s fantasies as Ladyhawke and Legend (both 1985), and with the budget never allowing for spectacle, sensibly concentrates on creating a gallery of memorable characters. Robin Wright makes a delightful Princess Buttercup, Cary Elwes is splendid as Westley and "Dread Pirate Roberts", while Mandy Patinkin makes fine Spanish avenger. With winning support from Mel Smith, Peter Cook, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane there is sometimes a Terry Gilliam/Monty Python feel to the proceedings, and the whole film is beautifully shot, with a memorably romantic main theme by Mark Knopfler. Occasionally interrupted by Peter Falk as a grandfather reading the story to his grandson, The Princess Bride is an elegant post-modern family fable about storytelling itself; a theme found in other 1980s films The Neverending Story (1984) and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). A modest, small-scale work that manages to be both cynically modern and genuinely romantic all at once. As charming as you wish. On the DVD: The 1.77:1 anamorphic transfer is strong, if not quite as detailed as it might be. Colours lack just a little solidity and some scenes evidence a fair amount of grain. Released theatrically in Dolby stereo, the Dolby Digital 5.1 remix spreads the sound effectively across the front speakers but makes very little use of the rear channels indeed. Extras are limited to filmographies of five of the leading actors, and a 4:3 presentation of the theatrical trailer, which gives far too many of the film's surprises away.--Gary S Dalkin

• The Howling | Blu Ray | (09/10/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An instant werewolf classic, The Howling was directed by Joe Dante, a graduate of Roger Corman's school of low-budget ingenuity who had gained enough momentum with 1978's Piranha to rise to this bigger challenge. He brought along Piranha screenwriter John Sayles, too, and recruited makeup wizard Rob Bottin to create what was then the wildest on-screen transformation ever seen. With Gary Brandner's novel The Howling as a starting point, Sayles and Dante conceived a werewolf colony on the California coast, posing as a self-help haven led by a seemingly benevolent doctor (Patrick Macnee), and populated by a variety of "patients", from sexy, leather-clad sirens (Elisabeth Brooks) to an old coot (John Carradine) who's quite literally long in the tooth. When a TV reporter (Dee Wallace) arrives at the colony to recover from a recent trauma, the resident lycanthropes prepare for a howlin' good time. Dante handles it all with equal measures of humour, sex, gore, and horror, pulling out all the stops when the ravenous Eddie (Dante favourite Robert Picardo, later known as The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager) transforms into a towering , bloodthirsty werewolf. (Bottin's mentor Rick Baker would soon raise the make-up ante with An American Werewolf in London.) As usual in Dante's movies (qv. Gremlins), in-jokes abound, from characters named after werewolf movie directors, amusing cameos (Corman, Sayles, Forrest J Ackerman), and hammy inserts of wolfish cartoons and Allen Ginsberg's "Howl". It's best appreciated now as a quintessential example of early-80s horror, with low-budget limitations evident throughout, but The Howling remains a giddy genre milestone. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• New Year's Evil | Blu Ray | (07/12/2020) from £16.25   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  During a New Year's Eve celebration, a Los Angeles disc jockey receives a phone call saying that when New Year's strikes in each time zone, someone will be murdered - and she will be the last one.

• The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary Edition | DVD | (23/10/2017) from £5.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Screenwriter William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his sceptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story. And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity... The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. --Sam Sutherland

• The Perfect Man | DVD | (01/02/2010) from £4.96   |  Saving you £13.03 (262.70%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Teen queen Hilary Duff tries to find Mr. Right for her single mum in this comedy.

• Rumble Fish | Blu Ray | (27/08/2012) from £9.69   |  Saving you £5.30 (54.70%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The second of Francis Ford Coppola's films based on the popular juvenile novels of S.E. Hinton (the first being The Outsiders), Rumble Fish split critics into opposite camps: those who admired the film for its heavily stylised indulgence, and those who hated it for the very same reason. Whatever the response, it's clearly the work of a maverick director who isn't afraid to push the limits of his innovative talent. Filmed almost entirely in black and white with an occasional dash of color for symbolic effect, this tale of alienated youth centers on gang leader Rusty James (Matt Dillon) and his band of punk pals. Rusty's got a girlfriend (Diane Lane), an older brother named Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), and a drunken father (Dennis Hopper) who've all given up trying to straighten him out. He's best at making trouble, and he pursues that skill with an enthusiastic flair that eventually catches up with him. But it's not the whacked-out story here that matters--it's the uninhibited verve of Coppola's visual approach, which includes everything from time-lapse clouds to the kind of smoky streets and alleyways that could only exist in the movies. The supporting cast includes a host of fresh faces who went on to thriving careers, including Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Vincent Spano, Laurence Fishburne, and musician Tom Waits. --Jeff Shannon

• Death Wish | DVD | (04/09/2006) from £5.29   |  Saving you £10.70 (202.27%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In this explosive story of revenge and urban violence Charles Bronson plays Paul Kersey a bleeding-heart liberal who has a change of opinion after his wife and daughter are violently attacked by a gang of thugs in their apartment. His daughter is raped and his wife is raped and murdered. Bronson then turns vigilante as he stalks the mean streets of New York on the prowl for muggers hoodlums and the like. Death Wish is a violent controversial film that is frank and original in its treatment of urban crime and the average citizen's helplessness in dealing with it. Herbie Hancock wrote the musical score and Jeff Goldblum makes his big screen debut as one of the thugs.

• The Princess Bride | DVD | (17/09/2007) from £6.79   |  Saving you £9.20 (135.49%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A young boy confined to bed with the flu is less than thrilled when his grandfather (Peter Falk) arrives to read him the story of The Princess Bride. It tells the adventures of Buttercup the most beautiful woman in the world and Westley the man she loves in the fairy-tale kingdom of Florin. When Buttercup is kidnapped Westley has to overcome some pretty tough obstacles if he is to rescue her from the clutches of three kidnappers - scaling the cliffs of insanity battling rodents of unusual size facing tortue in the Pit of Despair... True love has never been a snap.

• The Howling | DVD | (09/10/2017) from £9.70   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An instant werewolf classic, The Howling was directed by Joe Dante, a graduate of Roger Corman's school of low-budget ingenuity who had gained enough momentum with 1978's Piranha to rise to this bigger challenge. He brought along Piranha screenwriter John Sayles, too, and recruited makeup wizard Rob Bottin to create what was then the wildest on-screen transformation ever seen. With Gary Brandner's novel The Howling as a starting point, Sayles and Dante conceived a werewolf colony on the California coast, posing as a self-help haven led by a seemingly benevolent doctor (Patrick Macnee), and populated by a variety of "patients", from sexy, leather-clad sirens (Elisabeth Brooks) to an old coot (John Carradine) who's quite literally long in the tooth. When a TV reporter (Dee Wallace) arrives at the colony to recover from a recent trauma, the resident lycanthropes prepare for a howlin' good time. Dante handles it all with equal measures of humour, sex, gore, and horror, pulling out all the stops when the ravenous Eddie (Dante favourite Robert Picardo, later known as The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager) transforms into a towering , bloodthirsty werewolf. (Bottin's mentor Rick Baker would soon raise the make-up ante with An American Werewolf in London.) As usual in Dante's movies (qv. Gremlins), in-jokes abound, from characters named after werewolf movie directors, amusing cameos (Corman, Sayles, Forrest J Ackerman), and hammy inserts of wolfish cartoons and Allen Ginsberg's "Howl". It's best appreciated now as a quintessential example of early-80s horror, with low-budget limitations evident throughout, but The Howling remains a giddy genre milestone. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Death Wish (Blu-Ray) | Blu Ray | (09/04/2018) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In this explosive story of revenge and urban violence, Charles Bronson plays Paul Kersey, a bleeding-heart liberal who has a change of opinion after his wife and daughter are violently attacked by a gang of thugs in their apartment. His daughter is sexually assaulted and his wife is murdered. Bronson then turns vigilante as he stalks the mean streets of New York on the prowl for muggers, hoodlums and the like. Death Wish is a violent, controversial film that is frank and original in its treatment of urban crime and the average citizen's helplessness in dealing with it. Herbie Hancock wrote the musical score. And watch for a young Jeff Goldblum in his film debut as one of the thugs. Features: Theatrical Trailer

• My Favorite Martian | DVD | (05/02/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Tired but watchable adaptation of the popular 60s TV show of a friendly Martian who lives with an agreeable earthling. Like Disney's other live-action remakes 101 Dalmatians and Flubber, the emphasis is on quick-moving scenes and special effects--not character. Jeff Daniels is the bemused earthling who gets to know Christopher Lloyd's alien ways. Much of the film feels like a retread borrowing heavily from other sci-fi comedies (and "fish out of water" films), including Lloyd's own Back to the Future. Lloyd and his talking space suit (voiced by Wayne Knight who brings the same personality as his Newman role on Seinfeld) don't know simple Earth customs but inexplicably know every pop culture reference in the last 10 years. Daryl Hannah and Elizabeth Hurley are along for the ride as Daniels' good-girl and bad-girl flames. TV's Martian, Ray Waltson, shows up as a secret agent alien hunter--and pours more emotion into his scenes than the rest of the movie combined. Ages 6 and up. --Doug Thomas

• The Howling | DVD | (18/10/2004) from £13.54   |  Saving you £6.45 (47.64%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Severely shaken after a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer TV newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace-Stone) takes some much-needed time off. Hoping to conquer her inner demons she heads for the 'Colony' a secluded retreat where her new neighbors are just a tad too eager to make her feel at home. Also there seems to be a bizarre link between her would-be attacker and this supposedly safe haven. And when after nights of being tormented by savage shrieks and unearthly cries Kar

• Rumble Fish | Blu Ray | (02/03/2016) from £31.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The second of Francis Ford Coppola's films based on the popular juvenile novels of S.E. Hinton (the first being The Outsiders), Rumble Fish split critics into opposite camps: those who admired the film for its heavily stylised indulgence, and those who hated it for the very same reason. Whatever the response, it's clearly the work of a maverick director who isn't afraid to push the limits of his innovative talent. Filmed almost entirely in black and white with an occasional dash of color for symbolic effect, this tale of alienated youth centers on gang leader Rusty James (Matt Dillon) and his band of punk pals. Rusty's got a girlfriend (Diane Lane), an older brother named Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), and a drunken father (Dennis Hopper) who've all given up trying to straighten him out. He's best at making trouble, and he pursues that skill with an enthusiastic flair that eventually catches up with him. But it's not the whacked-out story here that matters--it's the uninhibited verve of Coppola's visual approach, which includes everything from time-lapse clouds to the kind of smoky streets and alleyways that could only exist in the movies. The supporting cast includes a host of fresh faces who went on to thriving careers, including Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Vincent Spano, Laurence Fishburne, and musician Tom Waits. --Jeff Shannon

• The Bostonians | DVD | (28/04/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Vanessa Redgrave (in an Oscar-nominated performance) and Christopher Reeve are the stars of THE BOSTONIANS Merchant Ivory Productions' acclaimed 1984 screen adaptation of the Henry James classic which charts the struggle between two charismatic forces - feminist and a chauvinist - to gain control over the destiny of a spirited young woman.The story takes place in Boston in the aftermath of the American Civil War - a time of political and social turmoil. Verena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter Slaves Of New York) a gifted young orator has attracted the attention of Olive Chancellor (Redgrave) who wished to nurture Verena as an inspirational force for the Woman's Movement But ranged against her is Basil Ransom (Reeve) a handsome male chauvinist who wants Verena as his wife. Against a backdrop of luminous New England landscapes battle is joined and for Olive the struggle will prove an odyssey that forces her to acknowledge her true nature.

• The Bostonians (the Merchant Ivory Collection) | DVD | (06/09/2004) from £17.97   |  Saving you £-4.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The daughter of a faith healer is forced to choose between her mother's religious activities and her desire to use her speaking ability to further the women's suffragette movement. To complicate matters more the man she loves is strongly opposed to the feminist cause.

• F.A.R.T. - The Movie | DVD | (09/10/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Artie is a college senior who has a little problem with wind. Actually it is a big problem Artie farts uncontrollably. Fortunately his fraternity brothers especially Bear the Frat president at Buck University accept him for the smelly b*st*rd that he is. But the girl of Artie's dreams Andrea will have nothing to do with him. So basically it's your typical boy meets girl boy loses girl boy farts like crazy love story!

• The Killer Next Door | DVD | (16/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £1.99

  Molly Wright is an average college student with an ordinary life. A strange artist moves in and her life is about to change.... Her new neighbour is a serial killer and no one will believe her.

• Cool Runnings / My Favourite Martian / Snow Dogs | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Cool Runnings (Dir. Jon Turteltaub 1993): You'll love Cool Runnings - the outrageously funny comedy hits inspired by the true story of Jamaica's first Olympic bobsled team. They were four unlikely athletes with one impossible dream. Now with the help of ex-champion as their coach (John Candy - Uncle Buck) four Jamaicans leave their sunny island home and enter the chilly winter Olympics to compete for the gold in a sport they know nothing about - bobsled racing! My Favourite Martian (Dir. Donald Petrie 1999): In the Disney tradition of fun family comedies comes the hilarious live-action film My Favourite Martian - an out-of-this-world comedy about friendship loyalty and aliens. When a harmless Martian (Christopher Lloyd Back to the Future) crashes onto earth and into the life of struggling TV reporter Tim (Jeff Daniels) he must use all his magical powers to keep his identity a secret and quickly find a way back to Mars. Tim initially wants to expose the friendly Martian whom he names Uncle Martin and his crazy animated spacesuit Zoot. Ultimately Tim helps Uncle Martin but can he send him safely home before the world discovers their secret? Snow Dogs (Dir. Brian Levant 2002): Make no bones about it Disney's Snow Dogs is a hilarious action-packed comedy your whole family will love. Eight adorable but mischievous dogs get the best of dog hater Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding Jr.) when he leaves his successful Miami Beach dental practice for the wilds of Alaska to claim his inheritance- seven Siberian huskies and a border collie- and discover his roots. As Ted's life goes to the dogs he rises to the occasion and vows to learn to mush with his inheritance. Totally out of his element he faces challenges he's never dreamed of. There's a blizzard thin ice an intimidating crusty old mountain man named Thunder Jack (James Coburn) the Artic Challenge Sled Dog Race that's only two weeks away and a life-and-death rescue. This fish-out-of-water tail-wagging comedy is nothing but doggone good fun and a celebration of family - both human and canine!

• Final 24 - Jim Morrison | DVD | (22/11/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This compelling documentary unlocks the hidden secrets psychological flaws and events that result in the tragic death of the famed notorious and the iconic. Part of a series every episode maps out the final 24 hours of a different famous person's life. By weaving the star's back-story with events from their last day it attempts to uncover the mystery of how each celebrity met their untimely end. July 2 1971. Jim Morrison is one of the most famous rock singers in the world. He's also the ultimate sex symbol but Morrison is at war with his own dark demons. In 24 hours his darkness will consume him and he'll be dead. Using archive footage dramatic reenactment and interviews with his closest companions we detail the last hours of Morrison's life and the gripping events that led to his tragic death in Paris.