"Actor: David"

• D.W. Griffith - Monumental Epics | DVD | (24/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  There’s little doubt that much of what we now take for granted about cinema owes much to the vision of director D W Griffith. Monumental Epics collects five of his most influential silent masterpieces. The Birth of a Nation (1915) is also the birth of the epic film. Made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War this provocative film unflinchingly shows the humiliation of Southern culture, the "heroism" of the Ku Klux Klan, and links the Union and Confederacy by a common Aryan birthright. All of which has to be viewed in its period context if it is to be viewed at all. Intolerance (1916) is film-making of epic complexity. Human intolerance is related through a modern tale of wrongful conviction, intercut by three stories from Babylonian, Judean, and French history to point up the issue through the ages. The intricacy of the intercutting is breathtaking even now, but those as confused as the first audiences evidently were can opt to see each story separately. Sensitively tinted, this is Griffith's finest three hours. Broken Blossoms (1919) has Griffith venturing into domestic melodrama. Although there's a clear moral to be drawn from this tale of compassion in the face of ignorance and brutality, neither the over-acting of Lillian Gish and Donald Crisp, nor the vein of sentimentality that creeps into their characters' relationship allow the viewer to forget the period-piece nature of the film. Here an appropriately expressive musical score helps keep viewing at an attentive level. Way Down East (1920) shows Griffith moving from the epic to the personal, though still on a large scale. The combining of old-style melodrama with latter-day female emancipation is tellingly brought off, and Lillian Gish excels as the country girl used and abused by male society, until "rescued" by a farmer of true moral scruples. Unconvinced? Then go straight to the climactic snowstorm and ice floe sequences--Eisenstein et al are inconceivable without this as trailblazer. Abraham Lincoln (1930) marked Griffith's entry into the talkie era. Tautly directed, it offers a historically accurate account of the 16th US President's rise to power and his visionary outlook on American society. Civil War scenes are implied rather than enacted, and its Walter Huston's robust yet understated acting that carries the day, with sterling support from Una Merkel as Ann Rutledge and Hobart Bosworth as General Lee. On the DVD: Stylishly packaged, restoration and digital remastering has been carried out to Eureka's usual high standard, and the 4:3 aspect ratio has commendable clarity. Birth of a Nation has Joseph Carl Breil's original orchestral score and a pithy "making of" film by Russell Merritt. Intolerance contains a useful rolling commentary and a great wurlitzer soundtrack too. Way Down East includes a commentary. Abraham Lincoln also has a commentary, though Hugo Riesenfeld's score often verges on the mawkish. Overall this set is a must for anyone remotely interested in film as a living medium.--Richard Whitehouse

• Friends - Series 3 - Episodes 9-16 | DVD | (27/10/2003) from £12.53   |  Saving you £-5.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  Season 3: Having really hit its comedic stride, the third season did the smart thing and showed a more serious side to the Friends' frivolous nature. There was fun introducing the chick and the duck, poking ""Ugly Naked Guy" with a stick and "T.O.W. The Princess Leia Fantasy" (for which George Lucas sent a "thank you" note). Then after establishing a few cracks in their otherwise fairy-tale union, "T.O.W. Ross and Rachel Take a Break" offered admirable contrast. From here on in, the awkward catchphrase "we were on a break" became a hard-hitting reminder that love hurts. The other s' relationships were naturally no less complicated. "T.O.W. Monica and Richard are Just Friends" teased a now moustache-free Tom Selleck into thinking he might be "the one". Then Pete (Jon Favreau) tried his hand before insanely wanting to become "The Ultimate Fighting Champion". This episode pulled off an incredible double guest surprise from Billy Crystal and Robin Williams, proving just how popular the show had become. To that list were added cameos from Ben Stiller as "The Screamer", Sherilyn Fenn as one of Joey's exs and Isabella Rossellini, who taught Ross to never fantasise on laminated plastic. The cast were fitting in film roles where possible. Cox appeared in Scream, then brought David Arquette back with her for a cameo, which kept their off-screen chemistry alive. The final surprise was Teri Garr as Phoebe, Sr in "T.O. At the Beach", where it was hinted that something might be salvaged between Ross and Rachel after all. --Paul Tonks

• Mad Dog Morgan (Special Fully Restored Edition) | DVD | (05/09/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  The true story of Irish outlaw Daniel Morgan who is wanted dead or alive in Australia during the 1850s.

• Evil Bong Remastered | Blu Ray | (21/01/2022) from £16.45   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Who Do You Think You Are? Best Of The Comics | DVD | (07/10/2013) from £17.53   |  Saving you £2.46 (12.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Who Do You Think You Are? follows the journeys of six popular comic personalities as they explore their family trees uncover their family history and discover fascinating and poignant facts about their ancestors that have been until now lost in time.;Alexander Armstrong finds relationships with science and royalty dating back to Charles I and beyond David Baddiel unpacks the secrets that lie in his grandparents’ suitcases on a journey through Kaliningrad and Warsaw John Bishop uncovers entertaining roots that take him into the world of Minstrels Alan Carr kicks off with stories of the soccer field before tracking down a missing soldier Stephen Fry explores his Slovakian roots discovering a sugar beet connection that helped save his mother’s parents from the Nazis and Vic Reeves lifts a curtain which hides the secret life of his elusive grandfather revealing another family and a new relative.

• The Boys | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on the Australian writer Gordon Graham's highly acclaimed award-winning play The Boys is set in the suburbs of Sydney and follows the life of Brett Sprague as he returns to his family after twelve months in prison. Brett finds life is slightly different after a year inside. His brother Glenn has moved out with his girlfriend his younger brother Stevie's pregnant girlfriend now lives with the family and his mother has taken a shine to a Maori drifter. Having lost the hold he once had over his family Brett can no longer keep his anger and frustration at bay. Intent on restoring order and dominance Brett soon wields his power in a most terrifying way. This unforgettable drama features an outstanding cast including the talented Toni Collette David Wenham and John Polson.

• Todd McFarlane's Spawn - Series 3 - Vol. 3.2 | DVD | (15/03/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Avenging betrayal and murder fighting for good in a world steeped in evil. Award-winning llustrator of Spiderman Todd McFarlane brings a life's work to the screen in this dark stylish and brutal animated incarnation of his Spawn anti-hero. Double-crossed and murdered Al Simmon's is sent to the fires of Hell. He makes an ill-fated deal with the Devil to return to see his wife again. Disfigured and trapped in the body of a hell-spawn caught between life and death he roams New York looking for trouble. The cloak and chains of Spawn explode from the comic-book page onto the screen in a deadly tornado of untapped unwrapped merciless power! Episode titles: Hunter's Moon Chasing The Serpent Prophecy.

• How To Rob A Bank | DVD | (22/03/2010) from £5.95   |  Saving you £0.04 (0.67%)   |  RRP £5.99

  After interrupting a bank robbery in progress Jason Jinx Taylor (Nick Stahl) is now locked in the vault with bound and gagged employee Jessica (Erika Christensen). But not everything is as it seems. Sexy Jessica is part of the inside job and Jinx has upset the heist. With events changing fast they decide to work together to outsmart the bank robber Simon (Gavin Rossdale) whos frustration and anger is building as he tries to negotiate with the SWAT team outside the bank while holding frightened hostages inside at gunpoint. Full of surprising twists at every turn How To Rob A Bank is a thrill a minute roller coaster thriller that delivers non stop action from start to finish.

• The Sleeping Beauty | DVD | (02/10/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Recorded live at The Victorian Arts Centre by the Australian Ballet Company this ballet tells the story of Princess Aurora who is put to sleep for one hundred years by the wicked Fairy Carabosse.

• Garage - The Collection | DVD | (24/03/2003) from £13.92   |  Saving you £-6.67 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Amazing 80 minute DVD of the most sexy and stylish garage imaginary featuring The Artful Dodger Shola Ama Robbie Craig So Solid Crew Oxide & Nutrino DJ Luck and MC Neat and many more.

• Friends - Series 5 - Episodes 17-23 | DVD | (15/11/1999) from £5.71   |  Saving you £1.28 (22.42%)   |  RRP £6.99

  Season 5: Divorce number two is immediately on the cards as the year opens with "T.O. After Ross Says Rachel". As of this point, Ross' character undergoes some extreme personality changes (which apparently lost Schwimmer many female fans). His incessant whining drives all the Friends to distraction, especially in "T.O.W. Ross Moves In" with Chandler and Joey. Later things get uncomfortable both at work and at home when he goes through a period of rage ("T.O.W. Ross' Sandwich"). While all this downplays his failed relationship with Rachel, the real idea is to allow focus on the secret pairing of Chandler and Monica after a night of passion in London. This made for a return to the show's appealingly silly atmosphere as poor Joey is made piggy-in-the-middle of everyone's secrets. Building to "T.O.W. Everybody Finds Out", the silliness pauses for some genuinely touching interplay between Perry and Cox. The previous year's semi-serious thread about Phoebe's birth gets forgotten fast: to distract the viewer she's introduced to Gary (Michael Rapaport) in "T.O.W. The Cop". This leads to some hilarious parodying with Phoebe interrogated about apartment hunting, and the guys excited and then scared in "T.O. W. The Ride Along". She's more than over him by the time of the two-part finale "T.O.W. In Vegas" though, especially since she missed out on London. Just in case fans thought Chandler and Monica had permanently stolen the spotlight, a cliffhanger shocks expectation again with Ross and Rachel bursting out of a chapel... --Paul Tonks

• The Sherlock Holmes Catalogue - The Illustrious Client / The Creeping Man | DVD | (28/04/2003) from £9.40   |  Saving you £3.58 (55.85%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Illustrious Client: Holmes is the victim of a murderous attack after he investigates a certain Baron Gruner who to the horror of a family friend has swept Violet Merville off her feet. The Creeping Man: A professor's daughter Edith sees a stange figure at her bedroom window but her father dismisses it as merely a bad dream...

• A Classic Irish Christmas - The Tenor Trio | DVD | (02/12/2002) from £9.07   |  Saving you £1.92 (21.17%)   |  RRP £10.99

  Set against a backdrop of delightful Christmas scenes A Classic Irish Christmas is an enchanting collection of memorable Christmas carols and a wonderful mixture of traditional Irish melodies such as Danny Boy and Galway Bay music that has wrung the heartstrings and brought joy to generations of music lovers. Performed by the talented and respected tenors Peter Stanford Dean MacRae and David Bacon. The timeless magic and excitement of Christmas is captured in the beautiful musical arrangements and is the perfect way to set the scene for a truely glorious welcome to the festive season with an Irish spirit. Tracklisting: 1. Silent Night 2. The First Noel 3. Danny Boy 4. Amazing Grace 5. Red Is The Rose 6. Let There Be Peace 7. Oh Come All Ye Faithful 8. Oh Christmas Tree 9. I Saw Three Ships 10. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling 11. My Wild Irish Rose 12. Hark The Herald Angels Sing 13. Love Thee Dearest 14. Jingle Bells 15. Galway Bay 16. Away In A Manger

• To Heal A Nation | DVD | (02/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  When Jan Scruggs returns from the Vietnam War he feels alienated from the world he left only two short years ago. Jan only feels comfortable when he is in the company of someone with whom he shares a common bond - another Vietnam veteran. Jan forms an idea to heal the wounds of a nation split apart by war and at a veterans' meeting he suggests a memorial to those who fought in vietnam. Jan's idea is met with angry disapproval and so he takes on the memorial as his personal goal determined to honour those who served.

• The One Game - The Complete Series | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The 1988 Carlton mini-movie The One Game is the perfect definition of cult TV. Originally shown as four Saturday night instalments, it was a success with audiences and critics alike at the time and remains an extremely original piece of television. On the surface, the story is as simple: an ex-business partner exacts a very personal revenge. The game being played by Magnus (an almost unrecognisable Patrick Malahide) upon the arrogant Nick (Stephen Dillon) makes the tale far more interesting, however. If the premise sounds a little familiar, that's because the 1997 Michael Douglas movie The Game has striking similarities. The show captured society's interest in games at exactly the right time. First there's the Arthurian context, which visually struck a chord with a decade of Dungeons and Dragons fans. Then there's the constant reference to the new dawn of computer games, which everyone was excited about going into the 90s. But Nick is embroiled in a theory of Reality Gaming that turns everything on its head. He doesn't know who of his friends or colleagues may be in on the game, and since it begins with the sting of a £2 million theft, he's prepared to make sacrifices along the way. Changes in fashion and technology can't detract from what remains a cracking good yarn, well told and well played. On the DVD: The One Game arrives on disc superbly packaged. The attractive box contains an informative booklet relating the show's place in TV history. Unfortunately there's nothing at all in the way of extras on the disc itself--a disappointment, which, like the 4:3 ratio and stereo sound, is only to be expected for an all-but forgotten gem. --Paul Tonks

• Bloodsport 3 | DVD | (10/02/2000) from £17.99   |  Saving you £-2.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Bloodsport III brigs us back to the world of Alex Cardo (Daniel Bernhardt). As dynamic as ever Alex is again thrust against his will into the dark and dangerous world of the Kumite. The Kumite is the ultimate contest where a fight to the death is commonplace. This time Alex must fight against the vicious warrior known as The Kumite Beast. Not only must he battle for his own honour but also to avenge the death of his mentor teacher and spiritual father Sun (James Hong) who has fallen victim to the evil crime boss and controller of The Beast Duvalier.

• Oh In Ohio | DVD | (12/05/2008) from £12.45   |  Saving you £0.54 (4.34%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Priscilla Chase (Parker Posey Superman Returns) seems to have it all - the perfect career the perfect house the perfect husband (Paul Rudd 40 Year Old Virgin Friends) - except for in bed where sex has always left her a bit short of the finish line. When the problem drives her despairing husband to leave her for one of his high school students (Mischa Barton The OC) Priscilla's idyllic world is shattered. She sets out on a quest to become just as good at sex as she is at everything else in life embarking on a wild journey that leads her into the arms of the man she least expected and to the discovery that happiness is sometimes found in the most unlikely places. Also featuring Danny DeVito and Liza Minnelli The Oh in Ohio is a heart warming romantic comedy about sex satisfaction and spontaneity and how love is so much more than skin deep.

• The Legend Of Bloody Jack | DVD | (02/06/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  John Peter Macallister was a Korean veteran who after serving decided to live in Japan and while there he studied Ninjitsu and became a Ninja. 30 years later he learned that he has a daughter so left to find her. But apparently he can't leave the sect that he is with cause it means that he is now marked for death. He manages to escape and upon arriving in the States he meets Max Keller a drifter who has a penchant for getting involved with other people's problems and helping them out if he can. Max and Macallister hook up with Max helping him find his daughter and Macallister teaching him the ways of the ninja. At the same evading Okasa one of Macallister's students who is now sworn to kill him...

• The Real Cancun | DVD | (26/07/2004) from £7.98   |  Saving you £14.00 (233.72%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Each year over 40 000 college students travel to Cancun Mexico for Spring Break. But this year for the first time sixteen people will come together for eight days in a beachfront Cancun villa for the ultimate Spring Break vacation. In this documentary feature bonds will be forged romances sparked friendships tested and hearts broken all amidst a backdrop of non-stop partying.

• Hornblower - Retribution | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £12.86   |  Saving you £-2.87 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based freely on the classic novels by C. Forester, Hornblower is a series of TV films following the progress of a young officer through the ranks of the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The series greatest asset is the handsome and charismatic Ioan Gruffudd in the lead role, surely a major star in the making. For television films the production values are very good, though as Titanic, Waterworld and The Perfect Storm demonstrated, filming an aquatic adventure is a very expensive business, and it is clear that the Hornblower dramas simply make the best of comparatively small budgets. No more faithful to Forester's books than the 1951 Gregory Peck classic Captain Horatio Hornblower, the real inspiration seems to have come from the success of Sharpe, starring Sean Bean, which likewise featured a British hero in the Napoleonic Wars. Nevertheless, while rather more easy going than the real British navy of the time, the Hornblower saga delivers an entertaining adventure, greatly enhanced by the presence of such guest stars as Denis Lawson, Cheri Lunghi, Ronald Pickup and Anthony Sher.--Gary S Dalkin