"Actor: El Anthony"

• Previn: A Streetcar Named Desire | DVD | (28/02/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  André Previn's first opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, is an intelligent adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play, written to be performed by two very strong principals. Renée Fleming's performance as Blanche Dubois is one of the best things she has done, full of a dangerous bravado and a vulnerability that wins us despite our irritation. The role is one which gives her voice ample opportunity both for extended displays of controlled, passionate singing and for those moments when singing by itself is enough and the voice has to break off in sorrow or madness. Rodney Gilfrey as Stanley Kowalski is equally fine--his voice has the right dangerous energy. In the important subsidiary roles of Stella and Mitch, Elizabeth Futral and Anthony Dean Griffey are also remarkable. Futral in particular gives a total performance in which we forget to make a distinction between her acting and her singing. The opera itself is, as you would expect, one of the most accessible new scores to arrive on the opera stage for some years, drawing heavily on the legacy of jazz and with that nervous musical intensity we associate with the play. Previn conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra effectively. A complete CD recording with the same cast is also available.On the DVD: The DVD comes with menus in English, French, German and Spanish and sub-titles in French and German. It is presented in 4:3 ratio and with PCM stereo sound. The booklet gives a moderately interesting account of the opera's genesis. --Roz Kaveney

• The Internecine Project | DVD | (25/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Internecine Project is a fantastic conspiracy-thriller based on the novel by Mort W. Elkind and starring the late James Coburn. Former secret agent Robert Elliot is to be promoted as a personal advisor to the President of the USA. However there are people who know of the corruption in his past life. His solution to the problem is to have them assassinated...

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Series 2 (Standard plastic case packaging) | DVD | (01/06/2004) from £24.28   |  Saving you £10.71 (30.60%)   |  RRP £34.99

  **** Product Details TBC ****

• My Girl / My Girl 2 | DVD | (15/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  Doubling My Girl with its sequel makes sense since they tell a two-part tale. In the first film, 11-year-old Vada Sultenfuss (astounding newcomer Anna Chlumsky) lives with her widowed father, a distracted tuba-playing mortician (Dan Aykroyd). Rather understandably Vada is confused and disturbed about the nature of death. In her narration to camera we learn what it feels like to be a girl growing up in Pennsylvania in the early 1970s, as her father become involved with make-up artist Jamie Lee Curtis. Macaulay Culkin (in a performance reminding us that once there was a good child actor behind the name) is the best friend who assists her rite of passage. Jumping forwards two years into the sequel, My Girl 2, Culkin is replaced by Austin O'Brien. Now 13 and with a baby on the way in the Aykroyd /Jamie Lee Curtis home, Vada's growing-up continues further afield. She investigates the life of her mother in an attempt to understand her own. Los Angeles becomes the backdrop as she deals with the inevitable problems of puberty. Ultimately this is the story of a teenager's grounding in the ways of the world told simply and with charm. On the DVD: My Girl/My Girl 2 on disc sadly has no extras beyond a trailer for each film. It's also a shame the 1.85:1 transfer remains grainy for both. At least the three-channel surround picks out the period songs nicely. --Paul Tonks

• The Lord of the Rings -- Limited Edition Box Set | DVD | (26/11/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is a bold, colourful, ambitious failure. Severely truncated, this two-hour version tackles only about half the story, climaxing with the battle of Helm's Deep and leaving poor Frodo and Sam still stuck on the borders of Mordor with Gollum. Allegedly, the director ran out of money and was unable to complete the project. As far as the film does go, however, it is a generally successful attempt at rendering Tolkien's landscapes of the imagination. Bakshi's animation uses a blend of conventional drawing and rotoscoped (traced) animated movements from live-action footage. The latter is at least in part a money-saving device, but it does succeed in lending some depth and a sense of otherworldly menace to the Black Riders and hordes of Orcs: Frodo's encounter at the ford of Rivendell, for example, is one of the film's best scenes thanks to this mixture of animation techniques. Backdrops are detailed and well conceived, and all the main characters are strongly drawn. Among a good cast, John Hurt (Aragorn) and C3PO himself, Anthony Daniels (Legolas), provide sterling voice characterisation, while Peter Woodthorpe gives what is surely the definitive Gollum (he revived his portrayal a couple of years later for BBC Radio's exhaustive 13-hour dramatisation). The film's other outstanding virtue is avant-garde composer Leonard Rosenman's magnificent score in which chaotic musical fragments gradually coalesce to produce the triumphant march theme that closes the picture. None of which makes up for the incompleteness of the movie, nor the severe abridging of the story actually filmed. Add to that some oddities--such as intermittently referring to Saruman as "Aruman"--and the final verdict must be that this is a brave yet ultimately unsatisfying work, noteworthy as the first attempt at transferring Tolkien to the big screen but one whose virtues are overshadowed by incompleteness. --Mark Walker

• A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints | DVD | (13/04/2009) from £5.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (166.95%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Robert Downey Jr stars in this coming-of-age drama about a boy growing up in Astoria, N.Y., during the 1980s.

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Series 4 (Standard plastic case packaging) | DVD | (01/06/2004) from £14.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (133.42%)   |  RRP £34.99

  In its fourth series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer had to change its formula radically. Two major characters--the vampire-with-a-soul Angel and Cordelia, the queen bitch of Sunnydale High--had gone off to be in their own show, Angel, and soon after the start of the year Willow's werewolf boyfriend Oz left when Seth Green needed to concentrate on his film career. Buffy and Willow started college, where they met new characters such as Riley, the All-American Boy with a double life, and Tara, the sweet stuttering witch; but Xander and Giles found themselves at something of a loose end. Several characters were subjected to the radical re-envisioning possible in a show that deals with the supernatural: the blond vampire Spike came back and soon found himself with an inhibitor chip in his head, forced into reluctant alliance with Buffy; the former vengeance demon Anya became passionately smitten with Xander. Not all fans were happy with the central story arc about the sinister Dr Walsh (Lindsay Crouse) and her Frankensteinian creation Adam, though Crouse's performance was memorable. The strength of Series 4 was perhaps most in impressive stand-alone episodes such as the silent "Hush", the multiple dream sequence "Restless" and the passionate, moving "New Moon Rising", in which Oz returns, apparently cured, only to find that Willow is no longer waiting for him. This was one of the high points of the show as a vehicle for intense acting, perhaps only equalled by "Who Are You?", in which the evil slayer Faith takes over Buffy's body and Sarah Michelle Gellar gets to play the bad girl for once. --Roz Kaveney

• Foyle's War - Series 1-4 Complete Boxed Set | DVD | (10/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £99.99

  Michael Kitchen stars as the enigmatic Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle who longs to join the war effort but is left frustrated when his application for transfer is refused. To his surprise however he finds the turmoil of conflict means his skills are in demand on the home front. As WW2 rages over Europe one man fights his own battle against murder mystery and betrayal on the south coast of England - in Foyle's War. Episodes Comprise: 1. The German Woman 2. The White Feather 3. A Lesson in Murder 4. Eagle Day 5. Fifty Ships 6. Among the Few 7. War Games 8. The Funk Hole 9. The French Drop 10. Enemy Fire 11. They Fought In the Fields 12. War of Nerves 13. Invasion 14. Bad Blood 15. Bleak Midwinter 16. Casualties Of War

• The Small Back Room | DVD | (31/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Adapted from Nigel Balchin's famous novel about a military bomb disposal expert 'The Small Back Room' traces the struggles of Sammy Rice a crippled neurotic scientist. Sammy plagued by feelings of inferiority because of his lameness labours to solve the problem of a new type enemy bomb that is causing many casualties. When a close friend and collegue is killed attempting to dismantle one of the bombs Sammy is forced to face his demons take his life in his hands and prove his worth; to the military and himself...

• Enemy At The Door - Series 1 - Complete | DVD | (28/04/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  The only piece of British soil to be occupied by the Germans during World War II the Channel Islands are the setting for Enemy at the Door - a gripping and sometimes harrowing account of the Islanders living under German rule. The series starred Alfred Burke as Major Richter Bernard Horsfall as Dr. Philip Martel and Simon Cadell as SS Hauptsturmfhrer Reinicke. Episodes Comprise: By Order of the Fuhrer The Librarian After The Ball Steel Hand from the Sea The Laws and Usages of War V for Victory The Polish Affaire Officers of the Law Jerry Bag Treason Pains and Penalties The Prussian Officer The Judgement of Solomon

• Night And The City | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Producer-turned-director Irwin Winkler crafted this 1992 remake of Jules Dassin's 1950 film noir Night and the City, the tale of a small-time hustler in London who gets in over his head. Winkler's version is set in New York and stars Robert De Niro as a shyster lawyer who decides to get even with a boxing promoter (Alan King) who bests him in court. A couple of innocents are talked into helping the cause, notably the brother (Jack Warden) of De Niro's enemy and a barmaid (Jessica Lange) who agrees to finance the operation. Everything goes south, plunging the hero into prospects of real disaster. The film is far from an exemplary, contemporary noir, but its outstanding cast, with no shortage of charisma and dynamics, keeps things terribly interesting. So does the funny but terse script by Richard Price (Clockers), who also has a cameo as a doctor. Winkler's sensibilities as a tasteful and intelligent producer still get in the way of his daring as a director, but he does leave us with much to be satisfied about.--Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Das Labor des Grauens | Blu Ray | (03/11/2023) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Requiem For A Dream & Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow (2 Disc) | DVD | (02/04/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Narracted by Robert Downey Jr. It'll Be Better Tomorrow is a harrowing and engaging exploration of the life and art of Hubert Selby Jr. a self described 'scream looking for a mouth!' Selby overcame incredible odds to become one of the 20th Century's most celebrated and controversial authors by writing some of the most remarkable and distinctive books ever! Featuring archival material and new interviews this sharp penetrating documentary includes rare footage of Selby reflecting on his life and work along with contributions from: Lou Reed Ellen Burstyn Jared Leto Darren Aronofsky Uli Edel Nicolas Winding Refn Henry Rollins Jerry Stahl Richard Price Gilbert Sorrentino Anthony Kiedis Michael Silverblatt and others! Requiem For A Dream follows the blighted lives of four Coney Islanders; a lonely widowed mother (Academy Award Winner Ellen Burstyn) her son Harry (Jared Leto) his beautiful girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans). The film is a hypnotic tale of four human beings each pursuing their vision of happiness. Even as everything begins to fall apart they refuse to let go plummeting with their dreams into a nightmarish gut-wrenching freefall.

• Papillon / Midnight Express / Missing | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Papillon (Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner 1973): They called him Papillon meaning butterfly. If only he had wings to go with the name. Unable to fly Henri Charriere virtually willed himself free. He persisted until he did the impossible: escape Devil's Island. Based on Charriere's bestseller and shot in Spain and Jamaica Franklin J. Schaffner's film of Papillon united two stars at key career junctions. After a decade of fine work in The Great Escape The Sand Pebbles and Bullitt Steve McQueen found in Charriere another ideal tough-guy role. Coming off The Graduate Midnight Cowboy and Little Big Man Dustin Hoffman again distinguished himself as Dega Charriere's scruffy friend. Midnight Express (Dir. Alan Parker 1973): Brad Davis and John Hurt star in this riveting true story of a young American's nightmarish experiences in a Turkish prison and his unforgettable journey to freedom. Busted for attempting to smuggle hashish out of Istanbul American College student Billy Hayes (Davis) is thrown into the city's most brutal jail. After suffering through four years of sadistic torture and inhuman conditions Billy is about to be released when his parole is denied. Only his inner courage and the support of a fellow inmate (Hurt) give him the strength to catch the Midnight Express (prison code for escape). Missing (Dir. Costa Gavras 1982): Director Constantin Costa-Gavras made his English-language film debut with this political thriller based on a true story. Although the nation depicted is never named directly the action clearly takes place in Chile after the military coup. Missing centers around the disappearance of Charles Horman (John Shea) an American expatriate who lives with his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) in South America. One night armed soldiers enter their home and drag him away. In desperation Beth decides to contact Charles's father Ed (Jack Lemon) and ask for help. In contrast to his left-wing daughter-in-law Ed is staunchly patriotic. But as he gets the runaround from both American and Chilean officials Ed receives a cold hard lesson in political reality... and learns some ugly truths about US involvement in Latin America.

• Act of Piracy | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A large motor yacht becomes the focal point in this action tale when a group of mercenaries decide to capture the vessel. The original owner who was delivering it to Sydney Australia is believed dead but is in fact very much alive and determined to recover the yacht...

• Notorious | Blu Ray | (22/06/2009) from £11.91   |  Saving you £16.07 (180.16%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The tragic story of Christopher Wallace - a young man who would go on to take the R&B world by storm under the alias of The Notorious B.I.G.

• Foyle's War 1942-1945 | DVD | (18/08/2014) from £20.93   |  Saving you £26.06 (55.50%)   |  RRP £46.99

  This powerful 10 story collection features the dramatic tales of Foyle's War recounting Foyle's encounters with crime at home from 1942 to 1945. Michael Kitchen stars as the thoughtful and enigmatic Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle. With the Second World War at its height the social fabric of this once quiet coastal community finds itself equally under attack. Foyle becomes immersed in investigations which explore the violence and opportunism that the conflict has fostered on the home front. Episodes Comprise: Series 4 Invasion Bad Blood Bleak Midwinter Casualties of War Series 5 Plan of Attack Broken Souls All Clear Series 6 The Russian House Killing Time The Hide Special Features: The Making of Foyle's War Behind the Scenes documentary Production Notes Picture Galleries

• The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor | Blu Ray | (29/01/2018) from £7.20   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Brendan Fraser and Jet Li star in the action-packed adventure The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor! When a 2,000-year-old curse is broken, a ruthless dragon emperor (Jet Li) comes back to life with a diabolical plan to enslave the world. Mankind's only hope against him and his legions of undead warriors lies with the courageous O'Connell family, who chase him from the dangerous catacombs of China, to the icy Himalayas and beyond. Featuring intense battle sequences, breathtaking visual effects and extraordinary creatures, it's a thrilling journey that Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times calls the best in the series! Bonus Features Feature Commentary Know Your Mummy Creating New And Supernatural Worlds Preparing For Battle With Brendan Fraser and Jet Li Legacy Of The Terra Cotta, And More!

• Django - Den Colt an der Kehle - Mediabook - Cover B (+ DVD) | Blu Ray | (23/09/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Callan - Series 1 - Part 2 Of 3 - Episodes 4 - 6 | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Introduced in "A Magnum for Schneider", the hour-long 1967 Armchair Theatre episode written by James Mitchell about a disillusioned British secret agent Callan (Edward Woodward), went on to offer four popular (if downbeat) series, a spin-off movie remaking the original story and a some-years-later wrap-up play "Wet Job". Remembered for its very distinctive opening titles, with a swinging broken light bulb and a memorable theme tune, the series adopted a Deighton-LeCarré approach to the grim, treacherous, grubby business of Cold War espionage and made a TV star of the intense Woodward as the sweaty, sometimes conscience-stricken, sometimes robotic Callan. Even in the 21st century this still seems a strong show, its complex stories and impressive performances outweighing a low-budget mix of video and film in the production that makes it seem less "professional" than other shows of the time. In a dramatic device that has long since fallen out of fashion in television, Callan episodes tend to wind up by leaving the audience to work out all the connections of the plot while Callan himself sits gloomily and ponders the wretchedness of his squalid world. --Kim Newman