"Actor: Eric Young"

• Monty Python's Life Of Brian | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £5.32   |  Saving you £7.67 (144.17%)   |  RRP £12.99

  There is not a single joke, sight-gag or one-liner in Monty Python's Life of Brian that will not forever burn itself into the viewer's memory as being just as funny as it is possible to be, but--extraordinarily--almost every indestructibly hilarious scene also serves a dual purpose, making this one of the most consistently sustained film satires ever made. Like all great satire, the Pythons not only attack and vilify their targets (the bigotry and hypocrisy of organised religion and politics) supremely well, they also propose an alternative: be an individual, think for yourself, don't be led by others. "You've all got to work it out for yourselves", cries Brian in a key moment. "Yes, we've all got to work it our for ourselves", the crowd reply en masse. Two thousand years later, in a world still blighted by religious zealots, Brian's is still a lone voice crying in the wilderness. Aside from being a neat spoof on the Hollywood epic, it's also almost incidentally one of the most realistic on-screen depictions of the ancient world--instead of treating their characters as posturing historical stereotypes, the Pythons realised what no sword 'n' sandal epic ever has: that people are all the same, no matter what period of history they live in. People always have and always will bicker, lie, cheat, swear, conceal cowardice with bravado (like Reg, leader of the People's Front of Judea), abuse power (like Pontius Pilate), blindly follow the latest fads and giggle at silly things ("Biggus Dickus"). In the end, Life of Brian teaches us that the only way for a despairing individual to cope in a world of idiocy and hypocrisy is to always look on the bright side of life. On the DVD: Life of Brian returns to Region 2 DVD in a decent widescreen anamorphic print with Dolby 5.1 sound--neither are exactly revelatory, but at least it's an improvement on the previous release, which was, shockingly, pan & scan. The 50-minute BBC documentary, "The Pythons", was filmed mainly on location in 1979 and isn't especially remarkable or insightful (a new retrospective would have been appreciated). There are trailers for this movie, as well as Holy Grail plus three other non-Python movies. There's no commentary track, sadly. --Mark Walker

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- Two-disc set | DVD | (04/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The second best comedy ever made, Monty Python and the Holy Grail must give precedence only to the same team's masterpiece, The Life of Brian (1979). Even though most of this film's set-pieces are now indelibly inscribed in every Python fan's psyche, as if by magic they never seem to pall. And they remain endlessly, joyfully quotable: from the Black Knight ("It's just a flesh wound"), to the constitutional peasants ("Come and see the violence inherent in the system!") and the taunting French soldier ("Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"). Not forgetting of course the migratory habits of European and African swallows... The film's mock-Arthurian narrative provides a sturdy framework for the jokes, and the authentic-looking production design is relentlessly and gloriously dirty. The miniscule budget turns out to be one of the film's greatest assets: Can't afford horses? Use coconuts instead. No money for special effects? Let Terry Gilliam animate. And so on, from Camelot ("it's only a model") to the rampaging killer rabbit glove puppet. True it's let down a little by a rushed ending, and the jokes lack the sting of Life of Brian's sharply observed satire, but Holy Grail is still timeless comedy that's surely destined for immortality. On the DVD: Disc One contains a digitally remastered anamorphic (16:9) print of the film--which is still a little grainy, but a big improvement on previous video releases--with a splendidly remixed Dolby 5.1 soundtrack (plus an added 24 seconds of self-referential humour "absolutely free"!). There are two commentaries, one with the two Terrys, co-directors Jones and Gilliam, the other a splicing together of three separate commentaries by Michael Palin, John Cleese (in waspish, nit-picking mood) and Eric Idle. A "Follow the Killer Rabbit" feature provides access either to the Accountant's invoices or Gilliam's conceptual sketches. Subtitle options allow you to read the screenplay or watch with spookily appropriate captions from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. The second disc has lots more material, much of it very silly and inconsequential (an educational film on coconuts, the Camelot song in Lego and so on), plus a long-ish documentary from 2001 in which Palin and Jones revisit Doune Castle, Glencoe and other Scottish locations. Perhaps best of all, though, are the two scenes from the Japanese version with English subtitles, in which we see the search for the Holy sake cup, and the Ni-saying Knights who want... bonsai! --Mark Walker

• Monty Python And The Holy Grail (Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition) | DVD | (09/10/2006) from £7.55   |  Saving you £17.44 (230.99%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Yoiks! Here be the Python's tale of good King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights as they quest for the Holy Grail. Watch as they face great odds and silly sods. See them wage battle against the fierce Killer Rabbit (""Run Away! Run Away!"") and (oh horrors!) see them confront the dreaded Knights Who Say ""Ni!"". Oh these be trying times. Can these good knights pass the test of valour and cut down yon tree with herring? Or will they blow themselves to smithereens with the Holy H

• The Last Waltz (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray Edition | Blu Ray | (22/06/2020) from £13.09   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Perhaps the greatest rock documentary ever made, Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz captures what was advertised as legendary rock group The Band's final farewell concert appearance. Joined on stage by more than a dozen special guests, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Muddy Waters and Joni Mitchell, The Last Waltz started as a concert, but it became a celebration. Interspersed with candid discussions between director Scorsese and members of The Band, The Last Waltz has been called the greatest rock concert movie ever made - and maybe the best rock movie, period, and The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this iconic documentary on Blu-ray. And remember, This film should be played loud! Special Features: 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray PCM 5.1 Audio Optional English SDH subtitles Audio Commentary by director Martin Scorsese and Musician Robbie Robertson Audio Commentary by The Band members Levon Helm and Garth Hudson, journalists Jay Cocks and Greil Marcus, creative consultant Mardik Martin, producers Jonathan Taplin and Steven Prince, Cameraman Michael Chapman, Music Producer John Simon, Irwin Winkler and performers Mavis Staples, Dr. John and Ronnie Hawkins (includes optional subtitles identifying who is talking) Revisiting The Last Waltz [22 mins] Archival Outtakes Stills gallery PLUS: A collector's booklet including essays and archival writing on the film

• Glory | DVD | (19/06/2000) from £7.25   |  Saving you £12.74 (175.72%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The negroes fought gallantly and were headed by as brave a Colonel as ever lived", was one Confederate soldier's eyewitness verdict on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers immediately after 247 of their 600-man regiment had fallen in bloody swathes beneath the withering fire from Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina in 1863. Glory is their story: the mustering of the first black regiment in the US Army, their battles with the Southerners as well as with the Northern military authorities, and their own moment of glory when they paid a terrible price for the opportunity to demonstrate to the world their courage. In telling this little-known story, director Ed Zwick single-handedly changed perceptions of the American Civil War: when a Grand Review of the Armies was held in Washington at the end of the war, none of the almost 180,000 coloured troops who fought for the Union were present; when that parade was restaged in 1990 a year after the movie was released, the 54th Massachusetts re-enactors were at the front of the procession. Zwick's stirring, factually accurate account is greatly enhanced by obsessive period detail and frighteningly realistic battle reconstructions (which were not to be surpassed in scale until 1993's Gettysburg). But Zwick also illuminates individual characters in the regiment with great sensitivity. As crucial as the military set-pieces are the scenes of the men together: talking in the tent or baring their souls in song. Denzel Washington, as the embittered ex-slave, gives a performance of real depth; he richly deserved his Oscar win for the heartbreaking flogging scene alone. Morgan Freeman brings great gravitas to his paternalistic role, and Matthew Broderick's idealistic Colonel Shaw is the centre around which the story revolves. With a clutch of remarkable lead performances, a sensitive and touching script, one of James Horner's finest musical scores, and a director with both the vision and heart to pull it off it's easy to agree with the backcover blurb: "Glory is one of the greatest war movies ever made". Without even a hint of hyperbole, it undoubtedly is. On the DVD: This is a superb looking (anamorphic) and sounding (Dolby 5.1) print, and the disc has some excellent additional features. Ed Zwick's commentary is insightful and extremely detailed: here's a director who obviously cares deeply about this movie. Of the three featurettes, one is a short-ish promo piece but the other two are genuinely impressive: there's a 20-minute "Making of" feature with major contributions from Zwick, Freeman and Broderick, and best of all a 45-minute "The True Story Continues" feature narrated by Freeman which tells the complete story of the 54th Massachusetts from beginning to end using footage from the movie as well as archive material and film of battle re-enactments. Also included are two deleted scenes, although a third scene which was shot for the movie but not used (the Frederick Douglass' speech) crops up in the "True Story" piece. James Horner's emotive score gets an isolated track all to itself and there are also some filmographies and trailers. All in all, this is a superb DVD. --Mark Walker

• Invasion | DVD | (03/11/2014) from £6.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (42.92%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on a story by Doctor Who legend Robert Holmes Public Eye creator Roger Marshall scripts this cult sci-fi thriller from Merton Park studios. Starring Edward Judd – memorably powerful in The Day the Earth Caught Fire - actor/writer Lyndon Brook and oriental beauty Yoko Tani this brilliantly entertaining gem from 1965 is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Lawrence Blackburn driving home in thick fog brakes violently and swerves as a man of strange appearance suddenly looms into view. The stranger is knocked down and bundling the body into his car Blackburn takes him to his local hospital. Medical tests discover something extraordinary: the victim's blood is unidentifiable and he has a radio-opaque disc in his brain. Upon regaining consciousness he explains that he was escorting two prisoners from the planet Lystria when he crash-landed on Earth and his prisoners escaped. But the terrifying truth is that he is a murderer and his two female guards are now on his trail... Special Features: Image Gallery Original Promotional Materials PDFs

• Fear X | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £9.30   |  Saving you £9.68 (153.41%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Security guard Harry Caine (Turturro) is desperately searching for a reason behind the murder of his wife. He spends his nights watching CCTV footage to find a face that might give him a clue. His walls are plastered with 'suspects' but when he closes in on one who might be the killer his world is turned upside down once again...

• Live Aid | DVD | (08/11/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The greatest show on earth and a gargantuan humanitarian effort to help those starving in Africa Live Aid took place on July 13th 1985 and brought together some of the biggest music stars of all time! ""Twenty years ago they not only played 'real good for free ' they took an issue that was nowhere on the agenda of the political world and placed it at the very top "" says concert organizer Bob Geldof. ""By buying the Live Aid DVD that day continues far off into some distant but hopeful

• Monty Python's Life Of Brian | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £5.02   |  Saving you £14.97 (298.21%)   |  RRP £19.99

  That rarest of rare treasures, Monty Python's Life of Brian is both achingly funny and seriously satirical without ever allowing one to overbalance the other. There is not a single joke, sight gag or one-liner that will not forever burn itself into the viewer's memory as being just as funny as it is possible to be, but, extraordinarily, almost every line and every indestructibly hilarious scene also serves a dual purpose, making this one of the most consistently sustained film satires ever made. Like all great satire, the Pythons not only attack and vilify their targets (the bigotry and hypocrisy of organised religion and politics) supremely well, they also propose an alternative: be an individual, think for yourself, don't be led by others. "You've all got to work it out for yourselves", cries Brian in a key moment. "Yes, we've all got to work it our for ourselves", the crowd reply en masse, "Tell us more". Two thousand years later, in a world still blighted by religious zealots, Brian's is still a lone voice crying in the wilderness. Aside from being a neat spoof on the Hollywood epic, it's also almost incidentally one of the most realistic on-screen depictions of the ancient world--instead of treating their characters as posturing historical stereotypes, the Pythons realised what no sword 'n' sandal epic ever has: that people are all the same, no matter what period of history they live in. People always have and always will bicker, lie, cheat, swear, conceal cowardice with bravado (like Reg, leader of the People's Front of Judea), abuse power (like Pontius Pilate), blindly follow the latest fads and giggle at silly things ("Biggus Dickus"). In the end, Life of Brian teaches us that the only way for a despairing individual to cope in a world of idiocy and hypocrisy is to always look on the bright side of life. --Mark Walker

• The Prince's Trust Rock Gala - Vol. 1 | DVD | (05/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  God Save The Queen ; Big Country - In The Big Country ; Suzanne Vega - Marlene On The Wall ; Level 42 - Hot Water ; Elton John - Your Song ; Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight ; Tina Turner - Better Be Good To Me ; Eric Clapton And Tina Turner - Tearing Us Apart ; Midge Ure - Call Of The Wild ; Mark Knopfler and Sting - Money For Nothing ; Paul Young - Every Time You Go Away ; Joan Armatrading - Reach Out ; Howard Jones - No One Is To Blame ; Rod Stewart - Sailing ; Elton John - I'm Still Standing ; Paul Young And George Michael - Every Time You Go Away ; Paul McCartney And Ensemble - Long Tall Sally ; Paul McCartney And Ensemble - Get Back.

• Monty Python: The Movies (Box Set) | DVD | (16/02/2004) from £28.95   |  Saving you £11.04 (38.13%)   |  RRP £39.99

  This Monty Python Movie Box Set contains all four Python movies: And Now for Something Completely Different (1971), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)--the two-disc set--Monty Python's Life of Brian--including a 50-minute documentary--and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

• The Last Waltz | Blu Ray | (12/11/2018) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eureka Entertainment to release THE LAST WALTZ, Martin Scorsese's legendary rock documentary featuring some of the world's greatest musicians, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as a part of The Masters of Cinemas Series from 12 November 2018, presented with a Limited Edition Hardbound Case and a 100-page perfect bound collector's book [3000 copies only]. Perhaps the greatest rock documentary ever made, Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz captures what was advertised as legendary rock group The Band's final farewell concert appearance. Joined on stage by more than a dozen special guests, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Muddy Waters and Joni Mitchell, The Last Waltz started as a concert, but it became a celebration. Interspersed with candid discussions between director Scorsese and members of The Band, The Last Waltz has been called the greatest rock concert movie ever made - and maybe the best rock movie, period, and The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this iconic documentary on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. And remember, This film should be played loud! Features: Limited Edition Hardbound Case 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray PCM 5.1 Audio Optional English SDH subtitles Audio Commentary by director Martin Scorsese and Musician Robbie Robertson Audio Commentary by The Band members Levon Helm and Garth Hudson, journalists Jay Cocks and Greil Marcus, creative consultant Mardik Martin, producers Jonathan Taplin and Steven Prince, Cameraman Michael Chapman, Music Producer John Simon, Irwin Winkler and performers Mavis Staples, Dr. John and Ronnie Hawkins (includes optional subtitles identifying who is talking) Revisiting The Last Waltz [22 mins] Archival Outtakes Stills gallery PLUS: A 100-PAGE perfect bound collector's book including writing on the film by Adam Batty, Greil Marcus and Robbie Robertson; an abundance of extremely rare archival imagery; extensive notes, storyboards and sketches from the film's production [Limited Edition Exclusive]

• Chopper | DVD | (14/10/2002) from £4.94   |  Saving you £1.05 (21.26%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Based on the true-life story of one of Australia's most notorious criminals

• Monty Python Movies Box Set | DVD | (10/04/2017) from £29.99   |  Saving you £-14.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Monty Python goes to the movies in this DVD boxset packed with three of their classic cinematic adventures. Enjoy ˜And Now For Something Completely Different', ˜Monty Python and the Holy Grail' and ˜Life of Brian'. And Now For Something Completely Different Monty Python's Flying Circus is regarded as a milestone In British Comedy, This, their first feature film, is an anthology of the funniest sketches from the legendary BBC television series. Pick one of your favourites from among many, including the famous Say No More, Nudge, Nudge sequence, the Hell's Grannies and The Dead Parrot. Monty Python and the Holy Grail After a chance meeting with a rather irate God, King Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table are set the sacred task of retrieving the all powerful Holy Grail. On their long quest they encounter a number of terrifying hazards the taunts of the abusive French Knight, disgruntled peasants, the Knights who say ˜Ni' and the deadly rabbit with the big pointy teeth. (Double Disc Set) Life of Brian The Pythons deliver a scathing, anarchic satire of both religion and Hollywood's depiction of all things biblical with their third film. The setting is Judea 33 A.D., a time of poverty and chaos, with no shortage of messiahs, followers willing to believe in them, and exasperated Romans trying to impose some order. (Double Disc Set)

• Path To War | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £15.17   |  Saving you £-9.18 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  As the successor to a martyred president Lyndon B. Johnson sought to transform America into a 'Great Society' of equal opportunity. Instead he became the symbol for the most unpopular war in U.S. history. Michael Gambon (as President Johnson) Donald Sutherland (as Clark Gifford) and Alec Baldwin (as Robert McNamara) star in a compelling drama of soaring ambition and shattered dreams set inside the LBJ White House in the volatile years leading up to and during Vietnam. This HBO production was decorated director John Frankenheimer's final film.

• Monty Python And The Holy Grail | UMD | (31/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

• Bloodwork | DVD | (17/03/2014) from £6.31   |  Saving you £6.68 (51.40%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Best friends Rob and Greg decide to earn a little extra cash over the Christmas holidays by participating in a two week pharmaceutical trial. Locked in a remote hospital facility they find themselves being subjected to a bizarre series of tests that seem to induce an increasingly violent reaction in a lot of the participants. As the doctors start to lose control it becomes clear that the drugs have increasingly dangerous side effects and no one involved in the trial will be safe for long.

• The Pope Of Greenwich Village | DVD | (06/05/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Set among the Italian-American community of Manhattan and adapted by Vincent Patrick from his own novel, 1984's The Pope of Greenwich Village just about gets by on its charm. It stars Mickey Rourke as Charlie, a small-time grafter who is on the point of making his big move and breakaway. Unfortunately, the pull of family ties means that he's hampered by his cousin Paulie (Eric Roberts), an ambitious and excitable idiot who manages to cock up absolutely everything he turns his hand to, bringing down Charlie with him every time. After he gets the pair of them sacked from a restaurant, Paulie helps set up a safecracking deal with older hand Kenneth MacMillan. Trouble is, they’re robbing the local mafia boss. Rourke and Roberts' relationship is modelled closely on that of Harvey Keitel and Robert DeNiro in Scorcese's Mean Streets, only without quite the same harrowing consequences. This being the 1980s there's much De Niro-esque methodology, which generally consists of repeating lines at least twice ("Fix your tie! Fix your tie!"). The element of improv sees the film veer off course occasionally, while Darryl Hannah is her usual oddly semi-detached self in the role of Rourke's girlfriend. However, it's Roberts' performance as the exasperating and energetic Paulie which carries the film, with solid support from numerous Goodfellas and Sopranos regulars. On the DVD: The Pope of Greenwich Village arrives on disc in a decent enough but hardly pristine print. The sole extra is the original trailer, which means the only real benefit of acquiring this on DVD is storage convenience. --David Stubbs

• Torch Song Trilogy | DVD | (16/07/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Harvey Fierstein recreates his role as the unsinkable Arnold Beckoff in this film adaptation of the smash Broadway play. Both funny and poignant. Torch Song Trilogy chronicles a New Yorker's search for love respect and tradition in a world that seems not especially made for him. Armed with a keenly developed sense of humour and piercing wit. Arnold tests commonly accepted terms of endearment and confirms that happiness is well worth carrying a torch for.

• MONTY PYTHON: DAS LEBEN DES BR | Blu Ray | (22/11/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A