"Actor: George Martin"

• Cool Hand Luke | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £5.86   |  Saving you £14.13 (241.13%)   |  RRP £19.99

  His crime: nonconformity. His sentence: the chain gang. Now you can own the Director's Cut of the 1967 classic Cool Hand Luke in which Paul Newman plays one of his best-loved roles as the loner who won't or can't conform to the arbitrary rules of his captivity. A cast of fine character actors including George Kennedy in his Academy Award-winning role of Dragline gives Newman solid support as fellow prisoners. And Strother Martin is the Captain who taunts Luke with the famous line '""What we've got here is...failure to communicate."" No failure here. With rich humour and vibrant storytelling power 'Cool Hand Luke' succeeds resoundingly.

• Nativity 4 Film Collection | DVD | (28/10/2019) from £16.69   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Nativity Rocks! returns to St Bernadette's Primary School as the staff and students work together to win the coveted prize of ˜Christmas Town of the Year' by performing a spectacular rock music-themed nativity. Celia Imrie reprises her role as headmistress Mrs Keen, starring alongside a host of British talent including Simon Lipkin, Daniel Boys, Helen George, Hugh Dennis, Anna Chancellor, Ruth Jones, Meera Syal, Bradley Walsh and Craig Revel Horwood.

• The Magnificent Seven Collection | DVD | (15/10/2001) from £12.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Magnificent Seven effortlessly turn samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa'sYojimbo became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars) and Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samuri was a natural for an American remake through this movie--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of 60s stardom: Steve McQueen, JamesCoburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum... followed by three inferior sequels, Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride!--Robert Horton, Amazon.com

• The Beatles : Anthology | DVD | (31/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £45.99

  The Beatles Anthology was initially broadcast as a TV miniseries to run alongside the series of three Anthology double-CD albums. This set of eight documentaries has the heft and scope of one of Ken Burns' expansive projects. Still, you may find yourself with more material--particularly about the Beatles' early lives as lads in Liverpool--than you'll want to watch. The documentary material is copious, including early performance films and tapes, at the point before they found their true voices. The actual Beatlemania years--beginning in 1963 and concluding in 1970--feature extensive performance films, as well as home movies and archival material. The best parts, of course, are the interviews with the Beatles themselves, who produced the entire thing. Along with reworking two previously unreleased John Lennon tracks as "new Beatles songs", the Anthology includes some unseen Lennon interview tapes so that his acerbic voice can be heard as well. This stands as a comprehensive document of that heady period, the second coming of rock & roll, as the Beatles took what Elvis had started and expanded upon it exponentially. This box set gives a solid sense of the historical context and the way these four musicians changed the world around them in the 1960s. --Marshall Fine

• Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.49   |  Saving you £5.50 (84.75%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey is ample proof that not all sequels suck. Sometimes they're even better than the original. It is the future. Society has at last solved all its major problems, thanks to amiable lunkheads Bill and Ted and the inspiring music of their band, Wyld Stallyns. Only one man is dissatisfied with the way things have turned out, the evil De Nomolos (Joss Ackland). In an effort to change the future, De Nomolos sends evil Bill and Ted robots back in time to prevent the real Bill and Ted from winning a pivotal Battle of the Bands. What follows is a spirited journey through the afterlife as Bill and Ted try to rescue their girlfriends, save the future, and, oh, yeah, learn how to play the guitar. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey swings easily between childish and clever humour, and is good at both: a Bergman reference is quickly followed by an equally funny bit about Death's stinky feet. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter seem happy to be reprising their roles and even manage to add funny spins on Evil Robot Bill and Ted. William Sadler very nearly steals the movie as Death, playing both his wounded dignity and budding desire to be funky to a T. As if that weren't enough, George Carlin returns as Rufus and Pam Grier does a cameo just for the hell of it. --Ali Davis, Amazon.com

• Criterion Collection: Stagecoach | Blu Ray | (25/05/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Mean Streets (Special Edition) | DVD | (02/02/2009) from £6.79   |  Saving you £11.20 (164.95%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A study of four young Italian-Americans and their involvement with the Mafia and local crooks.

• Firestarter | DVD | (30/01/2012) from £6.29   |  Saving you £-0.30 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Stephen King wasn't exactly in peak form when he wrote Firestarter, so this 1984 movie adaptation was at a disadvantage even before the cameras rolled. There were so many King movies being made at the time the weaknesses of this one became even more apparent. In her first film role after her memorable appearance in E.T., Drew Barrymore stars as a little girl whose parents acquired strange mental powers after participating in a secret government experiment. From this genetic background she has developed the mysterious ability to set anything on fire at will, especially when she's angry. That makes her very interesting to government officials seeking to exploit her skill as a secret weapon. Her father tries to protect her by using his powers of mind-control, while George C. Scott plays an Indian who believes the girl must be destroyed. There is a routine climax involving a lot of impressive pyrotechnics, but none of this is grounded in a dramatically solid foundation, and none of the characters are developed enough for us to care about them. Director Mark L. Lester, who the following year made Commando with Schwarzenegger, keeps the pace cracking along, but nevertheless the movie gradually turns into a laughable thriller with no suspense whatsoever. It's a movie only a pyromaniac could love. --Jeff ShannonOn the DVD: This is a largely no-frills presentation, albeit with a decent anamorphic print. The only extras are the original theatrical trailer and a nicely presented menu. A fold-out booklet has informative liner notes and a reproduction of the film poster.

• Cleopatra -- Three-Disc Special Edition | DVD | (15/04/2002) from £24.94   |  Saving you £0.05 (0.20%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Still the most expensive movie ever made, Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. It also scandalised the world with the very public affair of its two major stars, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But Joseph L Mankiewicz's 1963 epic deserves to be remembered for more than its off-screen troubles. An extravagantly elaborate production, the sets and costumes alone are awe-inspiring; Mankiewicz's own literate screenplay draws heavily on the classics and Shakespeare; while the supporting cast, led by Rex Harrison as Caesar and Roddy McDowall as his nephew (and future emperor) Octavian, are all first-rate thespians and generally put in more convincing performances than either of the two leads. Mankiewicz's original intention was to make two three-hour films: the first being Caesar and Cleopatra, the second Antony and Cleopatra. But before the film’s completion, and following a boardroom coup worthy of Ancient Rome itself, legendary mogul Darryl F Zanuck took back control of Fox and insisted that Cleopatra be cut to a more economical length. A heartbroken Mankiewicz was forced to trim his six-hour vision down to four. This was the "roadshow" version shown at the film’s premiere and now restored here for the first time. Then following adverse criticism and pressure from cinema chains Zanuck demanded more cuts, and the final released version ran a mere three hours--half the original length. Capitalising on the feverish publicity surrounding Burton and Taylor, the shortened version played up both their on- and off-screen romance. This longer four-hour roadshow version allows for a broader view of the film, adding some depth to the politics and manipulation of the characters. But the director’s original six-hour edit has been lost. Perhaps one day it will be rediscovered in the vaults and Mankiewicz’s much-maligned movie will finally be seen the way it was meant to be. Until then, Cleopatra remains an epic curiosity rather than the complete spectacle it should be. On the DVD: this handsome three-disc set spreads the restored four-hour print of the movie across two discs. The anamorphic widescreen print looks quite magnificent and Alex North’s wondrous score comes up like new in Dolby 5.1 sound. There’s a patchy and only intermittently revealing commentary from Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky. Much better is the comprehensive two-hour documentary that occupies disc three, which tells in hair-raising detail the extraordinary story of a film production that became totally out of control. This is accompanied by some short archival material, but the documentary alone is a compelling reason to acquire this set. --Mark Walker

• Breakfast At Tiffany's | DVD | (05/06/2006) from £6.50   |  Saving you £9.49 (59.30%)   |  RRP £15.99

• For The Boys | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £13.14   |  Saving you £2.84 (27.98%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Bette Midler poured her heart and soul into For the Boys, the story of a pair of entertainers who repeatedly took time from their careers to entertain US troops at war, from World War II to Vietnam--and it sank like a stone at the box office. Granted, it's corny and emotionally over the top. It is the tale of an unlikely team of singer and comedian (played by Midler and James Caan), who are brought together for a reunion show in their dotage. As they nervously anticipate seeing each other for the first time in years, they are flooded with memories of their earlier days as a hot show-biz couple whose own troubles always took second place to their patriotic urge to buoy the boys in uniform. Some say this was a veiled film version of the Martha Raye story; Midler gives it her all and Caan isn't bad. But director Mark Rydell lays on the schmaltz so thickly at times that it overpowers the tougher material. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com

• Village of the Damned / Children of the Damned | DVD | (01/06/2007) from £5.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (333.89%)   |  RRP £25.99

  This release contains two suspenseful horror films from the 1960s: VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED.

• Dying Young | DVD | (18/07/2005) from £13.14   |  Saving you £-0.15 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  She's giving him something nobody else could. A reason to live. With little money a poor education and no luck when it comes to love Hilary O'Neil (Roberts) answers a wanted ad and finds her whole world suddenly changed. Hired as the caretaker to a seriously ill young man (Scott) she unexpectedly discovers they have much in common even though he is wealthy and intelligent. Their growing friendship quietly develops into a deep and powerful romance that ultimately tests the

• Breakfast at Tiffany's / Roman Holiday - Double Pack | DVD | (28/02/2005) from £20.98   |  Saving you £-7.99 (-61.50%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Breakfast At Tiffany's: The names Audrey Hepburn and Holly Golightly have become synonymous since this dazzling romantic comedy was translated to the screen from Truman Capote's best-selling novella. Holly is a deliciously eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. George Peppard plays her nextdoor neighbour a writer who is 'sponsored' by wealthy Patricia Neal. Guessing who's the right man for Holly is easy. Seeing just how that romance blossoms is one of the enduring delights of this classic set to Henry Mancini's Oscar-winning score and the Oscar-winning Mancini/Johnny Mercer song 'Moon River'. Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck an American newspaperman who seeking an exclusive story pretends ignorance of her true identity. But his plan falters as they rapidly fall in love...

• My Name Is Lenny | DVD | (12/06/2017) from £5.19   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The life story of one of Britain's most notorious bare-knuckle fighters, Lenny McLean, also known as the Guv'nor.

• Love On The Dole | DVD | (09/02/2004) from £24.50   |  Saving you £-11.51 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A stylish British drama which studies love and life in a depressed industrial town in Northern England. Deborah Kerr stars in this vividly characterised story of a penniless family struggling through the depression years. Kerr is a mill girl in love with Evans who loses his job and refuses to marry her on ""dole money"". He is killed in a demonstration against conditions and unemployment so Kerr marries an old bookie she doesn't love in order to get jobs for her father and brother. Thi

• Hearts Of Darkness | Blu Ray | (09/01/2012) from £6.99   |  Saving you £13.00 (185.98%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In the late seventies celebrated director Francis Ford Coppola and his cast and crew ventured into the dense jungles of the Philippines to begin work on what would eventually become his masterpiece, ApocalypseNow. But the journey from page to screen soon spiralled into a hellish, life-threatening nightmare that echoed the film’s narrative. Plagued with adversity, one of the most influential films ever made had one of the most notorious shoots in cinema history that few survived unscathed. Compiled from rare on set footage filmed by Coppola’s wife Eleanor and interviews with the cast, Hearts Of Darkness is the ultimate feature-length documentary, capturing the explosive events that lead to Apocalypse Now becoming an acknowledged classic.

• Barney's Great Adventure - The Movie | DVD | (26/08/2002) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-10.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Barney stars in his first movie which sees Mom and Dad leaving the children at home to be looked after by Grandpa and Grandma. A shooting star delivers a colourful egg and the children go off in search of it...

• Quiz Show | DVD | (08/04/2002) from £5.38   |  Saving you £9.61 (178.62%)   |  RRP £14.99

  This vigorously entertaining film, sharply directed by Robert Redford fr om Paul Attanasio's brilliant screenplay, is based on the game-show scandals of the 1950s, when TV quiz shows were rigged to attract higher ratings and lucrative sponsorships. The fact-based story focuses on the quiz show Twenty-One and popular contestant Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), a charming, well-bred intellectual who agreed to win the game by using answers supplied by the show's producers. This unfair advantage turned Van Doren into a prototypical media darling at the expense of reigning Twenty-One champion Herbie Stempel (John Turturro, in a bravura performance), a working-class Jewish contestant who, according to the show's sponsors, had worn out his welcome in the public eye. When a congressional investigator (Rob Morrow) catches on to the scam and Stempel blows the whistle on this backstage manipulation, Quiz Show becomes a smart, political exposè about the first generation of television, the corrupting effect of celebrity and success, and the ongoing loss of innocence in American society. Bristling with superior dialogue and energized by an excellent cast including Paul Scofield as Van Doren's morally upstanding father, Quiz Show succeeds as history lesson, intelligent thriller, and morality tale, setting the stage for the countless scandals that would follow in a nation addicted to television. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Breakfast At Tiffany's | DVD | (06/11/2000) from £4.79   |  Saving you £11.20 (233.82%)   |  RRP £15.99

  No film better utilises Audrey Hepburn's flighty charm and svelte beauty than this romantic adaptation of Truman Capote's novella. Hepburn's urban sophisticate Holly Golightly, an enchanting neurotic living off the gifts of gentlemen, is a bewitching figure in designer dresses and costume jewellery. George Peppard is her upstairs neighbour, a struggling writer and "kept" man financed by a steely older woman (Patricia Neal). His growing friendship with the lonely Holly soon turns to love and threatens the delicate balance of both of their compromised lives. Taking liberties with Capote's bittersweet story, director Blake Edwards and screenwriter George Axelrod turn New York into a city of lovers and create a poignant portrait of Holly, a frustrated romantic with a secret past and a hidden vulnerability. Composer Henry Mancini earned Oscars for the hit song "Moon River" and his tastefully romantic score. The only sour note in the whole film is Mickey Rooney's demeaning performance as the apartment's Japanese manager, an offensively overdone stereotype even in 1961. The rest of the film has weathered the decades well. Edwards's elegant yet light touch, Axelrod's generous screenplay and Hepburn's mix of knowing experience and naivety combine to create one of the great screen romances and a refined slice of high-society bohemian chic. --Sean Axmaker