"Actor: George Memmoli"

• 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.

• Rocky | DVD | (01/02/2000) from £5.46   |  Saving you £12.53 (229.49%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The 1976 Oscar winner for Best Picture, John G Avildsen's Rocky is the story of a down-and-out club fighter who gets his million-to-one shot at a world championship title. In the title role, Sylvester Stallone (who also penned the screenplay) draws a carefully etched portrait of a loser who, in Brando-esque fashion, "coulda been a contender". Rocky then becomes one thanks to a publicity stunt engineered by current champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), while finding love courtesy of timid wallflower Adrienne (Talia Shire) along the way. Burgess Meredith revives the spirit of 1940's genre pictures through his scenery-chewing performance as Rocky's trainer. An enormous entertainment, Rocky is irresistible in its depiction of an underachiever who has the courage to start all over again--a description that could have been applied to Stallone's own life at the time. --Kevin Mulhall

• Phantom of the Paradise | Blu Ray | (24/02/2014) from £39.99   |  Saving you £-15.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Phantom Of The Paradise

• Mean Streets | DVD | (01/01/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Mean Streets heralded Martin Scorsese's arrival as a new filmmaking force - and marked his first historic teaming with Robert De Niro. It's a story Scorsese lived a semi-autobiographical tale of first-generation sons and daughters in New York's Little Italy. Harvey Keitel plays Charlie working his way up the ranks of a local mob. Amy Robinson is Teresa the girlfriend his family deems unsuitable because of her epilepsy. And in the starmaking role that won Best Supporting Actor Awards from the New York and National Society of Film Critics De Niro is Johnny Boy a small-time gambler in big-time debt to the loan sharks.

• The Sure Thing | DVD | (22/08/2005) from £14.98   |  Saving you £-4.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A sure thing comes once in a lifetime... but the real thing lasts forever. Rob Reiner directs this enchanting romantic comedy about a boy who wants a girl and a girl who wants a man. The boy is Gib (John Cusack) who is out to find 'The Sure Thing'. A no questions asked no strings attached no guilt involved 100% safe bet. The girl is Alison (Daphne Zuniga) who likes her men to be mature prefers an early night to a party and wants to go and see her tea drinking fiance. Thi

• New York, New York | DVD | (13/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The day WWII ends Jimmy (De Niro) a selfish and smooth-talking musician meets Francine (Minelli) a lounge singer. From that moment on their relationship grows into love as they struggle with their careers and aim for the top...

• Robert De Niro | DVD | (23/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Mean Streets: You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it on the streets... 'Mean Streets' heralded Martin Scorsese's arrival as a new filmmaking force - and marked his first historic teaming with Robert De Niro. It's a story Scorsese lived a semi-autobiographical tale of first-generation sons and daughters in New York's Little Italy. Harvey Keitel plays Charlie working his way up the ranks of a local mob. Amy Robinson is Teresa the girlfriend his family deems unsuitable because of her epilepsy. And in the starmaking role that won Best Supporting Actor Awards from the New York and National Society of Film Critics De Niro is Johnny Boy a small-time gambler in big-time debt to the loan sharks... (Dir. Martin Scorsese 1973) Taxi Driver: 'Taxi Driver' provoked fierce controversy when it was released running into censorship problems in America as some of the scenes of violence were described to be 'as gory as Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs' (Evening News '76). In addition there was outcry at a 13-year-old schoolgirl actress (Jodie Foster) co-starring as a prostitute. (Dir. Martin Scorsese 1976) Casino: Robert De Niro Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci star in Director Martin Scorsese's riveting look at how blind ambition white-hot passion and 24-carat greed toppled an empire. Las Vegas in 1973 is the setting for this fact-based story about the Mob's multi-million dollar casino operation - where fortunes and lives were made and lost with a roll of the dice... (Dir. Matin Scorsese 1995) Sleepers: To four boys growing up on the streets in the mid 1960s Hell's Kitchen was a place of innocence ruled by corruption. The infamous New York City neighbourhood that stretched north from 34th to 56th Street and pushed west from the 8th Avenue to the Hudson River was guided by both priest and gangsters. The children who grew up there shared joyful times but subscribed to a sacred social code-crimes against the neighbourhood were not permitted and when they did occur punishment was severe. Four friends made a mistake that changed their lives forever... (Dir. Barry Levinson 1996) Cape Fear: Sam Bowden has always provided for his family's future. But the past is coming back to haunt them. Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese brings heart - pounding suspense to one of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time. Fourteen years after being imprisoned vicious psychopath Max Cady [Robert De Niro] emerges with a single - minded mission to seek revenge on his attorney Sam Bowden [Nick Nolte]. Cady becomes a terrifying presence as he menancingly circles Bowden's increasingly unstable family. Realising he is legally powerless to protect his beautiful wife [Jessica Lange] and his troubled teenage daughter Danielle [Juliette Lewis] Sam resorts to unorthodox measures which lead to an unforgettable showdown on Cape Fear. Visually stunning images and brilliant performances from a talented cast highlight this roller-coaster ride through relentless psychological torment. (Dir. Martin Scorsese 1991)

• Rocky Anthology (Box Set) | DVD | (28/05/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The story of Rocky Balboa, as presented in this five-movie Rocky anthology, looks suspiciously like a barely fictional parallel to Sylvester Stallone's own career. Such a strong vein of autobiography is hardly surprising, really, since Stallone wrote all five movies and directed II, III and IV. The original was a feel-good patriotic update on the American Dream, mirroring Stallone's own journey as a lucky break drags a man from the gutter into stardom; Rocky II was the story of a man who is subsequently plagued by the need to prove that his first success wasn't a fluke, and represented Stallone's attempt to keep his career afloat amidst a sudden explosion of blockbuster movies and superstar actors; the third featured a rival to his position echoing the friendly battle kept up with Schwarzenegger for box-office dominance; Rocky IV appeared at the same time as Rambo: First Blood Part II and was a veritable shower of self-glorification; and the fifth entered old age as gracefully as it could with younger blood ready to pounce from all directions. Balboa may have been "a little punchy", but Stallone was clearly the brains behind the Rockymovies' success.On the DVD: For picture and sound, it's to the first disc connoisseurs should turn. Transfer and 5.1 soundtrack are a notch above instalments III and IV. Inexplicably, II and V are only in three-channel surround. Disc 1 is also the place for the extras. Although the others feature their own trailer and a half-heartedly animated menu, the first has a montage menu that matches the excellent packaging and links rather easily to a hidden feature ("Rocky Meets Stallone"). There's a fascinating 12-minute "behind the scenes" short with director John Avildsen showing fight test footage and two short tributes to the late Burgess Meredith and cinematographer James Crabe. The commentary might seem a little crowded, featuring Avildsen, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, Talia Shire, Burt Young and Carl Weathers. The best feature is a 30-minute interview with Stallone, who remembers writing from an 8x9 room in Philadelphia and being inspired by an Ali fight. There are confessions about injuries, casting and his dog Butkus! As a 25th Anniversary special edition, the first disc alone is excellent value. --Paul Tonks

• Rocky - Special Edition | DVD | (28/05/2001) from £9.35   |  Saving you £13.63 (214.31%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The 1976 Best Picture Award-winner Rocky has the look of a contemporary on-the-streets movie like Taxi Driver, but the heart of a fairytale. For the Bicentennial Year, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), a Muhammad Ali-like stars-and-stripes blowhard, cynically offers a title shot to an unknown over-the-hill Philadelphia club fighter, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Unlike the sequels, Rocky is a rare American sports movie to realise there's more drama and emotional resonance in losing than winning. The unique finale suggests that going the distance against the odds is more of a triumph than a conventional victory. Stallone, then an unknown as actor and writer, crafts the script to his own strengths--mumbling, Brando-like sincerity combined with explosive physicality expressed in his use of a side of beef as a punch-bag or wintery jogs around Philly. Surprisingly little of the film is taken up with ring action, as we follow Rocky's awkward courtship of pet-store minion Adrian (Talia Shire) and uneasy relationship with her slobbish brother (Burt Young), while Burgess Meredith provides the old pro licks as the curmudgeonly trainer. Though it led to a slick, steroid-fuelled franchise, it has a pleasing roughness, exemplified by the memorable funk/brass band score and the array of fidgety, credible method acting tics. On the DVD: 1.85:1 16x9 print, which represents the sometimes-slick, sometimes rough look of the cinematography; feature commentary with supporting cast and crew (Burt Young admits to rubbing vermouth into his neck to make himself repulsive), video interview with Stallone, a retrospective featurette (which includes news footage of the Ali fight that inspired the story), 8mm test fight footage with a flabbier Stallone, tributes to Burgess Meredith and cameraman James Crabe, trailers for Rocky and all the sequels (which makes a solid précis of the whole series). All this and a "special hidden feature" (a comic sketch with Sly meeting Rocky).--Kim Newman

• Phantom Of The Paradise | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The Phantom Of The Paradise boasts director Brian De Palma's trademark visual inventiveness and is an hilarious send-up of the glam rock era. Paul Williams wrote the acclaimed rock and roll score for this musical horror classic and stars as an evil record tycoon haunted and taunted by a disfigured composer he once wronged.

• Blue Collar | DVD | (06/02/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Whatever became of the American dream? In Blue Collar Paul Schrader's strong directorial debut three assembly-line auto workers (Richard Pryor in one of his only serious dramatic roles Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto) are equally angry and disenchanted at factory management and their own union. They are also as the film reveals in long detailed vignettes struggling just to make ends meet. As they ruminate together on their dead-end jobs and the fears of a de

• Bulletproof Monk / Kung Pow - Enter The Fist | DVD | (25/07/2005) from £14.25   |  Saving you £-1.26 (-9.70%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Bulletproof Monk (Dir. Paul Hunter 2003): 'Bulletproof Monk' begins in the 1940s as a Tibetan Buddhist monk charged with protecting an ancient scroll passes on his legacy to his pupil. As the student receives the power to safeguard the scroll his aging process is halted and he gives up his name only to be known as the Monk (Chow Yun-Fat). Suddenly the monastery is raided by Nazis led by the ruthless Strucker (Karl Roden). As they attempt to seize the relic the Monk is

• Phantom Of The Paradise | Blu Ray | (17/02/2014) from £10.99   |  Saving you £14.00 (127.39%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Brian De Palma's inspired rock 'n' roll fusion of Faust The Phantom of the Opera and The Picture of Dorian Gray boasts an Oscar-nominated score by Paul Williams who also stars as an evil record producer who not only steals the work of composer/performer Winslow Leach (William Finley) but gets him locked up in Sing Sing - and that's not the worst that happens to him along the way. Few revenge scenarios have ever been so amply justified but the film is also constantly aware of the satirical possibilities offered by the 1970s music industry exemplified by Gerrit Graham's hilariously camp glam-rock star. Jessica Harper (Suspiria) appears in her first major role as the naïve but ambitious singer on whom Winslow secretly dotes. Prodigiously inventive both musically and visually this is one of De Palm's most entertaining romps not least because it was so clearly a labour of love. Special Features: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the feature available in the UK for the first time! Uncompressed Stereo PCM / 4.0 DTS-HD Master Audio options Isolated Music and Effects soundtrack Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired Paradise Regained: A 50-minute documentary on the making of the film featuring director Brian De Palma producer Edward R. Pressman the late star William Finley star and composer Paul Williams co-stars Jessica Harper and Gerrit Graham and more! All new 72-minute interview with Paul Williams by Guillermo del Toro The Swan Song Fiasco: A new video piece exploring the changes made to the film in postproduction Archive interview with costume designer Rosanna Norton William Finley on the Phantom doll! Paradise Lost and Found: Alternate takes and bloopers from the cutting room floor Original Trailers Radio Spots Gallery of rare stills including behind-the-scenes images by photographer Randy Black Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Red Dress Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth and an exploration of the film's troubled marketing history by Ari Kahan curator of SwanArchives.org illustrated with original stills and promotional material