"Actor: Hardy"

• Farscape 1.3 | DVD | (10/07/2000) from £9.98   |  Saving you £15.01 (60.10%)   |  RRP £24.99

  An international co-production of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Australia's Channel 9 and Hallmark Entertainment, Farscape is genre television at its most ambitious, inspired both by the cult appeal of Babylon 5 and the continuing success of the Star Trek franchise. Making extensive use of CGI, prosthetics and state-of-the-art puppetry, Farscape takes a visual leap beyond previous shows. Admittedly, the basic premise may be borrowed from Buck Rogers (American astronaut catapulted to far-flung galaxy populated by strange aliens), while the crew have something of Blake's 7 about them (a motley bunch of escaped convicts pursued by a relentless foe), and ideas such as the living ship are borrowed from Babylon 5, but the Farscape concept has a freshness that makes it look and feel completely original. The production design is all bio-mechanical curves and the script never takes itself too seriously (fart jokes and double-entendres pop up when you least expect them). It must have been expensive to make, but it certainly looks (and sounds-in Dolby Digital 5.1) as if every penny made it to the screen. In true Buck Rogers style, Ben Browder plays leading man John Crichton as an all-American astronaut, although with a more believable sense of bewilderment; the supporting cast is a mixture of Australian and British actors, mostly disguised under heavy make-up.There are five more episodes from Season One on this third DVD box set. "They've Got a Secret" has D'Argo being accidentally ejected into space, as a result of which, secrets of his imprisonment are revealed. "Till the Blood Runs Clear" finds Crichton and Aeryn confronting bounty-hunters. In "The Flax", the crew get all tangled up with some Zenetan pirates. Blue-skinned Delvian priestess Zhaan meets more of her kind in "Rhapsody in Blue", but madness is the result. Finally, "Jeremiah Crichton" finds our human hero stranded on an earthly paradise where no machines will function; falling in love is just the beginning of his troubles.On the DVD: Special features here are a gallery of conceptual art and another star profile, this time of Anthony Simcoe's Luxan warrior character, D'Argo. --Mark Walker

• Scenes Of A Sexual Nature | DVD | (03/05/2010) from £6.73   |  Saving you £3.26 (48.44%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Sex and love. Some seek it, some need it, some spurn it and some pay for it, but we're all involved in it.

• The Inside Man | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  A scientist invents a device that can detect submerged submarines but when thieves break into the lab and steal it the government suspects an inside job and no one is safe...

• Farscape 2.5 | DVD | (22/10/2001) from £14.80   |  Saving you £10.19 (68.85%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The second season of Farscape expands upon and develops the characters introduced in the ambitious first season. John Crichton's new nemesis is the deadly Scorpius, replacing Crais who has taken the living ship Moya's offspring on a voyage into the unknown. Moya's regular crew--Aeryn, Zhaan, Chiana, D'Argo and Rygel--remain as divided and suspicious of each other as ever, yet somehow manage to pull together at times of crisis. The writers continue to exploit the show's gift for surprising as well as emotionally convincing character development, while the CGI effects, prosthetics and state-of-the-art puppetry--courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop--continue to make Farscape the most original-looking sci-fi show on TV. The witty scripts, peppered with post-modern pop culture references and film in-jokes, are also a breath of fresh air. The result is episodic TV sci-fi that continually pushes at the accepted boundaries of the genre. --Mark Walker

• Farscape 4.4 | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The fourth volume of Farscape's fourth (and final) series does all those things that the later stages of any season should do: individual episodes play interesting games with how we think television works, while the tension of the overall story arc builds and builds. Of the individual episodes here, "Mental as Anything" is an ensemble piece for the male members of Moya's crew: D'Argo's back-story gets some sort of resolution and Scorpius puts John Crichton through hell for the best of reasons. "Bringing Home the Beacon" is rather more fun-- the women of Moya frustrate a Sebacean/Scarren peace treaty--but ends in stark tragedy. In "Constellation of Doubt", Moya picks up, and the crew obsessionally watch, a documentary from American television about their recent visit to earth: Crichton gets to see human paranoia and wishful thinking through cold, intelligent alien eyes. Finally, in "Prayer", Aeryn suffers terribly at the hands of her Scarren captors and Crichton makes a devil's bargain with Scorpius to save her. By this point the season is building to the surprises of its last episodes: Farscape was about to be cancelled, but it never lost its edge. On the DVDs: Farscape, Series 4 Vol. 4 includes a dictionary of alien slang and technical terms with illustrative clips from the show, as well as text files on the villainous Peacekeepers Braca and Grayza. The high point of the extras, though, is an interview with the wonderfully flakey Gigi Edgeley (Chiana) and a lot of deleted scenes from "Constellation of Doubt", with footage of Chiana, Aeryn and Noranti interacting with Crichton's family in bizarre and touching ways. --Roz Kaveney

• James Dean - The Rare Movies | DVD | (17/03/2003) from £17.98   |  Saving you £-4.99 (-38.40%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In some ways, calling this collection James Dean: The Rare Movies is a little misleading. After all, the "all-purpose delinquent"--as described in David Dalton's fascinating booklet notes--made only three feature films and, in true iconic style, died a youthful, violent death. Yet the collection works somewhat on an ironic level. The 1950s was a decade in which television established itself as the biggest threat to the cinematic medium, and this is a selection of some of the television dramas and commercials that Dean made on his way up to Hollywood stardom, presented with the same introductions and sponsors' messages of the original transmissions. So how good was he at the beginning? All the raw material was there: the restless misfit, the damaged juvenile and the complex punk. In 1954's "I am a Fool" he stars with Natalie Wood in what turned out to be a rehearsal for Rebel Without a Cause on the big screen. At times he moves with an almost balletic grace, at others he twitches with that awkwardness that still leaves new generations of fans totally enthralled. Television was never going to contain him. This is like watching history in the making and is all the more compelling because we know the tragedy that lay but a short way ahead. On the DVD: It scarcely matters that these television dramas and commercials are presented in 4:3 format. The picture quality is inevitably poor and the sound rough, sometimes to the point of inaudibility. Made in television's explosive adolescence, they were never intended to be monuments to technological brilliance. We're just lucky they've survived at all. The track selection offers a maze-like array of choices for you to skip between films, introductions and commercial breaks and occasionally this can be confusing. A chronology on the DVD itself would have helped.--Piers Ford

• TNA Turning Point 2012 | DVD | (25/03/2013) from £18.88   |  Saving you £-3.89 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

• Farscape 4.5 | DVD | (25/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  This last ever sequence of Farscape episodes is as effective and powerful a climax as those of earlier seasons. The three-parter "We're So Screwed" (a title censored by the BBC in the UK) starts with "Fetal Attraction", in which the crew of Moya attempt to rescue the pregnant Aeryn Sun from her Scarren captors and end up starting a dangerous epidemic on a space station. They get Aeryn back and lose Scorpius; in "Hot to Katratzi", the necessity of saving his worst enemy--who just knows too much to be left a captive--forces John Crichton to gate-crash the Sebacean-Scarren peace conference and bluff his way to success. Seemingly betrayed by Scorpius, John snatches victory in "La Bomba", striking another deadly blow against the Scarren empire. The title of the last episode "Bad Timing" refers both to the show's cancellation--the cast and crew felt real bitterness towards the SciFi Channel over this--and to the cliff-hanger ending; the crew of Moya have to prevent a Scarren ship finding its way through the worm-hole to Earth. Farscape was perhaps the best ever television space opera and certainly the most sexy, stylish, funny and dramatic; it will be greatly missed. On the DVD: Farscape, Series 4 Part 5 presents the shows in 16:9 format with impressively loud Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The special features include a documentary about the cancellation of Farscape, in which the cast talk about their shock and grief and fans talk about the "Save Farscape" campaign. There are a couple of extended versions of scenes from these episodes and an extensive blooper reel, much of it hilarious. Also included is an illustrated glossary of terms from the Uncharted Territories and a collection of interesting facts about these last four episodes. --Roz Kaveney

• The Laurel And Hardy Collection - Utopia | DVD | (27/09/1999) from £8.17   |  Saving you £7.81 (150.77%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In this their last film together Stan and Ollie fly to London for the reading of a Stan’s late uncle’s will. After all Stan’s uncle’s cash is used to pay the solicitors death duties and tax the only thing left are a yacht and South Sea Island! At the docks they take receipt if their yacht and also a displaced seaman and a stowaway. Together the four set sail but are shipwrecked on an atoll during a storm. There they meet singer Cherie L’amour who is es

• Laurel And Hardy Collection | DVD | (14/11/2005) from £26.98   |  Saving you £13.01 (32.50%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The Bohemian Girl (Dirs. James W. Horne & Charley Rogers 1936): In this film Laurel & Hardy play a couple of gypsies who spend most of their time playing ""fingers"" and picking pockets. Laurel & Hardy's Laughing 20's (Dir. Robert Youngson 1965): This documentary renewed an interest in Laurel & Hardy and led to a revival in television showings of their classic comedy shorts. The Flying Deuces (Dir. A. Edward Sutherland 1939): Ollie's broken heart lands Laurel &

• Farscape 3.5 | DVD | (16/09/2002) from £15.98   |  Saving you £9.01 (36.10%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The final four episodes of Farscape's remarkable third season prove conclusively that this is the show's best and bravest year to date. Powerful issues of love, loyalty and sacrifice remain to be resolved, but after enduring a vertiginous emotional roller-coaster ride in recent episodes, Moya's reunited crew have no time to recuperate as Crichton determinedly calls them to arms for their sternest challenge yet. Scorpius and his Wormhole research must be destroyed at any price. Thus the scene is set to conclude the series' biggest story arc in a climactic confrontation aboard the Peacekeeper Command Carrier. In "I-Yensch, You-Yensch" the plan is set in motion, as a canny Rygel bargains with Scorpius and gains his grudging respect during an unexpected and tragi-comic heist by two murderously incompetent criminals. Then the two-parter "Into the Lion's Den" takes everyone onto the Command Carrier, where Aeryn is confronted by her past, Crichton's subconscious finally releases its Wormhole secrets, and Crais persuades Talyn to do something extraordinarily noble. By the end, it's hard not to sympathise with poor put-upon Scorpius. In the final episode, "Dog with Two Bones", Moya's crew seem finally free to go their separate ways as a mysterious refugee helps Crichton confront his worst fears about Aeryn. Emotions reach a climax and remain tantalisingly unresolved at the cliffhanger ending. On the DVD: Farscape, Volume 3.5 carries all the usual gallery of extra features--including deleted scenes, "Info-Pods" on Rygel, Crais and Scorpius, "Farscape Facts", trailers and stills--plus of course four uncut episodes. --Mark Walker

• Twelve | DVD | (27/09/2010) from £6.46   |  Saving you £6.53 (50.30%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Twelve

• Farscape 3.2 | DVD | (06/05/2002) from £12.97   |  Saving you £15.01 (150.40%)   |  RRP £24.99

  With the third season well under way, it's clear that Farscape has developed into a grown-up show. There's a new self-confidence and a new maturity here that's entirely welcome after the often wildly erratic tone of the second season. The production design and high-quality effects work remain true to the show's original quirky style, although both the look and the more adult-themed scripts have become progressively darker. This second box set of Season 3 features five of the nastiest, most shocking and incident-packed episodes to date. Things start badly when psychotic madman Kaarvok kills D'Argo and Chiana and sucks out their brains. Only later do we discover he's "twinned" them when the same fate befalls Crichton--though both Crichton "twins" survive. Life just gets more and more complicated thereafter. Crichton twin 1 stays on Moya with D'Argo, Chiana and Jool, while Crichton twin 2 transfers to Talyn with Aeryn, Crais, Rygel and Stark. Talyn is being pursued by a Peacekeeper retrieval squad led by Aeryn's mum, Xhalax Sun, and is then swallowed by a Budong (in the Ben Browder-penned episode "Green-Eyed Monster") before Mrs Sun catches up with her daughter and pals. Back on Moya a mysterious "Energy Rider" possesses the crew in turn. Meanwhile on Talyn, Aeryn and Crichton twin 2 have been blissfully having sex, while Crais lusts vainly for Aeryn. Just wait until Scorpius gets involved. On the DVD: This box set contains the usual "Info Pods" and other extras, plus the first Region 2 commentary, for the episode "Relativity", with actor Lani Tupu and director Peter Andrikidis; it's a shame that they don't have a lot to say. --Mark Walker

• Laurel & Hardy Double DVD Box Set Containing - STAN The acclaimed BBC drama telling the story of one of the greatest comedy duos of all time.... Laurel & Hardy & The Laurel & Hardy Anthology | DVD | (29/10/2012) from £15.98   |  Saving you £7.00 (53.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  StanBased on the Neil Brand's critically acclaimed radio play of the same name, this BBC drama tells the story of the world's greatest comedy double act, Laurel and Hardy – how they met, worked together and remained close friends. Jim Norton (Father Ted) stars as the Stan Laurel, who somewhat reluctantly goes to visit his friend and long-time collaborator Oliver Hardy (Mike Goodenough) on his death bed in 1957. The story reflects the lives and work of Stan and Ollie in a series of flashbacks, and portrays the conversation between the two men as they bid their final farewells after a lifetime of sharing the world's spotlight. Making over 100 films together Laurel - Hardy remain one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of all time. This fascinating drama from the BBC is a must for all their fans. Laurel and Hardy AnthologyLaurel and Hardy were hailed as ...the greatest comedy duo of all time... Now over a century since their last film, 'Utopia', they are still held in high esteem by critics and the public alike. This programme is an affectionate look back at this amazing acts career, from their early black and white silent film days through the Hal Roach era, to their hugely successful British tours and beyond. Generously laced with hilarious clips from the cream of Laurel and Hardy’s films as well as original colour film footage from the U.S. government promotional films, this programme also includes rare newsreel interviews and chronicles their amazing success all around the world.

• Battle of Neretva | DVD | (07/06/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In 1943 Hitler orders the final destruction of the Yugoslav Partisans. The Partisans and thousands of refugees begin a trek northward to the Bosnian Mountains; their goal is to cross the treacherous Neretva gorge over the one remaining bridge in order to get to safety. Their trip is fraught with danger every step of the way and they have to face German tanks Italian infantry Chetnik Cavalry strafing airplanes disease and natural elements. Only if they survive this can they can in peace.

• The Laurel & Hardy Collection 8 DVD Set | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Laurel and Hardy are widely regarded as the finest comedy duo of all time. The on screen chemistry they achieved ensured that their reputation lasted unlike many of their contemporaries the comedy of Laurel and Hardy is timeless and as fresh and comical today as when they were first made.

• The Stan And Ollie Collection - Utopia | DVD | (19/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  Stan and Ollie inherit a yacht along with a small island. They set sail accompanied by a stateless refugee and a stowaway. A violent storm causes our heroes to crash on their island. Together they decide to create their own republic. All goes well untill uranium is discovered... and the island is bombarded with money-hungry adventurers.

• Laurel And Hardy - Crime And Punishment Collection | DVD | (02/06/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This box set features the classic Laurel and Hardy comedies! Laurel And Hardy And The Law More Brushes With The Law Pardon Us Blackmail

• The Stan And Ollie Collection - Kill Or Cure / This Is Your Life / Tree In A Test Tube | DVD | (19/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £10.99

  Kill Or Cure: Stan's selling a combination of furniture polish auto cleaner and heath tonic. With a mixture like that Stan can't stay out of trouble for long. Stan tries the hard sell routine and gets himself into some real tonic trouble. This Is Your Life: Stan and Ollie receive the ultimate accolade by appearing on the world famous TV show This Is Your Life. Tree In A Test Tube: Stan and Ollie star in this short information film promoting the use of wood pr

• Laurel & Hardy 3 Disc Box Set | DVD | (05/04/2010) from £13.48   |  Saving you £-3.49 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Titles Comprise Laurel & Hardy - Flying Deuces Stan and Ollie join the Foreign Legion so that Ollie can forget an unhappy romance. As luck would have it they become involved in attempting to smooth out the messy love affair between an officer and his fianc''e. After being in the Legion for as long as they can take it they want their normal lives back. Ollie insists on their release just as they realise they're going to be shot at sunrise for their rebelliousness. The pair attempt an escape via aeroplane. Lots of laughs nostalgia and action-packed stunts take place including a dance routine to 'Shine on Harvest Moon'. Laurel & Hardy - Utopia In Utopia the last film Laurel and Hardy made together Stan and Ollie fly to London for the reading of Stan's late uncle's will. After Stan's uncle's cash is used to pay the solicitors death duties and tax the only things left are a yacht--and a South Sea island. At the docks the duo get their new boat along with a displaced sailor and a stowaway. Together the four set sail but are soon shipwrecked on an atoll during a storm. There they meet a French singer who is escaping her fiancee. When her annoying husband-to-be turns up unexpectedly he discovers the area to be rich in uranium and soon everyone the land. Hilarious hijinks ensue... Laurel & Hardy - March of the Wooden Soldiers In March Of The Wooden Soldiers Stanley Dum (Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (Oliver Hardy) are well-meaning but clueless toymakers in Toyland. They misinterpret an order from Santa Claus for 600 one-foot high toy soldiers producing with 100 six-foot high soldiers instead. But their toy army comes in handy when the evil Barnaby (Henry Brandon) and his furry Bogeymen invade Toyland and capture Mother Peep's daughter Bo (Charlotte Henry). Then it's Stanley and Ollie to the rescue in this Laurel and Hardy classic not to be missed.