"Actor: Harold Goodwin"

• The Bridge On The River Kwai | DVD | (04/12/2000) from £4.65   |  Saving you £18.34 (394.41%)   |  RRP £22.99

  Based on the true story of the building of a bridge on the Burma railway by British prisoners-of-war held under a savage Japanese regime in World War II, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is one of the greatest war films ever made. The film received seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Performance (Alex Guinness), for Sir Malcolm Arnold's superb music, and for the screenplay from the novel by Pierre Boulle (who also wrote Monkey Planet, the inspiration for Planet of the Apes). The story does take considerable liberties with history, including the addition of an American saboteur played by William Holden, and an entirely fictitious but superbly constructed and thrilling finale. Made on a vast scale, the film reinvented the war movie as something truly epic, establishing the cinematic beachhead for The Longest Day (1962), Patton (1970) and A Bridge Too Far (1977). It also proved a turning-point in director David Lean's career. Before he made such classic but conventionally scaled films as In Which We Serve (1942) and Hobson's Choice (1953). Afterwards there would only be four more films, but their names are Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Dr Zhivago (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970) and A Passage to India (1984). On the DVD: Too often the best extras come attached to films that don't really warrant them. Not so here, where a truly great film has been given the attention it deserves. The first disc presents the film in the original extra-wide CinemaScope ratio of 2.55:1, in an anamorphically enhanced transfer which does maximum justice to the film's superb cinematography. The sound has been transferred from the original six-track magnetic elements into 5.1 Dolby Digital and far surpasses what many would expect from a 1950s' feature. The main bonus on the first disc is an isolated presentation of Malcolm Arnold's great Oscar-winning music score, in addition to which there is a trivia game, and maps and historical information linked to appropriate clips. The second disc contains a new, specially produced 53-minute "making of" documentary featuring many of those involved in the production of the movie. This gives a rich insight into the physical problems of making such a complex epic on location in Ceylon. Also included are the original trailer and two short promotional films from the time of release, one of which is narrated by star William Holden. Finally there is an "appreciation" by director John Milius, an extensive archive of movie posters and artwork, and a booklet that reproduces the text of the film's original 1957 brochure. --Gary S Dalkin

• That's My Boy: The Complete Series | DVD | (05/03/2018) from £17.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Sitcom legend Mollie Sugden stars as Ida Willis, a fear-inspiring housekeeper who finds herself in an unexpected situation when her domestic agency sends her to work for Robert Price, a handsome doctor, and his model wife, Angie: once installed in the couple's London flat, she realises that Robert is, in fact, the son she gave up for adoption as a baby! Once she's over the shock, Ida starts to make her maternal presence felt, giving Robert's adoptive mother some unwelcome competition and ensuring that life will never be the same again for the Prices... Devised and scripted by You're Only Young Twice creators Pam Valentine and Michael Ashton, That's My Boy was an enduring success for Yorkshire Television, running for five series and two Christmas specials. Featuring guest turns from Victor Maddern, Deryck Guyler, Duncan Preston, Carol Hawkins and Kenneth Connor, among others, this set contains every episode made.

• Quatermass and The Pit | Blu Ray | (12/11/2018) from £13.55   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Andre Morell stars as Professor Bernard Quatermass in this landmark television classic. Now available on Blu-Ray for the very first time, in a brand new high-definition remaster from the original film elements. When a strange capsule is unearthed at an archaeological excavation in London, an unexploded bomb is initially suspected. However, with a history of supernatural events in the area going back many centuries and with events at the dig site about to take an unexpectedly alien turn, the origins of the capsule are soon revealed to be far more distant than anyone could have imagined. When the capsule is finally opened, something is unleashed upon the streets of London that nobody can control and mankind's past and future collide with devastating consequences. Includes an 8-page collectors booklet SPECIAL FEATURES: Brand new commentaries featuring members of the original cast and crew. Presented by Toby Hadoke. A newly compiled photo gallery, including images of a number of previously unreleased images from the show's original production. A complication of alternate title sequences from the BBC Archives. Making Demons visual effects featurette. Archive documentary content, covering the 1958 production.

• Buster Keaton - College / Steamboat Bill Jr. / Three Ages | DVD | (13/02/2006) from £14.99   |  Saving you £15.00 (100.07%)   |  RRP £29.99

  College: Coming hard on the heels of Keaton's comic masterpiece 'The General' this was a relaxing romp in both setting and approach after the exacting precision of the American Civil War comic-drama. (Dir. James W. Horne 1927) Steamboat Bill Jr.: Steamboat Bill is William Canfield (Ernest Torrence) the larger-than-life owner of the stern-wheeler 'Stonewall Jackson' which he has operated for many years with his first (and only) mate played by Tom Lewis. Almost the e

• That's My Boy - The Complete Fourth Series | DVD | (04/07/2011) from £20.98   |  Saving you £-6.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Sitcom legend Mollie Sugden (Are You Being Served?) stars as Ida Willis, a fear-inspiring housekeeper who finds herself in a rather unusual situation when she goes to work for doctor Robert Price and his model wife, Angie: having moved into the couple’s London flat, she gradually realises that Robert is, in fact, the son she gave up for adoption as a baby. Once she’s got over the shock, Ida starts to make her maternal presence felt, and Robert’s adoptive mother finds that she suddenly has some very unwelcome competition... Written by Pam Valentine and Michael Ashton (You’re Only Young Twice), That’s My Boy was a long-running success for Yorkshire Television. This release contains the complete fourth series, along with the 1984 Christmas Special.

• That's My Boy - The Complete Series 5 | DVD | (28/05/2012) from £8.55   |  Saving you £4.44 (51.93%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Sitcom legend Mollie Sugden (Are You Being Served?) stars as Ida Willis, a fear-inspiring housekeeper who's been unwittingly sent to work for the grown-up son she gave up for adoption as a baby. Since discovering that Dr. Robert Price is her boy, Ida's been making her maternal presence sharply felt, giving both Robert s model wife Angie and adoptive mother Mrs. Price a run for their money. Written by Pam Valentine and Michael Ashton (You're Only Young Twice), That's My Boy was a long-running hit for Yorkshire Television. In this fifth series, the ever-determined Ida attempts to stop the building of a bypass, copes with the sudden disappearance of her brother, Wilfred, and manages to disrupt Robert's talk to the Young Wives Group. Angie's new career in commercials also gets off to a bad start, and there's consternation for Robert when he sees the contents of Ida's medicine chest...

• The Cameraman (1928) (Criterion Collection) UK Only | Blu Ray | (20/07/2020) from £17.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  BUSTER KEATON (The General) is at the peak of his slapstick powers in The Cameramanthe first film that the silent-screen legend made after signing with MGM, and his last great masterpiece. The final work over which he maintained creative control, this clever farce is the culmination of an extraordinary, decadelong run that produced some of the most innovative and enduring comedies of all time. Keaton plays a hapless newsreel cameraman desperate to impress both his new employer and his winsome office crush as he zigzags up and down Manhattan hustling for a scoop. Along the way, he goes for a swim (and winds up soaked), becomes embroiled in a Chinatown Tong War, and teams up with a memorable monkey sidekick (the famous Josephine). The marvellously inventive film-within-a-film setup allows Keaton's imagination to run wild, yielding both sly insights into the travails of moviemaking and an emotional payoff of disarming poignancy. Special Features: New 4K digital restoration undertaken by the Cineteca di Bologna, the Criterion Collection, and Warner Bros. New score by composer Timothy Brock, conducted by Brock and performed by the orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in 2020, presented in uncompressed stereo on the Blu-ray Audio commentary from 2004 featuring Glenn Mitchell, author of AZ of Silent Film Comedy: An Illustrated Companion Spite Marriage (1929), Buster Keaton's next feature for MGM following The Cameraman, in a new 2K restoration, with a 2004 commentary by film historians John Bengtson and Jeffrey Vance Time Travelers, a new documentary by Daniel Raim featuring interviews with Bengtson and film historian Marc Wanamaker So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM, a 2004 documentary by film historians Kevin Brownlow and Christopher Bird New interview with James L. Neibaur, author of The Fall of Buster Keaton: His Films for MGM, Educational Pictures, and Columbia PLUS: An essay by film critic Imogen Sara Smith

• The Man In The White Suit | DVD | (21/06/2004) from £6.47   |  Saving you £7.52 (116.23%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Ealing Comedy--cosy, gentle and whimsical, right? In this case, think again. Alexander Mackendrick was always the most politically aware of the Ealing directors, and in The Man in the White Suit he takes the studio's favourite theme of the little man up against the system and gives it a sharp satirical twist. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness at his most unworldly), a maverick scientist working in a Northern textile mill, invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. He's hailed as a genius--until management and unions alike realise what his brainwave implies. Mackendrick's humour is exact and pointed, and the satire turns savage as a lynch mob of bosses and workers hunt Sidney down through dark narrow streets. Mackendrick's disenchanted view of hidebound, class-ridden British society still rings horribly true, and he draws note-perfect performances from the cream of British character actors: Cecil Parker as the liberal mill-owner (based it's said, on Ealing boss Michael Balcon); Ernest Thesiger as the evil old godfather of the industry; and, wittily sensual as Sidney's confidante, the ever-wonderful Joan Greenwood. Plus, listen out for the "voice" of Sidney's bizarre apparatus, the funniest and most unforgettable sound effect ever devised. --Philip Kemp

• The Prince And The Showgirl | DVD | (07/05/2001) from £6.33   |  Saving you £7.66 (121.01%)   |  RRP £13.99

  The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) was Marilyn Monroe's only British-made film and scores highly for curiosity value. There's something rather outrageous about this iconic American star playing a second-rate hoofer living in a theatrical boarding house in Brixton. Monroe herself is predictably good and touching as Elsie Marina, plucked from the chorus to entertain the Regent of Carpathia for the evening and ultimately smoothing his rough edges. There is, however, a rather uphill feeling all the way. The making of the movie was by all accounts a troubled experience for everybody concerned. Monroe, increasingly unreliable and exasperating, had an unsympathetic director in Laurence Olivier, also playing the Regent Charles, who hardly had the patience for a star of her mercurial talents with her own ideas of professional behaviour. His own performance as the Balkan royal is hammy and mannered and there isn't even a damp squib of sexual chemistry between them. Terence Rattigan's script, based on his successful play, is far too wordy and stage-bound. But somehow Monroe effervesces through all this adversity, aided considerably by British character actor Richard Wattis and the great Sybil Thorndyke, who became her ally during the difficult filming. Not vintage Marilyn but fascinating all the same, and she looks fantastic. On the DVD: The Prince and the Showgirl is presented in 4:3 with an occasionally muffled, apparently mono, soundtrack, giving this DVD a rather dusty quality which is in keeping with the vintage British 1950s production values. Extras include a cast list, original trailer and newsreel footage of the announcement that Marilyn was to make the film with Olivier, referred to at that stage as The Sleeping Prince. --Piers Ford

• The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb | DVD | (23/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  It's 1900 and a British archaeological expedition has discovered the secret chamber of the Egyptian Prince Ra. The team decide to bring home a whole host of artefacts including the mummified Prince. However the Prince isn't so happy about this and decides to wake up just as the team are about to unveil their find to the unsuspecting pubic...

• The Mummy | DVD | (11/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Three archaeologists searching for the 4 000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka among the ruins in Egypt are warned of grave consequences if they violate her tomb. Madness strikes one and as the others return to England with a mummy a series of murders take place as the mummy seeks a deadly revengre on those who desecrated the secret tomb...

• That's My Boy: The Complete First Series | DVD | (23/08/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  That's My Boy: Series 1

• Rogue's Rock - Series 1 | DVD | (21/09/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  If it's action and adventure you''re seeking set sail for Rogue's Rock - a tiny independent island off the British Coast. Rogue's Rock is run by Wing Commander Rogue ( Donald Hewlett) and his loyal friends including his faithful batman Hawkins (Harold Goodwin) dodgy shopkeeper Will Polberry (Royston Tickner) and Ilse (Katya Wyeth). The adventure begins when two strange Germans arrive on the island searching for the wreck of a fabulous treasure ship. Soon everyone on the island is caught up in a huge plot to seize the world's oil rigs and battling an evil Arab government for priceless treasure buried beneath the desert sands! This DVD features all six episodes of the exciting ITV children's adventure series first shown on British television between 6th November and 11th December 1974.

• Ealing Comedy DVD Collection - The Complete Set | DVD | (08/11/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  A collection of eight classic Ealing studio British comedies comprising: Hue And Cry: A group of criminals use a boy's paper as a means of messages and information. This ploy is discovered by a group of East End boys who take exception to the crooks use of their favourite read! Kind Hearts And Coronets: Sir Alec Guinness gives a virtuoso performance in his Ealing comedy debut playing all eight victims standing between a mass-murderer and his family fortune. Considered by some to be Ealing's most perfect achievement of all the Ealing films. The Ladykillers: Alexander Mackendrick's third Ealing farce is the final comedy produced by the famous British studio and one of its most celebrated. The Lavender Hill Mob: Mr. Holland (Alec Guinness) has supervised the bank's bullion run for years. He is fussy and unnecessarily overprotective but everyone knows he is absolutely trustworthy. And so on the day the bullion truck is robbed he is the last person to be suspected. But there is another side to Mr. Holland; he is also Dutch the leader of the Lavender Hill Mob. The Magnet Centred on Johnny Brent (James Fox) a boy who fleeces a younger child out of his beloved magnet. In its place he offers an 'invisible' timepiece and there begins the chain of chaos in which the young swindler absconds from his home with the mistaken belief that he has somehow caused the young child's death. Unbeknownst to him he has become the town hero and as the unsung victor remains on the run the community are left to make sense of the goings on from speculation and gossip... The Man In The White Suit: Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) works quietly at Michael Corland's textile mill until his mysterious costly lab experiment is discovered. sacked Stratton takes a menial job at Alan Brinley's mill in order to continue his work on the sly. When Daphne Corland's fianc''e and Birnley's daughter discovers his secret she threatens to expose Stratton. The desperate scientist reveals to Daphne that he has invented an indestructible cloth that never gets dirty... Passport To Pimlico: An archaic document found in a bombsite reveals that the London district of Pimlico has for centuries technically been part of France. The local residents embrace their new found continental status seeing it as a way to avoid the drabness austerity and rationing of post-war England. The authorities do not however share their enthusiasm... The Titfield Thunderbolt: When an antiquated railway line is threatened with closure the villagers decide to run it themselves and enter into frenzied competition with the local bus route with hilarious consequences!

• Quatermass And The Pit | DVD | (29/08/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  We have met the enemy, and it is us: when a Martian spacecraft with a terrifying link to the origins of humanity is unearthed beneath a London tube station, only the esteemed Professor Bernard Quatermass (a very British--and possibly mad--precursor to Mulder and Scully) can save London's suddenly murderous population from itself. One of the most intelligently paranoid science fiction films ever produced, this pessimistic masterpiece functions as a dark flip side to the relatively optimistic alien-induced evolution theory presented in the later 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nigel Kneale's brilliant script (which posits a surprisingly plausible, otherworldly rationale for the existence of the supernatural) was later appropriated by acknowledged fan John Carpenter for his underrated Prince of Darkness. A must-see for horror and science-fiction aficionados. --Andrew Wright, Amazon.com

• The Magnet | DVD | (12/07/2004) from £6.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (100.14%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A classic Ealing film of half-truths whispers and wild imaginations! Centred on Johnny Brent (James Fox) a boy who fleeces a younger child out of his beloved magnet. In its place he offers an 'invisible' timepiece and there begins the chain of chaos in which the young swindler absconds from his home with the mistaken belief that he has somehow caused the young child's death. Unbeknownst to him he has become the town hero and as the unsung victor remains on the run the community ar

• The Buster Keaton Collection | DVD | (08/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Buster Keaton's 1926 masterpiece The General shows the great stone-faced comedian at the height of his powers. Buster is a train driver from the South who's caught up in the American Civil War. The film is basically an extended chase, with trains pursuing each other up the track. The level of stuntwork (including a huge train wreck) has to be seen to be believed, but it's the deftness and elegance of Keaton's comedy that is ultimately most memorable. For many, Buster Keaton is the greatest comedian of the silent era rated even above Chaplin, and College (1927) is one of his finest films. A poor student who has to work his way through college, Buster is desperate to win the attention of a pretty girl so takes up sports. Through every disaster, the great "stone face" as he was nicknamed betrays not a flicker of emotion, enduring all humiliations with aplomb. College shows Keaton at the top of his form. Steamboat Bill Jr dates from 1928 and is the last great film Buster Keaton made before he gave up his independence. Buster is the rather fey son of an elderly steamboat owner who is being driven out of business by a wealthy competitor. More by accident than intention Buster turns things around and gets the girl as well. The last 15 minutes are truly astonishing: a storm sequence in which a whole town is blown apart, with Buster experiencing a series of amazing escapes as buildings fall down around his ears. Tragically, the following year he lost his independence when he signed for MGM. His career collapsed, his marriage broke up and he became an alcoholic, never to regain former glories. On the DVD: The organ music accompanying this silent feature is pleasantly unobtrusive, and apart from a short section in the middle where it deteriorates, the print quality is a reasonable 4.3. In addition there are five excellent Keaton shorts, One Week (1920), The Boat (1921) Cops (1922), The Blacksmith (1922) and The Balloonatic (1923). --Ed Buscombe

• College | DVD | (09/04/2001) from £9.94   |  Saving you £10.05 (101.11%)   |  RRP £19.99

  For many, Buster Keaton is the greatest comedian of the silent era rated even above Chaplin, and College (1927) is one of his finest films. A poor student who has to work his way through college, Buster is desperate to win the attention of a pretty girl and takes up sports. His attempt at the high jump is a classic piece of clowning, and as the cox in a boat race Buster displays his full genius for comic invention. Through every disaster, the great "stone face" as he was nicknamed betrays not a flicker of emotion, enduring all humiliations with aplomb. If not quite the equal of The Navigator (1924) or its immediate predecessor The General (1927), College shows Keaton at the top of his form. Tragically, the following year he lost his independence when he signed for MGM. His career collapsed, his marriage broke up and he became an alcoholic, never to regain former glories. On the DVD: The organ music accompanying this silent feature is pleasantly unobtrusive, and apart from a short section in the middle where it deteriorates, the print quality is reasonable. In addition there are two excellent Keaton shorts, One Week (1920) and The Blacksmith (1922).-- Ed Buscombe

• The Bulldog Breed | DVD | (12/11/2001) from £7.98   |  Saving you £2.01 (20.10%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Navy's newest recruit is Norman Puckle (Norman Wisdom). He's no ordinary sailor and that's just as well because he soon finds himself lined up for an extraordinary adventure. It is planned that the Navy will put a rocket into orbit and Norman is chosen to man it. Hilarious setbacks and chaos are Norman's constant companions as he undertakes the strenuous tests and training required. Eventually doubts arise as to whether the right person has been chosen but surely the whims of admirals and officers will not be enough to deny Norman his moment of glory!

• Romance in Manhattan | DVD | (17/05/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A