"Actor: Howard Caine"

• Watermelon Man (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (25/05/2020) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A bigoted, white salesman (played by stand-up comedian Godfrey Cambridge) wakes up one morning to find he has become black. Although it has been somewhat overshadowed by Melvin Van Peebles' next film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Watermelon Man has never felt more relevant than it does today. Extras High Definition presentation Introduction by Melvin Van Peebles (2004) The Guardian Interview with Melvin Van Peebles (1996): archival audio recording of the filmmaker and actor in conversation with broadcaster Darcus Howe at London's National Film Theatre Racquel Gates on ˜Watermelon Man' (2020): appreciation by the academic and author of Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Culture Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Sergio Mims, a 1970 profile of director Melvin Van Peebles, archival interviews with Van Peebles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits World premiere on Blu-ray Limited edition of 3,000 copies Extras subject to change

• Alvarez Kelly | DVD | (01/10/2001) from £6.78   |  Saving you £6.21 (91.59%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Alvarez Kelly (1966) doesn't really justify the description of "Western Classic" which Columbia Tristar attach to it, but it's a pleasant enough Western directed by Edward Dmytryk. The rather convoluted plot (adventurer plays one side off against the other on a cattle drive from Mexico during the Civil War) relies heavily on the charm of the two stars, William Holden and Richard Widmark, but the two prove as reliable as ever. There are some so-so action scenes, but it's the battle of wits between the two principals that supplies all the fireworks. By contrast Janice Rule is just adequate as the love interest. On the DVD: It's a good-looking DVD transfer, with a 1:2.35 aspect ratio and Dolby Digital sound. Subtitles are available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch and Polish with dubbing into French, German, Italian and Spanish. For extras there are trailers and some filmographies, so partial as to be not much use. --Ed Buscombe