"Actor: Ian B"

• Saturday Morning Pictures - The Best Of The Children's Film Foundation - Vol. 1 | DVD | (30/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Adventures Of Hal 5: Hal 5 is a very old Austin with great character owned by the Hayward family. A wicked garage owner plots to steal the car to sell for a great deal of money but the Hayward children are out to stop him... Egghead's Robot: 'Eggheaed' Wentworth adapts his father's robot to perform the chores but forgets to programme him to stay out of trouble...

• Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings ) | DVD | (27/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Based on the series of novels written by Dorothy L Sayers in the 1920s and 30s, Lord Peter Wimsey was dramatised for TV by the BBC between 1972-5. Ian Carmichael, veteran of British film comedy, played the genial, aristocratic sleuth; Glyn Houston was his manservant Bunter. The pair are similar to PG Wodehouse's Jeeves and Bertie Wooster (whom Carmichael played in an earlier TV adaptation) though here the duo are equal in intelligence, breezing about the country together in Wimsey's Bentley and stumbling with morbid regularity upon baffling murder mysteries to test their wits. Those for whom this series forms hazy memories of childhood might be surprised at its somewhat stagy, lingering interior shots, the spartan paucity of music, the miserly attitude towards locations, especially foreign ones, and the rather genteel, leisurely pace of these programmes, besides which Inspector Morse seems like Quentin Tarantino in comparison. It seems that initially the BBC was reluctant to commission the series and ventured on production with a wary eye on the budget. The Britain depicted by Sayers is, by and large, populated by either the upper classes or heavily accented, rum-do-and-no-mistake lower orders, which some might find consoling. However, the acting is generally excellent and the murder mysteries are sophisticated parlour games, the televisual equivalent of a good, absorbing jigsaw puzzle. There were five feature-length adaptations in all. "Five Red Herrings" is the last and perhaps the least of the series, involving a trout fishing holiday interrupted by the death of a local artist. --David Stubbs

• Duets | DVD | (14/05/2001) from £20.28   |  Saving you £-6.29 (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A musical comedy about six very different people all travelling to Nebraska in the hope of wining a major karaoke competition!

• Lord of the Rings : Fellowship of the Ring - Special Limited Edition | DVD | (27/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In a time before history, in a place named Middle-earth, a dark and powerful lord has brought together the forces of evil to destroy its cultures and enslave all life caught in his path.

• Suspect | DVD | (30/09/2007) from £17.53   |  Saving you £-4.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Crime melodrama about a frustrated young scientist's involvement with subversive elements.

• Der Fan | DVD | (08/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Teenager Simone appears to be like any other fan of a rock band. But soon her fixation on the band's lead singer 'R' takes over her life. Simone walks out of school breaks off with her friends and parents and as if sleepwalking somehow finds herself waiting for her idol as he appears on a TV show. As she sees him for the first time she is speechless unable to even ask for his autograph. He notices her and reaches out to touch her. Simone wants nothing more than to love and be lov

• X-Men 1/X-Men 2: 2 disc doublepack | DVD | (10/11/2003) from £9.43   |  Saving you £15.56 (165.01%)   |  RRP £24.99

  X-Men 2 picks up almost directly where X-Men left off: misguided super-villain Magneto (Ian McKellen) is still a prisoner of the US government, heroic bad-boy Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is up in Canada investigating his mysterious origin, and the events at Liberty Island (which occurred at the conclusion of X-Men) have prompted a rethink in official policy towards mutants--the proposed Mutant Registration Act has been shelved by US Congress. Into this scenario pops wealthy former army commander William Stryker, a man with the President's ear and a personal vendetta against all mutant-kind in general, and the X-Men's leader Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in particular. Once he sets his plans in motion, the X-Men must team-up with their former enemies Magneto and Mystique (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos), as well as some new allies (including Alan Cumming's gregarious, blue-skinned German mutant, Nightcrawler). The phenomenal global success of X-Men meant that director Bryan Singer had even more money to spend on its sequel, and it shows. Not only is the script better (there's significantly less cheesy dialogue than the original), but the action and effects are also even more stupendous--from Nightcrawler's teleportation sequence through the White House to a thrilling aerial dogfight featuring mutants-vs-missiles to a military assault on the X-Men's school/headquarters to the final showdown at Stryker's sub-Arctic headquarters. Yet at no point do the effects overtake the film or the characters. Moreso than the original, this is an ensemble piece, allowing each character in its even-bigger cast at least one moment in the spotlight (in fact, the cast credits don't even run until the end of the film). And that, perhaps, is part of its problem (though it's a slight one): with so much going on, and nary a recap of what's come before, it's a film that could prove baffling to anyone who missed the first instalment. But that's just a minor quibble--X-Men 2 is that rare thing, a sequel that's actually superior to its predecessor. --Robert Burrow

• The X Files: Existence | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £6.55   |  Saving you £9.44 (59.00%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The pretentiously titled Existence is another two-part X-Files yarn glued together to make a feature-length episode. Here the story concerns the birth of Scully's perhaps-alien-tinged child and proves the old maxim that you should stop watching any series when the characters start having babies. By now, newbie Robert Patrick is settled into the role of Agent Doggett, Scully's new partner on the X-Files, but David Duchovny's contract negotiations have enabled Fox Mulder, no longer in the FBI, to come back and hang about the delivery, clashing and then bonding with his replacement. The action content comes from a mild-mannered alien abductee transformed into an unstoppable killing machine, ripping through everything as he tries to prevent the upcoming nativity for reasons that (as ever) don't quite become clear. Also in the support cast are semi-regular Nicholas Lea as lurking plot-explaining conspirator Alex Krycek, and the more welcome Annabeth Gish, whose interestingly spiritual Agent Monica Reyes is being worked up as a replacement for Scully when Gillian Anderson gets out of her contract. Weirdly, The X-Files is in pretty good shape for a show that's been running this long--the performances and the direction are still strong, and outside the "continuing story" shows individual episodes hold up well. But this dreary muddle of running about (plus the odd decapitation) and agonised rumination (blathery philosophical musings about the miracle of life and childbirth) does not represent the series' strengths, suggesting that the best thing that could happen would be to get shot of the long-time stars and their played-out characters to make room for a revitalised show starring Patrick and Gish. On the DVD: The full-screen print, with the extra detail of the DVD image and Dolby Digital, allow you to pick up a lot more than from the murky telecasts. "Alex Krycek Revealed" Parts 1 and 2, a couple of character profiles, turn out to be very snippet-like Fox TV promo pieces, with some interview footage and behind-the-scenes stuff amid the usual teaser clips.--Kim Newman

• Taggart - Vol. 2 | DVD | (01/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  'Taggart' is the longest running police drama on TV. Thanks to its explosive storylines and tough-talking Glasgow detective Jim Taggart (Mark McManus) it has become a national institution with these next six feature length editions averaging over eleven million viewers. Set Comprises: 1. Cold Blood 2. Dead Giveaway 3. Root Of Evil 4. Double Jeopardy 5. Love Knot 6. Hostile Witness

• Slash | DVD | (09/10/2017) from £8.55   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Freshman Neil's Vanguard stories are all he cares about...until he meets the older Julia, who pushes him to put his own fan fic online. When the website's moderator takes a special interest in Neil's work, it opens up a whole new universe.

• The Avengers : The Definitive Dossier 1968 (Box Set 2) | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Further adventures of the oh so dapper John Steed and his sidekick Tara King. Episodes include: You'll Catch Your Death: In which Steed catches a villain and Tara catches a cold. All Done With Mirrors: In which Steed stays at home and Tara finds her mission illuminating. Legacy Of Death: In which Steed receives a deadly present and Tara gets tickle torture. They Keep Killing Steed: In which Steed makes many appearances and Tara gains a curt ally. Wish You Were Here: In which Steed holds the baby and Tara books in. Killer: In which Steed tracks an assassin and Tara books in. The Rotters: In which Steed knocks on wood and Tara gets the chop. The Interrogators: In which Steed travels by helicopter and Tara has to train.

• England's Summer Of Cricket 2007 | DVD | (03/12/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  England's Summer Of Cricket 2007 brings you all the action interviews news and analysis from seven NPower Tests and ten NatWest One-Day Internationals played against the West Indies and India. England's cricketers went into the summer of 2007 with a point to prove after a 5-0 Ashes defeat and an early exit from the World Cup. There was a new coach in Peter Moores who brought fresh ideas and a new impetus to the team Michael Vaughan returned to captain the Test side while Paul Collingwood was appointed One-Day skipper. Three disc set featuring over 11 hours of footage bringing you the whole story of England's summer including the superb 3-0 Test Series win over the West Indies.

• The Avengers : The Definitive Dossier 1965 (Box Set 2) | DVD | (03/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Swingingly stylish adventures with super spies John Steed and Mrs Peel! Flashback to the Sixties with the coolest duo in crimefighting! Episode titles include: The Murder Market: In which Steed gets a wife and Emma gets buried. A surfeit of H2O: In which Steed plans a boat trip and Emma gets very wet. The Hour That Never Was: In which Steed has to face the music and Emma disappears. Dial A Deadly Number: In which Steed plays Bulls and Bears and Emma has no option. Man-Eater Of Surrey Green: In which Steed kills a climber and Emma becomes a vegetable. Two's A Crowd: In which Steed is single-minded and Emma sees double.

• September | Blu Ray | (06/03/2017) from £12.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston and Elaine Stritch star in this drama written and directed by Woody Allen. The film follows Lane (Farrow), who is staying at her childhood home in Vermont as she recovers from a nervous breakdown. She has been having an affair with Peter (Waterston), a writer who lives nearby, but now relations between them seem to have inexplicably cooled. When Lane's mother Diane (Stritch) arrives with unexpected news, and the fate of her relationship with Peter becomes clear, Lane's emotional world is thrown into turmoil once again.

• Luciano Pavarotti - The Last Tenor | DVD | (08/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

• Circus | DVD | (09/10/2003) from £5.00   |  Saving you £0.99 (19.80%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Circus is a modern crime thriller of cross, double cross and triple cross.

• The Sweeny - Series 1-4 - Complete/The Sweeney/The Sweeney 2 | DVD | (29/10/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £99.99

  Jack Regan (John Thaw) is a hard edged detective in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan police. He pursues villains by methods which are underhand often illegal themselves frequently violent and more often than not successful.

• The X-Files: The Truth | DVD | (27/01/2003) from £21.58   |  Saving you £-5.59 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The guest cast list for The X-Files: The Truth runs almost to the first commercial break, suggesting how many plot strands this season-and-series finale needs to make room for, with many old characters (including ghostly appearances for the dead ones) popping up. Mulder (David Duchovny), teasingly absent for the final season, is suddenly back, accused of murdering a super-soldier who isn't supposed to be able to die. He faces a military tribunal, defended by AD Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), as guest stars trot out testimony that fills the double-length episode with explanations recapping nine years of confusion as creator Chris Carter tries to spatchcock his impromptu conspiracy theories into a real plot. Last-season regulars Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish are shunted aside as Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Mulder get to dodge a last-scene explosion and wind up in a pretty silly clinch-with-philosophy in the face of vaguely imminent apocalypse. Seriously, if the franchise is to continue on the big screen, how about ditching the embarrassing alien conspiracy mess and doing a monster story? On the DVD: The X-Files: The Truth comes to disc with a lovely widescreen transfer, a 13-minute "Reflections on the Truth" featurette that, though it hits the self-congratulation button a couple too many times, has a little more meat than the puff pieces included on previous releases, and a bonus episode ("William") that is unfortunately another of the maudlin ones, this time resolving the plotline about Scully's super-baby. --Kim Newman

• Fairy Gone: The Complete Season 1 | DVD | (24/10/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From the director of Drifters, and the creator behind Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions, comes a war-torn world on the brink of calamity. Able to summon fairies as alter-ego weapons, former soldiers become government dogs, mafia members, and even terrorists in search of purpose beyond the battlefield. Who will maintain the peace they all fought for nine years ago?

• Nothing Personal | DVD | (11/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The deadliest gangsters are those with a cause. Belfast 1975. A bomb goes off in a crowded pub and battle lines are drawn. Loyalist and Republican bosses are negotiating a cease-fire but the foot soldiers want vengeance. Leonard a high-ranking Loyalist orders his men to keep control but gang leader Kenny wants blood. Innocently caught in the cross-fire is Kenny's childhood friend whose involvement places events on a personal level. Tough decisions need to be made as Liam and Kenny find themselves trapped in an escalating spiral of violence from which there is no escape.