"Actor: Ian Richardson"

• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy & Smiley's People boxset | Blu Ray | (11/10/2021) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The critically acclaimed BBC productions of John Le Carré's espionage classics. Starring Sir Alec Guinness, Ian Richardson, Bernard Hepton, Joss Ackland, Eileen Atkins & Beryl Reid. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: In BAFTA-winner Sir Alec Guinness's first major TV role he plays George Smiley, a retired agent who is secretly brought into ˜the Circus' (the code name for British Secret Intelligence Service) to root out a top-level mole. Gradually piecing together the story, the weary but determined Smiley trawls through the murky waters of Cold War espionage and his own past. Special Feature: The Secret Centre Original transmission 10th September 1979 to 22nd October 1979. Smiley's People: Winner of four BAFTAs, including Best Actor and Best Actress. Smiley and Karla in the final confrontation. The bespectacled spymaster is once more called from retirement to come to the aid of ˜the Circus' - and he returns with a vengeance. The murder of an émigré Soviet General , who was also a British agent, sends him digging into the past on a twisted trail across Europe that moves, inexorably, towards a final showdown with his old adversary, Karla of Moscow Centre. Special Features: Interview footage with John Le Carré and John Irvin, Restoration Featurette & Collectors' Booklet with production notes Original transmission 20th September 1982 to 25th October 1982.

• Bleak House (Special Edition) | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £9.25   |  Saving you £-2.25 (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.00

  Acclaimed writer Andrew Davies turns his talents to one of Charles Dickens' most brilliant novels - arguably the greatest ever depiction of Victorian London. Fresh and imaginative yet faithful to the original this thrilling fast-paced adaptation is shot with a contemporary edge. At its heart is the story of the icily beautiful Lady Dedlock who nurses a dark secret and the merciless lawyer Tulkinghorn who seeks to uncover it. The generous John Jarndyce struggling with his own past and his two young wards Richard and Ada are all caught up like Lady Dedlock in the infamous case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce which will make one of them rich beyond imagination if it can ever be brought to a conclusion. As Tulkinghorn digs deeper into Lady Dedlock's past he unearths a secret that will change their lives forever and which is almost as astounding as the final outcome of the Jarndyce case.

• Battle Of Britain | DVD | (24/05/2004) from £7.45   |  Saving you £12.54 (168.32%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Despite its manipulative grandiosity, this film is completely irresistible, for several reasons: it recounts the greatest air battle in history, creating the greatest aerial battle scenes in film history; it has a terrific cast (Harry Andrews, Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Curt Jurgens, Laurence Olivier, Nigel Patrick, Christopher Plummer, Michael Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Robert Shaw, Patrick Wymark and Edward Fox); and it's technically very well made, thanks to the Bond team of producer Harry Saltzman and director Guy Hamilton and the great cinematographer Freddie Young. --Bill Desowitz

• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £5.98   |  Saving you £4.01 (67.06%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley, John Le Carré's familiar, ageing British Intelligence agent, called out of retirement to discover the identity of the high-ranking Russian mole who has burrowed deep into "The Circus"--codename for the British secret service. This slow-burning, complicated and ultimately rewarding BBC adaptation, dramatised by Arthur Hopcroft and directed by John Irvin, perfectly captures Le Carré's own insight into the shady underworld of spies and the political climate during the Cold War. Le Carré's style is the antithesis of his contemporary Ian Fleming's--far from the glamorous lifestyle of Bond, with his fast cars and faster women, these agents ride around in Skodas, and Beryl Reid is the closest thing to a femme fatale, save for Smiley's elusive wife, Anne. An extraordinary cast (including Ian Bannen, Hywel Bennett and Ian Richardson), gritty realism and close attention to detail make Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy an outstanding piece of television drama. --Nicola Perry

• U.S. Marshals | DVD | (04/01/1999) from £7.19   |  Saving you £6.80 (94.58%)   |  RRP £13.99

  An ultimately futile attempt to make lightning strike twice, this so-called spin-off from 1993's blockbuster The Fugitive avoids the label of "sequel" by forging ahead without the first film's star, Harrison Ford. The idea is to showcase the return of Tommy Lee Jones in his Oscar-winning role as tenacious U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard, this time testing his mettle against a covert government operative (Wesley Snipes) accused of murdering two secret service attachés. Unfortunately, Jones and the entire cast have been trapped in a rambling plot, and the underdog status that made Ford such a compelling hero is sacrificed to an evenly matched and eventually tiresome game of cat and mouse, with a villain whose identity is far too predictable. With no dramatic build-up and several superfluous characters to distract its focus, the film's momentum plays out like a rote exercise compared to the high stakes of the earlier film. --Jeff Shannon

• From Hell - Single Disc Edition | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Adapted from the acclaimed graphic novel this dark film follows the police investigation into the Jack The Ripper killings in Victorian London, with Johnny Depp as Scotland Yard Detective Fredrick Abberlines.

• Churchill And The Generals | DVD | (11/05/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £36.99

  The true story of how Winston Churchill led England away from the bleak Dunkirk battle and rallied the Allied generals to a D-Day victory. Based upon Churchill's memoirs. Timothy West in the title role is instantly believable and the swings of temper and mood portray the way it must have been being around this impossible man who embodied the fight against Hitler during the early war years. Some of the finest actors from Britain and USA were assembled to take on the difficult task of making believable characters from well-known historical figures including Joseph Cotton (Citizen Kane) as General George C. Marshall.

• Porterhouse Blue | DVD | (19/05/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Set in Cambridge University Porterhouse Blue centres around the fictional Porterhouse College whose genially eccentric Fellows are the proud guardians of six centuries of tradition in which oar-pulling prowess and gourmet cuisine have taken priority over academic achievement. However the arrival of a new master threatens the old established order and events take a number of unexpected not to mention explosive turns...

• Red Lights | DVD | (22/10/2012) from £3.79   |  Saving you £12.20 (321.90%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Red Lights centres on a psychologist (Sigourney Weaver), and her assistant (Cillian Murphy), whose study of paranormal activity leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic (Robert De Niro).

• House Of Cards Trilogy | DVD | (12/07/2004) from £28.15   |  Saving you £6.84 (24.30%)   |  RRP £34.99

  Political drama doesn't get more near the knuckle than Michael Dobbs' House of Cards trilogy, adapted for the screen by Andrew Davies and originally broadcast in the post-Thatcher years of the early 1990s. A splendid dissection of naked ambition, greed and rampant hypocrisy in the corridors of power, the original four-part series House of Cards documents in thrilling detail the rise of Tory Chief Whip Francis Urquhart (magnificent Ian Richardson), a man who likes to "put the stick about a bit" and has unwavering contempt for those with "no background, no bottom". With the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, a bitter internecine power struggle ensues within the Conservative Party. Urquhart schemes more devilishly than Iago to depose Thatcher's colourless John Major-style successor. And even Machiavelli would baulk at Urquhart's methods: any and every act--including murder--are legitimate as the end very much justifies the means. Idealistic journalist Matti Storin (Susannah Harker) becomes embroiled in Urquhart's nefarious plans (and ends up in his bed) as she attempts to question him about what's really going on: "You might think so, I couldn't possibly comment," is Urquhart's mantra of hypocrisy. In To Play the King, the second part of the trilogy, we find our anti-hero comfortably installed as PM at No. 10 but facing a fresh challenge in the person of the newly crowned King (Michael Kitchen in a pitch-perfect Prince Charles impersonation), who wears his social conscience on his sleeve and publicly opposes Urquhart's hardline policies. With the help of political analyst and new mistress Sarah Harding (Kitty Aldridge), as well as that of his ambitious wife Elizabeth (Diane Fletcher), Urquhart is forced to resort to still more underhand plots. Then, in The Final Cut, we find Urquhart determined to last as long in office as Mrs Thatcher (whose statue, much to his chagrin, is about to be unveiled in front of his window). But ambitions to make a mark on the world stage, as well as his wife's desire to provide themselves a comfortable retirement nest egg, lead him into the choppy international waters of the Cyprus situation. The temptations of corrupt businessmen and his wife's goading might just have pushed Urquhart's luck too far this time. Throughout, Richardson is a delight as the hypocritical, arrogant patrician who loathes the hoi polloi whose favour he must court at election time, and manipulates all his minions with a ruthless singlemindedness of purpose. However much a monster he seems, though, the viewer might just find themselves secretly admiring his determination and his lion-like strength of will: in contrast to many drab modern politicians, at least he knows what he wants, and makes sure he gets it. If it's strong leadership you want, Urquhart's your man. On the DVD: The House of Cards trilogy has the three four-part series on three double-sided discs, with two hour-long episodes on each side of each disc. The first episodes come with a commentary from Andrew Davies and Ian Richardson, who share their memories and anecdotes. --Mark Walker

• Justice League Fatal Five | DVD | (29/04/2019) from £4.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From animation legend Bruce Timm comes an all-new DC Universe movie. The fate of the earth hangs in the balance when the Justice League face a powerful new threat the Fatal Five! Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman seek answers as Mano, Persuader and Tharok terrorize Metropolis in search of budding Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. With Cruz's unwilling help, they aim to free remaining Fatal Five members Emerald Empress and Validus and carry out their sinister plan. Meanwhile, the Justice League discover an ally in the peculiar Star Boy, who's brimming with volatile power. Could he be the key to thwarting the Fatal Five? An epic battle against ultimate evil awaits!

• Empire of the Sun | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.49   |  Saving you £9.50 (146.38%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12 years old at the time? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war. In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic", derivative coming-of-age films, Empire of the Sun stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent The Last Emperor (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, Empire of the Sun helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone and look for future efforts Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. --N.F. Mendoza

• Cry Freedom Blu-Ray | Blu Ray | (15/03/2021) from £8.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The unforgettable friendship of two unforgettable men on Blu-Ray for the very first time. The tension and the terror that was a recent South Africa is powerfully portrayed in director Richard Attenborough's sweeping store of black activist Stephen Biko (Denzel Washington - Malcom X), head of the 'Black Conciousness' movement and a liberal white newspaper editor who risks his own life to bring Biko's message to the world. After learning of apartheid's true horrors through Biko's eyes, editor Donald Woods (Kevin Kline - Wild Wild West) discovers that his friend has been silenced by the police. Detemined not to let Biko's message go unheard, Woods undertakes a perilous quest to escape South Africa and bring Biko's tale of courage to the world. This riveting, true story offers a stirring account of a man at his most evil and most heroic.

• Gothic | Blu Ray | (18/09/2023) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Directed by cult favourite Ken Russell (The Devils) and starring Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects), Julian Sands (A Room with a View), Natasha Richardson (The Comfort of Strangers) and Timothy Spall (Secrets & Lies), Gothic delves into the erotic and terrifying night that ultimately birthed Mary Shelley's classic horror story Frankenstein. When a wild storm rages over Lord Byron's literary house party, he suggests to his guests that they concoct a ghost story. However, upon deciding to hold a séance they soon conjure up their deepest fears. Plunged into a surreal horror, they wonder if it's merely the power of their own intense lust and vivid imaginations that is tormenting them, or if they have in fact raised the dead!

• House Of Cards: The Trilogy | DVD | (08/04/2013) from £9.89   |  Saving you £10.10 (102.12%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Acclaimed screenwriter Andrew Davies (Bleak House, Pride and Prejudice) won an Emmy Award for this thrilling adaptation of Michael Dobbs' bestselling novels. House of Cards is a delicious tale of greed, corruption and burning ambition. At its heart is Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), a black-hearted villain with a smiling face, who shares with the viewers his estranged humour and innermost thoughts to destroy each of his political rivals. One by one his opponents tumble, until at last there is just one wild card left in the pack... Special Features: Audio Commentary

• Civilisation | DVD | (18/04/2005) from £14.95   |  Saving you £37.04 (247.76%)   |  RRP £51.99

  'Civilisation' is probably one of the most famous documentary series ever made. Unreleased for many years it has been restored as is now available on DVD for the first time. Presented by distinguished art historian Sir Kenneth Clarke 'Civilisation' became the definitive history of art in the western world and has never been equalled let-alone bettered in the intervening 35 years.

• Churchill | DVD | (16/10/2017) from £4.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  CHURCHILL follows Britain's iconic Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the days before the infamous D-Day landings in June 1944. As allied forces stand on the south coast of Britain, poised to invade Nazi-occupied Europe, they await Churchill's decision on whether the invasion will actually move ahead. Fearful of repeating his mistakes from World War I on the beaches of Gallipoli, exhausted by years of war, plagued by depression and obsessed with fulfilling historical greatness, Churchill is also faced with constant criticism from his political opponents; General Eisenhower and Field Marshal Montgomery. Only the unflinching support of Churchill's brilliant, unflappable wife Clementine can halt the Prime Minister's physical and mental collapse and help lead him to greatness. CHURCHILL is directed by Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man, Marcella) from an original screenplay by British historian Alex von Tunzelmann (Medici: Masters of Florence) in her feature debut. Starring Brian Cox (War & Peace, Coriolanus) as the legendary Winston Churchill, Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter, The Crying Game) as the Prime Minister's wife and confident Clemmie, John Slattery (Spotlight, Mad Men) as General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied D-Day operations, and Julian Wadham (The Iron Lady, War Horse) as British military commander Field Marshal Montgomery.

• Gormenghast | DVD | (05/06/2000) from £7.59   |  Saving you £-1.59 (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.00

  The BBC's lavish, glowingly designed adapation of Mervyn Peake's eccentrically brilliant novels Titus Groan and Gormenghast is a triumph of casting. Ian Richardson's Lear-like depiction of the mad earl of a remote, vast, ritual-obsessed building is matched by the brutal pragmatism of Celia Imrie as his wife, the synchronised madness of Zoe Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter as his twin sisters and the duplicitous charm of Jonathan Rhys-Meyer as Steerpike, the kitchen-boy determined to take over no matter how many deaths it costs. John Sessions is surprisingly touching as Prunesquallor, the family doctor who realises almost too late what Steerpike intends. It is always tricky to film a book dear to the hearts of its admirers: Wilson and his design team achieve a look rather more pre-Raphaelite than Peake's own illustrations, shabby velvets, garish sunlight and dank stone passages. The score by Richard Rodney Bennett is full of attractive surprises--fanfares and waltzes and apotheoses--and John Tavener's choral additions are plausibly parts of the immemorial ritual of Gormenghast. On the DVD: The double DVD comes with scene selection, an informative half-hour documentary on the making of the serial and a slide gallery of costume designs, characters and their dooms. --Roz Kaveney

• Paris, Je T'Aime | DVD | (04/02/2008) from £4.96   |  Saving you £15.03 (303.02%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Celebrated directors from around the world have come together to portray Paris in a way never before imagined.

• 102 Dalmatians (Live Action) | DVD | (10/09/2001) from £3.29   |  Saving you £14.70 (446.81%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) is released from prison on good behavior swearing that she will have nothing to do with fur ever again in her life.