"Actor: Ian Richardson"

• Black Sunday | Blu Ray | (26/02/2018) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  STARE INTO THESE EYES... Discover deep within them the unspeakable terrifying secret of BLACK SUNDAY... it will paralyze you with fright! Legendary Scream Queen Barbara Steele (Shivers, Caged Heat) stars in this classic slice of gothic terro from the father of fantastic Italian cinema Mario Bava (Lisa and the Devil). A beautiful witch is sentenced to death for her evil deeds by her own brother, condemned to die by having a metal mask hammered onto her face before being burnt at the stake. As she passes, she puts a terrible curse on all her future descendants as the spikes of thedeath mask pierce her flesh... But when two unwitting travellers discover her final resting place and worse, drip blood on her resting corpse, they unleash her once again in all her stunningly beautiful, terrifying glory... Baned in the UK on its release, Black Sunday is a groundbreaking film that opened the door for Spaghetti horror in all its gory glory.

• Porterhouse Blue | DVD | (15/07/2002) from £17.99   |  Saving you £-8.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on Tom Sharpe’s satirical novel and set in a fictional, all-male Cambridge College, 1987’s Porterhouse Blue is a crusty delight. Ian Richardson stars as the austere moderniser who takes over as master of Porterhouse with a view to bringing in radical changes; David Jason is Skullion, head porter for 45 years and a bulldog-style traditionalist.Porterhouse Blue is a wonderfully grotesque and not inaccurate depiction of an Oxbridge college that has set itself resolutely and decadently against the modern world. Crammed with hoggish, port-swilling dons who are more concerned that the college stay "head of the river" than with academic achievement, the highlight of Porterhouse’s year is the Founder’s Feast, in which students and tutors gorge debauchedly on roast swan stuffed with widgeon, to the horror of the new vegetarian master. Jason’s Skullion looks on approvingly: he’s a stickler for Porterhouse’s inverted values, disapproving, for instance, of student Zipser (John Sessions), the only fellow at the college actually there to work. When the master eventually fires Skullion, the forces of traditionalism gather in sympathy and attempt their revenge.Unfolding over 190 leisurely minutes, Porterhouse Blue is an elegantly turned comedy in which practically every morsel of dialogue is to be savoured for its delicious tang. Jason and Richardson are reliably excellent in what is an overall exhibition of British TV thespianism at its finest. --David Stubbs

• Sherlock Holmes - The Hound Of The Baskervilles | DVD | (12/04/2005) from £8.50   |  Saving you £-2.51 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A remake of one of Conan Doyle's most famous and popular Sherlock Holmes stories. Is Sir Charles Baskerville's strange death the result of demonic forces and a family curse? Sherlock Holmes searches for a more earthly explanation when Sir Henry Baskerville receives a death threat upon his arrival from America. In this eerie mystery hounds are howling on the moors... a killer is on the loose... and Holmes is on the case.

• Time Bandits | DVD | (06/02/2006) from £13.98   |  Saving you £-7.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  All the dreams you've ever had.... and not just the good ones. The first of three Terry Gilliam films collectively referred to as his Trilogy of the Imagination (along with Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) Time Bandits is a wonderfully inventive fantasy with a massive cult following and universal appeal. A sleeper hit in 1981 the film grossed well over eight times its million budget. Co-written by Gilliam and fellow Monty Python veteran Michael Palin (who also appears in the film) Time Bandits tells the story of Kevin (Craig Warnock) a young imaginative boy kidnapped by a band of mischievous dwarves who have stolen a map of the universe detailing the locations of holes in the space-time continuum from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson). The dwarves with Kevin in tow set off on a bizarre journey back and forth though time with the intention of looting the fortunes of history's rich and famous. Along the way they meet the likes of King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) Robin Hood (John Cleese) and Napoleon (Ian Holm) among others and even get to sail on the Titanic moments prior to its unfortunate encounter with an iceberg. Unknowingly the diminutive bandits are being watched by the spectre of Evil Genius (David Warner) who wants the map for his own typically wicked purposes...

• Maureen O'Hara - Screen Goddess | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  The Quiet Man (Dir. John Ford 1952): John Ford's The Quiet Man celebrates one of Hollywood's most romantic and enduring epics. The first American feature to be filmed in Ireland's picturesque countryside Ford richly imbued this masterpiece with his love of Ireland and its people. Sean Thornton is an American who swears off boxing after accidentally killing an opponent. Returning to the Irish town of his birth he finds happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate. Though he is sorely tempted to pick up the gloves against her brother the town bully Sean is determined not to use his fists. Mary Kate and Sean wed but her brother refuses to pay the dowry. Sean would rather walk away than accept this challenge. Even when his new wife accuses him of cowardice Sean stands firm. But when she boards a train to leave he is finally ready to take matters into his own hands. Rio Grande (Dir. John Ford 1950): John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara are embroiled in an epic battle with the Apaches and each other in this John Ford classic. Lt Col. Yorke (Wayne) heads to the Rio Grande to fight a warring tribe. But Yorke faces his toughest battle when his unorthodox plan to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to possible court-martial. Locked in a bloody war he must fight to redeem his honour and save his family. Against All Flags (Dir. George Sherman 1952): In 1700 the pirates of Madagascar menace the India trade; British officer Brian Hawke has himself cashiered flogged and set adrift to infiltrate the pirate ""republic."" There Hawke meets lovely Spitfire Stevens a pirate captain in her own right and the sparks begin to fly; but wooing a pirate poses unique problems. Especially after he rescues adoring young Princess Patma from a captured ship. Meanwhile Hawke's secret mission proceeds to an action-packed climax. Rare Breed (Dir. Andrew V. McLaglen 1966): In the 1880s Englishwoman Martha Price (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) come to America to sell their prize Hereford bull at an auction. When he is purchased by Bowen a wild Scotsman (Brian Keith) the women hire a footloose cowhand named Burnett (James Stewart) to help them transport the animal to its new owner. So begins an adventure that tests the mettle of all involved as they battle killers cattle stampedes and each other. But when they reach Bowen's ranch even greater obstacles force them to summon up extraordinary courage if they and the prize bull are to survive... Our Man In Havana (Dir. Carol Reed 1959): Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness) a vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana is recruited by the British Intelligence Services. As he has nothing to report he invents facts and pretends to discover secret operations...with disastrous consequences. Carol Reed directs this adaptation of the Graham Greene story. Lady Godiva Of Coventry (Dir Arthur Lubin 1955): Fictionalized account of events leading up the famous nude ride (alas her hair covers everything) of the militant Saxon lady

• Hogfather Limited Edition | DVD | (23/04/2007) from £29.99   |  Saving you £-5.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  An all-star cast headline this fantasy drama based on Terry Pratchett's best-selling novel.

• Concert For New York City | DVD | (22/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  The Concert for New York City took place at New York's Madison Square Gardens six weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. As presented here, with about five hours of musical performances and celebrity cameos, it was a frequently awkward affair: the traditional fatuous jollity of American show business ceremonies is not, perhaps, the ideal medium for articulating the feelings engendered by the kind of tragedy America had just suffered. It is often evident--and actually quite endearingly so--that the film and television stars who appear here feel somewhat foolish accepting applause while standing alongside the members of New York's Police and Fire departments who take the stage to offer brief tributes to fallen comrades (it would be nice, but naïve, to believe that September 11 caused our celebrity-obsessed culture to redraft its parameters of heroism). The performances captured here are mostly pretty good, though David Bowie's opening, with an eerie and affecting take on Paul Simon's "America", followed by a rumbustious "Heroes", sets a standard not subsequently matched. The short films by New York directors are also worth seeing, especially Kevin Smith's daringly funny New Jersey perspective (the concert's only other overt attempts at humour misfire woefully--especially the toe-curling George W Bush impersonator). However, the concert is principally of interest as a document of a moment in history, rather than as a musical artefact. All of what America felt, for better and for worse, in the immediate wake of September 11, is on view here: sorrow, defiance, pride and, as Richard Gere famously discovered when he suggested that perhaps there were more constructive responses than carpet-bombing Third World basket-cases, anger. On the DVD: The Concert for New York Cityhas a viewing option which screens out everything except the musical performances. Sound is available in Dolby 5.1 Surround and PCM Stereo. --Andrew Mueller

• Number 10 | DVD | (05/04/2010) from £9.41   |  Saving you £10.58 (52.90%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A revealing insight into some of the more personal incidents in the lives of past British Prime Ministers and their relationships with one of the most famous houses in the world Number 10 Downing Street. The series features William Pitt the Younger Herbert Asquith William Gladstone David Lloyd George the Duke of Wellington Benjamin Disraeli and James Ramsey MacDonald. The strong cast includes Jeremy Brett Dennis Quilley John Stride and Ian Richardson.

• The Man In The Iron Mask | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £15.22   |  Saving you £-9.23 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Alexandre Dumas' classic tale of fraternal squabbling makes a more than satisfactory transition to celluloid with this 1976 made-for-television swashbuckler. Viewers familiar with the more recent Leonardo DiCaprio version may be stymied at first by the non-MTV pace and the rather unhip presence of Richard Chamberlain in the lead role(s). This well-lensed action film overcomes a somewhat poky first half to emerge as a terrific adventure, complete with plenty of derring-do, some sharply pointed dialogue, and a wonderful performance by the incomparably malevolent Patrick McGoohan. Rousing fun for burgeoning rapscallions of all ages. Director Mike Newell would later find success in a different genre with Four Weddings and a Funeral. Ian Holm, Louis Jordan, and Ralph Richardson round out the embarrassingly rich supporting cast. --Andrew Wright

• The Adventures Of Greyfriars Bobby | DVD | (10/07/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The story of Edinburgh's most famous four-legged friend comes to life.

• Murder Rooms - The Photographer's Chair | DVD | (11/03/2002) from £11.34   |  Saving you £3.65 (32.19%)   |  RRP £14.99

  1882: London is in the grip of spirtualists and seances. Arthur Conan Doyle joins Dr Joseph Bell in a labyrinthine task of investigating a number of corpses found mutilated floating in the River Thames. Their quest to uncover the architect behind the gruesome murders leads them through London's underground world of soothsayers and mediums. As the two sleuths probe deeper they find themselves dangerously caught up in a 'spiritualism' darker and more terrifying than either man coul

• The Supergrass | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Who is Dennis Carter? Well Dennis is a moron. His mum knows it his friends know it and even he knows it. But the police don't. So when Dennis tries to impress Andrea with his fantasies about multi-million pound drug deals Dennis gets nabbed and finds himself a supergrass. The trouble is Dennis doesn't know anything; or does he?

• Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy | DVD | (08/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This magnificent series is based on Lord Louis Mountbatten's life during his years as Viceroy of India - the final years of the British Raj. Until the Second World War Mountbatten was no more than a name to the British public. He was the grandson of Queen Victoria nephew of the Tsar and cousin to the Prince of Wales. He became the chief British planner of the invasion of Normandy and then the supreme allied commander in Southeast Asia. Known as Mountbatten of Burma because he could

• The Hound Of The Baskervilles | DVD | (25/04/2016) from £5.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (166.95%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Of all the Sherlock Holmes tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles (one of the four novels) remains the best-known. Adding a dash of the supernatural to the Great Detective's adventures, it is certainly one of the most dramatic and an obvious target for screen interpretation. Prior to Jeremy Brett indelibly making the role his own to modern TV audiences, Ian Richardson made for a suitably incisive and enthusiastic Holmes in this enjoyable 1983 adaptation. The much-filmed tale finds Holmes and Watson drawn in to the mysterious curse afflicting the well-heeled Baskerville dynasty. Is a monster stalking the heir to the Baskerville fortune, or is the culprit a far from demonic force? As Holmes, Ian Richardson is blessed with the avian features that, like Basil Rathbone or Peter Cushing, effectively capture Sidney Paget's original likeness. Though Holmes' more anti-social facets are dispensed with, Richardson is engaging in such a well-explored role, recalling the razor-sharp wit and intelligence of Rathbone. Attracting a distinguished British cast (Brian Blessed, Denholm Elliot, Martin Shaw) and decent production values (though with a few Hammer Horror moments), this will not disappoint fans of Victorian literature's finest detective, nor those in search of a classic, chilling thriller. --Danny Graydon

• Empire of the Sun | Blu Ray | (15/04/2013) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun is an inspiring action-packed epic of a small boy in a great war. That boy is Jim Graham a young Briton whose unconquerable spirit soars high and free above the harsh confines of a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Through his eyes we see the fascination and horror of war. And we see Jim's hold on childhood weaken as his struggle to survive grows fiercer. Based on J. G. Ballard's memorable best-seller this first major Hollywood studio production ever to shoot in The People's Republic of China earned 1987 National Board of Review awards for Best Picture and Director as well as a special citation for Outstanding Juvenile Performance for Christian Bale as Jim.

• Murder Rooms - The White Knight Stratagem | DVD | (11/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The suicide of a mysterious young woman and the murder of two men appear to be inextricably linked. When Dr. Joseph Bell is asked to assist the police it soom becomes clear that this is more than just a routine case. Dr Bell's relationship with the Chief of investigation is put in the spot light as old resentments come to the surface jeopardising a quick conclusion to the murders. Bell calls in Arthur Conan Doyle for support but when Doyle seems to side with the Chief rather than

• 101 & 102 Dalmatians (Double Pack) | DVD | (10/09/2001) from £22.98   |  Saving you £10.00 (50.03%)   |  RRP £29.99

  It's hard to know who thought it would be a good idea to make a live-action version of Disney's animated classic, 101 Dalmatians (and originally Dodie Smith's classic children's story). The one bright notion anyone had was casting Glenn Close as Disney Übervillainess Cruella de Vil; her flashing eyes and angular features are a perfect match and do credit to what is one of the most indelible animated characters Disney has ever created. The story remains essentially the same, focusing on Cruella's plot to kidnap the puppies of a young married couple (Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson) and make them into a coat. But the dreaded John Hughes, who wrote this script, fills it with sadistic slapstick and far too few genuine laughs. The human actors work hard, but to little avail; thankfully, there's a posse of puppies to regularly steal scenes when the going gets dreary--although there are only so many laughs to be had from inappropriate dog puddles. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com Don't be fooled by the title, there are four reasons to like 102 Dalmatians, the sequel to the successful live-action remake of Disney's 101 Dalmatians. There are the 101 spotted pooches, Glenn Close back in fine form as Cruella DeVil, Oddball--the spotless Dalmatian pup--and Waddlesworth, a parrot who thinks he's a rottweiler (and is voiced by Monty Python's Eric Idle). There are just as many reasons to be disappointed: like most sequels, the story line is virtually a rewrite of t he first; the secondary casting isn't as interesting; the dialogue merely serves to move the plot along; and the third act substitutes mean-spiritedness for comedy. After a period of rehabilitation, Cruella has returned to her old tricks. Once again, she simply must have a spotted coat and will go to any lengths to get hold of the 102 Dalmatians needed to make one with a hood. She sets her sights on the pups owned by her probation officer, Chloe (Alice Evans), and the owner of a local animal shelter, Kevin (Ioan Gruffudd). Her servant Alonso (Tim McInnerny) and flamboyant furrier Monsieur Le Pelt (Gerard Depardieu, in one ridiculous outfit after another) are drafted to aid in her quest. It should come as no surprise that Chloe and Kevin fall in love, Oddball helps to save the day and Cruella is defeated. Children should enjoy the animal high jinks, but adults are less likely to be enamoured by this perfectly competent, but relatively charmless affair. --Kathleen C Fennessy, Amazon.com.

• Shania Twain: The Specials | DVD | (20/11/2001) from £20.00   |  Saving you £11.76 (58.80%)   |  RRP £31.76

• Under The Piano | DVD | (02/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

• Nuns On The Run / Time Bandits | DVD | (06/02/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Nuns On The Run (Dir. Jonathan Lynn 1990): Following in the great Carry On... tradition with a bit of Monty Python thrown in for good measure Nuns On The Run is a classic slice of slapstick comedy starring Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane. Brian and Charlie work for a gangster. When the boss learns they want to leave he sets them up to be killed after they help rob the local Triads of their drug dealing profits. Brian and Charlie decide to steal the money for themselves but when their escape doesn't go to plan they have to seek refuge in a nuns' teacher training school. Disguised as nuns Brian and Charlie have to avoid their boss Triads police and Brian's girlfriend. There's also the problem of them being men disguised as nuns in an all women institution. Time Bandits (Dir. Terry Gilliam 1981): All the dreams you've ever had.... and not just the good ones. The first of three Terry Gilliam films collectively referred to as his Trilogy of the Imagination (along with 'Brazil' and 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen') 'Time Bandits' is a wonderfully inventive fantasy with a massive cult following and universal appeal. A sleeper hit in 1981 the film grossed well over eight times its million budget. Co-written by Gilliam and fellow Monty Python veteran Michael Palin (who also appears in the film) 'Time Bandits' tells the story of Kevin (Craig Warnock) a young imaginative boy kidnapped by a band of mischievous dwarves who have stolen a map of the universe detailing the locations of holes in the space-time continuum from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson). The dwarves with Kevin in tow set off on a bizarre journey back and forth though time with the intention of looting the fortunes of history's rich and famous. Along the way they meet the likes of King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) Robin Hood (John Cleese) and Napoleon (Ian Holm) among others and even get to sail on the Titanic moments prior to its unfortunate encounter with an iceberg. Unknowingly the diminutive bandits are being watched by the spectre of Evil Genius (David Warner) who wants the map for his own typically wicked purposes...