"Actor: Jack"

• Tommy (Special Edition) | DVD | (14/06/2004) from £13.73   |  Saving you £-0.75 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Even by the standards of a genre not characterised by restraint, the 1974 rock opera Tommy is endearingly barmy, a bizarre combination of Pete Townshend's disturbed inspiration and director Ken Russell's wildly eccentric vision. Even if you gamely try and read allegorical meaning into it, the story is frankly odd: a child becomes psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing the murder of his father by his stepdad and goes on to become rich and famous as the world pinball champion (since when was pinball a world-class competitor sport?), before setting himself up as a latter-day messiah. It's about the travails of the post-war generation, the disaffection of youth, the trauma of childhood abuse, the sham nature of new-age cults, and many other things besides. At least, that's what Townshend and Russell would have you believe. But what's really important is the many wonderful, utterly bonkers set-pieces--effectively a string of pop videos--that occur along the way, performed by great guest stars: Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, Eric Clapton as the Preacher, Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie, Elton John's mighty rendition of "Pinball Wizard", even Jack Nicholson doing a turn as a suave specialist. Roger Daltrey is iconic in his signature role, and Oliver Reed makes up for a complete inability to sing with a bravura performance as his sleazy stepdad, but best of all is Ann-Margret as Tommy's mother Nora: her charismatic presence holds the loose narrative together and she richly deserved her Academy Award nomination; the sight of her in a nylon cat suit being drenched in baked beans and chocolate from an exploding TV set is worth the price of admission alone. On the DVD: Tommy comes to DVD in a two-disc set, with the feature on disc one accompanied by three audio tracks: Dolby Stereo or 5.1 surround, as well as the original "Quintaphonic" surround mix--a unique experience with effectively two pairs of stereo tracks plus a centre track for the vocals. The anamorphic picture adequately recreates the original theatrical ratio. The second disc has a series of lengthy and illuminating new interviews with the main (surviving) players: Townshend, Russell, Daltrey and Ann-Margret, in which we learn among other things, that Daltrey wasn't Townshend's first choice for the role, that Stevie Wonder was the original preference for the Pinball Wizard, and that Ken Russell had never heard of any of these rock stars before agreeing to helm the movie. There's also a feature on the original sound mix and its restoration for DVD. All in all, a satisfying package for fans of one of the daftest chapters in the annals of rock music. --Mark Walker

• Breaker Morant | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £6.93   |  Saving you £3.06 (44.16%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Before coming to America to make such acclaimed films as Tender Mercies and Driving Miss Daisy, Australian director Bruce Beresford made a lasting impression with this compelling courtroom drama, considered one the finest films of the Australian new wave of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Based on a true story about three soldiers in the Boer War who are served up as political scapegoats of the British Empire, the film uses a flashback structure to dramatise the courtroom testimony. It begins when the three Australian soldiers are railroaded for the justified killing of a German missionary and placed on trial for court-martial not as a matter of justice, but to mollify the German government for the sake of political expediency. Burdened with a competent but inexperienced and hopelessly disadvantaged lawyer, the soldiers realise that their fate has been sealed and the outcome of their trial is a fait accompli. Unfolding with urgent precision and a riveting focus on its well-drawn characters, Breaker Morant was the all-time box-office hit in Australia at the time of its release in 1980, and it remains one of the very best historical dramas ever made. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe | DVD | (17/07/2017) from £7.55   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Based on the New York Times best-seller, THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE begins with the young Norma Jeane Mortenson as she battles a lonely, loveless existence with an absent and mentally ill mother. She ultimately reinvents herself as the sex symbol of an era. A fragile artist, she is very different from the larger-than-life image she portrayed. The great secret of Marilyn's life is that her mother, Gladys (Oscar® winner* Susan Sarandon), remained a vital and troubling part of her world. Her marriages to Joe DiMaggio (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Arthur Miller collapse in part due to her own inner demons and the onslaught of her mother's illness. As Marilyn cares for her mother, her obsession with President John F. Kennedy leads to a breakdown and hospitalization. Still, she gives the performance of her life as Marilyn Monroe. Features Kelli Garner (The Aviator) as Marilyn, and Emily Watson (The Book Thief) as Marilyn's legal guardian, Grace McKee.

• Once Upon A Time In The West 50th Anniversary | Blu Ray | (02/09/2019) from £54.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Sergio Leone's monumental picture ranks among his most admired achievements. In the dying days of the Old West, a struggle to control water in a dusty desert town embroils three hard-bitten gunmen in an epic clash of greed, honor and revenge. Henry Fonda stars in his most sinister role as Frank, a hired killer who ruthlessly slays an entire family. Jason Robards plays Cheyenne, an infamous bandit framed for the slaughter. And Charles Bronson is The Man, a mysterious loner determined to exact vengeance for a grudge he refuses to divulge. An influence on countless directors, Leone's masterpiece is considered among the greatest Westerns ever made. SPECIAL FEATURES Commentary with Contributions from Directors John Carpenter, John Milius & Alex Cox, Film Historians Sir Christopher Frayling & Dr. Sheldon Hall, and Cast & Crew An Opera Of Violence The Wages Of Sin Something To Do With Death Railroad: Revolutionising The West Locations Then & Now Production Gallery Theatrical Trailer

• Critters : Attack! | DVD | (26/08/2019) from £4.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In this continuation of the beloved 80s film series, a young townie must protect the kids she's babysitting from an invasion of Crites - tiny, insatiable, carnivorous aliens - who've returned to capture a runaway royal of the species. Who will survive? And who will be eaten?

• Doctor Who - The Web of Fear | Blu Ray | (16/08/2021) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In order to escape an attack in space, the TARDIS makes an unscheduled landing and ends up deep inside the London Underground. Here the travellers soon find themselves engulfed in a thrilling battle with the Great Intelligence and the Yeti, a deadly enemy set to invade the Earth. But as events take a turn for the worse, it becomes clear that the golden prize is not just the Earth, but the Doctor's mind too... This release includes all 5 surviving episodes, plus a brand new fully animated reconstruction of the missing 6th episode created from the surviving audio-only recordings.

• The Believer | DVD | (03/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This intense drama is based on the true story of Danny Balint, a former Yeshiva student whose love/hate relationship with God led him to become a neo Nazi skinhead.

• Man In The Sky | DVD | (29/03/2010) from £9.49   |  Saving you £6.50 (68.49%)   |  RRP £15.99

  When an engine catches fire on the experimental rocket-propulsion plane that he is flying test pilot John Mitchell (Jack Hawkins) defies an order to jettison the vehicle into the sea.

• The Two Jakes | Blu Ray | (27/02/2023) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jack Nicholson returns as private eye Jake Gittes in this atmospheric Chinatown follow-up that's hit upon the elusive sequel formula for somehow enhancing a great original (Mike Clark, USA Today ). Much has changed since we last saw Jake. The war has come and gone; 1948 Los Angeles teems with optimism and fast bucks. But there's one thing Jake knows hasn't changed:Nine times out of ten, if you follow the money you will get to the truth. And that's the trail he follows when a routine case of marital hanky panky explodes into a murder that's tied to a grab for oil and to Jake's own past.

• Kramer vs Kramer | DVD | (02/05/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  It might have started out as a small, rather arty divorce drama but Kramer vs Kramer was the biggest cinema hit of 1979. It confirmed Dustin Hoffman's status as a major star in a performance that combined his trademark twitchy intensity with deep sensitivity. And it provided Meryl Streep with a pivotal role in her rise to big-screen greatness. Both won Oscars, as did director Robert Benton and the film itself scooped the Best Picture award. Kramer vs Kramer has worn well into the 21st century. Although clearly of its time--by the late 1970s, microscopic relationship analysis had become the theme of commercial cinema--it stands on the strength of its central performances. Hoffman's Ted Kramer is a vision of the Graduate grown up: serious, focused and thrown by anything that threatens his upwardly mobile professional trajectory. The news that his wife, who he has failed to notice teetering on the edge of a breakdown, is leaving him and their son sends him into a tailspin. The film is as much about his resilience and fulfilment as it is the story of a divorce and custody battle. Justin Henry is extraordinary as Billy, the boy caught in the middle, and turns in a remarkably complex, thoughtful performance, which is light years from the archetypal all-American kid you might anticipate. And in just a handful of scenes, Streep is mesmerising as Joanna, the deserting wife and mother who you just can't bring yourself to hate. Yes, this is soap opera. But it belongs up there with all the finest cinematic human dramas. On the DVD: The widescreen presentation ensures a theatrically authentic experience, with some fantastic shots of New York city coming into their own. The mono sound is adequate for the relative intimacy of most of the dialogue. But the real bonus is the retrospective documentary in which director and writer Benton, producer Stanley Jaffe and the cast look back with touching satisfaction at a piece which clearly meant a great deal to them all. Hoffman's initial reluctance (he was going through a real-life divorce) to get involved, the process of working with a gifted child actor and Streep's desire to make Joanna understood are all recalled in fascinating detail. --Piers Ford

• The Great Train Robbery | DVD | (06/01/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  8 August 1963: Britain wakes up to news of the biggest robbery in the country's history. A train has been hijacked and robbed 35 miles from its arrival in central London. The country is stunned. Who could be behind it? How did they pull off such an audacious raid? A Robber's TaleThis is the story of how one group of criminals became the most wanted men in Britain. They got lucky. And that piece of luck would destroy their lives forever. A Copper's TaleDetective Tommy Butler and his elite team of brilliant idiosyncratic investigators in a race against time to identify the robbers and put them behind bars before they flee the country. But what's happened to the money itself?

• Gods And Monsters | DVD | (24/04/2000) from £15.91   |  Saving you £4.08 (25.64%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Ian McKellen delivers a riveting, award-winning performance as Hollywood horror director James Whale.

• A Few Good Men | Blu Ray | (01/07/2019) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Rob Reiner directs this drama starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) is a Navy lawyer assigned to defend two men who accidentally killed a soldier by strangling him with a towel. Initially working out a quick and easy plea bargain with the prosecuting lawyer (Kevin Bacon), Kaffee is persuaded to investigate the case further by a determined colleague (Demi Moore). Together they take on the might of the army establishment, as the trail of evidence leads to the accused's commanding officer (Nicholson).

• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory Steelbook | Blu Ray | (25/11/2024) from £29.39   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Rediscover the magic of Roald Dahls family classic about the legendary Candy Man, Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder). This dazzling musical, filled with incredible chocolate waterfalls, Oompa-Loompas and industrial-sized confections, never fails to enchant both young and old. Product Features On-Disc Special Features Commentary with the Wonka Kids.

• Coronation Street - Best of 1980-1989 | DVD | (05/09/2011) from £33.35   |  Saving you £6.64 (19.91%)   |  RRP £39.99

  80 classic episodes of Britain's longest-running soap opera taken from the 1980s. Highlights include the episode from 1981 where Emily (Eileen Derbyshire) is threatened with murder the classic 1983 episode where Deirdre's (Anne Kirkbride) affair with Mike (Johnny Briggs) is discovered by Ken (William Roache) and the episodes in 1989 where Alan (Mark Eden) tries to kill Rita (Barbara Knox) and is run over by a tram.

• The Anniversary | DVD | (09/07/2007) from £8.99   |  Saving you £4.00 (44.49%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Mrs Taggart (Bette Davis) a wealthy tyrannical and manipulative matriarch holds a social gathering to celebrate her wedding anniversary even though her husband has been dead for years. She demands the presence of her three sons: a timid cross-dresser a stressed father of five and a secretly engaged youngster. But the party is just an excuse for Mrs. Taggart to maintain her mercilessly firm grip over her offsprings lives. Made by Britains Hammer Studios this deliciously nasty

• Detroit | DVD | (08/01/2018) from £7.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From Kathryn Bigelow, the Academy Award® winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of ˜67.

• All The President's Men | DVD | (02/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  It helps to have one of history's greatest scoops as your factual inspiration, but journalism thrillers just don't get any better than All the President's Men. Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford are perfectly matched as (respectively) Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, whose investigation into the Watergate scandal set the stage for President Richard Nixon's eventual resignation. Their bestselling exposé was brilliantly adapted by screenwriter William Goldman, and director Alan Pakula crafted the film into one of the most intelligent and involving of the 1970s paranoid thrillers. Featuring Jason Robards in his Oscar-winning role as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, All the President's Men is the film against which all other journalism movies must be measured. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Pokemon The Movie 2000 | DVD | (14/05/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  The latest big screen adventure of the Japanese cartoon characters finds them helping a friend to save the world!

• Pennyworth Season 1 | Blu Ray | (22/06/2020) from £11.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  This DC origin story follows Bruce Wayne's legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a former British SAS soldier who forms a security company and goes to work with young billionaire Thomas Wayne, who's not yet Bruce's billionaire father, in 1960s London.