"Actor: Janet"

• Paul McCartney - Back In The US | DVD | (17/03/2003) from £12.56   |  Saving you £10.42 (108.88%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Compiled from McCartney's two concert tours of North America in 2002, Back in the U.S. is chiefly a "selective" biographical film of Macca on tour. Unlike the CD of the same name, which is made up of full-length versions of the songs performed on the tour, the DVD features only excerpts. Presenting the legend and those around it in a somewhat superficial light, the film is as much a tribute to the Heather-reinvigorated McCartney as to his music. There's plenty of footage of the new Mrs McCartney accompanying Paul on his marathon of television and radio interviews; band and crew members pipe on about how much of an honour it is to work with McCartney; and fans' of all ages gush hysterically about how amazing it is to see the star perform live. After sitting through three hours of such material, you can't help wishing that something would go wrong. The set-list includes Beatles favourites, tunes by Wings and selected numbers from McCartney's solo back catalogue. Realising the audience's obvious taste for nostalgia, the film mixes shots of the wild contemporary audience with footage of tearful, screaming fans from 40 years earlier. While the songs and audience reactions remain the same, the most touching moment of the film is when Macca performs his tributes to Lennon ("Here Today") and Harrison ("Something"). On The DVD: Back in the U.S. appears to break all DVD capacity records. As well as the main feature, there's plenty of extra behind-the-scenes material and bonus songs. While the picture quality is satisfactory, the three audio soundtracks (including DTS Surround) more than compensate for any visual shortcomings. Playing the disc on a DVD-ROM drive allows access to a secret Back In The U.S. Web site--one of the most comprehensive bonus Web sites ever. Highlights include additional soundcheck clips, outtakes, music promos and extended performances from the show. --John Galilee

• Psycho | Blu Ray | (05/07/2021) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of the most shocking films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho changed the thriller genre forever. After its original release in 1960, the film was censored for decades until now. Join the Master of Suspense on a chilling journey as an unsuspecting victim (Janet Leigh) visits the Bates Motel and falls prey to one of cinema's most notorious psychopaths - Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Featuring one of the most iconic scenes in film history - the famous shower scene, Psycho is still terrifying after all these years (Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide). Special Features The Making of Psycho Psycho Sound In The Masters Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy Hitchcock/Truffaut Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho The Shower Scene (with and without music) The Shower Sequence: Storyboards by Saul Bass The Psycho Archives and more...

• Risky Business | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £14.12   |  Saving you £-0.13 (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Little did Tom Cruise know that he would become a box-office superstar after he cranked up some Bob Seeger and played air guitar in his underwear. But there's more to this 1983 hit than the arrival of a hot young star. Making a stylish debut, writer-director Paul Brickman crafted a subtle satire of crass materialism wrapped in an irresistible plot about a crafty high schooler named Joel (Cruise) who goes into risky business with the beguiling prostitute Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) while his parents are out of town. Joel turns his affluent Chicago-suburb home into a lucrative bordello and forms a steamy personal and professional partnership with Lana, but only as long as the two can avoid the vengeful pimp Guido (Joe Pantoliano) and keep their customers happy. A signature film of the 1980s, Risky Business still holds up thanks to Cruise's effortless charm and the movie's timeless appeal as an adolescent male fantasy. --Jeff Shannon

• King Of New York | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £10.64   |  Saving you £-0.65 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  King of New York is a low-budget crime thriller has the feel of a major blockbuster and owes its roots to the hard-edged crime movies of the 1930s. Christopher Walken stars as a drug kingpin who is released from prison and vows to use his position and influence--and criminal enterprise--for charitable means. But a core group of New York cops are all over him and his gang, determined to go to war, whatever the cost, to bring him down. Eventually his empire--headquartered at, of all places, Donald Trump's Plaza Hotel--crumbles under the weight of double-crossing and a body count of open warfare with the cops. This is one of the most stylish films of the last decade, with a strong supporting cast (including Lawrence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, and David Caruso) and some truly enthralling set pieces, including a stunning car chase and gunfight across a rain-soaked Queensboro Bridge. The film's tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top style offsets its nihilism; and its riveting visuals will have audiences hooked from beginning to end. --Robert Lane

• Unhinged | DVD | (13/10/2014) from £13.48   |  Saving you £-3.49 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Previously Banned, this exploitation slasher Video Nasty follows three college girls stranded in their car during a rainstorm. They seek help from the inhabitants of a spooky Victorian mansion - the psychotic Mrs Penrose and her evil family. The girls discover that the family have a dark secret and then a killer is on the loose, hacking people up. Extras: All Region Codes Brand New Directors Commentary 88 Films Trailer Park Reversible Sleeve Incorporating Original Artwork

• Jet Pilot (John Wayne) | DVD | (05/06/2006) from £6.70   |  Saving you £3.29 (49.10%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Exploding with all the power of the jet age... with all the passion of a daring love story! A corps of silver jets soar across the majestic blue American skies while a beautiful lady waits faithfully for her hero. John Wayne and Janet Leigh star in this military romance: a classic Howard Hughes production! Anna a Russian MIG pilot escapes the USSR and lands on a US Airforce base in Alaska. There she meets Colonel Shannon and after he debriefs her the two become romantically involved and move to Palm Springs. Trouble arises when the US authorities discover that Anna is not really a defector but a Soviet spy. Army honchos decide to turn the tables by letting Shannon follow her back home and do some of his own espionage. But once there Soviet forces endanger Shannon's life - and Anna has to choose between her country and the man she has come to love...

• The Psycho Collection Limited Edition 4K UHD | Blu Ray | (25/09/2023) from £199.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  WE ALL GO A LITTLE MAD SOMETIMES... Shattering expectations and shocking audiences around the world, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho changed the face of cinema in 1960. It remains one of the most iconic and influential movies ever made. Twenty three years later, Australian filmmaker Richard Franklin (Patrick, Road Games) boldly followed in the master's footsteps and directed Psycho II, a sequel that not only delivered on the promise of his earlier films, but also lived up to Hitchcock's original. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is declared sane and released from the facility in which he was being held, despite the complaints of Lila Loomis (née Crane, Vera Miles) sister of Norman's most famous victim. All Norman wants to do is live quietly and productively as a normal member of society. But is returning to the house he once shared with his mother, and running the motel that was the site of so many murders, really a good idea? Is he cured, or will he kill again? Psycho III would see Anthony Perkins himself take the franchise's reins for his directorial debut, bringing a stylish flair that suggested his time working with not only Alfred Hitchcock, but Orson Welles and Ken Russell had been well spent. A fallen nun (Diana Scarwid as Maureen Coyle), a sleazy drifter (Jeff Fahey as Duane Duke), and a curious reporter looking for a scoop (Roberta Maxwell as Tracy Venables) all arrive at the Bates Motel and 'Mother' is less than happy, especially when Norman begins to fall in love. Meanwhile, Psycho IV: The Beginning, written by Joseph Stefano (screenwriter of the 1960 original) and directed by master of horror Mick Garris, returns to the primal scene to show us how it all began in Anthony Perkins' final franchise appearance. Rehabilitated and happily married, Norman Bates has finally escaped from the overbearing influence of his abusive mother. But his wife is pregnant, and Norman finds himself afraid that the child will inherit his mental illness. When he hears talk radio host Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder) discussing the topic of matricide, Norman calls in under a false name, to tell his story. Starring Henry Thomas (E.T.) as young Norman and Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas) as his mother, Norma. Presented together for the first time in the UK on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, featuring all new restorations of Psycho II, III and IV from the original camera negatives, Arrow Video invites you back inside the Bates Motel and wishes you a very pleasant stay. Product Features 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (2160p) presentations of all four films New 4K restorations of Psycho II, Psycho III and Psycho IV from the original camera negatives DTS:X and mono audio options for Psycho, lossless stereo and 5.1 options for Psycho II and Psycho III, and lossless stereo audio for Psycho IV Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin Double-sided posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin 9 postcard sized reproduction art cards 120-page perfect bound collector's book featuring new writing by film critics John-Paul Checkett and Johnny Mains plus select archival material Disc 1 PSYCHO (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY) 60th Anniversary edition from Universal Pictures with uncut and re-release versions of the film Audio Commentary with Stephen Rebello, author of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho The Making of Psycho documentary In the Master's Shadow, Hitchcock's Legacy featurette Hitchcock / Truffaut audio interview with scenes from the movie Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho featurette The Shower Scene: With & Without Music featurette The Shower Sequence, storyboards by Saul Bass image gallery Psycho Sound featurette The Psycho Archives image gallery Posters and Psycho Ads image gallery Lobby Cards image gallery Behind the Scenes Photographs image gallery Publicity Shots image gallery Theatrical trailer Re-Release trailers Disc 2 - PSYCHO II (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY) New audio commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains Archival audio commentary by screenwriter Tom Holland Behind the Curtain: The Masters of Horror on Psycho, panel discussion with screenwriter Tom Holland and Psycho IV director Mick Garris moderated by Robert V. Galluzzo Giving Bloch His Due, interview with Chet Williams, author of Psycho: Sanitarium on the legacy of Norman Bates' creator, author Robert Bloch Anthony Perkins TV interview Anthony Perkins audio interview Richard Franklin audio interview Richard Franklin On Set featurette Richard Franklin scene commentary A sequel to a Classic featurette The House on the Hill featurette Personality Profile: Anthony Perkins featurette Personality Profile: Richard Franklin featurette Still Crazy After all these Years Behind the scenes featurette Anthony Perkins interview Vera Miles interview Janet Leigh interview Jerry Goldsmith demo Trailers & TV spots Image gallery Audio press kit/promotional record Record gallery Disc 3 - PSYCHO III (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY) New Commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains Archival audio commentary by screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue Carnival of the Heart, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas Scream of Love, a new interview with composer Carter Burwell Watch the Guitar, archival interview with actor Jeff Fahey Patsy's Last Night, archival interview with actor Katt Shea Mother's Maker, archival interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Westmore Body Double, archival interview with actress Brinke Stevens Original electronic press kit Alternate opening Theatrical trailer TV spot Image gallery Disc 4 - PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY) 4K (2160p) Ultra HD presentation of the film in director's preferred 1.78:1 aspect ratio Archival audio commentary with director Mick Garris, actor Henry Thomas, and actress Olivia Hussey Death by Strings, new visual essay by author and critic Guy Adams on music across the franchise The Making of Mother, an archival interview with make-up effects artist Tony Gardner Behind-the-scenes footage A Look at the Scoring of Psycho IV, archival featurette Trailer Disc 5 - PSYCHO IV TV Aspect Ratio (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY - LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE) 4K (2160p) Ultra HD presentation of the film in 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio

• Touch Of Evil | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £8.70   |  Saving you £1.29 (14.83%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Strangest Vengeance Ever Planned! Orson Welles' Touch of Evil is nothing short of a masterpiece. Beginning with a three-minute-plus tracking crane shot the film explodes onto the screen literally - the opening shot ends with a car blowing up and that detonation sets into motion a classic noir tale of betrayal and murder. Special mention must go to Henry Mancini's score one the most impressive in cinema history! Welles plays the racist Captain Hank Quinlan a gr

• The Psycho Collection Limited Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (25/09/2023) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  WE ALL GO A LITTLE MAD SOMETIMES... Shattering expectations and shocking audiences around the world, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho changed the face of cinema in 1960. It remains one of the most iconic and influential movies ever made. Twenty three years later, Australian filmmaker Richard Franklin (Patrick, Road Games) boldly followed in the master's footsteps and directed Psycho II, a sequel that not only delivered on the promise of his earlier films, but also lived up to Hitchcock's original. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is declared sane and released from the facility in which he was being held, despite the complaints of Lila Loomis (née Crane, Vera Miles) sister of Norman's most famous victim. All Norman wants to do is live quietly and productively as a normal member of society. But is returning to the house he once shared with his mother, and running the motel that was the site of so many murders, really a good idea? Is he cured, or will he kill again? Psycho III would see Anthony Perkins himself take the franchise's reins for his directorial debut, bringing a stylish flair that suggested his time working with not only Alfred Hitchcock, but Orson Welles and Ken Russell had been well spent. A fallen nun (Diana Scarwid as Maureen Coyle), a sleazy drifter (Jeff Fahey as Duane Duke), and a curious reporter looking for a scoop (Roberta Maxwell as Tracy Venables) all arrive at the Bates Motel and 'Mother' is less than happy, especially when Norman begins to fall in love. Meanwhile, Psycho IV: The Beginning, written by Joseph Stefano (screenwriter of the 1960 original) and directed by master of horror Mick Garris, returns to the primal scene to show us how it all began in Anthony Perkins' final franchise appearance. Rehabilitated and happily married, Norman Bates has finally escaped from the overbearing influence of his abusive mother. But his wife is pregnant, and Norman finds himself afraid that the child will inherit his mental illness. When he hears talk radio host Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder) discussing the topic of matricide, Norman calls in under a false name, to tell his story. Starring Henry Thomas (E.T.) as young Norman and Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas) as his mother, Norma. Featuring all new restorations of Psycho II, III and IV from the original camera negatives, Arrow Video invites you back inside the Bates Motel and wishes you a very pleasant stay. Product Features LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all four films New 4K restorations of Psycho II, Psycho III and Psycho IV from the original camera negatives DTS:X and mono audio options for Psycho, lossless stereo and 5.1 options for Psycho II and Psycho III, and lossless stereo audio for Psycho IV Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin Double-sided posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin -9 postcard sized reproduction art cards 120-page perfect bound collector's book featuring new writing by film critics John-Paul Checkett and Johnny Mains plus select archival material. Disc 1 - PSYCHO 60th Anniversary edition from Universal Pictures with uncut and re-release versions of the film Audio commentary with Stephen Rebello, author of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho The Making of Psycho documentary - In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy featurette Hitchcock / Truffaut audio interview with scenes from the movie Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho featurette The Shower Scene: With & Without Music featurette The Shower Sequence, storyboards by Saul Bass image gallery Psycho Sound featurette The Psycho Archives image gallery Posters and Psycho Ads image gallery Lobby Cards image gallery Behind the Scenes Photographs image gallery Publicity Shots image gallery Theatrical trailer Re-release trailers Disc 2 - PSYCHO II New audio commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains Archival audio commentary by screenwriter Tom Holland Behind the Curtain: The Masters of Horror on Psycho, panel discussion with screenwriter Tom Holland and Psycho IV director Mick Garris moderated by Robert V. Galluzzo Giving Bloch His Due, interview with Chet Williams, author of Psycho: Sanitarium on the legacy of Norman Bates' creator, author Robert Bloch Anthony Perkins TV interview Anthony Perkins audio interview Richard Franklin audio interview Richard Franklin On Set featurette Richard Franklin scene commentary A sequel to a Classic featurette The House on the Hill featurette Personality Profile: Anthony Perkins featurette Personality Profile: Richard Franklin featurette Still Crazy After all these Years Behind the scenes featurette Anthony Perkins interview Vera Miles interview Janet Leigh interview Jerry Goldsmith demo Trailers & TV spots Image gallery Audio press kit/promotional record Record gallery Disc 3 - PSYCHO III New Commentary by film critics Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains Archival audio commentary by screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue Carnival of the Heart, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas Scream of Love, a new interview with composer Carter Burwell Watch the Guitar, archival interview with actor Jeff Fahey Patsy's Last Night, archival interview with actor Katt Shea Mother's Maker, archival interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Westmore Body Double, archival interview with actress Brinke Stevens Original electronic press kit Alternate opening Theatrical trailer TV spot Image gallery Disc 4 - PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the film in director's preferred 1.78:1 aspect ratio Archival audio commentary with director Mick Garris, actor Henry Thomas, and actress Olivia Hussey Death by Strings, new visual essay by author and critic Guy Adams on music across the franchise The Making of Mother, an archival interview with make-up effects artist Tony Gardner Behind-the-scenes footage A Look at the Scoring of Psycho IV, archival featurette Trailer DISC 5 - PSYCHO IV TV Aspect Ratio (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE) High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the film in 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio

• TOUCH OF EVIL (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (25/09/2023) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Psycho | Blu Ray | (09/08/2010) from £7.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (150.19%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Hitchcock's most notorious work remains terrifying after all these years, digitally presented, this reissue marks this milestone work's 50th Anniversary.

• A Dry White Season (Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (17/06/2024) from £15.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In the apartheid-era of South Africa, schoolteacher Ben du Toit (Donald Sutherland) lives with his wife and two children, wilfully naive to the racism and injustice in his country. That is until the son of his gardener is beaten and killed by white police officers in the aftermath of a protest for better education for Black children. This devastating event forces du Toit's to open his eyes and emboldens him to finally stand up and take action, seeking the help of human rights lawyer Ian McKenzie (Marlon Brando), an isolating endeavour that will change the lives of du Toit and his family forever. With a superb cast including Donald Sutherland, Zakes Mokae, Susan Sarandon, and Marlon Brandon in an Oscar-nominated supporting performance, Euzhan Palcy's A Dry White Season is a thrilling and ferocious portrayal of atrocity and discrimination. Presented in High Definition Extras TBC **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring a new essay on the film by Kevin Le Gendre

• Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service - A Brand New Mission | DVD | (16/03/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service

• Jet Pilot (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (24/07/2023) from £17.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The only colour film directed by the great Josef von Sternberg (Morocco), Jet Pilot brings together John Wayne (Hellfighters) and Janet Leigh (Psycho) in a Cold War blend of romance and thrills. When Soviet defector Anna (Leigh) lands her plane on Colonel Shannon's (Wayne) base, the two soon fall in love and marry. However, after it comes to light that Anna is still spying for her homeland, the couple flee to Russia, putting Shannon in danger from the Soviet authorities. Soon, Anna must choose between her love for her husband and her love for her country. Written and produced by Jules Furthman (Blonde Venus), and famous for its extended period of post-production at the hands of studio boss Howard Hughes', Jet Pilot highlights the absurdity of the Cold War, and was hailed by critic Andrew Sarris as a precursor to Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. Product Features High Definition remaster Two presentations of the film: in the original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio; and in the 1.37:1 open matte shooting ratio Original mono audio Tony Rayns on 'Jet Pilot' (2023): in-depth discussion of the film's protracted production and release The Town (1943): Josef von Sternberg's contribution to the war effort, a short film about a typical small town in the US, made as part of The American Scene film series Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Glenn Kenny, an extract from Joseph von Sternberg's autobiography, archival interviews with von Sternberg, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits UK premiere on Blu-ray Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK All extras subject to change

• Thought Crimes | DVD | (04/05/2009) from £9.88   |  Saving you £3.10 (44.99%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Freya McAllister an average teenager shy and unassuming with nothing but her future ahead of her. But on the night of her high school prom everything changes. That's when the voices come; voices only she can hear thousands of them assaulting her from every direction insistent and unstoppable. Freya is diagnosed as a violent schizophrenic and is committed to the Brookridge Mental Hospital. There she spends the next eight years of her life in solitary madness - until the fateful n

• Fat Friends - Series 1, 2 And 3 | DVD | (21/03/2005) from £69.93   |  Saving you £-9.94 (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Kay Mellor's comedy drama series following a collection of characters whose personal life struggles are relayed to each other during their weekly slimming class... Series 1: 1. Love Me Slender 2. Fat Chance 3. Fat Free 4. Growing Pains 5. Face The Fat 6. When The Fat Lady Sings Series 2: 1. Full Belly 2. Peaches And Dreams 3. Forty And In-Fat-uated 4. Sweet And Sour 5. In Full Bloom 6. Hunger Pangs Series 3: 1. Eat Your Heart Out 2. Leggs Over Easy 3. Foo

• The Harder They Come | DVD | (24/08/2015) from £7.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (87.61%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Cult Jamaican classic starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff as Ivanhoe Martin a country boy who comes to Kingston to make it big in the music industry. Hampered by payola and music industry corruption Ivanhoe turns to ganjadealing to try and make ends meet. Events spiral out of his control and he soon fi nds himself on the run from the police. The celebrated soundtrack is peppered with reggae classics by the likes of Toots and the Maytals Desmond Dekker The Melodians and Cliff himself who performs among others the title track and the timeless ‘Many Rivers to Cross’.

• Miss Marple - Murder At The Vicarage | DVD | (20/03/2006) from £8.84   |  Saving you £1.15 (13.01%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Geraldine McEwan takes over the coveted mantle of the titular super sleuth in one of a series of all-star cast adaptations of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novels. When the Parson of Miss Marple's village St. Mary Mead declares rather carelessly that ""Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe would be doing the world at large a service"" he does not realise his words will come back to haunt him! From several potential murderers the venerable detective must find the real killer...

• Family Business | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Connery Hoffman and Broderick star as three generations of a family formerly linked to organized crime. Grandfather Jesse has been in and out of jail and his son Vito has decided to leave a life of crime in order to become a respectable family man but when grandson Adam comes up with a can't-miss heist plan the intergenerational sparks begin to fly.

• Doctor Who - The Visitation | DVD | (19/01/2004) from £10.78   |  Saving you £9.21 (85.44%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Doctor Who: The Visitation is a routine adventure from the show's 19th season, beginning with Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor trying to return air hostess Tegan (Janet Fielding) to Heathrow Airport but materialising the TARDIS just as the Plague is ravaging 17th-century England. Three stranded Terileptils (humanoid-reptilian-fish hybrids in laughable costumes) are planning to wipe out humanity, while the local population have accepted the invader's puzzlingly camp robot for the Grim Reaper incarnate. There's much running around, being imprisoned and escaping again, but little substance in the story bar a return to the original series concept of tying the plot to elements of real history. Trying to find something for all the companions to do stretches the material thin, with the best entertainment coming from Michael Robbins' memorable turn as Richard Mace, an out-of-work actor turned charmingly genial highwayman. The "surprise" ending is predictable, Matthew Waterhouse's Adric as earnestly tiresome as ever and Tegan still tediously grumpy. Sarah Sutton as Nyssa is left too long building a sonic weapon which can vibrate a robot to pieces but doesn't harm the TARDIS or herself, yet Davison goes a long way to redeeming the tale with a charismatic intensity the yarn just doesn't deserve. On the DVD: Doctor Who: The Visitation is presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio with a good if variable picture. There are numerous unavoidable light trails on the video-shot studio material and some visual distortion on a few scenes. The mono sound is good and extends to an optional isolated presentation of Paddy Kingsland's musical score, a feature complemented by a new 16-minute interview with the composer by fellow Who musician, Mark Ayres. Of greater general interest is a 26-minute reminiscence by director Peter Moffatt covering all the six Doctor Who adventures he helmed. There is a good feature on Eric Saward and on the writing of the show, five minutes of extraordinarily dull Film Trims, detailed Information Text and an automated photo gallery. There are subtitles for both the episodes and a commentary that finds Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Peter Moffatt, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse having great fun bantering their way through the four episodes, a feature that proves far more enjoyable than the serial itself. --Gary S Dalkin