"Actor: John Chan"

• Shane | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £6.30   |  Saving you £9.69 (153.81%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Consciously crafted by director George Stevens as a piece of American myth making, Shane is on nearly everyone's shortlist of great movie Westerns. A buckskin knight, Shane (Alan Ladd) rides into the middle of a range war between farmers and cattlemen, quickly siding with the "sod-busters". While helping a kindly farmer (Van Heflin), Shane falls platonically in love with the man's wife (Jean Arthur, in the last screen performance of a marvellous career). Though the showdowns are exciting, and the story simple but involving, what most people will remember about this movie is the friendship between the stoical Shane and the young son of the farmers. The kid is played by Brandon De Wilde, an amazing child performer; his parting scene with Shane is guaranteed to draw tears from even the most stony-hearted moviegoer. And speaking of stony hearts, Jack Palance made a sensational impression as the evil gunslinger sent to clean house--he has fewer lines of dialogue than he has lines in his magnificently craggy face, but he makes them count. The photography, highlighting the landscape near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won an Oscar. --Robert Horton

• Longitude | DVD | (15/07/2002) from £15.08   |  Saving you £-5.09 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Gracefully adapted from Dava Sobel's extraordinary bestseller, the four-part TV production of Longitude combines drama, history and science into a stimulating, painstakingly authentic account of personal triumph and joyous discovery. Equally impressive is the way writer-director Charles Sturridge has crafted parallel stories that complement each other with enriching perspective. The first story involves the successful 40-year effort of 18th-century clockmaker John Harrison (Michael Gambon) to solve the elusive problem of measuring longitude at sea. In 1714 the British Parliament had offered a generous reward to anyone who solved the problem, and Harrison devoted his life to that solution. The second story, some 200 years later, involves the effort of shell-shocked British Navy veteran Rupert Gould (Jeremy Irons) to restore the glorious clocks that Harrison had built. Like Harrison, Gould is the most admirable type of obsessive, but, also like Harrison, he risks his marriage to accomplish his difficult task. Thousands of sailors perished at sea before Harrison's triumph changed history, but Longitude demonstrates that Harrison's glory was slow to arrive--and his prize money even slower. A fascinating study of 18th-century British politics and clashing egos in the arena of science, the film is both epic and intimate in consequence , and Sturridge's magnificent script inspires Gambon and Irons to do some of the best work of their outstanding careers . The ever-reliable Ian Hart appears in Part 3 as Harrison's now-adult son and apprentice, and Longitude approaches its dramatic climax with the exhilarating tension of a first-rate thriller. Rallying after sickness to prove the integrity of their marvellous seafaring chronometers, the Harrisons still had to fight for official recognition, and Gould's restoration of the Harrison clockworks provides a fitting coda to this exceptional story about the thrill of discovery and the tenacity of remarkable men. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Rope | DVD | (17/10/2005) from £16.99   |  Saving you £-12.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  An experimental film masquerading as a standard Hollywood thriller. The plot of Rope is simple and based on a successful stage play: two young men (John Dall and Farley Granger) commit murder, more or less as an intellectual exercise. They hide the body in their large apartment, then throw a dinner party. Will the body be discovered? Director Alfred Hitchcock, fascinated by the possibilities of the long-take style, decided to shoot this story as though it were happening in one long, uninterrupted shot. Since the camera can only hold one 10-minute reel at a time, Hitchcock had to be creative when it came time to change reels, disguising the switches as the camera passed behind someone's back or moved behind a lamp. In later years Hitchcock wrote off the approach as misguided, and Rope may not be one of Hitchcock's top movies, but it's still a nail-biter. They don't call him the Master of Suspense for nothing. James Stewart, as a suspicious professor, marks his first starring role for Hitchcock, a collaboration that would lead to the masterpieces Rear Window and Vertigo. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

• The Borrowers | DVD | (06/07/2009) from £12.99   |  Saving you £-3.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The popular children's books by Mary Norton have been filmed before, but never with as much imagination and ingenuity as you'll find on display in this delightful fantasy film released to critical praise in 1998. The eponymous Borrowers are a family of tiny people who live in the walls and under the floorboards in the homes of "normal-sized" humans; they earn their by "borrowing" the household items (string, food crumbs, buttons, and so on) needed to furnish their tiny hiding places and provide their meals. The little Clock family lives happily undisturbed in the home of an aged aunt, but when the aunt dies and her will is stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer (John Goodman), the Clocks face eviction and the frightening hazards of the outside world. Under the ingenious direction of Peter Hewitt, this simple, straightforward movie mixes comedy, adventure, and suspense with some of the cleverest special effects you've ever seen, taking full advantage of effects technologies to immerse you in the world of the tiny people. A climactic chase scene in a milk-bottling plant is a visual tour de force, and the movie's smart and dazzling enough to entertain parents and children alike. After its modest success in cinemas, The Borrowers stands a good chance of becoming a home-video favourite. --Jeff Shannon

• Capone | DVD | (06/03/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The man who made the Twenties roar! The story of the rise and fall of the infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone (Ben Gazzara) and the control he exhibited over the city during the prohibition years as well as with his subsequent fall...

• The Legend Of The Seven Golden Vampires | DVD | (28/06/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Hammer Horror! Dragon Thrills! The First Kung Fu Horror Spectacular! Count Dracula journies to a remote Chinese village in the guise of a warlord to support six vampires who are dispirited after the loss of a seventh member of their cult. At the same time vampire hunter Prof. Van Helsing happens to be lecturing in the country and is persuaded by villagers to help them fight this curse of the ages... Possibly the only film to combine the traditions of a vampire story with Kung Fu!

• Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings Of Sherlock Holmes (1999) | DVD | (24/03/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

• Grease 1 & 2 Box Set | DVD | (28/02/2005) from £23.90   |  Saving you £-3.91 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Grease: John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy Travolta's naive love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a who's who in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50's. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade - it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock n'roll! Grease 2: It's 1961 two years after the original gang graduated from Rydell High and there's a new crop of seniors. The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds are still the epitome of cool except that over the summer something's happened to Stephanie the sorority leader. She feels she's outgrown Johnny the head T-Bird and is looking for a new love - one who's even more cool and whose bike is even hotter. Meanwhile newcomer Michael is smitten with Stephanie who won't even notice him...

• Dragon Blade | Blu Ray | (14/03/2016) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Two thousand years ago, a mysterious legion of extremely fearsome warriors marched along the famous Silk Road. The soldiers were part of a Roman legion led by General Lucius (John Cusack; Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity), marching east to protect Publius, the youngest son of Consul Crassus, from his vicious brother Tiberius (Adrien Brody; The Pianist, The Grand Budapest Hotel). After becoming lost in the desert they arrive at Wild Geese Gate, where Lucius meets Huo An (Jackie Chan; Rush Hour, Drunken Master), the Commander of the Silk Road Protection Squad of the Western Region. The two men - who have each been framed for treason - earn each other's respect and form an allegiance as Tiberius eventually arrives with his army, demanding Huo An hand over Lucius and Publius or witness his forces annex China. To protect his country and to clear his name of treason, Huo An gathers all the allies of China to unite together and take on Tiberius in an epic battle that will be remembered forever

• Pitch Black | DVD | (28/05/2001) from £3.89   |  Saving you £9.10 (233.93%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Vin Diesel creates a cult icon as Riddick in this epic sci-fi adventure. The new Special Edition DVD comes complete with a range of exclusive extra features.

• Monty Python - Almost The Truth - The Lawyer's Cut | DVD | (26/10/2009) from £6.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (28.61%)   |  RRP £8.99

  October 2009 sees the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the first broadcast of Monty Python's Flying Circus by BBC TV in 1969. Almost The Truth: The Lawyer's Cut tells the story of Monty Python through brand new interviews with the Pythons: John Cleese Terry Gilliam Eric Idle Terry Jones and Michael Palin and archive material from the late Graham Chapman. A host of others also contribute to putting the Python legacy in context including: Phil Jupitus Bruce Dickinson Sanjeev Bhaskar Russell Brand Steve Coogan Stephen Merchant Dan Aykroyd Nick Mason Tim Roth Simon Pegg Eddie Izzard and more. The six programmes each an hour long combine the interviews with a generous helping of clips from pre-Python material the original Flying Circus TV series the films: Monty Python & The Holy Grail Monty Python's Life Of Brian and Monty Python's Meaning Of Life and their classic live performance at the Hollywood Bowl. This is the only official authorised programme to commemorate Monty Python's 40th birthday. Episodes Comprise: 1. The Not-So-Interesting Beginnings 2. The Much Funnier Second Episode 3. And Now The Sordid Personal Bits 4. The Ultimate Holy Grail Episode 5. Lust For Glory! 6. Finally! The Last Episode (Ever) (For now...)

• McLintock | DVD | (02/07/2007) from £7.14   |  Saving you £-4.15 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  He Tamed The West But Could He Tame Her? Cattle baron banker and model citizen George McLintock has the world in his hands. The only thing missing is his wife Katherine who left him two years earlier suspecting him of adultery. In an effort to get on with his life McLintock saves a beautiful but impoverished widow from resettlement and hires her as his cook welcoming both her and her two children into his home. Sparks begin to fly and McLintock's simple and serene lifestyle comes to a crashing halt as an unexpected turn of events results in brawls gunfire an Indian attack the engagement of his only daughter and the return of Mrs. McLintock!

• The Bee Gees - One Night Only (DTS Version) | DVD | (29/05/2000) from £14.89   |  Saving you £0.10 (0.67%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Taped as a lavish cable television special in 1997, One Night Only trades on the Bee Gees' shape-shifting career as pop survivors. Over the course of 111 minutes, this straightforward concert, produced at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and groomed for both video and CD posterity, sprints through 31 songs from their past three decades. Even after the inevitable disco jokes are expended, and the jaundiced viewer contemplates the role hats, hairspray, and comb-overs now play in dressing the once stylishly long-haired troika, the Gibb brothers' signature vocal harmonies and hook-laden song craft beg respect.Casual listeners can't be blamed for equating the Bee Gees with the dance floor bonanza they reaped through 1978's Saturday Night Fever, yet that commercial zenith was actually the culmination of a comeback for a group that had seemed washed up by the early 1970s. One Night Only thankfully takes an even-handed view of both their original late 1960s hits ("Massachusetts", "To Love Somebody", "Lonely Days"), building from a cannily Beatle-browed vocal sound, and the 1970s blue-eyed soul ("Jive Talkin'", "Nights on Broadway") that led them naturally into disco. The Fever hits are here, as are Gibb originals that clicked for other acts; the family circle also widens for a posthumous duet with their late brother, Andy Gibb, while Celine Dion gets star billing in the collaborative "Immortality". --Sam Sutherland

• Grease / Saturday Night Fever | DVD | (02/12/2002) from £12.07   |  Saving you £12.92 (107.04%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Grease John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy Travolta's naive love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a who's who in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50's. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade - it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock n'roll! Saturday Night Fever John Travolta gives a sensual and intelligent performance as the troubled Tony Manero - Brooklyn paint store clerk by day and undisputed king of the dance floor by night. Every Saturday Tony puts on his wide collared shirt flared trousers and platform shoes and heads out to the only place where he's seen as a god rather than some young punk. But in the darkness away from from the strobe lights and glitter ball is a tragic story of disillusionment violence and heartbreak. Without a doubt Travolta's performance made him a Hollywood legend but 'Saturday Night Fever' is more than just a movie that defined the music and fashion of a generation. It's a powerful and provocative urban tragedy that carries as much significance today as it did in 1977.

• The Fifth Element | UMD | (05/12/2005) from £8.08   |  Saving you £7.91 (97.90%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In the year 2257 a planet-sized sphere of supreme evil is approaching the earth at relentless speed threatening to exterminate every living organism unless four ancient stones representing the elements of earth wind fire and water are united with the mysterious fifth element.From Luc Besson the acclaimed director of 'Leon' and 'Nikita' comes a film that turns science fiction inside out.

• Grease: Ultimate Sing-along Special Collector's Edition (2 Disc) | DVD | (06/11/2006) from £15.93   |  Saving you £4.06 (25.49%)   |  RRP £19.99

  John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy Travolta's naive love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a ""who's who"" in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50's. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade - it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock n'roll!

• Masked And Anonymous | DVD | (10/05/2004) from £18.97   |  Saving you £0.01 (0.06%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Sometimes surprising, often baffling and occasionally entertaining, Masked and Anonymous is another in the long but not necessarily distinguished line of rock-star movie vehicles. Bob Dylan stars in this BBC Films coproduction as an alter ego of himself, ageing rocker Jack Fate, released from jail to play a benefit concert in an alternative America that is run down and ruled by a military dictator. When not singing he makes little impression, so it's fortunate that director Larry Charles surrounds him with a galaxy of excellent supporting players, including John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Penelope Cruz, Jeff Bridges, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Dern, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi and Val Kilmer--all of whom gave their services for free. The screenplay, cowritten by Dylan, is full of the kind of cryptic aphorisms familiar from his song lyrics: "What's bugging me?", remarks Jeff Bridges' character, "The absurdity of a lifetime of human labour, that's what's bugging me." "They have no ideology. They push both Jesus and Judas aside," says an anonymous bus driver, and there are plenty more didactic, speechy comments that even these veteran actors can't make sound natural or spontaneous. Better to focus on the music--both the songs Dylan performs on screen and those on the soundtrack, which consists mostly of foreign-language covers of Dylan classics. On the DVD: Masked and Anonymous on disc comes with a commentary track from director Larry Charles, who is good on the details of the shooting schedule, but vague about the movie's aspirations. There are some deleted scenes (none of which shed any more light on the plot), another Dylan performance, and a 20-minute "making of" featurette, with the many supporting stars waxing lyrical about the freewheeling shooting style and semi-theatrical staging. The anamorphic widescreen picture is unexceptional, as is the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack, which naturally enough works best with the music. --Mark Walker

• Jackie Chan's First Strike | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £8.74   |  Saving you £8.51 (113.77%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Action-god Jackie Chan does his best James Bond impression with First Strike, an ecstatic sequel to the classic Supercop. The bare-bones plot has Chan in pursuit of international terrorists, but the narrative quickly gives way to an unceasing barrage of insane stunt work (including a nitro-fuelled ski chase and a grandiose fight scene set inside a functioning shark tank). As with most of the ageing star's recent films, there is more of an emphasis placed on big, impersonal (albeit impressive) stunts rather than the close-up combat that made him famous; but the end result is still a must-see rush for longtime fans and a great introduction for newcomers eager to see what all the well-deserved fuss is about. The scene where Jackie takes on multiple goons while armed only with a ladder is one of his most jaw-dropping set pieces ever--and that's saying quite a lot. Be sure to stick around for the closing credits of gags gone awry, which graphically prove that Chan is truly the hardest working man in show business. --Andrew Wright

• Shanghai Noon & Shanghai Knights 2: Movie Coll | Blu Ray | (07/05/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Stories We Tell | DVD | (23/09/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In this inspired genre-twisting new film writer/director Sarah Polley delves into the murky waters of family histories. As each interviewee relates their story varying levels of reliability are exposed and the truth is shown as being dependant on how it is told.