"Actor: John Williams"

• Hamlet | DVD | (10/03/2003) from £6.49   |  Saving you £3.50 (53.93%)   |  RRP £9.99

  In the opening scene of Hamlet, Laurence Olivier describes the play in a voice-over as "the tragedy of a man who couldn't make up his mind". But Olivier's screen adaptation is considerably more thoughtful and complex than this thesis would suggest. The contradictions and ambiguities of the title character, who prowls cavernous sets filled with vast, ancient corridors and winding staircases, emerge as if from a dream. The plethora of tracking shots--precise enough to impress Stanley Kubrick--encircle Olivier and his tightly constructed geometry of demise. Drawing on his experience playing the Prince on stage at Elsinore in 1937, the legendary thesp provides the film with the patina of greatness and shows how the constitution of the formerly cheerful Prince weakens increasingly under the burden of his own thoughts and inability to accept his mother's o'er-hasty marriage to uncle Claudius (Basil Sydney). Indeed, if emotions could possess ghosts, Olivier's Hamlet shows how they would manifest themselves. There is even a dollop of Freud, suggesting that Queen Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) has perhaps loved her offspring too closely--thus providing the fuel for Hamlet's actions. As Ophelia, Jeans Simmons captures the character's early spirit better than her gradual disintegration (Helena Bonham Carter fares better in Franco Zeffirelli's fine 1990 remake). Purists may bemoan the loss of Fortinbras, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but these choices allow Olivier to focus more squarely on Hamlet's plight. His monologues, many held in secret enclaves, glow with the dramatic markedness of a Dostoevski novel, with all of the master's irony, allusions and witticisms in place. The winner of four Oscars (Best Picture, Actor, Art Direction, and Costumes), this is a Hamlet for the ages. The rest is silence. --Kevin Mulhall

• To Catch A Thief | DVD | (07/05/2007) from £7.75   |  Saving you £2.24 (28.90%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A supposedly reformed cat burglar out to prove himself innocent of a recent crime spree tries to capture the thief who's terrifying the French Riviera. Cary Grant is devastatingly elegant as the reformed thief John Robie and charming enough to attract the attention of the lovely Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly) a wealthy and spoiled American traveling the Riviera with her widowed mother (Jessie Royce Landis). However things do not begin on a romantic note. Robie is more interested in clearing his name than in pursuing the beautiful American but the two will not go their separate ways so easily. Classic suspence and romance from director Alfred Hitchcock.

• Plague Of The Zombies | Blu Ray | (18/06/2012) from £12.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (76.98%)   |  RRP £22.99

  A small town in Cornwall is over run with Zombies controlled by a master of black magic. Can a professor stop the undead onslaught?

• Blood Simple | DVD | (01/01/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The debut film of director Joel Coen and his brother-producer Ethan Coen, 1983's Blood Simple is grisly comic noir that marries the feverish toughness of pulp thrillers with the ghoulishness of even pulpier horror. (Imagine the novels of Jim Thompson somehow fused with the comic tabloid Weird Tales and you get the idea.) The story concerns a Texas bar owner (Dan Hedaya) who hires a seedy private detective (M Emmett Walsh) to follow his cheating wife (Frances McDormand in her first film appearance) and then kill her and her lover (John Getz). The gumshoe turns the tables on his client, and suddenly a bad situation gets much, much worse, with some violent goings-on that are as elemental as they are shocking. (A scene in which a character who has been buried alive suddenly emerges from his own grave instantly becomes an archetypal nightmare.) Shot by Barry Sonnenfeld before he became an A-list director in Hollywood, Blood Simple established the hyperreal look and feel of the Coens' productions (undoubtedly inspired a bit by filmmaker Sam Raimi, whose The Evil Dead had just been coedited by Joel). Sections of the film have proved to be an endurance test for art-house movie fans, particularly an extended climax that involves one shock after another but ends with a laugh at the absurdity of criminal ambition. This is definitely one of the triumphs of the 1980s and the American independent film scene in general. --Tom Keogh

• To Catch A Thief | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £7.59   |  Saving you £8.40 (110.67%)   |  RRP £15.99

  From the undisputed master of the suspense-thriller Alfred Hitchcock's (Rear Window The Birds) To Catch A thief is a stylish and witty thriller starring Cary Grant (North by Northwest) and Grace Kelly(Rear Window). The on-screen chemistry between the two protagonists enhances Hitchcock's subtle and ambiguous story of a retired jewel thief forced to uncover the identity of a copycat thief before he is framed for the crimes himself. Grant's charm and sophistication as the retired cat-burglar set opposite the sensuous character of Kelly's socialite ensure that the atmosphere of the film is sexually charged leaving the audience with no doubt that the relationship could unravel at any point...

• Massacre In Rome | DVD | (02/04/2007) from £7.98   |  Saving you £-1.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Set in the Second World War when Nazi Germany occupied Italy. This film deals with the Vatican's involvement in the entire movement during the occupation of Rome.

• Johnny Guitar | DVD | (04/04/2005) from £10.80   |  Saving you £5.19 (48.06%)   |  RRP £15.99

  One of the stranger westerns to come out of Hollywood the title character is played by the imposing Sterling Hayden. Johnny Guitar is the former lover of Arizona saloon owner Vienna (Joan Crawford). Although her bar isn't bringing in any money Vienna knows that when the railroad is complete customers won't be a problem anymore. Righteous local Emma Small is most unhappy about Vienna's bar and the prospect of more settlers. Emma will do almost anything to purge the town of Vien

• Richard Pryor | DVD | (27/02/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A 4 disc box set featuring a quartet of the finest films starring motormouth funnyman Richard Pryor! R.I.P Ritchie... Car Wash ((Dir. Michael Schultz 1976): An earthy irreverent but affectionate look at a typical day in Los Angeles car wash! An ensemble piece which interweaves the lives of employees customers and passers-by Car Wash stars a galaxy of gifted actors most of whom are relatively unknown to movie goers and spotlights an array of guest stars in vivid cameo rol

• Legacy Of The Lions | DVD | (29/11/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Presented by John Inverdale Legay of the Lions is the definitive insight into one of the most unique institutions in British sport 'The British Lions'. With action packed footage of gruelling tours scintillating tries and amusing anecdotes about what really happens on tour recalled by some of the all-time greats who pulled on the famous Lions jersey. Spanning the history of the Lions from the first tour in 1888 through the triumphant '71 & '74 tour and up to the most recent vi

• Old Dogs | DVD | (02/08/2010) from £2.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (301.00%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Two best friends (Travolta and Williams) have their lives turned upside down when they're charged with the care of six-year-old twins on the eve of the biggest business deal of their lives!

• The Fast Show - Series One | DVD | (05/08/2002) from £9.99   |  Saving you £6.00 (60.06%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Fast Show, like Viz comic and Private Eye magazine, is one of those comedic institutions whose principal appeal is its utter predictability. The jokes in every episode are exactly the same, every sketch an only slightly different path to one of a few familiar punchlines ("I'll get me coat", "Where's me washboard?", "Scorchio!", "Suits you, Sir," and so on): once the viewer or reader is in with the jokes, they feel part of the club. This sort of reductive comedy is extremely easy to do badly: it is testament to the writing and acting of Paul Whitehouse and his team that not only are most of the set-pieces funny every time they reappear (the overly prurient tailors, the pub know-all, the Trevor Brooking-esque football pundit Ron Manager), but that each individual sketch is funny more than once. This first series of The Fast Show does not include a couple of characters who became well-loved mainstays; neither the licentious car salesman Swiss Tony, for whom everything was "like making love to a beautiful woman", or the incomprehensible raconteur Rowley Birkin QC, had been developed at this stage. However, aficionados will regard this collection as indispensable for the beginning of the saga of awkward young aristocrat Ralph and his unrequited passion for his gardener, Ted: a funny yet oddly affecting rendering of love thwarted by circumstance. On the DVD: The Fast Show--Series 1 on disc includes interviews with the cast, and English subtitles. There is an episode selector and an individual scene selector, though the latter is confusingly laid out. --Andrew Mueller

• Josh Groban in Concert (DVD & bonus CD) | DVD | (29/11/2003) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Josh Groban in Concert has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-road hit: a young, good-looking performer with a golden voice; songs in Italian and Spanish for the crossover crowd (think Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman) and pop and movie songs for the mainstream crowd; guest stars galore (David Foster, John Williams, Angie Stone, Andrea Corr, Lili Haydn); a large orchestra; and striking but not obtrusive visual effects. The centrepiece of this DVD/CD combo is the 80-minute concert DVD, filmed in Pasadena, California, in October 2002 and featuring numerous songs from Groban's debut CD, including "You're Still You", which catapulted him into stardom when he sang it on Ally McBeal. There are also two new songs--the ballad "Broken Vow" accompanied by Foster, and "For Always", with the orchestra conducted by John Williams, who wrote the song for the Steven Spielberg film A.I. The 37-minute CD offers seven songs performed in the concert (including the two not on the previous CD, "Broken Vow" and "For Always"), plus "O Holy Night". The DVD has excellent picture and sound (PCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS), interviews, and backstage footage and the combination with the CD is an excellent value. Groban's fans, of course, will consider it a treasure at any price. --David Horiuchi

• Wargames | DVD | (24/07/2000) from £11.86   |  Saving you £1.13 (9.53%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Cute but silly, this 1983 cautionary fantasy stars Matthew Broderick as a teenage computer genius who hacks into the Pentagon's defence system and sets World War III into motion. All the fun is in the film's set-up, as Broderick befriends Ally Sheedy and starts the international crisis by pretending while online to be the Soviet Union. After that, it's not hard to predict what's going to happen: government agents swoop in, but the story ends up in the "hands" of machines talking to one another. Thus we're stuck with flashing lights, etc. John Badham (Saturday Night Fever) directs in strict potboiler mode. Children still like this movie, though. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Sharknado - The Ultimate Collection | Blu Ray | (26/02/2024) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• 21 Jump Street - Season 1 | DVD | (05/03/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  It all begins here, as baby-faced rookie Officer Tom Hanson (Johnny Depp) is assigned to an elite squad of young undercover cops - Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson Peete), Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise) and Harry Truman Ioki (Dustin Nguyen) - to infiltrate high schools and fight crime. Frederic Forrest and Steven Williams co-star in this classic first season that also features such guest stars as Jason Priestley, Josh Brolin, David Paymer, Sherilyn Fenn and Blair Underwood in what became Fox's first runaway hit and remains one of the coolest cop shows in TV history!21 Jump Street: Series 1 includes all 13 explosive episodes - including the rarely seen two-part premire - and is now packed with extras that include all-new interviews with stars Holly Robinson Peete, Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams and series co-creator Stephen J. Cannell and an exclusive audio commentary with star Peter DeLuise.

• Rio Lobo | DVD | (06/06/2005) from £9.93   |  Saving you £3.06 (30.82%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Howard Hawks's final film once again teams him with John Wayne with a script by Leigh Brackett (who also wrote his 'El Dorado' and 'Rio Bravo'). The time is just after the end of the Civil War. Wayne is Union Colonel Cord McNally who is teamed with two Confederate soldiers he captured during the war in order to take down a thieving bootlegger. Their travels take them to a small town being held in terror by an evil Sheriff. McNally and his crew decide to help the townspeople with

• Man at the Top: The Complete Series | DVD | (12/02/2018) from £43.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An intense, compelling series from the early '70s, Man at the Top stars Kenneth Haigh in the continuing story of Joe Lampton, the aggressively ambitious anti-hero of John Braine's bestselling novel Room at the Top. Haigh won a BAFTA nomination for his portrayal of Lampton, and a strong supporting cast includes Zena Walker, Paul Eddington, George Sewell and Colin Welland. This set contains both series and the hit film sequel from Hammer Films. Thirteen years on from his marriage to the pregnant Susan, Joe is now a father of two with a stockbroker-belt home and a career in management consultancy. As tenacious and pushy as ever, his attentions rarely remain fixed; with plenty of candidates eagerly forming the 'other woman' queue, Joe will seize any opportunity, be it personal or professional, to further his climb to the top in the world of big business and beyond...

• Handel: Julius Caesar -- ENO | DVD | (21/06/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Dame Janet Baker in one of her greatest roles leads a cast of some of Britain's finest interpreters of baroque opera under the baton of Sir Charles Mackerras. John Copley's acclaimed English National Opera production was restaged in studio skilfully using all the technical advantages offered to create this top quality recording.

• We Dive At Dawn | DVD | (08/02/2010) from £6.49   |  Saving you £0.50 (7.20%)   |  RRP £6.99

  We Dive at Dawn (1943) tells of the encounter between a British submarine and a German warship in the Baltic Sea. John Mills gives a dependable performance as the submarine commander, with Eric Portman the pick of a strong supporting cast. Director Anthony Asquith finds the balance between action sequences and "in situ" dialogue, and there's an evocative score from Louis Levy. The film has long been underrated and deserves reappraisal.--Richard Whitehouse

• The Borrowers | Blu Ray | (20/06/2016) from £9.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (100.10%)   |  RRP £19.99

  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