"Actor: Ken Clark"

• Monarch Of The Glen Complete Series 1 to 7 | DVD | (16/10/2006) from £46.35   |  Saving you £-4.35 (N/A%)   |  RRP £42.00

  Based on the Highland novels by Compton Mackenzie, Monarch of The Glen follows the fortunes of Archie MacDonald (Alastair Mackenzie) who is carving out a life for himself as a restauranteur in London when he is summoned home to the Scottish Highlands after his father, The Laird of Glenbogle (Richard Briers), is injured in an accident..

• South Pacific | DVD | (20/03/2006) from £6.50   |  Saving you £9.49 (146.00%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Blessed with a treasure of timeless songs South Pacific combines the passionate heartwarming romance of a naive young Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) and an older French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi) with South Seas splendour and a world at war while the breathtaking score is highlighted by some of the most romantic songs ever written.

• The Thirty Nine Steps | DVD | (07/07/2003) from £4.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (100.20%)   |  RRP £9.99

  While it's true that this 1959 screen adaptation of The 39 Steps pales in comparison to Alfred Hitchcock's seminal 1935 version, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable romp that compensates for a lack of any tension whatsoever with a generous dose of genial good humour. Affable Kenneth More's Richard Hannay more closely resembles the kind of roles Cary Grant was playing for Hitch in the late 1950s; Finnish blonde Taina Elg, in the somewhat unlikely role of a prim Scottish schoolmistress, is his love interest. Although handcuffed together, More and Elg fail to radiate any sexual chemistry, even when scandalously forced to share a room and a bed. Much better are the delightful cameos: Sid James as a roguish lorry driver; Brenda De Banzie as voluptuous psychic Nellie; and Joan Hickson as a simpering teacher. As a thriller it's hardly in the same league as North by Northwest, but as a window on life in England and Scotland in the 1950s, this 39 Steps has much to recommend it. --Mark Walker

• Philomena | DVD | (24/03/2014) from £4.49   |  Saving you £15.50 (345.21%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Judi Dench and Steve Coogan play unlikely friends in PHILOMENA, the moving, funny and at times shocking true story of one woman's search for a lost son.

• South Pacific | DVD | (08/03/2004) from £6.20   |  Saving you £9.79 (157.90%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The dazzling Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, brought to lush life by the director of the original stage version, Joshua Logan. Set on a remote island during the Second World War, South Pacific tracks two parallel romances: one between a Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) "as corny as Kansas in August" and a wealthy French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi), the other between a young American officer (John Kerr) and a native girl (France Nuyen). The theme of interracial love was still daring in 1958, and so was director Logan's decision to overlay emotional moments with tinted filters--a technique that misfires as often as it hits. The comic relief tends to fall flat and an overly spunky Mitzi Gaynor is a poor substitute for the stage original's Mary Martin. But the location scenery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is gorgeous and the songs are among the finest in the American musical catalogue: "Some Enchanted Evening", "Younger than Springtime", "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair", "This Nearly Was Mine". That's Juanita Hall as the sly native trader Bloody Mary, singing the haunting tune that launched a thousand tiki bars, "Bali H'ai". The movie is based on stories from James Michener's book Tales from the South Pacific. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

• Ring of Bright Water | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £22.00   |  Saving you £-16.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Graham Merrill (Travers) buys an otter from a London pet shop and decides to leave the hustle and bustle of the city for the tranquil beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Soon he and Mij become the best of friends and together they explore the natural wonders that surround them. When Graham meets and falls in love with the beautiful village doctor Mary (McKenna) the three become inseparable but when Mij's food source is threatened, so is their idyllic lifestyle.

• At Close Range | DVD | (21/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Based on a real life series of murders in 1970’s Pennsylvania AT CLOSE RANGE is a chilling portrayal of a family’s life of crime. Starring CHRISTOPHER WALKEN (Catch Me If You Can True Romance) and SEAN PENN (The Thin Red Line Dead Man Walking). When young Brad Whitewood Jr’s (PENN) wayward father wanders back into his life he is attracted by his dangerous dad’s criminal activities. Soon Brad Jr and his half brother (played by Penn’s real life broth

• Civilisation | DVD | (18/04/2005) from £14.95   |  Saving you £37.04 (247.76%)   |  RRP £51.99

  'Civilisation' is probably one of the most famous documentary series ever made. Unreleased for many years it has been restored as is now available on DVD for the first time. Presented by distinguished art historian Sir Kenneth Clarke 'Civilisation' became the definitive history of art in the western world and has never been equalled let-alone bettered in the intervening 35 years.

• South Pacific | DVD | (20/03/2006) from £4.25   |  Saving you £8.74 (205.65%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Blessed with a treasure of timeless songs South Pacific combines the passionate heartwarming romance of a naive young Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) and an older French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi) with South Seas splendour and a world at war while the breathtaking score is highlighted by some of the most romantic songs ever written.

• Love Me Tender | DVD | (01/08/2005) from £5.82   |  Saving you £7.17 (123.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In his film debut singing idol Elvis Presley stars in this action-filled romance set in the aftermath of the Civil War. After hearing his older brother (Richard Egan) has been killed in combat a young Texas farmer (Presley) marries the man's sweetheart (Debra Paget). But his brother returns sparking a bitter sibling rivalry and tragic confrontations with Union soldiers... Featuring four Presley hits on the film's soundtrack including the title track.

• Civilisation | Blu Ray | (09/05/2011) from £19.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (50.03%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Presented by the eminent art historian Lord Clark the influential 13 part series offers an epic examination of Western European culture, defining what he considered to be the crucial phases of its development. More than two years in the making and filmed in over 100 locations across 13 countries, the lavish series was hailed as a masterpiece when it first was transmitted.From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, Clark's compelling narrative is accompanied by breathtaking colour photography of Europe's greatest landmarks. This 'history of ideas as illustrated by art and music' remains the benchmark for the numerous programmes it inspired. Civilisation was one of the first documentaries to be filmed in colour, and was commissioned by David Attenborough during his time as controller of BBC Two.The Civilisation Blu-ray comes complete with a whole host of wonderful extras as Sir David Attenborough remembers the making of the series. Also included, is a photo gallery of behind-the-scenes stills.

• Ring Of Bright Water | DVD | (08/04/2002) from £13.99   |  Saving you £-8.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Coincidence throws Mij the otter and Graham Merrill (Bill Travers) the computer worker together on a busy London street in Ring of Bright Water. What transpires from this chance meeting is an epiphany that leads to the complete upheaval of Graham's life. Evicted from his city flat thanks to the antics of his newly acquired, mischievous otter, Graham embarks on a train journey to the Scottish Highlands. Suffice it to say that trying to smuggle Mij onboard as a "diving terrier" is not successful. When the pair finally arrives in Scotland, they fall in love with the countryside and a dilapidated cottage by the sea. Fate introduces Graham to the town's animal-loving doctor (Virginia McKenna), and an enduring friendship and romance are forged. The photography of both the Scottish Highlands and the antics of Mij the otter in this 1969 movie are truly wonderful--it might just make you reconsider your current digs and friendships. The story (based on Gavin Maxwell's book of the same name) is somewhat formulaic and dated by its romanticism, but enjoyable nonetheless. Slip into an ideal world of simple happiness and celebrate the cyclical nature of life, if only for 106 minutes. --Tami Horiuchi, Amazon.com

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence | DVD | (18/03/2002) from £5.49   |  Saving you £8.50 (154.83%)   |  RRP £13.99

  History will place an asterisk next to A.I. as the film Stanley Kubrick might have directed. But let the record also show that Kubrick--after developing this project for some 15 years--wanted Steven Spielberg to helm this astonishing sci-fi rendition of Pinocchio, claiming (with good reason) that it veered closer to Spielberg's kinder, gentler sensibilities. Spielberg inherited the project (based on the Brain Aldiss short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long") after Kubrick's death in 1999, and the result is an astounding directorial hybrid. A flawed masterpiece of sorts, in which Spielberg's gift for wondrous enchantment often clashes (and sometimes melds) with Kubrick's harsher vision of humanity, the film spans near and distant futures with the fairy-tale adventures of an artificial boy named David (Haley Joel Osment), a marvel of cybernetic progress who wants only to be a real boy, loved by his mother in that happy place called home. Echoes of Spielberg's Empire of the Sun are evident as young David, shunned by his trial parents and tossed into an unfriendly world, is joined by fellow "mecha" Gigolo Joe (played with a dancer's agility by Jude Law) in his quest for a mother-and-child reunion. Parallels to Pinocchio intensify as David reaches "the end of the world" (a Manhattan flooded by melted polar ice caps), and a far-future epilogue propels A.I. into even deeper realms of wonder, just as it pulls Spielberg back to his comfort zone of sweetness and soothing sentiment. Some may lament the diffusion of Kubrick's original vision, but this is Spielberg's A.I., a film of astonishing technical wizardry that spans the spectrum of human emotions and offers just enough Kubrick to suggest that humanity's future is anything but guaranteed. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com On the DVD: A perfect movie for the digital age, A.I. finds a natural home on DVD. The purity of the picture, its carefully composed colour schemes and the multifarious sound effects are accorded the pin-point sharpness they deserve with the anamorphic 1.85:1 picture and Dolby 5.1 sound, as is John Williams's thoughtful music score. On the first disc there's a short yet revealing documentary, "Creating A.I.", but the meat of the extras appears on disc two. Here there are good, well-made featurettes on acting, set design, costumes, lighting, sound design, music and various aspects of the special effects: Stan Winston's remarkable robots (including Teddy, of course) and ILM's flawless CGI work. In addition there are storyboards, photographs and trailers. Finally, Steven Spielberg provides some rather sententious closing remarks ("I think that we have to be very careful about how we as a species use our genius"), but no director's commentary. --Mark Walker

• Monarch Of The Glen - Series 6 - Part 2 | DVD | (10/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Golly's relationship with Meg deepens and causes some ill feeling with Molly and Jess. Paul is attracted to Isobel who is having doubts about country life. He convinces her to stay but is quickly distracted when a newcomer Lucy arrives. Donald runs into an old flame amd Lucy's boss shows more than business interest in her. Isobel suspects that Paul is engaged and Jess confronts Golly about his sleeping arrangements. Paul is about to be officially coronated as the new Laird but ther

• My Name Is Joe | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Can we talk? Everybody is pretty well agreed that Great Britain's Ken Loach is one of our most important filmmakers. On the basis of his work with actors alone--often actors who are unknown until showcased in his films--he commands a place in the modern Pantheon. The problem is that he sounds terminally "worthy"; his films invariably reflect a commitment to framing harsh sociopolitical realities and steeping us in the fight for justice, a square deal or a square meal. They sound, in short, as if they're "good for you"--whereas the fact is that they are almost always damned good, period.My Name Is Joe makes for an excellent introduction to Loach country--partly because it's just a tad more immediate in its basic viewer appeal. Joe Kavanagh (Peter Mullan), out-of-work Glasgow housepainter, is a terrifically attractive fellow, and though he is also a recovering alcoholic, he seems eminently pulled-together and ready for yeoman service as a movie leading man. The main story line concerns his encounter with and growing attraction to a smart social worker (Louise Goodall). There is nothing star-crossed about their potential love, but each is tough enough to set limits till they've travelled over a distance of mutual ground. Meanwhile, Joe's status as role model among his more emotionally and economically precarious neighbours--an extended family of man--is good for a surprising number of lusty laughs and one fatal, criminal complication that could jeopardise his future. Peter Mullan won a well-deserved Best Actor award at Cannes in 1998, and subsequently directed a family comedy-drama of his own, Orphans. --Richard T. Jameson, Amazon.com

• Monarch Of The Glen - Series 6 - Part 1 | DVD | (10/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Paul is now the new Laird of Glenbogle and gets involved in a land dispute between newcomer Isobel and her neighbour. Hector's brother Donald MacDonald has been forced to return home by the police placing him under the supervision of his estranged family. Lexie organises Molly's 60th birthday party in an effort to forget her marital problems. There is a tense atmosphere between Paul and Lexie and Duncan shines as a DJ when Ewan is temporarily out of action. Molly and Donald revea

• Stephen King's Cat's Eye | DVD | (21/10/2002) from £14.98   |  Saving you £1.01 (6.74%)   |  RRP £15.99

  What does a stray cat have in common with a radical technique to quit smoking the window ledge of a sky scraper and an evil goblin? Three of Stephen King's most imaginatively terrifying tales brought to life in this chilling trilogy of short stories...

• Philomena | Blu Ray | (24/03/2014) from £14.83   |  Saving you £10.16 (68.51%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952 Philomena (Judi Dench) was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a fallen woman. When her baby was only a toddler he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him but with no success.Then she met Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off to America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son but also create an unexpectedly close bond between Philomena and Martin.The film is a compelling narrative of human love and loss that ultimately celebrates life showing that there is laughter even in the darkest places.

• Elvis Presley : Films that Rock - Love Me Tender, Wild In The Country, Flaming Star | DVD | (04/11/2002) from £25.63   |  Saving you £-0.64 (-2.60%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Elvis: Films That Rock contains three of the King's early screen efforts: Love Me Tender (1956), Flaming Star (1960) and Wild in the Country (1961). It's pointless to suggest that they aren't among Elvis's best movies (you'll have to look elsewhere for King Creole and Jailhouse Rock, which probably are), partly because any fan's going to want them all anyway, but also because all three are interesting in their different ways. Love Me Tender, made in black and white in 1956, was Presley's first stab at acting, and this story of a family split by the American Civil War--one brother goes off to fight, the other doesn't--sees him short on screentime and being upstaged by pretty much everyone else. That said, it was a reasonably brave move for Presley to begin his movie career by dealing with this kind of subject matter, however sentimentalised. Four years later, Flaming Star took the steer by the horns with Presley portraying a young man of mixed parentage caught up in the ethnic conflict between Native Americans and the white race. Again, a brave choice of subject; this was a landmark movie insofar as it showed Presley certainly had enough acting ability to create a credible parallel career along the lines of, say, Sinatra. It wasn't to be, though, as even then his talents were being manipulated by others, which is why all his later movies--even the best ones--were little more than advertisements for his records. Wild in the Country, from the following year, saw Presley as a young tearaway who finds redemption in his talent for writing. It's pure melodrama, but the moralising is kept under control. This is a nice little collection, all in all, and an essential for any fan. On the DVD: Elvis: Films That Rock presents the three pictures in positively radiant transfers, which are absolutely gunge-free and make the very best of the beautifully stylised lighting and cinematography of the period, while the classic Cinemascope presentations translate perfectly into widescreen. Special features include trailers for all three movies. --Roger Thomas

• Blonde Fist | Blu Ray | (13/03/2017) from £11.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Drama starring Margi Clarke and Caroll Baker. Ronnie (Clarke), daughter of a bareknuckle fighter, is not averse to using her fists. When she is put in jail for assault, she escapes and goes to find her father, now an alcoholic dishwasher in New York. She resolves to bring him home to Liverpool and enters a female prizefight to raise the fare.