"Actor: Kenneth"

• Randall And Hopkirk Deceased - Complete | DVD | (07/10/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  The twist of private-eye show Randall & Hopkirk Deceased is that in the first episode, gumshoe Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope) is killed off by the villains, only to pop up in an immaculate white suit as a ghost visible only to his hardboiled partner Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt). In theory, the supernatural streak--which meant a complex set of rules about Marty's appearances and effects on the physical world--should lead the show into wilder territory, but most episodes squander the team's unique abilities on ordinary cases about blackmail and murder-for-profit. A persistent subplot has the living Jeff getting cosy with the dead Marty's widow Jean (Annette Andre) to the discomfort of her late husband. The elementary effects and the nice underplaying of the leads have a certain period charm, and the show could afford a high calibre of special guest villains and dolly birds. A 1990s remake with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer hasn't obliterated memories of the original. --Kim Newman

• Carry On Sergeant | DVD | (27/08/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  The first of the Carry On movies, 1958's Sergeant is rather different from its successors, much more a film of its time (the latter days of National Service) and rather less a bawdy picture postcard. Sergeant Grimshaw (William Hartnell long before Doctor Who) is about to retire and hopes that he can get his last platoon into shape as Champion Platoon of its intake. Unfortunately, the new recruits include the clumsy Golightly (Charles Hawtrey), the barrack-room lawyer Bailey (Kenneth Williams) and the hypochondriac Horace Strong (Kenneth Connor). Love interest is provided by Bob Monkhouse and Shirley Eaton--newlyweds separated by the call-up and reunited by her taking a job in the canteen--and by the pursuit of Horace by Dora Bryan's Nora. The film relies heavily on a mixture of slapstick and paradoxical revelations of character complexity--the obnoxious Bailey nonetheless takes the trouble to coach the incorrigibly dense Herbert (Norman Rossington); the series' later obsession with low comedy only really emerges in the scenes between Horace and the medic Captain Clark (Hattie Jacques). The platoon's eventual coming together as other than total incompetents is predictable, but likable.On the DVD: The DVD has no frills whatever except for a widescreen picture and chapter selections; it has been cleaned up however so that we get a remarkably crisp mono picture and mono sound, which brings out the quality of the military-band score by Bruce Montgomery, who was also the writer Edmund Crispin. --Roz Kaveney

• Carry On Cabby | DVD | (29/01/2007) from £7.44   |  Saving you £8.55 (114.92%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The seventh entry in the Carry On series and the first not to feature Kenneth Williams. Charlie (Sid James) owner of the Speedee Cabs company finds he has some serious competition when his wife Peggy (Hattie Jacques) sets up a rival firm consisting only of glamorous female drivers. Cabbies driven to distraction include Charles Hawtrey Kenneth Connor and Jim Dale (in his first Carry On appearance).

• Prokofiev - Cinderella | DVD | (24/09/2003) from £28.55   |  Saving you £-0.56 (N/A%)   |  RRP £27.99

  Perrault's timeless fairy tale of the mistreated waif turned princess has inspired a number of composers and choreographers since its first incarnation as a major ballet by Petipa in 1893. But none has gained the popularity of the version set by Frederick Aston for Sadler's Wells Royal ballet in 1948. It was the first full-length ballet devised by a British choreographer.Though the role of Cinderella was danced by Moira Shearer at the premier it soon became a signature piece for Margot Fonteyn and a mainstay of the company's repertoire. In addition to providing the choreography Ashton also gave himself a plum role as one of the Ugly Sisters and appears on this video in tandem with Kenneth MacMillan another celebrated British choreographer en travesti.

• The Prisoner | DVD | (21/03/2005) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-7.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Two old pros light up the screen... British theatrical director Peter Glenville made his film directorial debut with 1955's The Prisoner (Glenville had previous helmed the London stage production of this Bridget Boland play). The film is based on the real-life travails of Hungarian Cardinal Mindszenty who after suffering under Nazi persecution was imprisoned by the new Communist regime for remaining loyal to his religious convictions. Alec Guinness plays an unnamed Cardinal in an un

• Deadfall | DVD | (18/09/2006) from £7.68   |  Saving you £0.31 (4.04%)   |  RRP £7.99

  When Joe Dolan (Michael Biehn) accidentally kills his father in a scam gone bad his dying words lead Joe to his Uncle Lou (James Coburn). Lou is working on a con worth more than $2 million in diamonds. Eddie (Nicholas Cage) Lou's right hand man sees Joe as a serious threat and a rival for his girlfriend - the sexy Diane (Sarah Trigger). Diane seduces Joe into a love triangle that leads him to murder and desire. With millions in the balance Joe gets deeper and deeper into the diamond sting. Double cons lead to triple cons as Deadfall hurtles toward the most twisted scam of all and it's surprising conclusion. Joining the first rate cast of characters are stunning cameo appearances by Charlie Sheen Peter Fonda and Talia Shire.

• Thunder Point | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £3.96   |  Saving you £-0.97 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Discovering a World War II briefcase while scuba diving was the worst day of Henry Barker's and his daughter's life. The Fuhrer-sealed briefcase is of major interest to hard-nose Brit Brigadier Charles Ferguson and a U.S. hitman sent to kill Baker. With her father dead Jenny Baker now has the briefcase whose contents hold the key to resurrecting the fourth Reich - the Windsor Protocol. Smart criminal Sean Dillon (Kyle MacLachlan) is sent by Ferguson to prevent the Windsor Protocol from falling into Nazi hands and quickly finds himself at the top of everyone's hit list. Through hair-raising twists and turns the free world hangs in the balance as the new Nazi regime waits for the return of the Protocol

• Who Dares Wins | DVD | (19/03/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In an uncanny piece of art imitating life, Who Dares Wins came out in 1982 just after the infamous storming of the Iranian Embassy by the legendary British Special Air Services (SAS) unit. The plot builds up to that unshakeable image of black-clad troops abseiling the front of a stately home and smashing through the windows, and pays off expectations with a thrilling finale. Anyone expecting two hours of military instruction will be disappointed however. After the opening 10 minutes with the troops, the almost James-Bond-like story follows Lewis Collins (riding high in those days after TV's The Professionals) as he infiltrates a radical anti-Nuclear society. Operation: Destroy requires him to go undercover with their potentially insane leader Frankie (Judy Davis), ignoring his wife and child. The period detail is often the film's most entertaining feature as Collins tours across 1980s London constantly eluding spies on his tail. Apart from the endless permed hairdos and the fact that the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament hasn't got much to demonstrate about these days, there's the fashions and low-tech gadgetry to enjoy. In the US the film was called The Final Option. The DVD includes a photo gallery, and a history of the SAS. --Paul Tonks

• Great Composers - Mozart | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £14.83   |  Saving you £-1.84 (-14.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This programme presents the lives and works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as featured in the BBC series Great Composers. It examines the backgrounds influences and relationships that make this composer part of the very fabric of the history of western music. The composer's life and work is presented through extensive performance sequences and through interviews and comments from some of today's greatest artists and most respected authorities.

• Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets | Blu Ray | (12/11/2007) from £12.98   |  Saving you £5.01 (27.80%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The latest instalment in the Harry Potter series finds young wizard Harry and his friends Ron and Hermoine facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts as they try to uncover a dark force that is terrorising the school.

• Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 1 and 8 (Tennstedt) | DVD | (04/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Recorded live in Royal Festival Hall London 1991.

• The Land Before Time 6 - The Secret Of Saurus Rock | DVD | (10/04/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  On the distant edge of the Great Valley stands mysterious Saurus Rock and twin baby Threehorns Dinah and Dana have run away to find it. It's up to Littlefoot Cera Spike Ducky and Petrie to bring him back! The Land Before Time: The Secret of Saurus Rock is a fantastic adventure filled with fun songs humour excitement...and mystery! Legend claim that Saurus Rock keeps bad luck out of the Great Valley. Is it really true? Could the mysterious Longneck named Doc be the fam

• Alan Plater at ITV | DVD | (25/04/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Jarrow-born Alan Plater was one of Britain's most cherished playwrights. Equally at home either adapting existing works or crafting his own stories the pinnacle of his prolific output is arguably the highly successful Beiderbecke trilogy starring James Bolam and Barbara Flynn. Plater excelled in the creation of credible engagingly ordinary characters embroiled in drama and intrigue (exemplified in Beiderbecke's jazz-loving Geordie woodwork teacher Trevor Chaplin); with a dry humour class consciousness and frequent acknowledgement of the north-south divide his skilful dialogue has been described as combining 'The voice of Coronation Street with the spirit of Chekhov'. The winner of three BAFTA Awards he received a CBE in 2005 and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. This anthology celebrates the diversity of Alan Plater's work for ITV with a collection of single plays and classic episodes featuring outstanding performances by Helen Mirren Kenneth Branagh James Bolam Alison Steadman Michael Gambon Dennis Waterman and Ray Brooks among many others. The Beiderbecke Affair: What I Don't Understand Is This... Jazz fan Trevor Chaplin wants only one thing: a set of Bix Beiderbecke records. Oranges and Lemons: Brotherly Love An ex-docker is grieved that his two sons seem irreconcilable. Play for Love: The Party of the First Part Peter makes sure his eighteenth birthday party is one that his guests won't forget. The Loner: Dawson's Complaint Dawson is a man who aims is to change the world. This is the story of his failure. Coming Through Two plays set in different eras examine polarised attitudes towards D.H. Lawrence. Flambards: Christina Orphan Christina learns - painfully - the art of living among men. Shades of Darkness: The Intercessor A writer lodging in a 'quiet' house is disturbed by the sound of a child crying.

• Layer Cake/Snatch/Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels | DVD | (01/10/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Layer Cake: Based upon JJ Connelly's London crime novel 'Layer Cake' is about a successful cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) who has earned a respected place among England's Mafia elite and plans an early retirement from the business. However big boss Jimmy Price (Cranham) hands down a tough assignment: find Charlotte Ryder the missing rich princess daughter of Jimmy's old pal Edward (Gambon) a powerful construction business player and gossip papers socialite. Complicating matters are two million pounds' worth of Grade A ecstasy a brutal neo-Nazi sect and a whole series of double crossings... The title 'Layer Cake' refers to the layers or levels the dealer has to go through as he painstakingly plots his own escape. What is revealed is a modern underworld where the rules have changed. There are no 'codes' or 'families' and respect lasts as long as a line. Not knowing who he can trust he has to use all his 'savvy' 'telling' and skills which make him one of the best to escape his own. The ultimate last job a love interest called Tammy and an international drugs ring threaten to draw him back into the 'cake mix'. But time is running out and the penalty will endure a lifetime.. (Dir. Matthew Vaughn 2004) Snatch: In the heart of gangland two novice unlicensed boxing promoters Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) get roped into organising a bare-knuckled fight with local kingpin villain and fellow boxing promoter Brick Top (Alan Ford). But it all goes wrong when Brick Top's fighter who is rigged to win is suddenly knocked out by the boys' wildcard Irish gypsy boxer One Punch Mickey O'Neil (Brad Pitt). Unfortunately things go from bad to worse as Mickey starts playing by his own rules and the duo find they are heading for a whole lot of trouble. Meanwhile en route to New York to deliver a stolen 84-carat diamond to head honcho Avi (Dennis Farina) Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) is robbed of the stone. Forced to jump on the next plane to London Avi is by no means pleased. He hires local legend Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) to find Franky and the diamond. The hunt for the missing stone launches everyone into a spiral of double-crossing vendettas as different parties pursue personal agendas some of them farcical most of them illegal and all of them destined to spin completely out of control... (Dir. Guy Ritchie 2000)

• John And Yoko | DVD | (27/02/2006) from £16.16   |  Saving you £-6.17 (-61.80%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Based on the true story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's love affair. Set against some of the greatest music ever written this film offers a definitive insight into the lives of two of the most iconic figures in popular music. John and Yoko is the true story of two incredibly talented artists who touched the lives of millions.

• Shine on Harvey Moon Series 1-4 Boxed Set | DVD | (06/08/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £69.99

  Created by the writing partnership of Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran who went on to create such comedy classics as Birds of a Feather and Goodnight Sweetheart. Originally broadcast on ITV in 1985, Shine on Harvey Moon features a superb cast including Kenneth Cranham, Elizabeth Spriggs, Maggie Steed, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Nigel Planer.This nice disc set comprises episodes from all four series starring Kenneth Cranham as Harvey Moon.

• Cleopatra (Special Edition) | DVD | (08/02/2006) from £29.87   |  Saving you £-9.88 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Possibly the most alluring mysterious and powerful woman of all time Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) changed the course of history when two of the most powerful men in Rome fell in love with her. Rex Harrison is Julius Caesar who wins the Egyptian throne for Cleopatra marries her and provides her with a child Caesarean. Upon returning to his native country Caesar is crowned Dictator of Rome but his desperate desire for even greater power causes a worried Roman Senate to fatally conspire against him on the Ides of March.

• Get Smart Again | DVD | (11/08/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  The free world's secret weapon dormant for 20 years has been called up for active duty. He's the bumbling addle brained master spy extrodinaire Maxwell Smart aka Agent 86. Smart is primed again to do battle against the sinister forces of KAOS. His wife 99 wants to get involved too however she's already more involved than she thinks...

• Inspector Morse - Disc 3 And 4 - Service Of All The Dead / Wolvercote Tongue | DVD | (20/05/2002) from £9.98   |  Saving you £5.01 (33.40%)   |  RRP £14.99

  When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford

• Verdi - Falstaff / Graham Vick, Bernard Haitink, Royal Opera House | DVD | (10/10/2001) from £24.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The Graham Vicks production of Falstaff opened the new Covent Garden Royal Opera House, and was not to everybody's taste; the garish primary colours of the costumes, especially Falstaff's unusually hideous get-ups, go several steps beyond the Breughelian effect Vicks intended. The staging is effective--the complicated counterpoint of the ensembles is reflected in unobtrusive blocking that keeps the vocal lines clear and separate, especially in the final fugue. Bryn Terfel's Falstaff is a memorable creation, self-mocking and self-aggrandising at the same time--so much so, in fact, that he almost does not need the vast prosthetic body he has to wear for the part. Desiree Rancatore is an admirably sweet-toned Nanetta; Bernadette Manca di Nissa an appropriately sardonic Mistress Quickly; Roberto Frontali as Ford, in his Act 2 scena, perfectly distils and parodies every jealousy aria ever written, including Verdi's own. Haitink's conducting is exemplary in the lyrical passages, gets almost everything out of the fast and furious comic sections. --Roz Kaveney On the DVD: The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is powerful and filled with detail, capturing the excitement of the performance and the atmosphere of the Royal Opera House superbly. The anamorphically enhanced 1.77:1 widesceen image is very clear, and while given the source inevitably not up to the highest feature film standards, is among the best live classical titles yet released on DVD. The bold colours are particularly well realised, though the red lighting of the Garter Inn scenes causes the image to falter a little. There are optional subtitles in English, French and German. These are presented directly over the picture and would be easier to read had they been a little larger, or outlined in some way. The special features consist of a brief synopsis by James Naughtie, taken directly from the original television broadcast, a minute-long "comment" by conductor Bernard Haitink and short but interesting interviews with Bryn Terfel and director Graham Vick. Finally there is a nine-minute episode from the series of short BBC films, Covent Garden Tales on the 1999 modernisation of the Royal Opera House. --Gary S Dalkin