"Actor: Michael Anthony"

• To The Devil A Daughter (Doubleplay) | Blu Ray | (29/01/2018) from £15.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Hammer's To the Devil a Daughter was the last film made by the once great studio. Clearly ailing, Hammer again adapted a novel by Dennis Wheatley, the author behind one of their greatest successes, The Devil Rides Out (1967). Unfortunately for the studio, films such as Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Exorcist (1973) had, in the intervening decade, radically changed horror cinema. With American star Richard Widmark echoing Gregory Peck's role in the far more polished The Omen (1976), the film seemed, rather than setting the pace as Hammer once had, to be very much jumping on the 1970's occult band-wagon. Christopher Lee is the satanic ex-communicated priest whose coven plan to incarnate the ancient demon Ashteroth, while a supernaturally beautiful Nastassja Kinski demonstrates the same willingness to disrobe as in Cat People (1982). Even so, this lacklustre, misogynistic film couldn't compete with Carrie and Suspiria (both also 1976) and Hammer thereafter concentrated on TV productions. Surprisingly, director Peter Sykes' next film, Jesus (1979), as well as being the most seen and internationally distributed film ever (with an audience of over two billion by 2000), is also the most faithful portrayal of Christ yet committed to celluloid. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Les Miserables | DVD | (30/10/2000) from £14.70   |  Saving you £5.29 (35.99%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The 10th-anniversary-concert video of the international musical sensation Les Misérables might be the best thing to appease fans until a full-fledged movie comes along. Or it might be even better, as feature films are often subject to extra musical casting considerations and this 1995 dream cast is superb. Reprising their roles from the original London company are Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), Michael Ball (Marius) and Alun Armstrong (Thenardier). From Broadway come Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Lea Salonga (Eponine) and Michael Maguire (Enjolras); from a later London production comes Ruthie Henshall (Fantine); and from Australia comes Philip Quast (Javert). Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's score vividly captures the passion of Victor Hugo's epic tale of pre-Revolutionary France, combining tear-jerking ballads ("I Dreamed a Dream", "Bring Him Home") and rousing anthems ("Do You Hear the People Sing"). The format of this concert is closer to that of a dramatic cantata rather than a fully staged production; the singers stand at their microphones with an orchestra and chorus behind them, but they do wear costumes and participate in some movement. At certain points, such as the climax of the barricade scene, the video switches to action from a stage production. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra sounds great, and it can be thrilling when 200 choristers (dressed in logo T-shirts) rise to their feet for a full-company number such as "One Day More". Also, subtitles provide date and scene information and help move the story along. This 147-minute version contains footage not seen before, most notably the encore in which a progression of 17 actors who have played Valjean around the world share "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Each sings a line in his native language, a testament to the enduring power of this show to audiences everywhere.--David Horiuchi, Amazon.com

• Dunkirk | DVD | (20/03/2017) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Directed by Leslie Norman (The Long, The Short And The Tall), starring John Mills (Ice Cold In Alex, Goodbye Mr Chips, Great Expectations) Richard Attenborough (Brighton Rock, The Great Escape) and a cast featuring actual army officers, DUNKIRK is one of the most authentic representations of conflict during World War II. DUNKIRK follows the dramatic events leading up to Operation Dynamo, where upon the British Army attempted to rescue fellow soldiers and Allied troops from Nazi occupied France. Seen from the dual perspectives of a jaded journalist in search of propaganda and a weary soldier desperately trying to give his troop some hope, DUNKIRK never shies away from the brutality of war and the bravery of its soldiers.

• Oh! What A Lovely War - Special Collector's Edition | DVD | (30/10/2006) from £10.85   |  Saving you £5.14 (47.37%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The tragedy of World War I is redefined in bawdy music-hall terms presented as the ""new attraction"" at the Brighton Amusement Pier complete with syrupy cheer-up songs shooting galleries free prizes and a scoreboard toting up the dead The Story focuses mainly on the members of one family (last name Smith) whose five sons enlist and end up as cannon fodder Much of the action in the movie revolves around the words of the marching songs of the soldiers and many scenes portray some of the more famous (and infamous) incidents of the war including: the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand the Christmas meeting between British and German soldiers in no-mans-land the wiping out by their own side of a force of Irish soldiers The final image is a veddy proper British picnic on a graveyard. Of the many fleeting satiric images parading past the camera one of the most indelible is the sight of several generals playing leapfrog as the world all around them goes to hell in a handbasket.

• Foyle's War - Series 1 Complete | DVD | (07/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Michael Kitchen stars as the enigmatic Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle who longs to join the war effort but is left frustrated when his application for transfer is refused. To his surprise however he finds the turmoil of conflict means his skills are in demand on the home front. As WW2 rages over Europe one man fights his own battle against murder mystery and betrayal on the south coast of England - in Foyle's War. Contains the Complete First Series On DVD

• Shining Through | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £9.95   |  Saving you £-3.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Based on a novel by Susan Isaacs, Shining Through is uncomfortably close to Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. This World War II drama concerns a love affair between a spy (Michael Douglas) and a secretary (Melanie Griffith) that goes south when duty turns him cold and pushes her into dangerous, behind-the-lines intelligence work. Liam Neeson plays the gentleman Nazi unwittingly providing Griffith with cover as domestic help. The best parts of the film are the twists and turns in the romance (Douglas is very good at playing a character who can turn off all feeling at will) at the beginning; the German scenes are less compelling despite such high stakes for the heroine. The climax--taking us back to Notorious whether it wants to or not--is quite gripping, largely due to Douglas's performance.--Tom Keogh

• The Hive - The Honeycomb Collection | DVD | (15/06/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

• The Sopranos: Complete Series 1 (Six Disc Set) | DVD | (29/10/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £61.99

  The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own nouveau riche brood. The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get. Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com

• The Eagle Has Landed | DVD | (19/07/2007) from £4.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (20.04%)   |  RRP £5.99

  This 1976 adventure story set in World War II concerns a Nazi plot to kidnap Churchill from his retreat--or murder him if need be. The large, great cast and a director, John Sturges, who's been down this road of ensemble action before (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape) make this project exciting if not as memorable as Sturges' more famous works. The weak ending doesn't help. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back | Blu Ray | (24/08/2020) from £8.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Rebels scatter after the Empire attacks their base on the ice planet Hoth. Han Solo and Princess Leia are pursued by Imperials, while Luke trains with Jedi Master Yoda. Luke battles Darth Vader and learns the shocking truth of his past. Special Features: Audio Commentary By George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren Archival Audio Commentary By The Cast And Crew Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Bonus Disc Conversations: The Lost Interviews Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled A Conversation With The Masters (2010) Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk Hoth Overview George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979 Irvin Kershner Interview Dagobah Overview Pursued by the Imperial Fleet Overview George Lucas On The Force: 2010 Cloud City Overview Han And Leia: Extended Echo Base Argument Luke's Recovery Luke And Leia: Medical Center Wampa Attacks The Fate of General Veers Yoda's Test Hiding In The Asteroid Alternate Han And Leia Kiss Lobot's Capture Leia Tends To Luke AT-AT Walker Fallen Model Snowspeeder Model Tauntaun Maquette Rebel Transport Model Hoth Landscape Matte Painting Leia Hoth Costume Han Solo Interior: Hoth Costume Yoda Model Luke's Severed Head Dagobah Bog Matte Painting Dagobah Matte Painting Luke's Tan Costume Star Destroyer Model Millennium Falcon Model Space Slug Darth Vader's Star Destroyer Model Star Destroyer Hull Model Executor Bridge Matte Painting Boba Fett Prototype Costume Imperial Officer Costume Rebel Cruiser Model Twin-Pod Cloud Car Model Cloud City Models Cloud City Matte Painting Cloud City Landing Platform Matte Painting Cloud City Core Vane Matte Painting Cloud City Core Vane Platform Matte Painting Lando Bespin Costume Cloud City Slave I Matte Painting

• Doctor Who - City Of Death | DVD | (07/11/2005) from £7.69   |  Saving you £12.30 (159.95%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A star-studded supporting cast enhances the enjoyment of the four-episode Doctor Who adventure City of Death. On holiday in modern-day Paris the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Lalla Ward) experience what turns out to be a ""crack in time."" Before long they have joined forces with a private eye named Duggan (Tom Chadbon) in thwarting the villain of the piece: Count Scarlioni (Julian Glover) who plans to steal the Mona Lisa - but for reasons that go far beyond financial

• The Eagle Has Landed | DVD | (11/06/2007) from £6.25   |  Saving you £9.74 (155.84%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A Nazi strike force plots to assassinate Winston Churchill while he is resting in a desolate Norfolk village. Colonel Radl masterminds the plot which if successful would change the outcome of the war. He enlists the help of Colonel Steiner and Liam Devlin. Disguised as Polish airmen German paratroopers land in England. Radl's plan appear to be going smoothly until an unforeseeable incident exposed the Germans. But the kidnap continues and Steiner Luger in hand approaches the unmistakable figure of Churchill...

• Without A Clue | DVD | (10/12/2001) from £3.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (75.19%)   |  RRP £6.99

  The basic joke of the would-be romp Without a Clue is that Dr Watson (Ben Kingsley) is a detecting genius who has had to hide his light under a bushel by hiring an alcoholic ham actor Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) to pose as his imaginary alter ego Sherlock Holmes. He is now frustrated because the blundering idiot is hailed as an infallible hero while he is forever being pushed out of the picture. To really work, the film should have cast a leading man who gives the impression that he might make a good serious Holmes, but Caine is all too credible in his idiot act. In one of the best jokes Watson covers up a faux pas by complementing Holmes on his convincing disguise as a drunken lout, and so the laughs that should come in a flow only manage to trickle. The actual plot is about forged bank-notes ruining the Empire but is constructed to allow for the usual excursion by picturesque steam train to a clue-ridden holiday destination and some dirty deeds down by the docks. The leads coast through their routines but the supporting cast has an appropriately rat-like and embittered Inspector Lestrade from Jeffrey Jones, a winsomely duplicitous Victorian heroine from Lysette Anthony and a rather good goateed sadist Professor Moriarty from Paul Freeman. It can't hold a magnifying glass to Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, but as a Holmesian footnote it edges a deerstalker or so ahead of Gene Wilder's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother. It certainly beats the Peter Cook-Dudley Moore Hound of the Baskervilles and John Cleese in The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation as We Know It.--Kim Newman

• The Eagle Has Landed | Blu Ray | (29/10/2007) from £8.35   |  Saving you £11.64 (139.40%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A Nazi strike force plots to assassinate Winston Churchill while he is resting in a desolate Norfolk village. Colonel Radl masterminds the plot which if successful would change the outcome of the war. He enlists the help of Colonel Steiner and Liam Devlin. Disguised as Polish airmen German paratroopers land in England. Radl's plan appear to be going smoothly until an unforeseeable incident exposed the Germans. But the kidnap continues and Steiner Luger in hand approaches the unmistakable figure of Churchill...

• See Spot Run | DVD | (18/02/2002) from £2.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (367.89%)   |  RRP £13.99

  A mailman adopts a dog that, unbeknown to him, is an FBI drug-sniffing dog who has escaped from the witness relocatio programme. Mayhem ensues when a hit man is sent to destroy the dog.

• Buster | DVD | (23/07/2001) from £14.99   |  Saving you £-9.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In 1987, Buster was as much an experiment in film as its subject matter was in robbery. Could audiences ignore the rock singer status of Phil Collins in the lead role? Would audiences still be interested in a 25-year-old cash grab that had been considerably devalued by a currency gone metric? By and large the answer to both was "yes", helped considerably by a high budget (for a British film) it perfectly remade the 1960s experience. Collins as Buster Edwards is only one of a gang who all seem doomed to be captured after their £2.5 million train heist. The caper is over within 30 minutes. However, the film is really about the love story between Buster and his doting yet long-suffering wife June (an excellent Julie Walters). When the action switches to sun-drenched Mexico, you just know her loyalty is going to be tested to extremes because that's when Collins' award-winning songs kick in! "Two Hearts" and "Groovy Kind of Love" may not be 60s-styled, but the message is that love always conquers time and place.On the DVD: The transfer is rather average, as are the talent profiles of Collins, Walters, Ralph Brown (the legendary Ronnie Biggs), and director David Green. Making up for them is a 50-minute "Making of" featurette that interviews everyone involved, including the real-life Buster. There's lots of on-set tomfoolery, and some first attempts at the hit songs that hardly flatter Collins' live singing voice! --Paul Tonks

• Jack The Ripper | DVD | (05/09/2002) from £26.51   |  Saving you £-9.52 (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  A TV version of the Jack The Ripper story which claims to show the truth behind the grisly murder of prostitutes in Victorian London. Detective Abberline (Caine in a Golden Globe award winning performance) must find the murderer while under terrific pressure from the public and the Government...

• And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself | DVD | (08/02/2004) from £5.61   |  Saving you £8.38 (149.38%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Antonio Banderas delivers a powerful performance as the title character of this incredible true story of how Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa allowed a Hollywood crew to film him in battle altering the course of film and military history in the process...

• Apt Pupil | DVD | (05/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Bryan Singer's follow-up to his post-modern caper-thriller The Usual Suspects trades in the flamboyant narrative flourish of that film for a moody meditation on the allure of evil. Based on the Stephen King novella (featured in the collection Different Seasons), Apt Pupil follows the disturbing downward spiral of a bright young schoolboy, Todd (Brad Renfro), who discovers a wanted Nazi war criminal is living in his town and then blackmails him into telling stories ("everything they're afraid to show us in school") of the horrors of the Holocaust. The old man, Dussander (a terrifying performance by Ian McKellen), comes alive while telling his tales and is soon reliving his past glories in a SS Halloween ordered byTodd. It's not long before Dussander's homicidal streak is unleashed and he is pulling Todd along with him. Although set against a backdrop of Holocaust history, the issues raised in the stories are ignored in favour of shocks and suspense and the film ultimately sacrifices the opportunity to be a fascinating psychological thriller about the seductive power of evil for a trip into Stephen King territory. Despite such limitations, Singer delivers a stylish and sometimes unsettling horror picture, which is largely due to McKellen's chilling portrait of a slumbering sadist awakened. --Sean Axmaker

• Foyle's War - Series 6 | DVD | (26/04/2010) from £12.39   |  Saving you £12.60 (101.69%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Foyle's War: Series 6 (3 Discs)