"Actor: Nick Rhodes"

• Under the Volcano | Blu Ray | (26/07/2021) from £13.79   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  On a remote Caribbean island, in the shadow of a volcano, the world's biggest recording artists made music and myth that defined an era. Includes extra trailer.

• Duran Duran - Arena | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Released for the first time on DVD to coincide with Duran Duran's 25th anniversary tour, Arena (An Absurd Notion) was the band's first live album and foray into film. Pop idols ranging from Elvis to the Spice Girls have all attempted to make the crossover to the big screen; often such celluloid adventures turn into disasters, with the performers' acting talents rarely matching their vocal proficiencies. Filming is squeezed into a few days between the recording of a new studio album and other duties such as touring, ensuring that the end result is typically dire. Arena manages to avoid many of those pitfalls by giving the band no opportunity to act, instead focusing exclusively on their live concert performance. An additional SF sub plot is included centred on Doctor Duran--the evil dictator from cult film Barbarella, from whom the band got their name. The doctor, played by original actor Milo O'Shea, returns to earth from exile confused by the fans' call for Duran Duran. Crash-landing his ship underneath the stage, he and his three Brummie henchmen are determined to disrupt the show. Despite their attempts to abduct fans, and create anarchy the band continue to perform. Very much a product of its time, the film combines nomadic futuristic imagery with a big budget. Following the critical acclaim of the "Wild Boys" video, Arena seeks to capitalise on its style but also take the promotional video to a new extreme using expensive sets and special effects. The Barbarella sub-plot serves little purpose apart from illustrating the story behind the band's name. The live performance footage is excellent though, not just because of the music but also the guys' authentic mullet hairstyles. On the DVD:The original "Making of Arena" documentary is included on the DVD, along with a vintage interview with Simon Le Bon. The dubbed TV ad for the video and album is also featured along with a trailer, and video mix. Considering the age of the film, the sound and visuals have both transferred well to DVD, with the extended mix of "The Reflex" sounding particularly good. --John Galilee

• Under the Volcano | DVD | (26/07/2021) from £15.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  On a remote Caribbean island in the 1980s, in the shadow of a volcano, the world's biggest recording artists were drawn to one special place, to escape and to forge the music that defined an era. Built by The Beatles' producer Sir George Martin, AIR Studios Montserrat was the birthplace of mega-hits such as Money for Nothing and Every Breath You Take. For a decade, the studio formed the backdrop to monumental events in music history including the break-up of The Police, the reunion of The Rolling Stones, and the reinvigoration of Paul McCartney after the tragic murder of John Lennon. After a decade of hits, and at the peak of its popularity, the studio was destroyed when the island was hit by a series of devastating natural disasters. Through personal accounts and backed by a blistering soundtrack, Under the Volcano is the definitive account of George Martin's studio, a place that generated a perfect storm of talent, technology and isolation, ushering in music that would live on long after the last tape rolled. Extras: Trailer

• Pop Idol - A Star Is Born | DVD | (22/04/2002) from £6.98   |  Saving you £6.01 (86.10%)   |  RRP £12.99

  For all those of us who spent months debating the Will versus Gareth battle, Pop Idol: A Star is Born is the ideal fix of cheesy Pop Idol action for anyone missing their weekend dose. While those fascinated by the dubious talents at the audition stage will love the Pop Idol: Raw Talent! video, A Star is Born starts from the point where the contest was between 10 finalists, ending with Will's triumphant victory. This video is basically a compilation of performances from the show, which also includes Ant and Dec presenting the wannabes, and although you can't help but love those cheeky Newcastle lads, their introductions become annoyingly repetitive. There are no new stories or additional behind-the-scenes footage here: it's principally about the performances, which were the main reason we tuned in so addictively. Highlights include Will's performance of "Light My Fire" and Hayley's "That Old Devil Called Love". It is fascinating to see Will, the dark horse at the start of the competition, slowly begin to shine in a triumph of flexibility and consistency. Against the patchy performances of some of the others, it's easy to see why Will and Gareth made it to the final two. The contest both united and divided the country but any fan of the series will find plenty of their favourite moments here.--Rachel Ediss

• Witchboard | DVD | (21/03/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  It's more than just a game... It's called a ouija board and it has been used for thousands of years to communicate with the souls of the afterworld. For beautiful Linda Brewster (Kitaen) it summons the playful ghost of a dead ten year old boy. But when the friendly spirit develops a sudden taste for violent murder and demonic possession Linda's bofriend (allen) and her former lover (Nichols) must race against time to destroy this ferocious portal of the damned...

• Arena (An Absurd Notion) & The Making of Arena | DVD | (15/09/2009) from £16.18   |  Saving you £-4.19 (N/A%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Released for the first time on DVD to coincide with Duran Duran's 25th anniversary tour, Arena (An Absurd Notion) was the band's first live album and foray into film. Pop idols ranging from Elvis to the Spice Girls have all attempted to make the crossover to the big screen; often such celluloid adventures turn into disasters, with the performers' acting talents rarely matching their vocal proficiencies. Filming is squeezed into a few days between the recording of a new studio album and other duties such as touring, ensuring that the end result is typically dire. Arena manages to avoid many of those pitfalls by giving the band no opportunity to act, instead focusing exclusively on their live concert performance. An additional SF sub plot is included centred on Doctor Duran--the evil dictator from cult film Barbarella, from whom the band got their name. The doctor, played by original actor Milo O'Shea, returns to earth from exile confused by the fans' call for Duran Duran. Crash-landing his ship underneath the stage, he and his three Brummie henchmen are determined to disrupt the show. Despite their attempts to abduct fans, and create anarchy the band continue to perform. Very much a product of its time, the film combines nomadic futuristic imagery with a big budget. Following the critical acclaim of the "Wild Boys" video, Arena seeks to capitalise on its style but also take the promotional video to a new extreme using expensive sets and special effects. The Barbarella sub-plot serves little purpose apart from illustrating the story behind the band's name. The live performance footage is excellent though, not just because of the music but also the guys' authentic mullet hairstyles. On the DVD:The original "Making of Arena" documentary is included on the DVD, along with a vintage interview with Simon Le Bon. The dubbed TV ad for the video and album is also featured along with a trailer, and video mix. Considering the age of the film, the sound and visuals have both transferred well to DVD, with the extended mix of "The Reflex" sounding particularly good. --John Galilee

• Duran Duran: Sing Blue Silver | DVD | (04/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A