"Actor: Peter Rose"

• Phantoms | DVD | (07/01/2002) from £45.15   |  Saving you £-30.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Either Dean Koontz shouldn't adapt his own bestsellers, or his 1983 novel Phantoms was a pack of horror clichés to begin with, or this movie is 15 years past its due date. What might have seemed fresh at the time of Poltergeist now feels like it was made from a derivative script with pages missing. Plagued by reckless leaps of logic, the movie starts with adequately eerie atmosphere and a perversely twisted performance by Scream 2's Liev Schreiber, but decays into a familiar hash of gross-out effects, resulting from the annihilation of a small Colorado town by an evil force known as "The Ancient Enemy". In a dreary role that insults the twilight of his distinguished career, Peter O'Toole plays a paleobiologist whose crackpot ideas have become tabloid fodder; but he holds the key to conquering the beast. Or does he? Sure enough, an obligatory coda leaves room for anticlimactic doubt. Phantoms has a few genuinely creepy highlights, including a devilish beastie resembling an angry flying scorpion, and horror fans will surely find something to admire, but everyone else is advised to proceed with caution and lowered expectations. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• The Triangle | DVD | (03/07/2017) from £8.34   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Four filmmakers take their cameras into the Montana wilderness to document the mysterious inner workings of a young community with a giant secret.

• On Golden Pond / Sophie's Choice | DVD | (17/03/2003) from £4.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (160.32%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The sunny streets of Brooklyn, just after World War II. A young would-be writer named Stingo (Peter MacNicol) shares a boarding house with beautiful Polish immigrant Sophie (Meryl Streep) and her tempestuous lover, Nathan (Kevin Kline); their friendship changes his life. This adaptation of the bestselling novel by William Styron is faithful to the point of being reverential, which is not always the right way to make a film come to life. But director Alan J. Pakula (All the President's Men) provides a steady, intelligent path into the harrowing story of Sophie, whose flashback memories of the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp form the backbone of the movie. Streep's exceptional performance--flawless Polish accent and all--won her an Oscar, and effectively raised the standard for American actresses of her generation. No less impressive is Kevin Kline, in his movie debut, capturing the mercurial moods of the dangerously attractive Nathan. The two worlds of Sophie's Choice, nostalgic Brooklyn and monstrous Europe, are beautifully captured by the gifted cinematographer Néstor Almendros, whose work was Oscar-nominated but didn't win. It should have. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

• Danielle Steel's Palomino | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £4.12   |  Saving you £1.87 (45.39%)   |  RRP £5.99

  After the break up of her marriage photographer Samantha Taylor retreats to the sanctuary of friend Caroline Lord's California ranch. An excellent rider Samantha is initially given a frosty welcome by the ranch hands but she begins to gain their respect as they see that she is more than able on a horse and in their environment. Samantha falls in love with ranch hand Tate Jordan and they share a deep and passionate love until Tate finds out that Samantha's ex-husband is popular and wealthy news anchor Warren Taylor. Ashamed by his profession and his 'status' he leaves the ranch. Samantha is heartbroken once again and tries to assuage her pain by embarking on a project photographing the 'real' cowboys of the west. Whilst visiting a ranch in California Samantha breaks her back in an accident and is paralysed and must learn how to walk - and ride - again. Caroline Lord tragically dies but leaves her ranch to Samantha who turns it into a riding school for paralysed children. Through this enterprise she begins to heal from the pain of Tate's desertion the loss of her friend and her own paralysis. Tate returns to the ranch after hearing of Caroline's death and finds Samantha there. Can they both overcome their own demons and learn to love each other again?

• She | DVD | (29/10/2001) from £18.23   |  Saving you £-2.24 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Hammer's She might be a travesty of Rider Haggard's epic adventure novel, scaling things down to fit into a budget lavish only by the studio's low standards. At least the film opens with the unexpected sight of Peter Cushing and Bernard Cribbins in a dive in Palestine in 1919, shimmying with belly-dancers and brawling with the locals John Ford-style. Less entertainingly the film then switches attention to blonde clod John Richardson who is dreamily visited by blonde goddess Ursula Andress--her eerie beauty enhanced by the usual Hammer trick of dubbing the foreign crumpet with a posh voice.Our adventurers are given a map which leads them through deserts and mountains to the lost city of Kuma, an Egyptian-style civilisation ruled by Ayesha. This immortal She-Who-Must-be-Obeyed has been unaccountably waiting for Richardson to be reincarnated ever since she pettishly killed him thousands of years ago. In this reading, She is an Aryan fascist given to tipping those who displease her into a pit of molten lava. Her final comeuppance--as she bathes again in the blue flame of immortality and finds the process reversed so she suffers one of Hammer's patented Dracula dissolves to dust--takes place during a native uprising which overthrows her whole corrupt regime.The leads look terrific but can't act for beans so it's a mercy that stalwarts Cushing and Christopher Lee (as the treacherous High Priest) are on hand, not to mention Cribbins (comedy servant in bowler hat), Andre Morell and Rosenda Monteros.The James Bernard music is enchanting in a way Robert Day's direction sadly isn't, but the sets and (especially) costumes are splendid and the film has its moments of magic and terror: as the centurion pours out the remains of Morell's daughter from a jar, as the flame burns blue and the lovers bathe in it.On the DVD: the 2.35:1 widescreen print is in very good shape. Otherwise, there's not even a trailer. --Kim Newman

• Mozart In Turkey | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Slim Shady Show - Special Edition | DVD | (20/01/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The first time that the opening episode of Slim Shady Version II was shown to the public as a prelude to Eminem's live set on the Anger Management tour in America, it received critical acclaim. The point was clear, ran the consensus: by juxtaposing cartoon images of his split personality alongside South Park characters, Marshall Mathers was querying why their anti-social behaviour is satire and his is offensive. More episodes then turned up on the Web leading MTV to commission these nine five-minute shorts in which Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers run around taking drugs, swearing, attempting to have sex and beating up pop stars such as N'Stink and Pristina Gagulera. Sadly, those kind of lame puns are about as funny as it gets. A typical scene runs like this: the boys spot Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and they beat them up. That's it. Worse still, any sense of characterisation that places in context the anger and prejudice of Eminem's recorded work is lost here, leaving dumb and rather ugly misogyny to stand alone. A brief documentary about the making of the shorts is equally as grim and proves that cartoons really shouldn't be made by people with no sense of humour.--Ian Watson

• Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito -- Glyndebourne | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £11.74   |  Saving you £14.51 (138.45%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Mozart's Clemenza di Tito ("The Clemency of Titus") makes for riveting viewing in this Glyndebourne performance directed by Nicholas Hytner and conducted by Andrew Davis staged in the composer's bicentenary in 1991. Mozart's last opera, Clemenza was for some time considered below par by his own exalted standards. He composed it in a rush, the recitatives are by a pupil and it had to be on an appropriate theme to please the new Hapsburg monarch, for whose enthronement it was designed. There's little character development and the musical style harks back to operatic conventions Mozart had done so much to overthrow. Watching this production one would scarcely credit that such reservations once held sway. Hytner and his team have put a contemporary angle on a story set in Rome AD 78 in which sets, props and the stage itself are constructed to different dimensions offering alternate perspectives on a static tale. A slanting pillar and a sloping corridor allude to the unhinged mind of the scheming Vitellia, the central character, who puts her confidant Sesto on an emotional roller coaster ride as she ensnares him to plot the downfall of Titus. The principals use their eyes to communicate to one another as well as the audience and in the imaginatively staged entrances and exits of the ensembles one senses Hytner's choreographic instincts coming to the fore. The superb cast sing magnificently and look stunning. Philip Langridge is an eloquent Titus, Diana Monatgue a sincere Sesto and Ashley Putnam brings a touch of Alexis Colby to her portrayal of Vitellia. The London Philharmonic are all fired up under conductor Andrew Davis' fervent direction. The performance (the "Overture" accompanied by a visual montage of artefacts of Ancient Rome) is played on modern instruments yet articulated and reproduced with the clarity and definition associated with period ones. On the DVD: La Clemenza di Tito has no special features save for the obligatory subtitles. The picture quality is outstanding with the imaginative and colourful production design caught, like the music, with exceptional fidelity. The high drama at the conclusion of Act 1 justifies running on without a break into Act 2. This is a must for all lovers of opera. --Adrian Edwards

• Maddigan's Quest | DVD | (07/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In a strange post-apocalyptic world the city of Solis is the centre of human civilisation. But dark forces are at work in Solis. There are rumours of spies and betrayal. And the city is cut off from the solar cells it needs for power. Without power Solis is doomed. Solis' only hope lies with Maddigan's Quest; a circus troupe that travels the dangerous shifting roads of their world visiting outlying communities performing entertaining and telling stories. At the heart of the tr

• Mikey And Nicky | DVD | (01/08/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  After he steals money from the mob Nicky (John Cassavetes) finds out that they have put a contract on him. He turns to lifelong friend Mikey (Peter Falk) for help and advice. His friend it transpires is more Judas than saviour as it becomes clear that he might just be the triggerman Nicky has been dreading.This unusual gangster movie takes us 'Sopranos style' into the lives and pastimes of the gangsters we see.Elaine May (Ishtar) directs wonderful performances from Cassavetes and Falk with great back up from Ned Beatty William Hickney and Sandford Meisner.Down those dark streets these men will tread! Film noir and gangster style meet head on.

• Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin | DVD | (04/09/2013) from £21.38   |  Saving you £3.61 (16.88%)   |  RRP £24.99

  OA 1120D; OPUS ARTE - BBC - Inghilterra; Classica Lirica

• Robin Of Sherwood - Complete | DVD | (10/11/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £99.99

  A 8 disc box set of all 26 episodes of the hit sword and sorcery drama. Episode titles: 1. Robin Hood and the Sorcerer (Part 1) 2. Robin Hood and the Sorcerer (Part 2) 3. The Witch of Elsdon 4. Seven Poor Knights From Acre 5. Alan A Dale 6. The King's Fool 7. The Prophecy 8. The Children of Israel 9. Lord of the Trees 10. The Enchantment 11. The Swords of Wayland (Part 1) 12. The Swords of Wayland (Part 2) 13. The Greatest Enemy 14. Herne's Son (Part 1) 15. Herne's Son (Part 2) 16. The Power of Albion 17. The Inheritance 18. The Sheriff of Nottingham 19. The Cross of St Ciricus 20. Cromm Cruac 21. The Betrayal 22. Adam Bell 23. The Pretender 24. Rutterkin 25. The Time of the Wolf (Part 1) 26. The Time of the Wolf (Part 2)

• The Slim Shady Show | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The first time that the opening episode of Slim Shady Version II was shown to the public as a prelude to Eminem's live set on the Anger Management tour in America, it received critical acclaim. The point was clear, ran the consensus: by juxtaposing cartoon images of his split personality alongside South Park characters, Marshall Mathers was querying why their anti-social behaviour is satire and his is offensive. More episodes then turned up on the Web leading MTV to commission these nine five-minute shorts in which Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers run around taking drugs, swearing, attempting to have sex and beating up pop stars such as N'Stink and Pristina Gagulera. Sadly, those kind of lame puns are about as funny as it gets. A typical scene runs like this: the boys spot Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and they beat them up. That's it. Worse still, any sense of characterisation that places in context the anger and prejudice of Eminem's recorded work is lost here, leaving dumb and rather ugly misogyny to stand alone. A brief documentary about the making of the shorts is equally as grim and proves that cartoons really shouldn't be made by people with no sense of humour.--Ian Watson

• Columbo - Season 1 Episodes 1 - 6 | DVD | (02/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Peter Falk stars as the iconic crumpled trenchcoat-clad detective Columbo. Features a collection of classic episodes from Season One.

• The Power Game - Series 1 | DVD | (14/02/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  ITV's famous boardroom drama from the 1960's starring Patrick Wymark Barbara Murray Clifford Evans Rosemary Leach Peter Barkworth Ian Holm and George Sewell. A spin-off from the earlier 'The Plane Makers' 'The Power Game' made a star of Patrick Wymark as the now knighted Sir John Wilder the ruthless and power hungry executive who everybody loved to hate. The series captivated the viewing public in 1965 when first aired (one of the five most watched programme of 1966 when this f

• La Damnation De Faust - Berlioz | DVD | (03/01/2006) from £54.99   |  Saving you £-35.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Hector Berlioz's (1803-1869) legende dramatique about a man named Faust who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge. Recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1989. Georg Solti conducts.

• Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin | Blu Ray | (04/09/2013) from £25.51   |  Saving you £4.48 (17.56%)   |  RRP £29.99

  OA 7132D; OPUS ARTE - BBC - Inghilterra; Classica Lirica

• Jericho Mansions | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £10.45   |  Saving you £-4.46 (-74.50%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Leonard Grey (Caan) is superintendent of Jericho Mansions. His world may be small but he cares for every inch of it. For the last thirty years the building has been his universe as beyond the front door of the apartment block lies a terrifying agoraphobic nightmare into which for as long as he can remember he has never dared to venture. Yet Leonard's sanctuary is beginning to crumble as forces conspire to kick him out including a murder in which all the clues point to him alone...

• The Power Game - Series 2 | DVD | (02/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  ATV'S famous boardroom drama from the 1960's starring Patrick Wymark Barbara Murray Clifford Evans Rosemary Leach Peter Barkworth Ian Holm and George Sewell. A spin-off from the earlier 'The Plane Makers' 'The Power Game' made a star of Patrick Wymark as the now-knighted Sir John Wilder the ruthless and power hungry executive who everybody loved to hate. Episodes comprise: 1. Nothing's For Free 2. Ambassador Status 3. Grounds For Decision 4. The Front Men 5. A Matter

• Robin Of Sherwood - Series 1 - Part 2 | DVD | (11/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Robin Of Sherwood' retells the famous legend in a completely fresh and innovative way combining action and adventure with sorcery and mysticism. Robin is inextricably bound by the laws of nature which govern Sherwood forest but is forced by destiny to lead a band of guerrilla fighters in a desperate stand against Norman oppression... Seven Poor Knights From Acre: Robin faces the wrath of the Knights Templars seven fighting monks amongst the most feared warriors in Europe led by the fanatical Reynard De Villaret as they believe he has stolen their sacred emblem. Alan A Dale: A broken hearted minstrel arrives in Sherwood threatening to kill the Sheriff. His name is Alan A Dale and the object of his affections Mildred daughter of Baron De Bracey is being forced to marry the Sheriff. Robin decides to help the young lovers. The King's Fool: Robin rescues a strange knight from an ambush and earns the gratitude of the most powerful man in England King Richard recently returned from imprisonment in Europe. He is invited to fight by the King's side in Normandy an invitation he eagerly accepts but the relationship soon sours.