"Actor: Ray Laine"

• Fiddler On The Roof | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Fiddler on the Roof arrived in cinemas in 1971, seven years after the Sheldon Harnick/Jerry Bock musical about Jewish life in a pre-Revolution Russian village first gripped Broadway. Based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, with its potent mixture of sentiment and religious and historical context, it remains one of the most popular shows of the modern age. With the help of an outstanding performance from Topol as Tevye--the milkman with five daughters kicking at the constraints of tradition--Norman Jewison's captivating film retains a moving intimacy in its portrayal of relationships in changing times. But it also stretches the possibilities of location shooting--in this case the countryside of the former Yugoslavia--further than any musical movie before or since. The villagers are played by the inhabitants of the area, lending a poignant realism to the vibrant crowd scenes. And the cinematography is spectacular, with Jewison's clever use of distance generating an epic feel that helps to explain the story's continuing resonance and popularity. Topol's career-defining star turn is balanced by the warmth and sensitivity of the surrounding performances, particularly Norma Crane as his abrasive wife Golda. British sitcom fans will spot early appearances by Roger Lloyd Pack, and Ruth Madoc as the demonic butcher's wife, Fruma Sarah. At nearly three hours, it's a long emotional haul, but aided by some of the most beautiful songs in musical history, Jewison's Fiddler is ageless. On the DVD: Fiddler on the Roof Special Edition is presented on DVD in widescreen with a Dolby soundtrack that makes a mighty meal of John Williams' Oscar-winning musical adaptation. The most fascinating extras are a making-of documentary that shows a youthful, slightly tetchy Jewison at work, and a 2003 reminiscence in which all of his passion and feel for the piece has survived intact. He shares a commentary with Topol crammed with vivid memories and context. There is also a photographic gallery showing the resources that were used to give the film its authenticity, and Jewison reads extracts from original Aleichem stories. --Piers Ford

• Fiddler On The Roof | DVD | (01/02/2000) from £7.48   |  Saving you £5.51 (73.66%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This rousing musical, based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centres on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye--who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"--is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical--Tevye represents the common man--but it does it dextrously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin--he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof--is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography. --Jenny Brown

• Season Of The Witch | Blu Ray | (12/03/2018) from £16.39   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Perhaps the most unclassifiable of filmmaker George A. Romero's works, 1972's Season of the Witch sees the Night of the Living Dead filmmaker returning to the realm of the supernatural for this bewitching tale of a housewife driven to an interest in the dark arts. On the surface, Joan Mitchell has it all family, friends, and a beautiful home equipped with all the latest appliances. But when a neighbor educates her on the practice of witchcraft, Joan believes she's discovered the perfect antidote to her monotonous suburban existence, and embarks upon a dark path that will lead to a shocking conclusion. Filmed as Jack's Wife and subsequently cut down and retitled Hungry Wives for its theatrical release in an attempt to market it as a sexploitation film, Season of the Witch is arguably one of Romero's most overlooked films an intimate and thought-provoking character study that serves as the perfect companion piece to his later Martin. Features: Brand new 4K restoration of the original theatrical version from the camera negative [90 mins] Alternate extended version [104 mins] High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original Uncompressed PCM Mono Audio English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford When Romero Met Del Toro filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro in conversation with George Romero The Secret Life of Jack's Wife archive interview with actress Jan White Alternate Opening Titles Location Gallery with audio commentary by Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz Memorabilia Gallery Trailers Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

• Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2 - Rodrick Rules | DVD | (23/10/2017) from £4.19   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Brothers aren't supposed to get along, so it should come as no surprise that Greg and his older sibling Rodrick fight continuously. However, their mother has a different idea about what the relationship between two brothers should look like, and she writes a column about it for the local newspaper, so she should know. Never one to let nature take its course, Mum tries a variety of strategies to get the boys to bond--everything from the incentive-driven "mom bucks" to punishing them by leaving them home together for the weekend while the rest of the family heads to the water park. The wild party and ensuing chaos that one would expect when two boys are left home alone happens right on schedule, but so does a surprising development in the boys' relationship with one another. Greg pours his every thought about the difficulties of surviving middle school and living with brothers into his journal in this film, which is based on Jeff Kinney's book Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. While it's definitely a different experience to see the cartoon stick figures from the book morph into human forms in the live-action film, director David Bowers and actors Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, and Rachael Harris do a good job of preserving the feel of the book--specifically, how each of the characters is driven by emotion and how they are often overwhelmed by their sense of mental conflict and anguish. Kids frankly state that The Diary of a Wimpy Kid films aren't as good as the bestselling books, but that doesn't mean they don't enjoy the movies or that they won't be clamouring to see them. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

• Season Of The Witch | DVD | (20/10/2008) from £5.38   |  Saving you £7.61 (58.60%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Filmed as Jack's Wife and briefly released in the US under the title Hungry Wives Romero's third film Season Of The Witch is the disturbing story of a suburban housewife's descent into extramarital sex and the occult.

• There's Always Vanilla | Blu Ray | (12/03/2018) from £10.59   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Available for the first time on Blu-ray, Night of the Living Dead director George A. Romero's second feature film, There's Always Vanilla a biting satire of early '70s American society and an unjustly overlooked entry in the late director's filmography. When young drifter Chris meets beautiful model Lynn by a chance occurrence, the pair hit it off and a romantic relationship ensues. But with their wildly contrasting outlooks on life, it soon becomes clear that the coupling is doomed from the outset. Starring Judith Streiner (born Judith Ridley) from Night of the Living Dead and Ray Laine, who would go on to appear in Romero's next film, Season of the Witch, There's Always Vanilla is a unique entry in the director's canon and one that's ripe for reappraisal. Features: Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original Uncompressed PCM Mono Audio English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford Affair of the Heart: The Making of There's Always Vanilla brand new documentary featuring interviews with producers John Russo and Russell Streiner, stars Judith Streiner and Richard Ricci, and sound recordist Gary Streiner Digging Up the Dead The Lost Films of George A. Romero archive interview with Romero discussing his early films There's Always Vanilla and Season of the Witch Location Gallery with audio commentary by Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz Memorabilia Gallery Trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newlycommissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

• Diary Of A Wimpy Kid | DVD | (23/10/2017) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The first volume in Jeff Kinney's wildly popular Web and book series hits the screen in this live-action adaptation. The impish Zachary Gordon, who recalls Wonder Years-era Fred Savage, plays Greg Heffley, who enters middle school determined to become class favourite. It won't be easy. His best friend, Rowley (the sweetly funny Robert Capron), is a big, redheaded lug who embarrasses him at every turn. Greg's obnoxious teenage brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), advises him to keep his head down, but Greg believes he needs to excel at something to achieve his goal. Smart, but small for his age, he tries wrestling and safety patrolling, but nothing seems to fit. During gym class, he and Rowley meet wise-beyond-her-years newspaper reporter Angie (Chloë Moretz, (500) Days of Summer), who finds popularity overrated. Greg isn't convinced, but the harder he tries, the more boorish he becomes, until even Rowley abandons him. After a humiliating encounter with some high school bullies, though, Greg learns what really matters: self-respect (he also discovers that the dreaded "cheese touch" is just a myth). Berlin-born director Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs) avoids any dull or sentimental patches, which should please kids and adults alike (an upbeat modern-rock soundtrack doesn't hurt). Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn could use more face time as the terminally un-cool Heffley parents, but Harris's rhythm-impaired moves at the mother-son dance provide one of the best laughs. Kinney fans will also appreciate the way Freudenthal weaves stick-figure drawings from Greg's journal throughout this zippy entertainment. --Kathleen C. Fennessy