"Actor: Ray Weston"

• Dead Man Walking | DVD | (17/09/2001) from £7.73   |  Saving you £8.26 (106.86%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A serious film on a serious subject, Dead Man Walking (1995) is enriched by two excellent performances: Sean Penn as a murderer and rapist facing execution on Death Row, and Susan Sarandon as a nun who visits and befriends him. Tim Robbins, the writer and director of the film (and Sarandon's husband), based the film on a true story, and there's not much narrative tension since it's obvious Penn will not escape his fate. But the film is a clear-eyed look at the realities of capital punishment and its grisly rituals, which at the same time never sentimentalises the people or the issues. There is no shying away from the evil of the murderer's acts and their effects on the victims' families, but this is balanced against the heartlessness and cynicism of those in the prison system and their political masters. It's hard to say whether the film is ultimately against capital punishment; it certainly encourages you to think for yourself. On the DVD: The image and sound quality is excellent, in widescreen ratio 16:9. There's a theatrical trailer and a TV commercial for the film, which also has language tracks in English, French and Spanish and subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Dutch and Hungarian. There's also an audio commentary on the film by director Tim Robbins which gives valuable insights into the political background of the film and the shooting process. --Ed Buscombe

• Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £5.25   |  Saving you £0.74 (14.10%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The generic title of Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence suggests a bland, by-the-numbers romantic comedy. Its dialogue certainly doesn't help--there's a lot of piffle about destiny and "having only one chance", etc.--but there are some surprising differences. The plot centres around Martha (Monica Potter), an American trying to start a new life in London. She meets three men (Tom Hollander, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes, who played the title role in Shakespeare in Love). These three are best friends and all three fall in love with her but the one she falls in love with feels like he's betraying the others to be with her. Despite the resulting confusion, she pursues him to the end--which makes it unlike most current romantic comedies where the woman is a hapless love object to be captured by the right guy. But more entertainingly, Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence pays particular attention to the ways men delude themselves because the two friends Martha doesn't care for are both convinced she's hankering for them, which allows for some fairly subtle skewering of the male ego. It's a flimsy movie but no more so than Notting Hill and Joseph Fiennes, in particular, has a relaxed, winning charm that marks him as a rising star. --Bret Fetzer

• Romantic Comedy: When Harry Met Sally, Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel And Laurence, Jack And Sarah | DVD | (30/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  When Harry Met Sally:Will sex ruin a perfect relationship between a man and a woman? That's what Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) debate during their trip from Chicago to New York. And eleven years later they're sill no closer to finding the answer. Will these two best friends ever accept that they're meant for each other... or will they continue to deny the attraction that's existed since the first moment when Harry met Sally? Martha - Meet Frank Daniel And LaurenceMeet Frank and Laurence Daniel's best friends... although it doesn't always look that way! Frank is constantly engaged in a game of one-upmanship with Daniel while Laurence always appears to be stuck in the middle. They haven't met Martha yet but they will; and when they do you'll soon discover that two's company three's a crowd but four is definitely a catastrophe! Jack And Sarah:Jack (Richard E. Grant) has it all - a perfect marriage a successful career and a dream home. But his world crumbles when his wife dies giving birth to their daughter Sarah. Even though he is struggling to cope with his broken heart and a newborn baby Jack rejects the offers of help from his family (Judy Dench and David Swift) in a bid to prove his independence. Instead he builds a quirky family of his own when he takes on a down-and-out (Ian McKellen) to be his housekeeper and American waitress Amy (Samantha Mathis) to be his nanny.

• Wishbone Ash - Almighty Blues: London and Beyond | DVD | (11/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Wishbone Ash hit the road with a vibrant new line up bursting with energy and great new set crammed with classic Ash plus awesome new material forged in the timeless Ash tradition. The band drew full houses everywhere as fans delighted in a heady mix of old favourites and powerful new material from Bona Fide the album which brought Wishbone Ash back to prominence. These classic performances are now presented in full multi-channel surround sound. Tracklist: 1. Time Was 2. The King Will Come 3. Warrior 4. Faith Hope And Love 5. Phoenix 6. Standing In The Rain 7. Changing Tracks 8. On Your Own 9. Underground 10. Come Rain Come Shine 11. Ancient Remedy 12. Almighty Blues 13. Living Proof 14. Jailbait 15. Ballad Of The Beacon 16. Blowin' Free 17. Bad Weather Blues 18. Wings Of Desire

• We're Back a Dinsoaur's Story/Ghostbusters/Short Circuit 2 | DVD | (12/11/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story (1993): The voices of the above stars bring a handful of dinosaurs back to life in the modern day in this Steven Spielberg production. Lavish animation and imagination bring to life this delightful tale of dinosaurs in New York City. A group of very friendly very intelligent dinosaurs take a trip to Manhattan and brighten the lives of two very special lonely children. Ghostbusters (1984): Gaggles of little green ghosts spooks and a host of paranormal occurrences are on the rampage in New York. Can anyone save the world from these supernatural creatures? Only three unemployed and enterprising university parapsychologists when they go into the 'GHOSTBUSTERS' business. Bill Murray Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis star in the freelance crusaders who team up and the Ghostbusters squad. Armed with ectoplasmic swats and patented booby traps they walk a fine line between scientific genius and lunacy in their quest to rid the city of these slimey haunting monsters. The unique comic talents of Murray (Lost In Translation) Aykroyd (Evolution) and Ramis (Analyze This) together with Sigourney Weaver (Galaxy Quest) and Director Ivan Reitman create undoubtedly the most hilarious and successful comedy ever produced. Short Circuit 2 (1988): Number Five aka Johnny Five that incredible lovable robot form the smash hit Short Circuit is back and taking the big city by storm in this action-packed comedy adventure. Upbeat Johnny's out for some urban input but some street hoods a greedy banker and a gang of crooks see his naivete as their high-tech ticket to easy street. Will Johnny survive the big bad city and its big bad city slickers? Keep your wires crossed when you switch on this high voltage film. Batteries Not Included (1987): When an unscrupulous real estate developer sends thugs into a deteriorating tenement to get rid of the last five tenants they need nothing short of a miracle to stay where they are. In this delightful fantasy presented by Steven Spielberg little stands between the brave holdouts and the street. But one night when all hope seems lost tiny visitors from outer space mysteriously glide through their windows. As if in answer to their prayers the incredible creatures begin to turn the tide with their magical powers.