"Actor: Richard Burton"

• Assault On Precinct 13 | Blu Ray | (09/01/2017) from £18.13   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 is a riveting low-budget thriller from 1976, in which a nearly abandoned police station is held under siege by a heavily armed gang called Street Thunder. Inside the station, cut off from contact and isolated, convicts heading for death row and the cops must now join forces or die. That's the basic plot, but what Carpenter does with it is remarkable. Drawing specific inspiration from the classic Howard Hawks Western Rio Bravo (which included a similar siege on disadvantaged heroes), Carpenter used his simple setting for a tense, tightly constructed series of action sequences, emphasising low-key character development and escalating tension. Few who've seen the film can forget the "ice cream cone" scene in which a young girl is caught up in the action by patronising a seemingly harmless ice cream van. It's here, and in other equally memorable scenes, that Carpenter demonstrates his knack for injecting terror into the mundane details of daily life, propelling this potent thriller to cult favourite status and long-standing critical acclaim. From this Carpenter went on to make the original Halloween, one of the most profitable independent films of all time. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Villain | DVD | (03/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Murderous sadistic London gang leader Vic Dakin a mother-obsessed homosexual modeled on real-life gangster Ronnie Kray is worried about potential stool pigeons that may bring down his criminal empire. The brutal Vic cuts the throat of one bloke who has been a little too loose-lipped afraid that his gossiping may turn into a grand operatic performance for the coppers. Vic who enjoys playing at rough trade with his sidekick Wolfe plans a payroll robbery and directs the blackmail

• Where Eagles Dare | Blu Ray | (17/04/2019) from £8.75   |  Saving you £9.24 (105.60%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Scorned by reviewers when it came out, Where Eagles Dare has acquired a cult following over the years for its unashamed and highly concentrated dose of commando death-dealing to legions of Nazi machine-gun fodder. In 1968 Clint Eastwood was just getting used to the notion that he might be a world-class movie star; Richard Burton, whose image had been shaped equally by classical theatre and his headline-making romance with Elizabeth Taylor, was eager to try his hand at the action genre. Author Alistair MacLean's novel The Guns of Navarone had inspired the film that started the 1960s vogue for World War II military capers, so he was prevailed upon to write the screenplay (his first). The central location, an impregnable Alpine stronghold locked in ice and snow, is surpassing cool, but the plot and action are ultra-mechanical, and the switcheroo gamesmanship of just who is the undercover double (triple?) agent on the mission becomes aggressively silly. --Richard T Jameson

• The Doombolt Chase - The Complete Series | DVD | (22/02/2010) from £16.30   |  Saving you £-1.31 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The Doombolt Chase: The Complete Series

• Under Milk Wood | DVD | (20/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Hollywood icons Richard Burton Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O'Toole star in the screen adaptation of Dylan Thomas's classic play. A celebration of life and death the film follows the people and events in a small Welsh harbour village from one spring to the next. Captain Cat the blind sea captain awake or asleep yearns for Rosie Probert the greatest passion of his youth. Burton plays the key role of the first voice an all-seeing compassionate narrator.

• Cleopatra -- Three-Disc Special Edition | DVD | (15/04/2002) from £24.94   |  Saving you £0.05 (0.20%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Still the most expensive movie ever made, Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. It also scandalised the world with the very public affair of its two major stars, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But Joseph L Mankiewicz's 1963 epic deserves to be remembered for more than its off-screen troubles. An extravagantly elaborate production, the sets and costumes alone are awe-inspiring; Mankiewicz's own literate screenplay draws heavily on the classics and Shakespeare; while the supporting cast, led by Rex Harrison as Caesar and Roddy McDowall as his nephew (and future emperor) Octavian, are all first-rate thespians and generally put in more convincing performances than either of the two leads. Mankiewicz's original intention was to make two three-hour films: the first being Caesar and Cleopatra, the second Antony and Cleopatra. But before the film’s completion, and following a boardroom coup worthy of Ancient Rome itself, legendary mogul Darryl F Zanuck took back control of Fox and insisted that Cleopatra be cut to a more economical length. A heartbroken Mankiewicz was forced to trim his six-hour vision down to four. This was the "roadshow" version shown at the film’s premiere and now restored here for the first time. Then following adverse criticism and pressure from cinema chains Zanuck demanded more cuts, and the final released version ran a mere three hours--half the original length. Capitalising on the feverish publicity surrounding Burton and Taylor, the shortened version played up both their on- and off-screen romance. This longer four-hour roadshow version allows for a broader view of the film, adding some depth to the politics and manipulation of the characters. But the director’s original six-hour edit has been lost. Perhaps one day it will be rediscovered in the vaults and Mankiewicz’s much-maligned movie will finally be seen the way it was meant to be. Until then, Cleopatra remains an epic curiosity rather than the complete spectacle it should be. On the DVD: this handsome three-disc set spreads the restored four-hour print of the movie across two discs. The anamorphic widescreen print looks quite magnificent and Alex North’s wondrous score comes up like new in Dolby 5.1 sound. There’s a patchy and only intermittently revealing commentary from Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky. Much better is the comprehensive two-hour documentary that occupies disc three, which tells in hair-raising detail the extraordinary story of a film production that became totally out of control. This is accompanied by some short archival material, but the documentary alone is a compelling reason to acquire this set. --Mark Walker

• The Wild Geese | Blu Ray | (30/06/2014) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Wild Geese

• Look Back In Anger | DVD | (31/08/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Look Back In Anger

• Predator - Single Disc Edition | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £4.96   |  Saving you £13.03 (262.70%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Rambo meets Alien in this terrific science-fiction thriller from 1987, directed by John McTiernan just a year before Die Hard made him Hollywood's most sought-after director of action-packed blockbusters. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite squad of US Army commandos to a remote region of the South American jungle, where they've been assigned to search for South American officials who've been kidnapped by terrorists. Instead they find a bunch of skinned corpses hanging from the trees and realise that they're now facing a mysterious and much deadlier threat. As the squad is picked off one by one, Arnold finds himself pitted against a hideous alien creature that's heavily armed and wearing a spacesuit enabling the creature to render itself invisible. The title says it all in describing the relentless, escalating action that follows, maintained by McTiernan with an abundance of visual flair. The film's special effects are still impressive, and stunning locations in the Mexican jungles create a combined atmosphere of verdant beauty and imminent danger. The plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but the movie's so exciting and tightly paced that its weaknesses seem irrelevant. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Alexander The Great | DVD | (03/01/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Richard Burton stars in Alexander the Great, a middling entry in the 1950s CinemaScope epic cycle. The film boasts excellent production values and a fine cast--including Frederic March, Claire Bloom, Harry Andrews, Stanley Baker, Peter Cushing and Michael Hordern--but it rarely comes to life other than as a big fat ancient Greek wedding of the talents of Burton and Bloom. They strike real dramatic sparks together, so much so they would be reunited in Look Back in Anger (1958) and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965). The film's failures must be laid at the feet of writer, director and producer Robert Rossen, who never before or after helmed anything remotely on this scale; his best work would follow with the intimate The Hustler (1961). Rossen simply shows little sensibility for the epic, staging lavish but brief and rather pedestrian battles and somehow drawing from the usually mesmerising Burton a performance lacking the charisma essential to a great military commander. Burton fans can enjoy him at his epic best as Marc Anthony in Cleopatra (1963). On the DVD: Alexander the Great is presented anamorphically enhanced at 2.35:1, although the picture is still obviously cropped at either side of the screen throughout. The print is very variable, in places quite grainy and soft with some serious flickering blotchiness, but otherwise it has strong colours, detail and contrast. The sound is primitive stereo. The only extra is the theatrical trailer, effectively presented in anamorphic 2.35:1. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Villain | Blu Ray | (30/03/2020) from £10.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  1971 British gangster drama VILLAIN is directed by Michael Tuchner, his feature film debut. Starring Richard Burton (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf) as a sadistic London gang leader inspired by Ronnie Kray, the film is based on James Barlow's 1968 book Burden of Proof. East end gang chief Vic Dakin is a violent psychopath who lives with his mother (Cathleen Nesbitt, An Affair to Remember) whilst making a living by running a prosperous protection racket. After a tip off for a potential payroll heist opportunity, Dakin starts planning the job, bringing in a gang from the criminal underworld alongside associate Wolfe Lissner (Ian McShane, John Wick). Detective Inspector Robert Matthews (Nigel Davenport, Chariots of Fire) has been tasked to arrest Dakin when he makes his first mistake and is watching his every move, determined to catch him in the act. When a gang member is hospitalised and Matthews is closing in, can Dakin silence him before he confesses all? Extras: New: Interview with Ian McShane New: Interview with cultural historian Matthew Sweet Original Trailer Behind the scenes stills gallery

• Predator | DVD | (18/06/2001) from £12.96   |  Saving you £5.03 (28.00%)   |  RRP £17.99

  In Predator, Rambo meets Alien in a terrific science fiction thriller directed by John McTiernan just a year before Die Hard made him Hollywood's most sought-after director of action-packed blockbusters. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite squad of US Army commandos to a remote region of South American jungle, where they've been assigned to search for South American officials who've been kidnapped by terrorists. Instead they find a bunch of skinned corpses hanging from the trees and realise that they're now facing a mysterious and much deadlier threat. As the squad is picked off one by one, Arnold finds himself pitted against a hideous alien creature that's heavily armed and wearing a spacesuit enabling the creature to render itself invisible. The title says it all in describing the relentless, escalating action that follows, maintained by McTiernan with an abundance of visual flair. The film's special effects are still impressive, and stunning locations in the Mexican jungles create a combined atmosphere of verdant beauty and imminent danger. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Anne of the Thousand Days | Blu Ray | (24/02/2020) from £10.00   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Richard Burton stars as Henry VIII in this historical drama, with Genevieve Bujold playing his tragic wife, Anne Boleyn. Amidst the splendour of the Tudor court, Henry and Anne's tempestuous marriage mirrors the political and religious intrigues that threaten to divide the kingdom, as Henry grows ever more desperate for a male heir to continue his line.

• Becket | DVD | (14/05/2007) from £19.64   |  Saving you £-1.65 (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Unavailable on any format for 20 years Becket makes its worldwide DVD premiere following extensive restoration aided by Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation. Becket Becket is one of the great historical epics and features one of cinema's most legendary pairings; Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. The story tells of the tempestuous friendship between King Henry. The King appoints his trusted companion to the esteemed position of Archbishop of Canterbury believing his loyalty will give him control over the church. However Becket takes his new duties seriously and his devotion to God soon brings him into direct conflict with the State and his lifelong friend.

• Look Back in Anger (Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (26/11/2018) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Shot by the great Oswald Morris (Fiddler on the Roof), Look Back in Anger opens with an extraordinary jazz-club scene. Trumpeter Jimmy Porter (Richard Burton) - a disillusioned, college-educated bloke, raging against the establishment - works by day on a sweet stall in the market. His middle-class wife suffers the brunt of his tirades but when he vent his anger by having an affair with her best friend, the consequences prove far-reaching for all involved. Tony Richardson's feature debut is the epitome of the kitchen-sink drama that spawned a new genre of British films and heralded the liberated Swinging Sixties. Apposite for current times and still uncomfortably compelling, the film features an astonishing performance by Burton that earned him his second of six Golden Globe nominations. Special features: The Stories that Changed British Cinema (2018, 47 mins): BFI panel discussion on Woodfall Films, featuring Rita Tushingham, Tom Courtenay and Joely Richardson George Devine Memorial Play: Look Back in Anger (1966, 17 mins): David Frost produced film, directed by Peter Whitehead, capturing a stage performance in memory of the late Royal Court director starring Kenneth Haigh as Jimmy Porter and Gary Raymond as Cliff Lewis Oswald Morris Remembers Woodfall (1993, 24 mins): the cinematographer reminisces about his time with Woodfall Ten Bob in Winter (1963, 12 mins): Lloyd Reckford's vignette of class tension and aspiration within London's Caribbean community Original theatrical trailer Stills gallery Illustrated booklet with writing by John Wyver, Michael Brooke and Nicolas Pillai, plus full film credits

• The Medusa Touch: Special Edition | DVD | (18/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis. When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing complex...

• Unfaithful | DVD | (28/04/2003) from £6.98   |  Saving you £9.01 (129.08%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A middle-aged wife and mother has an unexpected and torrid affair with a handsome younger man. After her husbands discover they must face the consequences of their actions...

• Classic War Stories - 5 Film Collection | DVD | (19/11/2012) from £23.65   |  Saving you £-11.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.65

  The Longest Day: On June 6, 1944, the Allied Invasion of France marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes and 4,000 ships, comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen. Presented in its original black & white version, 'The Longest Day' is a vivid, hour-by-hour re-creation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast, and told from the perspectives of both sides, it is a fascinating look ...

• Stitch - The Movie | DVD | (22/09/2003) from £6.38   |  Saving you £9.61 (150.63%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Disney sets a record for bringing out a direct-to-video sequel after the initial film. Stitch: The Movie arrives only a year after the enjoyable Lilo & Stitch and reunites the title character (otherwise known as Experiment 626) with his earth-bound family in the warm Hawaiian sun. The story has a nice set-up: since Stitch is Experiment 626, where are the first 625 invented by Dr Jumba Jookiba? Odds are the island paradise will soon be spaceport central for many more aliens. As with other made-for-video Disney titles, the animation is not as complex or rich. This hurts this sequel even more since the original film had such a unique, pastel beauty. Unfortunately, the other elements of the film are just as flat. Even though most of the original voice cast returns, the entire production lacks the same spirit and charm, and the story's theme is recycled (get ready for more "Ohana means family"). On the plus side, the film starts with an Elvis Presley song ("Slicin' Sand") and is only 64 minutes long. The movie sets up the Disney TV series The Adventures of Lilo & Stitch. --Doug Thomas

• The Medusa Touch | Blu Ray | (15/09/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  John Morlar (Richard Burton - Look Back in Anger Equus) a well-known novelist is savagely attached in his London flat. Barely alive he is taken to hospital. Detective Brunel (Kino Ventura - Sword of Gideon Les Miserables) is assigned to the case. He comes across Morlar's journal which leads him to a mysterious women named Zonfeld (Lee Remick - Jennie - Lady Randolph Churchill Telefon) who is Morlar's doctor. Zonfeld discloses that her patient is obsessed. He feels he bears an awesome telekinetic power - the power to will destruction and death. He can make airplanes crash buildings crumble start raging fires and unleash mighty floods. He believes he possesses the gift of evil and dangerously demonstrates his power. What at first seems preposterous soon becomes sickeningly real. Morlar is able to wreak havoc at will. Brunel desperately wants to stop the next tragedy but can he kill this man? If released from his mortal confines how far can the power of his mind roam..? Directed by Jack Gold (The Naked Civil Servant Kavanagh QC) from a script by John Briley (Gandhi Children of the Damned) The Medusa Touch is highly-effective fast paced thriller which ends in a spectacular and spine-chilling climax. This special edition of the film is sourced from the new HD digitally restored master and is presented in its original aspect ratio. Special Features: Audio commentary with director Jack Gold Kim Newman and Stephen Jones. Destroying the Abbey: behind the scenes footage. Original Theatrical Trailer. Image Gallery.