"Actor: Richard Portnow"

• Good Morning, Vietnam | DVD | (13/05/2002) from £5.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (166.94%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Good Morning Vietnam is a more than usually human take on America’s most controversial war, an often poignant and always entertaining fictionalisation of the Vietnam years of DJ Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams). Cronauer is employed as the voice of the US Armed Forces radio in South East Asia, but it soon emerges that his idea of entertaining the troops and the Army’s are poles apart. This isn’t a biopic--director Barry Levinson doesn’t give any detail of Cronauer’s life before Vietnam--instead it’s about Cronauer discovering a better understanding of the war, the people and himself. Interspersed with the radio sequences is a gentle plot which follows Cronauer as he teaches English to some Vietnamese kids, falls for a local girl and narrowly misses being killed in a terrorist attack. However, it is the sheer frenetic genius of Williams’ largely improvised radio monologues that account for the film’s box office success. On the DVD: Good Morning Vietnam gets the special edition DVD with digitally remastered audio and picture. Extras include a couple of previews--both the theatrical and a teaser trailer--as well as a production diary which contains interviews with director Levinson, crew and the real Cronauer. But the best feature by far is the "Raw Monologues": introduced by Levinson, this featurette shows the process that Robin Williams went through to improvise the radio slots and is a valuable insight into the comedic talents of the film’s star.--Kristen Bowditch

• Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai | DVD | (10/06/2002) from £12.00   |  Saving you £-2.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Forest Whitaker makes an unlikely modern samurai with his laser-sighted pistols, shabby street clothes, and oddly graceful gait--but then Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an unusual film. Quirky, contemplative and at times absurd, it is just the kind of offbeat vision we have come to expect from the fiercely independent Jim Jarmusch (Stranger than Paradise, Dead Man). Whitaker is Ghost Dog, a mysterious New York hit man who lives simply on a tenement rooftop and follows a code of behaviour outlined in : Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai (passages of this book are interspersed throughout the film). When the local mob marks him for death in a complicated code of Mafiosi-style honour, Ghost Dog sends a cryptic message to his foes. "That's poetry. The poetry of war", remarks mobster Henry Silva, with sudden respect upon reading the verse. He could be describing the ethereal beauty of Jarmusch's vision, full of wonderful imagery (a night drive across town seems to float in time) and off-centre humour. Though it briefly stalls in a series of assassinations (Jarmusch is no action director), it settles back into character-driven drama in a quietly epic showdown, equal parts samurai adventure, spaghetti western and existential crime movie. The film is likely too unconventional and offbeat for general audiences, but cult-movie buffs and Jarmusch fans will appreciate his idiosyncratic vision. He finds a strange sense of honour in the clash of Old World traditions, and salutes his heroes with a skewed but sincere respect. --Sean Axmaker

• Sister Act / Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit | DVD | (01/09/2008) from £9.89   |  Saving you £8.10 (81.90%)   |  RRP £17.99

  In Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg plays a Reno lounge singer who hides out as a nun when her villainous boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) goes gunning for her. Maggie Smith is the mother superior who has to cope with Whoopi's unorthodox behaviour, but the cute script turns the tables and shows the latter energising the stodgy convent with song and attitude. A real crowd-pleaser and a perfect vehicle for Goldberg, this is a happy experience all around. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com Whoopi Goldberg returns in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, a gratuitous, poorly written sequel that contrives a reason to get her character back into Maggie Smith's convent. The "socially conscious" plot finds Goldberg being asked to relate to a bunch of street kids and pull them together into a choir. Since a bad guy is needed, the script grabs that old chestnut about a rich guy (James Coburn) preparing to close down the convent's school, and runs with it. The film is slow and unconvincing from start to finish, although co-stars Mary Wickes and Kathy Najimy get some good laughs, and the music is pretty spirited. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Sister Act | DVD | (06/11/2001) from £4.95   |  Saving you £10.04 (202.83%)   |  RRP £14.99

  In Sister Act Whoopi Goldberg plays a Reno lounge singer who hides out as a nun when her villainous boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) goes gunning for her. Maggie Smith is the mother superior who has to cope with Whoopi's unorthodox behaviour, but the cute script turns the tables and shows the latter energising the stodgy convent with song and attitude. A real crowd-pleaser and a perfect vehicle for Goldberg, this is a happy experience all around. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Kindergarten Cop | DVD | (01/09/2007) from £8.75   |  Saving you £-3.76 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  This winning 1990 comedy stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in an initially self-deprecating role as a grizzled, big-city cop who goes undercover as a small-town kindergarten teacher to nab a killer. One of the best films of director Ivan Reitman (Dave), this comedy (with some thriller elements) went a long way to further soften and broaden Schwarzenegger's image after Reitman worked with him in the gentle Twins. But Kindergarten Cop is genuinely touching, the story of a hard man who visibly finds his true passion and soul by leaving behind the rot of urban crime. Penelope Ann Miller is a delight as the love interest, Pamela Reed is wonderful as Arnold's cop partner, old pro Carroll Baker is quite nasty as the villain's evil mother, and Linda Hunt--whose diminutive stature makes for quite a contrast with Schwarzenegger when they share scenes--is entertaining as a tough principal. Upon its release, some people assumed the title meant this is a good movie for little kids, but it isn't. --Tom Keogh

• Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas | DVD | (05/09/2005) from £4.67   |  Saving you £12.58 (368.92%)   |  RRP £15.99

  ""We were somewhere around Barstow when the drugs began to take hold."" It is 1971: journalist Raoul Duke barrels towards Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race accompanied by a trunkful of contraband and his slightly unhinged Samoan attorney Dr. Gonzo. But what is ostensibly a cut-and-dry journalistic endeavor quickly descends into a feverish psychedelic odyssey and an excoriating dissection of the American way of life. Director Terry Gilliam and an all star cast (headed by

• Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (The Criterion Collection) | Blu Ray | (17/11/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Private Parts | DVD | (25/10/1999) from £7.51   |  Saving you £8.48 (112.92%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Give credit to director Betty Thomas for making the notorious Howard Stern, self-proclaimed "king of all media", into a nerdish but appealing media rebel who loves his wife and family. Even if you hate Stern's rude radio show, you may discover that the underdog charm of this warm, whimsical film (based on Stern's autobiography) turns you into a fan--for the length of the film at least. Stern delivers a winning performance as the clumsy college kid and aspiring disc-jockey-turned-demon-shock-jock, who becomes an unlikely hero as he battles station managers, network executives and conservative "arbiters of decency" in the name of unfettered bad taste. Mary McCormack is fine as his understanding wife, Alison, and long-time Stern sidekicks Robin Quivers and Fred Norris acquit themselves nicely appearing as themselves. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com

• Tin Men | DVD | (17/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Cruise back to Baltimore 1963 to the time and turf of a rare American breed: The 'Tin Man' (aluminium siding salesman). Two less-than-honest rivals in the tin game (Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito) meet in a fender bender but their bruised egos and quick tempers turn the minor accident into a major vendetta against each other's symbols of success - their prized Cadillacs. In what would seem to be a coup de grace Dreyfuss decides to seduce DeVito's neglected wife (Barbara Hershe

• Man Of The House | DVD | (06/07/2004) from £20.81   |  Saving you £-5.82 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  When Jack Sturges moves in with his fiancee and her son Ben he is not prepared for the boy's plans to scare him off...

• Courage | DVD | (19/06/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  A mother in Queens New York Marianna Miraldo is so angered when she discovers that her son is a drug addict that she becomes an undercover agent for the DEA to clean up the drug trade in her neighborhood. Based on a true story.

• SFW | DVD | (02/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  After being held captive for 36 days by terrorists who broadcast their ordeal live on television Cliff and Wendy become national idols. But by the time they escape TV's most popular hostages realise they're still prisoners - this time of the media...

• Poolhall Junkies | DVD | (26/01/2004) from £7.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (87.61%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Obsessed by the world of pool Johnny could be one of the best. But his mentor and ""trainer"" Joe is holding him back from his dream. Johnny eventually breaks from Joe which leads to violence. After an ultimatum from his girlfriend Tara Johnny finally commits to a ""real"" job in the construction business. Joe is bent on revenge for the beating he took and soon he has a new protg Brad who is just as good if not better then Johnny. The two play a high-stakes game of pool which en

• Perfect Stranger | Blu Ray | (10/09/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Halle Berry and Bruce Willis star in this thriller about a reporter investigating the unsolved murder of one of her childhood friends.

• Tune In Tomorrow | DVD | (06/09/2004) from £9.43   |  Saving you £3.56 (27.40%)   |  RRP £12.99

  When radio reporter Martin (Reeves) falls for his sexy aunt Julia (Hershey) the station's zany soap opera writer Pedro (Falk) decides to play Cupid and broadcast the details! Courtship soon turns to chaos with Martin's love life in shambles Julia in disgrace and irate listeners rioting in the streets. Everyone will have to tune in tomorrow to discover how it all turns out!

• Meet The Mobsters | DVD | (19/01/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Meet The Mobsters is the story of a struggling lounge singer who could never get a break. Johnny's luck changes when he lands a gig at a hot new club. Little does he know that the club is owned by a former high-profile mob boss who's now in hiding. The Dean Martin wannabe soon learns his Greatest Hits are more than humble tunes. As his popularity rise Johnny begins to draw a strange correlation between the songs that he is asked to perform and the morning crime reports in the news.

• Courage | DVD | (04/03/2002) from £2.58   |  Saving you £1.41 (54.65%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Marianna's son's life is being ravaged by his dependency on heroin and cocaine. Her husband is angry skeptical and confused. With her back to the wall Marianna vows to take desperate measures to save her crumbling home. Aided by a hotshot drug agent she fights her way through a life-threatening battle in the New York City underworld. Based on a true story.

• Seven | UMD | (01/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The most viscerally frightening and disturbing homicidal maniac picture since The Silence of the Lambs, Seven is based on an idea that's both gruesome and ingenious. A serial killer forces each of his victims to die by acting out one of the seven deadly sins. The murder scene is then artfully arranged into a grotesque tableau, a graphic illustration of each mortal vice. From the jittery opening credits to the horrifying (and seemingly inescapable) concluding twist, director David Fincher immerses us in a murky urban twilight where everything seems to be rotting, rusting, or moulding; the air is cold and heavy with dread. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are the detectives who skillfully track down the killer--all the while unaware that he has been closing in on them, as well. Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey are also featured, but it is director Fincher and the ominous, overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere of doom that he creates that are the real stars of the film. --Jim Emers

• Shadow Of Doubt | DVD | (28/10/2002) from £5.44   |  Saving you £0.55 (10.11%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In A World Of Lies Nothing Is More Dangerous Than The Truth. When the daughter of a billionaire philanthropist is murdered in a rough sex romp gone bad District Attorney Jack Campioni (Tom Berenger) is quick to indict an up-and-coming rap artist. Fresh off the acquittal of Councilman Steven Mayer (John Ritter) high-profile defense attorney Kitt Devereaux (Melanie Griffith) comes to the aid of the young rapper. Teaming with investigator Al Gordon (Huey Lewis) Devereaux finds herself up against unexpected dangerous forces including one of the city's most politically ambitious families. Blindsided at every turn Devereaux offers herself up as bait - and in the end discovers that behind every conspiracy theory lies a grain of truth.

• Good Time Max | DVD | (30/01/2012) from £14.99   |  Saving you £-8.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  Actor James Franco wrote and directed this independent drama about two siblings who are by turns raised up and brought down by the bonds of family. Max (James Franco) boasts a genius level IQ, and his brother Adam (Matt Bell) is nearly as bright, but while Adam has the common sense and ambition to make something of his gifts, Max's greatest talent seems to be getting into scrapes and disappointing those around him. Adam has a successful practice as a doctor in New York City, but when Max foolishly tries to swindle some well-connected drug dealers, he has to leave the Big Apple, and somehow persuades his brother to take him to California. On the West Coast, Adam is able to use his medical background to get a lucrative new job, and Max fast talks his way onto the staff of a computer firm. However, Max's inability to stay on the straight and narrow and face his responsibilities quickly resurfaces, and when he starts using crystal meth, he loses his job. Adam also experiences a stretch of bad luck and loses his job, and as a sense of desperation takes hold, he starts joining Max in his drug fueled excesses, leading both down a road to destruction.