"Actor: Roman S"

• Prying Eyes | DVD | (03/09/2018) from £4.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  During a house warming party, six friends decide to take a look at the attic because an old story about it excited their curiosity. That was definitely a bad idea.

• Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) -- Berlin/Barenboim | DVD | (05/04/2000) from £22.97   |  Saving you £2.02 (8.10%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A massive success from its premiere on May 3, 1786, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro ("The Marriage of Figaro") downplays the social satire in Beaumarchais' original tale of romantic intrigue and revenge between the classes, instead emphasising the psychological dimensions. Here in a live production from the Staatsoper, Berlin, director Alexandre Tarta employs simple sets, focusing all attention on a very fine cast as they spin-out the farcical ironies. The result is one of the most acclaimed interpretations of recent years, with soprano Dorethea Röschmann reprising her star-making 1995 Salzburg debut as the sensual and flirtatious Susanna. Rene Papé makes a fine Figaro, and there are no weak links, with not just the singing but the performances uniformly excellent. The humour on show makes the sorrow all the more genuinely affecting. Of course Mozart's music is marvellous, packed with great arias and duets, and under Daniel Barenboim the State Opera Choir Berlin "Staatskapelle Berlin" are on splendid form.On the DVD: With the opera lasting 190 minutes the only other feature on the disc is a plot synopsis. However, the subtitles can be switched on or off. The booklet also provides a synopsis, together with some background on the opera and the performers. Filming a live production with theatre lights is never going to result in the most detailed images, and under these circumstances the anamorphically enhanced picture fares well, being far superior to VHS. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is realistic, detailed and absorbing without ever being unnecessarily showy. --Gary S. Dalkin

• Tchaikovsky - the Nutcracker (Colomer, Orchestre Colonne) | DVD | (24/11/2008) from £8.04   |  Saving you £-0.05 (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Christmas Night. A little boy sits alone by a small feeble Christmas tree from the branches of which sadly hang garlands salvaged from Christmases past. His mother is dead. Suddenly in a dream or by magic she is there next to him and places a small gift at the foot of the tree. The enchanted night begins: the gift grows bigger and becomes a miraculous icon fiends flood in the mother appears alive followed by two Angels of Light created by Marius-Mephisto. The whole room is dancing and the child begins to laugh. Is it a dream? Reality is that which we feel to be real. Reality is the moment here and now. Freed from his fear the boy watches the Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker directed by Marius his master and danced by the Prince and Princess. ''I remember! Christmas.. .. Marseille the tree the Nativity scene the presents the thirteen desserts -among them my favourite -the NUTS! Above all I loved cracking nuts. My father had shown me that the insides were like a little human brain. I remember.. . My mother. I was seven years old. One evening she said to me 'your mother is going on a long journey. Promise me you will be good. I remember. Christmas.'' '' So wrote Maurice B''jart in his programme notes for his version of the well-loved Christmas ballet The Nutcracker (Casse-Noisette). B''jart''s magical staging transforms the piece into an enchanting and enchanted autobiography and a loving homage to the choreographer''s mother and to his creative hero Marius Petipa. The first part of the performance is punctuated by B''jart on a huge video screen telling something of his childhood. Summing up his approach to creating this ballet B''jart remarked ''You live a life and you dream a life. When you come to write your own life you tell a lie to build the truth.'' Using Tchaikovsky's score in its entirety augmented with popular waltz and accordion music performed on-stage by the legendary Yvette Homer B''jart takes the original St Petersburg story as a springboard from which to evoke the memories emotions and feelings of his own life''s journey: from a Marseille childhood dominated by the memory of his mother to the passionate commitment to dance inspired by the father of classical ballet Petipa. The stage is flooded with allusions to B''jart''s actual and imaginary history: characters both real and symbolic forests scouting bull-fighting bicycles old songs and much more create a universe of feeling reaching its apotheosis in a faithful recreation of the original Pas de Deux -a true declaration of love. The only character in his Nutcracker that relates to the original is Mephisto who replaces Drosselmeyer as the facilitator of fantastical dreams and happenings. Goethe''s Faust fascinated B''jart when he was still very young and the choreographer''s Mephisto is at the same time his creative hero Marius Petipa. Marius-Mephisto opens up a world to the boy Bim (B''jart) in which his dream life and his desire to dance are intertwined. Three performances of B''jart''s Nutcracker were recorded live fiom the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris for the purposes of this television presentation. The showman of modem dance Maurice B''jart''s work has been provocative influential and popular in equal measure. His choreography has always been physically thrilling setting up an immediate emotional combustion between audience and performer and he attracted huge new audiences for dance with the Ballet of the Twentieth Century productions he mounted in sports stadia public squares and circus tents. Since founding the B''jart Ballet Lausanne in 1987 he has been working on a more intimate scale but his style has remained just as electric vivid and direct in its appeal as ever.

• The Big Bird Cage | DVD | (01/09/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Terry a social - climbing young woman accidentally gets caught up in the activities of two revolutionaries Blossom and Django and finds herself in a concentration camp for women. In the centre of the camp is a towering wooden machine (The Big Bird Cage) in which the women risk their lives processing sugar as the evil warden looks on. The prisoners are subjected to sadistic cruelty from the guards and fellow prisoners and all attempts at escape are dealt with... permanently. Terry's only hope for escape lies in Blossom and her revolutionary allies.

• Living Nightmare | DVD | (12/03/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.99

  It all began with what seemed a simple nightmare but it kept recurring and soon it became too terrifying to ignore as much as Michael tries to push it to one side it will not leave him.... The more he dreams the more the fear grows and the more his personality changes. The dream takes over his world completely making him become blind to what is a dream and what is reality.

• The Big Bird Cage | DVD | (05/04/2010) from £16.99   |  Saving you £-11.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Written and directed by one of Quentin Tarantino's heroes Jack Hill (Switchblade Sisters Foxy Brown Coffy) The Big Bird Cage is considered one of the definitive exploitation movies of the 1970s and stars Pam Grier as Blossom and Sid Haig as Django a pair of revolutionaries whose heist on a tropical nightclub doesn't quite go according to plan. The ensuing confusion leads to the wrongful arrest of a scandalous social climber Terry (Anitra Ford) who finds herself incarcerated in a notorious jungle prison populated by scantily-clad inmates. Brutalized and subjected to numerous indignities Terry and her fellow inmates' only hope for survival lies in a rescue plot hatched by Blossom and Django.

• Ninja Squad | DVD | (04/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  The Ninja empire is at stake as the supreme Ninja master and his disciple confront Ivan the Red a power-hungry Ninja.When the police fail to help the young disciple must reveal his amazing fighting ability to save his sister and avenge his mother's murder. The master must face Ivan the Red in a final gruelling duel to determine the fate of the Ninja Empire.The young Ninja must reveal his power to survive.

• Gossec/Gretry - La Petite Musique De Marie-Antoinette (Waas) | DVD | (04/09/2006) from £35.08   |  Saving you £-8.09 (N/A%)   |  RRP £26.99

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 3 - Episodes 13 To 18 | DVD | (08/11/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Episode titles: Wedding Day Blues Shutter Bugged Dangerous Dollies Who Is That Masked Man? An Animated Mess Worth A Princess' Ransom.

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 2 - Episodes 7 To 12 | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  An Uncharmed Life: Jedite goes undercover as Jed in order to sell good luck charms at a temple called Cherry Hill. Unfortunately the good luck charms are more of a energy draining device... Cruise Blues: Jedite with a new partner named Tetis now plans to take the energy of those in love by setting a trap using the bait of a romantic cruise. Fight To The Finish: Queen Beryl has given Jedite one last chance to prove himself or he would be put to sleep forever. Jedite plans a final showdown at an airport and demands the scouts to arrive or else he'll burn the entire city to ashes. Match Point For Sailor Moon: Nephlite intends to steal more energy than Jedite and turns his attention to top tennis pro Katie Sandler. An Unnatural Phenomena: Nephlite's next target is old gardener Mr. Baxter who doesn't take kindly to his park being destroyed!

• 100 Days Before The Command | DVD | (02/04/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  If it's high-action thrills and spills or an engaging plot line that you're after, then Hussein Erkenov's bleak art film 100 Days Before the Command may not be your first choice. However, students of the uniquely Russian school of filmmaking should make a point of seeing this stark, unhurried piece of work (the film's actual 67-minutes seems to last a lot longer). Detailing the experiences of a handful of young Russian soldiers, the various narrative strains barely tie together as a whole, leaving the viewer struggling to follow the action. But the plot would seem to be secondary to Erkenov's visuals, understandably low-tech given that the film was shot in 1990, a mere year after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Long, slow tracking shots abound and there are many periods of absolute silence and little action, although the film captures military brutality just as well as the likes of Full Metal Jacket. This is hard work but rewarding viewing. --Phil Udell

• Maurice Bejart's The Nutcracker | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This is a Nutcracker with a difference. Tchaikovsky's most popular ballet ("Dance of the sugar plum fairy", "Waltz of the flowers" etc.) undergoes a transformation, interpreted by the French choreographer Maurice Bejart, from Christmas fairy story into a tale of a boy who dreams he loves his dead mother. The boy erects an enormous statue to her that becomes the focus of the production in Act 1 rather than the traditional Christmas tree. Maurice Bejart's memoir of his early years includes Goethe's embodiment of evil, Mephisto, recalled from his father's books and the figure of Marius Petipa, the original choreographer of The Nutcracker (both are danced by Gil Roman). For in this interpretation the boy, after failing to bring the statue to life, decides to become a dancer. In Act 2 the Spanish dance becomes a vehicle for a toreador, another of Bejart's childhood passions, but most striking is the interpolation of a French dance in this sequence of national dances to the tune of "Under Paris Skies" played on the accordion by Yvette Horner. Bejart's new concept might seem a shade self indulgent on paper, but only in the scene where the boy hugs his mother's statue in an Oedipus-like embrace does a moment of excess intrude. His imaginative choreography, the superb dancing by his Ballet Lausanne and the rhythmically lilting playing of the Orchestra Colonne under Edmon Colomer all give undiluted pleasure. On the DVD: The picture quality from the Chatelet theatre in Paris is top-notch, catching the lighting effects and colourful costumes with excellent definition. Several high angle crane shots reveal the deft ensemble work of this company. In the accompanying special feature we go behind the scenes of the production to meet Bejart and his collaborators. The long service many of them have given offers testament to the corporate spirit manifested in the dancing. Those looking for an alternative view of the traditional rendition of Tchaikovsky's ballet will not be disappointed by the artistry on display here. --Adrian Edwards

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 10 | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The sailor scouts are up against new villains of the Negaverse and there's an invader in the house! Serena's obnoxiuos cousin is just the beginning of a new set of problems for Sailor Moon! The invaders from the Negamoon continue in their attepmts to foil Sailor Moon but fortunately the Sailor Scouts are up to the task. However when the Nega-Baddies come up with the evil plan of using Serena's greatest fear against her can even the mighty Sailor Moon triumph against them? Co

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 5 - Episodes 25 To 30 | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The 5th installment from the popular anime program featured on GMTV and Fox Kids. Contains 6 episodes. Zoycite's evil monsters are still searching for the Rainbow Crystals and only Sailor Moon can stop them... but first she has to defeat the jealousy in her own heart! If you thought the fight against Queen Beryl and the Negaverse was wild before you won't believe the action as Sailor Venus arrives! She's bold she's beautiful... but just whose side is she really on? Green-eyed monsters abound in the fifth fantastic collection of Sailor Moon on DVD. Contains 6 complete episodes: Too Many Girlfriends Grandpa's Follies Kitty Chaos Tuxedo Melvin Sailor V Makes The Scene A Crystal Clear Destiny.

• Finding North | DVD | (06/10/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 12 | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Poor Serena! From hanging out in bakery shops to falling in love there are so many things for a young girl to do when she's not in school. Unfortunately the evil Rubeus and Emerald are keeping Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts so busy that there's not much time left for a little fun on the side. Whether it's dealing with tainted love bracelets or combating evil viruses the Sailor Scouts will have their hands full! The incredible world of Sailor Moon and her four high school frie

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 6 | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The craziness never stops when you're the defenders of the planet so when a new enemy arrives it's just business as usual for the Sailor Scouts. Of course that doesn't mean Serena and the gang can't try to live normal lives but every time they sneak off for a little fun some kind of monster always seems to show up! From nightmarish finishing schools and avalanches to family vacations run amok you won't what believe what happens next in the sixth incredible collection of Sailor Moon. This is the sixth DVD in this collection featuring six episodes previously seen on TV comprising: A Reluctant Princess Bad Hair Day Little Miss Manners Ski Bunny Blues Ice Princess Last Resort.

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 4 - Episodes 19 To 24 | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Episode titles: Molly's Folly A Friend In Wolf's Clothing Jupiter Comes Thundering In The Power Of Friendship Mercury's Mental Match An Artful Attack.

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 7 - Episodes 37 To 42 | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Episodes 37 to 42 of the acclaimed anime series! Episodes comprise: Tuxedo Unmasked Fractious Friends The Past Returns Day Of Destiny The Return of Sailor Moon So You Want To Be In Pictures.

• Sailor Moon - Vol. 13 | DVD | (03/07/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  As the Negamoon's attacks on the city continue Rini comes to a decision. The time has come for her to lead Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts back into the future Crystal Tokyo to confront the evil Prince Diamond and his Dark Crystal! But first the Sailor Scouts must find their way through the dimensions of time and space in their greatest challenge yet... The incredible world of Sailor Moon and her four high school friends continues with the DVD release of Volume 13. Episodes c