"Actor: S"

• LA POISON | Blu Ray | (25/02/2013) from £18.88   |  Saving you £1.11 (5.88%)   |  RRP £19.99

  One of the great late period films by Sacha Guitry - the total auteur who delighted (and scandalised) the French public and inspired the French New Wave as a model for authorship as director-writer-star of screen and stage alike. In every one of his pictures (and almost every one served as a rueful examination of the war between the sexes), Guitry sculpted by way of a rapier wit - one might say by way of the Guitry touch - some of the most sophisticated black comedies ever conceived... and La Poison [Poison] is one of his blackest. Michel Simon plays Paul Braconnier, a man with designs on murdering his wife Blandine (Germaine Reuver) - a woman with similar designs on her husband. When Braconnier visits Paris to consult with a lawyer about the perfect way of killing a spouse - that is, the way in which he can get away with it - an acid comedy unfolds that reaches its peak in a courtroom scene for the ages. From the moment of Guitry's trademark introduction of his principals in the opening credits, and on through the brilliant performance by national treasure Michel Simon (of Renoir's Boudu sauve des eaux and Vigo's L'Atalante, to mention only two high-water marks), here is fitting indication of why Guitry is considered by many the Gallic equal of Ernst Lubitsch. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to introduce Sacha Guitry into the catalogue with La Poison for the first time on video in the UK in a dazzling new Gaumont restoration. Special Features: New HD restoration of the film, presented in 1080p on the Blu-ray Newly translated optional subtitles Substantial booklet containing writing on the film, vintage excerpts, and rare archival imagery

• A Low Down Dirty Shame | DVD | (08/03/2004) from £5.38   |  Saving you £9.61 (178.62%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Outrageous comedian Keenen Ivory Wayans is Shame a down-on-his-luck ex-cop turned private investigator. He's hired to track down his seductive former girlfriend - and $20 million in stolen drug money. With his trusty sidekick Peaches (Jada Pinkett) Shame aims to make a buck and clear his name in what becomes his wildest and most dangerous assignment ever.

• Autoluminescent | DVD | (27/01/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  From myth to legend Rowland Howard appeared on the early Melbourne punk scene like a phantom out of Kafkaesque Prague or Bram Stoker's Dracula. A beautifully gaunt and gothic aristocrat the unique distinctive fury of his guitar style shot him directly into the imagination of a generation. He was impeccable; the austerity of his artistry embodied in his finely wrought form. Autoluminescent captures moments with the man himself and intimate missives from those who knew him behind closed doors; words and images etch light into what has always been the mysterious dark.

• The Organization | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Organization was the second and final sequel to 1967's In the Heat of the Night and sees Sidney Poitier's homicide detective Virgil Tibbs called in to investigate the murder of a factory manager. In a lengthy, dialogue-free opening (the film's best sequence), it appears that we are witnessing the culprits in action. However, this group turns out to be a gang of idealistic young vigilantes who knew that the factory was a front for an international drugs cartel--the Organization of the title--and have made off with a haul of heroin secreted there. Suspected of the manager's murder, they meet Tibbs and seek his cooperation. He agrees to help them, pitting himself not only against the Organization but his own police department. Set in San Franscisco, The Organization invites invidious comparisons with Bullitt: its somewhat cheesy contemporary soundtrack, derived from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, certainly marks it as a piece of its period, as do the occasionally less-than-convincing action sequences, risible acting and far-fetched plot. Poitier, as ever, lends the film a certain dignity and poise, worthy of better material to work with than this. The film is also notable for providing early showcases for two of Cop TV's most famous Captains: Daniel J Travanti (Hill Street Blues) and Bernie Hamilton (later Captain Dobey in Starsky & Hutch) are both assigned minor roles here. On the DVD: The Organization comes to disc in an adequate transfer, though still a little grainy. The sole extra is the original trailer. --David Stubbs

• Dracula's Daughter | Blu Ray | (10/09/2018) from £8.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When the nude body of a murdered woman washes onto the beach, a police inspector and a reporter focus their attention on the castle of Count Max Karlstein and his niece, a beautiful woman who appears to be wrestling with an ancestral curse.

• My 20th Century | Blu Ray | (20/03/2017) from £19.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From Ildikó Enyedi (whose latest film On Body and Soul scooped four major prizes - including the Golden Bear - at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival) this magical film spins a tale of twin girls, Dóra and Lili, who are born in 1880 Budapest on the same moment Thomas Edison presents his electric lightbulb to the world. The sisters are soon orphaned and separated in childhood, and follow different paths: one grows up to a naïvely idealistic, bomb-toting anarchist, the other a pampered, hedonistic courtesan who paths cross once again on the Orient Express on New Year's Eve 1899 Moving at a dizzy pace between Budapest, Hamburg, New York, Burma, Austria, Paris and Siberia, this is a film of dazzling beauty and acumen. It is a modernist fable, a fantasmagoria of scientific, political and sexual revolution and radicalism, the birth of cinema, and the joy of life. Shot in luminous monochrome by cinematographer Tibor Máthé, the multi-award-winning My 20thCentury attempts to claim back from the century of genocide the wonder of existence in a constantly changing world. Awards: 1989 Cannes Film Festival / Winner: Camera d'Or - Ildikó Enyedi 1989 Edinburgh International Film Festival / Winner: Jury Prize 1989 Las Vegas International Film Festival / Winner: Special Jury Prize; Best Cinematography 1990 Hungarian Film Week / Winner: Foreign Film Critics Award; Best Director; Best Actress; Best Cinematography 1990 The New York Times ˜10 Best Films of the Year' Voted by critics in the Top 10 Hungarian films of all time Special Features: My 20th Century (1989) presented from a brand new HD restoration of the film by the Hungarian Digital Archive and Film Institute, supervised by director of photography Tibor Máthé and director Ildikó Enyedi. Original Hungarian soundtrack in original Mono 16-bit LPCM audio A new filmed interview with director Ildikó Enyedi, shot exclusively for this release by filmmaker Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio; The Duke of Burgundy). Booklet featuring a new essay on the film by author and academic Jonathan Owen. New and improved English subtitle translation. World premiere on Blu-ray.

• Rita Hayworth | DVD | (13/03/2006) from £32.43   |  Saving you £17.56 (54.15%)   |  RRP £49.99

  A bumper box set of classic films featuring 'The Love Goddess' herself Rita Hayworth! Gilda (Dir. Charles Vidor 1946): The legendary Rita Hayworth sizzles with sensuality and magnetism as she sings ""Put the blame on Mame"" and delivers a dazzling performance as the enticing temptress Gilda. In the story of Gilda Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) goes to work for Ballin Mundson (George MacReady) the proprietor of an illegal gambling casino in a South American city and quickly r

• The Dolly Sisters | DVD | (26/02/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Betty Grable and June Haver star as the Dolly sisters who sang and danced their way into the hearts of vaudeville audiences in New York and Paris. Jenny (Grable) and Rosie (Haver) Dolly were a dancing sensation before the first World War. Shadowing their success was noted dancer-composer Harry Fox (John Payne) who carried a torch for Jenny. A romance develops between Jenny and Harry that seems unstoppable as does Rosie's romance with department store owner Irving Netcher (Frank Latimore) but both relationships will be tested in ways none of them could have imagined.

• Stargate S.G. 1 - Series 1-10 - Complete/The Ark Of Truth/Continuum | DVD | (17/11/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £199.99

  This Stargate SG.1 boxset is a complete collection of the science-fiction based television show - featuring all episodes from series 1 through to series 10! The Stargate is an intergalactic gateway developed by an ancient civilization that links other planets from other solar systems to ours. The U.S. Air Force assembles a Stargate team headed by Colonel Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson of MacGyver) for interstellar peace-keeping missions. Boasting incredible special effects sequences rapid-fire pacing and awesome scenes of alien warfare Stargate SG-1 is your gateway to pulse-pounding sci-fi action. Stargate - Continuum: Following SG-1 and The Ark of Truth Stargate: Continuum is the latest chapter in this incredible series. The venerable Richard Dean Anderson returns to the fold whilst the late Don S. Davis makes his final appearance as General George Hammond. Spectacular sci-fi at its best! While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al the last of the Goa'uld System Lords Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened hundreds of Goa'uld motherships arrive in orbit led by Ba'al his queen Qetesh (Vala) and his first prime Teal'c. The remaining SG-1 members must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the Goa'uld. Stargate - The Ark Of Truth: In search of an Ancient artifact they hope can defeat the oppressive Ori the team learns that the Ori are set to launch a final assault on Earth and a double-crossing I.O. operative is aboard the Odyssey (This storyline wraps up the primary storyline of season 9 and 10 of SG1).

• Killer Barbys | DVD | (10/07/2017) from £12.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The Killer Barbys are a touring rock band with a problem. They're stranded in the middle of nowhere and they need to find someone willing to put them up for the night. They end up at the mansion of the countess Von Fledermaus, an ancient woman shrouded in evil. She needs to fresh blood of young men to regain her lost youth, and the Killer Barbys are on the menu! Directed by the notorious sexploitation Director Jess Franco Starring award winning actor Santiago Segura (Blade 2)

• The Red And The White | DVD | (27/03/2006) from £11.25   |  Saving you £1.74 (15.47%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Mikls Jancs's career spans 5 decades and over 25 films. He has been nominated for the Golden Palm in Cannes 5 times and won 'Best Director' in 1972. Available for the first time on DVD Csillagosok Katonak has been digitally remastered with new English subtitles added. Set in central Russia during the Civil War of 1918 this film from Hungarian auteur Miklos Jancso witnesses the brutality and senselessness of war as the Red and the White armies battle in the hills along the

• Dogtanian And The Three Muskehounds - Five Adventures | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £8.43   |  Saving you £-2.44 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In the heady days of Louis Xlll's France live Dogtanian and three courageous Muskehounds - Athos Porthos and Aramis. Pledged to a life of a adventure they are mnavericks fighting for justice despite their sometimes unorthodix methods. Chivalry honour and companionship are all upheld as they battle against the forces of evil legendary swordsmanship helping them escape danger in the nick of time... Whether overcoming the powerful Richelieu or waging war Dogtanian and the The Three Muskehounds never lose their sense of duty - or sense of humour. They are truly a law unto themselves.

• Stargate S.G -1: Season 3 (Vol. 10) | DVD | (26/03/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. In the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher's pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" Goa'uld--the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There's something of The Time Tunnel to the show's premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. --Paul TonksOn this DVD: This volume begins in confusion when the S.G.1 team discover a military camp training for "Rules of Engagement". All is not what it seems however. The same is true of "Forever in a Day", when Daniel's wife Sha're is killed by Teal'c. This episode begins an important storyline about her stolen child who is a "Harcesis", an illegal breeding between Goa'uld hosts. Then an earlier thread is picked up in "Past and Present" on planet Vyus whose people all suffer amnesia. Their leader Ke'ra (played by Megan Leitch who's portrayed Mulder's missing sister in The X-Files) is a link to the earlier "Prisoners" episode and the dangerous "destroyer of worlds". Closing the volume is a cliffhanger in which Sam must attempt to rescue her father, face Satan himself on a prison moon, and resurrect "Jolinar's Memories" from the Goa'uld she was briefly possessed by. Trapped in Hell, the team's escape seems impossible. As well as trailers for the next volume, the disc includes a 10-minute interview with Christopher Judge on his 97-year-old character Teal'c. He spends much of the time recalling plot points, but his philosophy of the show as a social allegory is refreshing. --Paul Tonks END

• The History Of The Edinburgh Military Tattoo | DVD | (22/07/2002) from £6.73   |  Saving you £8.26 (122.73%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Highlights garnered from the long history of this popular and spectacular event.

• Q And A | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A grim, disheartening view of the underside of city life, Q & A is a legal drama with a disturbing twist. Not exactly a whodunit--the guilt of policeman Nick Nolte is established early on--the plot follows the closing of the circle around him. Leading the murder investigation is Timothy Hutton’s young, idealistic district attorney Al Reilly, who finds himself battling a fraudulent and cynical culture. Racism, corruption and political machinations are all added to the mix, resulting in a film that is just a little too dense and slow moving to capture the imagination. Director Sidney Lumet creates a feeling of enveloping darkness around Hutton, who slowly manages to let the light in and bring the truth to the surface. With an obviously small budget, the film has more of a made-for-television feel than that of a big blockbuster and some of the performances err too much on the side of cliché. The concept of the New York melting pot is fairly effectively dismissed by the film, painting a picture of distrust between communities that often spills into verbal and physical violence. Not quite as unremittingly bleak as Harvey Kietel’s Bad Lieutenant, Q & A is still a tough, dark piece of cinema. On the DVD: Q & A is very much a film of the night, with much of the action taking place either in the shadows or in rooms with harsh, artificial light. The picture on the DVD reflects that perfectly, although the lack of budget is hard to disguise. The soundtrack quality is good, if not startling, but there are no extras aside from the movie’s theatrical trailer. All in all, it’s a fairly average package. --Phil Udell

• Lullaby of Broadway (blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (23/11/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Longest Day, The / Patton / Tora Tora Tora | DVD | (19/09/2005) from £17.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (11.12%)   |  RRP £19.99

  THE LONGEST DAYTHE LONGEST DAY is a vivid hour-by-hour re-creation of June 6th 1944 - the historic day that marked the beginning of the end of World War II. Featuring a stellar international cast and told from the perspectives of both sides it is a fascinating look at the massive preparations mistakes and random events that determine the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. THE LONGEST DAY ranks as one of Hollywood's truly great war films.PATTONA critically acclaimed film that won a total of eight 1970 Academy Awards (including Best Picture) PATTON is a riveting portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest military geniuses. Charismatic and flamboyant Patton was the only Allied general truly feared by the Nazis. He outmanoeuvred Rommel in Africa and after D-Day led his troops in an unstoppable campaign across Europe. But he was rebellious as well as brilliant and as PATTON shows with insight and poignancy his own volatile personality was one enemy he could never defeat.TORA! TORA! TORA!TORA! TORA! TORA! is the Japanese signal to attack - and the motive meticulously recreates the attack on Pearl Harbour and the events leading up to it. Opening scenes contrast the American and Japanese positions. Japanese imperialists decide to stage the attack. Top U.S. brass ignore its possibility. Intercepted Japanese messages warm of it - but never reach F.D.R.'s desk. It's the most dazzling recreation of America's darkest day - and some of her finest hours!

• Colonel Redl | DVD | (16/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  In the early part of the 20th Century Alfred Redl (Klaus Maria Brandauer) ruthlessly rises from his peasant background to become a high-ranking member of the Imperial Austrian Military. But when Redl is sent to spy on the Russian Empire his espionage is compromised by his secret double life as a homosexual. As the world perches on the brink of war Redl finds himself trapped in a web of deception where honor grandeur and greed can only be betrayed by one final shocking act of fate. Armin Mueller-Stahl (Shine) co-stars in this remarkable epic written and directed by Istvan Szabo (Sunshine) that became Szabo and Brandauer's internationally acclaimed follow-up to their Oscar-winning classic Mephisto (1981 Best Foreign Language Film).

• Marlene Dietrich - Small Goddess | DVD | (28/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  The Lady Is Willing (Dir. Mitchell Leisen 1942): Bold eccentric Broadway performer Lisa Madden befuddles her handlers by coming home with a baby she picked up on the street. She wants to keep the baby but has to find a husband to make adoption viable. Why not her new obstetrician Dr. McBain? She offers him help with his research on rabbits in exchange for marriage - and he accepts. The marriage of convenience turns into a marriage of real love but when Dr. McBain's ex-wife comes looking for money matters get complicated... Shanghai Express (Dir. Josef von Sternberg 1932): Many passengers on the Shanghai Express are more concerned that the notorious Shanghai Lil is on board than the fact that a civil war is going on that may make the trip take more than three days. The British Army doctor Donald Harvey knew Lil before she became a famous ""coaster."" A fellow passenger defines a coaster as ""a woman who lives by her wits along the China coast."" When Chinese guerillas stop the train Dr. Harvey is selected as the hostage. Lil saves him but can she make him believe that she really hasn't changed from the woman he loved five years before? Destry Rides Again (Dir. George Marshall 1939): Kent the unscrupulous boss of Bottleneck has Sheriff Keogh killed when he asks one too many questions about a rigged poker game that gives Kent a stranglehold over the local cattle rangers. The mayor who is in cahoots with Kent appoints the town drunk Washington Dimsdale as the new sheriff assuming that he'll be easy to control. But what the mayor doesn't know is that Dimsdale was a deputy under famous lawman Tom Destry and is able to call upon the equally formidable Tom Destry Jr to be his deputy. Foreign Affair (Dir. Billy Wilder 1948): In occupied Berlin an army captain is torn between an ex-Nazi cafe singer and the U.S. congresswoman investigating her. Blonde Venus (Dir. Josef von Sternberg): American chemist Ned Faraday marries a German entertainer and starts a family. However he becomes poisoned with Radium and needs an expensive treatment in Germany to have any chance of being cured. Wife Helen returns to night club work to attempt to raise the money and becomes popular as the Blonde Venus. In an effort to get enough money sooner she prostitutes herself to millionaire Nick Townsend. While Ned is away in Europe she continues with Nick but when Ned returns cured he discovers her infidelity. Now Ned despises Helen but she grabs son Johnny and lives on the run just one step ahead of the Missing Persons Bureau. When they do finally catch her she loses her son to Ned. Once again she returns to entertaining this time in Paris and her fame once again brings her and Townsend together. Helen and Nick return to America engaged but she is irresistibly drawn back to her son and Ned. In which life does she truly belong? Devil Is A Woman (Dir. Josef von Sternberg 1935): Told in flashbacks Devil Is A Woman is a tale of an older man's obsession for a woman who can belong to no-one but can frustrate everyone. The backdrop is Sternbergs surreal and fantastic Carnaval in Spain. In a cafe the older man details his encounters with the heartbreaker that his younger friend has only just met at the parade. Forewarned the young man swears he will avoid the fate of his friend but rushes all the same to his evening rendevous. A dreamlike story of frustrated lost romance spoken in the past tense never really resolved.

• Solas | DVD | (26/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Lauded in its native Spain on its release, Benito Zambrano's Solas is a touching portrayal of loneliness and redemption. At its centre is the strained relationship between Maria and her mother Rosa, brought together by Maria's estranged father's illness. Rosa (brilliantly played by Maria Galiana) not only discovers a world very different from her village existence but also finds her daughter's life in disarray--racked with frustration, bitterness and fuelled by alcohol. As the film develops, the two find their relationship not only beginning to grow but also influenced by the arrival of their elderly neighbour, played by Carlos Álvarez Novoa. All three find a new purpose to their lives and, while students of feminism may find Maria's path a little debatable, Ana Fernádez brings the audience on her journey in heart touching fashion. The darkness of tone throughout only makes the subsequent brightness all the more blinding and the result is without doubt a deeply moving piece of cinema. --Phil Udell