"Actor: Stanley Baker"

• Zulu (50th Anniversary Edition) | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £5.99   |  Saving you £14.00 (233.72%)   |  RRP £19.99

  It’s a sad fact that many older films are shovelled onto the Blu-ray format, without a great deal of work put into improving their presentation. That’s an accusation that absolutely can’t be levelled at the outstanding transfer that Zulu has benefited from. It’s truly a template for other studios to follow, and a stunning high-definition upgrade. It’s a superb restoration job that’s been done here, and it’s fair to suggest that Zulu has never looked better. The sheer level of detail is amazing, particularly given the age of the material, and it’s presented in an utterly pristine fashion. It’s both a delight and a surprise to see the film fare so well. The audio side of things hasn’t benefited to quite the same degree, sadly, but it copes with the demands of the film perfectly well. The visuals, however, are dazzling. As for the movie? Zulu remains a classic. With a cast led by Michael Caine, the story centres around the seemingly impossible job of defending Rourke’s Drift in 1879. In a battle that’s stunningly brought to life, the British forces face insurmountable odds, something the film vividly gets across. It’s balanced film making too, and while it takes liberties with its recollection of history, it nonetheless sticks firmly in the mind long after the end credits have rolled. This surprisingly superb Blu-ray release is easily the best way to enjoy it, too. --Jon Foster

• The Devil Wears Prada | DVD | (05/02/2007) from £4.96   |  Saving you £15.03 (303.02%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Anne Hathaway finds herself working for the boss (Meryl Streep) from hell in this new black comedy.

• The Guns Of Navarone (Special Edition) | DVD | (12/02/2007) from £6.96   |  Saving you £6.03 (86.64%)   |  RRP £12.99

  One of the most exciting action films ever made! It's W.W. II and concealed deep within the solid rock of a cliff impregnable to assault by sea or air are the German Army's mighty guns of Navarone. Because they control a strategic channel in the Aegean Sea it's imperative that the guns are destroyed. A specialised commando team is assembled. Included are mountaineer Keith Mallory explosive expert Corporal Miller Greek resistance fighter Andrea Stravos and British Major Franklin. Led by Mallory the team's goal is to reach Navarone and sabotage the colossal guns....

• Zulu | DVD | (18/11/2002) from £7.19   |  Saving you £10.06 (169.65%)   |  RRP £15.99

  One of the last of the classic-era widescreen epics, Zulu was also one of the last war movies to celebrate the virtues of the famous British stiff upper lip. At Rorke's Drift in 1879 a handful of British soldiers, hopelessly outnumbered by 4,000 Zulu warriors, fought one of the most celebrated defensive actions in military history. Zulu tells the story on an epic scale, bringing to life the heroism, courage, loyalty and sacrifice of those desperate hours. This is truly cast-of-thousands filmmaking, with vast action wonderfully captured in widescreen Technirama. John Barry, who also scored Goldfinger in the same year, provides a telling musical accompaniment. The superb cast includes Stanley Baker and Jack Hawkins, but Zulu's final claim to fame is that it made an instant international superstar of a young actor whose name is Michael Caine. A belated sequel arrived in 1979 in Zulu Dawn, which despite even more spectacular action and a great cast died at the box-office. It is nevertheless well worth seeing. On the DVD: Zulu on disc has excellent prologic stereo considering the age of the film, while the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 transfer is crystal-clear, boasting rich colours, strong contrast and detail and only occasional minor print flaws. The original American trailer, also presented anamorphically enhanced at 2.35:1, is a worthwhile addition. There is a very good new 45-minute "making of" (1.77:1 anamorphic, in stereo), curiously split into two parts. The heart of the programme consists of interviews with survivors from the film, focusing on Stanley Baker's widow. The only let down is lack of input from Michael Caine and composer John Barry. The commentary by film historian Sheldon Hall, author of a forthcoming book on the movie, and Second Unit Director Robert Porter is serious and packed with information. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Guns Of Navarone | DVD | (04/12/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This rousing, explosive 1961 World War II adventure, based on Alistair MacLean's thrilling novel, turns the war thriller into a deadly caper film. Gregory Peck heads a star-studded cast charged with a near impossible mission: destroy a pair of German guns nestled in a protective cave on the strategic Mediterranean island of Navarone, from where they can control a vital sea passage. As world-famous mountain climber turned British army Captain, Mallory (Peck) leads a guerrilla force composed of the humanitarian explosives expert, Miller (David Niven), the ruthless Greek patriot with a grudge, Stavros (Anthony Quinn), veteran special forces soldier Brown (Stanley Baker) and the cool, quiet young marksman Pappadimos (James Darren). This disparate collection of classic types must overcome internal conflicts, enemy attacks, betrayal and capture to complete their mission. Director J. Lee Thompson sets a driving pace for this exciting (if familiar) military operation, a succession of close calls, pitched battles and last-minute escapes as our heroes infiltrate the garrisoned town with the help of resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas) and plot their entry into the heavily guarded mountain fort. Carl Foreman's screenplay embraces MacLean's role call of clichés and delivers them with style, creating one of the liveliest mixes of espionage, combat and good old-fashioned military derring-do put on film, while Dimitri Tiomkin's score is as sturdy as the rock of Navarone itself. --Sean AxmakerOn the DVD: This special-edition DVD gives the modern-day viewer a taste of what movies were like in 1961. Four curious featurettes are included, produced as publicity for the film. James Darren narrates a little ditty at his honeymoon in Malta during filming; Irene Papas narrates a giddy, old-fashioned look at "Two Girls on the Town". There is even a filmed bit with producer-writer Carl Foreman that was shown once at the premiere. The 30-minute retrospective, "Memories of Navarone", made in 1999 has the expected reminiscences from Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. Director J. Lee Thompson's audio commentary is a bit frustrating; he's now in his 80s, and most of his recollections are slow in coming. A historian could have brought out the film's history (it was the most expensive movie ever made at time of release) and produced a more vital viewing. --Doug Thomas

• Hell Drivers | DVD | (20/03/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Hell Drivers sees James Bond (Sean Connery), Doctor Who (William Hartnell), one of the men from UNCLE (David McCallum), the Prisoner (Patrick McGoohan) and a Professional (Gordon Jackson), all supporting Stanley Baker in this hard-as-nails British action picture realistically set in a bleak late-1950s England. Baker plays Tom Yately, an ex-con who takes the only job he can get--truck driving at breakneck speeds for a corrupt manager (Hartnell) and brutal foreman (McGoohan). The constant short runs and competition between the drivers makes for an intense atmosphere which inevitably explodes into violence. Baker's only friend is an Italian ex-POW played sensitively by Herbert Lom, while Peggy Cummings is a remarkably free-spirited heroine for a British film of the time. Baker himself is superb, quietly tough, and broodingly charismatic, McGoohan is compellingly malevolent and Hartnell simply chilling. The film is consistently engrossing and often exciting, even when the plot spirals into melodrama towards the finale. One has to wonder where the police are during all this mayhem, but the fact that the screenplay, by John Kruse and Cy Endfield, received a BAFTA nomination suggests the scenario was at least reasonably realistic. Endfield also directed this, the second of six films he would helm for Baker, the most famous of which would be the all-time classic, Zulu (1964). On the DVD: Hell Drivers is presented in an anamorphically enhanced ratio of 1.77:1. This means a little of the original 1.96:1 VistaVision (70mm) image is cropped at the sides, which is just noticeable in a few shots. The print used is excellent, with only very minor damage, and the mono sound is fine. The disc also includes Look in on Hell Drivers, a 1957 TV programme that offers interviews with Stanley Baker, Cy Endfield and Alfie Bass, as well as comments from genuine truck drivers confirming the realism of the story, and a contemporary 15-minute television interview with Baker, which focuses on Hell Drivers, Sea Fury(1958) (also directed by Cy Endfield) and Violent Playground (1958). The original trailer rounds out an excellent package. --Gary S Dalkin

• Murder One - Season 1 | DVD | (06/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The complete first season of Murder One in which a single but multi-faceted case is explored from opening trial arguments to final judgment over the course of 23 enthralling episodes.

• Richard III | DVD | (06/02/2006) from £13.48   |  Saving you £1.51 (11.20%)   |  RRP £14.99

  ""Why I can smile and murder while I smile And cry 'Content' to that which grieves my heart And wet my cheeks with artificial tears And frame my face to all occasions..."" Soon after Edward IV is crowned King his brother Richard a hunchback twisted in mind as well as body starts scheming for the throne of England. He woos and wins Lady Anne and then poisons Edward's mind against their brother Clarence later organising his death. But even after his coronation

• The Devil Wears Prada | Blu Ray | (17/04/2019) from £8.30   |  Saving you £11.68 (140.72%)   |  RRP £19.98

  Anne Hathaway finds herself working for the boss (Meryl Streep) from hell in this new black comedy.

• Zulu (50th Anniversary Edition) | Blu Ray | (05/05/2014) from £7.99   |  Saving you £19.00 (237.80%)   |  RRP £26.99

  It’s a sad fact that many older films are shovelled onto the Blu-ray format, without a great deal of work put into improving their presentation. That’s an accusation that absolutely can’t be levelled at the outstanding transfer that Zulu has benefited from. It’s truly a template for other studios to follow, and a stunning high-definition upgrade. It’s a superb restoration job that’s been done here, and it’s fair to suggest that Zulu has never looked better. The sheer level of detail is amazing, particularly given the age of the material, and it’s presented in an utterly pristine fashion. It’s both a delight and a surprise to see the film fare so well. The audio side of things hasn’t benefited to quite the same degree, sadly, but it copes with the demands of the film perfectly well. The visuals, however, are dazzling. As for the movie? Zulu remains a classic. With a cast led by Michael Caine, the story centres around the seemingly impossible job of defending Rourke’s Drift in 1879. In a battle that’s stunningly brought to life, the British forces face insurmountable odds, something the film vividly gets across. It’s balanced film making too, and while it takes liberties with its recollection of history, it nonetheless sticks firmly in the mind long after the end credits have rolled. This surprisingly superb Blu-ray release is easily the best way to enjoy it, too. --Jon Foster

• The Cruel Sea (Digitally Restored) | DVD | (12/09/2011) from £7.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (100.12%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The novel The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat was an unflinching portrayal of life at sea during WWII on a boat tasked with protecting convoys and seeking and destroying U-boats. Nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Film, The Cruel Sea stars Jack Hawkins, Sir Donald Sinden and Stanley Baker, and is a gripping insight into the lives of unsung heroes at sea during the war, and the agonizing decisions and incredible peril they faced on a daily basis.

• Robbery | DVD | (31/08/2015) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-0.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Based on the planning and execution of criminal cause celebre the Great Train Robbery, this taut, meticulously researched drama stars Stanley Baker as a crime boss undertaking the heist of his career with Frank Finlay and Barry Foster among the gang he assembles, and James Booth as the dogged detective who's determined to catch them all.Co-produced by Baker and directed by multiple-Oscar-nominated Peter Yates, Robbery is a classic of British Film exceptionally scripted (winning a WGGB Award for Best British Screenplay), powerfully acted and sporting a legendary score by composer-arranger Johnny Keating. It is presented here as a brand-new restoration from original film elements in its original aspect ratio.Having successfully pulled off a daring jewel heist, Paul Clifton prepares to hit a mail train heading south from Glasgow. Several difficulties stand in his way, however, not the least of which is the police who are hot on his tail and already know he's planning something bigger...SPECIAL FEATURES:Brand-new interview with Michael Deeley recorded for this releaseCinema: Stanley Baker an archive interview from 1972German film The Great Train RobberyWaiting for the Signal: The Making of Robbery brand-new documentary featuring interviews with cast and crewBehind-the-scenes footage archive news footage of the filming at Market HarboroughImage gallery - posters, lobby cards, memorabilia and production stillsOriginal campaign guide, exhibitors' manual and flyers in PDF format32 page booklet by film historian Sheldon HallABOUT THE RESTORATION:Previously released on DVD from an old 1.33:1 (4:3 pan and scan) transfer, Robbery has now been scanned to 2K resolution from the 35mm original negative and restored in its correct theatrical aspect ratio (1.66:1).The restoration involved grain management, both automated and manual removal of film dirt and damage, and correction of major instability, warping and density fluctuations. The image has been fully colour corrected. While conforming, it was found that a ten second interior shot of the police car during the opening chase sequence had been cut from the DVD release. This has been re-instated for this restoration.The original 35mm magnetic audio elements were unfortunately in a very poor condition and unable to be used due to deterioration, so the existing mono soundtrack has been restored.

• The Guns Of Navarone - 60th Anniversary (2 Discs - UHD & BD) | Blu Ray | (01/11/2021) from £19.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A team of allied saboteurs are assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.

• The Guns Of Navarone 4K Ultra HD Steelbook | Blu Ray | (04/03/2024) from £29.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers

• The Guns of Navarone | Blu Ray | (24/10/2011) from £7.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (62.58%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This rousing, explosive 1961 WWII adventure, based on Alistair MacLean's thrilling novel, turns the war thriller into a deadly caper film. Gregory Peck heads a star-studded cast charged with a near impossible mission: to destroy a pair of German guns nestled in a protective cave on the strategic Mediterranean island of Navarone, from where they can control a vital sea passage. As world famous mountain climber turned British army Captain Mallory, Peck leads a guerrilla force composed of the humanistic explosives expert, Miller (David Niven), the ruthless Greek patriot with a grudge, Stavros (Anthony Quinn), veteran special forces soldier Brown (Stanley Baker) and the cool, quiet young marksman Pappadimos (James Darren). This disparate collection of classic types must overcome internal conflicts, enemy attacks, betrayal and capture to complete their mission. Director J. Lee Thompson sets a driving pace for this exciting (if familiar) military operation, a succession of close calls, pitched battles and last-minute escapes as our heroes infiltrate the garrisoned town with the help of resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas) and plot their entry into the heavily guarded mountain fort. Carl Foreman's screenplay embraces MacLean's role call of clichés and delivers them with style, creating one of the liveliest mixes of espionage, combat and good old-fashioned military derring-do put on film. In 1978, the sequel Force 10 from Navarone was released, but MacLean fans will prefer to check out the action-packed thriller Where Eagles Dare. --Sean Axmaker

• 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

• Yesterday's Enemy (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (21/06/2021) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A riposte to the criticisms levelled at The Camp on Blood Island, Hammer's previous war picture, released a year earlier, this stark and often savage examination of how war and conflict can corrupt otherwise good men, Val Guest's Yesterday's Enemy is one of the famed studio's most hard-hitting but underappreciated productions. It posits an impossible moral dilemma is it ever justifiable to sacrifice a small number of innocent lives in the hope that thousands more will be saved? Headed by the formidable Stanley Baker (Hell Drivers, Eve), Yesterday's Enemy consciously and directly opposed the overwhelmingly patriotic spirit of British war films of the period, and remains a bleak exploration of duty, survival, and the effects of war. Special Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Two presentations of the film: the uncensored UK theatrical version, and the US theatrical version with toned-down dialogue The Guardian Interview with Val Guest (2005, 46 mins): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Jonathan Rigby at London's National Film Theatre Total War: Inside ˜Yesterday's Enemy' (2018, 27 mins): documentary written and directed by Hammer expert Marcus Hearn, narrated by Claire Louise Amias, and featuring film historians Alan Barnes and Jonathan Rigby Hammer's Women: Edwina Carroll (2018, 8 mins): critic and author Becky Booth on the popular Burmese-born actress Stephen Laws Introduces ˜Yesterday's Enemy' (2018, 9 mins): appreciation by the acclaimed horror author New Territory (2018, 13 mins): analysis of the film by British cinema expert Steve Chibnall Frontline Dispatches (2018, 8 mins): second assistant director Hugh Harlow and props chargehand Peter Allchorne recall their time working on the film Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

• Perfect Friday | DVD | (17/06/2013) from £12.98   |  Saving you £9.00 (81.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Directed by Sir Peter Hall and featuring cool tunes by Johnny Dankworth, this sexy, mischievous early '70s crime caper stars the always-watchable Stanley Baker as a bank manager who teams up with a glamorous, aristocratic couple (David Warner and Ursula Andress) to pull off the ultimate inside job. Perfect Friday is featured here in a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio on both Blu-ray and DVD.. Lord Nicholas Dorset and h...

• Checkpoint | DVD | (16/04/2012) from £6.65   |  Saving you £6.34 (95.34%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Stanley Baker's O'Donovan is sent to steal the plans of a rival company's racing car designs, to ensure his employers win the competition. However, when opening a safe containing the plans, he triggers an alarm leading to a gun battle where he kills a number of people. James Robertson Justice alarmed by the scandal surrounding the killings orders his agent be killed surreptitiously to hide his involvement with the plot.

• Hell Is A City | DVD | (08/10/2012) from £8.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (77.86%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A 1960's Hammer films production, Hell Is A City is a taut, fast-paced thriller set against the grimy back streets and rain-streaked bright lights of Manchester. Stanley Baker (The Cruel Sea) stars as a tough, dedicated police inspector on the trail of a man on the run - a man who he had put away for 14 years for robbery - and who will now be sent to the gallows for murder! Clubbing a warder to death as he broke out of jail, the inspector knows now he'll stop at nothing... Special Features: Alternate Ending