"Actor: Terry John"

• Goodbye, Mr. Chips | DVD | (27/01/2020) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Monty Python's Life Of Brian | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £5.32   |  Saving you £7.67 (144.17%)   |  RRP £12.99

  There is not a single joke, sight-gag or one-liner in Monty Python's Life of Brian that will not forever burn itself into the viewer's memory as being just as funny as it is possible to be, but--extraordinarily--almost every indestructibly hilarious scene also serves a dual purpose, making this one of the most consistently sustained film satires ever made. Like all great satire, the Pythons not only attack and vilify their targets (the bigotry and hypocrisy of organised religion and politics) supremely well, they also propose an alternative: be an individual, think for yourself, don't be led by others. "You've all got to work it out for yourselves", cries Brian in a key moment. "Yes, we've all got to work it our for ourselves", the crowd reply en masse. Two thousand years later, in a world still blighted by religious zealots, Brian's is still a lone voice crying in the wilderness. Aside from being a neat spoof on the Hollywood epic, it's also almost incidentally one of the most realistic on-screen depictions of the ancient world--instead of treating their characters as posturing historical stereotypes, the Pythons realised what no sword 'n' sandal epic ever has: that people are all the same, no matter what period of history they live in. People always have and always will bicker, lie, cheat, swear, conceal cowardice with bravado (like Reg, leader of the People's Front of Judea), abuse power (like Pontius Pilate), blindly follow the latest fads and giggle at silly things ("Biggus Dickus"). In the end, Life of Brian teaches us that the only way for a despairing individual to cope in a world of idiocy and hypocrisy is to always look on the bright side of life. On the DVD: Life of Brian returns to Region 2 DVD in a decent widescreen anamorphic print with Dolby 5.1 sound--neither are exactly revelatory, but at least it's an improvement on the previous release, which was, shockingly, pan & scan. The 50-minute BBC documentary, "The Pythons", was filmed mainly on location in 1979 and isn't especially remarkable or insightful (a new retrospective would have been appreciated). There are trailers for this movie, as well as Holy Grail plus three other non-Python movies. There's no commentary track, sadly. --Mark Walker

• Monty Python's 'Meaning of Life' | DVD | (06/06/2011) from £5.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (83.47%)   |  RRP £10.99

  Those six pandemonium-mad Pythons are back with their craziest adventure ever! These naughty lads offer the usual tasteful sketches involving favorite bodily parts and functions the wonders of war the miracle of birth and a special preview of what's waiting for us in Heaven. Nothing is too sacred for the probing Python crew. After seeing them in action you'll never look at life in quite the same way again. It's far-out frank and jolly good fun!

• Bones: The Flesh and Bones Collection: Seasons 1 to 12 | DVD | (02/10/2017) from £90.89   |  Saving you £-10.94 (N/A%)   |  RRP £79.95

  Experience this acclaimed, addictive crime series with ALL 12 SEASONS together for the first time plus special features that include the memorable send-off, Back to the Lab: A Bones Retrospective. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Bones Brennan (Emily Deschanel) has an uncanny ability to solve the FBI's most bizarre, gruesome mysteries. Along with hard-nosed agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), and the quirky squints (Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Francis Daley) at Washington's Jeffersonian Institute, Brennan tackles cases involving everyone from serial killers to senior citizens. As the series unfolds, Brennan and Booth find themselves as deeply in love as they are in danger. With its dark humour, mesmerising plots, celebrated cast and beloved guest stars, Bones is cutting-edge entertainment from its first incision to its final cut.

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- Two-disc set | DVD | (04/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The second best comedy ever made, Monty Python and the Holy Grail must give precedence only to the same team's masterpiece, The Life of Brian (1979). Even though most of this film's set-pieces are now indelibly inscribed in every Python fan's psyche, as if by magic they never seem to pall. And they remain endlessly, joyfully quotable: from the Black Knight ("It's just a flesh wound"), to the constitutional peasants ("Come and see the violence inherent in the system!") and the taunting French soldier ("Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"). Not forgetting of course the migratory habits of European and African swallows... The film's mock-Arthurian narrative provides a sturdy framework for the jokes, and the authentic-looking production design is relentlessly and gloriously dirty. The miniscule budget turns out to be one of the film's greatest assets: Can't afford horses? Use coconuts instead. No money for special effects? Let Terry Gilliam animate. And so on, from Camelot ("it's only a model") to the rampaging killer rabbit glove puppet. True it's let down a little by a rushed ending, and the jokes lack the sting of Life of Brian's sharply observed satire, but Holy Grail is still timeless comedy that's surely destined for immortality. On the DVD: Disc One contains a digitally remastered anamorphic (16:9) print of the film--which is still a little grainy, but a big improvement on previous video releases--with a splendidly remixed Dolby 5.1 soundtrack (plus an added 24 seconds of self-referential humour "absolutely free"!). There are two commentaries, one with the two Terrys, co-directors Jones and Gilliam, the other a splicing together of three separate commentaries by Michael Palin, John Cleese (in waspish, nit-picking mood) and Eric Idle. A "Follow the Killer Rabbit" feature provides access either to the Accountant's invoices or Gilliam's conceptual sketches. Subtitle options allow you to read the screenplay or watch with spookily appropriate captions from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. The second disc has lots more material, much of it very silly and inconsequential (an educational film on coconuts, the Camelot song in Lego and so on), plus a long-ish documentary from 2001 in which Palin and Jones revisit Doune Castle, Glencoe and other Scottish locations. Perhaps best of all, though, are the two scenes from the Japanese version with English subtitles, in which we see the search for the Holy sake cup, and the Ni-saying Knights who want... bonsai! --Mark Walker

• Monty Python And The Holy Grail (Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition) | DVD | (09/10/2006) from £7.55   |  Saving you £17.44 (230.99%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Yoiks! Here be the Python's tale of good King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights as they quest for the Holy Grail. Watch as they face great odds and silly sods. See them wage battle against the fierce Killer Rabbit (""Run Away! Run Away!"") and (oh horrors!) see them confront the dreaded Knights Who Say ""Ni!"". Oh these be trying times. Can these good knights pass the test of valour and cut down yon tree with herring? Or will they blow themselves to smithereens with the Holy H

• Munster, Go Home | DVD | (27/07/2015) from £7.33   |  Saving you £5.66 (77.22%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The first family of fright from the popular 1964-1966 sitcom series Herman (Fred Gwynne), Lily (Yvonne De Carlo), Grandpa (Al Lewis), Eddie (Butch Patrick) and Marilyn (Debbie Watson) hit the big screen as Herman becomes Lord Munster when he inheritsan estate from an English uncle. With Spot guarding 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Herman leaves his job at Gateman Goodbury & Graves Morticians for Munster Hall, he uncovers a counterfeit ring, and upholds the family honour driving his Drag-u-la special in the annual road race. Produced and co-written by series creators Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher (Leave It To Beaver), this frantically funny fright-fest features British comedians Terry Thomas and Hermione Gingold, legendary horror star John Carradine and Family Feud host Richard Dawson. Enjoy for the first time ever on DVD this classic bit of 1960's Munster nostalgia!

• Goodbye Mr Chips | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £4.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (367.89%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Drama adapted from the novel by James Hilton, which follows the story of Latin teacher Charles Edward Chipping and his romance with Katherine Bridges, whom he meets whilst on a walking holiday in the Alps.

• Heart Of A Child | DVD | (08/10/2001) from £8.98   |  Saving you £-2.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  When Karen and Fred Schouten finally conceive a child they feel it is the most important achievement of their lives. But their unborn baby develops a brain defect which means that it will only survive for a few hours after birth. Out of this tragedy however comes a gift of hope and life. For Alice and Gordon Hole whose baby will die unless he receives a heart transplant it could be the answer to a desperate prayer...

• The Rocketeer Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (14/05/2018) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In the tradition of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, ROCKETEER is a full-throttle blast of thrills, fun and dazzling special effects. Set in glamarous 1930s Hollywood, it tells the story of Cliff Secord, a down-on-his-luck pilot who stumbles upon an incredible invention - a top secret jetpack that allows him to soar through the skies like a human rocket. But before long, a sinister spy (Timothy Dalton) plots to steal the jetpack, thrusting Cliff into a dangerous mission that ultimately transforms him into an extraordinary hero.

• Monty Python Live At The Hollywood Bowl | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £6.73   |  Saving you £9.26 (137.59%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Pythons invade Hollywood with live versions of classics The Lumberjack Song The Philosphers Song and of course the incomparable Parrot Sketch plus material never performed on the Flying Circus Program.

• Company Man | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £8.13   |  Saving you £0.85 (16.54%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In 1960s suburbia Allen Quimp (Paul Guilfoyle) makes up a little white lie and tells his wife (Sigourney Weaver) that he is a spy The CIA soon become interested in him and send him and his wife to Cuba to overthrow Castro!

• Peter Sellers Collection | DVD | (16/10/2006) from £19.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (50.03%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Featuring a collection of Peter Sellers' best films. Includes: 1. Heavens Above! (Dir. John Boulting & Roy Boulting 1963) 2. I'm Alright Jack (Dir. John Boulting 1959) 3. Only Two Can Play (Dir. Sidney Gilliat 1962) 4. Very Best Of Peter Sellers

• The Green Man | DVD | (30/10/2006) from £10.87   |  Saving you £2.12 (19.50%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Hawkins (Sim) is a timid clockmaker with a part time job; International Assassination Expert. He hasn't been getting too many assignments recently but his latest mission will put him back on the top of his profession. However he stalks the wrong target blowing up a boring politician instead and now he must pay the price for his breezy bungling in this murderously funny black comedy!

• School For Scoundrels | DVD | (30/10/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Enrol at the wacky College of Lifemanship where a senior host of great British comedians teach a completely uproarious course on how to come out tops in any social situation! Study with Alistair Sim and learn his valuable hints on the art of comic One-upmanship. Follow his expert advice to victimised Ian Carmichael about romance fully equipped to cope with life's hilarious humiliations without really cheating. Based on the books by Stephen Potter.

• Rude Boy | DVD | (30/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

• Munster Go Home | Blu Ray | (25/07/2022) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  America's Funniest Family In Their 1966 First Full Length Feature Film The first family of fright from the popular 1964-1966 sitcom series Herman (Fred Gwynne), Lily (Yvonne De Carlo), Grandpa (Al Lewis), Eddie (Butch Patrick) and Marilyn (Debbie Watson) hit the big screen as Herman becomes Lord Munster when he inherits an estate from an English uncle. With Spot guarding 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Herman leaves his job at Gateman Goodbury & Graves Morticians for Munster Hall, he uncovers a counterfeit ring, and upholds the family honour driving his Drag-u-la special in the annual road race. Produced and co-written by series creators Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher (Leave It To Beaver),this frantically funny fright-fest features british comedians Terry Thomas and Hermione Gingold, legendary horror star John Carradine and Family Feud host Richard Dawson. Special Feature Theatrical Trailer

• Rocketeer | DVD | (05/02/2001) from £4.75   |  Saving you £10.24 (215.58%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Based on a retro-styled comic book hit of the 80s, this Disney film was meant to launch a whole line of Rocketeer films--but the series began and ended with this one. That's too bad because this underrated Joe Johnston film has a certain loopy charm. The story centres on a pre-World War II stunt pilot (Bill Campbell) who accidentally comes into possession of a rocket-propelled backpack much coveted by the Nazis. With the aid of his mechanic pal (Alan Arkin), he gets it up and running, then uses it to foil a plot by a gang of vicious Nazi spies (is there any other kind?) led by Timothy Dalton. Jennifer Connelly is on hand as the love interest but the real fun here is when the Rocketeer takes off. There's also a nifty battle atop an airborne blimp. --Marshall Fine

• Monty Python's Life Of Brian | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £5.02   |  Saving you £14.97 (298.21%)   |  RRP £19.99

  That rarest of rare treasures, Monty Python's Life of Brian is both achingly funny and seriously satirical without ever allowing one to overbalance the other. There is not a single joke, sight gag or one-liner that will not forever burn itself into the viewer's memory as being just as funny as it is possible to be, but, extraordinarily, almost every line and every indestructibly hilarious scene also serves a dual purpose, making this one of the most consistently sustained film satires ever made. Like all great satire, the Pythons not only attack and vilify their targets (the bigotry and hypocrisy of organised religion and politics) supremely well, they also propose an alternative: be an individual, think for yourself, don't be led by others. "You've all got to work it out for yourselves", cries Brian in a key moment. "Yes, we've all got to work it our for ourselves", the crowd reply en masse, "Tell us more". Two thousand years later, in a world still blighted by religious zealots, Brian's is still a lone voice crying in the wilderness. Aside from being a neat spoof on the Hollywood epic, it's also almost incidentally one of the most realistic on-screen depictions of the ancient world--instead of treating their characters as posturing historical stereotypes, the Pythons realised what no sword 'n' sandal epic ever has: that people are all the same, no matter what period of history they live in. People always have and always will bicker, lie, cheat, swear, conceal cowardice with bravado (like Reg, leader of the People's Front of Judea), abuse power (like Pontius Pilate), blindly follow the latest fads and giggle at silly things ("Biggus Dickus"). In the end, Life of Brian teaches us that the only way for a despairing individual to cope in a world of idiocy and hypocrisy is to always look on the bright side of life. --Mark Walker

• The Cutting Edge | DVD | (06/05/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Cutting Edge is a 1991 romantic sports comedy-drama set in the allegedly exciting world of Olympic-level figure-skating. Ice maiden Moira Kelly has been reared from birth by her driving father (Stepfather star Terry O'Quinn adding a creepy touch) to be a champion, but is constantly let down because she's so unpleasant that no one wants to be her partner. On the other side of the tracks, macho jock DB Sweeney is invalided out of ice hockey and recruited by Kelly's Russian coach (Roy Dotrice) to team up with her. They hate each other on sight but develop into a potential winning team, and, in between being nasty to each other, fall in nauseating lurve. The tension builds up as to who is going to win that Olympic gold medal in the finale (guess!) and whether the leads will be able to hold off strangling each other in time for the big last-minute clinch. The whole thing is a stew of mismatched couple and underdog-triumphs-in-sport clichés, directed by ex-Starsky and Hutch star Paul Michael Glaser, but it really falls down because Sweeney and Kelly obviously can't skate for toffee. The on-ice sequences, choreographed by medal-winning Robin Cousins in an only-job-he's-fit-for turn, employ doubles and tricky editing, which means the climactic struggle has to be quite literally skated over. On the DVD: The Cutting Edge comes to DVD in an anamorphic widescreen print that’s in good shape but with that slightly feathery colour common in pre-digital transfers. There are English, German, French and Italian tracks; plus a single measly trailer.--Kim Newman