"Actor: Tom Johnston"

• Brassed Off | DVD | (10/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Take The Full Monty, add a sharper emotional edge and replace the strutting strippers with a dignified British band. That's the essence of Brassed Off, a bittersweet gem released in 1996, a year before its more popular (and Oscar-nominated) counterpart. In the Yorkshire town of Grimley, there has always been a coal mine, just as for the last 111 years there has been a brass band and it seems that Danny (the wondrous Pete Postlethwaite) has been the director for every one of those years. Tory economic policies, however, are closing coal mines around the country in favour of nuclear power and Grimley appears to be next on the list. Danny is unfazed by the threat, claiming, "It's music that matters." But some of the men are about to quit the band until the appearance of Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald at her most radiant), who dazzles the all-male group (including old flame Andy, played by Ewan McGregor) first with her beauty, then with her flügelhorn playing. The new member gives the band a boost as they continue to perform and compete but closure remains very real, as director Mark Herman (Little Voice) accompanies the band's performances (played with gusto by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band) with scenes of angry labour-management confrontations and family strife. In this context, some of the characters claim that the music is an irresponsible form of escapism. It becomes clear, however, from a touching performance of "Danny Boy" to the stirring conclusion at Royal Albert Hall, that music is an expression of the human spirit, a bit of beauty and sanity in a harsh world. With defiance, the band can play "Land of Hope and Glory" even when the land offers them neither. --David Horiuchi

• The Royle Family: The Complete Collection | DVD | (07/10/2013) from £20.25   |  Saving you £-5.26 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Iconic multi-award winning comedy from Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash The Royle Family is an unusual sitcom in that the action - or lack of it - mostly takes place in the living room of the Royle's house. Together they slump into comfortable yet tatty chairs sip from endless cups of tea and are entertained by the drone of the always-on TV set in the corner. However it's the show's subtle humour and surprisingly poignant moments that have seen it become a modern comedy classic. This collection includes all 20 episodes from the hit BBC series plus the specials 'The Queen of Sheba' 'The New Sofa' 'The Golden Egg Cup' 'Joe's Crackers' and 'Barbara's Old Ring' The Queen of ShebaTension mounts in the Royle household as the family contemplates the prospect of becoming fully laminated throughout. Dr Mahmood prescribes new medication for Nana in the form of yellow tablets. These turn out to be the same colour as the tablets that Joe was prescribed for the swelling when he got his mickey stuck in his zip. Meanwhile a mysterious ginger visitor reminds Nana of her favourite musical. Unmissable! The New SofaIt's a right Royle Christmas as Jim and Barbara go round to Denise and Dave's for Christmas Dinner. Dave's parents are also invited for what's supposed to be a Nigella-inspired Denise at her culinary best... so who knows what to expect! The Golden Egg CupThere's a real buzz in the Royle Family household as it's a special time for Jim and Barbara and a celebration (including hula-hoops twiglets and scotch eggs) is planned. Poor Mary from next door can't be present though as sadly; she has lost all bladder control and leaked in both the pound shop and John Lewis... Joe's Cracker'sIt's Christmas day at the Royle's and Barbara is up to her eyes in it as Jim is out of action due to an unfortunate incident in the supermarket. Dave and Denise are obviously feeling the coalition the most and worry that Anthony's lavish gifts will eclipse their gift of a fridge magnet. Joe reminisces about a tipsy evening of naked wrestling in front of the fire with Bobby Carter. Barbara's Old RingIt's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at The Royle's and Barbara's gone overboard with the presents. 'If you can't spoil your family at Christmas when can you?' she asks having spent a whole two hours in Poundland. A new neighbour moves on to the street with an impressive cleavage but will she be welcome on the sofa? In a flash of seasonal entrepreneurial spirit Dave reveals the idea he intends to pitch to Dragon's Den. Will it take off and make them rich? Or is Jim's scratch card more likely to bring in the Christmas cheer? Joe next door is looking for love and places an advert in the Lonely Hearts column 'Vacant Lady Wanted'. Who could resist? Special Features: The Royle Family Children In Need Special Deleted Scenes Outtakes Cast Interviews

• Fatal Attraction | DVD | (02/09/2002) from £6.19   |  Saving you £9.80 (158.32%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Fatal Attraction was the most controversial hit of 1987, a film nominated for six Oscars that launched a whole up-market psycho sub-genre. In an elaboration of Play Misty for Me (1971), Michael Douglas plays a married middle-class everyman who has an opportunistic weekend affair with New York publishing executive, Glenn Close. The twist is that Close's Alex is a borderline psychotic. She won't let go, and the film moves from a study of modern sexual mores to an increasingly tense thriller about neurotic obsession. The performances are exceptional and two set-pieces, one which gave us the term "Bunny Boiler" and another in a fairground, provide metaphorical and literal rollercoaster rides. Only a laughable sex scene--in a sink, anyone?--and a melodramatic finale shamelessly ripping-off the 1955 French classic Les Diaboliques and Psycho (1960) prevent a good thriller being a great one. Even so, Fatal Attraction is still a film worth seeing again, even if it's hard to wonder what all the fuss was about in 1987. On the DVD: Fatal Attraction on disc has a new 28-minute documentary featuring the principal players explaining how wonderful each other are. More substantial is a 19-minute feature on creating the visual look, with sections on cinematography, costume and make-up design. A worthwhile 10-minute piece examines the social impact of the movie and the controversy it generated. Seven minutes of the three stars in rehearsal is intriguing, but more interesting is the opportunity to see the original, low-key ending, rejected after test screenings. Much of the best documentary material focuses on how the finally released ending came about, while Lyne's commentary is thoughtful and illuminating. The original trailer is included and there are 16 sets of subtitles, including English for the hard of hearing, as well as an alternative German dub. The sound has been remixed from stereo into a subtly involving Dolby Digital 5.1, and the 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer looks fine, though there is some very minor print damage. --Gary S Dalkin

• We Love The Royle Family | DVD | (16/08/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  We Love The Royle Family (7 Discs)

• Flesh & Blood (Eureka Classics) Dual Format (DVD & Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (06/08/2018) from £12.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A deliriously violent medieval epic from genre master Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Total Recall), Flesh + Blood sees a savage and amoral band of mercenaries take revenge on the noblemen who betrayed them. In Western Europe, 1501, a small army of mercenaries led by the charismatic and mercurial Martin (Rutger Hauer; Blade Runner, The Hitcher) reclaim a heavily fortified castle for its owner Arnolfini, who then betrays the band and ejects them from the city by force. Swearing revenge, Martin leads a violent assault on the nobleman and ends up accidentally kidnapping the beautiful Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh The Hateful Eight), the fiancée of Arnolfini's son Steven, who in turn pledges to wipe out the mercenary group once and for all. With its vision of a brutal and morally bereft Medieval Europe, the film shocked audiences who had become used to the highly romanticised depictions of the era commonly seen on the big screen. Originally censored in the UK due to its extreme amounts of sex and violence, Eureka Classics is proud to present Flesh + Blood fully uncut, and on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a special Dual Format edition. Features: Limited Edition O-Card slipcase (first print run only) 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray, with a progressive encode on the DVD. Uncompressed LPCM audio (on the Blu-ray) Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Audio commentary by director Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven in the Flesh (21 mins) Verhoeven Versus Verhoeven A documentary on the iconic director, covering the entirety of his career and featuring extensive interviews with the man himself (45 mins) Audio interview with actor Rutger Hauer (24 mins) Interview with screenwriter Gerard Soeteman (17 mins) Interview with composer Basil Poledoris Original theatrical trailer A collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film (first pressing only)

• Royle Family The Finale | DVD | (30/10/2006) from £5.49   |  Saving you £10.50 (191.26%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Six years after the final Christmas special in 2000 Caroline Aherne and co return to the sofa for a one-off episode of The Royle Family.

• The Royle Family - The Complete Series 2 | DVD | (06/11/2000) from £4.94   |  Saving you £15.05 (304.66%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On paper, The Royle Family doesn't sound that promising: a working-class family from Manchester sit in their cluttered living room, watch the telly and argue over domestic details (the arrival of a telephone bill, for instance, provides the big dramatic event of the first episode, which aired in September 1998). But from such small everyday incidents, Royle Family creators Caroline Aherne and Dave Best (who play young couple Denise and Dave) have crafted one of the most successful shows on British television: a comedy about the joys and frustrations of family life that's warm, honest and very, very funny--Britain's answer to The Simpsons, whose success the show rivalled when it started broadcasting on BBC2 (the programme jumped channels to BBC1 for its second series).The Royle Family marked an on-screen reunion for Brookside-actors Ricky Tomlinson (who plays bearded, big-hearted, banjo-playing Jim Royle) and Sue Johnston as his wife Barbara, the driving force behind the Royle household. It is smart casting because The Royle Family is as much a soap opera as a situation comedy. Now in its third series, The Royle Family has seen its characters develop like real folk. Denise and Dave got married and now have a little sprog; Barbara starts menopause (how many sitcoms are brave enough to use that for laughs?) and Denise's kid brother Anthony shakes off his surly adolescence when he turned 18 in series two. Unlike Oasis, who provide the shows theme song "Halfway Round the World", this programme just keeps getting better.But no soap--not even Brookside in its dafter moments--has one-liners as brilliantly crafted as The Royle Family. (The scripts from the series are available to buy.) Slouched in his armchair, Jim's dour running commentary on the TV shows that are on at the time are particularly priceless: Changing Rooms, for instance, boils down to "a Cockney knocking nails into plywood... Is this what its come to?" Not quite: because as long as the Royle Family are around, there is something worthwhile to watch. --Edward Lawrenson

• The Royle Family 2009 Special | DVD | (01/02/2010) from £7.93   |  Saving you £10.06 (126.86%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The Royle Family: 2009 Special

• The Royle Family: Jellylegs | DVD | (21/01/2013) from £8.37   |  Saving you £4.62 (55.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at The Royle's and Barbara's gone overboard with the presents. If you can't spoil your family at Christmas when can you? she asks, having spent a whole two hours in Poundland. A new neighbour moves on to the street with an impressive cleavage but will she be welcome on the sofa? In a flash of seasonal entrepreneurial spirit Dave reveals the idea he intends to pitch to Dragon's Den. Will it take off and make them rich? Or is Jim's scratch card more likely to bring in the Christmas cheer? Joe, next door, is looking for love and places an advert in the Lonely Hearts column, 'Vacant Lady Wanted'. Who could resist?

• Christmas With The Royle Family | DVD | (16/08/2010) from £4.99   |  Saving you £15.00 (300.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Box Set Comprises: Christmas With The Royle Family (series 2) The Royle Family At Christmas (series 3) The New Sofa (hour long special)

• The Royle Family - Joe's Crackers | DVD | (31/01/2011) from £7.79   |  Saving you £10.20 (130.94%)   |  RRP £17.99

  It's Christmas day at the Royles and Barbara is up to her eyes in it as Jim is out of action due to an unfortunate incident in the precinct. Dave and Denise are obviously feeling the coalition the most and worry that Anthony's lavish gifts will eclipse their gift of a fridge magnet. Joe reminisces about a tipsy evening of naked wrestling in front of the fire with Bobby Carter while Cheryl recounts her romantic encounter in the local supermarket car park.

• The Very Best Of The Royle Family | DVD | (25/11/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Spanning the three series of this superb sitcom, The Very Best of The Royle Family is a prime taster for those not familiar with the series. Co-created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, who star as Denise and Dave respectively, The Royle Family deserves its own comedic category. They had a hard fight persuading the BBC to leave a laughter track off the show, which would have disrupted its unique ambience and chemistry. Never departing from the house of lazy, good-for-nothing but defiantly sardonic Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson) and wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), The Royle Family chronicles the everyday chat and banal comings and goings of this Northern household, which barely qualifies as "working" class, since mostly they are slumped on the sofa in front of the telly in a cathode-induced stupor. Confused viewers waiting for something to "happen" in the conventional sitcom manner will be disappointed. What they'll get instead is an irresistible stream of dialogue that captures unerringly the humdrum cadences of "ordinary" people. These episodes capture the Royles in customary, festive mood--Denise's marriage, Christmas, baby David's birthday party and so forth--which is good, as we get to see more of Liz Smith's magnificent Nana. As each seemingly inconsequential scene vividly illustrates, this is hardly a romanticised family. Denise is an appallingly negligent mother, there's probably never been a green vegetable in the house, most of their friends, including Darren, are well dodgy, and mum Barbara is unfairly put-upon ("Eh, I've been so busy this morning I haven't had time to smoke", she laments at one point). Yet undoubtedly, unlike their regal counterparts, this Royle Family are close-knit, somehow getting by. The family that watches telly together stays together. On the DVD: The Very Best of the Royle Family, disappointingly, has no extra features. --David Stubbs

• The Royle Family - The Complete Series 3 | DVD | (19/11/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On paper, The Royle Family doesn't sound that promising: a working-class family from Manchester sit in their cluttered living room, watch the telly and argue over domestic details (the arrival of a telephone bill, for instance, provides the big dramatic event of the first episode, which aired in September 1998). But from such small everyday incidents, Royle Family creators Caroline Aherne and Dave Best (who play young couple Denise and Dave) have crafted one of the most successful shows on British television--a comedy about the joys and frustrations of family life that's warm, honest and very, very funny. It's Britain's answer to The Simpsons, whose success the show rivalled when it started broadcasting on BBC2 (the programme jumped channels to BBC1 for its second series). Now in its third series, The Royle Family has seen its characters develop like real folk. Denise and Dave got married and now have a little sprog; Barbara starts menopause (how many sit-coms are brave enough to use that for laughs?) and Denise's kid brother Anthony shakes off his surly adolescence when he turned 18 in series two. Unlike Oasis--who provide the shows theme song "Halfway Round the World"--this programme just keeps getting better. But no soap--not even Brookside in its dafter moments--has one-liners as brilliantly crafted as The Royle Family's. Slouched in his armchair, Jim's dour running commentary on the TV shows that are on at the time are particularly priceless. Changing Rooms, for instance, boils down to "a cockney knocking nails into plywood... Is this what it's come to?" Not quite; as long as the Royle Family are around, there is something worthwhile to watch. --Edward Lawrenson

• The Royle Family Album - Complete Collection Plus Specials | DVD | (31/05/2010) from £19.99   |  Saving you £20.00 (100.05%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Sit down put your feet up light a fag and join Britain's first family in their sitting room for the complete three series of The Royle Family as well as the Christmas specials and the Finale episode! The Royle Family is a real-life comedy set in a Manchester council house. Imagine a secret camera placed in the living room of an average working class family. The intense drama and emotions of everyday life such as whose turn it is to go to the off-licence is set against the continuous hum of the television. The rosy hue of their life is yellowed only by a nicotine haze. Series 1: 1. Bills Bills Bills 2. Making Ends Meet 3. Sunday Afternoon 4. Jim's Birthday 5. Another Woman? 6. The Wedding Day Series 2: 1. Pregnancy 2. Sunday Lunch 3. Nana's Coming To Stay 4. Nana's Staying! 5. Barbara's Finally Had Enough Series 3: 1. Hello Baby Dave 2. Babysitting Again 3. Decorating 4. Elise Funeral 5. Antony's Going To London 6. The Christening Also includes the 1999 2000 and 2008 Christmas Special episodes as well as the Finale!

• The Royale Family | DVD | (26/01/2009) from £4.97   |  Saving you £8.02 (161.37%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A Nigella-inspired Denise decides that she will cook the Christmas dinner this year.

• The Royle Family - The Complete First Series | DVD | (06/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On paper, The Royle Family doesn't sound that promising: a working-class family from Manchester sit in their cluttered living room, watch the telly and argue over domestic details (the arrival of a telephone bill, for instance, provides the big dramatic event of the first episode, which aired in September 1998). But from such small everyday incidents, Royle Family creators Caroline Aherne and Dave Best (who play young couple Denise and Dave) have crafted one of the most successful shows on British television: a comedy about the joys and frustrations of family life that's warm, honest and very, very funny--Britain's answer to The Simpsons, whose success the show rivalled when it started broadcasting on BBC2 (the programme jumped channels to BBC1 for its second series).The Royle Family marked an on-screen reunion for Brookside-actors Ricky Tomlinson (who plays bearded, big-hearted, banjo-playing Jim Royle) and Sue Johnston as his wife Barbara, the driving force behind the Royle household. It is smart casting because The Royle Family is as much a soap opera as a situation comedy. Now in its third series, The Royle Family has seen its characters develop like real folk. Denise and Dave got married and now have a little sprog; Barbara starts menopause (how many sitcoms are brave enough to use that for laughs?) and Denise's kid brother Anthony shakes off his surly adolescence when he turned 18 in series two. Unlike Oasis, who provide the shows theme song "Halfway Round the World", this programme just keeps getting better.But no soap--not even Brookside in its dafter moments--has one-liners as brilliantly crafted as The Royle Family. (The scripts from the series are available to buy.) Slouched in his armchair, Jim's dour running commentary on the TV shows that are on at the time are particularly priceless: Changing Rooms, for instance, boils down to "a Cockney knocking nails into plywood... Is this what its come to?" Not quite: because as long as the Royle Family are around, there is something worthwhile to watch. --Edward Lawrenson

• Power Rangers - Dino Thunder: Triassic Triumph | DVD | (22/08/2005) from £6.83   |  Saving you £5.16 (75.55%)   |  RRP £11.99

  A spin-off of the popular 'Power Rangers' children's TV show 'Dino Thunder' features a team of kids who discover ancient rocks that give them the ability to transform into superheroes. With the help of manufactured dinosaurs they fight mutants created by an evil paleontologist named Mesogog who would like to see the world return to a prehistoric era. In these episodes Kira and Devin while working at an internship at a TV station are attacked by Mesagog's faceless soldiers the Ty

• Medics - Second Series - Complete | DVD | (21/06/2010) from £12.48   |  Saving you £9.50 (90.56%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Medics: The Complete Second Series (2 Discs)

• The Royle Family - Series 3 | DVD | (15/05/2006) from £6.92   |  Saving you £13.07 (65.40%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Sit down put your feet up light a fag and join Britain's first family in their sitting room for the complete third series of The Royle Family. The Royle Family is a real-life comedy set in a Manchester council house. Imagine a secret camera placed in the living room of an average working class family. The intense drama and emotions of everyday life such as whose turn it is to go to the off-licence is set against the continuous hum of the television. The rosy hue of their life

• Medics - The Complete Series 3 | DVD | (30/01/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A commendably realistic drama focusing on the everyday lives of the staff and patients at the Henry Park Hospital, a fictional teaching hospital in the north west of England, Medics ran for five highly successful series. Tom Baker, Sue Johnston, James Gaddas and Jimmi Harkishin are among the cast of this third series; Anna Friel, Robert Glenister and Jim Carter guest-star.The opening of a new cardiac unit is marred by tragedy, while the hospital continues to fight for funding for its transplant programme. Toby faces disciplinary action following a breach of confidence, Claire's baby is born amid complicated personal circumstances, and Jess's dreams of wedded bliss fail to materialise. Professor of Surgery Geoffrey Hoyt, meanwhile, deals stoically with the private agony of his wife's final days.