"Actor: Tony G"

• Battlestar Galactica | DVD | (26/03/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Battlestar Galactica was one of the first off the starting blocks in the rush to repeat the Box Office business of Star Wars. The original pilot episode was adapted for both cinema and television viewing, and this DVD features the more self-contained theatrical release, which eliminates certain plot threads (such as John Colicos's treacherous character Baltar). Mixing Egyptian, Greek and made-up mythologies and designs, the premise was almost too sprawling for a two-hour presentation. In the series, we'd go on to learn why there were only a handful of humans left floating around, and what their relationship with the eagerly sought planet Earth was. Here it's all about set up, with Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) stealing the show as the fighter pilots with all the charm and the best lines. Lorne Greene adds a classy element to the large-scale acting ensemble, as does an uncredited Patrick Macnee as narrator and voice of the villainous Cylon Leader. Producer/writer Glen A Larson debuted Buck Rogers in the 25th Century at almost the same time (again for both TV and cinema), but something about this has always made it the most fondly remembered Star Wars wannabe. It's a shame that the soundtrack, and Stu Phillips's cracking music in particular, is only presented in mono, but a clean digital transfer at least means that Daggits, Centons and all the other felgercarb look its best. Extras on the DVD include cast and filmmakers' biographies, production notes and Web links. --Paul Tonks

• The Sopranos: Series 1 (Vol. 1) | DVD | (16/04/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there is the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his mid-level capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what is not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com

• Wake Of Death | DVD | (08/08/2005) from £8.05   |  Saving you £11.94 (148.32%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme is back and at his hard-hitting best as Ben Archer an ex-mob enforcer seeking revenge against a ruthless Chinese kingpin responsible for his wife's brutal murder. When Archer joins forces with his old underworld friends an all-out war is waged against the Chinese Triads... Hong Kong favourite Simon Yam faces off against the Muscles From Brussels in this pulse-pounding action thriller!

• Who Dares Wins | DVD | (19/03/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In an uncanny piece of art imitating life, Who Dares Wins came out in 1982 just after the infamous storming of the Iranian Embassy by the legendary British Special Air Services (SAS) unit. The plot builds up to that unshakeable image of black-clad troops abseiling the front of a stately home and smashing through the windows, and pays off expectations with a thrilling finale. Anyone expecting two hours of military instruction will be disappointed however. After the opening 10 minutes with the troops, the almost James-Bond-like story follows Lewis Collins (riding high in those days after TV's The Professionals) as he infiltrates a radical anti-Nuclear society. Operation: Destroy requires him to go undercover with their potentially insane leader Frankie (Judy Davis), ignoring his wife and child. The period detail is often the film's most entertaining feature as Collins tours across 1980s London constantly eluding spies on his tail. Apart from the endless permed hairdos and the fact that the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament hasn't got much to demonstrate about these days, there's the fashions and low-tech gadgetry to enjoy. In the US the film was called The Final Option. The DVD includes a photo gallery, and a history of the SAS. --Paul Tonks

• The Addams Family (Steelbook) | Blu Ray | (13/09/2022) from £37.40   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Beyblade - Vol. 1 | DVD | (05/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Beyblade is an animé tie-in to the high-tech spinning top toys. It has some of the standard faults of the cheaper Japanese animations--such as static backgrounds and overly perky facial design--but it makes inventive use of the idea that the competitions of the Beybladers are the outward manifestation of more occult conflicts in another realm. Young Tyson is a keen and inventive Beyblader--in the first episode, he works out a way of quadrupling the speed and force of his top--but it helps that his Beyblade is inhabited by the spirit of an ancestral dragon. Thus equipped, he moves through one round after another of an international competition, sometimes in alliance with the haughty Kai and his gang and sometimes opposing them, and always helped by Kenny and Dizzi, the spirit beast that inhabits Kenny's laptop. How much of this you want to watch will ultimately depend on how many duels between spinning tops you are going to be interested in, but the byplay between physical and spirit realms, and the conflict of characters is moderately interesting as well. On the DVD: Beyblade, Volume 1 comes with stereo sound and a visual aspect ratio of 4:3. The special features are limited to promotional material for the Beyblade tops, including quizzes and guides to customising. --Roz Kaveney

• Camp Classics Collection (Some Like It Hot, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, La Cage Aux Folles, Birdcage) | DVD | (19/02/2007) from £26.94   |  Saving you £3.05 (10.20%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Some Like It Hot: As well as being acknowledged as one of Marilyn Monroe's finest performances Some Like It Hot is a comedy which presents sharp satire and zany slapstick from acting talents led by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. It's Billy Wilder's film as much as anything else as the comic genius manages to offer plenty of laughs in this cross-dressing classic. Some Like It Hot bridges a gap between traditional Hollywood screwball comedies and the dawning of a saucier more permissive era. For Monroe it's her sexiest and funniest role. As well as looking great she shows natural comedy talent while Curtis and Lemmon have rarely bettered their performances. From the opening scene to the classic closing line of ""nobody's perfect"" this film is an absolute joy. The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert: When Anthony ""Tick""/Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) is invited to perform in Alice Springs he recruits flamboyant young stud Adam/Felicia (Guy Pearce) and the legendary refined Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to join him. Mitzi however fails to disclose one important fact to his friends: his wife is the one who invited them to Alice Springs. With one big secret about to be revealed and another one up his sleeve Mitzi is a little stressed. With long hours on the road ahead of them the trio lip-synchs campy songs on the bus creates fabulous costumes and meets a multitude of colourful characters along the way. They party with friendly aborigines are confronted by judgmental townspeople who are averse to drag queens and meet Bob (Bill Hunter) a warmhearted mechanic and drag fan who joins them for the last leg of their trip when their bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere. La Cage Aux Folles: When young Laurent returns to exotic St. Tropez he bears big news for his beloved father Renato. Laurent has found the girl of his dreams and they are engaged! What's more she and her family are on their way over for dinner at Renato's home to meet the in-laws-to-be. This traditional meeting of families seems typical but because this ultraconservative family will be expecting to meet Renato and wife they'll never be prepared for the shock of meeting Renato and his flamboyant campy outrageous lover -- and drag-queen -- Albin! So in a great effort to please his son Renato asks Albin for the performance of a lifetime...setting up an unforgettable evening that is charged and ready to detonate an explosion of zaniness and absurdity. Birdcage: Robin Williams stars as Armand the outlandish owner of a wild Miami Beach nightclub whose partner Albert is also the star attraction at the club. Gene Hackman (Crimson Tide) is the ultra conservative US Senator Keeley who faces political problems when his closest political ally dies in bed with a prostitute. When Armand's son Val announces his engagement with Keeley's daughter the scene is set for a riotous comedy of errors. Keeley sees the wedding as the opportunity to restore political fortunes by promoting ""traditional family values"". If he only knew what sort of family's his daughter was marrying into! Put the two families together and watch the sparks fly.

• Justice | DVD | (29/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Hollywood superstar James Belushi stars as undercover mole Frank Spello in this all action thriller. After years of deep undercover operation Spello is determined to smash the organized crime syndicates and even endures doing time in one of America's toughest prisons and all the brutal treatment dished out in these so called correction institutions. Spello is by no means the model prisoner and will go to any length in order to be accepted by the underworld and finds himself in many life threatening situations where the cell block rules are..No Rules..No Witnesses.. No Mercy..And No Justice! Eventually winning the respect of Chicago crime lord Sal The Joker Licata Spello is confident his cell block education will assist him on his eventual release . But nothing could prepare Spello for the double-dealing double-crossing and ruthless disregard for human life demonstrated by the Chicago Mafia and Colombian Drug Barons. Teaming up with Gina Gallagher a beautiful young federal prosecutor they find their every move blocked by conspiracy and corruption and as they hurtle from one life threatening situation to another they are convinced that Lady Justice wears a blindfold and must make the ultimate decision as to follow their oath of to serve and protect or dispense their own brand of justice...

• Bride Of The Monster | DVD | (10/05/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  Dr. Eric Vornoff (Bela Lugosi in his last speaking role) recruits twelve men for an experiment to create a race of atomic supermen. Assorted police reporters and a rubber octopus conspire to ensure that his quest fails - it just has to be another of Ed Wood's masterpieces!

• The 6th Day | Blu Ray | (07/04/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a pilot presumed dead who returns home only to find he has been replaced by a clone and his life is in danger.

• Taras Bulba | DVD | (20/10/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Based upon the classic novel by Nikolai Gogol Taras Bulba is an epic tale of love betrayal honour and conflict. This unforgettable saga begins with story of Cossack warriors joining forces with the Polish army to rid the Ukraine of the invading Turkish. But once the battle is won the Cossacks only face treachery from their allies. Cossack leader Taras Bulba swears revenge. Raising his son with the intent of using him as a spy Teras sends his sibling Andrei into the midst of Polish society with the hope of taking them down from the inside. But his plans go awry when Andrei falls in love with the young daughter of a Polish Nobleman ensuing a conflict between national identity obligation duty and love. Directed by celebrated film maker J.Lee Thompson (Cape Fear The Guns Of Navarone) with a screenplay by Waldo Salt (Midnight Cowboy Serpico) Taras Bulba stars Yul Brynner (The Magnificent Seven The King And I) and Tony Curtis (The Defiant Ones The Sweet Smell Of Success) in a complex story of those who put all their faith into a sword.

• Maitresse | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £19.79   |  Saving you £0.20 (1.01%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Originally rejected outright by the BBFC in 1976 and then released with nearly 5 minutes of cuts in 1981 Maitresse is now finally released uncut on DVD. Bulle Ogier plays a professional dominatrix who indulges in a conventional romance with Gerard Depardieu on the ground floor but satisfies more demanding clients in her 'dungeon'. Director Barbet Schroeder apparently cast genuine masochists in this wickedly funny fable on the foibles of sex and love...

• The Legend Of Robin Hood | DVD | (11/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  When a tyrant comes among us a hero will arise to oppose and crush him. In the whole range of fact and fiction there is no character who satisfies this need with more romantic exuberance than Robin Hood. This new serial written specially for television tells once more with a few original variations the story of his exciting life and adventures... The long awaited 1975 miniseries first aired on BBC1 is finally available of DVD!

• Bounce | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £8.33   |  Saving you £7.66 (91.96%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Ben Affleck is a man who switches plane tickets with another who dies in a plane crash. A year later he seeks out the widow (Gwyneth Paltrow) and begins to fall in love with her..

• Persuaders, The - Vol. 1 - Episodes 1 And 2 - Overture / Angie, Angie | DVD | (10/07/2000) from £3.98   |  Saving you £6.01 (151.01%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Between heroic spells as the Saint and James Bond, Roger Moore was teamed with Tony Curtis in this derivative but fun series about a couple of millionaire dilettante adventurers who swan around the world competing for the attention of beautiful women and getting involved in perplexing mysteries. Moore is Lord Brett Sinclair, an uppercrust Brit of impeccable breeding, while Curtis is Danny Wilde, an up-from-the-streets self-made man whose trademark is a pair of brown gloves. The allegedly tasteful Brett and the crasser Danny both model a succession of garish early 70s fashions while their pursuits of duplicitous crumpet usually wind up with the women getting away and the heroes stuck with each other. Given that, this may well be the most blatantly homoerotic of all the buddy television pairings (see the eponymous stars of Starsky and Hutch, Regan and Carter in The Sweeney, Bodie and DoyleThe Professionals) that ran over the screen in the 70s, sublimating their feelings for each other by pulling out their guns and popping off at baddies. Volume One includes: "Overture" which features a gangster who has faked his own death and a brunette with a birthmark, with guest star Imogen (When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth) Hassall; and "Angie... Angie", which concerns a murder at the Cannes Film Festival, with Larry (F Troop) Storch. --Kim Newman

• Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky | Blu Ray | (12/11/2007) from £17.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (11.12%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Patrick Hamilton's trilogy is brought to life in this adaptation. A story of unrequited love set against the backdrop of the grimy streets and public houses of 1930s London revolving around The Midnight Bell a bar off the Euston Road; it follows the painful pursuit of love from three different perspectives: barman Bob who yearns for penniless street-walker Jenny; his colleague Ella torn between the attentions of an older wealthier man and her secret desire for Bob; and Jenny forced onto the streets through circumstances and now struggling to keep her head above water. This beautifully observed three-part series captures the milieu who stand at the side of the bar and pour out their passions: unrequited love ambition and disappointment.

• The Persuaders - Vol. 6 - Episodes 19-22 | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £7.70   |  Saving you £8.29 (107.66%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Starring two icons of the movie world - Tony Curtis as a Bronx boy made good and Roger Moore as an upper crust peer of the realm. Together they are The Persuaders - seekers of justice in an unjust world. Four episodes include: The Morning After wherein Brett awakens after a heavy night's drinking party and finds he has a wife; Read And Destroy where Brett offers his stately home to a double agent on the wrong; A Death In The Family in which a distant relative is killing off the Sinclair family; andThe Ozerov Inheritance where The Grand Duchess requires Brett and Danny's help in establishing her rights to some priceless jewels.

• The Jungle Book 2 (Disney) | DVD | (16/06/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Get ready for an all-new swingin' jungle adventure in this wonderfully entertaining sequel to one of Disney's most well loved films. The story begins where The Jungle Book left off as Mowgli the little boy raised in the jungle leaves his animal friends behind to live in the 'man village'. There Mowgli begins a new life with a loving family that includes his little brother Ranjan and his best friend the brown eyed beauty Shanti. But back in the jungle Baloo the bear misses his friend the little man-cub terribly and sneaks into the village for a visit. Caught up in the fun of seeing good ol' Baloo Mowgli returns to the jungle without telling his new family where he's going. The excitement begins as Mowgli finds himself in the hypnotic stare of a snake named Kaa and dancing in a high flying monkey music extravaganza! But soon Mowgli comes face to face with his old enemy the vengeance seeking tiger Shere Khan. When Shanti and Ranjan realize Mowgli is in danger they team up with Baloo for a showdown with the fearsome cat. Safe at last Mowgli finally faces the choice between his love for the jungle and Baloo - and for the humans he knows are his true family.

• Crosby, Stills And Nash - Long Time Coming | DVD | (24/01/2005) from £5.94   |  Saving you £7.05 (118.69%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Available for the first time on DVD! In 1969 the founding members of three of the most acclaimed bands of the '60s united to form the first rock 'supergroup' - Crosby Stills & Nash. LONG TIME COMIN' showcases their unforgettable 20-plus years together with a nostalgic musical and visual career retrospective of rare TV appearances recording sessions revealing interviews and exciting concert footage spanning their entire career. Includes performances by The Byrds The Hollies and

• Black Books Series 1-3 Box Set | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  From Graham Linehan co-writer of 'Father Ted' comes a new cult comedy set in a second hand bookshop. Dylan Moran stars as the bohemian and frequently drunk owner who has one major problem with his line of work: he hates customers. Help is soon at hand however in the form of mild-mannered Manny (Bill Bailey) who proves to be something of a star at selling books and Fran (Tamsin Greig) who owns the shop next door... Series 1: 1. Cooking The Books 2. Manny First Day 3.The Grapes Of Wrath 4. The Blackout 5. The Big Lock-Out 6. He's Leaving Home Series 2: 1. The Entertainer 2. Fever 3. The Fixer 4. Blood 5. Hello Sun 6. Nice Change Series 3: 1. Manny Come Home 2. Elephants And Hens 3. Moo-ma And Moo-pa 4. A Little Flutter 5. The Travel Writer 6. Party