"Actor: Walter Don"

• Kotch | DVD | (08/04/2002) from £22.98   |  Saving you £-16.99 (-283.60%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Kotch is a gentle comedy that reunites Walter Matthau with Jack Lemmon (this time behind the camera) in a wry look at the alienation of the elderly. Matthau's character of the title is a retired man who lives with his son and increasingly stressed daughter-in-law, as well as the grandson he dotes on. Finding himself pushed more and more into the sidelines, Kotch sets off on a journey that brings him into contact with pregnant teenager Erica (Deborah Winters), a relationship that re-introduces purpose into his life. Matthau is perfect as the eccentric Kotch, stealing every scene with his rambling monologues, although Winters brings out the caring, paternal side perfectly. It is a little schmaltzy in parts (the opening credits are particularly off putting), but Koch is ultimately an effective work that makes you wonder just why Lemmon never took the director's chair again. On the DVD: Given the wealth of potential material, the half-hearted effort at providing some extra insight is pretty woeful. There are no visual images, just a few production and biographical notes--a huge opportunity missed. --Phil Udell

• Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 2 | DVD | (01/11/2004) from £35.90   |  Saving you £34.09 (94.96%)   |  RRP £69.99

  Episodes comprise: 1. Amok Time 2. Who Mourns For Adonais? 3. The Changeling 4. Mirror Mirror 5. The Apple 6. The Doomsday Machine 7. Catspaw 8. I Mudd 9. Metamorphosis 10. Journey To Babel 11. Friday's Child 12. The Deadly Years 13. Obsession 14. Wolf In The Fold 15. The Trouble With Tribbles 16. The Gamesters Of Triskelion 17. A Piece Of The Action 18. The Immunity Syndrome 19. A Private Little War 20. Return To Tomorrow 21. Patterns Of Force 22. By Any Other Name 23. The O

• Play Misty For Me | DVD | (18/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Clint Eastwood (making his very assured directorial debut) is a poetry-spouting stud-muffin DJ stalked by a maniacally amorous fan after a misguided one-night stand in this enjoyably schlocky, undeniably effective film about good intentions gone murderously wacky. Although many of the very 1970s trappings presented here may ultimately be too dated to be taken seriously (including a highly self-indulgent jazz number and a hilariously gooey seduction number between Eastwood and Donna Mills), the core premise of infatuation taken out of bounds remains uncomfortably plausible--and was influential enough to be appropriated by one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. (Here's a hint--it starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and a very unfortunate bunny rabbit.) A well-staged and occasionally very frightening thriller worth watching for Jessica Walter's peerlessly unhinged performance alone. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Don Siegel (director of Dirty Harry, Coogan's Bluff and The Beguiled, to name but a few) has a nice cameo as Murphy, the moustachioed, chess-playing bartender. --Andrew Wright, Amazon.com

• The Last Time I Saw Paris | DVD | (07/03/2005) from £4.67   |  Saving you £-0.68 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  This tragic love story is brought to life with vitality and verve in this no expense spared lavish production. Van Johnson stars as a G.I. with literary ambitions who relocates to Paris after World War 2 and meets a wealthy American girl. They fall in love and settle down as he attempts to write his first novel. His work is not well received and he hits the bottle. The story follows Johnson to America and then back to Paris as the tragic tale of these two star-crossed lovers unfolds. Elizabeth Taylor was never more beautiful and both she and Van Johnson turn in superb performances.

• The Last Time I Saw Paris | DVD | (07/04/2008) from £7.09   |  Saving you £-1.10 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic story Babylon Revisited this epic romance is a captivating blend of Parisian expatriate high society and the struggles of post World War II Europe. When American war reporter Charles Wills (Van Johnson) meets the restless and fun-loving Helen Ellswirth (Elizabeth Taylor) they immediately fall in love. They spend their time staying out all night gambling and living life in the glory of the Parisian artistic Left Bank society. Eventually they get married and have a family but life becomes more difficult as they try to continue on their free-spirited and reckless adventure.

• Blood Relatives | DVD | (31/01/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.99

  In this disturbing psychological thriller two young girls are attacked on the street by a violent rapist. Muriel (Langlois) is murdered but her cousin Patricia (Landry) survives. Inspector Carella (Sutherland) soon has a prime suspect - Doniac (Pleasence) - a known sex offender. He is released when Patricia fails to identify him and Carella turns his attention to Armstrong a man known to Muriel who fits the description. Muriel's funeral is marked by an emotional outburst from Patri

• Verdi: La Traviata -- Glyndebourne | DVD | (31/10/2000) from £16.28   |  Saving you £11.70 (88.04%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Performances of La Traviata stand or fall to an unusual extent on their principal soprano; the first thing that needs saying about this Glyndebourne performance is that Marie McLaughlin has all of the attributes needed for a role that is fundamentally a virtuoso one, no matter how emotionally involving it is as well. The point about Violetta is that she is, with absolute authenticity, all of the things she becomes in the course of the opera--the febrile socialite and yearning love of Act One, the quiet domesticated woman of Act Two who sacrifices her love for Alfredo to precisely the family values he has talked her into espousing, the dying penitent of Act Three. Walter McNeil is an impressive poetic Alfredo in whose successful courtship we can believe. He is also unusually good in Act Two, Scene Two where for once his public humiliation of Violetta is actually painful, which makes his repentance at her deathbed far more moving. Brent Ellis is solidly powerful as his father Germont--the duet in which he talks Violetta into renouncing his son and comes to value what he is destroying is one of the high points here, as it should be. Bernard Haitink conducts impressively. On the DVD: As (unfortunately) usual with Arthaus Musik, the DVD contains no extra features worth mentioning past the usual subtitles in German, English and French, relegating discussion of the opera's stormy history to the booklet. --Roz Kaveney

• The Grass Harp | DVD | (05/01/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  After his mother's death Collin Fenwick goes to live with his father's cousins the wealthy avaricious and controlling Verena Talbo and her compliant earthy sister Dolly...

• Meet John Doe | DVD | (15/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In protest at the corruption and hypocrisy he sees all around him an unemployed man calling himself ""John Doe"" has written to the New Bulletin newspaper pledging to throw himself from the top of City Hall on Christmas Eve. Written by a discharged journalist as a publicity stunt and as a parting shot at the paper's new editor the premise of the letter unexpectedly fires the imagination of the bulletin's readers and the wider American public. Its real author Ann Mitchell (Barbara S

• The Affairs of Susan | DVD | (21/03/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Oscar-winning screen idol Joan Fontaine (Suspicion, Rebecca) stars as Susan Darrell, a stunning but naïve actress from New York who is about to get married. Though she only met her fiancé Richard (Walter Abel) a few weeks previously, the lovebirds are set on tying the knot and throw a party to celebrate. Mingling amongst their guests, Richard finds three former because of Susan's and starts probing them on how they met. All the men clearly still carry a torch for Susan, but each of them knows a very different woman not so naïve after all. Broadway big-shot Roger (George Brent), Millionaire Mike (Don DeFore) and novelist Bill (Dennis O'Keefe) each give Richard a conflicting portrait of his fiancée. With their wedding rapidly approaching, Richard is left wondering exactly what kind of woman he will be facing at the altar William A. Seiter (Laurel and Hardy Sons of the Desert) directs an all-star cast in this sharp, witty comedy-drama as chaotic and enchanting as Susan herself. Also stars Byron Barr.

• The Last Time I Saw Paris | DVD | (01/09/2003) from £8.20   |  Saving you £-1.22 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

• No Orchids For Miss Blandish | DVD | (18/11/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Beautiful heiress Miss Blandish (Linden Travers) is kidnapped by a gang of hoodlums and falls into the hands of Slim Grisson (Jack La Rue) a murderous gangster. Erotically attracted to his savagery she persuades him to run away with her but a lethal double cross is just around the corner...

• Wayne Out West | DVD | (15/11/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £49.99

  A collection of classic Westerns starring the icon John Wayne. Films comprise: 1. Dark Command 2. Tall in the Saddle 3. Angel and the Bad Man 4. The Fighting Kentuckian 5. The War Wagon 6. Rooster Cogburn

• The Last Time I Saw Paris | DVD | (12/01/2004) from £5.38   |  Saving you £-3.39 (N/A%)   |  RRP £1.99

  Based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story this romantic epic stars Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson as two strangers who meet fall in love and marry in post-war Paris. Taylor represents the Ellswirth family: eccentric and free spending but seemingly always on the brink of bankruptcy. When she is unable to change her ways when married life becomes more difficult...

• Meet John Doe | DVD | (01/09/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

• Aida - Giuseppe Verdi | DVD | (10/05/2008) from £6.15   |  Saving you £-1.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  Set amidst the swirling sands of ancient Egypt Giuseppe Verdi's Aida is one of the most stirring and popular operas of all time. It is the tragic story of lovers separated by jealously and family loyalty at a time when the Pharaohs ruled.

• Steely Dan - Aja | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Originally produced for cable and home video as a documentary project, the Classic Albums series offers in-depth profiles of enduring rock and pop albums built around first-person interviews with the artists, producers and musicians that created them. That audio focus creates an ironic, largely perceptual problem for DVD release, since the segments aren't intended to replace the original audio recordings, only to expand upon them: these are conventional DVDs, not harbingers of true audio DVD optimised for sonic resolution, and they are not mixed to exploit surround playback. If you haven't heard these albums, nearly all of them landmarks in late 20th century pop, then this isn't the place to start, and Aja magnifies that issue through the very high standard of the original audio recording, itself a true audiophile work. If you do know the album, however, the Classic Album presentation is a handsomely produced, revealing companion. --Sam Sutherland

• Elizabeth Taylor - Movie Star - The Classic Collection | DVD | (07/07/2008) from £16.85   |  Saving you £-3.86 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Ms Taylor has been a movie star for generations and continues to grab headlines whenever she makes public appearances usually in support of the many charities she endorses. These are three fascinating performances from the queen of the silver screen which show her acting range at its best. Featured in this collection are: The Last Time I Saw Paris (Dir. Richard Brooks) (1954): A romance starring Elizabeth Taylor Van Johnson Walter Pidgeon Donna Reed and Eva Gabor. A GI goes to Paris shortly after World War II to write a book. There he meets a beautiful wealthy woman and falls in love. All goes well until he cannot sell his book and turns to the bottle. This causes the couple to fight continuously Divorce His Divorce Hers (Dir. Waris Hussein) (1973): In which Ms Taylor stars with the love of her life Richard Burton. This is a two-sided tale of a marriage that has gone awry after nearly twenty years. The movie is told in two parts - first his side of the divorce then hers. Father's Little Dividend (Dir. Vicente Minnelli) (1951): Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett star as Stanley and Ellie Banks the parents of newlywed Kay Dunstan (Elizabeth Taylor) in this sequel to Farther of the Bride. Although Stanley's hoping for some peace and quiet now that Kay's been married off he soon learns he's in for more chaos as an expectant grandfather.

• America's Railroads | DVD | (20/10/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  If you like trains you will love this diverse and fascinating collection of films. These fact-filled documentaries span the history and development of the railroad industry from the building of the first transcontinental line to the height of steam engine operations during World War II to the eventual triumph of diesel over steam. Relive the thrill of riding the rails across an ever-changing American landscape and experience the challenges the romance and the day-to-day operations of America's greatest railroads. Take a nostalgic look back at a classic way of life as we introduce you to the people and machines that built the great American Railroad. Introductions by noted railroad historians Walter P. Gray IV and Don DeNevi. Episodes Comprise: 1. An Introduction to the Railroad in America 2. Last of the Giants 3. 225 000 Mile Proving Ground 4. Flight of the Century 5. Science Rides the High Iron 6. Operation Fast Freight 7. Steam Train Wrecks of the 1920's 8. The Steam Locomotive 9. Power Behind the Nation 10. Clear Signal 11. Lifeline of a Nation 12. The Freight Train 13. Snow on the Run 14. Early Steam Trains 15. The Milwaukee Road 16. California Zephyr 17. B&O's 800 Mile Birthday Party 18. Big Trains Rolling

• The Enron - Smartest Guys In The Room/One Day In September/The U.S. Vs John Lennon | DVD | (01/10/2007) from £27.99   |  Saving you £-8.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Set Comprises: Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room (2005): This searing examination of the Enron accounting scandal reveals the psychology of greed and corporate corruption that facilitated the company's rise to power and also its fall. When Enron went bankrupt in 2001 the principals walked away millionaires--but later faced legal proceedings and jail sentences. Meanwhile many employees and investors were left with nothing not even their retirement savings. Shedding light on the new economy of the 1990s when predictions and book-cooking flourished without actual profits the film shows how it was not Enron alone but a network of bankers traders and accountants who turned a blind eye to the company's clearly suspicious numbers. CEO Ken Lay and top dogs Jeff Skilling and Andy Fastow give candid interviews that illustrate their skill at deflecting hard questions and egotistically boasting about the company's success. In one of the company's cold and calculated moves - which caused the California power outages and lead to the ousting of governor Gray Davis - Enron employees are shown laughing at forest fires. Unbelievable footage of employees reveals unbridled greed lust for risk-taking and guiltless cheating all while thinking they could never be caught. Finally a few brave whistle-blowers stepped forward including Bethany McLean author of the Enron novel upon which this film is based who wrote an article in Fortune magazine calling the company's bluff. A remarkable documentary which packages the events of the scandal into a cohesive story this is one film not to miss! One Day In September (1999): 1972. The Munich Olympic Games. 121 nations. 7 123 competitors. Over a billion viewers and 8 Palestinian terrorists. For the first time in over 25 years the truth is revealed. One Day In September is the incredible shocking story about the brutal massacre of Israeli athletes by a team of extremist Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Finally the unbelievable truth is revealed: how eight terrorists easily snuck into the Olympic Village and took 11 innocent athletes hostage the tension-filled negotiations that followed and the shocking conclusion at a German airport that stunned the world. Featuring the frightening perspective of the only surviving terrorist and revelatory facts about what really happened on that dark night. Directed by Kevin MacDonald and narrated by Michael Douglas One Day In September unfolds like a gripping thriller - except this unforgettable story is completely true... The US Vs John Lennon (2006): Before Iraq before the Bush Administration before the Dixie Chicks Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam... there was John Lennon the celebrated musical artist who used his fame and fortune to protest against the Vietnam War and advocate for world peace. Filmmakers David Leaf and John Scheinfield trace Lennon's metamorphosis from loveable ""mop-top"" to