"Actor: William Hurt"

• Frank Herbert's Dune--TV series | DVD | (26/11/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Frank Herbert's Dune is a three-part, four-and-a-half-hour television adaptation of the author's bestselling science fiction novel, telling a more complete version of the Dune saga than David Lynch's 1984 cinema film. The novel is a massive political space-opera so filled with characters, cultures, intrigues and battles that even a production twice this length would have trouble fitting everything in. While television is good at setting a scene, it loses the novel's capacity to explain how the future works, and as with Lynch's film, Frank Herbert's Dune focuses on Paul Atreides, the young noble betrayed who becomes a rebel leader--an archetypal story reworked everywhere from Star Wars (1977) to Gladiator (2000). Top-billed William Hurt is only in the first of the three 90-minute episodes, and while he gives a commanding performance, carrying the show falls to the less charismatic Alec Newman. This version is at its strongest in the ravishing Renaissance-inspired production and costume design and gorgeous lighting of Vittorio Storaro (The Last Emperor). The TV budget special effects range from awful painted backdrops to excellent CGI spaceships and sandworms. The performances are variable, from the theatrical camp of Ian McNeice as Baron Harkonnen to the subtlety of Julie Cox's Princess Iruelan. John Harrison's direction is less visionary than Lynch's, but he tells the story more coherently and ultimately the tale's the thing. --Gary S. Dalkin

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence | DVD | (18/03/2002) from £5.49   |  Saving you £8.50 (154.83%)   |  RRP £13.99

  History will place an asterisk next to A.I. as the film Stanley Kubrick might have directed. But let the record also show that Kubrick--after developing this project for some 15 years--wanted Steven Spielberg to helm this astonishing sci-fi rendition of Pinocchio, claiming (with good reason) that it veered closer to Spielberg's kinder, gentler sensibilities. Spielberg inherited the project (based on the Brain Aldiss short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long") after Kubrick's death in 1999, and the result is an astounding directorial hybrid. A flawed masterpiece of sorts, in which Spielberg's gift for wondrous enchantment often clashes (and sometimes melds) with Kubrick's harsher vision of humanity, the film spans near and distant futures with the fairy-tale adventures of an artificial boy named David (Haley Joel Osment), a marvel of cybernetic progress who wants only to be a real boy, loved by his mother in that happy place called home. Echoes of Spielberg's Empire of the Sun are evident as young David, shunned by his trial parents and tossed into an unfriendly world, is joined by fellow "mecha" Gigolo Joe (played with a dancer's agility by Jude Law) in his quest for a mother-and-child reunion. Parallels to Pinocchio intensify as David reaches "the end of the world" (a Manhattan flooded by melted polar ice caps), and a far-future epilogue propels A.I. into even deeper realms of wonder, just as it pulls Spielberg back to his comfort zone of sweetness and soothing sentiment. Some may lament the diffusion of Kubrick's original vision, but this is Spielberg's A.I., a film of astonishing technical wizardry that spans the spectrum of human emotions and offers just enough Kubrick to suggest that humanity's future is anything but guaranteed. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com On the DVD: A perfect movie for the digital age, A.I. finds a natural home on DVD. The purity of the picture, its carefully composed colour schemes and the multifarious sound effects are accorded the pin-point sharpness they deserve with the anamorphic 1.85:1 picture and Dolby 5.1 sound, as is John Williams's thoughtful music score. On the first disc there's a short yet revealing documentary, "Creating A.I.", but the meat of the extras appears on disc two. Here there are good, well-made featurettes on acting, set design, costumes, lighting, sound design, music and various aspects of the special effects: Stan Winston's remarkable robots (including Teddy, of course) and ILM's flawless CGI work. In addition there are storyboards, photographs and trailers. Finally, Steven Spielberg provides some rather sententious closing remarks ("I think that we have to be very careful about how we as a species use our genius"), but no director's commentary. --Mark Walker

• The Big Chill | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £17.49   |  Saving you £-4.50 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  This seminal film about the reunion of thirtysomething friends works even better than when first released in 1983. The fine performances of the ensemble cast and a rockin' soundtrack always made this eminently enjoyable. However, the characters' often pompous blather occasionally stalled the action. Baby Boomer introspection has become so common that such navel gazing seems less problematic than it did in the early 1980s. Seven former classmates from the University of Michigan gather for the funeral of Alex, their idealistic and suicidal friend. They use their time together to become reacquainted, all the while discussing lost dreams and current hopes. (This should appeal to anyone who enjoyed that other famous reunion flick of the 1980s, John Sayles' Return of the Secaucus Seven.) Director-cowriter Lawrence Kasdan culled finely textured performances from his cast and filled the screen with memorable details. He may manipulate us with his writing but the actors do an impressive job of pulling at our heartstrings while Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye play in the background. --Rochelle O'Gorman

• The Accidental Tourist | DVD | (30/01/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  William Hurt and Kathleen Turner join Geena Davis in the bittersweet comedy about a travel writer's unlikely new romance. After the death of his son Macon Leary a travel writer seems to be sleep walking through life. Macon's wife seems to be having trouble too and thinks it would be best if the two would just split up. After the break up Macon meets a strange outgoing woman who seems to bring him back down to earth. After starting a relationship with the outgoing woman Macon

• Dark City | DVD | (01/10/1999) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  If you're a fan of brooding comic-book anti-heroes, got a nihilistic jolt from The Crow (1994) and share director Alex Proyas's highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to call Dark City an instant classic of visual imagination. It's one of those films that exists in a world purely of its own making, setting its own rules and playing by them fairly, so that even its derivative elements (and there are quite a few) acquire their own specific uniqueness. Before long, however, the film becomes interesting only as a triumph of production design. And while that's certainly enough to grab your attention (Blade Runner is considered a classic, after all), it's painfully clear that Dark City has precious little heart and soul. One-dimensional characters are no match for the film's abundance of retro-futuristic style, so it's best to admire the latter on its own splendidly cinematic terms. Trivia buffs will be interested to know that the film's 50-plussets (partially inspired by German expressionism) were built at the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, home base of director Alex Proyas and producer Andrew Mason. The underground world depicted in the film required the largest indoor set ever built in Australia. --Jeff Shannon

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Blu Ray | (07/12/2020) from £11.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Director Steven Spielberg's futuristic sci-fi classic A.I. dazzles! When a prototype robot child named David (Haley Joel Osment) is programmed to love, his human family isn't prepared. Now alone in a dangerous world, David befriends a streetwise robot (Jude Law) and embarks on a spectacular quest to discover the secret of his own identity. SPECIAL FEATURES Documentary on bringing A.I. to the screen Interviews with Steven Spielberg, Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law Behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of A.I. Interview with Sound Designer Gary Rydstrom at Skywalker Ranch Visit to Stan Winston Studios with early Teddy footage Interviews with Lucasfilm's ILM special effects group Trailers, storyboards, drawings and hundreds of photos And much, much more!

• Alice | DVD | (11/02/2002) from £7.45   |  Saving you £8.54 (114.63%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Critics greeted Woody Allen's 1990 opus Alice with sighs of resignation. Here was yet another of Allen's bemused heroines-at-a-crossroads/crisis, falling prey to all kinds of temptation and fantasy and emerging at the other end a more complete, fulfilled or at least self-aware human being. But, though it's a minor work by his highest standards, it has weathered rather well. This is a softer exploration of territory Allen had previously covered rather more intensely and seriously in Another Woman (1988). It's often very funny and ultimately affirms one of Allen's most persistent themes: however confused you think you are, the answer probably lies somewhere inside you rather than in anybody else. As Alice, Mia Farrow gives one of her most versatile and unmannered performances, revealing a real gift for comedy. However bitter the breakdown of her long personal relationship with Allen, there is no doubt that he took her to new professional heights in their cinematic collaborations. At the start, Alice is little more than a well-heeled housewife and mother, a lady who lunches with bitchy friends. Her dissatisfaction with her marriage (to patronising rich guy William Hurt) leads her into the path of Chinese herbalist Dr Yang, whose potions set her off on a series of experiences which include the affair she has been considering, becoming invisible (cue some great gags, especially one involving a New York cab) and a brief flirtation with opium (here Allen's trademark soundtrack of old standards includes the evocative "Limehouse Blues"). There's also some great dialogue. "He's very deep," says Farrow of her putative lover (Joe Mantegna). "Yeah, and very deep is where he wants to put it", cracks back her visiting muse (a glittering cameo from Bernadette Peters). On the DVD: Presented in widescreen (1.85:1) format with a Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack, Alice on DVD replicates the hallmark intimacy of Allen's films in the cinema with good picture and lush sound quality (the importance of his romantic, referential musical choices should never be underestimated). There are no extras, apart from the original theatrical trailer. --Piers Ford

• Alice | Blu Ray | (03/04/2017) from £14.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A delightful return to the romantic-comedy territory that Woody Allen last explored in such classics as Annie Hall and Manhattan, Alice was also Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay, but departs from the earlier films in its embrace of out-and-out fantasy to the point where it becomes a contemporary fairytale. Alice Tate (Mia Farrow) is trapped in a loveless marriage to Doug (William Hurt), to the point where a chance encounter with handsome jazz musician Joe (Joe Mantegna) leaves her hopelessly conflicted. Seeking treatment for backache from a Chinese acupuncturist (Keye Luke), she confesses her feelings under hypnosis and comes away with some ancient herbs that possess mysterious and even supernatural powers. But will they solve Alice's dilemmas, or merely make them even more complicated? And can she really throw away all Doug's material wealth purely for love? Gliding effortlessly from reality to daydream and from memory to magic, while exploring the intricate and unfathomable unity of human bonds, Alice was described by the New York Times as hilarious and romantic, serious and exuberantly satiric.

• John Grisham's The Rainmaker / The Firm / Changing Lanes | DVD | (11/10/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Firm Cruise plays Mitch McDeere a brilliant and ambitious Harvard Law grad. Driven by a fierce desire to bury his working class past Mitch joins a small prosperous Memphis firm that affords Mitch and his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) an affluent lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. But when FBI agents confront him with evidence of corruption and murder within the firm Mitch sets out to find the truth in a deadly crossfire between the FBI the Mob and a force that will st

• Jane Eyre | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £17.22   |  Saving you £-4.23 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Jane Eyre is a poor orphan brought up by a wealthy Aunt who is determined she should never forget her impoverished background. Surviving the cruelty of an oppressive boarding school she becomes the governess of Thornfield Hall owned by the enigmatic and rarely seen Mr Rochester. When Jane finally meets Mr Rochester in the flesh she is consumed by an overwhelming attraction towards him that soon becomes mutual.

• Damages - Season 2 | DVD | (01/10/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Glenn Close leads an incredible ensemble cast starring as hot-shot litigator Patty Hewes as she embarkes on the biggest class-action lawsuit in her firm's history. Patty has several weapons up her sleeve - deception, betrayal and unflinching ambition being just a few. The opposition, her team, and anyone who gets in her way had better watch their backs as she manipulates her way through the case.

• The Proposition | DVD | (04/07/2016) from £6.98   |  Saving you £9.00 (225.56%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Father Michael McKinnon (Kenneth Branagh) arrives in 1930s Boston from the UK to join the priesthood at St. Jude's, and is oddly intent on avoiding contact with his most prominent parishioners, wealthy lawyer Arthur Barret (William Hurt) and wife Eleanor (Madeleine Stowe), a racy proto-feminist writer. Arthur adores Eleanor, and is devastated when their plans to raise a family are quashed by his infertility. Rejecting adoption because she's determined to experience pregnancy, free-thinking Eleanor suggests drastic action. They will pay law student Roger Martin (Neil Patrick Harris) $25,000 in hush money if he'll agree to impregnate her, then raise the child as their own. Trouble is, during his faux-conjugal visits, Roger falls in love with her for real. The priest also has a crisis of faith and conscience as he too starts to fall for Eleanor. Set against the stunning backdrop of a New England autumn, the colourful plot is grounded by Hurt's reliable dramatic conviction as a man of dignity, reserve and intelligence who is also consumed by great passion and fiery rage.

• History Of Violence | Blu Ray | (09/05/2018) from £9.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (50.05%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Viggo Mortensen stars in this stylized thriller from director David Cronenberg.

• Broadcast News | DVD | (19/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Holly Hunter plays a network news producer who, much to her chagrin, finds herself falling for pretty-boy anchorman William Hurt. He is all glamour without substance and represents a hated shift from hard news toward packaged "infotainment", which Hunter despises. Completing the triangle is Albert Brooks, who provides contrast as the gifted reporter with almost no presence on camera. He carries a torch for Hunter; she sees merely a friend. Written and directed by James L. Brooks, Broadcast News shows remarkable insight into the people who make television. On the surface the film is about that love triangle. If you look a little deeper, however, you will see that this behind-the-scenes comedy is a very revealing look at obsessive behaviour and the heightened emotions that accompany adrenaline addiction. It is for good reason this was nominated for seven Academy Awards (though it did not win any). There are scenes in this movie you cannot shake, such as Hunter's scheduled mini-breakdowns, or Brooks' furious "flop sweat" during his tryout as a national anchor. Watch for an uncredited Jack Nicholson as a senior newscaster. --Rochelle O'Gorman

• Frank Herbert's DUNE - 3 Disc Special Edition - Includes Over 2 Hours of Extras - Emmy Award Winning | Blu Ray | (11/10/2021) from £54.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  When House Atreides lead by the noble Duke Leto Atreides (Academy award-winner William Hurt) gains control of the universe's most powerful commodity ˜Spice' a bitter power struggle ensues on the planet Arrakis, and the rival House Harkonnen begins plotting their revenge. As a result, Duke Atreides' mistress (Saskia Reeves), who belongs to the ancient magical order of Bene Gesserit, and their son Paul (Alec Newman) must flee into the dangerous, giant worm-infested dunes where they will need to seek help from the ˜Fremen' the long-suppressed desert people who are engaged in a guerrilla war conflict against the Emperor's forces. As the political agenda of the reigning emperor unfolds, Paul is enlightened about his own ˜mystical powers'. The Fremen desert tribes begin to believe that Paul could be their long-prophesied redeemer and could lead their people to victory. Paul must now face his own destiny while battling the mighty forces pursuing him and restore the House of Atreides. ˜Spice' is the greatest treasure in the empire, and he must ensure it is safely controlled to maintain order and balance. Frank Herbert's Dune has been adapted and directed by John Harrison and an award-winning production team including three-time Academy award-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (The Last Emperor, Apocalypse Now). The Special Edition includes over 2 hours of extra material.

• The King | DVD | (25/09/2006) from £8.98   |  Saving you £13.00 (185.98%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The devil made me do it. After being honourably discharged from the Navy Elvis Valderez returns to him hometown of Corpus Christi in Texas in the hope of finding his father whom he has never met. He soon discovers that he is the pastor of a local Baptist church and married with children. Serving as a reminder of his wayward past Elvis' father rejects him. However Elvis' half-sister and he begin a relationship that leads to tragic consequences.

• The Host | Blu Ray | (29/07/2013) from £5.89   |  Saving you £19.10 (324.28%)   |  RRP £24.99

  What if everything you love was taken from you in the blink of an eye? The Host is the next epic love story from the creator of the Twilight Saga worldwide bestselling author Stephanie Meyer. When an unseen enemy threaten mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about - Jared (Max Irons) Ian (Jake Abel) her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

• Moby Dick | DVD | (13/10/2014) from £5.78   |  Saving you £10.21 (176.64%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Ishmael (Charlie Cox) sees his dream of a whaling voyage come true when he joins the crew of the Pequod, a whaling boat leaving port in Nantucket. The commander of the whale boat is the charismatic, some would say despotic, Captain Ahab (William Hurt), an experienced seaman and whale hunter who lost his leg several years earlier in a struggle with the gigantic white sperm whale Moby Dick. Now he is obsessed with taking revenge on the legendary creature. Neither his long-suffering wife (Gillia.

• Dark City | Blu Ray | (04/08/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to find he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. His memories have vanished and even his beautiful wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly) has become estranged from him. So begins a quest to unravel the mysteries of his pact; a quest that will take him into a fiendish underworld where he is relentlessly pursued by the police and a gang of shadow-like beings known as the Strangers and where only the sinister Doctor Schreber (Keifer Sutherland) is able to help him.

• Tuck Everlasting | DVD | (08/12/2003) from £6.46   |  Saving you £8.53 (56.90%)   |  RRP £14.99

  With the makings of a classic, Disney's Tuck Everlasting is loosely but respectfully adapted from Natalie Babbitt's beloved children's book. This appealing fable focuses on the timeless Tuck family, blessed--and cursed--with immortality after drinking from a magical spring. Hiding their secret over passing decades, they are discovered in 1914 by Winnie (Alexis Bledel)--the only daughter of stern, upper-crust socialites--who encounters the life-affirming Jesse Tuck (Jonathan Jackson) and grows enchanted with his family (Sissy Spacek, William Hurt, Scott Bairstow) while her parents fear she's been kidnapped. The film's teenage romance is invented (Winnie is younger in Babbitt's book), but it's charmingly appropriate, and Ben Kingsley is perfect as a menacing man of mystery. Scoring a solid follow-up to his equally enjoyable My Dog Skip, director Jay Russell turns Tuck Everlasting into a magical plea for living life to its fullest. --Jeff Shannon