"Actor: William Steele"

• Dial 999: The Complete Series | DVD | (26/04/2021) from £59.92   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Mermaids | DVD | (23/07/2001) from £10.00   |  Saving you £2.99 (29.90%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Richard Benjamin's off-beat 1990 comedy Mermaids found Cher at the peak of her big-screen form. She plays Mrs Flax to the manner born. The eccentric mother feeds her two daughters on hors d'oeuvres and sticks a pin in the map to decide the family's next destination when her love affairs have run their course. When they reach New England, however, events--and an unlikely but amiable suitor (Bob Hoskins)--interrupt her self-centred progress and bring the facts of life home to roost with a vengeance. It's a well-made comedy with good performances from Cher and Hoskins, although neither of them is particularly stretched. There is also enough tension in the relationship between Mrs Flax and her eldest child to make it poignant as well as funny. As the Flax daughters, Winona Ryder (neurotic, unworldly Charlotte) and Christina Ricci (swimming-mad "fishhead") show plenty of the promise which has since made them two of America's most appealing film actresses. Stuffed with authentic 1960s detail, Mermaids is actually a modern "woman's picture" which affirms the often precarious bonds of family relationships. On the DVD: Presented in widescreen format, optimised for high-resolution television sets, Mermaids is a vibrant visual treat for anybody with an affection for 1960s kitsch and fashion. The picture quality is superb and the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack sharp; some cracking dialogue has to share the sound waves with thumping hits of the day and, over the final credits, Cher's global smash hit rendering of "It's in His Kiss". But apart from a multilingual choice of soundtracks and subtitles and the original theatrical trailer, there are no extras. --Piers Ford

• The Outlaw | DVD | (08/09/2003) from £7.99   |  Saving you £-3.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  A very loose retelling of the legendary story of Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid the film achieved notoriety thanks to the lead female Jane Russell. Aged just 19 when the film was made her ample physical attributes were such that the producer and director Howard Hughes spent thousands advertising the film in advance of its release with the slogan 'what are the two reasons for Jane Russell's rise to stardom?' The film was initially banned (which Hughes wanted) although this did not st

• Track Of The Vampire / Nightmare Castle | DVD | (20/02/2006) from £17.53   |  Saving you £-0.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Track Of The Vampire: An artist in Venice California named Antonio Sordi (William Campbell) becomes convinced he is the descendant of 15th century vampires in this strange film partially directed by Jack Hill (Spider Baby Foxy Brown). It's an interesting surreal piece of low-budget exploitation as Sordi murders women drains them of their blood and then dips them in wax and paints them. Marissa Mathes plays one of the victims as does Sandra Knight. Lori Saunders is a ballerina whom Sordi becomes convinced is the reincarnation of his ancestor's dead lover. If the film seems at times bizarre it may be because Hill centered it around footage from a 1963 Yugoslavian picture called Operation Titian to which he then added English-speaking scenes. After conflicts with producer Roger Corman Hill left the film and fellow Corman protegee Stephanie Rothman completed the work and added the vampire element. Regardless of authorship and some disjointed elements the film maintains an eerie tone and should find a place in the hearts of low budget horror fans. Corman regulars Jonathan Haze and Sid Haig also appear in supporting roles. Nightmare Castle: A jealous mad scientist savagely murders his faithless wife and her lover. Using the dead couple's blood he conducts a bizarre experiement on rejuvenation. To complete his revenge he then seeks to marry his late wife's sister after realizing that she has been left with the inheritance. In time the perturbed ghosts of the late lovers appear and seek their own revenge.

• The Devil's Brother / Bonnie Scotland | DVD | (12/06/2018) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A