Blu-Ray

• Alejandro Jodorowsky Collection | Blu Ray | (24/08/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of world cinema's most fabled iconoclasts. Often venerated as the ultimate cult film director, the Chilean artist shot to prominence as a 1970s counter-cultural icon thanks to the masterful movies presented on this collection: Fando y Lis, El Topo and The Holy Mountain. These extraordinary films, presented here alongside his stunning new film Psychomagic, bedazzled audiences with their unique aesthetic, contrasting violence and beauty; the sublime and the sacrilegious; the mystical and the macabre... Jodorowsky's first feature, Fando y Lis, tells of young Fando and his paraplegic sweetheart Lis's journey through a series of surreal scenarios to find the enchanted city of Tar. An ˜acid-western' packed with vivid imagery, El Topo stars Jodorowsky as a master-gunfighter who duels with four sharp-shooting adversaries on his journey across a desert dreamscape. In The Holy Mountain, Jodorowsky plays The Alchemist, a guru who guides a troupe of pilgrims on a quest to ascend the Holy Mountain in search of spiritual enlightenment. Jodorowsky's new cinematic experience, Psychomagic, A Healing Art, explores the directors' radical therapeutic work. Influential, controversial and endlessly fascinating, Jodorowsky's surreal masterpieces are presented here in stunning new 4K restorations, accompanied with a wealth of illuminating extras, and new writing. LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS New 4K restorations of Fando y Lis, El Topo and The Holy Mountain approved by Alejandro Jodorowsky Blu-ray premiere of Jodorowsky's new film Psychomagic High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations Original 1.0 mono audio and optional 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio Newly translated English, Spanish and French subtitles Six collector's postcards Double-sided fold-out poster Limited edition 80-page hardbound book featuring new writing on the films by Virginie Sélavy, Michael Atkinson, Bilge Ebiri, Mark Pilkington and archival articles Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly designed artwork by Matt Griffin FANDO Y LIS Audio commentary by Alejandro Jodorowsky Jodorowsky Remembers Fando y Lis, new interview filmed in Paris Newly filmed introduction with Richard Peña, Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University La Cravate, Jodorowsky's compellingly surreal 1957 adaptation of Thomas Mann's The Transposed Heads La Constellation Jodorowsky, Louis Mouchet's feature-length documentary featuring interviews with Jean ˜Mobieus' Giraud and Peter Gabriel Trailer Image galleries EL TOPO Film presentation in both 1.85:1 and 1.33:1 original theatrical aspect ratios for the first time Audio commentary by Alejandro Jodorowsky Jodorowsky Remembers El Topo, new interview Newly filmed introduction with Richard Peña A Conversation with The Son of El Topo, a newly filmed, extensive interview with Brontis Jodorowsky who stars in El Topo The Father of Midnight Movies, an archival interview with Jodorowsky filmed in 2007 Original trailer Image galleries El Topo Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD THE HOLY MOUNTAIN Audio commentary by Alejandro Jodorowsky Jodorowsky Remembers The Holy Mountain, new interview Newly filmed introduction with Richard Peña Pablo Leder: Jodorowsky's Right Hand Man, Jodorowsky's personal assistant remembers acting in El Topo and The Holy Mountain and his time spent with the director The A to Z of The Holy Mountain, a new video essay by writer Ben Cobb Deleted scenes with director's commentary The Tarot, a short film in which Jodorowsky explains the secrets of the cards Original trailer Image galleries The Holy Mountain Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD PSYCHOMAGIC, A HEALING ART Blu-ray premiere of Jodorowsky's new film Original trailer

• Age of Consent (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (22/03/2021) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Based on Norman Lindsay's controversial autobiographical 1935 novel, Age of Consent is the story of an artist (James Mason), grown tired of producing art for wealthy Americans, who moves to the wilds of Australia's Great Barrier Reef where he meets Cora (Helen Mirren), a teenage girl who inspires him and becomes his muse as well as the object of his desire. The penultimate film from the great Michael Powell (Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, Peeping Tom), Age of Consent explores the obsessive nature of an artist approaching the twilight of his career. Misjudged and mis-handled on its initial release (when the distributor removed key scenes and re-scored the film), Age of Consent is now regarded as one of Powell's key works. Extras High Definition remaster Original mono audio Two presentations of the film: the 2005 restoration of the director's cut, scored by Peter Sculthorpe (107 mins); and the studio cut, scored by Stanley Myers (100 mins) Audio commentary with film historian Kent Jones (2009) The Beauty of the Image: The John Player Lecture with Michael Powell (1971, 85 mins): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Kevin Gough-Yates at London's National Film Theatre The Guardian Interview with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (1985, 105 mins): archival audio recording of the Archers in conversation with Ian Christie at London's National Film Theatre Age of Innocence (2018, 38 mins): an in-depth appraisal of Age of Consent by Ian Christie, author of Arrows of Desire: The Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger Making ˜Age of Consent' (2009, 17 mins): production manager Kevin Powell, composer Peter Sculthorpe and editor Anthony Buckley recall the film's turbulent history Martin Scorsese on ˜Age of Consent' (2009, 6 mins): the acclaimed director discusses the impact and legacy of Powell's film Helen Mirren: A Conversation with Cora (2009, 13 mins): the award-winning actor reflects on one of her earliest and most memorable film roles Down-Under with Ron and Valerie Taylor (2009, 10 mins): a conversation with the celebrated underwater photographers The Boy Who Turned Yellow (1972, 54 mins): Powell and Pressburger's final collaboration, made for the Children's Film Foundation Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material for Age of Consent and The Boy Who Turned Yellow New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

• What's New Pussycat? (Eureka Classics) Blu-ray edition | Blu Ray | (02/12/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eureka Entertainment to release WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT?, Clive Donner's zany screwball comedy starring Peter Sellers and Peter O'Toole, for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range from 2 December 2019. It's tough being the cat's meow! A zany blend of slapstick gags and madcap comedy, What's New Pussycat?, starring Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole and Woody Allen in his acting and screenwriting debut, is the wildest, wackiest film to emerge from the swinging '60s. Michael (O'Toole) is a mademoiselle magnet. His demented psychiatrist (Sellers) and sex-starved friend (Allen) would kill for this problem, but his would-be fiancé (Romy Schneider) might just kill him. Undergoing therapy, Michael tries to reform, but it won't be easy with sex kittens like Ursula Andress, Paula Prentiss and Capucine on his tail! Wonderfully directed by Clive Donner (The Caretaker) and featuring the hit title song written by Burt Bacharach and performed by Tom Jones, Eureka Classics presents What's New Pussycat? on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Features: Presented in 1080p from a high-definition digital restoration Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Uncompressed LPCM 2.0 audio Brand new and exclusive audio commentary by film critics Emma Westwood and Sally Christie Original theatrical trailer A collector's booklet featuring a new essay by Simon Ward

• Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan - The Final Season | Blu Ray | (15/04/2024) from £21.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In the final season of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Jack (four-time Emmy® Award nominee John Krasinski) is promoted to CIA Acting Deputy Director and finds himself on his most dangerous mission yet: he is appointed the daunting task of unearthing internal corruption. As he investigates, Jack discovers the convergence of a drug cartel with a terrorist organization, ultimately revealing a conspiracy much closer to home and testing our hero's belief in the system he has always fought to protect. Also starring Wendell Pierce (The Wire), Emmy® Award nominee Michael Kelly (House of Cards), Abbie Cornish (Limitless), Betty Gabriel (Get Out), and Michael Peña (Cesar Chavez). This 2-disc Blu-ray collection in cludes every thrilling episode along with exclusive deleted scenes.

• Risky Business | Blu Ray | (06/10/2008) from £8.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (122.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Meet the model son who's been good too long. To celebrate its 25th Anninversary Warner have re-released this classic dark comedy. Meet Joel Goodson an industrious college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible trustworthy son. However when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash in a risky way.

• Liam Gallagher: As It Was Blu-Ray | Blu Ray | (10/06/2019) from £11.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Liam Gallagher: As It Was tells the honest and emotional story of how one of the most electrifying rock 'n' roll frontmen went from the dizzying heights of his champagne supernova years in Oasis to living on the edge, ostracised and lost in the musical wilderness of booze, notoriety and bitter legal battles. Starting again alone, stripped bare and with nowhere to hide, Liam risks everything to make the greatest rock'n'roll comeback of all time. Directors Charlie Lightening and Gavin Fitzgerald invite us backstage for a no-holds-barred look at the life of one of the most talked-about and charismatic artists of his generation.

• Monkey Planet - BBC | Blu Ray | (02/06/2014) from £8.75   |  Saving you £16.24 (185.60%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Monkey Planet is a stunning visual experience that explores the amazing world of primates and reveals just what makes our animal family so special. Zoologist Dr George McGavin presents a three-hour exploration of the whole primate family including strange lemurs acrobatic monkeys and the enigmatic apes. From the snowy mountains of Japan to the windswept savannah of South Africa this series uncovers the secrets of the primate family success: ingenious survival tactics and extraordinary physical adaptations; fascinating family lives that mirror ours in so many ways; and highly intelligent flexible minds that show that the smartest primates are more like us than you'd ever think possible. Dr McGavin discovers the ninja tarsier a spring-loaded ambush predator the size of a tennis ball the magnificent herds of geladas in the mountains of Ethiopia. Then there are baboons with a hunger for flamingo flesh; macaques with criminal minds; fluorescent mandrills who wear war-paint to do battle; and Ardry a real life gremlin who 'sees' the unseeable with her 'extra-terrestrial' fingers.

• The Goonies Steelbook | Blu Ray | (25/11/2024) from £28.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Here's another chance to own this absolute classic in SteelBook, are you even a fan if you don't own every version? A decade-defining classic from the imagination of Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus, The Goonies follows a tight-knit group of young friends desperate to save their homes from a greedy real-estate developer. After discovering a mysterious treasure map, they fi nd themselves being chased by a family of fugitives through an underground realm full of twisting passages and booby traps. Their quest: to find the hidden gold of legendary pirate One-Eyed Willy. When all seems lost, the Goonies never say die in this beloved, generation-crossing adventure. On Disc Special Features Commentary (with Hidden Video Treasures) by Director Richard Donner and Select Cast Members The Making of The Goonies Featurette Cyndi Lauper The Goonies 'r' Good Enough Music Video Deleted Scenes Theatrical Trailer

• Game of Thrones - Season 1-4 | Blu Ray | (16/02/2015) from £43.88   |  Saving you £56.11 (127.87%)   |  RRP £99.99

  Season 1Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south where heat breeds plots lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens knights and renegades liars lords and honest men...all will play the 'Game of Thrones.' A new original series based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series. Season 2The Battle continues in Westeros with feuding families and power hungry rulers. Five Kings vie for a single all-powerful throne in the all-new season of Game of Thrones - an epic story of duplicity and treachery nobility and honour conquest and triumph. Season 2 plays out against the backdrop of a fast-approaching winter. In King's Landing the coveted Iron Throne is occupied by cruel young Joffrey counseled by his conniving mother Cersei and uncle Tyrion. But the Lannister hold on the Throne is under assault on many fronts. There's Robb Stark son of the slain Lord of Winterfell Ned Stark; Daenerys Targaryen who looks to shore up her depleted power through three newborn dragons; Stannis Baratheon eldest brother of the late King Robert; and Stannis' brother Renly who has maintained his own claim since fleeing King's Landing. In the meantime a new leader is rising among the wildlings North of the Wall adding new perils for Jon Snow and the Night's Watch. With tensions and treaties animosity and alliances Season 2 of Game of Thrones promises to be a thrilling journey through a riveting unforgettable landscape. Season 3In Season 3 family and loyalty will be the overarching themes and many critical plot points from the first two seasons will come to a violent head with several major characters meeting cruel fates. While a primary focus continues to be on King's Landing where the Lannisters barely held onto power after a savage naval onslaught from Stannis Baratheon (brother of the late king) stirrings in the North threaten to alter the overall balance of power in Westeros. Robb Stark King of the North will face a major calamity in his efforts to build on his victories over the Lannisters in Season 2 while further north Mance Rayder (new character played by Ciarán Hinds) and his huge army of wildlings continue their inexorable march south to scale the Wall. Across the Narrow Sea Daenerys Targaryen - reunited with her three deadly fast-maturing dragons - attempts to raise an army of slaves to sail with her from Essos in hopes of eventually overthrowing the Iron Throne. Season 4As Season 4 begins the Lannisters' hold on the Iron Throne remains intact in the wake of the Red Wedding slaughter that wiped out many of their Stark nemeses. But can they survive their own egos as well as new and ongoing threats? Meanwhile an unbowed Stannis Baratheon continues to rebuild his army; the Lannister-loathing 'Red Viper of Dorne ' Oberyn Martell arrives at King's Landing for Joffrey's wedding to Margaery Tyrell; Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons and unsullied force aim to liberate the largest Slavery City in the east...with long-range plans to take back the Iron Throne; and a depleted Night's Watch faces the advance of Mance Rayder's wildling army who are in turn running from the undead White Walkers. Episodes Comprise: Season 1 Winter is Coming The Kingsroad Lord Snow Cripples Bastards and Broken Things The Wolf and the Lion A Golden Crown You Win or You Die The Pointy End Baelor Fire and Blood Season 2 The North Remembers The Night Lands What is Dead may never Die Garden of Bones The Ghost of Harrenhal The Old Gods and the New A Man without Honour The Prince of Winterfell Blackwater Valar Morghulis Season 3 Valar Dohaeris Dark Wings Dark Words Walk of Punishment And Now His Watch Is Ended Kissed by Fire The Climb The Bear and the Maiden Fair Second Sons The Rains of Castamere Mhysa Season 4 Two Words The Lion and the Rose Breaker of Chains Oathkeeper First of His Name The Laws of Gods and Men Mockingbird The Mountain and the Viper The Watchers on the Wall The Children Special Features: Season 1 Episodic Previews and Recaps (22:45) Making of Game of Thrones (25:00) Character Profiles (15 clips) (30:18) Creating the Dothraki Language (5:26) Inside the Night's Watch (8:05) From the Book to the Screen (5:15) Histories (30:00) (All on every disc) Creating the Show Open (5:05) Cast Audition Tapes (Title TBD) (25:00) Anatomy of Episode 6 A Golden Crown (60 min) Guide to Westeros (Menu-Based In-Episode Interactive Feature) Guide to Westeros (Menu-Based) 7 Audio Commentaries Season 2 Season 1 Recap (2:30) Episodic Previews and Recaps (20:57) Featurettes (74:50) Dragon Eggs (6:01) BTS piece (30 mins) Game of Thrones: Inner Circle The Religions of Westeros (7:32) Character Profiles (7 clips) (15:25) Guide to Westeros (In Episode Interactive Feature) - localized in French Spanish German only War of the Five Kings--localized in French Spanish German only 12 Episode Commentaries Season 3 In-episode Guide The Rains of Castamere Unveiled Histories and Lore Roots of Westeros New Characters A Gathering Storm The Politics of Marriage Inside the Wildlings Deleted Scenes/Extended Scenes 12 Audio Commentaries  

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Blu Ray | (07/12/2020) from £19.99   |  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!

• Horror Express | Blu Ray | (11/02/2019) from £11.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Horror royalty and Hammer alumni Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee reunite for this tale of mad monks, primitive humanoids and bloodthirsty zombies set aboard a train bound for Moscow all aboard the Horror Express! Renowned anthropologist Saxton (Lee) boards the Trans-Siberian Express with a crate containing the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid which, he believes, may prove to be the missing link in human evolution. But all hell breaks loose when the creature thaws out, turning out to be not quite as dead as once thought! Directed by Spanish filmmaker Eugenio Martin, Horror Express remains one for the most thrilling (and, quite literally!) chilling horror efforts of the early 1970s. Features: Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original Uncompressed mono audio Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman Introduction to the film by film journalist and Horror Express super-fan Chris Alexander Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express an interview with director Eugenio Martin Notes from the Blacklist Horror Express producer Bernard Gordon on working in Hollywood during the McCarthy Era Telly and Me an interview with composer John Cacavas Original Theatrical Trailer Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully-illustrated collector s booklet with new writing by Adam Scovell

• Ray | Blu Ray | (21/03/2011) from £10.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (81.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood) the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself and as he did with the life of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba director Taylor Hackford gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise from chitlin circuit performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honours Ray Charles without sanitizing his once-messy life.

• The Addams Family 2 | Blu Ray | (10/01/2022) from £9.22   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Everyone's favorite spooky family is back in the animated comedy sequel, The Addams Family 2. In this all new movie we find Morticia and Gomez distraught that their children are growing up, skipping family dinners, and totally consumed with scream time. To reclaim their bond they decide to cram Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and the crew into their haunted camper and hit the road for one last miserable family vacation. Their adventure across America takes them out of their element and into hilarious run-ins with their iconic cousin, IT, as well as many new kooky characters. What could possibly go wrong?

• Men Of Honour (Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (09/04/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A military drama starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr that tells the true story of Carl Bashear who combated racism to become the US Navy's first African-American deep-sea diver.

• American Pie: Reunion | Blu Ray | (10/09/2012) from £6.79   |  Saving you £20.20 (297.50%)   |  RRP £26.99

  In the comedy American Reunion, all the American Pie characters we met a little more than a decade ago are returning to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion.

• The Flesh Alive | Blu Ray | (11/06/2012) from £9.05   |  Saving you £11.94 (56.90%)   |  RRP £20.99

  Disc 1:1. Garorock Show: Oroborus2. The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe3. Backbone 4. Love5. From The Skyg6. A Sight To Behold7. The Art Of Dying 8. Drum Solo9. Clone10. Flying Whales11. The Way Of All Flesh 12. Terra Incognita13. Vacuity14. Les Vieilles Charrues Show: Lizard Skin15. Indians16. Toxic Garbage Island17. World To Come18. Documentary The Way Of All Flesh Inside19. Oroborus20. The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe21. Backbone22. Flying Whales23. Toxic Garbage Island24. The Way Of All Flesh25. Terra Incognita26. VacuityCD:1. Oroborus2. The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe3. Backbone4. Love5. From The Sky6. A Sight To Behold7. The Art Of Dying8. Clone9. Flying Whales10. The Way Of All Flesh11. Terra Incognita12. Vacuity

• Holy Motors | Blu Ray | (28/01/2013) from £9.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (100.10%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Leos Carax returns to cinema after a 13-year hiatus with Holy Motors, a brilliant, visually striking film that was one of the toasts of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

• School For Scoundrels | Blu Ray | (05/10/2015) from £10.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (109.19%)   |  RRP £22.99

  In School for Scoundrels wimpy Ian Carmichael wants to impress girls and get one over on all-round show-off and cad Terry Thomas (playing gloriously to type). Discovering Alastair Simms' unorthodox school Carmichael happily enrols and learns the quaint tricks of the day for securing the admiration of a fair lady. Ultimately as a star pupil he teaches the Master a thing or two about true love when everything turns out just fine in the end. Appealing to all male sensibilities is the idea of a magical set of simple rules for winning someone's affections. Set in the tweed-rich environment of an English boarding school makes this an even quainter notion. To watch this classic comedy is to cock one's snoot at womanisers everywhere while unavoidably making a mental list of anything that might actually work! The three central performances are brilliantly realised, particularly the role reversal between Carmichael and Thomas. Try playing a tennis match after a viewing without calling "hard cheese". -Paul Tonks

• The Cruel Sea | Blu Ray | (13/06/2011) from £14.98   |  Saving you £7.00 (53.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Nicholas Monsarrat's novel is an unflinching, realistic and emotionally involving account of naval life during the Second World War in which the "heroes" are the men, the "heroines" the ships and the "villain" is not so much the German U-Boats lurking below as "the cruel sea" itself. This 1953 film has become a classic of British cinema largely because it is a straightforward, no-frills adaptation of the book and retain's much of the original's compelling yet almost understated dramatic focus. On convoy duty in the North Atlantic, the crew of HMS Compass Rose face as a matter of routine the threat of destruction from U-Boats as well as a constant struggle against the elements. The convoys themselves are Britain's only lifeline and their loss would lead to certain defeat, but in the early years of the war the ships sent to protect them can do almost nothing to prevent the U-Boat attacks. Jack Hawkins gives one of his finest performances as Captain Ericson, the commander who has to balance destroying the enemy against saving the lives of the men under his care. In one unforgettable scene--a crucial turning point for all the characters--he must decide whether to depth charge a suspected submarine despite the presence of British sailors in the water. As with the book, the individual officers and their lives are carefully delineated, helped by the strength of a cast of (then) young actors (notably Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliot). Ultimately what makes The Cruel Sea such an undeniable classic is that it has neither the flag-waving jingoism nor the war-is-hell melodrama so common to most war movies: instead it relates in an almost matter-of-fact way the bitterness of the conflict at sea fought by ordinary men placed in the most extraordinary of circumstances. --Mark Walker

• Heroes: The Complete Series 1 | Blu Ray | (08/09/2014) from £11.99   |  Saving you £62.00 (517.10%)   |  RRP £73.99

  It’s hard to remember a science fiction series that has hit so big so quickly. Yet by the end of the first series of Heroes, it feels--for all the right reasons--that the show’s been around for longer than it has, such is the huge amount of success it’s enjoyed. The setup is simple, yet undeniably intriguing. It essentially tells the stories of a series of people who discover they have legitimate, differing superhero powers. On top of that, these people then gradually appreciate that these powers are needed for reasons that soon become apparent, and the story of Heroes builds up from there. Heavily influenced by comics both in its structure and story, Heroes sustains interest through a number of story arcs of different magnitudes, skilfully weaving them throughout the 23 episodes that make up the season. It’s contained enough to keep you interested, yet offers enough threads to make several more seasons a very appealing prospect. Heroes, though, really gels because the basics are right. It’s plotted intelligently, written and directed with real nerve and talent, and has a cast who you can’t help but get emotionally involved with. It’s also, for the overwhelming majority of its episodes, utterly compelling televisions. Ironically, its few miss-steps of any note come right at the back end, by which time you really would forgive it pretty much anything. Heroes is rightly being heralded as a sci-fi classic in the making. Yet even if subsequent seasons don’t fully do justice to those words--and at the time of writing, season two is still some way from debuting--this boxset will serve as a glowing testament to just how good television can be when it’s just done right. Quite brilliant. --Jon Foster