Classic Films

• Song Without End | DVD | (06/08/2013) from £11.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (30.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Stunningly filmed in Technicolor and featuring one of the finest musical scores Hollywood has ever produced, Charles Vidor's Song Without End - the 1960 biopic of the virtuoso pianist and composer Franz Liszt won both Oscar (1961) and Golden Globe awards (1961). Dirk Bogarde stars as Franz Liszt.The finest virtuoso pianist of his day, Liszt is the toast of Europe, filling concert halls from Paris to Vienna and playing command performances for the crowned heads of Europe. His interpretations of the works of the great composers are unsurpassed - but he dreams that one day his own compositions will enthrall his adoring crowds. As his fame grows, his personal life falls apart. Already involved in a scandalous affair with a French Countess (Genevieve Page), now he dreams of seducing and marrying a Russian Princess (Capucine) whose love is absolutely forbidden... A musical masterpiece, Song Without End features almost forty beautiful pieces by some of the world's greatest composers including Chopin, Beethoven,Wagner, Bach, Verdi and Schumann as well as works by Liszt himself. Solo piano pieces are performed by the maestro Jorge Bolet, with accompaniment from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Roger Wagner Chorale. Song Without End was to be the final film by Charles Vidor who died before production was complete, with his place taken by George Cukor.

• The Reckless Moment | DVD | (18/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  This Ophuls film noir classic is rich in suspense strikingly photographed and features career best performances from Joan Bennett and James Mason. Based on the story 'The Blank Wall' by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding.

• In a Lonely Place | Blu Ray | (16/05/2016) from £17.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (55.59%)   |  RRP £27.99

  One of the classics of the noir psychological thriller, In a Lonely Place is one of Humphrey Bogart's finest performances. He is almost unbearably intense as Dixon Steele, a screenwriter with high standards and a nasty temper who finds himself under suspicion when Mildred, a hat-check girl he knows, is found murdered. Immediately he gets an alibi from a neighbour, Laurel, and equally quickly, he recognises that this is a woman who meets his standards: the question is, as suspicion of his involvement in Mildred's death continues, can he make himself meet hers? This is a wonderful study in trust and suspicion and the limits of love; Bogart's performance is impressive simply because he is prepared to go well over the limits of our sympathy in the name of emotional truth. The scene where he explains imaginatively to a cop and his wife how the murder might have happened is a spine-chilling, creepy portrait of amoral artistic brilliance. Gloria Grahame is equally fine as the woman who lets herself love him, for a while. On the DVD: In a Lonely Place comes with an excellent documentary in which Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential) explains the importance of the film to him and discusses its place in the work of Bogart and the director Nicholas Ray; there is also a quick interesting documentary about the restoration and digitisation of classic films. The film is presented with a visual aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and with restored Dolby Surround sound that does full justice to the film's snappy dialogue and the moody George Antheil score. --Roz Kaveney

• There's No Business Like Show Business | DVD | (23/07/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Son Tim meets hat-check girl Vicky and the family act begins to fall apart.

• The Wizard of Oz - 75th Anniversary Edition | Blu Ray | (03/11/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Young Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz -- the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) -- have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children. Actress Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy's enchanted ruby slippers, has had the singular honour of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film's still as fresh, frightening and funny as it was when first released in 1939. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it's loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Partly shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of colour and decor), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's nonetheless required viewing for kids of all ages. --Jeff Shannon

• Vengeance is Mine | Blu Ray | (13/02/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Based on the true story of Iwao Enokizu (Ken Ogata) and his murderous rampage which sparked a 78-day nationwide manhunt, Shhei Imamura’s disturbing gem 'Vengeance Is Mine' won every major award in Japan on the year of its release. Both seducing and repelling with its unusual story and grisly humour, mamura uncovers a seedy underbelly of civilised Japanese society. Unfolding through multiple flashbacks, Ogata delivers a career-defining performance as a day-labourer and smalltime con-artist who, after killing two of his co-workers, embarks on a psychopathic spree of rape and murder. Eluding the police and public, Japan’s infamous “King of Criminals” passes himself off as a Kyoto University professor, only to become entangled with an innkeeper and her perverted mother. Five years in the making, 'Vengeance Is Mine' transcends the imitations of run-of-the-mill criminal studies by presenting a portrait of a killer imbued with a poignant, tragic banality. Special Features: New 1080p Blu-ray encode in the film’s original aspect ratio New and improved optional English subtitle translation Audio commentary by noted critic and filmmaker Tony Rayns Video introduction by film director Alex Cox Original Japanese theatrical teaser and trailer (Blu-ray only) 56-Page Booklet featuring a 1994 interview with Imamura by Tichi Nakata, original promotional material, and a director’s statement

• Woodstock | Blu Ray | (15/06/2009) from £11.89   |  Saving you £11.10 (93.36%)   |  RRP £22.99

  In August 1969 half a million hippies flocked to attend a huge rock music event at Woodstock USA. It was an event destined to become the definitive document on the freaked-out craziness of the peace and love era. The line-up includes The Who Joan Baez Santana Joe Cocker Ten Years After Country Joe And The Fish Crosby Stills And Nash and Jimi Hendrix.

• 9 Movie Western Collection - Vol. 3 | Blu Ray | (19/08/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Horsemen | Blu Ray | (30/10/2023) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  TBC

• The Nude Vampire (Limited Edition 4K UHD) | Blu Ray | (29/04/2024) from £24.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jean Rollin's second feature film, and his first in colour, The Nude Vampire (La Vampire nue) finds the master of the fantastique combining his trademark erotic-vampire themes with an homage to the mystery serials of his youth. When Pierre (Olivier Martin), the son of a wealthy industrialist, witnesses a beautiful woman (Caroline Cartier) being pursued and captured by men in bizarre masks, he decides to investigate, uncovering a sinister vampire cult... Starring Caroline Cartier (Lumière), veteran French character actors Bernard Musson (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) and Paul Bisciglia (The Demoniacs), Lettrist artist Maurice Lemaître (co-writer of Rollin's The Iron Rose), and Rollin regulars Olivier Martin (The Rape of the Vampire) and twins Cathy and Marie-Pierre Castel (Lips of Blood), The Nude Vampire is one of Jean Rollin's most eccentric and effective works. Product Features Brand-new 4K HDR restoration from the original negative by Powerhouse Films 4K (2160p) UHD presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original French and English mono soundtracks Audio commentary with film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby (2024) Jean Rollin Introduces 'The Nude Vampire' (1998) Le Passage (2024): updated documentary on the making of The Nude Vampire by Rollin's personal assistant, Daniel Gouyette, including interviews with key collaborators Natalie Perrey, Jean-Noël Delamarre and Jean-Pierre Bouyxou Fragment d'un dialogue (2024): extracts from selected interviews with Rollin conducted by Gouyette between 1998 and 2003 Interview with archivist Lucas Balbo exploring Rollin's connection to the French anarchist union (2024) Critical appreciation by author and film historian Virginie Sélavy (2024) Original French and English theatrical trailers Image gallery: promotional and publicity material, and behind the scenes New and improved English translation subtitles for the French soundtrack New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a selection of new and archival writing including a new essay by David Jenkins, an archival introduction by director Jean Rollin, an archival interview with Rollin, and full film credits. World premiere on 4K UHD Limited edition of 10,000 individually numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US All extras subject to change

• Live at Woodstock | Blu Ray | (08/03/2010) from £10.28   |  Saving you £7.71 (75.00%)   |  RRP £17.99

  live at woodstock blu-ray see larger image and other views live at woodstock blu-ray (1969)rating: nr (not rated) format:product details * format: color * language: english * aspect ratio: 1.33:1 * number of discs: 1 * rating: nr (not rated) * studio: sony legacy * dvd release date: march 9, 2010 * average customer review: no customer reviews yet. be the first. * asin: b0033agpgm * amazon.com sales rank: #47,874 in movies & tv (see bestsellers in movies & tv)

• Gracie Fields Collection | DVD | (11/02/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  This box set features the following films: Love Life and Laughter (Dir. Maurice Elvey) (1934): An impoverished author and a cabaret girl each have their dream of success but are happy to wake to each other and reality. Sing As We Go (Dir. Basil Dean) (1934): When the textile mill closes putting her out of work Gracie finds herself experiencing all of the amusements of Blackpool. Sally In Our Alley (Dir. Maurice Elvey) (1931): A working class girl who waits on tables in a London coffee house sings to the customers to keep them entertained. Looking on The Bright Side (Dir. Graham Cutts / Basil Dean) (1932): Manicurist Fields falls for songwriting hairdresser Dolman whose heart belongs to a gorgeous singer. Queen of Hearts (Dir. Monty Banks) (1936): Gracie Perkins is a seamstress who is mistaken for a wealthy patroness of the arts! Look Up And Laugh (Dir. Basil Dean) (1935): Gracie rallies fellow stall-holders when a department store chain threatens to takeover and demolish their business. The Show Goes On (Dir. Basil Dean) (1937): The rise of British entertainer Graci Fields from humble mill girl to the most popular and highest paid performer in Great Britain during the Depression era is chronicled in this biographical drama.

• Manhattan | Blu Ray | (28/08/2023) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Nominated for two Academy-Awards® and considered one of (Woody) Allen's most enduring accomplishments - BoxOffice Manhattan is a wry, touching and finely rendered portrait of modern relationships set against the backdrop of urban alienation. Sumptuously photographed in black and white (Allen's first film in that format) and accompanied by a magnificent Gershwin score. Allen's aesthetic triumph is a prismatic portrait of a time and a place that maybe studied decades hence (Time). Forty-two-year-old Manhattan native Isaac Davis (Allen) has a job he hates, a seventeen-year-old girlfriend, Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), he doesn't love, and a lesbian ex-wife, Jill (Meryl Streep), who's writing a tell-all book about their marriage...and whom he'd like to strangle. But when he meets his best friend's sexy intellectual mistress, Mary (Diane Keaton), Isaac falls head over heels in lust! Leaving Tracy, bedding Mary and quitting his job are just the beginnings of Isaac's quest for romance and fulfilment. In a city where sex is as intimate as a handshake - and the gateway to true love...is a revolving door. Manhattan, 1979 Supporting Actress (Mariel Hemingway); Original Screenplay Product Features Theatrical Trailer

• Out 1 | Blu Ray | (10/06/2019) from £54.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Out 1 is one of the crowning achievements of Jacques Rivette s remarkable career. Conceived as a television mini-series, this near-thirteen-hour monolith consists of eight feature-length episodes revolving around two theatre troupes, blackmail and conspiracy. Multiple characters introduce multiple plotlines, weaving a rich tapestry across an epic runtime. Rivette, in many ways the most radical of the French New Wave founders, here presents a film unlike any other, which eschews a script, includes references to Honoré de Balzac and Lewis Carroll, features cameos from Eric Rohmer and Barbet Schroeder, and stars icons from the New Wave including Jean-Pierre Leaud, Juliet Berto, Bulle Ogier, Michael Lonsdale and Bernadette Lafont. Leaud plays a deaf-mute who receives a clue which connects him to a group who may or may not be conspirators in a plot, stories intertwine and identities blur, as Rivette guides us through one of his most hypnotic and dazzling works. The holy grail of French cinema, Jacques Rivette's magnum opus had been nigh on impossible to see until the new restoration presented here. Screened just once in 1971 as Out 1: Noli me tangere, before being re-edited as as Out 1: Spectre, to acknowledge it's shadow-like nature, both versions are presented in this boxed-set, fully restored and with English subtitles. Special Features: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation from 2K restorations of both versions, supervised by cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn Original uncompressed mono PCM audio Optional English subtitles The Mysteries of Paris: Jacques Rivette s Out 1 Revisited a feature length documentary by Robert Fischer and Wilfried Reichart containing interviews with actors Bulle Ogier, Michael Lonsdale and Hermine Karagheuz, cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn, assistant director Jean-François Stévenin and producer Stéphane Tchalgadjieff, as well as rare archival interviews with actors Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Michel Delahaye, and director Jacques Rivette

• The Phantom of the Monastery (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (20/03/2023) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Made in the wake of La Llorona's success and directed with flair by Fernando de Fuentes (regarded as one of the masters of early Mexican cinema), The Phantom of the Monastery (El fantasma del convento) tells the macabre tale of a troupe of hikers who become lost in a forest and take refuge in a haunted monastery. There, they encounter shape-shifting shadows, ominous sealed doorways, and a cellar crowded with coffins... An expressionistic Gothic triumph which has tragically languished in obscurity outside of Mexico, The Phantom of the Monastery has now been lovingly restored and is presented on Blu-ray at long last in a world debut edition, along with a selection of illuminating extras. Product Features New 4K restoration from the original negative by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with the Film Foundation's World Cinema Project Original mono audio Audio commentary with genre-film experts, critics and authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman (2022) The Devil in the Detail (2022, 18 mins): Abraham Castillo Flores, head programmer of Mexico's Mórbido Film Fest, considers the impact of this early horror classic Optional English translation subtitles Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

• Stanley Kubrick Special Edition Box Set | DVD | (03/03/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £50.99

  Titles Comprise: 2001: A Space Odyssey: When a large black monolith is found beneath the surface of the moon the reaction immediately is that it was intentionally buried. When the point of origin is confirmed as Jupiter an expedition is sent in hopes of finding the source. When Dr. David Bowman discovers faults in the expeditionary space craft's communications system he discovers more than he ever wanted to know. A Clockwork Orange: Stomping whomping stealing singing tap-dancing violating Derby-topped teddy-boy hooligan Alex (Malcolm McDowell) has his own way of having a good time. He has it at the tragic expense of others. Alex's journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shook vision of Anthony Burgess's novel. Unforgettable images startling musical counterpoints the fascinating language used by Alex and his pals - Kubrick shapes them into a shattering whole. The Shining: Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel up in the secluded mountains of Colorado. Jack being a family man takes his wife and son to the hotel to keep him company throughout the long and isolated nights. During their stay strange things occur when Jack's son Danny sees gruesome images powered by a force called ""The Shining"" and Jack is heavily affected by this. Along with writer's block and the demons of the hotel haunting him Jack has a complete mental breakdown and the situation takes a sinister turn for the worse. Full Metal Jacket: Full Metal Jacket begins by following the trials and tribulations of a platoon of fresh Marine Corps recruits focusing on the relationship between Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and Privates Pyle and Joker. We see Pyle grow into an instrument of death as Hartman has foreseen of all of his recruits. Through Pyle's torment and Joker's unwillingness to stand up against it the climax of part one is achieved with all three main characters deciding their fates by their action or inaction. The second chapter of Full Metal Jacket delves into Joker's psyche and the repeated referral to the fact that he joined the Corps to become a killer. When his mostly behind the scenes job as a combat correspondent is interfered with by the Tet offensive he is thrust into real combat and ultimately must choose if he really is a killer. Eyes Wide Shut: Sexual jolts disrupt Manhattan physician Bill Harford (Tom Cruise)'s equilibrium. At an elegant Christmas party two ""models"" hit on him he watches a Lothario try to pick up his tipsy wife he aids a woman sprawled naked in a bathroom after an overdose. The next night his wife (Nicole Kidman) reveals sexual fantasies with a stranger; a dead patient's daughter throws herself at him; as he walks brooding six teen boys hurl homophobic insults at him; a streetwalker takes him to her flat; he interrupts men having a sex party with a girl barely in her teens. His

• The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | Blu Ray | (22/10/2012) from £8.39   |  Saving you £9.60 (114.42%)   |  RRP £17.99

  From the celebrated team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger comes this artistic masterpiece. Roger Livesey brilliantly portrays a British officer, Clive Candy, through the trials and tribulations of three wars, three loves and a lifelong friendship across enemy lines. Starring Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. Special Features: A Profile of the Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - This exclusive 25 minute documentary includes interviews with cinematographer Jack Cardiff, Powell and Pressburger biographer Ian Christie and fan of the film Stephen Fry Martin Scorsese Restoration Piece Stills Gallery Biographies

• M*A*S*H | Blu Ray | (04/11/2013) from £19.19   |  Saving you £-4.94 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  MASH--a 1970 comedy-drama set among surgeons drafted into the Korean war--was a breakthrough not just for director Robert Altman but for movie-making in general. Although set in the 50s, there are few who did not realise that the film's anti-war messages were directed at the US involvement in Vietnam. Indeed, the Pentagon banned US servicemen from seeing the film. Starring Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce and Elliot Gould as Trapper John McIntyre, two hip young surgeons drafted against their will. Their general attitude--while never corroding either their humanity or their professionalism as surgeons--is one of insolence towards military authority and the arbitrary structures and regulations continually droning from the tannoy system. The film, too, thrives on a lack of attention to conventional order, with its cross-dialogue and random, episodic style reflecting the vivacious and unbuttoned feel of the content. However, MASH has dated and much of what seemed like "liberating" high jinks, today smacks of sexist, frathouse boorishness and harassment, especially at the expense of Major "Hotlips" Hoolihan (Sally Kellerman), while the episode in which "Painless" plans a suicide out of a fear of being gay reflects the persistence of homophobia even in 60s counterculture. Despite this MASH feels ahead of its time and certainly sharper and blacker than the too-cute sitcom it spawned. On the DVD: this is an excellent restoration, overseen by Altman himself, in which any obfuscation from the original have been cleaned up, especially the sound quality. As well as a commentary from Altman, there are three separate documentaries, featuring interviews with Altman, the cast and screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr, who had been blacklisted during the anti-Communist witch-hunt which swept through Hollywood in the 1950s. We learn he was initially appalled at how little of his script Altman actually used but was mollified by the Academy Award he received. Altman is candid about the making of the movie ("It wasn't released by Fox, it escaped from Fox"). There's an abundance of similarly rich, anecdotal material here. --David Stubbs

• Melody | DVD | (08/05/2017) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Daniel (Mark Lester, Oliver!) and Ornshaw (Jack Wild, Oliver! Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), two mischievous schoolboys attending a south London comprehensive, strike up a trusting friendship despite their vastly different social backgrounds. But when Daniel falls head over heels in love with fellow pupil Melody, Ornshaw resents being neglected. Not only is their friendship compromised, but the dull, grumpy adult world that surrounds them is about to be turned upside down when ten-year-olds Daniel and Melody announce their plans to get married. Brilliantly and poignantly capturing the world of the pre-adolescent, Melody revels in the joys of youthful rebellion. Since its original release in 1971, it has gained an immense, international cult following and become one of British cinemas most cherished films. Not only was it Alan Parker's (The Commitments, Midnight Express) first screenplay, but also David Puttnam's (Chariots Of Fire, The Killing Fields) debut as a feature film producer. Melody features a fantastic, unforgettable soundtrack from The Bee Gees and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young EXTRAS: New Interviews with David Puttnam, Alan Parker, Waris Hussian and Mark Lester and Stills Gallery

• A New Leaf (1971) | Blu Ray | (07/12/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  One of America’s greatest comic legends, Elaine May, made her debut as writer and director in the wonderful A New Leaf. Unanimously acclaimed from the start, but unavailable for many years, it now stands as a classic alongside Harold and Maude, Bananas and M*A*S*H* as a key film in the new direction of American screen comedy in the 1970s. The great Walter Matthau stars as Henry, a once-rich playboy who has obliviously spent his entire inheritance. Desperate to marry into further financial support, he meets Henrietta (Elaine May), a shy, awkward, though independently wealthy botany professor. What follows is a giddy tale of dubious legal advice, ruthless skullduggery and ferns. A most unorthodox romantic comedy, stuffed with deadpan hilarity and brilliant comic invention, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present its UK home video premiere in a new Dual-Format edition.