Classic Films

• The L-Shaped Room (Digitally Restored) | Blu Ray | (27/11/2017) from £10.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The L-Shaped Room, adapted by writer-director Bryan Forbes from Lynne Reid Banks' novel, unfolds in a dank, depressing London boarding house. Leslie Caron plays Jane Fosset, a 27-year-old French woman, down on her luck, who takes a room. There are bugs in her mattress. The taps drip. The landlady ("the lovely Doris") is a drunken, malicious busybody. Forbes doesn't paint the English in a flattering light. They're covetous, eccentric and xenophobic. "I never close my door to the nigs," Doris tells Fosset, as if to prove that she is no racist. When Fosset reveals that she's pregnant and unmarried, everybody turns against her. The one real friend Fosset makes is Toby (Tom Bell), an impoverished would-be writer who lives in the room downstairs. She starts an affair with him, but for all his protestations to the contrary, he too turns out to be moralistic and conservative--he can't accept the idea that she is having another man's baby.Forbes' dialogue sometimes grates, the film risks running into a dead end (Fosset is stuck with nowhere to go and no prospects), but this is compelling fare all the same. Cameraman Douglas Slocombe (who went on to shoot Raiders of the Lost Ark) makes the boarding house seem as gloomy and oppressive as a Gothic mansion. Forbes doesn't sentimentalise at all. The London he portrays is nothing like the swinging, hedonistic city shown in later British movies of the 60s. --Geoffrey Macnab

• Spartacus | DVD | (27/11/2000) from £10.23   |  Saving you £2.76 (21.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  For a limited time only, Universal Pictures are re-releasing five of their most beloved Cinema Classics in cinemas around the UK. The following films will be released: Spartacus, Blues Brothers, Scar Face, The Thing and Animal House.

• Far From The Madding Crowd | DVD | (25/08/2008) from £14.27   |  Saving you £-1.28 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  An adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel set in the 19th century of Bathsheba Everdene and the three very different men who come to love her...

• The Woman on the Beach | DVD | (13/05/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A traumatised war veteran, Lt Scott Burnett (Robert Ryan), meets a strange and tormented couple living in an isolated beach house. Tod Butler (Charles Bickford) is a once-famous artist who is now blind, bitter and intensely jealous after an assault by his wife. Peggy Butler (Joan Bennett) is a passionate and wayward woman who stays with her husband out of guilt - but soon falls for the charms of the handsome Burnett. Burnett spurns his fiance (Nan Leslie) to start an affair with Peggy - while her blind husband remains oblivious. Or does he? Burnett starts to suspect that the artist is faking his blindness and, as passions rise, one of the tortured characters begins to have thoughts of murder...

• State Fair | DVD | (08/03/2004) from £4.90   |  Saving you £3.09 (63.06%)   |  RRP £7.99

  In this rousing celebration of love and laughter in America's heartland each member of the Frake family is up for a different prize when they attend their state fair: Father wants a blue ribbon for his favorite pig first prize (and only first prize) will do for Mom's entry in the pie-baking contest and for their son and daughter the hunt is on for true love...

• A Dandy In Aspic | DVD | (05/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In this stylish spy thriller a Londoner working in British Intelligence Alexander Eberlin (Laurence Harvey) actually is a Russian counter-espionage agent named Krasnevin. Fraser (Harry Andrews) head of British Intelligence gives his men a special assignment--find and destroy Krasnevin! He discovers there is no one to whom he can turn and even doubts a swinging Londoner with whom he is having an affair.

• Poor Cow | DVD | (25/07/2016) from £8.94   |  Saving you £9.05 (101.23%)   |  RRP £17.99

  "I fell in the family way when I was 18 and I got married to a right bastard". Ken Loach's debut feature tells the story of Joy, a young mother (Carol White) whose chauvinistic thug of a husband is thrown into prison. She takes up with one of his friends, lovable, kind-hearted burglar Terence Stamp, but he too ends up in jail.It's intriguing to compare Poor Cow with Cathy Come Home, which Loach made for TV with the same actress at around the same time. Both are about mums trying to make a go of their lives in adverse circumstances. Cathy Come Home, shot in black and white, is an altogether tougher film. Poor Cow, with its Donovan music, gaudy colour photography, star names, and incongruously bawdy humour, seems lightweight by comparison. Certain sequences--Joy making love in the hay or posing half-naked for lecherous amateur photographers--must surely make Loach grimace now. There are some powerful moments--Joy desperately looking for her son who has wandered off, unattended, onto a building site, or trying to escape from her abusive husband--which anticipate such later Loach films as Ladybird, Ladybird or Raining Stones. The scenes between Joy and Stamp are played with real tenderness and humour. Don't be surprised if you think you've seen them before--some of the footage of Stamp was used in Steven Soderbergh's recent thriller, The Limey. --Geoffrey Macnab

• Mary Poppins | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £8.98   |  Saving you £11.01 (122.61%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A pioneering film within Animation, Musicals and Fantasy, Walt Disney's Mary Poppins is possibly one of the warmest and dearest films ever made. Based on a story by PL Travers we find Julie Andrews on fine form in her debut lead role (for which she would win the "Best Actress" Oscar). She is practically perfectly teamed with Dick Van Dyke as the lovable chimney sweep Burt, whose cockney accent is endearingly inaccurate. Along with a fine supporting cast, where even the child actors hold their own without appearing like stage school wannabes, Poppins and her crew take you on a magical ride through chalk pictures, the roof tops of London and show you that laughter is not always the best medicine (even with a spoon full of sugar) when you can't get down. In total Mary Poppins clocked up five Academy Awards including Best Song and Best Visual Effects and has made it into the staple diet of family viewing across the world. On the DVD: Mary Poppins has certainly cleaned up a treat, restoring her to 1.85:1 widescreen glory and 5.1 Dolby digital sound--which is guaranteed to be music to your ears. The special features are "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with the "Sing Along with the Movie" subtitles for all your favourite songs when they appear in the movie and the "I Love to Laugh" game offering Uncle Albert flying high in his parlour once more. "The Movie Magic of Mary Poppins" lets you look behind the scenes at how the magic was done and is fun, informative and easily understandable--pity the same cannot be said about the narrator. "Hollywood goes to a World Premiere" is a warm and amusing reminder about how premieres and stars used to be in 1964. The only disappointment is the lack of commentary--Dick Van Dyke would surely have offered a gem of a cockney voice-over! --Nikki Disney

• The Private Life of Henry VIII | DVD | (27/04/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Set almost entirely within the Royal Castle The Private Life Of Henry VIII tells the story of Henry's love affairs with his last five wives.

• The Third Man | DVD | (14/01/2002) from £10.78   |  Saving you £8.21 (76.16%)   |  RRP £18.99

  The fractured Europe post-World War II is perfectly captured in Carol Reed's masterpiece thriller, set in a Vienna still shell-shocked from battle. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) is an alcoholic pulp writer come to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). But when Cotton first arrives in Vienna, Lime's funeral is under way. From Lime's girlfriend and an occupying British officer, Martins learns of allegations of Lime's involvement in racketeering, which Martins vows to clear from his friend's reputation. As he is drawn deeper into post-war intrigue, Martins finds layer upon layer of deception, which he desperately tries to sort out. Welles' long-delayed entrance in the film has become one of the hallmarks of modern cinematography and it is just one of dozens of cockeyed camera angles that seem to mirror the off-kilter post-war society. Cotten and Welles give career-making performances and the Anton Karas zither theme will haunt you. --Anne Hurley

• The Fate of Lee Khan (1973) (Masters of Cinema) Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition | Blu Ray | (21/10/2019) from £12.15   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eureka Entertainment to release THE FATE OF LEE KHAN, the action-packed wuxia classic from master craftsman King Hu, as part of The Masters of Cinema Series in a definitive Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition on 21 October 2019. Available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, and presented from a new 2K restoration. The first print-run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited Edition O-card Slipcase. The final film in King Hu's Inn Trilogy , and the follow-up to his highly-acclaimed A Touch of Zen, The Fate of Lee Khan once again shows the master filmmaker's impeccable talent in creating drama out of a single setting. An espionage thriller with a unique wuxia twist and shades of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, the film chronicles a tense showdown between warriors on opposing sides of a civil war in a rural inn. When Lee Khan (Tien Feng; A Better Tomorrow, Fist of Fury) a dangerous and cunning Mongol official, and his equally deadly sister Lee Wan-erh (Hsu Feng; A Touch of Zen), arrive at the Spring Inn to obtain a battle map that reveals the location of the Chinese rebel army, a group of resistance fighters, including an all-female group of ex-convicts plan to recapture the map, whatever the cost. As much a pre-cursor to the ˜hangout' movie as it is an action packed wuxia adventure, The Fate of Lee Khan features action choreography by Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors) and also stars the incredible Angela Lady Whirlwind Mao, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time in the UK, from a new 2K restoration.

• The Browning Version | DVD | (06/08/2007) from £8.79   |  Saving you £11.20 (127.42%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Public schoolmaster Crocker-Harris has become a bitter disillusioned man. Stuck in a loveless marriage with a wife who openly cheats on him the enthusiasm he once showed for his career and his pupils has long since vanished and `The Crock has become a figure of disdain among the students whose life he has made a misery. With ill-health forcing him to resign his long-standing post a simple act of kindness from one boy has a profund impact on the seemingly heartless master.

• Fallen Idol | Blu Ray | (02/05/2016) from £11.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (91.74%)   |  RRP £22.99

  A classic suspense-filled thriller from some of British cinema's greatest talents. The Fallen Idoltells the story of Philippe (Bobby Henrey), the young son of a diplomat who, trying to understand the adult world as seen through the eyes of a child, lies to defend those closest to him. When his butler friend Baines (Ralph Richardson) is suspected of murdering his wife, the vital information that Philippe holds falls on deaf ears Director Carol Reedand Graham Greene collaborated, as they did on The Third Man, to create this exquisitely crafted, intelligent thriller, which once more demonstrates the unique spark that these two mavericks brought to British cinema. With magnificent performances from Richardson and the child actor Henrey, and evoking comparisons with, among others, Alfred Hitchcock, this classic thriller garnered Academy Award® nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

• DER GROSSE EISENBAHNRAUB - MOV | Blu Ray | (24/05/2018) from £13.08   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Went The Day Well? | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £11.98   |  Saving you £1.01 (8.43%)   |  RRP £12.99

  On the Whitsun weekend of 1942 in the idyllic village of Bramley End German paratroopers disguised as sappers attempt to set up equipment to disrupt Britain's radar defences yet haven't counted on the indomitable spirit of the English villagers! Directed by the Italian director Alberto Cavalcanti and produced by Ealing Studios Went The Day Well? was a commercial feature based loosely upon Graham Greene's fictional short story 'The Lieutenant Died Last'.

• Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman | DVD | (05/05/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943)

• Viva Las Vegas | DVD | (13/09/2007) from £7.99   |  Saving you £7.00 (116.86%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Lucky Jackson is a Vegas gambling car racing singing and dancing ladies man. But all does not go the way he plans when he finds himself distracted by the lovely pool manageress...

• A Clockwork Orange Titans of Cult Steelbook | Blu Ray | (01/11/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Stomping, whomping, stealing, singing, tap dancing, violating. Derby-topped hooligan Alex (Malcolm McDowell) has a good time - at the tragic expense of others. His journey from amoral dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shock vision of Anothony Burgess' novel. Controversial when first released, A Clockwork Orange won New York Film Critics Best Picture and Director awards and earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Its power still entices, shocks and holds us in its grasp. This Collector's Set includes: A Clockwork Orange on 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray Collectable Steelbook case with new artwork Two unique pins Special Features Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Historian Nick Redman Channel Four Documentary Still Tickin': The Return of Clockwork Orange New Featurette Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making A Clockwork Orange Career Profile O Lucky Malcolm! [in High Definition] Theatrical Trailer

• The Shiver of the Vampires (Limited Edition 4K UHD) | Blu Ray | (08/05/2023) from £24.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jean Rollin's third feature film, 1971's The Shiver of the Vampires (Le Frisson des vampires), established themes and visual motifs to which he would return throughout his career, blending horror, eroticism, fairy tale, and surrealism to create his unique cinema of the fantastique. Arriving at a decrepit chateau for their honeymoon, young newlyweds undergo a series of surreal and sinister encounters, and come to realise that they are the prey of the resident vampires... With performances from Sandra Julien (I Am Frigid... Why?) and Marie-Pierre Castel (Lips of Blood), ravishing cinematography from Rollin's regular collaborator Jean-Jacques Renon, and a thrilling jazz-rock score by Acanthus, The Shiver of the Vampires is regarded as one of Rollin's greatest films. Product Features New 4K HDR restoration from the internegative by Powerhouse Films 4K (2160p) UHD presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original French and English mono soundtracks Audio commentary with director Jean Rollin (2006) Audio commentary with Sylvia Kristel: From Emmanuelle to Chabrol author Jeremy Richey (2023) Virginie Sélavy on 'The Shiver of the Vampire' (2023): appreciation by the author and film historian Rouge Vif (2023): updated documentary on the making of The Shiver of the Vampires by Rollin's personal assistant, Daniel Gouyette Introduction by Jean Rollin (1998): filmed appraisal by the director Interview with Jean Rollin by Patricia MacCormack (2004): lengthy discussion filmed in Paris Deleted scenes: sex sequences filmed for the export market Original French, English and German theatrical trailers Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials 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 new essay by David Hinds, an archival introduction by Jean Rollin, an archival interview with the director by Peter Blumenstock, an archival interview with actor Marie-Pierre Castel, Andy Votel on Acanthus, the mysterious group behind the film's soundtrack, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits World premiere on 4K UHD Limited edition of 8,000 numbered units (4,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US All extras subject to change

• The Deer Hunter | DVD | (04/03/2019) from £6.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  An in-depth examination of the ways in which the U.S. Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania.