Classic Films

• Liza Minnelli - Live From Radio City Music Hall | DVD | (14/10/2006) from £6.73   |  Saving you £-2.74 (-68.70%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Academy award winner Liza Minnelli in an unforgettable performance! They said it was ""the performance of a lifetime"" and they were right! From the moment she appears on stage a lone silhouette in a white mini-raincoat designed by Isaac Mizrahi Liza Minnelli captures the attention and hearts of her audience. In this spectacular show that broke every existing record at Radio City Music Hall Liza is at the top of her form delivering an emotionally charged performance including tributes to important influences in her musical life. Track Listing: Act I: 1. Radio City Music Hall Overture 2. Teach Me Tonight 3. Old Freinds 4. Live Alone And Like It 5. Sorry I Asked 6. So What 7. Sara Lee 8. There Is A Time 9. Quiet Love 10. Some People 11. Seeing Things Act II: 1. Stepping Out / I Want To Get Into The Act 2. Men's Medley 3. It's A Long Long Way To Tipperary 4. Imagine 5. Here I'll Stay / Over Love Is Here to Stay 6. There's No Business Like Show Business 7. Stepping Out (Reprise) 8. Theme From New York New York

• Affair To Remember, An / Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing / How Green Was My Valley | DVD | (06/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  An Affair To Remember In this poignant and humorous love story nominated for four Academy Awards Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet on an ocean liner and fall deeply in love. Though each is engaged to someone else they agree to meet six months later at the Empire State Building if they still feel the same way about each other. But a tragic accident prevents their rendezvous and the lovers' future takes an emotional and uncertain turn. Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing William Holden and Jennifer Jones star in one of drama's most endearing and intelligent love stories. Nominated for eight Academy Awards this timeless classic follows the passionate affair of an American correspondent and a Eurasian doctor whose love for each other must overcome racial prejudice and the outbreak of war in Korea. How Green Was My Valley Sixty-year-old Huw Morgan looks back on his life as a boy (Roddy McDowall) in a small Welsh mining town. His reminiscences reveal the disintegration of the closely knit Morgans and his devoted parents (Donald Crisp Sara Allgood) while capturing the sentiments and issues of their time.

• From Here to Eternity | Blu Ray | (07/10/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  From Here to Eternity offers a much more heartfelt interpretation of the event that propelled the United States into World War II than any film made in recent years. Here there are no angst-ridden scenes where "true love" returns from the dead, no costly CGI and definitely no Hallmark happy ending. This is a film about illicit sex, military machismo and tragic loss of love, friendship and ultimately life. The filmmakers did, however, have to make some compromises when adapting James Jones's novel: Alma becomes a "hostess" rather than a prostitute and the very downbeat ending, where Captain Holmes is essentially rewarded for his brutality by the military, was replaced with the morally acceptable punishment of his actions by a more self-aware army. Although Private Robert E Lee Pruitt's story provides the meat of the film, there are other subplots woven into the narrative, including a couple of doomed love affairs, which explore themes of adultery and social acceptance. Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster) begins a torrid affair with the commander's wife Karen (Deborah Kerr) leading to one of the most famous moments in movie history--the "clinch in the surf". From then on everything is challenged. Love, honour and eventually whether you should conform or stand up for what you believe in. At the end the couples are left wondering about the future of their relationship, but fate decides for them as the Japanese launch their attack on Pearl Harbor, leaving us with one of the most dramatic and moving endings of any war film. On the DVD: The black and white film is not anamorphically enhanced but presented full frame in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, although the transfer is well done and the picture is pretty sharp. Sound is 2.0 mono rather than the standard 5.1 reworking of the audio track, and it works. The dialogue is clear without any noticeable hiss. There's a 22-minute "making of" documentary, which doesn't really do justice to the film and contains very little information of interest. Along with this is Fred Zinnemann's As I See It, an extract from the director's home video footage from the shoot. You also get the theatrical trailer, but the best feature is the audio commentary, by Fred Zinnemann's son Tim and screenwriter Alvin Sargent, which has some fantastic detail about the struggle between director and studio-head Harry Cohn over casting, along with the run-ins with the censor and US military over the "inflammatory nature" of the film.--Kristen Bowditch

• Musicals | DVD | (18/09/2006) from £9.58   |  Saving you £8.41 (87.79%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Wizard of Oz: We click our heels in anticipation. There's no place like home and no movie like this one. From generation to generation The Wizard Of Oz brings us together - kids grown-ups families friends. The dazzling land of Oz a dream-come--true world of enchanted forests dancing scarecrows and singing lions wraps us in its magic with one great song-filled adventure after another. Based on L. Frank Baum's treasured book series The Wizard Of Oz was judged the best family film of all time by American Film Institute. And this never-before-seen restoration looks and sounds better than ever. We invite you to embark for the Emerald City on the most famous road in movie history. Dorothy (Judy Garland) Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) Tin Woodman (Jack Haley) and Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) await you on the Yellow Brick Road and ""Over the Rainbow."" Singin' in the Rain: Starring Gene Kelly Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and featuring unforgettable song and dance classics like 'Singin' in the Rain' 'Make 'Em Laugh' and 'All I Do Is Dream of You' it has ""just about everything you could ask for in a movie musical"" Sunday Review. Set in Hollywood in the roaring 20s co-starring Jean Hagen and the incomparable Cyd Charisse and featuring a spectacular 12-minute 'Broadway Ballet' finale it is indisputably ""the most enjoyable of all American movie musicals"" Pauline Kael. The programme now contains a previously-deleted sequence featuring Debbie Reynolds in the never-seen-before footage of 'You Are My Lucky Star'. High Society: Beautiful aloof Newport heiress Tracy Lord (Kelly) is about to marry bland businessman George Kittredge (John Lund) but matters become complicated when her ex-husband C K Dexter-Haven (Crosby) moves to her neighbourhood determined to win back her hand. Things go from bad to worse for Tracy when journalist Mike Connor (Sinatra) arrives to cover the wedding for Spy Magazine. When Tracy is forced to choose between her suitors will she realise that ""safe"" doesn't always mean the best bet?

• Bus Stop | DVD | (23/07/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A naive but stubborn cowboy falls in love with a saloon singer and tries to take her away against her will to get married and live on his ranch in Montana.

• The Shiver of the Vampires (Limited Edition Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (08/05/2023) from £19.98   |  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 restoration from the internegative by Powerhouse Films 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 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 Fly | Blu Ray | (16/09/2013) from £12.13   |  Saving you £0.86 (6.60%)   |  RRP £12.99

  When a scientist (David [Al] Hedison) attempts to transfer matter through space things go horrifically wrong and two grotesque man-fly hybrids are created. Now with the head of a fly and a wing in place of one of his arms the scientist desperately hopes that he his wife (Patricia Owens) and his brother (Vincent Price) can capture the other mutant and reverse the experiment.

• Brighton Rock | DVD | (16/09/2002) from £9.21   |  Saving you £6.78 (73.62%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Hard to imagine now but long before Richard Attenborough became Lord Dickie, benevolent patriarch of British moviedom, he specialised in playing weaselly little thugs and punks. Brighton Rock, adapted from Graham Greene's classic novel, offered him one of his best early roles as Pinkie, juvenile leader of a seedy gang of racetrack crooks in the Sussex seaside town. When it seems an innocent young waitress may know too much about one of their killings, Pinkie decides to keep her quiet by marrying her. But in Greene's world of guilt-ridden Catholicism and inexorable doom, it was never going to be that easy. Is the famous twist ending a cop-out? That depends just how much irony you read into it. But the Brighton atmosphere, all tawdry gaiety shot through with a crackling undercurrent of fear, is so vivid you can smell it. Made with a cool, dispassionate eye by the Boulting Brothers (before they turned jokey with the likes of I'm Alright Jack, for instance) and superbly shot by Harry Waxman, this is one of Britain's few great contributions to the noir thriller cycle. Young Dickie, twitchy, vicious and terrified, is a revelation--and don't miss William Hartnell, the original Dr Who, as his cynical sidekick. --Philip Kemp

• To Catch A Thief | DVD | (07/05/2007) from £5.81   |  Saving you £4.18 (71.94%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A supposedly reformed cat burglar out to prove himself innocent of a recent crime spree tries to capture the thief who's terrifying the French Riviera. Cary Grant is devastatingly elegant as the reformed thief John Robie and charming enough to attract the attention of the lovely Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly) a wealthy and spoiled American traveling the Riviera with her widowed mother (Jessie Royce Landis). However things do not begin on a romantic note. Robie is more interested in clearing his name than in pursuing the beautiful American but the two will not go their separate ways so easily. Classic suspence and romance from director Alfred Hitchcock.

• Great British Movies of the 1960s | DVD | (26/07/2021) from £15.76   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Minotaur | DVD | (29/09/2008) from £35.53   |  Saving you £-4.28 (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  This world premiere of a gripping new work by composer Harrison Birtwistle and librettist David Harsent, commissioned by The Royal Opera, brings the monstrous, Greek mythological character to the stage. The Minotaur, part man, part beast, trapped in his labyrinth, longs to discover his true identity and his own voice. Theseus, sent as part of a debt sacrifice to the monster, is determined to kill him; he attracts the attention of Ariache, half-sister and keeper of The Minotaur, and it is her help than ensures his success.

• Mandy | DVD | (28/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The touching story of a young girl who was born deaf and the tussle between her parents over how she should be educated.

• The Glass Mountain | DVD | (14/04/2008) from £6.23   |  Saving you £3.76 (60.35%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The Glass Mountain is a classic British film romance enriched with the sublime music of Italian opera. Shot down over the Italian Alps during the Second World War RAF pilot Richard Wilder (Michael Dennison) is rescued and nursed back to health by Alida (Valentina Cortesa) a beautiful young partisan girl. She shares with him the local fables of The Glass Mountain and he in turn spins them into an enchanting opera...

• Poor Cow | Blu Ray | (25/07/2016) from £14.39   |  Saving you £8.60 (59.76%)   |  RRP £22.99

  "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

• It's A Wonderful Life | DVD | (17/11/2014) from £6.17   |  Saving you £13.82 (223.99%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton

• Citizen Kane: 80th Anniversary Collectors Edition | Blu Ray | (13/12/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Hailed by critics and fans alike as one of the greatest films ever made, Citizen Kane continues to influence filmmakers and astound viewers 80 years later. Nominated for nine 1941 Academy Awards, with a win for Best Original Screenplay, Orson Welles' controversial masterpiece uses innovative flashbacks and ground-breaking cinematography to follow the epic rise and fall of wealthy newspaper magnate. For any fan of films, this is an essential viewing experience. 4k Ultra HD Collector's Edition Includes: Feature Film on 4k and Blu-ray 48-Page Book 20-Page Souvenir Programme Reprint of Press Release Excerpts Two-Sided Poster 5 Collectable Art Cards 3 Photo Stills Special Features on Blu-ray: Separate Commentaries by Roger Ebert and Peter Bogdanovich Interviews with Ruth Warrick and Robert Wise Opening: World Premiere of Citizen Kane Still Photography with Commentary by Roger Ebert and More

• Doris Day - Essential Collection | DVD | (05/09/2011) from £27.71   |  Saving you £22.28 (80.40%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Titles Comprise:Young at Heart: Doris Day and Frank Sinatra in Young at Heart with Gig Young Ethel Barrymore Dorothy Malone Robert Keith Elisabeth Fraser Alan Hale, Jr. Includes songs by Cole Porter George Gershwin Ira Gershwin Harold Arlen Johnny Mercer Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and Lenore Coffee Adaptation by Liam O'Brien From a story by Fannie Hurst Produced by Henry Blanke Directed by Gordon DouglasThat Touch of Mink: A breezy, stylish comedy that's rich with romantic delights. Co-starring Cary Grant.Lover Come Back: Romantic comedy with Doris Day and Rock Hudson as two Madison Avenue advertising rivals.Pillow Talk: The uninhibited story of a carefree bachelor and a carefree career girl and the hilarious things that happen when they tangle.

• A Day in the Death of Joe Egg | DVD | (26/09/2011) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Peter Nichols adapts his award-winning play to devastating effect in Peter Medak's powerful black comedy about an ordinary couple struggling to cope with a severely disabled child. School teacher Brian (Alan Bates - A kind of Loving, Georgy Girl) and his wide Sheila (Janet Suzman - Nicholas And Alexandra, The Draughtsman's Contract) are the parents of young Jo (Elizabeth Rabillard), a child afflicted with cerebral palsy. Caring for Jo threatens to overwhelm their loves, and to stay sane they rely on dark humour. But while Sheila tries to ensure that her daughter has some quality of life, Brian is increasingly obsessed with the idea that she might be better off dead...

• Sunset Boulevard | Blu Ray | (04/02/2013) from £8.95   |  Saving you £11.04 (123.35%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Intense, enthralling, and unforgettable, Sunset Boulevard stars Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a faded silent-movie star, and William Holden as Joe Gillis, a down-on-his-luck screenwriter whom she enlists to help her make her triumphant return to the screen. Directed and co-written by acclaimed filmmaker Billy Wilder, this mesmerising Hollywood classic won three Academy Awards.

• Women in Love | Blu Ray | (22/08/2016) from £18.75   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Before director Ken Russell's name became synonymous with cinematic extravagance and overkill, he actually directed what is one of the most passionate and involving adaptations of DH Lawrence in recent memory. Oliver Reed and Alan Bates star as friends who fall in love with a pair of sisters (Jennie Linden and Glenda Jackson, who won an Oscar for the role). But the relationships take markedly different directions, as Russell explores the nature of commitment and love. Bates and Linden learn to give themselves to each other; the more withdrawn Reed cannot, finally, connect with the demanding and challenging Jackson. Shot with great sensuality, Women in Love was surprisingly frank for its period (1970) and includes one of the most charged scenes in movie history: Bates and Reed as manly men, wrestling nude by firelight. --Marshall Fine