Classic Films

• Caught | DVD | (08/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Max Ophuls is widely regarded to be one of the greatest and most revered directors in the history of cinema. His trademark array of lavish fluid camera movements would influence generations of filmmakers to come. Among the many who have had praised his genius are Francois Truffaut Jean-Luc Goddard Martin Scorsese Stanley Kubrick who believed 'his camera could pass through walls' and more recently directors such as Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine Far From Heaven) and Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights Magnolia) who called him his 'idol'. Idealistic Leonora is looking for the dream life and believes she's found it when introduced to millionaire Smith Uhlrig. Quickly married she soon discovers him to be a domineering tyrant. In trying to escape this loveless existence she finds hope in the arms of a caring doctor but her psychotic husband doesn't give up his possessions so easily. Ophul's film noir classic is an intense melodrama played to perfection by the fine casting of James Mason Robert Ryan and Barbara Bel Geddes.

• Nashville | DVD | (09/03/2021) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Vertigo | Blu Ray | (23/09/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Dreamlike and nightmarishly surreal, Vertigo is Hitchcock's most personal film because it confronts many of the convoluted psychological issues that haunted and fascinated the director. The psychological complexity and the stark truthfulness of their rampant emotions keeps these strangely obsessive characters alive on screen, and Hitchcock understood better than most their barely repressed sexual compulsions, their fascination with death and their almost overwhelming desire for transcendent love. James Stewart finds profound and disturbing new depths in his psyche as Scotty, the tortured acrophobic detective on the trail of a suicidal woman apparently possessed by the ghost of someone long dead. Kim Novak is the classical Hitchcockian blonde whose icy exterior conceals a churning, volcanic emotional core. The agonised romance of Bernard Herrmann's score accompanies the two actors as a third and vitally important character, moving the film along to its culmination in an ecstasy of Wagnerian tragedy. Of course Hitch lavished especial care on every aspect of the production, from designer Edith Head's costumes (he, like Scotty, was most insistent on the grey dress), to the specific colour scheme of each location, to the famous reverse zoom "Vertigo" effect (much imitated, never bettered). The result is Hitch's greatest work and an undisputed landmark of cinema history. On the DVD: This disc presents the superb restored print of this film in a wonderful widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic transfer, with remastered Dolby digital soundtrack. There's a half-hour documentary made in 1996 about the painstaking two-year restoration process, plus an informative commentary from the restorers Robert Harris and James Katz, who are joined by original producer Herbert Coleman. There are also text features on the production, cast and crew, plus a trailer for the theatrical release of the restoration. This is an undeniably essential requirement for every DVD collection. --Mark Walker

• THX 1138 | Blu Ray | (07/12/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The visionary first film from George Lucas in a director's cut A chilling exploration of the future is also a compelling examination of the present in George Lucas's THX 1138, starring Robert Duvall as a man whose mind and body are controlled by the government. THX makes a harrowing attempt to escape from a world where thoughts are controlled, freedom is an impossibility and love is the ultimate crime. The real excitement of THX 1138 is not really the message but the medium the use of film not to tell a story so much as to convey an experience. Stunning dazzling chilling and terribly powerful (Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times). SPECIAL FEATURES Commentary by George Lucas and Walter Murch Theatre of Noise Experience: Isolated Sound Effects Track Master Sessions: Docupod Gallery Showcasing Murch's Pioneering Work 2 Documentaries: A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope and Artifact from the Future: The Making of THX 1138 Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB: Lucas' Original Student Film Vintage Production Featurette Bald Theatrical Trailers

• The Joan Crawford Collection | DVD | (17/09/2012) from £29.94   |  Saving you £0.05 (0.17%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Mildred PierceA classic American novel published to tie-in with a major new SKY series starring Kate Winslet.Whatever Happened to Baby JanePossessed

• To Catch A Thief | DVD | (04/10/2004) from £7.59   |  Saving you £8.40 (110.67%)   |  RRP £15.99

  From the undisputed master of the suspense-thriller Alfred Hitchcock's (Rear Window The Birds) To Catch A thief is a stylish and witty thriller starring Cary Grant (North by Northwest) and Grace Kelly(Rear Window). The on-screen chemistry between the two protagonists enhances Hitchcock's subtle and ambiguous story of a retired jewel thief forced to uncover the identity of a copycat thief before he is framed for the crimes himself. Grant's charm and sophistication as the retired cat-burglar set opposite the sensuous character of Kelly's socialite ensure that the atmosphere of the film is sexually charged leaving the audience with no doubt that the relationship could unravel at any point...

• Suddenly | DVD | (31/03/2003) from £4.95   |  Saving you £-0.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Nothing ever happens in Suddenly. It's a just small town with small concerns. That is until the President decides to show up... In this intelligent 1954 film noir thriller Frank Sinatra delivers an electrifying lead performance as psychotic undercover assassin John Baron. Alleged to have been viewed by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963 only days prior to the shooting of President Kennedy 'Suddenly' was subsequently withdrawn from circulation by United Artists at Sinatra's personal request. Chillingly prophetic in it's subject matter 'Suddenly' is a killer addition to any noir collection...

• The Geisha Boy | DVD | (04/06/2007) from £10.32   |  Saving you £2.66 (36.29%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Gilbert Wooley is a second-rate magician who is sent to entertain the troops in the pacific. During his time in Japan he becomes attached to a little orphan boy...

• Oliver Twist | DVD | (15/09/2008) from £8.15   |  Saving you £4.84 (59.39%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Oliver Twist orphaned at birth and raised in the workhouse is expelled for daring to ask the Beadle for more food. Unhappily apprenticed to an Undertaker Oliver escaped to London where he meets the cheeky Artful Dodger the villainous Fagin the aggressive Bill Sykesand the kindly but doomed Nancy. Torn constantly between the forces of good and evil Oliver eventually seals his fate by picking the pocket of a rich gentleman.

• The Song of Songs (Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (24/07/2023) from £17.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Marlene Dietrich (Blonde Venus) took a break from her classic run of films with Josef von Sternberg to make The Song of Songs, an atmospheric romantic drama co-starring Brian Aherne (A Bullet Is Waiting) and Lionel Atwill (The Devil Is a Woman). Peasant girl Lily (Dietrich) moves to Berlin, where she falls in love with sculptor Richard (Aherne), for whom she poses. When Richard gets cold feet, Lily enters into an unhappy marriage with a wealthy Baron (Atwill), but longs to return to her true love. Ravishingly shot by director Rouben Mamoulian (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), and co-written by Samuel Hoffenstein (An American Tragedy), The Song of Songs is an exquisite and daring pre-Code melodrama. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Geoff Andrew on 'The Song of Songs' (2023): the writer and critic assesses the film and its place within the career of director Rouben Mamoulian Lux Radio Theatre: 'The Song of Songs' (1937): radio play adaptation of the film's screenplay, featuring returning cast members Marlene Dietrich and Lionel Atwill, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Rick Burin, archival articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits UK premiere on Blu-ray Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK All extras subject to change

• Snapshot (Limited Edition 4K UHD) | Blu Ray | (25/03/2024) from £24.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Chantal Contouri (Thirst), Robert Bruning (Ned Kelly), and Sigrid Thornton (Prisoner: Cell Block H) star in Snapshot, a tense Australian thriller that marked the feature debut of director Simon Wincer (Harlequin, D.A.R.Y.L.). When naive hairdresser Angela (Thornton) is persuaded by her model friend Madeline (Contouri) to try glamour modelling, she dreams of escaping her humdrum life and the clutches of her over-protective mother. Instead, she is thrust into a decadent world of jealousy, exploitation... and death. Produced by Antony I Ginnane (Patrick), co-written by Everett De Roche (Roadgames), and scored by Brian May (Mad Max), Snapshot released internationally under the titles One More Minute and The Day After Halloween is a classic of Ozploitation cinema.

• The Dam Busters | Blu Ray | (14/06/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Dr Barnes Wallis was possessed with a seemingly crazy idea - the creation of a bouncing bomb designed to destroy the Ruhr dams and paralyse the enemy's industrial nerve centre. He fought persistent scepticism and disbelief that such a feat was possible though even with the matchless skill of RAF Wing Commander Guy Gibson and his squadron could such a mission succeed?

• Billy Liar - 50th Anniversary Edition | Blu Ray | (06/05/2013) from £10.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (81.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Billy Liar was the multimedia phenomenon of its era. Starting out as a novel by Yorkshire writer Keith Waterhouse, it rapidly became a long-running stage play, adapted by Waterhouse with playwright Willis Hall, which lead to the movie, scripted by Waterhouse and Hall for John Schlesinger to direct, then a stage musical and finally a spin-off TV series. Do you get the feeling it caught the mood of the times? The basic set-up owes a lot to James Thurber's classic short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Our hero, Billy Fisher, lives at home in a Bradford semi with his nagging parents and works as a lowly clerk in an undertaker's parlour. But, in his imagination he lives a rich and varied fantasy life as gallant military leader, suave socialite, best-selling novelist and so forth. Trouble is, he can't always keep fantasy and reality apart, any more than he can the keep two girls he's engaged to separate. Not to mention his other problems…. Schlesinger's direction brings out the desperation behind the comedy, and Tom Courtenay, at once defiant and hangdog, slips perfectly into the role created on stage by Albert Finney. But the whole cast's a joy, not least the great Leonard Rossiter as undertaker Mr Shadrach, Billy's saturnine boss. And then there's Julie Christie--the luminous spirit of the Swinging 60s--in her first starring role as the girl who offers Billy a chance of real escape. At the end, when she takes the train to London, away from the smoke and the grimness "oop" north, the whole British New Wave went with her. On the DVD: just the theatrical trailer which is a fairly crass affair. There's been no remastering, it seems, but both sound and vision are clean enough and the print preserves the original's full 2.35:1 widescreen ratio. --Philip Kemp

• Daddy Long Legs | DVD | (12/03/2012) from £6.17   |  Saving you £3.82 (61.91%)   |  RRP £9.99

  This 1955 Oscar-nominated musical romance features the incomparable Fred Astaire in some of his most stunning dance sequences.Daddy Long Legs is a magical musical, following a young French girl (Leslie Caron) through college, her education sponsored by a mysterious man with long legs. Millionaire Jervis Pendleton III (Fred Astaire) is from old money, and although generous with his wealth, he must learn how to give of his emotions. Amid sparkling musical numbers and dream sequences, comic relief comes from Fred Clark as Griggs, Jervis' assistant, and Thelma Ritter as Jervis' secretary.

• Funny Girl | Blu Ray | (03/06/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  One of the most popular movie musicals ever made is now better than ever on Blu-ray! Funny Girl follows the early career of stage comedienne Fanny Brice a role that earned Barbra Streisand the 1968 Oscar for Best Actress. Only her mother believes Fanny can make it in show business but when she gets her first break at Keeney's Music Hall her hilarious debut gets her hired as a comedienne. Fanny becomes a star falls in love and marries Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif) a handsome gambler. The film's many memorable songs include Don't Rain on My Parade and the Streisand classic People. Special Features: All-New 4K Restoration of the Feature Film - Blu-ray Mastered from 4K Source Barabra in Movieland This is Streisand

• Grease 1 & 2 Box Set | DVD | (28/02/2005) from £12.69   |  Saving you £7.30 (57.53%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Grease: John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy Travolta's naive love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a who's who in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50's. Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade - it's an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock n'roll! Grease 2: It's 1961 two years after the original gang graduated from Rydell High and there's a new crop of seniors. The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds are still the epitome of cool except that over the summer something's happened to Stephanie the sorority leader. She feels she's outgrown Johnny the head T-Bird and is looking for a new love - one who's even more cool and whose bike is even hotter. Meanwhile newcomer Michael is smitten with Stephanie who won't even notice him...

• Captain America | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  1940! As the world teetered on the brink of global war frail Steve Rogers entered a secret laboratory and was transformed into the American super soldier! For four thrilling years he battled the Axis Powers - until a freak stroke of fate threw him into suspended animation. When he awoke he was a man decades out of his time! Since that fateful day Steve Rogers has sought his destiny in this brave new world! The Sleeper Shall Awake / Where Walks The Sleeper / The Final Sleep: Captain America otherwise known as 'Cap' discovers that the Red Skull's threat of giant Sleeper robots is about to become a reality and fights against the Sleepers by taking a stand against all three at the North Pole. Zemo And The Masters Of Evil / Zemo Strikes / The Fury Of Zemo: Baron Zemo sends three villains after Cap Thor and Iron Man... The Girl From The Cap's Past / The Stage Is Set / Thirty Minutes To Live: Cap works with a female SHIELD agent who reminds him of a girl he once loved and lost in the war. Together they save the city but the mysterious girl disappears before he can find out if she was his wartime sweetheart... The Origin Of Captain America / Wreckers Among Us / Enter The Red Skull: The story of how Steve Majors became Captain America who is later joined by Bucky Barnes Omar and Sando to fight off the evil Red Skull. Midnight At Greymore Castle / This Be Treason / When You Lie Down With Dogs: Dr. Rawling captures Bucky in order to lure Cap to Greymore Castle. Working with the evil doctor is a Nazi Major who plans to launch Bucky into outer space!

• THE COMPLETE (EXISTING) FILMS OF SADAO YAMANAKA (Masters of Cinema) (DVD) | DVD | (20/05/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  The brief but prodigious career of Japanese director Sadao Yamanaka resulted in a catalogue of work characterised by an elegant and unforced visual style, fluid editing, and a beautiful attention to naturalistic performances. Although he made 22 films over a six-year period (before dying of dysentery in a Japanese Imperial Army outpost in Manchuria at the age of 28), only three of them survive, collected here for the first time in the West. Tange Sazen: The Million Ry Pot is a gloriously comic adventure yarn as the titular one-eyed, one-armed swordsman becomes embroiled in the hunt for a missing pot that points the way to hidden treasure. In Kchiyama Sshun, a subversively humanistic adaptation of a classic kabuki play, a small but invaluable knife stolen from a samurai leads to a chain of an increasingly complex and troublesome set of circumstances. His last film, Humanity and Paper Balloons, is an unsparing ensemble drama set among the lowest rungs of Japanese society in the 18th century. The Masters of Cinema Series is delighted to present these treasures of world cinema in a long-awaited two-disc DVD set, including rarely-seen fragments of two other lost Yamanaka films. Special Features: New digital transfer of all three films New English subtitle translations Rare fragments of other lost Yamanaka films A lengthy booklet, including Yamanaka's will, excerpts from his diaries, essays by Tony Rayns, Shinji Aoyama, Kimitoshi Sat, and more.

• Days Of Glory | DVD | (24/09/2007) from £5.00   |  Saving you £14.99 (299.80%)   |  RRP £19.99

  "Days Of Glory" chronicles the story of the forgotten Algerians who fought alongside the French in WW2.

• Quatermass And The Pit | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £7.99   |  Saving you £5.00 (62.58%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Workmen unearth prehistoric skulls while carrying out excavations on the London Underground. Very soon a strange and malevolent force is unleashed.