Comedy

• Friends: Complete Series 3 - New Edition | DVD | (25/10/2004) from £5.99   |  Saving you £44.00 (734.56%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Seemingly low-key but as wittily crafted as the first two series, this season develops minor characters--Gunther, Central Perk's proprietor, who is in love with Rachel; Phoebe's half-brother Frank (played by rising-star Giovanni Ribisi); the chick and duck--who will play key parts later on while the foundations for crucial story lines developed in Series 4 are laid down. The most momentous story arc covers Rachel and Ross splitting up when she suggests they take a "break" and he sleeps with the girl from the copy shop. Phoebe gets to know her little brother Frank who falls in love with the much-older Alice, for whom Phoebe will bear triplets in a later series. Monica pines after Richard and then starts dating the millionaire Pete, although towards the end Chandler is trying to persuade her he's good boyfriend material--clearly an omen of things to come. --Leslie Felperin

• Angel | DVD | (13/10/2008) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-10.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Angel (Universal Classics)

• Big Train - Series 1 & 2 | DVD | (25/10/2004) from £18.98   |  Saving you £6.01 (31.66%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Originally shown in 1998, Big Train was the eagerly awaited follow-up to Father Ted from writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews. Resisting the pressure to make another sitcom, Big Train is, instead, a sketch show in the best Monty Python tradition, updated with influences from arch-surrealist Chris Morris as well as the contemporary The Fast Show. The sketches can be joyously odd--Pythonesque firefighting showjumpers, the evil hypnotist, and the outrageous onanistic office workers, for example--but the show never neglects to keep the punchlines coming thick and fast (though the animated staring contest does rather drag after a while). The cast comprises some of the best new names in comedy, including Kevin Eldon, Simon Pegg, Mark Heap, Julia Davis and Amelia Bullmore (who went on to become Alan Partridge's Ukrainian girlfriend). Series 2 didn't pull into the platform until 2002, by which time Graham Linehan was absent writing Black Books. But Arthur Matthews maintains the quality of the first series on the whole--the man with oversized hands, the creepy cult questionnaire, the zookeeper's recruitment agency--adding some spot-on French art house cinema spoofs and other movie-style take offs somewhat in the manner of Spaced, which Pegg and Heap had gone on to make. That duo return here for more silliness along with new cast members Rebecca Front (The Day Today, Knowing Me, Knowing You) and Tracey-Ann Oberman (better known now as Chrissie Watts in Eastenders). On the DVD: Big Train belatedly arrives on DVD in a two-disc set which includes a plethora of deleted scenes for both Series 1 and 2. There are cast biogs plus three of the sketches as performed on a German TV sketch show. Commentary on the first series is by both writers, though happily Pegg, Heap and Eldon gatecrash halfway through. Matthews and Eldon join director and producer for the somewhat more straight-faced commentary on the second disc. Menu options thankfully include the treasurable "Play all" facility. --Mark Walker

• Avanti | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The complete obscurity of Avanti is a cinematic injustice that needs to be rectified. Jack Lemmon and director Billy Wilder made their share of hits together (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, for starters), but this wry, melancholy comedy was completely out of touch with its time (which recalls a Wilder one-liner from the 1970s: "Who the hell would want to be in touch with these times?"). It may have flopped badly in 1972, but it wears well in retrospect. Lemmon plays a jerk American businessman called to Italy to pick up the body of his father, who died while enjoying a secret (and, it turns out, annual) liaison with a mistress. With the help of a delightful Englishwoman (Juliet Mills) who happens to be the daughter of the "other woman", Lemmon finds himself stepping in a few of dad's footsteps, and falling under the sway of the beguiling Italian atmosphere. It's a very leisurely movie, but that's part of the effect. Clive Revill delivers a gem of a performance as a heroic hotel manager, and Juliet Mills (sister of Hayley, daughter of Sir John) had her finest screen hour here. As a director, Wilder spent much of his early career camouflaging his romantic streak under a cynical front; here, despite many acerbic touches and the presence of death as the central plot device, the romance is in full flower under the rich Italian sun. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

• The Vicar Of Dibley - Series 1 And 2 - Complete | DVD | (07/05/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The sleepy village of Dibley has a new vicar but it's not your standard order bloke with beard bible and bad breath - it's Dawn French of the hilarious comedy duo French and Saunders. Armed with a sharp wit a double dose of double entendre and healthy supply of chocolate she brings the town's lovable - through rather eccentric - inhabitants a hysterical new outlook on life love and the Church of England that will leave audiences in stitches! From the writer of Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral Richard Curtis comes the first two series of this BBC sit-com.

• Jimmy Carr: Making People Laugh | DVD | (08/11/2010) from £4.87   |  Saving you £3.93 (80.70%)   |  RRP £8.80

  Winner of numerous awards the comedian returns with his deadpan wit and wisdom in his sixth live stand up DVD.

• The Ladykillers | DVD | (21/06/2004) from £7.49   |  Saving you £6.50 (86.78%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Although you never really fear for Mrs "lop-sided" Wilberforce or General Gordon (her parrot) in The Ladykillers, the criminal gang who come to stay are clearly dangerous. Alec Guinness is extraordinary as the buck-toothed mastermind, and once the hijacked lolly is stowed in their digs it's a joy to watch him scheme to eliminate the other crooks and abscond with it all. Herbert Lom's thuggishness, Peter Seller's nervy twitching, and Danny Green's lumbering cloddishness are a treat, but are wickedly done away with one by one under cover of locomotive smoke plumes. So many set-pieces make this a classic: sending the landlady to collect the stolen money at the station, Frankie Howerd's boisterous fruit seller cameo, and keeping alive the idea that the gang's a musical troupe with a penchant for Boccherini and Haydn. Some inspired set design and camera work even add an expressionistic quality. --Paul Tonks

• The Thoughts of Chairman Alf | DVD | (28/01/2019) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Produced in the late 1990s by London Weekend Television, this series saw Alf Garnett, Johnny Speight's legendary sitcom creation, wrestling with the pressing issues of the day in typically controversial fashion! Continuing in similar vein to An Audience with Alf Garnett, The Thoughts of Chairman Alf stars Warren Mitchell as the infamously bigoted East Ender first introduced in the BBC's Till Death Us Do Part, who over six mock-Q&A-style shows is given another chance to air his personal prejudices and dubious philosophy only partially curtailed by late '90s political correctness...

• Sam | DVD | (30/01/2017) from £3.39   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Comedy directed by Nicholas Brooks starring Natalie Knepp and Sean Kleier. Sam (Brock Harris) is an insufferable misogynist, but he has a shock in store as he is suddenly transformed permanently into a beautiful young woman, Samantha (Knepp), the sort he'd normally have laid his unwarranted advances upon. So now that he has been thrown into the world of womanhood, with all of its pros and cons, how will Samantha react to being treated the way Sam used to treat women? And how will Samantha feel when she starts falling for Sam's best friend?

• The Simpsons: Complete Season 2 | DVD | (29/03/2004) from £30.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (29.04%)   |  RRP £39.99

  First aired in 1990-91, the second series of The Simpsons proved that, far from being a one-joke sitcom about the all-American dysfunctional family, it had the potential to become a whole hilarious universe. The animation had settled down (in the first series, the characters look eerily distorted when viewed years later), while Dan Castellaneta, who voiced Homer, decided to switch from a grumpy Walter Matthau impression to a more full-on, bulbous wail. The series' population of minor characters began to grow with the inclusion of Dr Hibbert, McBain and attorney Lionel Hutz, while the writers became more seamless in their ability to weave pastiche of classic movies into the plot lines. While relatively "straight" by later standards (the surreal forays of future seasons are kept in check here), Season Two contains some of the most memorable episodes ever made, indeed some of the finest American comedy ever made. These include "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", in which Homer is reunited with, and ruins the business of, his long-lost brother ("He was an unbridled success--until he discovered he was a Simpson"), "Dead Putting Society", in which Homer lives out his rivalry with neighbour Ned Flanders through a crazy-golf competition between the sons ("If you lose, you're out of the family!") and one of the greatest ever episodes, "Lisa's Substitute", which not only features poor little Lisa's crush on a supply teacher voiced by Dustin Hoffman but also Bart's campaign to become class president. "A vote for Bart is a vote for anarchy!", warns Martin, the rival candidate. By way of a retort, Bart promises faithfully, "A vote for Bart is a vote for anarchy!". --David Stubbs On the DVD: The Simpsons, Season 2, like its DVD predecessor, has neat animated menus on all four discs as well as apparently endless copyright warnings, but nothing as useful as a "play all" facility. The discs are more generously filled than Season 1, however, and each episode has an optional group commentary from Matt Groening and various members of his team. The fourth disc has sundry snippets including the Springfield family at the Emmy Awards ceremony, Julie Kavner dressed up as Bart at the American Music Awards and videos for both "Do the Bartman" and "Deep, Deep Trouble" (all with optional commentary). There are two short features dating from 1991: director David Silverman on the creation of an episode and an interview with Matt Groening. TV commercials for butterfinger bars, foreign language clips and picture galleries round out the selection. Picture is standard 4:3 and the sound is good Dolby 5.1. --Mark Walker

• Moonrise Kingdom | DVD | (01/10/2012) from £8.65   |  Saving you £7.34 (84.86%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, as a young boy and girl fall in love they are moved to run away together. The town works together to search for them and is turned upside down - which might not be such a bad thing.

• Kevin Smith 3 Movie Collection | Blu Ray | (17/10/2011) from £29.68   |  Saving you £20.31 (68.43%)   |  RRP £49.99

  Clerks Kevin Smith (Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) made his directional debut with this highly original cult comedy. Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson star as Dante and Randal, two convenience store clerks from New Jersey who spend their days annoying customers, discussing their favourite movies and playing hockey on the store roof. This movie is a simple yet hilarious account of their day to day lives. Chasing Amy Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) are two comic book artists who are rapidly moving their way up in the comic book industry. Everything is going well for them until they meet Alyssa (Joey Lauren). Holden soon falls madly in love with her but to his frustration later finds out she is a lesbian. Soon enough Holden’s predicament starts to affect his work and begins to put pressure on his relationship with Banky. Comedy drama from critically acclaimed director Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back When lay-about stoners Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) find out a movie is being made on the comic book characters, Bluntman and Chronic, based on themselves and are offered no profit, they set out on a mission to destroy the movie and stop it being made. However, on the way they inadvertently become hooked up in a jewel heist and are insanely landed in the care of a monkey. Now they are on the run from the police and taking care of a monkey! But this won’t stop them from wrecking the movie. So despite all of this, they head for Hollywood and an all out chase begins.Hilarious comedy with a great supporting cast and an array of side-splitting cameos including Carrie Fisher, Ben Affleck and Jason Biggs.

• Me, Myself and Irene | DVD | (18/06/2001) from £7.98   |  Saving you £12.01 (150.50%)   |  RRP £19.99

  An outrageous comedy from the Farrelly Brothers, the film centers around a mild-mannered Rhode Island cop (Carrey) with split-personality disorder.

• Danny Bhoy - Subject to Change | DVD | (08/11/2010) from £17.53   |  Saving you £-4.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Recorded live in Montreal this is the much-awaited North American debut of Scottish comedy sensation Danny Bhoy. This DVD features the full-length show from his Comedy Central Special along with some exclusive and very special extras. See why audiences around the world have been enraptured by Danny's unique brand of story-telling and some of the finest observational comedy in the world today.

• The Front (Dual Format Limited Edition) | Blu Ray | (27/03/2017) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  What if there were a list? A list that said: Our finest actors weren't allowed to act. Our best writers aren't allowed to write. Our funniest comedians aren't allowed to make us laugh. What would it be like if there were such a list? It would be like America in 1953. In 1953, a cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand. Extras/Episodes: INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio commentary by actress Andrea Marcovicci, and film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman Director of Photography Michael Chapman on The Front Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography Original theatrical trailer New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by professor Gabriel Miller, author of The Films of Martin Ritt: Fanfare for the Common Man Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies ¢ UK Blu-ray premiere

• The Eric Sykes Collection | DVD | (23/08/2010) from £9.09   |  Saving you £10.90 (119.91%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Eric Sykes Collection

• Porky's | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £16.81   |  Saving you £-3.82 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Keep an eye out for the funniest movie about growing up ever made! This hilarious raunchy comedy hit that spawned two sequels takes an unblushing look at teenage adolescence in the 1950's. It follows the comic misadventures of six high schoolers whose most fervent wish is to find some sexual satisfaction at Porky's a notorious honky-tonk strip joint. When they're ripped off and thrown out by the owner they plot a revengeful scheme that is truly unforgettable!

• Tromeo & Juliet | Blu Ray | (27/07/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The first film written by James Gunn who went on to write 2004's Dawn of the Dead and write/direct Slither Tromeo and Juliet moves Shakespeare's classic tale of star-crossed love from 16th Century Verona to a crumbling modern day New York where young Tromeo (Will Keenan) and Juliet (Jane Jenson) must defy their families endless feud in order to be together for eternity. Featuring all the body piercing kinky sex car crashes and dismemberment that Shakespeare always wanted but never had Tromeo and Juilet is the most subversive and original literary adaptation ever put on screen! Special Features: Region Free 4 Audio Commentaries (the original commentary one recently recovered vintage commentary and two new ones) featuring writer James Gunn (Slither) director Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger) actor Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) editor Frank Reynolds and editor Gabriel Friedman (Terror Firmer Citizen Toxie Poultrygeist). 2 hours of interviews with crew and cast members including Debbie Rochon (Ness) Tiffany Shepis (Peter) Sean Gunn (Sammy) Stephen Blackehart (Benny) and Lemmy (from Motorhead). Deleted Scenes including Ron Jeremy's missing scene and a new featurette of James and Lloyd commenting on the missing scenes. Rehearsal footage of Jane Jensen and Debbie Rochon Getting Hostel With Hollywood: James Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman visit Eli Roth's birthday party Slithering Through Hollywood Extended Version: A new longer version of Lloyds visit to the set of James Gunns Slither. Fan re-enactments of scenes from the film

• Mirror, Mirror (DVD) | DVD | (30/07/2012) from £3.99   |  Saving you £16.00 (401.00%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Mirror Mirror is a fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, a family adventure for all ages, starring Oscar-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom and Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, the princess in exile, plus Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the Prince.

• Are You Being Served? - The Movie | DVD | (25/09/2006) from £8.50   |  Saving you £4.49 (52.82%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Hilarious high-jinks from the Grace Bros. team as they troop off to sunny Spain for the staff trip of a lifetime. Cheerfully they disgrace themselves on the Costa Plonka. Mr Humphries is free while Captain Peacock wants everything under the sun from Miss Brahms. Mrs Slocombe only hopes her pussy can survive as the comedy capers carry on abroad in the riotous screen version of the television comedy classic.