"Director: Cy Endfield"

• Zulu (50th Anniversary Edition) | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £5.99   |  Saving you £14.00 (233.72%)   |  RRP £19.99

  It’s a sad fact that many older films are shovelled onto the Blu-ray format, without a great deal of work put into improving their presentation. That’s an accusation that absolutely can’t be levelled at the outstanding transfer that Zulu has benefited from. It’s truly a template for other studios to follow, and a stunning high-definition upgrade. It’s a superb restoration job that’s been done here, and it’s fair to suggest that Zulu has never looked better. The sheer level of detail is amazing, particularly given the age of the material, and it’s presented in an utterly pristine fashion. It’s both a delight and a surprise to see the film fare so well. The audio side of things hasn’t benefited to quite the same degree, sadly, but it copes with the demands of the film perfectly well. The visuals, however, are dazzling. As for the movie? Zulu remains a classic. With a cast led by Michael Caine, the story centres around the seemingly impossible job of defending Rourke’s Drift in 1879. In a battle that’s stunningly brought to life, the British forces face insurmountable odds, something the film vividly gets across. It’s balanced film making too, and while it takes liberties with its recollection of history, it nonetheless sticks firmly in the mind long after the end credits have rolled. This surprisingly superb Blu-ray release is easily the best way to enjoy it, too. --Jon Foster

• Zulu | DVD | (18/11/2002) from £7.19   |  Saving you £10.06 (169.65%)   |  RRP £15.99

  One of the last of the classic-era widescreen epics, Zulu was also one of the last war movies to celebrate the virtues of the famous British stiff upper lip. At Rorke's Drift in 1879 a handful of British soldiers, hopelessly outnumbered by 4,000 Zulu warriors, fought one of the most celebrated defensive actions in military history. Zulu tells the story on an epic scale, bringing to life the heroism, courage, loyalty and sacrifice of those desperate hours. This is truly cast-of-thousands filmmaking, with vast action wonderfully captured in widescreen Technirama. John Barry, who also scored Goldfinger in the same year, provides a telling musical accompaniment. The superb cast includes Stanley Baker and Jack Hawkins, but Zulu's final claim to fame is that it made an instant international superstar of a young actor whose name is Michael Caine. A belated sequel arrived in 1979 in Zulu Dawn, which despite even more spectacular action and a great cast died at the box-office. It is nevertheless well worth seeing. On the DVD: Zulu on disc has excellent prologic stereo considering the age of the film, while the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 transfer is crystal-clear, boasting rich colours, strong contrast and detail and only occasional minor print flaws. The original American trailer, also presented anamorphically enhanced at 2.35:1, is a worthwhile addition. There is a very good new 45-minute "making of" (1.77:1 anamorphic, in stereo), curiously split into two parts. The heart of the programme consists of interviews with survivors from the film, focusing on Stanley Baker's widow. The only let down is lack of input from Michael Caine and composer John Barry. The commentary by film historian Sheldon Hall, author of a forthcoming book on the movie, and Second Unit Director Robert Porter is serious and packed with information. --Gary S Dalkin

• Zulu (50th Anniversary Edition) | Blu Ray | (05/05/2014) from £7.99   |  Saving you £19.00 (237.80%)   |  RRP £26.99

  It’s a sad fact that many older films are shovelled onto the Blu-ray format, without a great deal of work put into improving their presentation. That’s an accusation that absolutely can’t be levelled at the outstanding transfer that Zulu has benefited from. It’s truly a template for other studios to follow, and a stunning high-definition upgrade. It’s a superb restoration job that’s been done here, and it’s fair to suggest that Zulu has never looked better. The sheer level of detail is amazing, particularly given the age of the material, and it’s presented in an utterly pristine fashion. It’s both a delight and a surprise to see the film fare so well. The audio side of things hasn’t benefited to quite the same degree, sadly, but it copes with the demands of the film perfectly well. The visuals, however, are dazzling. As for the movie? Zulu remains a classic. With a cast led by Michael Caine, the story centres around the seemingly impossible job of defending Rourke’s Drift in 1879. In a battle that’s stunningly brought to life, the British forces face insurmountable odds, something the film vividly gets across. It’s balanced film making too, and while it takes liberties with its recollection of history, it nonetheless sticks firmly in the mind long after the end credits have rolled. This surprisingly superb Blu-ray release is easily the best way to enjoy it, too. --Jon Foster

• Mysterious Island (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (18/11/2019) from £12.79   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From director Cy Endfield (Zulu) and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts), and starring Herbert Lom (A Shot in the Dark) as Captain Nemo, Mysterious Island is an enchanting Jules Verne adaptation, taking audiences from the top of the sky to the bottom of the sea. Extras Indicator Standard Edition Special Features: 2K restoration from the original negative Original mono audio Alternative 5.1 surround sound track Audio commentary with Ray Harryhausen and film historian Tony Dalton Audio commentary with film experts Randall William Cook, C Courtney Joyner and Steven C Smith Introduction by Ray Harryhausen (2002, 1 min) Ray Harryhausen on ˜Mysterious Island' (2002, 9 mins) Michael Craig on ˜Mysterious Island' (2017, 4 mins): the actor shares his memories of working on the film Ray Andrew on ˜Mysterious Island' (2017, 3 mins): the original clapper loader recalls his time working with Harryhausen Kim Newman on ˜Mysterious Island' (2017, 21 mins): a new appreciation by the author and genre-film expert Mysterious Magic (2017, 10 mins): renowned visual effects animator Hal Hickel discusses the influence of Harryhausen Islands of Mystery (1964, 6 mins): vintage documentary exploring the film and its connections to the history of real islands Super 8 version (19 mins): original cut-down home cinema presentation Isolated score: experience Bernard Herrmann's original soundtrack music Back to Mysterious Island: pages from the comic book inspired by the film Original trailers and TV spots Image gallery: an extensive collection of promotional stills, lobby cards and poster designs New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of-hearing

• Mysterious Island | DVD | (02/12/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Notable neither for its director nor its stars, Mysterious Island has been given the widescreen DVD treatment rather because of its special-effects man, the legendary Ray Harryhausen. And though his input here is minimal compared with other movies, his stop-motion contributions add zest to a cracking good yarn. A gang of American Civil War soldiers hijack a hot-air balloon and escape from the frying-pan of a military prison to the fire of a deserted tropical island. When a couple of English girls are washed ashore and a legendary nautical figure resurfaces, the scene is set for a ripping survival adventure, taking in weighty theories of political democracy, equality and cowardice, and still managing to add a healthy dollop of stirring music, dodgy accents, old-fashioned sexism, pirates, giant bees, a giant crab and a fearsome, err, giant chicken. Harryhausen's eighth feature contains all the elements that make his movies great, and the pacey script, based on the Jules Verne novel, has you gripped from the off. One of his more modern-feeling early films, the colour film stock, the exotic settings and wider stable of stars (black and English actors feature alongside a pre-Clouseau Herbert Lom) move it forward an era from his dated black-and-white schlock-fests. Gripping, erudite and easily on a par with the more well-known Sinbad and Argonauts movies, this is one to be marooned with. On the DVD: Mysterious Island's colour picture is bright, clean and crisp in this anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, and the Dolby digital mono soundtrack is clear enough. The theatrical trailer will please the kitsch fans, as will the featurette "This Is Dynamation" produced at the same time as the first Sinbad movie. The real corker here though is the generously lengthy documentary "The Harryhausen Chronicles". Narrated by Leonard Nimoy, it features a stellar cast of devotees (George Lucas among them) waxing lyrical about the influence of Harryhausen's films, and allows the man himself to ramble fascinatingly over clips of his filmic canon. If you're a fan, it's Harryhausen heaven. --Paul Eisinger

• Great British Actors - Stanley Baker | DVD | (04/03/2013) from £17.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Violent Playground: When local Juvenile Liaison Officer Sergeant Truman (Baker) visits the Murphy household, with the view that if you catch kids at an early age, they will end up being reseponsible adults. Truman becomes romantically involved with Johnny s sister and also finds considerable points of similarity between his previous investigations into the activities of an arsonist know as the Firefly and his investigation of Johnny. Sea Fury: Captain Bellew commands a tugboat...

• Hell Drivers | DVD | (19/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Joe 'Tom' Yateley is an ex-convict. Trying to leave his past behind he decides to starts working for the Hawlett Trucking company which transports gravel. It's an aggressive company where speed is everything. Doing too few runs in a day? You're out. Red is the most experienced trucker he can do 18 runs in a day. Tom soon makes friends with Lucy the secretary and Gino a driver. But the record of Red intrigues him and he wants to break it. Gino advises against it but he helps Tom when he wants to go through with it. Soon trouble begins when Red and the other drivers form an united front against Tom. Just when Tom has enough and decides to pack his bags Lucy tells him Gino had a terrible accident. She also tells about the corruption of Hawlett Trucking...

• Hell Drivers | DVD | (26/01/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Hell Drivers sees James Bond (Sean Connery), Doctor Who (William Hartnell), one of the men from UNCLE (David McCallum), the Prisoner (Patrick McGoohan) and a Professional (Gordon Jackson), all supporting Stanley Baker in this hard-as-nails British action picture realistically set in a bleak late-1950s England. Baker plays Tom Yately, an ex-con who takes the only job he can get--truck driving at breakneck speeds for a corrupt manager (Hartnell) and brutal foreman (McGoohan). The constant short runs and competition between the drivers makes for an intense atmosphere which inevitably explodes into violence. Baker's only friend is an Italian ex-POW played sensitively by Herbert Lom, while Peggy Cummings is a remarkably free-spirited heroine for a British film of the time. Baker himself is superb, quietly tough, and broodingly charismatic, McGoohan is compellingly malevolent and Hartnell simply chilling. The film is consistently engrossing and often exciting, even when the plot spirals into melodrama towards the finale. One has to wonder where the police are during all this mayhem, but the fact that the screenplay, by John Kruse and Cy Endfield, received a BAFTA nomination suggests the scenario was at least reasonably realistic. Endfield also directed this, the second of six films he would helm for Baker, the most famous of which would be the all-time classic, Zulu (1964). On the DVD: Hell Drivers is presented in an anamorphically enhanced ratio of 1.77:1. This means a little of the original 1.96:1 VistaVision (70mm) image is cropped at the sides, which is just noticeable in a few shots. The print used is excellent, with only very minor damage, and the mono sound is fine. The disc also includes Look in on Hell Drivers, a 1957 TV programme that offers interviews with Stanley Baker, Cy Endfield and Alfie Bass, as well as comments from genuine truck drivers confirming the realism of the story, and a contemporary 15-minute television interview with Baker, which focuses on Hell Drivers, Sea Fury(1958) (also directed by Cy Endfield) and Violent Playground (1958). The original trailer rounds out an excellent package. --Gary S Dalkin

• Italian Job/Zulu/Alfie (Triple Pack) | DVD | (14/11/2011) from £9.54   |  Saving you £6.45 (67.61%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Italian Job:Charlie Croker is out of jail and on the make with an ingenious plan for the heist of the century. Aided and abetted by top criminal mastermind Mr. Bridger, Charlie sets off with an ace team of villains and three very special minis to lift $4,000,000 from under the noses of the Turin Polizi. The trouble is, with the cops and the Mafia on his tail, Charlie finds that grabbing the money is kid's stuff compared to getting away with it... This action packed comedy drama is an all time cult classic of the 60's, with the craziest car chase in movie history and an incredible cliff hanger finale, The Italian Job is the caper movie to beat them all!Zulu:The year: 1879. The place: Natal, Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift, which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers.A stirring tale of courage under fire, Zulu boasts fine performances from Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as conflicting British officers, and an unforgettable rendition of Men of Harlech.Alfie:Michael Caine stars as Alfie, a Cockney Casanova, in this outstanding example of 1960s British filmmaking.Alfie is a good-looking charmer, who finds that the Swinging Sixties are a great time to be around in. He's always able to sweet-talk women into bed, and he just doesn't care about the consequences. The film charts Alfie's complex and amoral amour, while he offers his own perspective, addressing the camera with his observations on life and love.So what's it all about, Alfie?

• Hide and Seek | DVD | (21/04/2014) from £11.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Ian Carmichael - one of British cinema's most accomplished character actors and immortalised in the television role of P.G. Wodehouse's genial upper-class bumbler Bertie Wooster - heads a strong cast in this comedy Cold War thriller. Directed by the BAFTA-nominated Cy Endfield whose credits include Zulu and Hell Drivers Hide and Seek also stars Oscar winner Hugh Griffith Bond villain Curd Jürgens and Golden Globe-winning British actress Janet Munro; the film is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Whilst working on a top-secret missile project research scientist David Garret runs into an old friend from behind the Iron Curtain - now a world chess champion working for mysterious businessman Hubert Marek. The hapless professor of astronomy is shortly to find himself at the centre of a kidnap plan designed to make it appear that he has in fact defected to the Soviet Union... Special Features: Image Gallery

• Zulu | Blu Ray | (03/11/2008) from £14.44   |  Saving you £5.55 (38.43%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The year: 1879. The place: Natal Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers. A stirring tale of courage under fire Zulu boasts fine performances from Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as conflicting British officers and an unforgettable rendition of Men of Harlech.

• Zulu Special Collector's Edition | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £6.22   |  Saving you £3.77 (60.61%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The year: 1879. The place: Natal, Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift, which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers.A stirring tale of courage under fire, Zulu boasts fine performances from Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as conflicting British officers, and an unforgettable rendition of Men of Harlech.

• Colonel March Investigates | DVD | (10/02/2014) from £9.99   |  Saving you £3.00 (30.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Colonel March Investigates

• Sea Fury | DVD | (16/04/2012) from £11.98   |  Saving you £3.00 (30.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  First time on DVD! Captain Bellew commands a tugboat harboured off a Spanish village. The father of Josita, a village girl, tempts Bellew into a romantic interest in her, despite nearly five decades difference in their ages. He hopes the aging Bellew will not live long and will leave Josita well off. Meanwhile, Abel Hewson, a handsome English sailor, signs on to Bellew's crew. When Josita and Hewson fall in love, the stage is set for conflict. But greater conflict arrives when a sinking freighter carrying explosive cargo has to be salvaged and towed to port.... This was Victor McLaglen's last film completed only a few months before his death.

• Michael Caine Collection | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £38.99   |  Saving you £-14.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Titles Comprise: Sleuth: Wealthy mystery novelist Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) invites lower-class hairdresser Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) to his elegant English mansion to discuss Milo's affair with Wyke's wife. But when Andrew proposes that Milo participate in a robbery scheme to benefit them all the two rivals find themselves locked in an increasingly devious duel of wits and deceptions. Who is the player? Who is the pawn? And in the shocking and wicked final twist who will win the deadliest game of all? Three decades after its original release Sleuth remains beloved for the virtuoso performances by Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine its brilliant script by playwright Anthony Shaffer (Frenzy The Wicker Man) and as the final film of legendary director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve). Now experience this classic thriller like never before as Sleuth is presented in a sparkling new widescreen transfer created from original vault materials. The Italian Job: Charlie Croker is out of jail and on the make with an ingenious plan for the heist of the century. Aided and abetted by top criminal mastermind Mr. Bridger Charlie sets off with an ace team of villains and three very special minis to lift 000 000 from under the noses of the Turin Polizi. The trouble is with the cops and the Mafia on his tail Charlie finds that grabbing the money is kid's stuff compared to getting away with it...This action packed comedy drama is an all time cult classic of the 60's with the craziest car chase in movie history and an incredible cliff hanger finale The Italian Job is the caper movie to beat them all! Alfie: Alfie is a good-looking charmer who finds that the Swinging Sixties are a great time to be around in. He's always able to sweet-talk women into bed and he just doesn't care about the consequences. The film charts Alfie's complex and amoral amour while he offers his own perspective addressing the camera with his observations on life and love. Zulu: The year: 1879. The place: Natal Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers. A stirring tale of courage under fire Zulu boasts fine performances from Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as conflicting British officers and an unforgettable rendition of Men of Harlech. Funeral in Berlin: A British spy is responsible for arranging the defection of a Russian officer in charge of Berlin war security. When his plan goes very wrong he must rely on his own Cockney cunning to escape the morass of double-dealing intrigue and beautiful but deadly women.

• Michael Caine Box Set: Alfie/The Italian Job/Zulu | DVD | (07/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Zulu The year: 1879. The place: Natal Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers. Alfie Alfie is a good-looking charmer who finds that the Swinging Sixties are a great time to be around in. He's always able to sweet-talk women into bed and he just doesn't care about t

• Jet Storm | DVD | (17/08/2015) from £10.89   |  Saving you £2.10 (19.28%)   |  RRP £12.99

  When Ernest Tilley’s (Richard Attenborough) daughter is killed in a hit-and-run he vows he’ll do what it takes to avenge her death. Armed with a homemade bomb he tracks down the killer to an airport and boards the same flight. Once in the air he threatens to blow up the plane. As they desperately try to find the bomb the dramatic story of each of the other passengers unfolds. Emotions run high as they confront the reality of their situation. A husband confesses to cheating on his wife. Romance blossoms between two flight attendants. A divorced couple realise that they’re still very much in love and a widow admits that she never loved her wealthy husband. Up in the air their fate now lies in their hands. Can Ernest a man who has lost everything be stopped in time? Also starring Stanley Baker Hermione Baddeley Paul Eddington and Diane Cilento and Time Out called this star studded aviation drama “a British prototype for the Airport disaster movies of the 60s and 70s.”

• Zulu | DVD | (05/11/2007) from £11.20   |  Saving you £-1.21 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The year: 1879. The place: Natal Africa. One British garrison has already fallen to a huge army of Zulu tribesmen. The fearless native warriors are now heading for the isolated colonial outpost of Rorke's Drift which is manned by no more than a hundred South Wales Borderers. A stirring tale of courage under fire Zulu boasts fine performances from Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as conflicting British officers and an unforgettable rendition of ""Men of Harlech"".

• The Limping Man | DVD | (10/02/2014) from £6.48   |  Saving you £6.51 (100.46%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Lloyd Bridges and Moira Lister are the chief suspects following a sniper attack in this dark and brooding British noir classic from 1953. American Frank Pryor (Lloyd Bridges) arrives in London to pick up the threads of a wartime romance. As he disembarks, fellow passenger Kendall Brown is assassinated and Pryor finds himself caught up in a murder inquiry. The victim was killed by a mysterious sniper, known as the 'limping man'. Pryor's wartime amour is actress Pauline French (Moira Lister) ...