"Director: Sydney Pollack"

• The Way We Were | DVD | (24/07/2000) from £7.55   |  Saving you £12.44 (164.77%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A classic early 1970s weepie, The Way We Were stars Barbra Streisand as a Communist activist in the late 30s and 40s and Robert Redford as the ambitious young writer who marries her, cheats on her and eventually leaves her in the early days of McCarthyism for the sake of his Hollywood screenwriting career. Arthur Laurent's intelligent screenplay, remarkable performances from the two stars and Marvin Hamlisch's Oscar-winning score and theme song combined to produce a film that even as hostile a critic as Pauline Kael had to admit worked. On the DVD: The DVD re-release includes the usual subtitling facilities, the theatre trailer and a documentary on the film's making, which includes one of the more political scenes deleted for commercial release; it is also possible to watch the film with a detailed commentary from Sydney Pollack about the problems of its making, problems which included writing new scenes so that Redford was not entirely upstaged by Streisand in the audience's sympathies. --Roz Kaveney

• Out Of Africa | DVD | (21/01/2002) from £6.90   |  Saving you £9.09 (131.74%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Out of Africa seems to have slipped more readily from public memory than other comparably lauded films. Yet Sidney Pollack's panoramic treatment of Karen Blixen's novel has retained its atmosphere and slow-burning emotion, and deserves reassessment. Meryl Streep is in her possibly most involving starring role as Baroness Karen Blixen, Danish free spirit whose ill-fated venture at the beginning of World War One to run a coffee plantation in Kenya is overlaid by her intimate yet distant relationship with adventurer and idealist Denys Finch Hatton, unselfconsciously portrayed by Robert Redford. Klaus Maria Brandauer puts in a rare and convincing English-language appearance as the amoral but charming womaniser Baron Bror Blixen. The film is tellingly held together by Kurt Luedke's finely honed screenplay, and John Barry's sumptuously expressive score. On the DVD: The anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen format reproduces superbly, as does the 4.1 discrete audio. 18 access points are provided, with printed and aural subtitles in English only. Pollack's feature commentary is amusing enough on a single run-through, but an on-location documentary would have been preferable. Production notes and biographies are very adequate, though the theatrical trailer reproduction is notably inferior. No matter, this is a major film, well worth the transfer to DVD.--Richard Whitehouse

• Three Days of the Condor (1975) | Blu Ray | (11/04/2016) from £14.85   |  Saving you £5.14 (34.61%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Robert Redford and director Sydney Pollack teamed up for their third collaboration on Three Days of the Condor, a sinuous tale of deceit and corruption, as well as one of Hollywood's finest conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s. Redford stars as Joe Turner, a junior analyst in the C.I.A., scrutinising published texts from around the world for coded messages. But once he discovers an unusual anomaly, his own existence comes crashing down, with every error carrying fatal consequences. Taught and engrossing, with astonishing modern-day relevance, and fabulous supporting turns from Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, John Houseman and the great Max von Sydow, the Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present its first ever home video release in the UK in a new special edition. His codename is Condor! In the next seventy-two hours almost everyone he trusts will try to kill him. Be careful who you trust.

• Tootsie | Blu Ray | (18/04/2016) from £17.99   |  Saving you £10.00 (55.59%)   |  RRP £27.99

  Tootsie inevitably looks dated in some respects now, but it's still fabulous in others--the sexual politics look distinctly faded in their sniggering approach to sexual ambiguities, while the sardonic portrayal of a showbiz that loathes perfectionism is still both timely and hysterically funny. Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Michael Dorsey is a memorable self-caricature--the man is so obsessed with the craft of acting that he refuses to sit down when playing a tomato in a commercial, and so producers run away rather than work with him. By playing Dorothy Michaels playing her soap character, Dorsey gives himself the freedom to be a bad and popular actor. He is so busy with the surface of being a woman--the voice, the hair, the frocks--and with all the bad faith of his and Dorothy's emotional lives, that he learns to relax into the pleasure of performance. This aspect of the film is far more interesting, ironic and funny than the corny New Man moralising about sexual roles that goes with it. Jessica Lange got, and earned, an Oscar for her sensitive straight woman performance as the colleague Michael falls for, and Bill Murray, Teri Garr, Geena Davis (momentarily) and Charles Durning all turn in reliable supporting roles. Sydney Pollack directs efficiently rather than inspiredly--oddly, he earns almost more credit for his well-observed performance as Michael's world-weary agent. On the DVD: The DVD is presented in crisp Dolby Digital sound and with the original theatrical visual ratio of 2.35:1; enhanced for 16:9 widescreen televisions. It is dubbed into French, German, Italian and Spanish and has subtitles in most European languages as well as Arabic, Hindi and Hebrew. The only special features are the theatrical trailer and filmographies for the leading performers and director. --Roz Kaveney

• Jeremiah Johnson | DVD | (25/09/1998) from £7.19   |  Saving you £6.80 (94.58%)   |  RRP £13.99

  After they first worked together on the 1966 film This Property Is Condemned, director Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford continued their long-lasting collaboration with this 1972 drama set during the mid-1800s, about one man's rugged effort to shed the burden of civilisation and learn to survive in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Will Geer is perfectly cast as the seasoned trapper who teaches Jeremiah Johnson (Redford) how to survive against harsh winters, close encounters with grizzly bears, and hostile Crow Indians. In the course of his adventure, Johnson marries the daughter of a Flathead Indian chief, forms a makeshift family, and ultimately assumes a mythic place in Rocky Mountain folklore. Shot entirely on location in Utah, Jeremiah Johnson boasts an abundance of breathtaking widescreen scenery, and the story (despite a PG rating) doesn't flinch from the brutality of the wilderness. --Jeff Shannon

• The Firm | DVD | (04/12/2000) from £7.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (100.12%)   |  RRP £15.99

  This first film adaptation of a John Grisham novel is a crackerjack popcorn movie that satisfies even though it radically changes the last half of the book. The novel's dynamic setup is intact: Mitch McDeere, a hot law graduate (a well-suited Tom Cruise), finds a dream job in a luxurious Memphis law firm. His superiors (Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook) provide Mitch and his young wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn), with a house and plenty of money in exchange for lots of work, and maybe something more. Soon FBI agents (including a bald Ed Harris) encircle Mitch, telling him his firm has a sinister secret, forcing Mitch into a heck of a pickle. How Mitch deals with his situation is where the book and movie differ, yet by the time Mitch is running from bad guys with suitcase in hand, the movie delivers Grisham's goods. For Sydney Pollack's film, Mitch is more confrontational and heroic. Plot aside, the care Pollack put into this fair-weather thriller is unimpeachable, as is his cast. There is hardly a better all-star cast in any 1990s thriller, from Hackman and Harris in key roles to actors in smaller parts, sometimes with only a scene or two. Standouts include David Strathairn as Mitch's wayward brother, Wilford Brimley as the head of security, film producer Jerry Weintraub as an angry client, Gary Busey as a private investigator and Holly Hunter in a delicious, Oscar-nominated supporting role as Busey's most loyal of secretaries. The cast seems to have had as much fun making the film as we do watching it. It's slick Hollywood product, but first-rate all the way. --Doug Thomas

• Absence Of Malice | DVD | (16/07/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In 1981, Absence of Malice was a prescient drama set in the world of journalism just before its power exploded out of control. The title refers to a verbal loophole effectively allowing invasion of privacy. After months of fruitlessly investigating the disappearance of a prominent figure, the Justice Division contrive to leak a story that'll flush out information. Unfortunately they pick on the one news gal with a moral backbone lurking behind the all-business façade. Sally Field is superb at controlling the contradictions within Megan, and is perfect next to the resolutely calm Gallagher (an Oscar-nominated Paul Newman). His bogus investigation is sure to backfire, and once the two get together it does so in the most satisfying of ways. Shot in gloriously sunny Miami locations, the film has a constant atmosphere of realism. When it's time to point the finger of blame, the film is given over to the starriest of cameos from Wilfred Brimley as the straight-talking Assistant Attorney General. His differentiation between truth and accuracy ought to be required learning for all journalists. On the DVD: The sound may be mono, but the picture is crisp enough. A minute-long deleted scene expanding Gallagher's business crisis is in poor condition however and doesn't add much. Neither does the theatrical trailer or three mini Filmographies of director Sidney Pollack, Newman and Field. The real extra treat is a 30-minute documentary, which features new interviews with Pollack, writer Kurt Luedtke, Newman and Field. Everyone has fond memories of making the film, even Field despite her bruises after the rough-and-tumble scene with the usually genteel Newman. --Paul Tonks

• Amazing Grace | DVD | (02/09/2019) from £5.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In 1972, Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul, recorded an album of gospel music at The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, before an ecstatic live audience. The result, Amazing Grace, went on to become one of the biggest albums of Aretha Franklin's career and one of her most beloved works. But even as the album gained fans around the world, few realised that the inspirational sessions had not only been recorded, they had been filmed by a camera crew led by Oscar winning filmmaker Sydney Pollack. However, due to technical problems, the film has never been seen. Until now. Music lovers won't want to miss this thrilling film, which is both an extraordinary look at a key moment in American musical and social history, and an invaluable record of one of America's greatest artists doing what she did best. One of the great music films New York Times Pure, soaring joy James King, BBC Radio 2

• Best Of The 80s Collection | DVD | (01/09/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  This Box Set contains the following films: Karate Kid A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the East Coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras a menacing gang of karate students when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue) the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki ""Pat"" Morita) whom he learns is a master of the martial arts to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self - mind and body - and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film. Tootsie Michael Dorsey is fine actor but an irreproachable perfectionist who can hardly make ends meet; the best he can do for his wallet is take on a couple of jobs as a part-time drama coach and a part-time waiter. But when with the help of a few accessories (including rouge and a padded bra) he transforms himself into Dorothy Michaels everything changes. Dorothy lands a hot job on a soap opera monopolizes the covers of glossy magazines and wins thousands of adoring fans. But when he falls head-over-heels for his co-star Julie (Jessica Lange) he's got a real problem: How can he tell Julie he loves her when she thinks he's a she? Michael desperate to relinquish his disguise proceeds as a she and endures a battle with his agent played by Pollack who refuses to end his contract with the soap; a fight with his best friend who is a woman; unwanted sexual advances from a fellow soap actor; and sweet affections from Julie's father. St.Elmo's Fire Billy: life has changed since school but has Billy noticed? Wendy: respectable hardworking and a virgin. Daddy says ""marry a nice boy"" but she has other ideas! Alec: success wealth and a wife. He knows what he wants but can he have it? Kevin: what's his secret? Scared of Women? Gay? Or is it something that'll really shock his best friend? Jules: life is one high-powered party. Sex drugs and really pushing life to the limit. Leslie: she loves her work and she loves her boyfriend...but work's less trouble! Kirbo: a romantic wrestling with reality chasing the girl of his dreams. The Secret Of My Success Can a kid from Kansas come to New York to conquer the business world and maneuver his way from the mailroom to the boardroom in a matter of weeks? Michael J. Fox proves it can be done in this very funny lampoon of corporate business life. Fresh out of college he's determined to climb New York's corporate ladder in record time by masquerading as a

• The Yakuza | DVD | (19/02/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £13.99

  REGION 2 UK DVD - OFFICIAL WARNER BROS RELEASE - HARD TO FIND CLASSIC STARRING ROBERT MITCHUM.

• Out of Africa | DVD | (14/03/2011) from £8.07   |  Saving you £7.92 (98.14%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Sydney Pollack directs this sweeping romantic drama based on the memoirs of Danish writer Isak Dinesen. Meryl Streep stars as Karen Blixen the restless wife of European aristocrat and plantation owner Baron Bror Blixen (Brandauer). When Bror departs to hunt big game and chase women the running of their East African coffee plantation falls to Karen. She throws herself into this task with the same determination and spirit she brings to her passionate but sporadic affair with free-spirited British hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). While enduring her husband's infidelities and the eventual destruction of their beloved land she entertains Denys and befriends the workers. Hatton shares Karen's profound love for the African landscape but is unwilling to sacrifice his independence for their relationship...

• The Swimmer | DVD | (26/05/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Burt Lancaster gives one of his most daringly complex performances in The Swimmer, a fascinating adaptation of John Cheever's celebrated short story. At first it seems that middle-aged businessman Ned Merrill (Lancaster) is merely enjoying a spontaneous adventure, swimming from pool to pool among the well-tended estates of his affluent Connecticut neighbourhood. But as Ned encounters a variety of neighbours, we see from their reactions that he's on an entirely different kind of journey, balanced on the edge of some mysterious psychosis that we can't fully understand until the film's final, devastating image. A compelling portrait of loss, refracted memories, and deep-rooted emotional denial, The Swimmer sprung from the same late-60s soil that yielded similarly ground-breaking literary films such as The Graduate and Goodbye, Columbus. It's an egotistical showcase for the physical prowess of its 55-year-old star, but Lancaster turns it into something deeper, more disturbing, and completely unforgettable. --Jeff Shannon

• Castle Keep | DVD | (23/08/2004) from £9.47   |  Saving you £3.52 (37.17%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Near the end of World War II American Major Falconer (Lancaster) leads his weary eight-man squadron to a perfectly preserved medieval castle in the Ardennes Forest. Castle Keep's owner the aging Count of Maldorais (Jean-Pierre Aumont) shelters the servicemen in hopes they will defend his fortress and his priceless collection of art masterpieces from the advancing German troops. But the servicemen have plans of their own. Major Falconer begins an illicit affair with the count's beau

• Havana | DVD | (07/02/2005) from £5.54   |  Saving you £0.45 (8.12%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Robert Redford and Lena Olin star in Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack's passionate romantic adventure set in a place once called ""the sexiest city in the world."" High-rolling poker player Jack Weil (Redford) is trying to make one big score in 1958 Havana a pleasure-seeker's paradise on the verge of revolution. But his plan doesn't include falling for Roberta (Olin) the beautiful enigmatic wife of revolutionary Arturo Duran (Raul Julia). After Arturo is removed by the police Jack is drawn closer to Roberta who ignites a passion that threatens his last chance for the big score. Breathtaking cinematography a powerful story and a sensual score be Dave Grusin make Havana an unforgettable experience.

• Robert Redford - Screen Legends | DVD | (05/06/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  More than just a pretty boy Robert Redford has consistently proven his considerable acting abilities in a number of great films over the past 5 decades. This box set features 4 of his finest hours! The Natural (Dir. Barry Levinson 1984): Nothing would stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom. Robert Redford stars in this inspiring fable that begins when 14-year-old Hobbs (Redford) fashions a powerful bat from a fallen oak tree. He soon impres

• Electric Horseman | DVD | (24/10/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Former national rodeo champion Sonny Steele (Robert Redford) has thrown in the towel to become the spokesman for Ranch Cereal. Now in the pay of vast business conglomerate Ampco, Sonny's personal appearances are ˜aided' by his garish electrified cowboy suit and hindered by his drunkenness, and matters come to a head at a flashy Las Vegas convention when he's supposed to ride Rising Star, a $12m racehorse, onstage. Discovering that the horse has been doped, Sonny rides defiantly offstage and absconds into the desert in a bid to restore Rising Star to freedom. Investigative journalist Hallie Martin (Jane Fonda) goes after Sonny to nail a juicy scoop but ends up with considerably more as she tracks him down and starts to fall for his charms. Several interested parties are in hot pursuit, however, including the state police, the FBI, rival TV networks and a vengeful Ampco, which wants its valuable property back. Willie Nelson plays Sonny's laid-back rodeo pal Wendell, Valerie Perrine is Sonny's former wife Charlotta, and John Saxon is the ruthless Ampco head honcho Hunt Sears.

• The Constant Gardener/Out Of Africa | DVD | (26/12/2006) from £3.97   |  Saving you £9.02 (227.20%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Constant Gardener (Dir. Fernando Meirelles 2005): In a remote area of Northern Kenya activist Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Tessa's companion a doctor appears to have fled the scene and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Members of the British High Commission in Nairobi assume that Tessa's widower their mild-mannered and unambitious colleague Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) will leave the matter to them. They could not be more wrong.... Haunted by remorse and jarred by rumors of his late wife's infidelities Quayle surprises everyone by embarking on a personal odyssey that will take him across three continents. Using his privileged access to diplomatic secrets he will risk his own life stopping at nothing to uncover and expose the truth; a conspiracy more far-reaching and deadly than Quayle could ever have imagined. Based on the novel by John Le Carre The Constant Gardener was nominated for 3 Oscars and Rachel Weisz duly collected statuette hers for a superb supporting turn as Tessa Quayle. Out of Africa (Dir. Sydney Pollack 1985): Sydney Pollack directs this sweeping romantic drama based on the memoirs of Danish writer Isak Dinesen. Meryl Streep stars as Karen Blixen the restless wife of European aristocrat and plantation owner Baron Bror Blixen (Brandauer). When Bror departs to hunt big game and chase women the running of their East African coffee plantation falls to Karen. She throws herself into this task with the same determination and spirit she brings to her passionate but sporadic affair with free-spirited British hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). While enduring her husband's infidelities and the eventual destruction of their beloved land she entertains Denys and befriends the workers. Hatton shares Karen's profound love for the African landscape but is unwilling to sacrifice his independence for their relationship...

• Sabrina | DVD | (10/06/2002) from £13.69   |  Saving you £-0.70 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Love is a funny thing. Especially when Harrison Ford Julia Ormond and Greg Kinnear form the warmest romantic triangle ever! Directed by Sydney Pollack Sabrina shimmers like a fairy tale come true. Ford plays Linus Larrabee a busy tycoon who has no room for love in his appointment book. But when a romance between his playboy brother (Kinnear) and Sabrina (Ormond) daughter of the family chauffeur threatens one of Linus' business deals the CEO clears his schedule for some ruthl

• The Firm | Blu Ray | (14/11/2011) from £26.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Three-time Oscar nominee Tom Cruise delivers the most electrifying performance of his career in this riveting film based on the international best-seller. Cruise plays Mitch McDeere a brilliant and ambitious Harvard Law grad. Driven by a fierce desire to bury his working class past Mitch joins a small prosperous Memphis firm that affords Mitch and his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) an affluent lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. But when FBI agents confront him with evidence of corruption and murder within the firm Mitch sets out to find the truth in a deadly crossfire between the FBI the Mob and a force that will stop at nothing to protect its interests - The Firm.

• Tom Cruise Collection | DVD | (06/10/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Titles Comprise: Collateral: Cab driver Max (Foxx) dreams of one day realising his entrepeneurial aspirations. However one terrifying night he realises that the passenger he's been driving around all evening (Cruise) is a contract killer committing a series of hits. Now it's up to Max to somehow stop the killer from executing the last witness on his list and to stay alive himself... Days of Thunder: Tom Cruise plays race car driver Cole Trickle whose talent and ambition are surpassed only by his burning need to win. Discovered by businessman Tim Daland (Randy Quaid) Cole is teamed with legendary crew chief and car-builder Harry Hogge (Academy Award-winner Robert Duvall) to race for the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. A fiery crash nearly ends race car driver Cole Trickle's career until he turns to a beautiful doctor (Nicole Kidman) to regain his nerve and true courage needed to race to win and to live. Top Gun A look at the danger and excitement that awaits every pilot at the Navy's prestigious fighter weapons school. Tom Cruise is superb as Pete Maverick Mitchell a daring young fighter who's out to become the best. And Kelly McGillis sizzles as the civilian instructor who teaches Maverick a few things you can't learn in a classroom... The Firm: Three-time Oscar nominee Tom Cruise delivers the most electrifying performance of his career in this riveting film based on the international best-seller. Cruise plays Mitch McDeere a brilliant and ambitious Harvard Law grad. Driven by a fierce desire to bury his working class past Mitch joins a small prosperous Memphis firm that affords Mitch and his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) an affluent lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. But when FBI agents confront him with evidence of corruption and murder within the firm Mitch sets out to find the truth in a deadly crossfire between the FBI the Mob and a force that will stop at nothing to protect its interests - The Firm. Mission Impossible: Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt a secret agent framed for the deaths of his espionage team. Fleeing from government assassins breaking into the CIA's most impenetrable vault clinging to the roof of a speeding bullet train Hunt races like a burning fuse to stay one step ahead of his pursuers and draw one step closer to discovering the shocking truth. War Of The Worlds: Ray Ferrier (Cruise) is a divorced dockworker and somewhat less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife (Miranda Otto) and her new husband drop off his teenage son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and young daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning) for a rare weekend visit a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down. Moments later Ray witnesses an extraordinary event that will change all their lives forever. A towering three-legged war machine emerges from deep beneath the earth; an ordinary day has suddenly become the most extraordinary event of their lifetimes - the first strike in a cataclysmic alien attack on Earth. Ray scrambles to get his children away from this merciless new enemy embarking on a journey that will take them across the ravaged countryside where they become caught in the desperate tide of refugees fleeing from an extraterrestrial army of Tripods. But no matter where they run there is no safety no refuge: only Ray's unconquerable will to protect the ones he loves...