Drama

• Woman Of Straw | DVD | (06/04/2015) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Sean Connery and Gina Lollobrigida star in this 1960s drama based on the novel by Catherine Arley. When Anthony Richmond (Connery) learns of his wealthy uncle Charles (Ralph Richardson)'s ill-health, he plots a way to get his fortune after his death. Employing attractive young nurse Maria (Lollobrigida) to care for Charles in his final days Anthony encourages his uncle to fall in love with and marry Maria. As Anthony realises that he, too, is falling for Maria, a love triangle emerges and complications arise.

• House of Gucci | DVD | (21/02/2022) from £3.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family empire behind the Italian fashion house of Gucci. Spanning three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder, we see what a name means, what it's worth, and how far a family will go for control.

• Becoming Jane | DVD | (10/09/2007) from £4.98   |  Saving you £15.01 (301.41%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Before becoming a famous novelist, a young Jane Austen becomes embroiled in a passionate love affair with an Irish lawyer, Tom Lefroy, that inspires her career.

• The Secret Life Of Bees | DVD | (30/03/2009) from £4.99   |  Saving you £15.00 (300.60%)   |  RRP £19.99

  "The Secret Life of Bees," based on the New York Times best selling novel and set in South Carolina in 1964, is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother.

• The Harder They Fall | DVD | (27/01/2003) from £9.48   |  Saving you £3.51 (37.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A movie that proved a fine swansong for Humphrey Bogart, The Harder They Fall is a gripping drama set against a background of fixed boxing matches. Not so much about the fights as the exploitation of the sport, the film is based on a novel by Budd Schulberg, whose Oscar-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront (1954) helped turn Rod Steiger into a star. Here Steiger delivers an equally bravura performance as the chillingly corrupt manager, Nick Benko, a man who will do anything to turn a buck. Bogart meanwhile is outstanding as unemployed sports writer Eddie Willis, hired against his better judgement to promote a no-hope Argentinean boxer, Toro Moreno (Mike Lane). Powerfully written, if built around the unlikely premise of building a 10th-rate fighter into a world-class contender, the drama is essentially a battle for Willis's soul as he is torn between money and conscience. Though the scenes with Bogart and Steiger facing off are the strongest and a veritable masterclass of hardboiled characterisation, Mark Robson, who also helmed the Kirk Douglas boxing classic Champion (1949), directs with a convincingly dirty realism, the final punishing and bloody match a clear influence on Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980). On the DVD: The Harder They Fall's anamorphic 1.77:1 transfer is excellent with only one brief scene showing any significant print damage. Burnett Guffey's noir-ish black-and-white cinematography looks sharp and fresh as the day it was shot, with only minimal grain. The mono sound is strong and clear, without a hint of distortion or compression. The only extra is a scored gallery of posters and lobby cards from other Bogart films available on Columbia. There are dubbed versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian, and a plethora of subtitle options. --Gary S Dalkin

• Pickup On South Street (1953) | Blu Ray | (17/08/2015) from £17.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (11.12%)   |  RRP £19.99

  If you refuse to cooperate you'll be as guilty as the traitors who gave Stalin the A-bomb. Are you waving the flag at ME?! Samuel Fuller's sensational film noir casts a steely eye at America in the dawn of the Cold War and brings 1950s New York City alive on the screen in a manner rarely equalled in the annals of film. In one of his greatest roles Richard Widmark plays Skip McCoy a seasoned pickpocket who unknowingly filches some radioactive loot: microfilm of top-secret government documents. Soon after Skip finds himself mixed up with federal agents Commie agents and a professional stoolpigeon by the name of Moe (played by Thelma Ritter in her finest role this side of Rear Window). With its complex ideology outrageous dialogue and electric action sequences Pickup on South Street crackles in a way that only a Sam Fuller movie can and is widely considered one of the director's finest achievements. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Pickup on South Street on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a Dual Format special edition. Bonus Features: New 1080p presentation of the film on the Blu-ray 25 Minute Video Interview with François Guérif Original Theatrical Trailer 1980 audio interview with Samuel Fuller 36-PAGE BOOKLET featuring writing by Samuel Fuller archival interviews and more

• Scandalous Diary Of Miss Lister | DVD | (07/06/2010) from £14.96   |  Saving you £-8.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £6.95

  A thoroughly modern woman. Maxine Peake stars in a profoundly moving drama based on the real diaries of Anne Lister: a landowning woman who defied the conventions of her 19th century life to great scandal...for Anne was a lesbian. Her affair with 'soul mate' Marianna Belcombe keeps society guessing but when it is announced that Marianna is to be married to the older corpulent and wealthy Charles Lawton Anne is distraught. Set in the small elite world of high society The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister is an inspiring story of 'the first modern lesbian' - a woman who challenged convention and was determined to simply be herself.

• Miles Ahead | DVD | (22/08/2016) from £7.39   |  Saving you £8.60 (116.37%)   |  RRP £15.99

  All Rolling Stone reporter Dave Braden wants is an exclusive interview with the jazz legend himself, Miles Davis. hat he gets instead is a wild and dangerous ride-along with a recording artist living at his edge.

• Disney's Cruella UHD | Blu Ray | (16/08/2021) from £21.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Emma Stone stars as one of cinema's most notorious and stylish villains, Cruella de Vil. Determined to become a successful fashion designer, a creative young grifter named Estella (Stone) teams with a pair of mischievous thieves to survive on the London streets. But when her flair for fashion catches the eye of the legendary designer Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), Estella rises to become the raucous, revenge-bent Cruella. Special Features The Two Emmas The Sidekick Angle Cruella Couture The World Of Cruella New Dogs Old Tricks Cruella 101 Deleted Scenes x 2 Bloopers

• Chocolat | Blu Ray | (08/08/2011) from £13.48   |  Saving you £11.51 (85.39%)   |  RRP £24.99

  A young single mother (Juliette Binoche), with her 6-year-old daughter in tow, moves to a small French village and opens an unusual chocolate shop.

• Big Little Lies: Seasons 1-2 | DVD | (06/01/2020) from £22.18   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Based on Liane Moriarty's bestselling book, this subversive, darkly comedic dramaseries tells the tale of three mothers of first-graders whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley head up a stellar cast in this Monterey-set dramathat begins with a suspicious homicide at an elementary-school fundraiser. Though the victim and the perpetrator initially remain a mystery, it appears that the murder was spawned by rivalries and secrets surrounding the trio of young moms.

• Foyle's War - Series 1 Complete | DVD | (07/03/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Michael Kitchen stars as the enigmatic Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle who longs to join the war effort but is left frustrated when his application for transfer is refused. To his surprise however he finds the turmoil of conflict means his skills are in demand on the home front. As WW2 rages over Europe one man fights his own battle against murder mystery and betrayal on the south coast of England - in Foyle's War. Contains the Complete First Series On DVD

• Scum | DVD | (24/02/2003) from £5.99   |  Saving you £6.00 (100.17%)   |  RRP £11.99

  Raw, violent and shocking, Scum is a compelling story set in a contemporary Borstal.

• Starred Up | Blu Ray | (04/08/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  David Mackenzie's 'Starred Up' stars Jack O'Connell as a troubled and explosively violent teenager transferred to adult prison where he finally meets his match - a man who also happens to be his father. Eric (Jack O'Connell) is a violent young offender prematurely thrown into the dark world of an adult prison. As he struggles to assert himself against the prison officers and the other inmates he has to confront his own father Nev (Ben Mendelsohn); a man who has spent most of his life in jail. As Eric forges allegiances with other prisoners he learns that his rage can be overcome and discovers the new rules of survival. But there are forces at work which threaten to destroy him.

• Ordinary Love | DVD | (15/06/2020) from £6.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Joan and Tom have been married for many years. There is an ease to their relationship which only comes from spending a lifetime together and a depth of love which expresses itself through tenderness and humour in equal part. When Joan is unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer, the course of her treatment shines a light on their relationship as they are faced with the challenges that lie ahead and the prospect of what might happen if something were to happen to Joan. ORDINARY LOVE is a story about love, survival and the epic questions life throws at each and every one of us.

• The Crying Game | DVD | (31/07/2006) from £29.99   |  Saving you £-14.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Crying Game offers a rare and precious movie experience. The film is an unclassifiable original that surprises, intrigues, confounds, and delights you with its freshness, humor, and honesty from beginning to end. It starts as a psychological thriller, as IRA foot soldier Fergus (the incomparable Stephen Rea) kidnaps a British soldier (Forest Whitaker) and waits for the news that will determine whether he executes his victim or sets him free. As the night wears on, a peculiar bond begins to form between the two men. Later, the movie shifts tone and morphs into something of a romantic comedy as Fergus unexpectedly becomes involved with the soldier's girlfriend Dil (Jaye Davidson) and discovers more about himself, and human nature in general, than he ever dreamed possible. Like Spielberg's E.T. , The Crying Game was supposed to be director Neil Jordan's "little, personal movie," the one he just had to make, even though no studio was willing to give him money because the story was so unusual. Instead, it became a surprise popular sensation, thanks in part to Miramax's cleverly provocative campaign playing up the hush-hush nature of the movie's big secret. The performances (including Miranda Richardson as one of Fergus's IRA colleagues) are subtly shaded, and the writing and direction are tantalizingly rich and suggestive; you're always trying to figure out the characters' true motives and feelings--even when they themselves are fully aware of their own motives and feelings. The Crying Game is a wise, witty, wondrous treasure of a movie. Director Jordan's credits include Mona Lisa, Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, and The Butcher Boy. --Jim Emerson

• Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection | Blu Ray | (12/10/2020) from £50.71   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  This ground-breaking collection brings together Walerian Borowczyk's key films from a twenty-five-year period stretching from 1959 through to 1984. This unique release includes five of Borowczyk s provocative feature films: Theatre de Monsieur et Madame Kabal, Goto, l ile d amour, Blanche, Contes Immoraux and La Bête as well as his ground-breaking short films from this period, in digital high definition restorations approved by the director s widow, Ligia Branice. In addition to exclusive documentaries featuring cast and crew, an hour long portrait of Borowczyk is included, featuring the director s musings on painting, animation and sex. Arrow Academy's Walerian Borowczyk Collection is a vital addition to the collection of anyone interested in either world cinema, animation or experimental film. 5-DISC SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS HD restorations of the five features High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations Original uncompressed mono 1.0 audio English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Reversible sleeves featuring Borowczyk s original poster designs and artwork THEATRE OF MR AND MRS KABAL The short films Astronauts (1959), The Concert (1962), Grandmother s Encyclopaedia (1963), Renaissance (1963), Angels Games (1964), Joachim s Dictionary (1965), Rosalie (1966), Gavotte (1967), Diptych (1967), The Phonograph (1969), The Greatest Love of All Time (1978) and Scherzo Infernal (1984) Introduction by filmmaker and animator Terry Gilliam Film is Not a Sausage, a documentary about Borowczyk s animated work featuring Borowczyk, producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, assistant André Heinrich and composer Bernard Parmegiani Blow Ups, a visual essay by Daniel Bird about Borowczyk s works on paper Commercials by Walerian Borowczyk: Holy Smoke (1963), The Museum (1964) and Tom Thumb (1966) GOTO, ISLE OF LOVE Introduction by artist and Turner Prize nominee Craigie Horsfield The Concentration Universe, a new interview programme featuring actor Jean-Pierre Andréani, cameraman Noël Véry and camera assistant Jean-Pierre Platel The Profligate Door, a new documentary about Borowczyk s sound sculptures featuring curator Maurice Corbet BLANCHE Introduction by Schalcken the Painter director Leslie Megahey Ballad of Imprisonment, a documentary about the film featuring producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, assistant director André Heinrich, camera operator Noël Véry and assistant Patrice Leconte Obscure Pleasures: A Portrait of Walerian Borowczyk, a newly edited archival interview in which Borowczyk discusses painting, cinema and sex Gunpoint, a documentary short by Peter Graham produced and edited by Borowczyk IMMORAL TALES Introduction by Borowczyk expert Daniel Bird Love Reveals Itself, a video essay about the film featuring production manager Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin and cinematographer Noël Véry Obscure Pleasures: A Portrait of Valerian Borowczyk, a newly edited archival interview in which the filmmaker discusses painting, cinema and sex Blow Ups, a visual essay by Daniel Bird about Borowczyk s works on paper Theatrical trailer THE BEAST An introduction by film critic Peter Bradshaw Borowczyk s erotic short film Venus on the Half-Shell (1975) The Making of the Beast, an hour-long documentary with rare on-set footage, narrated by cameraman Noël Véry Frenzy of Ecstasy, a visual essay about The Beast s design and the film s unmade sequel Original theatrical trailer

• Raging Bull 30th Anniversary Special Edition | Blu Ray | (21/02/2011) from £17.93   |  Saving you £-1.94 (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Raging Bull is arguably the finest work from the Scorsese and De Niro partnership. De Niro gives an amazing portrayal of a man whose animal side lurks just beneath the surface ever ready to erupt. Vivid and unremitting in its uncompromising brutality and honesty the fight sequences are famed for their realism. Violent throughout this film is a testament to Scorsese's and De Niro skills creating a thoroughly absorbing film about such an unlikable character. Renowned for throwing himself into the roles of the character De Niro went on a diet to gain fifty pounds during the production for the role of the faded star.

• Persuasion | DVD | (01/11/1999) from £12.95   |  Saving you £7.04 (54.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  After a slow beginning, in which the complex tangle of relationships is initially confusing, this BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's last novel, Persuasion, develops into an elegant romantic comedy. Austin combines a subtle dissection of the folly of class with a slow-burning, intensely passionate love story. Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) has loved Captain Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds) ever since she was persuaded to reject him years before. Now he has returned from the Napoleonic wars, but will love be allowed to blossom? Especially when Anne is surrounded by the selfish, petty-minded Mary, misguided by Lady Russell, and burdened by a father obsessed with fairness of countenance above all other considerations. Excepting a basic booklet, on-screen character biographies and a Dolby Digital soundtrack, there is nothing to distinguish this DVD from the video version. The picture is very good, but showing some grain, not exceptional, so unless you have a large television there is little advantage over tape. In any format, what makes this adaptation work is the sharp screenplay by Nick Dear and the naturalistic style of director Roger Mitchell (who joined the A-list with Notting Hill, 1999), together eliciting fine performances from the ensemble cast. Less flamboyant than Pride and Prejudice (1995), this is a civilised treat. --Gary S Dalkin

• Jack Irish: Movie Collection | DVD | (25/10/2021) from £13.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jack Irish: Bad Debts A former criminal lawyer is getting his life back together and now spends his days as a part-time investigator, debt collector, apprentice cabinet maker, punter and finding those who don't want to be found - dead or alive. When an ex-client wants his help, he lets it pass away. But then this guy turns up dead which forces him back into the ominous past he thought he left for good. Jack Irish: Black Tide Jack Irish has no shortage of friends, but family members are few and far between. His wife was murdered by an ex-client and his father is a fading photo on the pubs football wall of fame. So when Des Connors, the last link to his dad, calls to ask for help in the matter of a missing son, Jack is more than happy to lend a hand. But sometimes prodigal sons go missing for a reason... As Jack begins to dig, he discovers that Gary Connors was a man with something to hide, and his friends are people with yet darker and even more deadly secrets. Jack Irish: Dead Point When a high profile judge commissions Jack Irish to locate a mysterious red book, Jack is thrown into a world of sexy club owners, drug dealers and unhinged killers.