Drama

• Charles Dickens Collection | DVD | (19/03/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.91

  Great ExpectationsThe key ingredient in this modern-day version of Charles Dickens's classic is director Alfonso Cuarón, who made the glowing, estimable A Little Princess. If you saw that (and you should), understand that Expectations has those ingredients (great sense of time, place, and timing) but adds modern music and sex appeal; the latter personified by the long-legged Gwyneth Paltrow. Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke as an adult, Jeremy James Kissner at age 10) is the new version of Dickens's Pip. He's a child wise beyond his years, befriending an escaped convict (Robert De Niro) in the warm waters of Florida's Gulf Coast. Finn is also the plaything for Estella (Paltrow as an adult, Raquel Beaudene at age 10), the niece of the coast's richest and most eccentric lady, Ms. Dinsmoor (a fun and flamboyant Anne Bancroft). The prudish Estella likes Finn (catch the best first kiss scene in many a moon) but has been brought up to disdain men; she'll break hearts. As the object of Finn's desires, Estella unfortunately is a one-dimensional character, yet what a dimension! Clad in Donna Karan dresses and her long, sun-kissed hair, Paltrow is luminous. She and Hawke make a very sexy couple. Mitch Glazer's script does better by Finn. He's a blue-collar worker with a gift for drawing (artwork by Francesco Clemente). Following his Uncle Joe's (Chris Cooper) honest ways, Finn grows up as a fisherman, thoughts of Estella and art drifting away in the hard work. When a mysterious benefactor allows him to follow his dream, Finn finds himself in New York, preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime art exhibit--and in the arms of the engaged Estella. Filled with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's golden-drenched light, the film has an irresistible, wildly romantic look. Dinsmoor's place is certainly gothic, Estella and Finn's longing encounters glamorous. Cuarón uses an MTV-friendly soundtrack with a confident touch. Songs by Tori Amos and the band Pulp--along with Patrick Doyle's silky score--create passionate scenes. It all ends far too swiftly with a seemingly tacked-on ending (reflecting the book, as it happens) but the film is splendid storytelling. It's a stylish, sweet valentine. --Doug Thomas Oliver TwistIf Charles Dickens were alive to see Roman Polanski's faithful adaptation of Oliver Twist, he'd probably give it his stamp of approval. David Lean's celebrated 1948 version of the Dickens classic and Carol Reed's Oscar-winning 1968 musical are more entertaining in some ways, but Polanski's rendition is both painstakingly authentic (with superb cinematography and production design) and deeply rooted in the emotional context of the story. Both Polanski and Dickens had personal experiences similar to those of young Oliver (played here by Barney Clark)--Polanski in the Nazi-occupied ghettos of Poland during World War II, and Dickens during his hard-scrabble youth in Victorian London--and this spiritual kinship lends a certain gravitas to the tale of a tenacious orphan who escaped from indentured servitude in London society and is taken in by Fagin (Ben Kingsley) and his streetwise gang of pickpockets. As the evil Bill Sykes, who exploits Oliver for his own nefarious needs, Jamie Foreman is no match for Oliver Reed (in the '68 musical) in terms of frightening menace, but even here, Polanski's direction hews closer to Dickens, while the screenplay by Ronald Harwood (who also wrote Polanski's The Pianist) necessarily trims away subplots and characters for the sake of narrative economy. All in all, this Oliver Twist rises above most previous versions, and with the benefit of Kingsley's nuanced performance, Polanski arrives at a compassionate conclusion that captures the essence of Dickens' novel in a way that viewers of all ages will appreciate for many years to come.-- Jeff Shannon Nicholas NicklebyWhile it necessarily streamlines the Charles Dickens classic, this delightful adaptation of Nicholas Nickelby captures the essence of Dickens in all of its Victorian splendor and squalor. With Charlie Hunnam (the U.K. Queer as Folk) doing noble work in the title role, this quintessentially Dickensian tale begins with the death of Nicholas's father, and the subsequent scheme by his cruel uncle (Christopher Plummer, perfectly cast) to separate Nicholas from his now penniless sister and mother. Stuck in a squalid school run by the evil Mr. and Mrs. Squeers (Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson), Nicholas escapes with his loyal friend Smike (Billy Elliott's Jamie Bell), whose lineage will determine the greedy uncle's fate. As he did with Jane Austen's Emma, writer-director Douglas McGrath has crafted a prestigious production that shifts effortlessly between comedy and tragedy without compromising its warm, inviting tone. His dialogue rings true throughout, inspiring a stellar cast including Nathan Lane, Alan Cumming, Edward Fox, and Timothy Spall. Dickens himself would almost certainly have approved. --Jeff Shannon

• The Five Devils | Blu Ray | (26/06/2023) from £14.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Eight-year-old Vicky (newcomer Sally Dramé) has a mysterious gift: she can recreate any scent she comes across, even that of her beloved mother Joanne (Palme d'Or winner Adèle Exarchopoulos).When Vicky's estranged aunt suddenly returns to their mountain town, the invocation of her fragrance plunges the young girl back in time to unravel the mystery of Joanne's fiery past with her now sister-in-law.The acclaimed breakout from filmmaker Léa Mysius (screenwriter for Claire Denis and Jacques Audiard), THE FIVE DEVILS forges a witchy and wildly imaginative fable out of family secrets and queer romance.

• It's a Wonderful Life - 65th Anniversary Edition | DVD | (02/11/2009) from £24.28   |  Saving you £-6.29 (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton

• Michael | DVD | (28/05/2012) from £7.05   |  Saving you £8.94 (55.90%)   |  RRP £15.99

  This acclaimed Austrian drama focuses on five months in the life of paedophile who keeps a 10-year-old boy locked in his basement.A protg of Michael Haneke, Markus Schleinzer's Michael is a triumph of uneasy cinema. With an unorthodox level of restraint, the director tells the story of a dull office drone who keeps a kidnapped young boy locked in his house.Despite its subversive edge, Michael successfully drains the shock out of a frightening premise and instead delivers a keen observational thriller. From its opening minutes, Michael reveals its alarming plot with a patient, naturalistic atmosphere.

• Lawrence Of Arabia | DVD | (08/09/2003) from £16.80   |  Saving you £-2.55 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  ""A Miracle of a Film"" - Steven Spielberg This remarkable film follows the struggles of T.E. Lawrence (played by Peter O'Toole - My Favourite Year The Last Emperor) in uniting the hostile Arab factions during the First World War and leading them to victory over the ruling Turkish Empire. The film was released originally in 1962 to huge critical acclaim winning 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for David Lean.

• Sumotherhood | Blu Ray | (26/02/2024) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

   In this parody of the UK urban genre Riko and Kane have got it all big dreams, no respect and a fifteen grand debt. Could things get any worse? Yes! So, it's time to man up and finally be taken serious as Roadmen. In this hilarious action comedy, Riko and Kane quickly learn that crime doesn't always pay. Owing money to dangerous drug lords, they try to pull off a daring bank robbery and stumble into business with one of East London's most notorious gangs.Product Features 

• Guilty By Suspicion | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A witch hunt has begun. The hunters are politicians sitting before clicking cameras in HAUC hearing rooms. Hollywood is on trail. An David Merrill is asked to 'name names'. This powerful directorial and screenwriting debut of veteran producer Irwin Winkler vividly recreates the creative community's infamous Blacklist era. De Niro plays Merrill an A-list director who can revive his stalled career by testifying against friends who are suspected communists. Annette Bening is Merrill's e

• Paradise Alley (Dual Format) | Blu Ray | (04/09/2017) from £18.13   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  For the first time ever on Blu-Ray comes Sylvester Stallone's directorial debut from 1978, his first project after his Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor Oscar nominations for Rocky in 1976. Stallone actually wrote this first but it was the success of Rocky that made this film possible Stallone recalls: I was very broke and I optioned the screenplay of PARADISE ALLEY to a real how should I say this maggot, who put his hooks in so deep I could never get it away from him. So the first time I went in to meet Chartoff and Winkler, I was there on an acting job. I didn't get it, but on the way out I said, I have this screenplay called PARADISE ALLEY. They said to bring it over and I did. They wanted to make it, but the other cretin that I had optioned it to was so obnoxious, so overbearing, that the producers wanted nothing to do with me or the screenplay. So on the way out, they said, If you have any ideas, we'd be happy to look at them. That night I went home - even a fire extinguisher couldn't cool the burning in my brain. The door of opportunity was wide open and I had nothing to carry over its threshold. That's when I started to write ROCKY. So thank God for the maggot; otherwise I never would've written the story of Mr. Balboa.

• The Last Command (1928) | Blu Ray | (16/05/2016) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Emil Jannings stars in the film which won the first ever Academy Award for best Actor for his role in this stunning early masterpiece from director Josef von Sternberg (The Blue Angel). An exiled Russian general turned Hollywood extra (Emil Jannings, in an incredibly passionate performance) is chosen by a former adversary (William Powell) to play a role that resembles his former self and gradually loses his grip on reality. Equally a sharp witted satire of the Hollywood machine and a heartbreaking drama about one man's emotional downfall, Josef von Sternberg's The Last Command (his second major Hollywood picture) is one of the finest and most significant films of its era. Featuring exemplary cinematography, beautifully designed sets, and rousing Revolution sequences, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the worldwide Blu-ray debut of this wonderfully composed masterpiece.

• Born To Be Blue | DVD | (25/07/2016) from £4.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (160.32%)   |  RRP £12.99

  In the 1950s, Chet Baker (Ethan Hawke - Boyhood) was one of the most famous trumpeters in the world, renowned as both a pioneer of the West Coast jazz scene and an icon of cool. By the 1960s, he was all but washed up, his career and personal life in shambles due to years of addiction. Creatively blending fact with fiction and driven by Hawke's virtuoso performance, Born to Be Blue unfolds at a key moment in the 1960s, just as Baker attempts to stage a hard-fought comeback, spurred in part by a passionate romance with a new flame (Carmen Ejogo - Selma). Click Images to Enlarge

• A Touch of Frost: Series 1 | DVD | (01/06/2009) from £34.15   |  Saving you £-9.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Includes the feature-length episodes 'Care & Protection' 'Not With Kindness' and 'Conclusions'. David Jason is the gritty and dogged Detective Inspector Jack Frost a man who has little time for paperwork or the orthodox approach. This release features all the episodes from Series One of A Touch of Frost.

• Radio | DVD | (20/09/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The inspiring true-life story of the relationship between a high-school football coach and a mentally-challenged man nicknamed "Radio" who together transform their South Carolina community.

• Wings of Fame | DVD | (31/08/2015) from £17.53   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Blackheath Poisonings - The Complete Series | DVD | (26/04/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  The Blackheath Poisonings: The Complete Series

• The Banger Sisters | DVD | (21/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon star as two former rock groupies from the 60s reunited in the present day. One is a waitress, nostalgic for the old days, and the other is a prominent socialite eager to forget her past.

• All Or Nothing | Blu Ray | (15/11/2021) from £10.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  From BAFTA winning director Mike Leigh with stunning performances from Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen and Marion Bailey, All or Nothing is an incredible tale of the intertwining lives of several families on a housing estate in London. Following different tales of melancholy, alcoholism, a violent abusive boyfriend and a frustrated unemployed youth - there seems to be no hope for a brighter future and no chance of escape yet glimmers of joy and humour still prevail. Boasting first time screen performances from Sally Hawkins, Daniel Mays and James Corden this brand new restoration is an authentic and deeply enjoyable Mike Leigh classic.

• Whodunnit: The Complete Series | DVD | (29/07/2024) from £74.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Sebastiane | DVD | (18/06/2001) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-0.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The first and only film shot entirely in subtitled Latin, Sebastiane is Derek Jarman's first work as a director (though he shared the job with the less well-known Paul Humfress) and is a strange combination of gay nudie movie, pocket-sized Ancient Roman epic and meditation upon the image of Saint Sebastian. It opens with the Lindsay Kemp dance troupe romping around with huge fake phalluses to represent the Ken Russell-style decadence of the court of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 303, then decamps to Tuscany as Diocletian's favourite guard Sebastian (Leonardo Treviglio) is demoted to ordinary soldier and dispatched to a backwater barracks because the Emperor (Robert Medley) suspects him of being a covert Christian. The bulk of the film consists of athletic youths in minimal thongs romping around the countryside, soaking themselves down between bouts of manly horseplay or sylvan frolic. It all comes to a bad end as the lecherous but guilt-ridden commanding officer Severus (Barney James) fails to cop off with Sebastian and instead visits floggings and tortures upon his naked torso, finally ordering his men to riddle the future saint with arrows, thus securing him a place in cultural history. The public schoolboy cleverness of scripting dialogue in Latin--a popular soldier's insult is represented by the Greek "Oedipus"--works surprisingly well, with the cast reeling off profane Roman dialogue as if it were passionate Italian declarations rather than marbled classical sentences. The film suffers from the not-uncommon failing that the best-looking actor is given the largest role but delivers the weakest performance: Treviglio's Sebastian is a handsome cipher, far less interesting than the rest of the troubled, bullying, awkward or horny soldiers in the platoon. Peter Hinwood, famous for the title role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, can be glimpsed in the palace orgy. The countryside looks as good as the cast, and Brian Eno delivers an evocative, ambient-style score. --Kim Newman

• The Proposition | DVD | (17/07/2006) from £6.49   |  Saving you £13.50 (208.01%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A brother is faced with an impossible proposition in this period Australian thriller.

• Silent Souls | DVD | (22/10/2012) from £6.59   |  Saving you £9.40 (142.64%)   |  RRP £15.99

  When Miron's beloved wife Tanya passes away, he asks his best friend Aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals of the Merya culture, an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe from Lake Nero, a picturesque region in West-Central Russia. Although the Merya people blended with the Russians in the 17th century, their myths and traditions live on in the modern life of their descendants. The two men set out on a road trip thousands of miles across the boundless landscape. With them are two sm...