Drama

• The Forsyte Saga | DVD | (13/05/2002) from £7.83   |  Saving you £12.16 (155.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Granada Television's adaptation of The Forsyte Saga achieved the seemingly impossible in Spring 2002, matching the BBC's 35-year-old black-and-white classic version with a richly cast and superbly directed take on John Galsworthy's first two novels. The success of these six 90-minute episodes proved that despite the current emphasis on mini-series and dramas developed around the "hot" actor of the moment, our appetite--and attention span--still craves ensemble pieces which are given the space and time to develop in today’s focus-group-led scheduling. It also demonstrates that nothing generates television gold like a compelling family drama crammed with lust, rape, class conflict and the insuperable power of money. The Forsyte Saga is nothing if not superior soap opera. It could all have gone horribly wrong, haunted by the spectre of its BBC predecessor--a television legend for anyone over 40. Instead, it succeeds entirely on its own merits with scarcely a weak link; from Stephen Mallatratt's taut and fluid script to David Moore's carefully measured, seamess direction. Risks were taken to banish the old ghosts, particularly in the casting. In the event, Damian Lewis' repressed Soames and Gina McKee as his ill-matched bride, the enigmatic Irene, are inspired choices delivering complex portraits of unhappy, damaged human beings who deserve our sympathy. In a sea of marvellous cameos and splendid acting, the top honours go to Corin Redgrave and Rupert Graves for their hauntingly sensitive interpretations of Old and Young Jolyon, as well as to Amanda Root's increasingly exasperated Winifred; and Gillian Kearney's sharply intelligent and worldly June. All rounded characters without a weakly written cipher in sight. --Piers Ford

• The Scent Of Green Papaya | DVD | (15/03/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  On DVD for the first time; Tran Anh Hung's beautiful and intoxicating film begins in Saigon in 1951. Ten year old Mui takes up her position as servant to a wealthy though troubled family. She performs her duties with great diligence while carefully observing and taking great pleasure from the smallest details of life around her. Ten years later her life changes when she is sent to work for a family friend who had always held a fascination for her. 'The Scent of Green Papaya' is fi

• The Hot Potato | Blu Ray | (10/09/2012) from £22.19   |  Saving you £2.80 (12.62%)   |  RRP £24.99

  London's East End, 1969: Our heroes Kenny (Ray Winstone) and Danny (Jack Huston) come into possession of a mysterious box which turns out to contain a large lump of weapons grade Uranium - a true Hot Potato!Initially unaware of The Hot Potato's true value they very quickly realise the danger they've been exposed to. Ably assisted by Danny's girlfriend, the beautiful Carole (Lois Winstone) and shadowed at every turn by the unshakeable criminal Harry (Colm Meadey), Kenny and Danny reluctantly embark on a quest to offload the potato to the highest bidder. Taking them on an epic journey that criss-crosses Europe, and into the company of an ever increasing assortment of shady and bizarre characters, Hot Potato is an 'Italian Job' tinged crime caper that you won't forget!

• Rush - Limited Edition Steelbook | Blu Ray | (27/01/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Academy Award winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind Apollo 13) teams once again with Academy Award-nominated writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon Last king of Scotland) on Rush a fast-paced and spectacular re-creation of the merciless and legendary 1970s Formula 1 rivalry between gifted English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth of The Avengers Thor) and his disciplined Austrian opponent Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl of Inglourious Basterds The Bourne Ultimatum). Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of racing Rush portrays the exhilarating true story of the charismatic Hunt and the methodically brilliant Lauda two of the greatest rivals the world of sports has ever witnessed. Taking us into their personal lives and clashes on and off the Grand Prix racetrack Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error.

• Face To Face | DVD | (21/09/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Face To Face was a landmark 35 episode BBC Television series broadcast between 1959-1962 hosted by former politician John Freeman and featuring guests from all back grounds. Martin Luther King to King Hussian of Jordan Albert Finny to Danny Blanchflower. The interview technique was insightful original and very probing .

• Celebrity | DVD | (07/07/2014) from £7.94   |  Saving you £7.05 (88.79%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Woody Allen's Celebrity--a portrait of the celebrity life as seen through the eyes of a newly divorced couple--is a black-and-white, New York-style La Dolce Vita that's a chillier flip side to Allen's earlier New York valentine, Manhattan. Despite a few missteps, though, it's an admirable (if dark) and worthy addition to the Allen pantheon. Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis (both boasting American accents) star as the ex-couple, each struggling to build new, separate lives in a media-saturated, celebrity-driven world. Branagh tries his hand at celebrity profiles (while peddling a screenplay to any star that will listen) and falls into the lap of a bosomy starlet (Melanie Griffith), the first in a long line of briefly attainable women. Davis runs into a producer (Joe Mantegna) who offers her a job as a TV personality as well as a loving relationship. This seemingly simple double plot is punctuated with twists and turns in the form of flashbacks and innumerable side trips, all ravishingly photographed in black and white by the legendary Sven Nykvist, and populated by one of Allen's largest casts ever; if you blink you'll miss countless cameos by Isaac Mizrahi, Donald Trump, Hank Azaria, Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of others. While Davis is splendid as usual (aside from the requisite nervous breakdown scene she's done one too many times), somebody should have told Branagh to put a kibosh on his Woody Allen imitation. His failure in the role, however, isn't entirely his fault, as it's another in a long line of unlikable male protagonists which Allen has created, as if daring audiences to hate his main characters after loving them in such movies as Manhattan and Annie Hall. Far more enjoyable misadventures with Branagh include Charlise Theron in the film's best performance as a libidinous supermodel with a penchant for Echinacea; a stunning Famke Janssen as a successful book editor; and Winona Ryder, acting like an adult for the first time, as an aspiring actress. But they all manage to slip through Branagh's fingers by the end of the film. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com

• Casino Jack | DVD | (16/07/2012) from £4.89   |  Saving you £11.09 (583.68%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Casino Jack lays bare the wild excesses and escapades of Jack Abramoff (Kevin Spacey), a man hell- bent on acquiring all that the good life has to offer. Aided by his business partner Michael Scanlon (Barry Pepper), Jack parlays his clout over some of the world's most powerful men with the goal of creating a personal empire of wealth and influence. When the two enlist a mob-connected buddy (Jon Lovitz) to help with one of their illegal schemes, they soon find themselves in over their heads, entrenched in a world of mafia assassins, murder and a scandal that spins so out of control that it makes worldwide headlines.

• The Return | DVD | (29/01/2008) from £11.87   |  Saving you £8.12 (68.41%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Two brothers the headstrong Ivan and his gentle elder sibling Andrey live with their mother in a remote Russian town. One day their lives are shattered by the appearance of their long-lost father whom they can only recollect from a ten year old photograph. The reappearance brings with it a whole host of unanswered questions. Is he really their father and why has he come back after all this time? Reunited on a fishing trip tensions quickly come to the surface and events take a tr

• The Male of The Species | DVD | (19/03/2012) from £11.98   |  Saving you £3.00 (30.03%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Featuring rare television performances from Sean Connery Michael Caine and Paul Scofield and with Anna Calder-Marshall as the increasingly savvy Mary MacNeil this trilogy of plays narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier forms a dramatic and controversial study in male behaviour. Part of ITV s celebrated anthology series Saturday Night Theatre Male of the Species was written by Oscar-nominated playwright Alun Owen and originally screened in 1969 to great acclaim earning Primetime Emmy Awards for both Paul Scofield and Anna Calder-Marshall. Never trust a man whoever he is. This is the bitter lesson learned by Mary MacNeil in her relationships with three different men: her father a mendacious womaniser; a smooth-talking office flirt Cornelius; and an elderly barrister Emlyn who is enchanted by Mary s youthful vitality and charm. Only one of these men will win her heart in the end...

• The Trials of Cate McCall | DVD | (22/09/2014) from £7.00   |  Saving you £8.99 (128.43%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Cate McCall (Kate Beckinsale; Pearl Harbour Underworld Total Recall) was a hotshot lawyer with the world at her feet but as her career went from strength to strength her personal life began to fall apart she slipped into a spiral of alcoholism and depression that drove her family away and left her with nothing. Sometimes we find redemption in the darkest of places and fresh out of rehab Cate must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder in order to be reinstated at the bar and regain custody of her daughter. But this is a case that will challenge everything she vowed to uphold; Cate will be thrown into a world of lies abuse and deception where fighting for what's right may mean fighting for her life. The Trials of Cate McCall is an intelligent and tense thriller with powerful supporting performances from Nick Nolte (Gangster Squad Warrior Cape Fear and 48 Hrs.) James Cromwell (The Green Mile The Artist and Spider-Man 3) and Anna Anishimowa (The Whistleblower).

• Strictly Confidential Starring Suranne Jones (Coronation Street), Tristan Gemmill, Eva Pope and Cristian Solimeno from "Footballers' Wives". | DVD | (12/04/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Love and Fetish ... Sex and Murder The hit new ITV series written by Kay Mellor (Band of Gold Fat Friends Betwwen the Sheets).

• Jonathan Creek - Series 1 and 2 Box Set | DVD | (16/02/2004) from £49.93   |  Saving you £-9.94 (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  Alan Davies and Caroline Quentin star in this highly successful murder mystery drama series. Jonathan magic expert and amateur sleuth extraordinaire turns out to be less successful in his relationship with investigative crimewriter Maddy Magellen.... Episodes from Series 1 are: 'The Wrestler's Tomb' 'Jack In The Box' 'The Reconstituted Corpse' 'No Trace of Tracey' and 'The House Of Monkeys' and from Series 2 are: 'Danse Macabre' 'Time Waits For Norman' 'The Scented Room' '

• The Abduction Club | DVD | (02/08/2004) from £7.55   |  Saving you £5.44 (72.05%)   |  RRP £12.99

  A fast and furious period romp inspired by real events in 18th century Ireland! Byrne (Lapaine) and Strang (Rhys) are two handsome witty twenty-somethings from wealthy families eager to marry rich society ladies. Unfortunately they haven't a hope of succeeding as in accordance with the laws of the time - the family fortunes have passed to their elder brothers and they are completely penniless. Their only option is The Abduction Club which will allow them to kidnap such women

• The Champions | DVD | (30/08/2004) from £20.00   |  Saving you £-7.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  When British jocky Bob Champion is struck down with cancer in the prime of his career his desire to live is determined by a single promise; on successful recovery he will ride jump prospect Aldaniti in the 1981 Grand National... John Hurt gives a truly stunning performance as Bob Champion in this true story of courage dedication and the strength of the human spirit.

• Waiting Women | DVD | (23/05/2005) from £9.98   |  Saving you £10.01 (100.30%)   |  RRP £19.99

  'Waiting Women' is an episodic work composed of three segments thr third of which represents Bergman's first foray into comedy later honed in the erotic farce 'A Lesson In Love'. Three women (all sisters-in-law) talk about their marital problems while waiting for their husbands at a summer cottage. The first story concerns Rakel (Anita Bjrk) and an adulterous episode that changed her marriage forever. In the next intensely visual segment featuring only limited dialogue Marta (M

• Ilo Ilo | DVD | (25/08/2014) from £11.49   |  Saving you £6.50 (36.10%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Set in Singapore during the 1997 Asian financial crisis Ilo Ilo chronicles the day-to-day drama of the Lim family - troublesome grade-schooler Jiale and his overstressed parents Heck and Leng. Comfortably middle-class and with another baby on the way they hire Teresa a Filipino immigrant as a live-in maid and nanny. An outsider in both the family and Singapore itself Teresa initially struggles to manage Jiale's antics and find her footing in her new community. The two eventually form a unique bond but just as Teresa becomes an unspoken part of the family unforeseen circumstances in an uncertain economy will challenge the new normal yet again. In 2009 Anthony Chen was accorded the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore. In 2010 he completed his Masters in Film Directing at the National Film and Television School UK with a scholarship from the Media Development Authority of Singapore. Collectively his shorts have screened at numerous prestigious film festivals such as Cannes Berlin Rotterdam Pusan London Sao Paulo Stockholm Sydney Montreal Melbourne Chicago Hawaii etc. ILO ILO marks his feature film debut.

• The Naked Island (Masters of Cinema) (1960) | DVD | (20/06/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Kaneto Shindo's Naked Island tells the story of a small family unit and their subsistence as the only inhabitants of an arid sun-baked island. Daily chores captured as a series of cyclical events result in a hypnotising moving and beautiful film harkening back to the silent era. With hardly any dialogue Shindo combines the stark 'Scope' cinematography of Kiyoshi Kuroda with the memorable score of his constant collaborator Hikaru Hayashi to make a unique cinematic document. Fil

• Captain Newman M.D. | DVD | (11/04/2016) from £38.39   |  Saving you £-25.40 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Triple Oscar nominated psychological war film with twists of black humour which is set during World War II. Captain Newman (Gregory Peck) is head of a neuro-psychiatric ward at a military hospital which treats combatants suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Peck delivers one of his best acting performances as an eccentric doctor who will use unconventional tactics to treat his patients and to recruit much needed personnel. We're short of beds, doctors, orderlies, nurses, everything ... except patients! Newman tells Corporal Leibowitz (Tony Curtis), as he browbeats him into becoming a new and very reluctant orderly. Similarly, Newman takes great care to seduce an army nurse (Angie Dickinson), into what she thinks is a romantic date... until he asks her to transfer to Ward 7 instead of taking off her clothes! When Newman s old-school base commander (John Gregory) saddles him with a group of injured Italian POWs because his has the only secure ward in the hospital, and a flock of stray sheep keep invading the hospital, the scene is set for one of the most poignant and funny war films which is a joy to watch.

• Suspended Alibi | DVD | (18/02/2019) from £5.34   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A married newspaper editor, Paul Pearson (Patrick Holt), is having an affair with Diana, a female reporter. Pearson has been using an old army friend, Bill Forrest, as an alibi, telling his wife (Honor Blackman) that he is with Forrest while he really visits Diana. When Pearson decides to end the affair he asks Forrest to cover for him one more time but when on the same night Forrest is murdered suspicion naturally falls on Pearson, and his web of deceit begins to unravel.

• The Serpent | DVD | (03/03/2008) from £7.43   |  Saving you £8.56 (115.21%)   |  RRP £15.99

  A photographer, caught up in an ugly divorce and fighting for custody of his children, finds himself facing a ghost from his past.