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Review Fremantle Home Entertainment / Take The Money And Run [1968]
Actors & Directors
  • Lonny Chapman
  • Janet Margolin
  • Woody Allen
  • Jacquelyn Hyde
  • Woody Allen
  • Marcel Hillaire
Release date: 2001-05-07
Run time: 82 min.
Creator: Mickey Rose
RRP: £5.99
Price: £3.95

Review Take The Money And Run [1968] / Fremantle Home Entertainment:

Woody Allen's feature-film debut, Take the Money and Run, a mockumentary that combines sight gags, sketchlike scenes, and stand-up jokes at rat-a-tat speed, looks positively primitive compared to his mature work. Primitive, but awfully funny. Allen plays Virgil Starkwell, a music-loving nebbish who turns to a life of crime at an early age and, undaunted by his utter and complete failure to pull off a single successful robbery, continues his unbroken spree of bungled heists and prison breaks even after he marries and raises a family. Narrator Jackson Beck, whose stentorian voice of authority makes a perfect foil for Starkwell's absurd exploits, lobs one droll quip after another with deadpan seriousness. Though spotty, Allen tosses so many jokes into the mix that it hardly matters and when they hit they are often hilarious: the chain gang posing as cousins to their old-woman hostage ("We're very close", Virgil explains to a dim cop), arguing with a dotty movie director who is supposed to be their cover for a bank robbery, Virgil's escape attempt with a bar of soap. Allen spoofs decades of crime films, everything from I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang to Bonnie and Clyde, but you don't have to know the movies to enjoy this goofy, sometimes clumsy, but quite clever comedy. -Sean Axmaker, Amazon. com.

Review MGM / Odds Against Tomorrow [1959] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Gloria Grahame
  • Harry Belafonte
  • Robert Wise
  • Ed Begley
  • Robert Ryan
  • Shelley Winters
Release date: 2003-12-02
Run time: 96 min.
Creator: Nelson Gidding
Price: £5.69

Review Odds Against Tomorrow [1959] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / MGM:


Review Second Sight Films Ltd. / Pretty Poison [1968]
Actors & Directors
  • John Randolph
  • Noel Black
  • Tuesday Weld
  • Beverly Garland
  • Dick O'Neill
  • Anthony Perkins
Release date: 2005-09-05
Run time: 85 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £5.97

Review Pretty Poison [1968] / Second Sight Films Ltd.:


Review Warner Home Video / The Bad Seed [1956] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Mervyn LeRoy
  • Nancy Kelly
  • Patty McCormack
  • Eileen Heckart
  • Evelyn Varden
  • Henry Jones
Release date: 2004-08-10
Run time: 129 min.
Creator: William March
Price: £9.18

Review The Bad Seed [1956] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:


Review Universal Classics & Jazz / The Golden Ring - Wiener Philharmoniker/Georg Solti [1965]
Actors & Directors
  • Birgit Nilsson
  • Wolfgang Windgassen
  • Humphrey Burton
  • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
  • Gottlob Frick
Release date: 2007-06-11
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £11.07

Review The Golden Ring - Wiener Philharmoniker/Georg Solti [1965] / Universal Classics & Jazz:


Review Columbia TriStar / The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Mary Healy
  • Peter Lind Hayes
  • Tommy Rettig
  • Hans Conried
  • John Heasley
  • Roy Rowland
Release date: 2001-04-24
Run time: 92 min.
Price: £27.09

Review The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Columbia TriStar:


Review Warner Home Video / Mister Roberts [1955] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Joshua Logan
  • Betsy Palmer
  • William Powell
  • James Cagney
  • Mervyn LeRoy
  • Jack Lemmon
  • Henry Fonda
Release date: 2006-09-19
Run time: 122 min.
Price: £9.33

Review Mister Roberts [1955] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:

Henry Fonda recreated his Broadway hit for this 1955 film that was mostly directed by Fonda's frequent collaborator, John Ford (Young Mr Lincoln, My Darling Clementine)-an ailing Ford was replaced at some point by Mervyn LeRoy-and the results are exceptionally fine. A perfect cast, including James Cagney's irascible captain, William Powell's thoughtful physician and Jack Lemmon's Oscar-winning Ensign Pulver, give Fonda the right boost to portray his ennui-burdened officer with dignity, self-effacing humour, and not a trace of self-pity. Mister Roberts is a wonderful film. -Tom Keogh.

Review Warner Home Video / Robin and the Seven Hoods [1964] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Gordon Douglas
  • Peter Falk
  • Sammy Davis Jr.
  • Dean Martin
  • Frank Sinatra
  • Bing Crosby
Release date: 2001-11-20
Run time: 123 min.
Creator: David R. Schwartz
Price: £5.99

Review Robin and the Seven Hoods [1964] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:


Review Walt Disney Video / Miracle of the White Stallions [1962] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Curd Jürgens
  • James Franciscus
  • Lilli Palmer
  • Arthur Hiller
  • Robert Taylor
  • Eddie Albert
Release date: 2004-03-02
Run time: 118 min.
Price: £3.79

Review Miracle of the White Stallions [1962] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Walt Disney Video:


Review Arrow Films / Spirits Of The Dead [1968]
Actors & Directors
  • Roger Vadim
  • Louis Malle
  • Terence Stamp
  • Peter Fonda
  • Brigitte Bardot
  • Federico Fellini
  • Alain Delon
  • Jane Fonda
Release date: 2007-11-05
Run time: 116 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £9.67

Review Spirits Of The Dead [1968] / Arrow Films:


Review Universal Pictures Video / The Conqueror (John Wayne) [1953]
Actors & Directors
  • Agnes Moorehead
  • Dick Powell
  • John Wayne
  • Susan Hayward
  • William Conrad
Release date: 2006-06-05
Run time: 106 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £2.99

Review The Conqueror (John Wayne) [1953] / Universal Pictures Video:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Doctor Who - The Awakening/Frontios [1963]
Actors & Directors
  • Jon Pertwee
  • Tom Baker
  • Patrick Troughton
  • Peter Davison
  • William Hartnell
Release date: 1997-03-03
Run time: 149 min.
Creator: Sydney Newman
RRP: £16.99
Price: £49.99

Review Doctor Who - The Awakening/Frontios [1963] / 2 Entertain Video:


Review 4 Front Video / Swing Time [1936]
Actors & Directors
  • Victor Moore
  • Helen Broderick
  • George Stevens
  • Fred Astaire
  • Eric Blore
  • Ginger Rogers
Release date: 1998-02-09
Run time: 103 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £12.95

Review Swing Time [1936] / 4 Front Video:


Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Big Red [1962]
Actors & Directors
  • Émile Genest
  • Janette Bertrand
  • Gilles Payant
  • Walter Pidgeon
  • Georges Bouvier
  • Norman Tokar
Release date: 2004-03-29
Run time: 85 min.
Creator: Louis Pelletier
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.13

Review Big Red [1962] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:


Review Image Entertainment / Blood Feast [1963] (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Toni Calvert
  • Herschell Gordon Lewis
  • Jerome Eden
  • Scott H. Hall
  • Ashlyn Martin
  • William Kerwin
Release date: 2000-02-22
Run time: 67 min.
Creator: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Price: £4.51

Review Blood Feast [1963] (NTSC) / Image Entertainment:

A shocking drive-in sensation when released in 1963, Blood Feast remains a milestone in the exploitation genre. A serial killer is on the loose; women are being killed and body parts are being stolen; the police are stumped (so to speak). Meanwhile, Egyptmania seems to be gripping this small Florida town. Fuad Ramses' "exotic catering" shop is doing a booming business and his book, Ancient Weird Religious Rituals, is being studied by the local book club. Is there a connection between Ramses and the murders? Of course! In this film by the wizard of gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, plot and suspense take a back seat to the gruesome and bloody murder scenes. The acting may not be very good, the script is weak at best and the effects don't hold up to later standards of Hollywood gore, but there is an infectious enthusiasm that comes through Lewis' desire to shock his audience. The exploitation elements may be dated but that only makes them all the more entertaining. Blood Feast was followed (in what would come to be known as Lewis' "blood trilogy") by Two Thousand Maniacs! and Color Me Blood Red. -Andy Spletzer, Amazon. com.

Review Real Life Heroes / Real Life Heroes - Reach For The Sky
Release date: 2005-09-05
Run time: 225 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.97

Review Real Life Heroes - Reach For The Sky / Real Life Heroes:


Review Warner Home Video / The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
Actors & Directors
  • Ray Bolger
  • Richard Thorpe
  • Jack Haley
  • Mervyn LeRoy
  • King Vidor
  • Victor Fleming
  • Frank Morgan
  • Judy Garland
  • Bert Lahr
Release date: 2001-11-05
Run time: 101 min.
Creator: Edgar Allan Woolf
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.55

Review The Wizard Of Oz (1939) / Warner Home Video:

Like the Tin Man's heart, the true test of a real classic is how much it is loved by others. The enduring charms of The Wizard of Oz have easily weathered the vicissitudes of changing fashions making the film one of the world's best-loved, most-quoted and frequently imitated movies. It's now as ubiquitous an American pop-cultural icon as McDonald's, making judging the movie purely on its own merits an almost impossible task. Judy Garland's tragic later life, for example, makes her naïve and utterly beguiling Dorothy seem all the more poignant in retrospect. But this at least is clear: much of this movie's success depends on the winning appeal of Garland's "Everygirl" figure, who creates the vital identification and empathy necessary to carry the audience with her into the land of Oz. We always care deeply about Dorothy, her quest for home and the strength of her friendship with her companions. Garland's assured dancing and singing routines with her ideally cast Broadway comedy co-stars Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley are still endlessly delightful, of course, and the songs and score (by Arlen, Harburg and Stothart) are as good as anything in the Hollywood musical canon. It is Garland's deeply felt rendition of "Over the Rainbow" that is both the film's emotional core and the reason why adults as much as children the world over still respond so strongly to this movie. So long as people long for home and the love of their friends and family, the nostalgic appeal of Oz will never fade. On the DVD: another splendid digital restoration from the MGM vaults keeps this wonderful classic as vivid and alive as it was back in 1939, if not more so. [+]
The 1. 33:1 picture is clear and defined, bursting with the vibrant colours of Oz (you can even see the wires holding up the Lion's tail). Even more remarkably, because the original microphone tapes have been preserved the soundtrack has been remastered in 5. 1 stereo, thereby accentuating the lush tones of the MGM orchestra and Garland's famous singing. The disc is also chock full of extras, including outtakes, audio sequences, composer Harold Arlen's backstage movies, extracts from earlier silent Oz films, clips from the Academy Awards and interviews with the stars among many other fascinating nuggets. The new 50-minute documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury, and irritatingly narrated in the present tense, is oddly the weakest part, with too little hard information and too much padding about how everyone loves the movie. The only gripe is Warners' trademark cardboard slipcase, which is awkward and easily damaged. But this is still an essential disc for the young at heart everywhere. -Mark Walker.

Review Republic Pictures / The Bells of St. Mary's [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Henry Travers
  • William Gargan
  • Ingrid Bergman
  • Ruth Donnelly
  • Leo McCarey
  • Bing Crosby
Release date: 2003-09-23
Run time: 126 min.
Creator: Dudley Nichols
Price: £6.45

Review The Bells of St. Mary's [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Republic Pictures:


Review Walt Disney Home Video / Mr Magoo [1997]
Actors & Directors
  • Daws Butler
  • Pete Burness
  • Jim Backus
Release date: 2006-02-06
Run time: 84 min.
Creator: Dick Shaw
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.13

Review Mr Magoo [1997] / Walt Disney Home Video:

Someone got the rather inspired (but ultimately misguided) idea to match Hong Kong action director Stanley Tong with comedy stalwart Leslie Nielsen in this dim-witted live-action Disney version of the vintage cartoon, in which the very near-sighted tycoon bumbles his way into the heist of a giant, priceless ruby known as the Star of Kuristan. The result is an abundance of slapstick humour related to Mr. Magoo's visual impairment (prompting a brief protest during the film's 1997 release by the National Federation of the Blind) and a tired plot involving a lovely jewel thief (Kelly Lynch) who'll stop at nothing to get her stolen jewel back. Of course, Magoo manages to foil the thieves at every turn, even though he's frequently unaware of his unintentional heroics. This standard family fare from Disney (best suited for kids 12 and under) will probably play better on home video, but you'll have to watch and listen closely for the few jokes that really pay off. -Jeff Shannon, Amazon. com.

Review Warner Home Video / Ben Hur [1959]
Actors & Directors
  • William S. Hart
  • Harry T. Morey
  • Herman Rottger
  • H. Temple
  • Sidney Olcott
  • Frank Oakes Rose
  • Frank Rose
Release date: 2000-03-20
Run time: 213 min.
Creator: Lew Wallace
RRP: £9.99
Price: £7.82

Review Ben Hur [1959] / Warner Home Video:

The biggest (and arguably the best) from Hollywood's Golden Age of Epic, Ben-Hur cost a staggering 15 million dollars in 1959 and was one of the largest film productions ever undertaken: the Circus Maximus set alone, constructed for the climactic chariot race, covered 18 acres and was filled with 40,000 tons of Mediterranean sand. Fittingly the movie scooped an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards that year, an achievement only equalled three decades later by Titanic, another bloated, wildly costly epic, albeit one with a distinctly less literate script (Gore Vidal provided uncredited script-doctoring for Ben-Hur). Director William Wyler, who had been an assistant on MGM's original silent version back in 1925, never sacrifices the human focus of the story in favour of spectacle (he had the good sense to leave the great chariot racing scene to second-unit director and experienced stuntman Yakima Canutt). Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur dominates an appropriately vast ensemble cast, while Miklos Rozsa's majestic musical score adds immeasurably to the sense of occasion. The Christian theme, the very crux of Lew Wallace's original novel, is handled sensitively, focusing on the central character's love and compassion for his family (evoked by the discovery of their leprosy), and heavy-handed sermonising is thankfully avoided (the figure of Christ is seen but never heard-his presence signalled by a serene musical motif instead). On the debit side, at four hours it's a long haul especially given some of the portentous dialogue-"You can break a man's skull. You can arrest him. You can throw him into a dungeon. But how do you fight an idea?"-but worst of all is having to watch it on a tiny TV screen (and any TV screen is too tiny for this movie). The movie's theatrical aspect ratio is 2. [+]
76:1, so the widescreen version plays out in a little horizontal band framed by two huge black borders; while the pan & scan version sacrifices great swathes of the original frame, making this vast epic look like a tame TV mini-series. All in all, a great movie but one best seen on the biggest screen possible. -Mark Walker.

Browse Classics:

Models & Brands:
Take The Money And Run [1968], Odds Against Tomorrow [1959] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Pretty Poison [1968], The Bad Seed [1956] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Golden Ring - Wiener Philharmoniker/Georg Solti [1965], The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Mister Roberts [1955] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Robin and the Seven Hoods [1964] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Miracle of the White Stallions [1962] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Spirits Of The Dead [1968], The Conqueror (John Wayne) [1953], Doctor Who - The Awakening/Frontios [1963], Swing Time [1936], Big Red [1962], Blood Feast [1963] (NTSC), Real Life Heroes - Reach For The Sky, The Wizard Of Oz (1939), The Bells of St. Mary's [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Mr Magoo [1997], Ben Hur [1959]

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