Actors & Directors
- Tony Darrow
- John Ventimiglia
- Aida Turturro
- James Gandolfini
- Dominic Chianese
Release date: 2003-11-24 Run time: 696 min. RRP: £61.99 Price: £16.50
Review The Sopranos: Complete HBO Season 1 [1999] / Warner Home Video:Writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television seriesThe Sopranos is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home. This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegiate mob clan and his own nouveau-riche brood. The brilliant first series is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy-a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get. Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed. The first year's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. [+]
As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. -Sam Sutherland.
Actors & Directors
- Elijah Wood
- Alex de la Iglesia
- Leonor Watling
- John Hurt
Release date: 2008-09-01 Run time: 105 min. RRP: £15.99 Price: £8.97
Review The Oxford Murders [2008] / Contender Home Entertainment Group:
Actors & Directors
- James Gandolfini
- Tony Darrow
- Dominic Chianese
- John Ventimiglia
- Aida Turturro
Release date: 2003-11-24 Run time: 696 min. RRP: £61.99 Price: £16.50
Review The Sopranos: Complete HBO Season 1 [1999] / Warner Home Video:Writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television seriesThe Sopranos is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home. This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegiate mob clan and his own nouveau-riche brood. The brilliant first series is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy-a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get. Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed. The first year's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. [+]
As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. -Sam Sutherland.
Actors & Directors
- Robert Luketic
- Jim Sturgess
- Kevin Spacey
- Laurence Fishburne
- Kate Bosworth
Release date: 2008-09-08 Run time: 119 min. RRP: £19.99 Price: £12.98
Review 21 [2008] / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:An unconvincing exercise in moral complexity, 21 is based on Ben Mezrich's book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M. I. T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) plays brilliant blue collar scholar Ben Campbell, whose doubts that he'll win a scholarship to Harvard Medical School compel him to join a secret, M. I. T. gang of math whiz kids. Under the silky but chilling command of a math professor (Kevin Spacey), Jim and the others master card counting -the statistical analysis of cards dealt in blackjack games. The team lives a humdrum existence during the week, but on weekends in Sin City the students are rolling in cash, frequenting exclusive clubs and feeling on top of the world. [+]
Ben even gets the girl: a comely fellow card counter played by Kate Bosworth. Despite all the success, Ben feels ethically compromised and indeed director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Across the Universe), in the old tradition of American movies, plays it both ways where fun vices are concerned. On the one hand, it feels so good -on the other, ahem, we know it's wrong. That studied ambivalence proves wearing after a while, making the most interesting character in the film a casino watchdog played by Laurence Fishburne. A master at reading the emotions of gamblers beating the house with a scam, he's admirable for being good at his job, but repellent for wrecking the faces of counters in casino dungeons. He's all about moral complexity in the tradition of anti-heroes, and a truly provocative element in an otherwise superficial movie. -Tom Keogh.
Actors & Directors
- Ben Gazzara
- Frankie Faison
- Denis Leary
- Rene Russo
- Pierce Brosnan
- John McTiernan
Release date: 2000-02-28 Run time: 109 min. RRP: £19.99 Price: £2.84
Review The Thomas Crown Affair [1999] / MGM Entertainment:For the Hollywood remake rule, which dictates that an update of an older film be inferior to the original in almost every aspect, The Thomas Crown Affair stands as a glorious exception. The original 1968 film, starring a dapper Steve McQueen and a radiant Faye Dunaway, was a diverting pop confection of mod clothes and nifty break-ins, but not much more. John McTiernan's new version, though, cranks up the entertainment factor to mach speed, turning what was a languid flick into a high-adrenaline caper romance. Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is now a man of industry who likes to indulge in a little high-priced art theft on the side; Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) is the insurance investigator determined to get on his tail in more ways than one. If you're thinking cat-and-mouse game, think again-it's more like cat vs. smarter cat, as both the thief and the investigator try to outwit each other and nothing is off-limits, especially after they start a highly charged love affair that's a heated mix of business and pleasure. What makes this Thomas Crown more enjoyable than its predecesor is McTiernan's attention to detail in both the set action pieces (no surprise from the man who helmed Die Hard with precision accuracy) and the developing romance, the witty and intelligent script by Leslie Dixon (she wrote the love scenes) and Kurt Wimmer (he wrote the action scenes), and, most of all, its two stunning leads (both over 40 to boot), combustible both in and out of bed. Brosnan, usually held prisoner in the James Bond straitjacket, lets loose with both a relaxed sensuality and a comic spirit he's rarely expressed before. The film, however, pretty much belongs to Russo, who doesn't just steal the spotlight, but bends it to her will. Beautiful, stylish, smart, self-possessed, incredibly sexy, she's practically a walking icon; it's no wonder Crown falls for her hook, line, and sinker (the Academy should too, hopefully). [+]
With Denis Leary as a police detective smitten with Russo, and Faye Dunaway in a throwaway but wholly enjoyable cameo as Brosnan's therapist. -Mark Englehart For the Hollywood remake rule, which dictates that an update of an older film be inferior to the original in almost every aspect, The Thomas Crown Affair stands as a glorious exception. The original 1968 film, starring a dapper Steve McQueen and a radiant Faye Dunaway, was a diverting pop confection of mod clothes and nifty break-ins but not much more. John McTiernan's new version, though, cranks up the entertainment factor to match speed, turning what was a languid flick into a high-adrenaline caper romance. Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is now a man of industry who likes to indulge in a little high-priced art theft on the side; Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) is the insurance investigator determined to get on his tail in more ways than one. If you're thinking cat-and-mouse game, think again-it's more like cat vs. smarter cat, as both the thief and the investigator try to outwit each other and nothing is off-limits, especially after they start a highly charged love affair that's a heated mix of business and pleasure. What makes this Thomas Crown more enjoyable than its predecessor is McTiernan's attention to detail in both the set action pieces (no surprise from the man who helmed Die Hard with precision accuracy); the developing romance; the witty and intelligent script by Leslie Dixon (she wrote the love scenes) and Kurt Wimmer (he wrote the action scenes) and, most of all, its two stunning leads (both over 40 to boot), combustible both in and out of bed. Brosnan, usually held prisoner in the James Bond straitjacket, lets loose with both a relaxed sensuality and a comic spirit he's rarely expressed before. The film, however, pretty much belongs to Russo, who doesn't just steal the spotlight but bends it to her will. Beautiful, stylish, smart, self-possessed, incredibly sexy, she's practically a walking icon; it's no wonder Crown falls for her hook, line and sinker. Denis Leary plays a police detective smitten with Russo and Faye Dunaway has a throwaway but wholly enjoyable cameo as Brosnan's therapist. -Mark Englehart, Amazon. com.
Release date: 2005-11-21 RRP: £89.99 Price: £24.98
Review Hitchcock 14 Disc Box Set - Vertigo/ The Birds/ Rear Window/ Marnie/ Frenzy/ Topaz/ The Trouble With Harry/ Torn Curtain/ Psycho/ Family Plot/ Saboteur/ Shadow Of A Doubt/ Man Who Knew Too Much/ Rope / Alfred Hitchcock:
Actors & Directors
- Alex Proyas
- Ritchie Singer
- David Wenham
- Rufus Sewell
- Melissa George
- Nicholas Bell
Release date: 2008-08-04 Run time: 107 min. RRP: £17.99 Price: £8.99
Review Dark City [Blu-ray] [1998] / Entertainment in Video:Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien, Ian Richardson, William Hurt, Colin Friels, Frank Gallacher, Bruce Spence, Ritchie Singer, Nicholas Bell, Melissa George, Jeanette Cronin, David Wenham
Actors & Directors
- Rupert Penry-Jones
- Hermione Norris
- Raza Jaffrey
- Hugh Simon
- Peter Firth
Release date: 2008-10-06 Run time: 600 min. RRP: £39.99 Price: £25.98
Review Spooks: Complete BBC Series 6 [2007] / Contender Entertainment Group:
Actors & Directors
- Jack Lemmon
- Billy Wilder
- Fred MacMurray
- Shirley Maclaine
- Marilyn Monroe
- Christopher Lee
Release date: 2007-01-22 Run time: 574 min. RRP: £34.99 Price: £9.97
Review Billy Wilder Collection - Vol. 2 - The Apartment/The Seven Year Itch/Witness For The Prosecution/The Fortune Cookie/The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes / MGM Entertainment:
Actors & Directors
- Bharat Nalluri
- Khalid Laith
- Omar Madha
- Cilla Ware
- Gary Wicks
- Andy Wilson (IV)
Release date: 2006-09-04 Run time: 587 min. RRP: £39.99 Price: £12.54
Review Spooks : Complete BBC Series 4 [2002] / Contender Entertainment Group:A gripping British antidote to the counter-terrorism related drama that's coming from the US, Spooks' secret agents are back on superb form in this enthralling fourth season. The DVD set features all ten episodes, and there's an immense amount to enjoy. For those new to Spooks, it's a drama that's packed with twists and turns, clever characterisation, conspiracies and a generous dollop of intrigue. The Spooks of the title are counter-terrorism spies, living in a constant world of danger, and some of the edgy plotlines of this and the seasons that preceded it are testament to that. After the minor criticisms levelled at season three, this fourth series jumps back into action, and while you won't find spoilers here, it quickly exceeds expectations. So when the credits roll at the end of the superb final episode, there are few who won't be checking out a release date for the fifth series. Inevitable comparisons to 24 ensue, but the beauty of Spooks is that it has enough verve and enough ideas to carve out a niche all of its own. It's an excellent piece of British television drama, and while its tough approach won't engage with all, the majority are likely to find themselves hooked. And quickly. -Jon Foster.
Actors & Directors
- Josh Lucas
- Bill Sage
- Justin Theroux
- Mary Harron
- Christian Bale
- Chloë Sevigny
Release date: 2000-10-30 Run time: 98 min. RRP: £19.99 Price: £2.84
Review American Psycho [2000] / Entertainment in Video:
Actors & Directors
- Christian Bale
- Brad Anderson
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- John Sharian
- Aitana Sanchez-Gijon
- Michael Ironside
Release date: 2006-09-25 Run time: 98 min. RRP: £5.99 Price: £2.37
Review The Machinist [2004] [2005] / Prism Leisure Corporation:
Actors & Directors
- Gabriel Byrne
- Stephen Baldwin
- Bryan Singer
- Kevin Pollak
- Kevin Spacey
- Benicio Del Toro
Release date: 2002-04-29 Run time: 102 min. RRP: £22.99 Price: £2.58
Review The Usual Suspects (2 Disc Special Edition) [1995] / MGM Entertainment:Ever since this convoluted thriller dazzled audiences and critics in 1995 and won an Oscar for Christopher McQuarrie's twisting screenplay, The Usual Suspects has continued to divide movie lovers into opposite camps. While a lot of people take great pleasure from the movie's now-famous central mystery (namely, "Who is Keyser Söze?"), others aren't so easily impressed by a movie that's too enamoured of its own cleverness to make much sense. After all, what are we to make of a final scene that renders the entire movie obsolete? Half the fun of The Usual Suspects is the debate it provokes and the sheer pleasure of watching its dynamic cast in action, led (or should we say, mislead) by Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey as the club-footed con man who recounts the saga of enigmatic Hungarian mobster Keyser Söze. Spacey's in a band of thieves that includes Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, and Benicio Del Toro, all gathered in a plot to steal a large shipment of cocaine. The story is told in flashback as a twisted plot being described by Spacey's character to an investigating detective (Chazz Palmintieri), and The Usual Suspects is enjoyable for the way it keeps the viewer guessing right up to its surprise ending. Whether that ending will enhance or extinguish the pleasure is up to each viewer to decide. Even if it ultimately makes little or no sense at all, this is a funny and fiendish thriller, guaranteed to entertain even its vocal detractors. -Jeff Shannon Bryan Singer's film noir The Usual Suspects casts a mesmerising spell, with the plot luring the viewer into ever-deeper and darker places. According to director, Singer, the premise for the film evolved from a magazine article. What does the phrase "usual suspects" actually mean, who are they and what happens when you probe their identity? Here, they are five expert criminals and a crippled con man in a line-up. [+]
The story, told via flashbacks, interrogation scenes and explosive sequences of a heist gone wrong, is a labyrinth of sub-plots and red herrings. Kevin Spacey won a best supporting actor Oscar for his intriguing, blank-eyed turn as the crippled "Verbal" Kint. But Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, Stephen Baldwin and Benicio del Toro are equally fascinating as the mismatched misfits, creating hinterlands for their characters in a single gesture. Chazz Palminteri as the special agent is our main ally in solving the puzzle, but it's really a case of the blind leading the blind. Pete Postlethwaite's bizarre accent, as the sinister legal agent Kobayashi, adds its own layer of mystery to a film that earns cult status entirely on its own merits. On the DVD: this is a dazzling two-disc set which will both please Usual Suspects aficionados and entice the uninitiated. The film itself is presented in widescreen format. The Dolby Digital surround sound quality throbs with tension so that you sense the dialogue and John Ottman's excellent, suspenseful music with your nerve endings rather than just experiencing them aurally. The original cinematic experience comes forcefully into your living room. Numerous extras include a fascinating director/screenwriter commentary (if you haven't seen the film yet, make sure this is turned off or it will wreck the suspense) and endless featurettes, each adding a layer of understanding to the film through observations from the actors, director and writer. A package that sucks you in, blows you out in pieces and still has you coming back for more, this is what special edition DVDs are all about. -Piers Ford.
Release date: 2005-06-20 Run time: 999 min. RRP: £99.99 Price: £29.75
Review Agatha Christie : The Miss Marple Collection - Starring Joan Hickson (12 Disc Box Set) / 2 Entertain Video:
Release date: 2005-06-20 Run time: 999 min. RRP: £99.99 Price: £29.75
Review Agatha Christie : The Miss Marple Collection - Starring Joan Hickson (12 Disc Box Set) / 2 Entertain Video:
Actors & Directors
- Jason Flemyng
- Steven Mackintosh
- Dexter Fletcher
- Jason Statham
- Guy Ritchie
- Nick Moran
Release date: 2004-11-02 Run time: 107 min. RRP: £17.99 Price: £2.88
Review Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels [1998] / Universal Pictures UK:Cockney boys Tom, Soap, Eddie and Bacon are in a bind; they owe seedy criminal and porn king "Hatchet" Harry a sizeable amount of cash after Eddie loses half a million in a rigged game of poker. Hot on their tails is a thug named Big Chris who intends to send them all to the hospital if they don't come up with the cash in the allotted time. Add into the mix an incompetent set of ganja cultivators, two dimwitted robbers, a "madman" with an afro, and a ruthless band of drug dealers and you have an astonishing movie called Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Before the boys can blink, they are caught up in a labyrinth of double-crosses that lead to a multitude of dead bodies, copious amounts of drugs, and two antique rifles. Written and directed by talented newcomer Guy Ritchie, this is one of those movies that was destined to become an instant cult classic à la Reservoir Dogs. Although some comparisons were drawn between Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, it would be unfair to discount the brilliant wit of the story and the innovative camerawork that the director brings to his debut feature. Not since The Krays has there been such an accurate depiction of the East End and its more colourful characters. Indicative of the social stratosphere in London, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a hilarious and at times touching account of friendships and loyalty. The director and his mates (who make up most of the cast) clearly are enjoying themselves here. This comes across in some shining performances, in particular from ex-footballer Vinnie Jones (Big Chris) and an over-the-top Vas Blackwood (as Rory Breaker), who very nearly steals the show. [+]
Full of quirky vernacular and clever tension-packed action sequences, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a triumph-a perfect blend of intelligence, humour and suspense. -Jeremy Storey.
Actors & Directors
- Ted Levine
- Stanley Kamel
- Sarah Silverman
- Tony Shalhoub
- Jason Gray-Stanford
Release date: 2008-09-08 Run time: 657 min. RRP: £28.99 Price: £17.99
Review Monk - Series 6 - Complete [2007] / Universal Pictures UK:
Actors & Directors
- Ralph Fiennes
- Bill Nighy
- Fernando Meirelles
- Rachel Weisz
- Danny Huston
- Donald Apiyo
Release date: 2006-03-13 Run time: 129 min. RRP: £19.99 Price: £1.64
Review The Constant Gardener [2005] / Universal Pictures UK:The Constant Gardener is the kind of thriller that hasn't been seen since the 1970s: Smart, politically complex, cinematically adventurous, genuinely thrilling and even heartbreaking. Mild diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient, Schindler's List) has a loose cannon of a wife named Tessa (Rachel Weisz, The Shape of Things, The Mummy), who's digging into the dirty doings of a major pharmaceutical company in Kenya. Her brutal murder forces Justin to continue her investigation down some deadly avenues. This simple plot description doesn't capture the rich texture and slippery, sinuous movement of The Constant Gardener, superbly directed by Fernando Meirelles (Oscar-nominated for his first film, City of God). Shifting back and forth in time, the movie skillfully captures the engaging romance between Justin and Tessa (Fiennes shows considerably more chemistry with Weisz than he had with Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan) and builds a vivid, gripping, and all-too-justified paranoia. And on top of it all, the movie is beautiful, due to both its incredible shots of the African landscape (which at times is haunting and unearthly) and the gorgeous cinematography. Featuring an all-around excellent cast, including Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father), and Danny Huston (Silver City). -Bret Fetzer.
Actors & Directors
- Bill Sage
- Josh Lucas
- Justin Theroux
- Mary Harron
- Christian Bale
- Chloë Sevigny
Release date: 2000-10-30 Run time: 98 min. RRP: £19.99 Price: £2.84
Review American Psycho [2000] / Entertainment in Video:
Actors & Directors
- Tim Van Patten
- Jack Bender
- Lorraine Bracco
- James Gandolfini
- Danny Leiner
- Alan Taylor
- Michael Imperioli
- Steve Buscemi
- Edie Falco
- Dominic Chianese
Release date: 2006-11-27 Run time: 720 min. RRP: £59.99 Price: £18.98
Review The Sopranos: HBO Season 6 (Part 1) / Warner Home Video:
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Models & Brands: The Sopranos: Complete HBO Season 1 [1999], The Oxford Murders [2008], The Sopranos: Complete HBO Season 1 [1999], 21 [2008], The Thomas Crown Affair [1999], Hitchcock 14 Disc Box Set - Vertigo/ The Birds/ Rear Window/ Marnie/ Frenzy/ Topaz/ The Trouble With Harry/ Torn Curtain/ Psycho/ Family Plot/ Saboteur/ Shadow Of A Doubt/ Man Who Knew Too Much/ Rope, Dark City [Blu-ray] [1998], Spooks: Complete BBC Series 6 [2007], Billy Wilder Collection - Vol. 2 - The Apartment/The Seven Year Itch/Witness For The Prosecution/The Fortune Cookie/The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes, Spooks : Complete BBC Series 4 [2002], American Psycho [2000], The Machinist [2004] [2005], The Usual Suspects (2 Disc Special Edition) [1995], Agatha Christie : The Miss Marple Collection - Starring Joan Hickson (12 Disc Box Set), Agatha Christie : The Miss Marple Collection - Starring Joan Hickson (12 Disc Box Set), Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels [1998], Monk - Series 6 - Complete [2007], The Constant Gardener [2005], American Psycho [2000], The Sopranos: HBO Season 6 (Part 1) |