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Review BBC Warner / North & South [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Brian Percival
  • Travis Oliver
  • Emma Ferguson (II)
  • Daniela Denby-Ashe
  • Tim Pigott-Smith
  • Richard Armitage
Release date: 2005-11-15
Run time: 233 min.
Price: £14.33

Review North & South [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / BBC Warner:


Review Universal Studios / Possession [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Aaron Eckhart
  • Lena Headey
  • Gwyneth Paltrow
  • Jeremy Northam
  • Neil LaBute
  • Jennifer Ehle
Release date: 2003-02-11
Run time: 103 min.
Price: £4.36

Review Possession [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Universal Studios:

With its complex twists and turns, AS Byatt's doorstopper of a novel Possession is hardly the kind of tale that translates easily to film, even though its switches in time across more than a century are intrinsically filmic. In this adaptation the basic story revolves around two modern-day academics, Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow, a class act, all ice and severe hair) and the young American Roland Michell (the charmingly diffident Aaron Eckhart). They find themselves thrown together as they track a secret love affair between two fictional Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash and Christable LaMotte (Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle, both of them eminently convincing costume-drama veterans). As our two modern-day sleuths uncover the truth they (surprise, surprise) find themselves falling for one another. Director Neil LaBute may have strayed from familiar territory (Nurse Betty) but he's managed to translate book to screen with compelling directness, and much credit should go not only to the four leads, but also to Lena Headey, who plays the tragic Blanche Glover, LaMotte's rejected lover. Overall it's a very lyrical movie, visually a treat for the eye, with the period detail beautifully caught and much beautiful scenery to be had. And the score itself, by Gabriel Yared, seems to encapsulate England in its pastoral beauty. Yes, of course the intricacies of the novel are much simplified, with some characters written out altogether, but its central spirit is retained and it makes for an ultimately compelling experience. On the DVD: Possession has a pleasingly sharp and well-defined picture quality that makes the most of the fabulous visuals. However, extras are limited. [+]
As well as a list of cast and crew and the usual scene selections and theatrical trailer there's the option of watching the film accompanied by LaBute's commentary, which is enlightening first time around but probably not for repeated viewing. -Harriet Smith.

Review Lance Entertainment / Cause Celebre [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • John Gorrie
  • Helen Mirren
  • Oliver Ford Davies
  • Harry Andrews
  • David Morrissey
  • Norma West
Release date: 2004-01-01
Run time: 105 min.
Price: £10.54

Review Cause Celebre [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Lance Entertainment:


Review Paramount / The Untouchables [HD DVD] [1987] [US Import]
Actors & Directors
  • Robert De Niro
  • Kevin Costner
  • Sean Connery
  • Andy Garcia
  • Charles Martin Smith
  • Brian De Palma
Release date: 2007-07-03
Run time: 119 min.

Review The Untouchables [HD DVD] [1987] [US Import] / Paramount:

The DVD extras follow the adage that if one has lemons, make lemonade. This "special" edition has no commentary track, and no new input from stars Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Andy Garcia or writer David Mamet. Yet DVD director Laurent Bouzereau has an ace up his sleeve that makes the four new featurettes (about 50 minutes of content) worth listening to: candid talk. The usual, stiff promotional take is jettisoned as producer Art Linson and director Brian De Palma honestly talk about the film's origins, the tricks of shooting, and the casting of Robert De Niro. These refreshing comments (plus insight from the cinematographer Stephen H. Burum and actor Charles Martin Smith), and better-than-average vintage interviews makes for valuable watching-even if the footage is intercut too often with film clips. To top it all off, there's a new Dolby Digital 5. 1 EX soundtrack. -Doug Thomas.

Review Columbia TriStar / Swept from The Sea [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Beeban Kidron
  • Kathy Bates
  • Ian McKellen
  • Rachel Weisz
  • Joss Ackland
  • Vincent Perez
Release date: 1998-07-14
Run time: 114 min.
Price: £5.23

Review Swept from The Sea [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Columbia TriStar:

Based on the Joseph Conrad story "Amy Foster", Swept From the Sea, a swirlingly romantic melodrama, tells the story of a Polish sailor (Vincent Perez) shipwrecked and washed ashore on the English coast in the 19th century. Found by a servant girl, Amy (Rachel Weisz), who is a village outcast, he is considered retarded because no one can understand what he says. But slowly, through Amy's love and the doctor's tutelage, the sailor learns enough English to decide he wants to make an honest woman out of Amy, which doesn't sit well with the disapproving villagers, who don't like Amy. Even the doctor, who has a fondness for the sailor, has a blind spot when it comes to the servant girl. Strong performances and gritty period settings lift this film above bodice-ripper status to something richer. -Marshall Fine.

Review Miramax / Talk of Angels [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Marisa Paredes
  • Polly Walker (II)
  • Vincent Perez
  • Franco Nero
  • Frances McDormand
  • Nick Hamm
Release date: 2004-01-13
Run time: 97 min.
Price: £4.45

Review Talk of Angels [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Miramax:


Review New Line Home Video / Gracie [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Jesse Lee Soffer
  • Vasilios Mantagas
  • Carly Schroeder
  • Davis Guggenheim
  • Karl Girolamo
  • Christopher Shand
Release date: 2007-09-18
Run time: 97 min.
Price: £4.47

Review Gracie [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / New Line Home Video:


Review 20th Century Fox / The St. Valentine's Day Massacre [1967] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Jason Robards
  • Ralph Meeker
  • George Segal
  • Jean Hale
  • Clint Ritchie
  • Roger Corman
Release date: 2006-05-23
Run time: 100 min.
Price: £4.69

Review The St. Valentine's Day Massacre [1967] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / 20th Century Fox:


Actors & Directors
  • Lucia Bosé
  • Valeria Golino
  • Alex Descas
  • Haluk Bilginer
  • Malick Bowens
Release date: 2007-10-25
Creator: Pivio De Scalzi
Price: £17.20

Review Harem Suare [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Tva Films:


Review Monterey Video / The Gift of Love [1978] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Marie Osmond
  • Bethel Leslie
  • Timothy Bottoms
  • Don Chaffey
  • June Lockhart
  • Donald Moffat
Release date: 2003-11-18
Run time: 96 min.
Price: £6.42

Review The Gift of Love [1978] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Monterey Video:


Review Alpha Video / Becky Sharp [1935] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Frances Dee
  • Miriam Hopkins
  • Alison Skipworth
  • Billie Burke
  • Cedric Hardwicke
  • Lowell Sherman
  • Rouben Mamoulian
Release date: 2004-06-22
Run time: 84 min.
Price: £2.20

Review Becky Sharp [1935] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Alpha Video:


Actors & Directors
  • Kuldip Kaur
  • Vijay Bhatt
  • Bharat Bhushan
  • Surendra
  • Bipin Gupta
  • Meena Kumari
Release date: 2003-01-01
Run time: 155 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £6.99

Review Baiju Bawra [1952] / Gvi:


Review Columbia TriStar / Goya in Bordeaux [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Eulalia Ramón
  • José Coronado
  • Dafne Fernández
  • Francisco Rabal
  • Maribel Verdú
  • Carlos Saura
Release date: 2001-01-30
Run time: 105 min.
Price: £66.12

Review Goya in Bordeaux [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Columbia TriStar:


Review Sony Pictures / The Lives of Others [Blu-ray] [2007] [US Import]
Actors & Directors
  • Thomas Thieme
  • Ulrich Tukur
  • Ulrich Mühe
  • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
  • Martina Gedeck
  • Sebastian Koch
Release date: 2007-08-21
Run time: 138 min.
Price: £16.57

Review The Lives of Others [Blu-ray] [2007] [US Import] / Sony Pictures:


Review Polart / The Devil [1972] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Andrzej Zulawski
  • Iga Mayr
  • Leszek Teleszynski
  • Maciej Englert
  • Wojciech Pszoniak
  • Malgorzata Braunek
Release date: 2007-10-23
Run time: 119 min.
Creator: Andrzej Korzynski
Price: £12.05

Review The Devil [1972] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Polart:


Review Acorn Media / Tom Brown's Schooldays [1971]
Actors & Directors
  • Gareth Davies
  • Anthony Murphy
  • Iain Cuthbertson
  • Simon Turner
  • Richard Morant
Release date: 2005-02-07
Run time: 219 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £29.99

Review Tom Brown's Schooldays [1971] / Acorn Media:


Review Acorn Media / The Pallisers - Vol. 4 - Episodes 21 To 26
Actors & Directors
  • Hugh David
  • Susan Hampshire
  • Barbara Murray
  • Philip Latham
  • Roland Culver
  • Anna Massey
Release date: 2005-06-13
Run time: 300 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £18.18

Review The Pallisers - Vol. 4 - Episodes 21 To 26 / Acorn Media:


Review Criterion / Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection [1954] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Toshirô Mifune
  • Akira Kurosawa
  • Minoru Chiaki
  • Takashi Shimura
  • Yoshio Inaba
  • Seiji Miyaguchi
Release date: 1998-08-05
Run time: 207 min.
Price: £78.24

Review Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection [1954] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Criterion:

Unanimously hailed as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of the motion picture, Seven Samurai has inspired countless films modelled after its basic premise. But Akira Kurosawa's classic 1954 action drama has never been surpassed in terms of sheer power of emotion, kinetic energy, and dynamic character development. The story is set in the 1600s, when the residents of a small Japanese village are seeking protection against repeated attacks by a band of marauding thieves. Offering mere handfuls of rice as payment, they hire seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai), including a boastful swordsman (Toshiro Mifune) who is actually a farmer's son desperately seeking glory and acceptance. The samurai get acquainted with but remain distant from the villagers, knowing that their assignment may prove to be fatal. The climactic battle with the raiding thieves remains one of the most breathtaking sequences ever filmed. It's poetry in hyperactive motion and one of Kurosawa's crowning cinematic achievements. This is not a film that can be well served by any synopsis; it must be seen to be appreciated and belongs on the short list of any definitive home-video library. -Jeff Shannon.

Review MGM / Deuces Wild [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Matt Dillon
  • Fairuza Balk
  • Scott Kalvert
  • Nancy Ellen Cassaro
  • Balthazar Getty
  • Stephen Dorff
Release date: 2002-08-06
Run time: 97 min.
Creator: Stewart Copeland
Price: £4.43

Review Deuces Wild [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / MGM:


Review Xenon / El Rey [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Fernando Solorzano
  • Vanessa Simon
  • Edgardo Roman
  • Olivier Pages
  • Cristina Umana
Release date: 2006-09-12
Run time: 92 min.
Creator: Paulo Andres Perez
Price: £7.04

Review El Rey [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Xenon:


Models & Brands:
North & South [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Possession [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Cause Celebre [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Untouchables [HD DVD] [1987] [US Import], Swept from The Sea [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Talk of Angels [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Gracie [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The St. Valentine's Day Massacre [1967] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Harem Suare [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Gift of Love [1978] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Becky Sharp [1935] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Baiju Bawra [1952], Goya in Bordeaux [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Lives of Others [Blu-ray] [2007] [US Import], The Devil [1972] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Tom Brown's Schooldays [1971], The Pallisers - Vol. 4 - Episodes 21 To 26, Seven Samurai - Criterion Collection [1954] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Deuces Wild [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC), El Rey [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

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