Four Lions (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Elevation Sales)
Furry Vengeance (22.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, E1)
Gilmore Girls Season 7 (29.99 DVD, Warner)
Hot Tub Time Machine (28.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Fox)
The Last Seven (19.99 Blu-ray & DVD, Metrodome)
Married With Children Season 3 (24.99 DVD, Sony)
Medium Season 5 (34.99 DVD, Paramount)
Raffles: The Complete Series (29.99 DVD, ITV)
Robot Chicken Season 4 (19.99 DVD, Revolver)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Season 7 (34.99 DVD, Paramount)
Sherlock (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, BBC)
When You're Strange - A Film About The Doors (22.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Universal)
Sherlock
John Watson (Martin Freeman), army doctor, invalided home from Afghanistan, alone and friendless ...
Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, alone and friendless ...
London 2010 - the best and longest friendship in all of fiction is about to begin anew. The most famous detective, the most baffling mysteries, the most thrilling adventures and the deadliest foes, are coming in out of the fog. Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man - it was the world that got old. Now he's back as he should be - edgy, contemporary, difficult, dangerous.
Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) is the best Scotland Yard has got, but he knows he's not as good as a strange young man called Sherlock ...
The world’s favourite detective has come out of the fog.
A handful of young men set out to take on the decadent West but are more of a threat to themselves than anyone else in this black comedy from the creator of Brass Eye, Chris Morris. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is a devout Muslim living in the United Kingdom who has decided to form a terrorist cell to bring forth a jihad against a culture he believes is dominated by the sinful and ignorant. However, Omar isn't much of leader, and he's assembled an unimpressive team of fellow terrorists, among them Waj (Kayvan Novak), who lacks the brainpower to come up with ideas or direction on his own; Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), who is shy and doesn't have much to say; and Barry (Nigel Lindsay), a recent convert to Islam who tries to make up for his lack of practical knowledge with fierce passion.
As Omar and his comrades debate both doctrine and methods, they ponder such notions as using birds as explosive devices, creating video communiqués with a hip-hop flavor, and attacking mosques in an effort to provoke non-violent Muslims. But are Omar and his partners a legitimate threat to the safety of Great Britain, or just four half-bright twenty-somethings with more bluster than imagination?
It might be lower key and less overtly comedic than you may be expecting from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, but there are plenty of reasons nonetheless to commend their nostalgic 70s drama Cemetery Junction. Leaving behind the style of comedy the pair fine-tuned to perfection with The Office, Cemetery Junction instead concerns itself with telling the story of three young men.
These men all live in their home town of Cemetery Junction, each working for an insurance company. Joining them there is their boss, played by Ralph Fiennes, with the cast also fleshed out by the likes of Emily Watson, Gervais himself and the terrific Matthew Goode.
But it’s Christian Cooke who catches the eye in what turns out to be the lead role of Freddie. It’s Freddie’s evolving professional and personal life that forms the core of the narrative, and laced with some fine comedic moments, he anchors the film well. It helps that Gervais and Merchant are so focused on how to put across the story, with the dingy style of 70s Britain captured terrifically well.
When ambitious real estate developer Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) relocates his family to rural Oregon to supervise the construction of a massive new subdivision, one resourceful raccoon rallies his woodland friends to fight back and shut down the project. As the battle between man and beast heats up, the hapless real estate developer realizes there are some natural environments that are better left untouched.
Dean Stockwell carries out a brutal murder in Compulsion on DVD...
Released on September 20th:
A classic movie, now just over 50 years old, featuring Dean Stockwell as a law student led on by his friend, Bradford
Dillman, as he tries to impress him. They both carry out a murder just to show that they can... but can they get away
with it? Orson Welles is their defence lawyer in what was dubbed the first "Trial of the Century" in the original
real-life case.
Compulsion
is online and out on DVD from September 20th.
A Max Richter classic re-issued on CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
describes this reissue of a 2002 CD as 'awesome' and 'breathtaking', where tracks include November, a stirring violin
lead excursion into post classical pomp with shades of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with rotating motifs enough to blow you
away.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Youtube Highlight: Martin Schenk in a new DomSezXL clip video...
Another collection of fun & nonsense in a near 2-minute chunk.
Guest starring: Andrew Marr, George Osborne, Peter Mandelson, Tom Jones, Simon Fanshawe, Bill Turnbull, Lisa Faulkner, Tim Lovejoy, Lowri Turner, Matthew Wright, Zara Carmichael, Martin Schenk, Jon Snow, Ben Bradshaw, Antony Worrall Thompson, Nicholas Owen, Ian Collins, Martin Clunes, Amanda Lamb, Chris Grayling, Dr River Song..., Alex Kingston, Iain Dale.
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
Dear John (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Momentum)
Dogtooth (15.99 DVD, Verve)
Down Terrace (15.99 DVD, Metrodome)
Going Postal (28.99 Blu-ray, 24.99 DVD, Fox)
Grey's Anatomy Season 5 (35.99 DVD, 138.99 Complete Boxset, Walt Disney)
The Eric Sykes Collection (19.99 DVD, Revelation)
Flash Gordon - 30th Anniversary Ltd Edition - Special Edition Steelbook (24.99 Blu-ray, Elevation Sales)
How the Earth Was Made: Complete Season 2 (19.99 DVD, History Channel)
The Innocents (24.99 Blu-ray, BFI)
Jam and Jerusalem Series 3 (15.99 DVD, 39.99 Complete Boxset, BBC)
Lebanon (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Metrodome)
Midsomer Murders Series 11 (59.99 DVD, Acorn)
Modern Times (19.99 Blu-ray/DVD, Park Circus)
Monk Season 7 (27.99 DVD, Universal)
Morecambe and Wise Show Series 9 (15.99 DVD, BBC)
Repo Men (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Universal)
Shooting Stars 2010 (Series 7) (15.99 DVD, BBC)
A Zed And Two Noughts (19.99 Blu-ray, BFI)
The Vampire Diaries Season 1 (49.99 Blu-ray, 39.99 DVD, Warner)
Grey's Anatomy Season 5
Season 5 is a pivotal one for the riveting Grey's Anatomy. The doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital bloom and show new layers, the drama meets and exceeds that of previous seasons, and the show marks an important milestone--its 100th episode--with developments that, as with all the great Grey's episodes, brim with belly laughs and moving tears.
The season gets off to a slow start, with perhaps a bit more relationship angst than even diehard fans would prefer. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek "McDreamy" (Patrick Dempsey) start out with the familiar push-pull of their love affair--but a resolution, at last, is in their future. Callie (the excellent, and newly glamorous, Sara Ramirez) wrestles with her sexual orientation. Cristina (Sandra Oh, never better) is still picking up the pieces from her ruined engagement to the departed Burke (Isaiah Washington). To help her, or maybe to throw her for another loop, the series introduces the gruff, macho military doc, Owen (one of TV's sexiest hunks, Kevin McKidd).
Yet series creator and still active writer Shonda Rhimes unveils story arcs about midway through the season which have the surgeons' operating room dramas intersecting with the characters' private lives--with waves of heartbreaking results. Fans may take issue with "Dead Denny" (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his endless visitations--complete with sex--with Izzie (Katherine Heigl)--but as the season builds, Izzie's mystery illness, and her deep love for Alex (Justin Chambers) are treated with delicacy and respect, and Denny's character both reacts and ultimately supports. There's a wedding--a fairy-tale one--celebrating the show's 100th episode, and the love of the characters, and the pain they've overcome to get there--are equal parts of the very human, very lovely, result. The season finale is among the show's best ever, with the fate of two beloved characters, George (T.R. Knight) and Izzie, left unknown and laden with sorrow.
Based on the novels f the same name by author L.J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is the story of two vampire brothers obsessed with the same beautiful girl, and battling to control the fate of an entire town. Stefan and Damon Salvatore return to the fictional town of Mystic falls for different reasons, one for good the other for evil. Stefan is drawn towards Elena Gilbert, who bears resemblance to a past flame, Katherine Pierce, the beautiful but ruthless vampire the brothers knew and loved in 1864.
Damon on the other hand is intent on releasing Katherine from the tomb where he believes she was trapped spell many years ago.
The 1st series also focuses on Elena's friends and the lives of other inhabitants in Mystic Falls.
Director Lasse Hallström and screenwriter Jamie Linden collaborate to adapt author Nicholas Sparks' novel about a young soldier who falls for an idealistic college girl. Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) was on spring break when she first met John Tyree (Channing Tatum), who was home on temporary leave. For the smitten soldier it was practically love at first sight.
Over the course of the next seven years, when each deployment seemed more treacherous than the last, the love letters that Savannah sent to John were one of the only things that kept him going. However, those loving and heartfelt correspondences would ultimately yield consequences that neither the brave soldier nor his one true love could have ever foreseen.
Suddenly, condemned arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig found himself with a noose around his neck and dropping through a trapdoor into...a government job? By all rights, Moist should be meeting his maker rather than being offered a position as Postmaster by Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork. Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may prove an impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, greedy Grand Trunk Clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical headman. But if the bold and undoable are what's called for, Moist's the man for the job--to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every being, human or otherwise, requires: hope.
Lavish television adaptation of Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Going Postal, part of the Discworld series.
It's a new Lara Croft game, but not as you know it, on Xbox 360...
The Lara Croft franchise has been going around 15 years, but this is the first game ever to omit the 'Tomb Raider' brand
from the title and also the first to be made download-only. Team up with ancient Mayan warrior Totec and battle the
evil spirit Xolotl to retrieve the magical Mirror of Smoke, and find out how it fares when things are just a little
bit different...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
tells us that while Sam Pierce is now living down under in Australia, it's not affected his Surrey accent, but may well
have affected his songwriting. Find out why in this review.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
The Royle Family: Complete Collection (49.99 DVD, ITV DVD)
Sons of Anarchy Season 2 (33.99 Bluray, 24.99 DVD, Fox)
Whip It! (22.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Lions Gate)
Dexter Season 3
To all around him, blood splatter analyst Dexter Morgan appears to be a perfect gentleman and respected member of the police force but, behind this convincing facade, Dexter harbours a terrifying secret. He is a serial killer. The Emmy-nominated series returns for an all-new season - and this time Dexter's got a new take on taking life. Having faced some of his darkest demons, Dexter's ready to put the past behind him. Now, with family life, a day job catching kills and an uncontrollable urge to do away with the ones that get away, Dexter's got his work cut out for him. And when a high-profile case sides him with powerful Assistant DA Miguel Prado, the pressure might be too great for even our most beloved serial killer.
DOG SOLDIERS and DOOMSDAY writer/director Neil Marshall helms this newest entry in his full-throttle filmography with this action-adventure concerning a Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) trapped behind enemy lines in 117 A.D. The film also stars QUANTUM OF SOLACE's Olga Kurylenko as a revenge-fuelled nomad out for Roman blood.
Based on Alloy Entertainment's book series by Cecily Von Ziegesar, GOSSIP GIRL gives New York's fashionable Upper East Side basically the same slick and sexy treatment as THE O.C. had given California's Orange County. The titular ‘Gossip Girl’, played by Kristen Bell, keeps tabs on the city's most elite teens as they make the rounds from the poshest school events to the most lavish, decadent parties and dishes out all the dirt on her online website, thus acting as the series' unofficial narrator.
Between Serena and Blair's explosive friendship, Dan and Serena's budding romance, Nate and Blair's seemingly fairytale relationship, Chuck's escapades, and Jenny's introduction to the glamorous life, there's plenty to keep track of in this jam packed Box Set containing series 1, 2 and 3.
Enter the colourful, surprising and mischievous world of Mongrels... A world of rutting, Mating rituals, territorial defence, survival of the fittest with all the characters played by Puppets!
They may be furry, they may be feathered, they may be feral (some of them at least), but scratch their hairy surfaces and these guys are just five mixed-up kidults struggling with everyday emotional truths about life, love, sex, aspirations, desperations and shattered dreams.
Puppeteers Talk to the Hand are Bafta-winners who have worked with Jim Henson, Gorillaz and the Scissor Sisters Featuring the voices of Rufus Jones (Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show), Lucy Montgomery (The IT Crowd) Dan Tetsell (The Omid Djalili Show, Lab Rats), Katy Brand (As, Kingdom, Pulling) Created, developed, and directed by Adam Miller (Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show, Taking the Flak) Producer - Stephen McCrum (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps)
Let's meet the cast: Nelson, Your typical everyday, spice-rack-owning, lactose-intolerant, broadsheet-reading, metrosexual, urban fox. New to London, this small town boy is planning to make the absolute best of his new territory in the Big City. Destiny, a sexy, pretentious 'It Bitch' wannabe Afghan hound, Marion, a wide-eyed, slow-brained street cat with no balls! Kali, the sarcastic pigeon and Vince, a wild, unashamed fox who's everything Nelson isn't.
DVDfever Dom on The Film Show with Jamie Kilday: 12-2pm today!...
Yes, I appear on this radio show hosted by my mate, Jamie, talking about new releases at the cinema and on DVD, and
also the topic of the week which is films spawned by videogames and vice versa. Click on the link, go to "Listen Live"
and enjoy!
One of my all-time favourite computer game series was the 'Hitman' franchise, and a film was eventually made in 2007,
starring Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47, but as videogame-to-film-conversions go, was it any good? Dougray Scott and
Olga Kurylenko co-star.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
tells us that Stefanie Finch has got the girl-next-door good looks, she’s got the voice…and she’s got the songs too.
Like the PR blurb says, Cry Tomorrow really is ‘a little gem’. Find out why in this review.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Youtube Highlight: Louise Redknapp in a new DomSezXL clip video...
Another collection of clip-show fun & nonsense in a near 2-minute chunk.
Guest starring: Jon Snow, Katy Brand, Amanda Bryam, Tim Lovejoy, Simon Rimmer, Kelly Rowland, Theresa May, Allison Pearson, Martin Roberts, Stephen James, Diane Keen, Lawrence Marks, Maurice Gran, Eric Knowles, Gary Gibbon, David Milliband, Gordon Burns, Kate Silverton, Alistair Darling, John Torode, Louise Redknapp, Tony Robinson, Caroline Flint, Michael Portillo, James Martin, Cherie Lunghi, Mariella Frostrup, David Aaronovitch, Andrea McLean, Louie Spence, David Dickinson, Matthew Wright, Lembit Opik.
The final case, for the time being, is, according to Dan, essentially Sherlock-meets-Die Hard With A Vengeance, with
the despondent sleuth spurred into action by Lestrade to foil a mad bomber who's fascinated by Sherlock's deductive
reasoning and observational talent.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
The Blind Side (22.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Warner)
David Bowie: Rare And Unseen (15.99 DVD, Wienerworld)
Deep Blue Sea (19.99 Blu-ray, Warner)
Doctor Who: The Cybermen Box Set (29.99 DVD, BBC)
Haunting Of Winchester House 3D (14.99 DVD)
The Infidel (17.99 Blu-ray, 14.99 DVD, Revolver)
Legion (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Sony)
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman - Dual Format Edition (19.99 Blu-ray/DVD, Park Circus)
Psycho (19.99 Blu-ray, 24.99 Blu-ray Steelbox, Universal)
Silent Witness Series 7 & 8 (24.99 DVD, BBC)
The Stranger (19.99 Blu-ray, Anchor Bay)
The Blind Side
Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) knows little about family. Less about football. What the homeless teen knows are the streets and projects of Memphis. Well-to-do Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) knows little about his world. Yet when she and Michael meet, he's found a home. And the Tuohys have found something just as life-changing: a beloved new son and brother.
This real-life story of family and of Michael's growth into a blue-chip football star will have you cheering with its mix of gridiron action and heartwarming emotion. Share the remarkable journey of the college All-American and first-round NFL draft pick who was a winner before he ever stepped onto the playing field.
Silver Nemesis begins in 1988 on 23rd November. Lady Peinforte and her loyal servant Richard have travelled from the year 1638 for this moment. Herr de Flores' dreams of establishing the Fourth Reich rest on this point in time. The Cybermen's planned invasion of Earth is scheduled for the same time.
The link between the three? The statue Nemesis, fashioned from validium - the living metal first made by Rassilon on Gallifrey and capable of bestowing the power of life and death on any individual. Can the Doctor and Ace prevent its awesome power from falling into any of their evil hands?
In Revenge of the Cybermen, the Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrives on the Nerva Beacon, hoping to find the TARDIS waiting for them, instead the intrepid trio find a space station in the grip of a deadly plague that has wiped out most of its crew. But the Doctor soon comes to suspect that the 'plague' is no natural illness – and that some of his oldest and most fearsome foes are behind it...
The beacon has been set up to warn space traffic of a new satellite orbiting Jupiter, but one craft is taking no notice of the order to stay clear – a Cybership. The satellite is Voga, Planet of Gold, home to the seemingly harmless Vogans – but why are the Cybermen so determined to destroy it?
Without the TARDIS, the Doctor is unable to return Sarah and Harry to the 20th Century. But then Sarah falls victim to the mystery virus, and unless the Doctor can find a cure – quickly – she will never make it home at all...
Doctor Who: The Cybermen Box Set is out now on
DVD (£17.93).
Psycho
Hailed as one of the most influential suspense movies of its time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho had a profound effect on how future filmmakers made movies and shaped audience expectations for generations to come. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of one of Universal Studios’ most treasured and prestigious films, Psycho will debut for the first time ever on Blu-ray Hi-Def. Meticulously restored for perfect digital picture and the purest DTS HD 5.1 digital sound, the Psycho 50th Anniversary Edition takes audiences on a thrilling journey as an unsuspecting victim (Janet Leigh, The Manchurian Candidate, Bye Bye Birdie) visits the Bates Motel and falls prey to one of the silver screen’s most notorious psychopaths – Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins, Murder on the Orient Express, Les Miserables).
Featuring one of the most iconic scenes in film history – the infamous “shower scene” – Psycho continues to terrify audiences today as much as it did half a century ago.
Special Features:
Psycho Sound: A never-before-seen piece that looks at the re-mastering process required to create a 5.1 mix from the original mono elements using Audionamix technology.
The Shower Scene: A look at the impact of music on the infamous “shower scene.”
The Making of Psycho: A feature-length documentary on Hitchcock’s most shocking film.
In the Master’s Shadow – Hitchcock’s Legacy: Some of Hollywood’s top filmmakers discuss Hitchcock’s influence and why his movies continue to thrill audiences.
Hitchcock/Truffaut Interviews: Excerpts from a 1962 audio interview with Alfred Hitchcock.
Audio Commentary: Feature-length audio commentary with Stephen Rebello (Author of “Alfred Hitchcock and the making of Psycho”)
Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho: Vintage newsreel on the unique policy Alfred Hitchcock insisted upon for the release of the film.
The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass: Original storyboard design.
Production Notes: Read an essay on the making of the film.
The Psycho Archives: See the gallery of on-set photo stills from the film’s production.
Posters And Psycho Ads: See a gallery of original posters and ads from the theatrical campaign.
Lobby Cards: View a gallery of promotional lobby cards from the film’s theatrical campaign.
Behind-The-Scenes Photographs: View rare photos showing the cast and crew at work.
Theatrical Trailer: Watch the original promotional trailer from the film’s theatrical campaign.
Re-Release Trailers: Watch the promotional trailer created for the re-release of the film.
A devoted Muslim family man experiences a hilarious identity crisis after discovering that he was adopted at birth, and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz. Mahmud Nasir (Omid Djalili) is still grieving the recent death of his mother when he finds his birth certificate, and learns he was born to a Jewish mother. In order to embrace his heritage, Mahmud seeks the advice of drunken cab-driver Lenny (Richard Schiff), whose crash course in Judaism is more quirky than kosher.
It's a typical guy-meets-girl-who-has-a-dick-of-a-boyfriend, but it's completely mental for the first half and made
me laugh out loud. Almost 20 years after it came out, Cool As Ice makes it to DVD, and co-stars Kristin Minter
and Michael Gross. Naomi "dirty diamonds" Campbell pops up too.
Cool As Ice
is online and out on DVD from September 6th.
A double delight from Zero 7 on CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
is back with a new release from Zero 7, who have just released a double CD of their best bits from the past and
present with an additional disc of remixes from the likes of Carl Craig, Metronomy, Photek, Joker and Madlib.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Paul Bettany tries to head off the Legion on Blu-ray...
Released today:
It's the end of the world... and they don't know it yet. That's a group of strangers in a diner called Paradise Falls,
based in the middle of nowhere. Paul Bettany's a rogue angel and quite how he, Dennis Quaid, Charles S Dutton, Willa
Holland et al will defend themselves from the onslaught is anyone's guess...
Legion
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from today.
Youtube Highlight: Donald Shiley on Last Word...
The co-inventor of the heart valve replacement, of which I am a recipient of the aortic valve variety,
died on July 31st at the age of 90, and this comes from Radio 4's Last Word programme.
Another case for Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock on BBC1...
In this second episode, a mysterious cipher is being scrawled on the walls around London. The first person to see
the cipher is dead within hours of reading it. Sherlock plunges into a world of codes and symbols, consulting with
London's best graffiti artists. He soon learns that the city is in the grip a gang of international smugglers, a secret
society called the Black Lotus.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Doctor Who Series 5 Volume 3 (19.99. Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, BBC)
Foyle's War Series 1-6 Complete Boxed Set (149.99 DVD, Acorn)
From Paris With Love (22.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Warner)
I Love You Phillip Morris (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, E1)
NCIS: Los Angeles Season 1 (49.99 DVD, Paramount)
Shelter (17.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Icon)
Shutter Island (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Paramount)
Sorry Series 3 (15.99 DVD, BBC)
The Spy Next Door (24.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Momentum)
Shutter Island
Drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.
John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers star in the spy thriller FROM PARIS WITH LOVE, directed by Pierre Morel (TAKEN). The Luc Besson/Adi Hasak-penned tale revolves around the entwining paths of an American spy and an embassy worker during a tumultuous time in Paris.
With John Travolta in the role of a smart mouthed, gung-ho, womanizing American Spy in a foreign city, the team behind all guns blazing action flicks TAKEN and TELL NO ONE, evidently have an absolute blast with FROM PARIS WITH LOVE. This buddy/spy picture sees our reserved and mild mannered Mr Nice Guy, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers uncharacteristically matched with Travolta, whose superb performance evokes memories of his turn as the wild and crazed Vincent Vega from PULP FICTION. Boredom is not an entity for an hour and a half of this epic action thrill-ride.
This third volume from the fifth series features episodes seven, eight and nine, each written by Steven Moffat. Episodes included in this compilation are: 'Amy's Choice', 'The Hungry Earth' and 'Cold Blood'.
John Lacey's social life is ever expanding with social events organised by the 1-2-1 Club. As the members get to know each other, they support one another through various crises. Ralph is made redundant and becomes a DJ, Kirk continues to conjure up stories of his life as a spy, John meets a lady, Kate gives up her job to travel around Greece and flirty Louise still insists on grilling anyone she can about their sex life. They are also joined by new members, Sylvia and ex-60s pop star Ricky Fortune.
Paul Bettany tries to head off the Legion on Blu-ray...
Released next Monday:
It's the end of the world... and they don't know it yet. That's a group of strangers in a diner called Paradise Falls,
based in the middle of nowhere. Paul Bettany's a rogue angel and quite how he, Dennis Quaid, Charles S Dutton, Willa
Holland et al will defend themselves from the onslaught is anyone's guess...
Legion
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from next Monday.
Canadian’s homage to Beatle and Newman. Well, almost... on CD...
Released next Monday:
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
confirms David Celia is considered one of Toronto’s most experienced independent artists having garnered a considerable
fanbase in his native Canada and even extending throughout the European mainland. This brave troubadour is carving
a niche all of his own which is mightily refreshing, even if the results aren’t as dazzling as they should be.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Youtube Highlight: Pingu's Bedtime Shadows by Frank Sidebottom...
Shown the other day on BBC2 in the early hours was this classic episode of the wonderful Pingu, written by the late,
great Chris Sievey, aka Frank Sidebottom.
COMPETITIONS CLOSED: Generation Kill and Donnie Darko on Blu-ray...
These competitions have now closed and the winners will be picked and notified shortly. Thanks for entering!
Benedict Cumberbatch is the new Sherlock on BBC1...
The star of Hawking and one of a fantastic cast in BBC's The Last Enemy, Benedict Cumberbatch
stars alongside Martin Freeman as Holmes and Watson in this new update for a new century, but how does it fare?
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Apologies for the lack of updates this week, including the lack of a list of new releases, but it's been one of those
weeks. Normal service shall be resumed very soon.
Sam Worthington leads the Clash of the Titans on Blu-ray...
Released today:
With relative newcomer Sam Worthington leading the charge as Perseus, and ready to do battle with Liam Neeson as Zeus,
Ralph Fiennes as Hades, as well as Medusa and The Kraken. With a cast list as long as your arm that includes Pete
Postlethwaite, Gemma Arterton and Mads Mikkelsen, and a shedload of CGI, there's no way it can fail, right?
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
confirms that this rootsy collective has been brewing-up storms across their region and Europe with their genuine take
on bluegrass belters and soulful balladeering, and says: Think Soggy Bottom Boys, but new. Find out why in this review.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Also, beyond today's update we're taking a week off for a summer holiday, so see you next Monday and here's hoping
we get some sun! :)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (24.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Momentum)
The Good Life Series 3 (19.99 DVD, BBC)
How I Met Your Mother Season 4 (24.99 DVD, Fox)
Ideal Series 5 (19.99 DVD, BBC)
The Karate Kid (19.99 Blu-ray, Sony)
The Karate Kid II (19.99 Blu-ray, Sony)
The Kevin Bishop Show Series 2 (12.99 DVD, 2entertain)
Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Universal)
NCIS Season 6 (49.99 DVD, 119.99 Season 1-6 DVD, Paramount)
The Ricky Gervais Show (24.99 DVD, Warner)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
A discredited journalist and a mysterious computer hacker discover that even the wealthiest families have skeletons in their closets while working to solve the mystery of a 40 year old murder. Inspired by late author Stieg Larsson's successful trilogy of books, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO gets underway as Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are briefed in the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, whose uncle suspects she may have been killed by a member of their own family. The deeper Mikael and Harriet dig for the truth, however, the greater the risk of being buried alive by members of the family who will go to great lengths to keep their secrets tightly sealed.
In Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Oscar®-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson returns to the role of the magical nanny who appears when she’s needed the most and wanted the least in the next chapter of the hilarious and heartwarming fable that has enchanted children around the world.
In the latest installment, Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that Mrs. Green’s children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in and refuse to leave.
Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant who turns up in the oddest places, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.
Season 6 finds the highly skilled NCIS team still under the able command of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), an uncompromising leader who will see justice done - even if it means bending the rules. This season, Gibbs welcomes new members to the unit, while directing the veteran agents in their dangerous investigations outside the chain of Naval and Marine command. Co-starring Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, and Rocky Carroll, this 6-disc set includes all 25 action-packed Season 6 episodes, along with high-calibre, behind-the-scenes special features.
Johnny Vegas, returns as Moz, the ultimate slacker, in a brand new series of the multi-award winning comedy drama Ideal. With his girlfriend Jenny quite literally in a coma, Moz decides to turn over a new leaf and abandon his career as a weed dealer. In fact, he’s even promising to make the ultimate sacrifice and get a proper job! Yet despite his best efforts, Moz soon finds himself dragged into a criminal underworld of shootings and human trafficking. Then, the unthinkable happens: Moz is busted by the police...
With it’s distinctive blend of comedy, menace, and romance - and even some very bizarre song and dance routines - series 5 takes viewers into riotous new territory.
Youtube Highlight: Zac Goldsmith makes an arse of himself about election expenses...
Accused of dodgy election expenses, Richmond MP Zac Goldsmith appeared on Channel 4 News to try and defend his actions,
but just ended up making an arse out of himself by talking over Jon Snow.
Donnie Darko feels the world is about to end on Blu-ray...
Released today:
I'd never seen this critically-acclaimed film before, even though it's been out for nearly ten years, has been followed-up
by an apparently lame sequel and has been released on DVD before in both regular and Director's Cut forms, both of which
are on view here. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and Drew Barrymore star in a very dark tale indeed...
Donnie Darko
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from today.
COMPETITIONS: Generation Kill and Donnie Darko on Blu-ray...
Blu-ray discs for both of these are now up for grabs in these new competitions. Please click on the packshot to enter!
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
Bubba Ho-Tep (19.99 Blu-ray, Anchor Bay)
Chasing Amy (23.99 Blu-ray, Walt Disney)
Clayhanger: The Complete Series (59.99 DVD, Network)
Clerks (23.99 Blu-ray, Walt Disney)
Doctor Who: The Dominators (19.99 DVD, BBC)
Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age Box Set (19.99 DVD, Demand DVD)
Green Zone (24.99 Blu-ray, 27.99 Blu-ray Steelbook, 19.99 DVD, Universal)
Leap Year (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Optimum)
The Storm Warriors (24.99 Blu-ray, Showbox)
Ultravox - Return To Eden - Live At The Roundhouse (13.99 DVD, EMI)
Valentine's Day (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Warner)
Youth In Revolt (24.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Momentum)
Green Zone
Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93) re-team for their latest electrifying thriller in Green Zone, a film set in the chaotic early days of the Iraqi War when no one could be trusted and every decision could detonate unforeseen consequences.
During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Damon) and his team of Army inspectors were dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert. Rocketing from one booby-trapped and treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that inverts the purpose of their mission.
Spun by operatives with intersecting agendas, Miller must hunt through covert and faulty intelligence hidden on foreign soil for answers that will either clear a rogue regime or escalate a war in an unstable region. And at this blistering time and in this combustible place, he will find the most elusive weapon of all is the truth.
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes - with optional commentary from Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon (12:04mins)
Matt Damon: Ready for Action - a look at how Matt Damon prepared for his role in Green Zone (9:22mins)
Inside the Green Zone - a behind the scenes look at the making of Green Zone’s powerful scenes (8:50mins)
The Real Miller - the real Roy Miller, Monty Gonzales, compares his real life war stories to Green Zone, distinguishing fact from fiction and reliving his old experiences vicariously through Miller’s unit (6:17mins)
Recreating Baghdad - location managers Ben Rimmer and Terry Bryther, as well as various cast members discuss how Morocco served as a perfect location to double as Baghdad (3:11mins)
Feature Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon (ON/OFF)
The Doctor is intending to take a peaceful holiday on the planet Dulkis, but the Quark robots have other ideas.
Doctor Who: The Dominators is out now on
DVD (£12.99).
Valentine's Day
From the director of Pretty Woman comes a movie about the day in the life of love. Join the hottest Hollywood stars in 2010's biggest Valentine's Day visual treat. Valentine's Day focuses on intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up and trying to survive the pressures and expectations of February 14.
A woman (Amy Adams) heads to Ireland in order to force her boyfriend (Adam Scott) to accept her wedding proposal by scheduling it on leap day, the only time when he couldn't refuse due to the country's tradition in this Spyglass Entertainment romantic comedy. SHOPGIRL's Anand Tucker directs from a script by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan. Matthew Goode co-stars as a handsome innkeeper who throws a wrench into the woman's plans.
Freddie Connor and Zoe Tapper take on the gangsters in Baseline on Blu-ray...
Released today:
Well, it's not quite as straight-forward as that, as Danny (Freddie Connor) is working for them, headed by
Jamie Foreman, but when he finds himself being inadvertently promoted from bouncer to henchman for his boss,
it can only spell a world of trouble for him, girlfriend Jessica (Zoe Tapper) and his friend Paul (Gordon Alexander).
Baseline
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD now.
Lisa O Piu brings some Swedish nu-folk to CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
tells us about a new babe on the block threatening to steal the crown of Joanna Newsom - Lisa O Pui, or Lisa Isaksson
to family and friends. This Swedish brunette has put together an album that probably owes much to English trad-folk
as it does to her native influences.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Kylie Minogue appeared on GMTV recently to promote her new album, Aphrodite, and spent a good hour on the sofa being
interviewed, presenting the weather and being sat next to Richard Arnold dressed as a smurf! Here's her entire time in
the studio.
Worried About The Boy Limited Edition DVD & CD (19.99 DVD, Universal)
WWE Wrestlemania 26 (29.99 DVD, 34.99 Blu-ray, Silver Vision)
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
This adaptation of Rick Riordan's remarkably popular fantasy book series tells the tale of accident-prone teenager Percy (Logan Lerman), who discovers that he's actually a demigod, the son of Poseidon, and he is needed when Zeus' lightning is stolen. Percy must master his newfound skills in order to prevent a war between the gods that could devastate the entire world. Veteran director Chris Columbus (HOME ALONE, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE) directs from his own script with co-writer Craig Titley. 3:10 TO YUMA's Logan Lerman toplines a godlike cast that includes Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, and Sean Bean.
This volume release contains the fourth, five and sixth episodes from the fifth series. Episodes include: 'The Time Of Angels', 'Flesh And Stone' and 'Vampires In Venice'.
ASHES TO ASHES follows on from the hugely successful BBC series LIFE ON MARS, and sees the return of the self styled 'Sheriff of Manchester' DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). Whereas LIFE ON MARS was a throwback to the crime-fighting style of the 1970's, ASHES TO ASHES takes you back to 'the decade that taste forgot', the 1980's.
The story continues, only this time around its 1983. DI Alex Drake is ultimately determined to find out the truth about Gene Hunt and the hidden secrets of the world she inhabits. The third and final series also marks the arrival of Scotland Yard’s DCI Jim Keats. Sent to watchfully observe the team’s performance, his presence leads to some unexpected revelations on past happenings. Prepare to be captivated by easily, the darkest of all three series.
Younger in tone than previous STARGATE series, this sci-fi drama follows a group of scientists, soldiers, and ordinary people who are forced to travel through a Stargate when they come under attack. Emerging on an archaic starship headed away from Earth, the group soon find that their destiny has been sealed, as the ship's course is locked. Now they must fight for survival against hunger, dehydration, the twisted secrets of the Stargate, and even each other. Features the first series of the show.
Brad Pitt leads his troop of Inglourious Basterds on Blu-ray...
A definite return to form for Quentin Tarantino following many years churning out some mediocre and duff content
and this makes for a great collaboration as three worlds collide - those of Col. Hans Landa of the SS - a so-called "Jew-hunter",
looking to wipe out all the Jews hiding in France, Lt Aldo Raine - the leader of the Inglourious Basterds, looking to
wipe out all of the Nazis, and Shosanna Dreyfus, a girl who runs a cinema in France but who has no love for the Nazis
given what they did to her family...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
states that Nell Bryden is a stylish and soulful singer with a broad range of musical influences crossing early jazz,
country, gospel and blues. Find out why you should listen to this album in this review.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Youtube Highlight: Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show now on Youtube!...
Following the tragic death of Chris Sievey, aka Frank Sidebottom, recently, I uploaded all eleven episodes across both
series of this wonderful series from little known Manchester station, Channel M, and also a long segment from his testcard
which was broadcast overnight.
One of the stars of In The Loop, I felt Tom Hollander made a stirling job of a far from challenging script in
this new sitcom, amongst a great cast including Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp and Alexander Armstrong.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Can The Doctor save the day in the finale of Doctor Who...
Well, Rory turned up again, or rather not quite. Then all of the Doctor's enemies turned up from years gone by
and threw him into the Pandorica, but how would he get out of it? Oh, what a pickle...
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Donnie Darko feels the world is about to end on Blu-ray...
Released on July 19th:
I'd never seen this critically-acclaimed film before, even though it's been out for nearly ten years, has been followed-up
by an apparently lame sequel and has been released on DVD before in both regular and Director's Cut forms, both of which
are on view here. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and Drew Barrymore star in a very dark tale indeed...
Donnie Darko
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from July 19th.
The Young Republic return with a fabulous new CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
confirms that with a penchant for dabbling in post classical music fused with indie-pop cum Americana, The Young Republic
now move onwards and upwards with the spectacular second album, Balletesque.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
Being Erica Season 1 (19.99 DVD, C4 DVD)
The Clash Story (16.99 DVD, Kornet)
Drop Dead Diva Season 1 (19.99 DVD, Sony)
Eurovision Song Contest 2010 (17.99 DVD, EMI)
Everybody's Fine (11.99 DVD, Walt Disney)
Lennon Naked (15.99 DVD, BBC)
The Lovely Bones (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Paramount)
The L Word Season 6 (34.99 DVD, 149.99 Complete DVD, Fox)
My Name is Khan (15.99 DVD, Fox)
The Old Guys Series 1 (19.99 DVD, BBC)
Raw Deal (19.99 Blu-ray, Elevation Sales)
Red Sonja (19.99 Blu-ray, Elevation Sales)
Red Heat (19.99 Blu-ray, Elevation Sales)
Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage (19.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, UMC)
Solomon Kane (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, EIV)
Tales from the Crypt (14.99 DVD, Final Cut)
Solomon Kane
James Purefoy stars as Solomon Kane, a wandering 16th century hero whose haunted past forces him to redeem himself by battling a growing evil in his homeland in this big-screen incarnation of Robert E. Howard's cloaked pulp character. DEATHWATCH'S Michael J. Bassett directs from his own script, with Max von Sydow, Pete Postlethwaite, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Alice Krige, and Mackenzie Crook co-starring.
Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is just experiencing the pangs of first love when she's viciously murdered by her neighbor Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci), a predatory wolf in J.C. Penney clothing. As her family slowly begins drifting apart while struggling to make sense of their loss, Susie bravely attempts to find her footing in the hereafter. Meanwhile, down on earth, Mr. Harvey is feeling confident that he's covered his tracks well enough to get away with the crime, and begins honing in on his next victim -- Susie's younger sister, Lindsey (Rose McIver), who's beginning to suspect that he's not the harmless suburbanite he portrays himself to be.
Director Peter Jackson reteams with King Kong and Lord of the Rings trilogy co-screenwriters Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh to adapt Alice Sebold's bestselling novel for the big screen. After the fantastical King Kong, this dark tale marks the team's first foray into drama since Heavenly Creatures in 1994.
Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage is the first ever in-depth look at the history and influence of the legendary multi-million selling rock band Rush, taking you on a unique journey documenting their illustrious career and evolution from conception to present. From the makers of Iron Maiden’s Flight 666, the film combines brand new candid band member interviews and performance footage with material from the massive Rush audio-visual archive, alongside interviews with some of the world’s biggest rock stars who have been influenced and inspired by the band’s musi--including members of Metallica, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, KISS, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails, actor and rocker Jack Black and many more.
On the sixth and final season of The L Word, careers evolve, relationships are tested and friendships end in murder. It begins with Jenny found dead and as a result, everyone’s lives are turned upside down leaving all the friends despondent but also suspects – who did it and how did it happen? Flashbacks of the months leading up to the murder will be the only way to put the pieces together to learn why.
So, after a hop, skip and a jump around time and space, the Doctor and Amy find themselves at Stonehenge alongside
River Song, but should I really tell you what was inside the Pandorica? **shush** Spoilers!!
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Frank Sidebottom: An obituary for Chris Sievey, 1956-2010...
Yesterday I was very saddened to hear of the death of Chris Sievey, aka Frank Sidebottom. He was one of a kind and someone
who has entertained me for over 25 years.
Francis Costello is out for revenge in Vengeance on Blu-ray...
Released today:
His daughter's in hospital and her husband has just been put in the morgue, and Francis Costello wants revenge on the
hitmen that did it. But who would be best at tracking them down and sorting them out? The latest Johnnie To film is out
today on Blu-ray and DVD.
Vengeance
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from today.
The Gilded Palace Of Sin make a great start on CD...
But, as
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
confirms, the rest is not so hot with some tracks that get a little one-dimensional as the album progresses.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Youtube Highlight: Karen Gillan interviewed on GMTV about Doctor Who...
Okay, this was on a few weeks ago when she was barely known, but as the new series draws to a close enjoy this interview
ahead of this Saturday's finale.
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
Anesthetize (17.99 Blu-ray & DVD, Kscope)
Beverly Hills 90210 Season 9 (34.99 DVD, Paramount)
Bruce Springsteen & The E St's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park (17.99 Blu-ray, 16.99 DVD, Columbia)
Dynasty Season 5 (34.99 DVD, Paramount)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Live At Montreux 1997 (21.99 Blu-ray, Eagle)
Extraordinary Measures (19.99 DVD, Sony)
Luther (24.99 DVD, BBC)
Kingdom Series 3 (19.99 DVD, Acorn)
The Last Station (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Optimum)
Melrose Place Season 5 (34.99 DVD, Paramount)
Micmacs (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, E1)
Numb3rs Series 5 (24.99 DVD, Paramount)
The Princess and the Frog (23.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Walt Disney)
Samson and Delilah (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Trinity)
Stephen Hawking's Universe (24.99 DVD, Demand)
The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Post-Pregnancy Workout (19.99 DVD, ITV)
Bruce Springsteen & The E St's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's London Calling: Live In Hyde Park concert film is of the Boss and his band's performance at London's Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009 in HD. The 172-minute film documents 27 tracks of live Springsteen that begin in daylight and progress through a gorgeous sunset into night. The set list spans from the Born To Run era to Working On a Dream and includes rare covers such as The Clash's "London Calling", Jimmy Cliff's "Trapped", The Young Rascals' "Good Lovin'", and Eddie Floyd's "Raise Your Hand". Springsteen also performs fan favorite "Hard Times (Come Again No More)", written by Stephen Foster in 1854. Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem joins the band as a guest vocalist on Springsteen's own "No Surrender". Bonus material includes footage of "The River" from Glastonbury, June 27; and the full music video for "Wrecking Ball", filmed at New Jersey's Giants Stadium.
Starring Idris Elba (THE WIRE) LUTHER is a deeply thrilling crime series, crackling with energy, distinctive characters and snappy, clever dialogue. On a moral crusade, too often with only his convictions for company, John Luther is a deeply troubled man, a philosophical cop possessed by the insoluble problem of evil and justice in a Godless world. Confronting depravity in its many terrible forms, over a succession of psychological duels between hunter and hunted, perpetrator and prey, Luther reveals his capacity for violence as well as kindness; his sudden vulnerability and dizzying, visionary mind; why his wife left him for another man, and why his colleagues are frequently left open-mouthed in awe. As the stakes get ever higher and more personal, Luther's lonely path pulls him towards the very edge of temptation. Will the relentless pursuit of light tip him into the ultimate darkness?
After the visual bombast of many contemporary CGI and motion-capture features, the drawn characters in The Princess and the Frog, Walt Disney Studio's eagerly awaited return to traditional animation, feel doubly welcome. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), The Princess and the Frog moves the classic fairy tale to a snazzy version of 1920s New Orleans. Tiana (voice by Anika Noni Rose), the first African-American Disney heroine, is not a princess, but a young woman who hopes to fulfill her father's dream of opening a restaurant to serve food that will bring together people from all walks of life. Tiana may wish upon a star, but she believes that hard work is the way to fulfill your aspirations. Her dedication clashes with the cheerful idleness of the visiting prince Naveen (Bruno Campos).
A voodoo spell cast by Dr. Facilier (Keith David) in a showstopping number by composer Randy Newman initiates the events that will bring the mismatched hero and heroine together. However, the animation of three supporting characters--Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a jazz-playing alligator; Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly; and 197-year-old voodoo priestess Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis)--is so outstanding, it nearly steals the film. Alternately funny, touching, and dramatic, The Princess and the Frog is an all-too-rare example of a movie a family can enjoy together, with the most and least sophisticated members appreciating different elements. The film is also a welcome sign that the beleaguered Disney Feature Animation Studio has turned away from such disasters as Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons and is once again moving in the right direction. --Charles Solomon
Samson and Delilahs world is small--an isolated community in the Central Australian desert. When tragedy strikes they turn their backs on home and embark on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted and alone they discover that life isn t always fair, but love never judges. A winner of numerous international awards, Samson and Delilah marks the emergence of a major new talent in writer/ director Warwick Thornton. Offering a rare insight into the issues confronting the youth of a lost generation of Aborigines, it has already been hailed by critics as the one of the greatest films ever to come out of Australia.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Killers, Our Family Wedding, Wild Target and MacGruber.
The Doctor becomes James Corden's lodger in Doctor Who...
A rather ho-hum episode of Doctor Who for me, here, as James Corden appears as the man with a room to let in his flat,
but there's strange things afoot upstairs, and that's why The Doctor has stepped in to take it and sort it out, but
why are people going up the stairs and then disappearing? Daisy Haggard co-stars in this episode, from the writer of
The Shakespeare Code and The Unicorn & The Wasp, two episodes I didn't rate much either, so that didn't bode
well for this one for me.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
Doctor Who: The Lodger
is online and the next episode is on BBC1 on Saturday at 6.40pm.
Yes, it's not a new release, in fact this Blu-ray title came out in 2007, but I got it relatively recently and this is
one of my all-time favourite films for so many reasons as everything came together just perfectly as a group of medical
students go to see what might lie beyond life after death...
Flatliners
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD now.
Mercedes Cano sings Spanish Folklore Live...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
recently went to see this Spanish wonder live in Lorca, Murcia, and recounts the gig here.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
American Dad Season 5 (27.99 DVD, Warner)
Crazy Heart (28.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Fox)
The Dam Busters: Special Edition (19.99 Blu-ray, Optimum)
Doctor Who: Kamelion Collection (29.99 DVD, BBC)
Edge Of Darkness (19.99 Blu-ray & DVD, Icon)
Invictus (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Warner)
Not The Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) (22.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Universal)
The Office: An American Workplace Season 4 (29.99 DVD, Universal)
The Rolling Stones: Stones In Exile (15.99 DVD, Eagle Vision)
War of The Worlds (2005) (19.99 Blu-ray, Paramount)
Edge Of Darkness
CASINO ROYALE'S Martin Campbell returns to familiar territory with this adaptation of his own 1985 BBC miniseries -- a mystery starring Mel Gibson as a detective looking into his political-activist daughter's death and uncovering layers of governmental conspiracies in the process. William Monahan (THE DEPARTED) provides the screenplay for the GK Films production, co-starring Ray Winstone and Danny Huston.
In the spring of 1971 the Rolling Stones departed the UK to take up residence in France as tax exiles. Keith Richards settled at a villa called Nellcôte in Villefranche-sur-Mer and this became the venue for the recording of much of the band’s masterpiece 'Exile On Main Street'. 'Stones In Exile' tells the story in the band's own words and through extensive archive footage of their time away from England and the creation of this extraordinary double album, which many regard as the Rolling Stones’ finest achievement.
The Rolling Stones: Stones In Exile is out now on
DVD (£8.99).
Invictus
Based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation, Invictus tells the incredible story of Nelson Mandela’s rise to power during the 1995 Rugby World Cup which took place in South Africa. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film stars Morgan Freeman as President Mandela, and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the South African rugby team captain.
Special Features:
Matt Damon Plays Rugby: Turning a Hollywood star into a rugby player
Invictus music trailer
Vision Courage and Honour - Clint Eastwood and the Power of a True Story (Picture in Picture): Clint Eastwood explains in-depth what attracted him to this story and how he fought to bring it to life on film.
Mandela Meets Morgan: Get to know Nelson Mandela as Morgan Freeman meets with him to prepare for the film
The Eastwood Factor : A Clint Eastwood documentary
Two episodes of the classic sci-fi series featuring the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, and the shape-changing android Kamelion. In 'The King's Demons', the renegade Time Lord forces Kamelion (Gerald Flood) to pose as King John in 13th century England. 'Planet of Fire' sees the Doctor (Davison) and Turlough (Mark Strickson) arriving in Lanzarote on Earth to investigate the transmission of an unusual signal that turns out to be emanating from a mysterious alien artefact.
Doctor Who: Kamelion Collection is out now on
DVD (£17.91).
Revealing Amanda Byram's lady lounge and Phil Spencer's whopper: DomSezXL's Arsewipe Episode 16...
If my updates look a little on the less-frequent side it's because I've spent some time doing something different,
such as these videos with clips of TV shows in a mash-up form, often in a 2-minute chunk.
It's not quite safe-for-work as there's some swearing in them, and this one guest stars: Matthew Wright, Amanda Byram, Richard Branson, Deidre McMurray, Shami Chakrabati, Jon Snow, George Jones, Kathy Lette, Phil Spencer, Kirstie Allsopp, Michael Rosen, Tim Lovejoy, Seema Parmar, Sheila Hancock, Graeme Dott, Gary Gibbon, Martin Roberts, Jon Snow, Sian Williams, Julie Andrews, Idris Elba, Simon Rimmer, Cherry Malone.
Check it out now by clicking on the picture of Amanda Byram.
New films at this cinema this weekend...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Four Lions, Letter to Juliet, Brooklyn's Finest and Black Death.
The Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh in Doctor Who...
In 1890, a reclusive little-known painter is struggling to make ends meet, so can The Doctor and Amy make things better
for him? Tony Curran and Bill Nighy co-star in this episode from Richard Curtis.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
One of 2010’s most exciting musicians, Kirsty Almeida has developed an extraordinary opportunity with Talenthouse, (www.talenthouse.com to select a talented musician to join her on stage at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday 27th June 2010. The Glastonbury festival is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious music festivals and the chosen musician will perform the song "If You Can't Make Me Happy" with Kirsty and her band.
All you have to do is submit a video of yourself playing your instrument to Kirsty's song, available for download once you click participate. You are more than welcome to submit a video of a previously recorded performance, if you prefer. Unique instruments are encouraged but all instruments are welcome.
Flights and accommodation will be provided for the selected musician as well as an opportunity to rehearse with Kirsty prior to the event. In addition, the top 20 voted artists will have an opportunity to receive a portion of $2,000 (USD)
*Opportunity to perform on stage at Glastonbury Festival with one of 2010's most talked about musicians*
Decca’s hottest young signing, Kirsty Almeida and Talenthouse, who are running an amazing competition to perform live on stage with Kirsty Almeida at GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL!
The competition link is Talenthouse website. It’s such an amazing opportunity for all those aspiring musicians out there...and would act as a huge launch pad for their careers. Aside from that, it’s offering flights (where necessary) and accommodation as well as an opportunity to rehearse with Kirsty prior to the event. More details can be found by
visiting
Talenthouse.com.
I've got a bit fed up with the charts over the last few years as there hasn't been a great deal to shout about. I may
end up dropping it altogether, but until then I'll just summarise things with a few words about the new entries and
anything else of interest.
The No.1 slot was taken up by another David Guetta collaboration, this time with Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas on a
track called Gettin' Over You. It sounds pretty much like you'd expect from a mix between those two and fairly
tedious.
Of the other new entries, the only one of note is Lena's Satellite, at No.30, which has been No.1 in Germany and
won the Eurovision song contest for them this year. It's a catchy track but has she really got a long-term career over
here? Unlikely if Kate Nash can't manage it, as they're very similar with their tone.
Click here to see the video.
In the album charts, Jack Johnson makes No.1 with his new album, To The Sea, with other notable new entries
including The Divine Comedy's Bang Goes The Knighthood (No.20), Teenage Fanclub's Shadows (No.30),
Carole King & James Taylor's Live At The Troubadour (No.33) and Ke$ha's Animal (No.37).
The new release dates for singles and albums can be found
HERE
and they go up to early August 2010.
Jack seeks the truth one last time as the 8th Season concludes...
The peace treaty is about to be signed but Jack's going to the very top to find out exactly what's going on with the
Russian government and how it connects to the President. With a shoot-to-kill policy in force, how is Jack going to
get the answers he wants AND stay alive?
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
The toughest Exam for the ultimate job on Blu-ray...
Released today:
8 candidates have to sit an exam for 80 minutes to win the ultimate job, but what is the job? And what is the question?
There's only one question, but can they work out the answer? It's a difficult premise to explain without giving anything
away but it's one of the best films of the year you will watch.
Exam
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from today.
From punk rock to country folk-rock: Exene Cervenka on CD...
This album marks the change from one genre to another as
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
confirms that 54 year-old Exene Cervenka breaks free to show her ‘other side’ with a delicious solo album and states
that she should do it more often.
Will Smith & Martin Lawrence make their Blu-ray debut in Bad Boys...
Released today:
It's a film I've had in various formats before now but never got round to watching, and then along came the Blu-ray
version so it was time for a viewing. It has a threadbare plot, but does it have all the action and comedy I was expecting
from this movie?
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
Bad Boys (17.99 Blu-ray, Sony)
Brothers (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Lions Gate)
Chris Ryan's Strike Back (24.99 DVD, 2 Entertain)
Clint Eastwood: The Spaghetti Western Trilogy (44.99 Blu-ray, Fox)
CSI Miami Season 7 (49.99 DVD, Momentum)
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7 (24.99 DVD, Warner)
Doctor Who Series 5 Volume 1 (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, BBC)
Exam (22.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Sony)
Home (14.99 Blu-ray, 12.99 DVD, Universal)
Ponyo (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Optimum)
A Prophet (22.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Optimum)
Psych Season 2 (29.99 DVD, Universal)
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (17.99 DVD, 2 Entertain)
A Single Man (19.99 DVD, 19.99 Blu-ray, Icon)
The Wolfman (27.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Universal)
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7
Seinfeld producer/creator Larry David has often claimed that the character of George Costanza, the abrasive, neurotic, spectacularly luckless Seinfeld supporting player so brilliantly played by Jason Alexander, was based on David himself. Small wonder, then, that most of the plotlines of the self-deprecating, reality-based sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm have a distinctly Costanzan flavour -- with Larry David, in the role of former stand-up comic-turned-TV executive Larry David, a dictionary definition of the phrase "his own worst enemy." A spinoff of the 1999 HBO "mockumentary" special of the same name, each 30-minute episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm is filmed in cinema verite fashion, with much of dialogue ad-libbed (though the premise of each episode has been carefully worked out in advance).
Watch hapless millionaire, Larry David in the hit U.S. comedy CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. As usual, Larry is joined by his faithful, beleaguered wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), and his manager, Jeff (Jeff Garlin), while regular guests such as Ted Danson, Wanda Sykes, and Richard Lewis are on hand to add to the mayhem. This release contains every episode from Series 1 to 7.
Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolf Man brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar winner Benicio del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.
Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he elft the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancee, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate.
As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself... one he never imagined existed.
This extended cut of The Wolfman includes 16 minutes of additional footage not shown in cinemas.
Volume 1 of the highly anticipated brand new series, contains the first 3 episodes, including the hour long premiere episode, and promises more adventures and travels through time, with the 11th Doctor and his new companion…
Contains the following episodes:
1. The Eleventh Hour
2. The Beast Below
3. Victory of the Daleks
Special Feature: The Monster Diaries - Produced by the team behind BBC3's hugely popular Doctor Who Confidential series, the Monster Files will get under the skin and inside the minds of the latest Doctor's most challenging opponents. With previously unseen footage and exclusive comments from cast and crew, the Monster Files take fans old and new even further behind enemy lines.
Jack catches up with Charles Logan as the 8th Season continues...
And he wants answers aplenty from the man about just what's been going on between the government and the Russians and
just how much President Taylor knows about it all...
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Well, of course they can, but it won't be easy as the humans try to broker an agreement with the Silurians in order to
live together on Earth, as there's always one rotten apple to spoil it all...
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
Doctor Who: cold Blood
is online and the next episode is on BBC1 on Saturday at 6.40pm.
New films at this cinema this weekend...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Death at a Funeral, 4321, She's Out of My League and Rec 2.
Will Smith & Martin Lawrence make their Blu-ray debut in Bad Boys...
Released next Monday:
It's a film I've had in various formats before now but never got round to watching, and then along came the Blu-ray
version so it was time for a viewing. It has a threadbare plot, but does it have all the action and comedy I was expecting
from this movie?
Bad Boys
is online and out on Blu-ray from next Monday.
Eddie C. Campbell gets a revival on CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
declared that, at the age of 70, Eddie C. Campbell may have thought his recording career was shot, but now he gets
another chance to impress us all over again. Delmark Records have come to the rescue with an outstanding album.
She's been away from the news channel for about a month, never turning up in any of the primetime slots, but now she's
back! And there's also her appearance from the latest Weather Show where she answers more questions from viewers.
CHARTS: BOB vs Dizzee Rascal - Who got the new No.1...?
One Night In Turin (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Kaleidoscope)
The Sky Crawlers (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Manga)
Winter In Wartime (24.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Kaleidoscope)
Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton was born to bring Alice in Wonderland to the big screen. Ironically, his version of the Victorian text plays more like The Wizard of Oz than a Lewis Carroll adaptation. On the day of her engagement party, the 19-year-old Alice (a nicely understated Mia Wasikowska) is lead by a white-gloved rabbit to an alternate reality that looks strangely familiar--she's been dreaming about it since she was 6 years old. Stranded in a hall of doors, she sips from a potion that makes her shrink and nibbles on a cake that makes her grow. Once she gets the balance right, she walks through the door that leads her to Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Matt Lucas), the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), and the Cheshire Cat (a delightful Stephen Fry), who inform her that only she can free them from the wrath of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter channeling Bette Davis) by slaying the Jabberwocky.
To pull off the feat, she teams up with the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp in glam-rock garb), rebel bloodhound Bayard (Timothy Spall), and Red's sweet sister, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway in goth-rock makeup). While Red welcomes Alice with open arms, she plans an execution for the hat-maker when he displeases her ("Off with his head!"). Drawing from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, Burton creates a candy-colored action-adventure tale with a feminist twist. If it drags towards the end, his 3-D extravaganza still offers a trippy good time with a poignant aftertaste
In a post-apocalyptic America where the once-picturesque countryside has become a desolate and violent wasteland, one man (Denzel Washington) fights to protect that sacred tome that could hold the key to the survival of the human race in this futuristic thriller from filmmaking duo Albert and Allen Hughes (FROM HELL and MENACE II SOCIETY). Gary Oldman (LEON), Mila Kunis (FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL), and Ray Stevenson (TV's ROME) co-star.
Fresh from the success of their inventive take on the zombie genre, UNDEAD masterminds Michael and Peter Spierig direct Ethan Hawke in an ambitious tale of a futuristic Earth populated entirely by vampires, and the efforts made by the creatures to ensure that their food supply doesn't run out as humankind is faced with extinction.
The year is 2017, and a vampire plague has turned most of the planet's human population into bloodsucking ghouls. As the population of mortals fast begins to dwindle, a resourceful team of vampires sets out to capture and farm every remaining human while simultaneously researching a consumable blood substitute. Just when all hope seems lost, a secret is discovered that may provide the key to saving the human race.
A thrilling tale of a true hero, Astro Boy is an all new, feature film full of action, adventure, humour and heart and brought to life on the big screen in breathtaking CGI animation.
Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive ‘blue’ energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, X-Ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colourful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.
The Doctor is back in Wales for the first of a two-part story in Doctor Who...
But it's not really one of the best episodes around as it's mostly set-up for the second part. I hope it can come
together, but the Siluarians don't look at all scary.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Sex & The City 2, The Losers, Space Chimps 2, Bad Lieutenant and Tooth Fairy.
Sherlock Holmes reinvented for the 21st Century on Blu-ray and DVD...
Out now :
It's a tale that's been told many times before, but in this version Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law take on the roles of
Holmes and Watson, respectively, doing battle with the evil Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) and wooing the charms of
Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), but in the hands of Guy Ritchie, will it soon all start going wrong?
No shit, Sherlock? No, it's a... yes, you're ahead of me.
Following, sort-of, the Sherlock Holmes theme,
critically acclaimed French-American folk roots five-pack Moriarty have gradually been building a cult following in the UK supporting Son Of Dave, Jane Birkin and The Do, tells
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts,
and it comes highly recommended.
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
Anesthetize (13.99 DVD, KSCOPE)
Did You Hear About The Morgans? (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Sony)
Grateful Dead At the Hollywood festival North west England 1970 DVD + CD (22.99, Ozit)
Heartless (21.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Lions Gate)
People Like Us Series 2 (19.99 DVD, BBC)
Precious (19.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Icon)
Prisoner Cell Block H Vol.4 (34.99 DVD, Fremantle)
Sharman: The Complete Series (24.99 DVD, Network)
Something Special: Out and About (12.99 DVD, BBC)
St. Trinians 2: The Legend Of Fritton's Gold (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, EIV)
Up In The Air (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Paramount)
Waterloo Road Series 3 (49.99 DVD, Acorn)
Wizards (17.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Eureka)
St. Trinians 2: The Legend Of Fritton's Gold
ST. TRINIANS 2: THE LEGEND OF FRITTON'S GOLD sees the girls return for a new term at the eponymous academy, with all the usual hi-jinks and mayhem with which that entails. This being a school where anything seems to happen and usually does, on a regular basis, the students soon find themselves thrown into an action-packed treasure hunt that will see them fighting off fierce competition for the coveted Fritton's Gold from establishment rivals and the mischievous Pomfrey (David Tennant – TV's DOCTOR WHO) and his assortment of woman-hating sidekicks.
Up in the Air transforms some painful subjects into smart, sly comedy--with just enough of the pain underneath to give it some weight. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) spends most of his days traveling around the country and firing people; he's hired by bosses who don't have the nerve to do their layoffs themselves. His life of constant flight suits him--he wants no attachments. But two things suddenly threaten his vacuum-sealed world: his company decides to do layoffs via video conference so they don't have to pay for travel, and Bingham meets a woman named Alex (Vera Farmiga, The Departed), who seems to be the female version of him… and of course, he starts to fall in love.
Writer-director Jason Reitman is building a career from funny but thoughtful movies about compromised people--a pregnant teen in Juno, a cigarette-company executive in Thank You for Smoking. George Clooney has a gift for playing smart men who aren't quite as smart as they think they are (Michael Clayton, Out of Sight). The combination is perfect: Bingham is charming and sympathetic but clearly missing something, and Up in the Air captures that absence with clarity and compassion. The outstanding supporting cast includes Anna Kendrick (Rocket Science), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Danny McBride (Pineapple Express), Melanie Lynskey (Away We Go), and others, each small part pitched exactly right.
Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker play an estranged husband and wife, both die-hard New Yorkers; while trying to patch things up, they witness a murder and have to go into witness protection in backwater Wyoming. Encounters with bears, bingo, and rodeo clowns ensue. The fish-out-of-water formula is not particularly inspired, but Grant and Parker are well matched; they're both pros who establish an immediate rapport and comfort with each other, making them persuasive as a married couple who haven't fallen out of love.
On top of that, the supporting cast is top-notch: Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) as Parker's snippy assistant, Sam Elliott (Thank You for Smoking) as the Wyoming marshal assigned to protect the neurotic couple, and Mary Steenburgen (Melvin and Howard) as the marshal's tough-as-nails wife are only the most recognizable of the solid ensemble playing the quirky characters surrounding the feuding romantic leads. Writer-director Marc Lawrence previously directed Grant to stronger effect in Music & Lyrics and, in particular, Two Weeks Notice, in which Grant and Sandra Bullock proved surprisingly sparky.
MONSTER'S BALL producer Lee Daniels follows up his 2005 directorial debut, SHADOWBOXER, with this adaptation of author Sapphire's best-selling novel about an overweight, illiterate African-American teen from Harlem who discovers an alternate path in life after she begins attending a new school. Clareece 'Precious' Jones is only a teenager, yet she's about to give birth to her second child. Unable to read or write, Clareece shows little prospect for the future until discovering that she has been accepted into an alternative school.
There, with a little help from a sympathetic teacher (Paula Patton) and a kindly nurse (Lenny Kravitiz), the young girl receives something that most teens never get -- a chance to start over. Mo'nique co-stars in an inspirational drama featuring the debut performance of screen newcomer Gabourey Sidibe.
Jack goes after Dana as 24's 8th Season continues...
In these two latest episodes, while I thought the first one was very much padding and scene-setting, everything came
together much better in the next one, as events with Jack and Dana came to a head as she claimed to have important
information he wanted and he'd do anything to get it, chasing her across town.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Who will decide The Doctor's fate? It's Amy's Choice...
And that was the latest episode, as shown on Saturday, but it wasn't one I thought a great deal of as it just didn't
work for me and I can't stand Rory. However, I did prefer the previous episode, The Vampires of Venice and both
reviews are featured here.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Minority Report (22.99 Blu-ray, 28.99 Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook with Artcards, Fox)
Ninja Assassin (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Warner)
The Road (19.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Icon)
Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, EIV)
Shameless Series 7 (34.99 DVD, 99.99 Complete DVD, 4DVD)
Sherlock Holmes (26.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, Warner)
True Blood Season 2 (49.99 Blu-ray, 39.99 DVD, 79.99 Season 1 & 2 Blu-ray, Warner)
Valhalla Rising (17.99 Blu-ray, Momentum)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
On a quest to solve a string of mysterious and brutal murders, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his trusted ally Watson (Jude Law) plunge into a world of dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic, and a good right hook, are the best crime fighting weapons. Explosive action, baffling mystery and astonishing intrigue follow the two in a race to uncover and foil a terrifying plot that threatens to destroy the country. Director Guy Ritchie helms the all-action adventure reintroducing the great detective to the world. Robert Downey Jr. is the new Sherlock Holmes.
The biggest TV phenomenon of last year is back with a bite.
Welcome back to Bon Temps, home to mystery, Southern sensuality and dark secrets. For Sookie Stackhouse, life is more dangerous than ever after she and Bill become more deeply involved. Meanwhile, Tara finds herself under a lover’s spell. Sam puts his trust in an unlikely ally. Jason becomes involved with an anti-vampire sect. Eric becomes interested in Sookie after he recruits her to investigate the disappearance of his 2,000-year-old maker. And Maryann is revealed to possess a power that can control almost everyone in town. Then, after making a shocking discovery, Sookie, Bill and Sam must form the last line of defense against a diabolical plan that raises this award-winning series to bloody new heights.
Clothes fall to the floor almost as often as blood spatters the walls in this show that blends supernatural horror, sex, and mystery, with just a little bit of social commentary thrown in for good measure.
After the Oscar-winning success of the adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, another of the author's works arrives on screen. Viggo Mortensen stars in THE ROAD, a thriller that is set in a bare, post-apocalyptic America, where a father and son struggle to survive. Director John Hillcoat previously teamed with star Guy Pearce on the critically acclaimed Western THE PROPOSITION.
Frank Gallagher finds a new love this series with the arrival of local Librarian Libby. Libby’s passion for romantic literature wakes in Frank something that has been dormant for so long…. and then he meets her mum Patty who might just put a spanner in the works.
Eight months on from the tragic loss of Mandy, the Maguire family are preparing to welcome a new addition to the clan, a baby son for Karen and Jamie Maguire. And baby Connor’s arrival doesn’t mean Joe Pritchard will loosen his hold on Karen, who soon discovers that motherhood brings on some unwanted Jackson family traits. The Jockey’s got a new landlady – Mimi Maguire so Patrick has to come to terms with their separate living arrangements. While Kelly takes her new godparent duties to the extreme, boyfriend Shane Maguire gets involved with wedding scams – and then thinks about a wedding of his own.
Micky Maguire and Ian Gallagher now share a bungalow together, as the perfect odd couple. While over at the Gallagher’s, Liam hits senior school and develops his first crush. Carl and girlfriend Maxine get adventurous in the bedroom. Welcome back to the inimitable world of Shameless.
A 40-year-old classic: The Railway Children on Blu-ray and DVD...
Out now :
Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, Jenny Agutter and Sally Thomsett starred in what was thought at the time to be just
another children's film, but it ended up being a timeless classic as the family Waterbury were beset by tragedy and
forced to downside and move to Yorkshire, but how did things turn out for them?
This new version also sees the restored print released on Blu-ray for the first time.
Richard Walters is an artist who deserves wider attention on CD...
So says
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts,
who tells us this artist wrote The Animal over a three year period, sparked by falling in love with an American girl and
moving to Paris, which he described as “the catalyst”.
Find out why his music's a draw in this review.
Ian Curtis/Joy Division and Martin Hannett Exhibition at Fac251 Manchester...
Thanks to DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts for the info on this exhibition.
The Factory, 112–118 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7EN
Sunday 16th May to Wednesday 19th May 12 Noon to 6pm Daily
FREE ADMISSION
An exhibition showcasing Joy Divison memorabilia collated by Peter Hook and Chris Hewitt . Over the years as much musical and recording equipment and instruments associated with Joy Divison have been collated by Chris and Hooky and as an avid collector, Hooky will also be showing many paper artefacts and other related objects to Joy Division publicly for the first time.
The Ian Curtis/Joy Division exhibition at The Factory’s top floor boardroom will contain at least six display cases full of Peter Hook’s collection of Joy Division artefacts. There will be a scene of the Joy Division rehearsal room wih instruments and amplification that the band used on gigs and in rehearsals whilst the Joy Division recording session scene will recreate an Ian Curtis vocal take including the actual studio screens he recorded his vocals behind as well as a collection of producer Martin Hannett’s original equipment including the microphone configuration that Martin Hannett used, Martin Hannett’s legendary collection of outboard delay equipment that defined the Joy Division Sound, Hannett’s own tape recorder and several of his early echo units.
This will be a unique insight into the artefacts, instruments, amplification and recording equipment of one of Manchester’s seminal bands.
Thanks to Salford Museum and Rochdale Arts and Heritage service for loan of display cases.
Note that if you don't see much in the way of updates next week, it's because we're taking a week off. It'll be our
first holiday since Xmas so it's about time :)
New films at this cinema this weekend...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Hot Tub Time Machine, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), The Back Up Plan and Furry Vengeance.
Jack wants answers in avenging Renee's death as the 8th Season continues...
It's a more dialogue-heavy episode but that still makes for an exciting episode as Kiefer gets to chew scenery with
Jürgen Prochnow, and Gregory Itzin kicks major ass in all his scenes.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
24 Season 8: Episode 18
is online and the next episode is on Sky 1 on Sunday at 9pm.
Can The Doctor defeat the Angels in Doctor Who...
As one of the best ever enemies, The Weeping Angels, come together with the return of River Song just enjoy
how it all ties together with a wonderful plot that mixes in with this season's story arc.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
John Lennon starts a band in Nowhere Boy on Blu-ray and DVD...
Released next Monday :
Back in the mid-to-late fifties, a young lad called John Lennon had a dream about starting a rock-n-roll band with
some mates and called themselves The Quarrymen. Before too long they became The Beatles and legends were born... but
behind all that was some turbulent emotions in many a twisting tale in his family...
Nowhere Boy
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD from next Monday.
Electro Retro from Paul Haig on CD...
Paul Haig is a man who's solo career has never quite taken off, but
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
reckons that he’s moved towards a popier niche sounding like compatriot Billy Idol with retro sounding punk elements
which pack a really punch.
Youtube highlight: John Higgins accused of match-fixing...
As the final was about to begin, the news broke that John Higgins had been accused of throwing matches for huge sums
of money, and yesterday afternoon, Snooker chairman Barry Hearns talked on BBC2 about the potential consequences.
CHARTS: Diana Vickers vs Roll Deep - Who got the new No.1...?
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (19.99 DVD, Sony)
City Of War: The Story Of John Rabe (19.99 Blu-ray, Metrodome)
Cuffy: The Complete Series (14.99 DVD, Network)
Doctor Who: Creature from the Pit (19.99 DVD, BBC)
Little House on the Prairie Season 6 (29.99 DVD, Universal)
Michael Bolton Live At The Royal Albert Hall (21.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Eagle Vision)
Morecambe And Wise Series 7 (19.99 DVD, BBC)
One Night Only: Barbra Streisand & Quartet (17.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Columbia)
The Prisoner (2010) (29.99 Blu-ray, 24.99 DVD, ITV)
The Railway Children (19.99 Blu-ray, Optimum)
Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, BBC)
Waking the Dead Series 7 (24.99 DVD, BBC)
WWE Royal Rumble 2010 (19.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Silver Vision)
The Prisoner (2010)
Internationally acclaimed actors Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings) and Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ) star in the reinvention of the 1960's classic cult thriller. The six thrilling episodes tell the story of a man who finds himself trapped in a mysterious and surreal place known as The Village, with no memory of how he arrived there. As he frantically explores his environment, he discovers that its inhabitants are identified by number instead of by name and have no memory of a prior existence or outside civilization. Not knowing who to trust, Number Six is driven by the desperate need to discover the truth behind The Village and, more importantly, how he can survive and escape to his previous life.
The Village is controlled by one man: the sinister and charismatic Number Two (Ian McKellen). In each new episode, Six (Jim Caviezel) and Two are locked in a battle of wits, as Six challenges the oppressive nature of The Village and battles against his captors.
McKellen and Caviezel are joined by an all-star supporting cast including Hayley Atwell (Brideshead Revisited), Jamie Campbell-Bower (New Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre, Small Island), Lennie James (Outlaw) and Rachael Blake (Clapham Junction).
In the 1960s, The Prisoner helped permanently alter the scope of the fantasy genre. Through the work of Patrick McGoohan, who created, produced, wrote and directed the series, and starred in the lead role of Number Six , The Prisoner is widely viewed as one of the most well regarded and intriguing cult TV series ever created. While the original series, which debuted in 1967, was a riff on Cold War politics, the Prisoner in 2010 reflects 21st century concerns and anxieties, such as liberty, security and surveillance, yet also showcase the same key elements of paranoia, tense action and socio-political commentary seen in McGoohan’s enigmatic original.
Making a forced materialisation on Chloris, the Doctor, Romana and K9 become embroiled in the political machinations of its ruler, the Lady Adrasta. The lush vegetation of the planet's surface hides a ragtag group of bandits, a giant eggshell, man-eating Wolfweeds and, within the depths of an old mining pit, something very large has a terrible secret which threatens the destruction of Chloris itself...
Special Features:
Commentary by Lalla Ward (Romana), Myra Frances (Lady Adrasta), Director Christopher Barry and Visual Effects Designer Mat Irvine
Christopher Barry: Director Veteran Doctor Who director Christopher Barry, on location in the Wiltshire village of Aldbourne, talks about his career
Team Erato The BBC Visual Effects crew talk about the problems they faced building and operating Erato, with Mat Irvine, Steve Bowman, Steve Lucas and Morag McLean
Animal Magic The Fourth Doctor tells viewers about the creatures he has met on his travels
Radio Times Billings (PDF DVD-ROM – PC/Mac)
Production Information Subtitles
Photo Gallery
Extended Scene
Coming Soon Trailer
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
Doctor Who: Creature from the Pit is out now on
DVD (£12.91).
Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds
Using state-of-the-art imaging technologies, Richard discovers that t's as much the things we cannot see as those we can that shape our lives. From spectacular natural phenomena such as vast, superfast lightning clusters, to one of the wonders of the living world and our own technological achievements such as the awe inspiring aerial work
conducted on high-voltage power lines, Richard explores the hidden secrets of three distinct invisible realms that lie beyond the limits of
human vision, helping us to unravel some of the mysteries of our world.
One Night Only was the once-in-a-lifetime event at the historic Village Vanguard to an audience of 100 of her luckiest fans from around the world. The free concert was attended by notables including former President Bill Clinton, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker among others. Barbra performed tracks from UK Love Is The Answer along with classics, including “The Way We Were” and “Evergreen” at one of the most renowned, intimate venues in the world.
Introductions / Here’s To Life / In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning / Gentle Rain / Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most / If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas) / Where Do You Start? / Nobody’s Heart (Belongs To Me) / Make Someone Happy / My Funny Valentine / Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered / Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born) / Some Other Time / The Way We Were
Can Jack & Renee take some time out as the 8th Season continues...
The President needs to rescue the peace deal by getting Dalia to take the reins of the IRK and for Charles Logan to
get involved, but how can he help? And what lies in store for Jack and Renee?
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
24 Season 8: Episode 17
is online and the next episode is on Sky 1 on Sunday at 9pm.
The Angels return in Doctor Who...
2007's Angels from Blink come together with the return of River Song from 2008's Silence in the Library
for the first part of a potential classic of a double-bill, so how did this fare?
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Iron Man 2 and The Last Song.
Sam Rockwell has spent a lot of time on the Moon, on Blu-ray...
Out now :
Sam Bell has been on the Sarang moonbase for three years, his contract is up and he's due to return back to Earth
after having served his country keeping track of the Helium 3 production which is providing back home with an alternate
energy source, but something goes wrong, and what you will see will be the last thing you expect. A wonderful directorial
debut from David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
takes a listen to a new 11-tracker and the second collection of Celtic-tinged gems. While there's still work to be done,
he declares they are definitely ones to watch!
Youtube highlight: The Doctor is interrupted by Graham Norton...
Yes, the BBC reached ultimate heights of stupidity when they gatecrashed the final scene of the first part of the
'Angels' two-parter with the ultimate in insensitivity.
CHARTS: Usher vs Diana Vickers - Who got the new No.1...?
Saving Private Ryan: 2 Disc Special Edition (24.99 Blu-ray, Paramount)
Mad Men Season 3 (39.99 Blu-ray, 29.99 DVD, 69.99 Season 1-3 Blu-ray-, Lions Gate
Foyle's War Series 6 (24.99 DVD, Acorn)
Lark Rise To Candleford Series 3 (39.99 Blu-ray, 29.99 DVD, BBC)
Waterloo Road Series 4 Part 2 (24.99 DVD, Acorn)
Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On Live (21.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Eagle)
Channel 4's Comedy Gala - In Aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital (19.99 DVD, Universal)
Murder, She Wrote Season 11 (34.99 DVD, Universal)
Nightwatching (15.99 DVD, Axiom)
Kojak Season 3 (34.99 DVD, Mediumrare)
Carriers (19.99 DVD, Paramount)
Heston's Feast (19.99 DVD, Acorn)
The Littlest Hobo Season 1 (29.99 DVD, Mediumrare)
Ju-on: The Grudge - White And Black Ghost (15.99 DVD, 4Digital Asia)
Antikrist (24.99 Blu-ray, Da Capo)
The Girlfriend Experience (19.99 Blu-ray, 15.99 DVD, Revolver)
Fellini's Casanova (17.99 DVD, Mr Bongo)
World War II: Lost Films (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, History)
Avatar
After 12 years of thinking about it (and waiting for movie technology to catch up with his visions), James Cameron followed up his unsinkable Titanic with Avatar, a sci-fi epic meant to trump all previous sci-fi epics. Set in the future on a distant planet, Avatar spins a simple little parable about greedy colonizers (that would be mankind) messing up the lush tribal world of Pandora. A paraplegic Marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) acts through a 9-foot-tall avatar that allows him to roam the planet and pass as one of the Na'vi, the blue-skinned, large-eyed native people who would very much like to live their peaceful lives without the interference of the visitors.
Although he's supposed to be gathering intel for the badass general (Stephen Lang) who'd like to lay waste to the planet and its inhabitants, Jake naturally begins to take a liking to the Na'vi, especially the feisty Neytiri (Zoë Saldana, whose entire performance, recorded by Cameron's complicated motion-capture system, exists as a digitally rendered Na'vi). The movie uses state-of-the-art 3D technology to plunge the viewer deep into Cameron's crazy toy box of planetary ecosystems and high-tech machinery. Maybe it's the fact that Cameron seems torn between his two loves--awesome destructive gizmos and flower-power message mongering--that makes Avatar's pursuit of its point ultimately uncertain. That, and the fact that Cameron's dialogue continues to clunk badly.
If you're won over by the movie's trippy new world, the characters will be forgivable as broad, useful archetypes rather than standard-issue stereotypes, and you might be able to overlook the unsurprising central plot. (The overextended "take that, Michael Bay" final battle sequences could tax even Cameron enthusiasts, however.) It doesn't measure up to the hype (what could?) yet Avatar frequently hits a giddy delirium all its own. The film itself is our Pandora, a sensation-saturated universe only the movies could create.
Matthew Weiner, a writer and executive producer for THE SOPRANOS, may have set this series in the picture-perfect 1960s, but his characters are just as scheming as the mobsters on his last show. MAD MEN begins in 1960 on Manhattan's Madison Avenue at the fictional ad agency of Sterling Cooper. Creative director Don Draper (Jon Hamm) rules the halls of his company and the hearts of every woman he meets, while his wife, Betty (January Jones), struggles to be the perfect mate and mother back in Connecticut. But just as in the world of advertising, Don may not be all that he appears.
In MAD MEN, the glass ceiling is dangerously low, and sexism reigns in a way that may shock modern viewers. But this isn't the prim '60s of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW; Weiner's characters seduce, smoke, and swig with abandon--often within the walls of Sterling Cooper. MAD MEN takes equal parts substance and style to create an addictive cocktail that fully earned its freshman season wins at the Golden Globes for Best Dramatic Series and Best Actor in a Drama.
Though the Chipmunks are confident they have the songwriting skills to steamroll the competition, a newly formed singing trio dubbed the Chippettes promises to give them some stiff competition on-stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette are indeed the real deal, and the closer the competition gets, the more Alvin, Simon, and Theodore realize that in order to win, they'll have to give it everything they've got.
Prepare to immerse yourself in an alien world as if you were standing there yourself. Giant ice fountains rising over 100km high; an ocean hidden beneath a frozen crust of ice; storms twice the size of Earth coloured blood red by a vortex of dust and gases; immense volcanoes that could rip a planet apart - this series reveals the true and awesome beauty of our solar system.
Using the very latest breathtaking images sent directly from space, groundbreaking CGI transforms the static into the dramatic. Travelling from the Sun to the far-out reaches of Neptune, the series has at its heart the latest scientific knowledge beamed back from the fleet of probes, rovers and telescopes currently in space, and offers a vivid and unprecedented tour of the world beyond our planet.
At first glance, the very concept of WWII in HD seems like an oxymoron. After all, isn't the footage from back then nothing more than grainy black-and-white newsreel? And really, how much definition can be added to film that was shot more than 60 years ago? The answers: no, and quite a lot, actually. The quality of much of what is seen in the course of these 10 episodes (each around 45 minutes long) is surprisingly good.
Add to that the fact that most of it is in colour (not colourised, but originally recorded in that medium, some at the behest of the United States government), and the result is nothing short of astonishing. It's not easy viewing; there are sequences that are shockingly graphic (vivid examples include the carnage on view after major battles and the shots of Japanese civilians on the Pacific island of Saipan hurling themselves off cliffs to avoid capture by American troops). But all of it has been put to good use in what is undoubtedly one of the most compelling accounts of World War II ever produced.
Can President Hassan be saved in 24 as the 8th Season continues...
He gave himself up to stop the dirty bomb going off, but as Jack and Renee go after him, what will the outcome be?
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
24 Season 8: Episode 16
is online and the next episode is on Sky 1 on Sunday at 9pm.
The Doctor & Amy go up against the Daleks, but with a difference...
The Doctor gets to meet the Daleks for the first (and only?) time this series, but how come they don't know who he is?
And why are they being so damn helpful? And will Amy be wearing a mini-skirt this week? (YES!)
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Date Night, It's a Wonderful Afterlife, Extract, Agora, The Joneses, Cherry Bomb and Centurion.
Deal out the justice. It's a Just Cause, again, on Xbox 360...
Out now :
Just Cause 2, this time sees Agency Agent Rico Rodriguez having to eliminate an oppressive dictator called Baby Panay on the fictional island of Republic of Panau, South East Asia.
Couldn't they just put Robert Mugabe in there and nickname him "Monkey-faced Hiter-tache"? Anyway, you've also got to work with three criminal gangs on the island to track down rogue agent Tom Sheldon who went disappearing during the regime change there. Find him and bump him off.
Stanley Brinks brings some off-the-wall folk-ish delights to CD...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
brings you a real ‘musos’ album, who, under various pseudonyms, has been ploughing his ant-folk thing for several years,
occupying a virtually singular space.
DVDfever music reviewer makes it to BBC Radio 2...
Following the roaring success of his radio show – THE PLUG – on Calon FM, which is now listened to in the USA, Brazil, Holland, Japan, Canada and Spain,
DVDfever.co.uk music journalist Elly Roberts has hit the ‘big time’ with a contribution to the UK’s favourite radio channel, BBC Radio 2.
On Monday 12 April, Elly made his Radio 2 debut on the Jeremy Vine daily topical programme, this time broadcast live from his home-town of Wrexham in north Wales, with a potential 8 million listeners.
Four weeks ago Elly was contacted by Jeremy Vine’s producer Chris Walsh-Heron about a contribution to the show. Elly says, ”Out of the blue, the phone rang and Chris asked if I could appear on the show. A date had been set which clashed with my holiday in Torrevieja near Alicante, so I was immediately disappointed.”
“BBC Radio 2 was doing a pre-election special in Wrexham and they wanted to know if there were any potential ‘hot potatoes’ they could broadcast. I came up with the proposed plan to build a category A prison on Wrexham Industrial Estate which has caused a lot of anger in the local community of Abenbury, which I actually live in.”
Elly continues, “Because of my journalistic background, they believed I was ideal for such a programme. They told me that the BBC in London had been ‘tracking’ my contributions to both BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.”
“Initially, it looked like I wouldn’t get the job, but a week later they contacted me again, saying they’d rescheduled the date for two days after my return from Torrevieja. Also, they didn’t tell me that Jeremy Vine was hosting the show, so when they confirmed it was him, I was over the moon.”
During his two week break in Torry, Elly did his research and was well prepared for the show.
“Naturally I was nervous," Elly revealed. “I had a few sleepless nights. It was my biggest gig so far on radio, with even more pressure, because it had nothing to do with my passion – music.”
“Normally I’m given some idea of the questions in advance, so this time I had to be ready to think fast on my feet.”
Also on the show was Lib-Dem council leader Aled Roberts, someone Elly knew from his childhood days, so things were likely to hot-up as Aled was in the ‘Yes’ camp, and Elly firmly rooted in the ‘No’ camp.
Elly continues, “I arrived at the studio with my friend Les Lever, a local journalist, who was videoing my slot of around 15 minutes. As I walked in I was confronted by Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik who was very friendly.”
After what appeared to be a hectic 25 minutes, it was time for Elly and Aled to enter the lions den.
“I went straight over to Jeremy, shook his hand and introduced myself. Pretty soon we were on-air, with questions and answers fired like bullets. We were due to have 15 minutes, but were cut short due to scheduling constraints, with a youth band slotted in after us, to close the show.”
When the show was over Elly had a chance for a quick chat with Jeremy, a photo op, and autograph for his ever expanding collection of celebrity ‘scalps’.
“Jeremy was very charming and easy to talk to, which put us all at our ease, “Elly said. “I’ve learnt a great deal from this experience which I hope to carry-over into my own radio show on Calon FM. Since the BBC show, I have been invited to sit-in on one of Jeremy’s shows at Western House in London, home of Radio 2, which is an even bigger thrill.”
Elly has had a long-standing ambition to be a broadcaster with the BBC and he now feels he has the skills and knowledge to ‘live the dream’.
Elly concluded,”I have now presented my CV to Radio 2 and I hope that something really big will happen in the future.”
Hear Elly’s show between 2-4PM (UK time) every Monday on CalonFM.com. Just click on either of the images above to access the site.
Youtube highlight: Ben Bradshaw and his evil fake smile...
The creepy Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport gives the most horrendous fake smile you ever will see....
CHARTS: Scouting for Girls vs Usher - Who got the new No.1...?
Once again, we look at a few titles in more detail.
The titles of note are the following, but read on for further details about the highlights:
The Box (17.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Icon)
Curry And Chips: The Complete Series (11.99 DVD, Network)
Gilmore Girls Season 6 (29.99 DVD, Warner)
Hamlet (24.99 Blu-ray, BBC)
Hot Metal Series 2 (11.99 DVD, Network)
The Marine 2 (15.99 DVD, 19.99 Boxset, Fox)
Meatloaf Live in concert (11.99 DVD, Intergroove)
The Men Who Stare At Goats (24.99 Blu-ray, 17.99 DVD, Momentum)
Nine (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, EIV)
Ross Kemp: Middle East (15.99 DVD, 2 Entertain)
The Thick Of It Series 3 (19.99 DVD, 34.99 Complete DVD, BBC)
Widows Complete Box Set (19.99 DVD, Fremantle)
The Men Who Stare At Goats
The Men Who Stare At Goats is an hilarious comedy inspired by a real life story you will hardly believe is true.
Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who claims to be part of “The New Earth Army”, an experimental US Army unit. According to Cassady, a legion of psychic warriors with unparalleled powers can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program’s founder, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady’s mission is to find him. Intrigued by his new acquaintance’s far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to accompany him on the search.
Inspired by Jon Ronson’s bestselling book, this is an eye-opening and hilarious comedy led by an all-star cast.
The Prime Minister decides to reshuffle his cabinet in an attempt to look like he’s doing something. Except no-one with any sense wants to join him on the bridge as the ship appears to be going down. So his chief enforcer Malcolm Tucker is having a hard time finding ministers prepared to volunteer for suicide watch in the run up to the general election.
Enter Nicola Murray MP: a woman so far down the list that Malcolm doesn’t even have a file on her, but who can be flattered and bullied into accepting the Cabinet post that no-one wants: Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Citizenship. Nicola’s got plenty of ideas though – but ideas cost money and in the current climate that means trouble. This series follows Nicola and her used-up team of advisors as they struggle to achieve anything at all under Malcolm’s watchful eye. Elsewhere Nicola’s opposite number Peter Mannion and his team finally sense victory is within their grasp, even if they aren’t too sure what to do with it when they get it. Being in power is a good thing, right?
From the creative team behind the Oscar-winning adaptation of CHICAGO comes a lavish feature take on the Tony award-winning musical inspired by Federico Fellini's whimsical classic 8 1/2. Directed by Rob Marshall, NINE details the effort made by world-class filmmaker Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis – THERE WILL BE BLOOD) in realising his latest cinematic vision while simultaneously balancing his relationships with the many passionate and influential women in his life, including his mistress, Carla (Penelope Cruz – ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER), and wife, Luisa (Marion Cotillard – LA VIE EN ROSE).
Original lyricist and composer Maury Yeston serves as co-executive producer for the filmed version of his own 1982 Broadway hit. Kate Hudson (ALMOST FAMOUS), Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE), Sophia Loren (EL CID), Fergie (of the Black Eyed Peas), and Judi Dench (MRS. BROWN) co-star in this glitz-laden musical extravaganza.
Screen siren Cameron Diaz and former X-Man James Marsden star in the supernatural horror picture The Box (2008), directed by DONNIE DARKO cult favorite Richard Kelly. The film's premise involves a strange and ominous box granted to a young couple by a mysterious stranger (Frank Langella). They are informed that pressing various buttons on the box will grant them riches while killing a person unknown to them in the process. Executive produced by Ted Hamm, the film was adapted by Kelly from Richard Matheson's 1970 short story 'Button, Button'.
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: The Ghost, Repo Men, Dear John, The Heavy and Cemetery Junction.
Earth is gone and the entire UK is travelling about on a ship on the back of a big whale, but there are some evil
Smiler creatures which need dealing with. What could've turned out to be the most bland of tales actually comes across
as a very well-crafted one once you've seen it all and thought it through.
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
George A Romero brings you another dead tale in Survival of The Dead on Blu-ray...
Out now :
The O'Flynns and the Muldoons have been warring for years on the otherwise tranquil island of Plum, Delaware, but can
they come together to defeat the zombies when they take over, or will the army have to help them out?
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
states of this release that there’s nothing icy cold about this album, because its both warm and engaging, full of
melodic and accessible songs with great hooks, but they’re definitely not ‘pop’ songs per say, more like indie-pop.
Wonders Of The Solar System (24.99 Blu-ray, 19.99 DVD, BBC)
Being Human Series 2
BEING HUMAN is a bizarre, supernatural sitcom from the BBC that revolves around the concept of two young men—Mitchell and George--sharing a flat. While this seems like a tried and tested formula for television the twist is that Mitchell (Aidan Turner – THE TUDORS) is a vampire and George (Russell Tovey – LITTLE DORRIT, THE HISTORY BOYS) is a werewolf. Complicating matters further is pair's newfound home is haunted by the ghost of Annie (Lenora Crichlow – SUGAR RUSH). Included all the episodes from the show's first series.
Alvin, Simon, and Theodore meet their musical match after returning to school and entering into a battle of the bands competition in hopes of saving the school's troubled music program. Sent to live with Dave Seville's younger nephew Toby (Zachary Levi), the three lovable marmots decide that getting an education is more important than belting out pop tunes. But the school's music program is about to go belly up, and the only way to save it is to win the 25,000-dollar prize in the upcoming battle of the bands.
Though the Chipmunks are confident they have the songwriting skills to steamroll the competition, a newly formed singing trio dubbed the Chippettes promises to give them some stiff competition on-stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette are indeed the real deal, and the closer the competition gets, the more Alvin, Simon, and Theodore realize that in order to win, they'll have to give it everything they've got.
Prepare to immerse yourself in an alien world as if you were standing there yourself. Giant ice fountains rising over 100km high; an ocean hidden beneath a frozen crust of ice; storms twice the size of Earth coloured blood red by a vortex of dust and gases; immense volcanoes that could rip a planet apart - this series reveals the true and awesome beauty of our solar system.
Using the very latest breathtaking images sent directly from space, groundbreaking CGI transforms the static into the dramatic. Travelling from the Sun to the far-out reaches of Neptune, the series has at its heart the latest scientific knowledge beamed back from the fleet of probes, rovers and telescopes currently in space, and offers a vivid and unprecedented tour of the world beyond our planet.
Jamie Foxx (RAY, THE SOLOIST) stars as an assistant DA who finds himself at the mercy of a spiteful vigilante (Gerard Butler – ROCKNROLLA, 300) hell-bent on avenging the death of his wife and daughter, whose murderers are set free due to legal loopholes. F. Gary Gray (THE NEGOTIATOR) directs from a script by Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) and Kurt Wimmer (EQUILIBRIUM).
The Doctor returns in a new guise and with a new assistant...
Yes, the Doctor is now played by the eccentric-looking Matt Smith and his hot assistant is Karen Gillan as Amy Pond.
I think this is a fantastic start to the new series and with Russell T Davies and his crap scripts out of the way,
Steven Moffat is in charge and ready to take over and reboot the series again!
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
President Hassan is in danger in 24 as the 8th Season continues...
But as the show grinds along slowly, how many of us wish him and his silly bouffant hairdo would get bumped off anyway?
The sillyness continues...
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
24 Season 8: Episode 14
is online and the next episode is on Sky 1 on Sunday at 9pm.
New films at this cinema this weekend...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: The Infidel, Shelter and Whip It!.
Dare you stray into District 9 on Blu-ray and DVD?...
Out now :
In Hollywood blockbusters, aliens have been known to target big cities like Washington DC and London, but in this low-budget
movie, they appear above Johannesburg and then their ship grinds to a halt. Having been housed in shanty towns below
the ship for over 20 years, they're really outstaying their welcome and everyone just wants rid, but that really isn't
easy when the man tasked with evicting them is hapless civil servant Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley).
District 9
is online and out on Blu-ray and DVD now.
Dolph & Van Damme are back for a Universal Soldier rematch on Blu-ray...
Released today :
Conveniently forgetting the Dolph-less sequel, terrorists have struck and normal guys just don't cut the mustard when
it comes to dealing with this problem. So it's time to reactivate the bad boys for one last mission, with one in particular
you thought had gone for good...
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
states that if there was ever a band that captures the spirit of the Stones, then it’s Yardsale. This Louisville quintet
sure know how to rock in the classic mould, showing all the swagger of early Jagger and co. from the early 60s.
Check out their new 12-tracker in this review.
The Lord of the Rings, the highest grossing adventure film franchise to ever be created, was born with the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The Trilogy’s Blu-ray release captures the enduring Fellowship and ultimate sacrifice while enhancing the chaos and destruction of Middle-earth, delivering a visual feast that will not soon, if ever, find its equal. Of the 30 total Academy Award nominations the three The Lord of the Rings movies received, they won a record 17 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and 8 others for the third film. Based on the best-selling novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy is an epic journey of men, hobbits, elves, dwarves and the rest of Middle-earth’s creatures and cultures. The films chronicle the struggle of good versus evil with fantastic special effects and a strong emotional centre.
The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy contains the original theatrical versions of the three films on Blu-ray Disc, with more than seven hours of special features.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy tells the story of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit who battles against the Dark Lord Sauron to save his world, Middle-earth, from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and his fellowship of friends and allies embark on a desperate journey to rid Middle-earth of the source of Sauron's greatest strength, the One Ring--a ring that has the power to enslave the inhabitants of Middle-earth. The trilogy tells tales of extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth and reveals how the power of friendship, love and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay. Beside Wood, the films star Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, featuring Sean Bean, and Ian Holm, with Andy Serkis as Gollum.
Six friends discover the difficulties of living with, and without, the one you love. When does compromise become sacrifice, and when do they both become divorce? Sexy, funny and painfully honest, this drama tells the story of three couples who are trying to work out exactly what a 'couple' is these days. Through love, passion, heartbreak and tragedy Lillie, Eddie, Clint, Abbey, Babs and Dickie contemplate the meaning of 'happily ever after' and ponder the conundrum of always wanting what you just can’t have.
When intelligence agencies need to dispense with one of their spies they serve a burn notice. A burn notice informs other agencies that the spy has become unreliable, effectively ending his or her career. BURN NOTICE follows Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), whose intelligence career comes to an abrupt halt after a botched job in Nigeria. Westen returns home to Miami, Florida, only to discover that he has been cut off from all his contacts in the agency and his bank account has been frozen. Without a penny to his name, Westen decides to work as an unlicensed private investigator, using the money he makes to launch his own investigation into his fate with the intelligence agency. Westen's new career presents him with plenty of opportunities to delve into Miami's seedy underbelly, with drug dealers, gunrunners, prostitution rings, and gangsters all coming under his watchful eye. Features the complete second series of the show.
Re-enjoy the complete third season of the Primetime Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning comedy 30 Rock, hailed by The New York Times as “its third season” and by The Sun as a “comedy… shown on NBC… [which is a] network.” Primetime Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® Award winner (and show creator) Tina Fey and Primetime Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® Award winner Alec Baldwin star as corporate executive Jack Donaghy and TV writer Liz Lemon (reverse respectively).
Together, Jack and Liz manage the workplace chaos with no help from Liz’s loose-cannon stars Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney (Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski) and hapless NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer). The end result is topless break-dancing, professional tetherball, geriatric kidnapping, bird murder, sexual espionage, Appalachian witchcraft, patricide, gay lion tattoos and important life lessons learned from sasquatches.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary by Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, Alan Alda, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski and more
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
really enjoyed this this recent release on Soundway which comes almost two years after Volume 1 and features an abundance
of talent that created Modern Highlife and Nigerian blues between 1970 and 1976.
The mole is revealed in 24 as the 8th Season continues...
After last week's excellent episode, sadly this one is back to its usual dull form and when the mole is revealed,
I felt the entire show jumped the shark!
Find out what DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen made of this episode in this new review,
which premiered on his excellent site, Dan's Media Digest.
A review of
24 Season 8: Episode 13
is online and the next episode is on Sky 1 on Sunday at 9pm.
New films at this cinema this weekend...
Stuck for something to do this weekend? The list of films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinema can be found on this page, and won't differ
much from what's on in the rest of the country.
The new films out include: Clash of the Titans (2010), Kick Ass, Remember Me and How To Train Your Dragon.
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
