10 new tracks from a Los Angeles band, which features multi-instrumentalists and in which they've also recruited
a further 18 members.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts also mentions them in the same vein as the up and coming
Fleet Foxes. Find out if you agree in this review.
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: Ice Age 3 and Public Enemies.
Joker's Daughter - the new CD is seriously good...
The first collaboration between mixmaster Danger Mouse and multi-instrumentalist
Helena Costas and the 14 tracks make up an album which
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
describes as gorgeous, beguiling, sweet, quirky, ethereal and stunning.
Lara Croft is back in Tomb Raider: Underworld on Xbox 360...
Out now:
Lara Croft returns in Tomb Raider: Underworld with her deepest and darkest adventure yet. Ostensibly searching for the
mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, the real draw of the game is exploring the underworlds of multiple different
cultures...
Clint Eastwood doesn't like the way things change in Gran Torino on Blu-ray...
Released today:
Technically, this film centres around the 1972 classic car from which it takes its name, but it's just the item that
everything revolves around in an incredibly well-written story that wasn't even written with Clint Eastwood in mind, but
there's no-one else who could've played this cranky widower, who's bitter about everything in life, and for a very good
reason.
Gran Torino
is online and out now on Blu-ray from today.
Steve Earle presents his tribute to Townes Van Zandt on CD...
Like the Gran Torino car in the film above, 1972 also plays a part here as it's when Steve Earle met Townes Van Zandt
and they became firm friends until his death in 1997. As such, he felt it only fitting that he released a tribute
to him in the form of cover versions of 15 of his tracks.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
loved every single one.
Sarah Beeny gets wet in the shower in Property Snakes and Ladders...
Well, it sounds incredible, but I have to admit it promises rather more than it delivers, even though it still does what
it says on the tin, as you'll see when you take a look.
New DVD and game comps online...
Please enter the competition listed below by clicking on the packshot on the right.
Max Manus: Man of War on DVD and Blu-ray
Damnation on Xbox 360
CHARTS: Kelly Rowland vs La Roux - who got the new No.1...?
Flame and Citron (19.99 DVD, 19.99 Blu-ray, Metrodome)
Life Begins Series 2 & 3 (24.99 DVD, ITV)
The Rolling Stones: The Biggest Bang (19.99 Blu-ray, Universal)
Fireball XL5: The Complete Series Special Edition (59.99 DVD, Network)
American Teen (17.99 DVD, Optimum)
Confessions of a Shopaholic:
It’s way past time that Isla Fisher bagged herself a leading role, after solid supporting turns in the likes of Wedding Crashers and Definitely, Maybe and finally, in Confessions Of A Shopaholic, the ex-soap star gets her chance.
She seizes it quite well, too. Based on the Sophie Kinsella book of the same name, Confessions Of A Shopaholic is a fairly conventional romantic comedy, but it’s still a very enjoyable one. It’s directed by PJ Hogan, who previously gave us the excellent d
ouble bill of Muriel’s Wedding and My Best Friend’s Wedding, and it follows Fisher’s character Rebecca as she tries to cover up her dedication to shopping, while yearning for a job on a fashion magazine.
The plot goes through the fairly standard shenanigans of the genre, but there are one or two things that lift Confessions Of A Shopaholic above the norm. Firstly, it’s breezy and very good fun. Secondly, PJ Hogan knows this genre better than most, and fas
hions (no pun intended) a quite tight movie. And thirdly there’s Fisher. It may not be a role that makes her an outright movie star, but there’s compelling evidence here that she’s got the talent to be a leading lady in her own right. This, her first stab
at headlining such a film, works really quite well, and her charm and enthusiasm is the best thing in it. Worth taking a look at.
Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh delivers this ambitious and sprawling biopic of one of the 20th century's most influential political figures. This is the full, unabridged version of CHE and comprises THE ARGENTINE and GUERILLA.
In Revolutionary Road, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio reunite for the first time since their careers exploded with Titanic--and it's almost as if they're playing the same characters, only married and faced with the hollowness of a 1950s suburban exist
ence. Frank and April Wheeler (DiCaprio and Winslet) always thought of themselves as special, but they settled in a conventional Connecticut suburb when they had children. Hungry for a less constricted life, April persuades Frank to move to Paris--but slo
wly their plans unravel and their marriage unravels along with it.
While Revolutionary Road may be a bit too glib about suburban emptiness--the lives Frank and April lead don't seem so stifled--the portrait of a mismatched marriage is vivid and devastating. The ways that Frank and April misinterpret each other, and the s
ubtle yet unbearable dissatisfaction they feel, is rendered with remarkable and unsettling acuteness. Winslet and DiCaprio's natural chemistry tells us what drew these two together, making the way they tear each other apart all the more shocking.
The excellent supporting cast includes Kathy Bates (Misery), Dylan Baker (Happiness), and especially Michael Shannon (Bug) as a mentally troubled mathematician who cuts to the quick of the Wheelers' troubles. Mention must be made of the beautiful producti
on design; the costumes and sets are simply gorgeous.
It’s been three months since Marian's untimely death and Robin is a changed man. Tougher, he's sacked his gang since they all returned from the Holy Land. Not only that – he's hell bent on avenging his wife's tragic end. Her slayer, Guy of Gisborne is a m
arked man. Fuelled by anger and grief, Robin seems stuck in a downward spiral, but a new beacon of hope arrives in the form of a travelling monk called Tuck (David Harewood), who soon gets our hooded hero back on track. Meanwhile, the wickedness of the Sh
eriff continues unabated.
A spirited Locksley girl named Kate (Joanne Froggatt) objects to her brother's forced conscription. As a result she inadvertently gets caught up in the cause of Robin Hood and becomes an indispensable member of the gang. As the threat of Prince John (Toby
Stephens)looms larger, Robin and Gisborne have to reach an uneasy truce as it emerges that they may have rather more in common than they thought.
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: Year One, My Sister's Keeper and Blood: The Last Vampire.
This man from the Netherlands looks a lot like Craig David and is one of Warner
Bros' tips for the top this year. Coming from a musical family, he has the
right start in his career, so
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
tells us how he is progressing.
Mickey Rourke rides is back on form with The Wrestler on Blu-ray...
Out now:
Although not quite as an award-winning performance as the critics would have you believe, this is still a fantastic
tale about a man trying to face the facts that his career isn't as an top as it used to be, but there are limits to
how low you have to go. Mickey Rourke stars alongside Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.
The Alexandria Quartet compete with major bands on CD...
11 tracks make up this tour-de-force from the four people that make up this new band with a debut release that
puts them in the same league as Snow Patrol, Coldplay and Kasabian, according to
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts.
Find out why in this review.
A new teen sex comedy, but one that's a long way from hitting the dizzy heights of American Pie, and also one
that doesn't star anyone famous, but does it have any redeeming features, and did it make
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Dan Owen laugh?
This review originally premiered on his site, Dan's Media Digest.
She appeared last Thursday to promote the new series, Casualty 1909, and the entire episode of that day's show is now
online, and discussions include whether a ban should be applied on smoking in cars when you've got your kids with you.
New DVD and game comps online...
Please enter the competition listed below by clicking on the packshot on the right.
Max Manus: Man of War on DVD and Blu-ray
Damnation on Xbox 360
CHARTS: Kelly Rowland vs Pixie Lott - 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:
NCIS Season 5 (50.99 DVD, Paramount)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (17.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray,
Doctor Who: Delta And The Bannermen (19.99 DVD, BBC)
Queer As Folk USA Season 4 (39.99 DVD, Warner)
Moving On (19.99 DVD, ITV DVD)
Hardware Special Edition (19.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, Optimum)
The Unborn (19.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, Universal)
The Punisher 2: War Zone (15.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, 39.99 Double Blu-ray, Sony)
Electra Glide In Blue (15.99 DVD, Optimum)
Notorious (19.99 DVD, 28.99 Blu-ray, Fox)
Franklyn (15.99 DVD, 19.99 Blu-ray, E1)
Moonlighting Season 4 (29.99 DVD, Sony)
Stephen Tompkinson's The Great African Balloon Adventure (19.99 DVD, 4DVD)
Occupation (19.99 DVD, BBC)
Metalocalypse [Adult Swim] Series 1 (19.99 DVD, Revolver)
Hardware Special Edition:
Jill lives in a war-torn and alien world. She is given the remains of a Mark 13 Cyborg, a killing machine found on radioactive waste ground by a friend. Once the Cyborg is in her flat it begins to rebuild itself with household equipment and and now it's c
apable of doing its job.....killing!
The time: 1959. The place: the Shangri-La Holiday Camp, South Wales. The Doctor and Mel want time out.
The hedonistic alien Navarinos wants to catch some vintage rock and roll. And two CIA agents want to know what happened to their country’s missing satellite.
When the beautiful Chimeron princess Delta shows up on the scene, the murderous Bannermen soon follow in hot pursuit. The stage is set for a fiery showdown that will decide the fate of an entire civilisation.
This story was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 2nd November – 16th November 1987.
Produced by John Nathan-Turner, Directed by Chris Clough Liner notes by Niall Boyce, Cover by Clayton Hickman
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Commentary by Sylvester McCoy (the Doctor), Sara Griffiths (Ray), director Chris Clough and script editor Andrew Cartmel • But First This Andi Peters presents a contemporary children’s TV feature on location with the cast of Delta and the Bannermen • In
terview Rushes Hugh Lloyd (Goronwy) • Clown Court Noel Edmonds and Sylvester McCoy present out-takes the Seventh Doctor • Trails and Continuity • Photo Gallery • Radio Times Billings Listings for • Coming Soon Trailer • Digitally remastered picture and so
und quality Extra material from the But First This interviews with Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford (Mel) and Ken Dodd (Tollmaster) • Wales Today A BBC Wales news report on the making of the programme • Part One: First edit The original half-hour edit • H
ugh and Us An interview with from Delta and the Bannermen • Stripped for Action A look at the comic strip adventures of this story presented in a PDF file [DVD-ROM – PC/Mac] • Production Information Subtitles
Doctor Who: Delta And The Bannermen is out now on
DVD (£12.98) and.
Moving On.
Jimmy McGovern, the force behind the BBC's critically-acclaimed ensemble piece, The Street, oversees this ambitious drama series. Moving On consists of five stand-alone stories, written by a mix of experienced and up-and-coming talents. The unifying theme
of the dramas lies in the characters' choice, desire or inability to 'move on'; resulting in a major turning point in their lives. A hugely impressive line-up of British acting talent feature in the five episodes:
College student Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman, CLOVERFIELD) begins having dreams about a spooky little boy with bright blue eyes. She thinks nothing of it as first, but when the image becomes a recurring motif and the boy she babysits for hits her in the f
ace and tells her 'Jumby wants to be born now', she begins to get frightened. After learning that she had a twin brother who died in utero, she finds a photo of her late mother with the same ghostly child looming in the background.
A newspaper clipping then leads Casey to visit an elderly Holocaust survivor (Jane Alexander) in a nursing home. The woman clues her in to a dark family secret extending back to WWII, which prompts her to employ the services of Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman),
whose scepticism about evil spirits is vanquished when he sees what he is up against.
The Broken Family Band see if it's better fifth time around on CD...
Yes, their fifth album but, according to
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
it's just not working out for them the way that it should and while it's not all bad news, he does state that
you could put this CD on once and forget about it, as much of it is quite forgettable.
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: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.
With her parents having committed suicide, her brother murdered by bullies and her arm sliced off by a Hanzo Hattori
sword, Ami is just not having a good day, so it's time for revenge, and it'll be as bloody as possible once she attaches
the machine gun to her stump and blasts the baddies back to meet their maker!
Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani head the Chickenfoot charge on CD...
Along with Michael Anthony and Chad Smith,
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
took a listen to this album that brings together 11 tracks from four individual powerhouses. How does it all mix
together?
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:
Bolt (18.99 DVD, 23.99 Blu-ray, Walt Disney)
He's Just Not That Into You (19.99 DVD, 24.99, EIV)
Red Dwarf: Back To Earth Director's Cut (19.99, DVD, BBC)
Eurovision Song Contest 2009 (19.99 DVD, EMI)
South Pacific (25.99 DVD, 29.99 Blu-ray, BBC)
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (17.99 DVD, 24.99 DVD/CD, 24.99 Blu-ray)
Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997 (39.99 Blu-ray, Warner)
The Ultimate Bourne Collection (44.99 Blu-ray, Universal)
Columbo Season 10 Volume 1 (29.99 DVD, Universal)
Medium Season 4 (34.99 DVD, Paramount)
The Class (19.99 DVD, Artificial Eye)
Kingdom Series 2 (19.99 DVD, Acorn Media)
The Italian Job 40th Anniversary Edition (19.99 Blu-ray, Paramount)
Woodstock (19.99 DVD, 22.99 Blu-ray, Warner)
Blackadder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (59.99 DVD, BBC)
The Good, The Bad And The Weird (19.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, Icon)
Goal 3 - Taking On The World (15.99 DVD, 19.99 Blu Ray, Metrodome)
Bolt:
From the creator of Cars and Finding Nemo, meet Disney's newest hero, Bolt and his faithful hamster sidekick Rhino, in the fully awesome comedy adventure event of the year. As the star of the biggest TV show in Hollywood, Bolt's life is filled with advent
ure, danger and intrigue. So when the super pup is accidentally shipped to New York City and separated from Penney, his beloved co-star and owner, Bolt immediately springs into action to save her from the forces of evil.
But he's not alone. With the help of Rhino, his number one fan and loyal partner, and a crafty alley cat named Mittens, they embark on an extraordinary mission filled with high flying, action-packed stunts. Showcasing the vocal talents of John Travolta an
d teen sensation Miley Cyrus, this movie will have your whole family cheering for the good guys.
Back to Earth takes place after ‘series ten’. Kochanski is dead and the crew are hurled through a portal and discover they are just characters from a TV series. Knowing they will die in the final episode the Dwarfers, in best Blade Runner traditions, deci
de to track down their creators to discover how long they have left to live. First the crew attempt to track down the actors who play them in the series and their metaphysical odyssey begins…
Bonus Features
Cast Commentary
Director Commentary
All-New Exclusive Documentary
The Making of Back to Earth
Deleted Scenes
Smeg Ups
Featurettes
Trailers
Web Videos
Photo Gallery
Easter Egg
Features both a Director's Cut version of Back to Earth and the original televised version.
Red Dwarf: Back To Earth Director's Cut is out now on
DVD (£9.98) and.
The Italian Job 40th Anniversary Edition.
In this classic crime film, small-time crook Charlie Croker (Michael Caine) organizes a motley group of thieves to steal four million worth of gold bullion from an armoured car in Turin, Italy. The mastermind of the heist is Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward), an
experienced convict who has come up with the idea, but can't take part in its execution because he's in jail. To pull off the plan, the gang must tie up traffic in the center of the city to divert attention from the robbery, and ultimately make off with t
heir booty undetected. The caper leads to one of the most exciting automobile chases ever filmed.
The Italian Job 40th Anniversary Edition is out now on
Blu-ray (£12.98).
Woodstock.
The best rock stars of the sixties captured in some of their most brilliant moments during the communal experience called Woodstock, the most celebrated rock concert of all time. The film version, which runs over three hours, manages to capture the unique
spirit of the once-in-a-lifetime event, and in turn, captured the mood of an entire era. Includes amazingly volatile performances by Richie Havens, Joan Baez, The Who, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and The Fish, Arlo Guthrie, Crosby, Stills and Nash
, Ten Years After, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat, John Sebastian, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin.
Will Jessica Clemmons find a Permanent place in your CD collection?...
With influences including Shania Twain, this new release from the Texas-born
singer has some worth to it, but
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
confirms it lacks the WOW factor.
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: Looking for Eric, Doghouse, The Hangover, Red Cliff and Last House on the Left.
Rising Canadian star Catherine McLellan releases a new CD...
And
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
compares her to Fairground Attraction's Eddi Reader, even though she's not quite in the same league, but she's
certainly got a versatile voice.
Tom Cruise puts Operation Valkyrie into effect on Blu-ray...
Released today:
Like The Hunt for Red October, this film doesn't go for realistic, or otherwise, accents and instead concentrates
on the story, as Cruise and a cast including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard and Tom Wilkinson, attempt to
assassinate Hitler. Will they succeed? Well, it's based on a true story, so what do you think? It's a damn good
film though, so find out why in this review.
Valkyrie
is online and out now on Blu-ray from today.
Mary Hopkin checks out her archive on CD...
Those were the days for Mary Hopkin and still they continue as she releases more from her back catalogue with
this 14-track collection.
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
takes a listen.
Can Michael rescue Sara in Prison Break in this final episode...
Well, we now know what happened to Michael in the end, but it wasn't all plain sailing after they were exonerated from
the Scylla problems as Sara was arrested for the murder of Michael's mother. Now in a female prison, can Michael
get her out of there?
Find out what
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen
made of this episode in this new review, which premiered on his site, Dan's Media Digest.
More comps will be coming shortly, but the ER Season 14 on DVD comp has now ended and the answer is that
Kevin Moretti had a brief affair with Abby Lockhart.
CHARTS: Black Eyed Peas vs Dizzee Rascal - 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:
At Last Smith And Jones Vol.1 (19.99 DVD, Fremantle)
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (19.99 DVD, 27.99 Blu-ray, Warner)
Dead Girl (19.99 DVD, Metrodome)
Dirty Harry Collection (29.99 DVD, Warner)
Milk (17.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, Momentum)
My Bloody Valentine (19.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, Lions Gate)
Neil Young: Archives, Vol. 1: 1963-1972 [10 DVD Box Set + Book] (210.99, Warner)
Paul Weller: Just A Dream (20.99 DVD, Universal)
The Shield Season 7 (34.99 DVD, 129.99 Boxset)
Valkyrie (19.99 DVD, 24.99 Blu-ray, Fox)
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button:
"I was born under unusual circumstances". And so begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time.
We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any mans life can be.
Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, Benjamin Button is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along t
he way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
MILK is director Gus Van Sant's riveting biopic about slain gay rights activist and San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. Based on the politically resonant and thoroughly timely screenplay of documentarian Dustin Lance Black, Van Sant follows the arc
of Milk's political awakening, from closeted Brooklyn insurance executive to doyen of San Francisco's Castro district's burgeoning gay Mecca in the 1970s. Sean Penn portrays the film's hero, melting into the role with an affable flamboyance that is both
spirited and eminently engaging. James Franco plays opposite Penn as Milk's supportive and easygoing boyfriend, Scott Smith.
The couple's cheerful and loving rapport lends buoyancy to the film's overall message of hope as Milk ascends from grassroots community organiser to a galvanising figurehead in the push for gay civil liberties. When Moral Majority crusader Anita Bryant fo
rms an initiative to root out gay teachers and their supporters from public schools (Proposition 6), Milk is pitted in a bitter battle against fellow City Hall supervisor Dan White, played by Josh Brolin. While Van Sant does not deviate from the expositor
y conventions that have defined other biopics, MILK sticks to biographically pertinent details that serve the film's underlying message of one man's idealism and conviction in the face of repression and bigotry.
It might not have enjoyed the fanfare of some, but across seven seasons, The Shield has emerged as one of the finest cop dramas that US TV has produced. It’s not quite The Wire, but it’s got plenty of its own to recommend it anyway.
This boxset features the seventh and final season of The Shield, and it once more has as its centrepiece Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey. Mackey is a brilliant creation, a hard-edged cop who, you could politely say, works in the grey areas to get the job do
ne. Naturally, there are consequences to this, and season seven has the impact of Mackey’s ways spread right across it.
It all particularly comes to a head in the episodes that bring The Shield to a close, and these prove to be the highlight of a very strong final season. There’s no chance it’s going to be spoiled here, but believe what people have been saying: the ending
to The Shield is flat-out brilliant, and a fitting testament to the quality of what’s gone before. It’s three-dimensional drama of real substance.
Bloodthirsty fans of the classic slashers of yesteryear should be sated by MY BLOODY VALENTINE (2009), a gory trip that's not just a remake but a retro-amalgam of the greatest hits from the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. The HALLOWEEN-influenced, eerily Canadian
1981 original holds a modest place in many horror hearts despite its notoriously trimmed violence. But even those who haven’t seen it will get the feeling that this VALENTINE sports an amplified blood-and-guts factor, one that brings with it the distinctl
y outlandish brutality and hulking-masked-killer archetype of a FRIDAY THE 13th instalment combined with the polished chase scenes of post-SCREAM teen horror.
As if this gore-ucopia didn’t have enough spices already, its premise and structure are also indebted to such cheeky mystery-slashers as HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME and APRIL FOOL’S DAY. A decade after traumatized miner Harry Warden goes on a pickaxe massacre, g
uilt-stricken Tom (Jensen Ackles) returns to his quaint hometown only to find that a string of similar murders has started up. With Warden believed to be long dead, Sheriff Axel casts suspicion on Tom. It seems his old flame, Sarah, is the only one who tr
uly believes he’s innocent.
The movie’s horror-expert filmmakers imbue VALENTINE with the reliably enjoyable entertainment-trumps-logic of slasher films, especially in the way everyone in town--including the police--seems way more interested in proving or disproving Harry Warden’s i
nvolvement than actually stopping the in-progress murder spree. Similarly, beloved genre vet Tom Atkins (NIGHT OF THE CREEPS) is on hand to deliver a coolly understated retired-cop performance. But peppered in are some nifty subliminal visual flourishes a
nd at least one off-the-wall sequence (think fully naked, fleeing little people, and a box-spring-as-cage). The 3-D version is uncommonly well-integrated, subjecting viewers not only to hair-raising projectiles, but an effective immersion into the mise-en
-scene.
Hailing from Worcester, Sam Isaac brings his blend of indie-folk to CD for the first time and
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
finds it's not perfect, but there's certainly a lot to recommend here.
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: Terminator Salvation and Last Chance Harvey.
A few years ago, the Tomb Raider franchise was reborn on the consoles we know
and love today and attempted to put right what went wrong with 2003's Angel
of Darkness. They succeeded in the main, but how do two of these titles -
Legend & Anniversary - fare on the Sony PSP?
The ultimate Terminator 2 release: Skynet Edition on Blu-ray...
Released today:
You know the film, but you may not have realised that there are actually three versions of this film out there, and
this release contains them all as well as an outstanding set of extras. If you've got a Blu-ray player, you need this
disc!
Contemporary Italians reflect the globalisation of their country, through music, is how
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer Elly Roberts
begins his review of another collection of class tunes from the Putuyamo catalogue, this one featuring 11 tracks.
Can Jack save the day as the 7th Season of 24 concludes...
Having dealt with one last threat, what's left to sort out? Oh, Jack himself has traces of the pathogen within him and
Tony's buddies want to cut him open. Whoops!
Find out what
DVDfever.co.uk reviewer, Dan Owen
made of this episode in this new review, which premiered on his site, Dan's Media Digest.
Susan Boyle - who's to blame if she breaks down?...
That was the topic of the discussion on The Wright Stuff. Check it out now online.
New DVD comp online...
Please enter the competition listed below by clicking on the packshot on the right.
ER Season 14 on DVD
The following competitions have now finished, with the answers as follows:
Lost and Found on DVD: Jim Broadbent plays Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter series.
Shuttle on DVD: Tony Curran played The Invisible Man in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
CHARTS: Little Boots vs Dizzee Rascal - who got the new No.1...?
Danny Boyle (Sunshine) directed this wildly energetic, Dickensian drama about the desultory life and times of an Indian boy whose bleak, formative experiences lead to an appearance on his country's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Jamal (played
as a young man by Dev Patel) and his brother are orphaned as children, raising themselves in various slums and crime-ridden neighorhoods and falling in, for a while, with a monstrous gang exploiting children as beggars and prostitutes. Driven by his love
for Latika (Freida Pinto), Jamal, while a teen, later goes on a journey to rescue her from the gang's clutches, only to lose her again to another oppressive fate as the lover of a notorious gangster.
Running parallel with this dark yet irresistible adventure, told in flashback vignettes, is the almost inexplicable sight of Jamal winning every challenge on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," a strong showing that leads to a vicious police interrogation.
As Jamal explains how he knows the answer to every question on the show as the result of harsh events in his knockabout life, the chaos of his existence gains shape, perspective and soulfulness. The film's violence is offset by a mesmerizing exotica shot
and edited with a great whoosh of vitality. Boyle successfully sells the story's most unlikely elements with nods to literary and cinematic conventions that touch an audience's heart more than its head.
The Primeval team are back and Nick Cutter is fighting to re-focus his embattled team who are still reeling from Stephen’s death and the scale of Helen’s betrayal. Cutter’s crew are joined by some new recruits in the form of maverick policeman Danny Quinn
, sparky Egyptologist Sarah Page, and the new leader of the ARC’s security forces Captain Becker. But as the anomalies continue to present an unrelenting series of threats, the task in hand seems almost impossible. With events getting even wilder, creatur
es steeped in ancient folklore begin to make an appearance and it becomes clear that the origins of myths and legends are linked with the mysterious anomalies.
But it’s not just deadly creatures the team has to contend with; the cloak of secrecy behind which they have been working is beginning to slip and questions are being asked as the conspiracy spreads its net wide. And as deadlier creatures continue to ramp
age through the anomalies – the team faces a threat to the future of not just the ARC but of mankind itself..
DVD EXTRAS: Cutter’s Odyssey, Genesis of a Creature, Audio Commentaries
Darren Aronofsky directs this searing drama about a past-his-prime wrestler who tries to regain his earlier fame. Mickey Rourke (ANGEL HEART, SIN CITY) continues a career revival of his own as the fighter, while Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (IN THE BEDROOM,
MY COUSIN VINNY) and Evan Rachel Wood (THIRTEEN, DOWN IN THE VALLEY) co-star. Rourke is Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a one-time superstar of professional wrestling who's down on his luck, estranged from his teenage daughter (Wood) and clinging onto the remai
ns of his career by appearing in brutally violent bouts that barely pay him enough to make the rent on his trailer park home. It soon becomes clear that his broken body is incapable of following through the determination of his plucky spirit and when he s
uccumbs to a heart attack he finds himself at a crossroads where he must decide whether or not to continue his futile pursuit of celebrity or make amends with those that he has alienated.
After his somewhat ambitious flirtation with the science fiction genre in THE FOUNTAIN, director Aronofsky returns to Earth and back to the emotional human drama of his earlier REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. Having fallen from grace in his own professional life, Ro
urke delivers a towering performance as Robinson; a man whose career trajectory is so close to the actor's own, the film is given a staggering level of poignancy.
The film that effectively launched the star careers of Robert Carlyle, Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller is a hard, barbed picaresque, culled from the bestseller by Irvine Welsh and thrown down against the heroin hinterlands of Edinburgh. Directed with a
bandon by Danny Boyle, Trainspotting conspires to be at once a hip youth flick and a grim cautionary fable. Released on an unsuspecting public in 1996, the picture struck a chord with audiences worldwide and became adopted as an instant symbol of a boomin
g British rave culture (an irony, given the characters' main drug of choice is heroin not ecstasy).
McGregor, Lee Miller and Ewen Bremner play a slouching trio of Scottish junkies; Carlyle their narcotic-eschewing but hard-drinking and generally psychotic mate Begbie. In Boyle's hands, their lives unfold in a rush of euphoric highs, blow-out overdoses a
nd agonising withdrawals (all cued to a vogueish pop soundtrack). Throughout it all, John Hodge's screenplay strikes a delicate balance between acknowledging the inherent pleasures of drug use and spotlighting its eventual consequences. In Trainspotting's
world view, it all comes down to a question of choices--between the dangerous Day-Glo highs of the addict and the grey, grinding consumerism of the everyday Joe.
"Choose life", quips the film's narrator (McGregor) in a monologue that was to become a mantra. "Choose a job, choose a starter home... But why would anyone want to do a thing like that?" Ultimately, Trainspotting's wised-up, dead-beat inhabitants reject
mainstream society in favour of a headlong rush to destruction. It makes for an exhilarating, energised and frequently terrifying trip that blazes with more energy and passion than a thousand more ostensibly life-embracing movies. --Xan Brooks
Special Features - Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray includes:
40 min feature ‘Memories of Trainspotting’ with Danny Boyle, Andrew Macdonald, John Hodge, Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Kelly Macdonald and Robert Carlyle.
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
