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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author: J K Rowling
In the fourth outing Harry Potter can't wait for the start of the school year. It is his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and there are spells to be learnt and Divination lessons (sigh) to be attended. Harry is expecting these: however, other quite unexpected events are already on the march. <read more>
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Author: J K Rowling
The first new Harry Potter book to be published since the debut of the movie versions, can JK Rowling keep up the quality as Harry enters his fifth year at Hogwarts? You know there's only one way to find out…. <read more>
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The Big Blue - Version Longue - DVD
Director: Luc Besson; Cast: Rosanna Arquette, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno
An utterly captivating film about the sea, free-diving, dolphins, life, death, love, loss, competition, pasta.... It's a comedy, drama, tragedy, adventure, love-story….. It's hugely strong on characters, dialogue and settings, and the ultimate chill-out soundtrack from Eric Serra. Directors Cut - with original ending and score. <read more>
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Braveheart - DVD
Director: Mel Gibson; Cast: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau
Big, booming, epic tale of 13th-century Scottish rebel warrior William Wallace, who builds a grass-roots resistance to the tyranny of English King Edward I. Manages to tell a gripping personal story that grows in scale through a series of eye-popping (and bloody) battle scenes. A powerful, passionate film about a powerful, passionate man. <read more>
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Gladiator - DVD
Director: Ridley Scott; Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed
Well, shockingly I don't really rate this film - Although it looked great a felt it lacked substance, the characters were (with the exception of Russell Crowe in the title role) 1 dimensional, and the story disappointing. Still, I'm sure this will be a 'must-have' DVD - certainly in the UK where it will be the first DTS release. Features DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 on the same disk so it will sound fantastic, and should look just as gorgeous at home as it did in the cinema! Get out there any get it while it's hot! <read more>
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The Great Escape - DVD
Director: John Sturges; Cast: Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough
Not really a football film, but it does feature that theme tune! Special Edition features a 5x3 England Flag. Useful for hiding your head in when we go out in the first round! <read more>
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - DVD
Director: Chris Columbus; Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Kenneth Branagh et al.
Dispensing with the build-up and intro needed for the first film means that the Chamber of Secrets can get straight into the story - which is much darker than that of the first Harry Potter. And the young actors seem much more settled in their roles, although I still think Daniel Radcliffe has some way to go…… The supporting cast is outstanding as well, with Keneth Branagh playing Gilderoy Lockhart to perfection! <read more>
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (UK Edition: Harry Potter and the Philospophers Stone) - DVD
Director: Chris Columbus; Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane
OK, so it was never going to match the book 100%, but they got pretty close with the big-screen adaption of the first of the Harry Potter series! With a follow film every 12 months, this one can be excused from having a little too much scene-setting for my liking, but otherwise it looks fantastic, and the novice actors play their parts well. If you like (and who doesnt) the books, you will love the film - but expect them to get better! <read more>
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Independence Day : Special Edition - DVD
Director: Roland Emmerich; Cast: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum
It's the greatest B Movie ever made!!!! And if you're not from the US, it's the greatest piece of jingoistic nonsense ever made! "I say, what ho Ginger!" is about the best the producers can manage for the British - who are probably still flying around in English Patient-style Biplanes as far as most Americans are concerned!! Anyway, rant over, it's a great fun, action-packed blockbuster full of completely wonderful special effects. And how convenient that it all happens on July 4th……. <read more>
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Jaws - 25th Anniversary Collectors Edition (DTS) - DVD
Director: Steven Spielberg; Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
Now available on DVD, anyone who didn't see the movie in the Cinema can now appreciate what the fuss was all about - the picture is fantastic, the sound (particular on the DTS version) is pristine. Spielberg keeps building the suspense by not showing the shark - and it works so well. If you've never been scared by a crackly viewing on TV, then get the DVD and prepare to be terrified! (UK Edition not DTS) <read more>
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Jurassic Park Collectors Edition (DTS) - DVD
Director: Steven Spielberg; Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck
Well it can't match Jaws for suspense, but those Dinosaur scenes! Maybe SFX have moved on since 1993 (is it really that long?), but the stampeding herd scene will live long in most people's minds! The story (if you didn't know!) is that a billionaire scientist has cloned Dinosaurs from DNA taken from fossilised Mosquitos, and the Dinosaurs have broken free from the Theme Park that they've been placed in! (UK Edition not DTS) <read more>
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The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring - DVD
Director: Peter Jackson; Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen
As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jacksons ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkiens classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkiens creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it is long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodos adventure. Ending on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation, this wondrous fantasy continues in The Two Towers (2002). <read more>
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The Matrix - DVD
Director: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski; Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne
MUST HAVE DVD! Buy it for the SFX, then run it through a decent Dolby Digital Amplifier and Speaker setup and revel in the sound! But the amazing thing about the Matrix is that beyond all of the effects there's a really decent story here - Reeves plays a hacker 'Neo' who finds that his whole world is in fact a sham, and that humans are merely an energy source for the all-powerful machines that now rule. <read more>
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The Sixth Sense - DVD
Director: M Night Shyamalan; Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment
"Exceptional thriller about a dedicated child psychologist who faces his greatest challenge in reaching and understanding a young boy who spends his life paralyzed by fear, because he lives in a world of ghosts." Buy the DVD for the fascinating directors commentary, and then watch the film again and get even more out of it - even knowing the ending! <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
The fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation saw some of the very best of all 178 shows. "Darmok" had the feel of a "classic Trek" episode, dealing with language as metaphor. "The First Duty" challenged Wesley Crusher's loyalties. The season closer "Time's Arrow" (which concluded in year 6) ranks as one of the best TNG cliffhangers, and treats fans to canon-changing story lines and tons of in-jokes. Best of all was the painfully melancholy "The Inner Light," in which Picard experiences an alternate lifetime. There were great guest stars--Paul Winfield ("Darmok"), Ashley Judd ("The Game"), Kelsey Grammar ("Cause and Effect"), Famke Janssen ("The Perfect Mate"), and Jerry Hardin ("Time's Arrow")--and as always there were contributions from Q, Lwaxana, and Barclay, too. <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete First Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
Since the ending of the original Star Trek series there had been a number of attempts to revive the franchise - from the animated series to The Motion Picture - but none created the legacy like ST:TNG. This first series is somewhat flawed, but still worth a watch. It suffers from trying to be too much like the original (Roddenberrys influence I suspect) and is not immediately sure where some of the characters should fit it - but that doesnt make it any less enjoyable. Note: Image shown is the US Edition - the UK Edition has (in my opinion) much nicer packaging! <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fourth Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation seemed like the year of family. After quickly resolving the breathtaking cliffhanger of "The Best of Both Worlds," the show took pains to show some of what the Federation was fighting for. We meet Picard's brother, Data's father, Tasha's sister, and Worf's adoptive human parents, plus an old flame with a surprise son in tow. The Klingon heritage subplot that begins here and builds to the cliffhanger finale ("Redemption") would continue to the show's end and through into Worf's reappearance in Deep Space Nine. <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Second Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Diana Muldaur, Whoopi Goldberg
Series two really seems to split the fans. Dr Crusher is replaced for a season by Dr Pulaski - who I hated, but some people see as a stronger character. Anyway, Beverly will be back in time for Season 3, so no need to panic. The season was cut short due to a writers strike - which of course in Britain would mean no season, but in the US means we just lose 4 episodes! The key episode (not just for this season but the whole series) is Q Who - where the Borg make their first appearance! <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Seventh Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
The seventh and final season of Star Trek: The Next Generation will always remain a curiosity in TV sci-fi history. Despite the end being definite, despite Deep Space Nine taking over, despite knowing there'd be a movie six months after the series' end, and despite Babylon 5 starting that year with its predetermined story arc, there is nothing here to suggest things were coming to a close. Wesley finally gets dispatched ("Journey's End"), but everyone was waiting for that anyway. Some continuity was attempted: there's a sequel to season 1's "The Battle" ("Bloodlines"), Alexander follows the Klingon soap saga through ("Firstborn"), the Maquis and the Cardassians are mentioned several times, and there are final installments for Lwaxana Troi, Barclay, Lore, Guinan, and Ro Laren <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
As the sixth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation went into production, everyone knew that attentions would soon be permanently divided by the debut of Deep Space Nine. Sure enough, that meant crossovers ("Birthright"), guest stars, and references back and forth. The sense of baton-passing drew the TNG family closer, however. Directorial debuts begun in season 5 allowed for repeat group-huddle ownership of several shows. Jonathan Frakes bettered "The Quality of Life" by "The Chase," which finally offered an explanation why most races in the Trek universe are humanoid with knobbly foreheads. Patrick Stewart crowbarred a Western into the franchise in "A Fistful of Datas." LeVar Burton introduced the far more exciting Riker clone Thomas in "Second Chances." <read more>
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Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Third Season - DVD
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
Star Trek: The Next Generation's third year was an important development in syndicated television. After two shaky years, Paramount nonetheless decided the franchise still had plenty to do. Their confidence was bolstered by two significant factors. First, cast uncertainties were finally settled: Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) was back for good; Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) regretted her first-year departure, and so contrived a return in the Emmy Award-winning "Yesterday's Enterprise"; and Whoopi Goldberg happily continued her actor's-scale contributions. <read more>
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Terminator 2: Judgement Day - The Ultimate Edition - DVD
Director: James Cameron; Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong
He's back - again! Arnie returns in the 'Ultimate' DVD release - and they're not joking. Featuring Dolby Digital EX (that's the format that adds an extra central rear channel) and dts ES as well as over 6 hours of material - on one dual-sided, dual-layer DVD! You get the original Theatrical release as well as the Special Edition, a whole host of extras, and the best THX sound-bite to date! Get it now before they run out of the brushed metal cases! <read more>
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Toy Story & Toy Story 2: The Ultimate Toy Box (3 disc set) - DVD
Director: John Lasseter; Cast (voices):Tom Hanks, Tom Allen
"A boy's favorite toy, a cowboy doll named Woody, feels threatened (and rightly so) by the arrival of a new birthday present, a high-tech spaceman model advertised on TV. Clever, incredible-looking animated film, produced entirely on computer. A grownup story masquerading as a kid's film, this story of friendship, fickleness, and the need for acceptance features a colorful cast of characters led by Woody and his rival, Buzz Lightyear." <read more>
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