Twilight [Blu-ray] [2008]

TWILIGHT, based on the acclaimed novel by Stephenie Meyer, is the highly-anticipated movie of the ultimate forbidden love affair between a vampire and mortal. Boasting a whole host of bright young talent including Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Kristen Stewart (Into The Wild, What Just Happened) and Cam Gigandet (Never Back Down, The O.C.), the screenplay is written by Melissa Rosenberg (Step Up, The O.C.) and directed by the Award-winning filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen).Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother remarries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn’t expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she’s ever met. Intelligent and witty, he sees straight into her soul.

The Inbetweeners [DVD] [2008]

The Inbetweeners offers a comedic take on growing up in middle class suburbia. A place where there are no teen pregnancies, no drugs, no knife fights and no guns. It’s about a bunch of lads who get into real scrapes rather than real trouble.
Will’s (Simon Bird) parents have just divorced and he has unwillingly had to move area and change schools. He was previously at a private school, so has inherited some snobbish tendencies. He’s now at a comprehensive school where he has had to make a new set of friends. His newly found peers, Simon (Joe Thomas),Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison) are neither that cool and or that credible.

Death Race Blu-Ray With Digital Copy [2008]

Producer Roger Corman's cult classic film Death Race 2000 gets a millennium overhaul with director Paul W.S. Anderson (Event Horizon, Resident Evil) behind the wheel. Jason Statham (The Transporter, The Bank Job) plays Jensen Ames, a prisoner who is serving a sentence for a crime that he didn't commit. But in this futuristic society, Ames can compete for his freedom with a victory in a brutal three-day race.Joan Allen (The Ice Storm, The Bourne Supremacy), Tyrese Gibson (Baby Boy, 2 Fast 2 Furious) and Ian McShane (Hot Rod, TV's Deadwood) co-star in this high octane chase film.This Blu-ray Disc comes with the following language tracks: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army [Blu-ray] [2008]

The feverish Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is a very busy sequel that might have looked unhinged in the hands of a less visionary director than Guillermo del Toro. Ron Perlman returns as Hellboy, aka "Red," the Dark Horse Comics demon-hero with roots in the mythical world but personal ties in the human realm. Still working, as he was in Hellboy, for a secret department of the federal government that deals (as in "Men In Black") with forces of the fantastic, Red and his colleagues take on a royal elf (Luke Goss) determined to smash a longtime truce between mankind and the forces of magic. Meanwhile, Red's relationship with girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), who can burst into flames at will, is going through a rocky stage observed by Red's fishy friend Abe (Doug Jones), himself struck by love in this film. Del Toro brilliantly integrates the ordinary and extraordinary, diving into an extended scene set in a troll market barely hidden behind the façade of typical city streets. He also unleashes a forest monster that devastates an urban neighborhood, but then--interestingly--brings a luminous beauty to the same area as the creature (an "elemental") succumbs to a terrible death. Del Toro's art direction proves masterful, too, in a climactic battle set in a clockworks-like stronghold tucked away in rugged Irish landscape. But it's really the juxtaposition of visual marvels with not-so-unusual relationship issues that gives Hellboy 2 a certain jaunty appeal hard to find in other superhero movies. --Tom Keogh

I Am Legend [Blu-ray] [2007]

Will Smith stars in the third adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic science-fiction novel about a lone human survivor in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by vampires. This new version somewhat alters Matheson’s central hook, i.e., the startling idea that an ordinary man, Robert Neville, spends his days roaming a desolated city and his nights in a house sealed off from longtime neighbours who have become bloodsucking fiends. In the new film, Smith’s Neville is a military scientist charged with finding a cure for a virus that turns people into crazed, hairless, flesh-eating zombies. Failing to complete his work in time, and after enduring a personal tragedy, Neville finds himself alone in Manhattan, his natural immunity to the virus keeping him alive. With an expressive German shepherd, his only companion, Neville is a hunter-gatherer in sunlight, hiding from the mutants at night in his Washington Square town house and methodically conducting experiments in his ceaseless quest to conquer the disease.
The film’s first half almost suggests that I Am Legend could be one of the finest movies of 2007. Director Francis Lawrence’s extraordinary, computer-generated images of a decaying New York City reveal weeds growing through the cracks of familiar streets that are also overrun by deer and prowled by lions. It’s impossible not to be fascinated by such a realistically altered cityscape, reverting to a natural environment, through which Smith moves with a weirdly enviable freedom, offset by his wariness over whatever is lurking in the dark of bank vaults and parking garages. Lawrence and screenwriters Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman wisely build suspense by withholding images of the monsters until a peak scene of horror well into the story. It must be said, however, that the computer-enhanced creatures don’t look half as interesting as they might have had the filmmakers adhered more to Matheson’s vampire-nightmare vision. I Am Legend is ultimately noteworthy for Smith’s remarkable performance as a man so lonely he talks to mannequins in the shops he frequents. The film’s latter half goes too far in portraying Smith’s Neville as a pitiable man with a messianic mission, but this lapse into pathos does nothing to take away from the visual and dramatic accomplishments of its first hour. --Tom Keogh

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl

The movie that helped breathe new life into the summer blockbuster, the success of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl is remarkable for several reasons. Firstly, there’s the unlikely source material. There’s no previous history of theme park rides inspiring major hit movies, yet that’s just what’s happened here. Secondly, there’s the patchy performance of pirate-related movies over the years (does anyone remember seeing Cutthroat Island in a cinema?). And then there’s that performance from Johnny Depp, the one that had Disney executives in a flap prior to the release of the movie. His Captain Jack Sparrow is a fantastic, unlikely creation, proving to be both unpredictable yet utterly compelling. Such is his impact on the film that it’s hardly surprising Depp snared an Oscar nomination for the role.
Yet Depp’s performance shouldn’t blind anyone to the film’s many other qualities. The supporting cast, particularly the likes of Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce are all clearly having a whale of a time, while Gore Verbinski’s pacey yet controlled direction rarely lets the momentum slow. And with all their work grounded by a quality script and worthwhile story, the end result is a film that clicks in many, many different ways.
Of course, it’s now proved the inspiration for a pair of sequels, yet no matter how they turn out, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl will always stand as a quite brilliant example of what happens on those rare occasions when Hollywood blockbusters get it absolutely right. And it’s a treat that can easily be enjoyed time after time. --Simon Brew

Iron Man [Blu-ray] [2008]

You know you're going to get a different kind of superhero when you cast Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. And Iron Man is different, in welcome ways. Cleverly updated from Marvel Comics' longstanding series, Iron Man puts billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (that's Downey) in the path of some Middle Eastern terrorists; in a brilliantly paced section, Stark invents an indestructible suit that allows him to escape. If the rest of the movie never quite hits that precise rhythm again, it nevertheless offers plenty of pleasure, as the renewed Stark swears off his past as a weapons manufacturer, develops his new Iron Man suit, and puzzles both his business partner (Jeff Bridges in great form) and executive assistant (Gwyneth Paltrow). Director Jon Favreau geeks out in fun ways with the hardware, but never lets it overpower the movie, and there's always a goofy one-liner or a slapstick pratfall around to break the tension. As for Downey, he doesn't get to jitterbug around too much in his improv way, but he brings enough of his unpredictable personality to keep the thing fresh. And listen up, hardcore Marvel mavens: even if you know the Stan Lee cameo is coming, you won't be able to guess it until it's on the screen. It all builds to a splendid final scene, with a concluding line delivery by Downey that just feels absolutely right. --Robert Horton

Lewis - Series Three [DVD] [2009]

Kevin Whately stars as Oxford police's Inspector Lewis in this spin off of the hugely popular series INSPECTOR MORSE. Set five years after Morse's death, Lewis has returned from working in the British Virgin Isles to Oxford. This third series finds Lewis and his trusty sidekick D.S. Hathway (Laurence Fox) once again investigating mysterious murders in the idyllic surroundings of the University campus.

X-Men Trilogy [Blu-ray] [2000]

Contains the titles X-MEN, X-MEN 2, and X-MEN – THE LAST STAND. In X-MEN, the titular characters are a team of mutant peacekeepers led by Professor Xavier assigned the task of protecting the human race against the sinister Magneto. In X-MEN 2, the group once again return to save the world from a group of mutant creatures. In the White House, teleporting blue mutant Nightcrawler menaces the president. Meanwhile in the Canadian Rockies, Wolverine searches for answers to his mysterious past at the top-secret facility where he received his metallic skeleton and claws. In X-MEN – THE LAST STAND, Worthington Laboratories--using a powerful mutant boy--develops a serum that eliminates the 'mutant X gene' permanently. This so-called 'cure' quickly divides the mutant community; Professor Xavier and his school are willing to give the government the benefit of the doubt but Magneto and his mutant Brotherhood see the serum as a vile threat to their way of life. They form an army of mutants and march on the fortified Worthington Laboratory located on Alcatraz Island. A much more dire threat appears in the form of the resurrected super-mutant Jean Grey, who has succumbed to her cataclysmic identity known as The Phoenix

Nature's Great Events [DVD]

Nature’s Great Events takes up the mantle left by the stunning BBC series Planet Earth, and offers a closer look at some of the most fascinating and dramatic natural happenings on the planet. Narrated by David Attenborough, it digs in some detail into the impact on nature of certain events, and manages to hone in on small stories in the midst of major happenings. It’s a breathtaking cocktail.
What particularly lifts Nature’s Great Events too is the stunning photography. Those who recall Planet Earth will recall just how superb the shots within that frequently were, but if anything, Nature’s Great Events tops it. The cinematography here is world-class, and it greatly enhances the series around it as a result.
That said, there’s more than enough substance to Nature’s Great Events as it stands anyway. Diligently made and researched, and presented in an accessible, yet not condescending manner, it’s another major success for the BBC in this area, and further cements why it’s a world leader where natural history documentaries are concerned.
Credit must go too for the decision to include the making-of material. Back when the BBC broadcast The Blue Planet, these were often just as interesting as the main feature itself, and the same is true here. It’s a genuinely fascinating insight into the production of such an ambitious, and unmissable, series. --Jon Foster

Skins 1 & 2 Box Set [DVD] [2006

Skins: the critically acclaimed drama about a group of pill popping, dope smoking, off the rails 17-year-olds, that’s a mixture of humorous, heartbreaking and sometimes shocking stories.
Tony, the most popular boy in town, a born leader, he likes a laugh and always at someone else’s expense – that was until he got hit by a bus and ended up in intensive care for six months.
Sid, forever lusting after his best mate Tony’s gorgeous girlfriend and even when he does fall for the total nutty but adorable and single Cassie, she moves to Scotland.
Michelle, quick witted and stunning she keeps everyone on their toes, except for Tony who runs rings around her, but would she really have it any other way?
Chris, the original party animal, always game for a laugh, he doesn’t need a family or a home as long as he has something to smoke, pop, screw and rob.
Super bright and sharp Jal, Michelle’s best friend, and talented classical clarinet player. But does that make her boring? Maybe it’s time she let her hair down.
Maxxie, the school sweetheart, can have any boy he wants and he wants most of them. He dreams of escaping Bristol to follow his passion of dancing.
Anwar’s family want him to study the Koran. Anwar likes tequila, dope, pills and breasts. End of.
Tony’s little sister Effy tends to keep her mouth shut, but gets up to more than anyone would care to know about, and she knows how to get what she wants too.
Dead posh, pretty and pumped full of prescription medication, Abigail, Michelle’s nemesis, lives in a world of imported carpets, private school and constant therapy.
Posh Kenneth offers us a rare mix of upper crust elocution and street bangin' language. What no-one knows is that the Big K is a big hit with the ladies too.
Sketch dreams only of Maxxie and in her world dreams do come true. Even if you have to force them a little.

Casino Royale (Deluxe Edition) [Blu-ray] [2006]

The most successful invigoration of a cinematic franchise since Batman Begins, Casino Royale offers a new Bond identity. Based on the Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 into a Cold War world, Casino Royale is the most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film since Sean Connery left Her Majesty's Secret Service. Meet the new Bond; not the same as the old Bond. Daniel Craig gives a galvanising performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, yes, but also a "blunt instrument," reckless and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. In classic Bond film tradition, his global itinerary takes him to far-flung locales, including Uganda, Madagascar, the Bahamas (that's more like it) and Montenegro, where he is pitted against his nemesis in a poker game, with hundreds of millions in the pot. The stakes get even higher when Bond lets down his armour by falling in love with Vesper (Eva Green), the ravishing banker's representative fronting him the money.
For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Aston Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?". There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M who, one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, who weeps blood, is a sinister dandy. From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, 'makes you feel it', particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy". But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last line ever in any Bond film. To quote Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin, "now I know what I've been faking all these years". --Donald Liebenson

Leonard Cohen - Live In London [DVD] [2008]

For over four decades, Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, a figure whose body of work achieves greater depths of mystery and meaning as time goes on. In 2008 Leonard Cohen embarked on his first tour in 15 years. Quickly recognised as musical folklore in the making, 29 of the original dates sold out almost immediately, leaving fans and critics alike hailing the show as a once in a lifetime experience. By popular demand, the tour was extended and by the end of that year it had reached 84 markets worldwide, selling more than 700,000 tickets. Live In London, his first new recording since 2004’s Dear Heather, was recorded live on July 17, 2008 at London’s 02 Arena.

Tracklisting Dance Me To The End Of Love / The Future / Ain’t No Cure For Love / Bird On The Wire / Everybody Knows / In My Secret Life / Who By Fire / Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye / Anthem / Introduction / Tower Of Song / Suzanne / The Gypsy’s Wife / Boogie Street /Hallelujah / Democracy / I’m Your Man / Recitation w/ N.L. / Take This Waltz / So Long, Marianne / First We Take Manhattan / Sisters Of Mercy / If It Be Your Will / Closing Time / I Tried To Leave You / Whither Thou Goest

The Jane Austen Book Club [DVD] [2007]

Lest there be any doubts about the ongoing relevance of the novels of Jane Austen, the charming Jane Austen Book Club will lay them to rest--with wit, sharp insight, and a wicked chuckle or three. Directed by the talented Robin Swicord, who adapted the book by Karen Joy Fowler (and also wrote the crackling screenplay for the 1994 version of Little Women), the film is a modern-day comedy of manners, with deeply felt emotions, repressed feelings, unquenched desire and embarrassing relatives--all staples of Austen works. The film centres on a group of six friends in Sacramento, California, who gather to distract themselves from loss (a newly dumped Sylvia, played with grace and quiet pain by Amy Brenneman), repressed disappointment (the prissy teacher Prudie, played by Emily Blunt), or a life of unrealised dreams (Jocelyn, played by Maria Bello, whose acting skills have gained great nuance, both in comedy and drama). All are devoted Austen fans, except the lone man, Grigg (Hugh Dancy, adorable and available, ladies), who has an ulterior motive for joining the chick-lit gang. As the months unfold, we learn about the relationships of all the members, and watch as elements of Austen's novels and characters pop up with enchanting regularity.
There's plenty of pride (Prudie), prejudice (Jocelyn), sense (Sylvia), and sensibility (Sylvia's daughter Allegra, headstrong and reckless in life and love, played by Maggie Grace)--and a fair amount of persuasion (Grigg and Sylvia's caddish ex, Daniel, a smooth Jimmy Smits). As the minuet of relationships and alliances unfolds over the months, the emotions are real and the leavening humour spot-on. About the only thing that doesn't ring true is seeing all these Sacramento women bundled up in shawls, blankets, thick sweaters and extra layers--even in July(!). Still, the film will engage even reluctant Austen readers (if there is such a thing). As Kathy Baker's Bernadette says gaily, "Jane Austen is the perfect antidote to life!" Elizabeth Bennett couldn't have put it better. --A.T. Hurley

Monty Python - The Movies (6 Disc Box Set) [DVD] [1971]

Contains the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail (two-disc special edition), Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life (two disc special edition), as well as And Now for Something Completely Different. In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the complete Python troupe is cast in a parody of the legend of the Holy Grail. The Knights of the Round Table battle dismembering foes and killer rabbits on their perilous quest. Life of Brian is a daring satire about a blundering prophet in New Testament times, called Brian Cohen, who is mistaken for the Messiah. In The Meaning of Life, the Pythons explain it all in an episodic, bawdy adventure as they satirise religion, birth control, British politics, Americans, hospitals and, of course, sex. Amongst the highlights are the 'Every Sperm Is Sacred' episode that starts off the film; the grim reaper visiting a bourgeois dinner party where there are some fishy goings on, and the gross Mr Creosote. And Now for Something Completely Different revolves around a collection of sketches from the Pythons' successful TV series, and includes 'Self Defence Against Soft Fruit', 'Blackmail', 'Hell's Grannies', 'The Townswomen's Guild's Reconstruction Of Pearl Harbour' and more.