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.

10 Minute Solution - Blast Off Belly Fat [DVD]

No time to exercise? We have the solution for you the 10 Minute Solution! Everyone can find at least ten minutes in their day and we ve developed 5 dynamic workouts that are just 10 minutes each. The workouts were specifically designed to attack your midsection from every angle for optimum results. These compact, ultra-efficient workouts fit into even the busiest of schedules. Split them into 5 separate workouts or do them all together for one amazing, belly-fat-blasting workout!

Wallace And Gromit - A Matter Of Loaf And Death [DVD] [2008]

Wallace and Gromit have opened a new bakery – Top Bun – and business is booming, not least because a deadly Cereal Killer has murdered all the other bakers in town. Gromit is worried that they may be the next victims, but Wallace couldn’t care – he’s fallen head over heels in love with Piella Bakewell, former star of the Bake-O-Lite bread commercials. So Gromit is left to run things on his own, when he’d much rather be getting better acquainted with Piella’s lovely pet poodle Fluffles. But then Gromit makes a shocking discovery which points to the killer's true identity. Can he save his master from becoming the next baker to be butchered? And does Fluffles know more than she is saying? It’s a classic 'who-doughnut' mystery, as four-time Academy Award winning director Nick Park creates a hilarious new masterpiece in the tradition of 'master of suspense' Alfred Hitchcock.

The Complete Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister - Collector's Boxset [DVD]

Yes Minister series 1:The first series of the elegant sitcom-cum-farce-cum-sophisticated political satire Yes Minister, sets off Paul Eddington's Jim Hacker, Minister for Administrative Affairs, against Nigel Hawthorne's discreetly obstructive civil servant Sir Humphrey. It features the pilot episode, 'Open Government', curious in that it contains different and distinctly inferior opening and closing credits to the rest of the series. You also sense that Mrs Hacker was originally intended to have a larger role, with comedy focussing on the clash between political and domestic commitments, until the writers wisely decided to focus on the stand-off between Jim and Sir Humphrey, with Derek Fowlds' mousy private secretary Bernard making occasional interjections. While Sir Humphrey is at times a little too sinister for sitcom consumption, all the classic features quickly show up. Hacker's occasional Churchillian bombast, followed by panicky blank double-takes when flummoxed, Sir Humphrey's unflappable verbosity as he brings the dead weight of civil service bureaucracy to bear against Hacker's naively optimistic schemes for open government, Quangos and slashing red tape in episodes like 'The Economy Drive'. Ironic, that when this was first screened in the 80s, it was during the rampages of early Thatcherism in which Government had never been less like the ineffectual politicking satirised here. --David Stubbs
Yes Prime Minister series 2:Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's superb sitcom Yes Prime Minister entered 10 Downing Street with Jim Hacker now Prime Minister of Britain, following a campaign to 'Save the British Sausage'. Whether tackling defence ('The Grand Design'), local government ('Power to the People') or the National Education Service, all of Jim Hacker's bold plans for reform generally come to nothing, thanks to the machinations of Nigel Hawthorne's complacent Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey (Jeeves to Hacker's Wooster) who opposes any action of any sort on the part of the PM altogether. This is usually achieved by discreet horse-trading. In 'One of Us', for instance, Hacker relents from implementing defence cuts when he is presented with the embarrassingly large bill he ran up in a vote-catching mission to rescue a stray dog on an army firing range. Only in 'The Tangled Web', the final episode of Series 2, does the PM at last turn the tables on Sir Humphrey. Paul Eddington is a joy as Hacker, whether in mock-Churchillian mode or visibly cowering whenever he is congratulated on a "courageous" idea. Jay and Lynn's script, meanwhile, is a dazzlingly Byzantine exercise in wordplay, wittily reflecting the verbiage-to-substance ratio of politics. Ironically, Yes Prime Minister is an accurate depiction of practically all political eras except its own, the 1980s, when Thatcher successfully carried out a radical programme regardless of harrumphing senior civil servants. --David Stubbs

Cranford : Complete BBC Series [2007] [DVD]

Based on a trio of novels by Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford is the latest in a long line of sumptuous costume dramas from the BBC. And it’s a fine addition to the BBC’s heritage too, pulling together a stellar cast for an involving, highly enjoyable series that’s well worth picking up on DVD.
The key asset Cranford has in its corner is that aforementioned cast. It’s lead by the marvellous Dame Judi Dench, and she’s in fine company alongside Dame Eileen Atkins, Francesca Annis, Michael Gambon, Julia Sawalha and Imelda Staunton. They’re just some of the residents of Cranford in the 1840s, a town in the north of England on the verge of potentially dramatic changes.
In the midst of the general feeling of unrest comes a new Doctor, Frank Harrison (played by Simon Woods). His presence further unsettles matters, thanks to his appeal to the town’s female contingent, and also his differing methods. From here, Cranford goes on to deliver an engrossing cocktail of humour, emotion and raw drama that’s quite brilliantly put together.
Cranford is, ultimately, the kind of lavish production that we’ve come to know and admire from the BBC. It’s a very good drama, spread across five episodes, that simply leaves you thirsting for the next time the corporation unlocks the costume cupboard. That time can’t come soon enough. --Jon Foster

Doctor Who : Complete BBC Series 4 [2008] [DVD]

Kicking off with a jam-packed Christmas special and ending with a blockbuster extended closing instalment, Doctor Who?s fourth series since it was revived is a breathless, exciting one, that also boasts some exceptional episodes.
You get fourteen episodes for your money here, and the ones in particular to watch out for are the outstanding Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead double header, the almost single-location creepfest that is Midnight, and the trio of Turn Left, The Stolen Earth and Journey?s End that round off the series. In the midst of those is also one of the very best cliffhangers that Doctor Who has ever employed in its long and glorious history.
This is also the series of Doctor Who that introduces Catherine Tate as full-time companion Donna Noble, working alongside David Tennant?s Doctor across time and space. And it?s--against initial expectations--arguably the best combination since the show returned. Here, there?s no hint of romance between the pair, as they instead knuckle down to business, occasionally helped by the likes of Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Jack Harkness (John Barrowman).
Let?s not forget too the collection of monsters we meet this time round. The daleks and Davros are the main attractions in Doctor Who Series 4, while the return of the Sontarans proves to be a bit of a disappointment. But, after viewing the series, chances are you?ll be counting shadows around you, and wary of getting on the wrong side of the Ood.
As with most series of Doctor Who, there are one or two bumpy episodes and missteps, but this is still unmatched at what it does, and finds the show in even more confident form than last time round. That, along with the immense rewatch value, is what makes this terrific piece of family entertainment such a compelling buy. --Simon Brew

The Kite Runner [DVD] [2007]

Like the bestselling book upon which it's based, The Kite Runner will haunt the viewer long after the film is over. A tale of childhood betrayal, innocence, harsh reality, and dreamy memory, The Kite Runner faces good and evil--and the path between them, though often blurry and sorrowfully relative. Director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland) presents a painterly vision of Afghanistan before the Soviet tanks, before the Taliban--lush, verdant, fertile--in its landscape and in its people and their history and hopes. The story follows two young boys' friendship, tested beyond endurance, and the haunting of their adult selves by what happened in their youth--and what horrors befall their country in the meantime. The performances of the two boys--Zekeria Ebrahimi (Amir) and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada (Hassan)--are the film's strongest, unforced and gently evocative. The penance paid by their adult selves is foreshadowed, but never predictable--and the metaphor of innocence lost, a common theme in Forster's work, keeps the film, like the title kites, truly aloft. --A.T. Hurley