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Suede—Introducing The Band

A document of their 1994 Dog Man Star tour, this captures Suede just about surviving the notorious crisis of losing that album's principal architect, Bernard Butler. Still, Brett Anderson bumps and minces with considerable verve and new boy Richard Oakes oozes confidence nevertheless. More interesting are the accompanying tour films, dedicated to Derek Jarman and visibly influenced by said director's Smiths promos. DVD EXTRAS: Lyrics menu, rare NFT video footage, teaser for accompanying Lost in TV DVD. Rating Star

A document of their 1994 Dog Man Star tour, this captures Suede just about surviving the notorious crisis of losing that album’s principal architect, Bernard Butler. Still, Brett Anderson bumps and minces with considerable verve and new boy Richard Oakes oozes confidence nevertheless. More interesting are the accompanying tour films, dedicated to Derek Jarman and visibly influenced by said director’s Smiths promos.

DVD EXTRAS: Lyrics menu, rare NFT video footage, teaser for accompanying Lost in TV DVD. Rating Star

Nico—An Underground Experience – Heroine

By the early-to-mid '80s, Nico was holed up in Manchester on the comeback trail junkie habit in tow. A live performance at the Library Theatre, Heroine is a funereal study of stark cool, drawing on The Velvet Underground?"All Tomorrow's Parties", "Femme Fatale"?alongside rather less celebrated fare from Camera Obscura (1985) and Drama Of Exile (1981). The inferior An Underground Experience places her in a nameless club?haunted, drawn and distant. The highlight is the painfully squirming interviewer struggling amidst bored, monosyllabic replies. DVD EXTRAS: Complete discography, individual track access. Rating Star

By the early-to-mid ’80s, Nico was holed up in Manchester on the comeback trail junkie habit in tow. A live performance at the Library Theatre, Heroine is a funereal study of stark cool, drawing on The Velvet Underground?”All Tomorrow’s Parties”, “Femme Fatale”?alongside rather less celebrated fare from Camera Obscura (1985) and Drama Of Exile (1981).

The inferior An Underground Experience places her in a nameless club?haunted, drawn and distant. The highlight is the painfully squirming interviewer struggling amidst bored, monosyllabic replies.

DVD EXTRAS: Complete discography, individual track access. Rating Star

The Prisoner 35th Anniversary Companion

On this "Special Edition" DVD you get a wealth of biographical information and visual material, as well as a Renault 21 TV ad based on this legendary Cold War-era feast for late-'60s conspiracy theorists. The holy grail for Prisoner fanatics, however, is a rough-cut, alternative version of episode one, "Arrival", never officially available before, featuring different intro music. Scoff if you like, but remember we're talking here about probably the most iconic opening sequence in British TV history. DVD EXTRAS: Patrick McGoohan biography, stills and merchandise gallery, production notes for each episode. Rating Star

On this “Special Edition” DVD you get a wealth of biographical information and visual material, as well as a Renault 21 TV ad based on this legendary Cold War-era feast for late-’60s conspiracy theorists. The holy grail for Prisoner fanatics, however, is a rough-cut, alternative version of episode one, “Arrival”, never officially available before, featuring different intro music. Scoff if you like, but remember we’re talking here about probably the most iconic opening sequence in British TV history.

DVD EXTRAS: Patrick McGoohan biography, stills and merchandise gallery, production notes for each episode. Rating Star

Easy Does It

US cable giant HBO once more deliver the goods with this ambitious adaptation of Stephen E Ambrose's non-fiction bestseller, presented here as a box set. Produced by Saving Private Ryan alumni Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, this 10-hour epic is the finest 'WWII through the eyes of one unit' drama s...

US cable giant HBO once more deliver the goods with this ambitious adaptation of Stephen E Ambrose’s non-fiction bestseller, presented here as a box set. Produced by Saving Private Ryan alumni Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, this 10-hour epic is the finest ‘WWII through the eyes of one unit’ drama since Sam Fuller’s The Big Red One in 1980. Following the real-life exploits of the 101st Airborne Division’s Easy Company during their casualty-laced tour of the European theatre, Band Of Brothers foregoes flag-waving heroics (

Waking Life

Richard Linklater takes the po-faced monologues of Slacker up a level with this extraordinary, state-of-the-art, animated dream trip. The endless navel-gazing and philosophising (Are we alive? Are we imagining everything? There's not gonna be a car chase in this, is there?) are undeniably wearing, but you have to admire the only sentient Texan's ambition and nerve. DVD EXTRAS: None. (CR)

Richard Linklater takes the po-faced monologues of Slacker up a level with this extraordinary, state-of-the-art, animated dream trip. The endless navel-gazing and philosophising (Are we alive? Are we imagining everything? There’s not gonna be a car chase in this, is there?) are undeniably wearing, but you have to admire the only sentient Texan’s ambition and nerve.

DVD EXTRAS: None.

(CR)

Sleeper Hit

It's tempting to see Pedro Almod...

It’s tempting to see Pedro Almod

Horror Roundup

American thriller writer Peter Neal (Tony Franciosa) arrives in Rome to publicise his latest novel. Then people start dying in increasingly grisly ways?all copied from Neal's book. Dario Argento's long-banned blood-drenched whodunnit is released in uncut form for the first time... but this hasn't cured the gaping holes in the plot. For gorehounds only.

American thriller writer Peter Neal (Tony Franciosa) arrives in Rome to publicise his latest novel. Then people start dying in increasingly grisly ways?all copied from Neal’s book. Dario Argento’s long-banned blood-drenched whodunnit is released in uncut form for the first time… but this hasn’t cured the gaping holes in the plot. For gorehounds only.

Pollock

Years of Ed Harris' life went into realising this biopic of action painter Jackson Pollock. As director, he's workmanlike, though he does catch the exhilaration of the artist at work. As star, he's superb, avoiding clich...

Years of Ed Harris’ life went into realising this biopic of action painter Jackson Pollock. As director, he’s workmanlike, though he does catch the exhilaration of the artist at work. As star, he’s superb, avoiding clich

Windtalkers

Action emperor John Woo raises hell in the Pacific for this noisy WWII epic, which is grounded in real events. The grand-canvas battle scenes rule, but Nic Cage's hammy turn as an emotionally scarred hero charged with guarding a Navajo code-talker lets the side down. Still, the battle sequences are up there with Sam Fuller's best. DVD EXTRAS: Several backstage documentaries, commentary by a genuine Navajo code-talker, shared chat between Cage and co-star Christian Slater. Rating Star

Action emperor John Woo raises hell in the Pacific for this noisy WWII epic, which is grounded in real events. The grand-canvas battle scenes rule, but Nic Cage’s hammy turn as an emotionally scarred hero charged with guarding a Navajo code-talker lets the side down. Still, the battle sequences are up there with Sam Fuller’s best.

DVD EXTRAS: Several backstage documentaries, commentary by a genuine Navajo code-talker, shared chat between Cage and co-star Christian Slater. Rating Star

O

Despite the presence of the hapless Josh Hartnett, Tim Blake Nelson (him from O Brother, Where Art Thou) stirs up a sprightly, sinister revamp of Othello. Mekhi Phifer's fine as the school basketball hero who blows his future when jealous Josh, in the lago role, convinces him Julia Stiles is a duplicitous Desdemona. All this and Martin Sheen trying to look non-presidential as the sports coach.

Despite the presence of the hapless Josh Hartnett, Tim Blake Nelson (him from O Brother, Where Art Thou) stirs up a sprightly, sinister revamp of Othello. Mekhi Phifer’s fine as the school basketball hero who blows his future when jealous Josh, in the lago role, convinces him Julia Stiles is a duplicitous Desdemona. All this and Martin Sheen trying to look non-presidential as the sports coach.

Married To The Mob

Two years before GoodFellas, Jonathan Demme nailed the comical backstage soap opera element of modern-day mobsters and their brassy womenfolk in this cheery 1988 farce. Michelle Pfeiffer is the blousy Mafia wife who wants out, while Matthew Modine plays the FBI agent on her trail. It feels a little too clean and lightweight today, but the roots of The Sopranos are buried in here somewhere.

Two years before GoodFellas, Jonathan Demme nailed the comical backstage soap opera element of modern-day mobsters and their brassy womenfolk in this cheery 1988 farce. Michelle Pfeiffer is the blousy Mafia wife who wants out, while Matthew Modine plays the FBI agent on her trail. It feels a little too clean and lightweight today, but the roots of The Sopranos are buried in here somewhere.

Bugsy Malone

Leaving aside the Paul Williams soundtrack and Jodie Foster's performance (which aren't bad), Alan Parker's 1930s kiddie gangster musical, which dates back to 1976, combines a dozen bad things, including clunky dialogue, child actors, obvious sets and dull direction. Kids would probably find it patronising, and to the rest of us it falls somewhere between cloyingly cute and downright dodgy. DVD EXTRAS: Trailers, storyboards, trivia, character notes, photo gallery. Rating Star

Leaving aside the Paul Williams soundtrack and Jodie Foster’s performance (which aren’t bad), Alan Parker’s 1930s kiddie gangster musical, which dates back to 1976, combines a dozen bad things, including clunky dialogue, child actors, obvious sets and dull direction. Kids would probably find it patronising, and to the rest of us it falls somewhere between cloyingly cute and downright dodgy.

DVD EXTRAS: Trailers, storyboards, trivia, character notes, photo gallery. Rating Star

Murder By Numbers

Sandra Bullock got little credit for branching out as a gum-chewing, neurotic hardcase in this clever Barbet Schroeder cop thriller. Two Dostoyevsky students commit the perfect murder as an intellectual challenge; it's up to boozy Bullock and sidekick Ben Chaplin to rattle their smugness. Schroeder ensures it has a dark heart.

Sandra Bullock got little credit for branching out as a gum-chewing, neurotic hardcase in this clever Barbet Schroeder cop thriller. Two Dostoyevsky students commit the perfect murder as an intellectual challenge; it’s up to boozy Bullock and sidekick Ben Chaplin to rattle their smugness. Schroeder ensures it has a dark heart.

The Last Supper

Initially promising black comedy, acidly penned by Dan (Dead Man's Curve) Rosen, which follows a group of student types as their campaign for political correctness moves from right-on moaning to casually poisoning anyone whose views don't dovetail with their own. Even an early Cameron Diaz performance can't stop it losing momentum late on. DVD EXTRAS: None. (CR)

Initially promising black comedy, acidly penned by Dan (Dead Man’s Curve) Rosen, which follows a group of student types as their campaign for political correctness moves from right-on moaning to casually poisoning anyone whose views don’t dovetail with their own. Even an early Cameron Diaz performance can’t stop it losing momentum late on.

DVD EXTRAS: None.

(CR)

The Driller Killer

Abel Ferrara's 1979 directorial debut achieved notoriety as a video nasty, but those seeking gore will be largely disappointed. It's an exceedingly bleak portrait of an artist (Ferrara) cracking up and relieving the stress by offing homeless bums with a hand drill. Doom-laden angst that's almost unbearable on any level.

Abel Ferrara’s 1979 directorial debut achieved notoriety as a video nasty, but those seeking gore will be largely disappointed. It’s an exceedingly bleak portrait of an artist (Ferrara) cracking up and relieving the stress by offing homeless bums with a hand drill. Doom-laden angst that’s almost unbearable on any level.

The Guru

Typically inane British comedy which reduces centuries of Asian culture to a Carry On joke. Jimi Mistry, not an actor you want to see doing the Macarena, is a bozo mistaken for an expert on all matters carnal. Spotting a chance to whip her kit off, Heather Graham, the 21st-century's Greta Scacchi, turns up as 'love' interest. Imagine, if you will, Bombay Dreams starring Robin Askwith.

Typically inane British comedy which reduces centuries of Asian culture to a Carry On joke. Jimi Mistry, not an actor you want to see doing the Macarena, is a bozo mistaken for an expert on all matters carnal. Spotting a chance to whip her kit off, Heather Graham, the 21st-century’s Greta Scacchi, turns up as ‘love’ interest. Imagine, if you will, Bombay Dreams starring Robin Askwith.

Chance Encounter

Peter Sellers and director Hal Ashby both hit autumnal peaks in this immortal comedy from 1979. Based on Jerzy Kosinski's scathing novel about a mentally challenged gardener who's mistaken for a profound soothsayer by America's political elite, Being There does a balancing act between magical fable and caustic satire. Sellers plays the gardener, Chance, a childlike innocent abroad whose accidental encounter with a dying tycoon (Melvyn Douglas) and his sexually frustrated wife (Shirley MacLaine) propels him towards the highest office in the land. Despite a few lapses into clumsy farce, Ashby holds his nerve and delivers an incredibly rare example of mainstream US cinema steeped in intelligence, subtlety and ambiguity. Sellers partly based his Oscar-nominated characterisation of Chance on comic idol Stan Laurel. This timeless fairy tale about faith, hope and delusion is ever more terrifyingly relevant considering the jug-eared goon currently squatting in the Oval Office.

Peter Sellers and director Hal Ashby both hit autumnal peaks in this immortal comedy from 1979. Based on Jerzy Kosinski’s scathing novel about a mentally challenged gardener who’s mistaken for a profound soothsayer by America’s political elite, Being There does a balancing act between magical fable and caustic satire. Sellers plays the gardener, Chance, a childlike innocent abroad whose accidental encounter with a dying tycoon (Melvyn Douglas) and his sexually frustrated wife (Shirley MacLaine) propels him towards the highest office in the land. Despite a few lapses into clumsy farce, Ashby holds his nerve and delivers an incredibly rare example of mainstream US cinema steeped in intelligence, subtlety and ambiguity. Sellers partly based his Oscar-nominated characterisation of Chance on comic idol Stan Laurel. This timeless fairy tale about faith, hope and delusion is ever more terrifyingly relevant considering the jug-eared goon currently squatting in the Oval Office.

Villa Des Roses

Belgian director Frank Van Passel's handsome Euro-pudding adaptation of a novel by Flemish writer Willem Elsschot evokes bohemian, early 20th-century Paris with sepia-toned style?think Moulin Rouge meets Delicatessen. Sadly, a fine ensemble cast (including Julie Delpy, Shirley Henderson, Timothy West) are wasted on a routine, soapy plot about class, manners, infidelity and looming war. DVD EXTRAS: Trailers and scene selection.Rating Star

Belgian director Frank Van Passel’s handsome Euro-pudding adaptation of a novel by Flemish writer Willem Elsschot evokes bohemian, early 20th-century Paris with sepia-toned style?think Moulin Rouge meets Delicatessen. Sadly, a fine ensemble cast (including Julie Delpy, Shirley Henderson, Timothy West) are wasted on a routine, soapy plot about class, manners, infidelity and looming war.

DVD EXTRAS: Trailers and scene selection.Rating Star

Lovely And Amazing

Touted as 'Sex & The City: The Movie', as Nicole Holofcener often directs the series, this nervy comedy's actually closer in neurotic spirit to her earlier, excellent Walking And Talking. Catherine Keener stars, but Brenda Blethyn's mugging threatens to upset the work of Jake Gyllenhaal and Emily Mortimer. Women on the verge.

Touted as ‘Sex & The City: The Movie’, as Nicole Holofcener often directs the series, this nervy comedy’s actually closer in neurotic spirit to her earlier, excellent Walking And Talking. Catherine Keener stars, but Brenda Blethyn’s mugging threatens to upset the work of Jake Gyllenhaal and Emily Mortimer. Women on the verge.

Kes

Ken Loach's 1969 masterpiece (based on Barry Hines' novel and produced/co-written by Tony Garnett, later behind This Life and The Cops) remains the template for grim oop north dramas. Its honesty, spontaneity and spiky humour shame more recent dilutions such as the appalling, infuriatingly overrated Billy Elliot. When a young Yorkshire lad, ignored by his loutish mom and brother and beaten down by grumpy, bullying teachers, finds a baby kestrel on the moors, he discovers a purpose in life, vowing to train it to fly. Only one teacher (Colin Welland) is sympathetic. David Bradley (never to repeat this success) is starkly affecting as the boy, his eyes hosting twin worlds of fear and delight, and Loach patents his technique of mining comedy from communal despair. One of the most significant British films of its era, Kes makes a virtue of its rough edges. You'll believe a small falcon can fly. DVD EXTRAS: Original theatrical trailer, interactive menu screens, chapter selections. Rating Star

Ken Loach’s 1969 masterpiece (based on Barry Hines’ novel and produced/co-written by Tony Garnett, later behind This Life and The Cops) remains the template for grim oop north dramas. Its honesty, spontaneity and spiky humour shame more recent dilutions such as the appalling, infuriatingly overrated Billy Elliot.

When a young Yorkshire lad, ignored by his loutish mom and brother and beaten down by grumpy, bullying teachers, finds a baby kestrel on the moors, he discovers a purpose in life, vowing to train it to fly. Only one teacher (Colin Welland) is sympathetic. David Bradley (never to repeat this success) is starkly affecting as the boy, his eyes hosting twin worlds of fear and delight, and Loach patents his technique of mining comedy from communal despair. One of the most significant British films of its era, Kes makes a virtue of its rough edges. You’ll believe a small falcon can fly.

DVD EXTRAS: Original theatrical trailer, interactive menu screens, chapter selections. Rating Star