Actors & Directors
- Stan Kirsch
- Adrian Paul
- Alexandra Vandernoot
Run time: 91 min.
RRP: £10.99
Price: £4.99
Review Highlander: Family Tree / Entertainment in Video:
Actors & Directors
- Westfälische Nachtigallen
Run time: 144 min.
Price: £5.99
Review Star Trek : The Original Series - Vol. 1.10 - Errand Of Mercy / The City On The Edge Of Forever / Operation Annihilate / Paramount Home Entertainment:One of the most popular and influential shows in the history of television, for many viewers the original Star Trek (1966-9) defines good science fiction: however much it tries to be about the future, it cannot help but reflect the values of its own time, and Star Trek's vision was very much a product of creator Gene Roddenberry's 1960s liberal-humanist idealism. Conceived at the height of the Cold War and during the escalation of the Vietnam conflict, his was a radical vision of a world where national and racial differences have been put aside and all people work together. With a policy of non-intervention in the affairs of other civilisations, and violence only as a last resort, Star Trek embodied a lost dream, a fantasy of what America could have been had John F Kennedy not been assassinated in 1963. Captain James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner) had the middle name of a Roman emperor, but otherwise shared his initials with the late president, and both were young, good-looking, womanising, charismatic popular heroes. If Kirk didn't uphold truth, justice and the American way from the White House, a big white starship was the next best thing. There was even a Russian, Mr Chekov (Walter Koenig), on the bridge, and the show delivered network TV's first inter-racial kiss between Kirk and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). Even though there was a white American male in control, it was still all a bit much for 1960s mainstream TV, hence the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, boldly going on its five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, only lasted three seasons and 72 episodes before being cancelled in 1969, the year man first walked on the moon. While the once-ground-breaking special effects now look routine, and the then-radical politics have now become part of the politically correct global mainstream, Star Trek retains an enduring popularity due to its strong storytelling-the show employed such top science fiction writers as Robert Bloch, Harlan Elllison, Richard Matheson, Norman Spinrad and Theodore Sturgeon-and admirable characters. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Scotty (James Doohan), Sulu (George Takei), Kirk, Chekov and Uhura remain icons for a world short of real heroes: loyal to the end, honest and utterly dedicated, these were the friends and colleagues who week after week trusted each other with their lives. Devoid of cynicism and self-interest the crew of the USS Enterprise never, ever let anyone down, and ultimately that is a very big reason for Star Trek's enduring popularity. [+]- Gary S Dalkin.
Release date: 1994-05-09
Run time: 28 min.
Price: £5.99
Review The Guyver - Data 2 - Battle Of The Guyvers / Manga Entertainment:
Actors & Directors
- Nana Visitor
- Rene Auberjonois
- Colm Meaney
- Avery Brooks
- Terry Farrell
Run time: 137 min.
Price: £15.99
Review Star Trek : Deep Space Nine - Special Collector's Edition / Paramount Home Entertainment:
![Review 2 Entertain Video / Red Dwarf - Complete Series 1-3 [Remastered] [1988]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CDET049GL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Danny John-Jules
- Craig Charles
- Norman Lovett
- Chris Barrie
- Ed Bye
Run time: 540 min.
Price: £69.99
Review Red Dwarf - Complete Series 1-3 [Remastered] [1988] / 2 Entertain Video:The slipcase enclosing this box set of the first three Red Dwarf series proclaims: "New model sequences, new footage, new effects. Digitally remastered sound, digitally enhanced pictures and brand new wooshy [sic] noises!!". It's all a far cry from when the Beeb simply re-used their old Doctor Who tapes, to the fans' subsequent consternation. As it happens, the tarting-up of these earliest episodes from the only successful sci-fi comedy show ever is seamlessly unobtrusive. The premise of the show-a vast spaceship blundering through the cosmos, inhabited by the last human being in the universe, a hologram of his dead bunkmate and a Little Richard lookalike evolved from a cat-was, from the earliest stages, redeemed by its detailed and careful deployment of classic sci-fi plot devices-time travel, virtual worlds, genetic engineering, you name it-with all the care and attention of "serious" sci-fi. However, in Red Dwarf, these concepts are shot through with obfuscation, trivia and the unerring sense that everything is about to go terribly, terribly wrong. So it is, then, that in a parallel universe the crew have feminine counterparts, a new form of spaceship drive looks suspiciously like a large box with stop and start buttons and jigsaws are completed by mysterious forces, to cite but three of the endless highlights contained herein. -Roger Thomas.
![Review Contender Entertainment Group / The Avengers - The M. Appeal Collection - Mission 4 [1961]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516SRQHVD7L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Roy Ward Baker
- Sidney Hayes
- Robert Asher
- Diana Rigg
- Patrick Macnee
Run time: 147 min.
Price: £12.99
Review The Avengers - The M. Appeal Collection - Mission 4 [1961] / Contender Entertainment Group:
![Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Star Trek Voyager - Vol. 2.8 - Lifesigns / Investigations [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FA6QM947L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Robert Duncan McNeill
- Les Landau
- Robert Beltran
- Cliff Bole
- Kate Mulgrew
- Roxann Biggs-Dawson
- Jennifer Lien
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £14.99
Review Star Trek Voyager - Vol. 2.8 - Lifesigns / Investigations [1996] / Paramount Home Entertainment:
Actors & Directors
- Yuriko Yamamoto
- Chikao Ôtsuka
- Toyoo Ashida
- Kenji Utsumi
- Toshio Furukawa
- Akira Kamiya
Run time: 85 min.
Price: £5.99
Review Fist Of The North Star - Vol. 6 / Manga Entertainment:
![Review Vision Video Ltd. / Warnings [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CMM0NHQWL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Billy Zane
- Stephen Baldwin
- A.J. Buckley
- Christian McIntire
- David O'Donnell
- Callie De Fabry
Run time: 83 min.
Price: £15.99
Review Warnings [2002] / Vision Video Ltd.:
![Review MGM Entertainment / Stargate SG-1 Vol. 2.11 - Missions 2.21 & 2.22 [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EMWGA7PGL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2000-08-28
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £7.05
Review Stargate SG-1 Vol. 2.11 - Missions 2.21 & 2.22 [1998] / MGM Entertainment:The 1994 film Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Since neither Kurt Russell nor James Spader would be able to commit, it gave the producers licence to tinker with the cast and the universe they'd explore. Replacing the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher's pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" pharaoh-like Goa'uld-the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There's something of The Time Tunnel to the show's premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. Episodes 21 & 22 finish Season Two: there's great fun to be had in "1969" and a time-travel plot that loops many aspects of the show's storylines together. The cliffhanger finale, "Out of Mind", has O'Neill experience an Aliens-style awakening 79 years into his future. [+]What the Hell happened? And why is he being asked so many questions about Earth's defences? -Paul Tonks.
![Review MGM Entertainment / Stargate SG-1 Vol. 2.9 - Missions 2.17 & 2.18 [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41AWRT6MF3L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Richard Dean Anderson
- Christopher Judge
- David Warry-Smith
- Jay Acovone
- Peter DeLuise
- Michael Shanks
- Amanda Tapping
Run time: 84 min.
Price: £7.99
Review Stargate SG-1 Vol. 2.9 - Missions 2.17 & 2.18 [1998] / MGM Entertainment:The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Since neither Kurt Russell nor James Spader would be able to commit, it gave the producers a licence to tinker with the cast and the universe they'd explore. Replacing the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher's pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" pharaohnic Goa'uld-the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There's something of The Time Tunnel to the show's premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. "The Serpent's Song" is a cry for help from the team's nemesis-Apophis-whom they've been fighting since the beginning. [+]It's a morality showcase all-round. Although deserving a "Holiday", the team just can't leave alien artefacts alone, which gets them into all manner of trouble playing with Ma'chello's body-swapping machine. This episode gives everyone a fantastic opportunity to impersonate one another. -Paul Tonks.
![Review Troma Inc / The Toxic Avenger Part 2 [1989]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y64VV4F3L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- John Altamura
- Ron Fazio
- Phoebe Legere
- Michael Herz
- Lloyd Kaufman
Run time: 90 min.
RRP: £10.99
Price: £4.99
Review The Toxic Avenger Part 2 [1989] / Troma Inc:
![Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Star Trek The Next Generation 31 : Deja Q / A Matter Of Perspective [1990]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512B3N9BJYL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Michael Dorn
- Patrick Stewart
- Jonathan Frakes
- Les Landau
- Whoopi Goldberg
- LeVar Burton
- Cliff Bole
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £10.99
Price: £9.99
Review Star Trek The Next Generation 31 : Deja Q / A Matter Of Perspective [1990] / Paramount Home Entertainment:
![Review 4 Front Video / Heavy Metal [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515M4M01AYL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Caroline Semple
- Don Francks
- Al Waxman
- Richard Romanus
- Harvey Atkin
- Gerald Potterton
- Jimmy T. Murakami
Run time: 87 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £2.30
Review Heavy Metal [1996] / 4 Front Video:As long as there is a need for adolescent male sexual fantasy, there will be an audience for Heavy Metal. Released in 1981 and based on stories from the graphic magazine of the same name, this silly and senseless the movie is an aimless, juvenile amalgam of disjointed stories and clashing visual styles. Hundreds of animators from around the world were employed, resulting in a near-total absence of creative cohesion in the finished product. It remains, for better and worse, a midnight-movie favourite for the stoner crowd-a movie best enjoyed by randy adolescents or near-adults in an altered state of consciousness. With a framing story about a glowing green orb claiming to be the embodiment of all evil, the film shuttles through eight episodic tales of sci-fi adventure, each fuelled by some of the most wretched rock music to emerge from the late 1970s-early 80s period. The most consistent trademark is an abundance of blood-splattering violence and wet-dream sex, the latter involving a succession of huge-breasted babes who shed their clothes at the drop of a G-string. It's rampantly brainless desire to fuel the young male libido becomes rather fun, and for all its incoherence Heavy Metal impresses for the ambitious artistry of its individual segments. Produced by Ivan Reitman (who went on to direct Ghostbusters), the voice talents include several Canadian veterans of the Second City improvisation comedy troupe-including John Candy, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Joe Flaherty-many of whom went on to greater fame on the US TV series Saturday Night Live. -Jeff Shannon DVD Special Features Feature-length Rough Cut with Optional Commentary by Carl MacEk, Production notes Theatrical trailer Documentary: Imagining Heavy Metal Art Galleries Deleted Scenes, Carl MacEk reading his book "Heavy Metal: The Movie" 1:85:1 widescreen anamorphic Dolby Digital 5. 1.
Actors & Directors
- Monika Schnarre
- Martin Kemp
- Sophie Ward
- Anthony Hickox
- Alexander Godunov
- Zach Galligan
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £17.98
Review Waxwork II : Lost In Time (1992) / Entertainment In Video:
![Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Star Trek Voyager - Vol. 7.9 [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PE4X0C8BL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Robert Beltran
- Kate Mulgrew
- Roxann Biggs-Dawson
- Jeri Ryan
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £3.89
Review Star Trek Voyager - Vol. 7.9 [1996] / Paramount Home Entertainment:Star Trek: Voyager, the first Trek spin-off to be made without any input at all from Gene Roddenberry, made its debut in 1995 and quickly established itself both as markedly different from cosmic cousin Deep Space Nine and as the successor to The Next Generation. Despite a lack of originality in its premise (Lost in Space anyone?), Voyager has often been a bigger ratings success than any of its predecessors. Catapulted unwittingly to the far-flung Delta Quadrant, the crew of the Federation vessel Voyager must try somehow to get back home. The ghost of Katherine Hepburn lives on in Kate Mulgrew's forceful Captain Janeway, who has an equivocal relationship with first officer and Native American-lite Chakotay (Robert Beltran). Tim Russ gives possibly the franchises' first fully realistic (yawn) portrayal of a Vulcan, and to enhance the alien quotient there's cuddly chef Neelix (Ethan Phillips). Garret Wang must have drawn short straw for character development, since his Harry Kim is never imbued with any of the drama of rebellious pilot chum Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), who even gets the series' only romance with the seemingly inescapable resident half-breed B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson). Until the fourth season, the fan favourite was the straight-funny man role of Robert Picardo's nameless Doctor. Then, with the brave Borg storyline "Scorpion Part 2", a serious improvement in the show's behind-the-scenes thinking introduced actress Jeri Ryan as 7 of 9, who immediately upped sex appeal and viewing numbers. There have been some oddities and errors along the way, such as the disappearance of cast regular Kes, the appearance of semi-regular Naomi Wildman and various Holodeck obssessions with Leonardo Da Vinci, a smoky bar and an "Oirish" village. Flashes of brilliance still emerge, while Jerry Goldsmith's graceful theme always opens the show in style. [+]-Paul Tonks.
Actors & Directors
- Gareth Hunt
- Patrick Macnee
- Joanna Lumley
- George Fournier
- James Hill
Run time: 104 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £1.99
Review The New Avengers - The Gladiators / Faces [1976] / Video Gems (Defunct):
![Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Borg Box [1990]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71582VKY6QL._SL160_.gif)
Actors & Directors
- Jonathan Frakes
- Cliff Bole
- Brent Spiner
- Michael Dorn
- Patrick Stewart
- Alexander Singer
- LeVar Burton
- Rob Bowman
- Robert Lederman
Run time: 264 min.
Price: £24.99
Review Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Borg Box [1990] / Paramount Home Entertainment:It's a tad ironic that Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the best baddies in TV sci-fi since the Daleks, as the show originally championed the optimistic hope that civilisations of the future could always work things out by talking through their problems. Thankfully, the Borg are different: "You can't outrun them, you can't destroy them. They are relentless," says the mischievous Q to Captain Picard shortly after introducing the Enterprise's crew to its new nemesis. No opportunity here for Counselor Troi to try the touchy-feely approach. The Borg are a semi-humanoid race of cyborgs who live in an ant colony-like collective dedicated to "assimilating" all new species in order to acquire their skills and unique attributes. They first appear in the episode "Q-who?": in a fit of pique brought on by boredom, Q (the estimable John deLancie) drags the Enterprise 7,000 light years from known space to demonstrate to Picard that the gung-ho Captain really has no idea what is actually "out there". Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) knows all too much about the Borg already, and warns Picard prophetically that they will be back. Things really hot up in the two-parter "The Best of Both Worlds"-one of Star Trek's all-time best stories-in which the Borg mount a devastating full-scale assault on the Federation and shockingly assimilate Picard, transforming him into their mouthpiece (in a nice classical touch he's now called Locutus). Only some nifty counter-intuitive manoeuvring by Riker saves the day. Then in "I, Borg" the sentimentality that plagued NextGen from time to time threatens to undermine the Borg as the ultimate implacable villains: a young Borg is captured by the Enterprise and taught to become an individual, against Picard's initial hostile instincts. [+]This has repercussions in another two-parter, "Descent", in which we see the Borg split into two factions: it transpires that Data's renegade twin brother android Lore is manipulating them. All these episodes are collected in an impressive-looking Borg cube package, although one has to exercise great care in removing the tapes from the packaging without damaging it. If all this still isn't enough, everyone's favourite evil cyborgs returned as dastardly as ever in the movie First Contact. -Mark Walker.
![Review Warner Home Video / Excalibur [1981]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QGSWZQ3VL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Paul Geoffrey
- Helen Mirren
- John Boorman
- Nicholas Clay
- Cherie Lunghi
- Nigel Terry
Run time: 134 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £0.35
Review Excalibur [1981] / Warner Home Video:A lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Excalibur is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman (Deliverance) masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, Excalibur is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. -Robert Lane.
Actors & Directors
- Bernard Cribbins
- Liz Fraser
- Patrick Macnee
- Robert Day
- Roy Ward Baker
- Diana Rigg
- Alfred Burke
Run time: 100 min.
Price: £10.99
Review The Avengers - Vol. 23 - The Girl From Auntie / The Positive Negative Man [1965] / Lumiere Pictures:
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Highlander: Family Tree, Star Trek : The Original Series - Vol. 1.10 - Errand Of Mercy / The City On The Edge Of Forever / Operation Annihilate, The Guyver - Data 2 - Battle Of The Guyvers, Star Trek : Deep Space Nine - Special Collector's Edition, Red Dwarf - Complete Series 1-3 [Remastered] [1988], The Avengers - The M. Appeal Collection - Mission 4 [1961], Star Trek Voyager - Vol. 2.8 - Lifesigns / Investigations [1996], Fist Of The North Star - Vol. 6, Warnings [2002], Stargate SG-1 Vol. 2.11 - Missions 2.21 & 2.22 [1998], Stargate SG-1 Vol. 2.9 - Missions 2.17 & 2.18 [1998], The Toxic Avenger Part 2 [1989], Star Trek The Next Generation 31 : Deja Q / A Matter Of Perspective [1990], Heavy Metal [1996], Waxwork II : Lost In Time (1992), Star Trek Voyager - Vol. 7.9 [1996], The New Avengers - The Gladiators / Faces [1976], Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Borg Box [1990], Excalibur [1981], The Avengers - Vol. 23 - The Girl From Auntie / The Positive Negative Man [1965] |
