Jingoism, beefcake, military hardware, and a Giorgio Moroder rock score reign supreme over taste and logic in this Tony Scott film about a maverick trainee pilot (Tom Cruise) who can't follow the rules at a Navy aviation training facility. The dogfight sequences between American and Libyan jets at the end are absolutely mechanical, though audiences loved it at the time. The love story between Cruise's character and that of Kelly McGillis is like flipping through pages of advertising in a glossy magazine. This designer action movie from 1986 is made more palatable by the canny casting of good actors in dumb parts. Standouts include Anthony Edwards--who makes a nice impression as Cruise's average-Joe pal--and the relatively unknown Meg Ryan in a small but memorable appearance. -- Tom Keogh

The Rescuers Down Under isn't a quickie, direct-to-video sequel, cashing in on the success of the original 1977 animated hit about adventurous mice, but a full-blown theatrical effort. This time around, Bernard (voice of Bob Newhart) is trying to pop the question to Bianca (Eva Gabor) when they're summoned to Australia, where a young boy has been kidnapped by a pallid, grey-faced poacher (who looks like and is voiced by George C. Scott). Wilbur, a chatterbox of an albatross (John Candy, replacing the late Jim Jordan's character Orville), and Jake (Tristan Rogers), a kangaroo mouse--Bernard is jealous of the dashing rodent--assist the Rescuers in saving the day and imparting a mild environmental message. The film opens with an absolutely breathtaking aerial sequence--this was made near the beginning of Disney's animation renaissance--so impressive it would seem the story, literally, has nowhere else to go but down. However, some smart gags, excellent animation and rollicking adventures ensue. So why isn't it better known? It had the bad luck to open, in 1990, opposite another kids' film-- Home Alone . --David Kronke

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2.4 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: 2-DVD Set, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Deleted Scenes, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: An adaptation of William Boyd's best-selling novel, Any Human Heart tells the story of Logan Mountstuart's long and rackety life, one which spans every decade of the twentieth century, in all its fantastic and humdrum, dangerous and tranquil, tragic and humorous aspects. The four films follow Logan from his time in Oxford; through literary market success with the publication of his 'racy' novel 'The Girl Factory'; through numerous affairs and two marriages; one tragic true love; adventures as a spy behind enemy lines; flirtations with Wallis Simpson; encounters with Ernest Hemingway, Ian Fleming, sexual scandal in the New York art scene; destitution in Pimlico; unlikely heroism to a final and perhaps even contented death. Although it would appear to the outside that his life has been defined by a combination of random quantities of good and bad luck for Logan, if he really looked closely, it has probably been more accurately defined by sex. While it is compelling, pacy, witty, sexy, emotional and clever it is also a brilliant and innovative charting of the history of the 20th Century. Logan has the habit of popping up, Zelig-like, at pivotal moments in 20th Century history and teetering on the brink of immortality before, inevitably, plunging back into obscurity. Logan's journey touches on key moments and movements that still shape our times in the 21st Century: the pre-war emergence of the working class power and the end of establishment complacency; the rise of European Fascism; the last global conflict that was World War 2; the zenith of American hegemony in t...Any Human Heart - Season 1 - 2-DVD Set ( Any Human Heart - Season One )

The flaws are easily forgiven in this beautiful version of Louisa May Alcott's novel. A stirring look at life in New England during the Civil War, Little Women is a triumph for all involved. We follow one family as they split into the world, ending up with the most independent, the outspoken Jo (Winona Ryder). This time around, the dramatics and conclusions fall into place a little too well, instead of finding life's little accidents along the way. Everyone now looks a bit too cute and oh, so nice. As the matron, Marmee, Susan Sarandon kicks the film into a modern tone, creating a movie alive with a great feminine sprit. Kirsten Dunst ( Interview with the Vampire ) has another showy role. The young ensemble cast cannot be faulted, with Ryder beginning the movie in a role akin to light comedy and crescendos to a triumphant end worthy of an Oscar. --Doug Thomas

Racking up impressive box office numbers right across the globe, the arrival of The Simpsons Movie onto the big screen proved, for many, to be more than worth the wait. But with its DVD release, there's a compelling argument that Springfield's finest have come back to their natural home.

The film itself is primarily Homer-centred, with the head of The Simpsons family seemingly consigning Springfield to certain doom when he dumps his waste where he shouldn't. But, in the true spirit of the show, the plot takes a relative back seat to the antics of America's first family.

And it's those antics that offer the film's gold. As you'd hope, it boasts several laugh-out-loud moments, from visual gags (the rock and hard place being a favourite) through to the by-now infamous Spider-pig. There's not quite enough material to keep the chuckle counter going for the full duration of The Simpsons Movie , and the criticism that it's effectively three episodes strung together has some truth to it. But you'd still be hard-pushed to complain for one key reason: The Simpsons Movie is grand entertainment, with plenty of rewatch potential.

So while you can add us to the queue of people who wanted more Mr Burns, and while it doesn't quite measure up to some of the show's best episodes, The Simpsons Movie still delivers, and does it with some quality. And Spider-pig is a work of genius…-- Jon Foster

Don't waste this one on your children: buy it for yourself. A spectacular adaptation of the Anna Sewell novel , this is faithful to the source material but creates a life of its own on the screen. Told from the point of view of the horse, it recalls a time and a place that could be both beautiful and cruel. Black Beauty faced both hardship and kindness as he passed through the hands of many owners throughout his life. Some are generous, but the agonies endured by the title character may be too harsh for small children. Unfortunately, director Caroline Thompson did not resurrect her magical touch a few years later with another animal tale, Buddy . -- Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com

The label ‘comedy legend’ is, sadly, banded about with frequent abandon now, often rewarding those whose body of work hasn’t yet earned such words (if at all). Yet there’s little doubting the pedigree of Tony Hancock, one of Britain’s greatest comedy talents. And there’s no better place to enjoy his work than in <em>The Tony Hancock BBC Collection</em>.

The set brings together a goldmine of Hancock’s television work, with the 37 episodes of <em>Hancock’s Half Hour</em> still in existence brought together. 17, sadly, are seemingly lost forever, although PDF files of the scripts of these episodes are included in the box, which proves to be a very welcome inclusion.



When it comes to the surviving content itself, though, what else can be said? Some of the material here is simply peerless, a splendid marriage of its superb leading star, blistering writing from Galton and Simpson, and a supporting cast that includes the likes of Sid James and Hattie Jacques. Backed up with fresh supplemental material, <em>Hancock’s Half Hour</em> is a British comedy iconic, and there’s plenty of evidence why in this set.



It should be stated that <em>The Tony Hancock BBC Collection</em> has little extra to entice those who have bought all the previously released Hancock DVDs. But for those with just a handful of those, or looking to start their collection, then this set is simply superb. A treat for fans of classic comedy young and old. --<em>Simon Brew</em>

From practically the first episode, broadcast in 1989, The Simpsons impacted on planet TV like a giant multi-coloured meteor. With a claim to being the defining pop cultural phenomenon of the 1990s--hip, fast, sharp and primary--there was nothing even in rock & roll to match this. The Simpsons is possibly the greatest sitcom ever made. Although the animation was initially primitive, never before had cartoon characters been so well drawn. There had been loveable middle-aged layabouts on TV before, but Homer Simpson successfully stole their crown and out-slobbed them all in every department ("The guys at the plant are gonna have a field day with this," he grumbles in"Call of The Simpsons" as he watches scientists on a TV news item who can't decide whether he is incredibly dense or a brilliant beast). However, in this first series he isn't quite yet the bloated man-child he would become in later series; instead he's a growling patriarch with a Walter Matthau-type voice. His sensible half Marge's croak, meanwhile, has yet to settle down, while the vast cast of minor Springfield characters have yet to find their place. Bart, however, was a smash from the start: dumb as Homer but spiky-haired and resourceful, he sets out his manifesto in"Bart the Genius"; while"Moaning Lisa" spotlights his over-achieving sister and is a good early example of the series' clever handling of melancholy bass notes.

Throughout its life there's always been confusion as to whether The Simpsons is a show for kids or adults, but with allusions in these first 13 episodes to Kubrick, Diane Arbus, Citizen Kane and (in a very satisfyingly anti-French episode) Manon des Sources , it should already have been clear that this was a programme for all ages and all IQs from 0 to 200. Dysfunctional they may have been, but the Simpsons stuck together, and audiences stuck with them into the 21st century. -- David Stubbs

On the DVD: The packaging is good but the 13 episodes are spread very thinly here, with just five each on discs one and two . The commentary track is intermittently interesting though a tad repetitive, as creator David Groening is joined by various other members of the team. The third disc has some neat extra stuff, including outtakes, the original Tracey Ullman Show shorts and a five-minute BBC documentary, but is again fairly brief. The menu interfaces are pretty clunky, annoyingly forcing you to watch endless copyright warnings after each episode and with no facility to"play all". The content is wonderful, of course, but three discs looks like overkill. -- Mark Walker

By its fourth series, The Simpsons had come far enough for Lisa to make a self-referential joke about Dustin Hoffman's and Michael Jackson's pseudonymous guest voice appearances in series 2 and 3, respectively. In this series, no less than Elizabeth Taylor (in two episodes), Bette Midler and even the reclusive Johnny Carson blessed The Simpsons with their iconic presences. Awhile back, US magazine Entertainment Weekly ranked the top 25 Simpsons episodes. Five gems from series 4 cracked the top 12, including the (debatable) choice for No. 1,"Last Exit to Springfield". Other episodes that loom large in the Simpsons legend are"Mr Plow" (you know the jingle:"Call Mr Plow / That's my name / That name again is Mr Plow"),"Marge vs. the Monorail", featuring a Music-Man-style extravaganza, and"A Streetcar Named Marge", the episode that outraged New Orleans residents, who heard their fair metropolis referred to as"a city that the damned call home".

The Simpsons smartly subverts traditional family sitcom convention, but anyone who thinks the show doesn't have a heart is advised to watch"I Love Lisa" and"New Kid on the Block", two fourth-series gems that absolutely nail the agony and ecstasy of unrequited crushes ("You won't be needing this", a heartbroken Bart fantasises his babysitter saying while dropkicking his heart into a wastebasket in"New Kid"). While the Simpsons' celebrated ensemble gets all the glory, we must pause now to praise the peerless writing staff, among them George Meyer, Al Jean, Jon Vitti, John Swartzwelder, David Silverman and Conan O'Brien. One can only marvel in astonishment at the alchemy that went into creating, week after week, such essential episodes as"Kamp Krusty","Streetcar", the profane and profound"Homer the Heretic" and"Lisa the Beauty Queen" (and that's just disc 1!). The animators, too, rose to the occasion, particularly in"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie", with its dead-on, ultra-violent sinking of the seminal Disney cartoon"Steamboat Willie". Another benchmark in The Simpsons ' rise to the TV pantheon is its very first clip show. What Homer says about donuts in"Monorail" holds true as well for The Simpsons itself: is there anything this show can't do? -- Donald Liebenson

First aired in 1990-91, the second series of The Simpsons proved that, far from being a one-joke sitcom about the all-American dysfunctional family, it had the potential to become a whole hilarious universe. The animation had settled down (in the first series, the characters look eerily distorted when viewed years later), while Dan Castellaneta, who voiced Homer, decided to switch from a grumpy Walter Matthau impression to a more full-on, bulbous wail. The series' population of minor characters began to grow with the inclusion of Dr Hibbert, McBain and attorney Lionel Hutz, while the writers became more seamless in their ability to weave pastiche of classic movies into the plot lines. While relatively"straight" by later standards (the surreal forays of future seasons are kept in check here), Season Two contains some of the most memorable episodes ever made, indeed some of the finest American comedy ever made.

These include"O Brother, Where Art Thou?", in which Homer is reunited with, and ruins the business of, his long-lost brother ("He was an unbridled success--until he discovered he was a Simpson"),"Dead Putting Society", in which Homer lives out his rivalry with neighbour Ned Flanders through a crazy-golf competition between the sons ("If you lose, you're out of the family!") and one of the greatest ever episodes,"Lisa's Substitute", which not only features poor little Lisa's crush on a supply teacher voiced by Dustin Hoffman but also Bart's campaign to become class president."A vote for Bart is a vote for anarchy!", warns Martin, the rival candidate. By way of a retort, Bart promises faithfully,"A vote for Bart is a vote for anarchy!". -- David Stubbs

On the DVD: The Simpsons, Season 2 , like its DVD predecessor, has neat animated menus on all four discs as well as apparently endless copyright warnings, but nothing as useful as a"play all" facility. The discs are more generously filled than Season 1, however, and each episode has an optional group commentary from Matt Groening and various members of his team. The fourth disc has sundry snippets including the Springfield family at the Emmy Awards ceremony, Julie Kavner dressed up as Bart at the American Music Awards and videos for both"Do the Bartman" and"Deep, Deep Trouble" (all with optional commentary). There are two short features dating from 1991: director David Silverman on the creation of an episode and an interview with Matt Groening. TV commercials for butterfinger bars, foreign language clips and picture galleries round out the selection. Picture is standard 4:3 and the sound is good Dolby 5.1. -- Mark Walker

First broadcast in 1991 the third series of The Simpsons contains a clutch of candidates for"Best Simpsons Episode Ever". Homer is on such appallingly good form throughout this series that a reasonable case can be made for asserting that he has superseded the importance of his Greek namesake in the annals of culture and civilisation.

The opening"Stark Raving Dad", for instance, features a guest appearance by an un-credited Michael Jackson, who plays an obese white inmate whom Homer meets while confined to a mental institution. Other standout episodes include"Like Father, Like Clown", in which Krusty reveals he is estranged from his Rabbi father; this is The Simpsons at the height of its powers, mature, ironic, erudite and touching while bristling with slapstick and Bart-inspired cheek."Flaming Moe's" features Aerosmith and sees Homer invent a cocktail which desperate, sleazy bartender Moe steals from him."Radio Bart" is another demonstration of the series' knack for cultural references, parodying the Billy Wilder movie Ace in the Hole . Finally, there's"Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes", in which Danny DeVito reprises his role as Homer's brother, regaining the fortune Homer lost him by inventing a Baby Translator.

Immensely enjoyable at anything from a primary to a doctoral thesis level, this third year of the show demonstrates conclusively that The Simpsons is quite simply, and by a large margin, the greatest television programme ever made. -- David Stubbs

Winning a raft of awards, not least of which four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, Oliver Stone's Platoon was a box-office smash heralding Hollywood's second wave of Vietnam war films. Where predecessors The Deer Hunter (1978) and Apocalypse Now (1979) were elaborate epics, Platoon simply showed the daily reality of the war from the point of view of ordinary soldiers. Stone's own service in Vietnam gives his work a unique authenticity.

Charlie Sheen gives his best performance to date, enduring a series of increasingly large-scale and bloody battles which retrospectively make one wonder why Saving Private Ryan was hailed as so new. Against this gruelling verity the film falters over the symbolic conflict between good and evil sergeants played by Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Even though this was also based in real life, it strikes a too conventionally Hollywood-like note in a film which otherwise maintains much of the raw power of Stone's other film from 1986, Salvador . Johnny Depp fans should look out for an early appearance by the star. Stone would return to Vietnam with the more sophisticated Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven and Earth (1993).

On the DVD : The 50-minute documentary"Tour of the Inferno" goes beyond the usual"making-of" to present a personal account both of the film and of Stone's own time in Vietnam. Likewise the two audio commentaries--one by Stone, the other by Captain Dale Dye, fellow veteran and military technical advisor--range between the making of the film and the degree to which the actors came to inhabit their parts, to their own wartime experiences. Both commentaries bring a fresh level of appreciation and understanding to the film. Also included is the original trailer and three TV commercials, together with well-presented stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos and poster art. Following a credit sequence marred by dirt on the print, the anamorphically enhanced 1.77:1 image is sharp and clear. The many night scenes are very dark but remain easily comprehensible. The three-channel Dolby Digital sound is suitably raw and powerful, though an early sequence featuring rain in the jungle suffers from very distracting repeated drop-outs in the left channel. -- Gary S Dalkin

Slick to a fault, this glossy action flick takes place in sunny Florida, where Martin Lawrence and Will Smith play two cops--one married with kids, the other a swinging bachelor. The two are forced to trade places to foil criminal mastermind Fouchet (Tchéky Karyo) who has stolen $100 million worth of heroin from a police lockup. Violent, illogical and filled with wall-to-wall profanity, Bad Boys was the last film produced by the hit-making team of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer before Simpson's untimely death and marked the directorial debut of Michael Bay who followed up with The Rock . Bad Boys will be of interest to action buffs and fans of Téa Leoni, who makes one of her early screen appearances in the central supporting role. --Jeff Shannon

Season 12 of The Simpsons flies in the face of the contention that it’s the earlier runs of the show where you’ll find the gold. Granted, it’s been tough to keep the standard up to the levels of the show at its finest, but here we find some majestic and inspired Simpsons moments.

Season 12 doesn’t have, it should noted, the calibre of guest voice star of previous runs. That said, it’s still the core adventures of Homer, Maggie, Lisa, Marge and Bart that form the heart of the fun. Particular favourite highlights of The Simpsons ’ twelfth season include Lisa’s relationship with the tree hugger, Homer’s brand new gossip website, the moment where Homer suddenly (and temporarily!) gets a burst of intelligence, and the wonderfully titled Worst Episode Ever . There’s also the very welcome return of Sideshow Bob, as voiced by Kelsey Grammar.

The writing of The Simpsons , as evidenced here, remains witty and sharp, and while perhaps there aren’t so many of the belly laughs of the earlier years, season 12 still more than justifies its purchase price. At least half the episodes here are ones you’ll be looking, we’d suspect, to watch again. Factor in too the usual high quality selection of extras, and long after most series have folded, we continue to find The Simpsons on fine form. -- Jon Foster