Roadshow - March 2011 Releases

STONE

STUDIO:                  Roadshow
RELEASE DATE:       2 March 2011
DIRECTOR:              John Curran
STARRING:              Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich, Frances Conroy
CATEGORY:            Thriller
RRP DVD:               $39.99
RRP BD:                 $39.99

A seasoned corrections official and a volatile inmate find their lives dangerously intertwined.

As parole officer Jack Mabry counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald “Stone” Creeson, in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man’s decision have profound and unexpected consequences for them both.

Set against the quiet desperation of economically ravaged suburban Detroit and the stifling brutality of maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled past to face uncertain futures.

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ONDINE

STUDIO:                  Roadshow
RELEASE DATE:       2 March 2011
DIRECTOR:              Neil Jordan
STARRING:              Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda
CATEGORY:             Drama
RRP DVD:                $39.99

The story of an Irish fisherman who discovers a woman in his fishing net who he believes to be a mermaid.

ONDINE is a lyrical modern fairy tale that tells the story of Syracuse, an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious woman in his nets. His daughter Annie comes to believe that the woman is a magical creature, while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. However, like all fairy tales, enchantment and darkness go hand in hand.

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ERIC SYKES: THE LIKES OF SYKES   

STUDIO:                  Fremantle
RELEASE DATE:       9 March 2011
STARRING:              Eric Sykes
CATEGORY:            Television
RRP DVD:               $19.99

A fantastic compilation from one of Britain’s best loved comedians! Join Eric Sykes for a collection of his most hilarious shows - Rhubarb, Rhubarb, The Plank, Mr H Is Late, The Eric Sykes Show and The Likes of Sykes.

The Plank - Among an extraordinary cast of famous faces, Eric Sykes and Arthur Lowe (Dad’s Army) play two builders who find they’re missing a floorboard. As they go across town and back with a new one, they cause mayhem. The Plank has no dialogue but relies on sound effects and visual gags for its comic impact.

Rhubarb, Rhubarb - Eric Sykes plays a golf-playing police inspector who meets his match in the local vicar. In a no holes barred round of golf, the outcome is dependent on divine intervention. Performances from some of the finest British character actors turn this delightful comedy into a classic.

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THE TWO RONNIES (Series 7)

RELEASE DATE:       2 March 2011
STARRING:              Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett
NUMBER OF DISCS:  2
RRP DVD:               $39.99

Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett were an unlikely comedy team but their talents complemented each other perfectly in a series which ran for 16 years and became a part of British television history.

This seventh series was broadcast in the UK between December 1978 and February 1979 and contains eight episodes of the usual hilarious fare. This comedy classic boasts extended sketches of Sid & Lily, George & Edie; Ronnie Barker speaking on behalf of “The Society for the Shy and Embarrassed”; Ronnie Corbett in The Last Mango in Paris as well as the famous “Argentinean Racing Pigeon” and “Bobby Charlton” sketches.

Musical numbers included The North Acton Ladies Slimtastic Club and the Kamikaze Theatre Company and The Manhattan Transfer were the series regular guests.

By this series, a young David Renwick (One Foot in the Grave, Jonathan Creek) had taken over responsibility for writing Ronnie Corbett’s monologues from Spike Mullins. Meanwhile John Sullivan (Only Fools and Horses) was writing many of the Sid and George sketches (now accompanied by sketches featuring the Ronnies as their wives Lily and Edie) .

In a glorious blend of visual and verbal humour; a typical programme begins and ends with the pair seated behind a desk reading quick-fire 'news' reports. In between, "in a packed programme tonight", there are sketches, ‘drama serials’, musical routines and a rambling monologue from Ronnie Corbett, before finally signing off with their famous catchphrase, "It's goodnight from me”, “And it's goodnight from him."

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LUTHER

RELEASE DATE:       16 March 2011
STARRING:              Idris Elba, Ruth Wilson, Indira Varma, Paul McGann
NUMBER OF DISCS:  2
RRP DVD:               $39.99

A brilliant detective tormented by the darker side of humanity, Luther shines a light where others fear to tread, into the hearts and minds of psychopaths and killers, and the shadowy spaces of his own soul…

Starring Idris Elba (The Wire), Luther is a gripping, smart and entertaining psychological thriller driven by an intellectually brilliant but emotionally impulsive cop. Created and written by Neil Cross, an acclaimed suspense novelist and lead writer for two series of the award-winning Spooks, Luther is released on DVD from 16 March 2011.

For Luther, his profession is a vocation rather than a job. He serves his own idea of a moral order as much as rules and codes of criminal law. Throughout the series Luther faces a succession of psychological duels between hunter and the hunted, perpetrator and prey. We encounter his capacity for violence as well as his kindness; his sudden vulnerability and dizzying, visionary mind; why his wife left him for another man, and why his colleagues are frequently left open-mouthed in awe.

However as the intensity of his convictions combine with the violence of his passions, they provoke the question of whether Luther is a force for good or a man hell bent on self destruction. Luther’s confidante is his arch-enemy Alice, a beautiful multiple-murderess who evades his grasp early on, and with whom he becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits.

As the stakes get ever higher and more personal, Luther’s lonely path pulls him towards the very edge of temptation. Will his personal demons prove to be as dangerous as any of the criminals he pursues?

Idris Elba is joined by an all-star cast. Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre) is Alice Morgan, beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent and a key witness in Luther's first investigation; Indira Varma (Hustle, Torchwwood) is Zoe Luther, who's had the strength to walk away from the man she still loves; Paul McGann (Collision, Doctor Who) is Mark North, unafraid to compete with Luther for Zoe's love and Steven Mackintosh (The Escapist) is DCI Ian Reed, a loyal friend.

Extras: Behind the Scenes

As seen on UKTV.

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Published 1st Apr 2011

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