Chris Rock – Best of Saturday Night Live (15)
COMEDY doesn't get much better than Chris Rock in full flow in front of a live audience with that voice, that face and those spot-on observations about the strange ways of society. The problem with this release from the archives of Saturday Night Live – the show which helped bring him to prominence – is that there just isn't enough direct-to-audience material. Instead much of the DVD is made up of sketches put together for the show using characters such as chat-show host Nat X and Def Jam. These allow Rock to show his versatility as a performer and many are really clever but the big problem is they're often not that funny. Some of the material will necessarily date – we're talking Clinton/Dole era in the battle for the presidency here – but it's Rock on a stage working an audience which you yearn for most. Anyone who saw his brief appearance on Graham Norton's BBC couch the other day will know what an infectious comedian he is and this set doesn't really show him at his best. The series also includes SNL releases by star alumni including Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell.
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Doctor Who – Series 5 Volume 1
THE 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) and his sexy sidekick, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), embark on three exciting adventures, saving the world without a working sonic screwdriver as they meet deadly adversaries including a strange masked Lady, the sinister Smilers and the dastardly Daleks. The DVD includes The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below and Victory Of The Daleks, and a 10-minute featurette called the Monster Files, which goes behind the scenes with the cast and crew.
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A Single Man (12)
ENGLISH professor George (Colin Firth) moulds young minds in 1962 Los Angeles, concealing his grief over the death of his lover Jim in a freak driving accident. Eight months of sadness have gradually worn George down, and he finally decides to end it all. Arriving at school, George is distracted by gangly third-year student Kenny (Nicholas Hoult). George is flattered by his attentions but does not respond, preferring to spend time with confidante Charley (Julianne Moore), who clings to the hope of reigniting a fire within him. A Single Man is a deeply moving portrait of love and death and Firth's stunning performance is just one of the many pleasures of fashion doyen Tom Ford's directorial debut.
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