Once you've made enough polite smalltalk with your relatives over Christmas, whack on one of our recommended DVDs. Spanning the likes of movies, music and TV boxsets, our range features items that make great gifts for folks of all ages. Just use that extra bit of caution if weighing up the Frankie Boyle DVD as an option though...
Twin Peaks: Definitive Gold Box Edition Best TV show ever. FACT. Owners of this damn fine package are treated to David Lynch's mesmerising tale of a quirky detective trying to find the murderer of a troubled local beauty queen. Amazing on so many levels,
Twin Peaks was a cultural phenomenon in the early '90s and stands the test of time. This package contains the legendary pilot and both seasons, along with a myriad of extras. Just remember - the owls are not what they seem…
Price: £29.99Buy Now
InceptionThis is a DVD almost guaranteed to hit the mark this Christmas. For someone yet to see Christopher Nolan's cryptic opus, then they have a treat in store. For those who did catch it in the cinema, further viewings can only enhance the various theories that abound from watching Leonardo DiCaprio hopping around people's minds. Just be sure to have some headache pills on standby, as some of the plot turns are likely to strain the little grey cells.
Price: £9.93Buy Now
The Expendables Okay, so
The Expendables is unlikely to be in contention for the 'Best Screenplay' gong at next year's Oscars, yet there's an undeniable appeal in watching the sheer star power in action during Sylvester Stallone's movie. Schwarzenegger, Statham, Rourke, Lundgren, Li and Willis - all big screen icons that require no first name for introductory purposes. There might be no snow this Christmas, but you can ensure it's dripping with testosterone with this gift.
Price: £9.99Buy Now
Depeche Mode: Tour Of The UniverseThe legendary band from Basildon is captured in electrifying form over two nights in Barcelona last year. Blending material from their 2009 album
Sounds Of The Universe with classics like 'Enjoy The Silence' and 'Personal Jesus', this stunning double DVD and CD set features not just the concert, but unique projections by Anton Corbijn, a tour documentary, rehearsal footage and the award-winning video for their pulsating single 'Wrong'.
Price: £23.89Buy Now
The Inbetweeners - Series 1-3 - Complete Turn Christmas into a "clunge-o-rama" with this complete set of all three series of
The Inbetweeners. Watch the quartet of Will, Simon, Jay and Neil attempt to navigate through life and the sixth form in hilarious style - often resulting in disasters of an embarrassing sexual nature! The DVD extras are hotter than Will's mum, featuring deleted scenes, audio commentaries, bloopers and video diaries from the foul-mouthed lads.
Price: £25.99Buy Now
The Complete Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister - Collector's Box Set Pointing a sharp satirical knife at politics long before
The Thick Of It reached our screens, this much-loved '80s BBC2 sitcom starred the late, great Paul Eddington as eternally optimistic government minister (and later PM) Jim Hacker. His clashes with Nigel Hawthorne's Sir Humphrey are still fondly remembered by older generations, who would hugely appreciate this seven-disc set winging its way into their stockings this Christmas.
Price: £12.97Buy Now
Cracker - The Complete CollectionJimmy McGovern's phenomenal crime series sent shockwaves through the spines of viewers in the 1990s. Starring Robbie Coltrane as the hugely flawed but inspirational psychologist Fitz,
Cracker never shied away from tackling grim social problems and delving deep into the troubled human psyche - never more so than in the stunning Hillsborough episode featuring Robert Carlyle. This set contains all 11 compelling feature-length episodes.
Price: £15.97Buy Now
24 - The Complete Series If you know someone yet to experience the charms of Jack Bauer, then splash out on this comprehensive set of the terrorist-torturing legend. Set in real-time and depicted through innovate split-screen,
24 deservedly picked up a legion of fans who are now eagerly awaiting the upcoming movie version. Full of shock plot twists, gripping set pieces and Kiefer Sutherland screaming "DAMN IT" rather a lot,
24 is so addictive it deserves a government health warning.
Price: £94.97Buy Now
In Treatment Season 1A loyal following of Sky Arts viewers discovered this wonderful series last year, starring Gabriel Byrne as kindhearted therapist Paul. Each episode represents a different weekly session with one of his five patients, who include the alluring Melissa George as one seriously fracked up young lady. It's set almost entirely in Paul's office, with the viewer eavesdropping as he moves closer to finding out the cause and solutions for his patients' troubles.
Price: £19.97Buy Now
Toy Story 3Grab yourself a Woody for Christmas, as the sheriff returns for one final adventure alongside the likes of Buzz Lightyear and the Potato Head clan. Incredibly, the emotional and visceral impact of the animated
Toy Story franchise is as strong as ever in this third outing, which makes for spending viewing for all the family. Allow yourself to be transported into this magical world for thrills, tears and plenty of laughter.
Price: £9.93Buy Now
How To Train Your DragonWhile the title sounds like it's some kind of instruction manual for dealing with Gillian McKeith, it is in fact an animated movie from the creators of
Shrek and
Kung Fu Panda. The story revolves around a young viking who befriends an injured dragon in a mythical world, embarking on an amusing and exciting journey of discovery and friendship. There's plenty of visual treats, along with a nice moral core to indoctrinate the young 'uns with.
Price: £9.99Buy Now
Karl Pilkington's An Idiot Abroad Travel shows are usually fronted by someone with a passion and zest for experiencing new cultures and environments. This is not the case with Karl Pilkington, who is reluctantly dispatched abroad by his cohorts Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It says it all that he stuffs his suitcase full of Monster Munch before heading on his first trip to China! His reactions to what he discovers are hilarious, as are his unique observation skills.
Price: £12.93Buy Now
SaltDon't you just hate it when a character is given a catchy surname purely for the purposes of the movie's title? Salty chip on the shoulder aside, Angelina Jolie is at her alluring and dynamic best in this well-crafted thriller, lending a delicious air of ambiguity to her role as CIA agent Evelyn Salt. Is she really an undercover Russian spy or simply being set up? Action and intrigue abound in this superior thriller from
Dead Calm director Philip Noyce.
Price: £9.99Buy Now
Avatar Extended Collector's EditionCan
Avatar hold its own away from the visually-enhancing 3D cinema screens? Make up your own mind about James Cameron's hugely successful tale of a paraplegic soldier sticking up for some tall blue aliens with this extended collector's edition of the highest-grossing movie ever. There are four hours' worth of extras detailing the state-of-the-art techniques used to make
Avatar, although there is sadly no clip of The Village People performing 'In The Na'vi'.
Price: £12.99Buy Now
Frankie Boyle Live 2: If I Could Reach Out Through Your TV and Strangle You I WouldMost definitely NOT one to watch with the family over Christmas, this DVD features Frankie Boyle on fire during his supposedly last-ever stand-up tour. Unleashing jaw-dropping (but often ingenious) insults at his audience, the Scottish comedian (and
Bo Selecta bear lookalike) acts like a man with nothing to lose and definitely doesn't hold back. If you know someone who adores political incorrectness, then this is an ideal present.
Price: £11.93Buy Now
Mad Men - Series 1-3 Don't you just hate all those highbrow discussions about
Mad Men that you can't take part in because you haven't actually seen the show? Don Draper this, Don Draper that... Well, if that situation applies to you or a friend then it can be easily remedied with this DVD package, which immerses viewers in the intriguing and uber-stylish world of a 1960s advertising agency - and the aforementioned mystery man with the slick parting.
Price: £26.97Buy Now
Kick-AssHilarious and ultraviolent,
Kick-Ass is a British superhero movie with a twist - there are no superpowers anywhere to be found. The plot follows a teenager obsessed with comic books who dons a superhero identity in a bid to tackle crime, but finds himself embroiled with all kinds of oddballs including Nicholas Cage's wonderful Big Daddy character. The
Daily Mail called
Kick-Ass "twisted", "cynical" and a "crime against cinema". Buy it just to spite them.
Price: £6.99Buy Now
Blue Planet : Complete BBC Series The vast oceans on our planet are an undeniably fascinating subject. After all, more is known about the moon surface than the seabeds! Narrated by old favourite Sir David Attenborough, this acclaimed documentary series sheds a great deal of light on the life forms lurking in the waters and captures nature through some very intricate camerawork. Thankfully for a water-based adventure, there is no Celine Dion soundtrack.
Price: £7.97Buy Now
Four LionsAfter years of waiting for a new project from subversive
Brass Eye genius Chris Morris, out pops something with a genuinely shocking premise - even by his standards. That's because
Four Lions is a comedy about suicide bombers planning to blow themselves up at the London Marathon. What could be an offensive misfire is fortunately a triumph, thanks to a hilarious script and great comic timing from a cast including
Fonejacker star Kayvan Novak.
Price: £6.99Buy Now
The A-TeamIconic quotes like "I ain't getting on no plane fooool!" and "I love it when a plan comes together" are trotted out in this dumb and disposable big screen version of the '80s TV series. It's perfectly acceptable escapist fare to stick on after indulging in too much Christmas pudding, serving up lashes of nostalgia, shock cameos, impressive set pieces and a wonderful turn by Liam Neeson as the cigar-chomping Hannibal Smith.
Price: £9.93Buy Now
