The Last Samurai (15, Warner Home Video, also available to buy DVD £22.99/VHS £16.99): Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, Tony Goldwyn, Shin Koyamada, Timothy Spall, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koyuki, Shichinosuke Nakamura, Seizo Fukumoto.

CAPTAIN Nathan Algren (Cruise) is a veteran of the American Civil War, who at the request of the Emperor of Japan (Nakamura), travels to the Far East to school the Tokyo troops in the art of modern warfare. Captured by a small group of samurai, Algren nervously learns the ways of the samurai so that he might fight alongside Katsumoto's troops... and his own men.

DVD Extras: Director commentary, Tom Cruise: A Warrior's Journey featurette, Making An Epic: A Conversation With Edward Zwick And Tom Cruise, Edward Zwick: Director's Video Journal, From Soldier To Samurai: The Weapons, Imperial Army Basic Training, Silk And Armour: Costume Design, A World Of Detail: Production Design with Lilly Kilvert, Creating Digital Reality featurette, additional scenes.

Out Of Time (15, Momentum Pictures, DVD £19.99/VHS £12.99)

Stars: Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Dean Cain, Sanaa Lathan, John Billingsley, Robert Baker, Alex Carter, Antoni Corone, Terry Loughlin, Nora Dunn

MATT Lee Whitlock (Denzel Washington) is sheriff of the sun-kissed coastal resort of Banyan Key in Florida. Unbeknownst to his soon-to-be ex-wife, Detective Alexandra Cole (Mendes), Matt Lee is enjoying a passionate affair with married woman Ann Harrison (Lathan) behind the back of her violent and abusive husband Chris (Cain).

When Ann and Chris die in a suspicious house blaze, Matt Lee is revealed as the sole beneficiary of Ann's million-dollar life insurance policy. Wrongly condemned as a killer by the evidence, Matt Lee is forced to work two steps ahead of his own force to catch the real arsonist, even if that means distrusting the people closest to him.

DVD Extras: Audio commentary, Out Of Time: Crime Scene featurette, out-takes, character profiles, Sanaa Lathan and Dean Cain screen tests, photo gallery, theatrical trailer.

Published: 06/05/2004