ACTION/ADVENTURE

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (Cert 12, 130 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Super-intelligent chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis), who spearheaded the ape uprising, is usurped by his second-in-command Koba (Toby Kebbell) in Matt Reeves's polished sequel. Serkis' exemplary work is the film's emotional heartbeat, conveying the character's rage, despair and passion through movement and subtle gesture. Digital effects are jaw-dropping, giving birth to a realistic army of blood-thirsty apes who cram every chaotic, blood-spattered frame.

Edge Of Tomorrow (Cert 12, 113 mins, Warner Home Video, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Tom Cruise is condemned to replay the last 24 hours of his life a la Groundhog Day until he outwits a hive-like alien race called the Mimics, which has overrun Europe. The leading man's transformation from image-obsessed weasel to battle-ready soldier is one of the many pleasures of Doug Liman's film. Co-star Emily Blunt embraces her character's ballsiness with gusto amidst a miasma of eye-popping digital effects that look even more spectacular in 3D.

The Expendables 3 (Cert 12, 126 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

The Expendables 3 is an entertaining and ridiculously far-fetched tour of duty with Sylvester Stallone and co that sensibly welcomes fresh faces to the fold and provides Antonio Banderas, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Wesley Snipes with sizeable roles to turn back the clocks. Australian director Patrick Hughes valiantly takes charge of this outlandish mission festooned with bone-crunching hand-to-hand combat, pithy one-liners and deafening explosions.

Godzilla (Cert 12, 123 mins, Warner Home Video, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Harking back to Ishiro Honda's groundbreaking 1954 film Gojira, Gareth Edwards's bombastic resurrection of cinema's iconic reptile opens with a helicopter ride that could have been airlifted from Jurassic Park and continues with the Spielbergean nods including theme park ride-style action sequences and children in peril. It is a technically accomplished hunk of large-scale monster-mashing with a deafening soundtrack to match.

Lone Survivor (Cert 15, 121 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Based on a true story, Lone Survivor is a rousing tribute to four Navy SEALs portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster, who perished in June 2005 during a top secret mission to assassinate a high-ranking member of the Taliban (Yousuf Azami). It's a heroic and harrowing portrait of bravado in combat and the bonds of brotherhood behind enemy lines. Director Peter Berg delivers an adrenaline-fuelled final 30 minutes that will have you wincing in horror.

ANIMATION

Frozen (Sing-Along Edition) (Cert PG, 100 mins, Disney DVD, DVD £17.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Belt out "Let It Go", "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and "In Summer" from the comfort of your own home with this sing-along edition of the highest grossing animated film of all time, which charts the adventures of sisters Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) as they realize their entwined destinies in the company of snowman Olaf (Josh Gad), hunky ice trader Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven.

The LEGO Movie (Cert U, 100 mins, Warner Home Video, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Cleverly employing the latest technical wizardry to mimic the crude, imperfect movements of stop-motion animation, The LEGO Movie is a hoot, celebrating the enduring popularity of a toy invented in the late 1940s. The script is peppered with wry one-liners, cinematic homages and an infectious theme song - Everything Is Awesome - that burrows into the brain and refuses to leave quietly.

Mr Peabody & Sherman (Cert U, 92 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

A talking dog (voiced by Ty Burrell), whose myriad achievements include a Nobel Prize, two Olympic medals and the invention of zumba, ricochets through time with his adopted son (Max Charles) in this rip-roaring computer-animated adventure. The touching central relationship anchors Rob Minkoff's film and ensures this colour-saturated romp is a well-groomed pick of the animated litter.

The Simpsons - The Seventeenth Season (Cert 15, 484 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £39.99)

Alec Baldwin, Ricky Gervais, Kelsey Grammer, Melanie Griffith, William H Macy, Frances McDormand, Susan Sarandon, Lily Tomlin and Michael York guest star alongside Springfield's favourite family - Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie - in 22 hilarious episodes of the award-winning comedy. The series includes the Halloween episode, Treehouse Of Horror XVI, in which Bart falls into a coma after trying to jump into a swimming pool.

The Wind Rises (Cert PG, 124 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/Collector's Edition Blu-ray & DVD Combi-pack £29.99)

Adapted by writer-director Hayao Miyazaki from his manga of the same name, The Wind Rises is reportedly the final work from the legendary Japanese filmmaker, who co-founded Studio Ghibli. This wartime drama revolves around Jiro Horikoshi (voiced by Hideaki Anno), who becomes one of Japan's most accomplished airplane designers against a backdrop of strife and devastation for the country including the great depression and tuberculosis epidemic.

COMEDY

22 Jump Street (Cert 15, 112 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

With a knowing wink and a profusion of expletives, 22 Jump Street abides by the conventions of a sequel and condemns dim-witted yet loveable officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) to relive the plot of the original on a vastly inflated budget. Tongue-in-cheek, self-referential playfulness abounds in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's uproarious action-packed romp laden with in-jokes, sight gags and a smattering of raunchiness.

Chef (Cert 15, 114 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £22.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Written and directed by Jon Favreau, Chef wears its heart on its olive oil-spattered sleeve as star chef Carl Casper (Favreau) finds his calling by serving top quality grub from the confines of a food truck. The humour is delicately balanced with touching drama and Robert Downey Jr is a ribald delight in his fleeting scenes as a germ-phobic acquaintance.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Cert 15, 100 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Ralph Fiennes is a revelation in a rare comedic role in Wes Anderson's quirky whodunit, about a concierge who is wrongly accused of speeding the demise of a wealthy patron (Tilda Swinton). The Grand Budapest Hotel is a brilliantly bonkers ensemble comedy, which marries quirky production design with eccentric characters and wry humour yet still manages to find a nub of humanity in every outlandish situation.

Modern Family - The Complete Fifth Season (Cert 12, 493 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £27.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

A three-disc box set comprising 24 episodes of the Emmy award-winning mockumentary, which chronicles the misadventures of a multicultural Los Angeles family. This series, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) are thrilled when California legalises gay marriage and they plan proposals in secret, Phil (Ty Burrell) tries in vain to get his father back onto the dating scene and Manny (Rico Rodriguez) and Luke (Nolan Gould) start school.

Toast Of London - Series 2 (Cert 15, 139 mins, Channel 4 DVD, DVD £19.99)

Matt Berry returns as struggling, middle-aged actor Steven Toast in six episodes of the award-winning Channel 4 comedy. This series, agent Jane Plough (Doon Mackichan) lands Toast a plum role in a West End production, oddball roommate Ed Howzer-Black (Robert Bathurst) continues to help him find work and an old flame, US soap star Lorna Wynde (Morgana Robinson), returns to London on a mission to fan the flames of Toast's long dormant desire.

DOCUMENTARY

Finding Vivian Maier (Cert 12, 84 mins, Soda Pictures, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £21.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Following her death, American street photographer Vivian Maier's belongings were auctioned off and a secret cache of more than 100,000 negatives came to light. Historian John Maloof subsequently spearheaded a campaign to recognize Maier as one of the 20th century's most influential artists. In this documentary, Maloof unravels the mystery of Maier's secret artistic life by speaking to the people who knew her, including families that employed her as a nanny.

Next Goal Wins (Cert 15, 98 mins, Icon Home Entertainment, DVD £15.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Filmmakers Steve Jamison and Mike Brett celebrate the efforts of American Samoa's football team, who haven't won a single game for 10 years and have become an international laughing stock. Maverick Dutch football coach Thomas Rongen accepts the challenge to whip the players into shape for their World Cup 2014 qualifying matches but when he arrives, the team is in disarray and Rongen faces a seemingly impossible task to mould his players into a cohesive unit.

The Square (Cert 15, 104 mins, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99)

Director Jehane Noujaim chronicles the revolution in Egypt through the eyes of people who were there in this revealing portrait of a group of young Egyptians, who found a profound sense of hope as they gathered with thousands of other people in Tahrir Square. A truly democratic movement unfolds in real time as the young people risk everything to affect lasting change in their country, wanting the world to know their remarkable tale in their own words.

A Story Of Children And Film (Cert E, 106 mins, Dogwoof, DVD £14.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Film critic and author Mark Cousins explores the notion of childhood through the lens of international filmmakers in this fascinating documentary. The writer-director surveys 53 beloved features from 25 countries and explores what the big screen teaches us about our formative years and in turn, what the universal experience of growing up tells us about cinema.

Tony Benn: Will And Testament (Cert 12, 95 mins, Spirit Entertainment, DVD £17.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

On March 14, 2014, Tony Benn died at home surrounded by his family and in the days that followed, ministers past and present from across the spectrum paid tribute to a man who was both the longest serving Labour MP in history and one of the UK's most popular politicians. Skip Kite's documentary offers a candid glimpse into the life of Benn through interviews with the man himself, augmented with excerpts from his personal, photographic and film archive.

DRAMA

Calvary (Cert 15, 101 mins, Entertainment One, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

A parishioner threatens to kill a blameless priest (Brendan Gleeson) in revenge for abuse suffered in childhood at the hands of another holy man in writer-director John Michael McDonagh's dark and twisted murder mystery set before the heinous crime has been committed. Gleeson delivers a towering performance as a vessel of God, who may pay the ultimate price for another man's sins.

The Good Wife - The Fifth Season (Cert 15, 924 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, DVD £34.99)

Brilliant litigator Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and colleague Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) prepare to exit Lockhart & Gardner to set up a rival firm in 22 gripping episodes of the legal drama. Also this series, Diane (Christine Baranski) bids for a nomination as Illinois Supreme Court Justice, Finn (Matthew Goode) runs for the position of State Attorney and Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi) uncovers skullduggery within the ranks of the firm.

Ida (Cert 12, 82 mins, Artificial Eye, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Polish-born British director Pawel Pawlikowski films in his homeland for the first time in this emotional 1960s-set drama. Eighteen-year-old orphan Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) has been raised in a convent and has devoted her life to the Lord. As Anna prepares to become a nun, Mother Superior (Halina Skoczynska) insists that the young woman reconnect with her past by visiting her sole living relative (Agata Kulesza), whose painful home truths unlock the secrets of Anna's heritage.

Starred Up (Cert 18, 106 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Based on screenwriter Jonathan Asser's experiences as a prison therapist, Starred Up chronicles the arrival of a 19-year-old repeat offender (Jack O'Connell) at his first adult prison and the subsequent clashes with the sadistic governor (Sam Spruell). David Mackenzie's film is anchored by a no-holds-barred lead performance from O'Connell, who offers glimpses of fear behind his inmate's cocksure facade as he rages against an imperfect system.

Two Days, One Night (Cert 15, 95 mins, Artificial Eye, DVD £15.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Belgian filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne are on devastating form with this emotionally wrought drama, which features a tour-de-force lead performance from Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as a wife and mother, who is threatened with redundancy from her job in a solar panel factory and must persuade at least nine of her 16 co-workers to reject a proposed 1,000 Euro bonus and keep her on instead.

HORROR

American Horror Story: Coven - The Complete Third Season (Cert 18, 531 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £29.99/Blu-ray £38.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Dark secrets lurk within the walls of Miss Robichaux's Academy boarding school in 13 episodes of the Emmy award-winning horror anthology. A powerful witch called Fiona (Jessica Lange) runs the school, surrounded by members of her Salem coven: child movie star Madison (Emma Roberts), who can move objects with her mind; Down's syndrome girl Nan (Jamie Brewer), who can hear the thoughts of others; and the beautiful and alluring Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who can induce a brain haemorrhage in any man by having sex with him.

Only Lovers Left Alive (Cert 15, 123 mins, Soda Pictures, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99/Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Vampires grow weary of the modern, technologically minded world in Jim Jarmusch's off-kilter love story. Reclusive rock star Adam (Tom Hiddleston) has endured centuries of blood-sucking but he decides to end his life in Detroit with the help of a wooden bullet, procured by his assistant (Anton Yelchin). Adam's wife Eve (Tilda Swinton) senses her spouse's mounting distress and she returns home to halt his descent into oblivion.

The Purge: Anarchy (Cert 15, 103 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Like its predecessor, The Purge: Anarchy trades in nail-biting suspense rather than gratuitous gore as a grief-stricken father (Frank Grillo) and five other innocents are stranded on the streets of Los Angeles on the one night of the year when murder is legal. In the absence of obvious star names in the cast, writer-director James DeMonaco relishes the luxury of slicing and dicing his characters at will, heightening our sense of unease.

True Blood - The Complete Seventh Season (Cert 18, 550 mins, Warner Home Video/HBO, DVD £39.99/Blu-ray £49.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

The Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris comes to a thrilling resolution in these climatic 10 episodes. This series, telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), handsome bloodsucker Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and the other residents of Bon Temps face the dangers of the Hep V infection.

The Walking Dead - The Complete Fourth Season (Cert 18, 720 mins, Entertainment One, DVD £39.99/Blu-ray £44.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and young son Carl (Chandler Riggs) hope the prison walls can keep the undead at bay in 16 episodes of the award-winning drama based on the graphic novels by Robert Kirkman. This series, The Governor (David Morrissey) plots his revenge with the help of a new army and a flu-like epidemic sweeps through the prison population putting everyone at risk.

MUSIC

20 Feet From Stardom (Cert 12, 91 mins, Spirit Entertainment, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Grammy nominated music video director Morgan Neville collected this year's Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for this rousing, feel-good portrait of some of the backing singers behind music's most recognisable hits. 20 Feet From Stardom celebrates the invaluable contributions of these performers to the music industry and introduces us to a few of the talented women whose tireless work in music studios and at concert venues is often taken for granted by fans.

20,000 Days On Earth (Cert 15, 97 mins, 4DVD, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £21.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Documentary bleeds into fiction in this tribute to charismatic singer-songwriter Nick Cave, which imagines a highly stylised day in the life of Cave as he begins work on a new song that will develop into a full-scale performance by Bad Seeds at Sydney Opera House. Familiar faces from Cave's creative past including multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, singer Kylie Minogue and actor Ray Winstone share fond memories of the iconic figure.

McBusted: Live At The O2 And Tourplay (Cert 12, 180 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)

In the summer of 2014, McFly and Busted joined forces to create a six-strong supergroup, which embarked on a sold out 35-date arena tour including an open-air spectacular in the middle of Hyde Park in London. Director David Spearing was granted unprecedented access to the band, capturing rare behind the scenes footage and interviews with the six members as well as rousing on-stage performances of hits from the past decade.

Mistaken For Strangers (Cert E, 75 mins, Fusion Media Sales, DVD £14.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

The bonds between brothers are tested to breaking point in this compelling documentary filmed by Tom Berninger in 2010 as he accompanied his older brother Matt, the frontman of rock band The National, on a world tour. Through the lens of Tom's camera, we witness one brother struggling to emerge from the shadow of the other and intimate behind-the-scenes footage of Matt and his band mates.

One Direction: Where We Are (Live From San Siro Stadium) (Cert E, 70 mins, Sony Music Entertainment, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99)

Recorded live at the San Siro stadium in Milan, this concert film allows fans to relive the Where We Are world tour which includes the hits Best Song Ever, Kiss You, Live While We're Young, Story Of My Life, What Makes You Beautiful and You & I. Paul Dugdale's film also goes behind the scenes, including a 15-minute never before seen interview with Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

ROMANCE

Belle (Cert 12, 104 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Based on a true story of fortitude across racial and class divides at a time when pompous men of privilege were vociferously debating the end of slavery in England, Amma Asante's handsome period piece charts the smoldering romance of an illegitimate, mixed race daughter (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and an idealistic lawyer (Sam Reid). The ensemble cast delivers excellent performances, particularly Mbatha-Raw, who possesses beauty and vulnerability on camera.

The Fault In Our Stars (Cert 12, 126 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Adapted from John Green's bestselling novel, The Fault In Our Stars is a beautifully sketched portrait of adolescence, as seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), who meets the love of her life (Ansel Elgort) while attending a cancer patients' support group. One tissue simply doesn't suffice as scriptwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber navigate the tricky topic of terminal illness with wry humour and sensitivity.

Her (Cert 15, 126 mins, Entertainment In Video, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

A shy, introverted man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls madly in love with his computer's operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) in this haunting and heart-breaking romance. Phoenix is extraordinary, performing in close-up without any other human presence for long periods. Aching emotions are captured in every wrinkle and contour of his face. Johansson is equally terrific and their on-screen chemistry makes our hard drives whirr with unabashed pleasure.

Him & Her - Series 4 (Cert 15, 195 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Wedding bells chime in the Bafta award-winning BBC Three sitcom created by Stefan Golaszewski. This series, twenty-something lovebirds Steve (Russell Tovey) and Becky (Sarah Solemani) are forced to get out of bed to fulfil their duties as best man and chief bridesmaid for Becky's sister Laura (Kerry Howard) and her fiance Paul (Ricky Champ). The five episodes cover different periods of time on the wedding day from early morning and the arrival of the guests to the ceremony, the speeches and finally the disco.

Lilting (Cert 15, 86 mins, Artificial Eye, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

London-based filmmaker Hong Khaou's feature-length directorial debut is an elegiac portrait of grief and longing, blessed with a stellar performance from Ben Whishaw as a sensitive yet broken man, whose lover Kai (Andrew Leung) died recently. Richard is struggling to come to terms with the loss, and his isolation is exacerbated by the knowledge that Kai's mother Junn (Cheng Pei-pei) knew nothing of their relationship and always thought that he and Kai were roommates.

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY

Divergent (Cert 12, 139 mins, Entertainment One, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Adapted from the opening book of Veronica Roth's best-selling trilogy for young adults, Divergent is a rites of passage story baked to a similar recipe as The Hunger Games about a 16-year-old (Shailene Woodley) who undergoes an aptitude test to reveal her destiny. Woodley is terrific and she catalyses smouldering on-screen chemistry with Theo James as her mentor. Kate Winslet sinks her pearly whites into her first villainous role with gusto.

Doctor Who - The Complete Eighth Series (Cert 12, 590 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £49.99/Blu-ray £54.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Peter Capaldi sets out his stall as the 12th incarnation of the timelord in the most recent series of the long-running sci-fi drama. The Doctor and straight-talking sidekick Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) encounter a rampaging dinosaur in Victorian London, Robin Hood, ghosts and a supposedly good Dalek. The relationship between Clara and Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) deepens but it is put to the ultimate test when the timelord battles Missy (Michelle Gomez) and her army of Cybermen.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Cert 12, 121 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £18.99/3D Blu-ray £22.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

From its visually stunning opening set to the funky strains of Come And Get Your Love, James Gunn's film lends the Marvel Comics big screen universe a delightful retro twang in the company of otherworldly mercenary Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), green-skinned assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), genetically engineered raccoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), tree-like sidekick Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and vengeance-seeking warrior Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista).

Maleficent (Cert PG, 97 mins, Disney DVD, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £21.99/3D Blu-ray £25.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Inspired by 1959 Disney animation Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent is a visually stunning fantasy, which re-imagines the Brothers Grimm through the mascara-ed eyes of the eponymous villainess (Angelina Jolie) as she curses Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) to eternal slumber. For all its technological might, this fantastical live-action fairytale is anchored by Jolie's theatrics. She slinks through every frame, rolling menacing lines of dialogue around her mouth like candy.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past (Cert 12, 131 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

The latest chapter in the long-running mutant saga zips back and forth in time as Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) make contact with their younger selves (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender) in order to halt the reign of terror sparked by shape-shifter Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). The blitzkrieg of slick digital effects melds seamlessly with live action elements.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

Holiday Inn (Cert U, 100 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £17.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Irving Berlin's wintry musical features the classic song White Christmas and stars Bing Crosby as performer Jim Hardy, who is left broken-hearted when his fiancee Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale) leaves him for best friend Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire). This two-disc set includes the black and white and a new colorized version of the film set in the eponymous rural retreat, where dreams sometimes come true.

It's A Wonderful Life (65th Anniversary Edition) (Cert U, 130 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

This re-issue of Frank Capra's life affirming 1946 fable comes packaged with a reprint of the 1946 film poster plus four limited edition art cards. James Stewart stars as suicidal family man George Bailey, who ponders a life without his beloved wife Mary (Donna Reed) and children, but is thankfully saved by guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers). The black and white and colourised versions of the film are included on both formats.

Miracle On 34th Street (Cert U, 109 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £9.99/Blu-ray £14.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Les Mayfield's splendid 1994 remake of the festive favourite, headlining Richard Attenborough and rosy-cheeked Mara Wilson. When Macy's department store in New York needs a Santa Claus at short notice, Kris Kringle (Attenborough) steps in to save the day. However, the jovial Father Christmas claims to be the genuine article and he is forced to prove himself in a court of law.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (Special Edition) (Cert U, 85 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

This joyful 1992 comedy musical directed by Brian Henson casts Kermit as much abused Bob Cratchit opposite Michael Caine's deliciously sneering Ebenezer Scrooge. Miss Piggy slums it as Bob's wife Emily while Statler and Waldorf are the perfect fit for Scrooge's former business partners, Jacob and Robert Marley.

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Cert PG, 77 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £23.99/3D Blu-ray £28.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Henry Selick's delicious 1993 stop-motion animated fable revolves around scheming Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon), the cause celebre of Hallowe'en Town, who hatches a dastardly scheme to replace Santa Claus as the figurehead of Christmas by kidnapping the portly man in the red suit. The brilliantly imaginative character design is almost as dazzling as Danny Elfman's score, which includes the songs "Making Christmas", "Sally's Song" and "What's This?".

STAND-UP COMEDY

Lee Evans: Monsters Live (Cert 15, 126 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £21.99/Blu-ray £26.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Recorded live during this year's arena tour, the Monsters Live concert film finds rubber-faced stand-up Evans in typically hilarious and breathless form, delivering uncanny observations on modern life with manic energy and myriad wild gesticulations.

Miranda Hart: My, What I Call, Live Show (Cert 12, 96 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.99)

Recorded live at the O2 Arena in London as part of Hart's sell-out 2014 tour, this concert film joins the award-winning star of Call The Midwife as she repurposes material from her self-titled sitcom as a confessional about lapses in social etiquette, poor sartorial choices and her inability to flirt with confidence.

Russell Howard: Wonderbox Live (Cert 15, 87 mins, Channel 4 DVD, DVD £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Recorded live at the Bristol Hippodrome during this year's sell-out tour, this concert film joins the cheeky Mock The Week panellist as he shares his gleefully juvenile brand of social commentary with an adoring home crowd, unearthing moments of unexpected joy and wonder in seemingly mundane everyday experiences.

Monty Python Live (Mostly) - One Down, Five To Go (Cert 15, 159 mins, Eagle Rock Entertainment, DVD £13.99/Blu-ray £16.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

The five surviving Pythons - John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin - reunite for a last hurrah at the O2 Arena in London, performing some of their best known and favourite sketches and songs including Albatross, Every Sperm Is Sacred, Four Yorkshiremen, The Lumberjack Song, Pet Shop and The Spanish Inquisition.

Sarah Millican: Home Bird Live (Cert 15, 98 mins, 4DVD, DVD £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

In the six years since she won Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Geordie stand-up Millican has become a popular figure on the stand-up circuit and a stalwart of BBC TV and radio. In this recording of one gig on her sell-out 2014 tour, Millican delights her home crowd at Newcastle's Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre with anecdotes and her thoughts on teaching a pensioner to swear.

THRILLER

Blue Ruin (Cert 15, 90 mins, Spirit Entertainment, DVD/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Anchored by a tour-de-force central performance from Macon Blair as a grief-stricken loner, who is determined to wreak revenge on his parents' killer, Jeremy Saulnier's second feature establishes a deceptively slow and steady pace that belies the nerve-shredding tension beneath the surface. Once the first drop of blood is spilt - and it's a stomach-churning arterial spray - we're completely in the writer-director's vice-like grip.

Cold In July (Cert 18, 110 mins, Icon Home Entertainment, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £17.99/Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Based on the novel by Joe R Lansdale, Cold In July is a gripping portrait of a family man (Michael C Hall), who is unwittingly drawn into a deadly conspiracy after he shoots dead an intruder in the dark. Expertly constructed by writer-director Jim Mickle, who co-wrote the script with Nick Damici, it's a grimy and blood-spattered portrait of the secrets and lies that fester in small communities, and the lengths a good man must go to protect his loved ones.

Heli (Cert 18, 105 mins, Network Releasing, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £14.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Amat Escalante's gripping and gritty portrait of tough justice in modern-day Mexico unfolds through the eyes of 17-year-old Heli (Armando Espitia), who destroys a stash of drugs hidden in his family's water tank. Police don't believe Heli's story about dumping the cocaine in a remote watering hole so they kidnap the terrified teenager and his 12-year-old sister and perform unspeakable acts on the children to extract the truth from their terrified captives.

Locke (Cert 15, 85 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Set within the claustrophobic confines of a car travelling at terrifying speed down the M6 and M1, Locke is a riveting one-hander, which unfolds largely in real time. Tom Hardy shifts nervously behind the wheel, expertly conveying the anguish of a construction foreman, who is steadily dismantling the foundations of his cosy existence as he races through the night to witness his child emerge into the world.

True Detective (Cert 18, 456 mins, Warner Home Video/HBO, DVD £39.99/Blu-ray £49.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey demonstrates his versatility opposite Woody Harrelson in this gripping eight-part crime drama, which follows Louisiana homicide detectives Rustin 'Rust' Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin 'Marty' Hart (Harrelson) as they are interviewed about the high-profile case of a murdered prostitute. The two men delve into painful memories of the past and fresh evidence about the 1995 investigation comes to light.

TOP 10 DVD RETAIL

1 (2) Frozen

2 (1) The Inbetweeners 2

3 (3) Guardians Of The Galaxy

4 (5) Lee Evans: Monsters Live

5 (4) Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie

6 (-) Miranda Hart - My, What I Call, Live Show

7 (7) Top Gear - The Perfect Road Trip 2

8 (-) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

9 (8) How To Train Your Dragon 2

10 (9) Maleficent

(Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk/DVD)

TOP 10 DVD RENTAL

1 (1) Guardians Of The Galaxy

2 (3) Frozen

3 (2) The Inbetweeners 2

4 (4) Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

5 (10) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

6 (5) How To Train Your Dragon 2

7 (6) X-Men: Days Of Future Past

8 (7) Maleficent

9 (9) The Fault In Our Stars

10 (7) Transformers: Age Of Extinction

(Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk/DVD)

TOP 10 FILM STREAMING

1 (3) Horrible Bosses

2 (1) The Dark Knight Rises

3 (2) Monsters Inc.

4 (8) Arthur Christmas

5 (4) Escape Plan

6 (5) Non-Stop

7 (7) Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger

8 (10) Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas

9 (-) Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows

10 (9) Crazy, Stupid, Love

(Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk/DVD)