Competition *CLOSED*: Win Time Bandits on Special Edition DVD! 71 30651

time bandits dvd competition

This competition is now closed. Thanks to all those who entered it. The winners will be announced and contacted soon!

It’s competition time again here at Thoughts On Film and this time we’re giving you the chance to win Terry Gilliam’s classic 1981 time travel comedy Time Bandits which has now been restored for a new DVD and Blu-ray release.

Time Bandits is a delightfully children’s fantasy about young Kevin (Craig Warnock) who finds himself travelling through holes in the space-time continuum in the company of half a dozen of fractious dwarfs. Along the way he encounters Agamemnon (Sean Connery), Robin Hood (John Cleese), Napoleon (Ian Holm) and winds up as a passenger on the Titanic, although not necessarily in that order. But is this just random entertainment laid on for history fan Kevin’s benefit, or part of a wider struggle between the forces of good (Ralph Richardson) and evil (David Warner)?

The film is an absolute joy to watch from start to finish, showcasing Gilliam’s inimitable quirky style to great effect and the latest release, with all its special features, would be a great addition to anyone’s collection. Here are the special feature details as well as the cover artwork:

  • Brand new 2k-resolution restoration of the film from the original camera negative, approved by director and co-writer Terry Gilliam
  • Original uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio options
  • Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Chasing Time Bandits: A new interview with Terry Gilliam
  • Writing the Film that Dares Not Speak its Name: A new interview in which Michael Palin discusses co-writing and acting in Time Bandits
  • The Effects of Time Bandits: A new interview in which Kent Houston, founder of the Peerless Camera Company, discusses Time Bandits’ optical effects
  • Playing Evil: A new featurette in which actor David Warner remembers producer George Harrison and playing Evil in Time Bandits
  • The Costumes of Time Bandits: A new interview with costume designer James Acheson
  • The Look of Time Bandits: A new interview with production designer Milly Burns
  • From Script to Screen – A new animated featurette in which Milly Burns takes us through her production notebooks, locations photographs and storyboards revealing how twentieth century Morocco was transformed into Ancient Greece
  • Original Trailer
  • Restoration Demonstration
  • Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver

time bandits dvd competition1

Thanks to Arrow Video we have three copies of the DVD to give away. To be in with a chance of winning one of them all you have to do is comment on this post with an answer to the following: what is your favourite time travel movie and why? Winners will be chosen from our favourite comments (please give more than just a few word answers) and will be contacted by e-mail soon after the competition closes.

Now time for the the small print:

  • Competition open to UK residents only
  • Only one entry per person
  • Entrants must be 18 or over
  • Competition closes on Friday August 30th at 23:59pm GMT

Good luck! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

Time Bandits is released on DVD, Blu-ray and limited edition steelbook in the UK on Monday August 26th.

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

71 Comments

  1. As cool as Time Bandits might be (I havent seen it since the 80s) the ultimate time travel film just has to be Back To The Future. I rewatched the film last week and its still a perfect film. . So no offence to Time Bandits but hey being a fellow movie reviewer and fan. We just have to be honest dont we 🙂 )

  2. Back To The Future – because it’s a trilogy which makes for more time travel; because it has an awesome storyline and characters; because it has a dream car that people still salvage over, decades after its release, and because the film(s) are simply AWESOME!!

  3. It can only be Back To The Future I ! I love all the catchphrases that came out from it-hel-loooo?! McFlyyyy?!-and the crazy gadgets we all thought we’d be owning by now. Oh, and it’s the only timetravel movie I’ve ever watched!

  4. My vote would have to go to ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’. A gang of 40 something year old men travel back to the 1980’s and get a chance to relive their youth. Bonus points for Motley Crue et al soundtrack.

  5. Time Bandits: No argument; best script; best characters; best villains; best actors; funniest lines; it isn’t just THE best time travel film it’s one of the best films of all time.

  6. Sorry to echo everyone else, but the ‘Back To The Future’ trilogy is fantastic. The whole family loves it. Full of fun and crazy adventure.

  7. The Time Machine 1960 version, with Rod Taylor. It was the first time travelling movie I had seen, and had everything cheesy acting, good at the time, special effects, and scarey monsters, the morlocks, which again at the time terrified me. It has stood the test of time, as I have watched it with my daughters, who I have to say thought it was a comedy!

  8. My favorite time travelling film would have to be ‘The Time Machine’, the1960 film based on HG Wells’ novel. It is the first time travel film and when I first saw the film as a kid I enjoyed watching the fast-forward time-laspe sequences and the visions of the future. The Morlocks were ugly-scary too!

  9. Same as many other forty somethings I suspect but has to be Back to the Future. It was a perfect film at the time and is great family viewing.

  10. The Time Machine, the original Rod Taylor version. I love the part where he’s travelling in time and watching the shop change.

  11. The butterfly effect, Aston Kutcher is such a good actor in this film and the plot is one i could never see coming. even though many critics slated it it had a huge fan base, the film was not afraid to push boundaries showing molestation, animal cruelty, murder but all this no matter how bad added to the sheer momentum of the plot. It was a purely low budget move, i feel often did not get the respect it truly deserved.
    It truly brought home the aspect every action in life has consequences around us, Such a brilliant time travel film where many fall flat.

  12. Quite a recent film – LOOPERS. It was a great film and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also I am a great Star Trek fan and they are always doing time travel episodes – absolutely love them as they really make you think how it all works. Another great one is TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE.

  13. Looper. The whole idea of changing something now and seeing the impact on the future self, immediately. This film causes our house hours of discussions on what if :\

  14. Looper – it’s a film you really don’t want to see on your own cos there’s so much to talk about and try to understand. Gets better with every watch.

  15. It’s been said before but Looper is great – a few plot holes here and there but if you suspend belief it’s a great little “what if” story!

  16. It’s got to be Back To The Future. I grew up watching it (with my brother, over and over again!), so it feels like a part of my childhood. I still watch it lovingly now, though, so it’s definitely stood the test of time.
    The film has so many classic scenes – from skateboarding around cars to Johnny B Goode to George punching Biff. And Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd are perfect in their roles – I couldn’t imagine anyone else in them.
    There have been loftier films dealing with the subject of time travel, but – great Scott! – I don’t think any of them have been quite so much fun. 🙂

  17. Timecrimes is still my favourite time travel movie. I love it for various reasons. Firstly I love a film that will make me watch it multiple times to get a real grasp of everything that went on. Secondly it really falls in to my favourite genre of Horror as well, a real sense of dread flows through the movie and I loved every second.

  18. Has to be the first Back to the Future. The culture of both time periods is really nostalgic watching now, and I thought the film was really innovative at the time, when I was young and impressionable!

  19. Flight of the Navigator. This is a film that my late father took me to see as a birthday treat. I loved it then and I love it now. Plus a chance to watch a young Sarah Jessica Parker in action.

  20. Back to the future as it gives me very clear memories of watching it with my brother as he watched it over and over. I don’t get to see him much these days and I like to watch it every now and again to remind me of him once more!

  21. The Doctor Who film is my favourite. I am big fan of the Tardis and its wonderful capabilities! Great idea and if we could produce such a machine today, think of all the money we would save, going forward in time a bit – better than the January sales!

  22. My favourite is actually Time Bandits. It’s so cheesy and silly and yet has the innocence and good laughs missing in many modern films.

  23. my favourite is the time machine with Rod Taylor. i think he is such a good actor, and it was made in 1960 so it was really good for that time period, they didnt have all the special effects that we are lucky enough to have now

  24. 12 Monkeys – One of those films you can watch again and again and see something different. Engaging plot and characters.

  25. has to be hot tub time machine, for once a good storyline, good actors and good graphics all in one, all thats missing is a few mates and a tub of popcorn, all that and u have yourself a fantastic night in 🙂 x

  26. Definitely Time Bandits as it brings back so many memories. I remember seeing it at the cinema and I must have been very young as during the credits they showed God’s map and I thought it was very irresponsible as someone could take a photo of the screen and use it!

  27. Back to the Future, love the humour, romance, still one of my favourite, still trying to get my daughters to watch it, all the twists and turns in the film

  28. Not sure if this counts but I would say Red Dwarf. They travelled through time! I loved each of the characters especially Rimmer. Cannot be beaten.

  29. Brigadoon. I know it’s cheesy and the Scottish accents are almost as bad a Isla Fisher’s in Burke and Hare but I used to watch it when I was a child with my Nan. The songs are brilliant and Gene Kelly is still, to this day, one of my favourite actors.

    It’s a shame that it gets ridiculed (and most often forgotten about) because the story itself is really good and not that far removed from the plot of Stardust which was made just over 50 years later.

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Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4022

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!

Competition: Win King of Thieves on DVD *CLOSED* 0 3871

***This competition is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! The two winners will be contacted soon!

This coming Monday sees the DVD and Blu-ray release of King of Thieves, the latest film from acclaimed director James Marsh (Man on Wire, The Theory of Everything), which features a cavalcade of legendary British actors including Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon and Paul Whitehouse who team up to pull off a brazen heist. You may know the job from our own headlines as “The Hatton Garden Heist,” described as the biggest and most daring heist in British history.

It’s a good slice of old-fashioned heist movie fun which morphs in its latter half into something with surprising touches of the dangerous and sinister as suspicions and loyalties start to inevitably turn.

To celebrate the film’s release, we have two copies of it on DVD to give away, thanks to the lovely folk at Studio Canal.

thoughts-on-film-king-of-thieves-competition

To enter the competition simply answer the following question: in which classic British film does Michael Caine famously say the line, “you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”?

a) Alfie
b) The Italian Job
c) The Ipcress File

Please email your answer to rosstmiller@thoughtsonfilm.co.uk with the subject heading “King of Thieves competition.” Please also include your delivery address details so we can easily send the prize out if you win.

Now for the technical part:

  • UK residents only
  • Entrants must be 18 or over
  • Winners will be chosen at random
  • The prize for each entrant is one DVD copy of King of Thieves
  • Prize is non-transferable
  • Competition ends on Sunday January 27th at 11:59pm GMT
  • Prize will be sent from PR/studio

King of Thieves is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from January 21st. You can already rent/buy the film digitally.

Best of luck on the competition!