Eric Rohmer's Claire's Knee is one of his series of "Moral Tales", though it deals delicately with areas of intense moral ambiguity rather than in any obvious certainty. Jerome, a man holidaying at the very end of his youth, allows his old friend Aurora to co-opt him in her experiments with the hearts of two teenage girls. Sensitive gawky Laura fixates on him, but knows enough to realise he is dangerous to her, whereas Claire, for whom he develops a vague obsession, largely ignores him as a sexual being. He develops elaborate theories in justification of what he does and says, and the film does not dismiss these theories, while allowing for the possibility that Jerome is nothing but a manipulative self-deceived letch. This is a movie with a delicate visual palette; Nestor Almendros' elegiac camera work constantly makes clear that for all the characters this is a summer vacation with consequences. It is also a conversation piece in which almost nothing happens--the most Jerome ever allows himself is to stroke Claire's knee--and the interesting thing is how all the intense talk and extended scenes of one-to-one dialogue make that quite enough to sustain our fascinated interest. --Roz Kaveney

The Complete Clangers is an unmissable double-DVD set containing all 26 episodes of this classic television series. Devised by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, whose other credits include such masterpieces as Ivor the Engine and Bagpuss, the programmes detail life on the small blue planet, somewhere out in space, that is home to these long-nosed, gentle, pink creatures with their distinctive whistling language. Life is simple when you're a Clanger; with plentiful green soup and blue-string pudding to eat, the main worry is being hit by objects from space. Fortunately, Clangers have armour to protect their little knitted bodies and live in caves within the planet enclosed by metal lids--the slamming of which gives them their name. A peaceful race, the Clangers live in harmony with the other inhabitants of their world--the Soup Dragon, the Froglets, several Glow Buzzers and the Iron chicken--as well as any other visitors who may drop by.

When you're sitting comfortably, prepare to wallow in nostalgia with these timeless tales or introduce them to a new generation--neither of you will be disappointed. --Helen Baker