The significance of Ed Wood, both man and movie, on the career of Tim Burton cannot be emphasised enough. Here Burton regurgitates and pays homage to the influences of his youth, just as he would continue to do with Mars Attacks! and Sleepy Hollow. Everything is just right, from the decision to shoot in black and white, the performances of Johnny Depp (as Ed) and Martin Landau (as Bela Lugosi), the re-creation of 1950s Hollywood and the evocative score by Howard (Lord of the Rings) Shore. The plot struck a poignant familiar chord with Burton, who saw the relationship between the Ed and Lugosi mirroring his own with Vincent Price. Most importantly Burton responded to the story of the struggling, misunderstood artist. For all Burton's big-budget blockbusters (Batman, Planet of the Apes), he still somehow retains the mantle of the kooky niche director. And in the mid-90s, this film actually represented the last vestiges of his independent film production. Fans can only hope he'll soon return to those roots soon.

On the DVD: Ed Wood on disc has a good group commentary in which Burton is interviewed rather than expected to hold forth on his own, making his insights alongside the screenwriters, Landau, and various production heads very worthwhile. Also worthy are the featurettes on Landau's Oscar-winning make-up, the FX and the Theremin instrument employed in the score. Best of all is an extremely exotic Music Video based on that score. This doesn't seem to be a new transfer of the film, but in black and white you're less likely to notice. --Paul Tonks

Circle reminds us that, despite his less than successful dalliances with film and TV, Eddie Izzard's reputation rests securely on his genius for stand-up comedy. Circle comes on the back of an ever-growing global touring schedule, with this particular performance being recorded in New York. Always sensitive to his environment, the comedian throws in several local references to gratify his strongly partisan audience. Much of the delight of an Izzard performance is watching him weave from topic to topic, often painting himself into a corner, and Circle is no exception. A little slow to get started, once he finds his stride this is a veritable masterclass in live comedy, dealing with subjects ranging from the absurd to the everyday. Indeed, Izzard is almost a human equivalent of The Far Side cartoon series, weaving the worlds of the bizarre and the ordinary together to make fresh points: witness his show-stopping account of the Death Star canteen. This is a must for all fans, equally so for those yet to fall under his spell. --Phil Udell