This week, you can expect to enjoy: another comeback record by Wigan's finest – The Verve, the wonderful director's cut of the ingenious urban nightmare Dark City , and the most delectable of reads in Ever Dirk .

The Record – The Verve: Forth

You have the wrong idea about The Verve, most people do. They are widely known for their anthemic tub-thumping album 'Urban Hymms' – the collection of songs that practically killed them in any meaningfully creative sense. However, it's their first two albums that fans cling to in the hope history will repeat itself. Both the transcendental 'Storm in Heaven' and growling, gorgeous 'Northern Soul' tease out the band's uniquely groove-led rock n'roll, all bass and wail. 'Forth' is no disappoinment. The most obviously commercial track is the first single 'Love is Noise', a boisterous, meaningless but incredibly rousing romp. The standout track is undoubtedly the meandering, masterful Pink Floyd-like 'Numbness'. As every fan of The Verve knows, Richard Ashcroft's lyrics only make sense in the context of rhythm, so to criticise them means I have to take time out from nodding my head in appreciation at this expansive, tuneful surprise opf an album, and I just don't want to.   

The DVD – Dark City: The Director's Cut (Alex Proyas, 1998)

In 1998 Alex Proyas forged (from a kind of deconstructionist noir-goth gloop) one of the great modrn sci-fi films. To put it simply, Dark City is The Matrix for grown-ups. A man wakes up naked and alone in a ghastly hotel room murder scenario with no immediate memory of who he is or what he is doing there. The man attempts to make sense of the fragments of memories he has of a person that doesn't seem to be him in a place that doesn't seem to exist. Strangely he appears to be able to control events and happenings in this askew urban landscape. One of the great city films, Dark city offers a great lead perfromance from the usually-iffy Rufus Sewell and a slinky, low-key turn from the hard-to-grasp Jeniffer Conolly. wathc out to for Richard o'Brien (yes, he of The Crystal Maze) nailing the very unsettling tone. The director's cut offers a few new scenes and extended scenes that paces the film a little more pensively. The commentaries are superb and the picture has clealry had a very prsitine clean-up. Dark City is an incredible, existentially compelling little film – the kind of medium-budget wonder that comes along all too rarely.

The Book – Ever, Dirk: The Bogarde Letters (Ed. John Coldstream, Widenfield & Nicholson)

Books of letters are perversely revealing – an apparent irony in this case, Bogarde seeming to be a man in perpetual retreat. The actor – a great actor of a certain type, for sure – actually consigned most of his letters to a bonfire, presumably in an attempt to cover the tracks of existence in some way. However, many letters to friends and family survived – it is these personal epistles that form this enlightening and engaging volume.

Somewhat of an enigma – or hypocrit – Bogarde is often bold in his feelings, yet just as frequently cold and distancing, He is certainly wry and his charm framed in his poise and self-effacing whit. The letters, as they move through the years have the slight spoil of decline – in sirit and career – yet for a dogged soul quite aroused by tribulation, Bogarde remains a steadfast, stubborn Englishman to the last. This is a highly recommended collection, a fine opportunity to indulge in a little voyeurism at the expense of a man who most definitely liked to be watched.

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