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PG 'Pussycats' (08.31.01 - 12:57pm) Since the consumer demand was apparently overwhelming, Universal has announced a new "PG" version of Josie & The Pussycats due on 11/20. Aside from the rating, the disc is the same, with the exact same runtime, aspect ratio, sound formats and supplements. Since this slightly sanitized version is being released three months after the original DVD, one wonders who the audience for this version is going to be. In any case, if you picked up the current PG-13 version, no worries...who wants a version with all the swear words edited out, anyway?
Well, kids, Columbia is really going all out this Christmas, with a slate of B-movies that makes my 80s-lovin' heart sing. Coming on 12/4 are Sheena: Queen Of the Jungle, Weekend At Bernies II, Chuck Norris in Silent Rage, the Nora Ephron bomb Mixed Nuts, and of course, the already-announced Spacehunter: Adventures In the Forbidden Zone. Only specs for Spacehunter have been announced so far, which includes 2.35:1 anamorphic and full screen transfers (sorry, no 3-D!), English and French 2.0 tracks, and bonus trailers. Watch for specs for the rest soon... Two from Paramount (08.30.01 - 12:29pm) just announced from Paramount are two new titles, both films I've never heard of. Road Rage is billed as a thriller starring Casper Van Diem, and debuts on 10/31. The film is presented in 1.33;1 with English 5.1 and 2.0 surround tracks, cast and crew interviews, and the trailer. Bride Of The Wind debuts on 11/6, complete with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 and 2.0 surround tracks, and the trailer. Retail is $29.95 each. AUGUST 29 Do you 'Redux'? (08.29.01 - 1:14pm) Paramount has just announced a DVD release for the movie many are calling the best of the year, even though it was first released in 1979. Apocalypse Now Redux hits DVD on 11/20, complete with 49 minutes of newly-inserted footage. The disc is pretty bare bones - 2:1 anamorphic widescreen, English 5.1 surround and the trailer. No other goodies are included, and retail is $29.95. A most 'Excellent Adventure' (08.29.01 - 12:08pm) Before there was a Dude, Where's My Car?, before there was a There's Something About Mary, there was... Bill & Ted. MGM has just announced some new 12/4 titles, led by the dynamic duo themselves. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey both feature 2.35;1 and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, respectively, and English 5.1 surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles and trailers. Bogus Journey also includes a behind-the-scenes featurette. Retail is $14.95 each. A week later on 12/11, MGM will release two more budget catalog titles for $14.95, The Defiant Ones and Inherit The Wind. Both are presented in non-anamorphic 1.66:1 with English, French and Spanish mono tracks and the trailer. More 12/11 fun include a series of $19.95 titles. First is a (sorta) special edition of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, complete with 1.85:1 anamorphic and full screen transfers, English 2.0 stereo mix, an audio commentary with director Frank Oz and the trailer. Retail is $19.95. More goodies include William Wyler's Dodsworth in full frame, mono and with the trailer, and Topkapi, Separate Tables, Witness For The Prosecution and Look back In Anger, all in 1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen and mono. All include trailers. Rounding out the 12/11 lineup is s the Blade Edwards classic The Party with Peter Sellers, in 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen and full frame with English and French mono tracks; Ralph Bashki's Fritz The Cat and The Nine Lives Of Fritz The Cat, The Handmaid's Tale, Jean Jacques Annaud's The Lover and Sean Penn's The Indian Runner, all in 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen with English and French mono tracks, except the Lover and Indian Runner, in 2.0 surround, All include trailers except for The Handmaid's tale, and retail is $19.95 a pop. Street date alert (08.29.01 - 12:08pm) Attention, 80's fans. Columbia has just announced street dates for some of my faves, the guilty pleasure Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone on 12/4, the Robin Williams comedy Moscow On The Hudson on 11/27, and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas on 12/6. Stay tuned for details...
Just announced from MGM is the hit comedy Legally Blonde, due on 11/6. This looks to be another sweet MGM special edition, complete with 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, English, French and Spanish 5.1 surround and subtitle tracks, two audio commentaries with director Robert Luketic, Reese Witherspoon and the crew, deleted scenes with director introductions, the "Inside Legally Blonde" and "The Hair That Ate Hollywood" featurettes, the Hoku music video "Perfect Day," and the theatrical trailer. Retail is $26.95. Outlaw blues (08.29.01 - 12:02am) looks like November is shaping up to be Clint Eastwood month for Warner, who will be releasing a new special edition of The Outlaw Josey Wales on 11/20 to go along with that Dirty Harry Series box set. This new version includes a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 surround mix, as well as an introduction by Clint Eastwood, the 30-minute "Hell Hath No Fury" documentary and a 8-minute "Eastwood in Action" featurette. Retail is $19.95. $100 million dollar smile (08.28.01 - 2:15pm) Just announced from Columbia are the full specs for the 11/13 release of the summer comedy America's Sweethearts, starring Julia "I just won an Oscar and you didn't" Roberts. The disc includes anamorphic widescreen and full screen presentations, English 5.1 and English and French 2.0 surround and subtitle tracks, the featurette "Close Up: America's Sweethearts," deleted scenes, filmographies and trailers. Retail is $27.95. Make my day...again (08.28.01 - 11:24am) A correction to our previously posted Dirty Harry collection specs - don't worry, it's good news. All five Dirty Harry discs in the collection - Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact and The Dead Pool - will feature Dolby 5.1 surround mixes, not the 2.0 surround tracks previously reported. Sorry for the error, and the other specs, retail price and street date remain unchanged. Rock n' roll (08.28.01 - 11:24am) Just announced for 12/4, DreamWorks will be releasing the long-awaited extended cut of Cameron Crowe's rock epic Almost Famous. Entitled Almost Famous Untitled: The Bootleg Cut, this 3-disc set includes both the new 159-minute cut of the film on disc one, with the original theatrical cut on disc two. Extras on the first disc also include a new audio commentary with Crowe, a Lester Bangs interview on the BBC, the infamous "Stairway To Heaven" deleted scene with commentary; Stillwater's Cleveland concert excerpt, and the original theatrical trailer. Text extras include Cameron Crowe's top 10 albums of 1973, the Rolling Stone articles as seen on the original release, and the film's complete screenplay available to DVD-ROM enabled users. The third disc is a CD with six Stillwater songs from the film, some never before released. Retail for this puppy is only $34.95. AUGUST 27 Trek box (08.27.01 - 10:39pm) With the announcement of Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition, all the Trek big-screen adventures are now on DVD, so of course Paramount is releasing a box set of the films on 11/6. (Oh, c'mon now, don't act surprised!) Star Trek: The Original Crew Movie Collection features the first six films featuring the original Trek crew, and retails for $125.95. Star Trek: The Motion Pictures Collection features all nine films in the series (so far), and retails for $183.95. All these discs are the same as previously released (or in the case of The Motion Picture, will be released) with no extra features. Paramount has also just issued the full press release for the 11/13 debut of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, so check that out, too...
Warner has just announced two classic dramas for release on 11/13, the 1933 version of Little Women with Katherine Hepburn, and Now Voyager with Bette Davis. Both discs feature 1.33:1 transfers and English and French mono tracks, trailers and new discovered music scoring cues. Retail is $19.95 a pop. Warner has also confirmed via their website the previous retail announcement of a 12/4 release of the first Babylon 5 episodes to hit DVD,, complete with cover art though no technical specs. Let's hope this first release sells well, and Warner continues to release episodes in chronological order the way fans prefer. Stay tuned! Street date alert (08.27.01 - 12:04am) Just announced are street dates for two big upcoming titles... Buena Vista will release the box office disappointment Scary Movie 2 on 11/27, and Columbia has already posted a 12/4 street date for John Carpenter's Ghost Of Mars. Guess its less-than-stellar performance this past weekend put this one on the fast track? Stay tuned for details to be announced soon... Guns and ammo (08.27.01 - 12:04am) Lara Croft has arrived. On 11/13, Paramount will release a special edition of this summer's hit Tomb Raider, and in a rare move for the studio, the disc will be fully DVD-ROM equipped. Presented in 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen with English 5.1 and 2.0 surround tracks, the release is loaded with extras geared towards the film's teen audience. This release will feature the theatrical cut, an audio commentary with Wincer, four deleted scenes, alternate title sequence, the "Digging Into Tomb Raider," "The Stunts Of Tomb Raider," "The Visual Effects Of Tomb Raider" and "Are You Game?: The Lara Croft Phenomenon" featurettes, a "Tomb Raider Chronicles" video game demo, U2 "Elevation" music video, and trailers. For those DVD-ROM equipped, the disc will come complete with three levels of the Tomb Raider video game embedded on DVD. There will also be a website exclusive to those with the disc and ROM drive, as well as planned live chats and other web content. Retail is only $29.95, and stay tuned for a press release with full specs this week. Already drawing debate is Paramount's move to price the Tomb Raider DVD for sell-through, while keeping the VHS safe and snug at a rental price point. Given the core base of young teenage boys for the Tomb Raider phenomenon - and the demographic's web-saavy nature - a strong ROM and video game slant for the DVD seems a natural. Some are already predicting the Tomb Raider DVD will sell better not only to consumers, but video rental outlets as well, given the DVD's low price point. Can't wait to see what happens!  Make
my day (08.27.01 - 3:14pm)
On 11/20, Warner is planning to make your day with The Dirty Harry Series collection, a box set with all five films featuring screen icon Clint Eastwood as "Dirty" Harry Callahan. Each film features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and 2.0 stereo surround mixes, except Dirty Harry, which is in full 5.1. Extras on The Dead Pool and Sudden Impact include trailers, while The Enforcer and Magnum Force include trailers as well as featurettes - "Harry Callahan and Clint Eastwood: Something Special in Films" and "Hero Cop: Yesterday and Today," respectively. The first Dirty Harry is being reissued (the previous movie-only release is now discontinued) with a remastered transfer, as well as a special introduction, the documentary "Clint Eastwood: The Man From Malaposa," and an eight-minute "Eastwood On Eastwood" excerpt. The set retails for $79.95, and each disc will be also available separately for $19.95. Warner has just announced a clutch of "Rat Pack" classics, all for release on 11/20. Just in time for the big-budget remake comes a new special edition of the original Ocean's 11, featuring a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, 2.0 stereo mix, audio commentary with Frank Sinatra Jr. and Angie Dickenson, second audio commentary with director Steven Soderbergh, "Sinatra on Stage - Photo Gallery" 50 pages with 5 minutes of audio, an interactive "Map of Vegas" with 5 vignettes, the "Headlining at the Sands" featurette and the trailer. Retail is only $19.95. Also coming on 11/20 is Robin And The 7 Hoods and 4 For Texas. Each features an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English and French mono tracks, a "Behind The Scenes" still gallery and the trailer. Robin And The 7 Hoods also includes an audio commentary with Frank Sinatra Jr. Retail is $19.95 each.
Willow specs (08.27.01 - 3:14pm) Though Fox and Lucasfilm have already announced a 11/27 release of the Ron Howard fantasy-adventure Willow, the full specs have yet to be released. But Fox has just issued all the details on the disc, including aspect ratio and features. The film is presented in a new THX-certified 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English and Spanish 2.0 surround tracks (no DTS track will be included), English and French subtitles and English Closed Captions, a new audio commentary with director Ron Howard and actor Warwick Davis, the "Making Of An Adventure'' documentary and a special effects featurette, a still gallery and theatrical trailers and TV spots. Retail is $26.95, and no box art or menu screens have yet been released... but stay tuned!
Anchor Bay has just announced a couple of new titles on 10/23, including one of my favorite guilty pleasures of the 80s, The Beastmaster. Anchor Bay is pulling out all the stops on this one, with a new THX-certified 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS 6.1 ES mixes, an audio commentary with co-writer and director Don Coscarelli and producer Paul Pepperman, behind-the-scenes footage, a poster and still gallery, original production art, talent bios and the trailer. The disc will also include an alternate English .2.0 surround track and English Closed Captions. Retail is only $19.95. Anchor Bay will also release two Paul Verhoeven gems on 10/23, Business Is Business and Katie Tippel. Both discs feature a new 1.66;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dutch mono track with optional English subtitles, an audio commentary with Verhoeven, still gallery, Verhoeven bio and the trailer. Retail is $24.95. AUGUST 24-26
Just announced from Columbia is an early Christmas present, The Muppets Family Christmas, available for the first time on DVD. Originally produced as a television special, this 42-minute program is presented in full frame with English, French and Spanish 2.0 surround tracks and subtitles and bonus trailers. Retail is $19.95 and street date 11/6. Next is a spec change on the upcoming St. Elmo's Fire DVD, due 11/20. The release will indeed include the John Parr "Man In Motion" music video, as well as filmographies. Ain't life grand? Finally, Columbia has also issued the full press release for Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Need I say this is a must have for Python fans, and Columbia has really outdone themselves this time! Wonka confusion (08.24.01 - 1:07pm) There's been major confusion the past 24 hours over Warner's announcement of a widescreen DVD release of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (see post directly below). We received this press release yesterday, and contacted Warner but were told they knew nothing about such a release. However, we received a correction this morning from Warner as well as a real hard copy of the release, that it is indeed the real deal. A few other sites were also told yesterday that the release was not correct, and we were informed today the problem is simply some sort of internal confusion at Warner regarding the release. Sorry for any problems, confusion, or anger this may have caused! Wonka goes widescreen (08.24.01 - 8:54am) Here's the golden ticket? Warner has just announced a widescreen version of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, due 11/13. Check out the press release - now real, according to to Warner reps - for the details. Congrats to all those who voiced their opinions and started petitions... in this case, it worked. But hopefully, in the future, consumers won't have to start a petition to get every single Family Entertainment title in widescreen! Prince of low tides (08.24.01 - 6:59pm) Columbia has just announced the full specs for Barbra Streisand's The Prince Of Tides, or rather, the lack of them. Arriving on 11/6, the DVD is completely lacking in any of the supplements of the Criterion laserdisc so will likely disappoint Streisand fans. The disc does includes a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese 2.0 surround and subtitle tracks. And that's it...no production notes, filmographies, not even a trailer. Hmmph. Retail is $24.95. Columbia has also announced new street dates for a new Boyz 'N The Hood special edition and the early Luc Besson thriller Subway, both due 11/6. Stay tuned for details... Mishima in New York (08.24.01 - 6:59pm) Just announced from Warner is the seven-part miniseries New York. This five-disc set streets on 9/25 and is presented in full frame and 2.0 surround, and includes all seven episodes. Extras include an interview with Charlie Rose, an expanded interview with Martin Scorsese and additional interviews with other "New York Notables" including Donald Trump, archival footage and deleted Scenes. Retail is $139.95. Also, we have received some inquiries regarding Warner's recently released Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters. Many complained that the narration by Roy Scheider has been replaced by a "bad imitation" on the English track included on the DVD. The word we received from Warner is that the original Japanese narration has not been altered for the DVD, only the English dub by Scheider. According to them, the Scheider narration was added for the American release only, but Warner used the original Japanese narration by Ken Ogata - "which director Paul Schrader prefers and recovered" - for the DVD. However, oddly, the "Narrated by Roy Schieder" credit remains in the credit roll, yet his has been replaced on the English dub version. Has Carson Daly approved this? (08.23.01 - 11:12am) Dissing longtime distributor Sony Music, MTV is joining its sister channel Nickelodeon and has signed a long-term distribution deal with Paramount Home Entertainment. Now all under the Viacom roof, Paramount will distribute MTV product on VHS and DVD effective immediately, with the first release Inside Fear (a look behind-the-scenes at MTV's hit series) due on 11/6 and The Real World You Never Saw: Back to New York following on 12/4. Existing MTV titles such as Inside TRL and The Real World will be discontinued, though when these will be re-released by Paramount, if at all, remains to be announced. Man in motion (08.23.01 - 12:02am) Well, the downfall of civilization is now complete, with the 11/20 announcement of St. Elmo's Fire from Columbia. The disc features an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 4.0 and 2.0 surround tracks, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Korean and Chinese subtitles, an audio commentary with director Joel Schumacher, filmographies, production notes and "bonus" trailers. (What!? No John Parr "Man In Motion" music video!?!?) Retail is $24.95. Leonardo before he was famous (08.23.01 - 12:02am) Two new Paramount announcements for 11/27, including one of my favorite movies of the 90's, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino in Frankie & Johnny. Both feature 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, English and French 2.0 surround tracks, and trailers. Retail is $24.95, a little less than Paramount's usual $29.95 price tag. AUGUST 22 'Baby' blues (08.22.01 - 11:44am) Just announced from Columbia are the specs for the John Singleton drama Baby Boy, due 11/6. the disc features a 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 and 2.0 surround tracks, English and French subtitles, an audio commentary with Singleton, a making-of featurette, deleted and alternate scenes, a music video, an outtake and blooper reel, storyboard-to-screen comparisons, filmographies and trailers. Retail is $27.95. AUGUST 21
Well, it must be "prime the pump" day (see Matrix Revisited below.) Fox obviously has Apes fever, and have just announced a 11/20 street date for Planet Of The Apes: The Complete TV Series. This four-disc box set is presented in 4:3 full frame and English mono, and includes all 14 episodes of the acclaimed series. Disc one features "Escape from Tomorrow," "The Gladiators," "The Trap" and "The Good Seeds"; disc two "The Legacy," "Tomorrow's Tide," "The Surgeon" and "The Dragoons"' disc three includes "The Horse Ride," "The Interrogation," "The Tyrant" and "The Cure"' and finally disc four contains "The Liberator" and "Up Above the World So High." Extras include a still gallery and TV Spots. Retail is $49.95 for the set, and click on the box art image for a blow up. 'Matrix' revisited (08.21.01 - 11:55am) To help prime the pump for the (now delayed until 2003) release of the sequel, Warner will be releasing The Matrix Revisited on 11/20. Not a reissue of the existing DVD, this new making-of explores the film and the ensuing phenomenon, and the film is not included on this release. (Sort of like a Matrix: Ultimate Edition spread over two separate releases?) The disc includes "What is to Come?" behind-the-scenes featurette on Matrix Reloaded (aka Matrix 2), the "What is Animatrix?" anime preview, "The True Followers" interviews with hardcore Matrix fans, "The Dance of the Master" fight choreography featurette with Wu Ping, two scene studies of "The Bathroom Fight:" and "Wet Wall," the "But Wait, There's More" music montage with never before seen footage and four "hidden" easter eggs "Chase in the Alley," "The Woman in Red," "Gun Training" and the audio only "Juke Box." For DVD-ROM enabled users, you'll also find "What is the Matrix.com" preview of new Matrix website. Retail for this puppy is $19.95.
Just announced are a number of new titles all streeting this November. Continuing in their quest to release ever Barbra Streisand title in their catalog, Columbia will debut The Owl & The Pussycat on 11/27, and also arriving that date is the non-Streisand title Bear In the Big Blue House: Potty Time With Bear. And proving that blondes and princesses do have more fun, MGM has set a 11/6 street date for this summer's sleeper hit Legally Blonde, while Buena Vista has set the Kirsten Dunst romantic drama Crazy/Beautiful a week later on 11/13, with Disney reading The Princess Diaries for 12/4. Also just added to Buena Vista's November slate are The Closet, Jailbreakers, Calle 54 and Everybody's Beautiful. Watch for specs for all of these titles to be announced soon. Almost Famous Redux (08.21.01 - 12:06am) For once, a studio makes good on the promise of a special edition "coming soon." As you may recall, DreamWorks released a rather bare bones DVD of Cameron Crowe's highly acclaimed (and Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay) rock opus Almost Famous earlier this year with promises (see the original press release) of a extended "director's cut" with added features down the road. We've gotten word from DreamWorks this new two-disc extended cut will be out before the end of 2001. Watch for a full announcement coming soon, and can't wait to see the specs! Stay tuned... 'Made' men (08.20.01 - 12:03am) Just announced from Artisan for a 11/13 release is the reteaming of Swinger's Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, indie hit Made. This comedy (billed as a cross between "Swingers and The Sopranos") is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 surround, with a new audio commentary with Favreau and Vaughn, a featurette, production notes, filmographies and trailers. Retail is $24.95. Artisan has also announced a 12/4 street date for the controversial Wayne Wang drama Center Of The World. Watch for specs soon... Cirque to the fifth power (08.20.01 - 12:03am) If you're a Cirque Du Soleil fan, Columbia has a surprise for you. On 10/30 they will release five acclaimed performances on DVD: A Baroque Odyssey, Saltimbanco, La Nouvelle Experience, Le Cirque Reinvente and La Magie Continue. Each is presented in full frame with English 2.0 stereo surround tracks, production notes and promo spots. Retail is $24.95 a pop. Columbia will also be dropping the price of 8 popular DVD titles to $19.95: 28 Days, Girl Interrupted, Muppets From Space, Random Hearts, Run Lola Run, The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland, The Juror and Under Suspicion. This price change will go into effect 10/30. More on 'Pearl Harbor' (08.20.01 - 12:03am) We've gotten a few emails since the big announcement of Disney's Pearl Harbor last week with questions and confusion on the different configurations that will be made available. Buena Vista will be releasing three versions: on 12/4 comes a $29.95 two-disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (that's the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, not the movie) as well as a special 60th Anniversary Commemorative Gift Set featuring the Commemorative Edition plus the National Geographic special Beyond the Movie: Pearl Harbor. This two-pack retails for $49.95 and also includes a collectible Pearl Harbor map. Then on 1/15 comes the Vista Series edition of Pearl Harbor, which is a three-disc set. However, this Vista Series version will not include the National Geographic special or the map. Confusing? You bet. Since as of this writing the National Geographic special will not be available individually, if you want the full Pearl Harbor DVD experience (god help you), you'll have to buy them both... 'Jurassic' update (08.20.01 - 12:03am) Speaking of confusion, we've also gotten many emails inquiring about Universal's recent Jurassic Park DTS exchange offer, and whether or not it is available to Canadian as well as US residents. According to Universal, the offer is open to all in North America, so if you're up north don't hesitate to send in to exchange your copy. |
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Columbia
B-movie festival (08.30.01 - 12:29pm) 
'Blonde'
Bombshell (08.29.01 - 12:02am) 
Bette
Davis eyes (08.27.01 - 1:04pm) 
There
is another... (08.27.01 - 3:14pm) 
Tickle
Me Elmo (08.24.01 - 4:14pm) 
Street
date alert (08.21.01 - 12:06am)