By Peter M. Bracke

The final frontier

Alright, 80's children, the movie you've been waiting for has finally been announced. Starring Kate "Before she was Mrs. Spielberg" Capshaw and Lea Thompson, the sci-fi adventure SpaceCamp will hit DVD on 9/25 courtesy of Anchor Bay. The disc includes both 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, an English 2.0 surround track, collectible booklet and trailer. And continuing Anchor Bay's odd trend of subtitling and captioning some titles but not others, the disc will feature no English Closed Captions or subtitles. Retail is $19.95.

Here comes the sun

Warner has just announced two new titles, including the latest Spielberg epic to hit DVD, Empire Of the Sun. This long-awaited disc streets on 11/6 and sports a new 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English and French 5.1 Dolby surround and English 2.0 surround tracks and English and French subtitles. The only extras announced for the disc include the theatrical trailer, though we'll keep you posted if anything else is added to the disc. Retail is $24.95.

Also announced is the 1959 version of The Mummy starring Christopher Lee. The disc features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English and French mono mixes. Retail is but $19.95.

And a child shall lead them...

Stalking DVD on 10/19 from Dimension is yet another in the endless Children Of the Corn series, Children Of the Corn 7: Revelations. The disc features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 Dolby surround track and the trailer. Retail is $29.95. Scary.

TRON V2.0

Alright! I've been waiting for this one ever since Disney released that bare bones, largely disappointing DVD release of TRON way back in 1998. In honor the groundbreaking film's 20th Anniversary, Disney will be releasing a new collector's edition of TRON on 1/15 of next year. This two-disc set boasts an all-new 2.2:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 Dolby EX mix, all of the great laserdisc special edition features, and even more brand-new goodies including additional commentary and featurettes. Full details are not yet available, only the cover art. But I can't wait for this one, and check out the full scoop at Video Business.

Attention Mr. Shows fansÊ

It's Cliff here, and I had a chance this weekend to hang out and drink a bit with the one and only David Cross after his one-man standup show here in Denver. I asked him about if and when the Mr. Show episodes would finally make it to DVD and he told me that they (he and Bob Odenkirk) were very anxious to put out the episodes, but they unfortunately don't own them (Dakota Productions does). He also indicated that they have some really great extra stuff to throw on there for fans when it happens and was under the impression that the entire series would probably see a release on disc just in time to cross-promote their feature film, Run Ronnie Run: A Mr. Show Movie, currently set for a theatrical release by New Line next spring. So, if all goes as plans, we should finally be able to enjoy the entire series on disc in less than a year!

JULY 30

Beethoven redux

Universal has just announced a couple of new titles, including (yes, really) yet another Beethoven sequel, Beethoven's 4th. Presented in anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 Dolby surround, the disc also features production notes, cast biographies and weblinks. Universal has also announced full specs for the direct-to-video sequel Tremors 3: Back to Perfection. In addition to the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English 5.1 Dolby surround track, extras include talent interviews, a Spotlight on Location featurette, production notes, cast biographies and trailers. Retail is $24.95 apiece.

Thumbs up

Who says size doesn't matter? The thumbs are back on 10/16, when Image entertainment releases a special edition of Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle. Chock full of goodies, the disc features an audio commentary with creator Steve Oedekere and producer Paul Marshal, a "Gabba The Butt" video interview, storyboards, cast and crew bios and three trailers. The feature is presented in full frame and 2.0 surround, and retail is only $9.95.

The space between

Hey Dave Matthews fans, here's the DVD you've been waiting for. On 8/21, BMG will release Dave Matthews Band: The Videos 1994-2001, a collection twelve clips. Presented in full frame with Dolby 5.1 and 2.0 stereo tracks, the release also features director commentary on all twelve clips, three making-of featurettes and complete lyrics for each song. Retail is $24.95.

Mondo trasho

Ahhhh, you gotta love New Concorde, kings of B-movie exploitation. Due on 10/23 are a clutch of titles, all presented (unfortunately) in full frame and 2.0 stereo and with no extras outside of a collectible booklet and trailers. The titles include such gems as Raptor, Hard As Nails, Deathstalker and Deathstalker II, Barbarian Queen and Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back, and Alone With A Stranger, starring Three's Company's Priscilla Barnes and The Facts Of Life's Mindy Cohn! Retail is $19.95 a pop.

Paramount pricing update

originally announced as retailing for $29.95, the following Paramount titles will actually be priced at $24.95 each: Pet Sematary 2, When World's Collide, Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning and Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Sorry for the error, and street date remains 9/25.

JULY 27 - 29

Chan-tastic!

"You've never seen Jackie like this!" Coming on 10/23 from Columbia is The Jackie Chan Adventures: The Search For The Talisman. This animated series is presented in full frame with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese 2.0 stereo and subtitle tracks, an exclusive interview with Jackie Chan, and bonus trailers. Retail is $24.95.

Where in the world is Miss Marple?

Just announced from A&E are new box set collections of two television classics. Miss Marple Set 1 features one of Agatha Christie's most popular characters - the prim and proper Miss Jane Marple - in four full-length mysteries. The disc is presented in full frame and mono with an Agatha Christie biography and a complete index of all Miss Marple stories. List is $39.95. Upstairs Downstairs Season 1 is a four-disc set with the entire first season, presented in full frame and mono, with the bonus retrospective "Upstairs, Downstairs Remembered: The 25th Anniversary Special." Retail is $79.95.

Fox Brings Toys Home for Christmas

Twentieth Century Fox has announced a 10/16 date for Barry Levinson's 1992 love it or hate it Toys. The comedic fantasy, which stars Robin Williams, Robin Wright (not yet Penn) and Joan Cusack, will feature a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 track as well as English and French 2.0 surround tracks with English and Spanish subtitles. Supplements include a making of featurette along with the original trailer and TV spots. Retail is a low $19.98.

Also just announced from Fox is The X-Files: The Complete Season Four collection, arriving 11/13. Like the previous X-Files collections, this seven-disc set retails for $149.95 and includes every episode of the season, presented in full frame and Dolby 2.0 surround. Additional extras including "The Truth About Season Four" documentary, episode intros by Chris Carter, interview clips for five episodes, deleted and extended scenes available via extended branching during each episode as well as a separate supplement on the seventh disc, eight special effects clips with commentary, 13 "Behind the Truth" spots and on TV spot per episode, as well as "international clips" with foreign dubbed versions of scenes. DVD-ROM extras also include the X-Files website as well as the "Urbs Tertia" interactive game.

Attack of the superbits

Yesterday Canadian retailer C&L spilled the beans early that Columbia TriStar Home Video will be releasing a handful of titles under a new banner entitled SuperBit DVD. These titles, reported to "set the highest standard for audio and video available on DVD," will drop special features in favor of turning over every available bit of disc space to picture and sound. These new releases are also notable as the first non-Steven Spielberg Columbia titles to include DTS-encoded soundtracks. The five titles, which are tentatively set for release in October, are Air Force One, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Desperado, The Fifth Element and Johnny Mnemonic.

When contacted about the titles and the new SuperBit line, a spokesperson for CTHV would neither confirm nor deny the releases. However, this new line of DVDs is not out of line with what our Sony production sources have been telling us for a long time - that many at Columbia have wanted an upper-tier, movie-only series that presents the "absolute best" in audio and video quality. (Unfortunately, these new releases will likely not be encoded at the full DTS bit rate, which may make one wonder what the point of the line actually is.) When and if a full press release with pricing and details is made available, we'll pass it along.

The spirits in need of cash

In other Columbia news, looks like it is going to be a short theatrical-to-video window for this summer's biggest financial disappointment, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Sony has already sent out a 10/23 street date for this two-disc set,. Retail is $29.95, though details remain mum for the moment...

Also just announced from Columbia is Goldwyn, the "compelling true story of one of Hollywood's most legendary moguls," Samuel Goldwyn. The disc features anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, English 2.0 stereo tracks, production notes, filmographies and bonus trailers. Retail is $19.95 and street date 10/9.

JULY 25

Street date alert

Though full specs are not yet available, Columbia has announced a 10/23 street date for two Oscar-winning classics. Both On The Waterfront and From Here To Eternity were originally announced for pending DVD release way back in 1997, and even advertised in those little promo booklets included in the first Columbia TriStar released. Though no specs are yet available, two menu shots have been released (click on the images below for blowups) and both are listed as special editions. Watch for details soon...

Friendly dinos

With Jurassic Park III raking it in in theaters nationwide, looks like the "dino craze" shows no sign of abating. Though most of The Land Before Time animated adventures remain unreleased on DVD, Universal has announced a 12/4 release date for the latest installment, The Land Before Time: The Big Freeze. The disc is presented in full frame and 5.1 surround, with a number of interactive features including sing-along-songs, a read-along, "Littlefoot's Seek and Find" game, and DVD-ROM extras including a screensaver and activity links. Retail is $24.95.

JULY 24

Phone-A-Friend

"Have you checked the children?" Listen up kids, here's the ultimate DVD you can use to scare your babysitter, On 10/9 Columbia will release the 80's cult classic When A Stranger Calls. The disc features 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, English and French mono tracks with English, French and Spanish subtitles, and bonus trailers. Retail is $24.95. Columbia will also release the latest installment of Three Stooges episodes, Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb, which is presented in full frame and English mono and includes the episodes "Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb," "Disorder in the Court" and "Pardon my Scotch." Retail is $24.95.

Also a street date alert fro three new Columbia titles. The foreign imports Divided We Fall and The Road Home are due to be released on 10/30, along with a special edition of David Manning's favorite film of 2001, Rob Schneider's The Animal. And 10/23 will see the oft-postponed debut of the Oscar winner On The Waterfront. Watch for specs soon...

Sony picks up the WWF

The ink has just dried on a deal giving Sony Music Video exclusive domestic distribution rights to all WWF home video product. The first two DVDs under the deal - WWF Hardcore and Judgment Day - will arrive on 7/31 with a retail price of $24.95 each. WWF fans who have lamented the slow rate of release thus far will be pleased to know that Sony plans to aggressive distribute and market the line, with up to 40 new titles a year. The Rock will be proud.

JULY 23

Spy Kids update

In last Thursday's update, we mentioned the lack of features on the upcoming 9/18 DVD release of Buena Vista's Spy Kids. Well, fans of the film may want to wait a bit, because Buena Vista has confirm that director Robert Rodriquez will be delivering a longer version of the film featuring some sequences cut for the theatrical release, including newly-finished special effects. Buena Vista is currently mulling a possible theatrical release for this longer cut, but in any case a separate special edition DVD release with extras will be released sometime in the future (though this year seems unlikely.) The movie-only edition remains scheduled for a 9/18 release, and includes on the theatrical trailer and a retail price of $29.95.

Mikey Myers needs your help

Hey, Halloween fans. Bummed out about the featureless version of Halloween II Universal is planning to release this September? Well, a petition has been started to have Universal redo the disc with extras, and if enough signatures are gathered Universal has (reportedly) agreed to consider it. Check out the petition at Web Petitions and lend your John Hancock. (And watch for Mr. Myers to stalk yet again in Halloween: The Homecoming this fall in theaters everywhere. Can't wait to see how they sew his head back on for this one...)