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The great dictator - 1:58pm In what looks to be great news for fans of Charlie Chaplin and silent film in general, Warner and MK2 have just announced a joint venture to restore and remaster 18 Charlie Chaplin classics for home video release next year. Though individual disc details and the full title list has not yet been released, check out the full press release for the announcement and a preview of what's to come. Given the great work Warner did on those Citizen Kane and Doctor Zhivago remasters last year, I for one am excited to see what they do with the classic works of Chaplin. Stay tuned! 'Friends' 'til the end - 12:41pm Well, looks like that Friends first season collection was a hit, because Warner has already announced Friends: The Complete Second Season, due to hit DVD on 9/3. Again presented in 4:3 full screen with new Dolby Digital 5.0 surround remixes, extras include audio commentary with the producers on two episodes, the "Open House at Monica and Rachel's Place" interactive map, the "Friends Of Friends" video guestbook, a "How Well Do You Know Your Friends?" trivia game, and "What's Up With Your Friends?" video character bios. Retail is $69.95. In other Warner news, on 7/23 via the Rhino label comes a single-disc, movie-only edition of the cult chiller Carnival of Souls as well as the 60's versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Dance of Death, plus Crypt of the Living Dead. All are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, except Carnival of Souls, which is presented in its original 1.33:1 dimensions. Audio is 2.0 mono only and there are no extras. However, retail is a mere $9.95, and note that the Criterion Collection edition of Carnival of Souls will remain in print.
Macabre mist - 1:43pm What you can't see won't hurt you...it'll kill you! Not since Carol Anne saw those TV people has a spectral light been so scary. On 8/27, MGM will release a long-awaited new special edition of John Carpenter's modern ghost story The Fog. The disc includes a new 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, an all-new 28-minute documentary on the making of the film, the original making-of featurette, an audio commentary with director John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill, an outtake reel, trailers and TV spots. Retail is $19.95. Movin' on up - 1:43pm I don' know why, but here's something I never thought I'd see. On 8/2, Columbia will release The Complete First Season collections of two television classics, The Jeffersons and Sanford & Son. Both are two-disc sets presented in full frame and 2.0 mono only, with no extras. Retail is a bit high at $39.95, if you ask me... Also arriving from Columbia this summer is Jet Li in Contract Killer in 7/30, Pauline and Paulette on 8/13, and Last Orders on 8/20. Stay tuned for specs... Creature features - 12:38pm It's going to be a horror-ific summer from Elite, with two new cult classics arriving on 7/30. First up is "David Lynch meets The Twilight Zone" in That Little Monster, which features an audio commentary by director Paul Bunnell and producer Carl Mastromarino, an interview with Bunnell, and his 19-minute short film "The Visitant." Next up is The Incubus, an early-80's chiller from director John ("Legend of Hell House," "Watcher in the Woods") Hough. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 2.0 stereo, and includes the trailer. Retail is $19.95 and $24.95, respectively. And be on the lookout later this year for a new Millennium Edition of the notorious cult classic I Spit on Your Grave. No details yet, but stay tuned... Shadow of the vampire - 12:38pm As perhaps the final nail in the coffin (get it?) of Anchor Bay's acclaimed series of Werner Herzog DVD releases, on 7/9 they'll release one of Herzog's most acclaimed works, the 1979 remake of Nosferatu. This two-disc set features a new 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 Dolby surround remix (plus the film's original mono track) an audio commentary by director Werner Herzog and Norman Hill, the "Making of Nosferatu" featurette, trailers and talent bios. Retail is $29.95. And 7/9 will also see the release of The Herzog/Kinksi Collection, a 6-disc box set featuring Aguirre The Wrath of God, Nosferatu, Qyzeck, Fitcarraldo and Cobra Verde, along with the documentary My Best Fiend. Only 5,000 copies will be issued, and retail is $79.95.
A problem with Maria? - 12:34pm Yep, the hills are once again alive with the sound of music, only this time you won't get as many extras if you heed the cll. Fox has announced their latest single-disc reissue of a previous two-disc Five Star Collection title, and this time it's The Sound of Music. Arriving on 8/13, this stripped-down version features a 2.20:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 4.0 Dolby surround track, and an audio commentary by Robert Wise. Retail is $19.95. The Five Star Collection edition is now discontinued, so pick those up before they're gone...
Some kind of Khan - 12:55pm Yeah! Some long-awaited 80's faves are finally coming to a DVD player near you on 8/20 from Paramount. Although not actually directed by John Hughes, when you think Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful, do you really remember who directed them anyway? Presented in new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers with English 5.1 and English and French 2.0 surround tracks, extras are minimal with only the trailers provided. Also arriving on 8/20 is the James Spader drama True Colors, also with the same specs, and on 8/13, the recent theatrical release Clockstoppers. Presented in anamorphic widescreen with English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby surround tracks, extras include a behind the scenes featurette, a Smash Mouth music video, the trailer and 4 TV spots. Retail is $24.95 each, and $29.95 for Clockstoppers. And, finally, Paramount has announced the full specs for the
new two-disc
An offer you can't refuse - 12:55pm Hey Sopranos fans, mark 8/27 on your calendars, because that's when HBO will release The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season on DVD. Featuring all 13 third season episodes presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with English 5.1 and English, French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby stereo tracks, extras include three audio commentaries by writer and actor Michael Imperioli (Episode 9), director Steve Buscemi (Episode 11) and series creator David Chase (Episode 12), the behind the scenes featurette "A Day on the Set of The Sopranos," recaps of seasons 1 and 2, episodic synopses, previews and recaps, cast and crew bios, and weblinks. Retail is $99.95. Bond is back! - 12:04am According to the latest issue of Video Store Magazine, in a recent conference call made last month by MGM executives to industry retailers, the studio laid out big DVD plans for the remainder of 2002. The rest of the year will see the release of a total of 200 catalog titles and the return of... 007 James Bond. Although MGM released acclaimed special editions of the entire Bond catalog in 1999 and 2000, they placed all the Bond titles on an indefinite moratorium last year (with the exception of the latest Bond adventure The World is Not Enough.) But now, in anticipation of the Thanksgiving release of the 20th Bond film, Die Another Day, MGM will reissue at least some if not all of the Bond catalog on DVD. However, no details are yet known on if these will be identical to the previous releases, mere repackagings or contain new transfers, soundtracks and/or other supplements. Stay tuned! Warner IMAX announcements - 12:04am Just announced for a 8/1 release from Warner are three new IMAX titles, Survival Island, Galapagos, and Into the Deep. Each is presented in their IMAX aspect ratios of 1.44:1 with English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks, other IMAX promos, and on Galapagos, a making of featurette. Retail is $19.95 a pop. In other Warner news, Creative Design has licensed another big catalog title to get the deluxe box set treatment. On 6/11 comes Ben-Hur in a big shiny new box, which features the same disc released last year by Warner (2.55:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, 5.1 Dolby surround remix, plenty of extras, etc.) plus 8 lobby card prints, a film senitype, and a reproduction of the film's original one-sheet movie poster. Retail is $79.95, and this special box set will be limited (exact number not released) so get 'em while you can. |
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