What a glorious feeling - 12:03am

Yikes, better have those credit cards ready come September, when Warner unleashes no less than five new 2-disc special editions of five of their top catalog titles. Each retails for $29.95 and include plenty of extras...

Singin' in the Rain is presented in its original 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratio with a new 5.1 Dolby Digital surround remix plus a French 2.0 stereo track. Extras include two audio commentaries, with Debbie Reynolds introducing the first with director Stanley Donen, Rudy Behmer and screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and the second featuring new audio interviews with Donald O'Connor, Cyd Charisse, Rita Moreno, director Baz Luhrmann and Kathleen Freeman; the 30-minute "What a Glorious Feeling" documentary on the making of the film; an additional 96-minute documentary on the career of producer and songwriter Arthur Freed, the deleted number "You Are My Lucky Star" plus additional soundstage recordings, a still gallery and trailers.

Unforgiven is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital surround tracks, and includes an audio commentary by Clint Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel; Schickel's retrospective featurette Eastwood on Eastwood, additional "All on Account of Pullin' a Trigger" and the behind-the-scenes "Eastwood & Co. Making Unforgiven" featurettes with new interviews with the cast, and even a full episode of the television series Maverick "It's Duel at Sundown," featuring Eastwood, awards list, filmographies, and trailers.

Amadeus is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital surround tracks. This new Director's Cut of the film recently received a limited re-release this past spring and includes 20 minutes of additional footage. The DVD also features a new audio commentary by director Milos Forman and writer Peter Shaffer, "The Making of Amadeus" 37-minute documentary on the making of the film (which is not the same as the one featured on the previous laserdisc release), filmographies, awards list, and original and reissue theatrical trailers.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest includes a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film and English 5.1 and French 2.0 Dolby surround tracks, audio commentary with director Milos Forman and producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz, "The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" 48-minute documentary by writer Ken Kesey (as seen on the previous laserdisc), 8 deleted scenes, filmographies, awards list, and trailers.

Finally, True Romance features the unrated cut of the film in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby and DTS and English 2.0 surrond tracks, three new audio commentaries with director Tony Scott, screenwriter Quentin Tarantino, actors Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, plus additional commentaries with cast Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt and Michael Rapaport, branching feature with access to storyboards throughout the film, a behind-the-scenes multi-angle featurette, the orignal 1993 featurette, 30 minutes of deleted scenes, an alternate ending with optional commentary, animated photo and publicity gallery, filmographies, trailers, and a ROM viewer with access to the script, additional storyboards and notes throughout the film.

Street date alert - 12:04am

Well, well, well, it's about time! The official South Park Studios website (aka Trey Parker and Matt Stone) have just announced a 11/12 street date for the complete first season of South Park on DVD. No details yet, but of course stay tuned...

And in other quite interesting re-release news, early last week Francis Ford Coppola announced that he's currently hard at work editing a new extended cut of his 1983 teen epic The Outsiders. With a planned 40 minutes of additional footage, this new cut is expected to hit DVD next spring, according to Coppola. Whether or not the film will also receive a theatrical re-release is not yet known. More to come...

Color by 'Numbers'- 12:04am

When "America's Sweetheart!" Sandra Bullock went all Clarice Starling on us last spring in Murder by Numbers, audiences decided it was no Silence of the Lambs and stayed away in droves. But on 9/24 you can decide for yourself when Warner releases the Barbet Schroeder flick on DVD. Available in separate anamorphic widescreen and pan & scan versions with English and French 5.1 Dolby surround racks, extras include an audio commentary by Schroeder and editor Lee Percy, filmographies and the trailer. Retail is $26.95.

Night of the hunter - 12:04am

Speaking of thrillers that bombed, Trimark will release Bill Paxton's directorial debut Frailty on 9/17. Despite raves from Paxton buddies like Stephen King and James Cameron, audiences stayed away from this one, but perhaps it will find a longer life on video? Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 Dolby surround, extras include an audio commentary and video interview with Paxton, the original making-of featurette, the Sundance "Anatomy of a Scene" special, a still galley, storyboards, and trailers. Retail is $24.95.

Bright lights, big 'City' - 12:04am

Last but not least comes Showtime's latest installment in Armistead Maupin's epic of life in San Francisco circa the early 80's, Further Tales from the City. This two-disc set features the entire miniseries presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, with plenty of extras including audio commentary by director Pierre Gang and actors Jackie Burroughs, Paul Hopkins and Barbara Garrick, the "Now & Then: Styles From the 70s and 80s" featurette, additional behind-the-scenes footage, Barbary Lane architectural plans and blueprints and filmographies Retail is $44.95 and street date 9/17.