Back in 'Black' - 12:09am

I suppose it's a foregone conclusion at this point that the minute the latest blockbuster starts to fall out of the box office top ten, we're gonna get the DVD announcement in no time flat. So glad to see that the still-in-theaters Men in Black II is no exception, with Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment just announcing a 11/26 street date for the Barry Sonnenfeld sequel, again starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as everyone's favorite alien-busting FBI agents. Columbia will release separate widescreen and full frame two-disc sets with a retail price of $27.95 each, and stay tuned for the full specs...

More new Columbia releases on 11/5 include the silly sequel Return to the Blue Lagoon and the Sean Astin cult teen thriller Toy Soldiers. Alas, both are full-screen-only presentations and include Dolby 2.0 surround tracks and trailers only, and retail is $24.95 a pop.

They will return... - 12:04am

Also just announced from Disney is another batch of "On Moratorium" titles, five animated gems that will be discontinued on 12/31. While you will still be able to pick up any copies available on store shelves, retailers will no longer be able to place orders, so get 'em while you can. The titles are: The Little Mermaid II, the special edition of Peter Pan and its sequel, Return to Neverland, and the new Beauty & the Beast Platinum Edition and the special edition of Beauty & the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.

Gore hounds from hell - 12:04am

Rounding out today's news, leading indie Image Entertainment has announced their October slate, another extensive collection of cult faves, music titles and more special interest titles. Highlights include special editions of Blunt, Doctor Gore, the unrated Coffin Joe trilogy, a double feature of Dead One and Monstrosity, three new I Spy box set collections, the rockumentary The Mick Fleetwood Story, and the 1935 version of Scrooge. Check out the official Image website for the complete list and specs.