Fer sure, totally!

"The bitchin' 80's are back!" MGM Home Entertainment has just announced another wave of catalog classics to go along with their super-swell August lineup of horror faves (see April 2nd update). What's in this new batch? How about some of the most highly-anticipated teen comedies yet to hit the format? Can't wait!

On August 5th comes new special editions of Valley Girl and The Sure Thing. The former is way-loaded with extras: a new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, no less than 3 new commentaries (video commentary with members of the cast, audio commentary by director Martha Coolidge and an 80's text trivia track), three featurettes ("Valley Girl: 20 Totally Tubular Years Later," "In Conversation: Martha Coolidge and Nicholas Cage" and "The Music of Valley Girl"), storyboard-to-film comparisons, original music videos from Modern English and The Plimsouls, and trailers. The Sure Thing also includes a nice set of specs: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, audio commentary with director Rob Reiner, text trivia track, four featurettes: "The Road to The Sure Thing," Casting The Sure Thing," "Dressing The Sure Thing" and "Reading The Sure Thing," and trailers. Retail is a mere $19.95 each.

Also included in this August 5th lineup are more 80's classics, sorta-classics and not-quite-so-classics, in a variety of aspect ratios. Thrashin', The Rachel Papers, Adrian Lyne's Foxes and, at long last, The Last American Virgin all include new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby Digital 2.0 surround tracks (Foxes is mono only). Thrashin' also includes a featurette and "Freestylin' Montage." The Matt Dillon comedy The Flamingo Kid is presented in non-anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen, while Johnny Be Good, Hot Dog The Movie, Bright Lights Big City and the original Breakin' are presented in (sigh) full screen only. All include trailers, and retail is $14.95 each.

Rashomon-lite - 10:12am

Just in from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment are the specs for their July 8th lineup of new and catalog releases. After a speedy run at the box office, the John Travolta as-seen-from-many-perspectives drama Basic gets the special edition treatment. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, extras include an audio commentary with director John McTiernan, the featurettes "Beyond Basic," "Nothing is What it Seems," "Rangers: Best of the Best" and "Starting Overt: Shining a Light on 'Black Ops,'" production notes and trailers. Retail is $27.95.

Also included in this July 8th lineup is a quartet of comedies new and old: Fear of a Black Hat, Loose Cannons, The Mouse That Roared and Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River. All are (for once) presented in anamorphic widescreen and mono (except Fear of a Black Hat, which includes a 2.0 surround track) and include trailers. Retail is $24.95 a pop.