Pretty in pink - 11:53am

The holy grail of the cinema du John Hughes - Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science - is finally ready to be unleashed on September 2nd from Universal Studios Home Video. As the disciples of the pied piper of 80's teen cinema already know all too well, the long hoped-for reissues of these flicks have already been announced once and then postponed, so will this time be the charm? Let's hope so, and although full specs have not yet been announced, each will be newly remastered in anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks, plus trailers. Retail will be $19.95 each, or $39.95 for a 3-disc Brat Pack set. Stay tuned...

Also due for release on September 2nd is the cult favorite Three O'Clock High, which will include a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby 2.0 surround track and trailers. Retail is $19.95. Rounding out Universal's teen slate is the recent new release Winter Break, starring American Pie's Eddie Kaye Thomas. Presented in full screen only and Dolby 5.1 surround, extras include "an-excuse-for-another-party" commentary with cast and crew, a "hilarious" blooper reel and filmographies. Retail is $24.95.

Have sword, will travel - 11:53am

One of most seminal miniseries in the history of network TV, on September 23rd Paramount Home Entertainment will release James Cavell's Shogun, starring the king of the minis, Richard Chamberlain. This five-disc set features the entire 547-minute epic in its original 4:3 full screen aspect ratio and newly remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Extras include 3 "Historical Perspective" featurettes, "The Making of Shogun" 13-segment documentary and audio commentary by director Jerry London on select scenes. Retail is $79.95.

Gypsies, tramps & thieves - 11:53am

Rounding out today's news is another sign of a pending apocalypse, the August 26th release of Cher: The Farewell Tour from Image Entertainment. Seeing as this "multimedia phenomenon" just can't seem to say good-bye, I'm sure we'll see yet another farewell DVD next year, but in the meantime, expect a cavalcade of dancers, retrospective movie clips and, oh yeah, maybe a song or two. Extras include 3 bonus tracks ("Save Up All Your Tears," "We All Sleep Alone" and "A Different Kind Of Love Song"), a behind-the-scenes featurette, interviews, a look at the costume designs and - yeah! - extra Cher monologues. Retail is $24.95.