Going Coconuts - 1:39pm

Kicking off this week's news are the latest announcements from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. Making its DVD debut on December 2nd is the Russian import The Cuckoo, an acclaimed drama from director . The disc features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Russian and Finnish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks, optional English and French subtitles and no extras. Retail is $29.95.

From the Columbia vaults come three new releases: Ship of Fools, The Horsemen and There's a Girl in My Soup. Each is presented in 4:3 full screen, 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 4:3 full screen and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, respectively, and the only extras are trailers. Retail is $24.95 a pop. Getting the reissue treatment is Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love, which will get pared down to a single disc. Features are the same as the previous two-disc set, sans the second platter of extras (namely, just the movie in anamorphic widescreen plus Dolby Digital and DTS surround tracks). Retail is $19.95.

Last but not least another batch of new price drops. Newly reduced to $19.95 are Lockdown, both Look Who's Talking? sequels, Mo' Money, Postcards from the Edge, Running Free, Tears of the Sun and the full screen and widescreen special editions (but not the Superbit) of XXX. Dropping to $14.95 are The Animal, Avenging Angelo, Casey's Shadow, Formula 51, Loose Cannons, Money Train, Single White Female, Year of the Gun and Panic Room. Features remain unchanged.

Terror on the Slopes - 1:39pm

Just in from MGM Home Entertainment are announcements for two quite disparate new releases. December 9th will see the debut of Assassination Tango, written, directed and starring Robert Duvall. The disc features an anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track and an audio commentary by Duvall plus trailers. Retail is $25.95.

Due a week later on December 16th is the bizarre snowboarding slasher flick Shredder. Going direct-to-DVD, the release features anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, deleted scenes, outtakes and a trailer. Retail is also $25.95.

Camp Blood - 1:39pm

Rounding out today's news is the latest news from Camp Blood, er, the happy home of Jason Voorhees. At a special screening of the original Friday the 13th at Maniafest this past Friday, Paramount Home Entertainment representatives were on hand to officially announce an upcoming box set of the first eight Friday flicks. Details remain sketchy, but fans asking for uncut versions of the flicks may be in luck - Paramount is hard at work trying to locate the missing footage needed to reconstitute new cuts of the films. The set is currently due for release in the fourth quarter of next year, and Paramount is also considering releasing on DVD the Jason-less but fairly popular Friday the 13th television series that ran for three seasons in syndication in the late 80's. Watch this space for further updates.

And if your bloodlust still isn't satiated, also revealed by series creator Sean Cunningham at the screening is that Jason may now really find his way into your living room - hot on the heels of the success of Freddy Vs. Jason, a new television series based on the serial killer's myth and lore, The Crystal Lake Chronicles, is currently in development. Guess this guy just won't ever die? Stay tuned, counselors.