About a Boy

Leading off today's hit parade is the latest batch of new announcements from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. On March 17th comes two hit comedies, Mambo Italiano and a special edition of Bob Dylan's Masked and Anonymous. Each features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, plus trailers. Masked and Anonymous also includes an audio commentary by director Larry Charles and deleted scenes. Retail will set you back $27.95 each.

Three new catalog titles also making their debuts on the 17th include Woody Allen in The Front, the Laura San Giancarlo comedy Nina Takes a Lover, and Charlie "Charles" Sheen in the thriller Under Pressure. The first two are presented in anamorphic widescreen, the latter in full screen only, and there are no extras aside from bonus trailers. Retail will be $24.95 apiece.

Then, a week later on March 24th comes a trio of new releases: the thriller Motives, the acclaimed indie drama My Life Without Me, and the anime trilogy Memories. Each is presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 and include trailers, and Memories also boasts a featurette. Retail will be $24.95 each.

Also making their DVD debut on the 24th is a trio of catalog titles: Marlon Brando in The Chase, the horror camp classic The Kiss, and one of the greatest movies of all time, Just One of the Guys. Alas, only The Chase and The Kiss are presented in newly remastered anamorphic widescreen transfers, with Just One of the Guys full screen only. All include bonus trailers, and retail is $24.95 a pop.

Three's the Charm - 1:34pm

The boys and girls of Babylon are back in Queer as Folk: The Complete Third Season, which makes it debut on February 24th from Showtime Entertainment. This five-disc set includes each episode presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 2.0 surround, with plenty of extras: audio commentary on the first episode, the "Hot Summer Days" and "Enter Babylon" featurettes, additional interviews, a "Wrap Party Reel," "Some Lovin'" music video, animated still gallery and Season 4 sneak peeks. Retail has been set at $119.95.

The List is Life- 1:34pm

The last remaining major Steven Spielberg film not yet released on DVD, Schindler's List will celebrate its tenth birthday in 2004, and buzz continues to rage on the Internet about a pending DVD release. Recent overseas adverts have indicated a release date in early March, and on the new Seabiscuit DVD, out yesterday, there is a new video teaser trailer trumphanting a Spring 2004 DVD release. But so far Universal Studios Home Video has remained mum on just what, if any, is the exact date and plans for the release.

But longtime Spielberg publicist Marvin Levy did have a few words to say about the rumors, confirming that those looking forward to an imminent DVD release in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Academy Award-winning masterpiece are "on the right track," although both Spielberg and the studio are "not yet certain about a specific date." And what of extras, including a long-rumored extended cut of the film with deleted material? Although a few of the director's earlier DVD releases have included deleted material, such as JAWS, or extended versions, including both 1941 and Close Encounters, "You know where Steven is on deleted scenes at this point," Levy elaborate, adding that Spielberg "does not what to get into [a situation of], 'I could have put this in and here's why.' Or, 'I love this scene but I had to cut it.' I wouldn't bet that, whenever Schindler's List comes, that you will likely see a deleted scene."

Also to be absent from the release will be any alternate audio tracks; many had hoped Spielberg that would change his no commentary policy for Schindler's List, given its highly personal subject matter. But the release wil instead feature another extended documentary, produced by longtime collaborator Laurent Bouzereau. "He gives so much when he does his interviews" that he feels commentaries are redundant, Levy explains, but not before offering one last ray of hope: "That is not to say he won't someday change his mind."

Watch this space for further updates...