Passion of the Dance - 7:05pm

Kicking off today's news is the latest from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, who will have quite an extensive slate of new release, catalog and TV on DVD releases hitting shelves on June 1st.

First up is the Robert Altman-directed dance pic The Company, starring Scream's Neve Campbell and Malcolm McDowell. Columbia will give this the special edition treatment, complete with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, plus an audio commentary with Altman and Campbell, "The Making-of 'The Company'" and "The Passion of Dance" featurettes, extended dance sequences (with play all function) and trailers. Retail be $26.95 worth of taps.

Up next is the direct-to-DVD sequel Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (and no, Paul Verhoeven is not back on board). Presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, extras include an audio commentary with the filmmaking team, the "From Green Screen to Silver Screen" and "Inside the Federation" featurettes, a still gallery and bonus trailers. Retail will list for $24.95. Columbia will also release Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles - Trackers on the 1st, which includes four episodes ( "Pluto and Beyond," "Propaganda Machine," "Marooned" and "Court-Martial of Lt. Razak") presented in 4:3 full screen and Dolby 5.1 but no extras. Expect to ante up $14.95 for this one.

From the Columbia vault comes a number of new catalog releases. Making its DVD debut is the western J.W. Coop, starring Cliff Robertson. Remastered in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 2.0 stereo, the only extras are bonus trailers. Retail will be $19.95. And from director Michael Mann comes a new version of his flop biopic, Ali: The Director's Cut. Running an expanded 168 minutes, this one gets an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, plus a commentary with Mann, "The Making of Ali" documentary and trailers. Retail will be $27.95 for this two-disc set. More extended fun comes by way of Das Boot: The Original Uncut Version (which must be a record - how many versions of one film can there be!?). Originally produced as a German miniseries, Wolfgang Petersen's epic will get the two-disc DVD treatment at last, presented in anamorphic widescreen and a newly created Dolby 5.1 surround track from the original restored stereo stems, plus the option to watch the original Director's Cut version, a making-of featurette and theatrical trailers. Retail for this three-disc puppy will run you $39.95.

But wait, there is more. Already priming the pump in time for the summer premiere of Spider-Man 2, Columbia will of course be re-releasing the original blockbuster in a myriad of new versions. In addition to the widescreen and full screen collector's sets and the deluxe gift box already on the market, on June 1st the studio will unleash Spider-Man: Deluxe Edition, which includes an anamorphic widescreen transfer and English and French Dolby 5.1 surround tracks, plus all the same extras as the previous version. So, what's new? Well, according to the press materials so far, absolutely nothing but new packaging. (Stay tuned for an update.) And what would a bit of Spidey over-promotion be without the requisite Spider-Man Superbit edition, which will also hit stores on the 1st and include an anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks and in keeping with the Superbit concept, no extras. Retail will be the typically overpriced $26.95, for a movie-only disc that most other major studios routinely price for $19.95 or less.

Scream and Scream Again - 7:05pm

Well now, that was mighty quick. They came, they saw, they slashed and they bomb. The folks at the Broken Lizard comedy team failed to scare up a hit with the horror parody Club Dread, which is still playing in theaters but will make a super-speedy trip to DVD on May 25th. Fox Home Entertainment will release the flick with both anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, two audio commentaries with director and a second comedy troupe group track, plus promo spots and trailers. List price will be $27.95.

Fat Man & Little Boy - 7:05pm

Rounding out today's news the announcement of the telefilm that scared the crap out of everyone in the 80's - The Day After. This landmark atomic bomb thriller will at last get a DVD release on May 18th from MGM Home Entertainment. The disc will include a 126-minute cut of the film remastered for the first time in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 2.0 stereo, plus a new making-of featurette. Retail is $27.95.