On June 14th, Buena Vista Home Entertainment will offer a direct-to-video prequel to the successful 1999 animated motion picture Tarzan. Cunningly entitled Tarzan II, it's apparently an untold story of Tarzan's youth, so expect the film to be targeted at the youngsters. The film has been produced in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, so the presentation will be in anamorphic video. Audio options will include DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. Supplements are expected to include: a Gorilla Grumble game, a Terk and Tantor's Jungle Guide; a featurette entitled Legacy of Tarzan: The Making of Tarzan II; a music video; and pop-up feature related to the film's ape language. The SRP will be $29.99.

Volume six in the television spin-off of the intriguing Ghost in the Shell motion pictures, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will be released by Manga & Bandai Entertainment on May 17th. As with the previous releases in the series, the presentation will be in anamorphic video and Dolby Digital 5.1. Supplements will likely include yet another pair of filmmaker or voice talent interviews, previews, and those too-cute-for-words, little 30-second epilogues to each episode, Tachikomatic Days. It took me a while to warm up to this re-imagining of the film series, but with the departure of the Tachikoma, I've become a fan. Expect an SRP of $24.98.

Writer/Director John Waters has a knack for finding humor in the tasteless and bizarre. In his most recently released motion picture, Waters managed to earn an NC-17 rating for a film that contains no nudity. It may not be explicit, but the film is reported to be totally preoccupied with sex and fetishes. From the New Line official press site, "When an accidental concussion awakens the carnal urges of Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman), the people of Pinewood become pitted against each other in an epic battle of decency ("Neuters") versus depravity ("Sex Addicts"). With her talented go-go dancing daughter (Selma Blair) and devoted husband, Vaughn (Chris Isaak), by her side, along with tow-truck driver and sexual healer Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville) as her guide, Sylvia finds herself on the road to eternal sexual satisfaction. The Neuters never had a chance!" On June 14th, New Line Home Entertainment will release Waters' A Dirty Shame. The cast includes Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, Chris Isaak, and Suzanne Shepherd. For the more conservatively minded, New Line will also offer an R-rated version on that same day. The film's 1.85:1 aspect ratio will be presented in anamorphic video and the sound will be Dolby Digital 5.1. Extras exclusive to the NC-17 rated disc are: a commentary by writer/director John Waters and a featurette extitled "All the Dirt on A Dirty Shame." The SRP will be $27.95 for each version. Sounds like the more tasteless disc is the better deal.

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