March 2000
PICK OF THE WEEK
CLASSIC GERMAN
HORROR FILMS (Henninger
Interactive)
Three classic horror films have been gathered, fully restored and released in
this special two-DVD collection. Included are NOSFERATU starring Max Schreck,
1920's DER GOLEM and the 1921 THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. Also included is a
12-page color booklet.
Also new this week
ACADEMY AWARD PROMOTION
(Fox)
Fox releases a host of videos and DVDs in celebration of the Oscars. Available
on DVD and VHS are:
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER ($14.98/$24.98)
GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT ($14.98/$24.98)
HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY ($14.98/$24.98)
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING ($14.98/$24.98)
Available on VHS only are
ANASTASIA Ingrid Berman ($14.98)
ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM ($14.98)
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK ($14.98)
THE GRAPES OF WRATH ($14.98)
LAURA ($14.98)
TITANIC starring Clifton Webb, Barbara
Stanwyck and Robert Wagner ($14.98).
AVANT-GARDE CINEMA
(MGM)
A collection of ground-breaking films is released at $14.95 each including:
BLUE VELVET
PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT
SHALLOW GRAVE
BAGDAD CAFE
THE END OF VIOLENCE
MYSTERY TRAIN
ALWAYS
BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT.
BLUES CLUES: MAGENTA COMES OVER (Paramount)
Two episodes from the phenomenally popular Nickelodeon series
are featured on this videocassette. Included are "Magenta Comes Over,"
"What To Do With Her Drawing" and a bonus music video. $9.95.
COMEDY GREATS COLLECTION
(Universal)
Four new titles are added to Universal's collection of comedy classics at $9.98
each.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
THE JERK
FLETCH
HAPPY GILMORE ($14.98)
COMEDY LEGENDS (Universal)
In celebration of the release of Abbott & Costello's first film, Universal
is releasing eight of their legendary films, including:
HERE COME THE CO-EDS
HIT THE ICE
HOLD THAT GHOST
THE NAUGHTY NINETIES
ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS
PARDON MY SARONG
THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES
WHO DONE IT?
$14.98 each. Also available is a pack of seven titles at $94.98.
COMPUTADORA FACIL (Ventura
Distribution)
A four-volume set of video cassettes designed to teach basic computer skills to
American Hispanics. Spanish-language; 21-23m; $14.95 each/$59.95 for the set.
DOCTOR WHO: THE FACE OF EVIL (BBC)
Starring Tom Baker
A 4-part episode collected on a single volume, from the extremely popular sci-fi
series from the U.K. $19.98.
ELECTION (Paramount)
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick
The critically acclaimed comedy is released to sell-through at $14.95. Also
available on DVD at $29.99.
EVERGREEN TITLES (Universal)
Universal releases the following titles in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day:
FEET OF FLAMES starring Michael
Flatley
FAR AND AWAY starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER starring Daniel Day Lewis
THE BOXER also starring Lewis
LORD OF THE DANCE starring Flatley.
All are $14.98 save FEET OF
FLAMES which is $19.98.
EYES WIDE SHUT (Warner Bros.)
Starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman
Stanley Kubrick's last film is a haunting and sometimes unintelligible look at
sexual jealousy in the lives of a young doctor and his wife. You'll either love
it or hate it - on as many 10 Best Lists for last year as it was 10 Worst Lists.
Regardless, it's a film you'll probably never forget. One rather sour note: This
is still the version digitally censored by studio heads after Kubrick's death.
No word on when Kubrick's "director's cut" will be released. Rated R;
159m; Also available on DVD featuring over 30 minutes of
new interviews with Cruise, Kidman and Steven Spielberg, the theatrical trailer;
two television spots; production notes; Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound English audio.
$24.98.
GEORGE AND MARTHA: BEST FRIENDS
(Sony Wonder)
Starring the voices of Nathan Lane, Andrea Martin
Four episodes from the animated series based on the books by James Marshall.
George and Martha, of course, are two hippos with an endearing and enduring
friendship. 45m; $9.98.
THE HIGHWAY MAN (Sterling)
Starring Jason Priestly, Louis Gossett Jr., Laura Harris, Stephen McHattie
A down-on-his-luck man finds himself being accused of the murders of his
landlady and her son. Rated R; 93m. Also available on DVD
featuring digitally remastered widescreen presentation; Dolby Digital 5.1; Dolby
Surround 2.0; audio commentary from director Keoni Waxman and Priestly;
behind-the-scenes featurette; interactive motion menus; scene index; cast &
crew biographies; theatrical trailers; Spanish subtitles. $24.95.
THE KING OF MASKS
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Chu Yuk, Chao Yim Yin, Zhou Ren-Ying
The King of Masks, a rare master of an ancient art, takes on an apprentice to
learn his trade. But the child possesses a secret that may throw the King of
Masks for a loop. 101m. Mandarin Chinese with yellow subtitles. Also
available on DVD featuring English, Spanish and French subtitles; theatrical
trailer; $27.95.
MAURICE SENDAK'S LITTLE
BEAR: LITTLE BEAR'S BAND (Paramount)
Several segments from the popular Nickelodeon television series are released on
one video. Included are: "Little Bears Band," "Diva Hen,"
"Clever Cricket" and "Little Bear's Sing Along" $9.95
MIDNITE MOVIES (MGM)
A collection of campy but fun films, the likes of which midnight movie crowds
would eat up. Each is priced at $12.95. Included are:
THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES
ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE
COUNT YORGA
DIE, MONSTER, DIE!
HAUNTED PALACE
HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS
HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI
INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS
JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER
THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT
HE WILD ANGELS
SELL-THROUGH TITLES (Paramount)
The following titles are released at $14.95 each:
ELECTION
200 CIGARETTES
VARSITY BLUES
Each is also available on DVD at $29.99 each.
VENDETTA (HBO)
Starring Christopher Walken, Bruce Davidson, Clancy Brown
A group of desperate businessmen order the murder of one of their own and feel
the wrath of the community when nineteen Italian men are arrested for the
murder. Rated R; 117m; Also available on DVD.
WILLIAM'S WISH WELLINGTONS
(BBC)
A collection of thirteen, five-minute tales about a small boy with a pair of
magical boots. $14.95.
WIMZIE'S HOUSE (Sony Wonder)
Two episodes from the popular PBS show for preschoolers are released to
homevideo including "Babies Have It Made" and "Pet Tales."
$9.98 each.
New this week
THE BONE COLLECTOR
(Universal)
Starring Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Ed
O'Neill
Phillip Noyce directed this taut thriller based on the novel by Jeffrey Deaver.
Washington plays a brilliant quadriplegic police detective who is asked to help
solve a serial murder case. Rated R; 118m. Also available
on DVD featuring widescreen presentation; English Dolby 5.1; English DTS; French
Dolby Surround; English captions; cast & filmmaker bios, film highlights,
featurette, audio commentary by Noyce, theatrical trailer. $26.98.
DVD RELEASES (Columbia/Tri-Star)
The following titles are released to DVD:
THE BEAR IN THE BIG
BLUE HOUSE "Party Time With Bear"
Three episodes, "Mouse Party," "Bear's Birthday Bash,"
"Dancin' the Night Away" are included on the DVD which also features
six sing alongs, direct access, trailers for "Stuart Little,"
"Madeline," "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland,"
"Muppets from Space," "The Nuttiest Nutcracker" and
subtitles in English and Spanish. $24.95.
IMAX THRILL RIDE: THE
SCIENCE OF FUN - which looks at
thrilling action rides - featuring talent files and a making of featurette.
GUINEVERE (Miramax)
Starring Stephen Rea, Sarah Polley, Gina Gershon
A woman with a real future in law is swept off of her feet by a new lover who
convinces her to focus on her love of photography. However, their love goes
somewhat sour when she discovers that she may not be the only woman in his life.
105m. Rated R; Closed-captioned. Also available on DVD
featuring 5.1 Surround.
THE LOVE BUG (Disney)
Starring Bruce Campbell, Alexandra Wentworth
A sort of sequel to the classic Disney film, this film begins with Herbie the
Love Bug being a junker - but he is rebuilt by his new owner and is destined for
greatness once again. Closed-captioned.
MONSTER RANCHER (ADV Films)
Two volumes of the popular Fox TV animated children's series, each volume
featuring three episodes each, is released to homevideo. Titles include:
MONSTER RANCHER: LET THE GAMES BEGIN
which includes "In the Beginning," "I'm Mocchi!" and
"Guardian of the Disks"
MONSTER RANCHER: CATCH A TIGER BY THE
TAIL which includes Eternal Worm, Tiger of the Wind and Hare's Trick.
For more information, please visit http://www.monsterrancherfan.com.
MURDER SHE PURRED: A MRS. MURPHY MYSTERY
(Disney)
Starring Ricki Lake, Linden Ashby
A detective and her two talking pets work together to solve the murder of a
local resident. Closed-captioned.
OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE (Miramax)
Starring Alec Baldwin, Amy Smart, Shawn Hatosy
Timothy, a young loser, is shipped off to a snobbish boarding school by his
father where he feels out of place with the affluent surroundings and
classmates. However that soon changes as none of them have ever seen the likes
of Timothy. Rated R; Closed-captioned for the hearing impaired. Featuring
never-before-seen footage plus an alternate surprise ending. Also
available on DVD.
THE PROPHECY 3: THE ASCENT
(Dimension)
Starring Christopher Walken, Vincent Spano
Walken returns as the fallen angel Gabriel in this second sequel to the popular
original. Here, Gabriel must protect the young Danyael, born of an angel and a
woman, who is the only one who can stop Pyriel, the Angel of Genocide. Rated R;
Closed-captioned for the hearing impaired. Also available
on DVD featuring 5.1 Surround.
RITES OF PASSAGE (Bell Canyon)
Starring Jason Behr, Dean Stockwell, James Remar
A dysfunctional family finds themselves having to become functional rather
quickly when a psychopathic serial killer begins hunting them in their home in
the woods. Rated R; 94m. Also available on DVD featuring
widescreen presentation; audio commentary by director Victor Salva and Behr,
deleted scenes with director's commentary, a bonus still gallery and talent
biographies. $24.98.
SCOOBY DOO MEETS THE BOO BROTHERS (Warner Home Video)
A new animated feature starring the canine sleuth. $14.95.
SCOOBY DOO'S ORIGINAL MYSTERIES
(Warner Home Video)
This DVD collection features the first five Scooby-Doo episodes ever created
with bonus features such as a trivia challenge; a Scooby-Doo jukebox; Recipes
and a music video. 150m. $24.98.
TOM AND JERRY'S GREATEST CHASES
(Warner Home Video)
A DVD collection of 14 classic cartoons from the Academy Award-winning
characters. features The Worry Song from the motion picture Anchors
Aweigh, showcasing Jerry's dance with the great Gene Kelly. 110m. $24.98.
VELOCITY TRAP (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Olivier Gruner, Alicia Coppola, Ken Olandt, Bruce Weitz
In the year 2150, a renegade police officer is assigned to protect $40 billion
of the governments money from a 600 million ton asteroid and a bunch of space
thieves. Rated R; 89m; Closed-captioned. Also available on
DVD featuring Dolby 2-Channel and Dolby 5.1; widescreen presentation; English
and Spanish subtitles; audio commentary from director Phillip Roth and Gruner;
theatrical trailer.
ZALMAN KING'S RED SHOE DIARIES
(Showtime)
Two collections of episodes from Showtime's erotic series are released to VHS
and to DVD.
THE GAME features "The Game," "The Cake," and "Like
Father Like Son." Also available on DVD featuring an
actual recreation of "The Game" for home use. $24.98.
GIRL ON A BIKE features "Girl on a Bike," "The Written
Word," "Borders of Salt." Also available on
DVD at $24.98.
All editions contain never-before-seen footage.
PICK OF THE WEEK
GET A LIFE (Rhino)
Starring Chris Elliott
The acclaimed, beloved and very weird Fox television show starring Chris Elliott
is released to DVD at $19.95. Featuring four episodes from the cult hit series
including "The Prettiest Week of My Life," "Spewey and Me,"
"Bored Straight" and "Girlfriend 2000." DVD features
including the ability to remove the laugh track and bonus footage.
Also new this week
B. MONKEY (Miramax)
Starring Rupert Everett, Jared Harris, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Asia Argento
A woman who wants her life of crime to come to an end falls in love with a
schoolteacher and all seems well. That is, until her partners return and want
her to go back into business with them. Rated R; Closed-captioned for the
hearing impaired. Also available on DVD.
THE ADVENTURES OF SEBASTIAN COLE (Paramount)
Starring Adrian Grenier, Clark Gregg
A young man juggles the difficulty of his strange family life with the normal
speed bumps of adolescence. Rated R; 99m; closed-captioned. Also
available on DVD at $29.99.
ARTHUR TITLES (Sony Wonder)
Two new volumes featuring episodes from the popular children's television series
are released to homevideo. Titles include:
"Arthur's Famous Friends" (which features "Arthur Meets Mr.
Rogers"), "I'm A Poet," "My Music Rules")
"Arthur Goes to Hollywood"
(which features "And Now Let's Talk With Some Kids," "The
Contest," and "That's a Baby Show!" Each runs approximately 40m
and is priced at $9.98.
BANDITS (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Katja Riemann, Jasmin Tabatabai, Nicollete Krebitz, Jutta Hoffman
A group of four women prisoners form a band and escape during their first live
gig. When an agent releases their demo to the public, they become media
sensations overnight. Rated R; 109m; In German with English subtitles. Also
available on DVD featuring widescreen presentation; Dolby Digital 5.1 and
2-Channel Dolby Surround; English, French and Spanish subtitles. $27.95.
BARNEY RHYME TIME RHYTHM (Lyrick)
Everybody's favorite purple dinosaur returns in this packed-solid DVD. Included
are the full-length Barney video, "Barney's Rhyme Time Rhythm," eight
interactive DVD-ROM games, a 32-page electronic read-along book, the Rhyme Time
singalong, the Rhyme Time Rhyma Along, the Mother Goose Medley and more DVD-ROM
features. 50m; $24.99. The video is also available on VHS.
ENDURANCE (Disney)
The inspirational story of distance runner Haile Gebrselassie and his dream to
win the Olympic Gold Medal. Rated G; Closed-captioned. Closed-captioned for the
hearing impaired.
HOLLYWOOD HEAVYWEIGHTS
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
A collection of star-heavy picture is released at $14.95 each. Included are:
A FINE MESS starring Ted Danson and Howie Mandel
BREAKOUT starring Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall
DAYTRIPPERS starring Stanley Tucci and Hope Davis
FARAWAY SO CLOSE
FATHERS AND SONS starring Jeff Goldblum
FOREVER LULU starring Debbie Harry and Alec Baldwin
GABY
HARRY AND WALTER GO TO NEW YORK starring James Caan and Elliott Gould
HEXED starring Arye Gross
I LIKE IT LIKE THAT starring Lauren Velez and Jon Seda
ONE FALSE MOVE starring Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton
THE FORTUNE starring Warren Beatty and Jack
Nicholson
HOOK (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts,
Gwyneth Paltrow, Maggie Smith, Bob Hoskins, Phil Collins
Steven Spielberg's delightful tale of a grown-up Peter Pan returning to Never
Never Land is released to DVD. Features widescreen presentation; Dolby Digital
5.1 and Dolby Surround sound, talent files. $24.95. Also available on
VHS.
INDOCHINE (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Perez, Regis Wargneir
The epic film about Indochina in the 1930s is released to DVD featuring the
extended international version of the film, talent files, widescreen
presentation, Dolby Surround Sound, trailers for "Farinelli" and
"Orlando," subtitles in English, French and Spanish. French language.
$27.95.
JAKOB THE LIAR (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Robin Williams, Liev Schreiber, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Alan Arkin
Williams stars as a poor Jewish cafe owner who tells fictitious news bulletins
about Allied advances against the Nazis in order to keep up the spirits of his
friends and family. Rated PG-13; 120m; Closed-captioned. Also
available with Spanish subtitles and on DVD featuring fullscreen and widescreen
format; Dolby Digital 5.1; $27.95.
POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE (Warner
Bros.)
The popular film based on the phenomenally popular children's card game comes to
video. Fans of the game will love the video, although some of it may actually be
too intense for younger children. Older children and adults will want to avoid
this film: although it begins with a promising opening - in which the animation
close resembles the popular Manga-style animation - it quickly deteriorates into
Saturday morning fare with lousy animation and an even worse storyline. Also
available on DVD featuring audio commentary by director and producer; Production
notes; Theatrical trailer(s); Featurette entitled Story of Mewtwo's Origin; Preview
of Pokemon: The Second Movie; M2M Music Video Don't Say You Love Me; Game
Card Inside Specially Marked Packages; DVD-ROM Features including Pokemon fun
facts, history of Anime, Pokemon Web World; Nintendo game guides; special events
page. $24.99.
SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS (Rhino)
Starring Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden, Billy Barty, Rip Taylor, Mary Wickes
A special box set that contains every single episode ever made from the popular
Sid and Marty Krofft television series. That's right - all 29 episodes are
available on this six tape collection. And the box containing the cassettes is
shaped like Johnny and Scott's clubhouse. $69.96.
SWING (Touchstone)
Starring Hugo Speer, Lisa Stansfield
A convict recently released from prison starts up his own swing band.
Unfortunately, a few secrets surface and the future of the band suddenly becomes
endangered. Rated R; Closed-captioned.
THE WRECKING CREW (Sterling)
Starring Ice-T, Snoop Dogg
A secret government-sponsored hit team is dispatched to clean up the
gang-infested mean streets of Detroit in this action adventure. Rated R; 81m. Also
available on DVD featuring widescreen presentation; digitally mastered Dolby
Stereo Surround sound; two audio commentary tracks from the actors and director
Albert Pyun, isolated music soundtrack, production notes with cast and crew
interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; rap artist trivia game; theatrical
trailers; biographies and filmographies; photo gallery; bonus hidden feature;
optional Spanish language-subtitles format; scene index; interactive motion
menus; DVD-ROM features. $29.95.
PICK OF THE WEEK
THE SIXTH SENSE (Hollywood)
Starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
The uber-blockbuster about a young boy who can see the dead and the
therapist who wants nothing more than to help him comes to homevideo. Rated
PG-13; Closed-captioned. Also available on DVD featuring
"Making Of" footage; a conversation with director M. Night Shyamalan,
music and sound design; storyboard-to-film comparisons; deleted scenes including
an exclusive extended ending to the film, cast and crew biographies; talent
interviews; a theatrical trailer, a French language track and a special segment
entitled "Rules & Clues" featuring an on-camera discussion with
the filmmakers that reveal secrets of the film's storyline. $29.99.
Also new this week
BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak
The classic film about a modern-day witch is released to DVD featuring talent
files and vintage advertising. Other features include widescreen and fullscreen
format, trailers for "Bell Book and Candle," "Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington" and "The Man From Laramie," English and Spanish
subtitles. $24.95.
CHICKS RULE (Ventura)
Starring the Dixie Chicks
A history of the Dixie Chicks, from the early days to their recent Awards. Also
included is a free, two-color "Chicks Rule" sticker. $14.98. Also
available on DVD at $14.98.
CRAZY IN ALABAMA (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Melanie Griffith, Lucas Black, Cathy Moriarty, David Morse, Elizabeth
Perkins, Meat Loaf, Robert Wagner
Antonio Banderas directed this tale of an eccentric woman who escapes from her
abusive husband and goes to Hollywood to follow her dream. Rated PG-13;
Close-captioned. Also available with Spanish subtitles and
on DVD featuring widescreen presentation; Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby 2 Channel;
$27.95.
DVD RELEASES (Universal)
Universal releases the following titles to DVD:
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING
TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT starring Donny Osmond featuring dual audio formats; cast
bios; highlights; a making-of featurette; trailer and weblinks.
THE BIRDS COLLECTOR'S EDITION starring Tippi Hedren featuring anamorphic
widescreen presentation; an original documentary entitled "All About the
Birds," a special storyboard sequence; Hitchcock's original ending; Tippi
Hedren's screen test; several original Universal International newsreels
promoting the film, production photos, the original theatrical trailer and
filmmaker bios and weblinks. $29.98.
LAST NIGHT starring Sandra Oh, David Cronenberg and Genevieve Bujold featuring
full-frame presentation; theatrical trailer. $24.98.
BLOOD, GUTS BULLETS & OCTANE featuring widescreen presentation; English
Dolby Surround; English captions; theatrical trailer. $24.98
METROLAND Christian Bale featuring full
frame presentation, theatrical trailer; $24.98.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
(Sony Wonder)
Starring the voices of Ben Savage, Sara Gilbert, Tone-Loc
A brand new, feature-length animated telling of the classic fairy tale. 75m;
$12.98.
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
(Universal)
Starring Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman, Richard Attenborough, Joan Collins
The classic show from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice comes to homevideo in
this first-ever filmed version. An exceptional production with epic musical
numbers, excellent performances and a shining performance by star Osmond. Highly
recommended. 78m; Closed-captioned. $19.98. Also available
on DVD at 29.98 (see above).
SELL-THROUGH TITLES
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
The following films are released at $9.95 each:
THE BIG HIT
CHANTILLY LACE
CITY OF JOY
DESPERATE MEASURES
DONNIE BRASCO
TO DIE FOR
WILDER NAPALM
24 HOURS WITH ... RUSSELL SIMMONS
(Ventura)
The camera follows rap/hip-hop founder Russell Simmons in a day in his life.
Viewers visit Simmons estates and his Manhattan offices as well as visit with
such friends as Sean Puffy Combs, Jennifer Lopez and Montel Jordan. 110m;
$19.95.
VEGGIE TALES: LARRY-BOY AND THE RUMOR WEED
(Big Idea)
The popular children's direct-to-video series with a cast of vegetables returns
in this story of rumors and how quickly they get out of hand and how much they
hurt. $12.99.
VOICES FROM A LOCKED ROOM
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Jeremy Northam, Tushka Bergen
The true story of Lily Buxton, an American singer, and her relationship with an
acerbic music critic, Philip Heseltine. Rated R; 92m. Official selection of the
Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival.