November 2001
New this week
BLUE'S CLUES TITLES (Paramount)
The following titles from the popular Nick
Kids television show are released: "Read All About It!" and "The
Baby is Here!"
LITTLE BEAR TITLES (Paramount)
"Let's Play A Game," starring the
popular character from the Nickelodeon television program, is released.
MTV's INSIDE FEAR (Paramount)
SWEETWATER: A TRUE ROCK STORY
(Paramount)
The true story of the rock band Sweetwater,
who were the very first opening act for the original Woodstock Festival.
Intriguing behind-the-scenes story of a band that could have been really big and
the tragedies that kept them from becoming so. The good news: The band has
re-formed!
PICKS OF THE WEEK
CHOPPER (First Look)
Starring Eric Bana, Simon Lyndon, Dan Wyllie
Hardened criminal and Australia's best-selling author, Mark 'Chopper' Read, is
explored in this electric, intense and unrelenting film that features a
star-making performance by Eric Bana (who has since gone on to snag the lead in
Ang Lee's "The Incredible Hulk" film). Not for the squeamish: This
film makes "Reservoir Dogs" look like "All Dogs Go to
Heaven," but a rewarding experience for those who can sit through it.
Especially since it's all true! Available in R-rated and unrated versions. 93m. Also
available on DVD featuring DTS Surround Sound; Widescreen; Dolby; Commentary by
director Andrew Dominik and Mark "Chopper" Read; Theatrical trailer(s);
Deleted scenes; Video Interview with Mark Read; Widescreen anamorphic format.
New Releases
24 NIGHTS (First Run)
An employee at a gay bookstore remains
confident that he find the right man - with a little help - despite a string of
failed romances. Also available on DVD.
AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack
Roberts stars as Kiki, the personal assistant of a spoiled and narcissistic
movie star, who falls in love with the movie star's man. Rated PG-13;
Also available on DVD.
BRIDE OF THE WIND (Paramount)
The remarkable story of one of history's
greatest muses, Alma Schindler, who ignited the passions of many famous men,
including composer Gustav Mahler. Also available on DVD.
From director Bruce Beresford.
DIARY OF A SEX ADDICT
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
Rosanna Arquette, Nastassja Kinski and
Michael Des Barres star in the erotic thriller. Also
available on DVD.
LAURA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER
(Paramount)
Starring Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight
The popular video game becomes a high powered movie in this big-budget feature
film that is almost as entertaining as any Indiana Jones or Mummy movie. Also
available on DVD featuring in-depth cast and crew interviews; an up-close look
at Jolie's training program to play Lara Croft; a stunt documentary; a visual
effects documentary; an exploration of the Tomb Raider phenomenon; delete
scenes; director commentary by Simon West; U2 Music video; alternate main title
sequence; Tomb Raider timeline; more.
THE POINT MEN (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Christopher Lambert stars in this film
version of novelist Steven Hartov's "The Heat of Ramadan." Lambert
stars as an Israeli secret service agent assigned to track and assassinate Amar,
a terrorist who is threatening the future of the Middle East peace process.
WAITING (First Run)
The press release says it all: "What's a
luckless guy to do to reclaim his dignity and get his life back on track? Sean
has a plan that quickly spirals out of control, leading him into S&M,
blackmail, torture, bribery, begging, drunken sex, marijuana bread, penetrating
corkscrews and a can of not-so-tasty shaving cream!" Also available on DVD.
X-FILES: SEASON 4 DVD COLLECTION
(Fox)
All 24 episodes of the fourth season of the
incredibly popular Fox Television program are released in this four DVD set that
also includes bonus interviews, a 20-minute documentary entitled "The Truth
About Season Four," and extended scenes, deleted scenes, international
clips, alternate audio and more. $149.95.
NEW TO DVD
NEIL SIMON's THE CHEAP DETECTIVE
(Columbia/Tri-Star) starring
Peter Falk, Ann-Margret, Eileen Brennan, Sid Caesar, Stockard Channing, James
Coco, Dom DeLuise, Louise Fletcher, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, Fernando
Lamas, Marsha Mason, Phil Silvers, Abe Vigoda, Paul Williams. Full-screen and
widescreen. $19.95
THE TOY (Columbia/Tri-Star) starring
Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Ned Beatty.
ERIC CLAPTON: LIVE IN HYDE PARK (Warner Reprise)
The legendary
guitarist/performer is featured live in Hyde Park, recorded in London on June
29, 1996. Previously available on VHS, this DVD features additional tracks
"Hoochie Coochie Man" and the blues standard "It Hurts Me
Too" $24.99.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
THE STUNTMAN (Anchor Bay)
Starring Peter O'Toole,
Barbara Hershey, Steve Railsback
The acclaimed film, in which a fugitive is forced to take the place of a
stuntman whose death he accidentally caused, is finally released to DVD
featuring:
Dolby Digital Surround EX and 5.1 DTS;
Widescreen;
Director's notes;
The complete screenplay;
Theatrical Trailers;
Deleted Scenes;
A Poster and still gallery;
Audio commentary with director/co-writer/producer Richard Rush, Peter O'Toole,
Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey, Alex Rocco, Sharon Farrell and Chuck Bail.
$19.98
Also available on VHS at $9.99, without the extras, of course.
Also new this week
APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX (Paramount)
Starring Martin Sheen
Francis Ford Coppola's latest rendition of his classic Vietnam war film,
released theatrically earlier this year, comes to DVD. Contains additional
footage and other DVD features.
ARCTIC BLUE (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Rutger Hauer, Dylan Walsh
An accused killer and his friends, a group of local trappers, try to prevent an
environmentalist from transporting the killer to prison. Rated R; 95m. DVD
features include:
Audio commentary by director Peter Masterson;
Digitally Mastered Audio and Anamorphic Video
Trailers
$24.95
THE BREED (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Adrian Paul, Bokeem Woodbine, Bai
Ling
A stylish vampire tale about a cop and his vampire partner who must expose a
nefarious plot. DVD features include:
Director and cast commentary;
Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video;
Theatrical Trailers;
Filmographies;
Interactive Menus;
Scene Selections
Rated R
$24.95
DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE
CHRISTMAS (Universal)
Starring Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey
Tambor, Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon, Bill Irwin, Clint Howard, voice of
Anthony Hopkins
This big (and we mean BIG)-budget adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic Christmas
tale is cute and entertaining enough, but it can't do justice to the classic
animated version starring the voice of Boris Karloff. Although Carrey makes the
Grinch his own without blaspheming the original, the entire picture is so BIG
and so over-the-top that it plays more like an infomercial designed to sell toys
than a Christmas fable. Still, it has its moments and it is often very cute and
sometimes very funny. Kids will eat it up, as its enormous boxoffice gross will
attest (it was the biggest grossing film of 2000). DVD
features include:
Spotlight on Location - a featurette on the making of the film;
Descriptive Video Service (for the visually impaired)
Sing-Alongs and Read-Alongs
Deleted Scenes
Faith Hill Music Video
Featurettes on Whoville, Grinch make-up application and special effects;
Outtakes;
DVD-ROM features including:
Kazoo 3D - a computer-generated picture program that allows users to insert
their own photo with the Grinch;
Grinch Screen Mate;
Games
Screen Saver
Grinch Computer Browser
Recipes
Who Photographs
Production Notes;
Cast and Crew Notes;
Grinch Facts
$24.99.
DVD TITLES (Columbia/Tri-Star)
The following films are
released on DVD:
ST. ELMO'S FIRE starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew
McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, Andie
MacDowell, Martin Balsam featuring:
Audio commentary by director Joel Schumacher;
Original Featurette;
Music Video;
Digitally Mastered Audio and Anamorphic Video;
Trailers;
Filmographies;
Production notes;
$19.95
A MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS featuring the voices of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. DVD
features include:
Trailers
$19.95
FIRST LOVE AND OTHER PAINS / ONE
OF THEM
Two gay film festival
favorites are combined on a single DVD:
FIRST LOVE AND OTHER PAINS about a Hong Kong college student smitten with his
English instructor;
ONE OF THEM, set in the 1960s, about two gay teens grappling with their emotions
and emerging sexuality.
$29.95.
THE MATRIX REVISITED (Warner)
The hit film starring Keanu
Reeves, which was at one time the best-selling DVD of all time, is re-released
in this special two-disc set that contains tons of extras.
MIDNITE MOVIES (MGM)
The following films make their debut on DVD
at $14.95 each:
STRANGE INVADERS starring Nancy Allen;
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS starring Joan Collins
THE ANGRY RED PLANET
AT THE EARTH'S CORE
MORONS FROM OUTER SPACE
I BURY THE LIVING
THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT
WAR GODS OF THE DEEP
MOVIE TIME COLLECTION (MGM)
The following films make
their DVD debut at $14.95 each:
GANG RELATED starring Tupac Shakur and Jim Belushi;
THE DOGS OF WAR starring Christopher Walken;
AN EYE FOR AN EYE starring Chuck Norris;
INVASION USA starring Chuck Norris;
LONE WOLF MCQUADE starring Chuck Norris;
LORD OF THE FLIES
MUHAMMAD ALI (MPI)
Two features are combined in this exploration
of boxing's most popular figure. Included are: "Muhammad Ali: Skills,
Brains and Guts," which chronicles the rise, fall and second coming of Ali
and "Muhammad Ali: In His Own Words" which is a collection of pre- and
post-fight interviews with Ali and features highlights from his bouts with Joe
Frazier, George Foreman, Floyd Patterson, George Chuvala and more. 127m. $19.98
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000
(Rhino)
Two titles featuring the
hilarious team of Joel Hodgson, Crow and Tom Servo are released. Both versions
feature the usual MST3K premise: Hodgson and is mechanical friends act as
hecklers for some of Hollywood's worst films. Releases include:
MITCHELL starring Joe Don Baker. DVD features include the original theatrical
trailer and press kit plus animated menus and chapter breaks;
MANOS: HANDS OF FATE starring Tom Neyman and featuring "Poopie," the
MST3K official outtakes reel, animated menus, chapter breaks. Each is priced at
$19.95.
NEW YORK IN THE FIFTIES (First
Run Features)
A combination of archival footage of New York
with interviews and footage of icons of the day including Kerouac, Ginsberg,
Baldwin, Mailer, Basie as well as modern day perspective and reminisces by Joan
Didion, Robert Redford, Nat Hentoff, Gay and Nan Talese, John Gregory Dunne,
William F. Buckley and more. $29.95. Also available on DVD
featuring:
Director Interview;
Theatrical Trailer
$29.95.
OUT OF LINE (First Look)
Starring Jennifer Beals, Holt McCallany,
Michael Moriarty
A parole officer falls in love with an ex-con, putting both of their lives in
danger. Rated R; 96m. Also available on DVD.
PLANET OF THE APES (Fox)
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Charlton
Heston
Director Tim Burton's "re-imagining" of the classic Ape series doesn't
quite measure up to the original, at least in the writing department (the
screenplay here is dull and confusing) but the acting herein surpasses even the
make-up to deliver a watchable experience nonetheless. DVD
features include audio commentary by one of the best film scorers in the
business, Mr. Danny Elfman.
THE PRESS SECRETARY (WGBH Boston)
The most extensive documentary made about the
West Wing since 1962, "The Press Secretary" follows Joe Lockhart
(former President Bill Clinton's press secretary) and his staff in the days
leading up to a formal presidential press conference. Winner of the 2000 High
Definition Documentary Prize. 60m; $19.95.
THE ROMANTIC COMEDY DVD GIFT SET
(Columbia/Tri-Star)
The following films are packaged together as
a gift set:
MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING SPECIAL EDITION starring Julia Roberts;
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan;
THE WEDDING PLANNER starring Jennifer Lopez;
AS GOOD AS IT GETS starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt
$80.95
STRANGE JUSTICE (Paramount)
The story of Chief Justice Clarence Thomas is
told.
POOTIE TANG (Paramount)
Starring Chris Rock
The mumbling superhero/rapper/fashion plate character from The Chris Rock Show
appears in his own film. Mildly entertaining.