By Peter M. Bracke

November 17 through 19 : 'Crow' box set MIA?; Paramount title corrections

A 'Crow' with clipped wings

As is typical on most Fridays, not too much new release news today. So, just a couple of updates on MIA discs and missing features...

First up, Buena Vista has now removed the announced Crow 3-disc box set from their press set, and the original 3/30 date is now MIA. A possible delay of this sort has happened before with many Buena Vista box sets, like From Dusk Til Dawn and The Prophecy, but stay tuned for any updates.

Also, we received our copies of Paramount's upcoming John Hughes discs Planes, Trains And Automobiles and She's Having A Baby (with a review of the former already up here), and there are some discrepancies between features and extras listed at retailer sites like Amazon and what is actually on the disc. There are absolutely no extra features on Planes, Trains And Automobiles, not even a trailer (no deleted scenes or other such features as listed on some retailer sites), and only an English 5.1 track and English captions. She's Having A Baby, while it does have a trailer, does not have the English 2.0 surround track as listed on the back packaging. Watch for a review of the latter this weekend...

Universal dips into the vaults

Man, I must say it is really weird that 2000 is already drawing to a close and we're receiving announcements for winter 2001. Boy, does time fly! Anyway, Universal will be digging into their vaults in February to bring two 1940's classics to DVD on 2/6. Both The Lost Weekend and Harvey will be presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratios, English and French mono tracks, and include production notes, cast bios and their respective trailers, while Harvey also includes an introduction by Jimmy Stewart (filmed before his passing, of course...well, at least I hope so.) Retail is $29.95 each.

Also, on 1/30 Universal will be releasing The Spike Lee Collection, which is a simple bundling of what I believe are already available titles, Mo' Better Blues, Crooklyn and Jungle Fever. Retail is $64.95 for the set.

Paramount sees 'Red'

Also coming on 1/30, Paramount will be releasing the recent limited run theatrical release Red Letters, a mystery thriller starring Peter Coyote and Nastassia Kinski. The disc is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with English 5.1 and 2.0 surround tracks and English and Spanish subtitles, and extras include an audio commentary with Director Bradley Battersby and Screenwriter Tom Hughes, as well as the theatrical trailer. Retail is $29.95.

A&E adds January titles

Finally today, some news from A&E on some upcoming special interest titles due in January. On 1/30 comes the documentary programs The Best Of The Real West, World War II: The War In Europe and the unholy alliance of Mysteries Of The Bible and Serial Killers. All are $19.95 each, full frame and 2.0 stereo with not notable extra features. Also due on 1/30 is the Mira Sorvino and Paul Rudd version of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic The Great Gatsby. Specs are the same as the other discs above, and retail is also $19.95 as well.

Three times the Chan

Due on 1/30, Columbia will be issuing three currently available Jackie Chan titles, Gorgeous, Miracles and Who Am I?, as the Jackie Chan Gift Set. Nothing new with these discs, aside from a new box to house the three discs in. Retail will be a rather odd $53.95...

Studio Day update and correction

Just a quick note on our Studio Day report from last Saturday. When posting all the many different titles, I inadvertently listed Paramount's Ordinary People in the "ain't comin'" pile instead of the "it is comin'" pile, so I have fixed that discrepancy. Also, in the Columbia section, I did ask about possible special editions for John Carpenter's Christine or Starman, though alas there are no plans at this time for them. So add two more to the "maybe someday" wishlist...

Clip Of The Week

Finally today, we've had some problems with our Quicktime compression software this week, so weren't able to post a new Clip of The Week on Monday. We'll have a new original clip for next week, but in the meantime, the folks at New Line bring you a little preview of the upcoming way-cool Se7en 2-disc set. Check out a brief preview clip of Director David Fincher's commentary, talking about the transfer of the film. Hopefully this will whet your appetite for the disc, and trust us, it will be worth the wait!

There were a lot of late-breaking announcements yesterday, including Columbia's Glory special edition and the long-awaited Oliver Stone Collection from Warner, so check out yesterday's update if you missed 'em...

'The Exorcist' revisited

A couple of new Warner announcements for winter have come in. First is that god-awful new version of The Exorcist which ruins the film, but hey, Friedkin seems to like that new ending now, so what do I know? So on 12/26 comes The Exorcist: The Version That Isn't Very Good, with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX and English 1.0 mono mixes, a new audio commentary by Director William Friedkin, cast & crew highlights, trailers and TV spots. Retail is $24.95, and the previous 25th Anniversary Edition will remain on the shelves, preserving the original theatrical release. Then on 1/23 comes the Jamie Foxx comedy Bait in anamorphic widescreen, English 5.1 and French surround, English and French subtitles, a making-of featurette, cast bios and the trailer. Retail is $19.95.

Finally, Warner has issued the full specs for those Friends DVDs due on 12/19. Each disc is $19.95 and in full frame and 2.0 stereo. There is also a two-pack available for $34.95. The episodes included are all the top "fan favorites": The Pilot, The One with Two Parts (Parts 1 and 2), The One with All the Poker, The One Where Ross Finds Out, The One with the Prom Video, The One Where No One's Ready, The One with the Embryos, The One with Ross' Wedding (Parts 1 and 2), The One with All the Thanksgivings and The One Where Everybody Finds Out.

Three from Columbia, Paramount and Artisan

Due on 1/9 from Paramount is the comedy Kiss Me Guido, with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 surround mix, audio commentary by director Tony Vitale and the trailer. Retail is $29.95. Then three weeks later on 1/30 from Columbia comes If Lucy Fell, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Ben Stiller. The disc includes full frame and anamorphic widescreen transfers, English, French and Spanish 2.0 surround tracks, talent files and trailers. Retail is $24.95. Finally, on 1/23 from Artisan is Cutaway, an action thriller "in the tradition of Point Break, Drop Zone and Terminal Velocity." The disc includes an anamorphic widescreen transfer, commentary by director Guy Manos and actor Stephen Baldwin, a still gallery and the trailer. Retail is $24.95.

'Glory' special edition arrives

Yikes, a busy release news day today. Columbia has just announced a 1/30 arrival of the Glory special edition in honor of Black History Month. The two disc set includes anamorphic widescreen and full frame transfers, English 5.1 and 2.0 surround tracks, an audio commentary by Director Edward Zwick, a "widescreen presentation with picture in picture commentary by Edward Zwick, the featurette "The Voices of Glory" and the original production featurette, deleted scenes with optional commentary, and production notes, talent bios and theatrical trailers. Retail for the set is $29.95. Looks great, huh?

Oliver Stone Collection finally announced

After a few fits and starts, Warner has issued the press release for the Oliver Stone Collection, due in January. It looks like it was worth the wait, and includes a new 2-disc set of Any Given Sunday. Check out the full details in the release...

This week's Top Pick contest

This week's TOP PICK is the next big summer blockbuster to make its way to DVD, Warner's The Perfect Storm. An excellent disc, it features a terrific transfer and Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtrack, multiple commentaries, documentaries and more. Check it out and how to win in the box to your right, and good luck!

And a nice job goes out to last week's winner Jason Steele of Olathe, Kansas, who picked up a copy of Paramount's Mission Impossible 2. Congrats!

Never say reissue again

If you've bought any MGM releases as of late, from This Is Spinal Tap to the recent Bond wave 3 collection, you've undoubtedly heard about the missing subtitles issue and maybe even had to exchange your copy for a new one. Now problem has extended to whole scenes, when four minutes turned up missing on the recent MGM release of the "unofficial" Bond movie Never Say Never Again. Though we're told by MGM that they caught the problem quickly as the title shipped, some copies with the edited version did make it to store shelves. MGM has sent out corrected versions of the title, though telling the difference between the two is somewhat difficult.

The marking designating the difference is only on the outside wrapping - corrected versions have three asterisks next to the name "Never Say Never Again" on the top white "sticky tape" label. Unfortunately, though, if you've already opened your disc and thrown out the wrapping, you probably will have no idea if your disc is the corrected one or not. So, what is the missing scene? At the 1:05:48 mark, there is a four-minute scene where Bond goes into a bar and meets Largo. Bond gives a cigarette case to a security guard and tells him its a Bond. Then there is a layer, and on the faulty discs, it goes directly to the scene where Bond, Largo and Domino are about to play the Domination video game. The corrected discs fix this, and includes the scene in between where he meets Largo in a bar. On the faulty disc, it no longer makes sense, as how can Bond be playing a video game with Domino and Largo when he hasn't even met Largo yet? Even weirder, on the bad discs, the still for the Chapter 19 scene selection is from this scene which isn't even on the disc!

If you have a faulty version and MGM says retailers should freely exchange it with the sales receipt. However, if you still have problems, MGM has a consumer hotline that can help: 877-MGM-4YOU. Good luck!

Price drops and Columbia street date changes

Well wouldn't you know it, a week after I whined about Fox not dropping prices on old releases like Ever After and Hope Floats, they go and announced a whole slew of price drops. Guess who looks like a big baby now, huh? Me! Anyway, a number of Fox titles have been significantly lowered, which is always good news to DVD addicts with maxed-out credit cards. There's Something About Mary, Ever After, The Beach, Here On Earth, Hope Floats and Never Been Kissed all drop from $34.95 to $24.95, while One Fine Day and Romeo + Juliet drop from $29.95 to $24.95.

Also, a couple of Columbia title updates. Though originally announced as having the original Japanese language track, the Region 1 release of Godzilla 2000 will no only feature the English dub. This makes the purchase even harder for Godzilla fans, as ToHo is releasing a 2-disc set of Godzilla 2000 with tons of extras in Region 4.) Things that make you go "Hmmm!"

Originally due on 11/21 (no doubt scheduled to skim off the popularity of Gladiator) No Way Back disc, starring Russell Crowe, has been postponed indefinitely. Stay tuned for further word (and still no new date for that postponed Timecode DVD, either...)

Cheesy 80s Star Wars rip-off alert!

When it comes to the old adage "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," nobody does it better than Roger Corman. The minute the Star Wars craze hit in 1977, who do you think was first out of the gate with a cheesy rip-off? That's right, Corman. While Battle Beyond The Stars can't quite match Star Wars in the effects and originality department (and it did star Richard Thomas, after all) it is probably the closest we're going to get to those Lucas sagas on DVD anytime soon. New Concorde will be releasing the film to DVD on 2/6 as a special edition, and (drumroll, please) it is their first-ever widescreen and 5.1 Dolby Digital title ever. The disc includes a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, audio commentary with Director John Sayles and Producer Gale Anne Hurd, a still gallery, cast and crew bios and the trailer. Retail is only $19.95.

Sade rocks

Alright, call me lame, but I'm an 80's child and I've missed Sade as she's been away for so long. But just in time to cross-promote with her first album in eight years (not exactly prolific, is she?) called Lovers Rock, two new Sade DVDs have been announced on her official site. Both Sade Live and Life Promise Faith Pride have been remixed in 5.1 surround and also include PCM 2.0 stereo tracks, and each includes a biography, discography and lyrics in English, French and Spanish. Life Promise Faith Pride also includes a bonus video for her new single, "By Your Side." Strangely, no street date or price is listed, but I'm sure more details will emerge soon as Sade cranks up the promo tour for the new album...