By Peter M. Bracke

Angela Lansbury goes digital

Some news today from Buena Vista on some of their upcoming January titles. Looks like their animated films aren't the only ones getting the deluxe treatment. The Coyote Ugly disc due on 1/16 features some solid supplements in addition to the anamorphic widescreen transfer and 5.1 mix, including, an audio commentary with director David McNally, deleted scenes, a LeAnn Rimes music video, and three featurettes "In Search of Violet: Casting the Lead Role, Piper Perabo," "Coyote 101: Actor Prep," and "Howling Good Time: Filming Bar Scenes." Next, The Kid, due on 1/16, features an audio commentary and an interview with director John Turteltaub, "The Kid becomes 'The Kid'" featurette, and the trailer. Finally, the Crow: Salvation disc will also include an audio commentary with director Bharat Nalluri and a "About The Crow" making-of featurette. And Buena Vista has set a 3/20 date for the arrival of The Crow box set, which will include all-new versions of the first two Crow discs (including, yes, new transfers, or so they say) and more to be announced. Stay tuned...

Also announced on their web site is a rather early announcement a 3/20 date for the family classic Bedknobs & Broomsticks, in a restored version with 3 deleted songs. The disc also includes a still gallery and the trailer. Retail is $29.95, but no info yet on if it is widescreen or anamorphic.

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie get your adverbs here

With just about all the major studios having already announced their DVD titles for the rest of 2000, it seemed that Warner, with the big Superman discs now postponed until spring, might have lacked some big firepower for Christmas. After some on-again, off-again plans for the Oliver Stone box set (as yet still untitled) word comes out of Warner that the set will debut after all by Christmas, with an announcement due any day now. So Stone fans, watch for it soon...

'Buffy' delayed

Well, that was fast. No sooner does a 1/9 street date for the first season episode collection of Buffy The Vampire Slayer get announced to retail, but now word comes from Fox PR that set has already been delayed. No exact word on why, but an announcement will be forthcoming soon. Stay tuned, and hopefully the set won't be delayed that long...

Columbia announces 'And Justice For All' special edition

Due on 1/16, Columbia has announced a DVD edition of the acclaimed Norman Jewison drama And Justice For All, starring Al Pacino. The disc features new anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, English, French and Spanish 2.0 mixes, an audio commentary with Jewison, talent files and the trailer. Retail is $24.95. Also on 1/9, watch for the Jet Li drama Once Upon A Time In China, in anamorphic widescreen and 2.0 surround, with talent files and "bonus trailers." Retail is $29.95.

Updated word on Leon repressing

Well, finally, some news on that Leon repressing from Columbia due to a faulty 5.1 soundtrack on the original release. The disc has been repressed and shipped out to retailers. How to tell the different versions? The old ID number was 04730, and the new ID is 06196. Another identifying feature of the new version is the back packaging description of the audio formats. The new version lists English 2-channel, and a "newly created English 5.1." Also, the "Not Rated" label on the bottom of the back is also gone from the new version (odd, but true.) Hope this helps, and if you have the old version, return it to the point of purchase to exchange it for the corrected edition.

November 1 : New MGM, 'Crow' and Warner announcements

'Autumn' in January

Hot on the heels of their mega-January slate announcement, MGM has added two new day & date releases on 2/2. The Richard Gere/Winona Ryder May-December romance Autumn In New York features an anamorphic widescreen transfer, commentary, the trailer, English 5.1 and English and Spanish 2.0 surround tracks, and retails for $26.95. Also due is the limited release Crime And Punishment In Suburbia, in anamorphic widescreen and English 2.0 surround, with the trailer. Retail is $19.95.

The 'Crow' flies at midnight

Due on 1/30 from Buena Vista is the third in the series of Crow films, The Crow: Salvation. This one seems to gone just about direct to video, and will feature an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 mix, the trailer and some DVD-ROM links and a game. Retail is $29.95, and there will be a Crow box set and reissue of the first film as a special edition sometime in 2001. Look for more details on that to come out of Studio Day in about two weeks, so watch for more news on that soon.

A race against time

Finally today, Warner has announced a 12/26 release for the recent TNT thriller Race Against Time, starring Cary Elwes and Eric "I hate my sister" Roberts. The disc includes an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 mix, two featurettes on the film and the effects, and cast bios. Retail is $19.95.