By Peter M. Bracke

August 18 through 20 : More Paramount October titles; Fox unleashes first DTS title with Titan A.E.; Buena Vista readies Air Bud Gift Pack!

Paramount sets more October announcements

Looks like the studios are really gearing up with more extensive slates for the big Christmas buying season, and it add to the already-considerable strain on our wallets (not that I'm complaining) Paramount has announced yet another four October titles. There's some really long-awaited stuff here, so fans should be pretty excited (I know I am!) And even better, it really looks like Paramount is adding more and more supplements to their releases, so now there isn't a major studio I can think of that isn't adding supplemental material to at least a few of their biggest discs...

Anyway, on 10/24 comes the 80's comedy classic Airplane! and Airplane II: The Sequel. Both are 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 1.0 and French 1.0 mono, while Airplane! features an audio commentary with the Zucker Brothers and Jim Abrahams, and both include the trailers. Also on 10/24 comes an airplane movie of a different kind, the thriller Submerged. The disc is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 and 2.0 surround, with the trailer.

Finally on 10/24 comes the underrated Tucker: A Man And His Dream. The disc includes a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 and 2.0 and French 2.0 surround mixes, a making-of featurette, an audio commentary with Director Francis Ford Coppola, and the 1948 promotional film "Tucker: The Man and The Car" also with Francis Ford Coppola commentary. Retail for all of the above titles is $29.95.

Fox unleashes Titan A.E. this October

While it wasn't the big hit Fox probably hoped for (and was the final straw that sent former Fox CEO Bill Mechanic packing), Titan A.E. just might find an audience on video. The DVD, due 10/31, comes with some pretty cool features. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen disc includes English Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, making it the first Fox disc to feature DTS. Extras include a making-of documentary, four deleted scenes, a still gallery with over 200 production photos, conceptual art stills and images, the trailer and TV spots. Retail is a new Fox price of $26.95. Good to see Fox supporting DTS and a lower day & date with VHS price!

Uh-oh, an Air Bud gift set!!!

Last and certainly least, Buena Vista has announced the next two installments in the Air Bud trifecta, Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver and Air Bud 3: World Pup. Both discs are full frame and 5.1 surround, and retail for a rather high $29.95 (especially since they are geared I presume for the family market.) And for those that just can't get enough of that cute little Air Bud (hope My Dog Skip doesn't get jealous), Buena Vista will be releasing a Air Bud Gift Pack of all three Air Bud films for $89.95, which doesn't offer any discount against buying them separately. Some deal. Street date is 12/12 for the second two Air Bud films and the gift set, and the first disc is available now.

August 17 : New Line tunes into a 'Frequency'; Warner spreads some 'Gossip'; More MGM fall titles

Heard any good 'Gossip' lately?

Some more early sales info has come in for Warner's Gossip disc also due on 10/31. While this one wasn't a very big hit in theaters (to put it mildly), the disc will feature a 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 surround mix, English and French subtitles, an audio commentary with director Davis Guggenheimer, cast filmographies and the trailer. Retail is $24.95. After this, can't wait for that In-Crowd special edition!

Tune into 'Frequency' this Halloween

New Line has announced the arrival of the box office sleeper Frequency on 10/31 to the trades, and it looks to be another fine Platinum Series title. Though all the details are not yet announced, it will feature an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes material and more, a look at the special effects, DVD-ROM features and more, as you'd expect from a New Line Platinum title. Retail is $24.95, and watch for the full specs soon...

More MGM fall titles and update

Check out yesterday's post for some late afternoon MGM November announcements and here's a couple of updates and another announcement. Due on 10/31 is the teen comedy Deal Of A Lifetime. Haven't heard of this one, and strangely the press release doesn't list any aspect ratio or sound information, just that it features the trailer and retails for $19.95. Also, an update on the specs for the American Pimp disc due on 10/17. It will not feature a full-length audio commentary with the Hughes Brothers, instead a 24-minute interview with the directorial duo. Retail remains $19.95.

August 16 : MGM's November slate, HTF Winstar Live Chat; New Criterion dates; USA fall announcements; more Jurassic box art

MGM's November catalog slate

Some new MGM catalog announcements have come in, and they have some plusses and some minuses. In good news, The Bounty, Class, Code Of Silence, Escape From New York and Malice will include anamorphic widescreen and full frame transfers (except for The Bounty, which is anamorphic widescreen only), though none will have any special features except for the trailer, even Escape From New York. The Bounty is 5.1, while Class and Code Of Silence have mono soundtracks, and Escape From New York and Malice 2.0 surround. Retail is $19.95.

Winstar HTF live chat transcript

=Home Theater Forum held a live chat earlier this week with the folks at WinStar Home Video, who have some interesting upcoming releases on the way. If you are interested in foreign films and independent works, definitely check out the full chat transcript here, and see what WinStar has in store for DVD fans...

New Criterion title dates and announcements

Some updated street dates and new announcements have come in for a number of highly-awaited Criterion titles, so get those preorder sheets ready...

Due on 10/10 comes The Beastie Boys Video Anthology 2-disc set, which features 18 videos and special remixes specifically for this release, and is loaded with special features including an audio commentary by the band, multi-angles, still galleries with production stills and storyboards, an interview with the cast of "Sabotage," and the director's cut of Nathanial Hornblower's "Intergalactic" spin-off "The Robot vs. Octopus Monster Saga." The disc is full frame and 5.1 surround, and retails for only $29.95. I wish everyone would do music video this good on DVD...

Then a week later on 10/17 comes two Michael Powell gems. First is I Know Where I'm Going, in full frame and English 1.0 mono, with an audio essay by film historian Ian Christie, excerpts from "The Edge of the World" and "Return to the Edge of the World" and a photo essay by Nancy Franklin. Then comes Black Narcissus, which is in full frame and 2.0 mono, and features the "Painting with Light" video documentary. Retail is $39.95.

And finally, two more 10/17 titles, including Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, which features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and a video introduction and audio commentary with Director Lee, "The Making of Do the Right Thing" 60-minute documentary, interview with editor Barry Brown, a revisiting of the film's Bedford-Stuyvesant locations, additional behind-the-scenes footage, a gallery of storyboards and film-to-storyboard comparisons and the theatrical trailer. Retail is $39.95. Then comes the Eisenstein: The Sound Years box set. The films included are Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible, Parts 1 and 2. Extras include an audio essay by historian David Bordwell, a "multimedia essays" by Russell Merritt, Joan Neuberger and Yuri Tsivian, the unfinished Eisenstein film "Bezhin Meadow" with behind-the-scenes photos and still galleries for each film with sketches and storyboards. Retail for the 3-disc set is $79.95.

A bevy of new USA fall announcements

While they may not boast as large of a back catalog of titles s some of the big studios, USA is getting seriously into the DVD game with a rather large selection of upcoming titles, with some very good indie and foreign films on the way.

First up on 9/26 is Stanley Tucci's Joe Gould's Secret, in full frame and 2.0 surround, and the trailer. Retail is $24.95. Then on 10/17 is the Ben Affleck comedy Going All The Way, which judging by the title I would have assumed was some 80's teen comedy, but was actually produced in 1997. The disc includes a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, 2.0 surround mix, an audio commentary with director Mark Pellington, deleted scenes and the trailer. Then comes Kate Winslet in Jude, in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 2.0 surround, and including a making-of featurette and the trailer.

Also on 10/17, watch out for two director's cuts, both in widescreen. First is Still Breathing with Brendan Fraser, which includes an audio commentary with director James F. Robinson and the trailer, and Thursday, also with audio commentary by director Skip Woods. Finally on 10/17 comes A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, in 1.85:1 widescreen and 2.0 surround, and also including a featurette and the trailer. Retail for all of the above is $24.95 each.

Then on 10/24 comes two acclaimed foreign hits. First is Lars Von Trier's Idiots, which is full frame and features both the R-rated and Unrated versions, and the trailer. Also due is Celebration, in full frame and the original Danish 2.0 track. There are no extras, and retail is $24.95 for each.

More prehistoric cover art

We've received email on occasion asking us about cover art and menu screens, and we've been trying to gauge interest for a while now. While the studios routinely make box art and sometimes menu screens available on their press sites, consumers usually don't have direct access to this stuff (Universal, New Line and Columbia are some that are particularly good at it.) But believe it or not, it does take a lot of work to download this stuff, because everyone uses different file types, borders and sizes, so so far we've been pretty sparse in our menu screen coverage as we'd rather concentrate on news and feature stories.

But, we'll occasionally throw up art we think you'll be interested in, like the Jurassic Park/Lost World limited collector's edition art to your right. To be honest this is the only art of the new discs that I kinda like, and of course it is only available on the $120 set. Figures!

August 15 : 'The Patriot' rides home this October; Uh-oh, it's the Flintstones!

Braveheart it ain't?

Uh-oh, you know a film wasn't the big hit it was supposed to be when the video release arrives less than four months after its theatrical bow. While it was no flop, Mel Gibson's The Patriot wasn't no Braveheart, either, and will see its DVD debut on 10/24 from Columbia. This special edition features a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 mix, an audio commentary with the "dynamic duo" of Director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin, (at least) two featurettes including the HBO First Look special, and more features still TBA. Retail will be $27.95...

Also coming on 10/24 was a favorite of mine this year, Center Stage. Yeah, I know it is a Fame ripoff, but it was pretty funny! The disc includes a 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English and French 5.1 surround tracks, and is loaded with special features, including an audio commentary with Director Nicholas Hytner, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, an isolated music score, extended dance sequences cut from the film, the Mandy Moore music video, production notes, talent files and trailers. Retail is $24.95.

More Universal fall titles

Oops, here's a couple of recent Universal announcements I missed, though since it includes The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas, perhaps it wasn't much of an oversight (ouch!). No, but seriously folks, look for the latest Flintstones adventure to hit DVD on 9/26, and the disc includes a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English 5.1 surround mix, a Spotlight On Location featurette, cast bios, production notes and the trailer.

On 10/10 comes a film I've never heard of, 8 1/2 Women. The $24.95 disc includes an anamorphic widescreen transfer and 2.0 Surround mix, production notes, cast bios and the trailer.

God Save The Queen

Due on 10/10 from New Line comes the pretty dang good documentary The Filth & The Fury: The Sex Pistols, which is billed as "a shocking portrait of one of the most notorious rock groups of all time." The disc has no aspect ratio specified, but is in English 2.0 surround and includes the trailer. Retail is $24.95.

August 14 : New Top Pick contest; Buena Vista October and November titles; Rhino fall favorites

New TOP PICK contest

It's Monday, so time once again for our latest top pick contest. This week's prize is Fox's excellent new 2-disc set of Titus. The disc includes a great transfer, multiple commentaries, making-of featurettes and more. Good luck to all who enter, and congrats goes out to last week's winner, Sean Purvis of Chicago, IL, who snagged a copy of Buena Vista's Reindeer Games. Great job, Sean!

Yet another Hellraiser...

After the abysmal Hellraiser: Hell On Earth, you'd think no one would dare do another Hellraiser movie, but whadda ya know, someone did. Due on 10/10 from Buena Vista comes Hellraiser: Inferno, which is matted to 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen for the DVD and in English 5.1 surround, along with the trailer, "Secrets of Hellraiser Revealed" featurette and "A Conversation with Doug Bradley" (aka Pinhead). Also due on 10/10 is a horror movie of another kind, the Heather Graham "comedy" Committed, in 1.85;1 anamorphic widescreen, English 5.1 surround and with the trailer.

Then a week later on 10/17 comes a remake of Beowulf with Christopher Lambert, in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 surround, along with the a making-of featurette, a still gallery with production photos and drawings, and the international trailer.

Then, in November on 11/14 comes the modern remake of Hamlet with Ethan Hawke, which features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English 5.1 surround mix, an audio commentary with Director Michael Almereyda and the trailer. Also due on the same day is the teen comedy Boys & Girls, in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, English 5.1 surround and featuring a music video and the trailer.

Finally, a week later on 11/21 watch for the Bret Michaels (of Poison fame) directed laugh-fest No Code Of Conduct, in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 surround, and with the trailer. Retail for all of the above discs is $29.95.

More Rhino cult and music favorites

Rhino has another batch of interesting stuff on the way, including some titles I never thought would be released on VHS, let alone DVD! On 10/10 comes the 80's comedy Cavegirl, which is full frame and English 1.0 mono, and retails for $9.95. What, you were expecting a special edition?

Then on 10/24 comes The Cars: Live, which is also full frame but features a new 5.1 remix, and a complete 1985 live performance from the 80's prog-rock supergroup. The disc also includes a discography and band info. Retail is $19.95.

Then on 11/7 comes another music title, The Turtles: Live, featuring a classic performance, in full frame and 2.0 stereo. Retail is also $19.95.

Finally, on 11/24 comes (you got me) a box set of The Mike Douglas Show. The $49.95 set features original episodes in full frame and boasting a new 5.1 mix(!?) I've never seen this show, so I'll just assume it is a TV classic? The set also includes an episode guide and other production notes and history. First The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, now this...you gotta love Rhino!