By Peter M. Bracke

August 11 through 13 : More Universal fall titles and Warner box sets

More Universal fall titles

A couple of additional Universal fall titles have been announced after yesterday's update, for something old and something new. Due on 9/12 is a reissue of the previous Polygram release of Cats, or excuse me, Cats! The 1.77:1 non-anamorphic widescreen disc includes a 5.1 surround track, a making-of documentary and "a new song written exclusively for the video release." Retail is $29.95.

Then on 10/3 comes the recent box office no-show But I'm A Cheerleader, about a group of girls sent to be "de-lesbian'd" at a female boot camp! The disc features an 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, an English 5.1 surround track, cast & crew bios, production notes and the trailer. Retail is $24.95...

More Warner "box sets" on the way

After the big Batman box set announcement yesterday (yes, I'm being facetious), Warner and their subsidiary New Line have more collections on the way. Due on 9/5 are a variety of new sets including The Humphrey Bogart Collection for $99.95, which includes The Big Sleep, Casablanca, Key Largo and The Maltese Falcon. Then there is The John Wayne Collection, which includes The Cowboys, The Searchers and Stagecoach for $64.95, and also for the same price is The Al Pacino Collection which features Devil's Advocate, Dog Day Afternoon and Heat. Finally, there will also a two-disc set of Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men for 49.95, and The Lethal Weapon Legacy, which features the new director's cuts of Lethal Weapon 1, 2 and 3, for $74.95.

Then on the same day from New Line watch for The Extreme Chan Action Pack for $69.95, which includes First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy and Rumble In The Bronx. And last but certainly not least, it's the House Party Party Pack, which features the entire trilogy for $69.95 as well.

All the above discs boast the same discs as the stand-alone versions, and most don't really offer much of a discount off of buying them individually...

August 10 : Universal's October slate; Buena Vista announces 'Shanghai Noon'; Warner goes batty with box set...

Universal's October titles

Some very cool new announcements just came in from Universal for this fall, with a cache of really good stuff. Due on 10/17 are three day & date releases. First up is Pitch Black, a bit of a sleeper sci-fi/horror thriller that may be derivative, but sure is a lot of fun! The disc includes a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby digital and DTS 5.1 mixes, an audio commentary with Director David Twohy, production notes, cast bios and the trailer. There will be separate R-rated and Unrated versions, each retailing for $26.95. Then comes The Skulls, the unintentionally hilarious "thriller" that is a new camp favorite of mine. The disc is also anamorphic widescreen and features a 5.1 Dolby digital soundtrack, audio commentary with Director Rob Cohen, a Spotlight On Location featurette, deleted footage shot by the cast and crew during filming, production notes, cast bios and the trailer. Finally comes the hit U-571, in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, audio commentary with Director Jonathan Mostow, a Spotlight On Location featurette as well as an additional historical featurette on U-boats and the real Engima, interviews with the cast and crew, production notes and the trailer. Retail for the above two titles is also $26.95.

Then on 10/31 comes what looks to be the next two in the line of new Oliver Stone reissues. Up first is a reissue of Born On The Fourth Of July, which includes a new 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 only, a new audio commentary with Oliver Stone, deleted scenes, cast bios and the trailer. Retail is $26.95. Also due on this same day is Talk Radio, which is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 2.0 surround, and features only production notes, cast bios and the trailer. However, we've been told by both Universal and Warner that these two titles will be included in a box set of Oliver Stone films later this year, though what additional supplements, if any, the box set will have remains TBA at this point. Stay tuned, hopefully details will surface on the full box set before the street date for these two arrives...

Buena Vista kicks but with Jackie Chan

Yet another in the growing line of Jackie Chan epics coming to DVD, Buena Vista has set a 10/10 for his latest Shanghai Noon, which will get the special edition treatment. The disc features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and English 5.1 surround mix, an audio commentary, three featurettes on "Making An Eastern Western," "The Shanghai Kid" and "Western Stunts, Eastern Style, deleted scenes, a still gallery with production and publicity photos, a interactive game and the trailer. Retail is $32.95.

Warner goes batty...

Finally, Warner has set a 9/5 bow for the Batman Legacy collection, which is a simple reissue of the four existing Batman feature film releases, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. The retails for $99.92, and therefore doesn't offer any discount on buying the $24.95 titles individually. Hey Warner, how about some new Batman special editions? Just a thought...

August 9 : Columbia announces 'Kwai'; New Line shoots the hoops this October; New HBO title

Columbia announces two editions of 'Kwai'

After quite a long wait for fans, Columbia has announced a 11/7 for The Bridge On The River Kwai, in not one but two versions. The first single-disc retails for $24.95 and features an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 and 2.0 surround mixes, talent files and trailers, while the $39.95 limited edition features the above disc plus a second disc featuring "The Making of the Bridge on the River Kwai" documentary, "The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant" original featurette, USC Short Film Narrated by William Holden, "An Appreciation and Discussion by Filmmaker John Milius, a Photo Montage with advertising materials and more behind the scenes footage. DVD-ROM elements on the second disc only also include "Trivia Sabotage: Experience Building the Bridge," Maps and Military Strategy, and a screensaver. Looks like a good set!

Buena Vista reaches out and touches "Faith" this October

While usually actors-turned-directors often (but not always) fall on their face with pretentious vanity pieces, lucky for us newcomer Edward Norton scored a sleeper hit and good critical notices with his first directing effort, Keeping The Faith. Due on 10/10 from Buena Vista, the disc features a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, 5.1 surround mix, an audio commentary with Norton and Writer Stuart Bloomberg, 20 minutes of deleted scenes, a gag reel, cast bios and the trailer. Retail is the somewhat odd Buena Vista price of $32.95...

New Line plays 'Basketball'

Due on 10/10 is the sleeper hit Love & Basketball form New Line. A nice little movie, the DVD features 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and full frame transfers, English 5.1 mixes, the trailer and an audio commentary with participants "TBA." Stay tuned for more, and retail is $24.95.

Also, an important note about the upcoming 8/29 release of the two-disc set of Boogie Nights. Though intentions were to include an excerpt from the acclaimed documentary "Exhausted" on the life of porn legend John Holmes, and indeed the early preview copy we received includes it (see our review for more), alas due to some licensing issues, New Line has informed us that the final product will not include any excepts from the documentary. Street date remains 8/29 as of now, and retail $29.95.

One more from HBO...

Yesterday I posted some news on upcoming HBO fall titles,and oops, I forgot one. Though most people might not remember this one, look for the Aidan Quinn and Robin Wright (in her pre-Penn days) romance The Playboys. The disc includes a full frame transfer, English and Spanish 2.0 mixes, cast bios and the trailer. Retail is $24.95.

Also, a follow-up to HBO regarding the aspect ratio of the upcoming Gettysburg disc, which will be 1.78:1 non-anamorphic widescreen, not full frame. This is good news to me, and retail remains $24.95. Looks like a great disc!

August 8 : Fantasia box set details; new HBO fall titles

A double dose of Fantasia

A bit of a slow news day today, but check out some cool early details from Widescreen Review on another cool 3-disc set from Buena Vista hot on the heels of the Toy Story set due in October. Looks like Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will be getting the same treatment, so I guess all those marketing calls Disney was making to consumers early this year may help result in a great box set. While Buena Vista still has a bit of a mixed reputation amongst some DVD consumers, I have to admit when they put in the effort to do sets like Toy Story and now Fantasia, they can produce what looks to be some great work.

New HBO fall titles

As the holiday season fast approaches, the remainder of the studios' fall schedules is beginning to be announced. If you missed Paramount's preview of their fall titles yesterday, check that out, and HBO and Warner have a few more on the way for the rest of 2000. Going the DVD-18 route with Gettysburg, the entire 254-minute saga fits on one DVD, for a retail price of only $24.95 to boot. The disc is full frame and 2.0 surround, and also features an audio commentary with Director and Screenwriter Ronald F. Maxwell, a making-of featurette, biographies and filmographies, the trailer and TV spots. Retail is only $24.95, and street date 12/5.

Coming a week later on 12/12 is the comedy trio of Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, Chasers and Blake Edwards' Switch. The former is full frame while the later are non-anamorphic widescreen, and Chasers is 5.1 while the other two are 2.0 surround. All feature cast & crew biographies and the trailers. Retail is $24.95 each.

August 7: Paramount fall titles; New Top Pick contest; New Line and Dimension box sets; Madonna makes 'Music'

Some Paramount plans for fall

Paramount has issued a little sneak peek of their upcoming fall slate, with quite a few long-awaited titles finally coming to DVD. You'll be able to find this info on promotional material in some upcoming Paramount discs, and coming in November and December watch for Airplane, Airplane II: The Sequel, Mission Impossible 2, An Officer And A Gentleman, two more John Hughes favorites Plans Trains & Automobiles, She's Having A Baby, Cheech & Chong's Still Smokin and Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke', The Virgin Suicides and the Bing Crosby classic White Christmas, and then Coppola's vastly underrated Tucker: A Man & His Dream and The Conversation. Some really great stuff here, so I'm quite excited! Watch for the full specs coming over the next few months.

Latest Top Pick contest

Time once again for our latest top pick contest, and the prize this time is Buena Vista's nice new disc of Reindeer Games. Most missed John Frankenheimer's crime caper in the theaters, so now is a good time to check it out, and the disc also features a nice anamorphic transfer and an audio commentary with Frankeheimer. (You may have notice the usual Top Pick box is missing from the right, but watch for it soon with a new look to boot...)

Also, congrats goes out to lucky winner John Marks of Boise, Idaho, who won last week's contest and takes home the entire Clint Eastwood Collection. An expensive box, so congrats goes out to John and all who entered!

Two new box sets from New Line and Dimension

Just a couple of quickie announcements on two new box sets and double packs. New Line has two new two-packs for Austin Powers and Austin Powers 2 and Friday and Next Friday, all due $19.95. These are just repackagings of the existing discs in new cardboard box, and at $49.95 for each 2-pack you aren't getting a discount, either...

Then, the specs have come on that Prophecy trilogy box set due on 10/10 from Dimension. Alas, the set is also just repackaging of the existing Prophecy DVDs, and again there is no discount with the $89.95 list price tag. I don't know about you, but if they don't offer something different or some sort of price cut with a box set, what is the point exactly...?

Madonna makes hers "Music"

Finally, from Material Girl to 'Sex' vixen to simply a maker of Music, Madonna is at it again with her new DVD single. For only $9.95, you can have not one but two versions of "Madonna's fabulous 'Music' video," including a "girls night out" version. To help prime the pump for her new album, also called 'Music', the DVD single debuts on 9/5 from Warner Reprise.