By Peter M. Bracke

MARCH 30 and 31

Dude, where's my refund?

Where's your DVD? Can you wait until 6/28? Because that's when Fox will release Dude, Where's My Car?, a film totally overlooked at this year's Oscars. The disc features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 and English and French 2.0 surround tracks, and a host of goodies including an audio commentary with director Danny Leiner, Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, a making-of featurette, the "Stoopid Ass" music video by Grand Theft Audio and trailers. Retail is $26.95.

Lost audience?

Some call it a trend, others call it a fad. About three years back, the "made for TV spectacle" seemed to be making a comeback. Miniseries like Merlin were snagging big ratings, and they just keep on a-comin'. Well, with the dismal ratings that greeted the umpteenth fantasy miniseries The Lost Empire earlier this year, perhaps the trend is starting to wane? In any case, Artisan will be releasing the 170-minute miniseries on 6/19. The full frame disc includes an English 2.0 surround track and English, French and Spanish subtitles, a making-of featurette and additional behind-the-scenes footage. Retail is $19.95.

Pay It Forward specs

Warner has just announced some additional specs for the Pay It Forward DVD, due on 5/15. The full features include an audio commentary with director Mimi Leder, the original making-of featurette, cast filmographies and trailers. Retail remains $24.95.

Cast Away update

Though not listed on the press announcement, Fox has confirmed an added goodie or two to the upcoming 2-disc set of Cast Away due on 6/12. The 5.1 Dolby Digital surround track will also be EX encoded, and there will be a full DTS ES 6.1 discreet mix as well. Pretty sweet! Retail remains $29.95, and see yesterday's update below for the full specs.

Close Encounters menu

To finish up this rather uneventful week of disc news, Columbia has released one of the menu screens from the upcoming Close Encounters Of The Third Kind DVD, due 5/29. To be honest, this doesn't look particularly thriller (and along with the cover, ruins the whole ending for anyone who hasn't seen the film before.) Perhaps this will be cooler if is animated? (And click on the image for a blowup.)

MARCH 29

Up, up and away...at last

Well, after weeks of nail-biting tension (ooh, don't you love it?) Warner has finally, officially announced that the long-awaited Superman Collection will indeed fly high on DVD on May 1. They have issued the full press release, which you can read here. Rumor has it that the San Antonio screenings did not go all that well, and though you could argue that the release pattern (playing the film in one city only with multiple theaters) killed its chances, whatever the reason is, Warner has decided to go with a DVD and VHS release May 1. I suppose this doesn't rule out any theatrical re-release at all in the future, but it seems unlikely it would be wide. Anyway, you Superman fans can now rest a bit more easily since it is only about a month until May 1. (By the way, we're gonna add even more to our Superman review, and there is also that little matter of the sequels to cover, too. Watch for another Super-Day next week...)

Desert island DVD

If you were stranded on a deserted island, and could only bring one DVD player along with you, which one would it be? Maybe...Cast Away? No? Well, decide for yourself on 6/12 when Fox released this Tom Hanks mega-grosser. The 2-disc set features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English and French 2.0 surround mixes, an audio commentary with Robert Zemeckis and crew (TBA), "The Charlie Rose Show" interview with Tom Hanks, two featurettes "Wilson: The Life and Death of a Hollywood Extra" and "The Island," the HBO "First Look" and "Survivalists" documentaries, a series of "Special Effects Vignettes," a still gallery, storyboard-to-film comparison, theatrical trailers and TV spots. Retail is $29.95.

Fox has also released the final specs for the already-announced 6/5 Hanks duo Bachelor Party and That Thing You Do! (odd that these aren't being released on 6/12 along with Cast Away, but whatever.) In addition to new anamorphic transfers, Bachelor Party includes behind the scenes interviews (circa the film's original release, not new) while That Thing You Do! includes two music videos and and a making of featurette.

Random Notes

Just a few quick odds and ends. Lions Gate Home Entertainment and CinemaNow.com have just announced that they have acquired the rights to the complete Mr. Bill collection on VHS and DVD. Previously released by Anchor Bay, Lions Gate and CinemaNow plan to issue a series of Mr. Bill releases, including the never-before-on-home-video Mr. Bill Goes To Space, by the 4th quarter. Pricing and features are not yet available.

The Doctor Who site Outpost Gallifrey has some exciting news for U.S. fans of the series. Though a little behind the rest of the world, the DVDs should hit Stateside this fall, according to BBC Worldwide who gave the site a little scoop. Check out Outpost Gallifrey for the full story.

Lastly, the new Akira 2001 site has just put up some new pics of the restoration of this anime classic, which is set for a theatrical re-release this summer and a DVD launch by the end of the year. Check out the pics as well as more on the soundtrack at Akira 2001.

MARCH 28

Rocky specs

MGM has just unveiled a spiffy new website for the upcoming Rocky Collection box set, complete with final specs for the set. Unfortunately, it is a bit of mix and match in terms of features and transfer quality. As expected, only installments I, III and V are anamorphic widescreen; II and IV are the same old non-anamorphic widescreen transfers already released on the previous, now-discontinued DVDs. However, the site itself is quite extravagant and very well done, so check it out.

Boxed in

Speaking of box sets, Creative Design Art has just announced another series of Warner reissues. In case you are not familiar with Creative Design Art's work, they have licensed a number of Warner titles, such as The Matrix, The Exorcist and Blade Runner, and created very nice collectible box sets that include goodies such as CD soundtracks, lobby cards, senitypes and more. Note that the actual discs contain no extra features not available on the regular versions; these boxes are geared primarily for the collector of movie memorabilia.

On 6/12, Creative Deign will launch three Kubrick sets to go along with the new Warner reissues, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket. Other upcoming sets include Singin' In The Rain, North By Northwest, Ben-Hur and A Star Is Born. Check out the Creative Design Arts website for all the titles, features, artwork and prices.

MARCH 27

More Trek

On 6/19, Paramount will release two more volumes of Star Trek: The Original Series. Both Volume 25 and Volume 26 feature two episodes each, in full frame and 5.1 surround. As with all the Star Trek discs, retail is $19.95 apiece.

Easy come, easy go...

Ah, the Superman saga. So fleeting, so precious! As you may know, we put up a little Superman review up on Friday, but after talking with Warner, we decided to pull it down (a first for us.) Why? With the San Antonio screenings still going on, Warner still has not greenlit an official release date. Some discs have been distributed, as have VHS screeners, but reviews are being held off until (whenever) the official date is finally revealed. Will it be a month, two months, six months? We don't want to get you all too excited about he disc if it is still months off. Of course, we certainly got nothing but great feedback from excited fans, and hopefully we'll get some news from Warner soon, and of course post the review when we have a real street date. So, we promise that good things come to those who wait. And in the case of the Superman DVD, that is all the more true!

MARCH 26

Apocalypse Redux

Sporting no less than 53 minutes of newly-reinstated footage, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now Redux (yep, that's the official title) has been picked up by Miramax for a summer theatrical release. The film now runs 3 hours and 17 minutes, and according to Coppola, the film was reedited from mounds of original, raw footage by Walter Murch (who also edited the original cut) and now "The themes emerge more clearly, and the film is funnier, sexier, more romantic, more political and more bizarre." Paramount retains home video and television distribution rights, so expect a DVD release most like by the end of the year, though with Coppola's Godfather also expected to be released by the end of the year on DVD as well, you never know...

Sandy...the bad girl?

After a two-year dispute, our beloved "Sandy," aka Olivia Newton-John, has finally had her day in court. Back in 1999, Olivia's record company, ON-J claimed that Universal Music Group owed $150,000 in back royalties from the mega-selling Grease soundtrack. The suit was finally been settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum. For DVD fans, this might be good news. You may recall that Grease was just on the verge of being released way back in 1998, as one of the first waves of Paramount DVD releases (though UMG is the music publisher for the Grease soundtrack, the film is distributed by Paramount.) With the disc MIA ever since, "production and legal" issues have always been cited for the holdup. Could this settlement help pave the way, finally, for Grease on DVD? I'll cross my fingers...

Web-master

In our final bit of Paramount news, they have set a 6/19 date for the arrival of the 1973 version of E.B. White's perennial children's classic Charlotte's Web. The disc is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with English and French mono tracks, the trailer and the "Meet The Animals" interactive game. Retail is $24.95.

Who will rule Gormenghast?

Warner also has more family fun on the way, with the 7/3 release of the 370-minute Gormenghast. This 3-disc set is presented in 4:3 full frame and English 2.0 stereo, along with a new behind-the-Scenes documentary, three still galleries with costume designs, set designs and storyboards, and cast bios. Retail is $34.95.

Homicide arrives on DVD

Isn't it nice that, finally, more and more TV programming is being released on DVD? Now Trimark is adding to the list with the release of Homicide: The Movie to the list on 5/29. The disc is presented in 4:3 full frame and 2.0 stereo, and runtime is 89 minutes. Retail is $19.95, and no word on whether more episodes of the series will be released. Stay tuned.

Four from Criterion

Last but not least, Criterion has just announced four new classics for release on 6/5. Let's start with L'avventura, which features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and the original Italian mono track. There's also quite a bit of extras on here, too, including an audio commentary by Gene Youngblood, the "Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials" 58-Minute documentary by Gianfranco Mingozzi, "Writings by Antonioni" read by Jack Nicholson (!) and "Nicholson's Personal Recollections of the Director," a reprint of Antonioni's "Statements About L'avventura," the original theatrical trailer and a restoration demonstration. Retail is $39.95. Also due on 6/5 is the Italian classic Big Deal On Madonna Street, presented in 1.37:1 and Italian 2.0 mono. There are no extras, and retail is $29.95.

Up next are two Douglas Sirk classics. Written On The Wind features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 1.0 mono track, "The Melodrama Archive: A Douglas Sirk Filmography" featuring production and publicity stills and rare advertising materials, new liner notes by film theorist Laura Mulvey and theatrical trailers. Retail is $29.95. All That Heaven Allows also features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English 1.0 mono track, a still gallery, new liner notes by film theorist Laura Mulvey and theatrical trailers, as well as the 1979 BBC documentary "Behind The Mirror: A Profile Of Douglas Sirk" and an illustrated essay by Rainer Fassbinder "Imitation Of Life: On The Films Of Douglas Sirk." Retail is $39.95.

MARCH 23 - 25

On the QT

Since it is kinda a slow news day today, I thought we'd introduce a new little feature here, On the QT (and very hush hush.) Since we know a lot of you out there like to read all the latest press releases when they come in, we've started archiving them again for your viewing pleasure. To your right you should see a little On the QT sidebox, complete with Close Encounters icon and the latest ten press releases. There is also a link to the full archive, and this index will be updated as all the new releases come in. Hope this makes it easier to find old releases, and you enjoy this new addition to the site.

A house ain't a home without a DVD player

Speaking of press releases, our only new update today is a new announcement from Universal. Coming on 5/29 is the comedy Two Family House, which won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award. The disc is pretty bare bones, with just an anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 surround mix, and no extra features. Retail is $24.95.

MARCH 22

More Poirot

Coming form Acorn Media on 6/12 are more acclaimed Hercule Poirot mystery thrillers. Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder At End House features a 4:3 full screen transfer, English 2.0 mono mix, biographies on Agatha Christie and star David Suchet, trivia, cast bios and more on Christie history. Retail is $24.95. Also on 6/12 is the Agatha Christie's Poirot Collection, featuring five discs - "Peril At End House," "The ABC Murders," "Death In The Clouds," "The Mysterious Affair At Styles" and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" - for $79.95.

Columbia adds two for June

Coming on 6/19 from Columbia are two new thrillers, something called Meltdown and Matthew Modine in Breakout. Both are straightforward releases, with anamorphic widescreen transfers (Breakout also has a full frame version), English 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0 surround tracks, talent files and trailers. Retail is $24.95 each.

Streisand sings on "Snow White"

Yahoo! News has a story now up on some of Disney's plans for the upcoming Snow White And The Seven Dwarves "Platinum Collection" DVD due this October. In an effort to make the DVD extra-special, they are reportedly drafting in some big stars to reflect on the animated classic. Who are some of these stars? How about Babs herself, Barbra Streisand, who will be warbling a new rendition of "Some Day My Prince Will Come" just for the DVD! Can't wait to get the specs on this disc, and check out the video trailer for the DVD (play clip: high )

Superman won't fly in theaters after all?

Boy, this is getting fun! Showbiz Data has a news item up today on the Superman re-release, which is culled from a Digital Media FX News story that states Warner won't be reissuing the film nationwide after the San Antonio screenings beginning this Friday. We were told by Warner to wait for official word on what exactly is going to happen, so let's hope they declare something soon, as that May 1 DVD date is fast approaching...tick tock, tick tock, tick tock...

MARCH 21

In the valley of the shadow of death

Featuring a scene-stealing (and Oscar nominated) performance by Willem Dafoe, Shadow Of The Vampire is a witty, darkly-comic look at renowned filmmaker F.W. Murnau, director of such classics as, of course, Nosferatu. Though it only played in limited release, on 5/15 you can check it out on DVD from Universal. The disc features a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 5.1 Dolby surround track, an audio commentary with director E. Elias Merhige, a "spotlight on location" featurette (including a look at the film's renowned opening title sequence,) additional interviews with the cast and crew, a still gallery and the usual cast filmographies, production notes and trailer. Retail is $26.95.

All the King's DVDs

No slouch when it comes to capitalizing on all the Oscar buzz, Columbia has announced a 6/5 date for the 1949 Best Picture Oscar winner All The King's Men. The disc is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese mono and subtitles tracks, talent files and trailers. Retail is $24.95.

Full V specs and "Cartoon Crackups"

Finally, Warner has issued the full specs for the upcoming DVD release of V: The Original Miniseries on 7/10. This looks to be a great disc for V fans, and the release includes a new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, English 2.0 stereo mix, subtitles in English, French and Spanish, the "Inside V" featurette, an audio commentary with director Kenneth Johnson, a gag reel and the international trailer (the film was edited for a theatrical release overseas, if I'm not mistaken.) Retail is but $19.95.

On 7/3, Warner will also be releasing Cartoon Crack-Ups, a "best of" Hanna Barbera DVD with seven classic episodes: "Flintstones: The Swimming Pool," "Jetsons: A Date With Jet Screamer," "Scooby-Doo: Jeepes It's The Creeper," "Huckleberry Hound: Spud Dud," "Yogi Bear: Bear Faced Disguise," "Pixie and Dixie: Heavens To Jinksy" and "Top Cat: Maharajah of Pookajee." The disc also features the "Flintstones Original Pilot," an animation gallery, and a jukebox with original Hanna-Barbera cartoon themes. All episodes are full frame and 2.0 mono, and unless it is a misprint, retail is only $9.95.

Finally, on 6/12 Warner will release two classic IMAX films, Blue Planet and The Dream Is Alive. Both discs feature the original 1.33:1 aspect ratios, full 5.1 Dolby surround and production notes and factoids. Retail is $19.95 each.

Two from MGM

On 5/22, MGM will release two rather little-seen films, the teleplay Holiday Heart and Paul Schrader's Forever Mine. The former is full frame while the later is 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and both feature English and French 2.0 surround tracks, English Closed Captions and French and Spanish subtitles. Extras include the trailer. Retail is $19.95 and $24.95, respectively.

Trimark dares you to watch

Finally today, Trimark has set a 5/29 date for the recent USA Original Movie After The Storm, starring Armand Assante and Benjamin Bratt. The disc features a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, English 5.1 surround track, English, French and Spanish subtitles, and extras including some behind the scenes footage, an audio commentary (participants TBA) and the trailer. Retail is $24.95.