For the love of Big Brother - 12:00am

Just in from MGM Home Entertainment is their March slate of catalog releases, this time with a focus on classics from around the world.

On March 4th comes five new additions to the MGM World Films collection. Leading the pack is a special edition of the highly acclaimed Salaam Bombay. Presented in a new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and remixed Hindi 5.1 Dolby surround track (the original mono mix is also included), extras include two audio commentaries with director Mira Nair and cinematographer Sandi Sissel, 6 all-new featurettes, a still gallery, and trailers. Retail is $24.95.

Other new additions to the World Films line include Franco Zeffirelli's Otello, C'est La Vie, Pauline at the Beach, and the haunting Holocaust drama Europa, Europa. All are presented in 1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen except C'est La Vie, which features a new 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Each includes a trailer, and retail is $19.95 a pop.

Next up on March 4th are a batch of acclaimed indie favorites. Boasting a host of new extras, MGM will re-release the Gary Sinise remake of John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men. Featuring a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and English 2.0 surround track, supplements include an audio commentary with Sinise, 2 new featurettes, deleted scenes with optional commentary, makeup tests, and the trailer. Retail is $19.95.

Rounding out MGM's March 4th lineup are Michael Radford's vastly underrated update of the George Orwell classic 1984, Equus and A Doll's House. Each is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (except Equus, which is 1.66:1 non-anamorphic only) and include trailers. Rounding it out is a special edition of Ken Russell's Women in Love, featuring a 1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen transfer, 2 audio commentaries with Russell and producer Larry Kramer, and the trailer. Retail is $19.95 each.

Paris is burning - 12:00am

Making good on their promise to finally mine their extensive library, Universal Studios Home Video has announced full specs and street dates for a wide variety of winter catalog releases. Hitting stores on January 7th are six long-awaited hits, all presented in anamorphic widescreen and 2.0 Dolby surround, and most with extras: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (includes a featurette and outtakes), Born in East L.A., CB4, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar! (in Dolby 5.1 surround plus deleted scenes), American Me (includes "Lives in Hazard" documentary) and the most feature-packed of the bunch, the Blue Crush precursor North Shore (with audio commentary by director William Phelps and producer Randal Kleiser, the "North Shore Unscripted: Talking at Home with the Director and Cast" featurette, deleted scenes, and an alternate ending). Each also includes a trailer, and retail is $19.95 a pop.

New street dates include a number of new catalog classics, all due on March 4th: the 1969 version of Sweet Charity, the 80's fave Zoot Suit, and the Julie Andrews oddball classic Thoroughly Modern Millie. Also on tap from Uni are four double feature specials: The Benny Goodman Story and The Glenn Miller Story, Bing Crosby's Birth of the Blues and Blue Skies, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and The Emperor Waltz, and Rhythm on the Range and Rhythm on the River. All of the above retail for $19.95 each, and stay tuned for specs.

Rounding out the latest Universal announcements are two recent limited release hits, the import 8 Women (featuring an all-star cast including Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert and Emmanuelle Beart), and the return of Jill Clayburgh to the big screen in Never Again. Both street on February 11th and are relatively featureless, with only anamorphic widescreen transfers, filmographies and trailers as extras. Retail is $32.95 apiece.

Street date alert - 12:00am

Just in from Buena Vista Home Entertainment are street dates for three new releases. Hitting stores on February 11th is Steven Soderbergh's experimental Full Frontal, plus the acclaimed indie Asunder. Following two weeks later is the update of the classic Tuck Everlasting on February 25th. Stay tuned for specs...