Tick tock, tick tock - 11:37am

A day after the Oscars and a Best Actress trophy for Nicole Kidman, Paramount Home Entertainment has announced a June 24th street date for The Hours. Available in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen releases, each includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, an introduction by the filmmakers, audio commentary by director Stephen Daldry and novelist Michael Cunningham, a second audio commentary by stars Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman (their first!), the featurettes "Three Women," "The Mind And Times Of Virginia Woolf," "The Music Of The Hours" and "The Lives Of Mrs. Dalloway" and the theatrical trailer. Retail is $29.95.

Debuting a week earlier is the cop drama Narc, which didn't quite gain the Oscar momentum generated by The Hours. This one will hit shelves on June 17th also in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, plus a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, audio commentary by writer and director Joe Carnahan and editor John Gilroy, the featurettes "Narc: Making The Deal," "Narc: Shooting Up" and "Narc: The Visual Trip" featurettes, and the trailer. Retail is also $29.95.

Big blue marble - 11:37am

What happened to Dark Blue? It starred Kurt Russell and seemed to have a marketing campaign fit for a king, but only last a couple of weeks in theaters. Now you can make up your own mind on June 29th when MGM Home Entertainment will release a special edition DVD with plenty of extras. The release includes 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, English and French 5.1 Dolby surround tracks, an audio commentary by director Ron Shelton, the "Internal Affairs" featurette and a still gallery. Retail is $26.95.

MGM has also announced their July catalog lineup, which includes many foreign favorites. On July 1st comes a new version of Luc Besson's favorite La Femme Nikita. Featuring a new 2.35;1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and French and English 5.1 Dolby surround tracks, extras include the featurettes "Revealed: The Making of La Femme Nikita" and "The Music of Nikita" featurettes, the "Programming Nikita" interactive map, a still gallery, and trailers. Retail is $24.95. MGM will also finally release that special edition of Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire on July 1st. Featuring a new 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and German and English 5.1 Dolby surround tracks, extras include an audio commentary with Wenders and Peter Falk, the "Angels Among Us" documentary, deleted scenes with optional commentary, an interactive map and trailers. Retail is also $24.95.

More MGM July catalog faves include a new batch of World Cinema titles. All feature 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers, their original language tracks and trailers: Prisoner of the Mountains, Rhapsody in August, Flight of the Innocent, The Night of Shooting Stars (1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen), To Live and Never on Sunday (1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen). Retail is $19.95 each.

For those seeking more brainless action fare, MGM will also release 8 new B-movie cult items on July 15th: Catch the Heat, Gator, White Lightning, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Eve of Destruction, Juggernaut, Rage of Honor and Revenge of the Ninja. Alas, MGM has elected to release all of these titles in full screen only, with only trailers as extras. Retail is $14.95 a pop.

Last but not least is a fest for fans of the late Billy Wilder. On July 15th MGM will at last issue many of the best in Wilder's extensive oeuvre: Avanti, Kiss Me Stupid, One Two Three and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Each will feature a new 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and the original theatrical trailers. MGM will also reissue the previously available classics The Apartment, Irma le Douce, Witness for the Prosecution and The Fortune Cookie for a new low price of $14.95 a pop. Last but not least is The Billy Wilder Collection, featuring all 8 titles plus the special edition version of Some Like it Hot, all for the price of $124.95.

Street date alert - 11:37am

Just in from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is a June 17th street date for three new catalog titles: Breakaway, Me Without You and Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters. No specs yet, but retail is $24.95 a pop, and watch for further details soon...