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The DVD Dossier is the free newsletter published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less.
This is the archived issue for April 10, 2005.
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Published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less, the online source for DVD Discounts & Deals
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In This Issue
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April 10, 2005
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There are several good choices out there this week for your viewing pleasure - and a few duds, too; we'll get right to it, so you can decide for yourself which is which.
"Hotel Rwanda" arrives this week with special features that include commentary by director Terry George and the real-life subject of the film, Paul Rusesabagina.
The film is a deeply moving true story about a five-star-hotel manager who used his wits and words to save lives during the 1994 Rwandan conflict. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo star; both were nominated for Academy Awards®, as was the original screenplay.
Cheadle can also be seen in "Ocean's Twelve," along with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac and Andy Garcia. It's the starry sequel to the "Ocean's Eleven" remake of a few year's back and it's a mindless bit of fun.
The film is available all by itself (widescreen only) or in a 2-Pack, together with "Ocean's Eleven."
From two-time Academy Award®-winner Pedro Almodóvar comes "Bad Education," an outrageous tale of desire, revenge and murder. A filmmaker gets a visit from an aspiring actor claiming to be an old friend who has written a story about their traumatic childhood spent at Catholic school. In his story, a drag performer attempts to blackmail a predatory priest by exposing their scandalous past.
The tale provides the inspiration for the actor's next film. But when the villainous priest from their school days arrives on the scene to tell his own version of the events, the truth is a bit more wild than anything anyone could have imagined.
"Bad Education" is presented in Spanish with English subtitles and features Gael García Bernal in the dual role of the old school friend and the drag queen. It's a career-making performance (although his other work in "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien" is not too shabby.)
"Bad Education" is available in the original uncut NC-17 edition and in an R-rated edition, both in the widescreen format.
There's also a new Almodóvar 4-Pack, which includes not only "Bad Education," but also "Flower of my Secret," "All About My Mother" and "Talk to Her."
A 1982 cult classic that horror film fans have clamored to see for many decades since its release, "Big Meat Eater " finally comes to DVD this week. The positively schizophrenic storyline initially follows a butcher who has unwittingly been turning his meat into radioactive waste by dumping it into a septic tank below his store.
Meanwhile, the mayor of the town has been turned into a zombie by a homicidal killer who instructs him to butcher all of the townsfolk. The butcher enters into battle with the mad killer, and some passing aliens - who, as it happens, have just landed on earth - decide to help him out.
Last week, we told you about Kevin Bacon's fine work in "The Woodsman," a film he produced with his wife, Kyra Sedgwick. It hits the street Tuesday as a widescreen DVD with commentary by director Nicole Kassell and a Sundance featurette.
Dennis Hopper does things his way portraying Frank Sinatra in "All the Way," an odd little film based on the true story of Sinatra's Australian comeback tour. The film also stars Melanie Griffith, Portia de Rossi, Joel Edgerton, Rose Byrne and David Hemmings.
"Sunset Story" is a funny and intimate documentary that will make you think differently about growing old. It tells the story of two friends at a rest home for retired radicals. As they attend demonstrations, register their fellow residents to vote and debate everything under the sun, we come to know these two elderly women in an unusually authentic and surprisingly moving way.
And what can we say about "The Bob Newhart Show?"
Bob Newhart starred as Dr. Robert (Bob) Hartley, a psychologist whose Chicago office was filled with a long line of the Windy City's most dysfunctional patients. Nearby was Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz), an orthodontist who shared office space and a receptionist (Marcia Wallace) with Bob.
Bob's school teacher wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) and his wacky neighbor, Howard Borden (Bill Daily), a divorced airplane navigator, were always on hand when Bob returned home.
Those, of course, are facts about the show.
Here's an opinion: "The Bob Newhart Show" is one of the best sitcoms ever to grace the small screen (which, one of our editors points out, is generally where you'll find them).
In the First Season of the classic comedy (1972), you can see Newhart's performance evolve, as he becomes more used to working before the cameras. An accomplished stand-up comic with a deadpan persona perfectly suited to his role as Dr. Hartley, Newhart's performance is a little rough around the edges in his first few shows. But once he finds his way, the show positively rocks.
The strength of "The Bob Newhart Show" was always Newhart's generosity as a performer. He allowed each episode to be a showcase for the neurotic loonies that surrounded him; it was rarely ever about him. The show was brilliantly written, so all he had to do each week was react to his crazy friends and patients and his loyal and supportive wife.
The show never won any Emmys and never even finished in the Nielsen top ten. So it's especially nice that Bob finally gets his due on DVD with the release this week of all 24 episodes of the First Season.
But, hello? How about some special features? There are absolutely none! Is that any way to say "Hi, Bob" after all these years?
"Newhart" isn't the only show to come to DVD this week.
It's a particularly bountiful week for TV on DVD, with Season Two of "Magnum, P.I.," "Knight Rider," "The A-Team," and "Sledge Hammer" all being released (separately).
Also on tap, Volume One of "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law," Volume 3 of "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," the complete Second and Third Seasons of "Viva La Bam," the Third Season of "The Jeffersons" and the Fourth Season of "All in the Family."
And if that wasn't enough, there's also a collection of popular episodes from "The Beverly Hillbillies" and two Mister Rogers DVDs... "Adventures in Friendship" and "A Day at the Circus," both of which come packaged with miniature Mister Rogers collectibles!
Sounds like a beautiful day in the neighborhood, folks. So put those DVDs away and get out and enjoy it. Don't worry; we'll be back with more new DVD news and reviews next week.
Regards,
DVD Direct 4 Less
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| This Week's New DVD Releases - Street Date: April 12, 2005 |
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Visit us online to see a comprehensive list of new DVD releases for the next six weeks.
Links above are for Region 1 (USA) Editions. Availability and release dates elsewhere may vary.
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| Hughes Soars; Scorsese Scores |
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The critically acclaimed epic, "The Aviator," debuts May 24th on a 2-Disc DVD in both widescreen and full screen formats.
Recognized on 32 Critics’ "Top Ten" lists, "The Aviator" was the most recognized film of last year with 11 Academy Award® nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, and 5 Academy Award wins (Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Art Direction, Film Editing and Costume Design).
The film was also honored with three Golden Globe® Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Score and is one of the American Film Institute's and National Board of Review’s Top Ten Movies of the Year.
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One of the 20th century’s most compelling figures, Howard Hughes was a wily industrialist, glamorous movie producer and unstoppable American innovator – but he thought of himself first and foremost as an aviator.
Director Martin Scorsese focuses on the most prolific period in the life of Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio): the mid-1920s through the 1940s. It was a time of brilliant aeronautical invention, turbulent love affairs (including one with Katharine Hepburn, played by Cate Blanchett) and savage corporate battles.
Special features include commentary by Scorsese, a deleted scene ("Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident"), a panel discussion with DiCaprio, Scorsese and Howard Hughes' widow Terry Moore, a photo gallery, a documentary piece on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (with which Hughes was afflicted) and separate behind-the-scenes featurettes on the costumes, sets, visual effects, hair and makeup and music of "The Aviator."
Preorder "The Aviator" now and save 35%.
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| Winter of Sam Bicke's Discontent |
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One man’s pursuit of the American dream takes a dark and chilling turn in "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," available on DVD from New Line Home Entertainment on April 26th.
Based on a true story, the film draws its power from Sean Penn’s portrayal of the film’s main character, as well as the supporting performances of Don Cheadle, Naomi Watts and Jack Thompson.
The time is late 1974, a year of great political unrest in the United States. The Watergate scandal was unraveling in Washington and it was also the winter of Sam Bicke's discontent.
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Bicke was a forty-four-year-old Baltimore man who desperately wanted to believe in something – anything. But at every turn, his faith – in himself and in the world around him – was undermined.
When he experiences a series of ill-fated events – his new business loan is rejected and his ex-wife abandons him – he decides the only way he can reclaim his insignificant life is to carry out a grand, historic gesture to make his presence felt.
So he sets out to hijack an airplane with the goal of dive-bombing it into the White House in an attempt to kill the 37th president.
We wanted to like this film more than we did. It's a powerful character study (with Penn even better here than in his Oscar-winning turn in "Mystic River"), but we've seen this all before. In fact, debut filmmaker Niels Mueller freely admits in his commentary that he was inspired by "Taxi Driver."
Whatever its merits, "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" should be required viewing for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who famously claimed that nobody ever imagined that hijacked airplanes could be used as terrorist missiles in an attack against the White House.
Preorder "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" now and save 30%.
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In post-war France, a mild-mannered teacher is challenged by his pupils, the prepubescent thieves and inveterate liars at a school for troubled boys.
When he introduces these supposedly hard-core delinquents to something they've never experienced before – the freedom and joy of music – he discovers there is far more to these children than anyone dared to believe.
Last year’s runaway smash hit in France, "The Chorus" is an emotional, music-filled tale about how a very humble man’s simple dreams changed the future for a forgotten group of unapologetic rebels and misfits.
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Shot inside a castle in the French countryside that lends a rich fairytale atmosphere, the film marks the debut of director and composer Christophe Barratier.
He directs from a screenplay he wrote with Philippe Lopes-Curval, based on a little known 1945 French film called “The Cage of Nightingales.” The original music is composed by Barratier, along with Bruno Coulais.
"The Chorus" ("Les Choristes"), nominated for two Academy Awards® this year, arrives May 3rd.
Preorder "The Chorus" now and save 30%.
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Nicolas Cage stars as a third generation treasure hunter in "National Treasure," a rollicking action-adventure film, which also makes its DVD debut May 3rd in both widescreen and full screen editions.
The film takes audiences on a wild scavenger hunt to find the world’s most elusive treasure.
Hidden by America's founding fathers, clues to the treasure’s location were apparently left right before our eyes… from the nation’s birthplace to the nation’s capitol, to clues buried within the symbols on the dollar bill.
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The journey ultimately leads to an invisible map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence, which, in turn, leads to stealing one of the word's best guarded documents in a struggle to protect it from falling into unfriendly hands.
Far fetched? Yes. Hollywood Hokum? Yes. Entertaining? Surprisingly, yes!
Oh, sure, the plot is contrived and "National Treasure" plays like the bastard child of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Da Vinci Code." But you'd be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable family-friendly film filled with secret societies, dark tunnels, skeletons, romance and American history.
"National Treasure" stars Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha and Christopher Plummer. DVD Bonus features include an alternate ending, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes making-of featurettes and audio commentary with the filmmakers.
Pre-order "National Treasure" now and save 35%. |
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| Carol & Company Stop and Bump |
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One of the TV shows we get the most inquiries about here at DVD Direct 4 Less is the Carol Burnett Show. The show ran from 1967 to 1978 on the CBS television network and was one of the most popular and longest-running variety shows ever.
Each week, the show featured comedy sketches and spoofs of famous movies, musicals and TV shows. Highlights included "As The Stomach Turns," and "Went With The Wind," a "Gone With The Wind" parody in which Burnett descended a staircase wearing a dress made from drapes (complete with hanging rod).
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It's unlikely that we'll ever see the complete "Carol Burnett Show" released on DVD; there's just too much of it and - even fans will agree - not every show was a keeper. Select shows used to be available from Columbia House TV Greats, but that subscription purchase program has shut down.
As with many TV shows, music clearance problems have also prevented the Carol Burnett shows from coming to the lucrative DVD market.
But on May 3rd, Paramount Home Video will release two compilations of "The Carol Burnett Show." (These are actually one hour specials - 42 minutes without commercials - which aired on CBS in the past few years.)
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In "The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers," the legendary star reunites with her cast - Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, and Vicki Lawrence - and looks at some of the best moments from the show, along with outtakes. Taped live before a studio audience, the program also features a new question and answer session.
In "Let's Bump Up the Lights," it is the question and answer session that is the focal point of the show. Here, the cast introduces never-before-seen clips from spontaneous moments that were seen at the beginning of every show. This was the time when Carol and the gang answered questions from the studio audience, after asking the crew to "bump up" the house lights.
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Each of these shows will be available individually, as well as in a 2-Disc set that has both. ("Show Stoppers" is actually available now, but will be re-released as part of the set on May 3rd.)
Pre-order these Carol Burnett Show specials now and save 30%. |
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| Preview of Next Week's Releases - Street Date: April 19, 2005 |
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The DVD Dossier is a free weekly newsletter that contains objective information about new DVD releases that has been researched and written by the editors at DVD Direct 4 Less, as well as advertisements and promotional information provided by movie studios.
We send this newsletter only to those who request it. Each newsletter we send directly to you includes an "unsubscribe" link. (This is an online archived issue of The DVD Dossier which does not contain that link.)
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Academy Award(s)® and Oscar(s)® are the registered service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Golden Globe(s)® is the registered service mark of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The Carol Burnett Show: © MMV CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CBS Video and Design logo is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. TM, ® & Copyright © 2005 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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Savings percentages quoted apply to preorder purchases from amazon.com and were in effect at the time of publication; preorder savings may vary at other online merchants.
No DVDs were harmed in the making of this newsletter.
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