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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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August 7, 2005
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| Get an iPod or a $250 iTunes Gift Certificate... |
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This week brings a dog, some Dukes and a few detectives to DVD, along with some brides, a boxer and a Burton.
The "Burton" is Richard and he both narrates the 1973 classic film, "Under Milk Wood" and also appears in a small role, as does his wife (at the time), Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O'Toole. The film is based on a radio play by the poet Dylan Thomas.
Andrew Sinclair, the director, adapted the piece from Thomas' "play for voices" about a small Welsh fishing village and ts colorful inhabitants.
Behind the walls of an Australian convent and religious school, six women find themselves caught between centuries old tradition and the radical social changes reshaping the secular world of the 1960's. Bound by their vows, these "Brides of Christ" struggle to confront questions they cannot answer, disciplines they refuse to follow and love they dare not feel.
This striking 1991 mini-series delicately handles the issues raised by the transformation in the Church, and balances the views of reformers with those who believe in tradition. The program stars Academy Award® winner Brenda Fricker and includes early performances by Naomi Watts and Russell Crowe.
Stephen Chow (director and star of "Shaolin Soccer") is at it again with his newest blend of comedy and explosive martial arts action, "Kung Fu Hustle." With wildly imaginative kung fu showdowns and dance sequences featuring tuxedoed mobsters, "Kung Fu Hustle" is definitely an acquired taste.
If you wish Jackie Chan starred in every Quentin Tarantino movie, then this Chow's for you. "Hustle" is available this week in both widescreen and full screen versions.
Switching gears - both figuratively and literally - "Beautiful Boxer" is based on the life of Nong Toom, Thailand's famed transgendered kickboxer. It's a poignant action drama that takes us into the heart and mind of a boy who fights like a man... so he can become a woman.
We're pleased to recommend the family film "Because of Winn Dixie."
Based on the heartwarming 2001 Newbery Honor Book by Kate DiCamillo, the film tells the story of a young girl (Annasophia Robb) whose life is changed by a scruffy, fun-loving pooch she finds running through the aisles of her local supermarket.
The special bond between them works magic on her reserved dad (Jeff Daniels) and the eccentric townspeople they meet during one unforgettable summer.
The movie, presented on a double-sided disc containing both widescreen and full screen versions, is directed by Wayne Wang and features performances by Cicely Tyson, Eva Marie Saint and singer Dave Matthews.
Special features include audio commentary from Daniels and producer Trevor Albert, scene specific commentary by Robb, two featurettes and a gag reel.
In "John Cleese: Wine for the Confused," the former Python turns his attention to the fruit of the vine. Originally broadcast on the Food Network. this 92 minute documentary, explains what to buy, how to drink it and what makes a wine "good."
Also from TV this week comes new boxed sets featuring a trio of crime solvers who graced the screen on Sunday nights in the 70's as part of NBC's rotating "Mystery Movie" lineup.
Season One of "McMillan & Wife" stars Rock Hudson as San Francisco's newest police commissioner and Susan Saint James as his loyal and inquisitive wife. Seasons One and Two of "McCloud" star Dennis Weaver as the toughest cowboy to ever take on the mean streets of New York.
And Peter Falk returns in his four-time Emmy®-winning role of a wry and ruffled police lieutenant, as Season Three of "Columbo" makes its way to DVD.
"Redneck Comedy Round-up" features standup from Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White and other good 'ol boys.
"The David Steinberg Show," never seen before in America, was a 1974 Canadian series starring the comedian (now a highly regarded Hollywood sitcom director). In many ways, this was a precursor of "The Larry Sanders Show," which featured a variety of celebrity guests appearing on a fictional TV show, while being filmed both on and off stage.
"The David Steinberg Show" also gives us a taste of things to come from SCTV, which many of the actors seen here went on to star in, including John Candy, Dave Thomas, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin.
This week also marks the DVD debut of Season Three of "Dallas" and Season Four of "The Dukes of Hazzard" as well as the First Season of the wildly popular and successful "The Muppet Show" and the much less successful recent TV version of "The Wizard of Oz" starring many of those same Muppet characters.
Before we go... a quick word about a repeat advertiser in this week's DVD Dossier. We've received some queries asking if the deal from "freeipods.com" is "for real."
We're here to tell you that it is.
We checked these guys out before running the ad; they're the original "free ipod" people and they've already shipped out over 19,000 of Apple's signature music playing devices.
The integrity of the program has been vouched for by reporters from NPR, Wired, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Finance, NYU News, The Harvard Crimson, Engadget and other reputable online and print publications.
Now, we're not saying it's easy to get your free ipod. First you have to fulfill an offer of some kind. (Typically, that means joining a CD or book club, qualifying for a credit card or signing up for a DVD rental service.)
That's the easy part.
You then have to get five friends to do the same thing. Many people try, but not everyone succeeds. But for those that do, there's definitely a "free ipod" headed their way.
As always, if you have a question about any of the advertisements you see in The DVD Dossier, please let us know.
And that's the way it looks from here for now, folks; we'll see you next week with more DVD news and reviews.
Regards,
DVD Direct 4 Less
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| This Week's New DVD Releases - Street Date: August 9, 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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| Bona Fide Guide to Galactic Ride |
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"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the comedy-adventure flick based on the world-wide best-selling book by Douglas Adams, comes to DVD on September 13th.
Twenty years in the making, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is an odd mix of science fiction, comedy, adventure and philosophy that became the nation’s #1 box-office winner during its first week of release.
The unforgettable characters that Douglas Adams created come to life through the work of an outstanding ensemble cast.
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Sam Rockwell, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Warwick Davis, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, Stephen Fry and John Malkovich all contribute stellar performances.
It all begins with Arthur Dent (Freeman), a typical guy having a very bad day. Arthur’s house is about to be bulldozed, his best friend Ford Prefect (Def) turns out to be an alien and, to top things off, it appears that Planet Earth will be demolished in mere minutes to make way for a hyperspace freeway.
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When Ford hitches a ride on a passing spacecraft, he takes Arthur along and a great adventure begins.
Jetting off into the complete unknown, Arthur makes some major discoveries about the true nature of the universe.
Among them, he learns that a towel is the most massively useful thing a person can carry, and that Vogons are ridiculous-looking bureaucrats who are good at absolutely nothing except destroying the Earth in the name of progress.
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© Buena Vista Home Entertainment,
Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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© Buena Vista Home
Entertainment, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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Armed with a handy copy of the book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Arthur finds his way to the spaceship Heart of Gold and meets the two-faced President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Rockwell), beautiful former Earth girl Trillian (Deschanel) and their depressed robot Marvin (voiced by Alan Rickman).
As they trek across the universe, they meet such characters as the giant computer Deep Thought (voiced by Helen Mirren), the planet builder Slartibartfast (Nighy) and the offbeat intergalactic preacher Humma Kavula (Malkovich).
While searching for the meaning of life (and a good cup of tea), Arthur discovers such wonders as the "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster," the "Infinite Improbability Drive," and the hilarious "Point of View Gun." But with Trillion he discovers that the most powerful force in the universe may be (gulp) love.
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Extras include deleted scenes, deleted scene spoofs, a making-of featurette, audio commentaries, a “Marvin’s Hangman” game and a sing along.
Pre-order "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" now and save 43%. |
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The Canadian comedy "Childstar" will be released by Sundance Channel Home Entertainment on DVD (through Hart Sharp Video) on August 23rd.
Co-written, directed by and starring Don McKellar, "Childstar" is a film within a film that parodies both the world of child actors and the American big-budget film industry, and stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and child actor Mark Rendall.
Self-interest is the order of the day in this darkly funny comedy about the world’s most popular child star and the people who make their living off him.
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McKellar is Rick, a would-be auteur who gets a temporary job chauffeuring the 12-year-old actor Taylor Brandon Burns (Rendall) when he comes to Toronto to film a new action/comedy.
Soon, Rick is sharing a bed with Taylor’s blasé mother Suzanne (Leigh) and getting an eye-opening education about the strange life of a precocious, if tyrannical, child star.
The film co-stars Dave Foley, Michael Murphy and Eric Stoltz.
DVD extras include a “making of” documentary, commentary with Don McKellar and the theatrical trailer.
Pre-order "Childstar" now and save 25%. |
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| There's a Doctor in This House |
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Season One of "House," the new hit medical mystery drama starring 2005 Emmy® nominee Hugh Laurie, arrives on DVD August 30th.
Featuring all 22 episodes, the First Season of "House" is the perfect way for those unfamiliar with this critically-acclaimed show to learn why series viewership grew from 7 million for the season premiere to an over 19.5 million by this Spring’s season finale.
It also offers an opportunity for millions of newer "House" fans to catch the episodes they missed before the September 13th premiere of Season Two on Fox.
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Hugh Laurie plays the brilliant and irreverent Dr. Gregory House, a maverick physician so devoid of bedside manner he prefers not to meet his patients. While his behavior often borders on antisocial, House’s unconventional thinking and flawless instincts allow him to solve the medical puzzles that other doctors misdiagnose or simply give up on.
Aided by a hand-picked trio of idealistic young specialists – neurologist Dr. Eric Forman (Omar Epps), immunologist Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and intensivist Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer) – House does whatever it takes to save his patients while trying to avoid running afoul of hospital administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein).
Meanwhile, sexual tension between House and the show’s female characters, including Cameron, Cuddy and his ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner (guest star Sela Ward), create volatile chemistry outside the medical lab.
The show’s tight-knit ensemble also features Robert Sean Leonard. Guest stars in Season One include Carmen Electra, Chi McBride, Scott Foley and Sarah Clarke.
Extras on "House" include an interview with Laurie, as well as a look at the real life medical cases that inspire the stories from the series.
Pre-order Season One of "House" now and save 30%. |
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| Preview of Next Week's Releases - Street Date: August 16, 2005 |
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New to DVD next week is "Sin City," a pulp comic adventure with a star studded cast including Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Jaime King, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Clarke Duncan, Devin Aoki, Carla Gugino and Josh Hartnett.
Also up: "The Wedding Date," a romantic comedy starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney and the controversial 2004 Cannes film festival entry, "The Brown Bunny," with Vincent Gallo and Chloë Sevigny.
From television comes the First Season of the American version of "The Office" and the Sixth Season of "The Simpsons."
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