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The DVD Dossier is the free newsletter published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less.
This is the archived issue for June 4, 2006.
Click Here To Subscribe To The DVD Dossier Newsletter
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Published Weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less and The DVD Dossier Blog
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In This Issue
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June 4, 2006
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There are quite literally dozens of great DVDs being released this week - and the ones that aren't great are still pretty darn good. The important thing to note is that in a week that sees the DVD debut of almost 400 titles, there are relatively few stinkers hitting store shelves this Tuesday.
 But why, you may ask, do we choose tell you about "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," while almost completely ignoring "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things," a film that is equally worthy of your attention?
Why do we lavish praise on Sarah Silverman, but not Betty Grable or "John Wayne" or "Bill W" or "Mike" or the National Football League?
It's really just a matter of space, my friend. Too many DVDs... not enough room to cover them all. But here's what we are looking at in-depth this week:
 Harrison Ford turns up the heat in "Firewall," out on Tuesday in widescreen and full screen editions and also in a hybrid disc that offers a widescreen standard definition version, along with an HDTV version of the film. Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen and Mary Lynn Rajskub also star.
Ford plays bank security expert Jack Stanfield, whose specialty is designing infallible theft-proof financial computer systems. But there's a hidden vulnerability in the system he didn't account for - himself.
When a ruthless criminal mastermind (Bettany) kidnaps his family, Jack is forced to find a flaw in his system and steal $100 million.
The DVD includes an interview with Ford, the theatrical trailer and a featurette on the thriller genre.
 "Underworld Evolution" also arrives on DVD this week.
This sequel to the blockbuster hit "Underworld" continues the saga of war between the aristocratic Death Dealer vampires and the barbaric Lycan werewolves and comes from the filmmakers that brought us the first film: director Len Wiseman and producers Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg.
"Underworld Evolution" traces the beginnings of the ancient feud between the Death Dealers and the Lycans as beautiful vampire heroine Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Lycan werewolf hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) try to unlock the secrets of their bloodlines before the two tribes end their search and their lives.
Available in both widescreen and full screen versions, this Special Edition of "Underworld Evolution" includes commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes and a music video.
 Sarah Silverman is the edgy, unpredictable, dirty, outrageous, offensive, brilliant, sexy and devastatingly funny comic you've seen in supporting roles in a number of films, as a young member of the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and in featured roles on "Mr. Show" and "The Larry Sanders Show."
This week, her wickedly funny and twisted film, "Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic," arrives on DVD.
"Jesus Is Magic" was a critical success and a breakthrough hit on the indie film circuit. It combines footage from recent stand-up performances of her one-woman show with original musical numbers and a backstage story about the development of the very one-woman show we're watching in the film.
Silverman skewers subjects that might ordinarily be deemed taboo and offers viewers an opportunity to laugh at things without guilt. Her on-stage persona is simultaneously innocent and childlike and completely oblivious to political correctness; she is able to slay sacred cows so effectively precisely because she makes it seem as if she knows not what she's said or done.
Appearing with Silverman in "Jesus Is Magic" are comedians Bob Odenkirk and Brian Posehn, along with Silverman's band, "The Silver Men" and her actor/comedian sister, Laura Silverman.
 The fast-paced, gritty action thriller "Running Scared" stars Paul Walker, Chazz Palminteri, Vera Farmiga and Cameron Bright and is out this week in a widescreen edition.
Low-level mobster and loving family man Joey Gazelle (Walker) finds his life turned upside-down when he ignores the mob’s instructions to dispose of a gun used in the fatal shooting of a corrupt cop during a bungled drug buy.
After stowing the gun in his basement for future use as collateral against his employers, his son’s best friend, Oleg (Bright), discovers and steals the weapon to shoot his abusive stepfather, the black sheep of the Russian mob.
Setting off a wild chase from both the mob and a corrupt cop who is hell-bent on profiting from the missing gun, Joey embarks on a chilling, bloody pursuit, maneuvering his way through a horrific web of criminals on a frantic night-long search, to locate Oleg, retrieve the gun and make it home to his family – alive.
 "Glory Road" tells the inspiring true story of legendary basketball coach Don Haskins and his 1966 NCAA championship team, the first all African-American squad to win the national title. Josh Lucas stars as the Hall of Fame coach.
The time is the 1960s and Texas Western (now the University of Texas El Paso) hires Haskins to coach a small-time, losing basketball program. Through vigorous recruiting, he assembles a line-up with many African-Americans, a novelty in college basketball. With a grueling coaching regime and tough love, Haskins molds his recruits into a promising team.
Amidst the country’s burgeoning civil-rights movement, the players and coaches endure racially-charged insults as they go forward in the national college tournaments.
"Glory Road" is available in separate widescreen and full screen versions and also on the UMD format for Sony PlayStation Portable.
 Tommy Lee Jones stars in "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," a poetic and striking modern-day Western available in both widescreen and full screen versions on a single disc.
Peter Perkins (Jones) is a veteran cowboy who embodies the values of the old west, living in a small Texas town bordering the U.S. and Mexico. He hires Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo) as a ranch hand and quickly befriends the man.
But when Estrada is gunned down under mysterious circumstances, Perkins takes justice into his own hands and kidnaps a trigger-happy border patrolman (Barry Pepper), forcing Perkins to unearth Estrada's body and accompany Perkins on horseback on the long and treacherous journey through the frontier mountains and back roads of Mexico to bring his friend's body home.
"Melquiades Estrada" marks the directorial debut of actor Tommy Lee Jones and the DVD includes commentary by Jones, along with actors Dwight Yoakam and January Jones.
 Disney brings forth a new "Big Top Edition" of the timeless classic "Dumbo," complete with a new educational "DisneyPedia" interactive learning experience centering around circus animals and accompanied by collectible matching-game cards.
The film is an inspirational tale of love and adventure about an adorable baby elephant who overcomes all odds. Mrs. Jumbo, an elephant in a touring circus, is visited by the stork one day and is blessed with a baby elephant, whose huge ears cause the other elephants to mockingly nickname him “Dumbo.”
When Dumbo is separated from his mother, he finds a loyal friend in little Timothy Mouse, who tries to steer Dumbo in the right direction. Although the circus views him as an outcast, Dumbo and Timothy discover Dumbo’s hidden talent: his huge ears enable him to fly!
And we're going to fly off, too... but we'll be back next week with more DVD news and reviews.
See you then.
Regards,
DVD Direct 4 Less
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| This Week's New DVD Releases - Street Date: June 6, 2006 |
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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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| Preview of Next Week's Releases - Street Date: June 13, 2006 |
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| Over at the DVD Dossier Blog... |
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This week at the Blog, we provided details on the DVD debuts of "Dave Chappelle’s Block Party," out next week, as well as the "Fast and the Furious Franchise Collection," out this week.
Also announced at the DVD Dossier Blog: the first-ever Beastie Boys concert music DVD, a new series of animated specials for kids from the Wayans family, the First Season of Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories," Season Two of "I Dream of Jeannie" and Season Four of "Monk,"
Also coming to DVD soon are this year's remake of Disney's "Shaggy Dog" with Tim Allen, "The World's Fastest Indian" with Anthony Hopkins and two new boxed sets saluting Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Stewart.
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And this was a week in which Lionsgate and Warner Home Video were both scolded over their improper advertising aimed at children, while a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids are watching far too much TV.
Warner announced "DVD Decision 2006 - 30 Movies in 30 Days," a joint promotion with Amazon that will help determine which of their library titles will be the next to get a DVD release, and Peerflix announced their "Show Us Your DVDs" extravaganza, in which your passion for DVDs could make you a star (at least among your peers).
All this, plus the San Francisco 49ers and a new version of "Blade Runner" from Ridley Scott.
You'll find these stories - and more - over at the DVD Dossier Blog. |
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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 the DVD Direct 4 Less and DVD Dossier web sites, as well as advertisements and promotional information provided by movie studios.
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