|
|
The DVD Dossier is the free newsletter published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less.
This is the archived issue for May 30, 2004.
Click Here To Subscribe To The DVD Dossier Newsletter
|
|
 |
Published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less, the online source for DVD Discounts & Deals
|
|
In This Issue
|
|
May 30, 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
The top DVD release this week is clearly "Monster," featuring Charlize Theron's Academy Award-winning portrayal of Florida serial killer, Aileen Wuornos. Extras on the disc are skimpy, however, so if you're interested in learning more, you'd be better off buying "Monster" in a 2-pack that also includes Nick Broomfield's disturbing documentary on the same topic. "Aileen Wuornos: Life and Death of a Serial Killer" features interviews with Wournos from 2002, just before her execution.
Robert Altman directed "The Company," which was conceived and co-written by actress Neve Campbell as an authentic study of the members of Chicago's Joffrey Ballet. Campbell plays a lead dancer, James Franco is her non-dancing but easygoing boyfriend and Malcolm McDowell is the autocratic and diva-like artistic director of the company. Not much happens plot-wise in "The Company," but it's an interesting portrait of the on and off-stage lives of dancers and the DVD includes extended dance sequences of some of the Joffrey's best known ballets.
Three best friends go on a top secret mission in "Catch That Kid," an accomplished heist caper for, well... kids. Three much older best friends - Eddie Griffin, Anthony Anderson and Michael Imperioli - all learn that they're about to become fathers in "My Baby's Daddy," a forgettable film that is essentially a poorly done rip-off of "Daddy Day Care."
In "The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black," a group of space travelers marooned on an isolated planet must face a mob of terrifying creatures whose only weakness is the light. The stranded passengers have only one resource — a dangerous convicted criminal (Vin Diesel) who was aboard the ship. "Pitch Black" is being released to coincide with the theatrical debut of "The Chronicles of Riddick" (June 11th) and two weeks before the animated tale, "The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury" comes to DVD (June 15th).
After his girlfriend dumps him, Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) discovers that his German pen pal is a hot girl, so he does what every young man would do, he heads to Europe with his friends (Jacob Pitts, Travis Wester and Michelle Trachtenburg) to track her down. "Eurotrip" tell this story with a heavy does of off-color jokes and broad humor and a slew of star filled cameo roles (Matt Damon, Lucy Lawless, Jeffrey Tambor and others). The teen comedy is available in two versions: the R-rated theatrical version and an unrated version with two extra minutes of footage not seen in theatres and some racy special features, including a look at nude beaches.
Some good older and classic films are also out this week in new editions, with some coming to DVD for the very first time.
First up, "Cary Grant: The Signature Collection" with five films starring the debonair actor, all of which are also available individually: "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer," "Destination Tokyo," "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," "My Favorite Wife" and "Night and Day."
The "Herbie The Love Bug Collection" brings us four films "starring" everybody's favorite Volkswagen and "Spider-Man" is available this week in two new editions, a "Deluxe" Edition and a "Superbit" Edition. The Superbit version uses a special high bit rate digital encoding process to optimize video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks.
And David Croneberg's 1977 biological horror flick "Rabid" comes to DVD this week in a Special Edition that includes commentary from Cronenberg.
The plot is kind of silly: a young woman survives a motorcycle accident, but after her botched surgery, she begins to crave blood. She seeks out victims and infects them with a rabies-like disease. The young woman is played unevenly by Marilyn Chambers, the porn star, in her first crossover performance to more mainstream roles. "Rabid" is a second-rate film from a young man who would later become a first-rate director.
The best of this week's TV shows is definitely Season Three (6 episodes) of "Coupling," the BBC sitcom which NBC destroyed when they cloned it. The clever British version has the class and wit which were sorely lacking in the short-lived American version.
Somewhat less sophisticated fare is on offer in "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Complete First Season." Included are 13 episodes from the 1979 season (on 3 double-sided discs) and commentary by Hazzard stars John Schneider and Catherine Bach on the first episode. Special features include a "20th Anniversary Hazzard County Barbecue" documentary, "Dukes Driving 101: A High Octane Salute," and a preview of the videogame "The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of General Lee" (coming this Fall).
Get ready to fumble as Warner Home Video releases "NFL Films Super Bowl Collection: Super Bowls XI-XX." Relive the excitement of ten Super Bowls in this 5-disc collector's set featuring highlights, enhanced content, classic match-ups and key players.
Also out: Volume One in a new collection of shows from the 1950 series "The Adventures of Francis the Talking Mule" and two Dr. Who discs: "The Two Doctors" and "The Curse of Fenric."
And the original 1982 German miniseries "Das Boot" (which was cut down and edited into two theatrical versions released in theatres in America) now comes to DVD in its unedited, original five hour length.
That's it for new discs for this week. As always, you'll find a more complete list below.
And thanks for reading The DVD Dossier, my friend. We're glad you've chosen us as your link to new DVD releases. We'll be back here next Sunday with more DVD news and views. Please join us!
DVD Direct 4 Less
|
| This Week's New DVD Releases |
|
Street Date: June 1, 2004
|
|
|
|
|
Shipping is FREE when your order totals $25 or more.
|
|
Visit us online to see a comprehensive list of new DVD releases for the next six weeks.
The links above are for Region 1 (USA) Editions. Availability and release dates elsewhere may vary.
|
|
|
|
| Zellweger Heats Up Cold Mountain |
|
|
|
|
Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger and Jude Law each deliver wonderful star turns in "Cold Mountain." Zellweger earned the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in the film, which boasts an equally impressive supporting cast: Donald Sutherland, Eileen Atkins, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giovanni Ribisi and Natalie Portman.
Adapted from the best-selling novel by Charles Frazier and written and directed by Anthony Minghella ("The English Patient"), this is a sweeping romantic epic set amidst the terror and turmoil of the Civil War.
|
|
|
"Cold Mountain" comes to DVD June 29th in a 2-disc edition that features commentary from Minghella and editor Walter Murch, deleted scenes and several featurettes and documentaries, including "Words and Music of Cold Mountain," "Climbing Cold Mountain" and "A Journey to Cold Mountain."
Preorder "Cold Mountain" now and save 35% |
|
|
| Half Man, Half Machine, All Cop |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MGM pays tribute to the ultimate cyborg crime fighter next week with the release of a new gift set featuring the entire RoboCop Trilogy. In addition to providing the extended version of the original RoboCop, this boxed set will mark the DVD return for "RoboCop 2" and "RoboCop 3," both of which have been unavailable for some time.
Special features include four deleted scenes, two trailers, several "making of" featurettes, a photo gallery, commentary from director Paul Verhoeven, writer Edward Neumeier and Executive Producer Jon Davison and a storyboard with commentary by Animator Phil Tippett.
|
|
Order the RoboCop Trilogy before June 8th to take advantage of special savings |
|
|
| Big D on the Small Screen |
|
|
|
|
Warner Home Video has just announced they will release "Dallas" on August 24th in a 5-disc edition with all 29 episodes from the First and Second Season. The show is one of the longest-running primetime series in the history of television and was the #1 or #2 rated network series for five consecutive seasons.
"Dallas" stars Larry Hagman as the all-powerful J.R. Ewing, whose pursuit of money and clout knows no limits, along with Patrick Duffy, Victoria Principal, Charlene Tilton, Linda Gray, Barbara Bel Geddes, Jim Davis, Steve Kanaly, and Ken Kercheval as sons and daughters of Texas whose lives revolve around oil, family and power.
|
|
|
|
Special features include a “Soaptalk Dallas Reunion” featurette with Hagman, Duffy, Gray and Tilton and audio commentary on the series pilot and other episodes featuring Hagman, Tilton, and creator David Jacobs.
Over its 14 seasons, "Dallas" garnered 17 Emmy nominations (four wins) and 14 Golden Globe nominations (one win). This new boxed set is your chance to see how all the scandal and secrets first began. So grab your 10-gallon hat and head for Southfork where power, wealth, sex, deceit and intrigue await you!
Preorder "Dallas" today and save 30%
|
|
|
| Preview of Next Week's Releases |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Up next week: Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston in "Along Came Polly" along with a bunch of TV shows, including the first seasons of "Who's The Boss," "Just Shoot Me," "PlayMakers" and "The A-Team," as well as Season Six of "M*A*S*H" and Volume 1 in a new collection of the best of "SCTV."
Also out next week is one of the finest films of last year, "Mystic River," in a deluxe 3-disc edition with loads of special features. It's a story of three friends who grew up in working-class Boston, only to drift apart after a terrible tragedy. The film is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins and Sean Penn, in two Oscar-winning performances.
|
|
|
|
Click Here To Subscribe To The DVD Dossier Newsletter
Click Here To Read More Issues of The DVD Dossier Online
Please note: all DVDs were available for sale as of the original publication date of this newsletter. Some may no longer be in inventory at the present time and preorder savings may not be in effect. If you're you're having difficulty finding a particular title, you can search current availability for any DVD here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 2004 Stages and Pages. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Home
|
