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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 27, 2004.
Click Here To Subscribe To The DVD Dossier Newsletter
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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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June 27, 2004
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This week sees the DVD debut of "Cold Mountain," the Civil War romance based on Charles Frazier's best-selling book. Purists will no doubt complain about the changes writer/director Anthony Minghella made to the story (especially the way he altered the ending) but this is nonethelesss a prime example of "old school" filmmaking on an epic scale. Renée Zellweger received an Academy Award for her performance in the film, which also stars Nicole Kidman and Jude Law.
The 2-disc release comes with an extraordinary number of high quality special features. These include an insightful commentary track with Minghella and editor Walter Murch, a comprehensive 70 minute documentary on the making of the film, 11 deleted scenes, storyboard comparisons on 3 scenes, a special concert that combines readings from the book with music from the film and more.
And to coincide with the release, Miramax is releasing a 2-disc Collector's Edition of Minghella's 1996 film "The English Patient," winner of nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
"Barbershop 2: Back in Business," is that rare sequel that's every bit as good as the movie that spawned it, if not better. Ice Cube returns as the owner of a neighborhood barber shop and Cedric the Entertainer is back as his oldest and most opinionated employee. The movie is not big on plot, but relies heavily upon banter to both entertain and to fill you in on what the characters have been doing since you last saw them.
We had high hopes for this week's 30th Anniversary Special Edition of "Blazing Saddles" and the film itself, a lunatic Western parody and perhaps Mel Brooks' best, is in fine form. That's because this release features an all-new digital transfer and remastered Dolby 5.1 sound. But truth be told, there are very few special features in this "Special Edition" that haven't been seen elsewhere.
The audio commentary from Brooks has been cobbled together from earlier releases of "Blazing Saddles"and is not specific to any of the scenes. The very short Madeline Kahn tribute (blink twice and it's over) is taken from a Lifetime TV show. And the "additional scenes" are merely outtakes that are repeated again on this DVD in a "Back in the Saddle" reunion segment.
This segment, which is made up of individual interviews with a limited number of principals associated with the film, isn't really a reunion at all. The one saving grace on this disc is the inclusion of the pilot for "Black Bart," the 1975 prime-time TV sitcom spin-off that was canceled before it ever got on the air.
Also out this week: "3-Way," a noir thriller based on Gil Brewer's 1963 pulp novel, "Wild to Possess." The film features Dwight Yoakam and Gina Gershon in a story about sex, extortion and murder.
We've often talked about how we think "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is one of the best sitcoms ever created. Well, Season Five is out this week and the boxed set includes 31 episodes on 5 discs, along with commentary by Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke on selected episodes.
Reiner, who created "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and appeared on it as Alan Brady, based much of the series on his experiences as a writer and performer on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows." Coincidentally, two collections of the best Sid Caesar sketches from the golden age of TV comedy are out this week: "Fan Favorites" and "Buried Treasures" are each 3-disc sets with classic moments from both "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour."
Also on tap this week is Season Four of the outlandish and irreverent Comedy Central animated hit, "South Park," the First Season of "CSI Miami," the Third Season of "Dawson's Creek" and the First Season of the 1976 series "Wonder Woman" starring Lynda Carter as the comic book hero.
Another star moves from the comics to DVD this week: Garfield the Cat. "Garfield As Himself" contains three TV specials from the early 1980's based on the exploits of the pudgy feline.
And even William Hung, that guy from "American Idol" who can't sing, has a DVD out this week. In case anyone cares, "Hangin' With Hung" promises "new never-before-seen interviews" and "behind-the-scenes footage of the 'She Bangs' video."
Mr. Hung, your fifteen minutes are just about up.
We end this week with "The History of Rock 'N' Roll," a boxed set celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the musical genre. This is a comprehensive 5-disc set with over 10 hours of material including concerts, recording sessions and interviews with virtually everybody who made their mark in the past fifty years.
Production snafus here at DVD Direct 4 Less delayed this week's newsletter by nearly 24 hours. We apologize for any inconvenience, but we're confident we can bring you next week's issue on Sunday, as scheduled.
See you then.
Regards,
DVD Direct 4 Less
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| This Week's New DVD Releases |
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Street Date: June 29, 2004
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Shipping is FREE when your order totals $25 or more.
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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.
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Move over Mickey, Topo Gigio is back!
Loved by three generations of Latinos through his appearances on TV and video and through his many books and toys, Topo Gigio is one talented mouse! He's an expert singer and dancer and is even more skilled at getting people to kiss him goodnight. ("Dame el besito de las buenas noches!")
"El Show Del Top Gigio, Volume One" is being released this Tuesday in a value-priced single-disc edition and Volume 2 will follow on July 14th.
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Please note: "El Show Del Top Gigio" will be available in Spanish only.
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George Lucas fans, rejoice!
Warner Home Video will release Lucas' first film, the sci-fi adventure "THX 1138" on September 14th. The 1971 film tells the story of one man's struggle against an oppressive society and stars Robert Duvall .
This will be a 2-disc Collector's Edition and will include a digitally restored director's cut of the film. Extras will include two new documentaries: "A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope," about the studio (founded by Francis Ford Coppola) that produced "THX 1138" and "Artifact From the Future," a behind-the-scenes "making of" featurette.
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| Do You Vacuum in the Nude? |
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Any ordinary DVD newsletter can tell you when "Cold Mountain" or "Starsky & Hutch" is being released. Frankly, ${token1}, you don't need us for that. The real reason you subscribe to The DVD Dossier is to learn about the offbeat films nobody else will tell you about.
"Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise" is one of those.
This new film, from the director of "Trainspotting" and "28 Days Later," is an outrageous British comedy about a lunatic vacuum cleaner salesman who self destructs while trying to win the "Golden Hoover" sales contest.
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"Vacuuming," which is not nearly as provocative as its title implies, will be released on July 13th.
Preorder now and save! |
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| Preview of Next Week's Releases |
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Click Here To Subscribe To The DVD Dossier Newsletter
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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.
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