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The DVD Dossier is the free newsletter published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less.
This is the archived issue for July 11, 2004.
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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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July 11, 2004
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Once again, there are a heck of a lot of DVDs being released this week. But once again, only a handful are top drawer. Here's our perspective on what's new and notable.
Meg Ryan is great as the central character in "Against the Ropes," the film loosely based on the life of female boxing promoter Jackie Kallen. Unfortunately, her performance is the best thing in this movie, which has been directed in an uninspired and familiar way by Charles S. Dutton, who also appears in the film.
Like us, he's no doubt seen the "Rocky" films and that's essentially what you get here: an untried but talented newcomer (Omar Epps) rises to the top with the help of a feisty manager and a once-legendary trainer.
Teenage secret agent Cody Banks (Frankie Munoz) is off to Great Britain for his second adventure in "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London." The disc is loaded with kid-approved special features including an interactive quiz and a "visual cast commentary" in which the actors pause the film and appear on screen to comment on how it was made.
"Never Die Alone" is definitely not for kids. The film features David Arquette and rapper DMX in a tale that mixes murder, drugs, prostitution and lots of foul language.
You can also keep the kids away from "The Dreamers," Bernardo Bertolucci's NC-17 kinkfest about a threesome in Paris in the late 1960's.
"The Manchurian Candidate" gets a high profile DVD release this week, just as the remake hits theaters. The original film, directed in 1962 by John Frankenheimer, stars Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury. It remains the best satirical political thriller ever made.
Politics of a different sort are on display in "Outfoxed: Robert Murdoch's War On Journalism." The producers of this new documentary created a system to monitor Fox News 24 hours a day for months to discover exactly how its shows worked.
Interviews with former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers, as well as media experts like Walter Cronkite are included in this intense examination of Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know.
"Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise" is a terrific film from England about a vile salesman (Timothy Spall) who will do practically anything to sell you a vacuum cleaner.
And this year's Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film is out on DVD on Tuesday. "The Barbarian Invasions," is about a dying father reconciling with his estranged son, as friends gather for one last good-bye.
A new "Explosive Extended Edition" of "The Bourne Identity" is being released to coincide with the sequel opening in theaters in a couple of weeks. Don't be fooled. This hasn't really been extended at all... they've merely added an alternate beginning and ending. (These scenes were shot after 9/11 just in case the movie-going public wasn't keen on seeing a spy thriller. They were never used, but have been added to this disc as special features.)
Another new documentary, "The Worst Movies Ever Made" honors the schlock and awful side of moviemaking. It's a dissection of the worst films ever committed to celluloid, including "Howard the Duck," "Plan Nine From Outer Space," "Attack of the Crab Monsters" and "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians." Clips from these films - and others - are included.
You'll find out more about the craft of filmmaking in "Project Greenlight 2," the Second Season of the HBO show that gave a novice directing team and screenwriter the chance to make a first-run theatrical feature . Every phase of the project is documented... from the selection of the winning creative team in an internet contest, to the casting, filming, post-production and the Hollywood premiere.
As an added bonus, the resulting film, "The Battle of Shaker Heights," is included in this boxed set. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Kathleen Quinlan, William Sadler and Amy Smart, all of whom - not surprisingly - also appear in "Project Greenlight 2."
It seems like everyone has gone crazy for poker lately, so "Poker for Dummies," a guide to the game's rules and strategy, was probably inevitable.
As was Season Four of "Hercules The Legendary Journeys" (the first three seasons sold really well on DVD).
And a new 5-disc set celebrates the sunny disposition of Shirley Temple, who cheered up Depression-era moviegoers with her appealing antics. Included in this value-priced set are a sampling of her most beloved feature films and a collection of rare shorts.
That's it for this week, but we'll be back with more next Sunday.
Please join us.
DVD Direct 4 Less
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| This Week's New DVD Releases - Street Date: July 13, 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.
Links above are for Region 1 (USA) Editions. Availability and release dates elsewhere may vary.
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"The Apprentice," a sort of "Survivor" set in the boardroom, brings together 16 young professionals, all vying for a "dream job" as the head of one of Donald Trump's companies.
The contestants are put on teams and given competitive business challenges - or at least what passes for them on TV. One week, they're selling lemonade, another week they're running a restaurant or creating an advertising campaign.
Each week, the winning team gets a reward (like a decadent dinner or a lavish trip) normally reserved only for The Donald and his rich and powerful friends.
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The losing team is sent to the boardroom where, after a display of backstabbing and name calling not seen on television since "Dallas," one of them is sent packing.
"The Apprentice: The Complete First Season" will be released August 24th - just before Season Two starts on NBC - and will include a sneak peek of the new season.
The producers promise that this 5-disc boxed set will also deliver everything they couldn't show on TV from Season One. This includes brand-new interviews with Trump and the candidates, extended taxi rides with the fired contestants, job advice from George and Carolyn, "intense" deleted scenes and outrageous audition tapes. Perhaps best of all for true fans, the box will come with a voice chip of Mr. Trump that says, "You're fired" every time it's opened.
You can preorder "The Apprentice" now and save 30% |
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The "Late Night with Conan O'Brien 10th Anniversary Special" will be released August 10th.
Appearing with the comedian in the sixty minute show are Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Tom Hanks, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Harrison Ford, Adam Sandler and Conan's original sidekick, Andy Richter.
Also on the disc are forty minutes of additional material, including never-before-seen celebrity clips, a "Making the Band" parody and a piece that shows Conan flirting with his female guests.
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Available separately on the same day will be "The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog," a collection of more than two and a half hours of golden moments with the cigar-smoking, foul-mouthed puppet pooch, as seen on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Included will be Triumph's first appearance at the Westminster Dog Show, his celebrity run-ins (Jerry Springer and American Idol's Simon Cowell), outtakes, a music video and our favorite bit, the legendary "Attack of the Nerds" in which Triumph interviews (and insults) those waiting on line at a Star Wars premiere.
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| You can now preorder Conan's 10th Anniversary and/or Triumph's Best and save 30% |
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| Showgirls V.I.P. Special Edition |
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One of the worst movies ever made gets the full-blown "Special Edition" treatment usually reserved for Merchant Ivory films or the works of Stephen Spielberg.
We're talking about "Showgirls," one of those movies that is so bad and so unwatchable that it became an instant cult classic. Overflowing with bad acting (Elizabeth Berkeley is the chief culprit and pole licker) and an implausible plot, "Showgirls' tells the story of a young woman trying to make it as a dancer in Las Vegas.
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The film is absolutely dreadful, but also very funny in an unintentionally campy way. Recognizing this, MGM has produced an elaborately packaged "Showgirls: V.I.P. Special Edition" that includes many self-mocking extras.
First off, you'll get a commentary track from David Schmader called "The Greatest Movie Ever Made," while another track features pop-up trivia. There's also an Elizabeth Berkeley photo series and several items to help you extend the experience beyond the DVD itself.
These include a set of Showgirls shot glasses, a deck of Showgirls cards, Showgirls party games and something called "Pin the Pasties on the Showgirl," which, they assure us, will come complete with "pasties and blindfold" just in case you have neither on hand.
"Showgirls" will be released July 27th. Preorder now and save 30% |
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| Preview of Next Week's Releases |
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Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson team up to fight crime, along with Snoop Dogg, in the big screen feature "Starsky & Hutch," while Season Two of the 70's TV series on which it's based hits store shelves at the same time.
Another remake starring Wilson, "The Big Bounce," will be out, as will "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," which is not really a remake or a sequel, but is in fact a "prequel" inspired by the original film.
Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman star in the delicate drama "The Human Stain," based on the acclaimed Philip Roth novel and the TV remake of Neil Simon's "The Goodbye Girl" stars Jeff Daniels and Patricia Heaton.
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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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