|
|
The DVD Dossier is the free newsletter published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less.
This is the archived issue for August 1, 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
|
|
August 1, 2004
|
|
|
|
May The Force Be With You...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have two titles this week that feature Jennifer Garner, star of TV's "Alias."
First up is "13 Going on 30," a romantic comedy in which she plays a teenage girl who wishes she were all grown up. Thanks to some movie magic she gets her wish, only to realize that life as an adult may not be all she expected. This is pretty much a female version of the Tom Hanks movie, "Big," held aloft by Garner's spirited performance.
The second Garner DVD this week is the TV show "Significant Others."
This series ran briefly of Fox in 1998 as a replacement for Party of Five." PO5 fans never gave it a chance and Fox canceled it after only three episodes had aired. The show details the lives and romantic exploits of three twentysomething best friends (Garner, Scott Bairstow and Elizabeth Mitchell). This new boxed set includes all six episodes (the entire series) on two discs.
Also making its DVD debut this week is "Hidalgo," an entertaining equine epic which can best be described as '"Seabiscuit" set in the Arabian desert. The film is very loosely based on the life of Frank T. Hopkins (played by Viggo Mortensen), a long-distance horse racer in the late 1800's. The title "character" is his trusty Mustang.
Hopkins accepts an invitation to compete against a stallion owned by a Sheik (Omar Sharif) in a 3,000 mile race called "The Ocean of Fire." They then begin a rollicking two-hour cinematic adventure that takes them through sandstorms, deadly heat, would-be murderers, kidnappers and assorted evildoers.
This PG-13 film is a good choice for those looking for a fast-paced but inoffensive film: there's not much cussing, there's very little blood and only a hint of overt romance. "Hidalgo" comes to DVD Tuesday in both full screen and widescreen editions, but no special features worth mentioning.
Good family fun can also be found in "Soccer Dog: European Cup," which brings together an orphaned American boy, a Scottish soccer coach and one very talented dog. And just as the big screen sequel hits theaters, the original family-friendly "Princess Diaries" comes to DVD once again in a Special Edition.
Then there's "The Complete Gidget Collection," three films featuring the original surfer girl from the late 50's and early 60's. It's great to have these on DVD after all these years, but buyer beware: all three "Gidget" films are being released in full screen only. This is OK for the two sequels, but the original "Gidget," which was shot in CinemaScope, suffers greatly from the pan and scan treatment.
"TipToes" is an offbeat but misguided little drama with some very big names in front of the camera.
Steven (Matthew McConaughey) and Carol (Kate Beckinsale) are madly in love, but Steven has something that he's been hiding. It seems that his twin brother - and his entire family - are dwarves. When Carol gets pregnant, Steven is forced to reveal his secret because he fears their child may also be a dwarf.
Unfortunately, the movie plays like a documentary about dwarfism and is not well served by its maudlin and preachy screenplay. And this is a shame because Gary Oldman gives a particularly effective performance as McConaughey's brother.
Of course, Oldman is 5' 10" and spends much of the movie walking around on his knees. He's not very convincing physically as a little person, but it's still a gripping performance.
Also this week, Anchor Bay Entertainment releases a collection showcasing three decades of work from the legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog. "The Werner Herzog Collection" features seven films on six discs.
And the Criterion Collection brings forth "Stage and Spectacle," three films by another master filmmaker, Jean Renoir. This new boxed set includes "The Golden Coach" (1953), "French Cancan" (1955) and "Elena and Her Men" (1956), all presented on DVD for the first time.
Anna Magnani, Jean Gabin and Ingrid Bergman are the leading ladies.
Anthony Quinn is an earthy peasant with a lust for life in "Zorba the Greek," which paints a bleak picture of life in a small Greek village. The 1964 film also stars Alan Bates and won three Academy Awards. This reissue includes commentary by director Michael Cacoyannis, trailers and TV spots, a behind-the-scenes still gallery, an A&E Biography on Quinn and Fox Movietone News segments shot on location and at the movie's premiere,
Three of Elvis Presley's lesser films come to DVD this week: "It Happened at the World's Fair," "Harum Scarum" and "The Trouble with Girls." All feature The King singing and swiveling and you really can't go wrong if you buy or rent any of these... just don't expect "Viva Las Vegas."
Before teaming up with Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel was one of the most important Hollywood comics of his time, competing with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. As part of the new "Slapstick Symposium" series, Kino Video has brought together 16 of Laurel's short films (spanning the years 1923-1925) on one DVD called "The Stan Laurel Collection."
Also available this week are "Slapstick Symposium" collections highlighting the work of Harold Lloyd and Charley Chase.
And rounding out this week's new and notable DVDs is an uncensored "roast" of actor-comedian "Denis Leary" that first appeared on the Comedy Central cable channel last year. Stepping up to poke fun at Dennis are Mario Cantone, Lenny Clarke, Dane Cook, Nick DiPaolo, Doctor Dre & Ed Lover, Adam Ferrara, Gilbert Gottfried, Colin Quinn and host Jeff Garlin, along with video tributes from Michael J. Fox, Peter Gallagher, Joe Mantegna, Conan O’Brien, Rene Russo, Jon Stewart and Christopher Walken.
And that's it for this week. We'll see you next time.
Regards,
DVD Direct 4 Less
|
|
| This Week's New DVD Releases - Street Date: August 3, 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.
Links above are for Region 1 (USA) Editions. Availability and release dates elsewhere may vary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") unleashed a torrent of special effects on the moviegoing public earlier this year in the blockbuster disaster flick "The Day After Tomorrow."
If only he had paid a little more attention to the screenplay, this might have been a sensational film, instead of merely a good one. Then again, the audiences didn't seem to care... the film grossed over $182 million.
The plot is implausible (but oh-so-politically-correct) and the dialogue ridiculously banal. The special effects, however, are truly mind-blowing.
|
|
|
And, hey, where else are you going to see a film in which the lead character is a "climatologist?"
In "The Day After Tomorrow" Global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age. In disaster movies, that's as good an excuse as any to have tornadoes flatten all of Los Angeles and tidal waves engulf New York City.
The actors in this film are incidental, but for the record Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal - and a few others - manage to ride out the storms and (mostly) avoid the wrath of Mother Nature. And the film is quite entertaining, as long as nobody's talking.
"The Day After Tomorrow" will be available October 12th, in both full screen and widescreen editions. Special features include two audio commentaries, deleted scenes, an interactive sound demo, an exclusive DVD-ROM link to an hour-long making-of documentary and more.
Preorder "The Day After Tomorrow" now and save 30%.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zoinks!
The second Scooby-Doo movie, "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," will be released on September 14th.
In this one, Scooby and the gang confront an anonymous masked villain who is plotting to take over the city of Coolsville with a monster machine that recreates Mystery Inc.'s classic foes (The Pterodactyl Ghost, The Black Knight and The 10,000 Volt Ghost.).
|
|
The film stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (Fred), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Daphne), Linda Cardellini (Velma), Matthew Lillard (Shaggy), and a computer-animated dog named Scooby-Doo. If you saw the first Scooby-Doo movie and liked it, well, this is pretty much more of the same... a Saturday morning cartoon brought to life.
Extras include 7 minutes of additional scenes, 2 music videos and a few special features: "Dancing Dog: How They Made Scooby-Doo Dance - And How You Can Dance Just Like Him," "The True Ghoul Hollywood Story" plus an intimate tour of the moviemaking process, hosted by Scooby-Doo.
Warner Home Video will be releasing this film in both full screen and widescreen editions and also in a 2-pack that includes "Scooby-Doo The Movie" and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed for one low price. (The 2-pack is available in full screen only).
As always, you can preorder this title prior to release and save 30%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get personal with Denise Austin, Lifetime TV's fitness expert, when her all-new DVD debuts September 7th.
"Denise Austin's Personal Training System" features a workout for everyone, with over two hours of different exercises on one DVD.
Included are cardio workouts, upper and lower body segments, stretching and abdominal workouts, diet tips and a recipe book filled with Denise's all-time favorites.
|
|
|
|
You can save 30% by preordering this disc now.
|
|
|
|
| Preview of Next Week's Releases - Street Date: August 10, 2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coming up next week: Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams and Steve Harvey lend their considerable talents to "Johnson Family Vacation" while Uma Thurman gets some satisfaction in "Kill Bill, Volume 2," the second part of Quentin Tarantino's slice and dice epic.
Also out: Special Editions of "The Lost Boys" and "Predator" and "The Cinema Sirens Collection," a value-priced boxed set of four films featuring sex goddesses of another era: Jayne Mansfiled, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren.
All this... plus the reason DVD was invented: the first season of "Alf."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 2004 Stages and Pages. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Home
|
