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The DVD Dossier is the free newsletter published weekly by DVD Direct 4 Less.
This is the archived issue for August 15, 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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August 15, 2004
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Join the Columbia House DVD Club and Save...
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Choose from big hit films like "Ray," "Shrek 2," "Anchorman," "Meet the Fockers" and more.
For a limited time, get FREE SHIPPING when you sign-up here.
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There are a lot of good TV shows on DVD this week, so we'll begin The DVD Dossier with those.
Our favorite TV release is "Da Ali G Show." Currently in its second season on HBO, the outrageous comedy/reality series is the brainchild of British actor Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen travels across the USA, messing with celebrities and ordinary Americans alike in the guise of three totally different characters.
There's the titular "Ali G," a self-described "hip-hop journalist," who's really nothing more than a white rapper wannabe from the suburbs. When the pranksta rapper is not center stage, there's also Borat, an anti-Semitic and incredibly naive TV reporter from Kazakhstan who possesses a very poor command of the English language. Rounding out the trio is Bruno, a gay Austrian fashionista.
The fun here is in watching the "guests" (Newt Gingrich, Buzz Aldrin, Donald Trump, James Lipton, Ralph Nader) struggle through increasingly uncomfortable interviews. You're often left sympathizing with them and thinking to yourself, "Gosh, if I went in front of a TV camera and was being asked questions by a total idiot... what would I do?"
"Da Ali G Show: The Complete First Season" includes all 6 episodes from the 2003 season (one with commentary by Cohen and writer/producer Dan Mazer), unseen footage and an Ali G glossary.
Also out this week are the First Seasons of two Garry Marshall-produced TV series from the 1970's:
"Happy Days," set in Milwaukee in the 50's, revolves around Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), his family and friends. Richie is a Jefferson High School student who would do anything to get a date. And he likes to spend time with his friends at Arnold’s, the local burger joint.
Contrasting with Richie's wholesome nature is Arthur Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler), better known as Fonzie, a rough-around-the-edges motorcycle riding high school dropout. Fonzie is a regular around the Cunningham house, with Mrs. Cunningham (Marion Ross) doting on him and Richie turning to him for advice on how to attract girls.
Getting its start as a spin-off from "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley" also takes place in Milwaukee in the 1950’s and features Laverne De Fazio (Penny Marshall), an outspoken, hot-headed woman who would love more than anything to be rescued from her job by a nice man, and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), a naive young woman who worries about her reputation and often finds herself keeping her best friend out of trouble.
The working class roommates pass the time with Lenny and Squiggy, two greasers who share an apartment above Laverne and Shirley and always seem to have some kind of scheme up their sleeves.
It's great to finally have "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley" on DVD, but that's all you'll get... there are no extras on these 3-Disc sets.
"Here's Lucy," which ran on CBS from 1968-1974, was the fourth hit TV show starring Lucille Ball.
In this series, she plays Lucy Carter, a widow raising two teenage children played by her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. This is not a season set, but a "best of" collection, focusing heavily on guest star driven episodes with the likes of Carol Burnett, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Milton Berle and Jack Benny.
These 24 episodes have been hand-picked by Lucie and Desi Jr., both of whom provide commentary on their favorite episodes, as well as participating in several other bonus features.
Before he became the poster buy for liberal talk radio, Al Franken wrote, executive produced and starred in "Lateline," a sitcom spoof of the evening news program "Nightline." The show aired - all to briefly - on NBC a few years ago and later on Showtime.
This is the whole series - 19 episodes - presented on 3 discs, with no special features. The show is worth a look, not only for its terrific ensemble cast, but also for the interesting array of real-life special guests playing themselves in the show within a show.
Moving on from TV to film, this week marks the DVD debut of "Connie and Carla" and "New York Minute."
"Connie and Carla" is a gender bending comedy starring Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette as two women posing as men posing as women. It borrows shamelessly from "Victor/Victoria" and "Some Like It Hot,' both of which are far better films.
"New York Minute," a "sisters in the big city" vehicle for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, will appeal only to their diehard fans. It's poorly written and directed, badly acted and its only saving grace is the performance of the always reliable Eugene Levy.
Far more interesting is "Showboy," about a Hollywood writer who gives it all up and heads to Las Vegas to become a performer. Christian Taylor, a real-life scribe on HBO’s “Six Feet Under," stars in this "mockumentary" and film festival favorite.
The "Showboy" disc has a number of fun bonus features, including a fact/fiction trivia game, a commentary track by Taylor, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer.
Also out this week: "Godsend," a supernatural thriller starring Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Robert De Niro and two early films by Stephen Spielberg. Both "The Sugarland Express" and "Duel" are being released on DVD for the very first time.
And we finish up this week with a new boxed set of films from another master director...
"The Martin Scorsese Collection" includes five films: "Goodfellas: Special Edition," "After Hours," "Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More," "Mean Streets" and "Who's That Knocking At My Door?" All feature commentary from Scorsese and all will be available individually as well as in the Collection.
That wraps up another edition of The DVD Dossier.
We'll be back next week with more news and reviews. Please join us.
Regards,
DVD Direct 4 Less
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| This Week's New DVD Releases - Street Date: August 17, 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 TV on DVD phenomenon has exploded in the past few years, with most popular series released in elaborate Collector's Edition boxed sets.
Noticeably absent, however, has been "Seinfeld," which ran on the NBC television network for nearly ten years in the 90's and reinvented and rejuvenated the sitcom format.
Most "Seinfeld" fans would have given anything to have their favorite show about nothing preserved forever on DVD. But the time needed to create special features worthy of the most anticipated TV-to-DVD release ever has always kept "Seinfeld" just out of reach.
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And late last year, just as it seemed like "Seinfeld" would finally come to home video, a dispute by three of the four lead actors over profit participation threatened the DVD's release forever.
Fortunately, a deal was struck allowing Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine), Michael Richards (Kramer) and Jason Alexander (George) the opportunity to participate in new bonus features in exchange for a share of the profits.
The cast, along with the show's producers - and Jerry Seinfeld himself - have been busy ever since preparing two four-disc sets that Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (a.k.a. Vandelay Industries) will release on November 23rd. |
Volume One will include all 18 episodes from Seasons One and Two.
The show was actually called "The Seinfeld Chronicles" way back then and each episode began and ended with Seinfeld doing stand-up bits. Lots of comedy routines were shot for the show, but most were not used.
This "Seinfeld" DVD release incorporates much of that unseen stand-up footage in a special feature called "Master of His Domain."
You'll also get an alternate version of the "Seinfeld" pilot, interviews, cast commentaries ("Yada Yada Yada") and a blooper reel.
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Volume Two delivers all 22 episodes from Season Three, with more deleted scenes, bloopers, audio commentaries, behind-the scenes production notes and interviews with the cast and creators of the show.
These 40 episodes are the original NBC network versions of "Seinfeld," which run 1 - 2 minutes longer than the ones you've been watching in syndication.
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They have not been seen in their entirety since their original broadcast run and every episode has been remastered in High Definition for the best possible picture and sound quality.
Also available on November 23rd: The "Seinfeld" DVD Re-Gift Set.
This deluxe set contains Volumes One and Two, a limited edition original script with handwritten notes from "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David and exclusive "Monk's Diner" salt and pepper shakers, plus collectible "Seinfeld" playing cards.
This collectible set makes a nice gift for Festivus!
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We recommend you preorder, as demand for these "Seinfeld" DVDs will likely be high, especially for the Re-Gift Set. Oh sure, you can wait - not that there's anything wrong with that - but why risk disappointment?
Reserve your copy now and save 35%...
Pre-order Volume One, Volume Two or "double dip" and get them both in the Re-Gift Set.
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| It's Not Easy Being Green |
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"Shrek 2" is the highest grossing animated film ever, having already earned more than $433 million in theatres. On November 5th, it has the opportunity to become one of the best-selling DVDs of all time.
"Shrek 2" finds newlyweds Shrek and Fiona off to the kingdom of Far Far Away to meet her parents, the King and Queen. But their marriage has foiled all of her father's plans for her future… and his own.
Now he must enlist the help of a powerful Fairy Godmother, a charming prince and that famed ogre killer Puss In Boots to put right his version of “happily ever after.”
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"Shrek 2" brings back the voices of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. They're joined by Julie Andrews and John Cleese as Fiona’s royal parents, Queen Lillian and King Harold; Antonio Banderas as Puss In Boots; Rupert Everett as Prince Charming and Jennifer Saunders as the Fairy Godmother.
Special features on "Shrek 2" include two commentaries, several behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, plus interactive DVD-ROM games and theatrical trailers.
"Shrek 2" will be available in both full screen and widescreen editions.
Preorder now and save 40%.
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| Bring Harry Home For The Holidays |
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A street date has been announced for the third Harry Potter film.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" arrives November 23rd in both full screen and widescreen 2-disc editions.
In this adaptation of the wildly successful book, Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione return as teenagers to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study. They soon find themselves concerned about an escaped prisoner who seems to pose a dangerous threat to Harry.
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Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry Potter, along with Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). The Hogwarts faculty is on hand, of course, most notably Emma Thompson as Sybil Trelawney and Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore. Joining the cast are Gary Oldman as Sirius Black and Julie Christie in a cameo role.
Extras include deleted scenes and trailers, interviews with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, the filmmakers and the cast, three challenging games, self-guided iPIX tours of Honeydukes and Professor Lupin's classroom, a Hogwarts portrait gallery and timeline and more.
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When you preorder "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," you'll save 40%.
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| Preview of Next Week's Releases - Street Date: August 24, 2004 |
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