The Official DVD News And Rumors Thread

[gprime]

(An Admin may want to sticky this.)

Simply put, in this thread, every day or two I'll make fairly extensive posts which list the latest dvd news and rumors from around the world and stemming from a variety of sources. Obviously, if I miss something, anybody should feel free to add to the list.

So, to begin, the 4/11/06 list:

News:

Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy maker, said Tuesday they are teaming up to sell feature-length DVDs featuring Mattel's iconic Barbie and Polly Pocket dolls. (More (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/3786164.html))
20th Century Fox has revealed that they'll bow Mark Robson's Valley of the Dolls: Special Edition and Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls on 6/13. Each will be a 2-disc set (SRP $26.98 each). Valley of the Dolls will include the film with audio commentary by Alonso Duralde, a second commentary with members of the cast, Gotta Get off this Merry-Go-Round: Sex, Dolls and Showtunes, Pill Pop-Up Karaoke: Follow the Bouncing Doll, The Divine Ms. Susann, Doll-a-Palooza: Addicts Forum a Go-Go, Translate French Porn Movies, a What's My Line? episode, screen test footage for several cast members, trailers and TV spots, archival featurettes and much more. Meanwhile, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls will include audio commentary with screenwriter and film critic Roger Ebert, a second commentary with the cast, Above, Beneath and Beyond the Valley, Look on Up at the Bottom, The Best of Beyond: Psychedelic Scrapbook, Sex, Drugs, Music & Murder: Signs of the Time, Baby, Z-Man's Far Out Party Favors, event footage from S. Perry-Z-man's boobs, trailers and TV spots, more screen test footage, an archival promotional piece and more. Here's the cover art for both titles:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx/covers3/valleyofthedollsdvd.jpg http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx/covers3/beyondthevalleyofthedollsdvd.jpg


Rumors:

Retail sources have checked in with word that Lionsgate is planning to delay their first wave of Blu-ray Disc releases (Crash, Lord of War, The Punisher, Saw and Terminator 2: Judgment Day - previously announced for 5/23) until 6/27 to coincide with the debut of the first Blu-ray hardware. We suspect this means that their second wave of titles on the format (The Devil's Rejects, Reservoir Dogs, Total Recall, Stargate and Frank Herbert's Dune - announced for 6/13) will get delayed as well.


More tommorow.

[gprime]

News:

Scooby has staying power like no other. Volume 9 of What's New Scooby-Doo arrives this summer from Warner Home Entertainment What's New Scooby-Doo? Vol. 9: Route Scary Six! includes four television episodes all themed around roadtrips. In "Fright House of a Lighthouse," a haunting of an abandoned lighthouse wreaks havoc in a small Midwestern town. In "Go West Young Scoob," the gang visits a robot resort for living out Western movie fantasies. In "Demon Farmer: Farmed and Dangerous," the kids visit the Secret Six Puppies on their farm, only to discover it's being haunted by the Demon Farmer. Lastly, in "Gentlemen Start Your Monsters," the gang goes to a champion stock car race and finds a pit stop with mayhem. Special features include a Scooby-Doo Mystery Roadtrip Menu Challenge and a bonus episode, "Camp Comeonawannascareya," in which Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are camp counselors and witness a ghost story coming to life. The release date is no mystery, the DVD arrives on June 6th for $19.96... and a Scooby Snack.
Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Tales from the Crypt: The Complete Fourth Season for 25th July 2006 priced at $39.98 SRP. Episodes are spread across three-discs presented in 1.33:1 Full Frame with English Stereo Surround audio and optional French and Spanish subtitles. (Cover (http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/2200/talesfromthecrypts4r1pack6bc.jpg))
Tartan Video have announced the UK DVD release of Kim Ki-Duk’s Address Unknown for 26th June 2006 priced at £19.99. Having become colonised by Japan, Korea became a country that has battled with civil war and occupation. In that atmosphere, people have strived to find love and happiness. Three teenage boys hope to escape through courting women abroad, but all the time their letters get returned 'address' unknown'.
Features include:

Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
DD2.0, DD5.1 & DTS 5.1 Surround
Introduction by Kim Ki-Duk
Interview with Kim Ki-Duk
Trailer

[Yesterday's Rumor Confirmed]: Lionsgate has officially confirmed that they're going to be delaying their first two waves of Blu-ray Disc titles. Their first wave (Crash, Lord of War, The Punisher, Saw and Terminator 2: Judgment Day), which had previously been announced for release on 5/23, will now be released on 6/27. Their second wave of titles (The Devil's Rejects, Reservoir Dogs, Total Recall, Stargate and Frank Herbert's Dune), which had been expected on 6/13, will be delayed until probably July (they'll be re-announced at a later date). So there you go. The delay is designed to better coordinate Lionsgate's high-def movie software with the U.S. debut of the first Blu-ray Disc player - Samsung's BD-P1000 - now set for 6/25. You can read additional confirmation at Video Business.
Amazon.com subsidiary CustomFlix, which manufactures DVDs on demand, has inked a deal with independent filmmaker company Withoutabox, Inc. to provide complete DVD fulfillment for independent filmmakers, the companies announced Monday.The new service will debut later this year and will provide filmmakers with a one-stop shop for complete self-distribution of their films from making film festival screeners to selling their movies through Amazon. Filmmakers will be able to manage ordering, sales and shipment tracking through WithoutaBox.com.
WithoutaBox.com currently lets filmmakers manage film festival submissions and relationships with consumers. CustomFlix manufactures DVDs on demand for independent filmmakers: When a film is sold on Amazon, the disc is made and shipped to the customer. DVDs created through the new service will include 4-color disc printing, an Amaray-style case, a color cover insert and professional overwrap. Screener copies will include a unique label with festival submission data and industry screener warning labels. “Withoutabox is a natural fit for CustomFlix given both of our long histories of serving independent filmmakers,” said CustomFlix co-founder and managing director Dana LoPiccolo-Giles. The companies will announce pricing details when the service launches. As part of the deal, filmmakers can opt to have their movies listed on Amazon.com, track royalty payments and collect those payments.
Hoping to bust music DVD out of its niche status, ThinkFilm is pouring $1 million into marketing July 25 title Awesome: I F**kin' Shot That. The indie supplier wants the Beastie Boys concert film to behave closer to a theatrical disc at retail. ThinkFilm is initially shipping more than 100,000 units to stores, about double even the most optimistic projections of a typical music title. "Retailers find that music DVDs just show up and are slapped together with no marketing behind it," said Marc Hirshberg, senior VP of finance and operations at ThinkFilm. "But Best Buy is very much behind this film, and the reason they are is because we are spending the marketing dollars to show it's a cool film that people should buy."

Rumors:

Robert Englund, who originated the character of Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, told horror Web site www.pitofhorror.com that talks are underway with Halloween writer/director John Carpenter for a sequel to 2003's Freddy vs. Jason, with the addition of Halloween's Michael Myers. In an interview with the site, Englund said that he already has ideas for the plot and would like to sit down with actress Jamie Lee Curtis and producer Jeff Katz to discuss them. "My idea would of course have to take place before Jamie Lee is killed in Halloween VIII," he said. "Almost as if Freddy vs. Jason vs. Michael Myers happened in the 90s or something, kind of like Aliens goes to Springwood or something. Bring back Jamie Lee's daughter, Jamie Lloyd, and maybe she could have some sort of goth expertise that would make it to where these guys couldn't stand a chance. I'd love to give Jamie Lee something to sink her teeth into as an actress. Throw away the pills, throw away the cigarettes, throw away the little bottles of vodka." Englund also confirmed that a prequel to Nightmare on Elm Street is in the works, to be directed by John McNaughton (Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer). "I think it should go the C.S.I. route and be sort of like a docu-drama that shows his crimes against the children," Englund said. "Then you cast two of the greatest character actors you can find to play the lawyers that get him off. Then, of course, it leads up to Freddy being burned alive."
GN FilmForce continues to dole out some great pre-release coverage for Silent Hill, the based-on-a-video game horror flick from Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and Roger Avary (The Rules of Attraction). Seems that the screenwriter used the actual town of Centralia, PA, as some sort of inspiration ... and it sounds like a pretty creepy place. In 1981, over 1000 people lived in the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. But twenty years earlier, a poorly contained trash fire had set an underground coal vein alight. The mines and subterranean shafts continued to burn, making the area a danger zone, so an evacuation of the residents of Centralia began. It never finished, however. 11 stalwart Centralians remain, even though all the town's buildings have been condemned and the borough's zip code has been revoked.
You can read a brief piece on Centralia, which screenwriter Roger Avary discovered while conducting research for the Silent Hill screenplay, here. In a way, the film version of the village of Silent Hill is inspired by the real-life Pennsylvanian burg."
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will make its debut on July 13th, 2007 -- which should make for one Potter-crazy week, considering that J.K. Rowling's 7th and final chapter in the series is scheduled to hit book stores on 7/7/2007. [Book 7 of the Potter saga is as-yet-untitled.]HP5 will be directed by series newcomer David Yates AND that, for the very first time, a new screenwriter has climbed aboard the series. While the first four HP flicks have been written by Steven Kloves, Part 5 will come with a screenplay penned by one Michael Goldenberg, whom you might know from Peter Pan, Contact, or Bed of Roses. Early word indicates that Mr. Kloves will be returning for movie #6."

[gprime]

(Once again, please pin.)

News

Before Robin Williams rented an RV, before Mickey Donald and Goofy had Trailer Troubles, before They Might Be Giants wrote about it, Lucy and Desi teamed up for The Long, Long Trailer the film along with other Lucy and Desi films comes to DVD from Warner Home Video in May. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz made only three feature films together; The Long, Long Trailer; Forever, Darling and Too Many Girls. All three films come together with WB Shorts, cartoons and an excerpt from the television program MGM Parade. On May 2nd the box set arrives for $29.92 with all three films. The Long, Long Trailer and Forever, Darling will also be available seperateyl for $14.97 each.

Universal Studios Home Video have announced their North American HD-DVD releases for May 2006. Wave 1 will debut on 9th May and consist of Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), Cinderella Man and Jarhead. Later in the month on 23rd May Wave 2 will arrive and consist of The Bourne Supremacy, The Chronicles of Riddick (Unrated), U-571 and Van Helsing. Priced at $34.98 SRP each, these will be HD-30 (Single Sided) releases each offering English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround with English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. (Image (http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/4803/cinderellamanr1hddvd6fr.jpg))

BCI Eclipse continues to scour the fields of classic animation when it brings The Legend of Prince Valiant: The Complete Series Volume One to DVD July 4th.In a story from Home Media Retailing, BCI, who is partnering with Hearst Entertainment, will be releasing a 5 disc set containing 33 episodes of the show. This is Prince Valiant's US DVD debut. Released under BCI's "Ink and Paint" shingle, BCI uses this moniker "to highlight its licensed animated content." Some of the features on the DVD will be "interviews and commentaries with the creators, a storyboard gallery, a user-navigated slideshow of character paintings and background drawings and DVD-ROM links to five episode scripts."

Blasting onto DVD May 2, from BBC Video, the out-of-this-world antics of the most inept band of space travelers to ever roam the universe return for one last hurrah this spring, as BBC Video releases Red Dwarf: Series VIII. The cult sci-fi sitcom returns for its final season of outrageous adventures in an extras-packed 3-disc DVD set. Boasting over four hours of bonus features. Premiering in 1988 on the BBC and running for eight seasons, Red Dwarf follows the misadventures of Lister, Rimmer, Cat and Kryten, a group that would be hard pressed to operate a tricycle, much less a space ship. In Series VIII, the nanobots have populated the ship with its original crew. This is especially good news for Rimmer, who is now a lot less dead, but is extremely bad news for everyone else. Locked up on Red Dwarf’s prison deck, the crew joins the Canaries – a battle hardened convict army and not, as they first thought, the prison choir. Price: $44.98. (Image (http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/7595/reddwarfviii1iv.jpg))

BONUS FEATURES
* Cast Commentary
* "The Tank" Original Documentary
* Deleted Scenes
* Smeg Ups
* "Comedy Connections" Red Dwarf Special
* "Super Models" Featurette
* Storyboard Sequences
* Children In Need Sketch
* PBS Sketches and Idents
* "Fight" Featurette
* Trailers
* Raw FX Footage
* Isolated Music Cues
* "Dave Hollins" Radio Sketch
* Photo Gallery
* 16-page Collector’s Booklet
* Back In The Red – Extended
* Plus Easter Eggs


Anchor Bay UK continues to turn out the weird and wonderful in May with the release of cult horror-comedy Freak Out on 29th May for an RRP of £16.99, and animated series The Adventures Of Blake And Mortimer on 15th May for an RRP of £24.99. Set to do for serial killer genre what "Shaun Of The Dead" did for zombie flicks, the cult indie horror-comedy, Freak Out, will be an extras-packed, two-disc edition. Already a massive hit on the independent film festival circuit and winner of both the Best Genre Cross Over Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Commendation Award at Manchester's International Festival of Fantastic Films, Freak Out has been hailed by acclaimed horror director Mick Garris (Masters Of Horror; The Shining) as "a wild, woolly sledgehammer to the face of Hollywood conformity." Four years in the making, Freak Out is a hilarious and irreverent parody of the slasher genre, packed with juvenile double-entendres, witty pop-culture references and knowing nods to numerous horror classics.

Based on the popular comics and graphic novels by Edgar P. Jacobs, a close friend and collaborator of Tintin creator Hergé, the animated The Adventures Of Blake And Mortimer comes to DVD as a four-disc collection featuring all 26 episodes of the celebrated series. Directed by Stephane Bernasconi (director of the 1990 animated Tintin series) and co-written by Eric Rondeaux (Excalibur; Tintin; Insektors), The Adventures Of Blake And Mortimer chronicles the mystery-solving exploits of the eponymous heroes, RAF officer and MI5 agent, Francis Percy Blake, and his gentleman scholar associate, Professor Philip Angus Mortimer. From London to Paris, Cairo to Tokyo, Blake and Mortimer spend their days investigating the unknown and saving the world from evil dictators, crazed megalomaniacs and mad scientists, who more often than not have some nefarious connection to their notorious nemesis, the mercenary criminal adventurer Colonel Olrik. With plots involving space trips, time travel, vast journeys across land and sea and a strong undercurrent emphasising the importance of friendship and commitment to duty, The Adventures Of Blake And Mortimer has something to appeal to viewers of all ages, particularly fans of Tintin and Asterix. Having begun life in 1946 as a serialised comic strip in Tintin magazine, before being published as a series of graphic novels, The Adventures Of Blake And Mortimer has since become one of the most popular and successful series of comic books in Europe with sales in excess of 15 million copies to date.



Rumors

No rumors of note today.

[gprime]

News

Universal Studios Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of The Incredible Hulk: The Complete First Season for 18th July 2006 priced at $39.98 SRP. Bill Bixby and Lou Rerrigno star in the original TV series. Episodes are spread across four-discs (all DVD9) presented in 1.33:1 Full Frame with English Mono sound and English SDH subtitles. Extras are TBC.

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of 16 Blocks for 13th June 2006 priced at $28.98 SRP. An aging cop (Bruce Willis) is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness (Mos Def) from police custody to a courthouse. There are however forces at work trying to prevent them from making it. Available in separate Widescreen and Full Screen editions features include:


English & French DD5.1 Surround
English, French & Spanish subtitles
Alternate endings: Includes shocking alternate ending not shown in theaters; can be viewed by itself or branched from film
Deleted scenes with Commentary by director Richard Donner and writer Richard Wenk
Theatrical Trailer


Smells of box office desperation are global. Japanese company NTT Communications Corp will install fragrance-releasing equipment (read: giant Glade Plug-Ins) in several Japanese theaters premiering New Line's The New World later this month. According to Kyodo News, the scent generators will be located under "aroma premium seats" and will mix different herbs and oils during seven key scenes. Unlike the 1960's Smell-O-Vision however, the scents will enhance the senses and not try to match the fragrances onscreen. The company also plans to produce a $620 home version to synchronize with DVDs.

Magnolia Home Entertainment will release The World's Fastest Indian on June 13th. Based on a true story, the film stars Anthony Hopkins as New Zealander Burt Munro who set the land-speed world record in 1962 on a 1920s-era Indian motorcycle. The disc arrives with an anamorphic transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1, a cast & crew commentary track, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage. Retail is $26.98.

DVD players and recorders will have a combined number of 176.6 million units sold worldwide in 2010, up from 140.8 million units in 2005, reports research firm In-Stat.

For 2006, Europe will be the strongest region for DVD players and recorders with a combined total of 38.4 million units sold, followed by North America with 37.4 million units, the market research firm anticipates.

The DVD player segment remained strong. DVD player sales grew from 114.2 million units in 2004 to 126.7 million units in 2005, In-Stat said. The strongest gains were made in portable DVD players (14 million shipped in 2005 as opposed to 11.3 million shipped in 2005), home theater-in-a-box + DVD player (13.8 million shipped in 2005 as opposed to 12.4 million shipped in 2004) and automotive (8.2 million shipped in 2005 as opposed to 7.1 million shipped in 2004), InState said.


Rumors

Information is now starting to surface about the 30th Anniversary edition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The coverart (http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7113/rhst5lg.jpg) has been leaked.

Sony Europe’s Recording Media & Energy (RME) division today announced that its first Blu-ray Disc media will ship in Europe in March 2006. Single-layer BD-RE (http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8373/bluraydiskeu4ce.jpg) (Blu-ray Disc Rewritable) media will be available in store from mid March and single-layer write-once BD-R (Blu-ray Disc Recordable) media will be available from April. Sony is also set to launch dual layer discs later this year. The single-layer Blu-ray Disc Recordable (BNR25A) and Blu-ray Disc Rewritable (BNE25A) media offer a storage capacity of 25GB, more than five times that of a normal DVD and enough for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes of video at a bit rate of 24Mbps, or 10 hours and 30 minutes at 5Mbps (1). The new generation media support 2X speed which equates to a data transfer rate of 72 Mbps (9 MB/s), making the discs suitable for video recording as well as data storage and file backup. In addition, Sony’s Blu-ray Disc media will feature its unique AccuCORE™ technology as standard, ensuring reliable data recording, increased disc protection and enhanced durability.
High storage capacity, a clear roadmap and innovative, versatile features make Blu-ray Disc media the logical optical disc format of the future – and the format at the heart of the new high definition world. Initially, Sony introduced the first generation cartridge discs in Japan a couple of years ago. Now, the new generation of cartridge free Blu-ray Disc media will offer users the convenience of being the same size and shape as a normal DVD disc, capable of doing everything a DVD can do and much more. With it, Sony is taking a forward-thinking approach aimed at becoming the number one Blu-ray Disc hardware, media and content provider. “Sony is strongly positioned to offer customers an all-embracing, high-definition experience as a result of pioneering activity in the High Definition world. Our range of integrated High Definition equipment, including camcorders, VAIO PCs, televisions and projectors, already covers everything from source to output,” commented Fritz Handtke, Marketing and Operations Director, Sony RME. “We are committed to becoming a dominant player in the Blu-ray Disc media market in 2006. Given our technological expertise, our focus is on providing thrilling new High Definition’s entertainment experiences and the highest capacity PC data storage of any optical format.” For more than 30 years, Sony has been leading the way in recording media and the company can leverage synergies from being one of the few organisations developing and manufacturing both hardware and media. Sony has a network of advanced global production facilities and will manufacture the first Blu-ray Disc media at its recording media factory in Japan. To achieve exceptional reliability and durability for archiving, the Sony BD-R discs utilise a laminar phase separation recording mechanism using inorganic recording material. The BD-RE recording and rewriting mechanism uses advanced phase-change material that alters its reflectivity when a laser changes it from a crystalline to an amorphous state and back. Sony has utilised its unique AccuCORE™ technology in development of its Blu-ray Disc technology which offers the following key advantages:

Stable Writing (BD-R/RE) – The formation of a high-precision, flat and uniform cover layer to ensure stable recording and playback. The Sony technology ensures that the fluctuation between inner and outer perimeters is a maximum of only ± 0.5 µm.
Temperature Durability (BD-R/RE) – Delivery of a disc structure which is stable against temperature and humidity changes to prevent damage from warping. The susceptibility to warping (inclination) of Sony’s Blu-ray Discs is about half of that of a CD or DVD.
Overwriting Reliability (BD-RE) – Sony has developed a durable recording layer which ensures that jitter hardly rises even after repeated overwrites, resulting in stable recording and playback.
Scratch Guard (BD-R/RE) – The scratch-resistant high performance hard coat which protects the disc against scratches. Abrasion tests show that Sony Blu-ray Discs are about 100 times more durable than discs without hard coating.
Anti Static (BD-R/RE) – The high performance hard coat results in an extremely low electrostatic charge which significantly reduces the adhesion of dust. Tests show that about 50% of generated static electricity was discharged after two minutes.
Stain Resistant (BD-R/RE) – Sony’s high performance hard coat provides for highly stain resistant discs. Stains that would normally interfere with optimal recording and playback capabilities, for example those caused by marker pen or fingerprint stains, are now repelled by the resistant coating.
Archival Reliability (BD-R/RE) – Sony has utilised its highly reliable recording material design and thorough manufacturing control to create a disc that is extremely resistant to data and image corruption and deterioration over long periods of time. Chamber tests show the error rate increase during ageing acceleration tests are extremely small. This ensures a clear picture can be played back without distortion after long archive, giving an estimated life of 30 years or more (2).


Sony is on the Board of Directors (3) of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) comprising of more than 170 member companies from the consumer electronics, information technology, media and software industries, as of February 2006.
+++++++++++++++++++
Notes:

Each recording time is calculated by each Mbps mentioned above. Actual recording time varies by hardware’s recording format.
“30 years or more” is estimated lifespan as calculated by Sony’s internal test.
As of February 2006, the Blu-ray Disc Association’s Board of Directors consists of: Apple Computer, Inc; Dell Inc.; Hewlett Packard Company; Hitachi, Ltd.; LG Electronics Inc.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Panasonic (Matsushita Electric); Pioneer Corporation; Royal Philips Electronics; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sharp Corporation; Sony Corporation; TDK Corporation; Thomson; Twentieth Century Fox; Walt Disney Pictures and Television and Warner Bros.

[gprime]

News

Hart Sharp Video have announced Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie for release on June 27th. The documentary film provides an intimate and sometimes hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the "Iraq Pack's" U.S.O tour -- headlined by comedians Jeffrey Ross and Drew Carey along with Kathy Kinney, Blake Clark, Kyle Dunnigan, Andres Fernandez and Rocky Laporte -- as they entertained battle weary GI's stationed in remote parts of the war-torn country's Sunni Triangle. Retail is $26.99.

Warner Home Video has announced a number of catalog titles due on July 18th. The Film Noir Classic Collection vol. 2 features the films Border Incident, His Kind of Woman, Lady in the Lake, On Dangerous Ground, The Racket and a bonus documentary. Retail is $49.92. Also due on the 18th is the Tough Guys Collection featuring Bullets or Ballots, City For Conquest, Each Dawn I Die, 'G' Men, San Quentin and A Slight Case of Murder. Retail is $59.92. Individual titles are available at $19.97 apiece.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Yellowbeard on June 27th. The 1983 pirate comedy stars Monty Python's Graham Chapman and Eric Idle, along with a bunch of cameos including Cheech & Chong, John Cleese, James Mason and - in his final role - Marty Feldman. The bare-bones disc will include an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital Surround track. Retail is $14.94.


Rumors

None to report.

[gprime]

News

Also announced from Anchor Bay is the new horror film Room 6, starring Christine Taylor, Jerry O'Connell and Kane Hodder. Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, extras include an audio commentary with writer/director Mike Hurst and producer Mark A. Altman, "The Hospital From Hell" featurette, trailers and the complete screenplay via DVD-ROM. Due on June 13th, retail is $19.98.

Max Fleicher's Superman cartoons have long been in the public domain and have been subject to a slew of substandard DVD releases (the kind that go for $1.00 from a big cardboard box at retail stores). VCI Entertainment has finally taken the time to give credence to these classics with Superman The Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection. Fleischer Studios produced seventeen Superman cartoons and were shown to audiences between 1941 and 1943. It was typical for movie theatres to show at least one short cartoon before the feature film, which has since been replaced with straight advertising. This was the original venue for the Superman cartoons. The Superman cartoons have been fully restored to their original glory by VCI. The DVD also has some special features including a VCI exclusive recorded phone interview with the voice of Lois Lane herself… Joan Alexander. VCI has also put together a special bonus extra called Behind the Cape. The extra will take you thru each episode, giving you an episode synopsis, credits, and fun facts of each cartoon. Also included on this DVD are bios and a special insert booklet “The Super Guide to the Fleischer Superman Cartoons”.
The set will arrive on May 30th and will be priced at only $9.99.

[Saw Details Leaked] True to SAW form, the third installment in the horror franchise will have a short window from filming to release. Shooting on SAW III will begin on May 1st in Toronto for a release this October. As such, casting is currently underway for the film, which will return Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith to the roles of Jigsaw and Amanda respectively. Two of our new victims are Lynn and Jeff one of whom runs quickly afoul of Jigsaw. Lynn is a married mother in her late 30s who is kidnapped by Jigsaw. As you might expect all is not sunny on Lynn's front who's got some dark secrets she's keeping from her family. Then there's Jeff, a dad who has never recovered fully after his son died. It was an accident but he's never been able to forgive himself. how he fits into the SAW legacy is being kept a mystery. Producers are looking for name actors for both of the roles, which should be cast in the next week or so. Darren Bousman is returning to direct the film with a script by Leigh Whannel. We'll have more on SAW III as filming approaches so stay tuned!


Rumors

No rumors to report.

[gprime]

News

Paramount Home Entertainment will release Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth on August 18th. The 1992 sequel will be presented with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital Surround sound. No extras and the film is still its 93-minute R-rated cut. Retail will be $14.99.



Today the first round of HD-DVD titles are being put on shelves for purchase. Toshiba has already reported strong sales for their player. We'll see how the titles do in the week to come. Format wars may come, but unlike the Laserdisc community of a decade ago, I think DVD owners are looking forward to this exciting new chapter.



BFI Video has announced the UK DVD release of The Lost World of Friese-Greene for 3rd May 2006 priced at £19.99. Following the success of their collaboration on The Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon, the BBC and the British Film Institute have co-produced a new television series, The Lost World of Friese-Greene beginning on BBC Two on Tuesday 18 April, which will be released on DVD immediately after the final episode is broadcast.
In 1924 pioneering filmmaker Claude Friese-Greene embarked on an intrepid road trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He recorded his journey on film, using an experimental colour process that he had developed with his father, William Friese-Greene. The result was a remarkable travelogue called The Open Road. Reviewers hailed it as an amazing success at which audiences would ‘gasp with wonder’, since they had previously only seen their world recorded in black and white. Eighty years after Claude’s original trip, the BBC and the British Film Institute have recreated the journey, and in this three-part series Dan Cruickshank boards a vintage car and retraces Claude’s route through the heart of Britain. Drawing fully on Claude’s original footage, which has been meticulously restored by the bfi, this wonderful series affords contemporary audiences a vibrant glimpse at life in the 1920s, and a chance to examine not only how much has changed, but also all that has remained the same since that time. On the route through scenic West Country, into Wales, up the west coast to Scotland, and on to John O’Groats, we hear from a cast of characters - not only relatives and friends of those who appear in Claude’s footage, but those who featured in the films as children, and who describe the moving experience of encountering themselves within this beautiful footage.
Episode 1 - Land’s End to Weston-super-Mare
Episode 2 - Cirencester to Carlisle
Episode 3 - Gretna Green to John O’Groats

Extras:
More Stories - Cinematographer Jack Cardiff (The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus and A Matter of Life and Death) remembers Friese-Greene, plus extended interviews with those who feature in this series, including the grandson of landscape artist Lamorna Birch, and son of legendary Cardiff footballer Hughie Ferguson.



Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have announced the Region 1 DVD release of The Princess Bride (2-Disc Collector’s Edition) for 13th June 2006 priced at $24.96 SRP. Returning to DVD as a 2-Disc Collector’s Edition this timeless and enchanting fairytale directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman will, for a limited time, also feature collectible packaging - the Buttercup Edition for the romantic and the Dread Pirate Edition (http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/2753/princessbrider1sev11gu.jpg)for the swashbuckler. Both editions will be available for an SRP of $24.96 and feature all-new bonus materials, including an historical analysis of the Dread Pirate Roberts, Storybook Romance and Miraculous Makeup featurettes, the Quotable Battle of Wits Trivia game, an all-new 8-page collectible Guide to Florin, making of documentaries, director and writer commentaries and much more! The Buttercup Edition (http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/9253/princessbrider1sev28qx.jpg) will highlight the romance and fantasy of The Princess Bride and will appeal to families and female fans, while the Dread Pirate Edition will please the film’s male and cult fans by embellishing its adventurous and comedic theme. Features on both editions include…


Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
English DD5.1 Surround
French and Spanish audio
English, French and Spanish subtitles
Audio Commentary by Director Rob Reiner
Audio Commentary by Author William Goldman
”Dread Pirate Roberts: Greatest Legend of the Seven Seas” Historical Analysis
“Love is like a Storybook Story” Documentary
“Miraculous Make-up” Featurette
The Quotable Battle of Wits Trivia Game
“As You Wish: The Story of The Princess Bride” Documentary
Cary Elwes’ Home Movies
Original 1987 Featurette
Vintage Making-Of Documentary
Original Theatrical Trailer
8-Page Fezzik’s Guide to Florin - Collectible Booket




Fox Home Entertainment have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of The Fly (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) for 29th May 2006 priced at £69.99. Released to mark the 20th Anniversary of David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of the classic horror this 7-disc limited edition and numbered box set includes brand new special editions of The Fly (1986) and The Fly II, alongside the original The Fly (1958) and The Return of the Fly PLUS the long awaited Curse of The Fly, previously unreleased on DVD until now.

The Fly Ultimate Collector’s Edition DVD Box Set includes:

The Fly (1958)
The original version of The Fly is renowned as the seminal monster movie of the 1950s starring classic horror star Vincent Price. Fanatical inventor Andre Delambre (David Hedison) becomes obsessed with his latest creation, a matter transporter. However, when testing the device on himself, a fly accidentally gets caught in the machine and the scientist and insect end up horrifically mutated with the head and arms of each other! Eventually, Andre’s wife Helene (Patricia Owens) discovers the secret and must kill the thing her husband has become, but can she do it?

The Return of the Fly
François Delambre (Vincent Price) returns in this sequel to help Andre’s son, Philippe (Brett Halsey) who naively continues his father's work exploring the forbidden science of transmigration, only to befall the same fate as him. Set fifteen years later, the story follows Philippe’s rampage as half-man, half-fly to seek revenge with his thousand eyes, killing anybody that stands in his way…

Curse of the Fly
The Delambre’s are back in this final instalment of the original trilogy. This time, three family descendents are still trying to perfect the transportation machine their elders failed to… However, things take a turn for the worse when one of the trio marries a woman who not only happens to be on the run from a local mental institution but whose meddling uncovers botched human experiments that have the whole family trying to escape… with disastrous consequences.

The Fly (1986) 20th Anniversary Special Edition
David Cronenberg’s acclaimed remake stars Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Fully restored to it’s gory glory, The Fly has been given the full Special Edition treatment on DVD to mark the film’s 20th Anniversary. The two disc set contains ear dropping, never-before-seen bonus material including an audio commentary by Cronenberg, a 3-part documentary ‘Fear of the Flesh’, featurettes, deleted scenes, branching clips, stills gallery and much more!

Scientist Dr Seth Brundle's (Goldblum) matter transportation project goes horribly wrong when he decides to use the ultimate guinea pig - HIMSELF! Unknown to Seth, he is not alone… A fly is caught in the pod when he tries his experiment and his human DNA is interwoven with that of the insect, insidiously transforming him into a super-agile, super-strong mutation. Seth's only true love, Veronica (Davis), watches helplessly as Seth mutates into a mere shadow of his former self, unable to control the urges and appetites that he now feels.

The Fly II Special Edition
A new generation of horror is born when Eric Stoltz stars as Martin Brundle, the son of the brilliant but unfortunate genius Dr Seth Brundle. Seth's matter transportation equipment has been taken over by Bartok Industries, hoping to harness the power of his invention. Martin, though only five years old, has already matured into a full grown man in the clinical environment of Bartok Industries. Unknowingly to him, the megalomaniac Bartok (Lee Richardson) plans for Martin to be a specimen in his research. But Martin has inherited more than just intelligence from his father. His insect blood begins to take control until he himself becomes a grotesque mutant. Like father, like son...

This Special Edition DVD contains two discs loaded with extra material including an audio commentary by Director Chris Walas and film historian/archivist Bob Burns, a documentary ‘Transformations: Looking Back at The Fly II’, alternate ending, a on video production journal, featurette, storyboards, stills gallery and much more!

Images (1 (http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/1871/theflyr2uce2d0rt.jpg), 2 (http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/1316/theflyr2uce3d0tw.jpg), 3 (http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/9336/theflyr2uceopen0jl.jpg))



Rumors

No rumors to report.

[gprime]

News

Russian vampire sensation Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor) will be released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on June 20th. The flipper disc will include 2.35 anamorphic widescreen versions of both English and Russian cuts with English & Russian Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Bonus materials will include subtitled commentary tracks with Timur Bekmambetov and novelist Sergei Lukianenko, "The Roof" extended ending with English or Russian audio and optional commentary, and trailers for Night Watch Trilogy and other Fox Flix. Retail is $27.98.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the entire fifth season of the cult sitcom Married... With Children this summer.
Developed as an effective counterpoint to television’s happiest (and then highest-rated) family sitcom “The Cosby Show,” “Married... with Children” premiered on April 5, 1987, changing the face of family sitcoms forever, lasting for 267 episodes over 11 seasons. During this fifth season, “Married... with Children” reached its 100th episode milestone.
This year finds the Bundy family - loser Al (Ed O’Neill), slovenly wife Peg (Katey Sagal), ditsy tramp of a daughter Kelly (Christina Applegate), and sexually frustrated son Bud (David Faustino) - continuing to live their lives in complete disharmony. Kelly interviews for a job, Al becomes the neighborhood stud, Bud gets into a car accident, Peg takes up ballroom dancing, and the hapless Marcy (Amanda Bearse) marries handsome con artist Jefferson (Ted McGinley).
The 3-disc DVD set will feature the original fullframe presentation of the 25 episodes of the season with an English stereo audio track. Sadly no notable extras are being included on the release when it hits retail stores on June 20 with a suggested sticker price of $39.95.

We got first information in on Paramount Home Entertainment’s first HD-DVD titles this morning. The studio will kick off its HD-DVD catalog with three releases, scheduled to hit stores on May 30.
Lara Croft: Tombraider, Four Brothers and U2: Rattle & Hum will be the first three HD-DVD titles to be released, sporting the dark red HD-DVD case. Sadly the studio has not yet unveiled any specific details about the contents of these releases but we expect those details to come through any day, and of course we will keep you posted.

Adult films have been there since the beginning of every video format in history. HD-DVD is no exception. one day after the format launch High Def Home Entertainment promises a batch of classic and original adult films starting with the classic Deep Throat. No release date yet, but stay tuned.

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Xiaolin Showdown: The Complete First Season for 8th August 2006 priced at $19.98 SRP. For the first time ever, fans can own the entire first season of this animated, mystical comedy series starring monk-in-training Omi, hip-hop girl Kimiko, street-smart Raimundo and Texas cowboy Clay as they fight to save the world from the wicked Jack Spicer. Xiaolin Showdown: The Complete First Season follows the adventures of warriors-in-training Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo and Clay as they search the globe for Shen-Gong-Wu, ancient artifacts that hold both good and evil supernatural powers. Tune in as Dojo, the 40-foot dragon, leads the warriors in a fight against evil boy genius Jack and his robot army who are on the hunt to gain Shen-Gong-Wu and harness their powers for world domination. The race heats up as each artifact is found and a Xiaolin Showdown – an intense winner-take-all double-dare – shapes up. Blending cool martial arts, magical powers and stunning action, these high-stakes matches will take you beyond the edge of animated excitement and fun! All 13 action packed episodes from the entire first season are spread across 2 discs. (Cover (http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/984/xialoinshowdowns1r1pack1uc.jpg))



Rumors

None to report.


(Big list of fuller updates due tommorow.)

[gprime]

News

[From Sazuma's Blog] "Almost a year has passed since our Subconscious Cruelty: Deluxe Edition has been released. But we weren’t lazy in the meantime. We came up with a concept for an entire batch of new titles which will be known as the “Italian Genre Cinema Collection“.
The first film in this series will be the rare and long sought-after 1975 Sergio Martino effort Morte Sospetta di una Minorenne aka Suspected Death of a Minor aka Too Young to Die – the perfect film to kick off a high-quality collection of Italian genre classics as it is a crossover of two of the most popular Italian genres from the 60s/70s, the giallo and the poliziesco.
As all future releases within the collection, Morte Sospetta will be transferred from its original negative into a great-looking 2.35:1 anamorphic DVD-master. Bonus features are still TBA, but we’re trying hard to come up with some interesting extras – not only for the first entry in the collection but all future titles as well.

Best possible quality will be our main objective for the collection. Apart from the perfection in specs and features, we put much thought in the packaging: Each title will arrive in a numbered digipak which will feature the same basic design (see screenshot for an unfinished layout screenshot of the back cover, incomplete with pictures from a different film and temp text) so that the entire collection will look real neat on your shelf. The only difference between the titles will be the original poster artwork on the front and the colored stripes, which are coming in a different shade for each genre: Gialli will be yellow (sure thing), a poliziesco is green, horror red, and erotic titles will be blue."

In the gritty tradition of "City of God" comes the 2005 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film, Tsotsi from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Based on the novel by Athol Fugard, this compelling story of crime and redemption arrives on July 18th with a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer, Zulu Dolby Digital 5.1 original language track and English & Spanish subtitles. Extras include a feature commentary with writer/director Gavin Hood, deleted acenes and alternate endings (with optional commentary), "The Making Of Tsotsi" featurette and Gavin Hood's short film "The Storekeeper." Retail is $29.99.

We don't have any specs yet, but I thought you might like to know that Paramount will release Apocalypse Now Redux: Special Collector's Edition in August. You can read more about what promises to be the "kitchen sink" edition of Coppola's masterpiece in our "Rumor Mill."

HBO's most ambitious and expensive series to date arrives onto DVD on August 15th. Spread over six discs, all twelve episodes of Rome: The Complete First Season will be presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1.

The bonus materials will include eight audio commentary tracks with the cast & crew; "All Roads Lead To Rome" interactive onscreen guide prepared by the series' historical consultant Jonathan Stamp; "Shot x Shot: Caesar's Triumph" and "Shot x Shot: Gladiator" featurettes detailing the productions of two key sequences from episodes 10 and 11; "The Rise of Rome" behind-the-scenes on the sets, wardrobe and actors' boot camp; "When In Rome" featurette on Roman culture; "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" introduction to the characters; photo gallery with 50 never-before-seen images; an 8-page "Roman Character Guide" booklet featuring names, profiles, relationships and other key information. Retail will be $99.98. Click the cover for a super-size look at the packaging!

Fox Home Entertainment have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (30th Anniversary Edition) for 22nd May 2006. Re-live Richard O’Brien’s cult phenomenon of cosmic pleasure with the 30th Anniversary Edition three disc DVD box set (RRP: £24.99), featuring The Rocky Horror Picture Show 2– disc DVD and never-before-seen Shock Treatment 1-disc DVD.

Alternatively you can feed your devotion with one of 10,000 individually numbered ‘Lips’ box sets, containing a host of delicious collector’s items from planet Transsexual (RRP: £69.99). The box set includes The Rocky Horror Picture Show 2-disc DVD, Shock Treatment 1-disc DVD, Shock Treatment CD soundtrack (currently only available on import), 1x 24 page comic book, Audience Participation Book (currently out of print) and 3x photo stills taken by Mick Rock.

With an all star cast, The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows the sexually charged adventures of Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) as they stumble across the bizarre residence of gender-bending Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). All hell brakes lose when the transvestite doctor unveils his latest creation (Rocky Horror) at the annual convention of visitors from the planet Transsexual. This classic all-singing, all-dancing film is a sinful homage to horror, sci-fi, B-movies and rock music!

The 2-disc DVD included as part of these sets is the same as the existing release.

The long awaited sequel Shock Treatment is arriving on DVD for the first time! Janet (Jessica Harper) and Brad (Cliff De Young) are now married and living back in their hometown of Denton. The town has become a giant TV station and the residents are either participants or viewers. As Janet is enjoying the high life, Brad is incarcerated in a mental institute and must woo back Janet before he loses her forever! Also starring original cast members Richard O’Brien and Patricia Quinn, and TV personality Ruby W. (Cover (http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4073/rhps30thgiftset6tv.jpg))

Metrodome have announced the UK DVD release of Nick Broomfield: The Early Years for 8th May 2006 priced at £34.99. For nearly 30 years, Nick Broomfield has been forging a path through the world's documentary film community with his distinctive and inimitable style.

Following the enormous success of their Documenting Icons Box Set in March 2005, Metrodome are proud to present an 8 film retrospective box set of Broomfield’s early period.

Capturing the nascent style and working methods of the filmmaker, developed between 1970 and 1991, 'The Early Works' brings together Broomfield’s work from the National Film & Television School, pioneering and controversial social documentary & the birth of his signature style - highlights of an astonishing and varied career.

From the slums of Liverpool to the detention centers of California; from the disturbingly right wing Home Counties to the luckless bright lights of a Broadway show; and from the appalling conditions of Britain’s youth institutions into the unique mind of Spalding Gray, Broomfield's camera and distinctive boom-mic-wielding presence are unyielding in their pursuit of the very human stories permeating his wildly diverse subjects.

”Who Cares” (1970) – Broomfield’s very first film, shot in black and white on a small wind up Bolex camera, provides a unique snapshot of life in the slums of Liverpool in 1970. 18 mins

”Proud to be British” (1973) – Made during his years at the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, Bucks, the film is Broomfield’s wry but ultimately troubling examination of the very British attitudes of the affluent and influential area of England. 30 mins

”Behind the Rent Strike” (1974) – A graduation project, inspired by the stories and characters Broomfield encountered during the making of “Who Cares”, this angry and enlightening film, tells of the dignified, human struggle behind a national scandal. 50 mins

”Juvenile Liason” (1975) & ”Juvenile Liason II” (1990) – Referred to as ‘The Film The Police Arrested’, Broomfield’s scathing account of the Lancashire Police Force Liaison Division’s handling of young, sometimes pre-teen, petty offenders is both devastating and deeply moving. Its sequel, reacquaints us with the lives of the children and officers involved, examining the scars left by the stark events of “Juvenile Liaison”. Both films are a sobering reminder that the need for change and social reform is never cut and dried, straightforward or simple. 97 mins/87 mins

”Tattoed Tears” (1978) – An intimate, hands on encounter with a maximum security juvenile correctional facility in Chino California, Broomfield’s film becomes a 13 week odyssey into Hell, charting with great compassion many young men’s struggle for survival in a brutal and uncaring environment. 85 mins

”History Reel” - Broomfield's personal overview of his diverse and divisive career, featuring clips and commentary from 3 decades of acclaimed documentary filmmaking. 70 mins

”Driving Me Crazy” (1988) – Both uproariously funny and unerringly cautionary, Broomfield’s behind-the-scenes document of the making of a musical becomes a ceremonious unmaking-of as egos, budgets and general calamity conspire to ruin the best efforts of all involved in the New York rehearsals for an extravagant, glitzy production. 85 mins

”Monster in a Box” (1991) – Not unlike Jonathan Demme’s “Swimming To Cambodia”, Broomfield unique film presents his interpretation of the inimitable Spalding Gray’s impressionistic, riotous and insightful one man show detailing an artist’s devastating struggle with writer’s block and the surreal, hilariously monstrous turn of events it precipitates. 88 mins

Every film includes a newly recorded video introduction by Nick Broomfield. (Cover (http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1520/nbroomfieldearlyyearsr2front0h.jpg))



Rumors

Word from Italy, the Cecchi Gori Home Video forums to be exact, is that they will be releasing "Lizard in a Womans Skin" very soon onto the Italian R2 market. The moderator of the forums Kenagh, as soon as he announced the impending release, has been inundated with requests about aspect ratio, AV quality and most importantly will they release it uncut and in widescreen unlike Shriek Show's release. It was reported today that they will have more information about the release next week. Fingers crossed that it's good news!

DVD producer Kim Aubry has revealed to "Home Media Retailing" magazine that he and his team at Zoetrope Aubry Productions have been hard at work for the past 15 months on an upcoming special edition DVD re-release of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 masterpiece Apolcalypse Now. Dubbed "Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier," this multi-disc set will include both the original and extended "Redux" versions of the film, along with a patrol boat-load of newly-produced documentaries that will explore the film's troubled production in full detail.

Fans of Coppola's will be happy to hear that Aubry is also working on a long-requested special edition of 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula. Not much is revealed about this release except that it will include, among other things, a special "art student" branching feature which will take viewers from the film to specific scene-related storyboards or paintings. No release date has been revealed, but expect both later this year.

[gprime]

News


Passport Video will release 100 Years of Horror on September 5th. Spread over five discs, the complete 11-hour documentary series chronicles the history of movie horror from the earliest experimental chillers through the unforgettable "golden age of movie monsters" and on through today's terrifying fright films. Written and directed by Ted Newsom ("Ed Wood: Look Back in Angora," "Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror"), all twenty-six episodes are hosted by Christopher Lee and feature interviews and appearances by John Carpenter, Robert De Niro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hugh Hefner, Charlton Heston, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Dante, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Peter Cushing and many more. Retail is $19.99.

Independent DVD supplier Hart Sharp Entertainment has inked a deal with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock to distribute a new line of documentaries under the new Morgan Spurlock Presents... label. Spurlock and Hart Sharp will pick the titles based on "distinct social relevance and importance to society and the world today," the official announcement said. The two worked together two years ago when Hart Sharp distributed Spurlock's "Super Size Me," which chronicled the filmmaker's rapid weight gain and health deterioration while eating nothing but McDonald's fast food for 30 days. The first two titles in the series will be The Future of Food, Deborah Koons Garcia's doc. about genetically modified foods and their potential impact on society, and Czech Dreams, which chronicles the adventures of two film students who set out to document the influence of Western consumerism on Czech society. Hart Sharp expects to release on DVD four to six "Morgan Spurlock Presents..." titles a year.

In a recent promotional stop at Detroit's Free FM 97.1 (WKRK), director Kevin Smith let some rather big news slip: Clerks II is currently scheduled to be released on DVD on December 5th, 2006. There was no word on the actual contents, but as with other View Askew releases you can safely assume that the disc will be packed with extras

Paramount Home Entertainment will release Wonder Showzen: Season Two on October 17th. MTV2's cult series that's definitely not for the kiddies returns in this two-disc set with eight episodes presented in 1.33:1 fullscreen and Dolby Digital Stereo. Extras include audio commentaries on the episodes "Time" and "Cooperation," a Beat Kids featurette, Clarence and the Beat Kids outtakes, First Wonder Showzen Storybook, extra annoying games and over an hour of time wasters. Retail is $26.99.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just announced plans to release Clive Barker’s The Plague on DVD this fall. Tom Russell (James Van Der Beek) returns home after doing time for murder to discover his hometown has gone mad when all the children of the world awaken from a mysterious ten-year coma. The ten years had served as an incubation period, during which the children who are now teenagers, had developed supernatural powers. Now awake, the bloodshed begins - and time is not on the side of the generation that came before these teenagers.
The DVD version will contain an anamorphic widescreen transfer of the movie as well as a pan&scan version, complete with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio. As extras you will find a Deleted Scene on the disc as well as a Commentary Track. “The Plague” will be in stores on September 5 with a $24.96 sticker price.

Sony have once again revised their Blu-ray Disc schedule with many titles now pushed back and some simply shuffled about in the June-August schedule. With the first discs and player now available to buy we have also endeavoured to bring you the full disc specs on all announced titles which can be found by following the links through to the individual announcements.

The revised schedule for June-August...

20th June 2006:
50 First Dates
The Fifth Element
Hitch
House of Flying Daggers
The Terminator

Underworld: Evolution

27th June 2006:
Ultraviolet

11th July 2006:
Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction

25th July 2006:
The Last Waltz
Species
Stealth
The Benchwarmers

15th August 2006:
Into the Blue
Memento
Robocop
RV

22nd August 2006:
Silent Hill


Rumors


"Hot on the heels of James Cameron's Cine Expo pimping of D-cinema comes this juicy rumor about the direction he's going in terms of effects for AVATAR. This is still classified as a rumor, but I have had this confirmed by other sources. If I were a betting man, I'd put money on this one panning out. Looks like WETA (LOTR, KONG) is doing the effects for AVATAR, which will be done 100% motion-capture and will be completely digital. Their mo-cap work is easily the best in the business (just look at Gollum and Kong himself if you need evidence) and this is nothing but good news. However, and it may just be me, I am a little sad to hear Cameron going 100% digital."

[gprime]

News:

Available with a 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, the single-disc edition will include "Poseidon: A Ship on a Soundstage" behind-the-scenes featurette and the trailer. Retail is $28.98. The two-disc Special Edition will also include "Poseidon: Upside Down," "A Shipmate's Diary" featurettes and The History Channel's "Rogue Waves" documentary. Retail is $34.99.

Beavis and Butt-Head are on the road and on the run in their big screen adventure, now in a kick ass special edition packed with exclusive, never before seen bonus features from the vaults of creator Mike Judge. Due on September 12th, Paramount Home Entertainment's Beavis & Butt-Head Do America: The Edition That Doesn't Suck arrives with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, commentary with Mike Judge and Yvette Kaplan, "The Big Picture" retrospective making-of featurette, "This Kicks A**!" music featurette with composer John Frizzell and Mike Judge, "The Smackdown," "Celebrity Shorts," and "12 Days of Beavis" features, TV spots directed by Judge and more. Retail is $19.99.

Paramount Home Entertainment has announced its initial slate of ten titles for the HD-DVD format. Due in stores on July 25th are Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Sahara, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. The second wave, due on August 1st, includes Four Brothers, The Manchurian Candidate and We Were Soldiers. The third wave, due on August 8th, will include Aeon Flux, The Italian Job and U2: Rattle and Hum. All will feature 1080p high definition transfers and bonus materials from their respective DVD releases. Retail will be set at $29.99 apiece.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment have announced Simon & Simon: The Complete First Season for release on October 10th. Spun-off from the equally popular "Magnum PI," the 80's favorite series arrives as a four-disc set featuring all thirteen episodes presented in fullscreen and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono tracks. Extras, if any, are TBA. Retail is $39.98.

A&E Home Video is preparing a couple of "best of" sets for fans of British Comedy. The Personal Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Best of Mr. Bean. Originally aired on PBS to rave reviews and over 2 million viewers, The Personal Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus features the Python's best moments from their entire run of Monty Python's Flying Circus as selected and introduced by the very lunatics who made Monty Python the world's premiere comedy troupe. But wait, there's more...the DVD release is packed with never-before-seen bonus features no fan will want to miss, including the naughty bits that couldn't be aired on PBS and nearly an hour of new footage with present-day Pythons. Features the The Best of Mr. Bean contains the following classic episodes from the internationally beloved series: "Mr. Bean" (pilot); "The Return of Mr. Bean"; "The Curse of Mr. Bean"; "Merry Christmas Mr. Bean"; and, "Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean". Paired with extras that provide insight into the inner workings of the Bean brain, including "The Story of Bean," a 40-minute documentary, and a Rowan Atkinson biography and filmography. Python and Bean are coming later in the year and will be priced at $44.95 and $14.95 respectively.

More LGF Street Dates: On Native Soil documentary on 8/22, Akeelah and the Bee on 8/29, Hard Candy on 9/19, a Saw II: Special Edition sometime before Halloween, An American Haunting and a Reservoir Dogs: 15th Anniversary Edition on 10/24, See No Evil on 11/28, and a Dirty Dancing: 20th Anniversary Edition for early in 2007.

Fox has also tentatively set The Devil Wears Prada for release on 12/12.

0th Century Fox has revealed that it will release its computer animated Ice Age: The Meltdown on 11/21 (SRP $29.98). Extras will include audio commentary by director Carlos Saldanha, producer Lori Forte and members of the film's crew, new character introductions, a trio of short films, multiple production featurettes, a sound-effects lab, bloopers, interactive games, clips involving the characters from Family Guy and the original No Time for Nuts short.

Paramount has set a new Jackass the Movie: Unrated Special Collector's Edition for release on 9/5.

Due from Universal Studios Home Entertainment is Spike Lee's Inside Man starring Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster — Lee is expected to provide a commentary, while featurettes and deleted scenes round out the extras (Aug. 8). Also just announced from Universal are the 9/11 thriller United 93 (Sept. 5) and the animated Curious George (Sept. 26), while double-dips on the sched include Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: Locked 'N Loaded Unrated Director's Cut (Oct. 3), Scarface: Platinum Edition in a two-disc set (Oct. 3), and Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Collector's Edition (Oct. 10). Meanwhile, on the way from the small-screen are The Office: Season Two (Sept. 12), Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5 (Sept. 19), and The Book of Daniel: The Complete Series (Sept. 26).

Coming off the MIA list from Paramount after a long wait is Warren Beatty's Oscar-winning 1981 Reds — it's just now listing at retailers for an Oct. 3 release, and while we don't have final specs, it will be a two-disc edition. Ridley Scott's 1989 Black Rain starring Michael Douglas returns as a special edition on Oct. 10, as does Save the Last Dance on Sept. 26 (leading the way for the straight-to-video Save the Last Dance 2 on Oct. 10). Also watch for two TV titles, Numbers: Season Two on Oct. 10, and Charmed: Season Six on Oct. 17.

Fox Home Entertainment have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Shock Treatment (Special Edition) for 5th September 2006 priced at $19.98 SRP. Brad and Janet from Rocky Horror are in trouble again in this funny semi-sequel, featuring an early appearance by Dame Edna.

Features include:
1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
English Mono & DD5.1 Surround
Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Fan Club Presidents "Mad Man" Mike Ellenbogen & Bill Brennan
"Making Of" Retrospective
Music Retrospective
Theatrical Trailer
International Trailer

Shock Treatment (Special Edition) will also be available as a giftset packaged together with Rocky Horror Picture Show 25th Anniversary Edition (2-Disc) in a slipcase. Retail is $29.98 SRP. (Cover (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/protectedimage.php?image=DaveFoster/shocktreatment_r1se.jpg))





Rumors:


Home Media Retailing says Lionsgate is projecting that by 2008, "some 20 million U.S. households will have either a Blu-ray Disc player, an HD DVD machine or both."

[ficti0n]

Not sure if this has been covered.

But Rights to make a remake of the Japanease movie Battle Royale, has been bought by New-Line.

Expect it by 2008.

Ficti0n

[Chris]

Not sure if this has been covered.

But Rights to make a remake of the Japanease movie Battle Royale, has been bought by New-Line.

Expect it by 2008.

Ficti0n

That will suck, American remakes of Japanese films never work, i mean just look at films like 'The Ring' and 'The Grudge', the originals were quite good, but the US versions were about as chilling as a week old kitten...