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6/15/04 V8.24

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, June 15 -- MONDAY, June 21

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, THE: DARK FURY
An all-new animated adventure that bridges the story between
"Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick," which arrives in
theaters June 11. When Riddick is captured by bounty hunters, he
must battle soldiers of fortune and vicious creatures in the
lethal slaughter cells of a massive starship. Riddick's night
vision and ruthless combat skills are all that stand between him
and a fate literally worse than death. From director Peter Chung
-- who designed and directed the "Matriculated" episode of the
"Animatrix" DVD as well as Aeon Flux -- and based on a story by
"Pitch Black" and "Chronicles" director David Twohy. Director:
Peter Chung. Voices of Vin Diesel, Keith David, Nick Chinlund,
Rhiana Griffith. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 35 min., Animated,
Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Only.

50 FIRST DATES
Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star together for the first time
since "The Wedding Singer" in this sloppy romantic comedy. Henry
(Sandler) lives an enviable life in a Hawaiian paradise, spending
every night with a beautiful tourist in search of an island
fling. It's a sweet life with no strings attached ... until he
meets Lucy (Barrymore). He and Lucy hit it off from the get-go,
but the next day she acts like she doesn't know him. It turns out
that Lucy has short-term memory loss so every night all memory of
her day is erased. But a man in love will go to any lengths to
win over the girl of his dreams, and if that means having to find
imaginative ways of doing it over again every day, then Henry's
up for the challenge. Good idea marred by some very silly
slapstick schticks. Director: Peter Segal. Stars: Adam Sandler,
Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd. 2004, CC,
MPAA rating: PG-13, 99 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $116.748
million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD:
Day & Date.

SPARTAN
FBI. CIA. Secret Service. Black Ops. Robert Scott is all of
these. And none of these. His newest assignment: find the
possibly kidnapped daughter of a high government official before
the story leaks. Robert Scott (Val Kilmer) is a career military
officer working for a highly secretive special operations force.
A man hardened by years of brutal service, he is respected by his
peers and elders in the world of espionage. When Scott is
recruited to find Laura Newton (Kristen Bell), the President's
college-age daughter, he is paired with novice Curtis (Derek
Luke), who becomes his protege. Working with a special task force
comprised of Presidential Advisors, the Secret Service, FBI and
CIA, Scott and Curtis stumble upon a white slavery ring, which
may have some connection to Laura's disappearance. As the story
unfolds, the straightforward search-and-rescue mission becomes
complicated by Curtis' naivete and the political ambitions of
those in high places -- like Burch (Ed O'Neill) and Stoddard
(William H. Macy), political operatives who may know more than
they're telling about the circumstances surrounding Laura's
abduction. Scott and Curtis are on the brink of tracking Laura's
whereabouts when their clandestine mission comes to an abrupt
conclusion as the media issues reports of the girl's death. Scott
returns to the quiet life as a rural landowner and awaits his
next assignment in relative peace. But Curtis can't rest. He
seeks out Scott to confide his belief that Laura is alive. If she
is, their continued unofficial investigation will put them -- as
well as Laura -- at the center of a dangerous conspiracy that
reaches the highest levels. Director: David Mamet. Stars: Val
Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Johnny Messner, Alexandra
Kerry, Tia Texada, Kristen Bell. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106
min., Thriller, Box office gross: $4.357 million, Warner, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

STATION AGENT, THE
Funny, original and surprisingly touching award-winning film
about finding friendship in unexpected places. Finbar McBride
(Peter Dinklage) is a dwarf who has always been a loner and has
shut out people except for a select few who share his passion for
trains. One day his life is changed drastically when his co-
worker dies and leaves Finbar with an abandoned train depot in an
out of-the way area. Finbar moves into the depot and further
isolation, but he can't stop neighbors like the pretty Olivia
(Patricia Clarkson), the chatty Joe (Bobby Cannavale), the
troubled Emily (Michelle Williams) and the curious Cleo (Raven
Goodwin) from dropping by. The harder Finbar tries to keep to
himself, the more he finds friendships that he never expected.
Winner of 2003 Sundance Film Festival awards for director-writer
Tom McCarthy and a special jury prize for actress Patricia
Clarkson. Director: Thomas McCarthy. Stars: Peter Dinklage, Bobby
Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams. 2003, CC, MPAA
rating: R, 88 min., Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $5.691
million, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

TOUCHING THE VOID
Gripping drama, based on a true story, chronicles the descent of
two mountaineers from one of the world's highest mountain peaks.
In 1985, Brits Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to become the
first to climb 21,000 foot Siula Grande, one of the tallest
mountains in the Andes. The reenactment of this event displays
the expertise with which the two men ascend to the mountain's
summit. But it's all downhill from there. When Simpson falls and
shatters his leg, the triumphant expedition turns nightmarish.
The two mountaineers offer testimonials about what went through
their minds as they confronted their own mortality, accompanied
by actors Brendan Mackey and Nicholas Aaron's dramatic
reconstruction of the climbers' miraculous survival. Director:
Kevin Macdonald. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 106 min., Bio-Drama,
Box office gross: $3.300 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental. DVD: Day & date.

TUPAC: RESURRECTION
The definitive film about one of the best-selling rap artists of
all time, exploring Shakur's life viscerally and dramatically
through his own words and music, as well as through vivid images
of the world as he experienced it. Shakur takes viewers with him
through the hard-knock journey of his childhood, the ups and
downs of his professional career, romances, life-altering
mistakes. An intimate portrait of a young man who rose from a
life of adversity into being a global icon who touched millions
of lives. The film was made in collaboration with Shakur's
mother, former Black Panther Afeni Shakur. Features never-before-
seen concert footage, private home movies and excerpts from
Tupac's poetry and journals, all of which serve to create a very
personal portrayal of a sensitive, passionate and often
provocative artist who died before his time. In addition, the
film features a soundtrack of Shakur's best-selling music, as
well as new music by Biggie Smalls, Eminem, 50 Cent and Shakur
himself. Director: Lauren Lazin. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112
min., Documentary, Box office gross: $17.707 million, Paramount,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.


For more release info, check out our calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar.htm>


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NEWS

COMING SOON:
Due July 27 from Columbia TriStar is the winner of six European
film awards and 2004 Golden Globe nominee for best foreign
language film "Good bye, Lenin!" a black comedy about the fall of
communism, directed by Wolfgang Becker and starring Daniel Brfuhl
and Katrin Sass, on VHS rental and DVD ... Teen comedy "13 Going
on 30," starring Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer and
Christa B. Allen arrives August 3 on VHS rental and DVD from
Columbia TriStar ... DreamWorks will release goofy comedy "Envy,"
starring Ben Stiller and Jack Black, on $15.95 VHS and DVD on
August 10 ... Wacky road film "Johnson Family Vacation," starring
Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa L. Williams and Lil' Bow Wow,
will drive home August 10 on $19.98 VHS and DVD from Fox ... New
Line will release romantic comedy "Laws of Attraction," starring
Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore, on $22.99 VHS and DVD on
August 24 ... Sexy comedy "The Girl Next Door," starring Elisha
Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch, will bounce to VHS rental and DVD on
August 24 from Fox ... Also on that day Lions Gate will release
Lars von Trier's very stark and weird "Dogville," starring an
ensemble cast featuring Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson, Lauren
Bacall, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Bettany, Blair Brown, James Caan,
Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzara and Philip Baker
Hall, on VHS rental and DVD ... Get scared silly with "Scooby-Doo
2: Monsters Unleashed, starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah
Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Seth Green,
Peter Boyle and Tim Blake Nelson, due September 14 on $22.99 VHS
and DVD from Warner ... Saddle your animated horse for the side-
slapping comedy "Home on the Range," with the voices of Randy
Quaid, Jennifer Tilly, Judi Dench, Rosanne Barr, Cuba Gooding
Jr., Steve Buscemi and Estelle Harris, due September 14 on $24,99
VHS and DVD, from Disney ... Also on September 14 Miramax will
release Kevin Smith's weak "Jersey Girl," starring Ben Affleck,
Liv Tyler, Jason Biggs, George Carlin, Jennifer Lopez and Raquel
Castro, on $24.99 VHS and DVD ... and, lastly, Disney will
release boxoffice and critical bomb "The Alamo," starring Billy
Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson and
Emilio Echevarria, on $24.99 VHS and DVD on September 28.

DVD COLLECTIBLES:
Timed to coincide with the theatrical remake starring Nicole
Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler and Christopher Walken,
Paramount will release to DVD the original "The Stepford Wives"
(1975), starring Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Nanette Newman
and Peter Masterson ... "The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury"
(2004) is an animated adventure tied in to the theatrical opening
of "The Chronicles of Riddick"; the anime is directed by Peter
Chung and features the voices of Vin Diesel, Keith David, Nick
Chinlund and Rhiana Griffith; from Universal. From TV to Video:
Series due this week on DVD: "Dead Like Me: Season One," a four-
disc set with 14 episodes, $58.96, from MGM ... "The Simpsons
Season Four," a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98, from Fox
... "Nip/Tuck: The Complete First Season," a five-disc set with
13 episodes, $59.98, from Warner ... "The Man Show: The Complete
Second Season," a six-disc set, $49.98, from Eagle Rock
Entertainment ... "Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Second
Season," a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $39.98, from HBO ...
"Xena: Warrior Princess -- Season Four, a 10-disc set with 22
episodes, $79.98, from Anchor Bay .. .and "Monk: Season One," a
four-disc set with 13 episodes, $59.98, from Universal.

BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
Fox will release "To End All Wars" (2001), a true story about two
WWII POWs of an elite regiment captured by the Japanese and
forced to build the infamous "Railway of Death," starring Kiefer
Sutherland and Robert Carlyle, on VHS rental and DVD ... Ardustry
Home Entertainment will release the supernatural thriller "No
Return," about a recently widowed woman whose life is shrouded by
revenge from the grave, on DVD only

FOR THE KIDS:
Disney will release this week the full-length animated feature
"Teacher's Pet," based on the TV series about a talking canine
whose ultimate wish is to become a "real boy," with the voices of
Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers,
Jay Thomas and Megan Mullally. The film is available on $22.99
VHS and $29.99 DVD; the DVD includes the series premiere episode,
a music video, a mini-doc and more.

SPECIAL INTEREST:
"Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator" is a two-disc boxed set
that documents every major event in President Reagan's eight
years in office, including rare newsreels, presidential
appearances and Hollywood footage; $39.98 from MPI Home Video ...
"Connquest: The Official 2004 NCAA Championship DVD" reviews the
entire 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and
includes extensive footage and camera angles not shown on TV,
plus a behind-the-scenes recap and interviews; $19.95 from
Paramount.


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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

Weekly listings of DVD releases can now be viewed on mobile
devices at www.tagtag.com/onvideo

** The Belly of an Architect (1987) Dir.: Peter Greenaway; Brian
Dennehey, Chloe Webb. (MGM).
** Black Hawk Down Superbit (2001) Dir.: Ridley Scott; Josh
Harnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, Sam Shepard. By
eliminating extras, Superbit DVDs are encoded at approximately
double their normal rate to provide outstanding picture quality.
(Columbia TriStar).
** The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004) Animated adventure
tied in to the theatrical opening of "The Chronicles of Riddick."
Dir.: Peter Chung; voices of Vin Diesel, Keith David, Nick
Chinlund, Rhiana Griffith. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurettes,
interview with Chung, animatic to animation storyboards.
(Universal).
** Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Second Season. Two-disc set
with 10 episodes, $39.98. (HBO).
** Dead Like Me: Season One. Four-disc set with 14 episodes,
$58.96. Extras: Commentary with the cast on the pilot episode, 32
deleted scenes, "Dead Like Me" behind-the-scenes featurette, "The
Music of Dead Like Me," yearbook of funny and quirky obituaries
on the characters who died during the first season, photo
gallery. (MGM).
** 50 First Dates (2004) Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob
Schneider, Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd. Extras: Commentary by
director Peter Segal and Barrymore; five deleted scenes; gag
reel; "Talkin' Pidgin'" Hawaiian slang featurette; "The Dating
Scene" making-of documentary; Comedy Central Reel featurette; HBO
First Look featurette; music videos: "Hold Me Now" by Wayne
Wonder, "Love Song" by 311, Live Performance of "Amber" by 311;
photo gallery. (Columbia TriStar).
** In the Weeds (2000) Joshua Leonard, Molly Ringwald, Ellen
Pompeo. (Miramax).
** The Man Show: The Complete Second Season. Six-disc set,
$49.98. Extras: Outtakes, extra footage. (Eagle Rock
Entertainment).
** Monk: Season One. Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $59.98.
Extras: Five featurettes. (Universal).
** Moulin Rouge (1952) Dir.: John Huston; Jose Ferrer, Zsa Zsa
Gabor. (MGM).
** Nip/Tuck: The Complete First Season. Five-disc set with 13
episodes, $59.98. Extras: "Giving Melodrama a Facelift" behind-
the-scenes documentary, "Realistic Expectations: The Practice of
Plastic Surgery," "Are Those Real or Fake?" makeup effects
featurette, "Severed Parts" outtakes/gag reel, "Cutting Room
Floor" deleted scenes, sneak peek at the show's second season.
(Warner).
** The Official 2004 NCAA Championship DVD (2004) Recaps the 2004
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. (Paramount).
** Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Dir.: Stephen Frears; Alfred Molina,
Gary Oldman, Vanessa Redgrave. (MGM).
** The Raggedy Rawney (1988) Bob Hoskins, Dexter Fletcher. (MGM).
** The Simpsons Season Four. Four-disc set with 22 episodes,
$49.98. Extras: Commentary, introduction by Matt Groening, voice-
over featurette with James L. Brooks, animation showcase multi-
angle feature, animatics, commercials, deleted scenes, more.
(Fox).
** Spartan (2004) Dir.: David Mamet; Val Kilmer, Derek Luke,
William H. Macy, Johnny Messner, Alexandra Kerry, Tia Texada,
Kristen Bell. Extras: Commentary by Kilmer. (Warner).
** The Station Agent (2003) Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale,
Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams. Extras: Commentary by
director Thomas McCarthy, Dinklage, Clarkson and Cannavale; five
deleted scenes. (Miramax).
** The Stepford Wives (1975) Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss,
Nanette Newman, Peter Masterson. Extras: Featurette with director
Bryan Forbes and cast. (Paramount).
** Teacher's Pet (2004) Voices of Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer,
Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers, Estelle Harris, Paul Reubens,
Megan Mullally, Shaun Fleming, Jay Thomas, Wallace Shawn.
Animated feature based on Disney's TV series. Extras: Series
premiere episode, deleted scenes, music video, song selection,
more. (Disney).
** Touching the Void (2003) Mountain-climbing bio-drama. Extras:
Making-of featurette, "What Happened Next" featurette, "Return to
Siula Grande" featurette. (MGM).
** Tupac: Resurrection (2003) Documentary. Extras: Commentary by
director-producer Lauren Lazin and executive producer Afeni
Shakur; "Remembering Tupac" (with Jada Pinkett Smith, Snoop Dogg
and many others); four deleted scenes; two interviews with Tupac
(one is never-before-seen); "Malcolm X Dinner Speech" (never-
before-seen); "Deposition" (never-before-seen); "About the
Resurrection Soundtrack" (includes Eminem, 50 Cent); music videos
"Trapped" and "Brenda's Got a Baby"; Easter Eggs. (Paramount).
** The Wedding Banquet (1993) Dir.: Ang Lee; Jeanne Kuo Chang,
Winston Chao, Dion Birney. Extras: "A Forbidden Passion"
featurette with Lee and producer/co-writer James Schamus. (MGM).
** The Wild Party (1975) Dir.: James Ivory; James Coco, Raquel
Welch, Perry King. Extras: "Hollywood Hoopla" featurette. (MGM).
** Xena: Warrior Princess -- Season Four. Ten-disc set with 22
episodes, $79.98. Extras: Commentaries by Lucy Lawless, Renee
O'Connor, executive producer Robert Tapert and co-producer Chris
Manhein; interviews with actors, producers, writers, directors
and crew; director's cut of three episodes; "Bringing Monsters to
Life" featurette; "Adventures in Sin Trade" featurette; bloopers;
outtakes; photo gallery; CD-ROM extras. (Anchor Bay).


For more DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>


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THIS WEEK'S VHS SELL-THROUGH RELEASES:

** Teacher's Pet (2004) Voices of Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer,
Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers, Estelle Harris, Paul Reubens,
Megan Mullally, Shaun Fleming, Jay Thomas, Wallace Shawn.
Animated feature based on Disney's TV series. (Disney): $22.99


For more sell-through info, check out our Sell-Through/Repriced
pages at <http://www.onvideo.org/reprice.htm>


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Copyright 2004 CyberPod. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1094-3676

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