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ONVIDEO E-MAIL NEWS
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9/21/04 V8.39

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, September 21 -- MONDAY, September 27

CARANDIRU
Based on a gripping true story, this is a harrowing and
humanistic tale of hope and survival in the notorious,
overcrowded prison in the heart of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The film
follows the point of view of a doctor who worked in Latin
America's largest jail, Sao Paulo's infamous Casa de Detentio,
better known as Carandiru. Over 12 years during his social work
visits, he hears hundreds of prisoners' stories about love,
passion, crime, revenge and friendship that portray a sweeping
and varied tapestry full of humor and pathos. The prisoners
included Ebony, an honorable thief and respected leader;
Highness, a smooth operator with two families to support;
Ezequiel, an ex-surfer turned crack addict; Dagger, a brutal
killer with God on his side. They were among the prison's elite,
the select few who ruled Carandiru by their own codes and laws. A
rule that would end in bloodshed and shock the world, culminating
in the fateful and tragic massacre in October 1992 when police
stormed the facility and brutally murdered 111 unarmed inmates.
In Portuguese with English subtitles. Director: Hector Babenco.
Stars: Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Milton Goncalves, Ivan de
Almeida, Ailton Graia. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 145 min., Drama,
Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES
A comic series of 11 short vignettes -- created and directed by
Jim Jarmusch beginning in 1986 and continuing through the present
-- that build on one another to create a cumulative effect as the
characters discuss things as diverse as caffeine popsicles, Paris
in the '20s, and the use of nicotine as an insecticide -- all the
while sitting around sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes. As
Jarmusch delves into the normal pace of our world from an
extraordinary angle, he shows just how absorbing the obsessions,
joys and addictions of life can be. Filmed in black and white.
Director: Jim Jarmusch. Stars: Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Steve
Buscemi, Roberto Benigni, Alfred Molina, Steven Wright, Iggy Pop,
Tom Waits, Meg and Jack White of the White Stripes, RZA and GZA
of Wu-Tang Clan. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Comic
vignettes, Box office gross: $1.711 million, MGM, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

DEMON, THE
Famed director Nomura Yoshitaro ("Castle of Sand," "The
Incident") and best-selling Japanese mystery author Seicho
Matsumoto combine forces on "The Demon" (Kichiku), a chilling and
complex tale of betrayal and murder. A strange relationship
develops between a man, his wife, and his mistress, and a young
boy becomes the pawn in a dangerous game of passion and intrigue
that ends in a shocking climax. Photographed in sumptuous color,
"The Demon" will keep the most avid mystery buff guessing as it
weaves an unforgettable tale of greed, lust, and obsession. In
Japanese with optional English subtitles. Director: Yoshitaro
Nomura. Stars: Ken Ogata. 1977, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 110 min.,
Thriller, Home Vision Entertainment. DVD: Only.

EPIDEMIC
From controversial director Lars von Trier ("Breaking the Waves,"
"Dogville," "Dancer in the Dark") comes the bizarre story of a
director (played by von Trier himself) and a writer who create a
script about a mysterious plague that engulfs Europe, only to
find their horrific scenario coming true in real life. Featuring
Udo Kier ("Andy Warhol's Frankenstein," "Suspiria,"
"Armageddon"), "Epidemic" is a dark and original horror film with
a twist: Is the epidemic real, or is it only a dark figment of
von Trier's imagination? In Danish with optional English
subtitles. Director: Lars von Trier. Stars: Lars von Trier, Udo
Kier. 1988, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 106 min., Sci Fi Horror, Home
Vision Entertainment. DVD: Only.

HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY
Ninety-minute documentary on the fascinating life of artist Ray
Johnson. The film looks deep into the comical, eye-catching and
mysterious world of underground idol Ray Johnson and centers
around his puzzling suicide on Friday, January 13, 1995. To many
enthusiasts of his works, as well as the general public, his
suicide was thought to be Johnson's "last performance." Though
Johnson is known by some as "the most famous unknown artist," he
has contributed to the art community for almost 50 years and has
had his collages displayed worldwide in major museums including
the Museum des Geldes, the Whitney Museum of American Art and The
Museum of Modern Art. "How to Draw a Bunny" itself was filmed
like a collage and includes art work, home movies and videos,
photographs, letters and interviews that create a complete
masterpiece when combined. Director: John W. Walter. 2002, CC,
MPAA rating: NR, 90 min., Documentary, Palm Pictures, under $30
VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

JOHN CASSAVETES: FIVE FILMS
John Cassavetes has been called a genius, a visionary, and the
father of independent film. But all this rhetoric threatens to
obscure the humanism and generosity of his art. The five films
included here represent his self-financed works made outside the
studio system of Hollywood, on which he was afforded complete
control. While about beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors,
housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, and children, all
of them are beautiful, emotional testaments to compassion.
Cassavetes has often been called an actor's director, but this
body of work -- even greater than the sum of its extraordinarily
significant parts -- reveals him to be an audience's director.
Criterion here provides stunning new transfers of "Shadows,"
"Faces," A Woman Under the Influence," The Killing of a Chinese
Bookie," and "Opening Night," in an eight-disc box set for
$124.95. Director: John Cassavetes. The Criterion Collection.
DVD: Only.

MEAN GIRLS
Fifteen-year-old Cady's (Lindsay Lohan) life changes as she goes
from being home-schooled in Africa by her zoologist parents to
entering public high school in the States. The law of the jungle
takes on a whole new meaning as she falls prey to the
psychological warfare and unwritten social rules of teenagers.
Forming a friendship with two outcasts, Cady soon finds herself
invited to join the "in-crowd," which consists of three girls
called the "Plastics." Once Cady discovers that the Plastics are
out to get her, she decides to turn the entire school against
them, only to find that she has become a mean girl herself. It's
an at-times mean and nasty film that may gives young girls some
bad ideas. Director: Mark Waters. Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Tina Fey,
Rachel McAdams, Tim Meadows. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 96
min., Teen comedy, Box office gross: $83.820 million, Paramount,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

ZERO FOCUS
From Yoshitaro Nomura, the director of "The Incident" and "Castle
of Sand," comes this compelling mystery in which a young woman
hides a dark secret from those around her with devastating
consequences. Photographed in moody black and white in near
documentary style and based on a best-selling novel by Seicho
Matsumoto, one of Japan's most famous mystery writers, the film
is a brooding tale of intrigue and suspense that will keep you
spellbound until the final shocking minutes. Director: Yoshitaro
Nomura. Stars: Yoshiko Kuga, Koji Nambara, Hizuru Takachiho.
1961, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 95 min., Thriller, Home Vision
Entertainment. DVD: Only.

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


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NEWS

COMING SOON
Triangular love story "A Home at the End of the World," starring
Colin Farrell, Robin Wright Penn and Sissy Spacek, comes home on
DVD and VHS rental on November 2 from Warner ... The Frank Oz
comic remake of "The Stepford Wives," with a stellar cost
including Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Glenn
Close, Christopher Walken and Jon Lovitz, arrives November 9 on
DVD and VHS rental from Paramount ... Warner will release Richard
Linklater's follow-up to "Before Sunrise," "Before Sunset,"
starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, on DVD and VHS rental on
November 9 ... Fox will release on November 9 the lackluster
thriller "The Clearing," starring Robert Redford, Helen Mirren
and Willem Dafoe, on DVD and VHS rental ... And also on that day,
Xenon Films will release "A Day Without a Mexican," a satire
about what happens to California when all the Hispanics leave the
state, on DVD and $14.99 VHS ... On November 23 two comedies will
debut on video: "Sleepover," starring "Spy Kids'" Alexa Vega,
from MGM on DVD and $19.98 VHS; and Steven Spielberg's "The
Terminal," starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, from
DreamWorks on DVD and $15.95 VHS ... Sumptuous martial arts drama
"Hero," starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung Man-
Yuk, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Dao Ming and Donnie Yen, will arrive from
Miramax on November 30 on VHS and DVD ... and lastly, on December
21 Buena Vista will release the tale of "King Arthur," starring
Clive Owen and Keira Knightley, on DVD and $24.99 VHS.

DVD COLLECTIBLES:
The highlight of the week, of course, is the release by Fox of
the much-anticipated "Star Wars Trilogy" in a four-disc set
featuring the first three "Star Wars" epics with a fourth disc of
goodies, $69.98 ... The folks at The Criterion Collection have
put together a beautiful package of John Cassavetes' films: "John
Cassavetes: Five Films," with stunning new transfers of
"Shadows," "Faces," A Woman Under the Influence," "The Killing of
a Chinese Bookie," and "Opening Night," in an eight-disc boxed
sells for $124.95 ... Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (1961),
starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimee,
finally arrives on DVD, restored and remastered, from Koch Lorber
Films for $34.98, with commentary by film critic Richard Schickel
and other goodies ... "Epidemic" (1968), from controversial
director Lars von Trier ("Breaking the Waves," "Dogville,"
"Dancer in the Dark"), about a mysterious plague that engulfs
Europe, from Home Vision Entertainment. Home Vision will also
release this week "The Demon" (1977), by famed director Nomura
Yoshitaro ("Castle of Sand," "The Incident") and best-selling
Japanese mystery author Seicho Matsumoto, a chilling and complex
tale of betrayal and murder; and "Zero Focus" (1961), a brooding
tale of intrigue and suspense -- also from Yoshitaro -- in which
a young woman hides a dark secret from those around her.

FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Series due this week: "Felicity Season 3: Junior Year DVD
Collection," a five-disc set with 17 episodes, $59.99 from Buena
Vista ... "MADtv: The Complete First Season," a three-disc set
with 19 episodes, $39.98 from Columbia TriStar ... "Mr. Show: The
Complete Fourth Season," a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $34.98
from HBO Video ... "Popular: Season One," a six-disc set, $59.99
from Buena Vista.

Other TV shows-to-video: "The First Churchills," a four-disc set
of the drama series chosen to launch Masterpiece Theatre in 1971,
$79.99 from Acorn Media on VHS and DVD ... "The Pallisters: The
Complete Collection," a 12-disc set of the entire 26-part PBS
miniseries, $124.99, also from Acorn Media ... and Ardustry Home
Entertainment will release "We'll Meet Again," a 2002 telefilm
adaptation of Mary Higgins Clark's suspenser starring Laura
Leighton and Brandy Ledford, on one disc for $24.98.

BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
"Asylum of the Damned" (Hellborn) (2003) is a horror thriller
about a young student at a mental hospital who uncovers a satanic
creature feeding on the minds and bodies of the institute's
patients, starring Tracy Scoggins, Matt Stasi, Julia Lee and
Bruce Payne, from Columbia TriStar on VHS rental and DVD ... "Dog
Gone Love" (2003) is a romantic comedy about a male writer who is
mistaken for being gay by a female veterinarian's assistant and
who goes along with the "lie" in order to do research for an
upcoming novel -- until the pair fall for each other, from MTI
Home Video on VHS rental and DVD.

FOR THE KIDS:
Two interesting animated films for kids arrive from First Run
Features this week: War Game," based on a true event from World
War I when German and British troops stopped the war to play a
game of football on Christmas Day, 1914, directed by Michael
Foreman, who tackles this huge theme of war with illustrations
and narrative that is gentle and reassuring for children,
featuring the voice of Kate Winslet; and "Prince Cinders," based
on Babette Cole's best-selling book that is a funny take on
"Cinderella" with the three ugly sisters incarnated as three
muscle-bound, mean brothers; both are on DVD at $14.95 each ...
for the very young there's three releases from the Brainy Baby
series (for ages 1-5) that creates videos to inspire learning and
develop cognitive skills in youngsters: "Brainy Baby English,"
"Brainy Baby Spanish" and "Brainy Baby French," $15.95 VHS and
$19.95 DVD ... the latest direct-to-video adventure of Thomas the
Tank Engine has been released by HIT Entertainment: "It's Great
to Be an Engine," featuring seven new stories of Thomas and his
friends on the Island of Sodor, available on $16.99 DVD, $19.99
DVD with an on-pack wooden railway engine, $11.50 VHS and $13.75
VHS with an on-pack wooden railway engine ... and, lastly,
there's "Blue's Clues: Bluestock," featuring four animated
episodes from the popular preschool show, from Paramount.

SPECIAL INTEREST:
"500 Nations" (1995) is a compelling eight-part documentary that
explores America's Indian heritage, hosted by Kevin Costner.
Timed to coincide with the opening of the National Museum of the
American Indian by the Smithsonian Institution on September 21,
this powerful miniseries takes a historical look at the
indigenous people of North and Central America from pre-Columbian
times through European contact in the late 19th century. The show
takes up four-discs -- with a personal introduction by Costner --
and includes a bonus CD-ROM fifth disc that looks further into
Native American history; $59.98 from Warner ... "Buried in the
Sand: The Deception of America" is a shocking documentary -- by
political commentator Mark Taylor -- that offers uncensored
footage that shows the incomprehensible brutality of the Saddam
Hussein regime in Iraq as a reason that the United States had a
"moral obligation" to invade the country; the film is postulated
to directly counter some of the messages of Michael Moore in
"Fahrenheit 9/11"; $24.98 on DVD from CYHL Pictures/Westlake
Entertainment Group ... More atrocities: First Run Features will
release this week a new three-disc boxed set, "Hitler and the
Nazi," spotlighting three documentaries on the Holocaust: "The
Architecture of Doom," "The Eye of Vichy" and "Nazi Medicine and
The Cross and the Star," $59.95; the company will also release
"Homo Sapiens 1900," a documentary that explores the history of
eugenics, race hygiene and the quest to improve the human race,
on DVD for $29.95 ... There's a lighter note this week from Eagle
Rock Entertainment: "Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux," featuring
performances from the prestigious jazz festival, including the
Oscar Peterson Trio, Milt Jackson & Ray Brown, Ray Bryant, Ella
Fitzgerald, more, on DVD for $11.98; and "Fly Jefferson
Airplane,"containing vintage performances by the seminal
psychedelic rock group, featuring new interviews with the group's
Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casaday, Paul
Kantner and Spencer Dryden, $19.98 on DVD ... From Kultur/SRO
Entertainment comes The Official 2004 Wimbledon DVD," a chronicle
of the 118th Wimbledon tennis tournament from opening day
ceremonies through the championship finals, $24.95; the company
is also releasing to DVD four Wimbledon titles never-before on
DVD: "Legends of Wimbledon: John McEnroe," "Legends of Wimbledon:
Bjorn Borg," "Wimbledon 1980 Final: Borg vs. McEnroe" and
"Wimbledon 1981 Final: Borg vs. McEnroe," $14.95 each ... and,
lastly, Palm Pictures will release "How to Draw a Bunny," a 90-
minute documentary on the fascinating life of artist Ray Johnson,
on $29.98 VHS and DVD.


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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

** Carandiru (2004 -- Portuguese) Dir.: Hector Babenco; Luiz
Carlos Vasconcelos, Milton Goncalves, Ivan de Almeida, Ailton
Graia. Extras: Commentary by Babenco, seven deleted scenes,
"Making of Carandiru" featurette, short films on historical
footage on the penitentiary and Carandiru's destruction.
(Columbia TriStar).
** Coffee and Cigarettes (2004) Eleven short comic vignettes shot
between 1986 and now. Dir.: Jim Jarmusch; Bill Murray, Cate
Blanchett, Steve Buscemi, Roberto Benigni, Alfred Molina, Steven
Wright, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Meg and Jack White of the White
Stripes, RZA and GZA of Wu- Tang Clan. Extras: Outtake with Bill
Murray, a "Table Tops" music video featuring "Midnight Jam" by
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, interview with Taylor Meade.
(MGM).
** The Country Girl (1954) Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, William
Holden. (Paramount).
** The Demon (1977 -- Japan) Dir.: Yoshitaro Nomura; Ken Ogata.
Extras: Original theatrical trailer, liner notes by Japanese film
expert and author Patrick Macias. (Home Vision Entertainment).
** Epidemic (1988 -- Danish) Dir.: Lars von Trier; Lars von
Trier, Udo Kier. Extras: Commentary by Lars von Trier;
"Documentary Freedogme," featuring Lars von Trier and Wim
Wenders; liner notes include an interview with Lars von Trier
about the making of "Epidemic." (Home Vision Entertainment).
** Felicity Season 3: Junior Year DVD Collection. Five-disc set
with 17 episodes, $59.99. Extras: Commentaries, outtakes, behind-
the-scenes and making-of featurette, "Where Are They Now?"
retrospective, more. (Buena Vista).
** The First Churchills. Four-disc set of the drama series chosen
to launch Masterpiece Theatre in 1971, $79.99. Extras: Interview
with star Susan Hampshire, photo gallery, full-color insert with
a sampling of the love letters of Sarah and John Churchill, more.
(Acorn Media).
** Fly Jefferson Airplane. Vintage performances with new
interviews. (Eagle Rock Entertainment).
** How to Draw a Bunny (2002) Dir.: John W. Walter. Documentary.
(Palm Pictures).
** John Cassavetes: Five Films. Eight-disc box set with stunning
new transfers of "Shadows," "Faces," A Woman Under the
Influence," The Killing of a Chinese Bookie," and "Opening
Night"; $124.95Extras: New video interviews with key Cassavetes
collaborators Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk, Seymour
Cassel, Leila Goldoni, Lynn Carlin, and Al Ruban; a 17-minute
alternate opening to "Faces"; a 108-minute re-edit of "The
Killing of a Chinese Bookie," never before presented on home
video; audio commentary on "A Woman Under the Influence" by sound
recordist and composer Bo Harwood and camera operator Mike
Ferris; multiple stills galleries; a booklet featuring new essays
on Cassavetes and the films; and more. (The Criterion
Collection).
** La Dolce Vita (1961) Dir.: Federico Fellini; Marcello
Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee. Restored and remastered;
$34.98. Extras: Commentary by film critic Richard Schickel,
"Fellini TV" collection of rare Fellini shorts, photo gallery,
interview with Fellini, restoration demo, "Cinecitta: The House
of Fellini" musical montage of Fellini's beloved studio. (Koch
Lorber).
** MADtv: The Complete First Season. Three-disc set with 19
episodes, $39.98. Extras: Re-union show, unaired sketches,
outtakes and bloopers. (Columbia TriStar).
** Mean Girls (2004) Lindsay Lohan, Tina Fey, Rachel McAdams, Tim
Meadows. Extras: Commentary by screenwriter and actress Tina Fey,
producer Lorne Michaels and director Mark Waters; nine deleted
and alternate scenes with commentary by Waters and Fey; blooper
reel ("Word Vomit"); three featurettes: "Only the Strong
Survive," "The Politics of Girl World" and "Plastic Fashion";
three interstitials. (Paramount)
** Mr. Show: The Complete Fourth Season. Two-disc set with 10
episodes, $34.98. Extras: Commentary by Bob Odenkirk and David
Cross; "Crack Me Up" bloopers reel of Season One, Two and Three
outtakes; "The Naked Improv" 1998 Comic Relief appearance; "The
Grand Union" featurette; "The Mr. Show Jukebox" featuring songs
from the series. (HBO Video).
** Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux. Performances from the
prestigious jazz festival, featuring Oscar Peterson Trio, Milt
Jackson & Ray Brown, Ray Bryant, Ella Fitzgerald, more. (Eagle
Rock Entertainment).
** The Pallisters: The Complete Collection. Twelve-disc set of
the entire 26-part miniseries, $124.99. Extras: Interview with
star Susan Hampshire, 36-page viewer's guide, more. (Acorn
Media).
** Popular: Season One. Six-disc set, $59.99. Extras:
Commentaries, outtakes, behind- the-scenes and making-of
featurette, "Where Are They Now?" retrospective, more. (Buena
Vista).
** The Rose Tattoo (1955) Burt Lancaster, Anna Magnani.
(Paramount).
** Star Wars Trilogy. Four-disc set, $69.98. Disc 1: "Episode IV,
a New Hope" (Special Edition) with commentary by George Lucas,
Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher; Easter egg: credit
roll (2 min.). Disc 2: "Episode V, the Empire Strikes Back"
(Special Edition) with commentary by George Lucas, Irvin
Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie
Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min.). Disc 3: "Episode VI,
Return of the Jedi" (Special Edition) with commentary by George
Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie
Fisher; Easter egg: credit roll (2 min.). Disc 4: All-new bonus
features, including the most comprehensive feature-length
documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, Ken Burns' 2
1/2-hour "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy";
10-minute glimpse at next year's "Episode III"; "The Birth of the
Lightsaber" featurette; "The Characters of Star Wars" featurette;
"The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars" featurette;
trailers and TV spots; behind-the-scenes photo gallery; more.
(Fox).
** Zero Focus (1961 -- Japan) Dir.: Yoshitaro Nomura. Stars:
Yoshiko Kuga, Koji Nambara, Hizuru Takachiho. (Home Vision
Entertainment).

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


------------------------------------------------------------

THIS WEEK'S VHS SELL-THROUGH RELEASES:


** The First Churchills. Four-volume set of the drama series
chosen to launch PBS' Masterpiece Theatre in 1971 (Acorn Media):
$79.99
** How to Draw a Bunny (2002) Documentary on the life of artist
Ray Johnson (Palm Pictures): under $30.00

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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