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12/28/04 V8.53

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, December 28 -- MONDAY, January 3

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY
Will Ferrell stars as Ron Burgundy, the top-rated anchorman in
the San Diego TV news market in the '70s. When feminism marches
into the newsroom in the form of ambitious newswoman Veronica
Corningstone (Christina Applegate), Ron is willing to play along
at first -- as long as Veronica stays in her place, covering cat
fashion shows, cooking, and other "female" interests. But when
Veronica refuses to settle for being eye candy and steps behind
the news desk, it's more than a battle between two perfectly
coiffed anchor-persons ... it's war. But a comic war. In PG-13
and unrated DVD editions. Director: Adam McKay. Stars: Will
Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Fred
Willard. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 94 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $84.136 million, DreamWorks, $22.99 VHS SRP. DVD:
Day & Date.

CODE 46
Love story set in an eerily possible near-future where entry to
cities is heavily controlled, accessible only through
checkpoints. People cannot travel unless they have "papelles," a
special travel insurance. Outside these cities, the desert has
taken over and shanty towns are jammed with non-citizens --
people without papelles whose lives are severely restricted.
William (Tim Robbins) is a family man who works as an insurance
investigator. When his company sends him to another city to solve
a case of fake papelles, he meets a woman named Maria (Samantha
Morton). Although he suspects she's the one creating the
forgeries, he falls completely in love with her. He hides her
crime and they have a wild, passionate affair that can only last
as long as his papelles: 24 hours. Back home, William is obsessed
with the memory of Maria. He tries to see her but is refused the
necessary papers to travel. Desperate, he uses one of the fake
papelles he kept from his investigation. He eventually tracks her
down, only to discover she has been accused of a Code 46
violation. Director: Michael Winterbottom. Stars: Samantha
Morton, Tim Robbins, Om Puri. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min.,
Futuristic thriller, Box office gross: $0.197 million, MGM, No
VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

GARDEN STATE
Delightful, warm and intuitive (about the human condition) indie
film (released by Fox Searchlight) by first-time director Zach
Braff. A kind of 21st Century "The Graduate," "Garden State" is
the story of Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff), who has shuffled
through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother's death
inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A
moderately successful TV actor living in Los Angeles, "Large"
hasn't been home to the "Garden State" in nine years. But even
with 3,000 miles between them, he's been unable to escape his
domineering father Gideon (Ian Holm) and the silencing effect
he's had on his son from afar. Stunned to find himself in his
hometown after such a long absence, Large finds old acquaintances
around every corner living quite unique lives as gravediggers
(Peter Sarsgaard), fast food knights and the panderers of pyramid
schemes. Meanwhile, at home, he does his best to avoid a long-
simmering but inevitable confrontation with his father. By a
twist of fate, Large meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a girl who is
everything he isn't. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam
becomes a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth
and fearlessness give Large the courage to open his heart to the
joy and pain of the infinite abyss that is life. Director: Zach
Braff. Stars: Zach Braff, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Ron
Leibman, Ian Holm, Method Man. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 109
min., Comedy Drama, Box office gross: $24.553 million, Fox, No
VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE
After nine years, acclaimed writer-director Mamoru Oshii follows
up his cult anime hit "Ghost in the Shell" with the long-awaited
sequel "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence." It is the year 2032 and
the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost
beyond distinction. Humans have forgotten that they are human and
those that are left coexist with cyborgs (human spirits
inhabiting entirely mechanized bodies) and dolls (robots with no
human elements at all). Batou is a cyborg. His body is
artificial: the only remnants left of his humanity are traces of
his brain -- and the memories of a woman called The Major. A
detective for the government's covert anti-terrorist unit, Public
Security Section 9, Batou is investigating the case of a gynoid -
- a hyper-realistic female robot created specifically for sexual
companionship -- who malfunctions and slaughters her owner. As
Batou delves deeper into the investigation, questions arise about
humanity's need to immortalize its image in dolls. The answers to
those questions lead to the shocking truth behind the crime ...
and quite possibly the very meaning of life. Director: Toshihiko
Nishikubo. Voices of Akio Otsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera,
Tamio Oki, Yutaka Nakano, Naoto Takenaka. 2004, CC, MPAA rating:
PG-13, 100 min., Animated, Box office gross: $0.924 million,
DreamWorks, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Only.

INTIMATE STRANGERS
A beautiful Parisian woman opens the wrong door and steps into a
dizzying psychological mystery that will forever change two lives
in Patrice Leconte's "Intimate Strangers." Leconte's 20th feature
film -- the follow-up to his acclaimed "Man on the Train" -- is a
provocative love story masked in the guise of a suspense
thriller. It all begins when troubled Anna (Sandrine Bonnaire)
makes a mistake on her way to visit a psychiatrist. Accidentally
choosing the wrong office, she is greeted by William Faber
(Fabrice Luchini) who, unbeknownst to Anna, is actually a mild-
mannered tax accountant. Anna explains that she has arrived in a
state of personal emergency, and, before William can protest,
begins to expose the most intimate details of her marriage and
sex life. Startled and secretly riveted, William doesn't have the
heart to tell her his true identity. Playing along with her
misconception, he accepts another appointment as her therapist.
On her third visit Anna, aware now of who William is, angrily
confronts him with his ruse, accusing him of violating her trust
and very being. And yet ... she returns again. Soon, Anna and
William have resumed their weekly appointments in spite of
everything. Neither can resist going forward with this most
unusual, and seemingly fated, form of "therapy." William is moved
and drawn out of his shell by hearing Anna's strange, juicy
marital secrets -- feeling he is at last privy to the things men
almost never hear. Meanwhile, the more Anna talks, the more her
anxiety begins to lift -- as she realizes she has met a man who
can listen like no one else she has ever encountered. Yet when
their sessions probe deeper, William becomes suspicious. Who is
this woman who speaks of crippling accidents and controlling
husbands? Is she in danger? Is she dangerous? Is she lying?
William's own motivations are equally suspect. Does he think he
can rescue Anna? Is he simply getting a voyeuristic thrill from
her? Or is he on the verge of falling perilously in love? It's a
winding game of psychological cat-and-mouse in which the pair
chase each other into places neither one ever expected. In French
with English subtitles. Director: Patrice Leconte. Stars:
Sandrine Bonnaire, Fabrice Luchini, Michel Duchaussoy, Anne
Brochet, Gilbert Melki, Laurent Gamelon. 2004, CC, MPAA rating:
R, 104 min., Mystery, Box office gross: $2.080 million,
Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

OPEN WATER
Sleeper indie hit. Based on true events that befell young couple
Daniel and Susan (Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan) on an island
holiday. Even before they leave for the airport, Daniel and
Susan's relationship is under strain from their workaholic
lifestyles, and they need a vacation even more than they
realized. The next morning the couple, certified scuba divers,
board a local dive boat for an underwater tour of the reef. The
boat is crowded with other vacationers, and due to a series of
innocent miscommunications, the couple is, after only 40 minutes
or so underwater, accidentally left behind. What follows is the
story of their ordeal: cold, alone and miles from land, the
couple is adrift in shark-infested waters. But given their stormy
relationship, one question persists: did they lose themselves in
open water on purpose? Director: Chris Kentis. Stars: Blanchard
Ryan, Daniel Travis. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 79 min.,
Adventure, Box office gross: $30.500 million, Lions Gate, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
Milla Jovovich returns as Alice, one of
only two survivors of the contained biochemical disaster in the
first "Resident Evil," the $100 million hit that serves as a
prologue to the all-out action and horror of this sequel. The
film begins where the first left off, with Alice in the heart of
the deadly Raccoon City, which has been ravaged by the T-virus
that turns the dead into zombies. Alice discovers that she has
been subjected to biogenetic experimentation by the vast Umbrella
Corporation and has become genetically altered, with super-human
strengths, senses and dexterity. When Umbrella cordons off the
city to contain the spread of the virus, Alice teams with a small
band of elite soldiers, led by Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory)
and Carlos (Oded Fehr) to survive and escape what is quickly
becoming a City of the Dead. Their only hope lies somewhere
within Raccoon City -- Dr. Charles Ashford (Jared Harris), one of
the leading scientists for Umbrella, will help Alice and the
others escape -- if they find his daughter, who became separated
from him and now hides somewhere in the city. To rescue the girl
and escape the city, the group has to battle their way through
the relentless onslaught of the ravenous undead, as well as
Umbrella forces and terrifying bioengineered weapons, the most
deadly of which is the colossal, heavily armed assassin, Nemesis.
A true thrill-a-minute outing. Director: Alexander Witt. Stars:
Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Sandrine Holt, Mike
Epps, Jared Harris. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 94 min., Sci Fi
Thriller, Box office gross: $50.138 million, Columbia TriStar, No
SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

SHORT FILM ABOUT JOHN BOLTON, A
From cult author-cum-filmmaker Neil Gaiman -- the endlessly
creative genius behind the otherworldly film fantasy
"MirrorMask," the "Sandman" graphic novels, the BBC-TV series
"Neverwhere," and the U.S. adaptation of "Princess Mononoke" --
comes this darkly hip mocumentary that explores the question that
torments artists of every medium: "Where do your ideas come
from?" Renowned artist John Bolton's paintings of voluptuous
she-vampire nudes have earned this quiet eccentric a reputation
for having a "damaged imagination." BBC radio personality
Jonathan Ross buys his pieces, which leads interviewer
extraordinaire Marcus Brigstocke to find out what the
appeal is in Bolton's beautiful (but terrifying) artwork. Why
does Bolton demand that his gallery "monsterpieces" speak for
themselves? What does he do with that ornamental knife that he
carries everywhere? Will Marcus ever learn how to operate the
camera? Director: Neil Gaiman. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 30
min., Mocumentary, Docurama. DVD: Only.

UN CHIEN ANDALOU
Filmed in Paris in 1929, "Un Chien Andalou" is a
landmark in the history of cinema. Based on an exchange of dreams
between the Spanish duo of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, this
jolting tale of desire contains one of the most notorious and
potently metaphoric sequences in film history: A razor severing a
woman's eyeball in extreme close-up. Drawing from the vivid lives
of their subconsciouses, Bunuel and Dali's only rule was to
reject any idea that might lend itself to any rational
explanation. Intended to provoke rather than please (Bunuel saw
it as an "appeal to murder"), the film's power to shock the
viewer remains undiminished after 75 years. Director: Luis
Bunuel. 1929, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 17 min., Surrealism, Facets
Video. DVD: Only.

WICKER PARK
Intriguing "disappearance" thriller. From the moment
Matthew (Josh Hartnett) sees Lisa (Diane Kruger), nothing else
matters. She walks past the window of the shop where he works in
the Wicker Park section of Chicago, and he's immediately
captivated; he follows her, they meet, and soon they fall deeply
in love. Everything about their relationship seems perfect --
until the day she disappears without a trace. Two years later,
Matt has built a new life for himself, but he's still haunted by
her memory and the nagging torment of unanswered questions. Then
he catches a quick glimpse of someone he thinks must be her in a
bar ... but is it? Thus begins a twisting, obsessive search for
the woman who captured his heart years ago -- and for someone
who's playing with his mind right now. Intricately moving back
and forth in time and revealing the story from varying
perspectives, the film takes Matthew's search for the truth
deeper into mystery, with each discovery more deceiving than the
next. Director: Paul McGuigan. Stars: Josh Hartnett, Rose Byrne,
Matthew Lillard, Diane Kruger. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115
min., Thriller, Box office gross: $12.831 million, MGM, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

WIMBLEDON
Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is an unlucky guy, scoring
"love" both professionally and personally. Seeded near the bottom
of the world tennis ranks, he manages to score a wild card,
allowing him to play in the prestigious Wimbledon tournament.
There, he meets and falls in love with American tennis star
Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst). Fueled by a mixture of his
newfound luck, love and on-court prowess, Peter works his way up
the ranks of the tournament players and actually stands a chance
of fulfilling his lifelong dream of winning the men's singles
title -- if his luck can just hold out. Director: Richard
Loncraine. Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, James McAvoy, Jon
Favreau, Austin Nichols, Sam Neill, Bernard Hill. 2004, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 98 min., Romantic comedy, Box office gross:
$16.831 million, Universal, $23.98 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

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


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

NEWS

DVD COLLECTIBLES:
Celebrate the new year with Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou"
(1929). A landmark in the history of cinema, this is the
surrealistic masterpiece based on an exchange of dreams between
the Spanish duo of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali. Extras:
Interview with Bunuel's son, Juan-Luis; "Epilogue": Dali & Bunuel
featurette; commentary by Surrealism expert Stephen Barber;
booklet containing an abridged transcript of Luis Bunuel's 1953
address: "Mystery of Cinema." From Facets Video for $19.95.

FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week: "Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries," $27.98
from Universal ... "John Le Carre's A Murder of Quality," 1991
British TV adaptation of the Le Carre novel, starring Denholm
Elliott, Glenda Jackson and Christian Bale, from A&E Home Video
... "King of the Hill Season Three," a three-disc set with 24
episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 1," a
four-disc set with all 12 episodes from Seasons 1 and 2, $69.95
from A&E Home Video ... "Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 2," a four-
disc set with all 12 episodes from Seasons 3 and 4, $69.95 from
A&E Home Video ... "Sapphire and Steel: The Complete Series"
(1979-1982), a six-disc set of the British precursor to "The X-
Files," starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum, $99.95 from
A&E Home Video... "Sex and the City: Season Six, Part Two," a
three-disc set with the final eight, uncut episodes, $49.99 from
HBO Video ... "Tour of Duty: The Second Season," a four-disc set
with 16 episodes, $49.95 from Columbia TriStar.


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

THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

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

** Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Will Ferrell,
Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Fred Willard.
Unrated and Uncut edition and theatrical edition. Extras: Unrated
and Uncut: Commentary by writer-director Adam McKay and Ferrell,
bloopers, deleted scenes, ESPN Sports Center Audition, "The
Making of Anchorman" featurette, MTV Movie Awards, "Afternoon
Delight" music video. Theatrical edition: "Making-of" featurette,
bloopers, deleted scenes, "Afternoon Delight" music video.
(DreamWorks).
-- The Ultimate Ron Burgundy Two-Pack (2004) Includes the
"Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Unrated and Uncut" edition
and a second disc with an all-new feature-length Burgundy
adventure, "Wake Up Ron Burgundy," as well as a host of extras.
(DreamWorks).
** Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries (2003) $27.98.
(Universal).
** Blind Fury (1990) Rutger Hauer, Terry O'Quinn, Nick
Cassavetes. (Columbia TriStar).
** Code 46 (2004) Dir.: Michael Winterbottom; Samantha Morton,
Tim Robbins, Om Puri. Extras: "Obtaining Cover: Inside Code 46"
featurette. (MGM).
** Cyber Bandits (1995) Martin Kemp, Robert Hays, Alexandra Paul,
Grace Jones, Adam Ant. (Columbia TriStar).
** Fantastic Films of Ray Harryhausen: Legendary Monsters
Five-disc set, $57.95. "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963), "The
Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" (1958), "Sinbad and the Eye of the
Tiger" (1977), "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" (1974), "The Three
Worlds of Gulliver" (1960). (Columbia TriStar).
** Garden State (2004) Dir.: Zach Braff; Zach Braff, Peter
Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Ron Leibman, Ian Holm, Method Man.
Extras: Commentary by Braff and Portman, making-of featurette, 16
deleted scenes, outtakes and bloopers. (Fox).
** Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) After nine years,
acclaimed writer-director Mamoru Oshii follows up his cult anime
hit "Ghost in the Shell" with this long-awaited sequel.
(DreamWorks).
** The Intended (2004) Dir.: Kristian Levring; Janet McTeer,
Olympia Dukakis, Brenda Fricker, Tony Maudsley. Extras: Cast and
crew interviews. (New Video)..
** Intimate Strangers (2004 -- France) Dir.: Patrice Leconte;
Sandrine Bonnaire, Fabrice Luchini, Michel Duchaussoy, Anne
Brochet, Gilbert Melki, Laurent Gamelon. (Paramount).
** John Le Carre's A Murder of Quality (1991) British TV
adaptation of the Le Carre novel, starring Denholm Elliott,
Glenda Jackson, Christian Bale. (A&E Home Video).
** King of the Hill Season Three. Three-disc set with 24
episodes, $39.98. (Fox)
** Omega Doom (1997) Rutger Hauer, Shannon Whirry. (Columbia
TriStar).
** Open Water (2004) Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis,Saul Stein,
Estelle Lau, Michael E. Williamson, Cristina Zenarro, John
Charles. (Lions Gate).
** Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) Milla Jovovich, Sienna
Guillory, Oded Fehr, Sandrine Holt, Mike Epps, Jared Harris.
Two-disc set. Extras: Commentary by director Alexander Witt,
producer Jeremy Bolt and executive producer Robert Kulzer; cast
commentary by Jovovich, Fehr, and Guillory; writer and producer
commentary by writer/producer Paul W.S. Anderson and producer
Jeremy Bolt; 20 deleted scenes; cast outtakes; "Game Over:
Resident Evil Reanimated"; six-part making-of featurette;
"Apocalypse Corporate Malfeasance" featurette on the real world
similarities to the Umbrella Corporation; "Game Babes" featurette
on the emergence of female action stars in film; "Symphony of
Evil" special effects featurette; poster gallery from the film's
online poster design contest. (Columbia TriStar).
** Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 1. Four-disc set with all 12
episodes from Seasons 1 and 2, $69.95. (A&E Home Video).
** Rumpole of the Bailey, Set 2. Four-disc set with all 12
episodes from Seasons 3 and 4, $69.95. Extras: Interviews, more.
(A&E Home Video).
** Sapphire and Steel: The Complete Series (1979-1982) Six-disc
set of the British precursor to "The X-Files," starring Joanna
Lumley and David McCallum, $99.95. Extras: Commentary, photo
gallery, more. (A&E Home Video).
** Sex and the City: Season Six, Part Two. Three-disc set with
the final eight, uncut episodes, $49.99.Extras: Three alternate
endings to the final episode, two 30-minute farewell tributes
including bloopers and outtakes, deleted scenes, commentaries,
more. (HBO Video).
** A Short Film About John Bolton (2003) Mocumentary on artist
John Bolton by Neil Gaiman. Extras: Commentary by Gaiman and
actor Marcus Brigstocke; feature-length documentary on Neil
Gaiman: "Live From the Aladdin"; "The Making of John Bolton"
interview with Neil Gaiman; John Bolton photo gallery; Neil
Gaiman audio recording: "Drawn in Darkness; Neil Gaiman
biography; 10-minute interview with Gaiman, appropriately named
"A Short Film About a Short Film About John Bolton." (Docurama).
** The Twilight Samurai (2002 -- Japan) Dir.: Yogi Yamada;
Horoyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa. Extras: Interbiew with Yamada and
Sanada. (Empire Pictures).
** Venus Rising (1995) Jessica Alba, Joel Grey, Morgan Fairchild,
Meredith Salenger. (Columbia TriStar).
** Wicker Park (2002) Josh Hartnett, Rose Byrne, Matthew Lillard,
Diane Krueger. Extras: Commentary by director Paul McGuigan,
Hartnett, deleted scenes, blooper reel, behind-the-scenes photo
gallery, music video. (MGM).
** Wimbledon (2004) Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, James McAvoy,
Jon Favreau, Austin Nichols, Sam Neill, Bernard Hill. Extras:
Commentary by director Richard Loncraine and Bettany; "A Look
Inside" interviews with cast, director and legendary tennis
figures; "Welcome to the Club" featurette on the All England Lawn
Tennis & Croquet Club" location; "Ball Control" behind-the-scenes
featurette; "Coach a Rising Star" tennis coaching and training
featurette. (Universal).

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:

** Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Will Ferrell,
Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Fred Willard
(DreamWorks): $22.99
** Wimbledon (2004) Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, James McAvoy,
Jon Favreau, Austin Nichols, Sam Neill, Bernard Hill (Universal):
$23.98


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


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

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