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2/1/05 V9.5

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, February 1 -- MONDAY, February 7

FALL GUY
Winner of five awards from the Japanese Academy, including Best
Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress,
internationally acclaimed director Kinji Fukasaku's "The Fall
Guy" is a moving love story and a heartfelt valentine to the
movies. Morio Kazama stars as Ginshiro, a vain and selfish actor
whose stardom is threatened by rising star Tachibana (Daijiro
Harada). In a desperate bid to burnish his image, Ginshiro
compels a devoted member of his entourage, Yasu (Mitsuro Hirata),
to marry Ginshiro's pregnant mistress, Konatsu (Keiko Matsuzaka).
To support his new wife, the devoted Yasu becomes a stunt man,
performing increasingly dangerous stunts. Konatsu is torn between
Yasu and Ginshiro, who compels his loyal disciple to perform a
death-defying stunt that could save the film and Ginshiro's
career. In Japanese with optional English subtitles. Director:
Kinji Fukasaku. Stars: Keiko Matsuzaka, Morio Kazama, Keizo
Kanie, Mitsuru Hirata. 1982, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 109 min.,
Drama, Home Vision Entertainment. DVD: Only.

GRUDGE, THE
In this powerful horror-thriller, based on the Japanese
blockbuster "Ju-on: The Grudge," the normal facade of a modest
house in Tokyo belies the hidden terror within. It is possessed
by a violent plague that destroys the lives of everyone who
enters. Known as "The Grudge," this curse causes its victims to
die in the grip of a powerful rage. After those who are fatally
afflicted die, new curse is born -- passed like a virus to all
those who enter the house in an endless, growing chain of horror.
Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is an exchange student studying
social work in Japan who innocently agrees to cover for a nurse
who didn't show up for work. When she enters the assigned home,
she discovers an elderly American woman, Emma (Grace Zabriskie),
who is lost in a catatonic state while the rest of the house
appears deserted and disheveled. As she is tending to the
stricken old woman, Karen hears scratching sounds from upstairs.
When she investigates, she is faced with a supernatural horror
more frightening than she could ever imagine. Within this house,
a chain of terror has been set in motion resulting from a
terrifying evil that was born years before. As more people die,
Karen is pulled into the cycle of horror and learns the secret of
the vengeful curse that has taken root in the house. Now she must
stop it before it's too late. Chilling. Director: Takashi
Shimizu. Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, William
Mapother, Clea DuVall, KaDee Strickland, Grace Zabriskie, Bill
Pullman. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 91 min., Horror, Box
office gross: $104.411 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

LA COMMARE SECCA
The brutalized corpse of a Roman prostitute is found along the
banks of the Tiber River. The police round up and interrogate a
handful of possible suspects. In this, his stunning debut feature
-- based on a story by Pier Paolo Pasolini -- Bernardo Bertolucci
utilizes a series of interconnected flashbacks to explore the
nature of truth and the reliability of narrative. In Italian with
English subtitles. Director: Bernardo Bertolucci. Stars: Carlotta
Barilli, Lorenza Benedetti, Clorinda Celani. 1962, CC, MPAA
rating: NR, 88 min., Drama, The Criterion Collection. DVD: Only.

LA CIENAGA
Mecha (Graciela Borges) is a middle-aged woman with several
accident-prone teenagers, a husband who dyes his hair, and the
tedious problem of sullen servants. Nothing that a few drinks
can't cure. To avoid the uncomfortably hot and humid weather,
they spend their summers at a country estate whose glory has long
faded, where the swimming pool is filthy, but still offers some
relief. Mecha's cousin, Tali (Mercedes Moran), lives in the
nearby city La Cienaga ("The Swamp") and has a crew of small,
noisy children and a husband who loves his home, his kids, and
hunting. Before long, the crowded, rough-and-tumble domestic
situation strains both families' nerves, exposing repressed
family mysteries, and tensions that threaten to erupt into
violence. Like Luis Bunuel before her, award-winning filmmaker
Lucrecia Martel offers an unapologetic peek into the world of the
's decadent bourgeoisie. In Spanish with optional English
subtitles. Director: Lucrecia Martel. Stars: Mercedes Moran,
Graciela Borges, Martin Adjemian, Leonora Balcarce, Silvia Bayle,
Fabio Villafane. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 100 min., Drama, Home
Vision Entertainment. DVD: Only.

MR. 3000
A mediocre comedy about a retired baseball player who tries to
regain his former big-league swing and make it into the hall of
fame. Stan Ross (Bernie Mac) has been trading on his 3000 major
league hits for years, parlaying the title Mr. 3000 into a sports
bar and a larger-than-life ego. But on the eve of Stan's
induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, his world comes
crashing down when a fact check reveals that he's still a few
hits short -- he's merely Mr. 2,997. In order to score his
remaining three hits, the 47-year-old Stan has to get back in
shape and back to the big leagues. Stan's trip back to the
baseball diamond, however, turns out to be anything but easy.
Director: Charles Stone III. Stars: Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett,
Chris Noth, Paul Sorvino, Michael Rispoli. 2004, CC, MPAA rating:
PG-13, 103 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $21.572 million, Buena
Vista, $24.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

NIGHT AND THE CITY
Two-bit hustler Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) aches for a life
of ease and plenty. Trailed by an inglorious history of go-
nowhere schemes, he stumbles upon the chance of a lifetime in the
form of legendary wrestler Gregorius the Great. But there is no
easy money in this underworld of shifting alliances, bottomless
graft, and pummeled flesh -- and soon Fabian learns the horrible
price of his ambition. Luminously shot in the streets of London,
Jules Dassin's "Night and the City" is film noir of the first
order and one of the director's crowning achievements. Director:
Jules Dassin. Stars: Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie
Withers, Hugh Marlowe, Francis L. Sullivan, Herbert Lom. 1950,
CC, MPAA rating: NR, 96 min., Film Noir, The Criterion
Collection. DVD: Only.

RAY
"Ray" is the never-before-told, musical biodrama of American
legend Ray Charles. Born in a poor town in Georgia, Charles went
blind at the age of seven shortly after witnessing his younger
brother's accidental death. Inspired by a fiercely independent
mother who insisted he make his own in the world, Charles found
his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across
the Southern music circuit, the soulful singer gained a
reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he
pioneered music that incorporated gospel, country, jazz and
orchestral influences into an inimitable style. As he
revolutionized the way people appreciated music, he
simultaneously fought segregation in the very clubs that launched
him and championed artists' rights within the corporate music
business. "Ray" provides an unflinching portrait of Charles'
musical genius as he overcomes drug addiction while he
transformed himself into one of this country's greatest
performers. Director: Taylor Hackford. Stars: Jamie Foxx, Kerry
Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry J. Lennix, Bokeem
Woodbine. 2994, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 152 min., Biodrama, Box
office gross: $67.792 million, Universal, $23.98 VHS SRP. DVD:
Day & Date.

SHALL WE DANCE?
Chicago lawyer John Clark (Richard Gere) knows his life is almost
perfect. He loves his beautiful wife (Susan Sarandon), he's built
a successful career and raised two wonderful kids. And yet ...
the workday is always the same routine, the commute is a grind
and the family is usually too busy to spend time together.
Sometimes John wonders if this is all there is. But one night he
catches a glimpse of a beautiful dance instructor (Jennifer
Lopez) in the window of a shabby ball room dancing school.
Without telling a soul, he secretly begins taking dance lessons
at the studio, but he's assigned to an eccentric group class
taught by an older woman. Nevertheless, the seemingly predictable
man sticks with his new hobby hoping to catch the attention of
the young beauty, while avoiding the ridicule of his co-workers
and family. Suddenly, John is thrust into a whole new world -- of
motion, music, camaraderie and passion. As this very serious man
becomes literally light on his feet, his whole life, and
marriage, transforms. Drab U.S. remake of the runaway Japanese
hit, which Miramax is also releasing this week on DVD. Director:
Peter Chelsom. Stars: Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan
Sarandon, Stanley Tucci. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min.,
Romance, Box office gross: $42.144 million, Miramax, $24.99 VHS
SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

SHE HATE ME
Wharton-educated biotech executive John Henry "Jack" Armstrong
(Anthony Mackie) gets fired when he informs on his bosses,
launching an investigation into their business dealings by the
Securities & Exchange Commission. Branded a whistle-blower and
therefore unemployable, Jack desperately needs to make a living.
When his former girlfriend Fatima (Kerry Washington), a high
powered businesswoman and now a lesbian, offers him cash to
impregnate her and her new girlfriend Alex (Dania Ramirez), Jack
is persuaded by the chance to make "easy" money. Word spreads and
soon Jack is in the baby-making business at $10,000 a try.
Lesbians with a desire for motherhood and the cash to spare are
lining up to seek his services. But, between the attempts by his
former employers to frame him for security fraud and his dubious
fathering activities, Jack finds his life, all at once, becoming
very complicated. Director: Spike Lee. Stars: Anthony Mackie,
Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Jim Brown, Ossie
Davis, Jamel Debbouze, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Ling Bai,
Lonette McKee, Paula Jai Parker, Dania Ramirez, Q-Tip, John
Turturro. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 138 min., Comedy, Box office
gross: $0.363 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental. DVD: Day & Date.

SYMPATHY FOR THE UNDERDOG
From Kinji Fukasaku ("Battles Without Honor & Humanity") comes
this pivotal early crime drama in the celebrated career of the
director who changed the face of Japanese action cinema. Stylish
and hard-boiled, "Sympathy for the Underdog" stars Koji Tsuruta,
one of Japan's seminal figures in the Yakuza genre, as Gunji, an
aging Yakuza who is released from prison after 10 years. Gunji
lives by a code of honor that has no place among Tokyo's modern
corporate gangs. He gets a new lease on life by reforming his
former gang and taking over the whiskey trade on the island of
Okinawa. But he is forced to make a final, fateful, bloody stand
against the mainland gang that sent him to prison. In Japanese
with optional English subtitles. Director: Kinji Fukasaku. Stars:
Noboru Ando, Koji Tsuruta, Ken Takakura, Tomisaburo Wakayama.
1971, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 102 min., Crime Drama, Home Vision
Entertainment. DVD: Only.

THIEVES' HIGHWAY
Set in the world of "long-haul boys," who drive by night to bring
their goods to the markets of America's cities. Ex-G.I. Nick
Garcos (Richard Conte) is a tyro trucker bent on satisfaction
from the man responsible for crippling his father -- ruthless
market operator Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb). Along the way, he is
seduced by siren Rica (Valentina Cortese) and drawn into the San
Francisco produce racket -- landing him in a web of treachery and
heartbreak. A Jules Dassin masterpiece, the last film he
completed in America before he was blacklisted. Director: Jules
Dassin. Stars: Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb, Valentina Cortese,
Barbara Lawrence, Jack Oakie. 1949, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 94 min.,
Film Noir, The Criterion Collection. DVD: Only.

VANITY FAIR
Director Mira Nair brings to the screen one of the greatest
female characters ever created, Rebecca (Becky) Sharp, in a new
film version of the classic novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.
The daughter of a starving English artist and a French chorus
girl, Becky (Reese Witherspoon) is orphaned at a young age. Even
as a child, she yearns for a more glamorous life than her
birthright promises. As she leaves Miss Pinkerton's Academy at
Chiswick, Becky resolves to conquer English society by any means
possible. She deploys all of her wit, guile, and sexuality as she
makes her way up into high society during the first quarter of
the 19th century. Becky's ascension to the heights of society
commences when she gains employment as governess to the daughters
of eccentric Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins). Becky wins over the
children, and the Crawley family's rich spinster aunt Matilda
(Eileen Atkins) as well. The rural Hampshire household comes to
find her indispensable, and Matilda comes to confide in the
bright young woman. But Becky knows that she cannot be a true
part of English society until she moves to the city. When Matilda
invites her to come live in London, Becky eagerly accepts. There,
Becky is reunited with her best friend Amelia Sedley (Romola
Garai), who -- having grown up comfortably -- does not share
Becky's more brazen ambitions. Hewing close to the family she
already knows so well, Becky secretly marries dashing heir Rawdon
Crawley (James Purefoy) -- but when Matilda discovers their
union, she casts the newlyweds out. When Napoleon invades Europe,
Rawdon bravely reports to the front lines. Pregnant Becky stands
by distraught newlywed Amelia, whose own husband George Osborne
(Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is also called to fight. When George does
not survive the Battle of Waterloo, Becky's friendship with
Amelia is strained beyond repair. Becky is reunited with Rawdon
and gives birth to a boy, but post-war money and comforts are
sparse for the trio. More intent than ever on gaining acceptance
into London society and living well, Becky finds a patron in the
powerful Marquess of Steyne (Gabriel Byrne). Steyne's whims
enable Becky to realize her dreams, but the ultimate cost may be
too high for her. Director: Mira Nair. Stars: Reese Witherspoon,
Gabriel Byrne, Angelica Mandy, Romola Garai, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan
Rhys-Meyers, Bob Hoskins, Eileen Atkins, James Purefoy. 2004, CC,
MPAA rating: PG-13, 137 min., Drama, Box office gross: $16.088
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

COMING SOON:
Due March 1 is action-adventure Flight of the Phoenix," starring
Dennis Quaid, Tyrese, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto and Hugh
Laurie; the remake of the 1965 Robert Aldrich classic with James
Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger and
Ernest Borgnine will be available on DVD and VHS rental from Fox
... On March 15 Fox will release "What the 'Bleep' Do We Know!?"
a film that's part documentary, part story, and part elaborate
and inspiring visual effects and animations that explores the
nature of reality, starring Marlee Matlin, on DVD and VHS rental
... Due April 12 from Warner is Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's
Twelve," starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt
Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie
Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Jared Harris and Carl Reiner, on
DVD and VHS rental.

DVD COLLECTIBLES:
The Criterion Collection will release this week two classic films
from Jules Dassin: "Night and the City" (1950), a film noir of
the first order and one of the director's crowning achievements.
Starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Hugh
Marlowe and Herbert Lom, the film follows two-bit hustler Harry
Fabian (Widmark), who aches for a life of ease and plenty but who
has an inglorious history of go-nowhere schemes. "Thieves'
Highway" (1949) is set in the world of "long-haul boys" who drive
by night to bring their goods to the markets of America's cities,
starring Richard Conte as a tyro trucker bent on satisfaction
from the man responsible for crippling his father -- ruthless
market operator Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb) -- embroiling him in a
web of treachery and heartbreak. A Dassin masterpiece, the last
film he completed in America before he was blacklisted. Also from
Criterion this week is "La commare secca" (1962 -- Italy)
Bernardo Bertolucci's stunning debut feature in which the
director uses a series of interconnected flashbacks to explore
the nature of truth and the reliability of narrative when the
brutalized corpse of a Roman prostitute is found along the banks
of the Tiber River and the police round up and interrogate a
handful of possible suspects.

From Home Vision Entertainment comes two Kinji Fukasaku ("Battles
Without Honor & Humanity") films: In "Fall Guy" (1982) Fukasaku
creates a moving love story and a heartfelt valentine to the
movies in which a vain and selfish actor, Ginshiro, whose stardom
is threatened by rising star Tachibana, compels a devoted member
of his entourage, Yasu, to marry Ginshiro's pregnant mistress and
become a stunt man, performing increasingly dangerous stunts that
could save the film and Ginshiro's career. "Sympathy for the
Underdog" (1971) is a pivotal early crime drama in the celebrated
career of the director who changed the face of Japanese action
cinema. Stylish and hard-boiled, "Sympathy for the Underdog"
stars Koji Tsuruta, one of Japan's seminal figures in the Yakuza
genre, as Gunji, an aging Yakuza who is released from prison
after 10 years and is forced to make a final, fateful, bloody
stand against the mainland gang that sent him there.

And from Warner Home Video comes the classic "The Life of Emile
Zola" (1937), starring Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph
Schildkraut, Gloria Holden and Donald Crisp, with such extras as
three Vintage Vault Treasures (dramatic short "The Littlest
Diplomat," musical short "Romance Road," cartoon "Ain't We Got
Fun).

FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week: "The Brak Show Volume 1," a two-disc set with 14
episodes of the Cartoon Network Adult Swim show, $29.98 from
Warner ... "Charmed: The Complete First Season," a six-disc set
with 22 episodes, under $40.00 from Paramount ... "Cheers -- The
Complete Fourth Season," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, under
$30 from Paramount ... "Degrassi Junior High -- Season 1,"
featuring 13 episodes, $39.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Frasier
-- The Complete Fourth Season," a four-disc set with 23 episodes,
under $30 from Paramount ... "I Love Lucy -- The Complete Third
Season," a five-disc set with 31 episodes, under $45 from
Paramount ... "OZ: The Complete Fourth Season," a three-disc set
with 16 episodes, $49.99 from HBO Video ... "Sealab 2001," a two-
disc set with 13 episodes of the Cartoon Net Adult Swim series,
$29.98 from Warner ... "Taxi -- The Complete Second Season," a
four-disc set with 24 episodes, under $30 from Paramount ...
"Wonderfalls: The Complete Viewer Collection," all 13 episodes,
nine of which were never broadcast, from Fox.

BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
"3 Steps to Heaven" is a 1995 TV drama about a young woman who
obsesses over her boyfriend's death -- supposedly by accidental
drowning -- and decides to do her own detective work to find out
what really happened; "Carolina" is a romantic comedy about a
young woman trying to escape the eccentric ways of her wacky
Southern family to meet the man of her dreams, starring Julia
Stiles, Shirley MacLaine and Alessandro Nivola; both titles are
from Miramax on $29.99 DVD each.

FOR THE KIDS:
"Balto III: Wings of Change" is an animated direct-to-video
sequel that follows the adventures of sled dog Balto as he
attempts to rescue the pilot of a downed mail/supply plane in
Alaska, featuring the voices of Sean Astin, Keith Carradine, Jean
Smart and Kathy Nijimy, on DVD from Universal ... "Mulan II"
features the further animated adventures of Mulan, Shang, Yao,
Ling and Mushu the dragon, on $29.99 DVD and $24.99 VHS from
Disney ... "The Wind in the Willows" is a 1999 animated version
of the classic tale, from Sony.

SPECIAL INTEREST:
Just one day after it aired on PBS, Paramount will release "Fidel
Castro," an intimate and revealing documentary on the Cuban
leader, narrated by David Ogden Stiers, on $24.99 DVD ... World
Wrestling Entertainment Home Video goes to the mat with four new
DVDs: "Rob Van Dam: One of a Kind," a two-disc set that follows
RVD's amazing career, $24.95; Smack Down's "Armageddon," $24.95;
"Best of Intercontinental Championship," with Shawn Michaels,
Crush, Bret Hart, Skinner, Mr. Perfect and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan,
$9.95; and "Andre the Giant," featuring some of the behemoth's
greatest moments, $9.95.


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

THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

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

** Bad Girls -- Extended Cut (1994) Dir.: Jonathan Kaplan;
Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell, Drew
Barrymore, James Russo, James LeGros, Robert Loggia. Dermot
Mulroney. (Fox).
** Balto III: Wings of Change (2005) Animated. Voices of Sean
Astin, Keith Carradine, Jean Smart, Kathy Nijimy. Extras: Rescue
challenge game. (Universal).
** The Bodyguard Special Edition (1992) Kevin Costner, Whitney
Houston. Extras: New making-of documentary "Memories of The
Bodyguard," "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston music video.
(Warner).
** Bopha! (1993) Dir.: Morgan Freeman; Danny Glover, Malcolm
McDowell, Alfre Woodard, Maynard Eziashi.Extras: Commentary by
Freeman, Glover and Woodard. (Paramount).
** The Brak Show Volume. 1 Two-disc set with 14 episodes of the
Cartoon Network Adult Swim show, $29.98. Extras: Commentaries,
Cartoon Planet segments, Adult Swim news, episode highlights,
more. (Warner).
** The Broadway Melody (1929) Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie
Love. Extras: Medley of Marvelous Musical Shorts from the Vault:
"The Dogway Melody " Van & Schenck," "Metro Movietone Revues."
(Warner).
** Carolina (2003) Julia Stiles, Alessandro Nivola, Shirley
MacLaine, Mika Boorem, Azura Skye, Randy Quaid. Jennifer
Coolidge. (Miramax).
** Chariots of Fire Special Edition. (1981) Ben Cross, Ian
Charleson, Ian Holm. Alice Krige, John Gielgud. Two-disc set.
Extras: Commentary by director Hugh Hudson, "Wings on Their
Heels: The Making of Chariots of Fire," "Chariots of Fire -- A
Reunion" (Filmed during afternoon tea on Lord Puttnam's estate),
seven additional scenes, actor screen tests, two Easter eggs.
(Warner).
** Charmed: The Complete First Season. Six-disc set with 22
episodes, under $40.00. (Paramount).
** Cheers -- The Complete Fourth Season. Four-disc set with 26
episodes, under $30. (Paramount).
** Class Action (1991) Dir.: Michael Apted; Gene Hackman, Mary
Elizabeth Mastrantonio. (Fox).
** Degrassi Junior High -- Season 1. Thirteen episodes, $39.95.
Extras: Three "Degrassi Talks" videos, trivia quiz. (WGBH Boston
Video).
** Fall Guy (1982 -- Japanese) Dir.: Kinji Fukasaku; Keiko
Matsuzaka, Morio Kazama, Keizo Kanie, Mitsuru Hirata. Extras:
Interview with Fukasaku biographer Yamane Sadao. (Home Vision
Entertainment).
** Frasier -- The Complete Fourth Season. Four-disc set with 23
episodes, under $30. (Paramount).
** The Grudge (2004) Dir.: Takashi Shimizu; Sarah Michelle
Gellar, Jason Behr, William Mapother, Clea DuVall, KaDee
Strickland, Grace Zabriskie, Bill Pullman. Extras: Commentary by
cast and crew including Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Sarah Michelle
Gellar, others; "Under the Skin" medical featurette on why people
seek out fear at the cinema; five-part making-of featurette.
(Sony).
** I Love Lucy -- The Complete Third Season. Five-disc set with
31 episodes, under $45. Extras: Flubs, lost scenes, restored
music, behind-the-scenes audio featurette, original series
openings, original animated sequences, production notes.
(Paramount).
** The Karate Kid Collection. Three-disc set with all four
"Karate Kid" films: "The Karate Kid" (1984), "The Karate Kid Part
II" (1986), "The Karate Kid Part III" (1989), "The Next Karate
Kid" (1994); $36.95. Extras: Commentary by director John
Avildsen, writer Robert Kamen, actors Ralph Macchio and Pat
Morita; "Beyond the Form" featurette on the film's Karate trainer
Pat Johnson; "East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook" featurette
on composer Bill Conti; "Life of Bonsai" featurette in which
Bonsai master Ben Oki discusses the art of Bonsai; "The Way of
the Karate Kid: Part 1"; "The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 2."
(Sony)
** La Cienaga (2001 -- Argentina) Dir.: Lucrecia Martel; Mercedes
Moran, Graciela Borges, Martin Adjemian, Leonora Balcarce, Silvia
Bayle, Fabio Villafane. Extras: "Rey Muerto," Lucrecia Martel's
award-winning short film; director's statement; liner notes by
film professor, critic and cultural commentator B. Ruby Rich.
(Home Vision Entertainment).
** La commare secca (1962) Dir.: Bernardo Bertolucci; Carlotta
Barilli, Lorenza Benedetti, Clorinda Celani. Bertolucci's
debut.Extras: New interview with Bertolucci. (The Criterion
Collection).
** The Laughing Policeman (1973) Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern,
Louis Gossett Jr., Anthony Zerbe, Cathy Lee Crosby. (Fox).
** The Life of Emile Zola (1937) Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard,
Joseph Schildkraut, Gloria Holden, Donald Crisp. Extras: Three
Vintage Vault Treasures: dramatic short "The Littlest Diplomat,"
musical short "Romance Road," cartoon "Ain't We Got Fun"; audio-
only bonus: radio production starring Muni. (Warner).
** Look Who's Talking Collection. Three-disc set with "Look Who's
Talking" (1989), "Look Who's Talking Too" (1990) and "Look Who's
Talking Now" (1993); $36.95. (Sony).
** Mr. 3000 (2004) Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, Chris Noth, Paul
Sorvino, Michael Rispoli. Extras: Commentary by director Charles
Stone III; outtakes; selected scenes with commentary; extended
scenes, including "SportsCenter" and "The Tonight Show"
featurette; "Spring Training: The Extras Journey" featurette;
"Everybody Loves Stan" featurette; "Making of Mr. 3000"
featurette. (Buena Vista).
** Mulan II (2005) Direct-to-video animated sequel. Voices of
Ming-Na, B.D. Wong, Pat Morita, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe,
Lucy Lui, Michelle Kwan, Jerry Tondo, Soon-Tek Oh. Extras:
"Voices of Mulan" featurette, deleted scenes, "The World of
Mulan" featurette, "Mushu's Guess Who?" game, "(I Wanna Be) Like
Other Girls" animated music video. (Disney).
** Night and the City (1950) Dir.: Jules Dassin; Richard Widmark,
Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Hugh Marlowe, Francis L. Sullivan,
Herbert Lom. Classic of Film Noir. Extras: Commentary by film
scholar Glenn Erickson, video interview with Dassin, a look at
the two different musical scores composed for the British and
American releases of the film, more. (The Criterion Collection).
** OZ: The Complete Fourth Season. Three-disc set with 16
episodes, $49.99. Extras: Commentaries by creator Tom Fontana and
cast members Lee Tergesen, Rita Moreno and Dean Winters; deleted
scenes. (HBO Video).
** Ray (2004) Dir.: Taylor Hackford; Jamie Foxx, Kerry
Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry J. Lennix, Bokeem
Woodbine. Three DVD releases. Extended edition of the film with
more than 25 minutes of additional footage not shown in theaters;
two complete uncut musical performances from the film; deleted
scenes; a segment with behind-the-scenes footage of Ray Charles
and Jamie Foxx trading piano riffs; and a tribute to the memory
and impact of Ray Charles. A DVD version with DVS (Descriptive
Video Service) of the film intended for blind and low-vision
audiences will also be available. Further information can be
found at the American Council of the Blind website, www.acb.org
and at (800) 424-8666. A two-disc "Ray Limited Edition Gift Set"
includes a photo journal; more than 20 additional minutes of
uncut musical performances from the film; a segment about the
film's 15-year journey to completion; and a look at the women who
played significant roles in Charles'; $44.98. (Universal).
** Sealab 2001 Two-disc set with 13 episodes of the Cartoon Net
Adult Swim series, $29.98. Extras: Interviews, commentaries,
more. (Warner).
** Secrets & Lies (1996) Dir.: Mike Leigh; Timothy Spall, Phyllis
Logan, Brenda Blethyn, Claire Rushbrook, Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
(Fox).
** Shall We Dance? (2004) Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan
Sarandon, Stanley Tucci. Extras: Commentary by director Peter
Chelsom, deleted scenes with optional director commentary,
"Beginner's Ballroom" featurette on ballroom dancing, behind-the-
scenes featurette, "The Music of Shall We Dance?" featurette,
Pussycat Dolls "Sway" music video. (Miramax).
** Shall We Dance? (1996 - Japan) Dir.: Masayuki Suo; Koji
Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Nnaoto Takenaka, Eriko Watanabe.
(Miramax).
** She Hate Me (2004) Director: Spike Lee. Stars: Anthony Mackie,
Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Jim Brown, Ossie
Davis, Jamel Debbouze, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Ling Bai,
Lonette McKee, Paula Jai Parker, Dania Ramirez, Q-Tip, John
Turturro. Extras: Commentary by Lee, seven deleted scenes,
making-of featurette. (Sony).
** The Star Chamber (1983) Dir.: Peter Hyams; Michael Douglas,
Hal Holbrook, Yaphet Kotto, Sharon Gless, James Sikking. (Fox).
** Sympathy for the Underdog (1971 -- Japan) Dir.: Kinji
Fukasaku; Noboru Ando, Koji Tsuruta, Ken Takakura, Tomisaburo
Wakayama. Extras: Essay by Patrick Macias; interview with
Fukasaku biographer Yamane Sadao. (Home Vision Entertainment)
** Taxi -- The Complete Second Season. Four-disc set with 24
episodes, under $30. (Paramount).
** Thieves' Highway (1949) Dir.: Jules Dassin; Richard Conte,
Valentina Cortese, Lee J. Cobb, Barbara Lawrence, Jack Oakie. A
Jules Dassin masterpiece, the last film he completed in America
before he was blacklisted. Extras:Commentary by scholar Alain
Silver, video interview with Dassin, theatrical trailer, more.
(The Criterion Collection).
** 3 Steps to Heaven (1995 -- TV) Freddie Annobil-Dodoo, Frances
Barber, Bridget Brammall, Siobhan Burke, David Cardy. (Miramax).
** Vanity Fair (2004) Dir.: Mira Nair; Reese Witherspoon, Gabriel
Byrne, Angelica Mandy, Romola Garai, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys-
Meyers, Bob Hoskins, Eileen Atkins, James Purefoy. Extras:
Commentary by Nair, "Welcome to Vanity Fair" behind-the-scenes
look at bringing William Makepeace Thackeray's timeless novel to
the big screen, "The Women Behind Vanity Fair" featurette with
the predominantly female cast & crew describing the steps taken
to ensure a flawless depiction of life as a woman in 19th century
London, deleted scenes. (Universal).
** The Wind in the Willows (1999) Animated. Voices of Steve
Bulen, Michael Bell, William Dennis Hunt, Phil Snyder. (Sony).
** Wonderfalls: The Complete Viewer Collection All 13 episodes,
nine of which were never broadcast. Extras: Commentaries,
featurettes. (Fox).

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:

** Mr. 3000 (2004) Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, Chris Noth, Paul
Sorvino, Michael Rispoli (Buena Vista): $24.99
** Mulan II (2005) Direct-to-video animated sequel. Voices of
Ming-Na, B.D. Wong, Pat Morita, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe,
Lucy Lui, Michelle Kwan, Jerry Tondo, Soon-Tek Oh (Disney):
$24.99
** Ray (2004) Dir.: Taylor Hackford; Jamie Foxx, Kerry
Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry J. Lennix, Bokeem
Woodbine (Universal): $23.98
** Shall We Dance? (2004) Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan
Sarandon, Stanley Tucci (Miramax): $24.99
** Vanity Fair (2004) Dir.: Mira Nair; Reese Witherspoon, Gabriel
Byrne, Angelica Mandy, Romola Garai, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys-
Meyers, Bob Hoskins, Eileen Atkins, James Purefoy (Universal):
$23.98

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


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Copyright 2005 CyberPod. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1094-3676

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