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ONVIDEO E-MAIL NEWS
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3/22/05 V9.12

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, March 22 -- MONDAY, March 28

BEING JULIA
Annette Bening plays a beautiful and beguiling actress who finds
herself bored with her role as the toast of the town in 1930s
London. Julia Lambert (Bening) is a true diva: beautiful,
talented, wealthy and famous. She has it all -- including a
devoted husband (Jeremy Irons) who has masterminded her brilliant
career -- but after years of shining in the spotlight she begins
to suffer from a severe case of boredom and longs for something
new and exciting to put the twinkle back in her eye. Julia finds
exactly what she's looking for in a handsome young American fan,
but it isn't long before the novelty fling adds a few more sparks
than she was hoping for. Fortunately for her, this surprise twist
in the plot will thrust her back into the greatest role of her
life -- being Julia. Director: Istvan Szabo. Stars: Annette
Bening, Jeremy Irons, Bruce Greenwood, Miriam Margolyes, Juliet
Stevenson, Shaun Evans, Lucy Punch, Maury Chaykin, Sheila
McCarthy, Michael Gambon. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min.,
Drama, Box office gross: $3.555 million, Sony, No VHS SRP, Priced
for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON
Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) -- the 30-something, self-
doubting, self-analyzing, career-minded, calorie-counting London
singleton of "Bridget Jones's Diary -- has found romantic bliss.
For six glorious weeks she has been the girlfriend of the
exquisitely flawless human rights lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth)
and nothing could be better. Or --- could it? Despite Darcy's
apparent devotion, Bridget still finds herself asking questions
about life, love and the proper way to put away underwear. Having
finally found her man, Bridget is faced with the equally
flummoxing challenge of keeping him. She can't help but wonder:
what exactly is it that comes after the happily ever after? And
just as she's starting to figure it all out, enter the
competition: Darcy's drop-dead, legs-up-to-there, never-says-the-
wrong-thing new colleague. Suddenly jealousy, uncertainty and
temptation -- in the form of Bridget's former boss and womanizing
heart-throb Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) -- threaten to upend
Bridget's dream in a comic maze of bad advice, silly mix-ups and
total disasters that could only happen to her. Director: Beeban
Kidron. Stars: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Gemma
Jones, Jim Broadbent, James Faulkner, Celia Imrie, Dominic
McHale, Donald Douglas, Shirley Dixon. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R,
108 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $39.877 million, Universal,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

DISTANT (UZAK)
Slow, melancholy film about a disillusioned photographer -- and
his unemployed relative-friend -- who experiences varying shades
of despair in a largely snowbound Istanbul. The photographer --
haunted by the feeling that the gap between his life and his
ideals is growing out of control -- finds himself obliged to
share his apartment with a young relative who has left behind his
village to look for a job in Istanbul, with the hopes of going
abroad. The film chronicles the photographer's dark take on life
and the resulting disintegrating friendship between the two men.
Winner of the Festival de Cannes Grand Prix du Jury in 2003. In
Turkish with English subtitles. Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Stars: Muzaffer Ozdemir, Mehmet Emin Toprak, Zuhal Gencer Erkaya,
Nazan Kirilmis. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 105 min., Drama, Box
office gross: $0.095 million, New Yorker, $24.95 VHS SRP. DVD:
Day & Date.

FAT ALBERT
A generation grew up watching "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,"
the Saturday morning cartoon series that enjoyed one of the
longest runs in cartoon history, airing from 1972-79. It was
later reprised as "The New Fat Albert Show" that ran from 1979-
84. Bill Cosby's beloved characters finally made their way to the
big screen just after Christmas in an all-new, live-action motion
picture. The movie, like the famed series, was based on Cosby's
stand-up comedy monologues about his growing up with his friends
in a Philadelphia neighborhood, but the transition from the
little screen to movie theaters was a disappointment. As the
story opens, Fat Albert and friends are playing their favorite
game, buck-buck, on their home turf: a North Philly junkyard. At
the same time, in the real world, a teenager named Doris is
watching "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" reruns on television.
The unhappy, lonely teen begins to cry, and as her tears fall
onto the remote control, Fat Albert hears Doris. The big guy with
the big heart stops what he is doing and dives headlong through
the television screen -- and into the real world -- to help her.
His friends, Rudy, Mushmouth, Bill, Bucky, Old Weird Harold and
Dumb Donald, follow shortly thereafter. Fat Albert is determined
to help Doris, but as he slowly brings Doris out of her shell, he
begins to undergo some big changes of his own. Fat Albert has
discovered love, courtesy of Doris' foster sister, a lovely high
school student named Lauri. But worse, he and his friends are
fading, and he must race to complete his mission and return to
his world before he ceases to exist. In the end, the film ceases
to exist on any cinematic level, lacking any momentum and depth -
- it just plods ahead to its finale. Director: Joel Zwick. Stars:
Kenan Thompson, Kyla Pratt, Jermaine Williams, Keith Robinson,
Alphonso McAuley, Aaron Frazier, Marques Houston, Dania Ramirez.
2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 90 min., Comedy, Box office gross:
$47.870 million, Fox, $19.98 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.


FINAL CUT, THE
Interesting sci-fi outing about a computer chip - - the Zoe
Implant -- placed in a child's brain at birth to record
everything that happens in his or her life. No longer do
cherished moments have to fade and disappear over time ... a
certain type of immortality has been established: When one dies,
the footage from their life is pieced together ("cut") by an
editor into a "Rememory," a film that is shown at one's memorial.
A toy for the privileged, Zoe implants are changing the face of
human interaction; however, there are those who are against the
technology and believe that memories are meant to fade. Alan
Hackman (Robin Williams) is the best "cutter" in the business.
His ability to grant absolution to his often corrupt clients has
put him in high demand. However, his talent for viewing life
without emotion has shaped him into a distant man unable to
experience life in the first person. He believes he is a "sin
eater," and his work provides him with the ability to forgive the
sins of the dead. He hopes that if he exonerates others, he will
somehow forgive himself. While cutting a Rememory for a high-
powered Zoe Tech officer, Alan discovers an image from his
childhood that has haunted him his entire life. This discovery
launches Alan on a high intensity search for truth and
redemption. Director: Omar Naim. Stars: Robin Williams, Mira
Sorvino, James Caviezel, Mimi Kuzyk. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-
13, 105 min., Science fiction, Box office gross: $0.548 million,
Lions Gate, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Day.

FINDING NEVERLAND
The magical true story of J.M. Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan."
Johnny Depp stars as Barrie, a respected playwright who finds
both his career and his marriage crumbling around him. After
writing a complete flop, Barrie struggles with his producer
(Dustin Hoffman) to create a hit. Upon meeting the beautiful
widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet) and her four boys,
Barrie discovers inspiration and a happiness he has not
previously known. Barrie bonds with the family, especially young
Peter (Freddie Highmore), and through their adventures together
he forms the magical stories that would become his world-famous
play "Peter Pan." Barrie's friendship with the Davies family,
however, is endangered by Sylvia's jealous mother (Julie
Christie) and Barrie's own complicated marriage to his wife Mary
(Radha Mitchell). Director: Marc Forster. Stars: Johnny Depp,
Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman,
Freddie Highmore, Joe Prospero, Nick Roud, Luke Spill, Ian Hart.
2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min., Family, Box office gross:
$24.676 million, Miramax, $24.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

MICKEY
When widowed attorney Tripp Spence (Harry Connick Jr.) finds
himself wanted by the IRS, he and his young pitching sensation
son Derrick (Shawn Salinas) change their appearance, assume new
identities and flee to Las Vegas. Here, Derrick becomes "Mickey"
and Tripp enrolls him in a second final year of Little League.
But as the nation, the government and a nervous Tripp watch,
"Mickey" leads his team from the city championship all the way to
the controversial final game of the Little League World Series.
Can a 13-year-old fugitive with an 80 mph fastball now find a way
to stay anonymous -- and honest -- as the most famous 12-year-old
athlete in the world? Original screenplay by #1 best-selling
author and proud Little League coach John Grisham. Director: Hugh
Wilson. Stars: Harry Connick Jr., Shawn Salinas, Michelle
Johnson, Sherri Richmond, Mark Joy, Mike Starr. 2004, CC, MPAA
rating: PG, 104 min., Family drama, Box office gross: $0.293
million, Anchor Bay. DVD: Only.

REMEMBER ME, MY LOVE
Director Gabriele Muccino's bittersweet drama delves into the
lives and loves of a modern Italian family whose individual
aspirations pull at the seams of their increasingly fragile unit.
As their children come of age and begin to follow their own
dreams, Carlo (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) finds himself torn between a
passionate affair with Alessia (Monica Bellucci) and his wife
Guilia (Laura Morante), while Guilia must face her own buried
desires. The film premiered at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival and
screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. It was nominated for
10 Donatello Awards (Italy's Oscar) and was one of Italy's most
successful films in 2003. Director: Gabriele Muccino. Stars:
Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Laura Morante, Nicoletta Romanoff, Monica
Bellucci. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 125 min., Drama, Box office
gross: $0.214 million, First Look Home Entertainment, 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 April 19 is the smash hit "Meet the Fockers," starring Robert
De Niro, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe
Danner, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson and Tim Blake Nelson, on DVD and
VHS from Universal .... Delightful comedy "In Good Company,"
starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson, will
arrive May 10 from Universal ... On May 17 Sony will release
"Seinfeld: Season 4," a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.95,
loaded with extras ... Also on May 17 chiller "White Noise,"
starring Michael Keaton, will gravitate to DVD and VHS from
Universal ... On May 24 Warner will release Martin Scorsese's
"The Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate
Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law,
Adam Scott, Gwen Stefani, Danny Huston, Ian Holm and Willem
Dafoe, in a two-disc DVD set and VHS ... On May 24, Lions Gate
will release "Moonlighting: Seasons One and Two" in a six-disc
set for $49.98.


FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week: "Doogie Howser, M.D. Season One," a four-disc set
with 26 episodes, $39.98 from Anchor Bay ... "The Flintstones:
The Complete Third Season," a four-disc set with 28 episodes,
$44.98 from Warner ... "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Vol. 5," with four half-hour episodes encoded directly from high-
definition masters, from Anchor Bay ... <"The Hardy Boys Nancy
Drew Mysteries: Season One," a two-disc set with 14 episodes,
$39.98 from Universal ... "Pimp My Ride -- The Complete First
Season," a three-disc set with 15 episodes of the MTV series,
under $30 from Paramount ... "The Pretender Season One," a four-
disc set with 20 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Star Wars: Clone
Wars Vol. 1," 19 three-minute and one five-minute "chapters" that
aired on the Cartoon Network in fall 2003-Spring 2004, from Fox.

FOREIGN:
The Global Lens Collection is a new DVD series featuring new
cinema from the developing world. The label is a partnership
between First Run Features and The Global Film Initiative, a New
York-based foundation dedicated to promoting cross-cultural
understanding through cinema. The first two releases are
"Rachida" (Algeria), the first full-length feature film by Yamina
Bachir, evoking memories of the worst atrocities of the terror in
Algeria; and Claudio Assis' "Mango Yellow" (Brazil), in which the
hothouse atmosphere of Brazil comes alive and where loneliness
and lust combine in a volatile brew of provocative cinema.

FOR THE KIDS:
Due this week: "The Best of the New Scooby-Doo Movies," a four-
disc set with 15 capers, $64.92 from Warner ... "Dora the
Explorer: Big Sister Dora," four episodes of the Nick Jr. series,
from Paramount ... and "Undercover Kids," a family adventure
about twins with telepathic powers who go "undercover" to find
the culprit who committed vandalism at their school, from MTI
Home Video on VHS and DVD.

SPECIAL INTEREST:
"The French Chef With Julia Child" features 18 episodes from
Julia Child's groundbreaking public television series with such
extras as downloadable recipes from "The French Chef Cookbook," a
bibliography of selected Julia Child cookbooks, and the very
first episode of "The French Chef," featuring the classic recipe
Boeuf Bourguignon, $39.95 from WGBH Boston Video) ... "Arguing
the World" is a fascinating look at four of America's most
important post-WWII thinkers: Irving Howe, Daniel Bell, Nathan
Glazer and Irving Kristol -- four men who tried to change the
world with their ideas. Weaving personal reminiscences, images of
old New York, and the voices of friends and critics, the film
surveys their roles as political and social critics at a time
when thoughts and ideas ruled the cultural landscape of America;
$29.95 from First Run Features.


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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

** Agatha Christie's Poirot Collector's Set 12. Single-disc with
three episodes: "The King of Clubs," "The Dream" and "The
Incredible Theft"; $29.99. (Acorn Media).
** Bad Girls From Valley High (A Fate Totally Worse Than Death)
(2000) Julie Benz, Nicole Bilderback, Monica Keena, Janet Leigh,
Christopher Lloyd. (Universal).
** Batman and Robin -- The Serial Collection (1949) Robert Lowery
stars as Batman/Bruce Wayne with Johnny Duncan as Robin/Dick
Grayson, Jane Adams as Bruce's love interest Vicky Vale and Lyle
Talbot. Two-disc set with the entire fifteen chapter serial,
totaling over four hours of superhero, crime-busting; $29.95.
(Sony).
** Being Julia (2004) Dir.: Istvan Szabo; Annette Bening, Jeremy
Irons, Bruce Greenwood, Miriam Margolyes, Juliet Stevenson, Shaun
Evans, Lucy Punch, Maury Chaykin, Sheila McCarthy, Michael
Gambon. (Sony).
** The Best of the New Scooby-Doo Movies. Four-disc set with 15
capers, $64.92. (Warner).
** Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) (2004) Dir.: Beeban
Kidron; Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Gemma Jones,
Jim Broadbent, James Faulkner, Celia Imrie, Dominic McHale,
Donald Douglas, Shirley Dixon. Extras: Commentary by director
Beeban Kidron; deleted scenes, including alternate beginning;
"Bridget Jones Interviews Colin Firth" featurette; "The Big
Fight": A comical look at the designing and planning of the
infamous Daniel/Mark fight sequence; "Who's Your Man Quiz"; "Mark
& Bridget Forever?": Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth discuss the
ups, downs and wobbly bits of their onscreen relationship;
"Lonely London": A look at how visual effects imagery was used to
create the tone of loneliness against the sprawling London
background. (Universal).
** Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) Dir.: Sam
Peckinpah; Warrenn Oates, Gig Young, Robert Webber, Kris
Kristofferson. Extras: Commentary by Peckinpah scholars Paul
Seydor, Garner Simmons, David Weddle.. (MGM).
** Crack House (1989) Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree. (MGM).
** Crossplot (1969) Roger Moore, Martha Hyer, Claudie Lange.
(MGM).
** Distant (Uzak) (2004 -- Turkey) Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan;
Muzaffer Ozdemir, Mehmet Emin Toprak, Zuhal Gencer Erkaya, Nazan
Kirilmis. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, special "Uzak in
Cannes" section, the director's 18 minute short film "Koza --
Cocoon." (New Yorker).
** Doogie Howser, M.D. Season One. Four-disc set with 26
episodes, $39.98. (Anchor Bay).
** Dora the Explorer: Big Sister Dora. Four episodes of the Nick
Jr. series. (Paramount).
** The Dust Factory (2004) Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Kelley, Armin
Mueller-Stahl, Kim Myers. (MGM)
** Electra Glide in Blue (1973) Robert Blake. Extras: Commentary
by director James William Guercio. (MGM).
** Eye of the Tiger (1986) Gary Busey, Yaphet Kotto, Seymour
Cassel. (MGM).
** Fat Albert (2004) Dir.: Joel Zwick; Kenan Thompson, Kyla
Pratt, Jermaine Williams, Keith Robinson, Alphonso McAuley, Aaron
Frazier, Marques Houston, Dania Ramirez. Extras: Commentary by
Zwick and producer John Davis, "Fat Albert: Behind the Band"
featurette, extended scenes. (Fox).
** The Final Cut (2004) Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino, James
Caviezel, Mimi Kuzyk. (Lions Gate).
** Finding Neverland (2004) Dir.: Marc Forster; Johnny Depp, Kate
Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie
Highmore, Joe Prospero, Nick Roud, Luke Spill, Ian Hart. Extras:
Commentary by Forster, producer Richard Gladstein and writer
David Magee; "The Magic of Finding Neverland" and "Creating
Neverland" featurettes; deleted scenes; outtakes; "On the Red
Carpet" featurette brings viewers up close and personal with the
film's Hollywood premiere. (Miramax).
** Firewalker (1986) Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr (MGM).
** The Flintstones: The Complete Third Season. Four-disc set with
28 episodes, $44.98. (Warner).
** The French Chef With Julia Child. Eighteen episodes from Julia
Child's groundbreaking public television series, $39.95. Extras:
Downloadable recipes from "The French Chef Cookbook,"
bibliography of selected Julia Child cookbooks, includes the very
first episode of "The French Chef," featuring the classic recipe
Boeuf Bourguignon. (WGBH Boston Video).
** Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex -- Volume Five. Four
episodes of the acclaimed anime series. (Anchor Bay
Entertainment).
** Kojak: Season One. Three-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98.
(Universal).
** Krakatoa, East of Java (1969) Maximilian Schell, Diane Baker,
Brian Keith. (MGM).
** The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries: Season One. Two-disc set
with 14 episodes, $39.98. (Universal).
** Mango Yellow (2002 -- Brazil) Dir.: Claudio Assis; Chico Diaz,
Dira Paes, Matheus Nachtergaele, Leona Cavalli. Extras: Interview
with film scholar Richard Pena about Brazilian cinema, more.
(First Run Features).
** Mickey (2004) Dir.: Hugh Wilson; Harry Connick Jr., Shawn
Salinas, Michelle Johnson, Sherri Richmond, Mark Joy, Mike Starr.
Extras: Commentary by Wilson, new interview with Wilson, behind-
the-scenes still gallery, new interview with author and
screenwriter John Grisham. (Anchor Bay).
** Midsomer Murders, Set 5. Five-disc set with five full-length
episodes of the U.K. series: "The Killings at Badger's Drift,"
"Written in Blood," "Death of a Hollow Man," "Faithful Unto
Death" and "Death in Disguise"; $59.99. (Acorn Media).
** Pimp My Ride -- The Complete First Season. Three-disc set with
15 episodes of the MTV series, under $30.Extras: "Travis Barker
from Blink 182 Car Tour," "West Coast Customs: What We Drive,"
deleted scenes, blooper reel, Xzibit Music Video: "What U See Is
What U Get." (Paramount).
** The Pretender Season One. Four-disc set with 20 episodes,
$39.98. Extras: Commentaries on select episodes, "making-of"
featurettes. (Fox).
** Rachida (2002 -- Algeria) Dir.: Yamina Bachir; Ibtissem
Djouadi, Bahia Rachedi, Rachida Messaoui, Hamid Remas. Extras:
Director interview, biography, more. (First Run Features).
** Remember Me, My Love (2004 -- Italy) Dir.: Gabriele Muccino;
Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Laura Morante, Nicoletta Romanoff, Monica
Bellucci. (First Look Home Entertainment).
** Stand By Me: Deluxe Edition (1986) Dir.: Rob Reiner; River
Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Casey
Siemaszko, Gary Riley. Includes 32-Page Collector's Book and
Exclusive CD Songtrack sampler featuring many of the classic
1950s hits from Buddy Holly, Ben E. King, Jerry Lee Lewis and
others. Extras: Commentary by Reiner, "Walking the Tracks": The
Summer of Stand By Me" featurette with interviews with writer
Stephen King and Reiner, "Stand By Me" music video, isolated
music score, talent files. (Sony).
** Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1. Nineteen 3-minute and one 5-
minute "chapters" that aired on Cartoon Network in fall 2003 --
Spring 2004. (Fox).
** Volcano High (2005) Hip-hop kung-fu flick with Tracy Morgan,
Snoop Dogg, Andre 3000, Method Man. Extras: Original Korean
version from which this MTV feature was adapted. (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:

** Distant (Uzak) (2004 -- Turkey) Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan;
Muzaffer Ozdemir, Mehmet Emin Toprak, Zuhal Gencer Erkaya, Nazan
Kirilmis (New Yorker): $24.95
** Fat Albert (2004) Dir.: Joel Zwick; Kenan Thompson, Kyla
Pratt, Jermaine Williams, Keith Robinson, Alphonso McAuley, Aaron
Frazier, Marques Houston, Dania Ramirez (Fox): $19.98
** Finding Neverland (2004) Dir.: Marc Forster; Johnny Depp, Kate
Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie
Highmore, Joe Prospero, Nick Roud, Luke Spill, Ian Hart
(Miramax): $24.99

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


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

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