Having problems with message search?
******************************
ONVIDEO E-MAIL NEWS
******************************
6/3/08 V12.23
This is an automated mail list; please do not reply to this
message. Messages should be sent to mail@...
ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
For Tuesday, June 3-- Monday, June 9
Control
Centers on Ian Curtis, the enigmatic lead singer of the influential British band Joy Division. Curtis had aspirations beyond the trappings of small town life in 1970's England. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes,
such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop, he joined a band, and his musical
ambition began to thrive. Soon though, the everyday fears and emotions
that fueled his music slowly began to eat away at him. Inspired by the
energy of the Sex Pistols and other punk bands, Joy Division
infiltrated the music scene with a distinct sound of their own. But the
strain of being a rock star and of a young marriage and fatherhood
began to eat away at him, manifesting itself in his health. With
epilepsy adding to his guilt and depression, desperation took hold and,
on the night before embarking on an American tour, at the age of 23,
Curtis committed suicide. The surviving members regrouped as New Order,
and went on to achieve commercial and critical success.
Vitals: Director: Anton
Corbijn. Stars: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe
Anderson, James Anthony Pearson, Harry Treadaway, Craig Parkinson, Toby
Kebbell. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: R, 122 min., BioDrama, Box office gross: $.871 million, Weinstein Co./Genius Products.Eye, The
Horror thriller about a cornea transplant recipient who sees disturbing images in the mirror that send her on a quest to find out what happened to the eye's previous owner. The original was made in Hong Kong by Thai directing brothers Danny and Oxide Pang. Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) is an accomplished, independent, Los Angeles-based concert violinist. Blind since a childhood tragedy, she undergoes a double corneal transplant, a surgery she has waited her whole life to have, and her sight is restored. After the surgery, neural ophthalmologist Dr. Paul Faulkner (Alessandro Nivola) helps Sydney with the difficult adjustment, and with the support of her older sister Helen (Parker Posey), Sydney learns to see again. But Sydney's happiness is short-lived as unexplainable shadowy and frightening images start to haunt her. Are they a passing aftermath of her surgery, Sydney's mind adjusting to sight, a product of her imagination, or something horrifyingly real? As Sydney's family and friends begin to doubt her sanity, Sydney is soon convinced that her anonymous eye donor has somehow opened the door to a terrifying world only she can now see. Vitals: Director: David Moreau, Xavier Palud. Stars: Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, Parker Posey, Francois Chau, Tamlyn Tomita. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 97 min., Horror Thriller, Box office gross: $31.397 million, Lionsgate.
Semi-Pro
Will Ferrell-driven comedy set in 1976 against the backdrop of the maverick American Basketball Association -- a fast-paced, wild and crazy basketball league that rivaled the NBA and made a name for itself with innovations like the three-point shot and slam dunk contest. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder who used the profits from the success of his chart-topping song "Love Me Sexy" to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team. But Moon's franchise, the Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst team in the league and in danger of folding when the ABA announces its plans to merge with the NBA. If they want to survive, Jackie and the Tropics must now do the seemingly impossible -- win. Vitals: Director: Kent Alterman. Stars: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, Will Arnett, Jay Phillips, Josh Braaten, Rob Corddry, DeRay Davis, Maura Tierney, Jackie Earle Haley. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $32.279 million, New Line.
Meet the Spartans
Spoof follows the journey of Leonidas, the King of Sparta. When his kingdom is challenged by the powerful Xerxes, Leonidas must recruit some of his strongest soldiers; which unfortunately leaves him with 13 (not 300) of the not-so-finest. Armed with nothing but leather underwear and a flowing red cape, Leonidas leads his ragtag army to defend their homeland, delivering send-ups of such motion pictures as "Ghost Rider," "Transformers," "Spider-Man 3" and "Casino Royale," as well as leaving no stone unturned by tackling such pop culture television staples as "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Ugly Betty" and "Deal or No Deal." Vitals: Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer. Stars: Diedrich Bader, Kevin Sorbo, Method Man, Ken Davitian, Jim Piddock, Sean Maguire, Greg Ellis, Crista Flanagan, Nicole Parker, Emily Wilson. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 84 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $38.077 million, Fox.
------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS
Due this week as part of Warner Bros.' 85th anniversary celebration is the "Dirty Harry Special Edition" and the "Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition."
The two-disc set of "Dirty Harry" (1971), directed by Don Siegel and
starring Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, John Mitchum, Reni Santoni,
John Vernon, Andrew Robinson and Josef Sommer, features such extras as
commentary by film historian Richard Schickel; a new featurette "The
Long Shadow of Dirty Harry," an examination of the influence and legacy
of Dirty Harry; a "Dirty Harry: The Original" featurette; "Dirty
Harry's Way" promotional short on the movie; an interview gallery;
more. The Ultimate set contains all five "Dirty Harry" films, new
commentaries and featurettes, a 40-page hard cover "Dirty Harry"
retrospective book, a replica Harry Callahan wallet with Inspector's
badge and ID card, a "Scorpio: Portrait of a Killer" poster, six "Dirty
Harry" cards, production letters, more. Both sets are also available on
Blu-ray Disc.Lionsgate has just launched its Meridian Collection, a compilation of acclaimed, groundbreaking and influential films from around the world, all digitally remastered. The first two releases: "Diva" (1981), director Jean-Jacques Beineix's stylish French thriller about a young Parisian mail courier, content with his bohemian lifestyle, his circle of friends and listening to opera, who makes an illegal tape of an American diva and gets involved with criminals and crooked cops when the tape is confused with one implicating a police chief with the mob; and "The Red Violin" (1998), starring Samuel L. Jackson, Carlo Cecchi, Irene Grazioli, Jean-Luc Bideau, Greta Scacchi, Jason Flemyng, Colm Feore and Don McKellar, in a multifaceted tale in which an appraiser traces the vast, storied history of a priceless violin across numerous countries and generations.
From TV to Video:
Due this week: "American Gangster: The Complete Second Season," a two-disc set of the documentary BET series that looks at some of the 20th century's most notorious African-American crime figures, $36.99 from Paramount ... "The Andromeda Strain," a two-disc set of the recent A&E miniseries starring Benjamin Bratt, $29.98 from Universal ... "Doctor Who: Beneath the Surface," a four-disc set featuring "Doctor Who and the Silurians" (seven episodes), "The Sea Devils" (six episodes) and "Warriors of the Deep" (four episodes); $59.98 from Warner ... "Flavor of Love: Season 3," a four-disc set with all five uncensored episodes, $34.97 from Anchor Bay ... "Get Smart: The Complete Series" in which Don Adams and Barbara Feldon reprise their roles as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 in the short-lived 1995 update of the classic "Get Smart," on a single-disc with all seven episodes, $19.95 from Sony ... "I Love New York: Season 2," a three-disc set with 11 episodes of the sleazy realty series, $34.97 from Anchor Bay ... "The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Third Season," a five-disc set with 23 episodes, $39.98. from Universal ... "Mannix: The First Season"(1967), a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.99 from Paramount ... "The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Fourth Season," a four-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "Rescue Me: The Complete Fourth Season," a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.95 from Sony.
Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "Mama's Boy" (2007), starring Jeff Daniels, Anna Faris, Jon Heder, Diane Keaton, Chris Kerner, Rue McClanahan and Dorian Missick, a 29-year-old slacker who lives with his mom realizes his sweet set-up is threatened when she hears wedding bells with her self-help guru beau, from Warner ... "Flawless" (2008) stars Demi Moore and Michael Caine in a crime-drama set in 1960s London, where a soon-to-retire janitor (Caine) convinces a glass-ceiling constrained American executive (Moore) to help him steal a handful of diamonds from their employer, the London Diamond Corporation, who he feels has done them wrong, from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... A deranged group of strangers -- including a transsexual prostitute, a runaway virgin, a gorgeous gun-wielding ex-con and a porn king -- cross paths at a bachelor party in "American Crude" (2007), starring Rob Schneider, Ron Livingston, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Clarke Duncan and John C. McGinley, from Sony ... "Boarding Gate" (2008) is the new film from acclaimed and adventurous French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. In the erotic noir-thriller, Asia Argento plays sexy ex-prostitute Sandra who is forced to leave London after a steamy S&M encounter with a debt ridden ex-financial big gun (Michael Madsen) ends in violence. Fleeing to Hong Kong in search of a fresh start, she becomes involved with an attractive young couple, Lester (Carl Ng) and Sue (Kelly Lin), who promise to help her obtain papers and money. But it turns out that Lester is actually a hit man hired to kill the financial big gun; from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... When whiskey-soaked ex-lawmen Preston Biggs (Kevin Sorbo) is hired to escort a group of women suffering from "prairie fever" back to civilization, he's met by a murderous gang intent on stopping their passage in "Prairie Fever" (2008), co-starring Lance Henrickson, Jamie Ann Allman and Dominque Swain, from Genius Entertainment ... "Remember the Daze" (2005) is a coming-of-age tale that revolves around the chaos of the celebration of the last day of school in a small town, starring Leighton Meester, Amber Heard, Alexa Vega, Melonie Diaz and Lyndsy Fonseca, from First Look Studios.
Special Interest:
For baseball fans this week there's two nifty releases from A&E Home Video: "Boston Red Sox: Essential Games of Fenway Collector's Edition," a six-game, six-disc collection commemorating Boston's Fenway Park, spanning five decades of promise, heartache and jubilation etched in Red Sox history; and "New York Mets: Essential Games of Shea Stadium," a six-disc set with six complete, unedited games that best define the history of the New York Mets and showcase the splendor of Shea Stadium (2008 will commemorate the last year that Shea Stadium will see action on its field); $59.95 each ... In a comedy vein there's "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show" (2008), a documentary that follows Vaughn and four stand-up comedians as they travel the country -- subtitled "30 days and 30 nights - Hollywood to the Heartland," from New Line; and "The Onion Movie" (2008), based on the wildly popular satirical newspaper, offering uncensored, uninhibited, unrated news and views from around the world, from Fox ... Finally, there's "The Animation Show: Volume 3" (2007), 16 short films compiled by Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt highlighting the best work from The Animation Show's 2007 theatrical program; with an introduction by Beavis and Butt-head; $19.99 from Paramount.
-----------------------------------------------------------
THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
American Gangster: The Complete Second Season. Two-disc set of the documentary BET series that looks at some of the 20th century's most notorious African-American crime figures, $36.99. (Paramount).
The Andromeda Strain. Two-disc set of the A&E miniseries starring Benjamin Bratt, $29.98. Extras: Commentary, "Terra Incognita: Making the Andromeda Strain," visual effects breakdowns, photo and design gallery. (Universal).
The Animation Show: Volume 3 (2007) Sixteen short films compiled by Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt of the best work from The Animation Show's 2007 theatircal program; with an introduction by Beavis and Butt-head; $19.99 (Paramount).
Boarding Gate (2008) Dir.: Olivier Assayas; Asia Argento, Michael Madsen, Kelly Lin, Carl Loong Ng. The new film from acclaimed and adventurous French filmmaker Olivier Assayas is an erotic noir-thriller. Asia Argento plays sexy ex-prostitute Sandra, who is forced to flee London after a steamy S&M encounter with a debt ridden ex-financial big gun (Michael Madsen) ends in violence. Fleeing to Hong Kong in search of a fresh start, she becomes involved with an attractive young couple, Lester (Carl Ng) and Sue (Kelly Lin), who promise to help her obtain papers and money. But it turns out that Lester is actually a hit man hired to kill the financial big gun. Extras: "Boarding Gate: In Touch With Asia Argento" and "Interviews With Asia Argento." (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Boston Red Sox: Essential Games of Fenway Collector's Edition. Six-game, six-disc collection commemorating Boston's Fenway Park, spanning five decades of promise, heart-ache and jubilation etched in Red Sox history; $59.95. (A&E Home Video).
City Slickers Collector's Edition (1991) Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Jack Palance. Extras: Commentary by director Ron Underwood and Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern; "Back in the Saddle: City Slickers Revisited" featurette, "Bringing in the Script: Writing City Slickers" featurette, "A Star Is Born: An Ode to Norman" featurette, "The Real City Slickers" featurette, deleted scenes. (MGM).
Control (2007) Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson, Harry Treadaway, Craig Parkinson, Toby Kebbell. Extras: Commentary by director Anton Corbijn, "The Making of Control," "Out of Control: A Conversation With Anton Corbijn," extended live concert performances, "Transmission" and "Atmosphere" Joy Division music videos, "Shadowplay" music video by The Killers, still gallery. (Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
Dirty Harry Special Edition
(1971)
Dir.: Don Siegel; Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, John Mitchum, Reni
Santoni, John Vernon, Andrew Robinson, Josef Sommer. Two-disc set. Extras:
Commentary by film historian Richard Schickel; new featurette "The Long
Shadow of Dirty Harry," an examination of the influence and legacy of
Dirty Harry; featurette "Dirty Harry: The Original"; featurette: Dirty
Harry's Way" promotional short on the movie; interview gallery; 1993 TV
special "Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso"; trailer gallery. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition. All five "Dirty Harry" films, new commentaries and featurettes, 40-page hard cover "Dirty Harry" retrospective book, replica Harry Callahan wallet with Inspector's badge and ID card, "Scorpio: Portrait of a Killer" poster, six "Dirty Harry" cards, production letters, more. $74.92 DVD, $129.95 Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
Diva (1981) Frederic Andrei, Richard Bohringer, Thuy An Luu, Jacques Fabbri. Stylish French thriller. A young Parisian mail courier is content with his bohemian lifestyle, his circle of friends and listening to opera, particularly one exceptional American diva who refuses to be recorded. So enamored is he with her that he makes an illegal tape of her at a concert. But when the tape is confused with one implicating a police chief with the mob, he must use all his ingenuity to survive mob killers and the police. First of two release from Lionsgate's new Meridian Collection, a compilation of acclaimed, groundbreaking and influential films from around the world; digitally remastered. Extras: Commentary by director Jean-Jacques Beineix, cast and crew interviews. (Lionsgate).
Doctor Who: Beneath the Surface. Four-disc set features "Doctor Who and the Silurians" (seven episodes), "The Sea Devils" (six episodes) and "Warriors of the Deep" (four episodes); $59.98. (Warner).
The Eye (2008) Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, Parker Posey, Francois Chau, Tamlyn Tomita. Available in single-disc and two-disc special edition with extras. Extras: Four featurettes, deleted scenes, digital computer copy. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
Flawless (2008) Demi Moore, Michael Caine. A crime/drama set in 1960s London, where a soon-to-retire janitor (Michael Caine) convinces a glass-ceiling constrained American executive (Demi Moore) to help him steal a handful of diamonds from their employer, the London Diamond Corporation, who he feels has done them wrong. Extras: "Exploring the Facets: A Behind the Scenes Look." (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Flavor of Love: Season 3. Four-disc set with all five uncensored episodes, $34.97. Extras: Casting special, "Flav's Filosophies," "Girls Gone Flav: Ultimate Moments," "Dirty Laundry," "Flav and Thing 2's Date," "The Dead Bring Bad Luck." (Anchor Bay).
Get Smart: The Complete Series. Don Adams and Barbara Feldon reprise their roles as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 in the short-lived 1995 update of the classic "Get Smart," now with the addition of Andy Dick and Elaine Hendrix. Single-disc with all seven episodes, $19.95. (Sony).
I Love New York: Season 2. Three-disc set with 11 episodes of the sleazy realty series, $34.97. (Anchor Bay).
The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Third Season. Five-disc set with 23 episodes, $39.98. Extras: "Remembering The Incredible Hulk: An American Classic" featurette. (Universal).
The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Fourth Season. Four-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.98. Extras: Commentary on two-part season premiere "Prometheus", "Creating an Iconic Character: The Hulk" featurette, "Inside an Episode: Prometheus" photo gallery. (Universal).
Mama's Boy (2007) Jeff Daniels, Anna Faris, Jon Heder, Diane Keaton, Chris Kerner, Rue McClanahan, Dorian Missick. A 29-year-old slacker who lives with his mom realizes his sweet set-up is threatened when she hears wedding bells with her self-help guru beau. Extras: Commentary by director Tim Hamilton, additional scenes. (Warner).
Mannix: The First Season (1967) Six-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.99. Extras:Interview with Mike Connors and Joseph Campanella, "Mannix" TV Land promo and CBS sales presentation with audio introductions from Mike Connors. (Paramount).
Meet the Spartans (2008) Diedrich Bader, Kevin Sorbo, Method Man, Ken Davitian, Jim Piddock, Sean Maguire, Greg Ellis, Crista Flanagan, Nicole Parker, Emily Wilson. In rated and unrated versions. Extras: Unrated "Pit of Death" edition: Commentary by the cast and crew, "Know Your Spartans" pop culture set-top trivia game, gag reel, "Meet the Spartans: The Music" featurette, "Prepare for Thrusting" featurette, "Tour the Set With Ike Barinholtz." (Fox).
New York Mets: Essential Games of Shea Stadium. Six-disc set with six complete, unedited games that best define the history of the New York Mets and showcase the splendor of Shea Stadium (2008 will commemorate the last year that Shea Stadium will see action on its field); $59.95. (A&E Home Video).
The Onion Movie (2008) "The Onion" invades DVD. Based on the wildly popular satirical newspaper, "The Onion Movie" offers uncensored, uninhibited, unrated news and views from around the world. From the sharp minds of Robert Siegel and Todd Hanson, long-time editors and writers for "The Onion" newspaper and website, the movie presents a hard look at world events, cultural fads and curious human behavior, reporting on topics that most news programs wouldn't dare touch. Extras: Deleted scenes, outtakes. (Fox).
Prairie Fever (2008) Kevin Sorbo, Lance Henrickson, Jamie Ann Allman, Dominque Swain. Western. When whiskey-soaked ex-lawmen Preston Biggs (Kevin Sorbo) is hired to escort a group of women suffering from "prairie fever" back to civilization, he's met by a murderous gang intent on stopping their passage. (Genius Entertainment).
The Red Violin (1998) Samuel L. Jackson, Carlo Cecchi, Irene Grazioli, Jean-Luc Bideau, Greta Scacchi, Jason Flemyng, Colm Feore, Don McKellar. An appraiser traces the vast, storied history of a priceless violin across numerous countries and generations. First of two release from Lionsgate's new Meridian Collection, a compilation of acclaimed, groundbreaking and influential films from around the world; digitally remastered. Extras: Commentary, two featurettes, musical feature with composer John Corigliano, documentary on violins and violin auctions. (Lionsgate).
Remember the Daze (2005) Leighton Meester, Amber Heard, Alexa Vega, Melonie Diaz, Lyndsy Fonseca. Coming-of-age tale that revolves around the chaos of the celebration of the last day of school in a small town. (First Look Studios).
Rescue Me: The Complete Fourth Season. Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.95. Extras: Featurettes: "Walking Through Fire: The Stories of Rescue Me Season 4," "Real Stories From America's Bravest," "Welcome to the Set," "This Is Not a Drill: Breaking Down Episode 407," "Captains," "Tools of the Trade," "Burning Embers: Gavin's Girls"; deleted scenes; blooper reel. (Sony).
Semi-Pro (2008) Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, Will Arnett, Jay Phillips, Josh Braaten, Rob Corddry, DeRay Davis, Maura Tierney, Jackie Earle Haley. In single-disc and two-disc "Let's Get Sweaty" editions. "Let's Get Sweaty" extras: "Love Me Sexy: The Story Behind the One-Hit Wonder" featuette, "Recreating the American Basketball Association (ABA)" featurette, "Four Days in Flint" featurette, behind-the-scenes footage, music video, more. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (New Line).
Time for Murder. Two-disc set of the classic mid-1980s series featuring tales of mystery and suspense by six of Britain's finest writers, $39.99. (Acorn Media).
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show (2008) Vince Vaughn and four stand-up comedians travel the country -- subtitled "30 days and 30 nights - Hollywood to the Heartland" -- in this documentary. Extras: Commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, "The Tour" featurette, making-of featurette, more. (New Line).
For more
DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>
Copyright 2008 CyberPod. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1094-3676
An archive of past issues of the OnVideo E-Mail News can be found
at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/onvideoguide
Messages and missives: mail@...
Thanks to the Woo family of Culver City, Calif. and Leslie
Rigoulot for helping support this issue of the news.
Subscriptions to OnVideo E-Mail News are
free for the asking by sending an e-mail request to
onvideoguide-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
No subject or body text is required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you can
un-subscribe by sending an e-mail message to
onvideoguide-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
No subject or body text is required.
And don't forget to bookmark our major OnVideo Web site located
at http://www.onvideo.org
Offline 
Send Email