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ONVIDEO E-MAIL NEWS
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4/1/03 V7.13

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

FAR FROM HEAVEN
It's 1957 in the bedroom community of Hartford, Connecticut.
Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) has it all -- a lovely home, two
wonderful children, and a handsome husband, Frank (Dennis Quaid),
who is successfully climbing the corporate ladder at a television
company. But Cathy's idyllic existence is just an illusion, and
as forbidden desires threaten to tear her world apart, she is
faced with choices that spur gossip within the community and
change several lives forever. Cathy is the perfect, smiling wife,
doting on her kids, her community and her husband. Frank,
hard-working and dedicated, has been staying late at his office
to work on a new campaign. One night Cathy decides to surprise
Frank with a tupperware container of the evening's meal, and
instead of finding him hard at work, she finds him in the arms of
another man. Frank agrees to undergo medical attention for his
"problem," along the way taking solace in booze. As his life
spins more and more out of control, Cathy turns to another man
for emotional support -- her educated, soft-spoken gardener. In
the eyes of her community and friends, Cathy has violated the
rules of upper-middle class etiquette -- she's not only
befriending a man below her station in life, she's befriending a
black man (Dennis Haysbert). And that, of course, changes
everyone's lives forever. An homage to and contemporary take on,
as everyone knows by now, the melodramas of Douglas Sirk and, in
particular, "All That Heaven Allows." But it's more than that of
course: Todd Haynes' brilliant screenplay and direction looks at
forbidden feelings of love, desire and yearning and places them
onto a middle-class 1950s backdrop -- a time when thinking and
speaking about homosexuality and integration were taboo subjects
among the middle class. He weaves together layers of insights and
understandings that transcend the romantic melodrama genre -- he
has successfully sewn a modern sensibility on a 1950s tapestry.
The power of the film comes from that juxtaposition -- and, of
course, from Moore's and Quaid's bravura performances. Director:
Todd Haynes. Stars: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis
Haysbert, Patricia Clarkson, Viola Davis, James Rebhorn, Celia
Weston. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Melodrama, Box
office gross: $15.000 million, Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental. DVD: Day & Date.

HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS
Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis tackle what it meant to be single
in the 80's in a this movie with a terrific 80's soundtrack. It's
1987 in Bayonne, New Jersey. The bars are full and smokey and
Debby (Thurman) and Beth (Lewis) are out looking for a good time.
Debby is searching for the kind of love they sing about in songs,
the kind that lasts forever. What she can't see is that most guys
are only looking for a love that lasts one night. From Mira Nair,
director of "Monsoon Wedding" and "Mississippi Masala."
Director: Mira Nair. Stars: Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette
Lewis, Justin Chambers, Ben Gazzara. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR,
96 min., Drama, Warner, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day &
Date.

OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN, THE
Real-life journey of 19-year-old John Groberg who traveled to the
far-off island kingdom of Tonga in the 1950s to become a
missionary. Through personal letters his challenging and
extraordinary adventures with the Tongan islanders and their
culture are shared with the love he left behind, Jean Sabin.
Director: Mitch Davis. Stars: Christopher Gorham, Anne Hathaway.
2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 113 min., Family, Box office gross:
$4.720 million, Disney, $19.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

RED DRAGON
Remake of Michael Mann's splendid 1986 "Manhunter," keying in
more on the delightful Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) who
played second fiddle in the original version. Here Edward Norton
plays a retired FBI agent called back to action to consult with
the incarcerated Lecter to solve a baffling serial killer case in
which the murderer -- dubbed The Tooth Fairy by the press --
bites, maims and kills entire families. Its grisly, scary and
wonderfully chilling. Director: Brett Ratner. Stars: Anthony
Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily
Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman. 2002, CC,
MPAA rating: R, 124 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $92.790
million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

SECRETARY
Demented, weird and offbeat are words to best describe this
delight of a film about a young woman, Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal),
just released from a mental hospital to the bosom of her
dysfunctional family, who gets a job as a legal secretary to
sexually repressed Mr. Grey (James Spader). In short order Grey
takes charge of Lee's sexual yearnings (she wants to be bossed
around), resulting in Lee wearing a dog collar and engaging in
spanking and other S&M practices with her boss. But this is not a
sleazy erotic offering. Instead, it's a wonderful exploration of
who is the master and who is the slave in interpersonal
relations, with Lee coming out on top in more ways than one. This
could have been a dreary outing in most hands, but director
Steven Shainberg plays it like a comedy, with an amusing but
ambiguous ending. Gyllenhaal is up for an Academy Award.
Director: Steven Shainberg. Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James
Spader, Leslie Ann Warren, Jeremy Davies. 2002, CC, MPAA rating:
R, 111 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.046 million, Lions Gate,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.


TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE, THE
An homage to and remake of Stanley Donen's 1963 "Charade"
starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. In the original, Grant
played a government agent who comes to the aid of Hepburn, who is
being bullied by three baddies who think she knows the
whereabouts of ill-gotten gains stolen by her now-dead husband.
There was plenty of double-dealing and false identities (hence
the title "Charade"). In this version, Thandie Newton admirably
takes on the Hepburn role as the damsel in distress, and Mark
Wahlberg is her knight in shining armor (he plays a modern Cary
Grant, more streetwise than sophisticated but never-the-less
appealing). The film, with Jonathan Demme embellishments, takes
the story into the new millennium but still retains much of the
excitement and intrigue of the original. "Charade" and "Charlie"
will make a great double bill in your home theater. Director:
Jonathan Demme. Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Thandie Newton, Tim
Robbins, Joong Hoon Park, Ted Levine, Lisa Gay Hamilton,
Christine Boisson, Stephen Dillane. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13,
104 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $5.293 million, Universal,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE, THE
Kid-savvy producers Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo bring "The Wild
Thornberrys" to the big screen in a big, satisfying way. In their
first movie, the venerable Thornberrys take on important issues
involving the evils of animal poaching that are nevertheless
carefully tempered with humor and optimism to keep them
manageable for young audiences. Nigel Thornberry and wife
Marianne produce a television nature show from the wilds of
Africa, traveling around that continent with two daughters, the
bratty teenager Debbie and the younger, sweet-natured Eliza. The
family comes to the aid of endangered animals and generally takes
up an array of other good causes. The hook, of course, is that
Eliza has a secret only the audience shares: She can converse
with animals. One day, as Eliza plays with cheetah cubs, one is
snatched by two poachers. Eliza believes she is to blame and vows
to rescue the cub, no matter what it takes. From here the movie
turns into her official rite of passage as she confronts not only
the poachers but also a crucial decision involving her magical
powers with the animals. The film's optimism and intelligence are
heightened by its buoyant animation, an uplifting score by Drew
Neumann and especially by Paul Simon's touching song "Father and
Daughter." Director: Jeff McGrath, Cathy Malkasian. Voices of
Lacey Chabert, Tom Kane, Tim Curry, Jodi Carlisle, Michael
Balzary (aka Flea), Danielle Harris, Lynn Redgrave, Rupert
Everett, Marisa Tomei, Brenda Blethyn. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG,
88 min., Animated, Box office gross: $40.000 million, Paramount,
$24.95 SRP. DVD: Day & Date.


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


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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

**The Andromeda Strain (1971) Dir.: Robert Wise; Arthur Hill,
David Wayne, James Olson, Kate Reid, Paula Kelly. Extras: "The
Making of The Andromeda Strain," "A Portrait of Michael
Crichton." (Universal).
**The Beatles Anthology (1996) Five-disc set. All eight episodes
of the TV documentary on the Beatles, which was tied in to the
release of the three "Anthology" double-CD albums. Extras: Fifth
disc contains an additional 50 minutes of rare and never-before
seen footage. $79.98. (EMI).
**The Best of Friends Season 1. Five episodes, $14.98. (Warner).
**The Best of Friends Season 2. Five episodes, $14.98. (Warner).
**Brainscan (1994) Jamie Marsh, Amy Hargreaves, Edward Furlong,
Frank Langella, T. Rider- Smith, Victor Ertmanis. (Columbia
TriStar).
**Continental Divide (1981) Dir.: Michael Apted; John Belushi,
Blair Brown, Allen Garfield. (Universal).
**The Couch Trip (1988) Dan Aykroyd, Charles Grodin, Donna Dixon,
Walter Matthau. (MGM).
**Dawson's Creek: First Season Extras: Three-Disc set: commentary
by creator Kevin Williamson; retrospective featurette: "Dawson's
Creek: From Day One"; season one time capsule. (Columbia
TriStar).
**Fahrenheit 451 (1966) Dir.: Francois Truffaut; Oskar Werner,
Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack. Extras: Commentary by Christie, The
Novel: A Discussion With Author Ray Bradbury, "The Making of
Fahrenheit 451," "The Music of Fahrenheit 451," original title
sequence, photo poster gallery. (Universal).
**Far From Heaven (2002) Dir.: Todd Haynes; Julianne Moore,
Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, Patricia Clarkson, Viola Davis,
James Rebhorn, Celia Weston. Extras: Commentary by Haynes; "The
Making of Far From Heaven"; a Q&A segment with Moore and Haynes,
filmed in front of a live audience; The Sundance Channel's
"Anatomy of a Scene," an insightful and detailed look at the
filmmaking process that explores one of the film's key scenes
(the cocktail party) through the actors, the choice of wardrobe,
the set decoration, the score, the editing decisions, and other
significant components. (Universal).
**Fatal Instinct (1993) Dir.: Carl Reiner; Armand Assante,
Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Nelligan, Sean Young. Extras: Commentary by
Reiner and screenwriter David O'Malley, deleted scenes, outtakes.
(MGM).
**Friends: The Complete Third Season. Four-disc set with 25
episodes. Extras: Commentary by creators Kevin Bright, Marta
Kaufman and David Crane on selected episodes; "Bachelor Pad"
interactive map; "Friends of Friends" video guestbook; $44.98.
(Warner)
**The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) Dir.: Joseph L. Mankiewicz; Gene
Tierney, Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Natalie Wood. Restored and
digitally remastered. Commentary, A&E Biography: "Rex Harrison:
The Man Who Would Be King," still gallery. (Fox Studio Classics).
**Hysterical Blindness (2002) Dir.: Mira Nair; Uma Thurman, Gena
Rowlands, Juliette Lewis, Justin Chambers, Ben Gazzara. (Warner).
**I Love Lucy: Season One, Vol. 5 and 6. Extras: Series original
openings, flubs, guest card information, behind-the-scenes
photos, more. (Paramount).
**The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists (1996)
Animated. (Universal).
**The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island (1997) Animated.
(Universal).
**The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock (1998)
Animated. (Universal).
**Legal Eagles (1986) Dir.: Ivan Reitman; Robert Redford, Debra
Winger, Daryl Hannah, Brian Dennehy, Terence Stamp, Steven Hill.
Extras: "The Making of Legal Eagles." (Universal).
**Married to It (1993) Beau Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Stockard
Channing, Mary Stuart Masterson, Ron Silver. (MGM).
**Married ... With Children -- The Most Outrageous Episodes!
Volume 2. Includes the following episodes: A Man's Castle,
Raingirl, Have You Driven a Ford Lately, If Al Had a Hammer,
Who'll Stop the Rain? Extras: A Salute to Sinatra. (Columbia
TriStar).
**Memories of Me (1988) Alan King, Billy Crystal, JoBeth
Williams. (MGM).
**The Missionary (1982) Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm
Elliott. (MGM).
**The Other Side of Heaven (2002) Christopher Gorham, Anne
Hathaway. Extras: Commentary by director Mitch Davis, "The Making
of the Other Side of Heaven" featurette, still gallery. (Disney).
**Palookaville (1996) John Forsythe, Vincent Gallo, Adam Trese.
(MGM)
**The Perez Family (1995) Marisa Tomei, Alfred Molina, Anjelica
Huston, Trini Alvarado. (MGM).
**Popi (1969) Alan Arkin. (MGM).
**A Private Function (1984) Maggie Smith, Michael Palin. (MGM).
**Privates on Parade (1984) John Cleese. (MGM).
**Red Dragon (2002) Dir: Brett Ratner; Anthony Hopkins, Edward
Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise
Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Extras: Commentary by Ratner;
"The Hannibal Lecter Story"; Behind-the-scenes: "The Making of
Red Dragon"; deleted scenes; "The Art of Criminal Profiling";
"The Making of a Killer"; Interview with FBI profiler John
Douglas; "Inside the FBI." (Universal).
**Red Dragon Director's Edition (2002) Dir: Brett Ratner; Anthony
Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily
Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Extras:
Two-disc set. Commentary by Ratner; "The Hannibal Lecter Story";
Behind-the-scenes: "The Making of Red Dragon"; deleted scenes;
"The Art of Criminal Profiling"; "The Making of a Killer";
Interview with FBI profiler John Douglas; "Inside the FBI";
"Brett Ratner's Video Diary"; "The Red Dragon Tattoo"; screen and
film tests; storyboards to final feature comparisons; $27.95
(Universal).
**Secretary (2002) Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Leslie Ann
Warren, Jeremy Davies. Extras: Commentary by director Steven
Shainberg, commentary by Spader, commentary by Gyllenhaal,
deleted scenes. (Lions Gate).
**Sibling Rivalry (1990) Kirstie Alley, Jamie Gertz, Scott
Bakula. (MGM).
**Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season Two. Extras: "New Frontiers:
The Story of Deep Space Nine," sketchbook of Season Two designs
and props, crew dossier on Jadzia Dax, "Michael Westmore's
Aliens: Season Two," "New Stations, New Ships," "Section 31
Hidden Files." (Paramount).
**The Truth About Charlie (2002) Dir.: Jonathan Demme; Mark
Wahlberg, Thandie Newton, Tim Robbins, Joong Hoon Park, Ted
Levine, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Christine Boisson, Stephen Dillane.
Extras: Commentary by Demme, making-of featurette, deleted
scenes, and the widescreen version of the film "Charlie" pays
homage to, Stanley Donen's 1963 "Charade," starring Cary Grant
and Audrey Hepburn. (Universal).
**Undercover Blues (1993) Dennis Quaid, Kathleen Turner. (MGM).
**West Side Story Special Edition Collector's Set (1961) Dir.:
Robert Wise; Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita
Moreno, George Chakiris. Extras: Two-disc set with exclusive
footage of Wood's original recording of "I Feel Pretty," which
was later replaced with Marni Nixon's voice in the final version
of the film; new one-hour "West Side Memories" documentary on the
making-of "West Side Story," with new cast and crew interviews;
gallery of 230 stills, featuring never-before-seen
behind-the-scene photos, production design snapshots and
storyboard sketches; animated storyboard-to-film comparison;
optional original orchestral intermission; remixed and remastered
in 5.1 surround; collectible scrapbook with working script with
revision pages and song lyrics, never-before-seen photos, letters
from Wise, reproduction of the original lobby brochure, timeline
and film reviews; $39.98. (MGM).
**The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) Voices of Lacey Chabert, Tom
Kane, Tim Curry, Jodi Carlisle, Michael Balzary (aka Flea),
Danielle Harris, Lynn Redgrave, Rupert Everett, Marisa Tomei,
Brenda Blethyn. Extras: Music video of Paul Simon's "Father and
Daughter." (Paramount).


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:


**The Best of Friends Season 1. Five episodes (Warner): $14.94
**The Best of Friends Season 2. Five episodes (Warner): $14.94
**Friends: The Complete Third Season. Four volumes, 25 episodes
(Warner): $39.98
**The Other Side of Heaven (2002) Christopher Gorham, Anne
Hathaway (Disney): $19.99
**The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) Voices of Lacey Chabert, Tom
Kane, Tim Curry, Jodi Carlisle, Michael Balzary (aka Flea),
Danielle Harris, Lynn Redgrave, Rupert Everett, Marisa Tomei,
Brenda Blethyn (Paramount): $24.98


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


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NEWS

COMING SOON:
Lots of new releases to report on this week:

**Due April 15: "Rabbit-Proof Fence" (2002), about the plight of
Aborigines in 1931 Australia, directed by Phillip Noyce, from
Miramax.
**Due May 20: "Max" (2002), a weird take on Adolf Hitler as a
young artists, starring John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Leelee Sobieski
and Molly Parker, from Lions Gate.
**Due May 27: "National Security" (2003), an action comedy
starring Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, Eric Roberts, Bill Duke and
Colm Feore, from Columbia TriStar; and "Love Liza" (2003),
starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathy Bates in a tale of a
man who finds himself after the death of his wife, from Columbia
TriStar.
**Due June 10: "Frida" (2002), a bio of the famed Mexican
painter, directed by Julie Taymor and starring Salma Hayek,
Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton, Antonio Banderas,
Ashley Judd and Valeria Golino, from Miramax; and "The Jungle
Book 2" (2003) animated sequel with the voices of John Goodman,
Haley Joel Osment, Mae Whitman, Connor Funk, Tony Jay Kaa, Jim
Cummings, Phil Collins and John Rhys-Davies, from Disney.
**Due June 17: Comedy "Just Married" (2003), starring Ashton
Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, from Fox.
**Due June 24: "The Hours" (2002), directed by Stephen Daldry and
starring Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Ed Harris,
Toni Collette, Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels, Stephen Dillane,
Allison Janney, John C. Reilly and Miranda Richardson in the
story of three women from three different decades in the 20th
century profoundly affected by Virginia Woolf, from Paramount;
and "Kangaroo Jack" (2003), a family comedy about misguided
bagmen Down Under, starring Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson,
Estella Warren and Christopher Walken, from Warner.
**Due July 15: "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002), the
bizarre tale of game show impresario George Barris, who claims he
lead a double life as a CIA hitman, directed by George Clooney
and starring Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, Clooney, Julia
Roberts, Rutger Hauer and Kristen Wilson, from Miramax.
**Due July 22: Wild Western comedy "Shanghai Knights" (2003),
starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong and Donnie Yen, from
Buena Vista.
**Due August 19: Six Academy Award-winning musical "Chicago"
(2002), directed by Rob Marshall and starring Renee Zellweger,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs,
John C. Reilly, Christine Baranski and Lucy Liu, from Miramax.
**Due August 26: "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002),
the second in the Peter Jackson J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy starring
Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean
Astin, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy
Boyd, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis and Cate
Blanchett, from New Line.

FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week: "Friends: The Complete Third Season," a four-disc
set with 25 episodes and such extras as commentary by creators
Kevin Bright, Marta Kaufman and David Crane on selected episodes;
a "Bachelor Pad" interactive map and a "Friends of Friends" video
guestbook; $44.98 DVD and $39.98 VHS, from Warner. The company is
also releasing two "Friends" compilations: "The Best of Friends
Season 1 and Season 2," each containing five episodes, $14.98 DVD
and $14.94 VHS ... "Dawson's Creek: First Season," a three-disc
set with commentary by creator Kevin Williamson, a retrospective
featurette: "Dawson's Creek: From Day One," and a Season One time
capsule, from Columbia TriStar.

FOR THE KIDS:
Disney has released to DVD this week two sing-along videos, both
filled with music and activities for pre-schoolers: "The Lion
King: Circle of Life Sing Along Songs" and "Sing a Song With Pooh
Bear and Piglet Too," $19.99 each.

BUZZIN' THE B's:
Due this week are crime comedy "Lone Star State of Mind" (2002),
starring Joshua Jackson, James King and DJ Qualls, from Columbia
TriStar; and "Cheyenne" (2003), a Western about a female bounty
hunter, starring M.C. Hammer, Gary Hudson, Bobbie Phillips and Bo
Svenson, from MTI Home Video.

SPECIAL INTEREST:
Regarded as an unprecedented event that uniquely combines
alternative music with extreme sports, the world's longest
running travelling music tour (in its ninth year) will be
available for the first time on DVD with the release of "Vans
Warped Tour Live" from Pioneer Entertainment. The DVD contain an
"all access pass" to the entire event with special features that
allow viewers to become part of the tour. The compilation
includes live performances from 17 new punk artists and genre
classic acts whose combined album distribution exceeds 12 million
units domestically. The talent roster features Mighty, Mighty
Bosstones, Bad Religion, New Found Glory, NOFX, Reel Big Fish,
Flogging Molly, Ozma, Anti-Flag, Something Corporate, MXPX, the
Used Lagwagon, Hot Water Music, Morgan Heritage, Alkaline Trio,
No Use for a Name and GOB; $24.98.


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Copyright 2003 CyberPod. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1094-3676

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