*****************************
ONVIDEO E-MAIL NEWS
******************************

5/13/03 V7.19

ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, May 13 -- MONDAY, May 19

ANALYZE THAT
Mob comedy sequel to the 1999 blockbuster "Analyze This." Robert
De Niro and Billy Crystal re-team as the funny gangster patient
and therapist. Infamous Mafioso Paul Vitti (De Niro) is suffering
a nervous breakdown while serving time in prison. As a result, he
is granted a conditional release into the custody and care of his
psychotherapist, Ben Sobel (Crystal). As therapy continues and
Sobel tries to get to the bottom of Vitti's psychosis, Sobel
realizes his patient might not be as crazy as he claims to be.
Vitti's apparent "breakdown" may merely be a carefully
orchestrated act to get out of prison so he can resume his duties
as a mob boss. Lisa Kudrow returns as Crystal's beleaguered wife,
who is less than thrilled when her husband's psychotic mobster
patient becomes their uninvited houseguest. Plenty of mob and
shrink related gags. Director: Harold Ramis. Stars: Billy
Crystal, Robert De Niro, Lisa Kudrow, Joe Viterelli, Cathy
Moriarty, John Finn, Kyle Sabihy. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95
min., Comedy, Box office gross: $31.953 million, Warner, $22.99
VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date.

BORDERLINE
Suspense, intrigue and sexy thrills meet in this erotic crime
thriller. Psychiatrist Dr. Lila Colleti (Gina Gershon) is
divorcing her husband and is devastated when he wins custody of
their two little girls, whom he gets largely because of Lila's
profession. As a psychiatrist for the criminally insane at the
local prison, Dr. Colleti is in a potentially dangerous job that
forces her to keep long, erratic hours. When one of Lila's
patients, Ed Balkman (Sean Patrick Flannery), is released into a
half-way house, he decides under the delusional influence of his
psychosis to help her out by murdering her ex-husband and his
girlfriend. But he then threatens to tell the cops that they
planned the crime together when she refuses to become
romantically involved with him. Though Lila's lover, police
detective Macy Kobacek (Michael Biehn), stands by her loyally,
Balkman does such an ingenious job of implicating Lila as the
prime suspect that even Macy begins to have his doubts about
Lila's innocence. Director: Evelyn Purcell. Stars: Gina Gershon,
Sean Patrick Flannery, Michael Biehn. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R,
94 min., Thriller, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental. DVD: Day & Date.

COMEDIAN
Comic genius and award-winning performer Jerry Seinfeld stars in
this behind-the-scenes look at the backstage life of stand-up
comics. Seinfeld is revealed as you've never seen him before, as
the movie follows Jerry and such famous as Chris Rock to see how
they deal with performance anxiety, jokes that fall flat, finding
material and fame. Director: Christian Charles. 2002, CC, MPAA
rating: R, 82 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $2.744
million, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

EQUILIBRIUM
In the not-too-distant future, humankind has outlawed all things
that can cause strong emotions -- literature, art, music -- in an
attempt to end wars and keep the peace. A special breed of police
-- martial-arts trained "Clerics" with high-powered weapons --
are assigned to eliminate all who break this law. When the top
emotions enforcer (Christian Bale) misses a dose of an
emotion-blocking drug, he discovers that things are not as they
seem. Discovering a new world of sensation, he gains a passion to
fight for freedom and overthrow the system. A slow-moving story
line punctuated with high-paced "Matrix"-like fight and action
scenes. And the opening sequence is definitely an homage to
"Fahrenheit 451," a film to which this outing owes much debt.
Director: Kurt Wimmer. Stars: Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Emily
Watson, Sean Bean. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Science
Fiction, Box office gross: $1.190 million, Dimension, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

HOT CHICK, THE
Rob Schneider stars in this body-switch comedy in which a teenage
girl finds herself stuck in the body of a petty criminal -- and
vice versa. Body-switch-or-reincarnation-in-another's-body-themed
films have always been a hoot, epitomized in modern times by
1978's "Heaven Can Wait," 1991's "Switch," 1992's "Prelude to a
Kiss," 1998's "Big" and 2001's "Down to Earth" (have I missed any
recent ones?). This version ups the ante by going to extremes --
Jessica (Rachel McAdams) is a pretty high school cheerleader with
an attitude and Clive (Schneider) is a raunchy crook. Just before
a major cheerleading competition, Jessica steals a set of magic
earrings but drops one at the scene of one of Clive's robberies.
Naturally Clive picks up the earring and puts it on; the next
morning Jessica and Clive have switched bodies. There's some
wonderful gender-switch jokes and very strange situations: the
first time Jessica-in-Clive enters the men's locker room at
school; Jessica's love-starved mom hitting on Clive/Jessica, who
poses as a Latino gardener to get back to her house; Jessica's
best friend (Anna Faris) falling for Clive/Jessica; and much
more. At the other extreme, we have nasty Clive in a teenage
girl's body -- which he uses to his advantage to make money. And,
like "Tootsie," Clive/Jessica finds an epiphany by taking on the
role of the opposite sex, and it changes her -- and the world
around her -- for the better. But you have to suspend a lot of
disbelief. The main thrust of the film is Schneider, who has a
great time playing a teenage girl, and we enjoy him for it.
Director: Tom Brady. Stars: Rob Schneider, Anna Faris, Matthew
Lawrence, Rachel McAdams, Eric Christian Olsen, Robert Davi,
Melora Hardin. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 102 min., Comedy,
Box office gross: $34.314 million, Buena Vista, 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>

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

THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

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

** Analyze That (2002) Dir.: Harold Ramis; Billy Crystal, Robert
De Niro, Lisa Kudrow, Joe Viterelli, Cathy Moriarty, John Finn,
Kyle Sabihy. Extras: Commentary by Ramis, "The Making of Analyze
That: HBO First Look Special," M.A.D.E. (Mafioso Associate Degree
Exam) interactive challenge (see if you know what it takes to be
a mobster). (Warner).
** Borderline (2002) Gina Gershon, Sean Patrick Flannery, Michael
Biehn. (Columbia TriStar).
** Columbia TriStar Superbit Collection. "XXX," "Bad Boys," "Men
in Black," "Men in Black II." (Columbia TriStar).
** Comedian (2002) Documentary. Jerry Seinfeld. Extras: Deleted
Scenes with optional commentary, advertising material, interviews
by Jiminy Glick with Seinfeld and with Orny Adams, Letterman
appearances by Seinfeld (3/21/01) and Adams (12/13/00), "Where Is
Orny Now?" commentary tracks with director Christian Charles and
producer Gary Streiner, commentary by Seinfeld and Colin Quinn,
"Anatomy of a Joke." (Miramax).
** Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942) Paul Muni, Lillian Gish,
Cedric Hardwicke. (Columbia TriStar).
** Dark Angel: Season 1. Six-disc set. (Fox).
** Equilibrium (2002) Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson,
Sean Bean. Extras: Commentary by director Kurt Wimmer, commentary
by Wimmer and producer Lucas Foster, "Finding Equilibrium"
behind-the-scenes featurette. (Dimension).
** Full Contact (Xia dao Gao Fei (1992) Dir.: Ringo Lam; Chow
Yun-fat, Anthony Wong, Simon Yam. (Columbia TriStar).
** Hellcats of the Navy (1957) Ronald Reagan, Nancy Davis.
(Columbia TriStar).
** The Hot Chick (2002) Rob Schneider, Anna Faris, Matthew
Lawrence, Rachel McAdams, Eric Christian Olsen, Robert Davi,
Melora Hardin. Extras: Commentary by director Tom Brady, "The Hot
Chick Yearbook," deleted scenes, alternate ending, Zed music
video "Starlight." (Buena Vista).
** The Jeffersons: The Complete Second Season. Three-disc set;
$29.95.(Columbia TriStar).
** The Mission Special Edition (1986) Dir.: Roland Joffe; Robert
De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Aidan Quinn, Cherie Lunghi,
Ronald Pickup, Chuck Low, Liam Neeson. Two-disc set. Extras:
Commentary by Joffe; "Making of The Mission." (Warner).
** This Boys Life (1993) Dir: Michael Caton Jones; Robert De
Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio. (Warner).
** The Three Stooges Go Around the World (Columbia TriStar).
** The X-Files: The Complete Seventh Season. Six-disc set. (Fox).

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

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

THIS WEEK'S VHS SELL-THROUGH RELEASES:


** Analyze That (2002) Dir.: Harold Ramis; Billy Crystal, Robert
De Niro, Lisa Kudrow, Joe Viterelli, Cathy Moriarty, John Finn,
Kyle Sabihy (Warner): $22.99

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


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

NEWS

FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Paramount will release this week two sets of TV favorites on DVD:
"Cheers: The Complete First Season," (1982-83), with such extras
as a Ted Danson interview and three featurettes (including one on
"Stormin' Norm-isms"), and a trivia game; and "Frasier: The
Complete First Season" (1993-94), with two featurettes ... HBO
will release this week "Sex and the City: The Complete Fourth
Season" in a three-disc set with all 18 episodes ... Acorn Media
will release the first U.S. home video outing of the popular A&E
mystery franchise that has taken the U.K. by storm, "Midsomer
Murders." A cluster of idyllic English villages is the backdrop
for these darkly humorous contemporary mysteries, based on the
Caroline Graham novels and starring John Nettles as unflappable
Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. Set One of the series includes
four feature length episodes; $59.95 DVD, $79.95 VHS.

SELL-THROUGH:
Due May 20 on VHS: "The Banger Sisters" (2002), starring Goldie
Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Rush and Erika Christensen; "Brown
Sugar" (2002), starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Nicole
Ari Parker and Queen Latifah; "One Hour Photo" (2002), starring
Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole and
Eriq La Salle; and "Unfaithful" (2002), directed by Adrian Lyne
and starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez, Chad
Lowe, Kate Burton and Margaret Colin; $14.98 each from Fox.

BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
In "Sabretooth," a scientist unleashes a monster when he
resurrects one of nature's most fearsome predators using
fossilized DNA, starring David Keith, Vanessa Angel and John
Rhys-Davies, from Lions Gate on DVD and VHS ... "Wilder",
starring Pam Grier and Rutger Hauer, is an actioner about a
sharp-tongued maverick cop (Grier) who, during the course of a
murder investigation, uncovers a demonic conspiracy by a rogue
pharmaceutical company, from MTI Home Video on DVD and VHS. Both
titles are due this week.

FOR THE KIDS:
The Teletubbies continue to spread their message in "Look! Simple
Shapes and Playful Patterns," a new direct-to-video release from
Warner Home Video and PBS KIDS Home Video. "Look!" will debut on
DVD and VHS on May 20, as will the DVD of the popular "Go!
Exercise With the Teletubbies." Both titles will be available on
DVD at a $19.98 and on VHS at $12.94. "Look!" is the first home
video title to feature the funny and simple new format of the 10-
minute, "treat-sized" Teletubbies Everywhere segments in which
the Teletubbies explore shapes, numbers and colors within a
wonderful and colorful new environment. These episodes also
include live action inserts that showcase real life children from
all over the world, from Namibia and France ... Also this week
Columbia TriStar will release a new collection of Jay Jay the Jet
Plane adventures: "Jay Jay the Jet Plane -- Good Friends
Forever," featuring three episodes on VHS and five episodes on
DVD that deal with valuable life lessons about friendship, $9.95
and $14.95 respectively.

FOREIGN:
Facets Video will release two mythic tales reinterpreted for the
big screen on May 20. First is Lars von Trier's "Medea" (1987),
after a script by Carl-Th. Dreyer. "Medea" is a revelation -- the
discovery of a rarely-seen, highly-acclaimed film from the
director of "The Kingdom," Breaking the Waves" and "Dancer in the
Dark." Von Trier explores the dark passions of a woman scorned in
this shocking and powerful film. The drama unfolds in shimmering
marshlands and gloomy subterranean passageways. Medea is the
foreign sorceress, abandoned by Jason, her lover. In a fit of
mad, jealous rage, she plots a vicious revenge and murders her
own children; DVD and VHS $29.95; Danish with English subtitles.
The second title is Miklos Jancso's "Electra, My Love" (1974). In
an awesome leap of imagination, Jancso, one of the world's great
filmmakers, relocates the classic myth on a desolate Hungarian
plain. Here, the nail-biting drama plays out against the rituals
of naked girls and galloping horsemen. The film is shot as a
visual epic, with elaborate camera moves that are Jancso's famous
signature. When Electra takes off in a red helicopter, the story
catapults into the future, in an awesome master-stroke that
leaves the audience breathless; DVD and VHS $29.95; Hungarian
with English subtitles.


------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 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: e-mail: 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