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ONVIDEO E-MAIL NEWS
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5/26/03 V7.21

ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR TUESDAY, May 27 -- MONDAY, June 2

GUY THING, A
Lame comedy about a bachelor who unknowingly falls for his
fiance's cousin at his bachelor party. Waking up next to Becky
(Julia Stiles), the hot tiki dancer from his bachelor party, Paul
(Jason Lee) has to come up with a quick set of lies to protect
his bride-to-be Karen (Selma Blair). But then Becky's underwear
turns up in Paul's couch and Becky's ex turns in some
incriminating photos of Paul. Worse, Becky turns out to be
Karen's cousin. This leads to a host of white lies and dumb
situations. But there's no magnetism between any of the
characters to justify the set-ups, and the film spirals downhill
to a screwball wedding scene in which Paul must choose the woman
of his life. Director: Chris Koch. Stars: Jason Lee, Julia
Stiles, Selma Blair, James Brolin, Shawn Hatosy, Lochlyn Munro,
Diana Scarwid. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 101 min., Comedy,
Box office gross: $15.408 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental. DVD: Day & Date.

LOVE LIZA
Touching dark comedy and wonderfully inspired tale about one
man's painful struggle to deal with his wife's unexplained
suicide. Set somewhere in Middle America, Wilson Joel (Philip
Seymour Hoffman), a successful Website designer, suddenly sees
his world stop with the untimely death of his young wife Liza.
Trying to make sense of everything that has just happened, Wilson
turns to his mother-in-law (Kathy Bates) for support. Their
relationship intensifies when Wilson refuses to open a letter
Liza left behind for fear it will shatter his ideal of the
perfect life they shared. As Wilson attempts to rebuild his life,
with unopened letter in tow, eccentric behavior begins to
surface. He begins to drown himself into an odyssey of self-pity,
self-realization and a curious fascination with gasoline fumes
and remote-control model enthusiasts. Beautifully drawn portrait
of a survivor who invokes humor, humility and whatever it takes
to find the possibilities for a successful resolution. Director:
Todd Louiso. Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, J.D.
Walsh, Jimmy Raskin, Erika Alexander. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R,
90 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.151 million, Columbia
TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

NATIONAL SECURITY
Run of the mill action comedy for Martin Lawrence fans only. LAPD
reject and major troublemaker Earl (Martin Lawrence) got L.A. cop
Hank (Steve Zahn) kicked off the force for being falsely accused
of brutality. Naturally they hate each other but, by a twist of
fate, they become mismatched partners working as lowly security
guards. And they're playing cops to bring down a smuggling
operation -- which may or may not involve high-ranking members of
the LAPD. Now they have to battle each other and stay one step
ahead of the real cops. Director: Dennis Dugan. Stars: Martin
Lawrence, Steve Zahn, Eric Roberts, Bill Duke, Colm Feore. 2003,
CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 88 min., Action comedy, Box office gross:
$35.764 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.

PIANIST, THE
Testimony to the power of music, the will to live, and the
courage to stand against evil. Remarkable, real-life tale of
celebrated composer and pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien
Brody), a Polish Jew who eluded the Nazis and managed to survive
in the war-torn Warsaw Ghetto. Szpilman was the most acclaimed
young musician of his time, until his promising career was
interrupted by the onset of World War II. This powerful,
ultimately triumphant film follows Szpilman's heroic and
inspirational journey of survival with the unlikely help of a
sympathetic German officer (Thomas Kretschmann). For director
Roman Polanski, "The Pianist" is his most personal statement. At
the age of seven, he escaped the Cracow Ghetto through a hole in
a barbed-wire fence. "The Pianist" marks the first time the
director had made a movie in Poland in 40 years. The film won
Oscars for Best Director (Polanski), Best Actor (Adrien Brody)
and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ronald Harwood). Director: Roman
Polanski. Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay,
Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Jessica Kate Meyer. 2002, CC, MPAA
rating: R, 149 min., Drama, Box office gross: $14.814 million,
Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date.

RECRUIT, THE
Above average spy thriller that revolves around the recruiting
and training of CIA agents. Al Pacino plays Walter Burke, a high-
powered CIA veteran who recruits Colin Farrell's computer whiz,
James Clayton, by asserting that Clayton's father, who died
mysteriously a decade earlier in a plane crash in South America,
was also a "spook." It's off to the CIA training camp, the
"Farm," where agents are trained to be liars and cheats, and
where Pacino keeps pounding into the heads of the new recruits:
"Trust no one" and "Nothing is what it seems" (also words of
wisdom to the audience). At the Farm the recruits are taught to
master the fine lethal arts, and its here that Clayton develops a
sexual attraction to fellow agent Layla (Bridget Moynahan) and an
animosity to agent Zack (Gabriel Macht). From here its back to
CIA headquarters, where missions are assigned and double-crossing
and betrayals come to the fore. Most of the best action takes
place at the Farm, where explosions and violence abound. Highly
watchable outing. Director: Roger Donaldson. Stars: Al Pacino,
Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Mike Realba.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115 min., Thriller, Box office
gross: $52.154 million, Buena Vista, $15.95 VHS SRP. DVD: Day &
Date.

TALK TO HER
Powerfully moving story of exceptional compassion, loneliness and
generosity between two friends, and the long convalescence of
wounds provoked by passion. After a chance encounter at a
theater, two men, Benigno (Javier Camara) and Marco (Dario
Grandinetti), develop an intense friendship developed by
tragedies they both share. Lydia (Rosario Flores), Marco's
girlfriend and a bullfighter by profession, has been gored by a
bull and is in a coma. It so happens that Benigno is looking
after another woman, a young ballet dancer named Alicia (Leonor
Watling) rendered comatose after a traffic accident. The parallel
lives of the four characters flows in all directions -- past,
present and future -- dragging all of them towards an unsuspected
destiny. Nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay
Oscars and winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, in
addition to being honored by the National Board of Review, the
Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., the European Film Awards.
Director: Pedro Almodovar. Stars: Javier Camara, Dario
Grandinetti, Rosario Flores, Leonor Watling. 2002, CC, MPAA
rating: R, 114 min., Drama, Box office gross: $8.380 million,
Columbia TriStar, 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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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

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

** The Best of Charlie's Angels. Five of the best episodes from
Season One: "Angels in Chains," "Dancing in the Dark," "The
Seance," "Hellride" and "Consenting Adults"; $24.05. (Columbia
TriStar).
** A Bug's Life Collector's Edition (1998) Voices of Dave Foley,
Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Kevin Spacey, Phyllis Diller, David Hyde
Pierce, Denis Leary. Widescreen and fullscreen presentations.
Extras: Activity games; abandoned sequences; behind-the-scenes
featurette; outtakes; Pixar Animation Studios' 1997 Academy Award
winning animated short "Geri's Game"; commentary by director John
Lasseter, co- director/co-writer Andrew Stanton and supervising
film editor Lee Unkrich; introduction and explanation by the
filmmakers; early presentation reel ("Fleabie"); original story
treatment with pitch boards; character designs, concept art and
color script; storyboard-to-final film split screen comparison;
behind-the-scenes look at the voice talent; early production
test; production progressive demonstration; sound designer Gary
Rydstrom on the film's sound effects; behind-the-scenes look at
how the film was recomposed from original widescreen to full-
frame presentation for home entertainment release; isolated music
and effects tracks. (Disney).
** Charlie's Angels: The Complete First Season. Five-disc set
with 24 episodes. Extras: "Angels Forever" featurette; $49.94.
(Columbia TriStar).
** Coup de Grace (1976) Dir.: Volker Schlondorff; Margarethe von
Trotta. Extras: New digital transfer; video interview with
Schlondorff and screenwriter/star von Trotta, new and improved
English subtitle translation. (Home Vision/The Criterion
Collection).
** Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman: The Complete Season One. Five-disc
set with all 17 episodes from the first season. Extras: "Jane
Seymour: Hollywood's English Rose" Biography episode, interactive
tour of 19th century Colorado Springs, photo gallery; $79.95.
(A&E Home Video).
** Good Burger (1997) Kel Micthell, Kenan Thompson, Sinbad.
(Paramount).
** A Guy Thing (2002) Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, James
Brolin, Shawn Hatosy, Lochlyn Munro, Diana Scarwid, Thomas
Lennon. Extras: Commentary by director Chris Koch, Stiles, Lee,
Blair, Brolin, Lennon; "Inside a Guy Thing" featurette; "Bachelor
Party Confidential" featurette; "Groovy Gravy" featurette;
deleted scenes; alternate endings; trivia track; gag reel; "Are
We Made for Each Other" interactive quiz; photo gallery. (MGM).
** Harriet the Spy (1996) Michelle Trachtenberg, Rosie O'Donnell.
(Paramount).
** Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Seasons One and
Two. Four-disc set with 13 episodes. Extras: "Homicide: Life at
the Start" featurette, interview with executive producers Barry
Levinson and Tom Fontana, commentary on the pilot episode, song
listings, "To Catch a Killer: Homicide Detectives" episode of
A&E's "American Justice"; $69.95. (A&E Home Video).
** Jimmy Neutron: Confusion Fusion. Nine animated adventures.
Extras: Pilot episode. (Paramount).
** Jubilee (1977) Dir.: Derek Jarman; Jenny Runacre, Nell
Campbell, Toyah Willcox, Jordan, Hermine Demoriane, Ian
Charleson, Richard O'Brien, Adam Ant. Extras: New high-definition
digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Peter
Middleton; original documentary on Jarman and "Jubilee" made by
Jarman actor Spencer Leigh, featuring interviews with stars
Runacre and Willcox, film historian Tony Rayns, production
designer Christopher Hobbs, filmmakers John Maybury and Lee
Drysdale, with rare Super 8 clips and memorabilia from the film;
ephemera from Jarman's personal collection, including his
scrapbook from the film illustrated with rare photos and notes;
liner notes by Jarman biographer Tony Peake and cultural
historian Jon Savage. (Home Vision/The Criterion Collection).
** Love Liza (2003) Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, J.D.
Walsh, Jimmy Raskin, Erika Alexander. Extras: Commentary by
director Todd Louiso, Hoffman and writer Gordy Hoffman. (Columbia
TriStar).
** Mississippi Masala (1991) Dir.: Mira Nair; Denzel Washington,
Charles Dutton, Sarita Choudhury. (Columbia TriStar).
** The Mothman Prophecies Special Edition (2002) Richard Gere,
Laura Linney, Debra Messing. Extras: Commentary by director Mark
Pellington, five deleted scenes, "Search for the Mothman"
documentary, "Day by Day: A Director's Journey -- The Road In"
featurette, "Day by Day: A Director's Journey -- The Road Out"
featurette, "Halflight" music video. (Columbia TriStar).
** National Security (2003) Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, Eric
Roberts, Bill Duke, Colm Feore. Extras: Commentary by director
Dennis Dugan, alternate ending, deleted scenes, music video
"NSEW" by Disturbing the Peace. (Columbia TriStar).
** The Pianist (2002) Dir.: Roman Polanski; Adrien Brody, Thomas
Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Jessica
Kate Meyer. Extras: "A Story of Survival," a specially created
40-minute documentary that gives the viewer an in-depth look at
the production of the film as well as intimate insight into Roman
Polanski's real-life survival during World War II. (Universal).
** Quai des Orfevres (1947) Dir.: Henri-Georges Clouzot; Suzy
Delair, Bertrand Blier, Simone Renant, Louis Jouvet. Extras: New
high-definition digital transfer; collection of intimate
interview excerpts from French television with director Clouzot
and key actors; original theatrical trailer. (Home Vision/The
Criterion Collection).
** The Recruit (2003) Dir.: Roger Donaldson; Al Pacino, Colin
Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Mike Realba. Extras:
Commentary by Donaldson and Farrell, deleted scenes with optional
commentary, "Spy School: Inside the CIA Training Program" never-
before-seen look inside the CIA. (Buena Vista).
** Talk to Her (2002) Dir.: Pedro Almodovar; Javier Camara, Dario
Grandinetti, Rosario Flores, Leonor Watling. Extras: Commentary
by Almodovar and Geraldine Chaplin. (Columbia TriStar).
** Throne of Blood (1957) Dir.: Akira Kurosawa; Toshiro Mifune,
Isuzu Yamada. Extras: New high-definition digital transfer;
commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck; original
theatrical trailer; new essay by Stephen Prince ("The Warrior's
Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa"); two alternative subtitle
translations: a new version from renowned Japanese film
translator Linda Hoagland, and Kurosawa expert Donald Richie's
subtitles using Jacobean diction; notes on subtitling by Linda
Hoagland and Donald Richie; new and improved English subtitle
translation. (Home Vision/The Criterion Collection).
** You Are All Diseased. Collection of George Carlin comedy bits.
(MPI Home Video).


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:

** Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman: The Complete Season One.
Six-volume set with all 17 episodes (A&E Home Video): $99.95

** Jimmy Neutron: Time Warp. Five animated episodes (Paramount):
$12.95
** Jimmy Neutron: When Pants Attack. Three animated episodes
(Paramount): $12.95
** The Recruit (2003) Dir.: Roger Donaldson; Al Pacino, Colin
Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Mike Realba (Buena
Vista): $15.95
** You Are All Diseased. Collection of George Carlin comedy bits
(MPI Home Video): $14.98


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:
Warner Home Video will release the Jet Li-DMX thriller "Cradle 2
the Grave" on August 12 on DVD and VHS sell-through ($19.96) ...
David Cronenberg's psychological thriller "Spider" will crawl
into video stores courtesy of Columbia TriStar on July 29 on DVD
and VHS rental ... MGM has finally set a firm release date of
August 19 for Michael Moore's Academy Award winning documentary
"Bowling for Columbine" on DVD and VHS rental.

FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week from Acorn Media is "The Mayor of Casterbridge," a
1978 BBC drama (which aired on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre) based on
the Thomas Hardy novel, adapted by Dennis ("The Singing
Detective") Potter and starring Alan Bates, Anna Massey, Anne
Stallybrass and Janet Maw, in a three-volume VHS set for $59.95
and a three-disc DVD set for $59.95.

BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
On May 27 MTI Home Video and Redrum Entertainment will release
the action/horror film, "Maniacts" (2003), a cutting-edge killer
love story starring Jeff Fahey and Kellie Waymire, and filmed on
location at a State Penitentiary in Santa Fe, N.M. The film is
about two serial killers who fall in love while at an insane
asylum. They escape to go on a "Bonnie and Clyde" ride of love
and pulp fiction, and try to live a normal life. Unfortunately,
"normal" turns out to be a state of mind -- an elusive state of
mind. On DVD and VHS rental ... "The Long Ride Home" (2001)
gallops from Lions Gate this week. The Western about a man
mistaken as a cold- blooded killer on the run from a posse stars
Randy Travis, Eric Roberts, Ernest Borgnine and Garry Marshall.

ON THE INDIE FRONT:
Vanguard Cinema has a full slate of independent releases this
week: Mockingbird Don't Sing" stars Sean Young, Joe Regalbuto,
Melissa Errico and Tarra Steele in the true story of a young girl
imprisoned by her mentally disturbed parents from the age of 1
1/2 to 13; "Burning Down the House," starring John Savage, James
Wilder, Joanne Baron, David Keith, William Atherton, Arye Gross
and Rebe Auberjonois, is a thriller about a down-and-out
Hollywood director who schemes to burn down his house to collect
insurance to finance his next film; "Killer Flick" is a Hollywood
satire about a trio of outlaw filmmakers who hit the road with
guns blazing, and who will do anything to make their own unique
Hollywood film; and "The Distraction," a romantic thriller about
a happily married man who begins an affair with a beautiful co-
worker and, egged on by his wife, ends up paying for the
consequences of his actions; all on DVD and VHS ... From Palm
Pictures this week comes "Edge City," a true-to-life look at the
extracurricular exploits and clashes of teens living on both
sides of the tracks in Philadelphia: the drugs, sex, alcohol and
loud music of kids from the inner city and the suburbs, on DVD.

FOR THE KIDS:
Due this week from Paramount are three compilations of animated
adventures from the popular Jimmy Neutron Nick TV series: "Jimmy
Neutron: Time Warp" and "Jimmy Neutron: When Pants Attack" on
VHS, and "Jimmy Neutron: Confusion Fusion" on DVD ... From HIT
Entertainment comes the latest direct-to-video adventures of Bob
the Builder and his merry crew: "Bob the Builder: Building
Friendships," containing four animated stories that emphasize
problem solving, teamwork and personal achievement all in a fun,
age-appropriate (pre- school) manner; $16.99 DVD and $14.99 VHS.

SPECIAL INTEREST:
Due from Docurama this week is the DVD release of "Maya Lin: A
Strong Clear Vision, the 1999 Academy Award winning documentary
that examines the struggles over the creation of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial, $24.95; and "Full Frame Documentary Shorts," a
DVD collection of seven shorts culled from the annual Full Frame
Documentary Film Festival, $24.95 ... From A&E Home Video comes
Supercar: The Complete Set," all 39 episodes of the ground-
breaking supermarionation sci fi series from visionary Gerry
Anderson that ran from 1960 to 1961 on TV, in a five-DVD set for
$99.95; and "The Century of Warfare," a seven-DVD set containing
all 26 hours of the History Channel's landmark series on the
battles and wars of the 20th century, $139.95 ... "First Steps on
Mars" is a documentary postulating what humankind's first trip to
Mars will be like, from MPI Home Video on VHS for $14.98 ... The
feature length documentary "American Mullet" is a unique and
funny look at this infamous haircut, from Palm Pictures on DVD,
$19.99.

CORRECTION:
"Gods & Generals" is a Warner Home Video release.


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

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