The Couch Potato Report – September 13th, 2005
This week The Couch Potato Report features a synopsis of some of the films that were released over the past few weeks, some from this week, and three from next week!
The Report will return soon in its well-known form, but in the interim, here are some notable newer releases.
In the incredibly interesting film CRASH several people’s lives in Los Angeles are intersected following a random car-jacking. Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton and Sandra Bullock star.
The Universal Studios Legacy Series Collection is full of stars!
Presented in lovingly created Limited Edition two-disc DVD sets, The Legacy Series releases are all critically-acclaimed, Academy Award winning Hollywood gems. They are all digitally remastered for unsurpassed state-of-the-art picture quality. They feature fully restored audio with all-new enhanced 5.1 tracks, collectible packaging and unique extras bringing even more value to this one-of-a-kind series.
The inagural titles are: THE DEER HUNTER, winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, The film is one of the greatest films ever made about friendship and the personal impact of war.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is quite simply one of the finest family-oriented dramas ever made. A beautiful and deeply affecting adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, the film retains a timeless quality that transcends its historically dated subject matter (racism in the Depression-era South) and remains powerfully resonant in present-day America with its advocacy of tolerance, justice, integrity, and loving, responsible parenthood.
Finally, THE STING was a winner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. This critical and box-office hit from 1973 provided a perfect reunion for director George Roy Hill and stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who previously delighted audiences with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Set in 1936, the movie’s about a pair of Chicago con artists (Newman and Redford) who find themselves in a high-stakes game against the master of all cheating mobsters (Robert Shaw) when they set out to avenge the murder of a mutual friend and partner.
Also now available on video and DVD is the film version of the classic book THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. As in the tome earth is leveled to make way for hyperspace express route. Is it as good as the book? Are any movies based on books?
That said, this one is pretty damn entertaining! Martin Freeman from THE OFFICE plays Arthur Dent, and the cast also includes Mos Def and Zooey Deschanel.
FEVER PITCH is also based on a book, and the Farelly Brothers ruin NIck Hornby’s wonderful story! In this version SNL reject Jimmy Fallon is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan who has an unlucky love life akin to his team. Drew Barrymore is the latest woman in his life and trust me! It sucks, ignore it!! Read the book instead.
Or you can watch TOY STORY: THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. The edition of the landmark film repackages most of the extras found in the original Ultimate Toy Box set plus a few more. Two keen retrospectives are new, one with an assortment of talents including Roy Disney and Peter Jackson chiming in on the film’s impact. The other is a roundtable with Lasseter and three of the creators simply talking about the experiences without–thankfully–any cutaways to noisy film clips. There’s a load of other extras since the Ultimate Toy Box was one of the first and best DVD sets. Missing (besides the second film, which will be released separately) is the effects- and music-only tracks. Added is a whopping DTS soundtrack along with a remixed Dolby 5.1 track. The DVD has a higher transfer bit rate for a better picture, but only high-end enthusiasts will notice it. Since the film is a digital-to-digital transfer, both versions are eye-popping. A must-have set unless you have the Ultimate Toy Box.
Another must have box set is FRAGGLE ROCK – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.
Man did I enjoy my time re-watching this set about a fun-loving group of furry subterranean creatures. C’mon! Dance your cares away with the complete first season of Fraggle Rock, Featuring all 24 episodes – never before available on DVD! Filled with all the Fraggley Fun you’ve been waiting for. Share in the music and memories that have kept fans rockin’ for more than 20 years! So save your worries for another day and experience 715 minutes of frag-tastic fun in the untimate Fraggle Rock collection.
And our final title that is currently available in this synopsis filled edition of The Report is LAS VEGAS – SEASON TWO. The unparalleled Nikki Cox stars with James Caan in one of television’s greatest guilty pleasures. If you love it, admit it.
If you don’t skip it!
Okay, lets re-cap: CRASH, THE DEER HUNTER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE STING, THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, FEVER PITCH, the TOY STORY: THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, FRAGGLE ROCK – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON and LAS VEGAS – SEASON TWO are all available now at a store near you!
Coming up in the next Couch Potato Report
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – SEASON ONE is a complete re-imagining of the 1970s series √± upping the ante on the action, adventure, and drama that made the original so popular. Now, experience all 13 thrilling episodes of Season 1 and the four hour TV miniseries that started it all in this 5 disc DVD set loaded with explosive bonus features and presented in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.
On the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES – SEASON ONE DVD set, the 23 episodes are presented in widescreen format, and six of the episodes can also be viewed in “unrated, extended” versions. The additions–usually one scene, and no racier than the regular broadcast versions–are seamlessly integrated into the episodes, but series creator Marc Cherry’s introductions help the viewer figure out what they are, and he explain how he thinks each addition affects the episode.
Finally, more up my alley, i sthe MALLRATS 10th ANNIVERSARY EXTENED EDITION. As with CLERKS X, Kevin Smith and his staff are striving to give us fans a lot of material with this upgrade. Ten years down the road MALLRATS is still a very funny little film. So press play and enjoy it!
Coming soon: The Return of the weekly Couch Potato Report!
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