Simpsons, The - Looking for this? Season 8 Date, Specs, Extras and Box Art
"Where's season 8?!" That's been the question we've gotten over and over again, and we haven't had an answer, until now.
Season 8, which will be in a Maggie head case and a standard version, will be released on August 15.
The set will retail for $49.98 US, or $69.98 CAN, and seasons 2-6 will be repriced to $39.98 US or $49.98 CAN on the same day.
The 4 disc set will include all 25 episodes (550 mins) from the eighth season of the show. Specs are familiar to collectors of the series; full frame video (1.33:1), English Dolby Digital 5.1, and French/Spanish Dolby Surround audio tracks, with English and French subtitles. Now, on to the extras!
Commentary tracks include:
Treehouse of Horror VII with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, David X.Cohen, Dan Greaney, Ken Keeler, Dan Castellaneta, Mike B. Anderson.
You Only Move Twice with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Ken Keeler, Dan Castellaneta, Mike B. Anderson
The Homer They Fall with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Mark Kirkland, David X. Cohen, George Meyer
Burns Baby Burns with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, George Meyer, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Mark Kirkland, David X. Cohen
Bart After Dark with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Richard Appel, Dominic Polcino, David Silverman, Ken Keeler
A Milhouse Divided with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Steve Tompkins, Steven Dean Moore
Lisa's Date With Density with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Mike Scully, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Susie Dietter, and special guest star Alex Rocco
Hurricane Neddy with Commentaries by: Josh Weinstein, George Meyer, Steve Young, Bob Anderson
El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein along with Molly and Simon Weinstein, George Meyer, Jim Reardon
The Springfield Files with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Reid Harrison, Steven Dean Moore, David Silverman
The Twisted World of Marge Simpson with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Chuck Sheetz
Mountain of Madness with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Dan Castellaneta, Jim Denton "Contest Winner"(Portrayed By Dave Thomas), Mark Kirkland, David Silverman
Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Chuck Sheetz, David Silverman
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, David X. Cohen, Yeardley Smith, Steven Dean Moore, and special guest star Alex Rocco
Homer's Phobia with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Ron Hauge, Steve Tompkins, Mike B. Anderson, and special guest star John Waters
The Brother From Another Series with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Ken Keeler, Pete Michels, and special guest star Kelsey Grammer
My Sister, My Sitter with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein along with Molly and Simon Weinstein, Yeardley Smith, Jim Reardon, George Meyer
Homer Vs. The Eighteenth Amendment with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Dan Castellaneta, Dave Thomas, Bob Anderson, David Silverman
Grade School Confidential with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Rachel Pulido, Susie Dietter
The Canine Mutiny with Commentaries by: Josh Weinstein, Ron Hauge, Dominic Polcino, George Meyer
The Old Man and The Lisa with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, George Meyer, David X. Cohen, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Mark Kirkland
In Marge We Trust with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Donick Cary, Yeardley Smith, Steven Dean Moore, David X. Cohen, Alex Rocco
Homer's Enemy with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Hank Azaria, Jim Reardon
The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, David X. Cohen, Dan Greaney , Ken Keeler, Yeardley Smith
The Secret War of Lisa Simpson with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Yeardley Smith, Mike B. Anderson
Other extras include:
Deleted Scenes
'The Simpsons House Featurette with James L. Brooks
Animation Showcase: Treehouse of Horror VII - Act III
Illustrated Commentary: Treehouse of Horror - Act III
Illustrated Commentary: Lisa's Date With Density
Illustrated Commentary: Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment
Animation Showcase: In Marge We Trust - Act III
Animation Showcase: The Secret War of Lisa Simpson - Act I
Illustrated Commentary: Secret War of Lisa Simpson
Deleted Scenes Gallery with optional commentary by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Josh Weinstein & Steven Dean Moore
Promotional Spots Featuring Matt Groening
Sketch Gallery
Special Language Feature: 4 Extra Languages on Homer's Enemy
Episodes on the set include:
Disc 1
Treehouse of Horror VII
You Only Move Twice
The Homer They Fall
Burns Baby Burns
Bart After Dark
A Milhouse Divided
Disc 2
Lisa's Date With Density
Hurricane Neddy
El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer
The Springfield Files
The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
Mountain of Madness
Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious
Disc 3
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
Homer's Phobia
The Brother From Another Series
My Sister, My Sitter
Homer Vs. The Eighteenth Amendment
Grade School Confidential
The Canine Mutiny
Disc 4
The Old Man and The Lisa
In Marge We Trust
Homer's Enemy
The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase
The Secret War of Lisa Simpson
The 12 phenoms: How they did it
They found success the hard way, overcoming humble beginnings and a lack of financing on the way to mainstream popularity.
Here is a look behind the story behind seven film phenoms from the past 25 years.
1. Porky's (1982)
Sound bite: "I'm gonna get laid. Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus." Pee Wee (Dan Monahan)
Plot: Libidinous Florida high school guys in the '50s seek satisfaction at the ramshackle pleasure palace known as Porky's.
A phenom is born: American Graffiti and Animal House mixed nostalgia and sex first. But what Porky's lacked in artistry and Belushi antics it made up for with full-frontal nudity, off-color jokes and a loudly aroused Kim Cattrall.
"Porky's did a simple thing: telling it as it was," says director Bob Clark, who based his script on memories from Fort Lauderdale High. "I wanted to look at how Americans developed our sexuality at that time. It was never treated with any honesty before. Just some Beach Blanket Bingo nonsense."
How the audience was hooked: Execs at 20th Century Fox "didn't want to release it and wouldn't show the movie to test it," Clark says. A screening finally was held in San Diego. A line formed 90 minutes before the start. "They smelled something about this movie," Clark says.
Lasting impact: The Farrelly brothers. The American Pie series. All owe a debt to Porky's for demonstrating how to milk titillating titters.
2. The Terminator (1984)
Sound bite: "I'll be back." The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
Plot: Machines send a cyborg back in time to kill the mother of a yet-unborn human hero.
A phenom is born: In the early '80s, James Cameron's lone directing credit was Piranha II. And no one who caught Schwarzenegger in the ridiculous if profitable Conan the Barbarian adventures took the ex-Mr. Universe seriously. But playing a mechanical monster turned Schwarzenegger's acting limitations into a plus.
How the audience was hooked: The poster was killer: Arnold with sunglasses, scowl and massive gun. Although Orion chairman Arthur Krim didn't think much of the film, action fans ate it up. Barbara Boyle, Orion production chief, says he later confessed, "I don't know what the audience wants. Clearly, The Terminator is it."
Lasting impact: Cameron would captain 1997 all-time box-office champ Titanic. Schwarzenegger ascended as Hollywood's top action hero until the century's end. The film was one of the first big hits of the home-video era, leading to the $200 million-plus success of 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. No wonder there is talk of a T:4.
3. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
Sound bite: "That's not a knife. That's a knife." Dundee (Paul Hogan)
Plot: Down Under Tarzan meets Yankee Jane and relies on his native know-how in the Big Apple.
A phenom is born: If the scaffolder turned product spokesman's laidback charm could start a run on Foster's Lager and encourage a 40% surge in Australian tourism, why not sell that same genial persona in a full-length feature?
How the audience was hooked:Crocodile Dundee's clean-cut laughs could be safely shared by the entire family. Or as Hogan once said: "It's not full of boob jokes or lavatory-wall humor, and the guy looks at the world through rose-colored glasses and gives everyone the benefit of a doubt."
Lasting impact: Dundee broke records for an Aussie import, and Hogan paved the way for Aussie-bred talents like Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. Alas, all Hogan could do was degrees of Dundee.
4. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Sound bite: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Working-class mambo king Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze)
Plot: At a Catskills resort in 1963, sheltered Baby's life is forever changed by dance teacher Johnny.
A phenom is born: It was quickly clear that this summer romance was a swooner. "At the first screening in New York, it scored like a real studio movie," says MJ Peckos, who oversaw marketing and distribution at Vestron Video. "It captured a time that people related to." The real pay dirt, though, was in the suggestive dancing and catchy music, a phenom of its own. The film spun off two best-selling soundtrack albums and four hit singles, as well as a touring stage show.
How the audience was hooked: Clich้s aside, the crowd-pleaser packed with sexual heat, girlish emotions and the Oscar-winning tune (I've Had) The Time of My Life connected strongly with women. As for the magnetic Swayze, a few pelvic thrusts to Otis Redding's Love Man was all it took to achieve superhunkdom.
Lasting impact: The DVD continues to sell well, and a 20th anniversary edition is planned. A stage version is flourishing overseas.
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Sound bite: "Cowabunga!" Turtle battle cry
Plot: Pets mutate into human-size reptile crimefighters beneath New York's streets.
A phenom is born: The attraction of these nunchuck-swinging, pizza-gorging wisecrackers confounded most adults. "I had never heard of them," says Robert Shaye, founder and co-chairman of New Line. "But I listened to my colleagues, and they had 7-, 8-year-old kids who were completely gaga over the Turtles. Children embrace things that are subversive."
How the audience was hooked: Unlike most tie-in targets, the comic-book superheroes and cartoon stars came to the big screen with a merchandising empire in place. They were presold and prepared to rock the box office, opening to $25.4 million.
Lasting impact: The Turtles dragged kid culture out of the Care Bear dark ages. After a good run in the '90s, with more than $4 billion in entertainment and product sales, they're having a revival. A CG-animated feature is due next year.
6. Boyz N the Hood (1991)
Sound bite: "Either they don't know, don't show or don't care about what's going on in the 'hood." Doughboy (Ice Cube), watching the news
Plot: Three high school seniors try to survive gang-infested South Central L.A.
A phenom is born: Spike Lee's breakthrough She's Gotta Have It ushered in a new wave of black cinema, but few were as acclaimed as John Singleton's filmmaking debut. What set Boyz apart from the pack was its portrait of a caring single father (Laurence Fishburne) and his influence on his son (Cuba Gooding Jr.). "It was a rough and raw look at South Central, but it also had this great relationship," says Mark Gill, who handled publicity at Columbia. At 24, Singleton became the youngest Oscar nominee ever for best director and the first black director so honored.
How the audience was hooked: "We first sold it to the African-American community, but we also went after white kids who were listening to rap," Gill says. Sporadic violence marred the film's $10 million opening on 837 screens, causing eight theaters to pull it. Because of demand, it expanded to 920 a week later.
Lasting impact: Singleton continues directing (Shaft) and producing (Hustle & Flow). The cast was a launching pad of black talent. Ice Cube proved rappers could act, and Hollywood keeps plundering the music, themes and stars of the hip-hop world.
7. The Crying Game (1992)
Sound bite: "I can't help it. It's in my nature." Irish Republican Army prisoner Jody (Forest Whitaker)
Plot: IRA terrorist grows close to his hostage. When matters end tragically, he escapes to London and looks up the soldier's mistress, Dil.
A phenom is born: The surprise twist was a curse at first. Studios wouldn't touch the script by Dublin-based filmmaker Neil Jordan (Mona Lisa), fearing that the plot shocker she was a he would be a turnoff. Producer Stephen Woolley dug into his own holdings to raise the money to produce the film.
When Miramax, which had rejected the script, saw the finished product, it snapped it up. "It was Harvey at his best," says Gerry Rich, head of marketing, of boss Harvey Weinstein. "Miramax would take on films no one else would and approach them in a renegade way." Jaye Davidson, who had no acting experience, was discovered at a party and was Oscar-nominated for his beguiling Dil.
How the audience was hooked: Weinstein's rep as a relentless promoter was honed by the stunts he pulled to attract attention to The Crying Game, publicizing that the film had a "secret" yet insisting that no one reveal it. He and his staff made calls to assure that the media played along.
Lasting impact:The Crying Game took Miramax's PR game to the next level (though blogs have made such secrets obsolete) and legitimized the gender-bending genre. Many embraced its exploitation of a twist, for good (The Sixth Sense) and bad (The Game).
A new box office mission: Cruise vs. cruise
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Mission: Impossible III," which opened to lackluster sales a week ago, should accomplish a second weekend atop the North American box office, despite Friday's arrival of "Poseidon," which has been tracking poorly, industry observers said.
Midweek business for the Tom Cruise vehicle has been fairly solid, so "M:I-3" will head into the weekend with more than $60 million in its coffers. If the high-end actioner from director J.J. Abrams drops a respectable 50% from its $47 million opening, that would put the weekend tally in the $23 million-$24 million range.
The underwater-set disaster movie "Poseidon," which observers expect will follow close behind, borrows its premise and name from 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure." Director Wolfgang Petersen's PG-13 update stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss and Andre Braugher.
Petersen is no stranger to directing adventures on the high seas -- his track record includes "Das Boot" and "The Perfect Storm." The production costs on the special effects-filled Warner Bros. release are estimated at $150 million.
Lindsay Lohan's latest, "Just My Luck" (20th Century Fox), is tracking to land in the third slot. Lohan plays the luckiest girl in the world who finds she has swapped her good fortune for that of an unremittingly unlucky guy, played by Chris Pine. Director Donald Petrie's PG-13 romance is targeting girls 11-17 but will probably play slightly older as well.
Sony Pictures' "RV" most likely will take the fourth slot in its third weekend. The Robin Williams family comedy had the lowest drop of the top-ranked films last weekend and has generated about $33.3 million so far.
The only other film bowing in wide release this weekend is "Goal! The Dream Begins," a PG-rated soccer drama that already has done well in several international markets. Danny Cannon directed the Disney film, which stars Kuno Becker and Alessandro Nivola.
"Goal!" centers on a young Latino who has the odds stacked against him and makes his way from Los Angeles to England with dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.
In the limited-release arena, Sony Pictures Classics opens "Sketches of Frank Gehry" in two theaters in New York. Directed by Sydney Pollack, the biographical documentary explores the famed architect's creative process.
Dixie Chicks Recall Death Threat
NEW YORK - Natalie Maines says one of the death threats she received after criticizing President Bush three years ago was "definitely scary" because the sender "had a plan."
Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, told a London audience during a March 10, 2003, concert: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment was made as war was looming with Iraq, and Maines later apologized for the phrasing of her remark.
In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday (7 p.m. EDT), Maines says one threat she received in the summer of 2003 was different from the others.
"It was definitely scary because it seemed so it wasn't just somebody wanting to write a hate letter," she says. "It was somebody who obviously thought they had a plan."
Emily Robison, who plays banjo and guitar in the Texas trio, says, "There was one specific death threat on Natalie. (It) had a time, had a place, had a weapon. I mean, everything. ...`You will be shot dead at your show in Dallas.'"
The band flew into Dallas, "went straight from the police cars to the stage and straight from the stage back to the police cars and back to the plane," Maines says. "So, you know, it was all surreal. But at that stage, everything was surreal."
Her London comment angered many country music fans and caused radio stations to pull Dixie Chicks music from their playlists. The Chicks said they received death threats, leading them to install metal detectors at their shows.
Today, the Chicks refuse to apologize to fans who were upset by Maines' comment.
"We don't make decisions based on that," Maines says. "We don't go, `OK, our fans are in the red states, so I'm going to play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my I Love Bush T-shirt.
"We're not like that because we're not politicians. We're musicians."
The band, which also includes fiddle and mandolin player Martie Maguire, echoes that sentiment in the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" on their latest album, "Taking the Long Way," slated for release May 23.
New Aguilera album set for August
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Christina Aguilera has set an August 15 release date for her first album in four years, the retro-jazz set "Back to Basics."
The RCA Records set find Aguilera paying tribute to soul, jazz and blues from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. The first single "Ain't No Other Man" will be digitally released June 12. She will also perform it at the MTV Movie Awards, which will be broadcast four days earlier.
Other tracks set for the album include "Save Me From Myself" (dedicated to Aguilera's new husband, Jordan Bratman), "Candy Man," "I Got Trouble," "Thank You" (which features bits of prior Aguilera hit "Genie a Bottle") and "Still Dirrty," described by RCA as a "sassy club track."
The new album is the follow-up to 2002's "Stripped," which has sold more than 3.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.