Category: DVD

Fall music DVD preview
Not all the best discs this fall go in your CD player. Here are the key music DVDs destined for your home theatre.
Johnny Cash — Best of the Johnny Cash
TV Show What could be better than two DVDs of vintage Cash? How about guests like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ray Charles, CCR, Neil Diamond, Derek and the Dominos and more? Sept. 18
Otis Redding — Dreams to Remember: The Legacy
More than a dozen performances by the late soul giant — including a TV appearance taped less than 24 hours before his death. Sept. 18
The Ramones — It’s Alive 1974 – 1996
Hey, ho, let’s go watch four hours of classic and previously unseen live footage from the Noo Yawk punk bruddas. Oct. 2
AC/DC — Plug Me In
If you want blood, you’ll get in on this three-disc set with more than seven hours of clips from the Aussie rockers’ entire career. Oct. 16
Bob Dylan — The Other Side of the Mirror: Live at Newport
Zimmy and his acoustic guitar get their folk on at the 1963 edition of the long-running U.S. music fest. Oct. 30
Paul McCartney — The McCartney Years
Big Mac empties the vault for this this three-disc set of live cuts and videos from his post-Beatles era. Nov. 13
Led Zeppelin — The Song Remains the Same
Maybe it does … but this version of the ultimate ’70s rock movie comes with four previously unseen tunes. Nov. 20

McCartney Unearths Live Clips, Videos For DVD
Four decades’ worth of rare footage, live performance and music videos have been rounded up for “The McCartney Years,” a three-DVD set due Nov. 13 via MPL/Rhino Entertainment. McCartney has also recorded new commentary for the 40-plus videos, which can be viewed in chronological order or via his own custom playlists.
The first two discs comprise the videos, beginning with 1970’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” and running through 2005’s “Fine Line.” Bonus features on these discs include a “Band on the Run” promo film and a documentary on the making of McCartney’s 2005 album “Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.”
The third disc features snippets from “Rockshow,” filmed on the 1976 Wings tour, a new edit of McCartney’s 1991 appearance on MTV’s “Unplugged” and 11 songs from his 2004 headlining set at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival. The live footage also boasts new commentary from McCartney.
Here is the track list for “The McCartney Years”:
Disc one:
“Tug Of War”
“Say Say Say”
“Silly Love Songs”
“Band On The Run”
“Maybe I’m Amazed”
“Heart Of The Country”
“Mamunia”
“With A Little Luck”
“Goodnight Tonight”
“Waterfalls”
“My Love”
“C-Moon”
“Baby’s Request”
“Hi Hi Hi”
“Ebony And Ivory”
“Take It Away”
“Mull Of Kintyre”
“Helen Wheels”
“I’ve Had Enough”
“Coming Up”
“Wonderful Christmastime”
Disc two:
“Pipes Of Peace”
“My Brave Face”
“Beautiful Night”
“Fine Line”
“No More Lonely Nights”
“This One”
“Little Willow”
“Pretty Little Head”
“Birthday”
“Hope Of Deliverance”
“Once Upon A Long Ago”
“All My Trials”
“Brown-Eyed Handsome Man”
“Press”
“No Other Baby”
“Off The Ground”
“Biker Like An Icon”
“Spies Like Us”
“Put It There”
“Figure Of Eight”
“C’Mon People”
Disc three:
From “Rockshow”:
“Venus And Mars”
“Rock Show”
“Jet”
“Maybe I’m Amazed”
“Lady Madonna”
“Listen To What The Man Said”
“Bluebird”
From “MTV Unplugged”:
“I Lost My Little Girl”
“Every Night”
“And I Love Her”
“That Would Be Somethin”
From Glastonbury 2004:
“Jet”
“Flaming Pie”
“Let Me Roll It”
“Blackbird”
“Band On The Run”
“Back In The USSR”
“Live And Let Die”
“Hey Jude”
“Yesterday”
“Helter Skelter”
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

‘Seinfeld’-In-A-Box
Just in time for Festivus ó the “Seinfeld”-centric holiday “for the rest of us ó comes the ultimate “Seinfeld” DVD collection, all nine season in one box.
Nearly 10 years after the beloved sitcom left the air, “Seinfeld” releases its complete-season run on DVD, Nov. 6 – a four disc seat with all 24 episodes of the final season. But the real treat that day is an elaborate boxed set with all nine seasons. “Seinfeld: The Complete Series” features 32 discs and will sell for around $283.95.
That includes not only all 180 episodes, but also a bonanza of bonus materials including a 226-page coffee-table book filled with photos, quotes, trivia and personal reflections from star Jerry Seinfeld himself.
“When the show wrapped, the book, which had taken years to assemble, was privately shared with only the cast and crew,” Marc Rashba, VP marketing at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment told Reuters.
“When we were launching the TV-DVD series sets five years ago, we loved it so much, but we took a look, and it was ridiculously expensive to put it out. Now, we reshaped and redesigned it, and we were able to make it happen. It’s the first time the public will get to see it.”
Other special materials in the big-boxed set are documentaries on all nine seasons, bloopers, deleted scenes, commentaries and more. “We talked about this from the beginning, when we launched this,” Rashba said. “We always knew we wanted to wrap up with something special.”

Shrek the Third Comes To Disc
Paramount Home Entertainment will cover the distribution of the latest Shrek DVD which will be arriving later this fall. Shrek the Third is coming.
The new DVD will include several deleted scenes, a behind the scenes featurettes as well as the featurette Tech of Shrek, a Donkey Dance video, a gag reel, kid’s games, and two interactive features Worcestershire Academy Yearbook and Shrek’s Guide to Parenthood.
The DVD is on the way on November 13th for $29.99.

The Grindhouse is broken
It looks like there will be no DVD release for Grindhouse in the immediate future.
Death Proof and Planet Terror are getting seperate releases this fall.
Death Proof will come as a 2 DVD set with 30 additional minutes of footage, four featurettes a Double Dare trailer and an art gallery. Likewise Planet Terror will come on 2 discs with deleted scenes, featurettes and trailers.
Both titles will be available seperately for $29.95.
Death Proof arrives on September 18th and Planet Terror follows on October 16th. Let’s hope the full versions of Grindhouse is on the way as well.

‘Blade Runner’ gets DVD makeover
SAN DIEGO, Calif. ñ How does Harrison Ford remember the making of Blade Runner?
ìIt was a bitch.î
Thatís one of the observations fans can expect when Blade Runner: The Final Cut ñ including an exhaustive three-hour-plus documentary – arrives in December on DVD. Details of the project were revealed at this weekendís Comic-Con entertainment expo.
Although it was a flop upon its release in 1982, the thriller, starring Ford as an executioner of next-gen androids called replicants, is now regarded as a pre-cyberpunk classic.
Itís also been revisited before.
In 1991, Scott issued a directorís cut that dropped the tacked-on voiceover narration and added a dream sequence that implies Fordís hunter is himself a replicant.
By comparison, The Final Cutís most significant changes are minor touch-ups ñ such as Joanna Cassidy re-shooting a few seconds of her death sequence because Scott felt it was too obviously a stunt double in the original version.
Did Scott ever consider going further, refurbishing his science-fiction masterpiece ñ much as George Lucas did with Star Wars – with digital effects?
ìI donít have that much money,î he laughs.
ìBut I wouldnít dream of that.î
In geekspeak that means, yes, Deckard still shoots first.
The Final Cut will be available in three editions, including a five-disc set that comes in a futuristic briefcase and includes five different cuts of the movie (including a ìwork printî thatís become an online favourite of fans). There is also, as mentioned above, the documentary Dangerous Days, which recalls the filmís notoriously tumultuous production.
Given Blade Runnerís enduring popularity, though ñ and the fact Scottís seemingly definitive cut is receiving a brief theatrical run in October in New York and Los Angeles – one assumes someone, somewhere, might be interested in revisiting the realm of the replicants.
Scott, surprisingly, says heís not opposed to a Blade Runner 2, although he stresses nothing is planned.
ìThere could be a sequel, but Iím not going to say Iíd do it.î
But if he did, how would it begin? Scott references one of the final lines in the movie, uttered by Edward James Olmos about the beautiful replicant (Sean Young) Ford has fallen for: ìShe wonít live, but who does?î
Furthermore, there is Scottís conviction ñ although itís not one shared by Ford ñ that Deckard is a replicant.
ìSo thatís a good place to start.î

‘Colbert Report’ to get best-of DVD
NEW YORK – Stephen Colbert’s legacy has been preserved in self-portraits, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor and an Ontario Hockey League mascot named Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle. Now, the satirist is getting a DVD.
Highlights from the first two years of “The Colbert Report” will be compiled for a single-disc DVD to be released Nov. 6, Comedy Central told The Associated Press. An official announcement of the DVD will be made Monday.
“The Best of ‘The Colbert Report'” will include sketches from segments such as “The Word,” “Better Know a District,” “Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger” and “Threat Down.” Celebrity interviews will also be featured.
“The Colbert Report,” a spin-off of “The Daily Show,” first aired in Oct. 2005. It was recently nominated for four Emmy Awards, including variety, music or comedy series, and individual performance in a variety or music program.

Looney Tunes adds 60 more shorts!!
Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is planning on releasing another volume of their top tier Looney Tunes Golden Collection. Volume 5 will add 60 more shorts, bringing the total on the sets to 296. That leaves about 150 still out there to be released in future sets.
Like previous sets, each disc will take some theme. In this case disc 1 celebrates team-ups with Bugs and Daffy. Disc 2 is Looney Fairy Tales. Disc 3 is Robert Clampett cartoons and disc 4 features more Porky Pig.
The discs will come with many features, but all that is known to be included now is the 2000 PBS documentary.
The set is set for an October 30th release with a suggested retail price of $64.92.

Jim Hensonís masterpieces return to DVD
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just unveiled details about DVD re-releases of Jim Hensonís feature film master pieces The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, scheduled for August as Special Editions.
In another time, the Dark Crystal was the Balance and Truth in the Universe, but it was destroyed and the world split into two factions led by the wicked Skeksis and the peaceful Mystics. Now as the convergence of the three suns approaches, the Crystal must be healed or darkness will reign forever. It is up to Jen, the last of his race, to carry out the prophecy that a Gelfing will return the missing chard of crystal and destroy the Skeksisí evil Empire. But will Jen be up to the challenge of battling the unknown?
The 2-disc 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD will feature a brand new transfer of the film with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio. As extras the release will also include Rediscovered Footage from Jim Hensonís home in England as well as the Multi-part Featurette ìReflections on The Dark Crystalî featuring including all-new interviews with the writers and performers behind the magic including David OíDell, Dave Goelz and Katheryn Mullen, Brian Froud, Brian Henson, Jane Gootnick, and Mira Velimorivic.
ìLabyrinthî tells the story of Sarah (Jennifer Connolly), a young teenager with an active imagination, who, when frustrated with babysitting her baby brother, summons the goblins to take him away. Be careful what you wish for, because when little Toby disappears, Sarah must follow him into a puzzling fantasy world to rescue him from the Goblin King (David Bowie). Guarding the castle is the Labyrith itself: a complex and twisted maze of trickery, including outrageous characters and inexplicable dangers that Sarah must get through in time to save Toby.
The Special Edition features a brand new transfer of the film also, combined with a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio track. It will also include newly Rediscovered Footage recovered from Jim Hensonís home in England as well as 60 minutes worth of featurettes with new interviews of the writers and performers behind the magic including, executive producer George Lucas, Brian Henson, Brian Froud, Karen Prell, Dave Goelz, Mira Velimorivic, Gates McFadden, Toby Froud and Jane Gootnick.
Both releases will be in stores on August 14 with a $24.96 suggested retail price. While not yet announced we believe Blu-Ray versions of these films are also on their way some time in the foreseeable future, which would make these films even more spectacular, no doubt.

Ed McMahon wants DVD gifts for troops
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Former longtime “Tonight Show” sidekick Ed McMahon is urging people to donate DVDs for U.S. troops in Iraq, saying movies offer a safe and comforting escape from wartime realities.
“This program accomplishes two things: the troops are entertained and they know that citizens at home care and support them,” McMahon, 84, said Wednesday during ceremonies at the Palm Springs Airport’s USO facility.
Operation DVD collects new and used DVDs to distribute overseas to U.S. military personnel. The year-old program has already collected more than 250,000 DVDs.
“This war in Iraq is unusual because soldiers never know where the next attack will come from. They need a safe mode of recreation since they become potential targets playing soccer or softball outdoors,” said McMahon, a retired Marine officer who flew artillery-spotting missions in the Korean War.
Operation DVD began when a soldier approached the Rev. Scott Dryden in Kansas last May requesting parishioners donate books and DVDs for fellow troops overseas. The group American Veterans ó AMVETS ó then signed on to the project.
Robert Boots, California spokesman for Operation DVD, said the goal is to eventually have 1 million DVDs distributed to U.S. troops with more than 200 titles in rotation at each base.
“The least we can offer them is some DVDs for entertainment so they can escape their realities for a while,” Boots said.
Collection boxes are located nationwide at schools, retail stores, churches, and government offices.