Latest Reviews:

ARCHIVED NEWS  -  10th to 16th NOVEMBER 2003

14th November 2003

I've written a review of Momentum's new Region 2 Cutthroat Island DVD, which is due on December the 1st. The disc boasts an impressive new anamorphic transfer, a knockout 5.1 audio mix, and some worthwhile extras, including a commentary track by Finnish director Renny Harlin. You can read the review by clicking on the sleeve image, left, or here.

To whet your appetite for the forthcoming Alien Quadrilogy box set, which I hope to review soon, I've added a couple of articles about Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Alien: Resurrection, which were published during the film's theatrical release. They are a review of the film, and an article about  the film's script, which included a radically different ending.

13th November 2003

IMAX fans should be thrilled to hear that Matrix Revolutions will be shown at the BFI's IMAX theatre on the South Bank, starting on the 28th of November. 

Since July more than 50,000 people have seen Matrix Reloaded at the South Bank IMAX cinema. During its four month run the film took more money at the BFI IMAX cinema than at any other venue in the world. You can read our review of a screening here.

You can get further information on tickets and show times by calling 020 7902 1234 or by visiting the BFI's website, which offers 24-hour online booking. 

Paramount are bucking the trend by releasing a bunch of catalogue titles on the 1st of December, a month when the rest of the industry traditionally coasts on the sales from one or two blockbusters.

Joy Ride's Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks star in the R-rated May / December romantic drama My First Mister. The disc will feature an anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and a commentary track by the film's director, former Chicago Hope star Christine Lahti, (who won an Academy Award for her 1995 short film Lieberman in Love).

Robert Redford and Mia Farrow star in Jack Clayton's turgid 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby,  based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great American Novel", which was scripted by Francis Ford Coppola. The disc will boast a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. 

Dennis Hopper and Kiefer Sutherland star in cult comedy Flashback, about a young FBI agent escorting an ageing hippie to prison. The DVD will have an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

Ralph Bakshi's ambitious, but flawed, 1992 mix of animation and live-action Cool World, starring Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger, is also due on December the 1st. The disc will have an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer, and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

Neil Simon's 1970 comedy about a nightmarish journey to New York, The Out of Towners, which features Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, completes Paramount's offering for December the 1st. The disc will have an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer, and mono audio.

The 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, starring Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff and Juliette Binoche as Cathy, will be released on December the 22nd, with an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer, and 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

RRP for all these titles is £15.99. Many of these titles are available for less than £10 in the US, so shop wisely!

Paramount will be honouring their pledge to release the entire series of Star Trek - Deep Space Nine before the end of the year with the release of Season 6 on December the 1st, and Season 7 on December the 22nd. Both sets have Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, Easter Eggs, and include more than an hour of new bonus materials. 

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is generally regarded as the worst film in the series, but that probably won't stop fans picking up Paramount's new Special Edition DVD version on the 22nd of December.

The two-disc set will feature a commentary track by Director and star William Shatner, and his daughter Liz, who co-wrote Shatner's published diary of the film's production. The disc also features a text commentary, gag reel, deleted scenes and several behind the scenes featurettes adding up to more than five hours of bonus materials (including a look at the notorious aborted "rock creature" sequence). The film will have a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer, and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. RRP is £24.99.

Anchor Bay UK's Amicus Collection box set has been postponed until December the 1st.

BFI Video will release Michel Ocelot's  critically-acclaimed 1998 animated film Kirikou and the Sorceress (Kirikou et la sorcière) on December the 1st. 

The film, based on a traditional West African folk tale, tells the story of a young boy who confronts an sorceress. The disc will feature the original French audio mix, with English subtitles, or an alternate English language track. (It seems that these are separate presentations: the sleeve says "2 x 70 minutes"). The disc is presented in full-frame format. The film, which features a score by Youssou N'Dour, has an RRP of £19.99.

11th November 2003

Pathé has announced that they'll be releasing Jeepers Creepers 2 on January the 19th, with an RRP of £17.99. More details should be announced later this week. 

The bare bones of Columbia Tristar's February schedule has also been released:

The critically-mauled Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez movie Gigli will be released on February the 2nd. A collection of episodes from the TV series follow up to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Life, is due on the 9th of February. The set will contain all seven episodes. 

Bruce Willis is sent to rescue an American doctor (Monica Bellucci - sigh) from advancing military forces in war-torn Nigeria in Tears of the Sun, which is due on the 16th of February. Paul Schneider and Zooey Deshanel star in the small-town romance All The Real Girls, also due on February the 16th. 

Columbia Tristar will also release special edition versions of the 1981 adaptation of Annie and Roald Dahl's Matilda on February the 16th, but there's no indication as to whether these will be the same worthless pan-and-scan transfers that are soon to be released in the US. 

Roman Polanski's 1979 Thomas Hardy adaptation Tess is also due on the 16th (unless there's another film with that title). The film is currently available on VHS from Pathé, so perhaps the film has changed distributors, again. (It was originally released on the Thorn EMI label!) The film, which made Nastassja Kinski an international star, is apparently only available on DVD in Japan.

Box office smash Bad Boys 2 will be released on the 23rd of February, along with straight-to-DVD sequel Wild Things 2, Lou Diamond Phillips' dire shark thriller Red Water, something called Naked Fish, and Trainspotting wannabe Boston Kickout.

Here's a look at the sleeves for two Warner Home Video titles that were announced last week (you can read more about them by visiting last week's News page). 

It's a shame that Warner Home Video has gone with the same artwork for The Valley of Gwangi as the US DVD, eschewing the fabulous original US poster artwork. The DVD artwork makes the film look like a Roger Corman knockoff. At least they kept the logo'! 

Note the difference between the Memoirs of an Invisible Man DVD sleeve (which features Chevy Chase's face) and the original European poster, used to illustrate the News last week, (which doesn't). The DVD version is based on the US poster design.

The new DVD sleeves are on the left, the original poster designs are on the right.

Previous News entries can viewed be by following this link.