Tartan has re-scheduled the release of Vital, a "body-horror from Japan's Cronenberg" (Tetsuo: Iron Man's Shinya Tsukamoto). It will now be released on February the 20th. Several additional bonus features have been added to the disc since it was originally announced: it will now feature an exclusive commentary by Midnight Eye's Tom Mes (author of books on Miike and Tsukamoto); an interview with Tsukamoto; cast and crew Q&A; behind-the-scenes documentary; making the props featurette; music video (Cocco's Blue Bird); and footage from the film's world premiere. The film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen format, with a choice of Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 tracks. The Region 0 disc will have an RRP of £19.99.

Other Tartan Asia Extreme titles have been re-scheduled: the limited edition Battle Royale 2: Revenge two-disc set will now be released on March the 27th; Tell Me Something will be released on April the 24th.

The controversial drama Harry and Max will be released on DVD by TLA Releasing on January the 23rd. The movie, which is about the incestuous relationship that develops between two brothers, made its debut at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

The disc will be presented in anamorphic widescreen format, with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio and optional English HoH subtitles. The disc will include a commentary track by director Christopher Munch; behind-the-scenes footage; a stills gallery; and trailer. The RRP is £19.99.

5th December 2005

ZETA MINOR NEWS

There's a new review on the site today, courtesy of contributor Richard Spurr. It's of Universal's The 40 Year Old Virgin DVD, which is released today! Although at a casual glance it might look like another American Pie-like teen drama, it's actually a rather subdued comedy for grown-ups. It has a fine pedigree, too: it was written by Judd Apatow, creator of the acclaimed TV series Freaks and Geeks. Click on the sleeve image, right, or here to read the review. You can see a trailer for the disc here. A promotional website for the DVD can be found here.

Ceri has updated the Incoming page, adding numerous titles that should interest Zeta Minor visitors, including Network's The Champions box set, a Godzilla DVD from the BFI, and the first releases of Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere.

I've added links to a number of TV episode guides to the Cult Television index page. These are in Microsoft Word format.

I don't usually update the News page on Friday, or at the weekend, because then the information is only on the front page, as it were, for a couple of days. I made an exception last week, though, so if you missed the news about the Hammer DVD Guide update, the release of Frankenstein Reborn, Home Improvement - Series 3, The Golden Girls - Series 3, Wheels on Meals, The Asphalt Jungle, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the first season of The Gilmore Girls, Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet, The Essential Steve McQueen, The Greta Garbo Signature Collection and Every Which Way But Loose / Any Which Way You Can, then check out last week's News.

DVD NEWS

Warner Home Video's sales and distribution deal with French film library Studio Canal has ended, resulting in dozens - perhaps hundreds - of DVDs being deleted (mainly British titles, from the sixties and seventies).

In lieu of a definitive list, I can only suggest which specific titles might be affected. It will include some movies released theatrically by EMI Films (like Sweeney!, Sweeney 2, The Deer Hunter, Highlander, Cross of Iron and the On The Buses films); some films distributed by British Lion Film Corporation / British Lion Films Ltd (including The Wicker Man, The Man Who Fell To Earth, the St. Trinians films, The Third Man, the two Peter Cushing Doctor Who films and I'm Alright Jack); and some films theatrically distributed by Associated British-Pathé Limited / Associated British Picture Corporation (including Ice-Cold In Alex, The Third Man, The Dam Busters, and the Cliff Richard films); and some titles from Anglo-Amalgamated Productions (including many early Carry On films and Peeping Tom). It will also include most of the Ealing Studios classics (including The Man in the White Suit, The Ladykillers, The Lavender Hill Mob, Kind Hearts and Coronets and Passport to Pimlico). Most of Warner Home Video's Hammer films will be affected. For more details, see the updates to the Hammer DVD Guide.

Studio Canal has licensed titles from their library to numerous labels, including Granada Ventures and 2 Entertain, so just because a film was made by a particular production company, or distributed theatrically by a particular company, it doesn't automatically mean that the DVD is going out of print: it's just the titles licensed to Warner Home Video.

It's likely that they'll be looking for a new sales and distribution partner, who will doubtless re-release many of the titles being deleted by Warner Home Video (particularly as many of them are perennial favourites). It's possible that some of the more obscure titles might not be re-issued, so if you wanted a specific title, you'd be well advised to pick it up now.

Of course many of the affected titles are available - and will continue to be available - in other territories (often in better editions, like Criterion's The Man Who Fell to Earth, for example).

It's also worth keeping in mind that DVD is a format whose days are numbered. (Certainly when you consider that films are usually licensed for lengthy periods, like five or ten years). We're in a difficult transitional period at the moment. Companies will be considering how they're going to move from DVD to whichever high definition format prevails. Within a couple of years new titles will be released in both formats. Will Studio Canal be licensing their titles for DVD and HD exploitation, or just DVD? If they're licensing for both formats, it's going to take a company with deep pockets to invest in titles that are likely to offer only modest return until the new format establishes itself!