10th January 2007

DVD NEWS

Warner Home Video will finally release one of the most controversial movies of the seventies, Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cameron's Performance, on DVD on March the 5th.

The film, which stars James Fox, Mick Jagger and Anita Pallenberg, will be presented in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen format, with Dolby Digital mono audio.

The disc features a new twenty-five minute featurette, Influence and Controversy, and a contemporaneous five-minute promotional featurette, Memo From Turner. RRP is £19.99.

HBO Video has confirmed the bonus features for the forthcoming The Wire - Season 3 DVD set. They are: commentary tracks on episodes 26 (with David Simon and Nina Noble), episode 27 (with Richard Price), episode 28 (with David Simon), episode 36 (with George Pelecanos and Joe Chapelle) and episode 37 (with David Simon and Karen Thorson); Museum of TV and Radio Panel Discussion; and David Simon and Eugene Lang College.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has announced a digitally re-mastered 25th anniversary edition of The Fox and the Hound, which will be released on DVD on February the 26th.

The disc will feature a new Making of... featurette titled Passing the Baton (the film was made during a period of upheaval at the studio); New Best Friends storybook; Forest Friendship game; a sneak peek at The Fox and the Hound 2 (released on DVD the same day); cast interviews; "and much more".

Bonus features on the Fox and the Hound 2 disc are a behind-the-scenes featurette, The Making of the Music; Mutt Mix Master DVD ROM game; playable demo of Disney DVD GameWorld Dogs Edition; Goofy and Wilbur animated short; and a music video.

RRP for each disc is apparently £19.99.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the first season of the colour version of The Outer Limits on DVD on April the 30th.

Guest cast in the twenty-two episodes on the six-disc set include Alyssa Milano, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca De Mornay, Robert Patrick, Beau Bridges, David Warner and Leonard Nimoy. The set will include the two-part version of the pilot movie, The Sandkings.

The set will include several featurettes: Origins of The Outer Limits, The Outer Limits Story; The Making of Quality of Mercy.

Fox has not confirmed whether or not the episodes in the set will be the unedited Showtime versions (which featured nudity, additional violence, and stronger language).

According to the press release the episodes will be presented in 1.78:1 format (the US discs are in 4:3 ratio), with 2.0 audio. The RRP is £39.99.

The second series of Dead Like Me will be released on disc by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on April the 2nd. The four-disxset will feature a selection of deleted scenes; a photo' gallery and two featurettes: Dead Like Me... Again and Putting Life Into Death - Special Effects.

The episodes will be presented in 4:3 format, with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. The RRP is TBA.

Network will release the popular 1985-6 sitcom Girls on Top on DVD on January the 22nd.

The set will contain both series (thirteen "complete and uncut" half-hour episodes).

The show, about four women sharing a flat in Chelsea, starred Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Tracey Ullman and Ruby Wax. It also featured appearances by Joan Greenwood, Helen Lederer, Robbie Coltrane, Hugh Laurie, and John Sessions. The series was written by French, Saunders and Wax.

The set will feature two vintage TV interviews: Ruby Wax on The 6 O'Clock Show (22/1/88) and Tracey Ullman on Sunday Sunday (8/1/84).

The two-disc set apparently has an RRP of £19.99.

IMAX NEWS

January's After Dark screenings at the IMAX cinema at Waterloo are The Prestige (12-13th, 8.45pm), Little Children (19-25th at 8.45pm, except the 21st) and Casino Royale (26th Jan - 8th Feb, except 7th Feb).

These will be from standard 35mm prints. More details from the BFI IMAX website.

8th January 2007

ZETA MINOR NEWS

To mark the release of Alien Nation: The Complete Series on DVD we also have a terrific interview with Kenneth Johnson, the legendary producer behind favourites like V, The Incredible Hulk and The Six Million Dollar Man.

Naturally, the interview focuses on Alien Nation, but also touches on the Sherlock Holmes pilot film Johnson made in 1993, and offers some tantalising details about his plans for V: The Second Generation. Click here to read the interview!

Kenneth has contacted me to let me know that more information about the forthcoming Alien Nation TV movies box set has been added to his website. There you'll find a terrific photo' of a recent "family reumion" gathering at Kenneth's home. Check it out!

My thanks to Mr Johnson for taking the time to answer my questions; to Victoria at the PR company, for setting it up; and to Sandra, for transcribing it!