DVD Talk: November 2002 Archives

The Day after Thanksgiving is the official kickoff of the Holiday Shopping Season. This year we've decided to put together a number of special offers for you from a number of great online stores to help you beat the crowds and save some dough this holiday season. We've also greatly expanded the list of coupons in this newsletter to provide you with some of the best ways to save money! Also we've got a special giveaway from HTMarket.com for some Home Theater Goodies. If you don't subscribe yet to the DVD Talk Newsletter be sure to SIGN UP and get it emailed to you weekly FREE!

We've got a very special Holiday Giveaway from HTMarket.com who has provided some great prizes for us to give away. Enter for your chance to win a Personalized DVD Home Theater Intro customized for You and Your home theater, or one of 3 The Tower of Babel 140 DVD Racks with aluminum rod shelving and aluminum panes! This is a great opportunity to pick up some fantastic Home Theater Accessories, so enter for your chance to win now!

HBO has announced the DVD release for the first season of their award winning series Six Feet Under. Set for release on February 4th, Six Feet Under will contain all 13 episodes from the first season on 4 DVD presented in it's original aspect ration (Full Screen) with Dolby Digital 5.1. Six Feet Under will feature a Behind The Scenes Featurette with interviews with the cast and crew, audio commentaries by Alan Ball, Deleted Scenes from the pilot, a feature on the making of the Six Feet Under titles and more. Six Feet Under is simply one of the Best Written Series ever aired on television and the DVD is going to be a must get DVD! Pre-Order Six Feet Under Now.

A&E has a special holiday offer for DVD Talk Members, get 10% off all DVDs when you use the coupon code: TALK10 at the A&E , Biography, History Channel Store. Get great deals on DVDs like A Complete History of Britain, Rex the Runt, The Saint, Space: 1999, The Avengers Horatio Hornblower, The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus DVD Megaset (excludes DVD Library (DVD+R) titles)

HBO Video has annoucned the DVD release for the runaway romantic hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Set for release on February 11th, My Big Fat Greek Wedding will be presented in both Widescreen and Full Screen and feature: audio commentaries by stars Nia Vardalos, John Corbett and director Joel Zwick, additional footage and more! Pre-Order My Big Fat Greek Wedding Now

Dreamworks has announced the DVD Release for Road to Perdition, Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and starring Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason-Leigh and Stanley Tucci. Set for release on February 25, 2003 Road to Perdition will be released in separate Widescreen (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) and Full Screen versions with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Audio and feature: an audio commentary by Sam Mendes, deleted scenes with director commentary, behind-the-scenes "Making Of" documentary and much more. Pre-Order Road to Perdition now

This week we've got a very special giveaway for the rock 'em sock 'em futuristic dragon slayer flick Reign of Fire starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey. Enter to win one of 5 copies of the Reign of Fire DVD featuring "Breathing Life Into The Terror" Making-of featurette, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" Pyrotechnics featurette, Conversations with director Rob Bowman (who also did the X-Files Movie), and More. Enter Now for your chance to win

An interesting week of DVD releases with something for almost everyone. The most notable title this week comes from Fox whose Ice Age [Review] is a fantastic digitally animated feature which fun for the who family. A lot less fun is Columbia Tri-Star's flat and uninspired Men in Black II [Review] which you may want to only rent. From Lions Gate comes the emotionally honest Lovely & Amazing [Review] a real treat, Paramount brings in a stellar Sunset Boulevard [Review] as well as the classic Roman Holiday. Asia Argento shows quite a bit of herself in the erotic and independant Scarlet Diva and speaking of independant there's a great release for the hilarous Eddie Izzard: Dress To Kill [Review] that shouldn't be missed!

Columbia Tri-Star has announced the DVD release for Forumula 51 a high octane action flick starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle and Meat Loaf. Set for release on Feburary 4, 2003 Forumula 51 will be presented in both Widescreen and Full Screen versions with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and feature the Cinemax Special: The Making of Formula 51. Pre-Order Forumula 51 now at 35% off

It's Zulu with werewolves as British troops fend off 7-foot beasties in the 5-star guns 'n' gore chiller Dog Soldiers. Hollywood re-embraces the creature feature with Eight Legged Freaks. Killer bats sour an Apple Festival in Fangs. Our survey of T&A documentaries continues with Stripped . Plus, responses to reader emails and Meatballs Part II joins CineSchlock-O-Rama' s Most Wanted.

This week The Aisle View takes a look at the latest James Bond Film Die Another Day and contends that 'If you see but one James Bond film in your lifetime, make it Die Another Day. Also be sure to check out The Aisle View's take on Far From Heaven as well as DVD Talk's latest Theatrical Reviews: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Half Past Dead, Femme Fatale and Revolution #9

Universal Studios Home Video has announced the release of the time shifting love story Possession staring Aaron Eckhart and Gwenyth Paltrow, and directed by the talented Neil LaBute ( In the Company of Men & Your Friends & Neighbors). Set for release on February 11th Possession will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorpic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. No special features planned at this time. You can Pre-Order Possession and Read our Theatrical Review of Possession

For the last couple decades, Jim Jarmusch has led American independent filmmakers with his quirky, original visions of slackers and outsiders. Films like Stranger Than Paradise, Dead Man and Ghost Dog play almost like poems; subtle, lyrical fables about unique characters. With the Criterion Collection's recent release of his 1986 classic Down by Law in a lavish 2-disc set, Cinema Gotham took the opportunity to chat with Jarmusch about his experiences as a filmmaker and as a New Yorker. Read Cinema Gotham's Interview with Jim Jarmusch as well as his review of Down by Law Criterion Edition.

This week The DVD Savant takes a look at Billy Wilder's Sunset Blvd. a real beauty of a DVD and one to grab for sure, Ciao! Manhattan the first DVD from Plexifilm a brand new DVD label, MGM's The Thief of Bagdad which won't be out until December 3, but Savant couldn't resist reviewing it right away and finally Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief which gets raked over the coals by Savant. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

It's here! DVD Talk is now sporting its brand new logo. After almost four years with the DVD like logo we realized it was time for a change. Todd Siechen from realeyz (who also does killer DVD menu design) designed us this new logo from the idea that we wanted: "something that blended cool technology with a friendly down to earthy feeling". We're excited to be using the new logo and hope you like it too! We've also updated the DVD Talk T-Shirt Shop with new logo'd T-Shirts, Hats and More as well as Logo-Wear for CineSchlock-O-Rama and Cinema Gotham!

This week we've got a special giveaway for Artisan's release of Glengarry Glen Ross: 10th Anniversary Special Edition DVD. The Glengarry Glen Ross DVD has been Digitally Remastered (in both widescreen and fullscreen) and includes an audio commentary by Director James Foley, new interviews with the cast and filmakers, "A.B.C.(Always Be Closing)": Original Documentary Tracing the Psychological Intersection of Fictional and Real Life Salesman, and a Tribute to Jack Lemmon. We're giving away 5 copies of Glengarry Glen Ross, so Enter Now for your chance to win!

A solid week for DVD Releases with a number of critically acclaimed films that you may have missed at the box office including: Abel Ferrara's (director of Bad Lieutenant) 'R Xmas [Review], John Sayles' Sunshine State, Sundance's Amy's O, MGM's The King is Alive and Jill Sprecher's 13 Conversations About One Thing and Notorious C.H.O. which features an audio commentary by Margaret Cho AS her mother! Also out this week is the highly anticipated Glengarry Glen Ross, the rompn' stompin' Reign of Fire [Review] and the delightful animated Dreamworks DVD Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Fox Home Video has announced the release of a remastered edition for An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Set for release on February 4, 2003, An Affair to Remember - Remastered will feature, audio commentary by Marnie Nixon (who sang the title song and is known for voicing the songs for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady) and noted author Joseph McBride, AMC Special on Affair to Remember, and more Pre-Order An Affair to Remember - Remastered now for only $12.99!

Miramax has announced the DVD release for The Osbournes - Complete First Season. Set for release on March 4, 2003 The Osbournes - Complete First Season a 2 disc special edition will be available in both Censored and Uncensored versions and feature: audio commentary on all 10 episodes, Ozzy translator, un-aired footage from all ten episodes, "Too Oz for TV" - Blooper Reel, interviews with the Osbournes, Edit a scene - assemble your own five-minute segment of the show using various clips and much much more. Pre-Order The Osbournes - Complete First Season Now

Dance.com has a special offer for DVD Talk Members on their highly acclaimed Speed Tribe a DVD which "combines a sonic barrage of surround sound electronic beats with MTV-style films of the fast street and racing cars of Le Mans." Speed Tribe comes as a DVD/CD combo pack which also includes a special online serial for additional web content. DVD Talkers can get $10 off Speed Tribe when they enter code dvdtalk at checkout! Offer Expires on November 30th, so Don't Miss Out

This week kicks off the Holiday Movie Season in Theaters with the highly anticipated release of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. We've got a complete SPOILER FREE review of the film. Find out how Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets stacks up against Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and why we're recommending small children avoid it. Also be sure to check out DVD Talk's reviews for Far From Heaven, Half Past Dead, Femme Fatale, Revolution #9, I Spy, Punch Drunk Love, The Santa Clause 2, Bowling for Columbine , Abandon and Real Women Have Curves.

Columnist G. Noel Gross files a report from the Chiller Theatre Expo -- the world's premiere weekend of fandemonium. During his pilgrimage, Noel checks in with CineSchlocker faves like Michael Berryman and also gets the inside scoop on some cool new DVD releases -- such as The Hills Have Eyes!!! Five winners will also receive Eight Legged Freaks in an exclusive giveaway. Plus, responses to reader emails and Just One of the Guys joins CineSchlock-O-Rama' s Most Wanted.

This week The DVD Savant takes a look at Mauvaise Graine Billy Wilder's really rare French feature film, All Monsters Attack! a dizzying marathon of titanic terrors stomping cities, screaming mobs, and miniature buildings, The Road to Wellville a curious look at a fascinating point in American history, when the idle rich turned to quack health gurus, Making the Misfits a comprehensive and insightful look at the filming of John Huston's The Misfits, Jess Franco's Eugenie, The World of Henry Orient a rare picture about kids that expresses what being a kid is actually like and of course Criterion's The Complete Monterey Pop . Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Cinema Gotham has been championing Abel Ferrara's 'R Xmas since we saw it back in July. While it never received a big theatrical push, the film is now on DVD and will play in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Make sure to check out Drea De Matteo's fantastic performance in this cool flick. Cinema Gotham's 'R XMAS Scribblings...
: R' Xmas DVD Review, Abel Ferrara Interview, First Article

New York films can come in many shapes and sizes. David and Laurie Gwen Shapiro's Keep the River on Your Right travels to Peru and New Guinea but at heart it's about a gay New York Jew in his late Seventies. Half a century of world travel has left Tobias Schneebaum with enough memories to fill several memoirs but the Shapiros are most interested in what happened to him in Peru in 1955, the year he became a cannibal. This week we're giving away 5 copies of Keep The River on Your Right to go along with Cinema Gotham's interview with The Keep The River on Your Right directors David and Laurie Gwen Shapiro! Enter now for your chance to win!.

One of the very gratifying things about DVD, is the ability catch movies that either had a limited run or just managed to 'slip under the radar'. This week Paramount has announced the DVD release for the charming German film Mostly Martha, one of these hidden gems worth checking out on DVD. Set for release on January 28th , Mostly Martha will be presented in 16x9 enhanced widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 German audio with English subtitles. Check out the Mostly Martha Trailer and Pre-Order the Mostly Martha DVD today.

To celebrate the launch of DVD Talk's New Video Game Review Area we've got a very special giveaway from Microsoft Game Studios for the highly anticipated Age of Mythology (for the PC). Check out the trailer for Age of Mythology [100K 300K 1MB] to see just how much games and movies are beginning to converge! Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of Age of Mythology game as well as a special Collector's Edition DVD: The Making of Age of Mythology DVD! Don't miss your chance to win one of this years landmark games!

This week is one of the biggest this year for DVD! Two of the biggest being: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition) [Review 1 & 2] and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones [Review 1 & 2]. With these two mammoth releases it would be easy to miss some other great DVDs this week including South Park The Complete First Season, Complete Monterey Pop Festival [Review], Mystery Science Theater 3000 Box Set and Importance Of Being Earnest.

This week The Aisle View takes a look at Brian De Palma's return to the erotic thriller with Femme Fatale starring Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Antonio Banderas. Also be sure to check out The Aisle View's take on Frida, I Spy. As well as DVD Talk's latest Theatrical Reviews: The Santa Clause 2, Bowling for Columbine , Abandon and Real Women Have Curves.

Earlier this year Paramount shelved their announced release for "The History of Beavis and Butt-Head DVD". Now we've found that Beavis and Butt-Head have popped up over at TimeLife.com (one of their exclusives) in a 3 DVD set titled The Best of Beavis and Butt-Head featuring 42 Beavis and Butt-Head episodes (each about 6-8 mins long) Price for the 3 is $29.99 which can be reduced by using the 20% Off Coupon Code: TLSAF36 on the shopping cart page.

If you live in LA (or are near it) you won't want to miss the screening of Criterion's Montery Pop! The screening is on Wednesday, November 13 at Laemmle's Sunset 5 at 7:30 PM and will be introduced in person by our very own DVD Savant. The screening is open to the public admission is via an online ticket you print out and bring to the door but it's one of those things where you need to come early to insure you'll get a seat. If you can't make the event be sure to check out DVD Savant's Review of the Montery Pop DVD and Order the Criterion DVD online.

New York films can come in many shapes and sizes. David and Laurie Gwen Shapiro's Keep the River on Your Right travels to Peru and New Guinea but at heart it's about a gay New York Jew in his late Seventies. Half a century of world travel has left Tobias Schneebaum with enough memories to fill several memoirs but the Shapiros are most interested in what happened to him in Peru in 1955, the year he became a cannibal.Cinema Gotham sat down with the Shapiros to discuss the film and their unique subject.

A lot of TV makes it's way on to DVD this week, the most notably being HBO's amazing War Series Band of Brothers one of the best war pieces ever made in any medium! Also making their way from TV to DVD from Buena Vista are Sports Night, Felicity and Once And Again. Sci-Fi TV fans are in for a treat with this week's release of Babylon 5: Season 1, The Dead Zone, Star Trek The Next Generation: Season 5 and X Files: Season 6 [Read Our DVD Review]. Not everything this week comes to DVD with the most notable being: the Jodie Foster produced Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys, Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood [Read Our DVD Review 1 and 2], Christina Ricci in Pumpkin [Read Our DVD Review] and the classic To Catch a Thief. All in all a FANTASTIC week for DVD!

Screenwriter Callie Khouri makes her directorial debut with the literary adaptation of Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood starring Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, and Ashley Judd. After achieving fame for the Academy Award winning screenplay Thelma and Louise, she inadvertently dropped off Hollywood radar while trying to set several directorial deals finished. She has made a grand entrance into the field with Ya Ya Sisterhood and DVDTalk had the chance to talk with her about the challenges she faced in bringing the story to the screen and the attitude that Hollywood has toward women, both in the audience and on the screen. Read our Interview with Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood Director Callie Khouri.

This week we've got a very special giveaway for the highly anticipated DVD release of Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season. Enter for your chance to win one of 5 Babylon 5 DVDs featuring and all new Digital Widescreen Transfer, Remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital audio, Introductions and Audio Commentary on two key episodes by series creator J Michael Straczynsk and 3 Babylon 5 Documentaries. Enter the DVD Talk Babylon 5 DVD Giveaway Now!

MGM has announced the DVD release of the very enjoyable Barbershop, starring Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve and Cedric The Entertainer. Set for release on January 1st, Barbershop will feature: audio commentary with director Tim Story, producers Bob Teitel and George Tillman Jr and writer Don D. Scott, deleted scenes with Director's Commentary, bloopers and outtakes, a look at the hair in the movie called 'Hairdos and Dont's', an interactive Barbershop game, and four behind the scenes featurettes. Pre-order Barbershop now at 38% off!

Criterion has announced the DVD release for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with Benicio Del Toro and Johnny Depp (who plays Hunter S. Thompson - the author and subject of the movie). Set for release on January 28th Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas will be released as a 2 DVD special edition featuring a new Digital widescreen transfer (16x9 enhanced) with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, two commentary tracks: one with Director Terry Gilliam, and the other with Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro, an audio interview with Hunter S. Thompson, Deleted Scenes with Director Commentary, storyboards, a BBC Documentary, correspondence from Hunter S. Thompson and much much more. Pre-Order Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Criterion Now.

We're very excited to bring you reviews of the first round of huge DVD releases for November including: Spider-Man: Special Edition, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and perhaps the one DVD Review to rule them all: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition! These are just 3 of our more than 4,500 DVD Reviews covering everything from the biggest DVD releases to a myriad of hidden gems as well as our Collector's Series Reviews.

This week The Aisle View takes a look at the much talked about Salma Hayek star vehicle Frida with the excellent Alfred Molina. The Aisle View also takes a look at the remake of the '60s TV show I Spy starring Owen Wilson, Eddie Murphy and Famke Janssen. (Read our review of the original I-Spy Box Set DVD). Also be sure to check out The Aisle View's take on Ghost Ship, Punch Drunk Love, and The Ring . As well as DVD Talk's latest Theatrical Reviews: The Santa Clause 2, Bowling for Columbine , Abandon and Real Women Have Curves.