February 10, 2003
February 10, 2003

Monday sneaks around again, and Savant brings out reviews for two impressive discs ... timed to coincide with their street dates, for once.

Criterion's superb Beauty and the Beast is the budget-buster this week, a reissue that improves greatly on both the presentation of the feature and the extras that accompany it. With the once-rough edges of the visuals and soundtrack buffed out, this an irresistable Valentine's Day disc.

Image's The Mind Snatchers is not classic, but a retitling of 1972's The Happiness Cage, starring a young Christopher Walken and Ronny Cox. As a thriller it's a bit on the tame side, but as a science fiction film, this story of mind-altering surgical experiments is uncomfortably prophetic.

I promise to get to those theatrical television play presentations soon, along with the remake of THE FOUR FEATHERS, the original Korda version of which we just saw so as to have it fresh in our minds. I think I go back on the editing treadmill tomorrow, but it shouldn't hold up the reviews. Thanks for all the nice notes, with the helpful corrections! Glenn Erickson

Posted by DVD Savant at February 10, 2003 04:03 PM