Site created 12/15/97.		page updated: 12/5/01 Rumor Mill (Archived Posts 5/30/01 - 3/19/01) Back to Previous Archives Back to Current Posts 5/30/01 Here's a follow-up post on upcoming DVDs from studios we didn't cover in the last Rumor Mill post. Enjoy... Buena Vista Buena Vista has announced a whole series of upcoming family titles through the end of the year. On the way are Oliver and Company: Gold Collection, So Dear to My Heart: Gold Collection (6/5), Book of Pooh: Stories from the Heart (7/17), Recess: School's Out (8/7), Whispers: An Elephant's Tale (10/23), Christmas Sing Along Songs: Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse, Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street and Santa Who (11/6). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will officially street on October 9th, and will feature "the industry's first truly immersive DVD experience" according to the press release (whatever that means - do you suppose one of the dwarfs will jump off the screen, grab your remote and guide you though the disc?). The 2-disc set will reportedly feature "bonus features, behind-the-scenes programs, production features, audio commentaries and more". SRP will be a surprising $29.99. There's no mention of the "Platinum Edition" moniker that had been alluded to as a brand (similar the studio’s Gold series) previously. Also coming on October 23rd will be the 60th Anniversary Gold Edition of Dumbo. Extras will include bonus programs, a new recording of the song Baby Mine by Michael Crawford (to promote Michael Crawford: The Disney Album) and a sneak peek at the direct-to-video Dumbo II (gasp!). SRP will also be $29.99. Disney also plans a 4-volume first set of "Walt Disney Treasures" on December 4th. These will include Mickey Mouse in Living Color (which is said to feature a number of classic animated shorts), Disneyland USA (which will showcase a large collection of early featurettes on the Disneyland park), Silly Symphonies (which will present a collection of Walt's seminal early animated shorts) and Davy Crockett (which will feature all 5 of the famous TV episodes). Film critic Leonard Maltin provides introductions for the volumes, which will each be packaged in collectible tins (that includes a special lithograph). SRP for each will be $32.99. And among the other DVDs Buena Vista is working on, look for their recent, made-for-TV version of South Pacific (starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr.) on August 28th. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is due on June 12th. The disc will feature anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, a second soundtrack featuring DTS 5.1 audio, a Painting with Pixels effects demonstration, a production featurette, a comparison between the script, storyboard and final scene for the "Flood" and "The Klan" sequences, the theatrical trailer and the Foggy Bottom Boys' music video for I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow. SRP is $29.99. Unbreakable: Vista Series will be a 2-disc release on June 19th, and will feature anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 audio on Disc One (the disc will be THX-certified). Disc Two will include fully-produced additional scenes not seen in theaters (with introduction by director M. Night Shyamalan), a behind-the-scenes featurette (with Bruce Willis), the Comic Books and Superheroes featurette (with Samuel L. Jackson), a multi-angle presentation of the "Train Station" sequence, an excerpt from an early film by the director, 2 collectible Alex Ross illustrations in every DVD package and more. SRP is also $29.99. These should definitely be a couple of great DVD releases. Naturally, you can expect an elaborate “Vista” series edition of Pearl Harbor (possibly by the end of the year, although it may not street until early 2002). Also on the way are DVD editions of Malena (7/10) and the Best Picture-nominated Chocolat (7/24). Chocolat will SRP for $29.99, and will include a "making of" featurette, audio commentary with director Lasse Hallström and the producers, a feature on the film's costumes, deleted scenes and lots more. And special editions of Tombstone, The English Patient, Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown are also in the works for later this year and next year. Image Entertainment Image is once again cranking out lots of great titles for July. Here’s a look at some of what’s on the way… Blue Valley Songbird, Cactus, Chet Atkins: A Life in Music, Christiane F., The Horror of Hammer: Special Edition, The Peony Pavillion, Pulp Cinema, Ricky Martin: Europa, Tales of Frankenstein, U.K. Celebrity Special: Sammi Jessop, Willie Nelson: Live in Amsterdam (all 7/3), The Amazing Transplant: Special Edition, Fantasies #2, Lover's Paradise #3, The Man with Bogart's Face, MTV 20 Collection, MTV 20: Jams, MTV 20: Pop, MTV 20: Rock, Penthouse Sexiest Amateur Video Centerfolds #3, Pioneers in Ingolstadt, The Silent Enemy, Terror in the Midnight Sun/Invasion of the Animal People: Special Edition, Zorro, the Gay Blade (all 7/10), Basket Case: Special Edition, Behind the Planet of the Apes: Special Edition, Orphans, Penthouse Gentlemen's Club, Penthouse Lost Treasures, Penthouse On the Wild Side, Southpaw, Variations: Temptations #2 (all 7/17), Aladdin's Magic Lamp, Barbara the Fair with the Silken Hair, Blood Suckers/Blood Thirst: Special Edition, Chocolate Passion, The Flesh and the Fiends Double Feature, Follies in Concert, I Spy: Philotimo, I Spy: The Lotus Eater, Legends of New Orleans, The Magic Show, Through Fire, Water and Brass Pipes, (all 7/24), Bongwater and Partners (all 7/31) MGM MGM continues to crank out tons of cool new and catalog titles on the DVD format. Here’s what they have lined up for July and August: Who'll Stop The Rain, Black Robe, Cutter's Way, The Cotton Club, Hotel New Hampshire (7/10), Theremin: An Electric Odyssey, Go Fish, Hollywood Shuffle, Liebestraum, Marat Sade, La Cage Aux Folles, La Cage Aux Folles 2, Chocolat, The Wild Child, Bagdad Cafe (7/24), The Dress Code (7/28), Silence of the Lambs: Special Edition, Hannibal: Special Edition (8/21), Audrey Rose, Breeders, Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh, The First Power, The Fog, Haunted Honeymoon, The Howling, Scanners, Blow Out, Carrie: Special Edition, Dressed to Kill: Special Edition, Invaders from Mars: Special Edition, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Special Edition, The Beast Within, Count Yorga Vampire, The Dunwhich Horror, The Island of Dr. Moreau, IT! The Terror Beyond Space, Mars Needs Women, The Monster that Challenged the World, Planet of the Vampires, Reptillicus, Theatre of Blood, Twice Told Tales (8/28) Most of the horror titles will street for the ultra low price of $14.95. One of my all time favorite alien clown invasion movies (okay… the ONLY alien clown invasion movie), Killer Klowns from Outer Space, is really getting the boffo treatment. You’ll get anamorphic widescreen video, 2 deleted scenes, a storyboard gallery, a photo gallery, the original theatrical trailer, a "making-of" documentary, director's commentary by the infamous Chiodo Brothers, behind-the-scenes material on composing the film's score, a visual effects commentary, and a "director's reflection on the film". And again, all for $14.95. Dressed to Kill, Carrie and Invaders from Mars are also getting nifty SE treatment (although Dressed to Kill will cost you slightly more, at an SRP of $19.98). Then, of course, there are the new special edition DVDs of The Silence of the Lambs and Ridley Scott’s Hannibal on August 21st. The Hannibal: Special Edition will be a 2-disc set, with the film in anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio, an audio commentary by Scott and a trailer for the original Silence of the Lambs on Disc One. Disc Two will include 35 minutes of deleted scenes, 5 “making of” featurettes covering various aspects of the production, a multi-angle breakdown of the “Fish Market” scene in the film, a multi-angle featurette on the art of storyboarding with Ridley Scott interview footage, a multi-angle exploration of the film’s opening title design, a gallery of trailers, TV spots, production stills and unused poster artwork and lots more. The Silence of the Lambs: Special Edition will also include a new anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, along with more than 20 minutes worth of newly discovered deleted scenes, a new, hour-long documentary on the film featuring interviews with Jodie Foster and Anthony, the original 1991 featurette, trailers and more. They promise to be a must-have pair of discs Later this year look for The Terminator: Special Edition and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Special Edition (both Q4 2001), as well as House on the Left, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, RoboCop, Witness for the Prosecution, Wings of Desire and Fanny and Alexander (all TBD). And, once again, here’s a sneak peek at some of the titles in production for 2002: Escape from New York: Special Edition, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Special Edition, Raging Bull: Special Edition, To Live and Die in L.A., Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Dead and Buried, Squirm, Deranged, Vampire Lovers, UHF, Casino Royale, The Sure Thing: Special Edition, Inherit the Wind, The Defiant Ones, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Usual Suspects: Special Edition, The Hunger, State of Grace, Deceiver, The Burning, Persona, Passion of Anna, Man of the West, Zulu, The Unearthly Stranger, Burn Witch Burn, Invasion, Motel Hell, The Comedy of Terrors, The Haunted Place, The Raven, The Tomb of Leigia, The Masque of the Red Death, Running Scared and possibly Outer Limits TV episodes. Once again… whew! Warner Bros. Upcoming Warner titles for June, July and August will include the following: The Pledge, Proof of Life (6/19), Cartoon Crack-Ups, Gormenghast (2-discs), T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous (IMAX), V: The Original Miniseries (7/3), Citizen Cohn, Crossfire Trail, First Time Felon, The Best of Real Sex (7/10), Sweet November, Valentine (7/24), The Best of the Chris Rock Show #2, Mishima (8/7). On August 21st, Warner will launch a special "Kids Halloween" promotion that will involve re-promotes of Beetlejuice and The Little Vampire, along with a re-packaged Gremlins DVD (no new content) and new DVDs of Anjelica Huston's The Witches, Scooby Doo's Spookiest Tales and the long-awaited The Goonies. Goonies will carry an SRP of $24.98, and will include audio commentary by director Richard Donner, The Making of the Goonies documentary, Cyndi Lauper's music video, deleted scenes and the film's theatrical trailer. The HBO film Full Eclipse will also be released on August 21st. Waiting for Guffman has also been announced for DVD release on August 21st, featuring a new audio commentary track with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. And on August 28th, look for a special Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: 2001 Edition. The disc, which will SRP for $24.98, will feature a plethora of special edition materials, including an audio commentary with all of the main children from the movie! It promises to be lots of fun. Also coming later this year from Warner are special editions of Citizen Kane, The Iron Giant and Dr. Zhivago, along with a DVD release of the animated Lord of the Rings. Babylon 5 titles are still on tap, and an awesome, multi-disc Blade Runner: Special Edition will arrive sometime in 2002. New Line The big news from New Line is that they’ve launched a new line of DVD titles, under the Infinifilm DVD brand (similar, but more elaborate, to their current Platinum Series). The first Infinifilm title will be Thirteen Days (street date 7/10). Releases under the Infinifilm brand will provide supplemental material that can be accessed through "pop-up" navigation menus that appear as the disc is playing, unless the viewer chooses to switch off that feature. This would make it similar to the “Follow the White Rabbit” feature Warner developed for The Matrix. Blow will be another Infinifilm title later this summer, as will 15 Minutes on August 14th. As far as other titles, New Line’s Sugar and Spice is expected on July 17th. Just FYI, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is still expected later this year, and the studio is still hard at work on eventual DVD versions of The Lord of the Rings films for next year and beyond, with a boxed set of all three films due in 2004. And the Rest… Pioneer’s newly-restored Akira is set to make its way to DVD on July 24th as 2-disc special edition. The set will be THX-certified and will include featurettes on the making of the film, the soundtrack, the restoration and more. 75,000 copies of the disc will be packaged in a limited edition collector's tin. Once they're gone, the special edition will still be available but only in regular DVD packaging. A single-disc regular edition will also be produced. Criterion has also announced the DVD release of Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve, Withnail and I and How to Get Ahead in Advertising (street date for all is July 10th). Finally, a quick update on DreamWorks from the last post: the studio has announced that The Mexican will street on August 7th. 5/28/01 Here's a quick rundown of some of what to expect for the coming months from Columbia, Fox, Paramount, Universal and DreamWorks. We'll have other studios tomorrow. Enjoy... Columbia TriStar Columbia’s digging way back into their catalog and is releasing some real gems. They’re also revisiting some of their very first DVD titles with better editions, and they’re prepping some very elaborate DVD special editions of their newest theatrical releases. The studio has recently announced a number of great titles. Their forthcoming Snatch: Special Edition will street on July 3rd as a 2-disc set (SRP $27.95), and will include anamorphic widescreen and full frame presentations of the UK version of the film. Audio will be in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0. Extras will include a director and producer commentary track, a feature called Stealing Stones, the Making Snatch featurette, storyboard comparisons, deleted scenes, a "video" photo gallery, TV spots, trailers and more. Other titles on the way include The Indian in the Cupboard and The Body (actually a cool little flick with Antonio Banderas - street date for both is July 3rd), The Great Muppet Caper and Querelle (both July 10th) and Once Upon a Time in China III (both July 17th). Their Saving Silverman will be available in 2 versions - R and PG-13 - on July 17th. The studio will release Ed Harris' Pollack on July 24th. Hanover Street (starring Harrison Ford) is expected on July 31st. And the studio is finally re-releasing Fly Away Home as a special edition (with anamorphic widescreen video) on August 7th. Other titles to look for in the months ahead are Gandhi, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within(which will be a MAJOR special edition), On the Waterfront, Subway, The Age of Innocence, The Prince of Tides, Used Cars, 1776, Ishtar, Casualties of War, Funny Girl, Kramer vs. Kramer and From Here to Eternity. The studio will also revisit Absence of Malice, My Best Friend's Wedding and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which will finally receive a new Python Pictures-approved anamorphic transfer and cool special edition materials). Paramount Paramount has a number of cool DVD titles in the works. By now you should know about their DVD special edition of Forrest Gump on August 28th. The 2-disc set will feature more than 2 hours worth of bonus material, including an audio commentary by director Robert Zemeckis, producer Steve Starkey and production designer Rick Carter, a behind-the-scenes documentary Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump, plus four additional production featurettes on sound effects, production design, makeup and visual effects. Also included will be two never-before-seen sequences, involving Martin Luther King Jr. and ping pong with George Bush Sr., a photo gallery, talent screen tests and two theatrical trailers. The film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and 2.0 Surround in English and French. Better still, The Godfather Trilogy will be released in the fourth quarter in a special 4-disc boxed set, which will feature all three films in the series along with a bonus disc of extras. There are no details yet, but you can expect brand new high-definition, anamorphic widescreen transfers at the very least. Are you a fan of director Ridley Scott? The mountain is currently working to release the director’s first major feature film, The Duellists, on DVD by the end of the year. 1492: The Conquest of Paradise shouldn’t be far behind, and the studio also expects to revisit Black Rain as a more elaborate edition sometime early in 2002. Such classics as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and The Elephant Man are also on the way. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie is currently in production for DVD. The disc will feature a newly recorded audio commentary with George Romero and director John Harrison. Look for it in September. And Once Upon a Time in the West is also in the works, but I’m told that the currently available film and audio elements are less than optimum, so the studio is in discussions with the estate of director Sergio Leone to gain access to better materials. Other upcoming Paramount DVD titles include Star Trek: The Original Series, Volumes 23 & 24 (6/5), Volumes 25 & 26 (6/19) and Volumes 27 & 28 (7/10). Also on the way are Down to Earth and Wayne’s World I & II (7/10), The Gift and Mommie Dearest (7/17), Air Rage, Hatari!, Paint Your Wagon and The Shootest (7/24), Enemy the Gates, Ordinary People, The Hunter, Funeral in Berlin and Star Trek: The Original Series, Volumes 29 & 30 (all 8/14), Day Break (8/21) and Company Man, Marathon Man and Star Trek: The Original Series, Volumes 31 & 32 (all 8/28). Speaking of Star Trek, fans will be happy to learn that the studio is planning to start releasing episodes of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager by the end of the year. And they’ve decided to abandon the 2 episodes per disc format that they’ve used for The Original Series. Look for boxed sets of full seasons at a time, similar to what Fox has done with The X-Files. And possible DVD releases for 2002 from the mountain are the Indiana Jones Trilogy, a special edition of the original Mission: Impossible and an anamorphic widescreen Titanic: Special Edition (although plans for these are VERY tentative). 20th Century Fox Okay… by now you should know that Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace will be released as an elaborate 2-disc special edition on October 16th. Look for it to be officially announced sometime next month. In the meantime, here’s what to expect on the studio’s upcoming Die Hard Trilogy special edition DVDs (street date July 10th): Die Hard: 5-Star Edition (2 discs) - commentary by director John McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia, scene specific commentary by special effects supervisor Richard Edlund, subtitle commentary by various cast and crew, editing suite and sound mixing studio demo, featurette, still gallery, interactive magazine articles, full length screenplay, DVD-ROM game demos, newscasts, deleted sequences, gag reel, 3 trailers, 7 TV spots. Die Hard 2: Special Edition (2 discs) - director's commentary, HBO special, featurette, 4 deleted scenes, interview with Renny Harlin, 3 broken-down visual effects, 3 side-by-side comparisons, 4 trailers, 2 TV spots, 2 stunt vignettes. Die Hard 3: Special Edition (2 discs) - director's commentary, CBS special: A Night to Die For/McClane, HBO special, featurette, alternate ending, 3 special effects vignettes, Bruce Willis interview, 7 special effects and stunt studies, storyboard sequences, 2 trailers, 10 TV spots. All three titles will be available in a boxed set, and the Die Hard: 5-Star Edition will be available separately. Die Hard 2 & 3 will only be available in the boxed set initially, but will be made available separately later in the year. All three titles will feature anamorphic widescreen, and audio in both Dolby Digital and DTS formats. An elaborate special edition of Tim Burton’s new Planet of the Apes is also in production, along with Dr. Doolittle 2 and Moulin Rouge. Chris Nahon's Kiss of the Dragon (starring Jet Li, and written by Luc Besson) is on the way this year as well. 5-Star Editions of M.A.S.H. and The French Connection are in the works for later this year or early next year. Tons of TV product is in the offing from Fox for DVD in late 2001, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete First Season, The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (hopefully by September), Angel: The Complete First Season and The X-Files: The Complete Fourth Season. You may also see M.A.S.H. (the TV series) on DVD in 2002. And Batman fans will be thrilled to learn that the original 1966 Batman movie will arrive on DVD in August, featuring a newly recorded audio commentary track with Adam West and Burt Ward - no kidding! I also learned that director Robert Wise recently recorded an audio commentary for an upcoming DVD edition of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Universal and DreamWorks You fans of Universal’s Classic Monsters series have just been itching for DVD versions of some of the studio’s lesser creature flicks. So you’re gonna be very happy to learn that the following titles are tentatively set for late-Summer/early-Fall release, as $29.98 “double feature” DVDs: Dracula's Daughter/Son of Dracula, Son of Frankenstein/Ghost of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman/House of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Ghost/The Mummy's Curse, The Mummy's Hand/The Mummy's Tomb and The Werewolf of London /The She Wolf of London. Also on the way are Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy, An American Werewolf in London (20th Anniversary Edition), Blood Simple, Cape Fear (1962), Cape Fear (1991 - 10th Anniversary Edition), Halloween 2 and Play Misty For Me. I think it’s safe to say you’ll have them in your hands in time for Halloween. Also in production for release (hopefully) later this year is Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, although the title is not yet on any release schedule and any release time frame is tentative at best. The studio’s much-delayed Legend: Collector’s Edition (2 discs) will now become a Legend: Ultimate Edition. You can reasonably expect it in August, to coincide with the release of MGM’s Hannibal (roughly 8/21). The title will include the never-before-released, 113-minute Director's Cut of the film, featuring the full Jerry Goldsmith score. It will also have the 89-minute U.S. Theatrical cut, for fans of that version, which features music by Tangerine Dream. An all-new, 50-minute documentary on Legend will also be available, including interviews with most of the key cast and crew members on the film, a lot of rare behind-the-scenes footage and more. You can also expect storyboards and the Bryan Ferry music video among the other bonus material. And (this is tentative) audio options on the new Director's cut should include both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. Universal has also made one of the earliest DVD announcements I think I've ever seen (the title doesn't street until November 30th) - Ron Howard's live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The disc will reportedly be backed by "one of the most aggressive marketing and promotional campaigns in Universal Studios Home Video history". The collector's edition will be available for $26.98 SRP and a deluxe "limited edition" DVD gift set will also be available ($39.98 SRP), which includes the collector's edition disc and an interactive playset. The disc will include a Spotlight on Location featurette on the making of the film (with cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage), Descriptive Video Service (DVS for the visually impaired), sing-alongs and read-alongs, deleted scenes, the Faith Hill music video, featurettes on Whoville, the Grinch make-up application and special effects, outtakes and DVD-ROM features (including Kazoo 3D - a computer generated picture program allowing consumers to integrate a personal photo together with the Grinch, the Grinch screen mate, games, a screen saver, a Grinch-themed browser, recipes, "Who" photographs, production notes, cast and crew bios and Grinch facts). Other upcoming DVDs include The Family Man: Collector’s Edition (which will include a Spotlight on Location featurette on the making of the film, commentary with director Brett Ratner, outtakes, deleted scenes, music score commentary by composer Danny Elfman and more) and The Caveman's Valentine, both on July 17th. The Mummy Returns and Jurassic Park III are also in production. Sadly, the studio’s Back to the Future Trilogy is STILL on hold due to various rights issues, and is now not expected until 2002 at the earliest. As far as DreamWorks, the studio is working on elaborate DVD releases of Shrek and The Mexican for later this year. Back with more tomorrow. Stay tuned... 5/25/01 Today we've got word on a number of cool upcoming DVDs that have just been (or are about to be) announced. First of all, Warner Bros. has announced the DVD release of 3,000 Miles to Graceland on August 7th. Their Waiting for Guffman streets on August 21st. The disc will feature a new audio commentary track with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. See Spot Run will arrive on August 28th. And on September 9th, look for The Neverending Story and The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter. They also have more BBC product coming, including Human Face on August 28th, along with their reissues of Wallace and Gromit and Robbie the Reindeer on September 9th. Look for Citizen Kane, the animated Lord of the Rings, Dr. Zhivago and the documentary Into the Arms of Strangers to be among the offerings from Warner before the year is out. New Line's next Infinifilm DVD release will be 15 Minutes, starring Robert DeNiro and Ed Burns. Look for it on August 7th. Ryko and Palm will debut all 6 one-hour episodes of the British Sci-Fi Channel TV series Ultraviolet on June 26th, as part of a 2-disc set. BMG Music is working on Deep Purple: Come Hell or High Water, Foghat: Two Centuries of Boogie, James Galway & the Chieftains - In Ireland, Lewis Grizzard: An Evening with Lewis Grizzard and Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour 1974 for June 12th, and Joan Jett: Live at the Rockies for July 3rd. Buena Vista's got Shake, Rattle and Roll and Vatel coming on August 7th, and has finally announced Whispers: An Elephant's Tale for October 23rd. Columbia-TriStar's added The Brothers to July 31st, Three Ninjas: Kick Back, Three Ninjas: Knuckle Up and the Fly Away Home: Special Edition to August 7th, and The Next Karate Kid to August 28th. And Universal's working on more Ultimate Editions, including Meet Joe Black/Death Takes a Holiday, Patch Adams and Notting Hill, all on July 17th. God... did we really need a Patch Adams: Ultimate Edition? What the hell's going on over there, anyway? I'm expecting a Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps - The REALLY Uncensored Ultimate Edition to be announced any minute. Kidding. Yeesh. At least Legend will be good, tentatively slated to arrive on August 21st. As for other upcoming (yet-to-be-announced) films, the following dates are very tentative. But look for Josie and the Pussycats (Universal) in August, Spy Kids (Buena Vista), Exit Wounds (Warner), Blow (New Line), Heartbreakers (MGM), Along Came a Spider and Crocodile Dundee in L.A. (Paramount) in September, Star Wars: Episode I (Fox), The Mummy Returns (Universal) and Shrek (DreamWorks) in October, Legally Blonde (MGM) in November, and Pearl Harbor (Buena Vista), Planet of the Apes (Fox), Dr. Doolittle 2, Jurassic Park 3, The Mexican (all Universal) and Original Sin (MGM), all in the December/January timeframe. Whew! Stay tuned... 5/24/01 Okay... this is one of those rumors we don't take too seriously. But it's interesting given some of the other things we've been hearing recently from our sources. Bits reader John e-mailed us with this information yesterday: "My best friend was hanging out with Warwick Davis at Alphacon in Omaha because my other friend was one of the big sponsors and Warwick was with his party. My friend's a huge DVD buff as well and was drilling Warwick for info and he was talking about how loaded the Episode 1 Disc was going to be, but also said he just finished doing a commentary track for Willow that would be coming out very soon. He also said (though I don't know why he would know about these films, so I took it with a grain of salt when told) that they are working on the Indy films for DVD and expect them soon." Now... we've been told to expect another Lucasfilm title to be announced at the same time as Episode I. Could Willow be it? We've also been hearing rumors that the Indy films are in the very early stages of DVD production for release some time next year. Specifically, we've heard that the films are currently in the telecine stage (i.e. the films are being transferred from film to anamorphic, high-definition video for eventual DVD release). This information also appears to have leaked elsewhere recently and has appeared on the Home Theater Forum among other places. Again, take it all with a grain of salt. But we have been hearing these things from multiple sources. If true... very cool. Stay tuned... 5/23/01 Well... it's been a little while since we made our last Rumor Mill post, so I thought I'd pick up on that George Lucas thread I dropped in the last post. We've been getting word from video retailers that Lucasfilm and Fox are quietly confirming to them that Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace will be arriving on DVD on October 16th. They're telling us to look for an official announcement to be made sometime late next month. Word is also that a second, non-Star Wars related Lucasfilm title will be announced then as well. Stay tuned... 5/2/01 We've got the skinny on some of what 20th Century Fox is working on for later this year. First of all, fans of the Die Hard Trilogy will be happy to know that all 3 films will arrive on DVD on July 10th. The original Die Hard will be released as a 2-disc Five Star Edition. Die Hard 2 & 3 will also be 2-disc editions (but not Five Star). All 3 titles will feature brand new anamorphic widescreen transfers and audio in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. The Die Hard: Five Star Edition will be available singly, and in a Die Hard Collection of all 3 films on DVD. Die Hard 2 & 3 will only be available in the boxed set initially, but will be made available separately later in the year. All will be in the dual Alpha cases, and the artwork will be such that they'll look great together on your DVD shelf. In other news, The French Connection will be a Five Star Edition later in 2001, although a street date is still TBD. M.A.S.H. will also be a Five Star Edition, but has been pushed back until 2002. Fox is also prepping elaborate DVD editions of Tim Burton's new Planet of the Apes (for 4th Qtr), along with Dr. Doolittle 2 and Moulin Rouge. Batman fans will also be thrilled to learn that the original 1966 Batman movie will arrive on DVD in August, featuring a newly recorded audio commentary track with Adam West and Burt Ward - no kidding! And Chris Nahon's Kiss of the Dragon (starring Jet Li, and written by Luc Besson - no kidding again) is on the way this year as well. As far as TV product, Fox has The X-Files: The Complete Fourth Season on the way for later this year, along with The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (which should be a 3rd Qtr release if all goes well). Hopefully, Buffy and Angel will be out by the end of the year, although there are still a number of issues to be resolved with Warner Bros. And Fox is planning to bring more TV product on line by the end of the year and into early 2002 as well. And then, there's that recent George Lucas movie on the way... more on that in the coming weeks. Stay tuned... 4/27/01 Okay... here's a list of some of the upcoming children's DVDs that Disney has in the works for later in 2001. The information comes from the official Disney DVD website: 7/17 - Book of Pooh: Stories from the Heart (VHS & DVD) 8/7 - Recess: School's Out (VHS & DVD) 10/9 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum (DVD) 10/23 - Dumbo: Gold (VHS & DVD) 10/23 - Whispers: An Elephant's Tale (VHS & DVD) 11/6 - Christmas Sing Along Songs: Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse (VHS & DVD) 11/6 - Santa Who (VHS & DVD) 11/6 - Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street (VHS & DVD) 12/4 - Disneyland USA (WD Treasures) (DVD) 12/4 - Silly Symphonies (WD Treasures) (DVD) 12/4 - Mickey Mouse in Living Color (WD Treasures) (DVD) 12/4 - Davy Crockett (WD Treasures) (DVD) TBD - Oliver & Company: Gold (VHS & DVD) TBD - So Dear to My Heart: Gold (VHS & DVD) Could it be that some of those December titles are compilations of Disney animated shorts? Hhhmmm... Stay tuned... 4/26/01 We wanted to give you a quick update this morning of some of the titles we've confirmed are in the works for DVD release later this year. Many have asked where The Great Muppet Caper is in Columbia TriStar's release plans, as they've got all the other Muppet titles scheduled. Turns out the title is currently being worked on and is slated for later this year. Paramount's got The Elephant Man and Forrest Gump in production, and there is talk of a Mission: Impossible - Special Edition for 2002. As you may know, The Godfather Trilogy is also slated for the 4th quarter, as a 4-disc set with a disc of bonus material. And according to DVD File.com, Wayne's World 1 & 2 are coming later this year as well. Don't look now, but we've heard that MGM's got plans to release a Thelma & Louise: Special Edition later this year, in addition to the MANY other great titles they've got in the works. Universal's Legend: Collector's Edition is now back on track for release later this year, but it might now be a Legend: Ultimate Edition, following in the footsteps of The Mummy. As you know How the Grinch Stole Christmas has already been announced for November, and Jurassic Park III, The Mummy Returns and Schindler's List are in production. Care for a special edition DVD of Michael Bay's upcoming Pearl Harbor? There's an obvious date in December that we wouldn't be surprised to see it hit DVD on. Artisan's got the Twin Peaks TV series coming later this year, and in addition to their 2-disc Star Wars: Episode I DVD (tentatively slated for October), Fox has the first boxed sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and The Simpsons coming for later this year here in Region 1. By the way, HBO's The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season is due to arrive on DVD in May in Region 2 - look for a Region 1 release to follow. And how about Warner? Well... look for Citizen Kane, The Iron Giant: SE, Waiting for Guffman and Dr. Zhivago later in 2001. Stay tuned... 4/23/01 Paramount's upping its Star Trek: The Original Series DVD releases dramatically in the coming months. Volumes 23 & 24 are due on June 5th, Volumes 25 & 26 follow on June 19th and Volumes 27 & 28 are expected on July 10th. In other upcoming DVD news, look for New Line's Sugar and Spice on July 17th. Artisan's High Noon (TV movie) and Raw Justice are due on June 19th. Madacy is releasing Birth of a Nation, His Girl Friday, Little Shop of Horrors and numerous other titles (at an ultra-low price of $9.98) for May 8th. Paramount's Mommie Dearest and A Place in the Sun on July 17th. Fox is planing Chinese Connection, Fists of Fury, Game of Death and Return of the Dragon on July 3rd. Other upcoming DVDs include Warner's Before Night Falls (May 15th), Paramount's Sunshine (May 8th), You Can Count on Me (June 16th) and Save the Last Dance (June 19th) and Miramax's Chocolat (July 24th). Stay tuned... 4/18/01 Here's an early (unconfirmed) look at MGM's planned August DVD slate (as posted to HTF, and originally reported by DVD Drive-In.com): The Beast Within (in 2.35:1 16x9 widescreen), Count Yorga, Vampire (16x9, with restored "cat-eating" footage), The Dunwich Horror (16x9, with 1 minute of restored footage), Invaders from Mars (1986 remake, 16x9, extras TBA), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 AIP version, 16x9), It! The Terror from Beyond Space (new 1.33:1 digital transfer), Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Special Edition (16x9, commentary, deleted scenes, featurette, etc.), Mars Needs Women (new 1.33:1 digital transfer), The Monster that Challenged the World (new 1.33:1 digital transfer), Planet of the Vampires (new 1.85:1 transfer, English dub, AIP score), Reptilicus (new 1.33:1 digital transfer, extras TBA), Theater of Blood (widescreen 1.66:1), Twice-Told Tales (widescreen 1.66:1), Carrie: Special Edition (16x9, making of, documentaries on King and Carrie: The Musical, etc.), Dressed to Kill: Special Edition (16x9, R and Unrated cuts, documentary, deleted scenes), Blow Out (16x9 widescreen), Adurey Rose (widescreen 1.85:1), Breeders (16x9 widescreen), The Howling (16x9 widescreen), Scanners (16x9 widescreen), Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh (16x9, with director's commentary), The First Power (16x9 widescreen), Haunted Honeymoon (16x9 widescreen), Silence of the Lambs: Special Edition (16x9, documentary, deleted scenes, etc.). We've also learned that August will see the release of the 2-discHannibal: Special Edition (16x9, featurettes, deleted scenes and more). Stay tuned... 4/17/01 We've gotten word from a retailer that Columbia TriStar's long-awaited Dogma: Special Edition has finally been rescheduled for June 26th (we've confirmed this as accurate with the studio). Note that the disc will NOT include the controversial documentary, the content of which caused Buena Vista (the licensee of the film) to halt Columbia's initial release. But we're hearing through the grapevine that Kevin Smith himself now has possession of the documentary, and has plans to make it available elsewhere, possibly online. Also today, we thought you'd get a kick out of seeing a list of some of the titles Criterion is working on for DVD release later this year. None of these has been officially announced as far as street dates, but they're listed in the special catalog booklet that comes with other Criterion DVDs, so we know they're definitely planned. Listed are: Children of Paradise, Cocktail Molotov, Cousin, Cousine, Dodes' ka-den (Kurosawa!), Häxan, The Horse's Mouth, Ivan's Childhood, Knife in the Water, Rashomon (more Kurosawa!), The Ruling Class, The Shop on Main Street, La Strada, The Tales of Hoffmann, Le Trou and Wild Strawberries. Now that's a great list by any measure. You fans waiting for MGM's Hannibal: Special Edition 2-disc set (expected late this summer) will be happy to learn that they're also releasing a new Silence of the Lambs: Special Edition on DVD as well. Look for it to street at the same time as the sequel. Also this morning, we've spoken with Columbia TriStar, and have learned that rumors of a Lawrence of Arabia: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD release in 2002 are somewhat overblown. While there's been talk of what might be done to celebrate the film's anniversary next year (most notably from Columbia TriStar/Sony Pictures VP of Worldwide Publicity, Fritz Friedman), there's very little credit given to the idea of completely reworking the existing DVD or developing an even more elaborate edition anytime soon. This sounds a lot like that Gladiator: Super Special Edition that has been talked about online. You know... the one that would include all the deleted scenes restored to the film via seamless branching. Sure... it might happen sometime in the future. But it's still quite a ways off. Bottom line: NO ONE should hesitate to buy the new 2-disc Lawrence of Arabia: Limited Edition, in anticipation of a potential better release. Period. Stay tuned... 3/29/01 Yep... it's true. The Final Countdown is officially in production for DVD. I spoke yesterday with Pacific Family Entertainment, which owns the rights to the film, and they've confirmed that they are gearing up for the DVD release. Production is underway, and they hope to have the title out by this summer. They do have all the original elements for the film, and they're aware of what fans want on the DVD release (including 5.1 sound and anamorphic widescreen video). PFE is just down the road from the Bits' offices, so we'll be sure to keep you up to date. The Final Countdown is a B-grade, sci-fi classic from the 1980s, in which a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Nimitz, passes through a timewarp and is sent back to December 6th, 1941 - just in time to prevent the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It's a great little flick, and it stars Martin Sheen, Kirk Douglas, James Farentino, Katharine Ross and Charles Durning. It'll be the perfect spin on DVD - can't wait! Stay tuned... 3/28/01 We've got some new Buena Vista street dates for you for June and July. Look for Hard Core Logo, Essex Boys and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (sweet!) on June 12th. Unbreakable will follow on June 19th, with Wes Craven's Dracula 2000 due on July 3rd. Stay tuned... 3/27/01 First it was SciFi's Farscape and then Frank Herbert's Dune. Now another series from the cable network is coming to DVD... the sexy Lexx. According to SciFi.com: Acorn Media will release video and DVD versions of The SCI FI Channel's original series Lexx on May 29. Acorn will release two Lexx sets, each with four episodes from the second season. The videos will be available as a VHS twin pack or DVD single, retailing for $29.95. Both VHS and DVD formats will feature scenes never before seen by an American audience and interviews with cast and crew. In addition, the DVD will feature a behind-the-scenes making-of featurette, "Rated Lexx" segments, cast and character biographies, trivia and English and French language tracks. The first set will include the episodes "Mantrid," "Terminal," "Lyekka" and "Luvliner." The second set will include the episodes "Lafftrak," "Stan's Trial," "Love Grows" and "White Trash." Thanks to Mark for the tip. Also, we have word today that 20th Century Fox will bow Cast Away to DVD on June 5th, along with That Thing You Do, Bachelor Party, Two Girls and a Guy and Dance with Me Tonight. Also, look for a special edition DVD release of Quills on May 8th. And when The Godfather Trilogy arrives on DVD in the 4th quarter, look for it to be a 4-disc boxed set of all 3 films, along with a disc of bonus materials. Stay tuned... 3/26/01 More great news - Criterion's just announced another batch of upcoming DVD releases on June 5th, including All That Heaven Allows, Big Deal on Modonna Street, L'Avventura and Written on the Wind. ADV Films has announced Farscape #4 PK Tech Girl/That Old Black Magic for June 12th. Forever Mine is dune from MGM on May 22nd, with Holiday Heart following on May 29th. The children's classic Charlotte's Web is due from Paramount on June 19th. May 1st will see Love Potion #9 from Fox. Sony's Pearl Jam: Touring Band 2000 is slated for April 10th. And Universal's Shadow of the Vampire and Two Family House are on the way on May 29th. Stay tuned... 3/22/01 Here's some SWEET Miramax DVD news that you guys are gonna love. We've been able to confirm that a number of great titles are in the works and on the way from the studio. First up, El Cid, 55 Days from Peking, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Circus World are all in production, but have been delayed so that the studio can assemble special edition materials, remix the audio for 5.1 on DVD and obtain new video masters from the original elements. Even better news is that special edition DVDs of Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown are tentatively slated for September release! The studio's The English Patient: Special Edition is currently in production for 2002. And Miramax is also planning a deluxe boxed set of Krzystof Kieslowski's Blue, White & Red, although no date is set. Keep in mind that all of this is tentative, but the production of all these titles has been officially confirmed. Stay tuned... 3/19/01 Well... for once, one of Harry Knowles spies may have come through for him. Ain't it Cool News is reporting that October 16th is going to be the street date for Fox's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 2-disc DVD special edition. So IS that the street date? Could be. There's a lot of time between now and then, however, so we'll have to wait and see... ;-) One more thing... we've spoken to HBO this morning and they've told us that The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season is NOT slated for DVD in May after all. The rumor started when the show's official website (and a separate press release) claimed that the set would street then. But the problem is, that's when Sex and the City: The Complete Second Season is due - HBO never releases two big titles like that at the same time. But don't worry - they've assured us that The Sopranos: S2 is definitely coming out this year (probably later this summer or early fall). More Archived Posts Back to Current Posts
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