Archive Announcements
December 1999
December 17,1999
The new anamorphic DVD release from MGM of the 1995 Richard III(3/28/00) should provide a clearer pathway into the eyes of evil. A terrific Shakespeare adaptation starring Ian McKellen.....With the college basketball season hot and heavy, MGM has the perfect window to release the excellent sports flick (Hoosiers(2/29/00). Gene Hackman does outstanding work as a high school coach with Dennis Hopper in fine support. If you can get by Charlton Heston's haircut in The War Lord(2/15/00) you'll find some interesting medieval material to ponder. Richard Boone wields a sword with Heston. With luck you'll be able to taste the dust as Woody Guthrie travels the country with a song and a message in Bound for Glory(2/29/00). David Carradine stars in Hal Ashby's film from MGM. The big, financially disastrous, Western that brought down United Artists , Heaven's Gate(2/29/00) arrived on a hopefully anamorphic DVD. The grainy cinematography may challenge the medium.
December 14, 1999
One of my all time favorite movies is coming to DVD from Columbia. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (2/22/00) never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It arrives replete with audio commentary from Frank Capra, Jr. and a featurette.......Judy Holiday is a howl in Born Yesterday (2/15/00), the 1950 comedy. William Holden provides sardonic chemistry. It's a Columbia classic.......Another William Holden film, the romantic weeper Love is a Many Splendored Thing (3/07/00) is arriving on DVD. Jennifer Jones is his forbidden Eurasian love.....
December 12 1999
The Perils of Pauline (2/1/00)features the high energy of Betty Hutton. From The Roan Group, the entertaining musical is the fictional biography of silent serial queen Pearl White. Cross your fingers for good source material and transfer.........Richard Dreyfuss got the Best Actor Award for his performance in The Goodbye Girl (1/18/00), coming from Warner. This is highly entertaining Neil Simon material.......... Join in in the fun with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (5/16/00) coming from Fox. The special edition, including documentary, interviews and commentary, sounds like a dupe of the special edition laser of a few years ago. Will the transfer be new or rehashed? Regardless, a great package to get........The controversial David Fincher film The Fight Club (4/18/00) arrives from Fox flying special edition colors. Audio commentary includes Fincher, Pitt, and there are out-takes and deleted scenes. The film works on multiple viewings and is certainly thought-provoking......... One of my favorite sentimental John Ford films, How Green Was My Valley (3/7/00) arrives courtesy of Fox. Don't miss it.........James Cameron's The Abyss (3/21/00), his beautiful underwater Scifi exercise comes to DVD in a special editon. The 2-disc set includes the original theatrical version and the extended special editon version as well as a one-hour documentary on the making of the film.......
Coming from MGM, the beautiful malevolence of the maniacal Harry Powell makes Night of the Hunter (1/18/00)one of my favorites stylized horror films. Robert Mitchum is wonderful, Lillian Gish quite magical and Charles Laughton's direction is right on target...... Malcolm X (1/18/00) is Spike lee's most ambitious film and I think his best. Some of the film is absolutely brilliant and Denzel Washington gives an amazing performance as Malcolm X........Chaplin can be divine and City Lights (2/8/00) is one of his most beautiful achievements. Romantic, sentimental and uproarious at the same time, from Image.......... Streeting any moment from The Criterion Collection is a new DVD of The Third Man (11/30/99). I can't wait to revisit the shadows where Harry Lime lives.................... Any Number Can Win (2/29/00), the slick French film about a casino heist, makes it to the shiny discs from Image Entertainment. Jean Gabin stars alongside Alain Delon.......
I missed Dudley-Do-Right (12/28/99) from Universal in the theaters, but I thought the casting of Brandon Fraser was inspirational. I am looking forward to the laughter on the widescreen DVD release. I am willing to place a bet that Hugh Wilson will milk the laughs from every Mountie horse........... The Color of Money (3/14/00) is not a film I recall loving, though I have seen it several times. Yet, every time it makes a new video appearance, I am compelled to watch it again to understand why I don't love it. It's got all the right ingredients, Paul Newman taking Tom Cruise under his dubious wing in his screen return as Fast Eddie Felson, the master with a pool cue from The Hustler. Martin Scorcese directs. I must be wrong. I'll watch it again and maybe I will see the right color this time. Let's hope this is anamorphic 16 x 9......... Fast Times at Ridgemont High (12/21/99) is coming from Universal. I wonder how funny the audio commentary will be on the new special edition. Writer Cameron Crowe and director Amy Heckerling provide observations. "Hey, Bud, let's party," as Spicoli might say..........
Rushmore (1/18/00) is a bizarre comedy from director Wes Anderson coming in a special edition from Voyager and Disney............ Papillion (12/14/99) starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman makes a long awaited widescreen video debut from Warner. The island prison settings are sure look better than ever before on DVD............ Natural Born Killers (1/25/00) arrives in special edition clothes from Trimark. Trip along with audio commentary from director Oliver Stone and an hour of extra scenes.......... French Kiss (1/18/00), Lawrence Kasdan's charming pastry starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline is on the way from Fox................. Woman in the Dunes( 1/4/00) is coming from Image Entertainment. Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara from a novel by Kobo Abe, this superb horror tale is a must see! New announcements from Columbia Tristar Home Video include the great Anthony Mann western, The Man from Laramie (1/25/00)..........Starring James Stewart, the classic tale of revenge has long been absent from video. The January 20th release on DVD will be anamorphic and full screen...............Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1/18/00) comes to DVD in a special edition from Columbia as well. The classic Frank Capra comedy stars Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. It's a pixilating experience. Frank Capra, Jr. delivers audio commentary.
Preston Sturges was Hollywood's resident comic genius for more than a decade. His movies are timeless. Click on his image to read all about it.
Check out the Movie Poster Archive for short bios and images of Susan Hayward, Kirk Douglas, Katharine Hepburn and many more. This month's featured star is Clark Gable.
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