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May 2002 Headlines 

05/30/02

IT'S TWO TIMES THE FRIGHTFUL FUN THIS HALLOWEEN WITH MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S MIDNITE MOVIE DOUBLE FEATURES DEBUT

Available for the First Time on DVD for only $14.95, Classic Thrillers. Including Roger Corman's THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH & THE PREMATURE BURIAL and DERANGED & MOTEL HELL Arrive on DVD as Double Features on August 27

MGM Home Entertainment invites you to relive the days of double features with the debut of the Midnite Movie Double Features on DVD August 27. Just in time for Halloween, each disc is available for just $14.95 and includes two bone-chilling films - all of which are offered on DVD for the first time ever. Based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe, THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH & THE PREMATURE BURIAL also feature interviews with director Roger Corman. Other terrifying, cult classic double features available are THE ATTIC & CRAWLSPACE, DERANGED & MOTEL HELL, THE OBLONG BOX & SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN, and WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? & WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO?

All titles are closed-captioned and feature the original theatrical trailer. The pre-order date is July 30, 2002.

Disc One: THE ATTIC & CRAWLSPACE

THE ATTIC

A father has enslaved his own daughter for 15 years, forcing her to care for him and clean every room in his house, except the attic. When she dares to look in the attic, she is shocked by what she finds.

 

CRAWLSPACE

This psychotic thriller tells the story of a murderous landlord who spies on his female tenants from an elaborate network of crawlspaces.

 

Disc Two: DERANGED & MOTEL HELL

DERANGED

Based on the same terrifying true story that inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence Of The Lambs, this hauntingly scary film chronicles the grisly exploits of a rural necrophiliac and murderer.

 

MOTEL HELL

Veteran actor Rory Calhoun stars as the delightfully fiendish Farmer Vincent in this deliciously ghoulish tale of the macabre that has become a cult classic.

 

Disc Three: THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH & THE PREMATURE BURIAL

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Edgar Allan Poe's cryptic medieval tale stars Patrick MacNee as the evil masked man who conjures up a disfiguring and deadly plague wherever he goes.

 

THE PREMATURE BURIAL

Directed by Roger Corman and based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, this spooky and gothic film tells the tale of a medical student whose worst nightmare, being buried alive, eventually comes true.

 

Disc Four: THE OBLONG BOX & SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN

THE OBLONG BOX

Based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee are at their terrifying best as a plantation owner with a shocking family secret and a wealthy doctor desperate to continue his morbid experiments on human flesh.

 

SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN

A deranged scientist, seeking to create a race of super humans by means of organic transplants, commits a series of brutal murders in order to utilize the bodies in his bizarre experiments.

 

Disc Five: WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? & WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO?

WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?

Harassed by threatening telephone calls, the Midwestern mothers of two teenage murderers move to Hollywood in the 1930s and open a dancing school for would-be Shirley Temples. But their new life is spoiled by reminders of their past when mysterious strangers begin to haunt them. This satirical melodrama stars Shelley Winters and Debbie Reynolds.

 

WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO?

Starring Shelley Winters, this suspenseful retelling of the tale "Hansel and Gretel" depicts a woman who loves children-to death. When she holds her annual Christmas party for the local orphanage, she kidnaps an orphan girl who reminds her of her "missing" daughter. But the little girl's brother uncovers a terrible secret when he finds the mummified remains of Auntie Roo's daughter in the attic.

 

THE JEFFERSONS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON MAKES ITS FIRST-EVER APPEARANCE ON DVD AUG. 6 IN A SPECIAL 2-DISC SET

When they moved out of Queens and into their "deluxe apartment in the sky," George and Louise Jefferson made TV history as the first upwardly mobile African-American

couple to star in their own weekly series.

Now THE JEFFERSONS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON moves on up to DVD in a two-disc boxed set that makes its debut Aug. 6 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

A spin-off of "All In the Family" (also available on DVD from CTHE), THE JEFFERSONS began its ground-breaking, Emmy-winning, ten-year run on American television in September 1975 and remained a Nielsen ratings hit until it left the airwaves in 1985.

The new two-disc set features the first season's 13 episodes starring Sherman Hemsley as the obnoxiously egotistical George Jefferson and Isabel Sanford, who won an Emmy Award in 1981 as his levelheaded, sarcastic wife Louise - known best to George and the show's millions of fans as "Weezy." In addition to her win, Sanford was nominated seven times for her performances, and the show received a total of 13 Emmy nominations.

THE JEFFERSONS' memorable supporting cast includes Marla Gibbs as the Jeffersons' lazy, wisecracking maid Florence; Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover as the racially mixed couple Tom and Helen Willis; Paul Benedict as the odd, British neighbor Mr. Bentley; and, during the first season, Damon Evans as the Jeffersons' college-aged son Lionel (later replaced by Mike Evans).

Created by prolific television producer Norman Lear, George and Louise Jefferson were originally neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker. Their special guest spots on "All In the Family" proved so popular that it was a natural to star them in their own situation comedy. The new DVD release marks the first time that the first season has been available as a single boxed set, and offers each episode in an uncut format that showcases one of America's most influential television comedies as it was originally presented.

THE JEFFERSONS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON DVD:

 

SANFORD AND SON: THE FIRST SEASON TWO-DISC BOXED SET COMES TO DVD ON AUG. 6

The inimitable Redd Foxx became a household name when TV's SANFORD AND SON debuted on Jan. 14, 1972. Now, audiences can rediscover his comic genius as SANFORD AND SON: THE FIRST SEASON makes its DVD debut on Aug. 6 in a two-disc boxed set from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

Few television series have achieved the status of SANFORD AND SON, which spent five seasons chronicling the misadventures of cantankerous junk dealer Fred Sanford (Foxx), his nonplused son Lamont (Demond Wilson) and the residents who lived near 9114 South Central in Los Angeles. The new two-disc DVD boxed set includes all 13 episodes from the comedy's first season on TV.

SANFORD AND SON debuted on CBS as a mid-season replacement, and quickly caught hold with viewers, who were delighted by the gruff, slightly bawdy Fred Sanford and the cast of characters that populated the show, which was produced by Bud Yorkin and by Tandem Productions -- producer Norman Lear's company that was also responsible for bringing "All In the Family" and "THE JEFFERSONS" to the American public.

The unforgettable ensemble cast led by Foxx, along with a jaunty theme song by Quincy Jones, resulted in a smash hit that fit perfectly with the adult-oriented comedies that filled the airwaves in the early 1970s. SANFORD AND SON remained on the air until 1977, and was nominated for seven Emmy awards during its five-year run.

The new DVD release marks the first time that the first season has been available as a single boxed set, and offers each episode in an uncut format that showcases the episodes as they were originally presented.

SANFORD AND SON: THE FIRST SEASON DVD

 

05/29/02

THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON OF AMERICA'S #1 TELEVISION SERIES FRIENDS DEBUTING ON DVD SEPTEMBER 3

As FRIENDS-mania reaches a peak with the September premiere of the ninth and very last season, Warner Home Video (WHV) is indulging fans by offering them the complete second season of the comedy phenomenon on VHS and DVD September 3.  FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO includes 24 episodes, each containing additional, never-before-seen footage.  The four-volume boxed-set is priced at $69.98 SRP for DVD and $49.98 SRP for VHS

During its first eight seasons, FRIENDS has managed to retain and build upon a remarkably devoted audience and almost 35 million viewers tuned in to witness the birth of Rachel and Ross's baby and a surprise last-minute proposal.  TV Guide recently named FRIENDS as one of the "50 Greatest Shows of All Time" and called it  "a chemistry textbook in cast dynamics ...." Entertainment Weekly dubbed FRIENDS, "The sitcom gift that keeps on giving ... an incredibly consistent supply of charming, clever comedy." FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO features an all-star slate of special guests including Julia Roberts, Charlie Sheen, Tom Selleck, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Isaak, Brooke Shields, Marlo Thomas, and Elliot Gould. 

Although next year is the final season, the Emmy-winning FRIENDS-starring Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Courtney Cox-Arquette (Monica), Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), David Schwimmer (Ross), Matthew Perry (Chandler) and Matt LeBlanc (Joey)-continues to rake in the awards, taking home top honors from such prestigious advocates of excellence as the Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes and the People's Choice Awards, among many others. FRIENDS has been equally successful in syndication, currently ranking as the #1 syndicated comedy show. 

Fans of popular TV series have embraced DVD as a spectacular way to collect their favorite television shows.  Not only do the DVDs provide a compact, complete season of shows in chronological order, they also offer fabulous previously unavailable "extras."  The DVD version of FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO is loaded with special features, including commentary from the show's producers, Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, on two key episodes; Open House at Monica and Rachel's, which takes viewers on an interactive tour of their to-die-for apartment; Friends Of Friends: a video guide to season two's special guest appearances; a How Well Do You Know Your Friends? video trivia challenge;  video character bios and a DVD-ROM link to the FRIENDS website.

EPISODE SYNOPSIS:

  1. The One With Ross' New Girlfriend: Ross comes back from China with a new girlfriend and Rachel has a hard time dealing with it. Meanwhile, Phoebe gives Monica a really bad haircut and Joey makes a discovery about his family tailor.

  2.  The One With The Breast Milk: A heated discussion ensues after Phoebe tastes Carol's breast milk while preparing a bottle for Ben.  Meanwhile everyone but Rachel has become friends with Ross' new girlfriend, Julie, and Monica feels guilty about it.

  3. The One Where Mr. Heckles Dies: Upstairs neighbor, Mr. Heckles, dies, leaving his "estate" to Monica and Rachel, which leads to a discussion over who actually owns the girl's apartment.  Meanwhile Chandler fears he is living Mr. Heckles life.

  4. The One With The Five Steaks And An Eggplant: Monica gets promoted and invites the gang to an expensive restaurant to celebrate causing Rachel, Phoebe and Joey to feel the disparity between their incomes and Monica, Ross and Chandler's.

  5. The One With Phoebe's Husband: Phoebe's unknown husband--a gay, Canadian ice skater, whom she married years ago so he could be a green card--returns to ask her for a divorce. Meanwhile, Ross confides in Rachel that he and Julie haven't had sex yet.

  6. The One With The Baby On The Bus: Ross has an allergic reaction to one of Monica's pies, so she rushes him to the hospital, leaving Ben with Chandler and Joey, who try to use him to pick up women and wind up leaving him on the bus.

  7. The One Where Ross Finds Out: After Ross and Julie decide to get a cat together, Rachel gets drunk and calls his answering machine to tell him how "over him" she is.  Meanwhile, Chandler works out with Monica and Phoebe has boyfriend troubles.

  8. The One With The List: Ross has difficulty choosing between Rachel and Julie, so Chandler talks him into making up a list of pros and cons. Unfortunately, Rachel finds the list and refuses to talk to him, even after he's broken things off with Julie.

  9. The One With Phoebe's Dad: It's almost Christmas and Phoebe has found out that her father is living in upstate New York, so she borrows her grandmother's cab and forces Chandler and Joey to accompany her on the road trip to see him.

  10. The One With The Prom Video: Rachel had decided not to take Ross back, until a long-forgotten video surfaces, documenting his attempt to rescue her during a prom night when her date stood her up. Meanwhile, Joey gives Chandler a hideous bracelet.

  11. The One With Russ: Rachel convinces the gang that she's over Ross, until they meet her new boyfriend, Russ, who is virtually a clone of Ross, even though he doesn't see it. Meanwhile, Joey gets an audition for a role in "Days Of Our Lives."

  12. The One With The Lesbian Wedding: Susan and Carol announce that they are getting married and Ross refuses to go, until Carol reveals a secret which changes his mind. Meanwhile, one of Phoebe's patients dies and her spirit enters Phoebe's body.

  13. The One After The Superbowl - Part 1: Joey begins dating a woman who believes that he really is Dr. Drake Ramoray, his character on "Days Of Our Lives." Meanwhile, Ross discovers that Marcel has a new career in movies and infiltrates a set to visit him.

  14. The One After The Superbowl - Part II: Ross and Marcel have trouble reuniting, but Chandler reunites with a girl from 4th grade who is now a make-up artist on Marcel's movie.  Meanwhile, Rachel and Monica vie for Jean-Claude Van Damme's affections.

  15. The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know: Ross and Rachel can't seem to make it past the first kiss, until he is unexpectedly called to the museum late at night and she surprises him in the Planetarium.  Meanwhile, Monica hits it off with Dr. Burke.

  16. The One Where Joey Moves Out: Now that Joey is making good money as an actor, he decides to move out, prompting a game of foosball between he and Chandler to see who gets the table. Meanwhile, Monica's fling with Richard is discovered at a party.

  17. The One Where Eddie Moves In: Ross and Rachel convince Chandler to get a new roommate, Eddie, only to discover that Joey misses him and wants to move back. Meanwhile Phoebe records "Smelly Cat" for a record producer.

  18. The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies: Joey angers the writers of "Days Of Our Lives," so they write him out of the show by dropping him down an elevator shaft. Meanwhile, Chandler discovers that his new roommate, Eddie, is a psycho.

  19. The One Where Eddie Won't Go: Chandler tries to get Eddie to move out, to no avail, so he and Joey devise a plan to have Joey move back in and pretend that Eddie doesn't exist. Meanwhile, the girls read a new "female power" book.

  20. The One Where Old Yeller Dies: Phoebe is disturbed by the ending of "Old Yeller" because her mother never let her see the end of sad movies. Meanwhile, Joey and Chandler start hanging out with Richard and Ross is tired of missing Ben's "firsts."

  21. The One With The Bullies: Two guys come into the coffeehouse and tell Ross and Chandler never to come back in again, so they avoid their favorite hangout until they can't take it anymore.  Meanwhile, Phoebe meets her half-brother.

  22. The One With The Two Parties: It's Rachel's birthday and Monica decides to throw her a big party. Trouble is, Rachel's parents are divorcing, so she only invites her mom.  When dad shows up, the gang set up an impromptu party at Joey and Chandler's.

  23. The One With Barry And Mindy's Wedding: Rachel lives up to her end of the agreement to be Maid of Honor at Mindy's wedding to Barry, only to be dissed by the best man and guests.  Meanwhile, Joey has to practice kissing men for a role.

  24. The One With The Chicken Pox: Phoebe's "submarine guy" boyfriend resurfaces for two weeks, but she has contracted chicken pox from Ben. Meanwhile, Chandler talks Joey into using his acting skills to get a job at his company, with disastrous results.

 

PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2002 DVD TITLES

Title

Street Date

Sound

Screen Format

Aspect Ratio

SRP

Rating

Year

BAD COMPANY (1972)

06-04-2002

1.0

Letterbox, 16:9

1.85:1

$24.99

PG

1972

FIVE CARD STUD

06-04-2002

1.0

Letterbox, 16:9

1.85:1

$24.99

PG

1968

GOIN' SOUTH

06-04-2002

1.0

Letterbox, 16:9

1.85:1

$24.99

PG

1978

WILL PENNY

06-04-2002

1.0

Letterbox, 16:9

1.85:1

$24.99

NR

1969

ORANGE COUNTY (Special Edition)

06-18-2002

5.1

Letterbox, 16:9

1.85:1

$29.99

PG-13

2002

 

DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS ARRIVES ON SPECIAL-EDITION DVD AUG. 6

Brash, High-Energy Romp Explores the Creation of an American Pop-Culture Phenomenon

They were accidental revolutionaries, kids who only wanted to have a little fun … and ended up changing the culture of an entire nation. Nicknamed "Z Boys," they’re at the heart of DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS, an infectiously energetic documentary about the rise of skateboarding that debuts on special-edition DVD and videocassette Aug. 6 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. Directed by Stacy Peralta, a legend among skateboard aficionados, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS begins its story in a section of Venice, Calif., that was so rundown it was tagged with the unsavory "Dogtown" moniker. It’s where the Zephyr Skating Team was created – a group of teenagers who used the Jeff Ho & Zephyr Production Surf Shop as a home away from home. They started practicing their skateboarding moves in empty swimming pools, leading to a quest for the perfect pool and, ultimately, the public unveiling of their unique brand of athletics at the Bahne-Cadi llac Skateboard Championship in 1975.  As the aggressive Dogtown style (and pugnacious attitude that went with it) began taking hold, the young masters of this new style of sport became international superstars.  Although the Z-Boys era ended shortly after its members took off on international skating careers, its legacy remains an inextricable part of American culture today.  How that culture came to be is in part an exploration of who we are as a society. And it makes for a one-of-a-kind, disarmingly entertaining and wholly unique film experience.  

DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS: A Sony Pictures Classics Release. Narrated by Sean Penn. Executive Producer Jay Wilson. Produced by Agi Orsi. Directed by Stacy Peralta.

DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS DVD:

 

THREE NEW DVD RELEASES COMING FROM CRITERION

VIETNAM IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS
CRITERION PRESENTS LANDMARK DOC

A courageous and startling film, Peter Davis' landmark documentary, coming on DVD from the famed The Criterion Collection, HEARTS AND MINDS unflinchingly confronts the United States' involvement in Vietnam. Using a wealth of sources-from interviews to newsreels to documentary footage of the conflict at home and abroad-Davis constructs a powerfully affecting portrait of the disastrous effects of war.

HEARTS AND MINDS is presented in a new digital transfer, enhanced for widescreen televisions, audio commentary by director Peter Davis, accompanying booklet containing multiple printed essays on the film, English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired, and optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition. Explosive, persuasive, and shocking, HEARTS AND MINDS is an overwhelming emotional experience and the controversial winner of the 1974 Academy Award(tm) for Best Documentary.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH
CRITERION PRESENTS COMIC MASTERPIECE

In Ronald Neame's film THE HORSE’S MOUTH, coming on DVD by the renowned The Criterion Collection, Alec Guinness transforms himself into one of cinema's most indelible comic figures: the lovably scruffy painter Gulley Jimson. As the ill-behaved Jimson searches for a perfect canvas, he determines to let nothing come between himself and the realization of his exalted vision.

THE HORSE’S MOUTH is presented in a new widescreen digital transfer supervised by Ronald Neame and enhanced for 16x9 televisions, video interview with director Ronald Neame, D.A. Pennebaker's short documentary film Daybreak Express, which opened the original New York theatrical run of THE HORSE’S MOUTH, plus a video introduction by Pennebaker. A perceptive examination of the struggle of artistic creation, THE HORSE’S MOUTH is also director Neame's comic masterpiece.

KUROSAWA'S RED BEARD CAPTURES 19TH CENT JAPAN
THE CRITERION COLLECTION DVD ENHANCES HISTORY

A testament to the goodness of humankind, Akira Kurosawa's RED BEARD (Akahige), coming on DVD by the celebrated The Criterion Collection, chronicles the tumultuous relationship between an arrogant young doctor and a compassionate clinic director. Toshiro Mifune, in his last role for Kurosawa, gives a powerhouse performance as the dignified yet empathic director who guides his pupil to maturity, teaching the embittered intern to appreciate the lives of his destitute patients.

Special features incled a new high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound and enhanced for widescreen televisions, audio commentary by Kurosawa film scholar Stephen Prince, notes by Japanese film historian Donald Richie, and original theatrical trailer. Perfectly capturing the look and feel of 19th-century Japan, Kurosawa weaves a fascinating tapestry of time, place, and emotion.

 

05/28/02

THIS HALLOWEEN, MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT DELIVERS CHILLING CULT CLASSICS TO DVD

Available on August 27, These DVDs Boast Shocking Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentaries And New Interviews With The Cast And Crew

MGM Home Entertainment unleashes nine terrifying tales on DVD on August 27 for $14.95 each. Loaded with new cast and crew interviews, audio commentaries, deleted scenes and featurettes, titles include Wes Craven's THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, VAMPIRE’S KISS, NEEDFUL THINGS, THE BELIEVERS and EDGE OF SANITY. TEEN WOLF & TEEN WOLF TOO also debut as a double feature DVD for just $14.95. These frightening films feature some of today's hottest stars including Nicolas Cage, Martin Sheen, Anthony Perkins and Ed Harris.

All titles are closed-captioned and the pre-order date is July 30.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

When two young girls are kidnapped, raped and murdered by a vicious group of escaped convicts, one of the victim's parents takes matters into his own hands, seeking brutal revenge. THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT boasts an audio commentary by director Wes Craven (Scream, Nightmare On Elm Street) and producer Sean Cunningham (Friday The 13'h ) along with deleted scenes, outtakes and two featurettes: "It's Only A Movie" featuring interviews with the cast and crew; "Forbidden Footage" about the graphic violence in the film.

 

 

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

Employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air. The vapors cause the dead to come to life and rampage through Louisville, Kentucky searching for brains to eat. THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD features an audio commentary with director Dan O'Brannon (Total Recall, Alien: Resurrection) and production designer William Stout (Predator 2).

 

VAMPIRE’S KISS

Nicolas Cage stars as a publishing executive who gets bitten by a vampire one night while prowling the bars for some action. Trying to come to terms with his affliction, he exhibits erratic behavior and pushes his secretary to extremes. VAMPIRE’S KISS includes an audio commentary and an interview with the film's star, Nicolas Cage (The Family Man, 8MM).

 

NEEDFUL THINGS

Based on Stephen King's best-selling novels, Max Von Sydow stars as Leland Gaunt, the devlish owner of a supernatural antique shop in Castle Rock. His shop caters to the greedy, but his customers must pay a fatal price to get what they want.

 

THE BELIEVERS

A psychiatrist (Martin Sheen) for the NYPD investigates the murder of two youths, uncovering the practices of a dark religious cult. But the psychiatrist soon finds himself under the influence of the cult and must extricate himself from their power before they sacrifice his own son.

 

EDGE OF SANITY

Anthony Perkins stars as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When the doctor's addiction to cocaine tears his psyche in two, the hyped-up Mr. Hyde stalks and slashes prostitutes.

 

TEEN WOLF

Michael J. Fox stars in this clever comedy about a shy teenager who finds out he's a budding young werewolf! And when his newfound powers help him score at basketball - and with the popular girls - he has some pretty hairy decisions to make.

 

TEEN WOLF TOO

This sequel to TEEN WOLF follows a clean-cut college freshman (Jason Bateman) who finds out that he is a werewolf. His status changes when his right hook makes him the star of the boxing team.

 

MORE DVD DETAILS ON MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S SPECIAL EDITION OF JOHN CARPENTER'S THE FOG

THE FOG Special Edition DVD boasts an introduction to the film by John Carpenter and two featurettes: "Tales from the Mist - Inside The Fog," including interviews with John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Adrienne Barbeau, producer Debra Hill, production designer/editor Tommy Lee Wallace, and director of photography Dean Cundey, and "Fear on Film - Inside The Fog," the original 1980 documentary. The special edition DVD also features an audio commentary with Carpenter and Hill, a "storyboard to film" comparison, outtakes, a photo gallery, original advertising, and a collectible 4-page booklet including liner notes by Carpenter.

05/24/02

MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE FOG SPECIAL EDITION DVD

On August 27, 2002, MGM Home Entertainment will release the John Carpenter horror classic THE FOG on a Special Edition DVD.

Synopsis:

When the fog rolls in…the terror begins! This moody and "crisply chilling" (Newsweek) horror classic from master of terror John Carpenter (The Thing) and co-writer Debra Hill (Escape from L.A.) stars Adrienne Barbeau (Swamp Thing), Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween), Oscar® winner* John Houseman (Rollerball) and Oscar® nominee** Janet Leigh (Psycho). Get lost in THE FOG…"it will frighten the daylights" (The Hollywood Reporter) out of you!

The sleepy seaside village of Antonio Bay is about to learn the true meaning of the word "vengeance." For this seemingly perfect town masks a guilty secret – a past steeped in greed and murder. Exactly 100 years ago, a ship was horribly wrecked under mysterious circumstances in a thick, eerie fog. Now, shrouded in darkness, the long-dead mariners have returned from their watery grave to exact a bloody revenge. Can this waking nightmare be stopped, or will the fog keep rolling in...to kill and kill again?

*1973: Supporting Actor, The Paper Chase

**1960: Supporting Actress, Psycho

THE FOG

DVD Special Features:

Technical Information:

 

PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT PLANS TO RELEASE "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN- THE DIRECTOR'S EDITION" ON DVD AUGUST 6, FEATURING A NEW CUT OF THE MOVIE AND OVER FOUR HOURS OF BONUS MATERIAL.

In addition to the expanded 116-minute cut of the film by director Nicholas Meyer, the two-disc DVD set is packed with extras covering every conceivable aspect of the film. Contents are as follows:

Disc 1: Includes the expanded cut of the film, commentary by Meyer and text commentary by Trek encyclopedia co-author Michael Okuda.

Disc 2: Features the theatrical trailer, storyboard archives, and a wealth of bonus material:

 

ACADEMY AWARD® WINNERS KEVIN COSTNER, KATHY BATES AND LINDA HUNT STAR IN THE SUPERNATURAL THRILLER DRAGONFLY LANDING ON DVD JULY 30, 2002

On July 30, 2002 Universal Studios Home Video will release the supernatural thriller DRAGONFLY, which stars Academy Award® winners Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves), Kathy Bates (Misery) and Linda Hunt (Year of Living Dangerously). The suspenseful hit that CBS calls "thrilling" and Knight Ridder Syndicate says "will keep you guessing" is made in the vein of The Sixth Sense and The Others. The DRAGONFLY VHS is priced for rental, and the DVD is priced to own at $19.95 M.A.P. Order close for VHS is July 9, 2002 and June 25, 2002 for the DVD.

DRAGONFLY DVD Features

DRAGONFLY is packed with deleted scenes, an insightful featurette on the making of the movie, a feature commentary with director Tom Shadyac, a featurette with best-selling author Betty Eadie talking about her near-death experience, DVD-ROM features and theatrical trailer.

Synopsis

Dr. Joe Darrow (Kevin Costner) is distraught over the sudden, violent death of his wife. But is she really dead? Suddenly, Joe is confronted with a series of bizarre, unearthly events. A patient returns from the brink of death - with a haunting, inexplicable message. He encounters a series of strange and impossible coincidences. Finally, his wife appears to him in an unsettling vision. With each supernatural event, Joe becomes more desperate, until he begins to suspect the shocking truth. Now, in a final shattering revelation, he will make the most astonishing discovery of all. Starring Academy Award® winner Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) and featuring Academy Award winners Kathy Bates (Misery, Titanic) and Linda Hunt (The Relic), DRAGONFLY is a heart-stopping, unearthly thriller NBC's Jeffrey Lyons applauds as "stunning."

CAST & FILMMAKERS

DVD

 

JAMES BELUSHI IS THE PRINCIPAL ON DVD JULY 30

Oscar Winner Louis Gossett Jr. Also Stars in Intense Drama Debuting on DVD July 30

James Belushi ("Joe Somebody") and Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. ("An Officer and a Gentleman") star in THE PRINCIPAL, an intense drama making its first-ever appearance on DVD July 30 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

Directed by Christopher Cain ("The Stone Boy"), THE PRINCIPAL features standout performances from Belushi and Gossett and co-stars Rae Dawn Chong and Esai Morales in a highly charged depiction of life in an inner-city high school. Belushi stars as Rick Latimer, a high-school teacher whose "promotion" to principal comes after he attacks his wife's boyfriend.  Seeing his penchant for violence, school administrators decide to place Latimer as the head of the roughest, toughest high school in the city, where his goal is to teach students two words: No more.

Latimer isn't going to let Brandel High be controlled and ultimately destroyed by the gangs of thugs who rule it with their fists, knives and even guns. He and the head of security (Gossett) decide to team up in an effort to rid the school of violence. Their efforts lead to a tension-filled showdown between Latimer and the school's top thug.

THE PRINCIPAL: Also starring Michael Wright, J.J. Cohen, Troy Winbush. Produced by Thomas H. Brodek. Written by Frank Deese. Directed by Christopher Cain.

THE PRINCIPAL DVD:

 

SIX HIGH-RIDING WESTERNS DEBUT ON DVD IN JOHN WAYNE: ‘THE DUKE’--  SPECIAL DVD BOXED SET PREMIERES MAY 14

His place in film history is legend. His screen presence is riveting. John Wayne is an American icon, and six of his earliest Westerns will be available on DVD for the first time on May 14 in JOHN WAYNE: ‘THE DUKE’ from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

The boxed set offers movie lovers and Western fans two DVDs with a total of six films from Wayne's early Hollywood outings. Each is an entry in the "Lone Star Westerns," a series of micro-budget Westerns originally produced by Leon Schlesinger, the producer who took a chance on the tight-lipped, 6'4" actor. Despite his leading role in 1930's "The Big Trail," Wayne had years to go before achieving superstardom, and the "Lone Star Westerns" (originally distributed by Warner Bros.) were a stopover on his way to fame.

Each of the titles is less than 60 minutes long, befitting the "B-movie" format of the Westerns, but in that short time each of the films throws the spotlight on the actor who would achieve an almost mythical status in his later years.

Among Wayne's co-stars in these Westerns are such luminaries as Noah Beery, Walter Brennan, George "Gabby" Hayes and Yakima Canutt.

VOL. 1 - RIDING THE TRAIL

VOL. 2 - RIDING THE RANGE

JOHN WAYNE: ‘THE DUKE’ DVD:

 

FIRST RUN FEATURES AUGUST 2002 DVD ANNOUNCEMENT - THE FLUFFER

Unrated Special Edition DVD Features:

R-Rated DVD Edition Features: TBA

 

 

05/22/02

YOU'LL LAUGH, YOU'LL CRY., YOU'LL LOVE MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S MOVIE TIME COLLECTION

Available On DVD June 4, UHF and MR. SATURDAY NIGHT feature audio commentaries, new interviews with the stars, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes and more. Priced At Just $14.95 Each. The collection also includes GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, MEN AT WORK and UNFORGETTABLE.

This summer, cool off with cult comedy classics and nail-biting thrillers from MGM Home Entertainment's Movie Time Collection, coming to DVD on June 4. Highlights of the collection include UHF, starring `Weird-Al' Yankovic as a daydreaming loser who revives his uncle's television station with his inventive and wacky programming, and MR. SATURDAY NIGHT, starring Billy Crystal as a witty, off-beat television comic. The UHF DVD includes an audio commentary with Yankovic, director Jay Levey, Michael Richards, Victoria Jackson and Emo Philips, behind the scenes footage, a `Weird Al' music video, deleted scenes and more. The MR. SATURDAY NIGHT DVD features an audio commentary with Billy Crystal and David Paymer, three featurettes ("the Buddy Young Jr. Story," "See What We Did?" and "Make-up") including new interviews with Crystal and Paymer, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

Other titles debuting on DVD in the Movie Time Collection are BEST SELLER, CAVEMAN, CHEECH & CHONG’S THE CORSICAN BROTHERS, GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, THE HERO AND THE TERROR, HIGH SPIRITS, THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, MEN AT WORK and UNFORGETTABLE. Priced at just $14.95 each, films feature some of today's hottest Hollywood stars including Dennis Quaid, James Woods, Winona Ryder, Charlie Sheen and Ray Liotta.

Each title included in the collection features the original theatrical trailer and the pre-order date is April 23, 2002.

UHF

'Weird Al' Yankovic and Michael Richards star in this inspired comedy about an offbeat guy who turns a deadbeat TV station into a raging success!

 

BEST SELLER

A widowed Joseph Wambaugh-type cop (Brian Dennehy) who writes best-selling crime novels is approached by a former professional hit man (James Woods) to write his life story.

 

MR. SATURDAY NIGHT

As America's favorite television comic, Buddy Young, Jr. (Billy Crystal) remains in a class by himself. With the help of his brother/manager (David Paymer), Buddy's hilarious back-stage climb-to-the middle is studded with witty one-liners and rapid-fire routines.

 

CAVEMAN

A way out, uncivilized comedy about two Stone-Age Romeos who battle to win the affection of the voluptuous Barbara Bach. Shelley Long, Ringo Stan and Dennis Quaid also star.

 

CHEECH & CHONG’S THE CORSICAN BROTHERS

Cheech and Chong trade in their bongs for swords as they take on history in this outrageous and "hilarious" (Lo Angeles Times) re-telling of Alexandre Dumas' 18th-century adventure epic.

 

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

A film biography of 1950s rock 'n' roller Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid), a twice-married hellraiser whose doom was sealed when he took his 13-year-old second cousin (Winona Ryder) as wife number three. Based on the book by Myra Lewis and Murray Silver Jr.

 

THE HERO AND THE TERROR

Three years ago, Danny O'Brien (Chuck Norris) single-handedly captured Simon Moon, a.k.a. The Terror, and the people of Los Angeles labeled him The Hero. Now, Simon has escaped from prison and is terrorizing the city again and only O'Brien can stop him.

 

HIGH SPIRITS

Written and directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), this comedy farce stars Peter O'Toole as an Irish castle owner who pretends his castle is haunted for American tourists. Things go astray when the tourists arrive and some real ghosts make an appearance.

 

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

Paul Stevens' high school science project has gotten a little out of hand. He just built an atomic bomb. Now he's got 11 hours to make sure it doesn't work.

 

MEN AT WORK

Two un-ambitious garbage men (Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen) witness a murder and then find the body in a garbage can on their route. Afraid of being implicated, they hide the body and mayhem ensues.

 

UNFORGETTABLE

A forensics expert (Ray Liotta) is thrust into a heart-stopping adventure when he takes an experimental "memory" drug in the hopes of discovering his wife's murderer.

 

JET LI STARS IN ACTION-PACKED CONTRACT KILLER MARTIAL ARTS DRAMA COMES TO DVD JULY 30

CONTRACT KILLER, a high-kicking martial arts action thriller starring internationally acclaimed actor Jet Li, debuts on DVD and videocassette from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment July 30.

Directed by Tung Wai, CONTRACT KILLER combines exciting fight choreography with an original story that centers in as Tai Feng (Li), a hit man who seems to suffer from attacks of conscience as he deliberately misses his intended victims. When a Japanese Yakuza boss is brutally executed, his family offers one million dollars to fine the assassin who pulled the trigger.  Needing the money, Tai Feng teams up with an agent willing to show him the underworld of Japanese corruption in order to cash in on a murder.

Now, the best hit man money can buy is about to uncover the person no one would have expected.  Enter a world where watching your back becomes the only means of survival.

CONTRACT KILLER: Executive Producer by Charles Heung.  Produced by Gordan Chan.  Written by Chan Heng Ka, Vincent Kok and Cheng Kam Fa. Directed by Tung Wai.

CONTRACT KILLER DVD:

 

A SLEEPY NEW ENGLAND TOWN IS ROCKED BY AN EVIL FORCE IN ELITE ENTERTAINMENT'S THE INCUBUS

DVD Available on August 27th for $24.95

A small town's fears are met by the ultimate power of evil as Elite Entertainment presents the terrifying horror film "THE INCUBUS." Starring John Cassavetes ("Rosemary's Baby") and John Ireland, "THE INCUBUS" will be available on DVD on August 27th at a suggested retail price of 24.95.

The peaceful New England town of Galen is suddenly disturbed by a. series of brutal murders and raps. Newly arrived surgeon and pathologist Sam Cordell (Cassavetes) begins assisting police chief Hank Walden (Ireland) on the investigation. When Cordell's daughter Jenny tells him that her boyfriend, Tim Galen, is having terrible recurring nightmares, the investigation takes a bizarre turn.

At the scene of one of the murders, Dr. Cordell finds an ancient book that tells of Incubus, a demon of many forms that ravishes women in their nightmares, It is also revealed that Incubus and Succubus, a demon that appears to men, can be sexually interchangeable. Once Dr. Cordell begins monitoring Tim's nightmares, the entire town must come face to face with a shocking, unsettling conclusion.

"THE INCUBUS" was written by George Franklin and directed by John Hough ("American Gothic"). The DVD has a running time of 93 minutes, is rated R, and includes the original

theatrical trailer.

THE INCUBUS--DVD

 

DAVID LYNCH MEETS THE TWILIGHT ZONE" AS ELITE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS THAT LITTLE MONSTER-- A FILM BY PAUL BUNNELL 

DVD Available on July 301h for $19.95

It's time to enter a mysterious world, unlike any other ever seen, as Elite Entertainment introduces the DVD premiere of "THAT LITTLE MONSTER." winner of the prestigious Golden Scroll .Award for. Outstanding Achievement from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, "THAT LITTLE MONSTER," written and directed by Paul Bunnell., tells the tale of an innocent young babysitter about to enter an out-of-the

ordinary home. 'the DVD is available on July 3 0th at a suggested retail price of $19.95.

Jamie (Melissa Baum)* is a foreign exchange student, anxiously awaiting an interview with the Willocks, parents of an infant boy she hopes to baby-sit. What seems like a normal, everyday life activity with a regular American family soon turns into a situation no one

could ever have imagined,

Jamie takes the job, and soon after she starts caring for little Wolper Willock, she starts to experience strange sights and sounds emanating from the Willock, home. As Jamie discovers an array of buried dark secrets, nerves start to shatter as she wonders exactly who-or what---she is truly watching over.

"THAT LITTLE MONSTER" features special appearances by Forrest J Ackerman (Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine), Reggie Bannister ('the "Phantasm" film series) and a very special surprise guest from Hollywood's golden era.

Bonus features on the disc include audio commentary track from. Paul Bunnell and producer Carl Mastromarino, interview footage featuring Bunnell, and Bunnell's 19minute film "The Visitant," which was shot on Super 8mm for a cost of $500 when Bunnell was just 17 years old.

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