DVD Watch

Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" announced for DVD, Blu-ray

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:23:00 +0000

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment announced the new, expanded DVD and first-time Blu-ray release of its classic animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" on Wednesday.

The new version, to be released Oct. 6, available on both DVD and Blu-ray, will launch Disney's Diamond Collection series.

The release, comprised of two discs, will include several bonus features:

* Hyperion Studios – Audiences are digitally transported to 1937 and see how Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built and where "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was conceived and developed. Will include archival photos, never- before- heard animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt Disney himself.

* Magic Mirror (Blu-ray release only) – Using the latest in Blu-ray technology, the iconic Magic Mirror guides the audience through the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" Diamond Edition serving as the “host,” recognizing viewing patterns, knowing where the audience has left off and even suggesting where to navigate next. This marks the first use of this type of technology in a Disney Blu-ray release.

* DisneyView (Blu-ray only) – Viewers can expand their viewing experience beyond the original aspect ratio of the film. Utilizing Disney Blu-ray™ technology, acclaimed Disney artist Toby Bluth ‘draws’ beyond the borders of classic full frame cinema and fill the otherwise dark edges of the screen with beautiful custom imagery, giving audiences an expanded view of the animated classic.

* About Toby Bluth – Disney artist Toby Bluth tells how the movie inspired him to create the superb DisneyView art.

* Mirror, Mirror On The Wall – Through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer with a series of questions, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone.

* What Do You See? – Players must untangle scrambled images.

* Jewel Jumble – To win the game, players must put jewels from the Dwarfs’ mine in the proper order.

* Scene Stealer – Allows viewers to upload a personal photo and become one of the Seven Dwarfs—on-screen in the actual film.

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What do you get when you mix the Beach Boys and Satan?

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:27:00 +0000

"The Beach Boys and the Satan" (Region 1 DVD). Also available through Amazon.co.uk, but only in Region 1 format: This oddball German documentary is as disjointed as its name implies. Roughly the first 45 minutes is a fairly straight Beach Boys documentary with a fairly comprehensive retelling of the Beach Boys story from the German Pop Annual TV series. It's augmented by lots of old film clips, some rare, some coming from "The Beach Boys: An American Band" and "I Guess I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" documentaries. Paul McCartney does appear in the disc in clips from "American Band" (the party scene with him and Linda), plus Brian Wilson discusses how "Rubber Soul" influenced "Pet Sounds." Offering thoughts on the Beach Boys career are Don Was, Kim Fowley, Greg Shaw (of the great Bomp! magazine) and Brian Wilson himself. When the documentary starts discussing Charles Manson, though, the film turns away from the Beach Boys almost entirely. Adding to the strangeness is the use all the way through of German subtitles you can't turn off. The disc also has no scene breaks or extra features. Given the fact, though, that most of the Beach Boys documentaries were done by the band themselves with their spin, it's nice to see the band get a fresh look. And the disc includes enough vintage Beach Boys clips to please any fan. Still, though, this is one strange trip.

Dark Knight and other upcoming Warner Bros. DVDs

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Warner Home Video has announced "The Dark Knight" will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on Dec. 9. Both the Blu-Ray and regular DVDs will consist of 2 discs. The Blu-Ray version will have 3 hours of special features, including documentaries on the psyche of Batman and his arsenal of weapons and a digital copy of the film.

Also coming from Warner HV: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and "Get Smart" (the movie) on Nov. 11 and "The Powderpuff Girls' 10th Anniversary Collection" on Jan. 20.

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Review: "Desperately Seeking Paul McCartney"

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Reading the title of "Desperately Seeking Paul McCartney," you get a strong hint that this might not be a fan tribute. The film, which won the audience favorite award at the 2008 Mockfest Film Festival in Hollywood, is a documentary about how an obscure event still reverberates some 40 years after the fact.

In 1965, Ruth Anson, then an attractive young reporter for a local Los Angeles TV station, covered the arrival of the Beatles in the city. When she asked Paul McCartney if he had plans for marriage, his answer, caught on film and shown several times in the DVD, was "Only if you'll marry me." The words stuck with her.

Forty years later, Anson, now Ruth Anson-Sowby, attempts to reconnect with the event and experience closure by getting in touch with McCartney. A filmmaker, Marc Cushman, decides to take on the project of making a documentary about her quest. When things don't work out as initially planned, it becomes a reality-TV project, and with it comes little regard for the feelings of Sowby, much to the dismay of some of her family and friends. Finally, Cushman decides the group should connect with McCartney at the Grammy Awards. The ups and downs of preparations, along with the efforts to even see Paul McCartney at the event, form the almost-comic climax of the film.

There is plenty of vintage footage of Sowby interviewing celebrities here, including the original McCartney footage, plus others, including Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope and George Murphy. The McCartney footage is run several times. It is heard in the film the makers had to pay a large sum to license the footage and they use it often.

Much of the time, reality TV goes for cheap entertainment at the participants' expense. That's the bottom line here. This is not a celebration of the Beatles, but like much of reality TV, this documentary of one woman's dream is a sad song that doesn't get better. (Bonus features include twelve Beatle-like songs.)

Read our exclusive interview with Ruth Anson Sowby.

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"The Beatles: Rare and Unseen"

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:05:00 +0000

If a product breathlessly hyping itself makes you wary, be prepared. You'll hear that a lot throughout "The Beatles: Rare and Unseen."

The single disc DVD starts out with promoting its exclusive unseen footage through "rare and previously unseen home movies, personal photographs, recently discovered film and true stories told first hand by the people who were really there." And on that score, it lives up to the hype.

Well, sort of.

The rare footage includes the earliest known footage of the Beatles onstage in Liverpool in 1962, a rare film of the Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland show in October, 1964, footage taking during the making of "Help!," home movie footage from the 1964 Paris Olympia show and a rarely seen French TV interview with John Lennon.

And it's all there -- if you don't mind the fact that the interviewees are superimposed over the rare footage more often than not. Sadly, none of the rare film is seen unedited. What is there, though, is tantalizing, like dangling a carrot in front of a horse. It sure makes you wish for more of it without the unnecessary obstructions.

Some of the interviews, on the other hand, are quite good. The best are Abbey Road recording engineer Norman "Hurricane" Smith, Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers and former Beatles press officer Tony Barrow. Others offering comments include Ken Dodd, Sylvie Vartan, Sam Leach, Quarrymen member Colin Hanton, Phil Collins and Steve Harley of Cockney Rebel. But even the interviews have a few snags. In near succession, different interviewees recall "the original Beatles" as having different lineups. An eight-page booklet features text by Barrow and more rare photos.

Even more frustrating is the fact that the disc's special features are extended interviews with everyone on the disc -- but not the raw unedited rare footage.

Sigh.

Still, just seeing this stuff is great. And at least some of the interviews aren't the deadweight talking head interviews usually found on many of the endless line of DVDs that tell the Beatles story.

If only, though, someone had figured out that the rare footage would have been better appreciated if left the producers had left it the hell alone.

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NEW BEATLES DVD, "ALL TOGETHER NOW," COMING JUNE 24

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:51:00 +0000

APPLE CORPS LTD., CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND EMI MUSIC ANNOUNCE THE GLOBAL
DVD RELEASE OF 'ALL TOGETHER NOW' ON JUNE 24

Feature-Length Documentary Chronicles The Making Of The Beatles' "LOVE"
by Cirque du Soleil

London, England - April 16, 2008 - On June 24, 2008 Apple Corps
Ltd./Cirque du Soleil will release the feature-length documentary 'All
Together Now' on DVD, which will be marketed and distributed worldwide
by EMI Music. The film details the story behind the unique partnership
between The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil that resulted in the creation
and launch of "LOVE," the stage production still wowing audiences at
The Mirage in Las Vegas, and the double Grammy-winning album of the
same name. The film is dedicated to the memory of Neil Aspinall, an
Executive Producer of the DVD.

The DVD's total running time is 122 minutes, including the 84-minute
documentary film and bonus features. The film and extras are presented
in DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital Stereo.

'All Together Now' faithfully recounts how the "LOVE" project came into
being, borne from the personal friendship between George Harrison and
Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. George saw how the twin talents
of Cirque's artistry and The Beatles' music could be fused into
something new and totally original.

The director, Adrian Wills, records early meetings between the Cirque &
Apple Corps Ltd. creative teams, as well as contributions from Sir Paul
McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison discussing
how The Beatles' music can be used in a different way. We hear about
the decision to utilize the combined talents of Sir George Martin and
his son Giles Martin to produce what became a 90-minute soundscape
created from The Beatles' multi-track recordings and how this new audio
adventure was being quietly worked on in the famous Abbey Road Studios
in London, England whilst the first creative ideas for the show were
being formulated in Montreal, Canada.

These early stages of the project were all filmed, as were the first
rehearsals at the Mirage Hotel theatre in Las Vegas, which was
completely rebuilt with a one-of-a-kind sound system and complex round
staging to house the "LOVE" show. George and Giles Martin, the show's
Musical Directors, were involved every step of the way with the
remarkable Cirque du Soleil creative team, performers and backroom
staff.

It wasn't all "plain-sailing" and there has been no attempt to disguise
some of the disagreements that took place along the way regarding how
some of the songs would be portrayed visually. These creative
differences, a necessary part of the overall process of bringing "LOVE"
to its most vibrant life, illustrate the participants' love and respect
for the music and vision of The Beatles.

In addition to their roles within the main feature, George and Giles
Martin, along with engineer Paul Hicks, also pop up in another piece
titled "Changing The Music" which reveals in fascinating depth how the
music was created and the challenges they faced. They explain how they
sourced some of the individual instruments and effects and how they
were encouraged to experiment.

The 'All Together Now' documentary and bonus features provide a
fascinating insight into the creative skills and passion that went into
making this project a groundbreaking critical and commercial success.

DVD contents
'All Together Now' documentary (84:00)
Bonus Features:
- "Changing The Music" (22:00): A behind-the scenes look at the
decision-making process for the "LOVE" concept and music production.
- "Music In The Theatre" (07:00): A look at the process of creating the
"LOVE" show's unique audio design.
- "Making 'LOVE'" (09:00): A backstage pass to explore the design of
"LOVE," including the art direction, costumes, props, screen imagery
and the use of The Beatles' voices in the "LOVE" stage production and
its soundtrack .

DVD technical details
1 x DVD-9
PAL and NTSC
All regions

www.thebeatles.com

www.cirquedusoleil.com

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Mike Douglas -- the Ed Sullivan of daytime TV

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:08:00 +0000

Mike Douglas - Moments & Memories / John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Rolling Stones, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Martin: Back in the '60s, there are a hard and fast rule in our house. Nothing but nothing interrupted "The Mike Douglas Show." (Forgive me, Mom!)
Looking back, however, it wasn't as bad of a thing as it seemed at the time. For one, Douglas, who got his start as a big band singer with Kay Kyser, was an easy-going guy who had a knack for bringing on great guests, some of them controversial. Folks like Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ingrid Bergman, Marlon Brando, Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope and John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Mike Douglas - Moments & Memories / John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Rolling Stones, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Martin, a new single disc DVD from Kultur International being released March 25, recounts Douglas' story and collects highlights of many of those performances.
The clips are augmented by interviews, including fond recollections from Douglas' widow, Genevieve. (One fascinating fact about Douglas that we learned for the first time from the DVD: He was the voice of Prince Charming in Disney's "Cinderella.")
But it's the clips that are the real attraction here. There's an early rare clip of the Rolling Stones in black and white that is fascinating to watch as the camera alternates from the faces of the gyrating Stones performing to the fans in the audience screaming and carrying on wildly.
Another highlight is a clip featuring Bob Hope, who for years sponsored a major golf tournament in his name, watching a very young boy brought on the show for his early age talent for the game. The boy's name? Tiger Woods.
It's Jack Benny acting naturally and, as usual, making the audience roar with laughter. It's KISS acting up in front of the cameras and showing off their makeup and costumes to housewives who probably had never seen such a sight before. It's Steve Martin, David Letterman, Jay Leno and George Carlin display the early talent that brought them later fame. It's a rare interview with Mother Teresa, who even then brought an aura of saintliness with her. There's so much here to enjoy, including a clip of Douglas performing his Top 40 hit, "The Men In My Little Girl's Life."
One of the main highlights of the disc is the chapter featuring the unprecedented week of shows co-hosted by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It was so unusual to have someone so conservative looking like Douglas allow Lennon and Ono to basically take over the show for a week. But he did and the result was fascinating. Lennon and Ono invited many of their politically active friends to appear -- Jerry Rubin, Ralph Nader and Bobby Seale were among those who showed up. The week also gave Lennon the chance to fulfill a dream -- to perform with Chuck Berry. The clip of the two singing "Johnny B. Goode," which has been passed around on bootlegs for years, is here in crystal clarity. As a Lennon fan ourselves, since the whole week's shows were once on video, we only wish a DVD of the whole week's shows would be released. (Actually, it was in Brazil for a while, but appears to be out of print.)
This is a fun disc that we can't help but recommend. We really hope, like the Dick Cavett and "The Tomorrow Show" series of DVDs, that more releases will come with more moments and memories.

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John, Paul, Tom and Ringo -- the Fab Three plus one

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:01:00 +0000

If Dick Cavett was the hip big brother of talk show hosts, Tom Snyder was the fuddy duddy uncle who you had to explain everything to. That's quite evident in "The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder: John Paul Tom & Ringo", an interesting new collection of vintage interviews of three of the Beatles available from Shout Factory on April 1.

The best of the interviews is clearly the one with John Lennon, which was first shown in 1975 and replayed the night after Lennon was killed with new guests added. It's the replay that's included here. If Snyder comes across a little, let's say, naive, John, in a very accomodating mood, sets Snyder straight. "Were the Beatles before the groupies?", Snyder asks at one point.

The replay includes comments from a still shocked "Double Fantasy" producer Jack Douglas and rock critic Lisa Robinson.

That's not the case with the Paul McCartney interview, originally aired on Dec. 20, 1979. It's Paul and Linda, first, who are then joined by Denny Laine and Laurence Juber via satellite discussing Wings before a show at London's Rainbow Theatre. The interview gets off to a horrible start as Snyder makes an impatient Paul and Linda wait (actually telling Paul to "hang on a minute ... we're not ready yet") for an incredibly long introduction (including a boring technical update of the equipment being used for the interview) and a playing of the "Spin It On" music video. Paul and Linda manage to stay polite, though various comments through the interview give evidence that they did not enjoy the experience. No surprise: Few of the questions rise above the pedestrian level. Despite the success being enjoyed by Wings, Snyder even asks about the possibility of a Beatles reunion. When Juber and Laine join the interview, Snyder has to ask the two to introduce themselves because he clearly doesn't know who is who.

The interview with Ringo, recorded in Los Angeles and first aired Nov. 25, 1981, is pretty run of the mill for Ringo, who seems to treat it like nothing special. It really isn't. Snyder starts off asking the meaning of the title of Ringo's then-current album, "Stop and Smell the Roses" after years of what Snyder calls "turmoil, frenzy and confusion," then following up with how Ringo likes being 40. Snyder also discusses John Lennon, who died less than a year before the interview was taped. Barbara Bach also is interviewed, and the couple discuss their apperances in the movie "Caveman."

The quality of the Lennon and Ringo interviews are excellent, especially the Lennon, which has been a favorite among collectors in copies taken from a long out-of-print video release. The McCartney interview, though not as sharp in quality as the other two, seems to have come from a decent video master. Still, it's surprising the quality isn't better.

Despite the reservations, "The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder: John Paul Tom & Ringo" is a set worth getting just for the Lennon interview alone. It's good to see this interview, one of Lennon's best, available again. The McCartney and Starr interviews are worth seeing for archival purposes only, but we all have some of that stuff in our collections, don't we?

An intelligent discussion of the Beatles

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Composing the Beatles Songbook: Lennon & McCartney 1957-1965: It's rare when a Beatles DVD that tries to summarize their career in any way makes any kind of sense. The store shelves are filled with slap-dash DVDs of the same old Beatle clips with shallow histories of the Fab Four.
Composing the Beatles Songbook: Lennon & McCartney 1957-1965, to be released March 18 in the U.S., is a very rare and welcome exception. The 80-minute film is an intelligent (for a change) roundtable discussion of the Lennon and McCartney partnership by a number of well-known rock musicians, journalists and authors and broadcasters. The fact some of them have strong Beatle connections gives the project even more credibility. Those on board include Klaus Voorman, who drew the "Revolver" cover, Barry Miles, co-author of Paul McCartney's biography and Maureen Cleave, the journalist to whom Lennon uttered the infamous quote comparing the Beatles and Jesus, and broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, who has interviewed Paul McCartney for an official audio interview released by Columbia Records when Paul was on that label. Also on the disc are veteran journalist Robert Christgau (Village Voice), Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone), authors Johnny Rogan, Pete Doggett, Steve Turner and Nigel Williamson.
The group analyzes the development of Lennon and McCartney as songwriters. The disc includes clips from "The Ed Sullivan Show," The Royal Variety Performance and other appearances, plus there are clips of the Rolling Stones, the Byrds and Bob Dylan. Any discussion of Lennon and McCartney is, of course, subjective, but we think this disc will provoke a lot of discussion on its own. The disc includes extras with extended interviews, biographies and a Beyond DVD section. Don't miss this.

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Blu-ray sharks eat HD for dinner

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:37:00 +0000

It didn't take long, did it? Once Warner Bros. said they weren't going to support HD any longer, the blocks fell quickly. Amazon.com, Best Buy and, finally, Wal-mart, came tumbling down like the walls of Jericho.
Toshiba saw the handwriting on the wall and gave up the ghost. But what's scary here is how quickly and with the savageness the end came.
One radio interviewer we heard wondered aloud if there was a little back-room politics that played into the decision. It wouldn't be surprising. A lot of money was at stake here.
Still, Toshiba says they'll still continue to support the format.
Here's the full press release:

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

19 February, 2008

Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content

TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.
Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement,but is subject to change without prior notice.

PC World suggests some of the technology could still be useful to Toshiba.
Still, it's an empty promise, at best. It's over.

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Remembering the Man in Black

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:28:00 +0000

We weren't much of a fan of country music when "The Johnny Cash Show" came along in 1969. We liked rock music. And some rock music fans wrongly associated all country music with superpatriotism in the "I'm Proud to Be an Okie From Muskogee" mode.
But Johnny Cash and his show was different. Cash not only welcomed all kinds of music, including rock, but he embraced the downtrodden and even allowed a cross-section of political opinion, something not often seen in those days. And though his show was only on TV through three TV seasons, it made an impression on me and everyone who watched it
That is why "The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971" will be in our top 10 DVDs for the year, even this early in 2008. The two-disc set features 66 performances from the landmark show. And even those don't begin to cover the wide berth of musical talent and influence the Man in Black's show presented.
Just the guest list of performers on the set gives you an idea, though. There's George Jones, doing a medley of his hits including the classic "White Lightning." James Taylor, just an up and coming talent at the time, sings "Sweet Baby James." Neil Young gives a stark, powerful performance of "The Needle and the Damage Done," a song about drug abuse that Johnny Cash himself was a victim of in his younger days. Jerry Lee Lewis, with his usual (in those days, anyway) cocky demeanor, gives a seminal performance of his rock classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." Bill Monroe performing his classic "Blue Moon of Kentucky." And that's just the beginning.
Several of the performers and performances on the set go beyond just deserving a mere mention. They are outright stunners. Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash get together on "Blue Yodel #9," which Cash introduces as a recreation of an old Satchmo recording session. When Satchmo blew the first few notes of the song, it hit us like a ton of bricks. It was that good.
Similarly, the two tracks by Derek and the Dominoes, led by Eric Clapton, are incredible. First, there's "It's Too Late," then Clapton, Cash, Carl Perkins and the band jam on Perkins' "Matchbox." Fantastic.
Bob Dylan, then pretty much a recluse, and Cash had something in common -- they were bold but individual, guys whose musical leanings were guided only by themselves. Dylan and Cash were great friends and recording buddies. Dylan's appearances on the Cash show, set around the time of the "Nashville Skyline" album, could only be called "events." This set includes "I Threw It All Away" and a duet with Cash on "Girl From the North Country."
And the spirit of his father was never more present in Hank Williams Jr. than when he performs a medley of Hank Sr.'s songs, including "You Win Again," "Cold Cold Heart" and "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You."
Of course, the clips of Cash himself really show why we crowded to the TV set on nights the show aired. Cash's songs, such as "Ring of Fire," "Ride This Train," "Man In Black" (in one of his first performances after he wrote it ... he admitted to needing the words on a cue card), "Folsom Prison Blues", "A Boy Named Sue" and "I Walk the Line" became familiar friends to his viewers. (Just one minor complaint is the absence of "Orange Blossom Special," which became a real highlight and an audience favorite.)
After seeing this double set, we hope another will be on the way. There are so many great clips not included here. To name just a few clips that have been circulating among collectors: there's the Monkees (post-Peter Tork), Mahalia Jackson, Roger Miller, Tex Ritter and Joe South.
In addition to the DVD, Cash fans will also want the audio single disc The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash. It has 17 tracks, including a couple that aren't on the DVD.

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Coming soon -- upcoming street dates

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:49:00 +0000

(2/5/08)

From Disney:
The Aristocats Special Edition
From Paramount:
Black Rain / Fatal Attraction Double Feature
The Talented Mr. Ripley / School Ties Double Feature
The Hunt for Red October / K-19: The Widowmaker Double Feature
The Hours / Heartburn Double Feature Standard
Blue Hawaii / Paradise, Hawaiian Style
King Creole / G.I. Blues Double Feature
Go Diego Go!: Diego's Magical Missions
Beauty and the Beast: The Third Season
Soul Food - The Series: The Third Season
Blackout
Best of Comedy Central Presents
The Jewish Americans
From Universal:
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
From Warner Home Video:
Americanizing Shelley
Assassination of Jesse James, The
Black Woman's Guide to Getting Married
Charlie & Lola: Volume 7: This Is Actually My Party
Flogging Margaret
George Lopez: America's Mexican
LOVE AND BASKETBALL MUSIC EDITION
Legion of Superheroes: Volume 2
Perfect Strangers: The Complete First & Second Seasons
Showstoppers
The Brave One
Third Watch: The Complete First Season
You've Got Mail: Deluxe Edition
From Shout Factory:
Ironside, Season 2, Vol. 1
Comic Relief: The Greatest and the Latest

(2/12/08)
From Classic Media:
George of the Jungle: The Complete Original Series
From Paramount:
Wonder Pets: Save The Dinosaur
Girlfriends: The Third Season
Family Ties: The Third Season
Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav: Uncensored!
From Warner Home Video:
Batman: Mask of Phantasm Batman and Mr. Freeze: Sub Zero
Battle of the Bulge Featuring Bone Crusher
Beatrix Potter Collection
Black August
Blade: The Series
Coleccion Pedro Infante: !?Que te ha dado esa mujer?!
Coleccion Pedro Infante: Arriba las Mujeres
Coleccion Pedro Infante: Las mujeres de mi General
Coleccion Pedro Infante: Viva mi Desgracia
Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season
Introducing The Dwights
Joan Crawford Collection Vol. 2
Martian Child
NBA Street Series - Volume 5
No Reservations
Prehistoric Predators
Sopranos, The: Season 6 Part 2
TELL ME YOU LOVE ME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle & Mr. Jeremy Fisher & Other Stories (Beatrix Potter)
Tale of Pigling Bland and Other Stories (Beatrix Potter)
WB Home Entertainment Presents: Academy Award® Animation Collection 15 Winners, 26 Nominees
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Presents: Academy Awards® Animation Collection, 15 Winners
World of Peter Rabbit & Friends, The (Beatrix Potter)

(2/19/08)
From Paramount:
Walker, Texas Ranger: The Fourth Season
Shark Tale / Antz 2-Pack Spring 2-Pack with Tattoos
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron / The Road to El Dorado 2-Pack Spring 2-Pack w/Tattoos
The Prince of Egypt / Joseph: King of Dreams 2-Pack Spring 2-Pack w/Tattoos
Shrek Spring 2 Pack w/Tattoos
Flushed Away Spring 2 Pack w/Tattoos
Flushed Away Spring 2 Pack w/Tattoos
Max & Ruby: Springtime for Max & Ruby/Afternoons with Max & Ruby 2-Pack
Dora the Explorer:Big Sister Dora/City of Lost Toys 2-Pack
Max & Ruby: Springtime for Max & Ruby/Afternoons with Max & Ruby 2-Pack
Dora the Explorer:Big Sister Dora/City of Lost Toys 2-Pack Standard DVD
SpongeBob Squarepants: Home Sweet Pineapple/SpongeBob Goes Prehistoric 2-Pack Standard DVD
SpongeBob Squarepants: Home Sweet Pineapple/SpongeBob Goes Prehistoric 2-Pack Standard DVD
Nick Jr. Celebrates Spring/Blue's Clues:Blue's Room: It's Hug Day 2-Pack Standard DVD
Dora the Explorer: Super Silly Fiesta!/Nick Jr. Favorites 4 2-Pack Standard DVD Blue's Clues: Blue's Room: Shape Detectives/Beyond Your Wildest Dreams 2-Pack Standard Charlotte's Web (1973)/Charlotte's Web 2 2-Pack Standard DVD Full Screen Rugrats: Tales From the Crib: Snow White/Three Jacks & a Beanstalk 2-Pack Standard DVD Drake & Josh: Go Hollywood/Suddenly Brothers - Volume 1 2 Pack Standard DVD
Margot At The Wedding Standard DVD Widescreen Comedy, Drama 1/15/2008 Jakers!: Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm Standard DVD Widescreen
From Warner Home Video:
Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town: Deluxe Edition
Father Ted: The Definitive Collection (DVD)
Helen Mirren at the BBC
In the Valley of Elah
Invasion, The
Les Miserables (1995) (BBC)
Looney Tunes: Movie Collection Vol. 3
Looney Tunes: Spotlight Collection Vol. 5
Michael Clayton
My Dog Skip/ Shiloh 3: Saving Shiloh (DBFE)
Peanuts: It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition
Rendition
Riverdance: Live from Radio City Music Hall: Collector's Edition
Swordfish/Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (DBFE)
Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers
Tom and Jerry: Tales Vol. 1
From Universal:
American Gangster
Lust, Caution

(2/26/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
Hooligans
Hotel Babylon Season 1.
Justice League: The New Frontier
Justice League: The New Frontier Special Edition
NFL Super Bowl XLII
Pinochet's Last Stand
Silk (DVD)
Smurfs, The: Season 1, Volume 1
State of Play (2003) (BBC)
From Paramount:
Beowulf Standard
Caillou's Family Favorites
Beowulf Director's Cut
The Fugitive: The First Season, Volume Two
Backyardigans: Tale Of The Mighty Knights
Max & Ruby: Berry Bunny Adventures Standard DVD

(3/4/08)
From Disney:
101 DALMATIANS: Platinum Edition
From Paramount:
Human Giant: The Complete First Season
The Love Boat: Season One Volume One
Things We Lost in the Fire
Into the Wild
From Warner Home Video:
Ben 10 Season 3
Doctor Who: Beginning Collection, The
Doctor Who: Ep. 13 - Web Planet, The
Doctor Who: Ep. 45 - Mind Robber, The
Doctor Who: Ep. 54 - Inferno
Doctor Who: Ep. 57 - Claws of Axos, The
Doctor Who: Ep. 69 - Green Death, The
Doctor Who: Ep. 78 Genesis of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Ep. 81 - Planet of Evil
Doctor Who: Ep. 87 - Hand of Fear, The
Doctor Who: Ep. 92 - Horror of Fang Rock
Doctor Who: Ep.104 - Destiny of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Ep.105 - City of Death
Doctor Who: Ep.110 - Leisure Hive, The
Doctor Who: Ep.143 - Revelation of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Ep.157 - Ghost Light
Doctor Who: Lost In Time - Patrick Troughton Years
Doctor Who: Lost In Time- William Hartnell Years
Doctor Who: Mark of the Rani, The (Ep. 140)
Doctor Who: Visitation, The (Ser. 120)
Horton Hears A Who: Deluxe Edition
Johnson Family Dinner
No Reservations
The Other Boleyn Girl
The UCLA Dynasty

(3/11/08)
From Paramount:
Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States - Season One
South Park: Imaginationland
Bee Movie
Bee Movie Jerry’s 2 Disc Special Edition
Love American Style Season 1, Volume 2
The Mod Squad: The First Season, Volume Two
From Warner Home Video:
Appleseed Ex Machina
Appleseed Saga:Ex Machina:LE (2D)
August Rush
Color of the Cross 2: Resurrection
Def Comedy Jam: Hughley
Dinosaurs Unearthed (NG)
Five Days
In the Valley of Elah
Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1976
Michael Clayton
Michael Palin: New Europe (DVD)
Nancy Drew (2007)
One Foot in the Grave Season 4
One Foot in the Grave: Season 3
Stompin
Tom and Jerry: Tales Vol. 4
WIGGLES: POP GO THE WIGGLES
Wiggles, The: Cold Spaghetti Western
Wiggles, The: Getting Strong
Wiggles, The: Here Comes the Big Red Car
Wiggles, The: Hoop Dee Doo! It's a Wiggly Party
Wiggles, The: It's a Wiggly Wiggly World!
Wiggles, The: Lights, Camera Action
Wiggles, The: Live Hot Potatoes!
Wiggles, The: Magical Adventure
Wiggles, The: Racing to the Rainbow
Wiggles, The: Sailing Around the World
Wiggles, The: Santa's Rockin'
Wiggles, The: Splish Splash Big Red Boat
Wiggles, The: Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins
Wiggles, The: Wiggle Around the Clock
Wiggles, The: Wiggle Dancing! Live in the U.S.A.
Wiggles, The: Wiggly Wiggly Christmas
Wiggles, The: Yule Be Wiggling

(3/18/08)
From Shout Factory
McHale's Navy: Season 3
From Paramount:
The Untouchables: Season Two, Volume One
The Wild Wild West: The Fourth Season
From Warner Home Video:
Autopsy: Postmortem with Dr. Michael Baden
Extreme Alaska: Denali National Park (NG)
I Am Legend
I Am Legend Special Edition
Justice League: The New Frontier Special Edition
Love in the Time of Cholera (DVD)
NFL Films Classics: Legends of Autumn Volumes IV-VI
Pebbles And Bamm-Bamm Show, The
Pup Named Scooby-Doo, A: The Complete First Season
The Sickhouse (DVD)

(3/25/08)
From Shout Factory:
Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors Volume One
From Warner Home Video:
Black Legion
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde: Special Edition
Bonnie and Clyde: Ultimate Collector's Edition
Brother Orchid
FRISKY DINGO: SEASON 1
Greatest NBA Rivalries Volume I
IFL Championship 2007
Lady Killer
Mayor Of Hell
NBA Boston Celtics 1985-86
NHL All-Access (2008)
Picture Snatcher (1933)
Pu-239
Smart Money (1931)
Warner Gangsters Collection Volume 1
Warner Gangsters Collection Volume 2
From Universal:
Battlestar Galactica, Season Three

(4/1/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Appleseed Saga:Ex Machina:LE (2D)
August Rush
BBC Natural History Collection, The
Bette Davis Collection Volume 3
David Attenborough: Wildlife Specials
Doctor Who: Ep. 70 - Time Warrior, The
Echo and Other Elephants
Harold & Kumar: Special Edition (WS/DVD)
John From Cincinnati: The Complete First Season
Martin: The Complete Fourth Season
Terry Jones: Medieval Lives
The Return of Swamp Thing

(4/8/08)
From Warner Home Video:
11th Hour
Ben 10 Race Against Time
Born to Dance/Lady be Good
Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938
Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory Volume 3
Deep in My Heart
Eden at the End of the World
Hit the Deck
I Am Legend
Innocent Voices
Kismet (1955)
Nancy Goes to Rio/Two Weeks with Love
Planet Earth: From Pole to Pole/Mountains/Fresh Water
Planet Earth:Caves/Deserts/Ice Worlds
Planet in Peril (CNN)
Private Life of a Masterpiece, The: Collection
Private Life of a Masterpiece, The: Impressionism and the Post Impressionists
Private Life of a Masterpiece, The: Masterpieces of Sculpture
Private Life of a Masterpiece, The: Renaissance Masterpieces
Private Life of a Masterpiece, The: Seventeenth Century Masterpieces
Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry 6
Sense and Sensibility (2007) (BBC)
Sense and Sensibility Deluxe Edition Gift Set
Sharkwater
Six Degrees Could Change the World

(4/15/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Bonnie and Clyde
Canine Conspiracy, The /The Cat Connection
Classical Baby:I'm Grown Up Now:The Poetry Show
Human Footprint
Tenant of Wildfell Hall, The

(4/22/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Coleccion Pedro Infante: No desearas la mujer de tu hijo
Gettin' Grown
My Boy Jack (2007)
Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!: Season 1

(4/29/08)
From Disney:
THE CLASSIC CABALLEROS COLLECTION: Saludos Amigos and Three Caballeros
From Warner Home Video:
Bernard and Doris
The Golden Compass (DVD)
The Golden Compass 2-Disc Special Edition
The Weekend
Waltons, The: The Complete Seventh Season

(5/6/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Allo 'Allo: Complete Series 8
Bridges of Madison County, The: Deluxe Edition
Macon County Line
Seven Wonders of the Industrial World (2003) DVD
Twister Special Edition
Twister: Special Edition

(5/13/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Essential Classic American Musicals
Essential Classic Dramas
Essential Classic Family Films
Essential Classic Musicals
Essential Classic Romances
Essential Directors: Clint Eastwood
Essential Directors: Martin Scorsese
Legends, Icons & Superstars of the 20th Century
Lovejoy: The Complete Season Three DVD
Two and a Half Men: The Complete Third Season

(5/20/08)
From Warner Home Video:
New Maverick(Pilot 1)
Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Hour: Volume One
Robot Chicken Star Wars

(5/27/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Reza: Shooting Back

(6/10/08)
Anton Chekhov Collection, The

(6/17/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Rails & Ties

(8/12/08)
From Warner Home Video:
Glittering Prizes, The (1976) DVD

(10/28/08)
From Disney:
Tinker Bell: The Movie

(1/1/09)
From Warner Home Video:
Brando: Documentary, The

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Bulletin: Actor who was to play the Joker in "The Dark Knight" found dead

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:40:00 +0000

Heath Ledger, 28, was found dead around 3:30 p.m. ET of an overdose of pills, reports the Associated Press. He was to play the Joker in "The Dark Knight." He looked so good in the trailer. This is sad to hear.

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The new "Star Trek" movie trailer

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:28:00 +0000

If you haven't seen it, here it is.

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When bad is good

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:44:00 +0000

Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers (Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman 1958 / Giant Behemoth / Queen of Outer Space), Cult Camp Classics 2 - Women in Peril (The Big Cube / Caged / Trog), Cult Camp Classics 3 - Terrorized Travelers (Hot Rods to Hell / Skyjacked / Zero Hour!), Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal) (Warner Home Video): Warner Home Video has become the master of the boxed set. They've boxed up their gangster films, film noir, tough guy and legends, among others. Of course, they have a huge and rich catalog to choose from.
Those folks in the marketing department all too often aim these packages toward the serious film fan. It's refreshing to see something different.
That's the case with the four tongue-in-cheek Warner Bros. Cult Camp Classics sets released late last year. Releasing these sets with a serious face is kind of silly when you have titles like "Attack of the 50 Foot Women", "Land of the Pharoahs" and "Hot Rods to Hell."
Of course, they were supposed to be taken very seriously when first released. "Hot Rods to Hell was a diatribe against juvenile delinquents. "Queen of Outer Space" was a sci-fi film to parallel "Forbidden Planet".
Between the four sets, you have 12 high-camp films that are just great leisure viewing. Our favorite is Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers with the legendary "Attack of the 50-Foot Women" and the rarely seen (until now) "Queen of Outer Space".

But all of these have reasons to grab them. Cult Camp Classics 2 - Women in Peril has the wonderfully over-the-top prison film "Caged" and Joan Crawford's ignoble final film, "Trog." Cult Camp Classics 3 - Terrorized Travelers has the overwrought "Hot Rods to Hell" and the drama "Zero Hour", about a passenger asked to take over the controls of an airplane after the crew comes down with food poisoning. Sound familiar? It should. It was spoofed in the Zucker brothers comedy "Airplane!"
Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics is stocked with two lavish epics, "Land of the Pharoahs" and "The Colossus of Rhodes".
Most have special features in the forms of commentary or trailers, though we wish all of them did. And the quality of the transfers are excellent.
All of the films are available separately, though it's much cheaper to get them in the sets. We suggest you grab them all.

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Watching Mr. Wizard

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:45:00 +0000

With all of today's matter-of-fact technological advances, it's humbling to remember back when science was a world of ooooo's and aaaaaah's.
The vintage TV "Watch Mr. Wizard," which began on NBC in 1951 and ran 15 years, was a lightning rod for curious kids in the '50s and early '60s. It showed young viewers (and older ones, too) how science was all around them in every day life.
Two new DVDs from Digiview "Watch Mr. Wizard - Everyday Illusions and More" and "Watch Mr. Wizard - Electricity and More" feature three rare episodes each from the vintage series.
Mr. Wizard himself, Don Herbert, was the kind of genial kind of guy everyone wished was his teacher. He had the magical knack of taking the mystery of science.
The first segment on "Watch Mr. Wizard - Electricity and More" has Herbert guiding young Alex to figure out six different methods of ways of producing electricity in a Rube Goldberg type of labyrinth. Among the objects: a slide projector, a balloon, a speaker, a motor, a hinge, a bicycle wheel, a moustrap, a medicine dropper and a measuring cup.
The answers aren't as easy as you might guess.
Herbert shows how electricity can be produced from ordinary objects. Some of the methods he uses are quite ingenious.
In "Everyday Illusions," he shows a wheel that looks like it's turning in different directions, but it really isn't. He takes a paper plate and cuts off around the middle, leaving the edge. Cut two sections out of the edge the same size, then lay them down side by side. The one on top looks smaller than the one on the bottom. Things like this make these shows fascinating. Adults will surely find themselves drawn to them, too.
For a show of this vintage, the quality is exceptionally good. All the shows, three on each DVD, are in black and white.
For anyone who grew up with "Bill Nye the Science Guy," these shows will be a revelation. For those of us who watched Mr. Wizard regularly, it will bring back some great memories.
"Watch Mr. Wizard - Everyday Illusions and More" features "Everyday Illusions," "Musical Instruments" and Puzzles in Geometry." "Watch Mr. Wizard - Electricity and More" features "Six Kinds of Electricity," "How Animals Move" and "Sticks and Stones."

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Toshiba stands firm .. for now

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:44:00 +0000

It's hard to see Toshiba remaining steadfast in its support of the HD TV DVD format in the wake of Warner Bros. announcement abandoning it.
The Associated Press reported Toshiba officials were caught by surprise, but were gathering their forces for now.
But a quote from the statement issued by Toshiba is telling.
"We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps."
Next steps as in dropping HD TV? It would be a serious failure for Toshiba.
But don't be surprised if they don't go without a fight.

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Warner Bros. picks Blu-Ray

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:04:00 +0000

Warner Bros. announced Friday that it is abandoning HDTV DVDs and will make Blu-Ray its HD format of choice.
In a written statement issued by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO of Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, the two said the company will continue to release in HD TV until May.
Here's their complete statement:

“Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want,” said Meyer. “The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”

Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

“Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices,” said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. “Today’s decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner.”

“A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry,” said Tsujihara. “Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future.”

What does this all mean? It means the battle for the HD format isn't over, but the tide is toward Blu-ray with only two companies -- Paramount and Universal -- releasing in HD TV.

Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Disney release their high-definition videos exclusively for Blu-ray, which is owned by Sony. Paramount and Universal Pictures release for HD DVD -- which is backed by Toshiba and Microsoft. The WB is the biggest seller of DVDs, with 18 to 20 percent of the market, according to the AP.

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Do you believe in magic?

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:08:00 +0000

CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK - THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON : Like most boys, I used to love magicians. I remember watching magician
Mark Wilson and "The Magic Land of Allakazam" on Saturday mornings and being fascinated.
Magic came into play on TV on a more serious note in "The Magician" with Bill Bixby in the '70s.
And in recent years, celebrity magicians such as David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Siegfried and Roy, David Blaine and Lance Burton have astounded audiences on TV.
In 2005, A&E quietly premiered "Criss Angel - Mindfreak," a weekly show spotlighting Angel's illusions and shock magic. The show slowly built up an audience and is a huge success on the network these days.
"Criss Angel Mindfreak - The Complete Season Three" will be released Jan. 15. Where seasons one and two seemed to go for more traditional magic, Angel gets into some really scary stuff here.
One illusion requires him to escape from a truck full of dynamite as it's heading over a cliff. Another has a steamroller pin him on a concrete slab. (Don't try this at home, kids.) It's not for the faint-hearted. There's also more traditional magic, too.
Even with his tendency toward the weird, we enjoy Angel's work. He also published a book recently called, not surprisingly, "Mindfreak," that includes a few of his secrets.
But the fun of watching Angel and others like him is watching the illusion of the illusions.
Do you still believe in magic? You will after seeing this DVD.

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Soon on the shelves -- upcoming DVD releases (Revised 1/3/08)

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:00:00 +0000

From Warner Home Video:
1/1/08 Shoot 'Em Up
1/8/08 All-New Superfriends Hour: Season 1 Vol. 1 (Warner Home Video) 1 1/8/08 Aviator, The
1/8/08 Broadway Melody of 1929
1/8/08 Cimarron (1931)
1/8/08 Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane
1/8/08 I am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and Peta
1/8/08 The Life of Emile Zola
1/8/08 Lovejoy: The Complete Season Two
1/8/08 Mrs. Miniver
1/8/08 NFL Greatest Super Bowl Moments: XLI Update
1/8/08 Personal Best
1/8/08 Two and a Half Men: The Complete Second Season
1/8/08 The Waltons: The Complete Sixth Season
1/8/08 What's New Scooby-Doo: Complete Third Season
1/15/08 Alex Haley's Queen
1/15/08 All Creatures Great & Small Complete Collection
1/15/08 Allo 'Allo!: The Complete Series 7
1/15/08 Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition
1/15/08 The Marva Collins Story
1/15/08 The New Adventures of Old Christine: The Complete First Season 1/15/08 The Royle Family: The Complete Second Season
1/22/08 ER: The Complete Eighth Season
1/22/08 Hustle: The Complete Season 4
1/22/08 NHL: Just Like Me - Profile of NHL legends and the new crop of NHL stars 1/22/08 Torchwood: The Complete First Season
1/22/08 Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume Five
1/29/08 Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Sixth Season
1/29/08 Martin Scorsese Presents: Val Lewton
1/29/08 NFL The Leaders: Breaking Racial Barriers in the NFL
1/29/08 The Val Lewton Collection, The (w/ Martin Scorceses Documentary)
From Sony:
1/15/08 Earth Vs. Flying Saucers
1/15/08 It Came From Beneath the Sea
From A&E:
1/15/08: Criss Angel Mindfreak: Complete Season 3
From Paramount:
1/1/08: The Tudors: The Complete First Season
1/8/08: Gunsmoke: The Second Season, Volume One
1/8/08: Rob & Big: The Complete Seasons 1&2 - Uncensored
1/8/08: The Naked Brothers Band Season One 2 Disc Box Set
1/8/08: Zodiac Director's Cut (2-Discs) DVD
1/15/08: Clue
1/15/08: Dora The Explorer: Undercover Dora
1/15/08: Dragonlance
1/15/08: Oswald's Ghost
1/15/08: Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: The Third Season
1/22/08: Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 3: Fire Volume 2
1/22/08: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season
1/22/08: The Odd Couple: The Third Season
1/29/08: JAG: The Fifth Season
1/29/08: Pioneers of Television
1/29/08: SpongeBob SquarePants To Love a Patty
Also
1/22/08 Make Room For Daddy Season 6
From Disney:
1/22/08 The Game Plan
1/29/08 Hannah Montana: One In A Million
1/29/08 Twitches Too: Double Charmed Edition
From Shout Factory:
1/22/08 Swamp Thing: The Series Video
1/22/2008 Medabots: The Complete First Season
From Rhino:
1/29/08 Barry Manilow – Songs From The Seventies (DVD)
From Universal:
1/1/08 Seaquest DSV Season 2
Also:
1/1/08: Weird Science: The Complete Seasons 1 and 2
From Warner Home Video:
2/5/08 Americanizing Shelley
2/5/08 Black Woman's Guide to Getting Married
2/5/08 George Lopez: America's Mexican
2/5/08 Legion of Superheroes: Volume 2
2/5/08 Perfect Strangers: The Complete First & Second Seasons
2/5/08 Third Watch: The Complete First Season
2/5/08 You've Got Mail: Deluxe Edition
2/12/08 Batman: Mask of Phantasm Batman and Mr. Freeze: Sub Zero 2/12/08 Battle of the Bulge Featuring Bone Crusher
2/12/08 Beatrix Potter Collection
2/12/08 Blade: The Series
2/12/08 Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season
2/12/08 Joan Crawford Collection Vol. 2
2/12/08 NBA Street Series - Volume 5
2/12/08 Tell Me You Love Me: The Complete First Season
2/12/08 Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle & Mr. Jeremy Fisher & Other Stories (Beatrix Potter)
2/12/08 Tale of Pigling Bland and Other Stories (Beatrix Potter)
2/12/08 WB Home Entertainment Presents: Academy Award® Animation Collection 15 Winners, 26 Nominees
2/12/08 Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Presents: Academy Awards® Animation Collection, 15 Winners
2/12/08 World of Peter Rabbit & Friends, The (Beatrix Potter)
2/19/08 Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town: Deluxe Edition
2/19/08 Father Ted: The Definitive Collection (DVD)
2/19/08 Helen Mirren at the BBC
2/19/08 In the Valley of Elah
2/19/08 Les Miserables (1995) (BBC)
2/19/08 Michael Clayton
2/19/08 My Dog Skip/ Shiloh 3: Saving Shiloh (DBFE)
2/19/08 Peanuts: It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition 2/19/08 Riverdance: Live from Radio City Music Hall: Collector's Edition 2/19/08 Swordfish/Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (DBFE)
2/26/08 Justice League: The New Frontier
2/26/08 Justice League: The New Frontier Special Edition
2/26/08 The Smurfs: Season 1, Volume 1
From A&E:
2/26/08: Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series Collector's Set
From Sony
2/5/08: Across the Universe
From Shout Factory:
2/5/08 Maggie And The Ferocious Beast Recipes For Trouble
2/5/08 Maggie And The Ferocious Beast Rain Showers & Spring Flowers
2/5/2008 Comic Relief: The Greatest…And The Latest
2/5/2008 Kurt Cobain: About A Son
2/19/2008 Punky Brewster: Season Four
From Paramount Home Video:
2/5/08 Beauty and the Beast: The Third Season
2/5/08 Best of Comedy Central Presents
2/5/08 Black Rain / Fatal Attraction Double Feature
2/5/08 Blackout
2/5/08 Blue Hawaii / Paradise, Hawaiian Style Double Feature
2/5/08 King Creole / G.I. Blues Double Feature
2/5/08 Soul Food - The Series: The Third Season
2/5/08 The Hours / Heartburn Double Feature
2/5/08 The Hunt for Red October / K-19: The Widowmaker Double Feature
2/5/08 The Jewish Americans Standard DVD
2/5/08 The Talented Mr. Ripley / School Ties Double Feature
2/12/08 Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav: Uncensored!
2/12/08 Family Ties: The Third Season
2/12/08 Girlfriends: The Third Season
2/12/08 Into the Wild Special Edition DVD
2/12/08 Into the Wild Special Edition HD
2/12/08 Into the Wild Standard DVD
2/12/08 Things We Lost in the Fire Standard DVD
2/12/08 Things We Lost in the Fire Standard HD
2/12/08 Wonder Pets: Save The Dinosaur Standard DVD
2/19/08 Blue's Clues: Blue's Room: Shape Detectives/Beyond Your Wildest Dreams 2-Pack
2/19/08 Blue's Clues: Blue's Room: Shape Detectives/Beyond Your Wildest Dreams 2-Pack
2/19/08 Charlotte's Web (1973)/Charlotte's Web 2 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Charlotte's Web (1973)/Charlotte's Web 2 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Dora the Explorer: Super Silly Fiesta!/Nick Jr. Favorites 4 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Dora the Explorer: Super Silly Fiesta!/Nick Jr. Favorites 4 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Dora the Explorer:Big Sister Dora/City of Lost Toys 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Dora the Explorer:Big Sister Dora/City of Lost Toys 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Drake & Josh: Go Hollywood/Suddenly Brothers - Volume 1 2 Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Drake & Josh: Go Hollywood/Suddenly Brothers - Volume 1 2 Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Flushed Away Spring 2 Pack w/Tattoos DVD
2/19/08 Flushed Away Spring 2 Pack w/Tattoos DVD
2/19/08 Jakers!: Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm Standard DVD
2/19/08 Max & Ruby: Springtime for Max & Ruby/Afternoons with Max & Ruby 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Max & Ruby: Springtime for Max & Ruby/Afternoons with Max & Ruby 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Nick Jr. Celebrates Spring/Blue's Clues:Blue's Room: It's Hug Day 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Nick Jr. Celebrates Spring/Blue's Clues:Blue's Room: It's Hug Day 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Rugrats: Tales From the Crib: Snow White/Three Jacks & a Beanstalk 2-Pack Standard
2/19/08 Rugrats: Tales From the Crib: Snow White/Three Jacks & a Beanstalk 2-Pack Standard DVD
2/19/08 Shark Tale / Antz 2-Pack Spring 2-Pack with Tattoos DVD
2/19/08 Shrek 2 Spring 2 Pack w/Tattoos DVD
2/19/08 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron / The Road to El Dorado 2-Pack Spring 2-Pack w/Tattoos DVD
2/19/08 SpongeBob Squarepants: Home Sweet Pineapple/SpongeBob Goes Prehistoric 2-Pack
2/19/08 The Prince of Egypt / Joseph: King of Dreams 2-Pack Spring 2-Pack w/Tattoos DVD
2/19/08 Walker, Texas Ranger: The Fourth Season Standard DVD
2/26/08 Backyardigans: Tale Of The Mighty Knights Standard DVD
2/26/08 Caillou's Family Favorites Standard DVD
2/26/08 Max & Ruby: Berry Bunny Adventures Standard DVD
2/26/08 The Fugitive: The First Season, Volume Two Standard DVD
From Disney:
2/5/08 Aristocats: Special Edition
2/5/08 Snow Buddies
2/12/08 Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive: Star Of Isis (Vol. 4)
2/12/08 Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive: Pink Emerald (Volume 5)
2/19/08 Little Einsteins(TM): Race For Space
2/19/08 Handy Manny: Fixing It Right
From Warner Home Video:
3/4/08 Ben 10 Season 3
3/4/08 Doctor Who: Ep. 81 - Planet of Evil
3/4/08 Doctor Who: Ep.104 - Destiny of the Daleks
3/4/08 Forbidden Hollywood Collection Vol. II (TCM Archives)
/4/08 Horton Hears A Who: Deluxe Edition
3/4/08 The Other Boleyn Girl
3/4/08 The UCLA Dynasty
3/11/08 Dinosaurs Unearthed (NG)
3/11/08 Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1976
3/11/08 Michael Palin: New Europe (DVD)
3/11/08 Nancy Drew (2007)
3/11/08 One Foot in the Grave: Season 3
3/11/08 Stompin'
3/11/08 Tom and Jerry: Tales Vol. 4
3/11/08 Wiggles: Pop Go the Wiggles
3/11/08 Extreme Alaska: Denali National Park (NG)
3/18/08 The Pebbles And Bamm-Bamm Show
3/25/08 Bonnie and Clyde
3/25/08 Bonnie and Clyde: Special Edition
3/25/08 Bonnie and Clyde: Ultimate Collector's Edition
3/25/08 Greatest NBA Rivalries Volume I
3/25/08 NBA Boston Celtics 1985-86
3/25/08 NHL All-Access (2008)
3/25/08 Warner Gangsters Collection Volume 1
3/25/08 Warner Gangsters Collection Volume 2
From Paramount:
3/4/08 Human Giant: The Complete First Season Standard DVD
3/4/08 The Love Boat: Season One Volume One Standard DVD
3/11/08 Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States - Season One Standard DVD
3/11/08 Love American Style Season 1, Volume 2 Standard DVD
3/11/08 South Park: The Imaginationland Trilogy Standard DVD
3/11/08 The Mod Squad: The First Season, Volume Two Standard DVD
3/18/08 BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 Standard DVD
3/18/08 Go Diego Go!: Moonlight Rescue Standard DVD
3/18/08 The Untouchables: Season Two, Volume One Standard DVD
3/18/08 The Wild Wild West: The Fourth Season Standard DVD
3/25/08 Baldwin Hills: The Complete First Season Standard DVD
3/25/08 Wings: The Sixth Season Standard DVD
From Disney:
3/4/08 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition
3/4/08 My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Friendly Tails
3/4/08 The Rookie Blu-ray™ Hi-Def
3/4/08 Disney Baby Einstein™ Babys First Sounds
3/11/08 Disney Baby Einstein™: Baby's First Sounds: Discoveries for Little Ears
3/18/08 Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites
From Warner Home Video:
4/1/08 Doctor Who: Ep. 70 - Time Warrior, The
4/1/08 John From Cincinnati: The Complete First Season
4/1/08 Terry Jones: Medieval Lives
4/1/08 The Return of Swamp Thing
4/8/08 Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938
4/8/08 Kismet (1955)
4/8/08 Private Life of a Masterpiece: Collection
4/8/08 Private Life of a Masterpiece: Impressionism and the Post Impressionists 4/8/08 Private Life of a Masterpiece: Masterpieces of Sculpture
4/8/08 Private Life of a Masterpiece: Renaissance Masterpieces
4/8/08 Private Life of a Masterpiece: Seventeenth Century Masterpieces
4/22/08 My Boy Jack (2007)
From Paramount:
4/15/08 Melrose Place: The Fourth Season Standard DVD
4/15/08 Nick Jr. Favorites: Lullaby Time Standard DVD
4/15/08 SpongeBob SquarePants Pest of the West Standard DVD
From Warner Home Video
5/13/08 Legends, Icons & Superstars of the 20th Century
1/1/09 Brando: The Documentary

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Me and Dick Cavett

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:43:00 +0000

I was surprised to accidentally discover that Dick Cavett regularly blogs for the New York Times.
Now Dick Cavett and I go way back.
Not that we ever met or encountered each other, you understand. (Yeah, I know. You saw the title and thought, "Here's some neat little gossip." Well, sorry to disappoint you.)
I was a regular viewer of Cavett's late-night show on ABC. So I guess you could say we did meet, in a way. Late-night host Cavett was witty, charming and hip, all in one neat little box.
The great thing about "The Dick Cavett Show" was the guests. In a day when Johnny Carson was still the King of Late Night," Cavett had some incredibile guests.
On one show, he had John Lennon and Yoko Ono by themselves. On another, he hosted a bunch of rock musicians who'd just come from the Woodstock Music Festival. On another, he interviewed Bette Davis in an empty studio.
It was this repartee and knack for intimacy with his guests that made him beat Carson in substance where he couldn't beat him in ratings.
(Many of the great moments of "The Dick Cavett Show" have been released on a series of wondeful DVDs from Shout Factory. We recommend them highly.)
Cavett's writing today is much like his show was then. He's still low-key and very modest, though he loves to make remarks at his expense.
In his current column, he wanders into the subject of coming back to TV.

"A goodly number of you out there have written varied versions of “Why don’t you come back on TV?” I’m not sure. It does help if you’re asked."

It does, Dick. Hell, if we had the power and the resources, we'd ask. We hope there's someone smart enough who will.
So thanks for your great show.
And we highly recommend his column. We're glad the New York Times was smart enough to give him the blog.
Maybe some bright network guy will look away from the reality show blitz that is flooding TV these days and give Dick another shot.
He deserves it. As do we.

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If you're not done Christmas shopping

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:42:00 +0000

DVDs make a great and easy gift if you're still trying to decide on things. Here are a few recommendations from us:

The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 2 and The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 2 [HD DVD]: The final set of the series goes out with a whimper and not a bang. This one should have been loaded with special features, but isn't. The series, though, stands on its own merits. It wasn't always even quality, but it was heads above most other shows.

The McCartney Years: A comprehensive history of Paul McCartney videos. Completists complain it doesn't have everything and the live shows on the third disc are excerpted, but for most, this set works nicely.

Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 2: The most recent release of this fine series. Raymond Burr was steel jawed and tough as nails. A classic series.

Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers (Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman 1958 / Giant Behemoth / Queen of Outer Space): Warner Home Video released four of these sets in 2007. This was just the first. It contains "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" and "Queen of Outer Space". How can you go wrong?

Cult Classics 20 Movie Pack (4 DVD): And speaking of cult classics, this inexpensive little set has a collection of vintage exploitation films, including "Reefer Madness" and the infamous "Child Bride" (with the quick nude glimpse of its young star). They don't make 'em like this any more.
You can still get all of these by Christmas with one-day shipping.

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"Dark Knight," part 3

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:14:00 +0000

Seeing the trailers in our last two posts have gotten us really wound up for "The Dark Knight". "Batman Begins" was so much beyond our expectations. It looks like "The Dark Knight" could be just as good. Here are a few more goodies from YouTube.

A teaser trailer.

Some silent footage of a Joker bank robbery scene. Most of the action takes place at the end.

More filming in Chicago

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More Dark Knight stuff

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:43:00 +0000

Yesterday, we posted three official trailers from the "Batman Begins" sequel, coming in the summer. Here's a few more goodies.

A truck stunt, seen in one of the trailers, as it was filmed.

And a little more behind-the-scenes footage

And is that Heath Ledger as the Joker?

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You can't keep anything a secret anymore ...

noreply@blogger.com (ificandream) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:22:00 +0000

A teaser for "The Dark Knight"

Just happened to scout around on YouTube tonight for the trailer from the forthcoming "Batman" film called "The Dark Knight."
Good grief, Batman! There are a ton of videos there. Now, certainly, the majority are fake, but there are some vids with stills and at least a couple with footage that appears to be legit. The two posted here are, it appears, actual teasers.
Can't wait till next summer.

(For a little more info, MTV has a long article about the film here.)

Another "Dark Knight" teaser

This last one has the best look at the Joker. Cesar Romero he won't be.

Late addition: Here's the seven-minute prologue for the film. Not the greatest quality, but ....