For December 2nd releases

Although next Tuesday vintage and documentary releases are slim there is some great stuff coming out. After the 2nd look for more items in this column as studios will be bombarding buyers with their treasures right before Christmas.


Casablanca Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Purchase from Amazon)
(Purchase Blu-Ray from Amazon)

The must have in my collection release is the Casablanca Ultimate Collector's Edition. Even if you have the standard release (and you do have one of the greatest in your collection right?) this package has enough goodies that would make Ugarte weep with joy. Did I mention this set is also getting the Blu-Ray treatment.

Disc 1

• Behind the Story
• Introduction by Lauren Bacall
• Commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
• Commentary by film historian/author Rudy Behlmer
• 1988 TCM special: Bacall on Bogart [Laurel Bacall’s candid and moving reminiscences about her husband’s life and career]
• You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca [Bacall hosts this spellbinding backstage tour]
• As Time Goes By: The Children Remember [Stephen Bogart and Pia Lindstrom remember their parents, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman]
• Production history gallery
• Additional Footage
• Deleted scenes
• Outtakes
• Who Holds Tomorrow? Premiere episode from the 1955 Warner Bros. Presents series, starring Charles McGraw
• 1995 WB Cartoon: Carrotblanca

Audio

• Scoring Stage Sessions
• Knock on Wood Alternate Version, Wilson with Piano
• As Time Goes By Part One Alternate Take, Wilson with Piano
• As Time Goes By Part One Film Version, Wilson with Piano
• Rick Sees Ilsa Instrumental Medley
• As Time Goes By Part Two Alternate Take, Wilson with Piano
• As Time Goes By Part Two Film Version, Wilson with Piano
• At La Belle Aurore Instrumental Medley
• Dat’s What Noah Done Outtake, Wilson with Piano
• April 26,1943 Screen Guild Players Radio Broadcast
• Trailers
• Theatrical trailer
• 1992 re-release trailer

Disc 2

• 1993 documentary: Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul

Bonus material

• Lobby Cards: 8 Original limited edition lobby card prints.
• Senitype: Exclusive limited edition senitype® image from movie with 35mm film frame.
• Theatrical Poster: Original one sheet movie poster (27 x 40 ).
• Exclusive Collection: 6 Original Limited Edition B & W Photograph Stills
• Props - Victor Laszlo’s “Letter of Transit”
• Warner studio documents (an executive’s letter commanding a new PR image for Bogart from gangster to romantic lead; a note from producer Hal Wallis re-titling the film to Casablanca; and a memo from Wallis to Jack Warner strongly urging casting Bogart over George Raft)
• Mail-in offer for a reproduction of the original movie poster

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1951)
(Purchase from Amazon)
(Purchase Blu-Ray from Amazon)

20th Century Fox will be releasing the remake of the 1951 Science Fiction classic on December 12th. Should be interesting to see if director Scott Derrickson can bring something new to the story of an Alien who comes to earth with a dire warning for mankind.

Bonus Material

• Interactive Thermin:  Create Your Own Score (Blu-Ray only)
• Gort Command:  Interactive Game (Blu-Ray only)
• Commentary by Robert Wise and Nicolas Meyer
• Commentary by Film & Music Historians John Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg and Nick Redman
• Isolated Score Track
• The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin
• The Day The Earth Stood Still Main Title Live Performance By Peter Pringle
• The Making of The Day the Earth Stood Still
• Decoding “Klaatu, Barada, Nikto”: Science Fiction as Metaphor Featurette
• A Brief History of Flying Saucers Featurette
• The Astounding Harry Bates Featurette
• Edmund North: The Man Who Made the Earth Stand Still Featurette
• Race To Oblivion:  A Documentary Short Written And Produced By Edmund North
• Farewell To The Master:  A Reading By Jamieson K. Price Of The Original Harry Bates Short Story
• Interactive Pressbook
• Fox Movietonews from 1951
• Theatrical Trailer
• Advertising Gallery
• Behind-The Scenes Gallery
• Portrait Gallery
• Production Gallery
• Spaceship Construction Blueprints
• Shooting Script

Douglas Fairbanks: A Modern Musketeer
(Purchase from Amazon)

The debonair swashbuckler from the silent era finally gets a hefty box-set featuring 11 of his films.

This Five-Disc DVD collection includes the following films:

• His picture in the papers (1916)
• The Mystery of The Leaping Fish (1916)
• Flirting with fate (1916)
• The Matrimaniac (1916)
• Wild and Woolly (1917)
• Reaching for The Moon (1917)
• A Modern Musketeer (1917) - complete restoration
• When the Clouds roll by (1919)
• The Mollycoddle (1920)
• The Mark of Zorro (1920)
• The Nut (1921)

All of these films have been digitally mastered from 35mm or original-negative prints and feature new music scores created for these editions. In addition, bonus features are galleries of rare stills from Douglas Fairbanks' personal collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as an audio commentary on A Modern Musketeer and an extensive booklet essay by Tony Maietta and Jeffrey Vance.

Pick of the Week

Rape of Europa Collector's Edition
(Purchase from Amazon)

A fascinating documentary that goes to great length in showing the depth of Hitler and Goering's determination in stealing the great pieces of art all over Europe and from the Jews in Germany. "World War II was not just the most destructive conflict in humanity, it was also the greatest theft in history: lives, families, communities, property, culture and heritage were all stolen."

The Rape of Europa is based on the book by Lynn H. Nicholas.