Welcome to The Special Edition.
ROCKY BALBOA
When they announced they were making a sixth Rocky movie, people were laughing. Critics were quick to jump in and say that Stallone was too old, the story was dead in the water and the movie’s announcement was the worst news since they announced James Bond would be a blonde Daniel Craig. Didn’t I write something like this last week? Well, the punchline to the story is that once again – the critics were wrong. Rocky Balboa is the best story in the Rocky series since the first movie, which won Sylvester Stallone an Oscar. I will say, and not be ashamed by the fact that I liked most of the Rocky movies. I liked the one with Mr. T. I liked the one with Dolph Lundgren. I really did not like the fifth one, just because it lacked the boxing action of the others. However, Rocky Balboa is a fitting end to the saga of the boxer who fought against the odds to become the Eye of the Tiger. The story is about Rocky, the man, just proving to himself that he is still significant, that he still matters and that he is not just a footnote in history. The movie is great and Stallone directs it well. Good stuff and it helps to maybe bodes well for the Rambo movie in the works.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Commentary by: Sylvester StalloneUnknown Format
Deleted Scenes including an alternate ending
Boxing Bloopers
Skill vs. Will: The Making of Rocky Balboa
Reality in the Ring: Filming Rocky’s Final Fight
Virtual Champion: Creating the Computer Fight
BLOOD DIAMOND
I really felt Leo DiCaprio deserved an Oscar nomination this year. However, I felt he deserved it for his role in The Departed. Blood Diamond, however, is the movie that he received it for. Yet another chance for Mr. DiCaprio to sport a rather bad accent, Blood Diamond tells the story of two Africans (DiCaprio and fellow Oscar nominee Djimon Honsou) who pair up to recover a rare pink diamond. The movie takes place around the hostile war zones in 1990 era Sierra Leone. The movie was also nominated for three other Oscars for technical achievements, but in his review (read it here), Devin said there’s so much going on here, so many different kinds of stories all smashed into two plus hours of running time, that the best stuff is often fleeting. The movie sounds like a disappointment but it is being released in both a regular edition and a 2-Disc Special Edition, the special edition including a documentary and a few featurettes that may prove interesting.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Commentary by director Edward Zwick
2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION
Commentary by director Edward Zwick
"Blood on the Stone" documentary: Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store
Featurettes: Becoming Archer (a profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war), Journalism on the Front Line (Jennifer Connelly on women journalists at war), Inside the Siege of Freetown (see how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene)
Music video: "Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas
Theatrical trailer
ERAGON
With no Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings released this past holiday season, there was an opening for something new to capture the minds and hearts of the young. What we got what Eragon, which was given bad reviews but people I know seemed to enjoy it. I understand that it is geared for the lower percentile and that it is not meant to be thought of on a higher level than that of the teenager who wrote the books, but shouldn’t movies be a little deeper for those who want something to think about and digest when they pay their money to watch that movie? Here is the plot: In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon’s egg — a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he’s the one person who can defend his home against an evil king. Well, we get the fantasy movie that pretty much follows the same storyline of every other fantasy movie. This movie also comes out in both a regular and loaded 2-Disc Special Edition.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Director’s Commentary with Stefen Fangmeier
2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION
Director’s Commentary with Stefen Fangmeier
Inside the Inheritance Trilogy: The Magic of Eragon featurette
Random House Digital Novel featuring the first two chapters of Eldest
The Inhabitants of Alagaesia character profiles
Seven extended / deleted scenes (with optional commentary)
Eldest – Christopher Paolini Interview
The Secrets of Alagaesia – visual effects showcase for 19 separate film sequences with commentary by visual effects supervisors
The Vision of Eragon: Conceptual artwork
Saphira’s Animation Guide (with commentary)
Storyboards
Becoming the Dragon Rider – Creating the Video Game
Trailers
THE NATIVITY STORY
Mel Gibson is to blame. Many Christians do not support the motion picture industry. Many religions actually preach against supporting the industry. Mel Gibson helped change that slightly when he released The Passion of the Christ and brought in over 600 million of religious income. Actually, you could blame Kirk Cameron because the Left Behind straight to video series which showed that Christians would be willing to pay their money to watch movies based on their beliefs well before Gibson became rich thanks to them. Well, there turned out to be one exception. When a movie is made based on the birth of Christ, and the girl who played the Virgin Mary became a unmarried teenage mother during the promotion of the movie, I believe it caused the Christian masses to keep away. The movie still made more than it’s budget, and the DVD may be far enough removed to sell despite the controversy that caused the Pope to claim that she embarrassed the Catholic Church. By the way, the DVD is bare.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Trailer
RE-ANIMATOR
While we are still waiting for the release of From Beyond, we get at least the third special edition release of Re-Animator. I’m not complaining, if I get more Re-Animator goodness. The 1985 movie stars Jeffrey Combs in this campy H.P. Lovecraft styled movie directed by Stuart Gordon. Very similar to the form of Evil Dead, Sleepaway Camp and Dead Alive, the new version of this DVD (The Anchor Bay Collection) will include two different commentary tracks, a number of interviews and deleted scenes that also appeared on the Millennium Edition. However, what is new here is a 70-minute documentary “Re-Animator Resurrectus.” That alone makes this disc worth the price, although it is reaching Evil Dead territory when it comes to taking our money every few years.
SPECIAL FEATURES
All-New 70-minute documentary: "Re-Animator Resurrectus"
Commentary by Director Stuart Gordon
Commentary by Producer Brian Yuzna and Actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Robert Sampson
Interview with Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian Yuzna
Interview with Writer Dennis Paoli
Interview with Composer Richard Band
Music Discussion with Composer Richard Band
Interview with Fangoria Magazine editor Tony Timpone
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Theatrical trailer
TV Spots
Galleries of Production Stills, Behind-the-Scene Stills, Poster and Advertising
Storyboard Gallery
Stuart Gordon Bio
Screenplay (DVD-ROM)
"Herbert West, Reanimator" by H.P. Lovecraft (DVD-ROM)
MORE TITLES TO SPEND YOUR CASH ON:
There is really no big upcoming DVD news since last week’s column except a Mrs. Doubtfire special edition, which I won’t waste my time on.
THE BARGAIN BIN
TARGET
Everyone’s Hero – $15.99
The Nativity Story – $17.99
Rocky Balboa – $17.99
Borat – $17.99
The Holiday – $17.99
Casino Royale – $17.99
The Departed – $17.99
Stranger Than Fiction – $17.99
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $17.99
Talladega Nights: Ballad Of Ricky Bobby – $14.99
Babel – $14.99
Flags Of Our Fathers – $14.99
R. Kelly: Live! Light It Up Tour – $9.98
The Care Bears Movie: 25th Anniversary Edition – $12.99
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Clubhouse Hunt – $17.99
Go Diego Go: Underwater Mystery – $12.99
Eragon – $15.99
Eragon: Deluxe Edition – $22.99
Blood Diamond – $15.99
Blood Diamond: Deluxe Edition – $22.99
Batman Beyond: Season 3 – $19.99
Justice League Unlimited: Season 2 – $19.99
Miami Vice: Season 3 / 4 – $34.99 each
South Park: Season 8 – $19.99
Charmed: Season 7 – $27.99
Golden Girls: Season 7 – $29.99
Seinfeld: Season 7 – $27.99
Prison Break: Season 1 – $29.99
House: Season 2 – $39.99
My Name Is Earl: Season 1 – $19.99
LOST: Season 2 – $39.99
Saturday Night Live: Season 1 – $44.99
JAG: Season 3 – $39.99 – Free $5 Target gift card with purchase
Run’s House: Seasons 1 + 2 – $27.99 – Free $5 Target gift card with purchase
Wild Wild West: Season 2 – $37.99 – Free $5 Target gift card with purchase
$7.50 DVDs: Mean Girls, Family Guy: Freakin’ Sweet Collection, Dukes Of Hazzard: Unrated, Just Friends, War Of The Worlds (Tom Cruise)
$10.00 DVDs: Walk The Line, Click: Special Edition, Nacho Libre, Material Girls, Dazed & Confused / Fast Times At Ridgemont High Double Feature
CIRCUIT CITY
Chronicals of Narnia – $14.99
Eragon – $14.99
Eragon 2-Disc Special Edition – $22.99
Blood Diamond – $14.99
Syriana – $2.99 with purchase of Blood Diamond
Rocky Balboa – $19.99
Everyone’s Hero – $17.99
The Nativity Story – $19.99
Underwater Mystery – $9.99
Mickey’s Great Clubhouse Hunt – $17.99
Casino Royale – $19.99
Borat – $19.99
Rocky Balboa – $17.99
$9.99 DVDs: When a Stranger Calls, The Benchwarmers, Four Brothers, Silent Hill, Mask of Zorro, Shadow Man, Edison Force, The Usual Suspects, United 93, My Best Friends Wedding, Hustle & Flow, The Warrior, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Ghostbusters I & II, American Dreamz, Office Space SE, Shark Tale, Robots, Ice Age, Madagascar, RV, Underworld Evolution, Mr & Mrs Smith, Dirty, XXX, Memoirs of a Geisha, Grease SE, Richard Pryor Stand Up Double Feature, Shrek 2, Bring it On All or Nothing
2 DVDs for $12: Seed of Chucky, The Italian Job, Cry Wolf, Apollo 13, The Untouchables, Face/Off, Minority Report, Hunt for Red October, Assault on Precinct 13, Collateral, We Were Soldiers, Alien, Fried Green Tomatoes, Two for the Money, The Ref, Hotel Rwanda, Saturday Night Fever, Dazed and Confused, Shaun of the Dead, Coming to America, School of Rock, Eurotrip, Smokey and the Bandit, Edward Scissorhands, Charlotte’s Web, Antwone Fisher, Redemption, Love Jones, Entrapment, Cinderella Man, This is Spinal Tap, Like Mike
BEST BUY
Blood Diamond – $15.99
Blood Diamond: 2 DVD Special Edition – $22.99
The Re-Animator – $16.99
Rocky Balboa – $16.99
Rocky Balboa Blu-Ray – $29.99
Rocky: 2 DVD Collector’s Edition – $16.99
The Nativity Story – $17.99
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Clubhouse Hunt – $17.99
Go Diego Go: Underwater Mystery – $9.99
Everyone’s Hero – $19.99
Burning Annie – $$14.99
Comedy Central’s Roast Of William Shatner – $14.99
R. Kelly: Live! The Light It Up Tour – $11.99 – Best Buy Exclusive: Includes Bonus 30 Minute Behind The Scenes DVD
Eragon – $16.99
Eragon: 2 DVD Special Edition – $22.99 – Receive a Free Deck of Eragon UNO Cards with purchase
Eragon Blu-Ray – $29.99 – Receive a Free Deck of Eragon UNO Cards with purchase
Scrubs: Season 4 – $19.99
Weeds: Season 1 – $19.99
La Femme Nikita: The Complete 5th Season – $19.99
Everybody Loves Raymond: Season 3 – $19.99
Friends: Season 1 / 10 – $19.99 each
Sleeper Cell: Season 2 – $19.99
JAG: Season 3 – $39.99
Batman Beyond: Season 3 – $19.99
Justice League Unlimited: Season 2 – $19.99
News Radio: Season 5 – $29.99
Previous Justice League Seasons on sale for $24.99 each
Previous News Radio Seasons on sale for $17.99 each
Miami Vice: Season 3 / 4 – $36.99 each – Buy ANY Two Seasons of Miami Vice on the same receipt and get both sets for $50
Miami Vice: Season 1 / 2 – $39.99 each – Buy ANY Two Seasons of Miami Vice on the same receipt and get both sets for $50
$7.99 DVDs: Clerks; Miramax Collector’s Series, Click: Special Edition, Revenge Of The Nerds: Panty Raid Edition, The 40 Year Old Virgin: Unrated, Kill Bill: Volume I, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, Robots, E.T., Lord Of War, X-Men 3: Last Man Standing, Failure To Launch, Layer Cake, The Transporter, Braveheart, The Doors 15th Anniversary Edition, The Riddick Trilogy, The Blues Brothers: 25th Anniversary Edition, Gladiator, The Happy Gilmore / Billy Madison Collection, Transporter 2, Sixteen Candles, Firewall, The Legend Of Zorro: Special Edition, The Usual Suspects, Inside Man, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, The Full Monty, Point Break
That’s about it for the week in DVD. Flip me an e-mail at Chud1@starvingdogs.biz with any questions or comments and I’ll see you next week.