New Films on DVD!

Great price at our A2K shop:

http://www.able2shop.com/buy-B00005JKZY.html

From USA Today:

The King cometh: The "barebones" Return of the King DVD is due Tuesday.
New Line Cinema

The question on the minds of many: Can any '04 release top Finding Nemo's 21.5 million DVDs sold?

Peter Jackson's final chapter of the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy, which brought in $376 million at the box office, will rule in sales this week, with little notable competition among new titles.

But Return of the King faces big-time competition for the year. The major players:

•The Passion of the Christ (Aug. 31, $30). The surprise blockbuster is a notch below Return of the King, at No. 7, on the all-time box office chart, and that could indicate a close race. If churches buy in bulk as they did at the movies, it could be huge. Passion "is the real wild card," says Scott Hettrick, editor in chief of DVD Exclusive magazine. "It is really hard to predict how it will do on DVD. It could be a runaway success and get to that 25-million-plus stratosphere."

•Star Wars Trilogy (Sept. 21, $70). The movies make their DVD debut in a four-disc set, along with lots of extras. The trilogy has been the most-requested DVD since the format launched and should sell millions. But its price tag is steep, and the movies won't be available individually. Yet Video Store Magazine's research director Judith McCourt says: "With Star Wars, anything is possible."

MOVIE EXTRAS

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($30, New Line) may not be as loaded with extras as the four-disc extended edition due later this year, but its bonus disc includes:


Two making-of documentaries.
Among tidbits is Peter Jackson, first as a young, thin, clean-shaven aspiring filmmaker and, later, riding a bike around the set.
A National Geographic special that compares Rings themes with history.
Two-minute segments (first posted on lordoftherings.net) that delve into characters and special effects.
Movie trailers, TV commercials and a Battle for Middle-earth video game preview.

•Shrek 2 (not announced but expected at the holidays). Even though Spider-Man 2 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also are expected at the holidays, industry experts predict Shrek will be the season's breakout. Live-action blockbusters typically can sell 18 million DVDs; animated titles have topped that because they appeal to a wider age range. "Given that track record, Shrek 2 has the best chance" to top Nemo, Hettrick says. Also in Shrek's corner: For the first year since DVD hit the mainstream, Disney doesn't have a monster animated film scheduled.

But, McCourt says, "there's always a summer surprise (at theaters), and I don't know what that is going to be this year."

Don't count out King for the DVD-selling crown At Borders, public relations manager Jenie Dahlmann says the release will benefit from being first and having little competition. "We have seen that any Rings DVD has been increasing in popularity. We don't see the enthusiasm dying; we see it growing," she says.

King "is rounding out someone's collection. We think it's going to be huge."

The movie's studio, New Line, hopes the entire franchise gets a boost. It's also releasing Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy ($90), a six-disc collection of the three theatrical versions. The studio expects sales of the first two to increase as well. The 11 Oscars won by King "add credibility to it as one 10-hour movie," New Line's Matt Lasorsa says. "We have tremendous expectations because this is the completion of the trilogy."

have already got mine queued up for 20 mins at the shop outside in the morning just to get my pre booked copy - cant wait to get home !!

Richard Roeper on Sunday's Ebert and Roeper picked this as the DVD of the week. Both Ebert and Roeper have lauded the final chapter as the best of the three.

I feel the trilogy being the unprecedented winner in fantasy films and the only film whose sequels just got better. The final chapter delineates the characters and Roeper agreed with my view (and others) than Sean Astin was overlooked at the Oscars.

Gautam -- the Extended Version is out in November which will be a four disc package (even more bells-and-whistles). I have bought both versions as I've shown the DVD to friends and observed the time limitation of showing the shorter or the longer version. One day, I'll have an all day marathon party for all three extended versions!

(What would be good Hobbit food to serve? Got to stick to grog for the drinks but maybe Navy Grog?).

Naw, a dark beer but which one?

The big news in DVD's is "Mystic River," an actor's tour-de-force and responsible for Sean Penn finally getting his Oscar. Available now in the Wide Screen, three disc set in our SHOP.

The film of Marcel Proust's "Swann in Love" is not as successful as the Raoul Ruiz of "Le Temps retrouvé" ("Time Regained") available at our SHOP.

The superbit mapping DVD of "Black Hawk Down" is the next in line of the high quality conventional DVD's. It comes very close to the picture quality of film in Hi Def, the next step in the technology. If anyone has seen a film on HBO or Showtime's Hi Def channels, you'll recognize that there is only a small difference in the picture quality.

The other big release is actually a TV series, Showtime's "Dead Like Me."

"Bad Santa" is badder if that's possible

But the real news is Anna Magnani's incredible performance in "Momma Roma."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056215/

The biggest news on DVD may be a non-theatrical release of the second season of "Six Feet Under," still the best of the lot. "The Name of the Rose" with Sean Connery is an atmospheric thriller and one of his better performances of the later movies. It's really reached a cult status and is worth renting if you've never seen it.

It's been on video but with its status of perhaps the film noir classic, "Double Indemnity" is a film I know I can see every few years and it never fails to impress.

The original Sinatra "The Manchurian Candidate" may be possibly the best political drama which is as much a thriller as an expose. My other favorites are "Bob Roberts," "The Best Man," "The Candidate," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Advise and Consent."

What's your favorite political films, drama, comedy, satire...

The Manchurian Candidate is one of my top flicks. I thought that it was magnificently done. I am very curious as to whether the remake would do itself justice.

I'm wondering just what plot points are changed in order to give it a new twist. Any other favorite political dramas or comedies in your book, Phoenix?

The day of the condor was a good one.
Were on vacation now and weve brought a whole bunch of DVDs and VHs (which I will get copied into DVDs at aplace near the CAn /US border).

Got aqll the Indiqana Joneses, Star wars, Last of Mohicans/Dancing Wolves/Get Shorty/ Valley of Gwangi/Quiet Man/Searchers/ Big Country/ Mystic River/ Reservoir Dogs/ Dasboot/Scarface/ Tank/ The entire PBS Civil War series/NAtional Geo specials,and a bunch more. Can feel Im being overcome with potatoness already

"Day of the Condor" was just on a cable hi-def channel. What an experience to see it in a great 70MM pristine print, wide screen with enhanced old analog stereo as digital surround. "The Big Country" is one on my list but I've kinda tapering off because hi-def DVD is just about a year off. I will be able to record it on VOOM's DVR but, of course, still can't burn a DVD. If you have the Ken Burn's "Civil War," you should consider his "Jazz" and "Lewis and Clark."

Some great vintage releases including "Pennies from Heaven," possibly my favorite Steve Martin film. But do we really need a VIP Ed. of "Showgirls?" I guess it's a cult favorite and I get why.

"Hellboy"will be for those who love this kind of movie. I think it is worth renting but could one watch it again and again?

Along with the new release of a two disc set of "Goodfellas," at least my favorite Scorcese film is a set of Scorcese greats:

Five disc set includes five Martin Scorcese films all with director commentary:

After Hours

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Goodfellas: Two-Disc Special Edition

Mean Streets: Special Edition

Who's That Knocking At My Door?

"Mean Streets" is his masterpiece for many critics even over "Raging Bull" which Paulene Kael gave only a lukewarm review. Another of my favorites is the black comedy nightmarish "After Hours." Cheech and Chong add to this surreal exploration of Soho NYC at night.


Five great movies for $41.94 is not a bad deal:

MARTIN SCORCESE COLLECTION

Hurry! Hurry! Reserve your copy of "The Passion of the Christ" to sit beside other horror classics like "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Now you can enjoy (!?) Gibson's Catholic polemic on a daily basis to assure your salvation.

I'll pass on 'Passion', but the Scorcese set is very intriguing...I finally got my wife to see 'After Hours', and I am waiting for 'Mean Streets' to come back to our TV. That is one of my favourite Scorcese movies.

You mean you ain't gonna go slashin' with the Passion? I know you likely buy really good meat, so you don't need a how-to film on how to tenderize meat.

I prefer this: http://homepage.mac.com/njenson/movies/cowboyband.html