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09.08.08 by Widge @ 5:34 am An ongoing attempt to make sense of the onslaught of new swag that people want you to buy. Should you? I'll try and help.
The Fletch Collection are both of the films starring Chevy Chase, one of which was actually quite damn funny and the other one which quite damn wasn't. In fact, what's startling about looking back at Fletch Lives is not just that it was a bad movie, but that it was so eminently forgettable. I know that I saw the movie. In fact, I'm fairly certain I caught it at the cinema. But it's like I blocked it from my memories like I did with my third grade year. The downside is that watching it again is like reliving the nightmare for the first time. When I saw this arrive, my question was--since we seem to be seeing a lot of repackaging jobs--I wonder, is this a repackaging job? Slice open the plastic and...why, yes. Yes it is. The Fletch disc says "The Jane Doe Edition" on it. Fletch Lives I haven't owned, but considering it's the same lack of features, I'm assuming it's the same disc as before on that one too. There's really only two featurettes on here and it's equally priced as I write this with the Jane Doe version. Honestly, I would tell you to go get that one instead, to spare you the second film. Click here to buy the Collection from Amazon. If you must. Categorized as: Headsup
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08.10.08 by Widge @ 8:02 pm An ongoing attempt to make sense of the onslaught of new swag that people want you to buy. Should you? I'll try and help.      Okay, so this is a big re-release of numerous Paramount titles, with "I Love the 80's" smacked across the top and they each have a four-song CD, making each a two-disc set. And...really, I'm not sure who these are aimed at. Let's run them down. The Ferris Bueller is retro in that it's basically the original bare bones release, the only plus being that it contains the commentary by John Hughes that was stricken from the Bueller Bueller edition. If you're really wanting a special edition, you're better off buying that special edition--but unfortunately you've got to snag them both to make one complete special edition with commentary. I say rent a version with the commentary and decide if it's worth multiple listens. Footloose is completely bare bones. Which is sort of weird, because you can go get the Special Collector's Edition (reviewed here) for less on Amazon than you can get this new 80s version. So. You figure it out. Pretty in Pink is another headscratcher. It's completely bare bones and also costs more than the previously released "Everything's Duckie Edition." You can get the latter for $9, the former for $11. Again, even the guy with the English degree can recognize what's what with that. Categorized as: Headsup
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08.01.08 by Widge @ 11:55 pm An ongoing attempt to make sense of the onslaught of new swag that people want you to buy. Should you? I'll try and help.
Okay, so the third Mummy film opens this weekend. Or third and a half if you count The Scorpion King. And I've already mocked the third film...a bit. Although...holy crap on a sidebar: there's a Scorpion King sequel going direct to DVD on 8/19? I Did Not Know That. Anyway, my contempt for the first two Mummy films is already documented. Although I'm impressed that they're pulling in Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh to try and get me to watch the third one. The other thing they're doing is re-issuing films from their Mummy stable, but to their credit they're at least coming at it with some additional features which aren't just a preview of the third film. On The Mummy, you've got stuff from both the Collector's and Ultimate editions of the film. So you wind up with deleted scenes, three commentary tracks, and two featurettes. New to this edition is the obligatory third film sneak peek, a digital copy of the movie, a behind the scenes featurette of which the second part is on The Mummy Returns and more. Click here to buy it from Amazon. For The Mummy Returns, you've only got the one commentary track, plus the digital copy, the sneak peek, the aforementioned Part 2, effects featurettes and more. Click here to buy it from Amazon. Categorized as: Headsup
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07.30.08 by Widge @ 5:58 am An ongoing attempt to make sense of the onslaught of new swag that people want you to buy. Should you? I'll try and help.
Clash of the Cavemen, just to make sure you know what we're dealing with here, is not Cro-Magnon Gladiators. Nor is it a terrible attempt to revitalize the Geico ads. Instead it's a DVD release from the History Channel and New Video which features what happens when Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals fight for whose descendants will eventually have Big Macs and blue jeans. Using the latest research available to them, not to mention fancy pants CGI, this disc lays out what scientists think happened. I mean, we know what happened happened--there's not going to be a lame M. Night Shyamalan twist or anything. You know what I'm saying. Clocking in at 94 minutes, I'm not sure when they're going to air it again, so if you want to check it out, a rental's probably your best bet. No bonus bits. Click here to buy it from Amazon. The Strauss Family is going to catch the eye of lovers of classical music...well, let's face it, first because of the name. But beyond that, this 1972 British TV miniseries also has a score by the London Symphony Orchestra. So we know that such fans are going to want to at least rent it. But adding to the interest is the fact that Derek Jacobi and Jane Seymour are both in the cast--and while I appreciate classical music as well as the next mostly sedentary webmaster, Jacobi gets my eyebrows up every single time. And Stuart Wilson (last seen by most of you as the town doctor in Hot Fuzz) is Johann, Jr. Nice. From what I can tell, this is the first time it's hit DVD, so worth a rental if what I've outlined here appeals to you. You're looking at close to seven hours of content across two discs. Click here to buy it from Amazon. Categorized as: Headsup
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07.28.08 by Widge @ 5:49 am An ongoing attempt to make sense of the onslaught of new swag that people want you to buy. Should you? I'll try and help.
You know the quote on the front of City of Vice touts it as Deadwood meets Inspector Morse but I'm thinking more along the lines of Law & Order except, you know, it's before there was either. Henry Fielding (yes, the author, played by Ian McDiarmid) and his brother (played by Iain Glen) are magistrates who are dealing with crime before there were police. In fact, the Fieldings created the modern police force. This is their story. (insert sound effect) The complete first season (five episodes) is here on two DVDs with a making-of featurette from Koch Vision. No word on a second season yet. If you're a police procedural nut (I'm in therapy for it) then this is definitely worth a rental, and you Star Wars nuts will want to check it out just to see McDiarmid in something where he's given good dialogue. Click here to buy it from Amazon. The second season of American Gangster is out from BET and Paramount, featuring Ving Rhames as your host and narrator. That would be cool enough right there. But for ten episodes you've got a look at African-American criminals--including Frank Lucas, who Denzel played in the movie--and their true stories. None of these stories are what we would characterize as pretty. Also included is an episode focusing on the Washington DC snipers, John Muhammad and Lee Malvo. This is a three-disc set and comes with extended interviews with three of the subjects. This series doesn't seem to be scheduled to air so if this is your sort of thing, you might want to check it out with a rental. Click here to buy it from Amazon. Categorized as: Headsup
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