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May News
May Highlights:
Last year's smash hit "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," directed by Chris Columbus and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grant, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman and Ian Hart, will come to video on May 28. The VHS version, with extra scenes tacked on at the end of the movie, will sell for $24.99. The feature loaded DVD, with a $26.99 price tag, is a two-disc set with never-before-seen footage; a 360 Degree Self-guided tour of Hogwarts; new interviews with director Columbus and producer David Heyman; a tutorial on how to play Quidditch; a meet the ghosts of Hogwarts feature; a feature that allows viewers to cast a spell over a scene in eight languages; other features allow you to mix potions, perform transfigurations, sneak past Fluffy, explore Diagon Alley, have a wand choose you, catch a snitch and much, much more; DVD-ROM features include Wizard trading cards, sorting by the Sorting Hat, downloadable screensaver and Remembrall, owl e-mails, link to the Harry Potter Web site, more. (Warner).
A classic rock movie gets the special DVD treatment on May 7. "The Last Waltz Special Edition," (1978) directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring The Band, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Ronnie Hawkins, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Muddy Waters, Stephen Stills, Bobby Charles, Carl Radle, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and Ron Wood, features a digital transfer with original stereo mix as well as a new digital mix in 5.1 Surround supervised by the Band's Robbie Robertson; commentary by Scorsese and Robertson; commentary by featured musicians and music journalists; "Revisiting The Last Waltz" featurette; previously unseen footage and memorabilia; photo gallery with 100 rare images chronicling the concert and the film's premiere; collectible booklet with introduction by Robertson. (MGM).
With Sony's "Spider-Man" grabbing an amazing $114 million at the box office last weekend, Columbia TriStar's release of "Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels" is timed perfectly to latch on to the Spidey mania. In the May 14 DVD release, the legendary comic book creator of Spider-Man shares the secrets of his incredible career and stories about how he created indelible characters. Stan Lee, who defined comic books as a popular art form for millions of readers, offers an exclusive glimpse into his career when he joins director Kevin Smith on a journey through Lee's history in this exclusive home-entertainment release. It's a one-of-a-kind oral history -- a lively conversation between two mutual admirers. The docu explores the history of comic books during what is now called the "Silver Age," a time when Stan Lee -- as a writer, editorial director and, later, publisher of Marvel Comics -- co-created an astonishing number of the most legendary characters in comics. Smith acts as a wise and witty surrogate for the legion of fans who have followed Lee's career since his beginnings as a 17-year-old writer at Timely Comics, the predecessor to Marvel. Lee divulges his storied past in two separate features on the DVD: "Creating Spider-Man" and "Here Come the Heroes." In "Creating Spider-Man," Lee gives a definitive set of answers to Smith's questions about Spider-Man, who may be Lee's most famous creation. With complete candor, Lee discusses the creator-credit controversy between him and artist Steve Ditko; Peter Parker's role as a new kind of hero -- a kid with real problems to whom readers could relate; Spidey's arch-villains and true loves; and the Spider-Man movie. In the program's second feature, "Here Come the Heroes," Lee traces his own personal history and the beginnings of his 60-plus years in the business. (Columbia TriStar)
The foreign-and-independent film lovers over at Facets Video have released another film by the iconoclastic French master, Jean-Luc Godard. "Keep Your Right Up!" (1987) is an episodic comedy that simultaneously revolves around "The Idiot" (played by Godard) -- who has been guaranteed financing for a film if he can deliver it in 24 hours -- and a pop group working on a new album. All sorts of hilarious problems get in the way of the filmmaker and the musicians. Called an homage to Jerry Lewis with plenty of sight gags. Also stars Jane Birkin, Fred Chichin, Michel Galabru and Pauline Lafont. Available May 14 on VHS and DVD. Facets can be reached at www.facets.org or 800-331-6197.
More May Video News For Kids:
This month's pre-school highlights include: "Dora's Backpack Adventure" (Paramount); "Jim Henson's Bear in the Big Blue House: Tidy Time With Bear" and "Jim Henson's Bear in the Big Blue House: Everybody's Special," in both DVD and VHS (Columbia TriStar); "Teletubbies Silly Songs and Funny Dances" on DVD (Warner); and "Little Bear: Campfire Tales" on VHS (Paramount).A new -- and wonderful -- animated series arrives simultaneously to TV (on PBS) and video this month: Angelina Ballerina, a diminutive mouse who dreams of ballet stardom while managing to propel herself into humorous and challenging escapades that teach valuable life lessons. The series is based on the Angelina Ballerina children's books that have sold millions of copies in the U.S., and features the voices of Finty Williams and Judi Dench. The first two videos -- due May 21 -- are "Rose Fairy Princess" (in VHS and DVD) and "Angelina in the Wings" (VHS). For kids three to eight.
From TV to Video:
On May 28 A&E Home Video will unveil the final 14 episodes of "The Saint." With the debonair Roger Moore as Leslie Charteris' daredevil man-about-the-world and master swindler, "The Saint" became a household word in the 1960s. After 118 hour-long episodes, it was time to call it quits, and in 1968 The Saint drove off into the cult television sunset in his trademark Volvo P-1800 sports car. To finish off their series, A&E has packaged the last episodes in "The Saint, DVD Sets 5&6," with seven episodes per $39.95 two-disc set.Two more episodes from CBS's ever-popular "Touched by an Angel" arrive on VHS May 28: "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" and "An Angel Is Born"; both titles contain two episodes; $14.95 each from Paramount.
MPI Home Video has scheduled some interesting classic TV releases this month on DVD. "The Honeymooners Lost Episodes Volumes 17 and 18" contain "The Honeymooners" episodes that originally aired as part of the "Jackie Gleason Show" in the 1950s. These episodes -- part of 70 that were stored in Gleason's air-conditioned basement -- continued the riotous adventures of the Flatbush couples the Kramdens (Gleason and Audrey Meadows) and the Nortons (Art Carney and Joyce Randolph) that, until Gleason unveiled the "new" episodes in 1984, were limited to the 39 half-hour sketches that had run continually for 30 years (on late-night and syndication). Volume 17 contains four episodes and Volume 18 contains three; $14.98 each. ... Also from MPI comes episodes of "The Rifleman," starring Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, a widower who guides his son (Johnny Crawford) through the hardships of maintaining a ranch in New Mexico in the 1880s (the half-hour series ran from 1958-1963). Volume 7 and 8 each contain four episodes ($14.98) while "The Rifleman Boxed Set #2" contains 20 episodes comprising Vols. 5-6-7-8, $49.98. All MPI's releases are due May 28.
A&E Home Video will release on May 28 a multi-volume set exploring the life and times of Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen who took the throne of England at a time when the country was threatened from forces abroad and by collapse internally; when she died after a reign of 45 years, she left behind a nation protected by the greatest navy on earth and in the midst of a cultural revolution she made possible. The History Channel docu is hosted by world-renowned historian David Starkey and runs 200+ minutes; both the two-disc DVD set and the four-volume VHS set sell for $39.95.
From Acorn Media comes several interesting releases. First up is "Sex, Chips and Rock N' Roll," a British romantic-drama (which aired in six-parts on BBC America) set in 1965 about twin sisters -- who work dead-end jobs at a Manchester chip shop -- and how their lives are changed when they meet up with a trio of long- haired musicians. The two-disc DVD set includes 1965 interactive trivia, a photo gallery, a music video, 1965 top UK singles charts and more, $39.95; the three-volume VHS set includes a bonus video, $49.95. Available May 7. ... The popular BBC program "Good Neighbors" finishes its run on DVD with "Good Neighbors: The Complete Final Series," a two-disc set of the BBC comedy series about a middle-class couple who quit their jobs and live off what they can raise and grow on their land in the middle of snooty suburbia; the set also includes the 44-minute post-season special "When I'm 65," known as "The Royal Command Performance" because it was filmed before a studio audience of VIPs, including Queen Elizabeth; $39.95. Available May 7.
Special Interest:
Documentaries: "Inca Mummies: Secrets of a Lost World" explores the rise and fall of the once great civilization, from National Geographic Home Video, VHS $19.98, due May 21; "Fashion Victim: The Killing of Gianni Versace," the story of the famous fashion designer, from Wellspring Media, VHS $19.98 and DVD $24.98, due May 21; "Masters of Technology" profiles five revolutionary modern-day thinkers and their innovations, including Vinton Cerf, the "father of the Internet," Donna Shirley, the first female to lead a NASA team, Geoffrey Ballard and his hydrogen fuel cells, Robert Langer and his medical inventions, and Burt Rutan, who creates experimental aircraft, from WGBH Boston Video, VHS $29.95, due May 28. Anime: Manga Entertainment will release on May 28 two interesting Japanese animated adventures to DVD: the science fiction mystical tale "Landlock," with character designs by the world renowned Masamune Shirow, creator of "Ghost in the Shell"; and "Macross Plus: The Movie Edition," which extrapolates the four-parter "Macross" into a feature film. Music: "Quincy Jones: In the Pocket" is a PBS American Masters celebration of Jones' 50 years in show business, available from Wellspring Media, $19.98 VHS and $24.98 DVD, due May 21; "TSOL Live at O.C." is a 45-minute performance by the Los Angeles punkers, recorded at the UC Irvine campus on March 23, 1991, from Music Video Distributors, $14.95 VHS and $19.95 DVD, due May 21; "On the Road With Duke Ellington" is an intimate documentary of the American jazz legend, recorded six years before his death in 1974, from Docurama, VHS $19.95 and $24.95 DVD, due May 28.
The 'B' Side: Other May Releases
"Dream Lover" is an urban romance about a nerdy young man who falls head over heels for the beautiful Tabitah. He tries to win her heart but falls flat on his face -- until something strange happens to him and he discovers how to take his one and only chance at true love. Stars K.C. Ramsey and Eve Green. York Urban, 2002, NR, priced for rental, DVD day and date.
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April 25, 2001
