special edition Tagged Articles at Cinematical

In the pantheon of mega-derided '80s films, few films can touch the inescapable reek of Howard the Duck. I know plenty of folks who dig Ishtar, Cobra, and Leonard Part 6 -- but remarkably few movie geeks have stood up and spoken out for Willard Huyck's Howard the Duck, which just recently arrived as a Special Edition DVD from Universal.

I'll spare you the plot machinations -- because frankly a movie this stupid deserves to be seen BY YOU at least once -- but I've always been amazed at the disparity between the source material and the cinematic adaptation. I've also been sickened by the girl on duck seduction scene, assaulted by the horrific Thomas Dolby music, and beaten into drooling submission by the flick's endlessly wretched puns.

But as a piece of mid-'80s big-budget mega-floppage? I find Howard the Duck more fascinating -- and more worthy of mockery -- than Hudson Hawk, Over the Top, and Toys put together. So imagine my ironic jubilation when I saw a new Howard the Duck DVD sitting on the video shelves, as if it were actually a real-live movie that people would want to own...

I was on my way home from seeing the nasty new Last House on the Left movie when I got a call from a friend, to whom I quickly explained that I was on my way to get a shiny new Pinocchio DVD. She paused for a second and said "From rape-revenge horror to old-school Disney sweetness? You're a strange one, Scott." And then she told me how gorgeous I am and hung up weeping.

But yes, it's true: If it's not a nasty-ass horror flick you're showing me, my second choice would be something like Toy Story 2, Flushed Away, or The Iron Giant. Call me childish if you like, but I don't know many children who could use the word "parsimonious" in a sentence. And, um, I just did. No, I don't exactly clap like a toddler as the animated features fly by, but I simply love this medium and (more pertinently) I adore most of the Disney Classics. To me they're some of the sweetest, "funnest," and most accessible form of classic cinema there is, and I'll live to be 143 before I apologize for admiring the artistry that goes into this stuff.

Anyway (as if the art of animation needs a defense from me), it's Walt Disney's second feature film, 1940's Pinocchio, that is now getting the full-bore deluxe two-disc 70th Anniversary DVD (and Blu-Ray) treatment. Couldn't come at a better time, too, because my Disney shelf (pictured below) was rrrrrreally missing this title. I'll spare you the plot synopsis (puppet becomes boy, gets into mischief, learns valuable lessons, becomes whale food, etc.) and the endless peals of laudatory adulation directed toward the old-school Disney filmmakers, and just focus on the DVD itself...

No, not the remake -- although I am getting a little more excited about the flick than I thought I would, plus it's kinda silly to promote discussion on a film that isn't out yet. I'm talking about the original 1951 science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. (And "original" would really qualify, as this is one of the few genre greats that was based on an original screenplay and not adapted from an outside source.) Wrong-o! (See comments below.)

So it was next week's remake that first got me thinking, but what inspired me to bang out a few words was the brand-new two-disc special edition of TDTESS. (Standard or Blu-Ray!) More specifically, the awesomeness of this new edition. (Oh, and the Blu-Ray comes with a "Make Your Own Theremin Score" and a "Gort Command! Game." Nifty!) Those who own the older DVD will be pleased to note that most of the extras (including an excellent audio commentary between Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer) have been ported over, but here's the important part: NEW supplements! An isolated score track (cooool), a new commentary with music and film historians (very cooool), and about eight NEW featurettes! Frankly if Fox can find something else to put on their next edition, I'll be pretty impressed.

Plus the disc opens with a 7.5-minute promo for the remake ... and I really think those guys might have come up with something cool. Like, a remake that takes a classic movie and fuses it with a few NEW ideas. No, the movie didn't NEED to be remade, but that doesn't mean a remake can't rock. I could be wrong, of course, but that's the vibe I'm getting right now. Plus <ahem> Jennifer Connelly is in it. Enough said.

Like many passionate but busy fans of science fiction cinema, I "discovered" Dark City just a little too late -- but I've slowly become one of the flick's biggest fans. Aside from a few minor gripes (yes, the narration), I think it's an absolute masterpiece; a nifty mixture of lofty sci-fi, moody film noir, convoluted "whodunnit" and eye-popping spectacle. And I know I'm not alone in my appreciation of the Alex Proyas film.

So here's some good news for my friends: According to BD.com, Dark City co-screenwriter David S. Goyer just dropped a few juicy nuggets regarding a digital upgrade: "In addition to the special features, Goyer reveals that there's more to the re-release than just special FX upgrades. "[They re-did] the score and the cuts a little longer," he reveals, "all of the parties involved did fairly lenghtly interviews with us, they'll be incluced on there." New FX? Fresh featurettes? A possible theatrical re-release? Wowwy wow, that's awesome. But this new DVD better keep that Roger Ebert commentary track!

Check out Monika's earlier piece on the Dark City revisions right here. And I can't believe I made it all the way through this post without mentioning Jennifer Connelly...

Like most hardcore movie nerds, I'm a huge Monty Python fan. And while I do own that massive Flying Circus box set, the goody-laced Monty Python Live! double feature, and even a few of their old albums ... my Python movies are my very favorite pieces of the collection. (I don't really count And Now for Something Completely Different as a "true" movie, and the Live at Hollywood Bowl concert flick is included in the MP Live! set.) So basically that only leaves three actual Monty Python movies: The legendary Monty Python and the Holy Grail (awesome Special Edition right here), the inconsistent but frequently hilarious The Meaning of Life (SE here), and the first ninth second Monty movie out of the gate...

Life of Brian! And if you wanted to own a solid version of this movie on DVD, you had to invest about $35 on this (really excellent) Criterion Collection release. (Or you could opt for this bare-bones and lame-transfer DVD.) But as of November 7 you'll have another option! According to DVDActive.com, Sony will release Life of Brian: The Immaculate Edition on that date, and you Pythonites should have a ball with what's included.

In addition to the main feature (which is just as hilarious today as it ever was), we'll also get TWO Python commentaries (one with Gilliam, Idle and Jones; the other with Cleese and Palin; unfortunately Chapman is still dead), a two-hour animated original script "readthrough" (!), an all-new 60-minute behind-the-scenes documentary (and I'm sure they'll cover the original controversy surrounding the film), five deleted scenes, some goofy old radio ads, and (as they say) more! Finally my Python Cinema Trilogy will be ... upgraded! (Again!) To those who already own the Criterion set, the question is this: Are the new doco and the nifty-sounding 'readthrough' piece worth the price of the platters? Because I'm pretty sure the rest of the goodies CAN be found on that Criterion release.

Although we've heard very little that could be deemed "official," it seems to be a pretty foregone conclusion that a shiny new Special Edition of Steven Spielberg's Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist is poised to hit DVD shelves within the next several months. Yes, there's been vague talks of remakes and/or sequels, but if you're looking for a modern-day ghost story that's as slyly amusing as it is hellaciously creepy -- you're going to want to see Poltergeist again soon.

According to this Poltergeist fan site, a group of professional Ghost Trackers were recently interviewed and filmed on their rounds. Who was doing the filming? The folks putting together the supplemental material for the new Poltergeist DVD, that's who. And hooray, says me. It's been too many years since I've sat down with Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams and the rest of the ill-fated Freeling family. (And yet despite all that horror, can anyone tell me the actual body count in Poltergeist? I'll give you a hint: It rhymes with "hero.")

One of the very few movies out there on which Steven Spielberg receives a screenplay credit, Poltergeist has become a favorite chiller of kids and grown-ups alike since 1982. I think it's one of the best 'haunted house' movies ever made, to be honest. There's no set date for the inevitably doubled-disced Poltergeist re-issue, but according to those Ghost Tracker guys, both Mr. Nelson and Ms. Williams have already been interviewed for the package. Now throw on a few audio commentaries, an FX breakdown and a full-bore 'making of' documentary, and you'll have I DVD I need to own. I'm betting this one hits the shelves well before Christmas.

So tell me: Which of these is scariest? The clown, the tree or the swimming pool? (Trick question: It's the steak!)

As something of a minor expert in the field of Stephen King cinema, I do have a few of my very favorites. On the dramatic side I'm a big fan of Dolores Claiborne, Apt Pupil and (of course) The Shawshank Redemption. But when it comes to the spooky stuff, the ones I always come back to are The Shining, Christine and Pet Sematary. Interestingly enough (to me, anyway) my #1 King flick manages to straddle that line between poignant drama and effective horror -- and that's David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone. See that one again soon.

Another one of the really cool creepy ones is Rob Reiner's Misery. The director was coming off of a five-movie run that still amazes me to this day: This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. But when the former meathead decided to tackle one of King's most psychologically unpleasant novels, even hardcore fans like me were pretty skeptical. We needn't have worried. Bolstered by the Oscar-winning performance of Kathy Bates, some really excellent work from James Caan, and a sterling adaptation by William Goldman, Reiner delivered one of the best King flicks of all time. And I still think that designation stands, although your opinions may vary. Obviously.

Anyway, guess what? A brand-new special edition of Misery is on the way! Yep, and here's what it'll offer: two separate audio commentaries (one with Reiner and the other with Goldman), seven (!) featurettes covering everything from the score to the characters to "real life" stalkers, and even a few little goodies in the trailer department. Obviously this is a huge step up from the bare-bones Misery disc that's presently residing on my DVD shelf, but I'll be making the upgrade on October 2. Oh, and what good timing: That's the same date we'll see John Cusack go nuts on the 1408 DVD. Cool.

You know how sometimes a really stocked Special Edition DVD will come out, but you're just sure the DVD producers left some extra goodies lying in the vault so they could unleash an Extra-Special Edition a few years later? Well, it just happened again, and while I usually hate this obvious marketing ploy, in the case of the 40-Year-Old Virgin: 2-Disc Double Your Pleasure Special Edition, I'm willing to make an exception. Why, you ask? Because the people who made the movie are just that damn funny.

If you haven't seen The 40-Year-Old Virgin since its theatrical release, you're missing out on one of the most comfortably re-watchable comedies of the past ten years. Both the single-disc and this new dual-discer contain on the "unrated" version, which runs about 17 minutes longer than the multiplex version. And while a lot of the gags offered within those 17 minutes are really very funny, the movie simply seems a bit longer than it needs to be. But if you're having a good time, what's an extra 17 minutes between friends, right?

You remember the cleverly simple story, of course: Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) is a perfectly nice 40-year-old nerd who works in an electronics store and leads a pretty sheltered life of video games and action figures. But when three of his Normal Joe co-workers invite Andy to sit in on a poker game, the guys discover Andy's secret. (It's right there in the movie's title.) Thus begins a warm-hearted, foul-mouthed, breast-obsessed and consistently hilarious ensemble comedy that (I'll say it again) really gets more appealing on repeat viewing. (For all the silliness and potty-mouthedness, 40YOV is actually a very sweet movie too.)

Once in a while I feel that it's my obligation to help spread the word on the smaller, independent, "under the radar" films that never received the attention they so richly deserved. And then other times I wanna join the mosh pit of rabid fanboys and kick back with some slickly mindless action flicks! Like 300! Woohoo! It's just a big sweaty ball of testosterone-swollen madness, ain't it? Well, the DVD is scheduled to hit shelf on July 31, and it looks like the fans will have two different versions to pick from.

The less-than-totally-manly option is the single-disc WIDESCREEN platter, which offers the movie and an audio commentary with director Zack Snyder, screenwriter Kurt Johnstad and cinematographer Larry Fong. That'll probably run you about 17 bucks at BB or CC. (Oh, like you don't know where to buy your DVDs every Tuesday.) On the other hand, if you truly want to be a glistening god among muddy men, you'll want to sink your teeth into the 2-disc Special Edition, which offers a second disc packed with seriously Spartastic surprises: deleted scenes (which promise MORE monsters and carnage!), a Frank Miller featurette, a "fact or fiction" look at the original source material, and a piece called "Who Were the Spartans?" in which a bunch of actors discuss material they probably looked up on Wikipedia two hours after landing the 300 gig.

Unfortunately it seems that there will be no "director's cut" of 300 -- or at least "not yet." If you think these are the only 300 DVDs that WB is ever going to offer, you're nuttier than that obese albino Persian maniac who has freaky sword-thingies where his arms oughtta be. And just to prove we didn't all imagine it, I'll double check the numbers. Yep, 300 actually did haul in $208 million domestic. I really dug the movie, but that total just boggles my mind. ($438 million worldwide! So why does Die Hard 4 need a PG-13? Anyone?)

A few months back we learned that a 2-disc special edition of Joss Whedon's Firefly spinoff, Serenity, was on the way. And now, because I'm such a pathetic nerd when it comes to this particular TV series / movie, I'm elated to share the news on what'll be included on that dual-platter release (which hits the shelves on August 21). Plus there's some pretty nifty cover art ... but let's focus on the extra goodies right now.

Here's what you'll find on the Serenity 2-disc special edition, and I'll italicize the stuff that was not on the single-disc release that you probably already own and have watched about 14 times:

• Audio commentary with writer/director Joss Whedon
• Audio commentary with Whedon and actors Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Ron Glass
• Joss Whedon introduction
• Deleted scenes with optional Whedon words
• Extended scenes
• Outtakes
• Featurettes:
• "Take a Walk on Serenity"
• "Green Clan"
• "We'll Have a Fruity Oaty Good Time!"
• "A Filmmaker's Journey"
• "Future History: The Story of Earth That Was"
• "Re-lighting the Firefly"
• "What's in a Firefly?"
• "Session 416"

(Again, the italicized goodies are the "new" ones, unless you own all of the international Serenity DVDs, in which case the second commentary is the only truly NEW item. I think. I'm sure a smarter Browncoat than I will come along and correct any glitches I may have made.) And yes, this is the original theatrical cut: No "added scenes" or "director's cut" gimmickry here. Plus the cover art is pretty damn slick, albeit not exactly what I was expecting. I snipped a little section out for this post, but you can check out the full goods over at DVDActive.com. Pretty gorram shiny.