February 29th 2000:

Special Features: Theatrical trailer selection, Cast Filmographies

ALSO OUT IN MAY…

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT 8th May
KALIFORNIA 8th May
THE LAWNMOWER MAN 8th May (Original version, not Director’s Cut)
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS 15th May
THE STING 15th May
SIMON SEZ 22nd May
SNEAKERS 22nd May
HAVANA 29th May
SAVIOR 29th May

Hideous Kinky, but good-looking DVD…?

Thanks toThe R2 Project for the following info(my copy of the PR sheet must’ve got lost!) :

VCI Have officially announced “Hideous Kinky” with Kate Winslet. Available on the 13th of March and priced at £19.99this disk will be available in anamorphic widescreen and will contain the theatrical trailer, cast interviews and behind the scenes footage. For a change for VCI news the actual picture ratio isn’t stated and although the sound is mentioned as Dolby digital, there is no mention of the number of channels.

Xena: Warrior Princess – To DVD or not to DVD…?

Thanks toDVD Times for the following info :

Contrary to what has been reported on a few sites, Universal haven’tyet officially announced Xena: Warrior Princess. However, other thanthe non-officiality of the story the actual details are pretty accurate.

We can expect the first disc to contain two episodes from the secondseason – “Orphan of War” and “Remember Nothing“. We can alsoexpect to see around 30 minutes of outtakes to up the “value for money”quotient.

Early reports suggest a release on 17 April for £19.99.

February 28th :

Tom Hanks treads The Green Mile at the cinema…

Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan lead a great cast ina prison drama that has gained four Oscar nominations and serves as directorFrank Darabont‘s follow-up to The Shawshank Redemption.The Green Mile,is released nationwide on Friday March 3rd but may already be on show incertain corners of the country.

Are All Saints pure enough for another week at the top of the chart…?

To find out the answer to that – and to see last week’s chart which I’ve justbeen able to catch up with – visit mymusic chart analysis page

New DVDs and widescreen videos out this week

The new DVDs out this week include :

February 27th :

Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness DVDs set to educate and fascinate…

The revolutionary book series Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness has soldin excess of 30 million copies and dominates the children’s factual publishingmarket. Recognised for making educational topics fascinating and fun with outstandingphotography and clear and concise information, the brand is as loved by parentsas it is by children.

March 27th sees the release of six DVD titles which will cost £14.99apiece :

Monster
Arctic and Antarctic
Natural Disasters
The Bodyzone
Dinosaur
Planets

I’ve received the first three for review already and shall place reviews onlinein due course, but the special features will include :

moving menus
Unique menu loops
Search engine-based referencing
Varied and detailed chapters
Unique ‘hot spots’ which contain bonus ‘surprise’ footage featuring extra infoon the topic you’ve just been watching
“How Did They Do That?” behind-the-scenes SFX features
Interactive quiz for each subject
Access to related websites.

Will An Ideal Husband make an ideal DVD…?

Making a day-and-date release with the retail video, April 10th, sees therelease of this romantic comedy starring Rupert Everett, Minnie Driver,Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett.

No details are given for picture and sound format, but let’s hope for ananamorphic widescreen picture is on the cards. Cost: £19.99 for theDVD which contains a trailer, featurette and “additional footage”, but only£9.99 for the featureless video.

Young and Dangerous 2: Attitude is everything…

Hong Kong Classics scored a hit with the original film on DVD a few months back,and now they’re set to release the sequel on March 13th.

Young and Dangerous 2 goes on sale for £19.99 in its originalwidescreen ratio (not declared here) and language with English subtitles,Dolby Digital sound and trailer for both this and its prequel.

The film stars Jordan Chan, Ekin Cheng, Gigi Lai and the delectableChingmy Yau, a picture of whom can be found in my review ofReturn of the God of Gamblers.

Hong Kong Legends kick forth on DVD…

Medusa Pictures have a new film label on which to release DVDs andvideos: Hong Kong Legends, which is set to feature a top-quality rangeof collectable titles from the hi-energy world of Hong Kong cinema featuringinternational star favourites such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li anddynamic directors like Yeun Woo Ping, the action-co-ordinator forThe Matrix.

Titles planned for release this Monday (Feb 28th) are :

Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (DVD: £19.99)
– a Jackie Chan action classic that has gone a painstakinglengthy remastering process, far to detailed to summarise here.

New Dragon Gate Inn (VHS: £13.99)
– stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung and was directed byTsui Hark.

Released March 27th :

Drunken Master (DVD: £19.99)
– another Jackie Chan film, with another remastered pictureand extras for the trailer, biography, photo gallery, music promo anddeleted footage.

The Blacksheep Affair (VHS: £13.99)
– stars Chiu Man Chuk and is a long-lost martial arts film.

Released April 17th :

Drive VHS (£13.99) and DVD (£19.99)
– an action-scifi-comedy starring Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardisonand directed by Steve Wang.

Released May 15th :

The Blacksheep Affair (DVD: £19.99)
– see above.

The Hitman VHS (£13.99) and DVD (£19.99)
– Jet Li’s action-comedy, the DVD itself being digitally remasteredand carrying plenty of extras, not yet known.stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung and was directed byTsui Hark.

All of the above are cert.18, and shall be followed later in the year byLegend of a Fighter and Body Weapon.

This DVD will succeed “With or Without You”…

March 20th sees VCI releasing the romantic comedy With or Without You,starring Dervla Kirwan (Ballykissangel), ChristopherEccleston (eXistenZ, Cracker, Jude) and was directed byMichael Winterbottom (Jude, Welcome To Sarajevo).

Coming on a DVD5 format disc, it will be anamorphic with Dolby Digital 5.1sound and contains subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, cast interviews,a ‘making of’ featurette and the trailer.

The Buena Vista Social Club strikes up on DVD…

No, nothing to do with the film company, but on March 27th, VCI arereleasing Buena Vista Social Club, a loving portrait of the Cuban musiclegends that composer/musician Ry Cooder reassembled some years backfor the album of the same name.

The disc will feature an anamorphic widescreen picture, Dolby Digital 5.1sound and extras including cast interviews, deleted scenes, trailer and adirector’s commentary.

Hell freezes over for The Eagles and Sheryl Crow rocks the globe on DVD…

Another two DVD releases for March 27th from VCI :

Eagles: Hell Freezes Over
– This 18-track concert lasts 99 minutes, includes Hotel California,Take it Easy and New York Minute and is the first UK disc to featurea DTS soundtrack. Everyone else can listen to it in stereo, although DTS-ampowners will be able to access the 18th track, a DTS-only song entitled,Seven Bridges Road.

Sheryl Crow: Rockin’ the Globe Live
– Another first for DVD in the UK: This one contains both DTS and DolbyDigital 5.1 audio, in 15 tracks of live music over 83 minutes, includinghits like A Change Would Do You Good, Every Day is a Winding Roadand culminating with the sombre Home.

Urban Chaos reigns and Lara due on Dreamcast soon…

Released on Playstation on March 24th for £39.99, Eidos’ Urban Chaosstars tough female cop D’arcie Stern and ex-soldier Roper McIntyre and recreatesthe dark and menacing atmosphere of the inner city. Set at the end of 1999, ina fictitious metropolis called Union City the game combines a beat-em-up andshoot-em-up and platform gameplay in a 3D environment.

March also sees the release for Lara’s debut on the Dreamcast, Tomb Raider4: The Last Revelation, although no further details are yet known.

Eidos re-release three old favourites on their PC budget label, PremierCollection on March 10th :

Tomb Raider 3: The Lost Artefact (£14.99):
The complete game plus five brand new levels and Lara has to find a fifthartefact rumoured to be none other than the ‘Hand of Rathmore’. From the loftytowers of a Scottish castle, to a desolate sea-ravaged coast of France,Lara has no time to lose, as somebody else shares the secret and has joinedthe hunt.
NB.: The standard version is also added to the Playstation’sPlatinum range from the same date.

Commands: Behind Enemy Lines (£12.99):
A real-time tactics game set in World War 2, with 26 different missionsand an AI system that controls over 40 different enemy troops and vehicles.

Warzone 2100 (£12.99):
The year is 2100 and a nuclear war, initiated by an evil super-computer,has all but eliminate mankind, with the few survivors having to fight forthe scarce resources that remain.

4 Fox DVDs and No.3 for Resident Evil…

Thanks to Liz on behalf of Fox for the four DVDs I’ve received for reviewrecently: Unlawful Entry, Chain Reaction, Volcano and Broken Arrow.All are released in anamorphic widescreen and contain a trailer, barChain Reaction which swaps the trailer for a ‘making of’ featurette.

Also, thanks to Gigi at Eidos for the copy of Resident Evil 3 forthe Playstation, and reviews of all of these shall follow in due course.

A final DVD round-up for now…

Some more DVDs due for release soon :

February 28th:

The Corrs: Unplugged (£19.99) :
A 72-minute concert from the band filmed at the Ardmore Studios in Dublinin Dolby Digital 5.0 sound and featuring many hits including “Radio”and a cover of REM‘s “Everybody Hurts”.

March 6th:

Stargate SG-1 (£19.99 each) :
Two DVDs are released from this sci-fi TV series.
Volume 1: Four selected episodes from Series 1 including the opener,“Children of the Gods” which follows on from the 1995 hit film.This forms a “Best of Series 1”
Volume 2: The first four episodes: “The Serpent’s Lair, In the Lineof Duty, Prisoners” and “The Gamekeeper”, with more to be released.

The series stars Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tippingand Christopher Judge.

Simply Red: Live at the Lyceum (£19.99) :
A 2-hour concert with Dolby Digital 5.0 sound filmed at London’s LyceumTheatre in September 1998 on a dual-layer disc.
Tracks include: “Air That I Breathe”, “Never Never Love”, “Night Nurse”and their first hit, “Money’s Too Tight To Mention”.

March 20th:

The Final Cut (£19.99) :
An independent British film starring Jude Law, Ray Winstone andSadie Frost, in which a group of friends gather together after the deathof Jude (Jude Law), who was a film-maker and he leaves his final piece ofwork for everyone to watch at his wake, with the shocking and outrageousrevelation that he was playing Candid Camera with his so-called”friends”.

MGM’s DVD will contain a commentary track, additional footage of moreimprovised scenes interviews and a trailer.

Candyman 3: Day of the Dead (£15.99) :
Third in the series, starring Tony Todd and Baywatch babe,Donna D’Errico. No details given for picture and sound format,so except fullscreen and Dolby surround sound. I only ever watched thefirst film and that wasn’t much cop.

March 27th:

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks (£19.99) :
A 60-minute sit-in with the band in a house in Southern Hollywood,California as they record their 1991 album, BloodSugarSexMagik.Released by Warner Music Vision.

Gods and Monsters (£19.99) :
Sir Ian McKellen stars as legendary Hollywood director James Whale,not the excellent radio DJ who’s just had a cancer tumour operation,in a drama also starring Brendan Fraser and Lynn Redgrave.MGM’s DVD also contains a ‘making of’ and director’s commentary.

South Park The Movie and TV Series Vols 4-7 (£19.99 each) :
Kenny, Cartman, Stan and Kyle are back on the digital formatwith the feature length film, Bigger, Longer and Uncut, plus Series2 on four separate DVDs with four or five episodes apiece to flesh out the18-part series.

February 26th :

Drop Dead Gorgeous and Analyse This on DVD in March…

It’s taken me the last week to get my site fully completed, so let’s getthings back to normal. I have quite a few PR bits and bobs to put up onlinebut half of it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Firstly, thanks to Sarah Seddon at Ketchum Life for the press releases Ireceived for two upcoming Warner titles released day-and-date on DVD andvideo :

Drop Dead Gorgeous:

Bond beauty Denise Richards (right) stars in one of the mostwickedly outrageous teen comedies of the year. With some of the hottest youngfemale talents in Hollywood, rave reviews and a box office revenue of £1.4m,Drop Dead Gorgeous is set to beat all contestants when it is released,out to rent on VHS and to buy on DVD, from 13 March 2000.

Sexy Denise Richards is one of the hottest female stars at the moment. Sheshot to fame in Paul Verhoeven’s box-office hit Starship Troopersbefore starring alongside Neve Campbell in the thrillerWild Things. She has recentlyhit star status starring alongside Pierce Brosnan as the stunning new Bond Girl,Christmas Jones, in the box office smashThe World Is Not Enough.

Kirsten Dunst is another fast-rising star of the new Millennium.Dunst is best known for two equally acclaimed roles in Little Women andInterview With A Vampire,co-starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. She is next set to star inThe Virgin Suicides alongside Danny DeVito, Kathleen Turner andJames Woods.

Comedy favourite Kirstie Alley plays the role of Denise Richards’ mother,Gladys Leeman. Alley has a string of film successes under her belt includingbox office hit Look Who’s Talking with John Travolta andWoody Allen‘s critically acclaimed Deconstructing Harry.Alley first shot to fame in the long-running television comedy Cheersand currently produces and stars in the hit show Veronica’s Closet on Sky.

Ellen Barkin is one of America’s best character actresses, with critically-acclaimedperformances in Diner and the highly praised thrillerSea of Love, starring alongsidefilm legend Al Pacino.

Drop Dead Gorgeous will be released on DVD with VHS rental on 13 March 2000,continuing the startling progress which has seen DVD sell six times fasterthan either VHS and CD at similar stages of their development.

Over 1.5 million units of UK software were sold in December alone withThe Matrix setting a new benchmark of 205,000 units in 5 weeks.The rise of the new format is set to continue with big releases such asWild Wild West and Analyse This in February and March.

Owners of PC DVD ROM have now rocketed to an estimated 2 million base in theUK. With a large percentage of female users, Drop Dead Gorgeous headedby an impressive female cast will attract a wider audience than most titles.Drop Dead Gorgeous has sensational picture quality and 5.1 Dolby surroundsound, making it a must for any DVD player owner. With the pulling power ofDenise Richards and the popularity of teen movies, Drop Dead Gorgeous is atitle that is set to continue the remarkable rise of DVD.

Content:


Double sided feature presentation:
Side A: 4 x 3 full frame
Side B: 16 x 9 wide-screen
Fully chaptered scene access
Dolby Digital 5.1 sound
Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired

Ellen Barkin, who plays the trailer-trash, beer-swilling mother ofAmber (Kirsten Dunst) and the homicidally ambitious mother (Kirstie Alley) ofspoilt rich bitch Becky (Denise Richards) will stop at nothing to ensure theirdaughters win the Mount Rose teen beauty pageant.

Underneath the fresh-faced All-American fa‡ade of Mount Rose’s contest to findthe best, brightest and most beautiful, lie two roads to greatness: high hopesand homicide. In this game there can only be one survivor and it’s all out war.

A wickedly funny black comedy, set in small-town America, where you win anywayyou can or you DIE trying.

RENTAL VHS/DVD PRODUCT INFORMATION

Release date:13 March 2000
Credit:Warner Home Video
Genre:Comedy
Certificate:15
Running Time:94 minutes
Stars:
Denise Richards (Starship Troopers, Wild Things, The World Is Not Enough)
Kirstie Alley (Look Who’s Talking, Deconstructing Harry)
Ellen Barkin (Diner, Sea of Love, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)
Kirsten Dunst (Little Women, Interview With A Vampire, Small Soldiers)

Analyse This:

Here is a remedy that will help clear away any post millennium blues, asRobert De Niro will have you in fits of laughter in the side splittingcomedy, Analyse This.

One of the funniest comedies of the last century, Analyse This was a massivehit both sides of the Atlantic and will have movie fans hooked from start tofinish when it is released out to rent on VHS and to buy on DVD, from 20 March2000.

DE NIRO -THE DON :

Robert De Niro is one of the leading actors of his generation and a two timeAcademy Award winner for performances inThe Godfather Part II and Raging Bull.

Robert De Niro’s has worked with the greatest array of movie making talentwith acting roles in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America, MartinScorsese’s King of Comedy, Brian De Palma’sThe Untouchables, Ron Howard’sBackdraft and Quentin Tarantino’sJackie Brown.

Robert De Niro’s recent films have a proven track record.Cape Fear,Goodfellas,Casino,Roninand Heat all reached Number 1# in the UK Rental Charts.

FUNNY ALL-STAR CAST

Opposite Robert De Niro is the highly versatile entertainer and extremelyfunny Billy Crystal. Since initial performances on Saturday Night Livehe has brought audiences to tears with memorable performances inWhen Harry Met Sally, Deconstructing Harry and City Slickers 1 & 2.

Lisa Kudrow is best known for her Emmy Award winning role as Phoebe inFriends, the best selling video franchise in the UK ever. She gives afine and humorous performance as Laura, fianc‚e to Billy Crystal proving amore than capable support to the two major stars.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS DIRECTOR

Harold Ramis‘ (Director/Screenwriter) talents span writing, directing,producing and acting. He has worked on many of the most successful screencomedies ever made that include Academy Award winningAs Good As It Gets,Ghostbusters,Ghostbusters 2,National Lampoon and Groundhog Day.

Analyse This will be released on DVD day & date with VHS rental on 20 March2000, continuing the successful strategy that has seen week one sales ofsimultaneous releases up 42% since February 1999.

Content:

Double sided feature presentation:
Side A: 4 x 3 full frame
Side B: 16 x 9 wide-screen
Audio commentary by Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro
7 minute out-takes and gag reel
Fully chaptered scene access
Dolby Digital 5.1 sound
Subtitles: English/English SDH/Arabic/Romanian/Bulgarian

Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) is one of New York’s most powerful gangsters.When Vitti assumes the role of the leader of his crime family he suddenlystarts having trouble breathing; he can’t sleep; he’s distant and pre-occupied;he’s lost interest in his mistress and his worried henchman wonder at hissuddenly anxious demeanour.

Vitti immediately seeks out the only psychiatrist he’s ever heard of -Ben Sobol (Billy Crystal) – a suburban New York psychiatrist with fianc‚e (LisaKudrow) he’s about to marry – and demands that Ben cures his panic attacks -Immediately.

RENTAL VHS PRODUCT INFORMATION

Release date:20 March 2000
Credit:Warner Home Video
Genre:Comedy
Certificate:15
Running Time:99 mins
Stars:
Robert de Niro (Casino, Goodfellas, Heat).
Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Mr Saturday Night).
Lisa Kudrow (Friends 1-6, The Opposite of Sex, Romy and Michelles High School Reunion).

The BBC go walking with Dinosaurs in Gormenghast…

Three more DVDs are on their way from the BBC in the coming months.

Firstly, Walking With Dinosaurs, their flagship SFX show from lastyear is released on April 3rd for £24.99 (cert.PG) as a double-DVD set. It’salready sold 250,000 copies on video since its release in October and containsall six episodes from the series, plus the 50-minute extra, The Makingof Walking With Dinosaurs.

Gormenghast, the controversial and colourful adaptation of MervynPeake’s fantasy epic, is released on April 25th for £29.99 (cert.12) as a double-DVDset. It has just been released on video and the DVD will contains a numberof extras including The Making of Gormenghast, a costume design gallery,design drawings, storyboard gallery and a selection of cast biographies.

Tweenies: I don’t have a definite date for this yet, but the goodmoney is on late March. For those not in the know, it’s a colourful BBC kidsshow that’s fast overtaking Teletubbies in the merchandising stakesas has just reached the 100th-episode mark. No details are yet known forDVD content or extras.

Tartan go down the aisle with The Bride With White Hair on video…

Tartan offer up a couple of Chinese horror classics on April 17th for£12.99 apiece in widescreen format (ratio not known).

The Bride With White Hair 1 & 2 star Brigitte Lin and LeslieCheung. I’ve not seen these before, but the first film is described hereas a “dark, erotic drama loaded with fast, furious action and stunning visualsresulting in a powerful mix that will not disappoint.”

Cinema Club branch out into budget DVD…

One of the video format’s mainstays in budget form is Cinema Club, whoare releasing a number of quality films cheaply on March 20th, a number ofthem in widescreen too and quite a few are VCI re-releases so if you didn’tget them beforehand, snap them up for the bargain price of £9.99.

Thanks toThe R2 Project for the followingtable which summarises the info very easily.

TTTLES

ASPECT RATIO

SOUND

Cert

Fever Pitch

16:9AW

Dolby Surround

15

Jeffrey

4:3

Stereo

15

Career Girls

16:9AW

Dolby Surround

15

True Blue

16:9AW

Dolby Surround

15

Raining Stones

16:9AW

Dolby Surround

15

Riff Raff

4:3

Mono

15

Life Is Sweet

1.66:1 W

Dolby Surround

15

ecrets & lies

16:9 AW

Dolby Surround

15

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

16:9 AW

Dolby Surround

PG

Wish You Were Here

4:3

Mono

15

The Winter Guest

16:9 AW

Dolby Surround

15

Carry On At Your Convenience

4:3

Mono

PG

Carry On Again Doctor

4:3

Mono

PG

Carry On Dick

4:3

Mono

PG

Carry On Girls

4:3

Mono

PG

Fried Green Tomatoes

16:9 AW

Dolby Surround

PG

Tarka The Otter

4:3

Mono

PG

Bugsy Malone

16:9 AW

Mono

U

The Lady Vanishes

4:3

Mono

U

Whistle Down The Wind

4:3

Mono

PG

Fabulous Baker Boys

16:9 AW

Dolby Surround

15

This Happy Breed

4:3

Mono

U

The Way To The Stars

4:3

Mono

U

The Battle Of The River Plate

4:3

Mono

U

Best Men

2.35:1 W

Dolby Surround

15

Lawn Dogs

16:9W

Dolby Surround

15

8 Heads In a Duffel Bag

16:9 W

Dotty Surround

15

Glengarry Glen Ross

4:3

Dolby Surround

15

Weekend At Bernie’s

4:3

Stereo

15

Gregory’s Girl

4:3

Mono

12

Cybersex downloads onto DVD…

M.I.A. are set to release Cybersex on March 13th for £19.99which features America’s hottest porn starlet (it says here), Crystal Gold,in a high-tech humdinger which will have every guy reaching for his…mouseand launching himself online.

Expect a fullscreen transfer, but will the BBFC have got to it first?Make sure you have enough RAM to give when Cybersex boots up onMarch 13th. (This last paragraph actually contained my own jokes…. I’llget me coat!)

February 25th :

Updated cinema listings…

Stuck for something to do this weekend? Live in the Manchester area? The listof the films showing at Manchester Showcase Cinemacan be found on this page.

This week’s new films are : The Talented Mr. Ripley & The Wood.

February 21st :

Who will be No.1 this week…?

You’ll have to wait a little while as I get the new site together.

New DVDs and widescreen videos out this week

The new DVDs out this week include :

February 18th :

The Ghostbusters cruise into town on DVD again…

There’s a river of ooze beneath the city of New York and an evil madman tryingto get out of an elaborate painting and to rid the place of the spirits, whoya gonna call? Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroydreturn inGhostbusters 2,which is online and out now.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica 2000 arrives on DVD…

Thanks very much to Edward Baker at IJack Communications for the DVD-ROMversion that I’ve received. A full review shall follow in due course, but fornow please read the attached press release :

“How would you like to see a close-up of the surface of the moon, view adinosaur in 3-D or take a flight of fancy with the century’s early aviators -in your own home? All this and more is possible with the latest DVD and CDeditions of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

With the click of a mouse button, wonders of the world are brought to lifewith hours of video and unforgettable special effects as well as all theamazing facts contained in the printed set of Britannica.

Britannica 2000 transforms 32 volumes of fantastic information into a visualjourney held on DVD-ROM or CD-ROM. Imagine being able to answer your family’smost obscure questions not just through text, but also with sound and vision.Britannica 2000 combines sheer entertainment with an unrivalled depth ofknowledge contained in its 80,000 articles.

For families, Britannica 2000 DVD or CD-ROM provides a modern treasure-troveof information and is an invaluable resource for home-based study. It’s alsoan exciting and easy way to discover new things. The new Research Assistantfeature helps gather together the most interesting facts, articles andopinions on any given subject, through easy navigation. Pictures can beviewed in 360 degrees providing a 3-D effect and more than five hours ofvideo illustrate key articles with action-packed footage.

Britannica CD/DVD 2000 includes a number of special features:

New to the CD 2000 editions is the addition of the New Dictionary of Englishfrom Oxford University Press. As one of the best dictionaries in the world,the New Dictionary of English is an ideal reference partner for Britannica.

Questions on the location of any major town or city around the world can besolved using the Analyst feature. It offers an intuitive map allowing you tozoom in, scan and solve those tricky geographical queries. Relevant statisticssuch as population, key industries or climate can be found with a click of amouse as you hover over any destination from Alaska to Zanzibar.

Sticklers for accurate dates will enjoy the Timelines feature which allowsthe comparison of important milestones across 14 subjects from architectureto ecology and literature to science.

The DVD and CD-ROM also provide a selection of “Spotlights” and “Topic Tours”which vividly bring information to life through animated imagery. NewSpotlights include the Millennium and roller coasters while further image-rich”Topic Tours” highlight some of the century’s greatest achievements inaviation and moon exploration.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica CD 2000 is available in Standard, Deluxe andDVD formats. The Deluxe and DVD formats offer enhanced visual imagery. Pricesare £29.99 for Standard, £49.99 for Deluxe and £69.99 for DVD.”

For further press information or visuals please contact
Edward Barker at iJack on 0171 691 4444.
Visit their website at: www.ijack.comand the Britannica website at: www.britannica.co.uk

February 17th :

The Ghostbusters cruise into town on DVD…

Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd get booted out ofcollege and set up a business to trap the spooks invading New York City inGhostbusters,which is online and out now.

Updated cinema listings…

Stuck for something to do this weekend? Live in the Manchester area? The listof the films showing at Manchester Showcase Cinemacan be found on this page.

This week’s new film is : The Bachelor.

February 16th :

Van Damme returns for another cyborg clash in Universal Soldier: The Return on DVD…

Jean-Claude Van Damme is now a technical expert at the UniSol facilityand Michael Jai White returns as a decidedly-upgraded soldier ready towage war inUniversal Soldier: The Return,which is online but isn’t released until February 28th.

First Look: Two more Columbia titles…

Thanks to Julian Sheldon from Columbia TriStar for the titles I’ve receivedfor review including the above, plus the following :

Far and Away: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio, filmographies,trailer, production notes
Go!: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio, trailer, animated andscored menus, featurette, deleted scenes, director’s commentary, filmographies,3 music videos.

Oscars 2000 nominee round-up…

This year Billy Crystal will be hosting again (he’s much better than”Whoopi Cushion”) and a full list of the nominees can be found at myOscars 2000 Nominees Page.

February 15th :

Sarah Michelle Gellar discovers Cruel Intentions on DVD…

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe are stepsiblings whoare up to something in this remake of Dangerous Liaisons, brat-pack style.Cruel Intentions,is online and out on DVD now.

Will Oasis go let it out at the top of the chart…?To find out the answer to that visit mymusic chart analysis page

February 14th :

There’s some Disturbing Behaviour afoot on DVD…

Released today, this DVD finds Katie Holmes and James Marsdenin a new town that experiences nothing butDisturbing Behaviour,which is online and out on DVD now.

Charlie Brown creator dies at 77…

Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schulz, died on Saturday at the age of 77from colon cancer. The cartoon strip which followed the fortunes of CharlieBrown, his dog Snoopy and their family and friends began life on October 2nd,1950.

The final cartoon, printed yesterday in the US, shows Snoopy at his typewriteron top of his kennel, writing to thank his millions of fans.

Schulz was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on November 26th, 1922 and had drawnthe character for nearly 50 years, but retired from the cartoon world inDecember last year due to his condition. No more strips could ever be drawn asit was stipulated in his contract that he would draw every single frame.

Peanuts made Schulz one of the best-paid entertainers but he said he had nevermuch liked its name.

Charles M. Schulz, 1922-2000. R.I.P.

Who will be No.1 this week…?

You’ll have to wait until tomorrow as I wasn’t “mad fer it” today.

New DVDs out this week

February 12th :

James Taylor: Live on DVD…

James Taylor‘s seen fire and he’s seen rain, but has he ever seen himselfon DVD? He has now.James Taylor: Live at the Beacon Theatreis online and out on DVD now.

Channel M: The new channel for Manchester…

A new channel is coming to the Manchester area from this Monday, February 14th.Details of the content aren’t yet known, but they have been broadcasting testtransmissions, the next one heading for today from 10am to 1pm.

Just tune your TV into UHF 39 and visit their site at :www.channelm.co.uk

Queer As Folk 2: Back with a Bang…Courtesy of the Queer As Folk mailing list at channel4.com, I’ve justreceived this newsletter about the programme’s return next week.

“First, unless you’ve been tied up in some dungeon for the last few months, then you’ll know that Vince, Nathan and Stuart are back, in two all-new episodes of Queer as Folk. If you’re in the UK, the sequel goes out on Channel 4 on Tuesday 15th and 22nd February at 10pm.

Just to remind you where the story left off. At the end of series one, Vince’s love for Stuart was still unrequited after 16 years of friendship.Now the sexual buzz between them in becoming irresistible. Will theyfinally get together, or will Vince be too scared to perform and Stuarttoo afraid to commit? The only way you’ll know is to watch and find out!

And after watching the new episodes, you’ll be able to watch them over and over (without adverts!), because we’re releasing Queer as Folk 2 on video on 13th March. The video includes an exclusive never-seen-on-TV-before 20-minute documentary What the Folk, with star interviews and behind the scenes footage. Then when you’ve worn out the video, don’t worry because we’re releasing the DVD on 10th April with a special 40-minute version of the documentary.

Could life get any better? Well, yes, because those nice people at Channel 4 music have produced a new double album, Queer as Folk 2, to accompany the new episodes. A selection of top pop tunes from and inspired by the show, with a dash of disco and a little kitsch on the side to keep you bopping well into the night. Take That (featuring Lulu): Relight My Fire, Jimmy Somerville: Can’t take my Eyes Off Of You, Abbacadabra: Dancing Queen, and even Divine: Walk Like a Man on album one, with a non-stop mix on album 2. The album is out on 14th February – just in time for the man (or woman) in your life.”

February 11th :

Shake Your Bon-Bon! It’s Ricky Martin on DVD…

Latino star Ricky Martin makes his UK DVD debut withThe Ricky Martin Video Collection,which is online and out on DVD now.

February 10th :Ray Winstone weeds out the Scum on DVD…

Ray Winstone and his Quadrophenia co-star Phil Daniels,star in the late Alan Clarke‘sScum,which is online and out on DVD now.

DVD First look: Austin Powers 2, Gregory’s 2 Girls and more…

Thanks to Michelle from Media Communications for 4 titles I’ve receivedrecently :

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Yeah, baby! It looks like it’ll be one ofEntertainment in Video’s best DVDs to date, with an anamorphic 2.35:1 picture,Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, and extras galore including deleted scenes, audiocommentary, trailers, biogs and filmogs and wacky animated menus.

The Corruptor: Actioner starring Chow Yun-Fat & Mark Wahlbergfeaturing 2.35:1 anamorphic picture, director’s commentary, a 44-minute featuretteof interviews, deleted scene and stills gallery, trailer, biogs & filmogs andpop video.

Gregory’s 2 Girls: Sequel to the excellent Gregory’s Girl,but sadly without Clare Grogan. It features a trailer and an anamorphic picture,but the sound is Dolby Surround only.

Leaving Las Vegas: One of my favourite films after seeing it lastyear for the first time, Nicolas Cage sells up and moves to Vegaswhere he meets up with hooker Elisabeth Shue and plans to, literally,drink himself to death. Cage won an Oscar, but EiV will win none for thisrelease as it’s non-anamorphic (1.85:1), with only a trailer and shortfeaturette for company.

All of the above are out now apart from Gregory’s 2 Girls, which isreleased on February 21st.

Thanks to Richard from The Associates for these 2 titles I’ve receivedrecently :

Cinema of Vengeance: A 90-minute compliation of the “best introductionto the ‘chop sockey’ genre ever released” featuring footage of Bruce Lee,Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat.

Death By Misadventure: 91 minutes of what happens “When MartialArts Go Wrong” including the story behind Bruce & Brandon Lee.

February 9th :Ug! Ug! It’s California Man on DVD…

Brendan Fraser is unearthed from the past and resurrected in thefuture by Pauly Shore and Sean Astin inCalifornia Man,which is online and out on DVD now.

February 8th :Harrison Ford is the Blade Runner on DVD…

Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah and Rutger Hauerstar in Ridley Scott‘s director’s cut of his futuristic 21st CenturyLA adventure,Blade Runner: Director’s Cut,which is online and out on DVD now.

Will Sash slash Gabrielle’s top-slot chances…?

To find out the answer to that visit mymusic chart analysis page

Updated cinema listings…

Stuck for something to do this weekend? Live in the Manchester area? The listof the films showing at Manchester Showcase Cinemacan be found on this page.This week’s new films are : The Beach, Toy Story 2and The End of the Affair.

February 7th :

Scream out loud! Pink Floyd: The Wall is here on DVD…

Thanks to Sue Foster for this DVD which I’ve received that is released today.Bob Geldof stars as burnt-out rock-n-roll star Pink Floyd in one of themost bizarre films ever made. Alan Parker’sPink Floyd: The Wallis online and out on DVD now.

Forthcoming DVD releases from Sony, in which release dates are always subjectto change, include: Ricky Martin: One Night Only (Feb 28),Mariah Carey: #1’s (March 13th), Jennifer Lopez – TBA (April 10th),G3 – Live in Concert (April 24th), Cypress Hill: Video Compilation(May 1st) and Rage Against The Machine: Live in Mexico (May 8th).The Will Smith DVD release appears to have been dropped. Sony Musicclearly didn’t “get jiggy with it” for him.

Who will be No.1 this week…?

You’ll have to wait until tomorrow as I didn’t get chance to do my musicchart analysis today.

New DVDs and widescreen videos out this week

The new DVDs out this week include :

February 6th :

Maurice comes out of the closet on DVD…

James Wilby and Hugh Grant star in this gay drama from theMerchant Ivory stable, in a film also featuring Rupert Graves, SimonCallow and Denholm Elliott.Mauriceis online and out on DVD now.

The Mummy – less extras than I thought…

Thanks to Julian K who pointed out that Jerry Goldsmith‘s isolatedmusic score is missing from this disc, in comparison with the Region 1 DVD.Read the updatedonline review

Brits out for the lads…

As stated on Wednesday, The Brits 2000 award winners are divulged on March 3rd,but while Jamie Theakston wasn’t allowed to present them, thanks tohis BBC contract, the honours have sadly gone to braindead bimbo, Davina McCall.

February 5th :

Anthony Hopkins goes up the old Howard’s End on DVD…

Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter and VanessaRedgrave star in another Merchant Ivory production,Howard’s End,which is online and out on DVD now.

FourText test transmissions at ONdigital…

Watching via the Winter Hill transmitter I have now experience the testtransmissions of FourText. More info can be found in myONdigital review.

The Mummy UNCUT – exclusive to DVD…?

It certainly seems so. As you can see, the picture sleeve states a “Full UncutVersion”, which it is, but I presumed the video was also complete. It nowtranspires the video is a censored 12-cert version.

The BBFC stopped giving out dual certificates for the same film withDie Hard 2 on P&S (15-cert) and WS (18-cert) video, hence the reasonwhy the subsequent Terminator 2: T1000 Edition was still censoreddespite purporting to be the full special edition.

The video box for The Mummy (P&S version) I saw in Asda had a 12-certand just a pic of the Mummy’s “face” on its own. I wasn’t sure if either theBBFC had changed their minds (since the 15-cert version isn’t any sort ofofficial “director’s cut” – which would mean they would treat it as a separatefilm) or Asda just had a few standard promo boxes on display.

However, thanks goes to Paul Ellis on the DVD-UK mailing list for confirmingthe BBFC’s change of heart.

The review can be foundHERE

February 3rd :

Julie Christie experiences the Heat and Dust of India on DVD…

Julie Christie, Greta Scacci and Christopher Cazenove tell afamily tale set where curries are King, inHeat and Dust,which is online and out on DVD now.

February 2nd :

Channel changes at ONdigital…

As of yesterday, anyone who performed a “Store Channels” will have noted somechanges in the line-up, even though most of the new channels aren’t yetoperational. A full summary of the new channels, the new multiplex arrangementsand what exactly the changes are, can be found in myONdigital review.

Updated cinema listings…

Stuck for something to do this weekend? Live in the Manchester area? The listof the films showing at
Manchester Showcase Cinemacan be found on this page.This week’s new films are : American Beautyand House on Haunted Hill.

Brits 2000 – who’s in the running…?The programme is due for broadcast on March 3rd when we shall learn of thewinners, but for now content yourself with who’s in the running for the gongs :

Best British Group: Blur; Gomez; Stereophonics; Texas; Travis.

Best British Album: Remedy – Basement Jaxx; Surrender – The ChemicalBrothers; Liquid Skin – Gomez; Performance And Cocktails – Stereophonics; TheMan Who – Travis.

Best British Newcomer: Adam Rickitt; Ann Lee; Charlotte Church; MartineMcCutcheon; S Club 7; Groove Armada; Phats & Small; Shanks & Bigfoot;Spacedust; Wamdue Project; Fierce; Glamma Kid; Honeyz; Kele Le Roc; Jamelia;Beta Band; Death In Vegas; Gay Dad; UNKLE; Wiseguys.

Best British Dance Act: Basement Jaxx; The Chemical Brothers; FatboySlim; Jamiroquai; Leftfield.

Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me;Notting Hill; Star Wars – Episode 1: The Phantom Menace; Fight Club; TheMatrix.

Best International Group: Beastie Boys; The Cardigans; Mercury Rev;Red Hot Chili Peppers; TLC.

Best International Newcomer: Britney Spears; Eminem; Jennifer Lopez;Macy Gray; Semisonic.

Best International Male Solo Artist: Beck; Eminem; Moby; Ricky Martin;Will Smith.

Best British Male Solo Artist: Tom Jones; David Bowie; Ian Brown;Sting; Van Morrison.

Best International Female Solo Artist: Britney Spears; Jennifer Lopez;Macy Gray; Mary J Blige; Whitney Houston.

Best British Female Solo Artist: Beth Orton; Beverley Knight;Gabrielle; Geri Halliwell; Melanie C.

Best British Single: Red Alert – Basement Jaxx; Moving – Supergrass;Sing It Back – Moloko; Tender – Blur; She’s The One – Robbie Williams; WhyDoes It Always Rain On Me? – Travis; Praise You – Fatboy Slim; You Stole TheSun From My Heart – Manic Street Preachers; Hey Boy, Hey Girl – The ChemicalBrothers; Sweet Like Chocolate – Shanks & Bigfoot.

Best British Video: Windowlicker – Aphex Twin; Praise You – Fatboy Slim;She’s The One – Robbie Williams; Let Forever Be – The Chemical Brothers;Pumping On Your Stereo – Supergrass.

Best Pop Act: Keep On Movin’ – Five; Mi Chico Latino – Geri Halliwell;2 Times – Ann Lee; Perfect Moment – Martine McCutcheon; Bring It All Back -S Club 7; Heartbreak/Tragedy – Steps.

February 1st :

Will Britney’s Bristols be at No.1 or will Gabrielle ‘rise’ to the top…?

To find out the answer to that visit mymusic chart analysis page

Dom Robinson

Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.

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