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July 30th : Sam J Jones gets his shining moment in Flash Gordon on DVD…”Sam J Jones, Timothy Dalton and Topol star inFlash Gordonout on DVD now. Queer as Folk moved back another 2 weeks…Originally scheduled for July 19th, then moved to August 16th, this double-DVDset is now set for release on August 30th. Why? What’s on TV this week? Saturday :Fans of Will Smith can see THE MAKING OF WILD WILD WEST (ITV, 1.10pm)Channel 4 continue their Withnail Weekend with a documentary: WITHNAIL ANDUS (C4, 10.35pm), WITHNAIL ON THE PIER (C4, 11.10pm) and the filmitself WITHNAIL AND I (C4, 11.15pm). Elsewhere in the world of comedy,ITV offer JACKIE MASON: THE PEOPLE’S CHAMPION (ITV, 11pm) and BBC havea repeat of BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS III (BBC1, 9.40pm) andWAYNE’S WORLD (BBC1, 10.40pm). Meanwhile, Sky have the excellent dramaBOOGIE NIGHTS (Sky Premier, 10pm) but a cropped 4:3 presentation will beeven worse than the UK DVD which is cropped from 2.35:1 to 1.85:1. Sunday :HOLLYOAKS (C4, 11am) is back in its regular slot. Lewis confrontsMorgan about his plans for the yard, while Luke challenges Mandy over herfeelings for Sol. In CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), Mike confides inDeirdre. MARK LAMARR LEAVING THE 20TH CENTURY (BBC2, 9.30pm) is joinedby musician, poet and political campaigner Tom Robinson. A TIME TO KILL(BBC1, 9.05pm) is an entertaining film when seen in its original widescreenratio, even if the ending is rather optimistic, but cropped to 4:3 you may aswell give it a miss, especially with the censoring the film will receive. Isaw this film on a 9am flight to Tenerife two years ago and it certainly wasn’tthe sort of family fare I was expecting, but it was much better in the cinema.The bizarre thing was that the opening attack scene on the girl was sensitivelyhandled by director Joel Schumacher, but sliced to bits for an airline versionmade seem ten times worse. Monday :Maud finds love in CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm) and Maxine doesn’twant Gary to be Ashley’s best man. Dan and Bianca’s affair grows out of controlin EASTENDERS (BBC1, 8pm), while a ghost from the past unsettles Jamie.The Withnail Weekend concludes with THE PECULIAR MEMORIES OF BRUCEROBINSON (C4, 11.55pm), a film about the director, and another filmHOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING (C4, 12.45am). Tuesday :Phil’s concerns for Jamie deepens, while Barry pushes Natalie over the edgein EASTENDERS (BBC1, 7.30pm). Ryan gets to see his daughter inBROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm), while Lindsey catches Susannah and Greg doing thenaughty. In THE BILL (ITV, 8pm), Proctor is sent to investigate the rapeof a young mentally-ill patient, but there are complications… Wednesday :Fred suspects that Maud’s fiancee Sid may have ulterior motives inCORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm). Will Nikki stand by Jerome as he getsin deep trouble in BROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm) ? Should I still carry on watchingLOVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY (C4, 9.30pm) when 30 mins isn’t enough to playout a one-off story each week so it always ends in a predictable fashion ?Keith Allen starts a 6-part drama as a tough probation officer inJACK OF HEARTS (BBC1, 9.30pm). Thursday :Ian gets the truth out of Melanie, Jamie meets the devil and Dan and Bianca……oh who cares. It’s EASTENDERS (BBC1, 7.30pm) again. Beech and Glazehave a nasty assignment in Shadwell prison in THE BILL (ITV, 9pm).THE VIEWING ROOM (BBC2, 11.15pm) is BBC’s monthly late-night reincarnationof Biteback and it’s the final episode of OZ (C4, 12.15am), in whichSaid rejects freedom and Hill finds a way out of prison. Friday :Fred and Sid’s outing has a tragic conclusion in CORONATION STREET(ITV, 7.30pm), while Ken becomes a ‘trolley dolly’ at Freshco’s. Mr Moore andJimmy get their revenge on Sinbad and Tim in BROOKSIDE (C4, 8.30pm).BBC1 follow up their season of crap films with the exceedingly dullUNDER SIEGE (BBC1, 9.30pm), but things improve a bit with ONCE AROUND(BBC1, 12.20am) starring Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter. July 29th : CIN Music Chart scandal for w/e July 10th 1999.I have only just been able to bring this to you but it makes for interestingreading and my source wishes to remain anonymous :
Some of you may already know about the scandal surrounding CIN. Errors atboth Millward-Brown and CIN resulted in about a third of sales being lost forthe chart w/e 7th July 1999.
Millward-Brown collects sales data from independent stores by a fully automatedprocess, dialling into record shops computers each night. For the big chains,though, they collect their data in-house and provide these figures in one lumpto to Millward-Brown. 80% of singles and 85% of albums are sold in specialistmultiples (eg. HMV, Virgin, Our Price), general multiples (eg. Boots, WH Smith)and supermarkets (eg. Asda, Woolworths), only the rest in independent shops,local chains or by other means.
The error occured when two of the large specialist multiples upgraded computersystems and moved their IT headquarter from London to Bristol on Thursday 1stJuly. Millward-Brown received correct figures for Sunday to Wednesday, butcouldn’t restore data-connections until late on Friday. Sales data for Thursday,Friday and Saturday didn’t arrive until Sunday morning when it was reportedlytoo late to deal with the alterted format supplied by the new computer systemsat Virgin & Our Price.
In the meantime an bizarre chart rule kicked in: sales figures have to be erasedin case that store’s data hasn’t been updated for three consecutive days withina chart week. This internal rule was originally initiated as a safeguard toprohibit corrupted or inaccurate data to reach the chart. In this case thoughit meant that ALL sales from the two chains were missing when the chart wascompiled on Sunday morning. Virgin accounts for about 8% of singles and 8% ofalbum sales, Our Price for 15% and 11%, respectively.
In effect well over 20% of sales failed to register in the charts published onSunday 4th July 1999 (for w/e 10th July 1999). That is also reflected whenweek-on-week sales were reported by Music Week as down by 31.5% for singles(from 1.6m to 1.1m), -16.8% for artist albums and -13.0% for compilations.
Despite the grave errors (CIN director Omar Maskatiya: “This is the most seriouscase of missing data we have had.”), CIN continues to refuse re-running thecharts claiming that confidentiality agreements could be breached. When signingup to CIN, record stores are guaranteed confidentiality in matters like marketshares (for individual shops/chains or individual titles). From corrected chartdata rivals could deduce such important industry `secrets’.
Many industry figures called for a re-run, including Music Week editor AjaxScott, Blur manager Chris Morrison, and Universal directors Steve Gallant &Marc Marot. Blur’s recent single “Coffee & TV” missed out on a top ten place byonly a small number, as did MCA’s act Semisonic. Music Week quotes Morrison:”It was completely inaccurate information. We lost a third or maybe 40% of oursales by not having information from those shops.” Scott comments that a re-run”would allow all those artists who had achived particular sales status such as aTop 10 placing to claim what is rightfully theirs” and “it would clear up amessy situation and silence any lingering doubts about what might have been.The sooner that is done the better.”
The latest is that negotiations between Millward Brown and Virgin have beencompleted successfully and that there will be a re-run chart for July 10th1999.
Music Week reports this week that Virgin has agreed not to object for revisedversions to be compiled and published under the provision that no sales datathat can identify the chains market share is released. Bob Barnes, chartsdirector at Millward Brown, has `earmarked’ this week (w/c Monday July 26th1999) to start revising the data, “although he is waiting to receive the goahead from CIN”.
More news as and when it happens and I’m able to report it here.
Kurt Russell insists: “Call me Snake…”Kurt Russell attempts toEscape From New Yorkin the 1981 John Carpenter original with Donald Pleasance, Ernest Borgnineand Lee Van Cleef out on DVD now. DVD and Widescreen video and laserdisc lists updated…Now online are the fully updated lists for :
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 weeks new films are: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me andre-releases of Dr Dolittle and Toy Storyand a review ofThe Matrixis online now.
July 28th : Gary Oldman and the Robinsons get Lost In Space on DVD…Gary Oldman leads the Robinson family into trouble (William Hurt,Mimi Rogers, Jack Johnson, Heather Graham and Lacey Chabert) withMatt Le Blanc in tow when he gets themLost In Spaceout on DVD now.
July 27th : Al Pacino befriends Johnny Depp as Donnie Brasco on DVD…Johnny Depp is the eponymous jewellery ‘expert’Donnie Brascowho meets up with Al Pacino in this gangster thriller out on DVD now.
July 26th : Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman go in search of a killer in Se7en on DVD…Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, R. Lee Ermey and Gwyneth Paltrow starin David Fincher‘s psychological thrillerSe7enout on DVD now. Will Five – 4 2 B @ No.1 this week ?…Find out now on mymusic chart analysis page New DVDs and widescreen videos out this weekThe new DVDs available this week include :
The new widescreen videos available this week include :
July 25th : Martin Sheen and Michael Jai White star in the Director’s Cut of Spawn on DVD…Michael Jai White stars in the disfigured, eponymous lead role alongsideMartin Sheen, John Leguizamo and Theresa Randle forSpawn: Director’s Cutout on DVD now.
July 23rd : Ewan and Cameron dream of A Life Less Ordinary on DVD…Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz star in a romantic comedy fromthe director of Trainspotting :A Life Less Ordinaryout on DVD now. What’s on TV this week? Saturday :Er…pass. Sunday :HOLLYOAKS (C4, 9.30am) starts early this week because Channel 4 arewasting the day by showing cricket. MY WONDERFUL LIFE 3 finished lastweek but the canned-laughterless comedy can be found at the same time on theother side with Paul Bown, Jo Unwin and Philip Jackson in THE LAST SALUTE 2(BBC1, 7pm). In CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), Ravi drops a bombshellon Alma and Vera gets in a tizz over Jack. Channel 4 start a dyslexia seasonwith a documentary DYSLEXIC GENIUS (C4, 8.30pm) featuring people suchas actress Katrin Cartlidge, games designer Peter Molyneux and “Lock Stock..”director Guy Ritchie. MARK LAMARR LEAVING THE 20TH CENTURY (BBC2, 9.30pm)discusses television this week with political correspondent John Sergeant.Those looking for a film comedy can turn to EMPIRE RECORDS (BBC2, 12am)starring Anthony Lapaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Renee Zellweger andLiv Tyler. Monday :Alma finds out more about Mike’s affairs and Sally has her worst fearsconfirmed in CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm). In EASTENDERS(BBC1, 8pm), Dot rhymes with Pot, and that’s exactly what the police call roundto have a chat about with her. I’ve given up with LIFE SUPPORT(BBC1, 9.30pm). Given its tendancy to concentrate mainly on the staffrelationships, it’s just “Casualty in Glasgow” and I needed subtitles tounderstand a bloody word they were saying. Film comedy is available in theguise of STEPTOE AND SON (ITV, 1.05am). This is the one where Haroldmarries the stripper. Tuesday :Bianca and Dan still have the battle lines drawn in EASTENDERS(BBC1, 7.30pm). Margi tries to get Greg’s fire lit in BROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm)while Jason goes on the warpath. In THE BILL (ITV, 8pm), Smith and Holmes- a new double-act? 🙂 – pose as a would-be bride and groom to smash an illegalimmigration racket. Tonight sees the final part of the entertaining butover-optimistic HOPE AND GLORY (BBC1, 9.30pm). TOBACCO WARS(BBC1, 10.20pm) interviews the once-great Alex “Hurricane” Higgins who blamefree ciggies from the sponsors during snooker matches for his cancer, not thefact that he was the one who stuck them in his gob and smoke ’em, thus ignoringall the warnings. D’oh! Wednesday :Deirdre leaves the factory in CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm) and Lindais pleased that her secret is out. Katie and Ryan get back together inBROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm), while Greg worries over his affair…again.LOVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY (C4, 9.30pm) continues with a tale about athreesome starring Marsha Thompson, Kate Ashfield and Oliver Milburn. Thursday :Dan and Bianca continue attempting to bore the audience by dragging out theirdull storyline in EASTENDERS (BBC1, 7.30pm), while Gianni tries to savethe restaurant (what a shame if they had to leave the square !). Carver attemptsto fuck his career up good and proper by sleeping with a whore in THE BILL(ITV, 9pm). James Gandolfini’s star is definitely in the ascendancy as thefourth of 13 episodes of THE SOPRANOS (C4, 10pm) is broadcast. Finally,in OZ (C4, 12.10am), Nappa sets out to destroy Adebisi and Ryan’sbrother is imprisoned for murder. Friday :Leanne goes OTT at the casino and Jack prepares to enter death’s door inCORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm). Jason and Jerome come to blows inBROOKSIDE (C4, 8.30pm). Paul Merton finds out what Michael Parkinsonhates in ROOM 101 (BBC2, 10pm). BBC1 follow up their season of crapfilms after last week’s VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN with this week’sVIRTUOSITY (BBC1, 9.30pm), and a review of the PAL Laserdisc can be foundHERE.There’s another comedy compilation for NOT THE 9 O’CLOCK NEWS (BBC2, 9pm)and Vic & Bob appear as guests on TELEVISION’S GREATEST HITS (BBC1, 8.30pm).Finally, Channel 4 show a precusor for a themed weekend with WITHNAIL WEEKEND:I DEMAND TO HAVE SOME BOOZE (C4, 12.05am) 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 weeks new films are: re-releases of Waking Ned and Mulanand a review ofThe Matrixis online now.
July 22nd : Jim Carrey becomes a different man when he puts on The Mask…Jim Carrey aims to romance Cameron Diaz in thespecial-effects-laden comedyThe Maskout on DVD now.
July 21st : Become the Kingpin of the underworld on your PC now…Interplay take the Quake II engine, set it in Moss Side andpepper it with enough bad language to make the Goodfellas blush. It’scalledKingpin in a comedy with Drew Barrymoreand its out to buy now.
July 19th : Adam Sandler is The Wedding Singer on DVD…Adam Sandler carves out a career asThe Wedding Singer in a comedy with Drew Barrymore out on DVD now. Is Ricky Martin still living the crazy life at the top of the charts ?…Find out now on mymusic chart analysis page New DVDs out this weekThe following should be in the shops from today :
- 5th Day of Peace (19.99, Parallax)
- The Acid House (18, 19.99, VCI)
- Bad Boys (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
- Boys From The Blackstuff (15, 19.99, Parallax)
- Custer of the West (U, 19.99, Parallax)
- Dinosaurs: The Official DVD (19.99, Digital Entertainment Ltd)
- Edge Of Darkness (15, 19.99, Parallax)
- Jackie Chan – Fire Dragon (18, 19.99, Parallax)
- Jackie Chan – Shaolin Wooden Man (18, 19.99, Parallax)
- Jackie Chan – The Young Tiger (18, 19.99, Parallax)
- Krakatoa East Of Java (PG, 19.99, Parallax)
- M.D. Geist DC (15, 19.99, Parallax)
- The Opposite of Sex (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
July 18th : Kurt Russell tackles fires in Backdraft on DVD…Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Scott Glenn, Jennifer JasonKeigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland and J.T. Walsh starin Ron Howard‘sBackdraftout on DVD now. Pet Shop Boys set to release new single tomorrow…
Tomorrow sees the new single from the Pet Shop Boys, entitled IDon’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give It Any More with two CDsingles, the first of which is an enhanced CD containing the video in MPEG1format (the same as Video CD quality), and a cassette, while a 6-track 12″single, so not chart-eligible, to come next week.More details can be found at their homepage :www.petshopboys.co.uk
July 17th : Evil Dead 2 from BMG now out on DVD…Thanks to Richard Larcombe on behalf of BMG for Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawnwhich I received yesterday. A review will follow in due course, but for nowhere’s a brief resume of what you can expect from it.
Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn (£15.99): 4:3 open-matte, brief production notes.There are no subtitles but is very well chaptered.
M.I.A. DVD titles coming in September…Thanks again to Richard Larcombe, but this time on behalf of M.I.A. for infoon forthcoming titles from two very different genres, but all released onSeptember 6th :
A Better Tomorrow and Return of the God of Gamblers: Both are£19.99 each, in widescreen with original language and English subtitles,digitally remastered, Dolby Digital sound, original cinema trailers and a4-6-page booklet containing movie notes and other info.
Ben Dover In London and Ben Behaving Badly: Ben and his “randycam”go hunting for new flesh (and not of the Videodrome kind) with theseDVDs which are in Dolby Digital sound (the mind boggles!) which will alsoinclude a selection of stills from his private gallery. M.I.A. will continueto release four new DVD titles per month throughout the Autumn.
Entertainment in Video July 26th DVD releasesFurther information came regarding the next batch of EiV titles :
Best of the bunch is Blade which is in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound but the restappear to be in Dolby ProLogic only and if their past record is anything to goby, the DD5.1 titles are anamorphic, while the ProLogic ones are not.
Blade (£19.99): theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, stills, castand crew interview bites, special effects section, designing Blade sectionand a behind-the-scenes feature. Worryingly, this title states “16:9 ratio” onthe back cover so I hope they don’t repeat the travesty of Boogie Nightsand crop the picture!
The Long Kiss Goodnight (£17.99): theatrical trailer,’making of’ featurette and stunt scenes action.
Dark City (£19.99): with ‘making of’ featurette and trailer.
Tombstone (£15.99): trailer and ‘making of’ featurette.
Last Man Standing (£15.99): trailer and ‘making of’ featurette.
Set It Off (£15.99): theatrical trailer, music video.
Once Were Warriors (£15.99): rumoured to be 4:3 only while therest are widescreen.
Mortal Kombat II: Annihilation (£15.99) has been put back toAugust 16th and should contain the theatrical trailer, cast and crew interviewbites.
July 16th : Bridget Fonda has a room to rent in Single White Female on DVD…Bridget Fonda takes in the room-mate from hell when Jennifer JasonLeigh comes to stay inSingle White Femaleout on DVD now. Columbia TriStar’s August DVD releases…Twelve DVDs are planned for release in August from Columbia, namely :
Day and date with rental video:
Pre-retail-VHS releases on DVD:
Classic Film releases:
And the rest:
July 15th : Gary Oldman gets ’em out (his fangs) for Dracula on DVD…Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, Sadie Frost and KeanuReeves ham it up for Francis Ford Coppola‘sBram Stoker’s Draculaout on DVD now. The Acid House reaches DVD on July 19th…Thanks to Amanda Evans on behalf of VCI for The Acid House which Ireceived – another Irvine Welsh-scripted film, also starring Trainspotting‘sEwan Bremner and Kevin McKidd as well as Men Behaving Badly‘sMartin Clunes. Bruce Willis’ Mercury is Rising on PAL Laserdisc next month…Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin star in the thriller MercuryRising to be released next month for £19.99 and the disc also containsthe original theatrical trailer. Thanks to Julie @ Pioneer.
July 14th : Arnie gets a Raw Deal on DVD…Arnold Schwarzenegger duffs up the bad guys and cracks a few skullsinRaw Dealout on DVD now and co-starring Sam Wanamaker, Robert Davi andKathryn Harrold. DVD and Widescreen video lists updated…Now online are the fully updated lists for :
July 13th : Jim Carrey finds he just can’t tell the truth in Liar Liar on DVD…Jim Carrey is a hot-shot lawyer, but his big mouth might just be hisdownfall inLiar Liarout on DVD now and co-starring Maura Tierney, Cary Elwes and SwoosieKurtz. Will there be another No.1 or is it all a load of No.2’s ?…Find out now on mymusic chart analysis page
July 12th : DVD and Widescreen video lists updated…Now online are the fully updated lists for :
Dustin Hoffman stars in The Graduate on DVD…Dustin Hoffman finds there’s more to learn after leaving college in theguise of Anne Bancroft inThe Graduateout on DVD now. Fox DVD releases for 1999/2000 DVD Debate have had the problematictitles translated, which results in :
All are rumoured to be anamorphic as well.
New DVDs and widescreen videos out this weekThe new DVDs available this week include :
The new widescreen videos available this week include :
July 11th : Fox DVD releases for 1999/2000Thanks toDVD Inside for the followinginformation on Fox DVD releases between now and next year. Some titles are inGerman and there are a few I can’t translate. Help required please with those :
September 2nd 1999:
October 1999:
November 1999:
February 2000:
March 2000:
April 2000:
May 2000:
July 10th : What’s on TV this week? Saturday :Another Saturday, another meagre schedule. Especially when the only thingworth watching is a repeat of MELROSE PLACE (C5, 12.55pm), but at leastsomeone’s showing an episode when Sky One can’t be bothered to screen newepisodes and it must be two years since Sky last showed anything. There’s acouple of good films but neither will be in widescreen: A LEAGUE OF THEIROWN (ITV, 2.20pm) and STARSHIP TROOPERS (Sky Premier, 10pm).Fans of Hudson Leick will be pleased to know that XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS(C5, 8.05pm) features The Return of Callisto. Sunday :In HOLLYOAKS (C4, 11am), Lewis has made a decision about Beth.MY WONDERFUL LIFE 3 (ITV, 7pm), has Donna realising that Bridget andRoger are now an item, while Rhiannon “persuades” Donna and Phil to sing at theschool concert. In CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), Linda drops abombshell on Mike, while Jack and Vera get a new lodger. SOME MOTHERS DO’AVE ‘EM (BBC2, 7pm) changes its place in the schedule altogether and nowno longer screens on a Thursday. Jerome Flynn and Rebecca Lacey star in a newBBC1 6-part drama series, BADGER (BBC1, 8.30pm), written by TomorrowWorld’s Kieran Prendiville. Meanwhile, Jimmy McGovern gets his pen out againto write the wrong with the story of the DOCKERS (C4, 10pm) withRicky Tomlinson. Monday :In CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), Linda courts trouble with Mike,while Tyrone is happy in his new home. Teresa receives some painful news fromMatthew in EASTENDERS (BBC1, 8pm), while Natalie and Ricky go shoppingto buy a surprise pressie for Bianca. Tuesday :Bianca gives Dan an ultimatum in EASTENDERS (BBC1, 7.30pm) and Carolis upset at being stood up. Will Jessie tell Margi that Greg has betrayed herin BROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm) ? Katie wonders what’s wrong with Ryan andVictoria rids herself of Mark (under the patio?). Reg Hollis’ caravan getstorched in THE BILL (ITV, 8pm) and if you really really must need tosuffer, tune into the terrible BABES IN THE WOOD (ITV, 10pm), now inits second series, with Madeleine Curtis replacing Sam Janus. Wednesday :Gail makes Leanne a financial offer she can’t refuse in CORONATION STREET(ITV, 7.30pm), while the subject of money puts Alma and Mike right off theirdinner. The Susannah and Greg affair continues apace in BROOKSIDE (C4,8pm), while Nikki looks forward to a new start. Those of you who like to wastehalf-an-hour a week can look forward to the return (again) of DAYS LIKETHESE (ITV, 10.25pm) Thursday :Dan asks Carol an important question in EASTENDERS (BBC1, 7.30pm),while Ricky and Carol’s big surprise for Bianca goes wrong big-time. Deakinsnares an international drugs dealer in THE BILL (ITV, 9pm). JamesGandolfini stars in the pilot episode, showing as part of a double-bill, aboutthe family life of a middle-aged mobster in THE SOPRANOS (C4, 10pm).In OZ (C4, 12.20am), Adebisi poisons Schibetta and Poet finally getshis parole. Friday :Jack gets the results of his angiogram in CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm)while Maxine benefits from a friend’s misfortune. Ryan comes clean to Katiein BROOKSIDE (C4, 8.30pm), leaving her unsure about their relationship.BBC1 pretend to have a TWO RONNIES NIGHT (BBC1, 8pm), but it’s a veryshort night that only runs for a mere two hours, not including the break forthe news halfway through.
July 8th : BMG and Medusa releases now out on DVD…Thanks to Richard Larcombe on behalf of BMG and Medusa for the following DVDs I receivedyesterday. Reviews will follow in due course, but for now here’s a brief resume of whatyou can expect from them.
All of the following are not anamorphic, have no subtitles and retailfor £15.99 each. The film titles are also very well chaptered.
The Graduate: 2.35:1 widescreen, original theatrical trailer, stills gallery, movieposter.
Manhunter: 2.35:1 widescreen, production notes, info on each of the three HannibalLecter novels, Red Dragon (Manhunter), Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal,brief biography of Thomas Harris.
Escape From New York: 2.35:1 widescreen, production notes, animated menu with soundeffects.
Flash Gordon: 2.35:1 widescreen, stills gallery, animated menu and a scene selectionmenu in the style of a colourful comic book.
Raw Deal: 4:3 open-matte fullscreen, biography, filmography which also tells us thatTerminator 3 is due out next year. That’s the first I’ve heard of it.
Playboy: Voluptuous Vixens: Traci Topps and Busty Dusty are just two of the girlsdefying the laws of gravity in this Playboy feature.
Playboy: The Best of Anna Nicole Smith: Anna Nicole Smith. Naked. Er…that’s it.:)
July 7th : Spawn back from the dead ?…For now it seems it is as the DVD is working fine on my player now (theCreative Encore Dxr2 DVD-ROM drive) whereas it wasn’t last night. Haven’thad such problems with any other titles so I wonder what strange forces wereat work…?
Bizarrely, The Wedding Singer still has the same problems with the v.3.5drivers for the DVD-ROM, but not with the v.2.0 drivers…
July 6th : Richard Gere gets in big trouble in China in Red Corner on DVD…Richard Gere is accused of a murder of which he has no knowledge as heis woken up drunk. He maintains his innocence but can lawyer Bai Lingget him set free in a country where you are presumed guilty first ? Find outinRed Cornerout on DVD now. Entertainment in Video’s second batch of DVD releases: First lookPrior to full reviews appearing on each, here’s a run down on the titles. Allare widescreen…and again it’s a case of feast or famine.
In the anamorphic corner :
The Mask (£19.99): It looks and sounds gorgeous, has an animatedmenu and contains a theatrical trailer, interview bites, the cast, B-roll,’making of’ featurette, director’s commentary and English subtitles.
The Wedding Singer (£19.99): Looks equally good, again withanimated menus with a theatrical trailer, biographies and English subtitles.There’s a problem with the main menu, in that the moving pictures takenfrom the film break up slightly as if the frame-rate can’t catch up. The othermenus look fine though.
Lost in Space (£19.99) is the cream of the crop with superbanimated and scored menus containing crew information, 2 music videos, deletedscenes, US and International trailers, behind-the-scenes special effects,stills, cast biographies and production notes.
Note that on initial inspection, none of the above seem to suffer from“fat-face syndrome”, in that the anamorphic titles from the firstbatch of releases, Boogie Nights and Wag the Dog looked ratherTOO stretched in anamorphic mode.
In the “what’s anamorphic?” corner :
Seven (£17.99). For a non-anamorphic transfer it at leastlooks good, but at times the subtitles fall two seconds behind the speech.Also contains a theatrical trailer and ‘making of’ featurette.
Donnie Brasco (£15.99). Contains a theatrical trailer and’making of’ featurette. The back cover states it has English subtitles but theyare not to be found on the disc.
Spawn: Director’s Cut (£19.99). According to the box it hasa director’s commentary, ‘making of’ featurette, interviews and Englishsubtitles. However, I couldn’t find out as after seeing the copyright warningand EiV logo, when I do get something onscreen afterwards, the main menuappears, followed by each of the scene selection screens at half-secondintervals. Then the film starts, but if I try to go back to the main menuafterwards, it crashes! Can anyone help? I have a Creative Encore Dxr2 DVD-ROMdrive and this has never happened before.
July 5th : Mara Wilson charms her way through school in Matilda on DVD…Mara Wilson stars alongside Danny DeVito, Rhea Pearlman, EmbethDavidtz and Pam Ferris in this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classictale,Matildaout on DVD now. Will there be another No.1 or is it all a load of No.2’s ?…Find out now on mymusic chart analysis page
July 4th : Kevin Costner goes in search of dry land in Waterworld on DVD…Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Tina Majorinostar in the most expensive film which didn’t bring home the bacon,Waterworldout on DVD now.
July 3rd : Queer as Folk moved back 4 weeks…Originally scheduled for July 19th, this double-DVD set is now set for releaseon August 16th.
July 2nd : The Killing Zone comes to DVD…two weeks later…Thanks to Claire on behalf of Third Millenium Distribution for confirmingthat while the VHS is still due out on time, the DVD has been put back twoweeks to July 26th. What’s on TV this week? Saturday :There’s only one thing worth a look today and that’s the last episode in thefirst series of GAME ON (BBC2, 9.20pm), while the laughter willimmediately cease when a “comedian” takes the stage for AN AUDIENCE WITHJIMMY TARBUCK (ITV, 10.10pm). ITV ratings are sure to plummet earlier thoughwith GIVE YOUR MATE A BREAK (ITV, 6.55pm), a 6-part talent show hostedby Les Dennis. If you want to see Michael Jackson set on fire and literallyfall from grace, watch MICHAEL JACKSON AND FRIENDS: A CONCERT FOR KOSOVO’SCHILDREN (BBC1, 10.40pm). Nostradamus said the world will end on July 4th,1999, so Channel 4 have a NOSTRADAMUS NIGHT (ITV, from 8.30pm) featuringseveral programmes about him, including the 1994 film, NOSTRADAMUS(C4, 12.10am) starring Tcheky Karyo in the title role. Anyone after a differentfilm can take their pick from TANK GIRL (C5, 10.50pm), THE PRINCE OFTIDES (ITV, 11.10pm) or the original THE MUMMY (BBC2, 1.10am) oron Sky, THE PEACEMAKER (Sky Premier, 8pm). Sunday :In HOLLYOAKS (C4, 11am), Carol has a secret weapon on the night of thecollege ball and Tony is left in a compromising position with Lucy. MeanwhileSol is traumatised by an incident at the prison and Beth only has eyes forLewis. Neil Morrissey is a guest on FROSTRUP ON SUNDAY (C5, 1.20pm).In MY WONDERFUL LIFE 3 (ITV, 7pm), clearly still running, Donna takes uppottery in an attempt to forget about Roger, while Alan’s job comes underthreat. In CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), Kevin and Alison move intogether and the factory girls fear for their jobs. MARK LAMARR LEAVINGTHE 20TH CENTURY (BBC2, 9.30pm) starts a 6-part series in which he airs somehighly personal opinions on a selection of contemporary topics. Channel 5 cometo the end of their ‘Sci-Five’ weekend, ie. show a load of old sci-fi films,with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (C5, 9pm) and MORWENNA BANKSSCI-FI SPECIAL (C5, 11.30pm), while other films of note come in the formof the excellentTRAINSPOTTING(C4, 10pm) and BELLE EPOQUE (C4, 2.35am) Monday :Fans of NEIGHBOURS (BBC1, 1.40pm) should note it returns to its normaltime. In CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), Leanne decides Nick can havea divorce – at a price, while Fred gives Ashley and Maxine his blessing.Teresa goes to visit Matthew in prison in EASTENDERS (BBC1, 8pm),while Irene persuades Rosa to enter a local competition. A new series ofJUST A MINUTE (Radio 4, 6.30pm) starts tonight and Stephen Fry is oneof the guests. Tuesday :Bianca reaches boiling point in EASTENDERS (BBC1, 7.30pm),while the court reaches their verdict in BROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm).Quinnan gets to guard a prisoner in hospital in THE BILL (ITV, 8pm),not knowing that he has a gun. The third part of the entertaining butimplausible HOPE AND GLORY (BBC1, 9.30pm) is on while Brendan Cooganstarts a new series combining elements of quiz shows and docusoaps inBALLS (ITV, 10.30pm). BBC1 continue to screen the excellent CHICAGOHOPE (BBC1, 11.40pm) but with two episodes one after the other and on atsuch a late time, it shows they don’t care about the ratings. Wednesday :The Platts are stunned as Leanne names her price in CORONATION STREET(ITV, 7.30pm) and Alman goes on a date. Sinbad’s pies come back to haunt himin BROOKSIDE (C4, 8pm), while a mystery illness threatens Ron’s bigday. Sci-fans can look forward to OMNIBUS: THE STORY OF STAR WARS(BBC1, 10pm). Thursday :Bianca and Ricky flee after Grant’s birthday turns sour in EASTENDERS(BBC1, 7.30pm). PC Garfield cops off with the nurse again in THE BILL(ITV, 9pm), while SOME MOTHERS DO ‘AVE ‘EM (BBC2, 9.50pm) moves back50 mins in the schedule. In OZ (C4, 11.40pm), Augustus Hill’s courtappeal is turned down despite the efforts of Said. Friday :Alison and Kevin get a surprise gate-crasher at their house-warming partyin CORONATION STREET (ITV, 7.30pm), while Fred stuns his dinner guestswith a shocking revelation. Bill Bailey appears in DES O’CONNOR TONIGHT(ITV, 8pm), while Matt and Bosko have some explaining to do in BROOKSIDE(C4, 8.30pm).
July 1st : 3 more Polygram DVDs released next Monday…Monday, July 5th sees the release of three more DVDs from Polygram all priced at £17.99apiece :
Hard Rain: Christian Slater, Morgan Freeman and Randy Quaid get soaking wet when a heist goes wrong as the town is flooded. The film is available in fullscreen and 2.35:1 widescreen (anamorphic)formats with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.
A Life Less Ordinary: Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo and Dan Hedaya star in a kidnapping comedy. The film is available in fullscreen and 1.85:1 widescreen (anamorphic)formats with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Both this and Hard Rain are DVD-9dual-layer discs with both versions on the same side so do not require anyflipping to see the other version.
Sultans of Swing: The Best of Dire Straits: You’ve heard the songs,one in ten people have bought the “Brothers In Arms” album and now thevideo compilation is set to be released on DVD.
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 weeks new films are: Entrapment, Virtual Sexuality and Belly and a review ofThe Matrixis online now.
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.