September 30th 2000:

Rambo 3

Certificate:15

Certificate:15

Certificate:18

90 min

92 min

97 min

Picture
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1

Picture
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1

Picture
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1

Sound Format
English Dolby Surround
German Dolby Surround (remixed)
Italian Dolby Surround (remixed)
Spanish Dolby Surround (remixed)

Sound Format
English Dolby Surround
German Dolby Surround
Italian Dolby Surround

Sound Format
English Dolby Surround
German Dolby Surround
Italian Dolby Surround
Spanish Dolby Surround

Sub Titles
English
German
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Turkish

Sub Titles
English
German
Italian
Portuguese
Turkish

Sub Titles
English
German
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Turkish

Trailer I
Trailer II

Trailer
Documentary: ‘The Last American P.O.W.’
Documentary: ‘Sean Baker-Fulfilling a Dream’
Making of: ‘Creating the reality of war’
Making of: ‘Action in the jungle’
Personality profile Sylvester Stallone
Interviews
Behind the scenes
Photo Gallery

Trailer I
Theatrical Trailer
Making of
Behind the scenes – Scope
Behind the scenes – Friendship
Photo Gallery

Paula Yates cause of death ‘inconclusive’…

The coroner who carried out a post-mortem on Paula Yates‘ body couldnot determine the cause of death. An inquest into the case will open onWednesday.

Bob Geldof has been given temporary custody of the orphaned daughter,Tiger Lily, aged 4, who has been confirmed as a ward of court by Mrs JusticeHogg.

Tiger Lily won’t be the only child in the world to grow up with parents whohave both committed suicide (allegedly), but on the plus side, Tiger won’t goshort of dosh and can sell the story to Dominic Moron and all the othertabloids. Picture the setting :

“The Sun’s Bizarre Page: Sat, Sept 13th, 2014.

Dominic Moron interviews Tiger Lily at 18 and asks her how her life has goneas we approach the 14th anniversary of her mother’s death.

Dominic Moron: “Yeah, well, she’s a lovely girl and it was me who thought upthe name ‘Tasty Tiger’, but I did get into a bit of strife when I referred toher parents as ‘Masochistic Michael’ and ‘Pill-popper Paula'”

After that tragic incidient – of Dominic Moron almost losing his job – hemaintained his apology that 14 years on he could still not lose his trademarkChris de Burgh haircut.”

September 18th :Get snap-happy with the Creative Webcam Go Plus…

I’ve never used a webcam or a digital camera, so how does Creative’s newproduct fare in the happy-snaps stakes? It may not turn you into DavidBailey, but it’s a great start for the beginner.

Creative Webcam Go Plusis online and out now.

Got something to say about this item ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Harry Enfield’s new series – what’s the verdict…?

New DVDfever reviewer Dan Owen begins with the first of three reviews.Today is a critique of Harry Enfield‘s new series on Sky One andcheck back tomorrow and Wednesday for his verdict on The Sight andTime Gentlemen Please (this one also on tonight).

Harry Enfield’s Brand Spanking New Seriesis online and on Sky One, Mondays at 10pm.

Got something to say about this show ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

COMPETITION WINNERS: Miami Vice on VHS…

The 1980s belonged to cool music, cool cars, cool cops and scumbags in needof taking down. The 1980s belonged to Miami Vice.

But before Tubbs disappeared from public view and Crockett, aka Don Johnson,brought us Nash Bridges and a couple of albums (Hey! I have theHeartbeat album and it rules!), there was the Miami Vice TVseries.

The double-tape sets of Miami Vice go to Paul Robinson andEmily Hutchinson.

Will Kylie nudge Modjo off the top slot…?

To find out the answer – and to see last week’s chart – visit mymusic chart analysis page

What do you think of the state of the charts? Why not discuss it onthe newTalk Talk Forum forum.

New DVDs out this week

• All American Lay SE (9.99, S Gold & Sons)
• Back Seat Bunk Up SE (9.99, S Gold & Sons)
• Being John Malkovich (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• The Filth and The Fury (19.99, VCI)
• The Gigolo SE (9.99, S Gold & Sons)
• Holy Smoke (17.99, VCI)
• Les Enfants Du Paradis (19.99 sub, Second Sight)
• Missing in Action (19.99, MGM)
• Navy Seals (19.99, MGM)
• Nympho SE (9.99, S Gold & Sons)
• Platoon (19.99, MGM)
• Red Dawn (19.99, MGM)
• REM: This Film is On (19.99, Warner Music Vision)
• REM: Tour Film Live (19.99, Warner Music Vision)
• Scarface (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Shania Twain Live (19.99, Universal)
• South Park Vol.8 (19.99, Warner)
• South Park Vol.9 (19.99, Warner)
• South Park Vol.10 (19.99, Warner)
• South Park Vol.11 (19.99, Warner)
• Stockings and Suspenders SE (9.99, S Gold & Sons)

Paula Yates dies at 40…

Troubled TV presenter and mother of four badly-named children Paula Yateswas found dead in her West London home yesterday. She was 40.

Police said she was found in bed by a female friend who visited the NottingHill property at around 10.15am and she was pronounced dead around an hourlater.

They added that they were treating the death as suspicious pending theoutcome of a post mortem but that there were no signs of violence.

A body was removed from the house at about 1.30pm along with several items.

Paula had tried to commit suicide a few times during her life so this hasn’tbeen ruled out yet. The coroner’s verdict will be heard later today.

Ex-husband Bob Geldof said: “We are all so sad. The loss for allthe children is insupportable.”

Her The Tube co-presenter Jools Holland did not say:“Get down, you groovy fuckers!”

September 17th :Chris O’Donnell is The Bachelor on DVD…

A remake of the Buster Keaton silent movie “Seven Chances”and is the position Jimmie (Chris O’Donnell) finds himself in as his lategrandfather (Peter Ustinov) bequeaths him $100 million if – and onlyif – he gets married in time for his 30th birthday.

The Bacheloris online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Poo-chi and Yoda news…

POO-CHI SOARS TO NO.2 IN THE TOY CHARTS

Poo-Chi, the loveable interactive puppy from Tiger has climbed its way to the no.2* position inthe toy charts after its launch in mid-June 2000. It has gone head to head with Pokémon andoutdoor play toys that are always popular in summer and snatched the number two slot.

Tim Garner, Tiger Electronics’ UK Managing Director comments: “There’s more than 4.5 millionhouseholds that own a dog that’s why we thought that Poo-Chi would be popular. I think hissuccess is due to his cute looks and personality and that he can communicate with his owners tolet them know how he is feeling.”

The more you care for Poo-Chi™ the happier he will be. Owners can determine the personalityof their Poo-Chi™ by the way it is treated. There is one of five pre-set characters to choose from.He’ll let you know if he is happy, sad, hungry, angry or ready to have fun. Make him happy bygiving him attention and hear him sing one of six pre-programmed songs including theWedding March, Beethoven’s 9th and Eine Kleine.

Poo-Chi™ responds to light, touch and sound and has a moving head, ears, legs, mouth andcan stand, sit or dance on his tiptoes! Watch him beg for his bone! Poo-Chi™ will interact withother Poo-Chi™. They love to dance and sing together.

Poo-Chi™ will come with a bone and his own home that looks like a pet carrier. The hi-tech’pup’ comes in three different colours; purple, blue and pink. SRP: £24.99.

ThePoo-chi reviewis online now.

YAHOO! TO AUCTION AN EXCLUSIVE SIGNED YODA

Tiger Electronics has teamed up with Yahoo! Auctions to launch an exclusive Interactive Yodathat has been signed by Frank Oz, the original voice of Yoda. There is only one signed Yoda onoffer in the UK, it’s a real collector’s piece. Bids for the toy can be made athttp://auctions.yahoo.co.uk from 1 October 2000.

All monies raised by Yahoo! Will be donated to the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign, so parents andStar Wars fans should think big when bidding for this one of a kind collectible.

Interactive Yoda is a replica of the infamous Jedi Master. Using the voice of Frank Oz, Yoda’svocabulary consists of more than 800 words and phrases that help teach budding Jedi Knightsthe ways of the force in order to defeat the Darkside. Yoda comes complete with a special’intelligent’ lightsaber that aspiring Jedi use during training sessions with Yoda. There are fourlevels of Jedi development to conquer – apprentice, Jedi, Jedi Knight and Jedi Master.

Yoda interacts through a series of sensors: one on each hand, a light sensor, an infraredtransmitter and receiver and a four way position sensor. Following the commands of Yoda,students will receive physical as well as intellectual and lightsaber training. He can interact withother Yoda’s using infrared technology and requires nourishment and rest in order to rejuvenatehis energies to give training.

Starts bidding – 1 October 2000.

TheInteractive Yodareview is online now.

September 16th :What on Earth? It’s Vib Ribbon on Sony Playstation…

One of the weirdest games ever made since the last weirdest one, the graphicsand sound are nothing you’d expect and to top it all, you are a rabbit!

Vib Ribbonis online and out on Sony Playstation now.

Big Brother – Craig wins…

As shown on Channel 4 last night, Craig won the £70,000 prize,the money ‘handed over’ to him by evicted public schoolboy toff Nicholas.

All the other ex-contestants appeared alongside him in the final and no doubtit’ll be another ratings hit for them.

However, I have to question the voting. When the third place announcementwas made, Darren, no percentage scores were given and then the phonelines were open AGAIN?!

Seriously these new votes can’t be added into the same poll which wouldcompletely screw up the previous votes cast for Darren could they?

Either way, towards the end Dippy Davina said there was just 2% inthe votes and then a few mins later, the scores were still 51% for Craigand 49% for Anna.

Craig plans to give all the money to a female friend with Downs Syndrome fora heart and lung transplant operation in the USA, although they’re stillshort of their £250,000 target.

British Internet Gaming League Tournament…

ICM and Battletop’s British Internet Gaming League Tournament Honours Winners at the Millennium Dome

London, England, 11th September 2000 – ICM, Inc. (International Cyber Marketing) andBattletop’s British Internet Gaming League Tournament went off with a bang at the prestigiousMillennium Dome on Saturday 9th September.

The top four players from six out of the seven competitions automaticallyreceived free plane tickets and hotel accommodation to fly to Korea to competein the World Cyber Game Challenge next month (courtesy of Samsung Digital).The event is organised by ICM and Battletop; Asia’s leading Internet rankingsservice and will take place in Korea’s largest theme park, Everland in Yonginfrom October 7 to October 15, 2000.

The UK qualifying event, the British Internet Gaming League tournament (BIGL)was the biggest online gaming event ever held in the UK and was sponsored byEngland’s top online gaming service, Barrysworld.com and Samsung Digital.

Trophies were handed out to the lucky BIGL competitors by glamour modelsJordan and Jo Guest. The tournament was hosted byAleks Krotoski, presenter of Channel 4’s Bits computer games TV show.

The following is a blow-by-blow rundown of the top prizewinners from each of the seven categories/competitions held during the day atthe Millennium Dome. Reviews are by John Bye, courtesy of www.eurogamer.net:

FIFA 2000
– “The final of Battletop’s FIFA 2000 soccer tournament at the Millennium Dome ended with KarmaKiller beating DomiGod 3:1 to walk away with the £1700 first prize. It had looked like a walkover untilhalf time, when DomiGod started to recover, and a spate of second half fouls left Karma Killer twomen down. In the end DomiGod managed to claw back one goal in injury time to keep at least someof his dignity, but it wasn’t enough.”

Starcraft
– “The grand final of the StarCraft competition ended with strategy veteranDaishi coming through against Duellist. It was a close start. The two playersbegan the game within a stone’s throw of each other. Daishi soon gained theupper hand though, surrounding Duellist’s base with marines and turrets andambushing his troops as they emerged. It was all over rather quickly, withDaishi’s troops moving in for the kill and Duellist having nothing left to respondwith. Both players will be flown to Korea to compete in the World CyberGames Challenge.”

Age of Empires 2
– “The game was close throughout, with DevilZ.HigH getting the early initiative with a first strike before claiming the center of the map,which became a battlefield strewn with corpses and burnt out buildings for the rest of the match. In the end it was HigH who camethrough and took the victory from his clanmate DevilZ.Loko, taking home the £1400 first prize. Nice.”

Unreal Tournament
– “Played out on Deck16, Liberator picked up the first frag but his sniper rifle fetish didn’t really work out, and Dougal had soon rocketedhis way back into the lead. By half time Dougal seemed to be in control, and pulled out a 5:1 lead at one point. Liberator came backhard; picking up a couple of sniper shots followed by a shrapnel strike to make it 5:4. In the end it was Dougal who came throughthough, picking up two late frags to take the lead out of Liberator’s reach. A good game.”

Quake 3 – One on One
– “The Quake 3 duel competition came down to a hard fought three map match between Timber and Blokey, who had previously facedoff against each other at the UK’s CPL-Europe qualifier earlier in the summer. In the end it was Timber who again emerged victorious,winning on Q3Tourney2, losing out to Blokey’s rail on Q3Tourney, and finally taking the win on Q3DM13.”

Quake 3 – Clan to Clan
– “Meanwhile Timber’s friends in Clan 9 (comprised of team members Sujoy,Xorgal, Doomer, Xenon and Blue) were taking on the new Swedish”super-clan” the QuadArena AllStars. The All Stars were demolished in shortorder on Clan 9’s favourite map, Q3DM6, but the second match was muchcloser, ending in contentious circumstances with Clan 9 just two frags aheadon Q3DM7. www.xsreality.com have posted a more detailed report on thematches for those of you who want to find out more…”

Quake 3 – Free For All
– “Prozac came in first place in the Quake 3 – Free for All. Prozac is a memberof Sweden’s QuadArena AllStars (the latter came in second in the Quake 3 -Clan to Clan competition – see above). Prozac received a trophy but is noteligible for inclusion in the World Cyber Game Challenge.”

With the primary backing of Samsung Electronics, a world leader in themarketing of a full range of state-of-the-art electronics products, the WorldCyber Game Challenge officially kicks off the establishment of an annual”World Cyber Games”. To live up to its name as a truly worldwide event andthe world’s largest game competition, the number of participating countries,scope of events, and amount of prize money will be expanded with eachpassing year.

For players who make it into the finals of the World Cyber Game Challenge,they will go on to compete in the World Cyber Games in 2001. A city to hostthe games is yet to be determined, however, Japan, Korea and America arethe current contenders.

Battletop’s tournament organisation and ranking service is dedicated to providing the online community with the latest information andcurrent rankings of global Internet gamers and game players. In addition, Battletop enables its members to play the most popularmulti-player Internet games in real time either with or against other members and provides objective rankings according to game scoresand level of competition.

Battletop aims to raise the profile of Internet games competition, bringing with it big-game tournaments, substantial prize money,corporate sponsors, higher levels of competition and online, real-time rankings and standings.

Battletop’s next qualifying event for the World Cyber Game Challenge is the is the American Internet Gaming League Tournament inNew York City’s Times Square from 15-16th September 2000.

Essential Links:

www.worldcybergames.org
www.barrysworld.com
www.eurogamer.net
www.xsreality.com

Sir Stirling Moss presents Mille Miglia…

Playstation racing games are about to take a U-turn on September 28th, 2000, with the release of SCi’s unique and highly original Mille Miglia game. Once described as “The most beautiful race in the world”,this classic 1000 mile race through the Italian countryside and city streets is being brought to Playstation in all it’spicturesque and revved-up glory and who better to advise the developers on the fine details of the race and thecars than racing legend, Sir Stirling Moss.

In the over populated racing genre, Mille Miglia delivers a new angle,with stunning scenery, addictive gameplay and an original concept, gamers have the opportunity to participate inall the classic parts of this race, driving through forests, mountaintracks and, of course, the major cities. SCi and Sir Stirling Moss have paid closeattention to all the details so that the game is as realistic as possible.

Players will also be able to drive over 18 classic racing cars from three different time frames: 1927 – 1930, 1931 – 1945 and 1946 – 1957 and will be able to drive some of the greatest cars ever made such as the Mercedes 300 SLR in which Moss set theMille Miglia race record in 1955, averaging 97.9 mph. He completed the race in 10 hours, 7 minutes, 48 seconds, a record which has never been broken.

Mille Miglia can be played as a fully featured points based championship with the user trying to win all the leagues and unlock all the hidden cars and tracks or, alternatively, it can be played as an arcade game with the sole intention of racing a caron a track and beating the opposition in one off events. Also featured is a two-player mode, where drivers battle it out to win the race in a head to head situation. Each driver has his own particular strengths, habits and weaknesses, adding to theoverall realism of Mille Miglia. With 12 dynamic camera angles and uncannily accurate playbacks, the game perfectly captures the beauty and skill of its namesake.

Combining Sir Stirling Moss’s intimate knowledge of motor sport and the Mille Miglia race in particular, the game is guaranteed to be a huge hit this summer. With a soundtrack by Primal Scream Mille Miglia will be released on theSony PlayStation on 28th September 2000. It will be, without a doubt, one of the most visually stunning and original racing games released this year.

The Creatures due to arrive on the Nintendo GameCube…

Cambridge, England – Following on from their recent announcements, Creature Labs announced an exclusive agreement withSWING! Entertainment to license the popular Creatures brand for Nintendo GameBoy Advance and Nintendo GameCube platforms.

Creatures, the million selling series of PC titles based around mischievous Artificial Life organisms that inhabit a rich and life-likevirtual world, has attracted a cult following since the release of its first title in 1996. Now in its third incarnation, the Creatures series hasseen a remarkable resurgence in popularity in recent months.

SWING! Entertainment Media AG develops, produces and markets software for digital entertainment platforms such as PCs runningunder Windows, for video-game consoles, and for network systems (e.g. the Internet) and has secured such licenses as The Flintstones,The Land Before Time and Tiny Toon Adventures for GameBoy Color.

In this context, SWING! Entertainment Media AG holds the exclusive marketing rights to the products of both companies and intends tomake further acquisitions as regards software development studios and production companies with a view to enhancing its productportfolio.

Howard Newmark, Publishing Director of Creature Labs, said “We are very excited to be giving our Creatures their first consoleouting and are supremely confident that Swing will deliver a compelling product full of the endearing characters which have madeCreatures such an evergreen property.”

“The deal with Creature Labs makes us very happy,” commented Marco Hüsges,President Sales and Marketing, SWING! Entertainment Media AG. “Creatures is synonymous with the PC gaming genre, andhas found millions of fans all over the world. Now it’s time to give the owners of next generation handhelds thechance to find out how fantastic this game is, and what a lot of fun it brings to the players.”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine® – The Fallen on PC…

Koch Distribution obtain the distribution rights forSimon & Schuster Interactive’s 3D Action GameStar Trek: Deep Space Nine® – The Fallen

Koch Distribution announced the BritishNovember 3rd 2000 PC CD release of Simon & Schuster Interactive’s criticallyacclaimed 3D Third Person Action-Adventure game, “The Fallen” (£29.99), based onthe internationally successful Star Trek: Deep Space Nine® television series. Publishedby Pan Interactive in Europe, Koch will distribute the game in Austria, Germany,Switzerland and the UK.

Energized by an enhanced version of the revolutionary Unreal™ Tournament engine,The Fallen places the player at the deep inside the heart of an exhilarating 3Dadventure. An ultra-sophisticated camera system takes 3rd person 3D perspectiveaction-adventure gaming to the next level of PC gaming, whether in close quarters orwide-open expanses.

Developed by The Collective of Laguna Beach, California, The Fallen is implemented by people whose passionfor quality gaming is fueled with a relentless demand for detail and authenticity. The Fallen propels the DS9legend into a new galaxy of 3D interactivity. In doing so, The Collective, comprised of brothers Richard andDouglas Hare, and Gary Priest, have assembled a world class team of leading programmers, artists and designers.

If you’re a big fan of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, now, for the first time, you can actually control the actions and destiny of yourfavorite DS9 characters. Officially sanctioned by Paramount, The Fallen’s digital cast is brought to life with the actual voices of DeepSpace Nine’s cast. The game utilises a revolutionary multiple-character system, and gives the player three unique and compellingsingle-player experiences as Sisko, Kira or Worf.

A custom-designed inverse kinematics and bones animation system provides fluid character movements and ambulatory dexterity, whilea revolutionary facial animation system enables real-time lip-syncing and heightened dramatic interaction between characters. TheFallen gives the player the impression they are re-enacting an episode of the DS9 TV series.

The Fallen boasts more than 10 new weapons, Federation issue and beyond, all with multiple firing modes. Highly detailed architectureand intricate lighting techniques provide cinematic ambiance and mood. Each of the three character-paths features over 10 levels ofgameplay across 40 unique, detailed maps, transporting the player through rich, photo-realistic environments never before seen in anyStar Trek® episode or motion picture.

Opposition will come from more than 25 alien species, including an all-new race of bio-analogous creatures called the Grigari.

Brief Synopsis:

The race is on to find three lost red orbs of the Pah-wraiths in this extraordinary Deep Space Nine action/adventure game. TheCardassians, the Dominion and the Bajorans – plus a mysterious race of terrifying aliens, known only as Grigari – are all vying for controlof the elusive orbs, and each have their own motives. The Federation believes that whoever ends up controlling the three orbs will havethe power to destroy the universe. It’s up to Captain Sisko and the Deep Space Nine crew to find before inevitable disaster strikes.

Title: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®: The Fallen
Format: PC CD (£29.99)
Genre: 3D Person Action-Adventure
Release Date: November 3rd 2000
Developer: The Collective
US Publisher: Simon & Schuster Interactive
European Publisher: Pan Interactive
Distributor: Koch Distribution

Get out on the Highway.’The European Crazy Taxi Tour’…

After a successful residency in Ibiza this summer, Sega’s Crazy Taxi will be going trans-continental this Autumn. Embarking on a whistle stop tour of Europe’s finest football clubs, Crazy Taxi will be participating in unique promotional activities at Sampdoria FC, St Etienne FC and La Coruna Deportivo FC.

Kicking off in Genoa on Saturday 16th Sept, Crazy Taxi can be found at Sampdoria FC’s training ground, club shop and then at the match in the evening against Lazio, where it will be participating in photo shoots with the players, team staff and the public alike.

Crazy Taxi departs from Genoa on the 18th September, heading for St Etienne for four days. Crazy Taxi will be performing similar, distinctive promotional duties with St Etienne FC, including retail events with the clubs secondary sponsor -Geant.

Finally, Crazy Taxi will arrive in La Coruna on Thursday 28th September for the last leg of the tour. Five days will be spent here, including a day at the stadium as Barcelona FC come to town on the 1st October, again Crazy Taxi will be the hub of all Dreamcast promotions at La Coruna

Deportivo FC including local retail and media acivity plus an online gaming showcase.

September Granada DVDs delayed…

Their first two discs and both are delayed.

Cold Feet series 1 (still reportedly horrendously cropped to 4:3instead of 16:9 anamorphic widescreen) and The Darling Buds of Mayare now set for release on September 25th.

DVD PR round-up…

Thanks to theR2 Projectfor some of the following info. I’ve received some of it myself, but Andy’sgot the OCR, not me 🙂

Tartan DVDs

Tartan are planning more DVD releases, but I’ve yet to receive a single oneof them and I’d quite like a copy of Hard Boiled and Dobermann !

• “Of Freaks and Men” 30th October in Russian. Described in the PR thusly:
  

  It’s St. Petersburg at the turn of the century. Johann and his assistants specialize in taking erotic photographs depicting the floggings of bare-bottomed women. Handsome but secretive, he connives his way into the peaceful households of two upper class Russian families, aided by his sinister accomplice, Ivan. Through his cunning, he aims to use the beautiful Lisa and a pair of Siamese twins to his own voyeuristic ends.

  Of Freaks and Men is a haunting melodrama of hidden passions and sadomasochistic urges. A bizarreerotic tale where manipulation, revenge and perversion rule amidst the bourgeois façade of charm and innocence.

  Director Alexei Balabanov’s latest visual essay in dark absurdism is closer to the wilder shores of Russian literature than to anything seen in recent memory on the Russian screen.

• “Night of the Living Dead” The original 1969 version. Released November 20th.
• “Donald Cammell’s Wild Side” with Christopher Walken, Anne Heche and Joan Chen. Released 6th of November. This is the recut and reconstructed version which restores Donald Cammell’s original artistic vision. The DVD will feature an on-set interview with Donald Cammell and his previously unreleased short film “The Argument”. The disk will also feature an interview with Anne Heche who talks frankly about the difficulties of playing a lesbian before she came out herself.

Also, Tartan have said that Herschell Gordon Lewis release “Blood feast” and “Colorme Blood Red” have been delayed until 2001. Also released in 2001 will be:

• “Two Thousand Maniacs”
• “The Gruesome Twosome”
• “She-Devils On Wheels”
• “The Wizard of Gore”
• “Gore Gore Girls”

Chicken Run

Apparently the official PR for the R2 “Chicken Run” will bearriving soon.  The list of features for the R2 disk follows. The firstthing to note is that some of these are quite different from the US release  but thisshould make the UK disk better than the US release.  Of course the disk will be1.85:1 enhanced for widescreen TV’s and will feature a DD 5.1 soundtrack.  Here’s thefeature:

• Commentary track by Nick Park and Peter Lord.  This is the same as the R1 release and was in fact recorded here  in London.  By all accounts this is an excellent commentary, very funny with Nick and Pete working very well together.
• “Foul Play”   making of documentary.  This is  different from the US documentary and is tailored more for the UK market.
• A 20 minute video interview with Nick Park and Peter Lord who talk about animation techniques.  Again I believe this is an R2 exclusive
• Aardman Archive.  This is a special section with a retrospective of Aardman’s work and includes clips of Nick’s first film,  “Morph” and of course “Wallace and Grommet”
• There will be an extensive DVD-ROM section  which will include storyboards and a   “how to animate”.  This is said to be very interactive.
• Teaser and Theatrical trailer and the “Chicken Impossible” trailer.
• Cast and crew information and production notes.
• Audio description track

Future Film Four DVDs

These are very rumored but according to a poster that turned up on the R2 Project’s door with a Trade paper next year from Film Four we can expect the following titles:

• “Sexy Beast” with Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley
• “Very Annie Mary“M
• “The Yards“
• “House of Mirth“
• “Hamlet” with Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Sam Shepard, Diane Venora, and Bill Murray
• “Purely Belter“

Of course no dates are known and indeed many of these haven’t even made it to the cinema yet.

Are the BBFC prepared to back down?

The new guidelines for the BBFC are now available at:

DON’T TELL US WHAT WE SHOULD WATCH AT ’18’ – PUBLIC TELL BBFC

September 15th :Turn it on and switch them off with Lights Out 2000…

Something a bit different on DVDfever from now until the endof the week, we have some gadgets and gizmos courtesy of Tiger Toys.

The fourth and final item is an update on the popular ‘Lights Out’ gamein which you have to press the buttons in the right order to win the game,or else you’ll end up with more on than you began with.

Lights Out 2000is online and out now.

September 14th :A review of Interactive Yoda for you we have…

Something a bit different on DVDfever from now until the endof the week, we have some gadgets and gizmos courtesy of Tiger Toys.

The third item is an Interactive Yoda who teaches you the ways of the Force,Luke. Carry out your tasks properly or, “you must unlearn what you havelearned”.

Interactive Yodais 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 films are : Shaft, The Cell, Keeping the Faith,O Brother Where Art Thou?and reviews of Cherry Falls,X-Men,M:I-2andGone in 60 Secondsare online now.

2 Point 4 Children actor Gary Olsen has died…

Haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere other than on teletext…

Gary Olsen, who starred as the father in that sitcom and also appearedin Channel 4’s excellent Prospects and the comedy Up N Underhas died aged 42. It’s believed he was suffering from cancer.

He died in Australia and his career ranged across films, theatre and TV, withmore than 30 productions to his credit.

He most recently starring in the British gangster movie, 24 Hours inLondon, released in July (never heard of it myself).

September 13th :Can you solve the puzzle in Wheel of Fortune: Deluxe Edition…?

Something a bit different on DVDfever from now until the endof the week, we have some gadgets and gizmos courtesy of Tiger Toys.

The second item is the follow-up from the game of the TV show, Wheel ofFortune. Spin the wheel, score loads of money, then lose it all and gobankrupt. 🙂

Wheel of Fortune: Deluxe Editionis online and out now.

September 12th :Is Poo-chi a woof-ing marvel or bone-idle…?

Something a bit different on DVDfever from now until the endof the week, we have some gadgets and gizmos courtesy of Tiger Toys.

First up is a yappy puppy who responds to light, love and human kindness. Aah.

Poo-chiis online and out now.

Charlton Heston finds the Planet of the Apes on DVD…

DVDfever reviewer Mark Bubien is back again this week with the firstin what became a five-strong series of films which I’ve not seen myself, butI may remember the musical version starring Troy McClure from The Simpsons.

Planet of the Apesis online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

September 11th :Stereophonics. The Vids. You need it on DVD…

Twice as long as the VHS release, this DVD contains all the promos fromboth Performance and Cocktails and Word Gets Around as wellas a picture gallery and behind-the-scenes footage on many of the songs ondisplay.

Stereophonics: The Vidsis online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

The Dolby Digital amplifiers are alive with The Sound of Music on DVD…

DVDfever reviewer Mark Bubien returns with the classic JulieAndrews musical, out now on Region 1 DVD with stacks of extras, whichis on TV ever single Christmas.

The Sound of Musicis online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

COMPETITION TIME: Win Miami Vice on VHS…

The 1980s belonged to cool music, cool cars, cool cops and scumbags in needof taking down. The 1980s belonged to Miami Vice.

But before Tubbs disappeared from public view and Crockett, aka Don Johnson,brought us Nash Bridges and a couple of albums (Hey! I have theHeartbeat album and it rules!), there was the Miami Vice TVseries.

Click on the picture on the right to enter the competition.

Three new entries in the Top 3, but who stole the top slot…?

To find out who is at the top – and to see last week’s chart – visit mymusic chart analysis page

What do you think of the state of the charts? Why not discuss it onthe newTalk Talk Forum forum.

New DVDs out this week

• Black Narcissus (19.99, VCI)
• Cold Feet: Series 1 (24.99, VCI)
• The Darling Buds of May: Best Of (24.99, VCI)
• Eating Raoul (19.99, Arrow)
• Gorgeous (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Gulliver’s Travels (19.99, VCI)
• The Insider (15.99, Warner)
• The Last Contract (19.99, Eureka)
• The League of Gentlemen (1960) (14.99, VCI)
• Legal Eagles (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (19.99, VCI)
• Love’s Labour’s Lost (19.99, Pathe)
• Mad Dog and Glory (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Magnolia (19.99, Entertainment in Video)
• Magnolia SE (24.99, Entertainment in Video)
• Minder on the Orient Express (10.99, Digital Entertainment)
• Next Friday (19.99, Entertainment in Video)
• Playboy: Playmate of 2000: Jodi Ann Pate (15.99, Medusa)
• The Red Violin (19.99, VCI)
• See No Evil Hear No Evil (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Thunderbirds Episodes 1-4 (15.99, Carlton)
• Thunderbirds Episodes 5-8 (15.99, Carlton)
• Thunderbirds Episodes 9-12 (15.99, Carlton)
• Thunderbirds Episodes 13-16 (15.99, Carlton)
• Topsy-Turvy (19.99, Pathe)
• Tumbleweeds (19.99, Entertainment in Video)

September 10th :The 100 Greatest TV Moments From Hell…

Broadcast on Channel 4 last night and presented, unfortunately, by Zoe Ball,you can now find online a complete list of the worst moments from TV ever.

The 100 Greatest TV Moments From Hellis online now.

September 9th :Strong Language on DVD: Is it f**king crap or what…?

A 77-minute vox pop diatribe as 16 people from different walks of life aged20 to 31 tell their life stories commenting on various parts of life fromBritpop to Beer, One Night Stands to Ecstacy and Clothes to Aids.

Strong Languageis online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Big Brother – Melanie’s out…!

Last night, cold-hearted two-timing bitch Melanie was voted out of the housewith a massive 69%.

That leaves Darren, Anna and Craig in there for the final week.

I predict Darren will come third, and so interviewed in the studio when ejectedin the first of two hour-long shows next Friday at 8.30pm, whilst Craigwill win over Anna in the second show at 10.30pm.

DVD PR round-up…

Check out the following news for Buffy the Vampire Slayer,Young Frankenstein,Forthcoming VCI DVDs,BBC’s official autumn line-up,Sex: the Annabel Chong Story,Frampton comes alive with Santana and Manilow,Pokémonand Forthcoming Warner Music Vision DVDs

Thanks to theR2 Projectfor some of the following info. I’ve received some of it myself, but Andy’sgot the OCR, not me 🙂

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

A couple of confirmations from inside Fox on the Buffy disks:

1. The SRP is set at £44.99 which seems reasonable to me given the extrasthat may make it onto the disks.
2. The set will consist of 3 disks and not 4 or 5 as we previously mentioned.
3. There will be an audio commentary on the first two episodes by Joss Whedon

Young Frankenstein

Some details on the extras for Young Frankenstein. The disk is due out on the 23rd of October and shouldfeature the following extras:

• Outakes and bloopers
• Deleted scenes
• Trailers and TV spots
• 36 minute featurette featuring cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage. The featurette is entitled Making Frankincense out of Frankenstein
• Mexican Interviews (no one seems quite sure what these are though !)

Forthcoming VCI DVDs

VCI will be releasing the FilmFour title Down to You on the 13th ofNovember. This romantic comedy stars Julia Styles and Freddie Prinze Jr.Currently the confirmed specs are 16:9 anamorphic with DD5.1 audio. Extras are:

• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Cast & Crew Interviews
• On The Set
• Billie Myers Music Video – It All Comes Down To You

Filmfour/VCI have announced Ghost Dog:The Way of the Samurai forrelease 23rd of October priced at £19.99. The disk will be 16:9 anamorphic with a DD5.1 soundtrack. The extras announced for the disk include out-takes and the theatrical traler.

VCI/Filmfour have announced the Red Violin for 2nd October. The disk will be priced at £19.99 and will feature a 16:9 anamorphic print and Dolby Surround soundtrack. Extras are still to be confirmed but will include the Theatrical trailer.

Finally from the VCI camp, Holy Smoke has been put back to the 25th ofSeptember. The VHS rental release is still set for 11th September and no reasonhas been given.

BBC’s official autumn line-up

I guess my copy’s still stuck in the ever-wonderful postal service, but here’sthe line-up.

• Doctor Who: The Robots of Death. 9th of October £19.99. extrasinclude :
  • Writers commentary on the recording of the episode
  • 10 minutes of shots and footage of test runs on the models used in the episode
  • Image Stills gallery
  • Production Notes
  • Production team’s floor plan
• Doctor Who: The Spearhead from Space 4th December £19.99. Details are still sketchy in the PR material but it is said to include acommentary track by Nicholas Courtney, a UNIT trailing film and a previouslyunused Jon Pertwee sequence.
• The League of Gentlemen. 13th of November £19.99. Extras include:
  • Behind the scenes look at how the series was conceived.
  • 180 minute commentary by the League of Gentlemen
  • Original Production notes, drawings and a virtual tour of Royston Vasey
• Bravo Two Zero 16th October £19.99. Extras include:
  • Never before seen footage of Sean Bean and the principal actors involvedin special training with the South African SAS
  • A 20 minute interview with Andy McNab on the Bravo Two Zero mission andlife as an SAS Soldier
• Pride & Predudice 23rd October £29.99. This is said to beanamorphic and includes a making of Documentary.
• Life of Birds 16th October, £34.99. Includes 40 minutes ofunseen footage (segments at the end of each program I believe.) According tothe sleeve the massive running time of 530 minutes is spread across 3 DVD9disks.
• BlackAdder Series 2 6th November £19.99
• Balck Adder Series 3 4th December £19.99
• Only Fools and Horses – The Jolly Boys’ Outing 6th November £19.99
• Absolutely Fabulous Series 1 20th November £19.99. Includes 15minutes of Outtakes
• The Complete Only Fools and Horses Series One 20th November £19.99
• Only Fools and Horses: The Frog’s Legacy 20th November £19.99
• The Last ever Fast Show Volume 1 4th December £19.99

Sex: the Annabel Chong Story.

Released 30th September is Sex: the Annabel Chong Story.

On January 19 1995, Annabel Chong, a 22 year old undergraduate in genderstudies, embarked on a marathon crusade to secure fame and notoriety. HerFeat:- having sex with 251 men in 10 hours.. However the film is much morethan a sex movie and looks at Annabel’s life and how she came to attempt thisfeat. The picture is presented 4:3 full frame and is priced at £15.99

Frampton comes alive with Santana and Manilow

AvIvA have announced three more music titles all with both DD5.1 or DTS sound.

• Carlos Santana: Supernatural Live will be released on the 18th ofSeptember priced at £19.99. As well as the concert the disk features morethan 55 minutes of bonus features :
  • 4 Music videos Smooth, Maria Maria, Put your lights on and CorazanEspinado
  • Santana interview and photo gallery
  • Behind the scenes rehearsal footage featuring Wayne Shorter/ Apache.
  • Supernatural featuette
  • Song lyrics, Carlos Santana biography, program and album credits and fanclub information.
• Peter Frampton: Live in Detroit will be released 25th of Septemberpriced at £19.99. The disk is presented in 16:9 widescreen and features a 26 minute interview with Frampton and biographies/ discography.
• Manilow Live will also be released on the 25th of September pricedat £19.99 and will feature a commentary track by Manillow along with cast andcrew biographies and a discography.

Pokémon: It’s here. Just accept it

Warner have announced Pokemon: the first movie for the 23rd of Octoberpriced at £19.99. The disk will be feature a 2.35:1 anamorphic picture anda full Dolby 5.1 sound mix. Each DVD will be packaged with a uniqueall new trading card which will only be available in the DVD and VHS release.

Extras on the disk include:

• Pikachu’s Vacation – a bonus mini movie where you can see what Pokémon doon their days off.
• Never Before Seen Footage – The Story of Mewtwo’s Origin gives fans theopportunity to learn about the new Pokémon characters.
• Additional Movie Trailer – The trailer for the second movie.
• Commentary with director Michael Haigney and producer Norman Grossfeld
• Music videos Don’t Say You Love Me by M2M and The Pokémon Rap
• Theatrical trailer

Spectacular DVD ROM exclusive special features:

• Poké-fun facts: The History of Anime and Video Games Retrospective
• Splash page
• Game guides: text only guides to Nintendo games

Forthcoming Warner Music Vision DVDs

Warner Music Vision have announced a whole bunch of music titles for thecoming months. Amongst the title is one August title that I’ll include herejust for completeness.

• R.E.M Parallel. Releases 21st August price £19.99. Parallel isa collection of highly acclaimed video clips plus excerpts from a series ofshort films, as well as material from the US TV show Saturday Night Live.Track list is:
  

  Drive, Man On The Moon, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming, Find The River, What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?, Bang And Blame, Star 69, Strange Currencies, Crush With Eyeliner,

• R.E.M This film is on 18th Septmember, £19.99:
  

  Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People, Near Wild Heaven, Radio Song, Love Is All Around,Losing My Religion (acoustic), Low, Belong, Half A World Away, Country Feedback.

• Madonna The Ultimate Collection double pack 18th Septmember, £34.99. Features both The Immaculate collection and Madonna the videos.
  

  The Video Collection tracks:The Power of Goodbye, Bad Girl, Fever, Rain, Secret, Take A Bow, Bedtime Story, Human Nature, Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, Frozen, Ray Of Light, Drowned World/Substitute For Love, Nothing Really Matters, Beautiful Stranger,

  The Immaculate collection tracks: Lucky Star, Borderline, Like a Virgin, Material Girl, Papa Don’t Preach, Open Your Heart, La Isla Bonita, Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish, Oh Father, Vogue, Vogue – performed live at the MTV Awards,

• R.E.M Tourfilm. October 2nd priced at £19.99. This is in Surround sound.
  

  Intro, Stand, The One I Love, These Days, Turn You Inside-Out, World Leader Pretend, Feeling Gravity’s Pull, I Believe, I Remember California, Get Up, It’s The End Of The World As We Know It , Pop Song 89, Fall On Me, You Are The Everything, Begin The Begin, King Of Birds, Finest Worksong, Perfect Circle, Credits,

  The Pretenders Greatest Hits November 20th.

  Brass In Pocket, Message Of Love, Don’t Get Me Wrong, Kid, Human (Tin Tin Out Remix), I Go To Sleep, I Got You Babe, Night In My Veins, Spiritual High (State Of Independence), Talk Of The Town, Stop Your Sobbing, Hymn To Her, 2000 Miles (Isle of View version), Breakfast In Bed , Popstar, Middle Of The Road, Thin Line Between Love & Hate, Back On The Chain Gang, I’ll Stand By You, Sense Of Purpose,

September 8th :After Daikatana came Deus Ex on PC…

The guy on the front cover looks a bit like ‘Nasty Nick’, but is Ion Storm’sfollow-up to Daikatanaa return to form for John Romero or another turkey?

Deus Exis online and out on PC now.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Bruce Dern is in deep space in Silent Running on widescreen video…

In the continuing short series of classic widescreen video reviews,regular DVDfever reviewer Jason Maloney jets off into spacefor the 1972 Bruce Dern sci-fi film, Silent Running.

Silent Runningis online now.

Got something to say about this DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

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 : Scary Movie, The Closer You Getand reviews of Cherry Falls,X-Men,M:I-2andGone in 60 Secondsare online now.

Scooch are no more…

Steps Lite, aka Scooch, have been dumped by their record companyafter their first album, Four Sure, got as high as No.41 in the chartsand Natalie’s up the duff and ready to drop a sprog in six months time.

September 7th :Arnold replaces Liam for Darkman 2 on DVD…

Released this week :

No, not Arnie Schwarzenegger, but Arnold Vosloo from The Mummyreplacing the original’s Liam Neeson, doing battle with Durant (LarryDrake) yet again.

Darkman 2: The Return of Durantis online and out on DVD from this week.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Wallace and Gromit DVD delayed…

Thanks to Neelam Tanday at the BBC for confirming that this, originally duefor release on November 20th, now is simply “To Be Confirmed”.

All the other children’s DVD releases are still scheduled to come out on timethough and when I have more news I shall post it here.

September 6th :Break on Through with The Doors Live on DVD…

Released this week :

A 62-minute concert at the Hollywood Bowl with the late Jim Morrison and therest of the band.

The Doors: Live at the Hollywood Bowlis online and out on DVD from this week.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Big Brother – three up for the chop this week…

As stated yesterday, my nomination predictions for this week were :

Anna: Craig and Darren
Craig: Darren and Anna
Darren: Craig and Mel
Mel: Craig and Darren

The nominations went :

Anna: Craig and Darren
Craig: Darren and MEL
Darren: ANNA and Mel
Mel: Craig and Darren

So, a change for Craig’s and Darren’s voting there that I didn’t expect,meaning that Darren (3 votes), Mel and Craig (2 votes each) are up foreviction this Friday, with Anna getting just one vote.

It’ll be a close-run battle between Darren and Mel this week, withCraig still set to win the final on Friday 15th September.

September 5th :It’s music, but is it The Very Best of Elton John on DVD…?

Released this week :

A 90-minute compilation of 20 of Elton’s big hits, but is it the ‘very bestof’ ? Find out in my review.

The Very Best of Elton Johnis online and out on DVD from this week.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Robbie the Reindeer on DVD…

I forgot to mention this yesterday after receiving the press release containingthese details, but last year’s Xmas day hit, Robbie the Reindeer, voicedby Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon and many others, is to come out onOctober 23rd in 16:9 widescreen with animated menus and English Subtitles forthe hard of hearing, for just £12.99.

The remainder of the BBC’s children’s DVD output is as follows :

September 18th :

DANCE WITH THE TELETUBBIES + HERE COME THE TELETUBBIES :

Dance with the Teletubbies: When the wind blows, a magic windmill bringspictures from far away, joining the Teletubbies to the world of real childrenwho love to dance just as the Teletubbies do. This DVD also contains astraight lay of the episode: Here Come the Teletubbies. £16.99.

October 9th :

TWEENIES – ANIMAL FRIENDS AND PARTY GAMES GIGGLES AND LAUGHS :

Animal Friends: Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake watch beautiful ballet dancersdressed as animals, then decided to dress up themselves. Judy goes to the farmto see the cows being milked. Bella learns about starfish and sings a song.Max helps the Tweenies make finger puppets for a wriggly finger puppet show.The Tweenies hear a wonderful story about lions and mice. Milo helps a dragonwho can’t breathe fire.

Party Games, Giggles and Laughs: Traditional party fun and games aregiven a Tweenies twist. Activities include the Hokey Cokey Song, an AladdinSketch, the Dominoes Game, Tweenie TV, the Statue Game, the Ugly Bug BallStory and Blind Man’s Buff Game. DVD features include animated menus andscene selection. £16.99.

October 30th :

TELETUBBIES IN THE SNOW+HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TELETUBBIES :

This DVD contains a straight lay of 2 episodes – Teletubbies in the Snow andHappy Christmas from the Teletubbies.

Teletubbies in the Snow: Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po were very busywhen sparkly clouds appeared in the sky and it began to snow. It snowed andsnowed and snowed until everything in Teletubby land was covered in snow.

The Teletubbies also look at Christmas fun around the world: in Finland,children sing a Christmas song about elves, in the United Kingdom, childrenclap as they sing a Christmas song, in Spain, children get presents from theirChristmas log.

Happy Christmas from the Teletubbies: One day in Teletubbyland, somethingappeared. It was a Christmas tree with four presents! Find out what happenswhen the Teletubbies open their presents. Watch children in the real worldenjoying Christmas too – singing carols, making cards and decorating a tree.£16.99.

TWEENIES – MERRY TWEENIE CHRISTMAS

Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake have the best Tweenie Christmas ever! Help themmake beautiful Christmas Decorations in The Fallen Star. Join in all theexcitement of Christmas Eve as Bella pretends to be the Christmas Fairy aseveryone is decorating the tree, they all meet Santa’s Little Helper, andthey perform the Nativity. £16.99.

November 20th :

WALLACE & GROMIT :

This DVD consists of a straight lay of the following films:

A Grand Day Out: Wallace likes a nice bit of cheese with his crackers,so when this eccentric inventor finds his fridge empty and the localcornershop shut for the Bank Holiday, he is forced to look further afield forhis cheddar. His faithful dog Gromit is used to his master’s flights of fancybut this time his ears prick up with excitement because our two plasticineheroes are about to blast off in their home-made rocket on the ultimate daytrip – Wallace and Gromit are off to the moon!

The Wrong Trousers: This time it’s action and laughter all the way asour plasticine stars are plunged into a hilarious tale of skullduggeryinvolving an extraordinary pair of automated trousers and a villainous penguin.Posing as an innocent lodger, the friendish fish-easter sets about recruitingmild mannered Wallace as an unwitting accomplice to his dastardly plot – adiamond heist with a technically advanced, trouser-inspired difference. It isleft to the faithful Gromit to turn detective and save the day as malice andmayhem culminate in a breathless train-top chase – around the sitting room!

A Close Shave: Trade is booming for Wallace and Gromit’s Wash’n’Gowindow cleaning service and love is in the air as Wallace falls for the ownerof the local wool shop, the lovely Wendolene Ramsbotom. But Wallace has a newincentive – a Kinit-O-Matic machine – and adventure looms: sheep are beingrustled, wool is in short supply and Wendolene’s malevolent pooch is on theprowl…

Price: £19.99.

Made in London and disbanded there too…

Made in London, another female trio created from a model, a backing singerand a girl from Jamaica made No.15 with their first hit Dirty Waterin May this year. Yesterday their second single, Shut Your Mouth,reached the dizzy heights of No.74.

Today they were dumped by their record company.

Made in London RIP.

Big Brother – who will go this week…?

For some reason I’ve never got round to discussing the TV show I’ve watchedthe most of the past few weeks. Still, down to four people left it makes iteasy to predict this week’s nominations.

As ever, although the housemates will have made their nominations yesterday,their diary room chats are not broadcast on the internet and only when thenames are read out mid-afternoon today will we know, other than the usual10pm TV show tonight.

My predictions for the final week of nominations are :

Anna: Craig and Darren
Craig: Darren and Anna
Darren: Craig and Mel (to compensate for last week’s cockup)
Mel: Craig and Darren

Hence, Craig and Darren will be up for public eviction this Friday withthree votes each.

I had a vision. I predict that Darren will be booted out with a clear margin.

Cold Feet – the Cold Shoulder…

As I stated last week, Granada Media are going ahead with 4:3-croppedinternational versions instead of nice crisp anamorphic 16:9 widescreenmasters that were used on TV when both series were shown.

Thanks to James Answer who emailed me yesterday stating :

“Very disappointed with this. I was going to buy them, but if they come outin 4:3 I won’t.”

And he won’t be the last one either. I hope Granada Media are listening tothis.

Email me atColdFeet@dvdfever.co.ukwith your thoughts on the matter and I’ll pass them onto Granada Media in ahopeful bid to make them change their minds as these series really do deservethe widescreen treatment.

September 4th :MIB on DVD. Buy the CE or the SE…

Released today :

One of the biggest hits of 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jonesare the biggest secret that the government are keeping from us. The filmis now available in two special editions with a fiver’s difference between them.

The review points out the differences between them both. So far I have onlyreceived the first disc of the 2-disc set, but as soon as I have the secondI shall announce the update online.

Men in Blackis online and out on DVD from today.

Got something to say about this film ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

COMPETITION TIME: Win Miami Vice on VHS…

The 1980s belonged to cool music, cool cars, cool cops and scumbags in needof taking down. The 1980s belonged to Miami Vice.

But before Tubbs disappeared from public view and Crockett, aka Don Johnson,brought us Nash Bridges and a couple of albums (Hey! I have theHeartbeat album and it rules!), there was the Miami Vice TVseries.

Click on the picture on the right to enter the competition and check outthe official press release below.

THE HEAT IS STILL ON WITH MIAMI VICE NOW ON VIDEO

Under the hot pink neon lights where guns and tough street action meet withglamour and fast cars, ‘Miami Vice’ captured a look and a lifestyle that wasemulated across the globe but that could only belong to the 80’s.

Whether you were an eighties guy or girl, the chances are that you wanted apiece of perma-tanned Don Johnson and his Ferrari Daytona Spider.(DVDfever Ed: I thought it was a Ferrari Testarossa?)And now you can have it as the world of ‘Miami Vice’ becomes available tobuy on two sizzling videos from 4th September.

In what was undoubtedly the definitive 80’s cop show, Don Johnson starred astough but cool Detective Sonny Crockett with his vice squad sidekick, thebold and bad Detective Ricardo Tubbs and, of course, his pet crocodileElvis.

Riding high on a Miami wave of 80’s nostalgia, Volume 1 introduces viewersto the world of the vice squad in the original feature-length two-hour pilotshow where the two cops first meet in difficult circumstances on the trailof a Colombian drug baron.

Volume 2 contains two classic first series episodes, ‘No Exit’ and ‘Give ALittle, Take A Little’. Produced by Starsky & Hutch’s David Soul, ‘No Exit’sees Fed agents join Crockett and Tubbs to stop an arms dealer (played byBruce Willis complete with hair and baggy white 80’s trousers) from sellingstingers.

In ‘Give A Little, Take A Little’ Crockett goes downhill as he gets jailedfor refusing to name an informant tied to a crime boss.

So what are you waiting for… book a course of 10 at your local Costa DelSolarium, dust-off the lilac suit, rev-up the motor and head off to Petworldfor something less tame than a terrapin. Miami Vice is back and the heat ismost definitely still on…

Both videos released today by Playback,
RRP £9.99 each, Certificate 15.

Would you nominate the Big Brother theme to be the new No.1…?

To find out who is at the top – and to see last week’s chart – visit mymusic chart analysis page

What do you think of the state of the charts? Why not discuss it onthe newTalk Talk Forum forum.

New DVDs out this week

• 48 Hours (19.99, Paramount)
• Black Rain (19.99, Paramount)
• Body Weapon (19.99, MIA)
• Darkman 2: The Return of Durant (17.99, Universal)
• Dawson’s Creek (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• The Doors Live at the Hollywood Bowl (17.99, Universal)
• High Noon (19.99, Universal)
• Men In Black: Collector’s Edition (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Men In Black: Special Limited Edition (24.99, Columbia TriStar)
• Monty Python’s Meaning of Life (19.99, Columbia TriStar)
• A Night at the Roxbury (19.99, Paramount)
• The Quiet Man (19.99, Universal)
• Tarzan (22.99, Buena Vista)
• Tarzan Collector’s Edition (24.99, Buena Vista)
• Top Gun (19.99, Paramount)
• Varsity Blues (19.99, Paramount)
• The Very Best of Elton John (17.99, Universal)
• War of the Worlds (19.99, Paramount)

Ubi Soft finally tames the Storm…

Thanks toCTW.co.ukfor the following info :

As predicted in CTW (August 25th) French publisher Ubi Soft is one stepnearer to its goal of becoming one of the world’s top five publishers,having now acquired Red Storm Entertainment.

Following completion of the deal, Red Storm will become a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Ubi Soft Entertainment and a Ubi Soft brand, and it is thoughtthat Red Storm will continue to be operated as an independent company.Most of the Red Storm staff will remain intact in North Carolina, however,the publisher/developer’s UK office will join Ubi Soft in its Wimbledonoffices. All sales and distribution will be accomplished through a combinedteam which will be known as the Ubi Soft sales force.

“The games published by Red Storm will complement Ubi Soft’s product rangeand this acquisition will allow the group to reinforce its existingexpertise in multiplayer action and strategy games,” stated Yves Guillemot,president and CEO of Ubi Soft.

Doug Littlejohns, president and CEO of Red Storm, added: “This merger isgood for Red Storm as consolidation is a natural and necessary phenomenon inany fast growing field. While Red Storm has been remarkably successfulthroughout its short life, the acquisition by Ubi Soft, a major player inthe industry, will ensure that together we are capable of leaping to thenext level of growth and profitability.”

No change for Eidos’ losses…

Thanks toCTW.co.ukfor the following info :

Wimbledon-based publisher Eidos reported its first quarter results,with both sales and pre tax losses unchanged compared to the same time lastyear.

For the three months to June 30 2000, turnover reached 16.8 million,identical to the same point last year, while losses before tax and goodwillfor the same period were also the same as last year at 18.4 million.

Just four titles were released in the quarter; Walt Disney’s Magical RacingTour, Daikatana, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, and Deus Ex. Thelatter two performed particularly well, and Eidos is confident that forthcomingquarters will be very strong, with potential blockbusters such as Who wantsto be a Millionaire?, Powerstone 2, Championship Manager 00/01 andTomb Raider: Chronicles on the schedule.

CEO Charles Cornwall said that the results reflected a relatively quietperiod for Eidos, and the continuing low level of activity in the retailmarket: “The industry continues to experience an overall slowdown inanticipation of the release of PlayStation 2.”

He added: “With our balanced portfolio of established franchises, licensedproducts and exciting and original new titles, we remain confident thatEidos can trade through the current market difficulties and take advantageof the next generation platforms as they gain market acceptance.”

Meanwhile, industry sources suggested this week that Eidos could be acquiredby Infogrames in time for ECTS.

Top talent for Microsoft…

Thanks toCTW.co.ukfor the following info :

The X-Box machine is continuing to gather steam, with Microsoft todayannouncing a massive 16 first party partners for the new format, including amajor coup in the shape of its first major partner, Lionhead Studios.

Lionhead’s involvement is a statement of intent from Microsoft, signallingjust how serious the company is about X-Box. Peter Molyneux’s LionheadStudios will be releasing two as yet unnamed groundbreaking products forthe new format.

Other high profile signings include UK-based Climax Development, which hasbeen responsible for such titles as Diablo and Populous:The Beginning for the PlayStation. Another coup for Microsoft is UniversalInteractive Studios, which is probably best known for producing the massiveselling Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon for the PlayStation.

It seems like the X-Box will be well served with quality sports titles, withthe signing of Stormfront Studios (Andretti Racing/NASCAR series) and KodiakInteractive Software Studios (WCW Mayhem). Meanwhile, Totally Games, whichhas previously developed four award winning Star Wars space combatsimulations, Pseudo Interactive Inc, which is led by former designer atOriginal Systems, David Wu, and Boss Game Studios (Top Gear Rally/BossRally) have all been signed up.

The remaining company’s to join the team are Rainbow Studios (MotocrossMadness), Artificial Mind and Movement (Jersey Devil), Digital Illusions(Rallymasters), High Voltage Software (Lego Racers), Know Wonder DigitalMedia Works (Hot Wheels), Pipeworks Software (Tribes), Tremor Entertainment(Railroad Tycoon 2) and VR-1 Entertainment (Fighter Ace).

“By providing the industry’s best game developers with X-Box’s futuregeneration technology and familiar tools today, Microsoft is ensuringintense, action-packed X-Box experiences for gamers at launch,” commented EdFries, vice president of games publishing at Microsoft.

Eidos ask Who Wants to Be A Millionaire…?

Ignoring the obvious joke between the name of this game and Eidos’ financialtroubles, the game of the TV show is released on Playstation, Dreamcast andPC on September 29th, for 1-4 players.

PC and Console games players can now experience for themselvesthe excitement and tension of the TV show as they try and win one millionvirtual pounds. The game features audio and video clips of the TV show’s hostChris Tarrant, who will be asking the questions, giving the answersand of course, uttering the famous line, “Is that your final answer?”

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is a TV phenomenon that has captured the nation’simagination. The game replicates the appeal and success of the quiz show with the ultimate challengein interactive gaming. Over 1000 questions are included.

As well as video and audio clips of Chris Tarrant, allthe music from the TV show is included.

All the familiar features of the TV show are included: 50/50, Ask the Audienceand Phone a Friend..

Plus other specific game features include multi-player options, team playermode and hot seat mode.

Link added to DVD Link

I couldn’t think of a decent title for this section so I’ll continue withthe content.

Thanks to Wilhelm Petterssson for notifying me about his siteDVDLink.co.uk,which is the largest DVD Portal online – with approx. 300 DVD related sites -in one directory, dvd news, technology news and site reviews, but much more.

Sega announce new price for Dreamcast

Thanks to Stuart fromBell Pottinger forthe following info :

Dreamcast R.R.P. £149.99 as of Friday 8th Sept.

Sega Europe announced on Friday September 1st that Dreamcast, its record breaking, next generation, online gaming console will go on sale at the new price of £149.99, as of Friday September 8th 2000.

The new price comes at an exciting time for Dreamcast. Almost a year since launching at £199.99 on October 14th 1999 the pioneering internet ready console is ready to enter the next phase of its evolution.

JF Cecillon CEO of Sega Europe comments;

“Along with the outstanding software line-up, the new price point sets Dreamcast up for great year 2 and a fantastic Christmas sales season. Gamers will have the opportunity to walk into any high street retailer and pick up the most powerful console on sale in Europe for less than £150.”

Gamers can look forward to an exhilarating future with Dreamcast online gaming set to become the benchmark of interactive excellence. 10 online titles are due for release on Dreamcast by Spring 2001. These include the release of the ultimate in multi-player gaming, Quake III Arena; and Lionhead’s ground-breaking god sim. – Black and White and Phantasy Star Online.

Dreamcast games are set to push back the boundaries of software design with their line up for the coming season of traditional offline titles. The universally acclaimed Virtua Tennis will be served up to the public on the 8th September, Ulala, the sassy dancing star of Space Channel 5,will be throwing down shapes from the 6th October, Metropolis StreetRacer will be roaring home on October 20th and the ground breaking aesthetics of Jet Set Radio will be available from the 24th November.

September 3rd :A Dreamcast Exclusive: Resident Evil Code: Veronica…

With three games released to date on the Playstation and other formats,the Sega Dreamcast gets one all to itself with the return of Clare Redfield.

Resident Evil Code: Veronicais online and out on Sega Dreamcast now.

Got something to say about this game ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

September 2nd :They’ve created a mobster: Mickey Blue Eyes on DVD…

Hugh Grant stars in a comedy which I thought would suck big time whenI first heard about it, but it turns out to be a real treat, co-starringJeanne Tripplehorn and James Caan sending up his role inCoppola’s The Godfather.

Mickey Blue Eyesis online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

September 1st :It’s very good, but not quite American Perfekt on DVD…

It’s hard enough to find an interesting road movie at the best of times,but this one has decent plot twists too and is one of the few featureless,fullscreen DVDs worth recommending and it stars Robert Forster, FairuzaBalk, Amanda Plummer and David Thewlis.

American Perfektis online and out on DVD now.

Got something to say about this film/DVD ? Spit it out on theTalk Talk Forumforum.

Cold Feet – the news is bad…

No, the releases are still going ahead as far as I know, but rather thanreleasing the anamorphic 16:9 widescreen masters that were used on TV whenboth series were shown…

…Granada Media are apparently having to go with 4:3-cropped internationalversions.

Email me atColdFeet@dvdfever.co.ukwith your thoughts on the matter and I’ll pass them onto Granada Media in ahopeful bid to make them change their minds as these series really do deservethe widescreen treatment.

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 : Snatchand reviews of Cherry Falls,X-Men,M:I-2andGone in 60 Secondsare online now.

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.

DVDfever.co.uk