Bitter Dregs

Here's a fun quote about Micheal Moore's latest film: "deport michael moore and his anti-american views to some 3rd world country where the only means to surive is eating other humans"

'Cause that worked SOOO well with Charlie Chaplin!

So I missed the boat yesterday...oh well, here it is anyhow.

And another round 'o Tuesday releases...with tons of catalog titles.

Asphalt Jungle
Balloon Farm
Batman Animated Series: Vol. 1
Big Clock
Big Top Pee Wee
Black Angel
Butterfly Effect
Cat From Outer Space
Challenge of the Super Friends: Season 1
Charlie Chan Chanthology (includes The Chinese Cat, Charlie Chan in the Secret Service, The Jade Mask, Meeting at Midnight, The Shanghai Cobra, The Scarlet Clue)
Charlie the Lonesome Cougar
Crazy People
Criss Cross
Critical Condition
Don Knotts Reluctant Hero Pack (includes The Ghost & Mr. Chicken, The Reluctant Astronaut, The Love God?, The Shakiest Gun in the West)
Film Noir Collection Volume 1 (includes The Asphalt Jungle, Gun Crazy, Murder My Sweet, Out of the Past, The Set-Up)
First Monday in October
Fly By Night
Greatest Story Ever Told
Greyfriars Bobby
Gun Crazy
Heartburn
History of Rock & Roll
Hot Lead and Cold Feet
Kotch
La Belle Noiseuse
Lovers and Other Strangers
Monsieur Ibrahim
Murder, My Sweet
My Voyage to Italy
Name of the Rose
Napoleon and Samantha
Never a Dull Moment
No Deposit, No Return
North Avenue Irregulars
One & Only Original Genuine Family Band
Out of the Past
Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Red Sonja
The Set-Up
The Show
Side Out
Six Feet Under: Season 2
Star Trek-Voyager: Season 3
Suppose They Gave a War & Nobody Came?
Take the Money and Run
The Three Lives of Thomasina
The Ugly Daschund
This Gun For Hire
Wholly Moses!
Woody Allen 4 Movie Comedy Collection (includes Anything Else, Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending, Small Time Crooks)

And this past weekend's box office numbers:

1. "Spider-Man 2," $115.8m

2. "Fahrenheit 9/11", $21.0m

3. "White Chicks," $12.0m

4. "Dodgeball," $10.5m

5. "Notebook," $10.3m

6. "Terminal," $10.2m

7. "Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban," $8.1m

8. "Shrek 2," $7.9m

9. "Two Brothers," $3.7m

10. "Garfield," $3.6m

Hmm, not only did "Fahrenheit 9/11" stay up there on the list, it's now expanded to 1,700 screens...

One of the most overlooked animated films in recent memory, the instant cult classic The Iron Giant will make a return engagement to DVD on September 7th. Warner Home Video will give the Brad Bird (who is directing the upcoming Pixar film, The Incredibles)-directed pic a much-need new special edition, complete with anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, eight never-before-seen additional scenes with introductions by Bird (including an alternate opening sequence), 13 mini-documentaries revealing the origin and development process, interviews with creative consultant Teddy Newton, "The Voice Of The Giant" featurette with Bird and Vin Diesel, and theatrical trailers. Retail will list for $26.95.

Fox's latest Studio Classics release will be The Three Faces of Eve (1957). Due to street on October 19th, this first-ever DVD release boasts a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo remix, new audio commentary by Aubrey Solomon, a Fox Movietone Newsreel, and a theatrical trailer gallery.

MGM has out their October slate of catalog releases, which is another typically eclectic lineup of the new and old.

Leading the pack is the 1956 epic Alexander the Great (1956, Richard Burton). Remastered in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, there are no extras aside from trailers, and retail will list for $14.95. Street date is October 19th.

Also making their DVD debuts on the 19th are a batch of other classics: Charly, The Garden of Allah, I'll Be Seeing You, Intermezzo, Made for Each Other, Portrait of Jennie, Ruby Gentry, Since You Went Away and The Young in Heart. All are presented in 4:3 full screen only and Dolby mono, and include trailers. List price will go for $14.95 a pop.

For more modern film fans, MGM will also release a trio of favorites on the 19th: a movie-only edition of Sam Peckinpah's controversial Straw Dogs (the earlier Criterion DVD is out of print), the Oscar-winning They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, and Michael Crichton's Pursuit. They are presented in anamorphic widescreen, non-anamorphic widescreen and full screen, respectively, and include trailers. Retail will also go for $14.95 each.

On September 28th, the summer disappointment Van Helsing will hit DVD.

Universal Studios Home Video will release the CGI-fueled monster mash in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, each with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks plus two audio commentaries with Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay, and actors Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh and Shuler Hensley, the "Creating the Characters and the Monsters," "Van Helsing's Monster Map," "New World Technology vs. Old World Monsters," "You Are in the Movie" and "Anatomy of a Scene: The Masquerade Ball" featurettes, a "The Filmmaker's Diary" chronicle, deleted scenes, outtakes, the "Designing Van Helsing" 360-degree IPix set tour, time-lapse set comparisons, a "Love Bites" parody and theatrical trailers. And PC enhanced content includes more expansive and interactive set tours and more to be announced. Retail will list for $26.95.

Universal will also release the Van Helsing: Ultimate Edition on the 28th, which includes the same two-disc set above, but also inlcudes a third disc with the bonus, full-length features Dracula, Frankenstein and The Wolf Man. There are no additional extras, and list price will be $39.95.

More TV: Columbia's September 14th lineup includes two new TV on DVD releases: Sanford & Son: The Complete Fifth Season and, making its first-ever digital disc debut, Diff'rent Strokes: The Complete First Season. Each is a three-disc set with 4;3 full screen transfers, Dolby Digital mono tracks and episode synopses. List will be $29.95 apiece.

And Mo' Moore: There's a little information on those Michael Moore DVDs that have been mentioned. According to the latest issues of Video Business and Video Store(trade mags), it's still unknown who will be distributing the DVD of Fahrenheit 9/11 (apparently, Lions Gate does NOT have the DVD release rights which will likely go to one of the major studios, possibly even Buena Vista). However, word is Moore's production company has already completed many of the special features for the disc. In addition, word has it that the director has recorded a new commentary for The Big One, due from Miramax on 9/28. And the DVD rights for Moore's only other unreleased project, TV Nation, belong to Sony, but the studio is sitting on the title at the moment.

Review 'O The Day:

DVD Savant looks at the forthcoming (7/13) DVD re-release of The Manchurian Candidate