Home Video News 

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got a movie that Aaron and I both agree is one of the best of 2005, disaster in both a building and a ship, Jennifer Aniston discovering the rumor might be true, season sets of That ‘70’s Show, Scrubs, The West Wing, The Facts of Life and more.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Munich – Steven Spielberg’s gripping tale of the fallout from the murders at the 1972 Olympics follows the Israeli team put together to hunt down those responsible.  The DVD comes in a regular one-disc edition with an introduction by Spielberg and a two-disc limited editon also including featurettes on the impact of the real events, the movie’s 70’s style, a behind the scenes look, and the music, cast, editing, and sound of the film.  Aaron immediately dubbed it his best film of 2005 (see his list) and it found it’s way to #2 on my list.  Read the original reviews here, and here.

Rumor Has It – Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston) life is shaken when she discovers her mother and grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) were the inspiration for The Graduate.  A clever and amusing film that sadly is only available in a barebones DVD with the theatrical trailer as the only extra.  Read my original review.

Nanny McPhee – Emma Thompson as a kind of anti-Mary Poppins who serves as a governess of seven unruly children.  The DVD contains commentary by director Kirk Jones and the children of the film, and another track with Emma Thompson and producer Lindsay Doran, featurettes on the children, creating the character, the making of the film, a gag reel, deleted scenes, and an alternate ending.  Check out the original review.

The New World – Terrance Malick’s retells the story of John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Pocahantos (Q’Orianka Kilcher).  The DVD contains a 60 minute documentary on the making of the film.

Big Momma’s House 2 – Martin Lawrence returns as a cop who likes to dress up in fat women’s clothing.  The DVD includes commentary from director John Whitesell, producer David T. Friendly and Zachary Levi, deleted and extended scenes, and a behind the scenes featurette.

Special Editions:

The Poseidon Adventure (Special Edition) – The original film (check back for my review of the remake this Friday) of where a ship capsizes at sea and a group of passengers struggle to survive.  This two-disc collection includes a commentary track with director Ronald Neame and a second with Pamela Sue Martin, Stella Stevens and Carol Lynely, nine new featurettes including a look back by the cast, the fans of the film, the effects and more.  Also included are storyboard comparisons, original trailers and promos, an article from the “American Cinematographer”, and still galleries.

The Towering Inferno (Special Edition) – A massive fire erupts in an enormous office building as those trapped struggle to stay alive and find a way out.  The special edition includes commentary by film historian F.X. Feeney, nine new featurettes on Irwin Allen, the art, direcing, and effects of the film and more, storyboard comparisons, three articles form “American Cinematographer,” an interview with Irwin Allen, still galleries, and the original trailer and promos.

Grandma’s Boy (Unrated) – A 35 year-old video game tester moves in with his grandma and a lack of anything resembling hilarity soon ensues.  The DVD includes features on both versions of the film, commentary by Allen Covert, Nick Swardson, Peter Dante, and director Nicholus Goosen, a collection of featurette, deleted scenes, and a music video.

Family/Animated:

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist – Season 1 – All six episodes of comedian Jonathan Katz as an animated therapist dealing with his friends, family and patients (voiced by other stand-up comedians).  Included are commentary by Katz, Dave Attell, J. Jon Benjamin, Ray Ramano, and Tom Snyner, a biography of the doctor, and original shorts.

TV:

The West Wing – The Complete Sixth Season – The race for the White House begins with the addition of Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits to the cast.  The set includes all 22 episodes with commentary on two episodes from the executive producers, a featurette on C.J. Cregg, and an easter egg interview with John Spencer.

Scrubs – The Complete Third Season – All 22 episodes of season three in Sacred Heart Hospital with extras that include commentary on two episodes from writer Mark Stegmann, creator Randall Winston, Donald Faison, and Judy Reyes, a cast and crew featurette, behind the scenes of this season, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and alternate lines.

That ‘70’s Show – Season 4 – All 27 episodes from the fourth season with commentary on select episodes, a featurette on the season, a flashback, and a featurette on director David Trainer.

The Andy Griffith Show – The Complete Sixth Season – 30 more episodes of Andy and the Mayberry gang that includes the first episode of the series broadcast in color.

Everybody Loves Raymond – The Complete Sixth Season – All 24 episodes of the season featuring Ray Ramano and his TV family are included with commentary for six episodes by Romano, creator Phil Rosenthal, Doris Roberts, and writers Tucker Cawley, Mike Royce, Lew Schneider, and Steve Skrovan, bloopers, deleted scenes, and a retrospective on the first six seasons.

The Golden Girls – Season Five – All 26 episodes from the blue-haired foursome.  Extras include cast commentary on selected episdoes.

The Facts of Life – The Complete First and Second Seasons – All 29 episodes of he first two seasons of the Diff’rent Strokes spin-off involving Mrs. Garrett, blair, Natalie, and of course Tootie.  Also included are featurettes on the cast’s memories and life after the show.

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got Little Red Riding Hood, special editons of Brando and Newman, and season sets of Kate & Allie, Red Dwarf, 3rd Rock from the Sun,  and more.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Hoodwinked – Clever animated retelling of what happened on the road to Grandma’s house (with the voices of Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, Patrick Warburton, David Ogden Stiers, Andy Dick and James Belushi).  The DVD contains commentary by writer/directors Cory and Todd Edwards and Tony Leech, deleted and extended scenes, a featurette on the making of an animated film, and a music video.  Read the original review here.

The Family Stone – Sarah Jessica Parker plays the annoying girlfriend (not exactly a stretch) taken home to meet her man’s family.  A good supporting cast can’t save this one from Parker’s endless whining.  The extras include commentray by Parker and Dermot Mulroney, commentary by writer/director Thomas Bezucha, producer Michael London, editor Jeffrey Ford and production designer Jane Ann Stewart, deleted scenes, a gag reel, featurettes on casting the film, behind the scenes, and its premeire, and a Q&A session with the cast.

Last Holiday – Remake of the 1950 romantic comedy starring Alec Guinness and Beatrice Campbell.  This 2006 version stars Queen Latifah as a woman who quits her job and decides to take a trip to Europe when she learns she only has weeks left to live.  The DVD contains featurettes and deleted scenes, recipes, and the theatrical trailer.

Special Editions: –

A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition) – 1951 classic film with Viven Leigh, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden (all three won Oscars), and Marlon Brando (in what some argue was his best role) as Stanley Kowalski.  This two-disc edition contains commentary by Karl Malden and film historians Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young, a trailer gallery of director Elia Kazan, outtakes, Marlon Brando’s screen test, and six documentaries on director Kazan, the Broadway play, the film, censorship, Marlon Brando, and the music of the South.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Deluxe Edition) – Truth comes out and lies are exposed at Big Daddy’s (Burl Ives) 65th birthday party where his doctor infoms the family he is dying of cancer.  Great cas includes Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Judith Anderson, Jack Carson, and directed and adapted from the Tennessee Williams play by Richard Brooks (In Cold Blood, Elmer Gantry).  This deluxe edition includes commentary by Williams biographer Donald Spoto, a new featurette, and the trailer.

Family/Animated:

Dinosaurs – The Complete First and Second Seasons – The first two series of the Sinclair family living in 60 million B.C.  An updated take on The Flintstones that was based on Jim Henson’s original concept; the show features puppets and animatronics.

King of the Hill – The Complete Sixth Season – All 21 episodes of the white trash Hill family on three discs.  Extras?  Nada.

TV:

3rd Rock from the Sun – Season 4 – More wacky fun from the Solomon family trying to learn about this crazy little planet we call Earth in all 24 episodes.  The set contains an interview with Jane Curtin, bloopers, season highlights, and a 16 page booklet.

Red Dwarf – Series 8 – 10 final episodes of the crew of the Red Dwarf.  The set includes commentary by Chole Arnett, Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Norman Lovett, and Mac MacDonald, a documentary, a model-maker video, raw effects footage, deleted scenes, a photo gallery, radio sketch and a fight music featurette.  Also available in a larger box with a Skutter toy.

I Love Lucy – The Complete Sixth Season – The final season of the classic televsion comedy includes all 27 episodes on four discs.  The set also includes commentary by Keith Thibodeaux, Barbara Eden, Doris Singleton, and writers Madelyn Thibodeau and Bob Schiller, lost scenes, flubs, original commercials and promo spots, five episodes of the Lucy radio show, the 1956 Christmas Show, and the sketch done on The Bob Hope Chevy Show.

Leave It to Beaver – The Complete Second Season – More adventures with the Cleaver family in all 39 episodes.  No extras here and oddly no special limited edition gift set like what was released for the first season (which has one of the coolest and most unique packaging ideas ever).

Kate & Allie – Season One – Susan Saint James and Jane Curtain as a pair of divorced women living together and raising their children.  A mid-season replacement of only six episodes, the show coninued for five more full seasons.  The DVD contains an interview with Susan Saint James and director Bill Persky, a gag reel, and a bonus episode from season two “Back to School.”

The Nanny – The Complete Second Season – Fran Drescher and her annoying laugh return for 26 episodes on three discs as the Nanny for a British Widower’s three young children.

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got films with Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni, Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez, and Maria Bello and Sean Bean, an uncensored stop on the Insomniac Tour, a new collection of Laurel and Hardy DVD’s, season sets of The Bob Newhart Show, Farscape, and In Living Color, and more.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Fun with Dick & Jane – Jim Carrey and Tea Teoni play a married couple who turn to a life of crime after he loses his job.  Remake of the 1977 original with George Segal and Jane Fonda.  The DVD contains commentary with director Dean Parisot and screewriters Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller, deleted scenes, a gag reel and pubicity junket outtakes.

An Unfinished Life – A widow (Jennifer Lopez) and her daughter (Becca Gardner) move to a Wyoming ranch to stay with her father-in-law (Robert Redford) who blames her for the death of his son.  Morgan Freeman and Josh Lucas also star.  The DVD contains commentary by director Lasse Hallstrom, a still gallery, and featurettes on the making of the film and training Bart the bear.

The Greatest Game Ever Played – True story of Francis Ouimet’s surprising victory at the 1913 US Open gets the “based on true events’ treatment here.  Directed by Bill Paxton the film stars his son James Paxton.  The DVD includes commentary by the director and writer Mark Frost and a collection of featurettes on the film and the Francis Ouimet.

Wolf Creek (Unrated Version) – Forgettable horror flick from last year that begins with a group of friends in the Australian Outback and ends with lots of running, screaming, and dead bodies.  The DVD contains commentary from writer/director Greg McLean, producer Matt Hearn, and actors Cassandra Magrath and Kesti Morassi, a featurette on the making of the film, and deleted scenes.

The Dark – Only slightly less forgettable horror flick starring Sean Bean and Maria Bello who play parents of a drowned child who encounter a ghost of a young girl who died 60 years ago and looks more than a little like their daughter.  The only extra incuded on the disc is an alternative ending.

Mission Impossible Collector’s Set – Repackaging the first two films and the extras from those discs on this new all-in-one collection.  Also out today is a separate remastered vesion of the special collector’s editon of the first film.

Family/Animated:

Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin – Christpher Robin goes off to school and Pooh, misunderstanding the situation, rounds up the gang to organize a rescue mission.  Extras include a bonus short, a game, and Pooh’s symphony.

Bratz: Genie Magic – Adventures of fashion concious teens Cloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin who befriend a genie in this movie version of the computer animated television show.  The set includes an extra episode of the show.

Collections:

Laurel and Hardy Giftset – Three of the duos films from the early 40’s Jitterbugs, Great Guns, and The Big Noise are packaged together here.  Extras inclue commentary by historian Randy Skretvedt, Movietone news clips, still galleries, original trailers, and featurettes on the duo.

TV:

Dave Attell’s Insoniac Tour Uncensored! Presents Sean Rouse, Greg Giraldo, and Dane Cook – The Insomiac Tour presents 98 minutes of uncensored stand-up from Attell, Rousse, Giraldo, and Cook.

The Bob Newhart Show – The Complete Third Season – Dr. Bob and gang return for 24 episodes.  The collection includes commentary by Newhart for three episodes and a featurette on the making of the show.

The Merv Griffin Show – 40 of the Most Interesting People of Our Time – Clips from the show that lasted almost a quarter of a century on network TV.  The set includes over nine hours of interviews with guests ranging from Jerry Seinfeld, Ingrid Bergman, and Orson Welles, to Ronald Regan and Richard Nixon.  Extras on the set include a video montage of Merv Griffin and select commentary.

Farscape – Season 3, Collection 3 – The last seven episodes of the third season of the Sci-fi original.  The collection also contains commentary for four of the episodes by directors, cast and series creator Rockne S. O’Bannon.  Also included are cast interviews, deleted scenes, original promos, featurettes on the aliens of the show and the third season, updated character histories, and production design galleries.

In Living Color – Season Five – Final season of the Wayans’ sketch comedy includes all 26 episodes on three discs with Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Allen Grier and more.

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got Crash and Brokeback Mountain, along with an old eighties favorite starring a helicopter (nope, not Airwolf), my runner-up for worst film of 2005, and season sets of Knight Rider, The A-Team, and Magnum P.I., and more.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

Crash (2-Disc Director’s Cut Edition) – The controversial Oscar chosen Best Picture of the Year gets a new two-disc DVD.  Admit it you either loved it or hated it; the film made my top ten list of 2005.  The new “director’s cut” contains four minutes of additional footage, an introduction by director Paul Haggis, commentary by Haggis, Don Cheadle, and co-writer Bobby Moresco, deleted scenes and a collection of featurettes on L.A., the making of the film, the director, storyboards, and a music video.  Read Aaron’s original review here and my review here.

Brokeback Mountain – Ang Lee’s love story between two cowboys (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) won at every major awards except the Oscars (though Lee did manage to steal Best Director from George Clooney).  Though the film didn’t make my top ten list it did turn up on both Aaron’s (check it out) and December’s (click here).  The DVD contains featurettes on the making of the film, cowboy style, and Ang Lee – but no commentary.  Read the original reviews here, here, and here.

Blue Thunder (Special Edition) – 1983 action flick with Roy Sceider and one awesome heliocopter gets the special edition treatment.  The DVD includes a remastered Dobly 5.1 track and commentary with director John Badham and editor Frank Morris.  The featurettes include making the film, building the chopper, and a 1983 promo.

Family/Animated:

The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – This film barely, and I mean barely, missed being my #1 worst film of 2005 (click here for full list).  The most evil, offensive, subversive and intolerant “kids” film of all time teaching the nobility of the jihad and how war is always just and impossible to lose as long as you’ve got God on your side comes to DVD.  Yah.  Out today in a regular one-disc with bloopers and commentary from the stars and director and a two-disc special edition (NOOOOOOOOOOOO!) that also contains extras like a diaries from the stars and director (they’re all 9 year-old girls) and featurettes on C.S. Lewis, the creatures of the film, a Narnia time-line, special effects, and more.  Read the original review

Collections:

Mel Brooks Box Set Collection – The box set includes eight Mel Brooks films packaged together including Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, History of the World: Part I, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Twelve Chairs, To Be or Not to Be, and the new releases of High Anxiety and Silent Movie available for the first time on DVD.

Documentary:

Bob Dylan 1975-1981: Rolling Thunder and the Gospel Years – Documentary following Dylan’s 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue that included a benefit for Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and his “gospel years” in the late 70’s.  Included are interviews with Rubin Carter, Scarlet Rivera, Rob Stoner, Jerry Wexler, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Ms. Jacques Levy, Regina McCrary, Spooner Oldham, Al Kasha and more,  concert clips and footage, and never before seen photographs.

TV:

Magnum P.I. – The Complete Fourth Season – Magnum, Higgins, Rick and TC in all 21 fourth season episodes plus the “Mac’s Back” episode from season five, and a TV flashback featurette.

Knight Rider – Season Four – Final 22 episodes, including the two-part opener, of the talking car and the “man who does not exist” The final season is memorable for the new “super-pursuit mode” and added character of RC3.  Extras include blueprints of K.I.T.T.

The A-Team – Season Four – Hannibal Smith and the gang return for 23 episodes from the fourth season of the show which introduces Robert Vaughn as General Hunt Stockwell and includes the two-part opener where the team is finally put on trial for those crimes “they didn’t commit.”

Dawson’s Creek – The Complete Sixth Season – Final season of the WB’s teen breakout hit contains all 23 episodes including the two-hour series finale with commentary by series creator Kevin Williamson and producer Paul Stupin.  Extras include a photo album, character bios, script pages, and trivia.

Star Trek Fan Collective – Time Travel – The top time travel episodes of Star Trek as chosen by the fans.  The set includes “Tomorrow is Yesterday” and “City on the Edge of Forever” (but not “Assignment: Earth”) from TOS, “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” “Cause and Effect,” “Time’s Arrow,” and “All Good Things…” from STNG, “Little Green Men” and “Trials and Tribble-ations” from DS9 (though sadly absent from this set are “The Visitor” and “Far Beyond the Stars”), and “Year of Hell” and “Endgame” from Voyager.  Extras include pop-up text commentary for three of the episodes.

Full House – The Complete Third Season – This set contains all 22 episodes of the thrid season adventures of the Tanner family along with a montage of Dave Coulier’s impressiions on the show.

We’re here to let you know what’s out there for your entertainment dollar.  Every week a new batch of DVD’s gets shipped out and thrown onto the shelves.  This week we’ve got the entire first season of Robot Chicken, season sets of Six Feet Under, Northern Exposure, and Quantum Leap along with three (count ‘em three) of my worst films of 2005, and more.  Take a peek inside for the full list.

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Here’s what is getting released today on DVD:

Film:

King Kong – Let’s just say no one here at RazorFine thought much of Peter Jackson’s 3-hour-plus take on King Kong.  The first of three films from my worst of 2005 list released this week.  Read our original reviews:  review #1, review #2, review #3, and review #4.  The movie is out in two different editions: a one-disc regular DVD and a two-disc special edition.  The first is a more bare bones edition with only two short featurettes while the special edition contains and intro by Peter Jackson and his “post-production diaries,” and featurettes on 30’s New York and Skull Island.

Stay – Well here we go with another loser from 2005 (made my #3 worst film, and like Kong stars Naomi Watts).  The film is about a psychiatrist (Ewan McGregor) afraid of a patient (Ryan Gosling) and his girlfriend (Watts) separtely killing themselves.  Or is it?  In one of those constantly changing plot twist films (I seriously believe not even the director or screenwriter knew what this film was actually about) that in the end makes absolutely no sense.  The DVD contains “scene specific” commentary by director Marc Forster (see even he didn’t want to have to watch the whole thing!) and a couple of featurettes.  Read the original review.

A Sound of Thunder – Believe it or not there were actually two films worse than Stay last year, one comes out next week and the other is the worst movie of 2005.  Horrific adaption of the Ray Bradbury short story.  This movie is stunningly bad.  No one can defend it and the filmmakers don’t even try on this barebones DVD where the only extra is the trailer.  Just how bad is it?  Read the original review and find out.

Memoirs of a Geisha – The tale of a young girl’s journey into becoming a geisha is beautiful to look at (it won Oscars for Art Direction, Costume Design, and Cinematography).  December liked it enough to include it on her top ten films of 2005.  The two-disc special edition includes commentary by director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca along with a production commentary by costume designer Colleen Atwood, production designer John Myre, and editor Pietro Scalia.  There is also a huge collection of featurettes on making the novel into a film, shooting in Japan, a look at the geisha life, the actresses training to become geisha, the music of the film and more.  Read the original review.

Sliver (Unrated Edition) – Yeah you know I was just thinking how my world was incomplete without a director’s edition of this early 90’s crapfest with Sharon Stone and William Baldwin.  Oh wait a minute, no I wasn’t!!!  Obviously trying to pull in some of that Basic Instint 2 cash (all $6 of it) this “unrated version” is supposed to be better (did they replace William Baldwin with a sock puppet?)  Don’t ask me folks; I don’t get this either.

Family/Animated:

A Boy Named Charlie Brown – Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang in their classic 60’s cartoons that involve a kite-eating tree, humiliation on the baseball field, a national spelling bee and more.

TV:

Robot Chicken – Volume 1 – All 20 episodes from the gold standard of Adult Swim are contained in this two-disc set which includes commentary for every single episode and tons of extras like a behind the scenes featurette and deleted and extended skits (including the originals from Sweet J Presents) packing the discs full o’ fun.  Seth Green, you da’ man!  Matthew Senrich, you rule!  Read the full review

Six Feet Under – The Complete Fifth Season – Final season of the HBO acclaimed series includes all 12 episodes of the Fisher family including the series finale.  The set also contains commentary by writers and directors for six of the episodes, three featurettes including a look back featurette, episode recaps and previews.

Northern Exposure – The Complete Fourth Season – The misadventures of Dr. Joel Fleishman and the townspeople of Cicely, Alaska continue.  All 25 fourth season episodes are included on three discs with deleted and extended scenes and a gag reel.

Doctor Who – The Beginning Collection – Well folks this is where it all started back in 1963 with William Hartnell as the Doctor.  Three of the first episodes (“An Unearthly Child,” “The Daleks,” and “The Edge of Destruction”) along with extras including a studio pilot, commentary by producer Verity Lambert and directors Waris Hussein, Chritopher Barry, and Richard Martin and actors Carole Ann Ford and Willaim Russell, and featurettes on the Daleks, the Doctor’s origins, and the T.A.R.D.I.S.

Quantum Leap – The Complete Fourth Season – Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) continues leaping through time in 22 episodes.  The DVD set contains a featurette on the 80’s flashbacks and a special bonus episode from the fifth season.

Knots Landing – The Complete First Season – The long running drama got its start back in 1979 as a mid-season replacement.  All 13 episodes are gathered together on five discs…five discs??  Wow trying to get your money’s worth aren’t you folks?!  Yeah, you know a disc holds more than two hours right?  Extras include cast commentary on two episodes and an interview featurette with Ted Shackleford and Joan Van Ark.