The 2 Johns

By Brian Thomas     June 06, 2006

Many mathematicians and theologians are now saying that the Number of the Beast is actually 611. I know - short notice to reschedule your Antichrist party, but a late Saturday date is better anyway. Getting that tattoo changed is going to be a bitch, though.

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When MGM merged with Sony not that long ago, naturally Sony began to distribute MGM DVDs. But last Wednesday MGM surprised everyone when they announced they'd signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to distribute their discs. It seems that MGM execs have been dissatisfied with the prospect of disappearing into the maw of Sony, and as they've been impressed by the way Fox handles disc sales, they made the move to help keep their own brand independent. It may be coincidence or it may be that somebody at Sony got wind of the shift in advance but earlier in the week they announced a series of MGM "Best Sellers", repackaged editions of MGM staples like WEST SIDE STORY, THELMA & LOUISE, GET SHORTY and THE GRADUATE.

Drifting in from another dimension through the Prize Closet door we have 5 copies of THE TIME TUNNEL Volume 2, courtesy of those lucky folks at Fox. To enter our little giveaway, send one email containing your name and mailing address to psycho@psychotronic.info with the word "TIME2" in the subject line.

We also have JOHN WAYNE: AN AMERICAN ICON courtesy of Universal. For this one make the subject (what else) "DUKE".

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

John Ford and John Wayne worked on over 30 feature films together, and will always be remembered for the series of post-war classics they collaborated on. Wayne would have celebrated his 99th birthday last month, so perhaps that's what spurred Warner Bros., Universal and Paramount to all release box sets honoring him at once, with a side order of Ford's less well known works and Wayne's non-starring productions.

(O) THE JOHN FORD FILM COLLECTION (Warner Bros.) Includes THE LOST PATROL, THE INFORMER, CHEYENNE AUTUMN, MARY OF SCOTLAND and SERGEANT RUTLEDGE.
(O) JOHN WAYNE: AN AMERICAN ICON (Universal) Includes SEVEN SINNERS, SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS, PITTSBURGH, THE CONQUEROR and JET PILOT. (Actually, this set slipped out last week.)
(O) THE JOHN WAYNE / JOHN FORD FILM COLLECTION (Warner Bros.) Gathers together FORT APACHE, THE SEARCHERS, 3 GODFATHERS, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON and STAGECOACH.
(O) JOHN WAYNE'S SUSPENSE COLLECTION (Paramount) Four adventure features made by Wayne's Batjac Productions: MAN IN THE VAULT, the very strange RING OF FEAR, TRACK OF THE CAT (with commentrak, featurettes and more) and PLUNDER OF THE SUN (with commentrak, featurettes and more).

NEW RELEASES


(O) THE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER COLLECTION (Fox) Includes COMMANDO, PREDATOR and TRUE LIES.
(O) BEYOND FEAR (Image) Mimi Lesseos is a high kicking wilderness tour guide under attack by two killers.
(O) BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP (Lionsgate) Admitting a backwoods mutant who killed his family turns out to be a mistake for an asylum. Stars William Sanderson and Tom Savini. With commentrak.
(O) BLACK HAWK DOWN (Sony) Extended cut of Ridley Scott's hit Somalian war flick.
(O) BLOOD BATH 2 (BCI Eclipse) Includes JACK THE RIPPER GOES WEST, LEGACY OF SATAN, THE BRIDE and BLOOD SONG.
(O) BOOMERANG! (Fox) 1947 true crime thriller in which lawyer Dana Andrews defends murder suspect Arthur Kennedy.
(O) BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID (Fox) 2-disc collector's edition of the Oscar winning western comedy with Paul Newman and Robert Redford as a pair of good-hearted outlaws on the run. Includes two commentraks, 2005 and 1994 Making-Of featurettes, interviews and more.
(O) CHARLIE CHAPLIN: The Little Tramp Collection (Passport) Shorts compilation. Includes a Chaplin cartoon and a promo short with Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
(O) THE CHAPLIN MUTUAL COMEDIES (Image) 90th anniversary edition includes improved remasters of 12 Chaplin Mutual shorts.
(O) CHARMED Complete Fifth Season (Paramount) Magical adventure & comedy with Paige, Phoebe and Piper.
(O) THE CHRIS ROCK SHOW Complete First & Second Seasons (HBO) I always tuned out when the music act came on.
(O) THE COLIN FERRELL COLLECTION (Fox) Box set includes PHONE BOOTH, TIGERLAND and... DAREDEVIL?!
(O) COMBAT!: Best of the New Replacements (Image)
(O) COMBAT!: Best of the Squad (Image)
(O) CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE (Elite) 1966 Larry Buchanan ultra-cheapie in which a man is transformed into an amphibious monster.
(O) DEADLY ADVICE (Tango) British comedy about a murder instruction book.
(O) DEATH ON FILM 2-pack (Troma) Includes TERROR FIRMER and SCREAMPLAY.
(O) DOCTOR WHO: Genesis of the Daleks (BBC) Tom Baker goes to the Dalek homeworld.
(O) DOCTOR WHO: Revelation of the Daleks (BBC) Colin Baker goes to one of the galaxy's finest funeral homes.
(O) A DOG'S TALE / GHOST SHIP (EPI) Two juvenile adventures.
(O) DREAM HOME (Maverick) A family learns that their classic Louisiana house is haunted.
(O) THE DROP (MTI) A college student hired to drive a luxury car from San Francisco to Los Angeles finds out his cargo puts him in the middle of a supernatural power struggle.
(O) THE DUDESONS (Rhino) Crazy sitcom stunt TV show from Finland!
(O) EASTERN HORROR: MAGIC OF THE UNIVERSE / COUNTER DESTROYER (BCI Eclipse) More movie nuttiness from Godfrey Ho.
(O) EMPEROR OF THE NORTH (Fox) Hobos Lee Marvin and Keith Carradine wrangle with murderous rail conductor Ernest Borgnine in this 1973 adventure drama. Includes commentrak.
(O) ENTOURAGE Complete Second Season (Warner Bros.) A famous guy and his buddies.
(O) THE FAST & THE FURIOUS Franchise Collection (Universal) Bundles FAST & THE FURIOUS, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS, and a ticket to see FAST & THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT in theaters.
(O) FIREWALL (Warner Bros.) Unlikely IT geek Harrison Ford is forced by kidnappers to steal $100 million from his own system. Widescreen & fullscreen editions include interviews. Also available as a combo disc (see below).
(O) F TROOP Complete First Season (Warner Bros.) An accidental hero is put in charge of a misfit cavalry outpost in this 1965 western sitcom.
(O) GARFIELD: THE MOVIE (Paramount) "Purrrfect Collector's Edition" or "Obvious Theatrical Sequel Marketing Ploy"? Whatever it's a 2-disc set that includes commentrak, puzzles, ROM extras, featurettes, music videos, cartoon short and more.
(O) THE GEORGE CLOONEY COLLECTION (Fox) Includes ONE FINE DAY, SOLARIS and... THE THIN RED LINE?! Isn't Fox stretching the concept by calling these 3-disc sets "collections"? And shouldn't all three be starring vehicles for the name on the box?
(O) THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS (Palm) Asia Argento directs and stars as JT Leroy, whose falsified literary celebrity fooled millions. With Marilyn Manson, Michael Pitt and Peter Fonda. Includes commentrak, 24-page booklet, original hoax footage and more.
(O) HOUSE OF STRANGERS (Fox) Typical role for Edward G. Robinson as a respected man who is secretly a criminal.
(O) I WAKE UP SCREAMING (Fox) Or "STAR 80 1941" as grafter Victor Mature marries waitress Betty Grable so he can parlay her beauty into stardom, only to be accused of her murder.
(O) KUNG FAUX Volume 4 (Tommy Boy/Koch)
(O) KUNG FAUX Volume 5 (Tommy Boy/Koch) More redubbed and chopped up chop socky.
(O) KUNG FU THEATER: CHINESE DRAGON / EVERLASTING DUEL (BCI Eclipse) Two Taiwanese action flicks: Standard 1973 kung fu crime drama with Barry Chan / 1982 swordplay costumer with Tin Peng and Chan Sing (aka LONE NINJA WARRIOR).
(O) KUNG FU THEATER: NEW YORK CHINATOWN / MASTER OF DISASTER (BCI Eclipse) Alan Tang and Melvin Wong in a 1982 triad action movie / 1990 Jimmy Liu flick (aka NEW KIDS IN TOWN) with Dickson Li and Chin Siu-ho as brothers visiting city uncle Lau Kar-leung and running into trouble. Jackie Chan has a small uncredited role as a cop.
(O) LATIN HORROR 3-pack (Image) Bundles the suspense thriller X, the Paul Naschy slasher flick SCHOOL KILLER and the dark satire EL NOMINADO.
(O) LEGENDARY OUTLAWS DOUBLE FEATURE Volume 1 (VCI) THE GREAT JESSE JAMES RAID (1953) and RENEGADE GIRL (1946).
(O) LEGENDARY OUTLAWS DOUBLE FEATURE Volume 2 (VCI) THE RETURN OF JESSE JAMES and GUNFIRE (1950).
(O) LEGENDARY OUTLAWS DOUBLE FEATURE Volume 3 (VCI) THE DALTON GANG (1949) and I SHOT BILLY THE KID (1950).
(O) LIKE MIKE 2: STREETBALL (Fox) Another kids fantasy about magic gym shoes. With Making-Of featurettes and deleted scenes.
(O) THE LOTTERY (Platinum) TV movie about human sacrifice in a small town.
(O) MACABRE PAIR OF SHORTS (Troma) Two horror spoof featurettes.
(O) MAID OF HONOR (Lionsgate) Linda Purl is determined to stop being always a bridesmaid and never a bride if she has to kill for it.
(O) MA SU CHEN (Crash) Richard Harrison and Hwang Jang Lee in another silly '80s ninja movie from Godfrey Ho.
(O) THE MISSING (Sony) Extended cut of Ron Howard's hit in which Cate Blanchett asks dad Tommy Lee Jones to help when her daughter is abducted by a supernatural frontier ghoul. Includes director commentrak, featurettes and shorts.
(O) MR. & MRS. SMITH (Fox) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are a married couple hiding their lives as super-assassins from each other. When the beans get spilled, the sparks fly, in one of last year's best movies. Unrated Collectors Edition adds in a few minutes of footage and includes more deleted scenes, director commentrak, "film school" action sequence breakdown, behind-the-scenes and more.
(O) MOMMY DEAREST (Paramount) "Hollywood Royalty Edition" of Faye Dunaway's 1981 take-no-prisoners portrait of movie icon Joan Crawford. Includes commentrak with John Waters, Making-Of featurettes and more.
(O) MOTEL (MURDERER IN THE HOTEL) (Beverly Hills/Ventura) 1983 Mexican murder mystery thriller, in Spanish with NO SUBTITLES.
(O) MYSTERY WOMAN: Snapshot (Echo Bridge) Kellie Martin solves another TV movie mystery.
(O) NAINA (Allumination) A blind woman recovers her sight with supernatural extras after a cornea transplant in the Bollywood version of THE EYE.
(O) NAVY S.E.A.L.S. / RED DAWN (Sony) Gung ho double feature
(O) A PEFECT FIT (Warner Bros.) Dreary psychodrama about a troubled man who tumbles into paranoia.
(O) POWER RANGERS: MYSTIC FORCE Volume 1 (Buena Vista) Five Power Rangers learn to use magic, just like Harry Potter!
(O) PUSHED TO THE LIMIT (Image) Mimi Lesseos infiltrates an illegal Los Angeles kumite on a mission of vengeance.
(O) THE QUICK & THE DEAD / BITE THE BULLET (Sony) Double feature of two fine westerns starring Gene Hackman.
(O) ROBOCOP / THE TERMINATOR (MGM) double feature of two of the greatest sci-fi action movies ever made.
(O) ROCK 'N' ROLL SPACE PATROL ACTION IS GO! (Troma) A space secret agent is sent to investigate an infection of shop-aholicism on a remote colony.
(O) RUNNING SCARED (New Line) Mafia thug Paul Walker loses the hot weapon he was supposed to conceal and gets everybody in town on his tail. Includes director commentrak, behind-the-scenes and storyboards.
(O) SARAH SILVERMAN: JESUS IS MAGIC (Visual) Silverman weaves her concert into backstage skits, musical numbers and more in this irreverent and entertaining romp. Extras include Sarah's infamous clip from THE ARISTOCRATS.
(O) SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" Best of Gift Set (Lionsgate) The Best of Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi and Will Ferrel.
(O) THE SCARLET LETTER (Image) Rare 1934 HORROR version of Hawthorne's classic novel, complete with mad scientist.
(O) THE SECRET OF DR. KILDARE (Troma/Roan) Old Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) hands off his medical B-movie franchise to a younger doctor.
(O) SHADOW MAN (Sony) Crooked CIA agents use unknowing ex-spy Steven Seagal to smuggle a bio-weapon out of the USA, but enemy agents retaliate by kidnapping Steve's daughter. Uh oh.
(O) 666 REVEALED (Highland/Ventura) Paranoid documentary traces every bad thing and person to Satanism. Nice choice of release date.
(O) STAR TREK FAN COLLECTIVE: Q (Paramount) 4-disc set of episodes spanning across Trek series to collect all 12 stories with the spotlight on John DeLancie as the omnipotent but fatally flawed alien known as Q.
(O) THE TIME TUNNEL Volume 2 (Fox) The final episodes find Robert Colbert abd James Darren still floundering from one era to another. Includes producer Irwin Allen's 1976 TV movie TIME TRAVELERS, interviews and more.
(O) UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (Sony) Unfettered by the need to create a whole new world, this sequel returns to vampire/werewolf warfare at full speed for another satisfying round of monster action, with Kate Beckinsale stunning both in & out of her slick latex battlesuit. Widescreen & fullscreen editions include commentrak, extensive Making-Of featurettes and music video.
(O) THE VICTOR BORGE SHOW COLLECTION (Passport) Rare kinescopes of the classical musician/comedian in 14 episodes of his 1951 live television show.
(O) VINCENT (Image) Leonard Nimoy stars as Vincent van Gogh's brother Theo in his acclaimed one man show which I saw in 1979!
(O) WEIRD WORLDS COLLECTION (Image) Box set of 1950s sci-fi includes PROJECT MOONBASE, THE PHANTOM PLANET, FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS and DESTINATION MOON.
(O) THE WILD WILD WEST Complete First Season (Paramount) Refreshing hit 1965 western secret agent series starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. Includes Conrad commentraks, original opening, interviews and more. Speaking of westerns...
(O) ZANE GREY WESTERN CLASSICS: DESERT GOLD (Lionsgate) 1936 oater with Buster Crabbe as an Indian chief under duress when outlaws try to get at his hidden mine. Plus three "True Stories of Zane Grey".
(O) ZANE GREY WESTERN CLASSICS: DRIFT FENCE (Lionsgate) 1936 oater (aka TEXAS DESPERADOES) with Tom Keene as a cowpoke who takes a job fencing in a ranch in order to settle a score with rustlers led by Buster Crabbe plaguing the region. Plus three "True Stories of Zane Grey".
(O) ZANE GREY WESTERN CLASSICS: SUNSET PASS (Lionsgate) 1946 oater in which undercover lawman James Warren traces stolen loot when Robert Clarke quits the outlaw gang to exonerate himself. But the gang leader frames Clarke for murder to distract the town while they rob a bank. Plus three "True Stories of Zane Grey".
(O) ZANE GREY WESTERN CLASSICS: WILD HORSE MESA (Lionsgate) 1947 oater with cowboy Tim Holt getting mixed up with wild horses and murder. Plus three "True Stories of Zane Grey".

HD-DVD CORNER

(O) BLAZING SADDLES (Warner Bros.) Includes Brooks commentrak, deleted footage, featurettes, BLACK BART spin-off TV pilot and more. Delayed from last week.
(O) FIREWALL (Warner Bros.) The second release available as a DVD/HD-DVD flipper disc (after RUMOR HAS IT last month).
(O) THE FUGITIVE (Warner Bros.) Includes commentrak and featurettes.

UMD CORNER

(O) DESPERADO (Sony)
(O) UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (Sony)


And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List! And don't forget Anime Avalanche every Saturday!

DVD Shopping List (© 2006 Brian Thomas) is our weekly DVD column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at DVDShoppingList@cinescape.com.