Cartoons on lil' DVDs

Central Park Media has been issuing first episodes of their anime titles in their inexpensive ANIME TEST DRIVE line for some time, each of which contains a discount coupon for the full editions of each title. ADV Films tries to up the ante by doing something similar with their new AniMini series. These cute lil' three-inch discs contain a first episode with an SRP of $6.98, and can be traded in for a ten buck discount off the full size DVD of the same title. But ADV is counting on the discs to be fun to trade and collect on their own. AniMini titles released today are AZUMANGA DAIOH, HAPPY LESSON, HELLO KITTY & FRIENDS, KALEIDO STAR, NOIR, PRETEAR, PRINCESS NINE, SUPER GALS! and WEDDING PEACH, which shows they're aiming for girl-appeal for the most part. Boys, don't let that stop you from getting any. It's still macho to love Hello Kitty.

Lest we become jaded, let's remind ourselves that the seasoning of one of the best [IMG3R]TV series ever continues in deluxe fashion:

(O) THE SIMPSONS Complete Fourth Season (Fox) All 22 episodes on four discs, plus commentraks on all, deleted scenes, featurettes, pencil tests and more.

(O) AGAINST RASCALS WITH KUNG FU / HORSEBOXING KILLER (VideoAsia) Two old school kung fu flicks featuring Simon Yuen.
(O) AMONG US (Sub Rosa) A film crew is terrorized by a sasquatch in this new horror from the Polonia Brothers (HOUSE THAT SCREAMED). Includes three commentraks, Making-Of, music video and more. Delayed from last month.
(O) ANDROMEDA Volume 3.5 (ADV) Episodes 319-322, plus behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
(O) ANNA NICOLE SMITH COLLECTION (Madacy) Two features (SKYSCRAPER, TO THE LIMIT) that cast Anna as an action hero(!) sandwiched a cheesecake video program (EXPOSED).
(O) BLACK HAWK DOWN (Columbia TriStar) Superbit edition of Ridley Scott's Somolian war action favorite.
(O) CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: Complete Second Season (Warner Bros.) More of Larry David's offbeat sitcom about himself. Also available bundled with Season 1.
(O) DARK CRAVING (Media Blasters) John Russo's tale of an executed warlock revived 200 years later in modern Pittsburgh. Includes interviews and featurettes.
(O) DEAD LIKE ME: Complete First Season (MGM) Charmedy [IMG4L]about a deceased teen girl who becomes one of Death's helpers. All 14 episodes on four discs, plus commentrak, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes and more.
(O) 50 FIRST DATES (Columbia TriStar) Bittersweet but very funny comedy in which Hawaiian veterinarian Adam Sandler falls for widow Drew Barrymore, but finds her memories only last for one day. Winner of "Best On-Screen Team" at MTV Movie Awards. Includes commentrak with Sandler and director Peter Segal, deleted scenes, bloopers, music videos, behind-the-scenes featurettes and more.
(O) FOUL HERO / SUPER KUNG FU FIGHTER (VideoAsia) Chan Sing, Meng Fei and Carter Wong in 1970s martial arts action.
(O) THE GUNMAN (First Look) Tough cops Sean Patrick Flanery and Joey Lauren Adams are hunting for a vigilante who is killing wanted criminals. But things get complicated when the suspect starts hunting Flanery's wife's killer. Includes behind-the-scenes, interviews and outtakes.
(O) HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL! (Republic) Wild '50s exploitation in which vice cop Russ Tamblyn goes undercover as a high school student (and "nephew" to sexbomb Mamie Van Doren) to bust Jackie Coogan's dope ring. The rockin' soundtrack features Jerry Lee Lewis.
(O) JADE HAIRPIN / IRON OX: THE TIGER KILLER (VideoAsia) Old school 1970s kung fu from Taiwan.
(O) JOHNNY 2.0 (Xenon) Jeff Fahey awakes from an apparent coma, but learns he's actually a clone of the man he thought he was, who died 15 years before.
(O) KEEPER OF SOULS (Hart Sharp) A [IMG5R]young couple encounters a demon hidden in a small New England town.
(O) LOVE HAPPY (Republic) Soft-boiled detective Groucho Marx meets Marilyn Monroe in the last of the Marx Bros. comedies.
(O) THE MAN SHOW: Season 2 (Comedy Central/Paramount) 22 episodes of comic antics the kind men like.
(O) MIDNIGHT KISS (First Look) Cops discover a serial killer suspect is really a vampire. Delayed from last month.
(O) MONK: Season One (Universal) Tony Shalhoub stars as the brilliant detective forced to go on leave from the LAPD due to OCD that's plagued him since his wife was murdered, and now works as a freelance investigator. Includes five featurettes.
(O) THE NEST (Lions Gate) French action fest in which special forces hottie Nadia Fares is transporting a nefarious international crimelord to trial when his thugs try to rescue him. They take cover in a warehouse which happens to be the hideout of a gang bent on heisting software, and everybody's got a gun.
(O) NO RETURN (Ardustry) A widow and her new husband are haunted by her dead first spouse.
(O) RENO 911: Complete First Season (Comedy Central/Paramount) A police precinct in a Nevada town is the subject of this COPS-style spoof. 14 episodes on two discs, plus alternate scenes and cast commentraks.
(O) RETURN OF THE LEG FIGHTER / SHANGHAI GIRL (VideoAsia) Delon Tan, Chan Sing and Doris Lung in kunf fu action.
(O) SCARECROW GONE WILD (York) A frat prank somehow turns a guy into a vengeful killer scarecrow on Spring Break. Good thing I'm not a crow.
(O) THE SHADOW MEN (Xenon) Eric Roberts and wife Sherilyn Fenn learn their nightmares about alien visitation are real from their security camera, but are pursued by creepy, threatening Men in Black.
(O) SNAKE IN THE MONKEY'S SHADOW / HORROR HOLIDAY (VideoAsia) John Cheung in a Jackie Chan knock-off, plus a rare kung fu horror film with Delon Tan.
(O) THE STEPFORD WIVES (Paramount) 1975 [IMG6L]black comedy in which men who move into an exclusive community replace their wives with robots. Oop, I gave it away! Includes interviews and more.
(O) TOMIE: ANOTHER FACE (Adness) This Japanese DTV sequel was released prior to the three Tomie theatrical sequels, and is an odd anthology of three tales of the Girl That Would Not Die.
(O) ULTRAMAN TIGA Volume 3: Guts Headquarters Under Attack (FUNimation) 13 more original uncut Japanese episodes from the 1996 series on two discs.
(O) WEDLOCK (Xenon) Diamond thief Rutger Hauer is sentenced to a high tech prison where inmates wear collars wired to explode if separated from their unidentified twin collar on another inmate. Mimi Rogers helps him escape, but they have to stick together or die while outsmarting his double-crossing ex-partners. Surprisingly fun stuff.
(O) WITCHCRAFT XI: Sisters in Blood (Sub Rosa) Hero Will Spanner tries to prevent a demon resurrection.
(O) WITCHCRAFT XII: In the Lair of the Serpent (Sub Rosa) A supernatural serial killer is allied with a coven. Both delayed from April.
(O) XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS Season 4 (Anchor Bay) All 22 episodes, plus interviews, commentraks, bloopers, director's cuts of three episodes, and more. A-yi-yi-yi!

And finally, we close off each weekly list with a rundown of the constant stream of anime from around the world:

(O) BASToF SYNDROME Volume 2: The Hacker (ADV) Five episodes.
(O) CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: Dark Fury (Universal) [IMG2R]The latest thing at Universal is to release a DTV cartoon feature in coordination with a major theatrical release. This one is meant to bridge PITCH BLACK and its sequel, stars the voice of Vin Diesel and includes Making-Of featurettes.
(O) HELLO KITTY & FRIENDS: Summer of Fun (ADV) Cute!
(O) LEGEND OF THE MYSTICAL NINJA Volume 5: Treachery & Alliegance (ADV) Episodes 20-23, plus cast interviews and commentrak.
(O) MOUSE Volume 2: Lusty Ambitions (Media Blasters) School teacher by day, thief by night. Click me!
(O) SADAMITSU THE DESTROYER Volume 3: Showdown (Media Blasters) Episodes 8-10.