Chan is kicking again

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

In last week's column, I ranted against studios touting "un-censored un-rated extended special collector's edition" DVDs of movies they've already sold us before. "Un-needed" is more like it. It's one thing to upgrade your masters and re-release a film with more extras after it's gone out of print, but they cross the line when they try to convince us that they're somehow giving us something "special" or "new" compared to the existing edition. Well, in response to my criticism, all the DVD labels have decided to cancel all future "un-needed" special editions. No they didn't. This week's list has a fresh crop of them, though at least Buena Vista's are for movies that haven't had a re-release for years, and a bulked up edition of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE seems to be called for by his legion of fans.

Let's open up the Prize Closet and give away some DVDs! To enter any of these contests, send one email containing your name and mailing address to psycho@psychotronic.info with the proper indicated code word in the subject line.

We have a copy of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Volume 9, courtesy of Rhino Home Video. To enter, put the word "WAFFLE" in the email subject line.

We also have a copy of THE PRODUCERS, courtesy of Universal. This one needs "SPRINGTIME" in the subject.

And last but not least, we have 3 copies of THAT GIRL First Season, courtesy of Shout Factory. For this one make the subject "MARLO". Good luck, dear reader.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

This week, our spotlight falls on a return to Hong Kong action filmmaking.

(O) NEW POLICE STORY (Lions Gate) Long-awaited new chapter in Jackie Chan's cop action franchise in which disgraced ex-hero cop Jackie teams with green young partner Nicholas Tse to take on a gang of tough punks. With partial commentrak, Making-Of, intro and Chan weighs in with his opinion on dubbing in a featurette called "I Hate English".

NEW RELEASES

(O) BAD THINGS GONE WORSE (Maverick) After his girlfriend is murdered, a con man returns to New York City to pull one last con.
(O) BEER: THE MOVIE (Red) Frothy 1985 comedy.
(O) BEVERLY KILLS (TLA) A cross-dressing actor concocts a revenge plot after getting cut from a musical.
(O) BRILLIANT BUT CANCELLED: Crime Dramas (Universal) Bravo presents television series cut down too young: DELVECCHIO, GIDEON OLIVER, JOHNNY STACCATO and TOUCHING EVIL.
(O) CAREER BED / SEX BY ADVERTISEMENT (Image) Sick 1972 sexploitation flicks from Joel Reed, courtesy of Something Weird Video. Plus featurette and more.
(O) CLAWED: THE LEGEND OF SASQUATCH (First Look) This is no grizzly bear accident! With Making-Of.

(O) CON AIR (Buena Vista) Prisoner Nicolas Cage plays hero when a planeload of vicious cons is highjacked by John Malkovich. I always appreciated the nutty, cartoonish quality of this Simon West/Jerry Bruckheimer actioner, but hope this unrated extended edition doesn't ruin it.
(O) CRIMSON TIDE (Buena Vista) Unrated extended edition of the hit submarine thriller.
(O) DUMA (Warner Bros.) A kid has adventures while trying to return his pet cheetah to the wild. In widescreen and fullscreen editions.
(O) ENEMY OF THE STATE (Buena Vista) Lawyer Will Smith is screwed by the NSA when he comes into the possession of evidence against a top official. "Unrated extended cut special edition." Includes Making-Of and featurette.
(O) FALSE PROPHETS (Visual) A pregnant woman on the run from a sinister Christian fundamentalist cult gets help from a gas station owner and his oddly gifted son.
(O) FRIGHTMARE (Media Blasters) 1974 UK horror in which a couple released from prison after serving 20 years for a cannibal murder spree find themselves under suspicion again when the crimes resume.
(O) GROUNDED FOR LIFE Season 2 (Anchor Bay) Excellent sitcom on the difficulties of living in a family. With bloopers and interviews.
(O) HERE COME THE BRIDES Complete First Season (Sony) Nearly forgotten 1968 comedy drama about a trio of brothers who import 100 eligible maidens to a Seattle logging camp in the 1870s.
(O) LOVE GHOST (Media Blasters) J-horror.
(O) MURDER ROCK (Media Blasters) 1984 Lucio Fulci Eurohorror mixes gore giallo with FLASHDANCE in a tale of a mystery killer stalking a dance academy.
(O) MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Volume 9 (Rhino) This set spoofs WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET, WILD REBELS, THE SINISTER URGE and Ray Dennis Steckler's THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES on 4 discs. See above for giveaway.
(O) NAPOLEON DYNAMITE: Like, the Best Special Edition Ever (Fox) 2-disc edition of the cult smash indie comedy includes filmmaker and cast commentraks, documentary featurettes, deleted footage with commentrak, auditions, bonus short and more.
(O) ONE MISSED CALL 2 (Media Blasters) TV director Renpei Tsukamoto is called upon to follow up to Takashi Miike's supernatural voicemail horror.
(O) THE PRODUCERS (Universal) Movie adaptation of the Broadway musical adaptation of Mel Brooks' early movie comedy in widescreen and fullscreen editions with director commentrak, deleted scenes, outtakes, featurettes and more.
(O) THE RINGER (Fox) Johnny Knoxville tries to rig a special Olympics by 'pretending' to be mentally retarded, only to be shown up by the competition. Includes commentrak, deleted footage, featurettes and more.
(O) SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC (Trinity) 1948 true life adventure in which Scott and his team risk everything to try to reach the South Pole in 1911.
(O) SLAUGHTERHOUSE PHI: DEATH SISTERS (Razor) A dense sheriff tries to solve the mystery when sisters of the Phi Phi Phi sorority go missing.
(O) SOMETHING NEW (Universal) Romantic comedy in which Sanaa Lathan must choose between traditional suitor Blair Underwood and (gasp) a white guy. Widescreen and fullscreen editions include Making-Of and featurettes.
(O) THAT GIRL Season One (Shout Factory) Marlo Thomas was charming in this 1966 sitcom about an excitable young woman in New York engaged to the guy in the next apartment. Includes commentraks.
(O) TIGER HEART (Trinity) When an evil developer threatens a neighborhood using a gang of tough thugs, a teen martial arts class comes to the rescue.
(O) WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (Sony) Decent though unambitious remake of the 1979 babysitter in peril thriller with Camilla Belle menaced by a psycho while sitting in an ultramodern house. Includes commentraks and Making-Of. Also available bundled with the 1979 original.
(O) THE WRONG RUT / BIRTHRIGHT (Image) A exploitation roadshow twin bill from Something Weird Video. Ida Lupino's uncredited directorial debut was this 1949 melodrama in which an unwed mother who gives up her child for adoption has a breakdown and kidnaps someone else's baby. Plus a 1952 clap opera in which a dumb farmer gives his wife a dose.

UMD CORNER

(O) PITCH BLACK (Universal) Unrated director's cut.
(O) WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (Sony) 2006 version.

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.