Death, Taxes and DVDs

The only three things that are constant in life... at least in April!

By BRIAN THOMAS     April 15, 2003

Today, we all have our calendars marked with two events: one month until the MATRIX is RELOADED and paying our taxes. Quite naturally, this week's DVD Peeve is about money. Most consumer products follow a familiar curve, priced higher when they're first introduced, after which the prices gradually come down as the product becomes more accepted and competition heats up. However, despite the fact that DVD players are the fastest selling product in history and prices on hardware have plummeted, the price tag on DVDs themselves remains high. As one reader put it, "The prices have come down slightly, but for the most part, they are still averaging $25.00 to $30.00 a piece at retail, a reflection of inflated wholesale pricing."

Of course, studios are spending more on providing fancy extras on their DVD releases, creatively juggling the numbers further to decrease their tax bills (as all Good Americans do), but that still doesn't explain why a product that keeps selling more and more doesn't drop down to under 20 bucks SRP. Hopefully, it won't get to the point of music CDs, which are now marked up 1,000% from manufacturing cost.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Disney is finally giving due attention to the Studio Ghibli animated films of Hayao Miyazaki with a trio of "Must Have" anime releases:

[ ]SPIRITED AWAY (Buena Vista) It's the biggest hit movie ever in Japan, winner of the 2002 Best Animated Feature Oscar, and rated PG - but don't let that keep you from experiencing this awesome movie about a crabby little girl that accidentally wanders into another dimension where she has to grow up fast in order to save her parents from getting eaten. Each two-disc set includes great widescreen transfers with both English and Japanese tracks (and English subtitles), and this one also has storyboard samples, trailers and featurettes, including a Japanese TV special on the "Making Of" the film.

[ ]CASTLE IN THE SKY (Buena Vista) This 1986 feature (a.k.a. LAPUTA) was Hayao Miyazaki first masterpiece, a rousing adventure about a courageous boy and girl chased by air pirates, the army, and a sinister secret agent all the way to a legendary flying island built by a lost civilization. A second disc holds the full feature in storyboard form, accompanied by both English and Japanese soundtracks.

[ ]KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (Buena Vista) Disney gave this wonderful coming-of-age story about a young witch striking out on her own an earlier video and laserdisc release, but their new transfer for DVD looks cleaner and sounds sharper. Disc 2 has the complete storyboards, trailers, and a featurette about the English dub (which stars Kirstin Dunst and Phil Hartman).

NEW RELEASES

[ ]ANGEL UNCHAINED / CYCLE SAVAGES (MGM) Another wave of great Midnight Movie double features arrives today, including this team of vintage biker movies.

[ ]THE ART OF FIGHTING (Brentwood) A 10-movie, five-disc set of Old School kung fu features SCREAMING TIGER; SNAKE & CRANE SECRET; BLACK SAMURAI; BRUCE LEE: THE MAN, THE MYTH; BRUCE LEE FIGHTS BACK FROM THE GRAVE; CHAMP AGAINST CHAMP; KUNG FU: THE INVISIBLE FIST; NINJA CONNECTION; IMAGE OF BRUCE LEE; BLACK DRAGON

[ ]BLUE SUNSHINE (Synapse) This long unavailable cult classic, about an experimental strain of LSD that turns users into psychopaths years after using it, comes to DVD in a restored special edition. Includes director's commentrak, trailers, short film, gallery, interview and soundtrack CD.

[ ]THE COCAINE FIENDS (Alpha) Vintage exploitation flick borrows footage from earlier drug movies.

[ ]CRY OF THE BANSHEE / MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (MGM) Early 1970s horror double feature directed by Gordon Hessler (SCREAM & SCREAM AGAIN).

[ ]CUBE (Lions Gate) Re-released in a Special Edition including a new commentrak, storyboards, deleted scenes, etc. in conjunction with...

[ ]CUBE 2: HYPERCUBE (Lions Gate) Another group of strangers is abducted and placed within an even more complex deathtrap puzzle. Commentrak, deleted scenes, interviews, etc.

[ ]DARKWOLF (Fox) New werewolf flick starring Jaime Bergman, with "Making Of," blooper reel and trailer.

[ ]DEADTIME STORIES (Brentwood) 10-movie, five-disc set HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB; ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS (a.k.a. ZOMBIE); THE DEMON; NIGHT OF THE GHOUL; NIGHT OF THE DEATH CULT; FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD; NIGHT TRAIN TO TERROR; JUST BEFORE DAWN; SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD; and THE SEVERED ARM.

[ ]DESPISER (Key East) An ambitious new horror fantasy in which a regular Joe gets involved in a battle to reclaim Purgatory from an evil monster. Includes "Making-Of," director commentrak, bloopers, deleted scenes, trailer, gallery, and animated storyboards.

[ ]THE FAMILY GUY: The Complete First Season (Fox) The anarchic animated sitcom comes to disc.

[ ]FUTURE COPS (Brentwood) four-movie set of MAD MAXoids BRONX EXECUTIONER; HANDS OF STEEL; ASSASSIN; WARRIORS OF THE WASTELAND.

[ ]INVADERS OF LOST GOLD (Crash) Reliable martial arts movie supplier Crash introduces their new psychotronic label Mondo Crash with this goofy 1981 adventure (a.k.a. HORROR SAFARI).

[ ]INVISIBLE INVADERS / JOURNEY TO THE 7th PLANET (MGM) The 1959 inspiration for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is teamed with a 1962 Sidney Pink space opera, both with sparkling new transfers and starring John Agar.

[ ]MUSCLE BEACH PARTY / SKI PARTY (MGM) Two fun mid-1960s youth musical comedies appear in new anamorphic widescreen transfers.

[ ]OLGA TRIPLE FEATURE (Image) Something Weird Video presents this Joseph Mawra trilogy - WHITE SLAVES OF CHINATOWN, OLGA'S HOUSE OF SHAME and OLGA'S DANCE HALL GIRLS starring Audrey Campbell that brought S&M to previously tame Adults Only theaters in 1964. Plus: mucho trailers, shorts and gallery.

[ ]PEOPLE FROM SPACE (Elite Entertainment) A low budget sci-fi comedy about a search for a crashed UFO, with commentrak and gallery.

[ ]PHOBIAS (Sub Rosa) Two horror featurettes by Robert Massett are teamed here, along with commentrak, "Making Of" and outtakes.

[ ]PHOBIC (MTI) Thriller about a killer stalking a man who saw his sister murdered.

[ ]PINOCCHIO IN OUTER SPACE (Image) 1964 animated adventure that became wired into the psyches of youngsters via matinee screenings. Includes commentrak.

[ ]PSYCH-OUT / THE TRIP (MGM) Bruce Dern and Susan Strasberg get everybody stoned during this late-1960s widescreen drug twin bill.

[ ]TALES OF THE GUN (Brentwood) Western 10-movie set HELLBENDERS; DRUMS IN THE DEEP SOUTH; HEARTS IN BONDAGE; SITTING BULL; DAY OF THE OUTLAW; VENDETTA; A TOWN CALLED HELL; HUNT THE MAN DOWN; DEATHWORK; and MOLLY & LAWLESS JOHN.

[ ]TIME TRAVELERS (Brentwood) four-movie, two-disc set IN THE YEAR 2889; JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME; IDAHO TRANSFER; and THE DAY TIME ENDED.

[ ]THE TRANSPORTER (Fox) Corey Yuen, who directed some of Jet Li's best films of the '90s, co-directed this under-the-radar hit from Luc Besson's international house of action with Louis Leterrier. Beam me up! Side 1 has the widescreen presentation and unrated extended action scenes. Side 2 has the fullscreen version, "Making Of" and trailers. Both sides include audio commentary.

[ ]VAMPIRES & WITCHES DOUBLE BILL (Tapeworm) Pairs the edgy/weird 1993 vampire flick GIRL WITH THE HUNGRY EYES with the sorcery epic LUCINDA'S SPELL. Both star Kristina Fulton and were directed by Jon Jacobs. (Available 4/18)

ANIME ADDITIONS

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

[ ]DRAGONBALL GT: Baby Affliction (FUNimation) Uncut

[ ]DRAGONBALL GT: Baby Incubation (FUNimation) Uncut

[ ]GATE KEEPERS 21: Invader Hunters #1 (Pioneer)

And be sure to check back next week and every week for CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List!

DVD Shopping List is our weekly DVD column.

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