Theaters not on the BUBBLE

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Last Friday, the new Steven Soderbergh murder mystery opened in theaters in "select markets" (translation: probably far away from you). Today it's being released on DVD. This may be the shortest time gap between theatrical release and DVD, but I'm not so sure it seems there have been films that received a theatrical run after the DVD release. But putting that aside, some folks are making a big deal out of this idea, even going so far as to call this the death knell for movies in theaters. Poppycorn! For one thing, BUBBLE is only playing in one theater anywhere near me, and I live in a large metropolitan city in the United States. But let's just say that I lived in Intercourse, Alabama (sorry Pennsylvania not this time). To folks in and around Intercourse, BUBBLE might just as well be direct-to-video. Here's another factor: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN cost about 15 million dollars to make, and so far has taken in roughly 40 million. Sure, studios are complaining that ticket sales were down last year, but so are car sales, and I don't expect cars to disappear anytime soon. In fact, Disney is so positive about our automotive future that they're making a movie called CARS. So to sum up: folks in Intercourse don't have to wait to see BUBBLE, and don't hold your breath waiting for DVDs to replace theaters.

Hey, want some free DVDs? Let's look in the Prize Closet...

Aha! We have three copies of the new thriller EAVESDROPPER courtesy of Visual/Universal. I hear the director has been kidnapped! Is it a publicity stunt? Find out at www.findandrewfoundation.org . To win, send an email containing your name and address to psycho@psychotronic.info with "EAVESDVD" in the subject line.

We also have two copies of Margaret Cho's sitcom ALL-AMERICAN GIRL Complete Series from Shout Factory. For this one you need to put "ALL-CHO" in the subject.

And finally, we have but one copy of DUNE: Extended Edition courtesy of Universal. To win, put "DUNE X" in the subject. May the Spice be with you!

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

The pace of this movie seemed really rushed when I first saw it. But I guess that was because that wasn't all of it.

(O) DUNE: Extended Edition (Universal) David Lynch's epic 1984 adaptation of the Frank Herbert science fiction novel, now available for the first time in it's 177-minute version, along with the 137-minute theatrical release version. With deleted footage, featurettes and more.

NEW RELEASES

(O) AFRO PROMO (Other/Facets) Terrific collection of "race" film trailers from the music & comedy features of the 1940s through social dramas to the blaxploitation

action flicks of the '70s. Plus two shorts.
(O) ALL-AMERICAN GIRL Complete Series (Shout Factory) All 19 episodes of Margaret Cho's groundbreaking 1994 sitcom on four discs, plus commentraks and discussion with Cho and co-star Amy Hill.
(O) APOLLO 7: Shakedown Cruise (Spacecraft) 2-disc set. Today Spacecraft Films joins the DVD world with several volumes of history. Each volume includes complete in-flight TV transmissions and on-board film, astronaut commentraks, interviews and more.
(O) APOLLO 9: Spider Takes Flight (Spacecraft) 2-disc set.
(O) APOLLO 10: Dress Rehearsal (Spacecraft) 2-disc set.
(O) APOLLO 12: Ocean of Storms (Spacecraft) 3-disc set.
(O) APOLLO 13: The Real Story (Spacecraft) 3-disc set.
(O) APOLLO 16: Journey to Descartes (Spacecraft) 6-disc set.
(O) APOLLO 17: End of the Beginning (Spacecraft) 6-disc set.
(O) THE A-TEAM Season 3 (Universal) All 25 episodes on three flipper discs.
(O) LA BATAILLE DU RAIL (Facets) René Clément's 1946 thriller about the French resistance fighters was filmed while WW2 was happening by resistance fighter and POW camp escapee Henri Alekan in a gritty style that was ahead of its time.
(O) BENNY HILL: THE HILL'S ANGELS YEARS Set 4 (A&E) More comedy episodes from 1978-1981, plus featurette and trivia quiz.
(O) BIKERS FROM HELL TRIPLE FEATURE (Media Blasters) Includes HELL'S ANGELS '69, RUN ANGEL RUN and HELL'S BLOODY DEVILS.
(O) BUBBLE (Magnolia) Murder in the old toy factory. Call Mystery, Inc.! Includes director commentrak, interviews, deleted footage and Making-Of.
(O) COLLATERAL DAMAGE / ERASER (Warner Bros.) Two lesser Schwartzenegger efforts.
(O) THE COMEBACK (Media Blasters) Crooner Jack Jones is haunted by the ghost of his murdered wife in this 1978 chiller (aka THE DAY THE SCREAMING STOPPED).
(O) CRASH TEST (Sub Rosa) Surreal horror in which a writer is abducted and transformed into a crash test dummy by a sinister auto manufacturer. Includes source short and more.
(O) CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER (MGM) Failed 1983 attempt by Blake Edwards to keep the comedy franchise going without Peter Sellers by inserting Ted Wass (SOAP) as another bumbling detective sent on a wild goose chase to find Inspector Clouseau.
(O) DARK SHADOWS DVD Collection 22 (MPI) 40 more episodes plus interviews.
(O) THE END OF AUGUST AT HOTEL OZONE (Facets) 1966 Czech sci-fi in which a gang of post-apocalypse women hunt for breeding males amid the rubble.
(O) GARUDA (Media Blasters) A tunnel excavation awakens a supernatural bird monster in this Thai epic.
(O) INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU (MGM) Peter Sellers passed on another Pink Panther sequel in 1968, so they tried to continue with Alan Arkin. Then they offered Sellers more money.
(O) KNIGHT RIDER Complete Third Season (Universal) All 21 episodes, plus a bonus episode from season 4.
(O) LAWNMOWER MAN / LAWNMOWER MAN 2 (New Line) Feature sort of but not really based on a Stephen King short story and its instantly dated sequel.
(O) THE LEGEND OF ZORRO (Sony) Antonio Banderas returns for more swashbuckling in widescreen and fullscreen editions, plus commentrak, deleted scenes, featurettes and more.
(O) LET ME DIE A WOMAN (Synapse) Doris Wishman's infamous 1970s mondo documentary sex change sleazefest, now uncut from the original negative. Plus commentrak, alternate footage and more.
(O) LIFTOFF: Success and Failure on the Launch Pad (Spacecraft) 2-disc set.
(O) MACH 3: The XB-70 Valkyrie (Spacecraft) .
(O) MAGNUM P.I. Complete Third Season (Universal) All 22 episodes, plus a bonus episode from season 4.
(O) MARJOE (Docurama) 1972 documentary biopic on evangelist turned actor Marjoe Gortner, who leveraged this hit into a career in movies (EARTHQUAKE, FOOD OF THE GODS) and TV (FALCON CREST).
(O) MISSION TO THE MOON (Spacecraft) 2-disc set.
(O) MOBSTERS' CONFESSION (Artsmagic) A conman tries to bilk a corporation, not realizing a yakuza boss is deeply connected to the business. Includes director interview.
(O) MUPPETS MOVIE COLLECTION (MGM) Box set includes MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN, MUPPETS IN SPACE and KERMIT'S SWAMP YEARS.
(O) PASSENGER 57 / BOILING POINT (Warner Bros.) Wesley Snipes in non-vampire action.
(O) PHIL THE ALIEN (Universal) A stranded alcoholic space alien has wacky misadventures on Earth while trying to get home.
(O) THE PINK PANTHER (MGM) Suave jewel thief David Niven is after a famed big gem, with only the Paris police led by bumbling Peter Sellers in his way.
(O) THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (MGM) 1976 sequel.
(O) PROJECT MERCURY: A New Frontier (Spacecraft) 6-disc set.
(O) PSYCHO KILLERS TRIPLE FEATURE (Media Blasters) Packs together HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, BEYOND THE DARKNESS and DELIRIUM.
(O) PURLIE VICTORIOUS (MPI) Groundbreaking 1963 comedy (aka GONE ARE THE DAYS and THE MAN FROM C.O.T.T.O.N.) written by and starring Ossie Davis as a preacher who returns to the plantation where he grew up as a slave with a plot to bilk plantation owner Sorrell Booke out of a fortune by passing off his fiancé Ruby Dee as the man's relative. Cast also includes Alan Alda and Godfrey Cambridge.
(O) RAT PATROL Complete First Season (Sony) 1966 comba- er, military drama TV series.
(O) REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (MGM) 1978 sequel.
(O) ROAD TO REDEMPTION (Fox) An indebted young couple steals from the mafia to cover a hot horserace tip, but get caught and travel cross-country to see if a rich grandfather will bail them out. Smarter viewers might be curious enough to catch this to find out why they didn't hit up grampa to help out in the first place, but as the box says "Billy Graham presents", it's safe to assume these idiots won't find any luck until they ask for god's help and quit living in sin.
(O) SCTV NETWORK 90 Volume 4 (Sony)
(O) A SHOT IN THE DARK (MGM) Second and best of the Pink Panther series has a smitten Inspector Clouseau trying to prove that maid Elke Sommer was framed on a murder charge.
(O) SNAKES & SINNERS TWO-FER (Blue Underground) Bundles VENOM and BU's superior edition of Larry Cohen's GOD TOLD ME TO.
(O) SON OF THE PINK PANTHER (MGM) 1993 revival attempt in which Paris police commissioner Herbert Lom is horrified to find that the local cop (Roberto Benigni) assigned to assist him on a case in Italy is the illegitimate offspring of Inspector Clouseau.
(O) 10 / TARZAN THE APE MAN (Warner Bros.) The best and worst of Bo Derek in one convenient package.
(O) TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER (MGM) Shameful 1982 patchwork sequel mixes new footage with outtakes and deleted scenes of the late Peter Sellers to create a new Clouseau movie.
(O) VIRGINS FROM HELL (Mondo Macabro) Cracked Indonesian biker babes in prison actionfest. Includes bonus disc with documentary, Indonesian trailers and more.
(O) ZATOICHI TV Series Volume 2 (Media Blasters) Episodes 6-9.

UMD CORNER

(O) THE LEGEND OF ZORRO (Sony)
(O) THE PINK PANTHER (MGM)

And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List!

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.