WHV wants you to decide

Lots of freebies!

By Brian Thomas     June 13, 2006

It's always a bit nerve-wracking whenever you hear that a longtime favorite movie is going to at last be adapted to the printed page. Well THE TOXIC AVENGER has finally been made into a novel, and let me allay your fears: Lloyd Kaufman, and the guy that writes everything for him these days, Adam Jahnke, have done a wonderful job capturing all the putrid atmosphere, sophomoric humor and head crushing of the beloved 1985 feature film. Plus: you gain new psychological insight into each complex character and learn the sordid history of Tromaville. Finally, Troma fans have a reason to learn to read!

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This month, Warner Home Video and Amazon.com are teaming up to let customers decide which library titles they'll release on DVD next in their annual "DVD Decision" promotion. During June, you can vote from a list of 30 nominees:

AL CAPONE, GYMKATA, THE HAND ,OPERATION CROSSBOW, UP PERISCOPE, CIMARRON, THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING, ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD, BLUME IN LOVE, GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT, NOT WITH MY WIFE YOU DON'T, YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW, APRIL IN PARIS, BEST FOOT FORWARD, THE EDDIE CANTOR STORY, PRESENTING LILLY MARS, ALL FALL DOWN, THE ARRANGEMENT, BAND OF ANGELS, BHOWANI JUNCTION, CARNY, THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, LOOKER, MADAME CURIE, MADE IN HEAVEN, MIKE'S MURDER, ONE TRICK PONY, SPHINX, SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO and THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN.

The top ten titles will be announced on August 8, and released on DVD in two waves in December and January. Of course, I'll expect you all to vote for the classics GYMKATA and GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT, and maybe THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, but I'm thinking it might've been nice to draw at least one of the voters to win all ten DVDs.

Well, fortunately the folks at Fox aren't quite so stingy. They've provided FIVE copies of each of the following titles for us to give away! To enter, send an email with your name & address to psycho@psychotronic.info with the indicated code word in the subject line.
For AQUAMARINE, make it "MERMAID".
For DHARMA & GREG Season 1, make it "DHARMA" and 2 winners will also get D&G yoga mats!
For BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID, make it "SUNDANCE".
For a 2-pack of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, make it "VALLEY".


It's been out for a month, but we also have a copy of SCRUBS Complete Third Season to give away to help promote the release of the SCRUBS Volume 2 soundtrack. To win the DVD, make the subject "APPLETINI", and to download the soundtrack, go direct to:
http://phobos.apple.com/

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Bought this on Japanese laseredisc under its original title DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE when it looked like it was never going to reach the USA. Here's the long-awaited DVD:

(O) CEMETERY MAN (Anchor Bay) Ingenious black comedy with Rupert Everett as the keeper of a graveyard where folk need to be killed twice. Also stars Eurobombshell Anna Falchi. Includes Making-Of featurette and booklet.

NEW RELEASES


(O) AQUAMARINE (Fox) A magical mermaid vows to keep two friends from being separated if they'll help her get a boyfriend in this fluffy tween comedy. With 2 commentraks, deleted footage, featurettes and more.
(O) CARNAGE FOR THE DESTROYER (Tempe) A Halloween spook house accidentally awakens a demon. Another horror comedy from the makers of MULVA: ZOMBIE ASSKICKER, formerly known as CARNAGE FOR DUMMIES until lawyers popped up. Delayed from April.
(O) DAVE CHAPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY (Universal) Comedy and music feature hosted by Dave in rated and unrated editions.
(O) DEAD ZONE Complete Fourth Season (Lionsgate) Yep, Anthony Michael Hall can see people's futures, and apparently enough of them were watching this show for it to last four years.
(O) DEVIANT OBSESSION (Echo Bridge) Erotic thriller starring Brick Randall.
(O) DHARMA & GREG Season 1 (Fox) Two people from very different backgrounds fall in love and get married on the first date, then deal with the consequences. Includes commentraks, featurettes, interactive game and creator Chuck Lorre's post-show remarks.
(O) DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE (Media Blasters) 1971 UK horror version of THE PARENT TRAP with Susan George.
(O) FARSCAPE Starburst Edition Season 4 Collection 1 (ADV) 7 episodes on 4 discs, plus commentraks, featurettes, interviews, deleted footage and more.
(O) FATWA (Ventura) The conservative politics of Senator Lauren Holly make her a target for a terrorist dirty bomb attack.
(O) GUARDIAN OF THE REALM (Velocity) A pair of highly skilled monster hunters must face an ancient and powerful demon. Includes commentrak, behind-the-scenes, bloopers and more.
(O) ICE T ACTION PACK (Razor) Bet you didn't know he was an action star. Includes POINT DOOM and GANGLAND.
(O) KISS KISS BANG BANG (Warner Bros.) Shane Black's action comedy brings together Michelle Monaghan (actress), Robert Downey Jr. (thief posing as an actor), and Val Kilmer (gay detective) to solve a murder mystery. Includes film noir documentary.
(O) KITTEN IN A CAGE / THE GIRL FROM PUSSYCAT (Image) Two late '60s thrillers about bisexual bombshells, courtesy of Something Weird Video. Includes peep show loops, trailer gallery and more.
(O) LANCELOT LINK: SECRET CHIMP (Image) Bizarre but beloved 1970 Saturday morning series with a cast of apes enacting camp spy adventures. 12 episodes on 2 discs.
(O) MacGYVER Complete Season Six (Paramount) Richard Dean Anderson as the brainy hero for hire.
(O) MEDIUM Complete First Season (Paramount) Patricia Arquette is mad psychic, and uses her powers for good in 16 episodes. Includes extended pilot, commentraks, Making-Of, deleted footage and more.
(O) NIGHT CREATURES (Sub Rosa) Includes FERAL MAN and GHOULD SCHOOL.
(O) THE PINK PANTHER (MGM) Steve Martin tries in vain to fill Peter Sellers' shoes. Includes director commentrak, deleted footage, Beyonce music videos, alternate opening, Making-Of featurettes and more.
(O) THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MGM) 2-disc "Buttercup Edition" and "Dread Pirate Edition" includes 2 commentraks, documentary featurettes, 1987 Making-Of, Cary Elwes video diary, trivia game, booklet and more.
(O) PROJECT: VALKYRIE (Tempe) Jim's grandfather dies, leaving him with a 60 year old giant robot and the enmity of a mad Nazi scientist. Includes commentrak, Making-Of, bonus short, bloopers and more.
(O) THE QUIET EARTH (Anchor Bay) 1985 New Zealand end of the world favorite.
(O) THE RAT PACK COLLECTION (Warner Bros.) Includes 4 FOR TEXAS, OCEAN'S 11 and ROBIN & THE 7 HOODS.
THE ROCKFORD FILES Season 2 (Universal)
(O) ROOM 6 (Anchor Bay) Christine Taylor and Jerry O'Connell track injured loved ones to a haunted hospital. Includes commentrak, Making-Of, script, featurette and more.
(O) SCREAM QUEEN (Indican) 2003 horror comedy in which a b-movie star tries to break into bigger pictures.
(O) SHE-MAN /THE SINS OF RACHEL (Image) A sexually confused Something Weird double feature presents a 1967 comedy from Bob Clark and a 1972 psycho mystery (in "Texturetone").
(O) 16 BLOCKS (Warner Bros.) Flawed but worthwhile thriller in which disgraced veteran cop Bruce Willis has to get crooked witness Mos Def across Manhattan in time to testify against his dirty cop buddies. Includes alternate ending, deleted footage and more.
(O) STARGATE SG-1 Complete Eighth Season (Sony) 20 episodes on 3 discs, plus commentraks, featurettes and more.
(O) SWORN TO VENGEANCE (Echo Bridge) 1993 CBS TV movie with detective Robert Conrad determined to solve the murder of three children.
(O) SURVIVAL ISLAND (Showtime) Billy Zane and wife Kelly Brook are cast away with Argentinean heartthrob Juan Pablo Di Pace. Clashes arise.
(O) VALLEY OF THE DOLLS / BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (Fox) Tawdry 1967 bathos classic, paired with the insane 1970 Russ Meyer follow-up penned by Roger Ebert! Were they doing more drugs onscreen or off? Includes commentraks, Making-Of, featurettes, karaoke, screen tests, lobby card replicas and more. Each available separately.
(O) VERMILION PLEASURE NIGHT Volume 1: Optical Erotica (ADV) First two episodes of the hit Japanese late night TV show showcasing surreal and/or weird comedy and op art shorts.
(O) WALKER TEXAS RANGER First Season (Paramount) Chuck Norris is better than you in 26 episodes.
(O) ZATOICHI TV SERIES Volume 4 (Media Blasters)
ZORRO, THE GAY BLADE (Anchor Bay) 1981 comedy starring George Hamilton in which an injured Zorro is forced to entrust a mission to his flaming identical twin brother.

HD-DVD CORNER

(O) CONSTANTINE (Warner Bros.) With 2 commentraks, deleted footage, featurettes, music video and more.
(O) FIREWALL (Warner Bros.) DVD/HD-DVD combo flipper.
(O) HAPPY GILMORE (Universal)
(O) THE PERFECT STORM (Warner Bros.)
(O) THE RUNDOWN (Universal)


UMD CORNER

(O) ANGER MANAGEMENT (Sony)
(O) DIE HARD (Fox)
(O) DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER (Fox)
(O) THE PINK PANTHER (MGM)
(O) THE PRINCESS BRIDE (MGM)



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.