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A Few Words About the Rumor Mill 5/19/04 Anyone interested in what Paramount's cooking for DVD release through October 2004? Let me tell you, a DAMN fine batch of titles according to our sources. By the way, we have word that 1492: The Conquest of Paradise is finally on the way as well, as a movie only DVD, probably for November or December.
Hayden Christensen added to the end of Return of the Jedi for DVD We've been saying for months now that there were going to be changes made to these films for DVD, and while many believed us, a number of Star Wars fans have e-mailed to say we must be on crack. Nevertheless, believe it or not, we know for a FACT that several more changes are being made to these films. Trust us on this - our contacts are in positions to know. Like it or not, the films we will get on DVD on 9/21 are NOT going to be the original theatrical versions and they're not going to be the 1997 special editions either.
Steve Sansweet has confirmed this, saying at the recent WonderCon convention that the films contained on the discs would be the incarnations of the films "as George Lucas sees them today." It's gonna get mighty interesting in the months ahead, folks. We're being told by retail and industry sources to expect the 2-disc edition of Columbia TriStar's Hellboy on 7/27. A more elaborate 3-disc director's version will street later in 2004. We'll post all the details as soon as these titles are officially announced. Sources are telling us that likely titles for Warner's third wave of animated Hanna Barbera DVD releases include Top Cat, The Flintstones: Season Two and Wacky Races. Look for these possibly as soon as the 4th quarter of this year. Also, word is there's a Tom and Jerry box set on the way, formatted much like the previous Looney Tunes: Golden Collection (ie not on chronological order). The following is actually confirmed, but since we're talking Warner we're posting it here. The studio's previous Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas and Elvis: That's the Way It Is DVDs will be reduced to the same price on that same date. Finally, Warner will release Tod Browning's Freaks on 8/10, along with Dead Ringer, The Bad Seed and a double feature DVD of Village of the Damned/Children of the Damned. Look for the 3-disc set to street sometime in August, featuring all 9 episodes of the series, along with commentary on the pilot episode by Carter, the Inside the Harsh Realm featurette, TV spots and more. Sources have informed us that the studio will release the original 1975 Stepford Wives on DVD on 6/14 - yes, a Monday - in fact the Monday after the new remake hits theaters. Word is this will be some kind of distribution deal involving the previously released Anchor Bay special edition, so all the extras will be the same. Paramount is apparently close to announcing the DVD release of Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. Other classic TV titles are apparently on the way as well, including (but not limited to) Mork and Mindy, Taxi and The Andy Griffith Show. On the Star Trek front, it may be a while yet before we get official R1 street dates for the Star Trek: The Original Series full season sets, even though R2 info is leaking like crazy.
com has released small (and we might add, crappy) box shots of the R2 packaging... R2 TOS packaging In other Trek news, Voyager: Season 2 streets 5/18, with Season 3 following on 7/6 and Season 4 arriving on 9/28. Beyond that, the dates have not been finalized for Seasons 5, 6 & 7 Also we have confirmed that Star Trek: Generations - Special Collector's Edition will street late in 2004, but there's nothing more solid at the moment in terms of a specific date. Finally, Paramount's The Untouchables: Special Collector's Edition is still planned for release later in 2004, but the exact date is up in the air. might have changed their minds about releasing the director's last film, Eyes Wide Shut, in its original uncut version. Bits reader Josh L e-mailed us last night with the following: Tonight I was fortunate enough to see Leon Vitali in person at a special screening of Barry Lyndon at the University of Colorado. is planning to release the uncensored international version of Eyes Wide Shut here in the States, sometime next year. Not sure if this was already officially announced or not.
click here to read an archived interview we did with Leon Vitali in May of 2001. Moving on, earlier this week in the daily column, I mentioned that director David Lynch had revealed that his Wild at Heart: Special Edition will be released on DVD later in 2004. We've checked in with our industry sources, and sure enough... MGM is currently planning to debut the title on disc in December, along with a price reduction on Blue Velvet. No word yet on the extras, which are in production as we speak, but you can definitely expect anamorphic widescreen video and Dolby Digital 51 audio. we've got a heads-up on some of the titles the studio is tentatively planning for September release. Look for a Judgement at Nuremberg: Special Edition, a David Lean Collection featuring Blithe Spirit, Brief Encounter, Great Expectations, In Which We Serve, Madeleine, Oliver Twist, Passionate Friends and This Happy Breed, a 2-disc release of The Martain Chronicles mini-series and The Burning Bed, Gotham (aka The Dead Can't Lie - 1988 TV movie), Moving Target and Pursuit. Beyond that, as we've mentioned previously, the studio is working on a Species: Special Edition, as well as... so you want proof that further changes are being made to the Star Wars films for the forthcoming DVD release? That top image is, supposedly, an actual shot of Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine, newly inserted into The Empire Strikes Back in place of the original actor (bottom image). This pic has been circulating around the Net for a few days now.
click here for the original post of the image, along with endless fan debate). But the image at the top (at least the actual face shot of McDiarmid) reportedly leaked from someone involved with the production. The interesting thing is, we've shown this image to insiders we know have seen the real work (three separate sources now), and they've independently confirmed that the scene HAS changed and that the top image (of McDiarmid in make-up) is authentic. One other scene we've heard is being revamped is the CGI Jabba scene from A New Hope. Look for the digital Jabba to be replaced by a much better looking CG version (likely based on the Episode I digital model of the character). Better still, I'd eat a whole freakin' herd of Bantha if Lucas would just restore the Han/Greedo scene in A New Hope so that Han shoots first again.
and reported here by The Bits) is "not entirely correct". Like that original prototype DVD packaging from a few weeks ago, it looks like this WAS an early spec list for the disc, but it's not the final one. Hopefully, we'll get official details in the coming weeks. here's the skinny on some great forthcoming (and many yet to be announced) DVDs on the way from MGM In June and July, look for Barbershop 2 (6/8), Touching the Void and Dead Like Me: Season 1 (6/15), Kotch, Lovers and Other Strangers, Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came, Take the Money and Run and The Charlie Chan Collection 6-disc set, including The Chinese Cat, Charlie Chan in the Secret Service, The Jade Mask, Meeting at Midnight, The Shanghai Cobra and The Scarlet Clue (7/6), Agent Cody Banks 2 (7/13), Intermission, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids and Stellaluna (7/20) and Saved, Showgirls: VIP Edition, the Thunderbirds Collector's Edition 2-disc set, including Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird Six (7/27). Then in August, look for HI5: Volumes 1-3 and Walking Tall (8/3), The Woods (8/10), Angel of Death, Dorm Daze, Luther, Unspeakable and Whore (8/17) and Clownhouse, Swamp Thing, The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler and some great 1970s flicks including The Apple, Chastity, Electra Glide in Blue, Good Times, Joyride, Roller Boogie, Small Circle of Friends, Smile and Zachariah (8/24). Finally, just to give you a taste of titles coming this fall, anyone interested in The Manchurian Candidate or The Martian Chronicles mini-series?
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