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September 2002 Headlines 

09/27/02

THREE STOOGES: OUTLAWS IS COMING-- AVAILABLE IN STORES DECEMBER 3!

The Three Stooges are Back! Re-Mastered in High Definition and at Their Slap-Happy Best!

In its DVD Debut on December 3, THREE STOOGES: OUTLAWS IS COMING is the last full-length theatrical film by Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe. This classic, rip-roaring comedy has the Stooges teaming up with vintage actors, including TV's original Batman, Adam West. The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Joe De Rita) leave Boston for the Wild West so they can save buffalo when they are fired from the Society for the Preservation of Wildlife who has sent them. With Eastern cohort Kenneth Cabot (West), the boys find themselves in lawless Wyoming and the target of every infamous gunslinger of the era.

With help from Annie Oakley, the Stooges and Cabot fight the likes of Billy the Kid, Johnny Ringo, Jesse James, Cole Younger, and the Dalton Gang. The entire film is vintage Three Stooges down to the inevitable chase and pie throwing at the end.

The DVD also includes a Bonus Short: Goofs and Saddles - Larry, Moe and Curly are spies for the U.S. Calvary. When they try to capture a gang of cattle rustlers, they end up fighting off the bad guys.

THREE STOOGES: OUTLAWS IS COMING DVD

 

WHERE SLEEPING DOGS LIE-- THIS SEXY PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA DEBUTS ON DVD 12/03/02

Sharon Stone (Gloria, Basic Instinct), Dylan McDermott (In the Line of Fire, `Til There Was You), and Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Natural Born Killers) star in the sexy psychological drama, WHERE SLEEPING DOGS LIE. This intoxicating and suspenseful drama will debut in stores December 3, 2002.

Bruce Simmons (McDermott) is a writer who earns his living working as a real estate agent. However, the real estate business has slowed, forcing his boss to give him one last chance to keep his job - Simmons must sell one luxurious house nobody wants because of an unsolved murder of the previous owner and his family. Though his literary agent (Stone) is concerned, Simmons uses this opportunity to move into the house and starts writing his next book while waiting for buyers that may never come. In the meantime, he tries to put food on the table by taking in borders.

His first customer is Eddie Hale (Sizemore), an unusual character that might be connected with the house's tragic past. Soon Simmons' imagination begins to run wild, confusing the fantasy of the murder -- of re-enacting the murder in writing -- with reality. He is soon unable to discern the two worlds, as the two turn into psychosis and terror.

WHERE SLEEPING DOGS LIE DVD

 

DIGITAL LEISURE RELEASES DRAGON’S LAIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET - AN INTERACTIVE ADVENTURE FOR PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX AND DVD MOVIE PLAYERS

Play Dirk the Daring and SPACE ACE in this All-New Special Edition of the Classic Laser Disc Arcade Games

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original arcade release of the smash hit DRAGON’S LAIR, Digital Leisure has produced a special edition DVD box set of the three arcade classics that defined laser disc arcade games: DRAGON’S LAIR, SPACE ACE and DRAGON’S LAIR II: TIME WARP. While DRAGON’S LAIR revolutionized the arcade gaming market, SPACE ACE built on its popularity by introducing another arcade superhero - Ace - and a new adventure for DRAGON’S LAIR fans. Now, with the spectacular video quality and audio capabilities of DVD players, the millions of people who enjoyed DRAGON’S LAIR and SPACE ACE when they were younger can relive the action and excitement while sharing these classic games with their children.

The games are fully interactive using the remote control of a standard DVD player, which acts just like a joystick. All the scenes from the original arcade releases are included and optionally the player may now select new scenes that were animated in 1983 but not included in any previous DRAGON’S LAIR release. The games have also been updated to include higher quality video, authentic scene order and a new difficulty selection to make it more challenging for the DRAGON’S LAIR pros.

The release of this 20th Anniversary Edition not only includes these three fully interactive games, but also chronicles the achievements of their creators: the animation trio Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy; and the technical wizard Rick Dyer. Extras include newspaper clippings, biographies, historical and current interviews, as well as a documentary of the 20 years of DRAGON’S LAIR and a complete episode of the television show "Starcade" (1983) featuring gamers vying for a DRAGON’S LAIR arcade machine. In addition, high resolution scans of box art from virtually all the DRAGON’S LAIR releases over the past 20 years have been cataloged for the first time ever on this DVD, along with selected pictures of licensed merchandise that came out around the time of the arcade release plus the recently released DRAGON’S LAIR action figures.

Looking forward, the disc includes preview scenes from the upcoming DRAGON’S LAIR 3D release and discussion with the creators and developers. Packed with all these features, this special edition release of DRAGON’S LAIR promises to be a milestone in the illustrious history of the game. Look for the DRAGON’S LAIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION BOX SET in stores in early October.

 

HAPPY TIMES-- THIS CHARMING AND HEARTWARMING COMEDY DIRECTED BY ZHANG YIMOU DEBUTS ON DVD 12/3/02

Renowned director Zhang Yimou ("Raise the Red Lantern," "The Road Home") returns for the critically acclaimed HAPPY TIMES, debuting on DVD and VHS Dec. 3, from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.

HAPPY TIMES is a charming, heartwarming comedy about the complex dynamics of relationships and the hysterical complexities inherent in making them work. A middle-aged man finds the perfect wife through a matchmaker and in an attempt to impress the portly divorcee that has caught his eye, the unemployed factory worker poses as the wealthy manager of a non-existent hotel. Hoping that his fabricated success will lead to holy matrimony, he instead finds himself the guardian of the woman's blind stepdaughter. Now, as the lies get more complicated and the deception more difficult to sustain, the sweet young blind girl and the eccentric middle-aged man find themselves forming an emotional friendship that is as touching as

it is unlikely in HAPPY TIMES.

HAPPY TIMES DVD

 

MY GIRL 2-- THE OFFBEAT SULTENFUSS FAMILY RETURN IN THIS ENCHANTING COMING-OF-AGE SEQUEL DEBUTING ON DVD 12/03/02

On December 3, the offbeat Sultenfuss family - Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters, Sneakers), Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies, Forever Young), and Anna Chlumsky (My Girl, The Mommy Market) - return in MY GIRL 2.

The year is 1974. Vada (Chlumsky) is now 13 years old, and living with her father (Aykroyd) and pregnant stepmother (Curtis). When one of her teachers gives an assignment to write about the life and achievements of someone she's never met, Vada chooses her late mother as the subject. Her research soon leads her to Los Angeles, where she stays with Uncle Phil (Richard Masur, My Girl), his likeable girlfriend (Christine Ebersol, Richie Rich), and her streetsmart son, Nick (Austin O'Brien, Last Action Hero).

Guided by Nick through the city of Los Angeles in search of clues to her mother's history, Vada makes some surprising discoveries about her roots and also about herself as she confronts the uncertainties of adolescence - first love, first kiss, and her place in a changing family.

MY GIRL 2 DVD

 

OZ: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON’ ON HBO VIDEO, JANUARY 7

On January 7, HBO Video will return to "OZ," the searing drama that explores the lives of the correctional officers and inmates of an urban prison, when the second season of this acclaimed series hits video stores nationwide. OZ: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON picks up where the first season left off, exploring the aftermath of the deadly riot that swept through Emerald City, the experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary.

Featuring 8 episodes, OZ: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON on HBO Video is packaged in a 4 volume VHS set for $64.92 SRP/$49.99 MAP and a 3 disc DVD set for $64.98 SRP/$49.99 MAP. Among the special DVD bonus features is "The Museum of Television & Radio Seminar Series: OZ," featuring commentary from series creator Tom Fontana as well as director Nick Gomez, producer Bridget Potter and cast members Edie Falco, Terry Kinney, Ernie Hudson, Kirk Acevedo, and Dean Winters. (Order Due Date: 12/3/02, Runtime: 465 minutes, Not Rated)

Executive produced by the award-winning team of Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana ("Homicide: Life on the Streets,") "OZ" is "one slammer of a prison drama," (Entertainment Weekly). Returning to HBO Video with a second season that is "superbly acted, interestingly cast, and jazzily directed" (New York Post), critics agree, "Fontana’s ‘OZ’ wizardry still dazzles" (Dallas Morning News).

In addition to "The Museum of Television & Radio Seminar Series: OZ," the DVD release also includes an exclusive behind the scenes short, featuring interviews with the cast and crew including guest stars L. L. Cool J. and Kathy Bates. The DVD also features a season one recap, season three preview, Easter Eggs, episodic previews, cast and crew bios, web links, an episode index, chapter selections, English Dolby 5.1, English Dolby 2.0, Spanish subtitles and Spanish Mono.

"OZ" stars Ernie Hudson as warden Leo Glynn; Terry Kinney as Em City headmaster Tim McManus; Harold Perrineau as disabled prisoner Augustus Hill; Rita Moreno as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo, the prison’s counselor; Eamonn Walker as militant Muslim prisoner Kareem Said; Kirk Acevedo as inmate Miguel Alvarez; J.K. Simmons as inmate Vern Schillinger; Lee Tergesen as Beecher, a white, upper-middle class lawyer incarcerated for killing a young girl in a drunk-driving incident; Dean Winters as inmate Ryan O’Reilly and B.D. Wong as Father Ray Mukada.

09/23/02

ON NOVEMBER 5 THE STRONGEST GIRLS FILM OF THE SUMMER THE POWERPUFF GIRLS MOVIE BLASTS ONTO DVD AND VHS

Power-Packed DVD X-tra Features Include Additional Scenes and Behind-the-Scenes Footage with Creator Craig McCracken

Get down to crime-busting action with the world's favorite pint-sized heroes, The Powerpuff Girls! On November 5, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup serve a knockout punch as Warner Home Video (WHV) releases the feature film debut of the animated phenomenon. THE POWERPUFF GIRLS MOVIE is available on DVD for $26.98 SRP.

This full-length adventure features an animated epic so big, so funny and so spectacular that only The Powerpuff Girls can handle it! Created by a perfectly powerful experiment, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup explode into action as the new kids in Townsville. But, after one enthusiastic game of tag, they nearly destroy their beloved city. Now called social freaks, they turn to the mysterious Mojo Jojo for help... but this sinister simian has other plans - big plans - like leading an army of evil monkeys to destroy the world! Join the celebration as The Powerpuff Girls save Townsville and the world - for the first time... before bedtime!

X-plosive DVD features include the following:

 

THE SCORPION KING DVD COUPON GOOD FROM 10/1/2002 UNTIL 10/6/2002

 

LOVE AND A BULLET-- THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED IN THIS HARD HITTING GANGSTA FILM NOVEMBER 26TH ON DVD

Rap star Anthony "Treach" Criss (Empire, Book of Love, Jason's Lyric, Rap Star) plays hitman Malik Bishop in LOVE AND A BULLET, available in stores November 26th. The film, which also stars Walter Jones (American Gun, Backyard Dogs, Suckers) and Kent Masters King (BraceFace Brandi), is about a tough-as-nails gangsta kid turned elite hitman.

In this intense urban action film, Malik Bishop (Criss), is a young man with a troubled past. He has fulfilled his childhood ambition of becoming a professional hitman.but it has not turned out like he thought it would. Bishop's boss, the notorious hitman Damien Wiles (Jones), assigns Bishop the task of watching his girlfriend whom he suspects of infidelity. While staking out his next assignment, Malik reflects on the dark path he's chosen but cannot escape. Torn between his sense of duty and his newfound sense of humanity, he finds that the only way out is a perilous showdown with the men who are every bit as cold-blooded as he is. But it is a decision that can put him on a fast track for death!

LOVE AND A BULLET is a Ramcity Production in association with Key Entertainment. The film was Written and Directed by both Ben Ramsey (Beethoven's 3rd, K-911, Angel Dance) and Michael McCants (The Big Hit, Street Corner Justice). The film was Produced by Nancy Norman, Executive Produced by Ken Ramsey, Kantz, Thomas Augsberger, and Matthias Emcke, and co-produced by Nichelle M. Protho.

LOVE AND A BULLET DVD

 

COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME ENTERTAINMENT SALUTES THE WORLD ACCLAIMED CIRQUE DU SOLEIL WITH A GIFT SET ON DVD!

World-Renowned Circus Troupe Presents A Trilogy of Remarkable Performance Films JOURNEY OF MAN, DRALION, and QUIDAM Packaged Together for the First Time! Debuting in Stores 11/19/02

On November 19, 2002, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment will release a gift set containing the following three classic and highly successful performance films from the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil.

Acclaimed by an audience of over 23 million people worldwide, Cirque du Soleil is a distinctive and remarkable troupe that has reinvented and revolutionized the circus arts. The two live shows and debut film contained in this amazing gift-set will capture for generations the thrill and artistry of this extraordinary circus.

DRALION DVD

DRALION is an imaginative fusion of ancient Chinese circus tradition with the Cirque's own unique performance artistry. This collector's item immortalizes the timeless magic of a show destined to delight viewers of all ages. "DRALION is spectacular, exuberant, and downright delightful." - Daily Variety

DVD SPECS

QUIDAM - DVD:

QUIDAM combines artistic performances with new technology and highlighting humanity's frailties and anguish in the face of the new millennium. A young girl has already seen everything there is to see and her world has lost all meaning. Her anger shatters her world and she finds herself in the universe of QUIDAM, where she is joined by a playful companion as well as another mysterious character who attempts to seduce her with the marvelous, the unsettling, and the terrifying. "QUIDAM is prime, mature Cirque. It is beyond circus, beyond theater; it makes the incredible visible." - Time Magazine

DVD SPECS

JOURNEY OF MAN DVD:

"A film worthy of being displayed on a screen 8 stories high." - Time Magazine.

From the opening explosion of light and sound that represents the universes' formation, JOURNEY OF MAN leads us through the birth of the Universal Child as it travels from childhood through adolescence and manhood on to maturity. An awe-inspiring feast for the senses, incomparable artistry and stylish elegance make this an adventure of a lifetime.

DVD SPECS

THREE-PACK SPECS

 

09/16/02

ARMED AND DANGEROUS-- A COLLECTOR'S ITEM, LOCK UP YOUR OWN DVD COPY ON NOVEMBER 12!

On November 12, John Candy (Cool Runnings, Home Alone, Uncle Buck), Eugene Levy (American Pie, Splash), and Meg Ryan (Kate and Leopold, When Harry Met Sally) charge into the madcap world of private security in the outrageous action-comedy, ARMED AND DANGEROUS. The film also stars Robert Loggia (Independence Day, Jagged Edge), and Kenneth McMillan (The Pope of Greenwich Village, Runaway Train).

ARMED AND DANGEROUS, produced by Brian Grazer (Stealing Harvard, A Beautiful Mind) and James Keach (False Identity, National Lampoon's Vacation), and directed by Mark L. Lester  (Misbegotten, Night of the Running Man), also includes the comedic writing talents of Harold Ramis (Analyze This, Ghostbusters) and Peter Torokvei (Guarding Tess, Caddyshack 2).

Frank Dooley (Candy) is a cop wrongly fired for corruption. Herman Kane (Levy) is a useless defense lawyer. For better or worse (mostly worse), they team up in new careers as security guards. They turn to a private security firm, the Guard Dog Security Company, for employment. But, of course, everything turns hilariously wrong when the first warehouse they are assigned to guard is robbed!  Dooley and Kane, with the help of a new friend (Ryan), smell foul play, when they are made the fall guys for the robbery. Suspecting corruption within their own company and union, our heroes decide to investigate, where they uncover intrigue and conspiracy. With only their ingenuity and resourcefulness keeping them alive, this mismatched pair eventually figure out that their company is in cahoots with the security union's mobster president (Loggia). Eager to snag the crooks, Dooley and Kane set out as spies, and in a wild car chase, turn a million-dollar heist into an armored carnival.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS DVD

 

COLD STEEL-- THE GAME BEGINS NOVEMBER 12TH. BUT WHEN WILL IT END?

Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct, Casino, Total Recall) stars as a femme fatale in this edge-of-your-seat thriller, COLD STEEL debuting in stores November 12.  Brad Davis (Midnight Express, Chariots of Fire) also stars along with Adam Ant (Nomads, Face Down), Jonathan Banks (Beverly Hills Cop, Last Man Standing), and Eddie Egan (Out of the Darkness, The French Connection).

Directed by Dorothy Ann Puzo, COLD STEEL follows a hard-nosed renegade cop pursuing an insane, out-of-control killer. During their chilling cat-and-mouse game of mutual destruction, things turn personal as the two lock horns in this spine-tingling, action-packed thriller.

When tough L.A. cop Johnny Modine (Davis) discovers his father has been brutally murdered, he's determined to get the killers - Iceman (Banks), a stiletto-welding Methedrine addict, and his sadistic sidekick (Ant). Once scarred for life in a brawl, Iceman, in a psychotic fit, blames Johnny for the mutilation that left him with a mechanical voice box. And now he's bent on revenge.

While Johnny vows vengeance for his father's killers, he enlists the help of a beautiful and seductive young woman, Kathy Connors (Stone), who leads them into a deadly trap ensnaring them both. Now in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, the two men careen through the streets of L.A. in a wild chase that culminates in an explosive, death-defying confrontation.

COLD STEEL DVD

 

13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING-- THIS STUNNING ENSEMBLE PIECE IS SET FOR A NOVEMBER 19TH RELEASE ON DVD

On November 19th, Director Jill Sprecher's (Clockwatchers) critically-acclaimed film, 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING, gathers an all-star ensemble cast in a fresh and whimsical look at the invisible, everyday, and dynasty-shaping miracles that we have come to call life.

The effect, according to filmcritic.com's Norm Schrager, "is a swirling environment of very different New Yorkers, all trying to get what they want - even though they don't know what it is."

Written for the screen with Sister Karen, with whom she collaborated on Clockwatchers, Jill Sprecher's 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING examines, through conversations, five distinct New York tales.

13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING observes the lives of seemingly disparate characters - a public defender (Matthew McConaughey, Reign of Fire, Contact) whose life suddenly mirrors that of the criminals he prosecutes; a college professor (John Turturro, Mr. Deeds, Barton Fink) facing a poignant crossroads; an envious businessman (Alan Arkin, America's Sweethearts, Edward Scissorhands) seeking revenge on a compulsively cheerful co-worker; an optimistic cleaning woman (Clea Duvall, Girl, Interrupted, The Astronaut's Wife) searching for miracles in the aftermath of a tragic accident; and lastly, a woman (Amy Irving, Traffic, Deconstructing Harry) forced to face her husband's infidelity due to an untimely return of a lost wallet - are interwoven to create a touching tapestry of human experience. These ordinary people all find themselves asking the fundamental question philosophers have asked throughout history: What is Happiness, and how does one achieve it.

A Sony Pictures Classics Release, 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING is a Gina Resnick/Beni Atoori Production with Double A Films and Entitled Entertainment in presentation with Single Cell Pictures. Written by Karen and Jill Sprecher, produced by Beni Atoori and Gina Resnick, and directed by Jill Sprecher.

13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING DVD

 

09/11/02

JUST IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING, WARNER HOME VIDEO UNLOCKS A CHEST OF TIMELESS TREASURES WITH THE OCTOBER 1 DVD DEBUT OF THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET

Remastered DVD Offers Superior Picture Quality and Extras Including a New Introduction by Don Knotts

On October 1, Warner Home Video (WHV) presents a gilded group of Timeless Treasures – classic movies that fill the imagination and warm the heart including the first-ever DVD release of THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET. Digitally remastered and re-packaged for its DVD debut, THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET features an original behind-the-scenes featurette and set-top games and is available for $24.98 SRP.

SYNOPSIS

THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET

Hailed as a fun family movie by Entertainment Weekly’s Guide to the Greatest Movies Ever Made, THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET is a story about the wonders of imagination and the triumph of the spirit. Live-action and 2-D animation combine to tell the story of a man who longs to be a fish after he is classified by the Navy as an F4 - "too small and too weak to be a soldier." When his dream of being a fish becomes a reality, Henry uses his underwater prowess to become the navy’s strongest secret weapon. The debut DVD makes a splash with special features including the following:

 

SANTA’S SLEIGH DELIVERS A SLEW OF STOCKING STUFFERS FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO ON OCTOBER 8

Holiday Debuts from SCOOBY-DOO, CAILLOU, CHILD SMART and SCHOLASTIC’S THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS® Plus Dozens of Classic Titles Available at Great, Low Prices

Best Selling Animated Holiday Title, DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, Returns to DVD and VHS

On October 8, Warner Home Video (WHV) will deliver a sack full of goodies loaded with holiday spirit More than 50 new and classic titles, including Dr. Seuss favorite HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS as well as four brand new seasonal titles – SCOOBY-DOO WINTER WONDERDOG, CAILLOU’S WINTER HOLIDAY, CHILD SMART’S YOUR TINY NOEL and SCHOLASTIC’S THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS® HOLIDAY SPECIAL – will offer family cheer this winter. WHV will also unwrap an array of Yuletide favorites at new, low prices.

Timeless Classics on DVD

Renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss tells the tale of the mean green Grinch who plots to steal Christmas away from Whoville – but ends up finding the true meaning of the holiday season instead – in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. This perennial favorite, a top-rated 1966 TV special directed by animation genius Chuck Jones, is featured on DVD and VHS along with another Dr. Seuss favorite, Horton Hears a Who, for a delightful double bill.

The DVD is loaded with these extras:

Scooby-Doo’s Stocking Stuffer

Scooby-Doo and the Mystery, Inc. gang face off against festive frights, frosty nights and the ghost of Christmas in this collection of cold-weather capers. The new adventure, SCOOBY-DOO: WINTER WONDERDOG, contains 4 mysteries and will be available on both DVD and VHS. The DVD special features include the following:

Children Can Celebrate and Learn with these Holiday Titles

Children can learn while celebrating throughout the holiday season with these merry seasonal videos. In CAILLOU’S WINTER HOLIDAY, Caillou takes a trip to the pumpkin patch, helps with Thanksgiving dinner and learns to ski during the first snow of the year. Caillou and his dad even get to decorate the family Christmas tree. SCHOLASTIC’S THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS HOLIDAY SPECIAL celebrates the spirit of the holidays by helping children understand the importance of recycling. In the special, Ms. Frizzle’s ™ (voiced by Lily Tomlin) class takes a trip to the recycling plant, run by Murph (voiced by Dolly Parton). By accident, Wanda’s Nutcracker toy soldier gets turned into a plastic pellet Now Wanda wishes that recycling never existed… but soon learns to be careful what she wishes for This special holiday edition of the Emmy award-winning series features one-of-a-kind musical performances from Dolly Parton. Both of these titles are available on DVD and VHS. Coming to VHS is Your Tiny Noel, a holiday addition to the Child Smart series, brings the joy of song, dance and celebration to children as they learn about Christmas traditions and hear classic holiday songs from around the world.

 

SUNSHINE STATE DUE ON DVD ON NOVEMBER 19

SUNSHINE STATE, acclaimed director John Sayles' 13th film, will be released on DVD and videocassette on November 19, 2002 by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (CTHE). This personal drama features a sterling ensemble cast featuring Oscar-nominee Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It, Passion Fish), double-Emmy Award winner Edie Falco ("The Sopranos," Bullets Over Broadway) and Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Taps).

Rounding out the cast is four-time Oscar nominee Jane Alexander (All The President's Men, Kramer vs. Kramer), Mary Alice (A Perfect World, Bonfire of the Vanities), Gordon Clapp (Return of the Secaucus Seven, Rules of Engagement), Miguel Ferrer ("Twin Peaks," Robocop) and James McDaniel ("NYPD Blues," Malcolm X).

Set in Plantation Island Florida, SUNSHINE STATE unfolds during the weeklong Buccaneer Days Festival, a new "tradition" created by the local Chamber of Commerce. But local real estate developers are changing the modest beachside community into an upscale, manicured resort for winter-weary Northerners. The long-time locals are divided on whether to cash in or stand their ground. Plantation Island, like its residents, is in transition.

There's Marly (Falco) running her father's motel and hating every minute of it. Lester and Greg (Ferrer and Perry Lang, The Big Red One) will stop at nothing to buy the motel, and Dad (Ralph Waite, "The Waltons," Cliffhanger) will never sell. Mom (Alexander) is living in her own dream world down at the Community Theater when she's not off at the Audubon meetings, saving what's left of the natural habitat. Marly is wasting away in Margaritaville, dodging her ex-husband (Richard Edson, Platoon,), losing her golf pro (Marc Blucas, We Were Soldiers) and tempted by the new guy in town (Hutton)  - even though he is definitely working for the other side.

Then we have Desiree (Bassett) back for her first real visit home since she left under a cloud 25 years ago. She doesn't trust her mother Eunice (Alice) and won't be drawn into staying in the black enclave of Lincoln Beach, even though family friend Dr. Lloyd (Bill Cobbs, Silkwood) works her pretty hard. Her trophy husband Dr. Reginald Perry (McDaniel) does his best to fit in, but he's worried about the old boyfriend Flash Phillips (Tom Wright, City of Hope). And nobody's comfortable with the boy Eunice has taken in, a young arsonist named Terrell (Alex Lewis in his screen debut).

Chamber of Commerce stalwart Francine Pinckney (Steenburgen) keeps a smile on her face and pom poms high, championing Buccaneer Days through its course. She's too busy to see much of her husband, banker Earl (Clapp) whose gambling debts are giving him problems of his own.

Welcome to Florida!

SUNSHINE STATE is a Sony Pictures Classics release in association with Anarchists' Convention production. Produced by Maggie Renzi. Written, directed and edited by John Sayles.

SUNSHINE STATE DVD:

 

NAZI GOLD SELLS INDIE FILM INDIE DVD TO RELEASE FILM "DEVIL’S KEEP" WITH VERIFIED TREASURE MAP

IndieDVD announced today the Collector’s Edition DVD of THE DEVIL’S KEEP is to be released September 24, 2002 with a verified treasure map to the locations of gold missing since 1945. "THE DEVIL’S KEEP," is directed by Don Gronquist (Unhinged) and stars Danny Perkin (To My Daughter with Love, Dr. Giggles) and Gathering Marbet (West Wing, Claire of the Moon).

THE DEVIL’S KEEP is the story of two teenagers running for their lives while trying to find hidden Nazi treasure that had been buried by the Nazis as they fled Germany during the deterioration of the Nazi Empire. The two are pursued by Nazis in the hopes that the teens will lead them to the hidden gold as well as CIA agents who are trying to keep the relationship between the U.S. government and ex-Nazis a secret.

To promote the film the DVD will feature an interactive treasure map that reveals historically verified locations holding gold and art hidden by the Nazis. The map is the result of a two-year research project, commissioned by IndieDVD that compiled witness accounts with historical geographic escape routes and documented partial discoveries of the missing treasures. The missing treasures range from gold bars from the Reichbank to the world famous Russian "Amber Room." The Amber Room alone is valued at $250 million dollars and consists of 100,000 pieces of carved amber paneling covering 55 square meters, it was commissioned by Frederick I of Prussia in 1701, and later was presented to the Russian Czar Peter the Great.

On August 6TH 2002, the Associated Press reported that a small amount of the treasure was recovered even before the maps could be publicized when a diver discovered a solid gold cauldron in Bavaria’s Chiemsee Lake. "That’s what happens when you begin an international, two year research project into the location of millions dollars of missing gold and treasure – the word leaks out," comments Jonah Loeb, President of IndieDVD. "There are plenty of other locations that we identify on THE DEVIL’S KEEP DVD, including crates that were also seen being dumped in the Chiemsee Lake by the retreating German convoy in April of 1945, the cauldron is just the beginning."

DVD special features include:

Price and availability:

THE DEVIL’S KEEP will be available for purchase at Best Buy outlets nationwide. Additionally, consumers may purchase directly from IndieDVD at www.indiedvd.com/devilskeep and retailers can receive more information through Ventura Distribution by calling 805-498-7800. Suggested retail price is $19.98 on DVD UPC 802695001795 available Tuesday, September 24.

 

FROM MASTER FILMMAKER SAMUEL FULLER COMES STREET OF NO RETURN- A TWISTED TALE OF REVENGE AND REDEMPTION.

Keith Carradine (Nashville) stars as a former pop star who had it all, until he fell in love with the wrong gangster’s girl and had his throat cut for his sins. Now a drifter, he lives in a haze of amnesia, alcohol and misery, until one day, he rediscovers himself and a chance for vengeance. Legendary director Samuel Fuller’s (Naked Kiss, Pickup on South Street ) final film is a raw, powerful and stylish masterpiece in the genre that he helped to define. Based on the classic crime-novel by David Goodis ( Shoot The Piano Player), this brutal tale strikes with the impact of a hammer blow to the head (literally!). Fantoma is proud to present the US premiere of this modern classic, from one of cinema’s most original visionaries, in a new special edition.

 

09/09/02

ACTION-PACKED "LITTLE" ADVENTURE LEADS TO BIG FAMILY FUN STUART LITTLE 2 FLIES ONTO DVD ON DECEMBER 10

On December 10, STUART LITTLE 2 will once again capture the hearts of families everywhere as Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (CTHE) brings the loveable pint-sized hero into homes nationwide when it debuts on DVD and VHS.  With the help of Stuart's promotional friends, CTHE will make a full-size impact during the fourth quarter with the studio's biggest marketing and promotional campaign for a family title to date.  Proving that great things do indeed come in small packages, STUART LITTLE 2 opened as the #1 family film at the box-office and generated almost $35 million in ten days, accumulating more than $60 million to date at the domestic box office.

Children and adults alike will cheer with delight at the heartwarming adventures of the little mouse with a big heart. Audiences will be drawn into the 'Little' world through giant DVD features and everyone in the family can join in the DVD adventures, from show-and-tell features for younger viewers to the filmmaker's commentary for adults who are still kids-at-heart.  The STUART LITTLE 2 special edition DVD is priced at $27.96 SLP and the VHS is priced at $24.96 SLP.  The VHS will be available in both slipsleeve (English) and clamshell (English/Spanish dubbed) packaging.

Also available are DVD and VHS 2-packs featuring Stuart Little and Stuart

Little 2.  The VHS 2-pack features clamshell packaging and is priced to own at $36.95 SLP; the DVD 2-pack includes the Stuart Little Deluxe Edition DVD and STUART LITTLE 2 DVD at the collectible price of $42.95 SLP.

This high-flying family tale reunites the entire "Little" clan, including Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future, "Spin City"), Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own), Hugh Laurie (Peter's Friends, Sense & Sensibility), Jonathan Lipnicki (Jerry Maguire, Like Mike), Nathan Lane ("The Producers," The Birdcage) and Steve Zahn (Riding in Cars With Boys, Joyride).

New additions to the colorful mix of characters include a new friend, Margalo, voiced by Melanie Griffith (Working Girl, Night Moves) and a villainous Falcon voiced by James Woods (Ghosts of Mississippi, Contact).  Committed to making STUART LITTLE 2 even more exciting and groundbreaking than the original, Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) returned to direct with co-producers Lucy Fisher (Men In Black, My Best Friend's Wedding) and Academy AwardÒ winner Douglas Wick (Gladiator, Girl, Interrupted).  Special effects maestro and Stuart Little Academy Award nominee, Jerome Chen (Godzilla, Contact, James and the Giant Peach, The Ghost and the Darkness, In the Line of Fire) and Sony Pictures Imageworks created the magic on-screen interaction among the characters.      

The original Stuart Little was a worldwide sensation, taking in more than $300 million at the box-office globally.  The film went on to garner an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects and was hailed for its life-like integration of Stuart Little with his family.

"STUART LITTLE 2 is one of those very special films that captures the whole family. Its debut on DVD gives us a tremendous opportunity to continue to provide quality family-focused product in the format," said Benjamin S. Feingold, President, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures' Digital Studios Division.  "With the success of STUART LITTLE 2, we are poised to maximize the DVD explosion of family product in the marketplace."

DVD ADDED VALUE

With non-stop laughs, action and adventure, the STUART LITTLE 2 special edition DVD, featuring both wide and full screen presentations, is jam-packed with fun for all ages and truly engaging for every member of the family. 

 

TASTE FORBIDDEN FRUIT IN MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S SEXY SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER ROMP-- Y TU MAMA TAMBIEIN

Unrated And R-Rated Versions Of Director Alfonso Cuaron's Critically Acclaimed Film Debut On DVD And VHS October 22"

Boasting Racy Deleted Scenes, The Unrated Special Edition DVD Also Includes A Making-Of Feature Audio Commentary With Cast, And A Short Film

A bittersweet coming-of-age story, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN arrives on DVD and VHS in R-rated and unrated versions on October 22"d from MGM Home Entertainment. Touted as "fast, funny, unafraid of sexuality!" by The New York Times, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN was directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Great Expectations) and boasts sizzling performances by a hot young cast including Maribel Verdu (Belle epoque), Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores perros) and Diego Luna (Before Night Falls). Distributed in North America by the Independent Film Channel (IFC), this critically acclaimed film garnered numerous accolades including Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival, a Golden Globes nomination for Best Foreign Language Film (2001), and Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival (2001), New York Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.

A sexually candid film, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN tells the tale of a beautiful older woman who schools two eager teenage boys in the finer points of passion in this coming-of-age story that is "hot-blooded, haunting and wildly erotic." (Rolling Stone). Priced at $26.98, the Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN DVD will be released in an unrated, theatrical special edition and in an R-rated version. The VHS (R-rated and unrated versions) will be offered to retailers for $33.00.

The unrated Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN special edition DVD features a short comedic film by co-writer Carlos Cuaron entitled "Me la debes" ("You Owe Me One"). In addition, the unrated DVD includes deleted scenes, a light-hearted, making-of Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN featurette and audio commentary with cast members Luna, Bernal, and Andres Alemeida.

Julio and Tenoch are two teens ruled by raging hormones and a mission to consume exotic substances. But one summer, the boys learn more about life than they bargain for when they set off on a wild, cross-country road trip with seductive, 28-year-old Luisa. Both boys taste forbidden fruit as Luisa schools them in the finer points of passion, but will their mutual desire for her destroy their friendship forever?

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

 

CHRISTINA RICCI DARES TO BE DIFFERENT IN MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S PUMPKIN

Offbeat Comic Gem Arrives On VHS And DVD November 5

MGM Home Entertainment presents the eccentric tale of a sorority sister who goes against the grain in PUMPKIN, arriving on DVD and VHS on November 5. Christina Ricci (Sleepy Hollow, "Ally McBeal") stars as the "pitch perfect" (Hollywood Reporter) college girl who gets swept into an unlikely romance that shocks everyone in her seemingly flawless existence. Also starring Hank Harris ("Popular"), Dominique Swain (Lolita) and Marisa Coughlan (Gossip, Teaching Mrs. Tingle), the DVD will be available for $26.98.

Sexy Carolyn (Ricci) has great looks, a hot boyfriend and one wicked hula step. But when she meets wheelchair-bound Pumpkin (Harris) through her sorority's charity work, Carolyn suddenly realizes her "have-it-all" existence doesn't have all she wants. Embracing the imperfection around her - and within her -she embarks on an unlikely romance that creeps out her glossy sorority sisters, appalls her jock boyfriend and draws them all kicking and screaming into a culture clash that'll leave no one unchanged!

PUMPKIN

 

NICOLAS CAGE AND CHRISTIAN SLATER STAR IN JOHN WOO'S POWERFUL, ACTION-PACKED WORLD WAR II DRAMA FROM MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT WINDTALKERS-- ARRIVES ON DVD ON OCTOBER 15

Academy Awards winner Nicolas Cage* commands the screen in John Woos spectacular World War II adventure. "Packed with the kind of super-intense, ultraviolent fight scenes for which Woo is famous" (The Chicago Tribune), WINDTALKERS debuts on DVD and VHS October 15, 2002 from MGM Home Entertainment. Telling the personal story of a sergeant and the Navajo Code Talker he is assigned to protect, WINDTALKERS also stars Christian Slater (Broken Arrow, True Romance) and Adam Beach (Smoke Signals).

WINDTALKERS is the first feature film to tell the story of a secret military program for which a small group of Navajo Indians were recruited in order to develop their native language into code. In 1942, approximately four hundred additional Navajo learned the code as Marine volunteers and joined the frontlines in the Pacific. The Navajo code, an indispensable tool for communication, became the only code never broken by the Japanese. On July 26, 2001, President Bush honored the original 29 Code Talkers, five of whom are still living, with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress. Priced at just $26.98, the WINDTALKERS DVD features a 16X9 hi-definition transfer with 5.1 surround sound and the theatrical trailers.

In the brutal World War II Battle of Saipan, Sergeant Joe Enders (Cage) guards - and ultimately befriends Ben Yahzee (Beach), a young Navajo trained in the one wartime code never broken by the enemy, the Navajo Code. But if Yahzee should fall into Japanese hands, how far will Enders go to save the military's most powerful secret?

WINDTALKERS DVD

 

ENTER THE PSYCHE OF AN UNREPENTANT MOBSTER IN MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S-- GANGSTER NO. 1

Arriving On October 22, DVD Features A "Making-Of' Featurette, Deleted Scene And An Audio Commentary By Director Paul McGuigan

MGM Home Entertainment presents a dark tale of brutality, bloodshed and psychoses in GANGSTER NO. 1, arriving on DVD and VHS on October 22. With a soundtrack scored by jazz giant John Dankworth, Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), David Thewlis (Naked), Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mini and Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea) deliver powerful performances in this "sensational" (Los Angeles Times) and bold gangland thriller set in 1960's London. Featuring an audio commentary by director Paul McGuigan, a "making-o'featurette and a deleted scene, the GANGSTER NO. 1 DVD will be available for $22.50.

Bettany stars as a ruthless East End London Mafia boss who slugs, claws and kills his way to the top. But when he learns that his former mentor (Thewlis) who he put into prison is about to get out, this self-made monster must not only face a man whose life he ruined ...but the twisted remnants of his own demented conscience as well.

GANGSTER NO. 1

 

JANET MCTEER, BRUCE DAVISON AND JENNIFER JASON LEIGH SHARE A HAUNTING EXPERIENCE IN MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S-- THE KING IS ALIVE DEBUTS ON DVD  NOVEMBER 19

An outstanding international ensemble cast stars in MGM Home Entertainment's THE KING IS ALIVE arriving to DVD and VHS on November 19. This exquisitely crafted film charts the tale of ten hapless tourists lost in the heart of the African desert. THE KING IS ALIVE stars Oscars nominees Janet McTeer* (Waking The Dead, Tumbleweeds) and Bruce Davison" (High Crimes, Crazy/Beautiful), Golden Globe nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh*** (The Anniversary Party), David Bradley (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), David Calder (The World Is Not Enough), and French film star Romane Bohinger. Proclaimed "strikingly beautiful ...raw and elemental" (New York Times), THE KING IS ALIVE is the last of the original four Danish Dogme project films, and was an official selection for the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. THE KING IS ALIVE DVD will be available for $22.50.

When their bus breaks down in the middle of the Namibian desert, a mismatched group of travelers meets the absurdity of their situation head on - by staging an impromptu production of "King Lear." But as tempers flare, passions ignite and their hopes of rescue dwindle, they soon begin to realize that in the heart of the African wilderness, the only thing more fearsome than Mother Nature ...is human nature.

THE KING IS ALIVE

 

STEPHEN BALDWIN AND KARI WUHRER STAR IN SPIDER'S WEB THE SEXY DUO DELIVERS AN EROTIC SUSPENSE THRILLER ARRIVING ON DVD NOV. 12

SPIDER'S WEB, a sexy web tangling suspenseful thriller debuts on DVD and videocassette Nov. 12, from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. The DVD will be priced at $24.95 suggested list.

SPIDER'S WEB is the deadly attraction of a sexy investment executive (Kari Wuhrer, Eight Legged Freaks) seduced by a younger man (Stephen Baldwin, The Usual Suspects) into stealing $40 million from his politically ambitious father.  As the elaborate swindle is set in motion and their erotically charged affair reaches a boiling point, the two begin to question the intentions of one another.  Is he a pampered rich boy getting his kinky kicks with an experienced older woman or is she a shrewd black widow out to make a killing. As the bodies pile up in SPIDER'S WEB and the double-crosses multiply, one will be left holding the fortune, while the other will be caught in a web of deadly deception.

SPIDER'S WEB: a Magic Hour Pictures Production. Also starring Benjamin King, Scott Williamson, Michael Gregory, George Lazenby, Tony Colitti, George Murdock. Produced by Marc Bienstock.  Written by Robert Stiff, David Lloyd and D. Alvelo. Directed by Paul Levine.

SPIDER'S WEB DVD:

 

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE NOVEMBER 12 RELEASE ON DVD ANNOUNCED

In his cinema debut, director Gregor Schnitzler tackles a slice of recent German history with humor, action and excitement in the comedy WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE. The film streets on DVD and videocassette on November 12 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (CTHE). Against the background of Berlin's former squatter community, this comedy tells an amusing story about friendship, dreams and lost values.  Thirteen years have passed since Tim (Til Schwieger, The Replacement Killers), Flo (Doris Schretzmayer, Ternitz, Tennessee), Maik (Sebastian Blomberg, Vater)  Hotte (Martin Feifel, Die Fremde),  Nele (Nadja Uhl, La  Volpe a tre Zampe) and Terror (Matthias Matschke, Boran), lived together in an occupied building in the 1980s and gave the establishment their collective middle fingers. This period of creative anarchy appears to have been the best of their lives. But now, with the passage of time, almost everything has changed. Only the charismatic Tim and the wheelchair-bound Hotte have remained true to their former ideals. The others have gone on to lead fairly bourgeois lives.

The time they spent together has long since been reduced to a fading memory. In New Berlin, the divergent paths of these former friends have not crossed in many years. But all that changes when a long-since forgotten , homemade bomb they had planted in an empty mansion in 1987 explodes unexpectedly. Now the past catches up with them and threatens their quiet lives. After all these years, the 6 former friends feel compelled to cover their past tracks and avoid discovery by police - especially the aggressive detective Manowsky (the great German actor Klaus Lowitsch,  The Odessa File).

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE DVD

 

CAPTIVATING TALES OF LOVE AND DECEPTION HIGHLIGHT MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT'S WORLD FILMS COLLECTION

On November 5, SPETTERS, THE DECAMERON, THE GREAT WALL IS A GREAT WALL, MADAME BOVARY, MY FATHER'S GLORY, MY MOTHER'S CASTLE and TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR YOU Debut On DVD For $19.98 Each

MGM Home Entertainment presents powerful human dramas and comedies brimming with romance, sensuality and tragedy in its World Films Collection, debuting on DVD on November 5. From the notorious filmmaker Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) comes the director's cut of SPETTERS, a raw, intense and unabashedly sexual ride that "will knock the unsuspecting for a loop" (The Hollywood Reporter). The DVD includes an audio commentary by Verhoeven. Other titles in the collection are THE DECAMERON, THE GREAT WALL IS A GREAT WALL, MADAME BOVARY, MY FATHER'S GLORY, MY MOTHER'S CASTLE and TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR YOU. All titles are available for $19.98 and feature the original theatrical trailer. All titles are closed captioned.

SPETTERS

Reen, Eve and Hans are three young working-class