DVD PREVIEWS & VIEWS
LibraryPreviews.com
"Say Anything..."
MPAA rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Our price: $14.98 | You save: $5.00
...browse here.
"What I really want to do with my life--what I want to do for a
living--is I want to be with your daughter. I'm good at it."
--Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) puts his cards on the table in Cameron
Crowe's first film, "Say Anything." The comedy is now on DVD
(complete with some excellent extras) for the first time.
NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK
* "The One"--Jet Li fights against the ultimate warrior: himself!
...browse here.
* "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade" (Special Edition)--The creator of
"Ghost in the Shell" returns with this compelling vision of a
fictionalized Japanese social struggle.
...browse here.
* "Himalaya"--A cinematically striking adventure story set--and
shot--in the highest mountains in the world has quickly become a
hidden gem of note.
...browse here.
* "In the Mood for Love" (Criterion Collection)--Wong Kar-wai's
near-flawless film follows two lovers in a passionate yet discreet
affair.
...browse here.
* "The Evil Dead" (Book of the Dead Limited Edition)--Sam Raimi and
Bruce Campbell pile on the extras for their first comedy-horror cult
hit.
...browse here.
* "Eat Drink Man Woman"--This comedy-drama from Ang Lee ("Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon") is an irresistible blend of food, family, and
love.
...browse here.
* "Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf"--Prepare yourself: watch
the real "Scooby" before the live-action film comes to theaters this
summer.
...browse here.
* "Less Than Zero"--Robert Downey Jr.'s amazing, ironic work as an
addict on the edge makes this film a must-see.
...browse here.
* "Taps"--The modern military drama gave dynamic roles to many young
stars, including Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, and Tom Cruise.
...browse here.
* "All the Right Moves"--Tom Cruise followed up his star-making role
in "Risky Business" with this rough-and-tumble high school football
drama.
...browse here.
* "Barabbas"--The lofty reputation of this 1962 biblical epic
starring Anthony Quinn has been elevated over the last decade.
...browse here.
* See the complete list
...browse here.
"The Godfather DVD Collection"
MPAA rating: R (Restricted)
Our price: $74.94 | You save: $30.96
...browse here.
Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's personal touch in this trilogy
made it worth the wait. Say what you will about the third film, but
if more directors took this much care with their movies, every DVD
would be a gem.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
MPAA rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Our price: $20.99 | You save: $6.97
...browse here.
A gorgeous fusion of beauty and brawn, this martial arts fantasy
from Ang Lee effortlessly hits the bull's-eye. Imaginative fighting
sequences are intertwined with a story that delivers an emotional
impact. How many times have we seen that lately?
"Memento"
MPAA rating: R (Restricted)
Our price: $18.71 | You save: $6.24
...browse here.
Hollywood's best little masterpiece of the year is this
free-floating thriller about a man (Guy Pearce) with no long-term
memory. You'll want to see this one more than once.
"Citizen Kane (Special Edition)"
MPAA rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Our price: $22.49 | You save: $7.49
...browse here.
Great films are meant to be released this way: with a sparkling
print and excellent commentary (done here by Roger Ebert). This disc
also has an extra feature you'll want to see, the
Oscar®-nominated documentary "The Battle over Citizen Kane."
"Almost Famous Untitled - The Bootleg Cut (Director's Edition)"
MPAA rating: R (Restricted)
Our price: $26.24 | You save: $8.75
...browse here.
Forgive the powers-that-be for releasing two versions of Cameron
Crowe's engaging autobiographical comedy on DVD this year; this
latest release is too good to stay angry over. It features 30 more
minutes of footage, material from Crowe's teen life, and a
commentary from--of all people--his own mother.
POSTED 20 NOVEMBER 2001
THIS WEEK'S FEATURED TITLES
You can find box-office hits, family favorites, and anime episodes at unusually good discounts in our weekly list of featured titles. Supplies are limited and selections change frequently, so don't delay!
See this week's featured titles ...browse here.
NOW PLAYING: MOVIE MAGAZINES
Ordering magazine subscriptions has never been so easy. Visit our
new Magazine Subscriptions store to find everyday low prices on your
favorite entertainment magazines, including Entertainment Weekly,
Premiere, People, and more.
...browse here.
NEW DVDs FOR FALL 2001
POSTED 14 NOVEMBER
"Aliens (Special Edition)"
MPAA rating: R (Restricted)
Our price: $25.49 | You save: $4.49
...available here.
"We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly
come at night... mostly." --Young survivor Newt (Carrie Henn),
warning her newfound friend, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), about the
creatures that have taken over the planet she inhabits, in James
Cameron's "Aliens"
HOLIDAY IDEAS
The holiday season is lurking just around the corner. Start your shopping early by checking out our lists of all-time favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy DVDs and all-time favorite Horror DVDs.
Find the perfect DVD gift
...available here.
NEW RELEASES
"The X-Files - The Complete Fourth Season"
MPAA rating: NR (Not Rated)
Our price: $112.49 | You save: $37.49
...available here.
starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson; created by Chris
Carter Chris Carter's dark fable of paranoia and the paranormal
continues its labyrinthine evolution in this latest boxed set
comprising Scully and Mulder's fourth season of creeped-out
encounters, including fresh twists to their own ambiguous
relationship. The episodes are garnished with a variety of DVD
goodies, including interviews, commentaries, and a new DVD-ROM game.
"Star Trek - The Motion Picture"
MPAA rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Our price: $22.49 | You save: $7.50
...available here.
starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley;
directed by Robert Wise "Star Trek" series creator Gene Roddenberry
had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of "Star
Wars" the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which
reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned
starship U.S.S. "Enterprise." Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are
astonishing, and Jerry Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the
prolific composer's very best, with its main theme later used for
"Star Trek: The Next Generation."
"Coma"
MPAA rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Our price: $13.48 | You save: $1.50
...available here.
starring Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, and Rip Torn;
directed by Michael Crichton Bestselling novelist Michael Crichton
(of "Jurassic Park" fame) wrote and directed this adaptation of the
Robin Cook medical thriller about a woman doctor (Bujold) who bucks
the male-dominated hospital bureaucracy to find out who is killing
and stealing patients from a big-city hospital. This nifty thriller
features up-and-coming stars Tom Selleck and Ed Harris in
blink-and-you'll-miss-them roles; Bujold is at her steely and sexy
best.
"The Matrix Revisited"
MPAA rating: R (Restricted)
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $4.99
...available here.
starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Andy and Larry
Wachowski; directed by Josh Oreck A fitting supplement to the
feature-packed "Matrix" DVD, "The Matrix Revisited" provides a
wealth of "Matrix" arcana, delivered by the 1999 blockbuster's
principal cast and crew. The main course in this 163-minute feast is
a two-hour documentary covering virtually every aspect of
production, with teasing glimpses of fight training on the
not-yet-released "Matrix" sequels. Of greater interest is the sheer
depth of filmmaking coverage, with intelligent and amusing anecdotes
and insights from all the major players. Releases November 20.
"Planet of the Apes"
MPAA rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Our price: $22.95 | You save: $7.03
...available here.
starring Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, and Helena Bonham Carter;
directed by Tim Burton Billed as a "reimagining" of the original
1968 film, Tim Burton's extraordinary "Planet of the Apes"
constantly borders on greatness, adhering to the spirit of Pierre
Boulle's original novel while exploring fresh and inventive ideas
and paying honorable tribute to the '68 sci-fi classic. Burton's
gifts for eccentric inspiration and visual ingenuity make this a
movie that's as entertaining as it is provocative. Releases November
20.
Posted 4 OCT 2001
"Pride and Prejudice (BBC TV Miniseries) - The Special Edition"
MPAA rating: NR (Not Rated)
...available here.
"In vain have I struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell
you how ardently I admire and love you."
--The romantic Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) in BBC's lauded version of
"Pride and Prejudice." The five-hour miniseries comes to DVD in a
special edition featuring a newly remastered widescreen anamorphic
print.
...available here.
NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK
October 2, 2001
* "The Mummy Returns"--Brendan Fraser joins forces with the Rock and takes on his undead rival in this action-filled sequel. ...available here.
* "Heartbreakers"--Four top performances propel this comedy of a devilish mother-and-daughter con team. ...available here.
* "Fiddler on the Roof" (Special Edition)--The extras abound in this new edition of the classic musical, including a deleted song and lots of historical notes. ...available here.
* "The Terminator" (Special Edition)--Interviews--old and new--deleted scenes, and a new 5.1 stereo mix prove that Arnold has come back. ...available here.
* "Colors"--Steeped in controversy when it premiered, Dennis Hopper's film about L.A. cops and gangs is still an absorbing and powerful film, featuring ace turns from Robert Duvall and Sean Penn. ...available here.
* "The Greatest"--Muhammad Ali plays Muhammad Ali in this 1977 biopic. It comes to DVD just before Will Smith appears in this fall's "Ali." ...available here.
* "Prancer"--One of the better recent Christmas films comes to DVD in plenty of time for the kids to catch multiple viewings before the holidays. ...available here.
* See complete list ...available here.
EDITOR'S PICK
"Citizen Kane (Special Edition)"
MPAA rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
...available here.
On nearly everyone's short list for the best film ever made, Orson
Welles's 1941 masterpiece premieres on DVD in high style. This
two-disc set features a sparkling transfer, two ace commentaries
(including one from Roger Ebert), and a plethora of interviews and
galleries. Included is the full-length (and Oscar-nominated)
documentary "The Battle over Citizen Kane." A wonderful partner to
the movie, it traces William Randolph Hearst's fight to destroy the
picture once he found out that the exploits of Charles Foster Kane
recalled his own life. The battle between Hearst and Welles--two of
the greatest egos of their time--is an amazing story in its own
right.
MORE HOT NEW RELEASES
Popular Titles in Recent Weeks * "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season"--Bart, Marge, Homer, and Lisa come to the digital age in this sweet boxed set. ...available here.
* "A Knight's Tale"--Rock music and knights in armor make for a surprisingly agreeable, breezy action flick. ...available here.
* "The French Connection"--The 1971 Oscar winner looks great in its DVD debut, loaded with a second disc tackling the facts of the case and the decade-long struggle to make the film. ...available here.
* "The Fifth Element" (Superbit Collection)--Here's a thrilling way to sample Columbia's new DVD line that utilizes a special high-bit-rate digital encoding process that optimizes video quality. See the entire collection. ...available here.
* "Along Came a Spider"--Morgan Freeman returns to the screen as detective Alex Cross in this prequel to "Kiss the Girls." ...available here.
* "Heathers"--The raucous dark comedy returns to DVD with a bevy of extras. ...available here.
* "Amores Perros"--This extremely gritty--and great--Mexican drama serves as the answer to the question "Which film would have won the Foreign Language Oscar if "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" had never been made?" ...available here.
* "New York" (Seven-Episode PBS Boxed Set)--Ric Burns's essential look at NYC makes a timely return to PBS and DVD with two new episodes. ...available here.
* "Spy Kids"--Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez mixes great gadgets and plenty of thrills in this top entertainment for kids of all ages. ...available here.
* See more titles ...available here.
WHEREFORE ART THOU, OH DVD?
All movie fans want their favorite film on DVD. Problem is, there are only a few thousand titles out now. But don't fret, Amazon.com has come to the rescue. We've added hundreds of currently unavailable titles to our DVD catalog. When you go to the product information pages for these DVDs, you can sign up for free notification service, and voilà!--an e-mail will be sent to you when the DVD is available for purchase. Now, we don't have every title out there, but you'll find great films like the original "Star Wars," "The Lion King," and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" in the catalog. Plus you can sign up for any new theatrical film by going to our In Theaters section. Also, we update a list of the 50 most requested titles so you can see what everyone else is dreaming about.
See our top 50 most requested DVDs ...available here.
FEATURED BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
"Barbarians at the Gate"
MPAA rating: R (Restricted)
...available here.
James Garner stars in one of the best made-for-TV films ever
produced. During the cutthroat days of 1980s big business, two
corporate kings both tried to take over RJR Nabisco. Writer Larry
Gilbert ("Tootsie") adapts the bestselling nonfiction book of the
same name and explains the delicate business dealings with great
clarity. Whereas "Wall Street" and other films of the time play it
close to the chest, "Barbarians at the Gate" is a wicked comedy--and
probably a truer version of corporate America. The 1993 movie took
away top honors at the Emmys and Golden Globes and now premieres on
DVD for under $15.
HOT FUTURE RELEASES
October 9 * "The Godfather DVD Collection" ...available here.
* "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
Roger Ebert says this is one of the most interative DVDs ever produced: ...available here.
* "Bridget Jones's Diary" ...available here.
* "One Night at McCool's" ...available here.
* More... ...available here.
October 16 * "Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace" ...available here.
* "Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection" ...available here.
* "Farscape 7" ...available here.
* "Cats & Dogs" ...available here.
* More... ...available here.
October 23 * "Final Fantasy" ...available here.
* "Dumbo" ...available here.
* "On the Waterfront" ...available here.
* "Dr. Dolittle 2" ...available here.
* More... ...available here.
DVD NEWS FLASH: DVD PLAYERS AS LOW AS $99.99
Still Digital After All These Years
OK, so it hasn't been so many years. But if you were one of the
prescient few who ran out and bought the first DVD player you could
get your hands on back in 1997, you might just want to take a peek
and see how much the format has evolved since its introduction. Many
of the latest-generation DVD players, besides costing a fraction of
what they used to, offer features like MP3-CD compatibility,
DVD-Audio capability (for high-resolution stereo and surround sound
music), and progressive-scan video outputs for filmlike
(scan-line-free) images on a high-definition TV set.
Find out more in Digital Home Entertainment
...available here.
DVD TOP SELLERS
Current Top Sellers Include: * "Planet of the Apes" ...available here.
* "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" ...available here.
* "Shrek" ...available here.
* "Willow" ...available here.
* "Jurassic Park III" ...available here.
* "Pearl Harbor" (Vista Series Director's Cut) ...available here.
* "The X-Files: The Complete Fourth Season" ...available here.
* "Memento" ...available here.
* "Legally Blonde" ...available here.
* "Twin Peaks" ...available here.
* See the current 100 Top Sellers ...available here.