Here it is…More DVD NEWS for your pre-weekend fulfillment…METROPOLIS!!CARY GRANT-O-RAMA!!SUPERBITS TO WRITE HOME ABOUT!!!And a little bit of that FRIDAY magic… Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment has another crop of new releases to announce, starting with the James Brooks comedy I’LL DO ANYTHING on February 18. Starring Nick Nolte, Albert Brooks, Tracy Ullman, Julie Kavner and Joely Richardson, the film follows a down-on-his-luck actor who takes a job Chauffeuring a pampered Movie Producer. 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with remastered audio and trailers for extras.Also from CTHE on February 18, is the 1939 Academy Award winner YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, from director Frank Capra and stars Jean Arthur, Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore. In this original “Odd-couple romance” Stewart plays a straight laced yuppie, looking for the hand of a lovely girl from a crazy and liberated bohemian family. Digitally remastered, this one comes with trailers, but don’t let the lack of extras scare you off – this is a true classic.On February 25, CTHE continues the trend, with the release of two Cary Grant favorites from the vaults. ONCE UPON A TIME features Grant as a Broadway showman looking for the next big thing. What he finds is a young boy and a caterpillar that dances to “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby”! (And Yes Sir, that is where the Bugs Bunny cartoons got the Singing Frog!). Also hitting the streets is THE TALK OF THE TOWN, the 1942 Academy Award nominee featuring Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Coleman in a story about an escaped prisoner, a lawyer and a beautiful young teacher living and working together to solve a crime. Both of these films have been digitally remastered and are presented in their original fullscreen aspect ratios and sound, with bonus trailers for extras.Another CTHE catalogue title on deck for February 25 is the 1972 post-civil war drama MAN AND BOY, starring Bill Cosby, Gloria Foster and a young George Spell. Cosby, in a rare dramatic role, plays a Civil War vet who tries to set his family up in a new home in Arizona. Local bigots take offence and soon trouble is brewing. MAN AND BOY will be presented in High Definiton Widescreen with bonus trailers.Finally, on March 2, CTHE unleashes new SuperBit titles including LABYRINTH, THE DARK CRYSTAL, HEAVY METAL, LEGENDS OF THE FALL, 7 YEARS IN TIBET, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and DAS BOOT. As usual, the SuperBit titles come without any extras, but optimal video transfers and soundtracks in 5.1 DDS and 5.1 DTS.Buena Vista Home Video has announced a new slate of releases for May. SUMMER OF MONKEYS, THAT DARN CAT, TOOTHLESS, TOM AND HUCK, OPERATION DUMBO DROP, VIBRATIONS, GOD SAID HA!, COSI, THE SIXTH MAN, ROOMATES, OSCAR, STRAIGHT TALK, A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE, MR. AND MRS. BRIDGE and PERFECT GAME are all set for May 6. A BUGS LIFE: COLLECTOR’S EDITION is set for reissue on May 27.Warner Home Video has made a few announcements of their own, including the April 29 release of BABYLON 5: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON. The second set for the groundbreaking SciFi series will feature all of the second season episodes in Anamorphic Widescreen with 5.1 DDS sound. Extras will include an introduction by J. Michael Straczynski and various cast members, commentaries by Straczynski and cast members including Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian and Jerry Doyle, the “Building Babylon:Blueprint Of An Episode” featurette, more Babylon 5 data, tech and personnel files, a timeline and original episode promos.Also on the WB list is a March 18 release for the much-maligned Brian DePalma thriller FEMME FATALE. The film will be released in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with 5.1 DDS sound and extras including “From Dream To Reality”, “Dream Within A Dream” and “Femme Fatale: Behind The Scenes” featurettes, trailers and a “Femme Fatale: Dressed To Kill” montage of clips.Also on the way from WB, before the game even starts, SUPERBOWL XXXVII is coming to DVD on February 11. 3 full hours of SUPERBOWL coverage, behind the scenes material, pre-game and post-game material and highlights from the NFL season.Kino films has announced the deets for the long-awaited super-restoration of METROPOLIS, Fritz Lang’s immortal SciFi classic from 1927. Presented in the original 1.33:1 Aspect ratio with a newly recorded 5.1 DDS score, extras include audio commentary, a restoration featurette, photo galleries including production sketches and deleted scene stills, filmographies and a 47 minute do*censored*entary on the making of the film. Pick this one up in a hurry – February 18.And last, but not least – New Line Home Entertainment has made a few announcements of their own. THE FRIDAY AFTER NEXT will hit shelves on March 25, in an Infinifilm Edition loaded with goodies. 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen AND fullscreen versions, 5.1 DDS and DTS sound. Extras include commentary by his Cube-ness, director Marcus Raboy and producer Matt Alvarez, a separate “Actor’s Commentary” track featuring Anna Maria Horsford, Terry Crews, Katt Williams, and hopefully John Witherspoon (Don’t nobody go in the bathroom for about forty…forty-five minutes!), a subtitle trivia track, deleted scenes, gag reel, 6 featurettes, trailers and a Westside Connection music video. New Line will also release a FRIDAY 3-pack the same day.On March 18, New Line presents the comedy CHEATS in 1.85:1 AW and 5.1 DDS with a featurette and 3 deleted scenes. Also on March 18, look for TABLE ONE also in 1.85:1 AW and 5.1, with a trailer for an extra.Well, that’s all for today Boyz N’ Grrrrrls…But, as always, stay tuned… and I’ll have more of the goodstuff as it comes available for mass consumption…
