See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! The 12-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart’s top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That’s right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. It’s got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That’s right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that? That’s right kids!!! The ARMY OF DARKNESS is back again!!!We’ve also got news on HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS on DVD!8 MILE, THE RING and THE TRANSPORTER!!!And…THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY… Arguably the biggest news of the moment, Warner Home Video announced the April 11 release of HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. The hit sequel will be released in separate Fullscreen and Widescreen versions, the Widescreen being a 2.35:1 Anamorphic transfer. Both versions will feature 5.1 EX sound mixes and a wealth of extras including 19 additional scenes, more self-guided tours a’ la HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE (with previously unseen areas of Dumbledore’s office and Diagon Alley), Commentaries by the cast and crew, interviews with J.K. Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves, games, DVD-Rom and more.Also on the WB release list is an April 8 release for THE 4TH TENOR, starring Rodney Dangerfield, Robert Davi and Richard Libertini. Dangerfield stars as a delusional Italian-American who tries his at at Opera in the old country. 1.85:1 Fullscreen transfer with 5.1 DDS and extras including dleted scnes and a behind-the-scenes featurette.Finally, WB has announced March 4 for their BEST PICTURE COLLECTION VOLUMES 1 and 2. VOLUME 1 will feature the 3-pack of CASABLANCA, BEN-HUR and GONE WITH THE WIND, while VOLUME 2 comes with AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, GIGI and MY FAIR LADY. These are the currently available WB versions, repackaged as a price-reduced set.In the other big news of the Day, Dreamworks Home Entertainment has announced full deets on their eagerly anticipated DVD’s for THE RING and it’s Japanese inspiration RINGU. THE RING will be available in both Fullscreen and Anamorphic Widescreen with a 5.1 DDS sound mix and extras including a mysterious new 15 minute short film by director Gore Verbinski, which apparently delves deeper into the workings of the ‘curse’ of The Ring. The Japanese original, RINGU will feature a new digital transfer of the film with a remixed 5.1 DDS Japanese soundtrack and English subtitles. Don’t look at the TV… March 4On the Columbia Tristar end of things, mark March 11 down for another classic Cary Grant screwball classic. THE AWFUL TRUTH, considered one of the finest examples of ‘Screwball Comedy’ of the 1930’s reteams Grant with Ralph Bellamy (of MY GIRL FRIDAY) and Irene Dunne (MY FAVORITE WIFE and PENNY SERENADE). A remastered video transfer in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio is accompanied by remastered sound and bonus trailers.March 18 sees CTHE release the recent indie hit THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS, starring Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger, Julianna Margulies, Olivia Williams and the late, great James Coburn. This provocative take on the old standard of the struggling writer/gigolo, comes in a nice Anamorphic Widescreen transfer with 5.0 Audio, filmographies, TV spots and trailers.THE EIGHTEENTH ANGEL is an apocalyptic thriller from the writer of horror classic THE OMEN. Rachel Leigh Cook leads a cast including Wendy Crewson, Maximillian Schell, Stanley Tucci and Christopher ‘Shooter McGavin’ McDonald. This marriage of old-fashioned devillry and cutting edge technology follows the attempts of a renegade scientist who’s discovered the secret to unleashing Lucifer on the earth. Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with remastered audio and bonus trailers, this one hits the streets on March 18.And CTHE has also announced that P.T. Anderson’s black comedy PUNCH DRUNK LOVE will be pulled from the release schedule until further notice. It was originally scheduled for April 1.Buena Vista Home Entertainment has announced April 8 as the release date for the recent indie features PAID IN FULL and THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN. April 15 has been set as the release date for Phillip Noyce’s acclaimed aboriginal drama RABBIT PROOF FENCE. Deets are forthcoming, so stay tuned for more…Fox Home Entertainment is setting April 1 as the day for the next release in their excellent Fox Classics line. THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR will finally come to DVD in a remastered Fullscreen version in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with a 2.0 audio mix, two audio commentaries, a still gallery, a Rex Harrison biography and trailers.Make sure you keep an eye out for Mongo! Fox will revisit their comedy classic THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY on May 13. This will be a new 2-disc ‘Collector’s Edition’ which will be available in Fullscreen or 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and 5.1 DDS sound. Disc one will feature the film with the Farrelly brothers commentary from the previous single disc release, as well as a new commentary by the bros., a commentary by the writers, 13 deleted and extended scenes (also accessible through a branching feature), and the original claymation title sequence. Disc two will include AMC’s Backstory: There’s Something About Mary and several Comedy Central’s Reel Comedy featurettes (“Best Fight: Stiller vs. Puffy”, “Up A Tree With Jonathan Richmond” and “Franks and Beans: W. Earl Browne”, “Exposing Themselves”, “Touchdown: Brett Favre”, “Interview Roullete with Harland Williams” and “Puffy: Boobs and Balls”). Also look for the “Mary Marketing” still gallery, a music video, “Build Me Up Buttercup” Karaoke, outtakes, 13 TV spots, trailers, foreign language clips and a mysterious segment known as “Behind The Zipper”. That’s a whole lotta extras…On April 14, Fox releases the actioners DARKWOLF and THE TRANSPORTER. No deets are available for DARKWOLF, but the Luc Besson production THE TRANSPORTER comes loaded. This is a 2-sided disc, with a 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer, commentary by director Corey Yuen and a 15 minute unreleased action sequence on one side. The flip side features the Fullscreen version of the film, a making-of featurette and the trailer. Both version have a 5.1 DDS sound mix.Just in from Universal are the specs for the March 18 release of Eminem’s Box Office smash 8 MILE. Available in separate Fullscreen and Anamorphic Widescreen versions with 5.1 DDS sound, both versions will come with a tour through the 8 Mile section of Detroit, hosted by director Curtis Hanson, an interview with Eminem, unreleased Rap Battle footage, an Eminem music video, a “Music of 8 MILE” featurette and trailers.In a close race for best news for today, I’m stoked to see yet another version of ARMY OF DARKNESS being prepped for a March 4 release. BRUCE CAMPBELL VS. ARMY OF DARKNESS – THE BOOMSTICK EDITION, will feature a fancy new package and 8-page booklet, and two discs of super Deadite-killin’ goodness!! Disc one will feature Fullscreen and Anamorphic Widescreen versions of the theatrical cut of the film, with the original coda ending added as an extra. Also on Disc one are the featurette “The Men Behind The Army”, talent bios and trailers. Disc two presents the extended version of the filmin Anamorphic Widescreen, four additional deleted scenes and an audio commentary by Sam Raimi, co-writer and brother Ivan Raimi and uber-star Bruce Campbell. This would definitely HAVE to be considered the ‘definitive’ edition of this B-movie megaclassic.
