HYPED UP!TM

Okay, amigos and amigas…Here’s the Big Evil version of your HYPED UP!TM weekly roundup!!!My picks for this upcoming week?Why don’t you just click me up down below and find out… Now that you’ve made the commitment, let me reward your curiosity and infinite good taste with a little preview of 4 of the best Discs spinning your way on Tuesday, June 10…ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA: SPECIAL EDITION (Warner Home Video)The finest non-GODFATHER mafia film ever made. It’s a long one… 229 minutes… but damn is it tasty!The legendary Sergio Leone, man behind Clint Eastwood and the “Man Without A Name” films (A FISTFULL OF DOLLARS, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY) comes to Brooklyn, and tells the 50-year saga of a group of young Jewish hoodlums who make it big as Gangsters in the 20’s. Populated with such powerhouse stars as DeNiro, James Woods, Joe Pesci, Danny Aiello, Burt Young and Elizabeth McGovern, also keep an eye out for a younger William Forsythe and a very young Jennifer Connelly. Constantly recut and torn to shreds over the years, this is a completely restored Director’s Cut of the film, presented in Anamorphic Widescreen. Not as packed with extras as the other WB:SE’s, but Hey! Whatchagonnado? The freakin’ movie is 4 hours long!Extras do include:· Commentary by critic and Film historian Richard Schickel· Still galleries featuring almost 100 photos from the production· Excerpt from the documentary, ONCE UPON A TIME: SERGIO LEONE· Trailers · Production NotesTHE RIGHT STUFF: SPECIAL EDITION (Warner Home Video)This is one of the finest, and most intelligent, films of the brainless 80’s. Based on Tom Wolfe’s similarly titled non-fiction book, this film covers the breakneck genesis of the U.S. space program, from Chuck Yeager’s historic breaking of the sound barrier, to the end NASA’s Mercury missions. Directed (and adapted) by Philip Kaufman, THE RIGHT STUFF features an all-star cast of, at the time, up-and-comers. Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Fred Ward, Jeff Goldblum, Lance Henriksen, Kathy Baker and Pamela Reed join Barbara Hershey, Scott Wilson and Royal Dano, to fill out the cast of true-life characters who contributed to the pioneering exploration of outer space.This is another fine 2-disc super-edition from WB, presented in a remastered, and digitally transferred, Anamorphic Widescreen. Extras are plentiful.Check it out:· Commentaries with Philip Kaufman, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel; cast members Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Barbara Hershey. · 15 minutes of deleted scenes and bonus footage· 3 new documentaries on the making of the film.· Interviews with Chuck Yeager and several Mercury astronauts · The full-length documentary JOHN GLENN: AMERICAN HERO· Interactive timeline with original vintage footage· TrailersGIANT: SPECIAL EDITION (Warner Home Video)Probably the all-time greatest Oilpatch Soap Opera epic ever put to celluloid. Quite possibly the inspiration for TV’s DALLAS. This may have also been produced around the time of Elizabeth Taylor’s first abduction by Aliens from the outer rim of Galaxy 2847B…GIANT was directed by the great William Wyler, and features Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Chill Wills, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo and James Dean in his final role (He died mere weeks after finishing the film.). Generally considered to be one of the best films in any of these performers filmographies, this is a DVD that many film fans have been foaming at the mouth for.This looks to be one tricked-out Special Edition, with a remastered widescreen transfer (Letterboxed, not AW… the original Aspect was 1.66:1, as Wyler did not believe in Cinemascope.), remastered audio and a wealth of extras on 2 Discs.Extras include: · Introduction by Filmmaker/Archivist George Stevens Jr.· Commentary by George Stevens Jr., scripter Ivan Moffat, and critic Stephen Farber.· 3 Documentaries, each over 45 minutes long:o “George Stevens: The Filmmakers Who Knew Him” o “Memories of Giant” o “Return to Giant”· NYC premiere TV special· Hollywood premiere and Production newsreels· 2 Warner Bros. featurettes· Still galleries· Document galleries· Production notes· William Wyler filmography OLD SCHOOL: UNRATED SPECIAL EDITION (Dreamworks)It’s ANIMAL HOUSE on methamphetamines, and Will Ferrell on Horse Tranquilizers… The most rockin’ and bodacious party movie in years…Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughan and Will Ferrell play a trio of not-quite-middle aged guys who start out trying to have a little fun and end up fighting an evil University Dean, starting a frat house, and destroying every PC convention on the way. This will be available in Fullscreen and Widescreen, rated or unrated. But let’s just assume you’re going for the best of all possible worlds and want to focus on the Unrated Widescreen edition, Ok! A nice AW transfer and top notch 5.1 sound, load it with extras and you’ve got a kegger waiting to happen, my friend…Extras on this bad boy include:· The “Unrated” cut of the film· Commentary from director Todd Phillips, Ferrell, Vaughan and Wilson· Deleted Scenes· Bloopers and outtakes· An “Inside The Actors Studio” skit featuring Ferrell as James Lipton· 2 featurettes:o Welcome To Old School: Now Get Undressedo Nominations And Awards: So, Did We Win Anything?· Still Galleries· Trailers· Bio/Filmographies· Production NotesThat’s my take on the week to come. There are other phenomenal flicks coming this week…THE DESPERATE HOURS with Humphrey Bogart, EXPERIMENT IN TERROR, JESS FRANCO’S INCUBUS and SKINNED ALIVE… but the four flicks I’ve just told you about are, in my humble estimation, the finest all-around DVD packages for the money.Check em’ out and watch em’ up!!Also, be sure to check out my review of the very cool little flick… MANIACTS by clicking on the title or checking out the front page…Big Evil has spoken!