DVD Releases for January 13, 2004

January 12, 2004

Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. Here is a list of some of the wide releases, limited releases and even one or two from the growing TV on DVD section that are being released tomorrow, January 13, 2004.

Annie - Special Anniversary Edition - (Buy from Amazon)
There are two major problems with this release. Firstly, the movie was released in 1982, so why they are releasing an anniversary edition in 2004 is confusing. And secondly, it is in Pan and Scan only. Why Columbia would do that is beyond me. A big mistake that will lead to more than a few lost sales.

B*A*P*S - (Buy from Amazon)
The only reason to see movie is for the early staring role by future Oscar winner Halle Berry. With horrible reviews this movie won't win any awards, but Halle Berry did get nominated for Best Actress at the 1998 Acapulco Black Film Festival. The fact that the director, Robert Townsend was the host that year was probably a coincidence.

Bring it On Again - (Buy from Amazon)
The direct-to-video sequel to the surprise hit Bring It On. You've probably seen a few commercials for the movie on TV, but you can also check out the official site for a little more information. You can even cheer along to the opening cheer from Bring it On. (lo-res, mid-res or hi-res.)

Buffalo Soldiers - (Buy from Amazon)
This film bounced around a few release dates as the studio felt that world events would make the film unmarketable. Hopefully it will get a second life on the home market because it reviews were better than only $350,000 at the box office.

Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete First Season - (Buy from Amazon)
The first season from the award winning series from Seinfeld co-created (and George Costanza inspiration) Larry David. Mostly improvised with plenty of celebrities appearing as themselves, this is a must have for fans of Seinfeld while they wait for that series to come out on DVD. (Late 2004, maybe.)

Freddy vs. Jason - (Buy from Amazon)
Fan favorite, this movie surprised box office analysts when it opened to $36 million last August. Critically it was another story as … oh who cares? People who like these movies don't care what the critics say.

Johnny English - (Buy from Amazon: Widescreen or Pan and Scan.)
This film performed very poorly at the domestic market, both at the box office and critically. But internationally it made more than $100 million. In many ways mirroring the Austin Powers Trilogy which made nearly half-a-billion domestically, but a mere fraction of that internationally.

Mr. Ed, The Best of - Volume One - (Buy from Amazon)
A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.
And now that I've gotten that theme song stuck in your head, we can move on.

Swimming Pool - (Buy from Amazon R-Rated or Unrated versions.)
François Ozon's latest directorial effort earned $10 million in limited release while earning excellent reviews. The Unrated version is out selling the R-Rated version by a substantial margin, but what differences there are between the two versions is unknown.

Three Stooges - Stooges at Work - (Buy from Amazon)
The Three Stooges are the quintessential slapstick artists. Five classic shorts from 1938 to 1945 are presented on this DVD set, which is a must for any fan. On the other hand, a lack of any special features is disappointing. Commentaries by film historians, like those found on Looney Tunes - The Golden Collection, would have added much.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Freddy vs. Jason, Johnny English, Swimming Pool, Buffalo Soldiers