Warner may be releasing many of its titles on DVD HD, but that is not to say that other film companies are sitting idle for their new DVD releases in 2007. Some of the titles soon to be released in standard DVD format (for tightwads like myself) are:
20th Century Fox’s “The Illusionist”, a film that captured both critical and popular attention when it debuted at the box office in 2006. The film stars Edward Norton, Golden Globe award winning actor Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell, in a tale about a magician who uses his magic to capture the love of his life from the grip of the crown prince she is obligated to wed.
Robin Williams stars in another dark and bizarre tale from Miramax about the surreal in “The Night Listener”. The film’s story is adapted from a novel by Armistead Maupin which centers around Williams’ character, a late-night radio talk show host and washed-up writer who becomes so obsessed over the life of a dying teen that his vision between reality and the imagined become blurred. The film co-stars Rory Caulkin and Toni Collette.
For the kiddies Paramount provides plenty of goofy times with “SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 4, Volume 2”. The two-disc set contains the final 20 episodes from Season Four of the hit animated children’s show about the famous yellow sea sponge and his friends at the bottom of the ocean.
And finally we want to mention a movie that when it first came out months ago to the big screen we told you to catch it fast because it wouldn’t last long in theaters. Not because it was bad, but because it was just that good. It didn’t get alot of press and lived up to our prediction by lasting in theaters about two-weeks before disappearing into celluloid oblivion. But now, anyone and everyone can love this film as much as I did despite 20th Century Fox’s efforts to kill this gem. Thankfully, someone at the studio was smart enough to give it a shot on DVD. “Idiocracy” stars Luke Wilson as your average Joe who, while in the Army, gets selected to participate in an experiment that puts him in suspended animation for nearly 500 years. When this modern day Rumplestiltskin awakens, he finds that he is now the smartest human being on the planet. The movie co-stars SNL alum Maya Rudolph and Dax Shepard in the very funny role of Frito. For a good, long, spasmic belly-laugh this is one SF comedy you will definitely want to buy or rent.
The one series I wish WB would put out on DVD is MAX HEADROOM. This was such a great “psudo Blade Runnerish” show that was far ahead of its time and deserves to be revisited.
I loved that show.