Ride into the Danger Zone- This Week in DVDs
Now, this is what we're talking about. This is the week in which truly something kick-ass is released, the DVD we've been dying to have for our collection since we plunked down the $200 bucks five years ago for one of these DVD player-type-thingies and thought it was a bargain- the Top Gun Special Collector's Edition. Could it get any more awesomer? Oh yeah, there's also Tom Cruise bucking for an Oscar, Will Smith trying to score a hit during his self-proclaimed "Willenium," and Rocky vs. Clubber Lang. Not to mention the special edition of Return of the King. It's just enough to say that this week is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Return of the King Special Edition- Normally we'd make all sorts of snarky comments about how geeks will buy anything with either swords or laser guns in it but not this week as we're pretty much all over this sucker. We love hobbitses! Peter Jackson actually planned ahead for the DVD releases of the three Lord of the Rings flicks and so filmed scenes he knew would only go in them. For Return of the King, Jackson added over 50 minutes to an already lengthy film, making the actual film portion of Return to be more than four hours. Deleted scenes include a battle between Gandalf and the Witch King, Farimir and Eowyn making more schmoopy eyes at each other, a cameo by Jackson himself, and Sauron's mouth. The biggest news, though, is that it also includes the final confrontation between Gandalf and Sarauman, a scene cut at the last minute from the theatrical release and the only thing Jackson did in the movies that set the Internet world a-whirring with "Worst. Decision. Ever" posts. While these are all quibbles about this most excellent flick and the cut probably necessary to help move the plot line, we would have gladly sacrificed several minutes of hobbits gazing longingly into each other's eyes for this one. You could dose Tom Cruise and Jaime Foxx with five hits of acid each and film it and still not come up with anything nearly as entertaining as Sir Ian and Christopher Lee going at it. You can also order the Return of the King Gift Set.
I, Robot & Collateral- We'd write something about these movies but frankly we just don't care. All we can say is that at least the DVD for I, Robot doesn't include a Will Smith video.
Image courtesy of The Lord of the Rings
Top Gun Special Collector's Edition- We think the Amazon.com review pretty much sums this movie up better than we ever could-
Jingoism, beefcake, military hardware, and a Giorgio Moroder rock score reign supreme over taste and logic in this Tony Scott film about a maverick trainee pilot (Tom Cruise) who can't follow the rules at a Navy aviation training facility.Unfortunately, the DVD doesn't really have anything special added to it, just the usual bells and whistles. We wonder, though, if there is some explanation of what was up with Iceman trying to air-bite Maverick?
Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary DVD- Because our mothers would never let us hear the end of it if we didn't mention this DVD release. And because if you get us drunk enough, we could probably sing every song in the movie. Includes a new animated short, a song that got left on the cutting-room floor and all sorts of documentary footage.
The Rocky Anthology- Sure Peter Jackson did a good job with Lord of the Rings, but could he have continued the excellence through five movies? He may be good, but he's no Sylvester Stallone. This DVD box-set includes not only the still-great Rocky but Rocky IV (the Cold War one where Rocky gives a stirring speech about the need for peace after beating the crap out of Ivan Drago) and Rocky V. We know what you're saying- there was a Rocky V?