DVD New Releases

DVD NEW RELEASES

Editor, Jeff Shannon

"American Pie"
Funny no matter how you slice it (R-rated or unrated)
Top New Releases
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Collector's Edition)," "It Happened One Night," "Mickey Blue Eyes"
More New Releases

Future Releases
"Andy Kaufman "Ally on Sex and the Single Life," "The Night of the Hunter"
More Future Releases
The Hottest DVDs of Early 2000
Editors' Picks
The Best DVDs of 1999

"AMERICAN PIE": FUNNY NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT
"American Pie"
(1999) (Unrated Version) Full-Screen and Widescreen now available
starring Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, and Mena Suvari; directed by Paul Weitz
It should come as no surprise that of the two versions of "American Pie" released on DVD last week, the unrated version is by far the more popular. You can't go wrong either way, and this entertaining teen comedy is pretty much the same slice of pie either way you cut it--it's just that the unrated version gives you a few more crumbs of comedy to savor. You can hardly tell the difference, really, except for the unrated version's alternate scene in which Jim (Jason Biggs) practices "doing it" with a warm apple pie. (In the R- rated version he's vertical; here he's on the kitchen counter!) And while drooling guys may wish to see more of the lovely Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), the unrated version opts instead to reveal more explicit details of the homemade "Bible" sex manual that had been cut from the R-rated version. Apart from that, there's nothing here to offend anyone that wasn't there already; we still learn what a M.I.L.F. is, and the guys still manage to lose their virginity without demeaning themselves or their equally willing girlfriends. And the DVD bonus features are a kick in the pants--especially a series of outtakes and the audio commentary with the director and several cast members, proving yet again that boys will be boys. Read more

Our Price: $18.89 | You Save: $8.09 (30%)

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TOP NEW RELEASES (release dates subject to change without notice)
Amazon.com's DVD store offers comprehensive listings of new and future releases arranged in a weekly format. See a complete list of this week's new releases.

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Collector's Edition)"
(1982) (R) Full-Screen and Widescreen
starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judge Reinhold; directed by Amy Heckerling
"American Pie" may be an honest and brazenly frank look at teenage sex and high school anxiety, but 1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is still the movie to beat when it comes to capturing the high school experience with emotional authenticity. Of course, everyone remembers two things: Phoebe Cates as the topless object of Judge Reinhold's sexual fantasy, and Sean Penn's perfectly gnarly performance as everyone's favorite stoner, Jeff Spicoli. What's so great about this movie, in addition to its timeless appeal, is the fantastic ensemble cast of then-unknowns at the start of their careers. This collector's edition DVD offers a fine retrospective documentary including interviews with most of the cast, and there's a terrific audio commentary by director Amy Heckerling and screenwriter (now writer-director) Cameron Crowe, along with an interactive map to "Ridgemont" hangouts then and now. Read more

Our Price: $20.99 | You Save: $8.99 (30%)

"It Happened One Night"
(1934) (NR) Full-Screen
starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert; directed by Frank Capra.
One of the greatest-ever romantic comedies and the first film to win the Academy Award in all five top categories (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay), "It Happened One Night" just gets better with age (it's now 65 years old). Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert costar in two of their most memorable roles, as (respectively) a reporter who falls in love with a runaway heiress during a romantically eventful road trip. Directed by Frank Capra, the film arrives on DVD in high style, with commentary by Capra's son, vintage advertising materials, and the original live radio broadcast to promote the film. Another release in the line of Columbia Classics, this one's not to be missed. Read more

Our Price: $14.97 | You Save: $9.98 (40%)

"Mickey Blue Eyes"
(1999) (PG-13) Full-Screen and Widescreen
Released December 28
starring Hugh Grant, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and James Caan; directed by Kelly Makin
Hugh Grant had a pretty good year in 1999. Not only did the charming Brit further distance himself from the sordid controversy of his recent past, but he won the heart of Julia Roberts in "Notting Hill" and got married to the mob in "Mickey Blue Eyes." In this breezy comedy, Hugh fumbles his way through romance with the daughter (Jeanne Tripplehorn) of a Mafia kingpin (James Caan, a long way from "The Godfather"). Along the way, he has to impersonate a notorious mob hit man, and, well… you've seen what happens when a proper Englishman tries to pronounce "fuggedaboudit." As mistaken- identity comedies go, this one's worth a look. Read more

Our Price: $14.99 | You Save: $9.99 (40%)

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MORE NEW RELEASES
These and other new releases are now available:

"American Flyers"
"Antonio Gaudi"
"The Arnold Schwarzenegger Collection"
"Babar: King of the Elephants"
"Better Than Chocolate"
"Clean, Shaven"
"A Cry in the Dark"
"Desert Blue"
"Detroit Rock City"
"Dracula" (1931)
"Dudley Do-Right"
"Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same"
"Run Lola Run"
"The Shawshank Redemption"
"Summer of Sam"
"Teaching Mrs. Tingle"
"Twilight Zone, Vol. 15"
"Universal Soldier 2: The Return"
"Year of the Gun"

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FUTURE RELEASES
Amazon.com offers a complete list of upcoming DVD releases, arranged by week of release date. See what's coming.

The following DVD titles are available for pre-order, and will be delivered as soon as they are released. (All release dates are subject to change.)

"Andy Kaufman: The Midnight Special"
(1981) (NR) Full-Screen
releases January 4
After you've marveled at Jim Carrey's portrayal of the late comedian Andy Kaufman in the current theatrical release of "Man on the Moon," this DVD offers a suitable opportunity to watch the real Andy Kaufman at work, performing for the TV show "Midnight Special" in 1981. Read more

Our Price: $19.98 | You Save: $5.00 (20%)

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MORE FUTURE RELEASES
Releasing January 4:

"Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back"
"Clay Pigeons"
"The Gingerbread Man"
"The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy, Vol. 4"
"Mariah Carey: The #1's"
"MTV Unplugged: Classic Moments"
"MTV Unplugged: Finest Moments"
"Short 2: Dreams"
"Woman in the Dunes"

Releasing January 11:

"Autumn Sonata"
"The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave"
"FM"
"Gridlock'd"
"Lake Placid"
"The Lord of the Flies--Criterion Collection"
"Mr. Deeds Goes to Town"
"The Odessa File"
"The Ron Howard Signature Collection"
"Santa Fe"
"Splendor in the Grass"

Releasing January 18:

"The 13th Warrior"
"Bowfinger"
"Eye of the Needle"
"Hangmen Also Die!"
"The House of Yes"
"An Ideal Husband"
"Illuminata"
"Mad Love"
"Malcolm X"
"Mystery Men"
"The Night of the Hunter"
"A Price Above Rubies"
"Railroaded"
"Rushmore--Criterion Collection"
"The Wood"

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THE HOTTEST DVDS OF EARLY 2000--AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!
We'll always keep you informed about hot future releases, but this time we've thrown our net a little further into the new year to offer a sampling of hot DVDs coming in the next six months. Here's just a quick sampling of what we expect to be the biggest DVD hits of 2000, now available for pre-order at significant discounts. Remember that release dates are always subject to change without notice, but these are the titles we're sure you'll want to know about:

"The Thomas Crown Affair"
(1999) (R) Full-Screen and Widescreen
releases January 4
Read more

Our Price: $24.99 | You Save: $14.99 (37%)

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EDITORS' PICKS: THE BEST DVDS OF 1999
If you received the previous edition of this mailing in mid-December, you've already seen our eclectic list of editors' picks for the best DVDs of 1999. For those of you who may not have seen it earlier, here it is again--1999's cream of the crop.

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All titles featured are NTSC format (VHS) and Region 1 encoded (DVD).

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