1/17/06
Edition
A Return to Peckinpah's
West
Warner's New Box Set Gloriously
Revisits The Filmmaker's Classics
PLUS:
FOX CATALOG TITLES, TV ON DVD and More!
We might be only a few weeks into 2006 but already the year has
produced the first “must-have” box set release:
Warner’s impressive four-DVD anthology SAM PECKINPAH:
THE LEGENDARY WESTERNS COLLECTION (aprx. $40).
Several months ago Sony issued a newly-reconstructed, expanded cut of
Peckinpah’s “Major Dundee” on DVD, complete with a
commentary from scholars David Weddle, Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and
producer Nick Redman. The group talk mentioned a box-set of Peckinpah
westerns that “Major Dundee” would be a part of, and now --
several months later, and minus “Dundee” -- Warner has made
good on that promise with this superb package.
The set includes four Peckinpah efforts from the old west: three
(“Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid,” “The Ballad of
Cable Hogue,” and “Ride The High Country”) making
their debut on DVD, with a fourth (“The Wild Bunch”) in a
new double-disc Special Edition.
The movies themselves run the gamut from the 1962 “Ride,” a
traditional old-fashioned western (with Peckinpah sensibilities, of
course), to his seminal, violent 1969 classic “The Wild
Bunch,” the melancholy (though more upbeat) 1970 effort
“The Ballad of Cable Hogue” and the troubled, though
fascinating, 1972 meditation “Pat Garrett.”
RIDE THE
HIGH COUNTRY (***½, 1962, 92 mins.) is a short but
bittersweet western that pays tribute to the sagebrush efforts of
yesteryear with a maturity few films of its era possessed. Joel McRea
and Randolph Scott play a pair of aging cowboys in a fading Old West (a
recurring theme in many Peckinpah films), hired to transport a shipment
of gold from a mountain mining company to the town below. Along the way
they run into a bride-to-be (Mariette Hartley) and attempt to remain
true to their own moral code in spite of their way of life rapidly
vanishing from the plains.
The 2.35 widescreen transfer has been fully remastered and looks
particularly amazing considering the previous laserdisc effort (which
appeared grainy and faded by comparison). Lucien Ballard’s
cinematography perfectly compliments the twilight-mood of the story and
the veteran performances from Scott and McRea. The mono sound is
perfectly acceptable and the group commentary from Weddle, Seydor,
Simmons and moderator Redman touches upon the film’s numerous
themes and its importance to the genre. The theatrical trailer is
on-hand, and Redman’s new featurette, “A Justified
Life,” interviews Peckinpah’s sister, Fern Lea Peter, who
discusses the filmmaker’s upbringing.
THE WILD
BUNCH (***½, 1969, 145 mins., R) needs little
introduction: its pioneering look at a group of murderers and general
deviants who finally find a cause to fight for is a landmark piece of
filmmaking that still holds up today, with a particularly unforgettable
climactic action sequence demanding to be viewed multiple times.
Previously available as a Special Edition laserdisc and DVD,
Warner’s new two-disc set here sports a remastered transfer that
easily trumps the prior digital release. The 5.1 Dolby Digital
soundtrack packs a wallop, and once again, the group commentators offer
an abundance of insights and anecdotes about the picture’s legacy.
For supplements, this set offers several Making Of documentaries,
though nothing of major significance in terms of new deleted scenes
(though there are fragments of outtake footage and alternate takes in a
new “Never Before Seen” section). “Sam
Peckinpah’s West” is an excellent Starz! Documentary
recounting the director’s work in the genre, while the 1996 Oscar
nominee “The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage” is reprised
from the previous laser/DVD release. A new featurette offers Redman and
Co. on-location with Peckinpah’s daughter; this extra is dubbed
an “excerpt” from a documentary entitled “A Simple
Adventure Story: Sam Peckinpah, Mexico and The Wild Bunch.”
Peckinpah mellowed out somewhat, to mixed critical reaction and poor
box-office, with his 1970 follow-up THE BATTLE OF
CABLE HOGUE (**½, 1970, 121 mins., R), starring Jason
Robards as a straggler in the Old West who stumbles upon a well in the
middle of the barren Arizona desert he’s just been left to die
in. David Warner is the well-meaning preacher who befriends Hogue,
Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones are the conniving duo who nearly kill
Cable in the opening, and Stella Stevens is the fresh-faced hooker who
comes into Hogue’s quiet life.
Though the movie has amiable characters and offers a superb commentary
on the discrepancy between Cable’s isolated outpost and the
technological advancements of a nearby town, “Cable Hogue”
is a rambling, at-times tedious tale with a few melodramatic missteps
-- not the least of which is a clumsy, downbeat ending that may be
in-step with Peckinpah’s world view, but comes across as
inappropriate to this particular story. Jerry Goldsmith’s
flavorful but forgettable score isn’t one of his best, with many
dramatic passages dominated by Richard Gillis’ over-used vocals.
Though a personal favorite of the director, I didn’t feel
“Cable Hogue” was particularly satisfying, but others may
warm to the picture’s colorful characters and leisurely pace.
Warner’s new DVD includes a fresh 16:9 transfer and mono
soundtrack. In addition to the original trailer, the DVD also contains
a new, 30-minute interview with Stella Stevens, recounting her work on
the movie. Stevens looks great and has plenty of enthusiasm to spare,
but -- much like the movie -- the segment runs a bit long, and some of
the editing (cutting away to the camera crew shooting her, etc.) is
distracting.
Without question the major new package in the collection is the
long-awaited, double-disc set of Peckinpah’s 1973 effort PAT GARRETT &
BILLY THE KID (***, 1973, 115 and 122 mins., R), a
“revisionist” work with James Coburn as Garrett, Kris
Kristofferson as Billy, and Bob Dylan (who also scored the movie) as
one of The Kid’s posse.
Peckinpah collaborated with MGM on this troubled production, which was
ultimately
released by the studio in a version that butchered the director's
vision. For years, fans hoped to find an edit more representative of
the filmmaker’s original intentions, and in
1988 a longer, 122-minute cut (an earlier version of
Peckinpah’s) surfaced on cable and video.
Unfortunately, despite containing a great deal of additional footage,
most
aficionados felt the 122-minute “Turner Preview Version”
(as it’s referred to here) came across as an incomplete
piece...an early
“fine cut” that didn't reflect some of the changes
Peckinpah later applied to the eventual theatrical cut.
For Warner's new DVD, Nick Redman and his group of Peckinpah experts
labored to produce
a version that would combine the best aspects of the theatrical cut
with the
longer, messier 122-minute version, and their results are impressive
indeed.
The new 115-minute “Special Edition” re-orders scenes,
takes some footage out, puts other sequences (some culled from the
network TV version) back in. It greatly improves the ending of the
“Preview Cut” and basically comes across as a more poetic,
introspective piece. The producers used Peckinpah’s editorial
notes as a guide, and while the movie is still somewhat of a rambling
wreck, it’s a fascinating work and the best version yet of
“Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid.”
Warner’s DVD includes commentary from the group on both the
Special Edition and the Turner Preview Cut,
each of which sport fresh 16:9 transfers, with the 2005 “Special
Edition” appearing in crisper, cleaner condition. The second disc
offers Katy Haber (Peckinpah’s former assistant and lover) and
Seydor discussing the rocky road of “Pat Garrett & Billy The
Kid” to the screen, the director’s issues with MGM brass
and struggles with his own personal demons. Another segment includes
Kristofferson talking about his career and performing a song he wrote
for the picture, accompanied by singer Donnie Fritts. The amusing
theatrical trailer is also included.
Though all four movies are available separately, the “Legendary
Westerns Collection” box-set is more than worthy of a purchase.
Each film represents a different side of Peckinpah, and in total,
include some of the most vivid and unique imagery ever produced in the
genre. Warner’s transfers and presentation are excellent, making
this the first Highly Recommended DVD set of the year. Superlative!
Fox January Round Up:
Cinema Classics, African-American Cult Titles, And More!
Three strong entries from Fox’s “Cinema Classics
Collection” lead off an impressive new roster of catalog titles
from the studio this month.
Gorgeous cinematography and Harry Belafonte’s memorable calypso
theme song make the otherwise stilted soap opera ISLAND IN THE
SUN (** , 119 mins., 1957) worthwhile for movie buffs.
Belafonte also stars here as a native son on the fictional West Indies
island of Santa Marta who wants to wrestle control of the government
from the ruling white British regime, here embodied by political
candidate James Mason (who harbors a deep, dark secret of his own --
pun completely intended). Joan Fontaine essays a white woman who
happens to be in love with Harry; Dorothy Dandridge plays a local girl
in love with a white man (John Justin); and Joan Collins portrays
Mason’s sister, trying to get English lord Stephen Boyd to fall
for her.
Alfred Hayes’ pulpy script, adapted from Alec Waugh’s
massively popular best-seller, addresses race relations in a way few
movies of its era did, though the film’s cop-out ending and
various other elements still firmly place “Island in the
Sun” as a product of ‘50s Hollywood. Nevertheless, the
Cinemascope photography is impressive -- capturing vivid location
lensing in Barbados and Grenada -- and, together with the score by
Malcolm Arnold, combine to make the melodramatic aspects of the picture
go down nice and easy, helped immeasurably by the lovely leading ladies.
Fox’s DVD includes a smashing 2.35 widescreen transfer with a
print that’s at times so gorgeous you can’t take your eyes
off its warm, primary colors (check out the film’s final scene
between Belafonte and Fontaine for a perfect example). The 4.0 Dolby
Digital surround is boisterous, and there’s an engaging audio
commentary from writer John Stanley on-hand as well. Stanley admits
up-front that he’s a fan of the movie, and while his enthusiasm
for the material at times makes for some frenetic listening (he jumps
from one topic to another with an over-abundance of zeal), it’s a
refreshing switch to hear a commentary of this nature as opposed to the
typically stuffy “academic” talk we often hear on vintage
films.
The original trailer and an informative, full-length A&E Biography
on Dorothy Dandridge’s tragic life complete the package.
Passing for white, meanwhile, was the subject at the center of Darryl
F. Zanuck’s production PINKY
(**½, 1949, 101 mins.), Elia Kazan’s tale of a
young nurse (Jeanne Crain) educated in the north who returns to her
southern home to work for a doctor (William Lundigan) unaware that
she’s actually part-black.
Well-meaning and performed, “Pinky” is nevertheless a dated
movie particularly in its casting: Jeanne Crain is laughably cast as
the heroine here, something that commentator Kenneth Geist points out
in his enlightening audio commentary. Still, if you can accept Crain as
being of African-American descent, the movie works moderately well,
though it’s so tastefully done that the emotional fireworks are
few and far between...ditto for the unlikely finale, in which Crain
dispatches Lundigan with little problem.
Fox’s DVD offers a solid full-screen transfer from somewhat
less-than-pristine source elements. The barely-stereophonic and mono
soundtracks are perfectly acceptable, while Geist’s commentary
expertly analyzes the picture’s strengths and weaknesses. The
theatrical trailer has been included as an extra.
Dynamic vintage performances by a litany of black stars (Fats Waller,
Ada Brown, Cab Calloway, the Nicholas Brothers, the Katherine Dunham
Dance Troupe, Dooley Wilson) fuel the highly entertaining 1943 musical STORMY WEATHER
(***, 77 mins., 1943).
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson stars as “Bill
Williamson,” a war veteran who recalls his lengthy show business
career in what basically translates to 77 minutes of sterling musical
and dance sequences. Lena Horner is also on-hand (portraying his wife!)
for this vintage Fox production, which boasts crisp black-and-white
cinematography that’s been splendidly carried over to Fox’s
new DVD.
With a print in overall better condition than “Pinky,”
“Stormy Weather” is an important piece of history, being
one of Hollywood’s first pictures to star an entirely
African-American cast. Though some racial stereotyping is on-hand here
and there, Fox has included a commentary by USC professor Dr. Todd Boyd
to off-set the potentially offensive, dated period elements; Dr. Boyd
insightfully discusses those aspects and places them into a historical
context, while praising the movie’s superlative collection of
black stars (something you imagine Disney will do if they ever release
“Song of the South” on DVD).
Fox’s DVD also offers
stereo and monophonic soundtracks. Highly recommended for musical
lovers!
Two other African-American pictures are also available from Fox this
month, though neither as part of the “Classics” collection
(and not that you would ever place these films in that company,
either!).
Robert Townsend once held a spot as one of Hollywood’s
up-and-coming filmmakers -- though sadly, a string of flops
(“Meteor Man,” anyone?) including the well-intentioned THE FIVE
HEARTBEATS (**½, 1991, 121 mins., R) curtailed his rise
to the top.
Townsend co-wrote his film with Keenen Ivory Wayans and starred as the
head singer of a Motown-like singing group that bands together in the
‘50s and sings their way to the top of the charts...only to see
their dreams fade away in the ‘70s.
Some spirited musical performances and a strong sense of time and place
make “The Five Heartbeats” worthwhile for a single viewing,
but the Townsend-Wayans script feels overly melodramatic and
unbelievable, especially as the picture chugs along to its predictable
downbeat finish.
Fox’s DVD is a new Special Edition with five new Making Of
featurettes (“Meet The Five Heartbeats,” “The
Director’s Process,” “In The Studio,”
“The Look” and “The Nomination”), deleted
scenes, the original Making Of featurette, a profile of Townsend, and
the original trailer. The 1.85 widescreen transfer and 4.0 Dolby
Digital sound are both excellent.
Last but not least is Robert Hooks starring as the title hero known as TROUBLE MAN (***,
99 mins., 1972, R), a Fox-produced, seldom-seen
Black-exploitation thriller that’s actually a lot of fun.
Hooks plays “Mr. T,” a cool, hep (and rich) private eye
hired by a pair of gamblers to uncover who’s been robbing their
operation. Plenty of action, amusing dialogue, a sense of humor and a
mellow Marvin Gaye soundtrack make this effort a winner of its type;
how odd that this minor effort from director Ivan Dixon (then coming
off a starring role on TV’s “Hogan’s Heroes”)
hasn’t been released on video before, despite being a major
studio release.
Fox’s DVD offers little in the way of special features: just a
predictably funny (read: dated) theatrical trailer and matching 2.0
stereo and mono soundtracks. The 1.85 transfer is 16:9 enhanced and a
full-screen version (which un-masks the top and bottom of the image
while losing nothing from the sides) make for a solid, if
unspectacular, visual presentation.
Also New From Fox
AN UNMARRIED
WOMAN (***, 1978, 124 mins., R; Fox): Jill Clayburgh gives a
superb performance in Paul Mazursky’s tale of a woman abandoned
by her husband (Michael Murphy), trying to find personal and sexual
liberation in the ‘70s singles scene. One of Mazursky’s
best films, “An Unmarried Woman” gets most of its mileage
out of Clayburgh’s lead performance; she’s sensitive,
funny, and sympathetic in the picture, which avoids feeling like an
R-rated TV movie thanks to the performances of its lead and Alan Bates
as the man she eventually falls for. Fox’s DVD includes a new
16:9 transfer and stereo soundtrack, nicely conveying Bill
Conti’s quietly poignant score. The original trailer and an
enjoyable commentary with Clayburgh and Mazursky make for a strong
presentation of a budget-priced catalog title.
AMERICAN
WOMEN (**½, 2000, 92 mins., PG-13; Fox): A group of
young men in a quaint Irish seaside village set out to attract young
American women in this moderately enjoyable Brit import. Produced in
1999 but just making its DVD debut, Aileen Ritchie’s film offers
scenic locales and an ample dose of atmosphere, in addition to a
pleasant Rachel Portman score. Overall the movie feels awfully familiar
in spite of its casual, folksy charm, but viewers who enjoyed
“The Full Monty,” “Waking Ned Devine” and
similar Brit-com imports will appreciate it just the same. Fox’s
DVD offers 16:9 and full-screen transfers, in addition to a 5.0 Dolby
Digital soundtrack.
BILLY GRAHAM
PRESENTS: Something To Sing About (87 mins., 2000); Road To Redemption
(89 mins., 2001); Last Flight Out (82 mins., 2003), Fox (available
January 31st): On January 31st, Fox releases a trio of
made-for-cable films produced through Billy Graham’s World Wide
Pictures. These family-oriented features sport spiritual messages and
some overt discussion of Christianity -- those easily offended
obviously will have little interest, but frankly, two of the three
stories are surprisingly watchable and worthwhile for viewers of all
ages (those being the entertaining “Road To Redemption” and
the less satisfying, music-oriented “Something To Sing
About,” starring the wonderful Irma P. Hall. Skip the pedestrian
“Last Flight Out,” directed by veteran Jerry Jameson). The
full-screen transfers and stereo soundtracks are all just fine.
New From Buena Vista
DARK WATER
(**, 109 mins., Unrated; Buena Vista): Jennifer Connelly gives a
glum performance in this watered-down remake of Hideo Nakata’s
superior Japanese film of the same name. Connelly stars as a divorced
mom who moves with her daughter into a bleak apartment building where
water drips from the ceiling and -- as is the convention with recent
Japanese genre films -- is being haunted by a female spirit with long
dark hair. Nakata’s original “Dark Water” was a
terrific thriller loaded with atmosphere and poetic touches, but the
American version accentuates a depressing, maudlin tone, and plays up
the supernatural elements with standard cliches and loud, obtrusive
music by Angelo Badalamenti. Connelly’s character is supposed to
be going through a breakdown but she’s so stilted it’s
difficult to root for her, making the film an unremarkable genre piece
worth it only if you haven’t seen the original version (and
can’t find it at your local store). Buena Vista’s Unrated
DVD has been re-edited somewhat from its theatrical version and
includes a few brief deleted scenes and a Making Of featurette. The
2.35 transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack are both excellent,
though the movie’s sound design lacks the creepy sonic textures
of Nakata’s original work.
New TV on DVD
THE TIME TUNNEL: Season 1, Part 1 (1966), 765 mins. DVD FEATURES:
Full-Screen, 2.0 mono; 15 Episodes; Alternate Pilot; Home Movies;
Visual Effects Camera Test; 4 Still Galleries; TV, Radio Spots.
ALIEN
NATION: The Complete Series (1989-90), 989 mins. Fox. DVD FEATURES:
Full-Screen, 2.0; 22 episodes including 2-hour premiere, commentary by
Kenneth Johnson; Behind the Scenes featurette.
Two
short-lived but fondly-remembered TV series lead off January’s
roster of small-screen series hitting DVD for the first time.
Irwin Allen’s TIME TUNNEL launched on September 9th, 1966 -- a
Friday night on ABC, where viewers watched James Darren’s Dr.
Tony Newman and Robert Colbert’s Dr. Doug Phillips stranded in
time after having to jump into their unfinished government project.
Though able to move from one time period to another thanks to their
co-workers (including Whit Bissell and Lee Meriwhether), the duo
wasn’t able to make the leap (no pun intended) home, instead
finding themselves in predicaments ranging from a trip to the Moon to
visiting Pearl Harbor and meeting Ulysses in 1200 B.C.
Colorful, cardboard action, music by “Johnny” Williams, and
somewhat pedestrian scripts marked “The Time Tunnel” was
one of producer Allen’s more short-lived series. Yet, the
show’s premise was intriguing (and was later reworked by
“Quantum Leap,” even down to the gimmick of ending each
show with the opening from the next episode) and fans who grew up with
the series will love revisiting “The Time Tunnel” in
Fox’s four-disc box-set, containing the first 15 episodes from
the series (which aired from September through December, 1966). The
full-screen transfers are in remarkably good condition with very little
imperfections in the source materials, while the mono soundtracks are
likewise in acceptable condition.
Supplements include an alternate version of the pilot,
“Rendezvous With Yesterday,” which contains some different
footage in its ending (tying into an episode that aired later on), plus
a number of silent Irwin Allen home movies, art and still galleries,
promos, visual effects test footage and a comic book gallery.
“Incredible Hulk” and “V” producer-creator
Kenneth Johnson was already a genre veteran by the time he signed to
oversee the production of ALIEN NATION: THE SERIES, which launched on
the then-fledgling Fox network in 1989.
Based on the 1988 film, Johnson took the initial premise of Rockne S.
O’Bannon’s moderate box-office success and used it as a
springboard for a more detailed critique of society, racism, and
relations between the alien “Newcomers” and the human
populace of Earth that they try to blend in with.
Gary Graham essays cranky human detective Matthew Sykes and Eric
Pierpoint stars as his partner George Fransisco -- roles originally
filled by James Caan and Mandy Patinkin, respectively, in the
theatrical
version. Fox launched the series as a two-hour TV film in 1989, with
Johnson writing-directing and many of his
“Hulk”/”V” collaborators assisting (including
cinematographer John McPherson and composer Joe Harnell, whose music
was replaced in the series proper by Steve Dorff).
The TV film, which works in some discarded footage from the movie (as
Johnson notes some of the make-up was even worse than what was used in
the actual film!), offers a nice mix of action and character
development, arguably more so than Graham Baker’s theatrical
predecessor. The 22 subsequent hour-long episodes of the series,
however, tend to shift the balance overwhelmingly in the latter
direction, with some preachy, pretentious stories deflating some of the
goodwill the series has going for it in its early hours. With declining
ratings, Fox cancelled the series after just one season on the air,
though it was later resurrected in a handful of TV movies throughout
the ‘90s.
Contrary to Fox’s DVD box set billing, this six-disc set does not
offer the “Complete Series” since the five subsequent
tele-films are NOT included here. What it does offer are the 22 series
episodes, plus the original two-hour pilot, a very brief, vintage
behind-the-scenes featurette, and commentary from Johnson.
The initial two-hour pilot looks terrific here, but the individual
episodes of the series appear somewhat soft and grainy. I’m not
sure if this was a product of how the show was produced, but they look
nearly identical to the similarly unspectacular transfers Paramount
included on their “War of the Worlds: The Series” box set
from last month -- perhaps not coincidentally a genre TV series
produced around the same time. Some viewers may find it to be a
disappointment, but most fans are likely just to be happy to see
“Alien Nation” back in circulation after many years -- a
development that, hopefully, will lead to additional TV-movies thanks
to any renewed interest this set may generate.
HILL STREET
BLUES: The Complete First Season (1981), 850 minutes. DVD FEATURES:
Full-screen; 2.0 mono; 17 Episodes; Commentary on Selected Episodes;
New Featurette, “Roll Call." Fox (available January 31st).
MARY TYLER
MOORE SHOW: The Complete Third Season (1972-73), 813 minutes. DVD
FEATURES: Full-screen; 2.0 mono; 24 Episodes. Fox (available January
24th).
In addition to “Alien
Nation” and “The Time Tunnel,” Fox brings two classic
TV series back to DVD this month, highlighted by the debut of Steven
Bochco’s seminal cop drama, HILL STREET BLUES.
The celebrated, long-running NBC series marks its debut on DVD January
31st in a three-disc set sporting the initial 17 episodes from the
series. Strong ensemble performances (from the likes of Daniel J.
Travanti, Michael Conrad, Michael Warren, Charles Haid, Veronica Hamel,
Bruce Weitz, James B. Sikking, Betty Thomas, Barbara Babcock and
others) and frank sexual and dramatic situations made “Hill
Street” a groundbreaking show that was a far cry from the likes
of previous network “police procedural” series. Still, the
show also deftly interspersed a decent amount of comedic elements that,
all told, managed to appeal to a wide audience, particularly after
“Hill Street” moved to a Thursday night slot in its second
season (NBC debuted the series on a Saturday night in January 1981,
later moving it to Tuesdays midway through its inaugural year).
Fox’s DVD box set offers excellent transfers and mono
soundtracks, along with a marvelous 50-minute “Roll Call”
featurette, offering a round-table reunion of surviving cast members
from the show’s beginning. This is a marvelous, moving featurette
that you’d wish all studios would go to the trouble of producing
when packaging supplements for TV series on DVD. Bravo!
Also available from Fox on January 24th is the third season of the
celebrated “Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The Emmy-winning comedy
really hits its stride with 24 more classic shows, here presented in
full-screen and in their original uncut, broadcast-length versions.
Extras aren’t anywhere to be found, but most fans aren’t
going to carp when the quality of the product itself more than
justifies the price of the set.
THREE’S
COMPANY: Season 5 (1980-81), 550 mins. DVD FEATURES: Full-screen, 2.0
mono; 22 Episodes; Jenilee Harrison Interview; New Interviews with
Producers and Writers.
TITUS:
Season 3 (2001), 462 mins. DVD FEATURES: Full-screen, 2.0 Stereo; 21
Episodes; Interviews With Zack Ward, Cynthia Watros, Stacy Keach;
Commentary With Christopher Titus and Creators.
DOOGIE
HOWSER, M.D.: Season 3 (1991), 628 mins. DVD FEATURES: Full-screen, 2.0
stereo; 24 Episodes; New Interviews With James B. Sikking and Neil
Patrick Harris.
Anchor Bay’s latest group of TV series on DVD is highlighted by
the fifth season of THREE’S COMPANY, which was notable for its
comings and goings. The latter included a goodbye to contract-holdout
Suzanne Somers, who left the show for a film career that never really
got going. In her place came Crissy Snow’s cousin, Cindy, played
appealingly by Jenilee Harrison, who obviously had a tough act to
follow (and would soon be replaced by Priscilla Barnes).
Despite Sommers’ departure, “Three’s Company”
remained a viewer fave, and Anchor Bay’s four-disc box-set
includes all 22 episodes from Season 5 in solid full-screen transfers
with Dolby Digital mono sound. Extras include new interviews with
Jenilee Harrison, producers George Sunga and George Burditt, and writer
Kim Weiskopf. Highlight reels of each characters’ “Best
Of” moments are also included.
Also available from Anchor Bay are the third season of Steven Bochco
and David E. Kelly’s DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D., sporting the 24
episodes from the ABC series’ third year on the air in a
four-disc set, also offering new interviews with James B. Sikking
(Doogie’s TV dad) and Neil Patrick Harris; and the third and
final season of Christopher Titus’ caustic but entertaining and
occasionally insightful TITUS, here presented in a four-disc set with
new interviews with co-stars Zack Ward, Cynthia Watros and Stacy Keach,
plus commentary with Titus and his co-creators Brian Hargrove and Jack
Kenny. The full-screen transfers and stereo soundtracks are acceptable
on all shows.
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