"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" trailer

Check it out. It's at the bottom of the page.

New Walt Disney Treasures

The Walt Disney Treasures website indicates more of these sets are in the works. Personally, we're waiting for "Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow," but we'll take what we can get.

New street dates

Highlights from the latest batch of forthcoming releases:

April 17: Laverne and Shirley: The Complete Second Season
April 24: The Queen (Buena Vista)
April 24: Déjà Vu (Buena Vista)
April 24: Ironside: Complete Season One (Shout Factory)
April 24: Moral One: The Unholy One (Warner Home Video/date change)
April 24: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Vol. 1 (Alpha Video)
April 24: Forgotten Noir: Vol 4: The Man from Cairo & Mask of the Dragon (VCI)
April 24: Forgotten Noir: Vol 5: FBI Girl & Tough Assignment (VCI)
April 24: Forgotten Noir: Vol 6: I’ll Get You, Fingerprints Don’t Lie (VCI)
April 24: Night at the Museum (Fox)
April 24: The Odd Couple: The Complete First Season
May: Three's Company: Capturing the Laughter - Janet's Episodes
(Anchor Bay)
May 1: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (Shout Factory/see press release below)
May 1: Dreamgirls (Paramount)
May 1: The Drew Carey Show: Complete First Season
May 8: That '70s Show: Season 6 (Fox)
May 15: M*A*S*H*: Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (Fox)
May 29: Beauty and the Beast Second Season (Paramount)
May 29: Scouts to the Rescue - starring Jackie Cooper (12-chapter serial) (VCI)
May 29: The Royal Mounted Rides Again - starring Bill Kennedy and George Dolenz, father of Monkee Micky Dolenz (13-chapter serial) (VCI)
June 5: CHiPs: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video)
June 5: Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Sixth Season (Paramount)
June 5: Mission Impossible: The Complete Second Season (Paramount)
June 12: Diagnosis Murder: The Complete Second Season (Paramount)
June 12: Walker Texas Ranger: The Complete Third Season (Paramount)
June 12: The Nancy Drew Movie Collection: With Nancy Drew, Detective; Nancy Drew, Reporter; Nancy Drew,Troubleshooter and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. (Warner)
June 19: Perry Mason: Second Season, Vol. 1 (Paramount)
June 19: Lucille Ball Film Collection: With The Big Street, Critic's Choice, Dance Girl Dance, Dubarry Was a Lady and Mame (Warner Home Video)
June 26: Cult Camp Classics Vol. 2 - Women in Peril June 26: Cult Camp Classics Vol. 3 - Terrorized Travelers June 26: Cult Camp Classics Vol. 4 - Historical Epics
June 26: Gomer Pyle, USMC: The Second Season (Paramount)
June 26: Queen of Outer Space (Warner Home Video)
June 26: Trog (Warner Home Video)
June 26: Land of the Pharoahs (Warner Home Video)
June 26: The New Adventures of Superman (Warner Home Video)
June 26: The New Adventures of Batman: The Complete Series (Warner Home Video)
July 24: Star Trek: The Fan Collective (Paramount)
July 31: Popeye the Sailor (Collection of 60 Fleischer cartoons)

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The press release for Shout Factory's upcoming Ozzie and Harriet DVD set. As the press release says, the sets previously available have been horrible quality. This one, as is most of Shout Factory's stuff, is worth waiting for:

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet was one of the longest-running and most-loved family situation comedies on television and, until now, was only available on home video in bootlegged, unofficial DVDs of dubious quality. All that changes on May 1, 2007, when Shout! Factory’s four-DVD box set, produced in tandem with the Nelson Family, The Best Of The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet, arrives in stores digitally re-mastered and packed with bonus material for $34.98 (S.L.P.).

Endorsed and presented by the Nelson family, this box set represents 24 of the most memorable episodes from the show’s 14 season run. It takes audiences through the boys’ teenage years, college graduation, weddings and career launches – with Ricky becoming a teen idol before our very eyes in the episode “Ricky, The Drummer,” with his very first televised performance, “I’m Walkin’.” The series also makes the progression from the black and white era into color broadcasts by the final episodes.

The Nelsons embodied the idyllic nuclear family for generations before and after the show’s run and The Best Of The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet marks the first time that the Nelson family has endorsed a DVD. David Nelson, along with the family of Ricky Nelson, dug into their family archives to add personal gems to the home movies collection. As a result, Shout! Factory’s lovingly assembled box set celebrates the seminal family comedy with a wealth of bonus programming, including episode and home movie commentaries by David Nelson and Ricky’s son Sam, authentic Nelson family home movies, a “Ricky Sings” feature to play only his performances, “The Ozzie & Harriet Story” featurette about their early careers, an audio presentation of the first radio show to feature David and Ricky, and a Nelson Family trivia game. Additionally, the set boasts seven Ricky Nelson performances including “I’m Walkin’,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Believe What You Say,” “Trying To Get To You,” “Cindy,” “You Are The Only One,” “I Am Not Afraid” and “Just A Little Bit Sweet.”

DVD CONTENTS : DISC ONE
The Fall Guy – Season One, 10/24/1952
Oz advises David to stand up for his rights and not to let people take advantage of him, but the advice backfires.

David’s Birthday – Season Two, 10/23/1953
David Nelson has an unexpected visitor at his seventeenth birthday party.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

David’s Engagement - Season Three, 9/23/1955
David has matrimonial plans with his steady. Ozzie and Harriet realize that David will get married someday, but think that he is too young to tie the knot.

A Ball Of Tinfoil – Season Four, 11/25/1955
Harriet decides there is too much junk accumulated in the Nelson garage, attic and cellar. Ozzie rents a trailer to haul the stuff away to the junkyard but discovers this is only the beginning of his problem.

Captain Salty And The Submarine – Season Five, 10/10/1956
Ozzie finds out that a kiddie program, Captain Salty and the Submarine, holds a great deal of interest for adults as well. It is not at all surprising that several other fathers in the neighborhood share his enthusiasm.

Ricky, The Drummer – Season Five, 4/10/1957
This is Ricky’s night. He gets to play drums in a name band, do a bop dance with a party girl, and sing a rhythm and blues recording to an enthusiastic audience. Ricky performs for his first time on the show.

Featurette:The Ozzie & Harriet Story - The Journey Into Television
Ricky Sings:“I’m Walkin’”

DVD CONTENTS : DISC TWO

Tutti Frutti Ice Cream – Season Six, 12/11/1957
Recollections of Ozzie’s high school days bring a sudden rage for tutti frutti ice cream. There is a happy scene in an old fashioned parlor where Ozzie, Harriet, David and Rick sing to the accompaniment of Ozzie’s banjo and Harriet’s dancing.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

The Trophy – Season Six, 1/1/1958
The Nelsons enter the family decathlon at the annual Men’s Club picnic. The deciding event is the cross-country obstacle race, which Ozzie must win if he is to uphold the honor of the family and win the coveted trophy. In this episode Rick also sings, plays guitar and does a sensational dance.

Ricky Sings:“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”

Closed Circuit – Season Six, 3/26/1958
Ricky sets up a closed circuit television studio in the basement.

Top Gun – Season Six, 4/2/1958
Ozzie regales the neighborhood kids with his story of his great-grandfather “Six-Gun Nelson.” They corner Ozzie into a shoot-out with TV Western star “Tex Barton” at a supermarket opening.

Rick’s Riding Lesson – Season Seven, 11/19/1958
When Ricky meets a beautiful riding instructor (Venetia Stevenson) at the local stables, he decides to take some riding lessons. He makes a deal with her — he’ll teach her how to play guitar if she’ll teach him how to ride. There is much fun at the Chuck Wagon party where the gang sings “Cindy.”

David, The Law Clerk – Season Eight, 10/21/1959
David applies for the position of clerk in a law office. However, when Ozzie, Harriet and Ricky try to be helpful, they almost cost Dave the job. In a dream-filled night, David vividly pictures a hilarious courtroom scene in which he plays all the characters.

Ricky Sings: “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”
“I Believe What You Say”
“Trying To Get To You”
“Cindy”

DVD CONTENTS : DISC THREE
The Circus – Season Eight, 1/27/1960
David’s duties as a law clerk take him down to the circus where he becomes more than slightly interested in one of the circus glamour girls. In the flying trapeze act presented by David and Ricky, they don’t use doubles but actually perform their own stunts.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

His Brother’s Girl – Season Eight, 10/19/1960
Fraternal bonds between David and Ricky are suddenly threatened when Dave finds himself attracted to his brother’s girl. The situation is further complicated when the young lady in question shows her true feelings and the eternal triangle takes shape.

Rick Counts The Ballots – Season Nine, 12/28/1960
Rick’s ability to keep a secret is put to the test when he finds himself in charge of counting the ballots for the “Campus Queen Contest” — especially since his girlfriend, one of the leading contestants, is determined to learn the results.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

Ricky Sings:“You Are The Only One” (duet with Linda Bennett)
“I’m Not Afraid”

The Newlyweds Get Settled – Season Ten, 10/12/1961
While David and his new bride June (played by his real-life new bride June Blair) are away on their honeymoon, Harriet, with Ozzie’s assistance, decides to fix up their apartment for them. However, with the return of the newlyweds, Harriet suddenly becomes worried that she has overstepped her rights as mother-in-law.

The Fraternity Rents Out A Room – Season Ten, 10/19/1961
When the best room in Rick and Wally’s fraternity is vacated, they vote to rent out the room to take in funds for their fast-dwindling treasury. Wally Cox guest stars as the professor who disrupts the easy-going fraternity life.

Making Wally Study – Season Ten, 2/22/1962
Rick and his friends decide to enforce good study habits on Wally when they realize his grades are a threat to the scholastic standing of their fraternity. However, matters become complicated when Wally hits the books and Rick is elected to take charge of Wally’s girlfriend, Ginger.
Featurette: Original Promo for “The Circus”
Home Movies: David & Rick practice trapeze
Ricky Sings: “You Are The Only One” (duet with Linda Bennett) “I’m Not Afraid”

DVD CONTENTS : DISC FOUR
Publicity For The Fraternity – Season Eleven, 3/28/1963
Rick and his friends decide their fraternity is sadly in need of publicity go on a campaign to gain some campus recognition. When all their antics are ignored by the school press, they decide to take some drastic measures, which pay off a little differently that they had expected. Directed by David Nelson.
Optional Audio Commentary with David & Sam Nelson

The Swami – Season Twelve, 1/8/1964
When Rick successfully enlivens a fraternity party by disguising himself as a swami and telling fortunes, Ozzie and his friend Joe decide that the same act would prove a huge success at the Women’s Club dance. However, even a swami couldn’t predict the hilarious results arising from Ozzie in disguise... especially when Harriet and Clara decide to get in on the act.

Rick And Kris Go To The Mountains – Season Thirteen, 10/7/1964
When Rick, Wally and some of the fraternity members decide to hold a poker party at Kris’s (Kristen Harmon, Rick’s real-life wife) folks’ mountain cabin over the weekend, Kris assumes the wives and girlfriends are also included — the resulting situation is a hilarious mix-up with Rick right in the middle. Directed by David Nelson.

The Ballerina – Season Thirteen, 11/4/1964
Rick and some of his fraternity brothers consent to put on a comedy ballet act for the Women’s Club Annual Children’s Show. However, when the fellows get discouraged, Kris comes to the rescue by volunteering to perform the real thing. She shows her delightful capabilities as a true ballerina. In a dream sequence, she and Rick present an expertly performed excerpt from “Swan Lake.”

The Prowler – Season Fourteen, 10/13/1965 (color)
When Ozzie tries to get out of playing bridge with his neighbors, Joe and Clara Randolph, by pretending to go on a fishing trip, his scheme backfires and an embarrassing and hilarious situation is the result.

The Game Room – Season Fourteen, 3/26/1966 (color)
When Ozzie decides to buy a new pool table and convert David and Rick’s old bedroom into a game room, he meets with some opposition from Harriet. To get his way, Oz and his pal Joe come up with some sneaky strategies, including taking the girls to the Billiards-A-Go-Go. This was the last episode made in the series.

Featurette: Nelson Family Trivia Quiz

Ricky Sings: “Just A Little Bit Sweet”

Here's Johnny -- a long time ago

The Johnny Carson Show (Shout Factory): When it comes to talk show hosts, there can be no doubt that Johnny Carson was the king. Even in his later years when he could have walked through his show each night, he knew how to push the buttons to make his audience laugh.
He wasn't always so smooth, though. The Carson on view in Shout Factory's "The Johnny Carson Show" is young and a bit nervous, maybe even a little self-conscious. But the qualities that made him such a favorite with audiences years later were there, even if they were still developing.
There was the boyish charm, the down-home, relaxed attitude and the genial humor, even if he was still a bit unsure of himself.
And there's a lot more of his stand-up humor in the 10 episodes of this early Carson work than "Tonight Show" viewers would see in his later years. That's because Carson's humor was a lot more of the show. He had guests, but not the parade of celebrities that begged to come on "The Tonight Show" in his later years. He did TV parodies of then-current shows such as Edward R. Murrow's "Person to Person" and "Dragnet."
Shout Factory's two-disc set includes some extras: an episode of his later ABC show "Who Do You Trust?" co-hosted by Ed McMahon, a rare episode of a 1956 CBS daytime show he hosted and a clip from a 1958 stint as substitute host of "The Jack Paar Show" -- in a role he'd replace Paar in in 1961.
Given the age of these films, the quality is rough. Compared to his later work, "The Johnny Carson Show" definitely shows Carson had some development as a comedian to do. But they're also fun to watch.
Carson fans will also want to hunt down a budget two-disc release by Timeless Media Group also called Here Is...The Johnny Carson Show. The set has four episodes from "The Johnny Carson Show," an episode of "Who Do You Trust?", an episode of "The Jack Benny Program" with Carson as guest, commercial bloopers and a rare 1972 color promo film done on the set of "The Tonight Show." "The Tonight Show" promo film alone makes this one worth it. Since this is a budget release, it's very easy on the wallet. Note: If you do hunt for this, make sure you get this two-disc set (the link will get it). There are several single-disc releases by various budget disc companies. This is the one you want.
While on the subject of vintage talk shows, let's mention a couple of others. When Johnny Carson burst on the TV scene, the king of late night at that time was Jack Paar. Shout Factory has a three-disc set called The Jack Paar Collection that includes celebrity interviews, monologues and full episodes from "The Jack Paar Show," which was the precursor to Carson's "The Tonight Show." One disc includes the PBS documentary "Smart Television: The Best of Jack Paar," disc two has interviews with Bobby Kennedy (done shortly after the assassination of JFK), Richard Nixon (including the famous incident when Nixon played the piano) and Muhammed Ali, while the final disc has interviews and rare footage of Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Richard Burton, Bill Cosby and others. Paar's delivery wasn't as relaxed as Carson's would be later, but he was great in getting his guests to open up about themselves. Paar's often pointed questions would probably be nixed by p.r. reps from celebrities nowadays, who like to super-manage their appearances nowadays. Here's a look at a time when that wasn't the case.
And there's Edward R. Murrow - The Best of Person to Person, a dazzling three-disc collection of superb interviews from the '50s and '60s by outstanding journalist Murrow. Unlike talk show interviews today that are done under bright lights and with a studio audience, these were transmitted generally from the homes of those interviewed with Murrow asking questions from the studio. The relaxed atmosphere brings revealing comments from the subjects as they relax their celebrity persona. Those interviewed here include John F. Kennedy, Sammy Davis Jr., Humphrey Bogart, Billy Graham, Liberace, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Dean Martin and Bette Davis. Highly recommended.

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Here's a memory piece we wrote and that was published shortly after Carson died about the three times we saw Carson in person, once on "Who Do You Trust," the other two on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Viewing Carson was best from seat in studio audience (Originally published Jan. 26, 2005)

Watching Johnny Carson host ''The Tonight Show'' was seeing a master comic at work.
Over the years, I saw Carson do his magic in person three times -- twice on ''The Tonight Show'' and once on ''Who Do You Trust?,'' the game show he emceed (with perennial sidekick Ed McMahon as announcer) before he took over the NBC late-night show.
Watching Carson at home was, of course, like seeing an old friend. But seeing the show live was a different experience. When you were an audience member, the larger-than-life Carson heard you laugh at the jokes that were funny, as most of them were -- and your groans at the jokes that didn't quite go over. You -- we -- were the target of his witty retorts.
''Who Do You Trust?,'' which Carson -- who died Sunday of emphysema -- hosted from September 1957 to December 1963, was taped in New York. On a trip to visit an aunt in Jersey City, my dad took my sister and me -- we were in grade school -- to see several TV shows.
The ''Who Do You Trust?'' taping was filled with a lot of joking between Carson and McMahon, including a noisy mishap involving a washing machine being used in a commercial.
After the show, with no connections to anyone with pull, my dad somehow got us backstage to meet the very tall McMahon. We didn't get to meet Carson, though I recall seeing him stand a short distance from us. Little did I realize he would become the king of late-night television.
More than 15 years later, in 1977, as part of a honeymoon trip to Southern California, my wife and I managed to snag tickets to ''The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.'' After waiting a couple hours in front of the NBC Burbank studios, we were allowed in and discovered, to our surprise, how small ''The Tonight Show'' studio was in comparison to how it looked on TV. We were warned by the ushers not to yell anything out during the show, but that didn't stop the familiar sounds of ''hi-yo'' resonating when Carson walked out on the stage.
About six months later, we decided to go back to Southern California again, and because we enjoyed it so much, we figured we'd pay a return visit to ''The Tonight Show.'' We scored tickets to two shows, one on Monday, Carson's usual night off (with guest host George Carlin, a favorite of ours), and one the next night.
In the pre-show warm-up for the second show, producer Fred De Cordova announced proudly that Carson was in the building and would be hosting the show, which brought a big round of applause from the audience.
The audience got a few extras the home viewers didn't see.
The warm-up featured some extended music and jokes (often of a more risque variety than on the show) from De Cordova, McMahon, Doc Severinsen and members of the Tonight Show band. (Carson didn't appear until you heard the familiar ''He-e-e-e-e-e-re's Johnny.'')
During commercials, the lights on stage were turned off, leaving Carson and the guests in the dark.
One of the guests on that show was film star Ann-Margret. She and Carson chatted in the dark during the commercial break. With other guests, Carson might throw out the occasional ''How is everyone?'' to the audience.
But most memorable was something he apparently did at all tapings. Remember the famous golf swing he would enact after his monologue as the show faded to a commercial? Well, Carson would hold the pose, and after the camera light clicked off -- assuring he was not on the air -- he would say, ''Oh, shit.'' Of course, the audience, not expecting anything like that from the normally genteel Carson, burst out laughing.
That was the final time we saw ''The Tonight Show'' in person. Unfortunately, neither of the shows we saw had any moments that would have made ''best of'' compilations.
In 2001, I wrote a review about the newly released DVD collection of highlights from ''The Tonight Show,'' called ''The Ultimate Carson Collection Vols. 1-3.''
Though Carson himself wasn't available for interviews, his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told me the words no Carson fan wanted to hear. ''He's retired; he's thoroughly enjoying his retirement. I don't expect him to do any new production whatsoever.''

More public domain treasures

In late February, we examined several box sets in Mill Creek Entertainment's 50 Movie Pack series, a great budget-priced series of collections of public domain films that contain a surprising number of gems. Here's a look at a few more:
Drive-In Movie Classics 50 Movie Pack: Of all the boxes in the series, this one ranks as one of our top 3 favorites. The majority of the films are mainly from the '70s and '80s, meaning nearly all of them are in color. These are pretty much schlocky classics, mixing in horror, blacksplotation, with a little touch of blood or nudity as befits films from those years. A few of the titles: "Vengeance of the Zombies," "Voodoo Black Exorcist," "Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride," "Snowbeast," "The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Women" and "Beast From Haunted Cave." Our favorite, though, is "Invasion of the Bee Girls," in which government researchers discover a female insect expert is using a process to give women bee-like qualities and then the women are killing men with sex. No, we're not making that up. Actors include Richard Burton, Carroll Baker, Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Ursula Andress, and Mickey Rooney. Fun stuff. (12 discs.)
Comedy Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection: A nice sampling of comedy stretching from the days of silent films through recent times is collected here, including work by Fatty Arbuckle, solo Stan Laurel, Laurel and Hardy, the Keystone Cops, Harold Lloyd, Our Gang, Buster Keaton, the East Side Kids, James Cagney, Jimmy Durante, Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan, Pat O'Brien, Mickey Rooney, Carole Lombard, Laurence Olivier (in "As You Like It") and Peter Sellers. The real vintage stuff makes this one worth it.
Hollywood Legends 50 Movie Pack Collection: Star power drives this solid collection of films of varying quality that movie fans can enjoy just for the casting, if not for the film itself. Stars include Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope (in "Road to Bali," not one of the standouts from the "Road" series but not bad, either), Greta Garbot, Fred MacMurray, Susan Hayward, Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Sinatra ("The Man With the Golden Arm"), Claudette Colbert (the charming "I Cover the Waterfront"), Jane Mansfield, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Merle Oberon, Gregory Peck, Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis.
All Stars 50 Movie Pack Collection: A collection of TV movies with some good, but most just OK. Still, a distingused list of actors is featured here in starring roles: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Martin Sheen, Lynn Redgrave, Anthony Perkins, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Michael Landon, Glenn Ford, Lee Remick, Sissy Spacek, Sally Field, David Janssen, John Forsythe, Andy Griffith, Susan Sarandon and John Houseman. For the price, not a bad pickup if you are fans of some of these actors.
Nightmare Worlds 50 Movie Pack Collection: This one is one of our favorites because it's a time trip back to the old Saturday matinee days and has some of the best examples of the campiest sci-fi films ever. The three Ken Utsui films in the set ("Evil Brain From Outer Space," "Attack From Space" and "Atomic Rulers of the World") are the highlights. All feature a costumed hero named Starman and have some of the worst dialogue and special effects you'll ever see. Also included is a Flash Gordon film with Buster Crabbe ("Purple Death From Outer Space"), plus Grant Williams of "The Incredible Shrinking Man" in "The Doomsday Machine," Wallace Beery in the silent film "The Lost World", plus films with Bela Lugosi ("The Phantom Creeps," "Shadow of Chinatown"), Gene Autry (in "Radio Ranch"), Rock Hudson, William Boyd, Fred Williamson, Cameron Mitchell, Anthony Perkins and Stacy Keach. Break out the popcorn. This one's a big winner.
Chilling Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection: This collection of "Creature Features" campy sci-films includes such lovely titles as "Drive-In Massascre," "I Bury the Living," "Oasis of the Zombies," "The Milpitas Monster," "Lady Frankenstein," "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter," "Dr. Tarr's Torture Jungle," "Silent Night, Bloody Night" and "War of the Robots." Mystery Science Theater films without the added narration. They don't make them like this anymore. Thank goodness.
Horror Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection: The traditional sci-fi fan will find a lot to like in this collection. Included are Lon Chaney Sr. in "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Max Schreck's "Nosferatu," George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead," John Barrymore in "Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde," Gustav Frohlich's landmark "Metropolis" plus films with Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Fay Wray and J. Carroll Naish. A great way to get a bunch of film classics in one collection.

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There are still more of these Mill Creek sets we haven't covered and we'll catch up with more in a future column. For the most part, though, we recommend these. They're inexpensive and the films, which range from classics to camp, for the most part look fairly good, despite their age and the fact they're not studio-quality remasters. The fact is, though, some of these films have been unseen for years (some would say for a good reason, but that's another story). Outside of the fact that the films may include a brief logo, we think the sets are a great pickup and very entertaining. And as we said before, if you're not a big fan of modern-day films, these boxes herald back to perhaps a better time. For the money, you can't beat that.
Short takes: Among a slate of new releases in April, Mill Creek Entertainment will offer Crime Classics 50 Movie Pack (12pc), featuring films starring Edward G. Robinson, Frank Sinatra, Ralph Byrd, George Raft and others.
Short takes: Miami Vice - Season Three and Miami Vice - Season Four: Two more seasons of the show with the sharp-dressed cops. It's more of the same from the first two seasons. Interesting note for John Lennon fans: The song "Imagine" opens the third season premiere.

Looking back at Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan - Don't Look Back (1965 Tour Deluxe Edition): Viewing Bob Dylan's "Don't Look Back" now one has to wonder how it ever got made? Dylan lived in a world of his own. So how filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker managed to get full access is a miracle.
The real miracle, however, is viewing "Don't Look Back," a vivid chronicle of the singer's 1965 British tour and one of the most stunning rock documentaries ever and now available in a deluxe expanded two-disc set.
Dylan's music is, of course, the focus, but the camera's eye also focuses in on Dylan's world. Especially riveting are his encounters with the media and the Establishment. Both are clearly nervous about approaching Dylan, clearly not knowing what to expect and the singer plays on their apprehension.
In one memorable scene, Dylan takes a Time magazine interviewer named Horace Judson (and the media as a whole) to task.

"'Cause you know I've never been in Time magazine and yet this hall's filled twice, you know, and I've never been in Time Magazine. I don't need Time Magazine ... and I don't think I'm a folk singer. You'll probably call me a folk singer, but, you know, the other people know better 'cause the people, you know, that buy my records, listen to me, don't necessarily buy Time Magazine. You know the audience that subscribe to Time Magazine? The people that work during the day and read it small, right? And it's concise and there's pictures in it."

Interestingly enough, Pennebacker, in an interview with Time this year, says Dylan isn't being as mean-spirited with Judson as it appeared.
In the interview, Pennebacker says,

"I have the story [Judson] wrote. He wrote a very good piece on Dylan. I thought Dylan was kind of nice in the end. He made jokes out of it. When I show the film, especially to kids, they want to see that as someone thrashing TIME. But it isn't that. He's thrashing a whole system of media that people had been thrashing for a long time. I never thought of it as mean-spirited.

This new release includes a newly remastered version of the original DVD from the original single-disc release that contains the film, commentary by Pennebacker and Dylan tour manager Bob Neuwirth, additional audio tracks, an alternate version of the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" video and the theatrical trailer and adds a second disc called "Bob Dylan '65 Revisited," that features roughly an hour of outtakes (mostly music) from the original film with commentary from Pennebacker and Neuwirth. In addition, the set includes a 168 page companion book, that was originally released in the late '60s, of pictures and dialogue from the film , plus a engaging flip book of the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" video sequence.
It's a trip back in time worth taking.
Short takes: While we're on the subject of reissued rock films, we'll mention Don't Knock the Rock / Rock Around the Clock and Don't Knock the Twist / Twist Around the Clock, two two-fer film reissues of four vintage rock films that Sony has just released. The films are the standard rock films of the era with the usual plots about the music being persecuted and the usual remedy of "Let's put on a show!" They're basically just excuses for the music they contain, as good as some of that music is.
But Sony gets major demerits for their sloppy treatment of the DVDs. Neither set contains chapter links from the main menu and the chapter links contained in the films don't link up with all the music performances. To find Little Richard's performances in "Don't Knock the Rock," for example, you'll have to manually scan through the film.
As much as we're glad to have these again and give them our recommendation, we have to say they deserved a lot better treatment in putting them to disc than what they received.
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Latest release alerts

Catching our eye was Warner Home Video's Cult Camp Classics in four box sets in June. Here are some highlights through June.

March 20: Rocky Balboa (Sony)
April 3: The Team, The Time, The Season – The Story of the 2006 Mets (Shout Factory)
April 17: Highlander Series: Best of the Box (6 discs, Anchor Bay)
April 24: Flipper, Season 1 (Fox)
April 24: Night at the Museum (Fox)
May 1: Angels in the Outfield (original/Warner Home Video)
May 1: Mahogany (Paramount)
May 1: Dreamgirls (Paramount)
May 8: Battle of the Bulge (Warner Home Video)
May 15: Fired! (Shout Factory)
May 22: The Flying Leathernecks (Warner Home Video)
May 22: Scrubs: Fifth Season (Buena Vista)
May 29: Rawhide: The Second Season
June 12: Deadwood: Complete Third Season (HBO)
June 26: Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 1, Sci-Fi Thrillers: With Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, The Giant Behemoth, Queen of Outer Space, also available separately. (Warner Home Video)
June 26: Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 2, Women in Peril: The Big Cube, Caged and Trog, also available separately. (Warner Home Video)
June 26: Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 3, Terrorized Travelers: With Hot Rods to Hell, Skyjacked, Zero Hour, also available separately. (Warner Home Video)
June 26: Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 4, Historical Epics: Colossus of Rhodes, Land of The Pharaohs, The Prodigal, also available separately. (Warner Home Video)

Boldly going for laughs where few have gone before

Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner (Uncensored) (Comedy Central): How many celebrities would have flown halfway across the galaxy to have the chance to roast the man best known for Capt. James Tiberius Kirk, priceline.com and the worst cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man" ever?
The group assembled for "Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner (Uncensored)," released on DVD March 20, includes host Jason Alexander, Shatner's "Star Trek" compatriots George Takei and Nichelle Nichols, Kevin Pollak, Jessi Klein, Fred Williard, Farrah Fawcett, Betty White, Andy Dick, Patton Oswalt, Lisa Lampanelli, Greg Giraldo and Jeff Ross.
Shatner enters the roast in grand style -- on a horse, to the tune of "Ride, Captain, Ride."
The insults fly fast, hard and furious. Shatner takes it pretty well -- and dishes a few well-placed insults at the end, some of the best heard on the show.
Not all the participants are at their best form, though. Betty White tries her best, but looks uncomfortable, Farrah Fawcett is this roast's Courtney Love -- she looks and acts as drunk as a skunk -- and Andy Dick lives up to his name. And you'd think that there would be other things at a William Shatner roast to joke about than George Takei's gayness, but for a few people, there isn't.
But if there's one guy who deserves this "honor," though, it's Shatner. It's fun to see him finally get at least a little of what's coming to him.
Too bad some of these people didn't listen to his "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" before they worked on their monologues. The show might have been that much better.

Forbidden treasures

Cult Classics 20 Movie Pack (4 DVD) (Mill Creek Entertainment): They carried titles like "Chained For Life," "The Road to Ruin," "Child Bride" and "Reefer Madness." Even with the dramatic titles, they weren't dramas in the strict sense -- they were exploitation films of the '30s and '40s -- each a filmmaker's attempt to scare and sway his audience.
We laugh about them today. But they were no laughing matter back then, as seen in Mill Creek Entertainment's Cult Classics 20 Movie Pack, a fascinating budget-friendly four DVD set collecting 20 of these curios.
The films tackled subjects that were sometimes only whispered about back then. One could argue the films weren't for teaching, but for shock value. There's "Reefer Madness," the overly dramatic 1936 midnight-matinee cult favorite of recent years. The set also includes several other drug-related films: "Marihuana," "She Shoulda Said No," "The Marijuana Menace" and "The Cocaine Fiends," all from the mid-30s.
Other "shocking" subjects seen in the films include Siamese twins ("Chained For Life"), prostitution ("Slaves in Bondage," "Escort Girls") and infertility ("Test Tube Babies").
But maybe the most controversial film in the set is "Child Bride," a 1938 film starring Shirley Mills (who bears a slight resemblance to Shirley Temple) in a film about a teacher who tries to halt the practice of underage girls marrying older men. The film has what for its time -- and even now -- is quite a shocker -- a scene featuring a somewhat distant view of the young Mills swimming naked in a river -- and observed luridly by an older man from her town. It's surprising that such a scene would have been filmed in the '30s and one can only imagine the reaction it might have received from the public.
These films are available individually from other publishers, but this collection rounds up 20 of them in the most economic package we've seen. As with other releases by Mill Creek, the films aren't remastered. And purists may not be too happy about the company logos that pop up very briefly during each film.
But don't let that keep you from getting this set. It's a must for film history buffs, and film fans in general. It's entertainment and weirdness at the same time. We hope Mill Creek can dig up 20 more for a second set. It'll be worth it.
Short takes: Two other sets by Mill Creek are worth a mention. 150 Cartoon Classics is the biggest collection of public domain cartoons we've seen to date. It includes Popeye, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Felix the Cat, Betty Boop, Woody Woodpecker, Mutt and Jeff, Grampy, Little Lulu and many more. The cartoons appear to be grouped somewhat chronologically, with several black-and-white cartoons on the first disc, with color cartoons filling out the collection. Given the age of most of these cartoons, viewers will find a lack of political correctness they may be used to seeing in today's toons. Therefore, not all of these are for kids.
Mill Creek's Very Best of One Step Beyond (4pc) collects 50 episodes of this TV series, hosted by John Newland, which originally ran in the late '50s. Comparisons are often made with "The Twilight Zone," but there's a big difference between the two: While stories on "Zone" often dealt with fictional human stories punctuated with fantasy, "One Step Beyond" stories dealt with the paranormal based on real events like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the sinking of the Titanic. As with the cartoon collection, you'll find many DVDs of this material around, but this 50-episode box is by far the best for the money.


You can order "Cult Classics," "150 Cartoon Classics" or "The Best of 'One Step Beyond'" in our 50 Movie Pack Store in the right.

Book 'em Danno!

"Hawaii Five-0 - The Complete First Season" (Paramount): From the moment it premiered with a two-hour movie in September, 1968, there was something special about "Hawaii Five-O." The tightly written scripts and the tight-jawed character of Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett made the series hot (and we're not talking about the Hawaiian weather).
This seven-disc set features that pilot (which does not cast James McArthur as Danny Williams -- he didn't show until the regular first season episode) and the first 24 episodes.
Lord's McGarrett was tough as nails, never one to back down, even against his arch enemy Wo Fat, who has him on the ropes in the two-hour pilot.
The special features include a two-hour TV special originally shown in Hawaii called "Memories of 'Hawaii Five-O'" that includes a tribute to Jack Lord.
There are good shows and there are great ones. This is one of those.
Aloha.
Short takes: Also new to video is "Bosom Buddies - The First Season." (CBS) This drag sitcom has taken a long time to get to DVD and it's no wonder. Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari star as two ad agency buddies who move into a hotel for women -- as women -- because the rent's cheap. Wendie Jo Sperber and Donna Dixon co-star. It's 19 episodes on three discs. No special features. Surprised? You shouldn't be. It's probably something Tom Hanks would like to forget.