In which we try to give you information on some of the better limited edition specials:
Best Buy Music and Movies
: Target has a three-disc set that includes cover art and production notes. (It's available through the link.)
The Beatles were quite a world traveling bunch even before they conquered the musical world in 1964. A series of DVDs by Artsmagic retraces those footsteps and gets fans back to where the Beatles once belonged.
The Beatles - Liverpool (Two-Disc Edition), 
Leigh also hosts "The Beatles, Hamburg and the Hamburg Sound," a special look at the Beatles' sites in Hamburg and their link to British rock 'n' roll. Sites visited include the Indra Club, the Star Club and the Kaiserkeller. The trip concludes with a visit by Kingsize Taylor, now a resident of Hamburg. 
Yannicos, in an email to us, commented on the interviews:
Yes, David Peel is quite eccentric. But once you get past that, you see he is a really sincere, nice person and you can see why John and Yoko were friends with him in the early 70s.
All the interviews were fascinating to me. I learned a lot from speaking with each person. The one that stood out was with Tamiko Steinberg. She is a hidden treasure! Here is someone who spent eight hours a day with John Lennon for two straight months. She got to know him quite well and she tells some great stories about her experiences with him.
Both films have been issued in upgraded DVDs this year. Although we groused in a recent post about the habit of issuing films over and over, both of these upgrades are well worth it.
VCI's upgrade of A Christmas Carol (Ultimate Collector's Edition)(B/W & Color)
The sound has also been upgraded. In addition to the original mono, the disc features a stereo surround sound track, an audio commentary featuring George Cole, who played the young Ebenezer Scrooge, and an audio narrative for the blind.
In addition, a 16x9 widescreen ratio version is also available, though we prefer the original aspect ratio.
The color version of the film that has circulated for several years is on disc 2, maybe the only criticism of the set, as is Seymour Hicks' 1935 version of "Scrooge," probably one of the dreariest versions of the Dickens story out there. It makes for a good comparison with the 1951 version.
Other special features include a photo gallery that includes shots of the original press kit, trailers, restoration comparison, a Charles Dickens featurette and a booklet. Suffice to say this thing is loaded with more than enough features to warrant buying it, even if you already have it. 
These movies are true holiday classics. And these new DVD versions only make the holiday that much more enjoyable.
Warner Home Video has just sent notice that a new two-disc upgrade of "Bonnie and Clyde" is coming Feb. 19. There will be two versions: a Special Edition, retailed for $20.97 list price, with over two hours of extras, including "The Making of Bonnie and Clyde" documentary and Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway wardrobe tests.
An Ultimate Collector's Edition, for $39.92 list, will feature the Special Edition set above, plus a hardcover book with rare photos, a reproduction of the 1967 press kit plus a mail-in offer for a free poster.
Just as an aside, we have to wonder how soon someone will make the lower-priced version include things the higher priced one doesn't.
'Tis the season (don't you hate when a writer says that) for snowflakes, mistletoe and Christmas on TV and video.
And maybe the tale about Christmas that you've all been told more than any other is "A Christmas Carol." No matter where you're reading this, I'm sure there's a production of it within your reach.
Movies and TV have been no stranger to it, certainly. But there certainly are some that are better than others.
Many people (and critics) seem to prefer the Alistair Sim 1951 version. (The cast also includes Patrick McNee, who later played John Steed of "The Avengers", as a young Jacob Marley.)Sim, who died in 1976, was a Scottish character actor who besides appearing in "A Christmas Carol" (also known as "Scrooge"), played Miss Fritton, the headmistress in two of the St. Trinian's films. He also re-created the role of Scrooge in a 1971 animated version of "A Christmas Carol" shown on television.
Most reviewers call Sim's version the most faithful to the book. Personally, I think Sim's version, though quite watchable, is dry and lacking soul.
A version that is somewhat forgotten next to Sim's is Reginald Owen's 1938 version. In the tradition of many MGM films, Owen's is bouncy and has a lot of human touches, making it a nice family film. It was originally intended to star Lionel Barrymore, who played the role of Scrooge annually on radio, but he was forced to drop out of the film because of his arthritis. Gene and Kathleen Lockhart played the Cratchits. The film was indeed a family affair for the Lockharts as a young June Lockhart played their daughter.
For years it remained the most famous film version of the story, and the most lavish, though it only lasts 69 minutes. But its popularity was eclipsed by the 1951 film after it started making the rounds on TV.
In his later years, Owen, interestingly enough, can be seen in a couple of Disney films, "Mary Poppins" (he's Admiral Boom, the commander on the noisy "ship" at the beginning of the film) and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."
Another that often is underestimated and overlooked, primarily because of its age, is the 1935 version known as "Scrooge" starring Sir Seymour Hicks. Of all the versions out there, this one has be to the scariest. Though early in the film, Hicks plays Scrooge as the usual grumpy old man, when confronted by the demons in his life, he is profoundly terrified. There's no whitewashing of the story here. For those who want the coldest and dreariest version of "A Christmas Carol," this is it.
There are, of course, many others. Two recent TV verisions starred George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart. Scott, whose career included playing the stalwart Gen. Patton, shows a multi-faceted side of his acting talents here and is just charming when Scrooge realizes the error of his ways. Stewart, however, is less effective. He comes off more like his Capt. Jean-Luc Picard character from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" early on and his transformation later is not convincing.
There are countless other versions, too. For us, it isn't Christmas until we've watched "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol." Magoo's version butchers the story, adds incompatible songs and theatrics. But, perhaps for sentimental reasons having seen it since its premiere on TV in the '60s, we love it and consider it one of the best versions.
So what is your favorite? We'll put up a poll and you are welcome to add your comments.
There's no question I'm a big fan of DVDs. They've opened up a whole new world. They've freed the home viewer of the movie theater (to the theater owner's dismay).
And unlike VHS tapes, they've brought extra information in the form of special features to consumers.
But you know what I absolutely hate about DVDs? The re-packaging syndrome. The same movies over and over and over again. Yes, we're starting to see movies on their third cycle now.
Some of it is understandable. And legitimate. For example, a reissue from a better master is always a welcome thing, especially when the master originally used was in very poor condition. The reissue of "The Wizard of Oz" in 2005 was a great example of a re-release that made sense.
But now, some DVD manufacturers are reissuing just to add special features. Sure, the package will promote a remastered film, but unless you have a high-tech monitor, you're usually not going to notice the difference.
I won't count Blu-Ray or HD versions. Those are legit, though how many of your old DVDs will you replace?
Or even worse ... anniversary editions. The 50th anniversary edition of "70 Million Miles to Earth"? Why?
It all comes down to money, of course. Let's get the consumer for what we can, especially at the holidays.
Consumers, though, should be hesitant about this stuff. Don't buy a new package just because you can.
Let us know what DVDs you've seen or bought that shouldn't have been reissued.
11/27/06 - Waitress
11/27/07 - Futurama the Movie: Bender's Big Score
11/30/07 - Heroes of War Collection - Frontline Combat
12/4/08 - Saturday Night Live - The Complete Second Season
12/4/07 - 24 - Season 6
12/4/07 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
12/4/07 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection 3 - Still Laughing
12/4/07 - Battlestar Galactica: Razor
12/11/07 - Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald Volume 3
12/11/07 - Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit -
12/11/07 - Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic
12/11/07 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
12/11/07 - Frasier - The Complete Tenth Season
12/11/07 - Lost - The Complete Third Season
12/11/07 - Bourne Ultimatum
12/18/07 - Blade Runner - Ultimate Collector's Edition
12/18/07 - Blade Runner - Complete Collector's Edition
12/18/07 - Blade Runner - The Final Cut
12/18/07 - Halloween
12/31/07 - Two-Lane Blacktop
1/1/08 - Naked Prey
1/1/08 - This Sporting Life
1/1/08 - Miss Julie
I feel sorry for the people who had to choose what to leave out of "The Best of the Colbert Report" (Paramount). You want it to be so much longer!
Even at almost three hours long, the single disc compilation, released Nov. 5, barely covers the reasons why "The Colbert Report" is one of the sharpest and funniest shows on TV.
Colbert, by his own admission, owes much to Bill O'Reilly, "Papa Bear," as he called him (to his face) in a fantastic interview Colbert did on the Fox News Channel last year. O'Reilly's guest spot on "The Report" is on the DVD.
But Colbert, in addition to lampooning O'Reilly's overblown sense of self-importance,
has a keen sense of comedy. His "Know Your District" series, in which he profiles all of the members of the House of Representatives, aren't composed of your usual political interviews. In his interview with Massachusetts' Barney Frank, he steps around the usual subject of interviews with Frank and says, "You like .... dogs?"
And the guy is hip, too. The final segments on the disc feature a "Rock and Awe" competition where Stephen shows his (somewhat) musical chops. He has a lot of fun lampooning both politics and rock here. (He manages to get Henry Kissinger, of all people, to kick off the competition. Amazing!)
One of the best sections of the disc is the appearance of Barry Manilow on his show. You wouldn't think a guy like Manilow would even be in the same room as Colbert, but apparently the two have a genuine friendship. Even funnier is the fact that Manilow won (Colbert likes to say "stole") the Emmy that Colbert was nominated for. When Manilow came on the show, Colbert managed to get Manilow to sign a "peace treaty" (duly notarized) in which the two would share custody of the Emmy and even sings Manilow's trademark "I Write the Songs" with him.
And when Willie Nelson comes on the show, Colbert lampoons him for Nelson's Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor competing with his. When Willie sings, "On the Road Again" at the end, Stephen, of course, joins in. Is a music CD next?
"The Best of the Colbert Report" was put out to capitalize on the current white-hot popularity of the show.
And unlike most TV compilations these days, it's very moderately priced. Colbert obviously knows his audience. And they certainly know him.
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Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Five
In the four-disc set, the first features Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, the second features Looney Tunes versions of fairy tales, the third spotlights the work of Bob Clampett and the fourth features vintage shorts. The special features include some of the brilliant music-only tracks that were Looney Tunes trademarks, tributes to Chuck Jones and Robert McKimson and vault rarities, including Private Snafu.
What's great about these sets is you don't have to feel guilty anymore about liking these cartoons. That's fine with us.
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"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Films) is the most recent film breakdown of the buildup to the war in Iraq by the Bush Administration. The film clearly and distinctly shows how faulty reasoning played an immense part in toppling Saddam Hussein and invading Iraq. One of the most surprising, but maybe not shocking reasons, given the current situation there, is that those in the Bush administration lacking military experience pushed for the invasion and the only ones that had it -- Colin Powell and Richard Armitage -- had reservations.
"No End in Sight" comes at a time when the majority of Americans are disillusioned by the war. As a result, it probably won't change a lot of minds. But a little education can't hurt.
After pondering the idea for some time, we decided to give Netflix's free trial a go. (Click through the banner at the top if you want to try.)
For those who haven't tried it, they have plans starting at $4.99 a month. We chose the $8.99 plan, which allows you to get one DVD at a time, plus watch 19 hours of movies on line a month.
So far, we've gotten "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" and "The Best of the Colbert Report." We like the convenience, especially watching DVDs (stuff that's just been released, too) without leaving home.
And the queue, which you set up to decide which films you'll get, is pretty unique and a nice idea. You never have to tell them to send you something. They send you what's in your queue automatically when you return the previous one you've rented.
If you're a Netflix subscriber, add your comments.
The list of most wanted on DVD gets smaller and smaller all the time. Still, there's a few things we'd love to see out on DVD. Here they are in no particular order:
1) "American Hot Wax" -- Great 1978 rock film starring Tim McIntyre as legendary disc jockey Allen Freed and co-starring Jay Leno, Fran Dreschler, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. Why this one isn't on DVD is anyone's guess, but we suspect it has to do with music rights.
2) "The Devil and Miss Jones" -- No, this isn't the porn film, but the 1941 comedy starring Charles Coburn, Jean Arthur, Spring Byington and Bob Cummings. It was originally released on VHS, but has yet to appear on DVD. Why? (It happens to be one of our favorite old films, too.) (Note: "The More the Merrier," which re-teamed Arthur and Coburn two years later, is on DVD and available through Amazon.com.)
3) "Let It Be" -- This 1970 Beatles film may never show up on DVD if the rumors we've heard are correct. This was not a favorite film of the four Beatles. And even though two of them aren't around to prevent it, their widows want to respect their wishes. Still, we've heard that the film has been restored and maybe, just maybe it'll get released. But for now, don't hold your breath.
4) "Batman" -- That's the Adam West-Burt Ward TV series we're referring to. It has yet to show up, though the 1966 feature film, which isn't as good as the series, has been on DVD for several years and priced very inexpensively. West was asked about this possibility a few years ago and said he knew nothing about it happening. A shame.
5) "The Green Hornet" -- The companion TV series is also not on DVD. A great show. Why isn't it there?
6) "Quick Draw McGraw" -- Hanna Barbera has released many of its core cartoon characters on DVD, but not Quick Draw and Baba Louie (or our fave, El Kabong).
7) "Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow" -- Patrick McGoohan starred as Dr. Syn in this 1964 Disney adaptation, shown on "Wonderful World of Color" and separately. McGoohan's character gave us nightmares as a young boy. We'd love to see this one released.
8) "The Monkey's Uncle" -- Released on VHS, the 1965 film starred Annette Funicello and Tommy Kirk and featured a great theme song featuring Walt Disney's teen star Annette and the Beach Boys. We'll guess again it's music rights, but this one needs to be out. Walt would have wanted it.
Know of any DVDs you'd like released? Let us know and we'll feature them in an upcoming column.
And if you're interested in discussing this or other DVD issues, join our Yahoo DVD Watch discussion group.
