This week, BCI Eclipse, a Navarre Corp. company, and leading U.K. media company and underlying rights owner, Entertainment Rights Plc (ER) released THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN: VOLUME ONE. The six DVD pack, which is released under BCI's Ink & Paint brand, will include 33 digitally remastered episodes from the first season of the '90s animated series and be available for $49.98.
Starlight Home Ent. is set to release the first three of a nine DVD collection based on the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. The first three titles, which will sell for $14.99, will hit stores on Dec. 27, 2006.
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: THE FAIRY TALES - THE LITTLE MERMAID AND OTHER STORIES is a newly animated version of the young mermaid Princess who sacrifices her beautiful voice for human legs, when she falls in love with a Prince. Bonus stories include: WHAT THE OLD MAN DOES IS RIGHT, IT'S QUITE TRUE and OLLIE SHUT EYE.
ADV Films has released new DVD collections of FULL METAL PANIC? FUMOFFU, SHINOBI, E'S OTHERWISE, PANIPONI DASH! and PAPUWA.
ADV Films has released the thin-packed complete collection of FULL METAL PANIC? FUMOFFU.
Following the first two volumes of the JAMES BOND ULTIMATE EDITION, comes the remaining third and fourth volumes (Fox Home Ent./MGM, $89.98 each) on Dec. 12, 2006. Featuring five films each (not in order), these are the best looking transfers yet on DVD, thanks to Lowry Digital Images (the original STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES trilogies). Lowry scanned the original negatives at 4K and then digitally cleaned and color corrected them. They have never looked this dazzling at home. Can't wait for Blu-ray!
Wave 6 in the popular WALT DISNEY TREASURES DVD series has arrived Dec. 19, 2006 (Walt Disney Home Ent., $32.99 each). Included in the four new two-disc sets are MORE SILLY SYMPHONIES, THE COMPLETE PLUTO VOLUME 2, YOUR HOST, WALT DISNEY and THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB FEATURING THE HARDY BOYS.
Disney's THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2 premiered on DVD on Dec. 12, 2006 (Walt Disney Home Ent., $29.99). The DisneyToon Studios production is a musical adventure sequel to 1981's animated THE FOX AND THE HOUND. Jim Kammerud (101 DALMATIANS II: PATCH'S LONDON ADVENTURE and THE LITTLE MERMAID II: RETURN TO THE SEA) directs from a script by Rich Burns and Roger S.H. Schulman. Scott Petersen, whose animation credits include THE IRON GIANT, THE LION KING 1-1/2 and DREW CAREY'S GREEN SCREEN SHOW, serves as animation supervisor.
The #1 DVD of the holiday season and the #1 movie of the year, Walt Disney Pictures' PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST, is now firmly in place to become the #1 live-action DVD of all time and the #1 DVD of the year, selling 10.5 million units on DVD in North America in its first week of release, the highest initial week for any title this year, it was announced by Bob Chapek, president of Buena Vista Worldwide Home Ent. (BVWHE).
A deluxe edition of Dr. Seuss' venerable HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! (Warner Home Video, $19.98) was released on Nov. 21, 2006 -- just in time to celebrate the Grinch's 50th birthday in 2007.
Starz Home Ent., in co-production with Stan Lees POW! Ent. Inc., will release on DVD the first of two brand new, full-length, animated feature films, STAN LEE PRESENTS: MOSAIC, on Jan. 9, 2007. Created by fantasy maestro Stan Lee, STAN LEE PRESENTS: MOSAIC (suggested retail is $14.98) should make for an adventurous new year.
Geneon Ent. (USA) Inc. has released HELLSING ULTIMATE OVA SERIES. Based on the popular and ongoing HELLSING manga series, HELLSING ULTIMATE OVA SERIES is completely reanimated in the original comic style the creator, Kouta Hirano intended.
BCI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corp., has released on DVD the original 1983 animated series DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. The complete series, featuring all 27 episodes in a collector's five-disc boxed set, will be released under BCI's Ink & Paint brand (www.inkandpaintdvd.com) for $54.98.
Warner Home Video (WHV) has released WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO? VOLUME 10: MONSTROUS TAILS on DVD for $19.96.
Following holiday tradition, Classic Media is re-releasing its timeless Christmas DVD titles from their library of original television Christmas classics, including RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, THE LEGEND OF FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL and CRICKET ON THE HEARTH.
Walt Disney Home Ent. has released the studio's biggest box office success -- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST -- on DVD. The film is being released as both a deluxe two-disc Special Edition DVD set ($34.99) and as a single-disc DVD ($29.99).
For a very limited time, Walt Disney Home Ent. presents THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE FOUR-DISC EXTENDED EDITION available on DVD Dec. 12, 2006. This four-disc DVD edition will only be available for seven weeks over the holidays.
Warner Home Video has released volume 2 of both ANIMANIACS and PINKY & THE BRAIN. Both sets sell for $44.98.
VIZ Media Llc. has announced a variety of anime offerings for the 2006 holiday season. These DVD volumes include new and recently released installments from series like SHONEN JUMP NARUTO, INUYASHA, FULL MOON, ZATCH BELL! and FLAME OF RECCA.
On Dec. 5, 2006, the first volume of season one of HAPPY TREE FRIENDS is coming to DVD from BCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Navarre Corp., and Mondo Media.
"These characters have had a tremendous cult following on the Internet for years, beginning as online shorts in the year 2000," said Jeff Hayne, director of acquisitions, BCI. "Due to their global popularity, Mondo Media started creating half-hour episodes, and fans are thrilled. We're proud to now have the opportunity to present these new episodes on DVD."
On Nov. 28, 2006, ADV Films released the 13 blood-soaked episodes of ELFEN LIED: THE DICLONIUS REPORT. Other highlights of ADV's November DVD release lineup include: COMIC PARTY REVOLUTION, THE SAMURAI X COMPLETE COLLECTION, GUYVER: THE BIOBOOSTED ARMOR, UFO ULTRAMAIDEN VALKYRIE, the fourth volume of MICHEL, the second installment of JINKI: EXTEND, and the final volumes of KALEIDO STAR: NEW WINGS and THIS UGLY YET BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
Despite being produced during Disney's difficult period following Walt's death, there's something irresistible about ROBIN HOOD (1973), which returns to DVD Nov, 28, 2006, in a special MOST WANTED EDITION (Disney Home Ent., $29.99). Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, the animation may be uninspiring but the leisurely pace is rather charming, helped to a large extent by the supporting voice work by Phil Harris as Little John, a bear that could be a close cousin to Baloo, Peter Ustinov as Prince John the lion and Terry-Thomas as the abused snake, Hiss.
Lost in the summer glut of animated movies was THE ANT BULLY from director John Davis and his Texas-based DNA studio (JIMMY NEUTRON). Thanks to DVD, though, the movie based on John Nickle's popular children's book gets a second chance) on Nov. 28, 2006 (Warner Home Video, $28.98.
As part of the SUPERMAN celebration on DVD this week (Nov. 28, 2006), compiled in the SUPERMAN ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Warner Home Video, $99.98), comes the holy grail: SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT (also sold separately for $24.98).
Bryan Singer's SUPERMAN RETURNS, which takes its inspiration from the two Richard Donner classics with Christopher Reeve, bows Nov. 28, 2006, on DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc (Warner Home Video: $28.98 for single-disc DVD with no bonus features, $34.99 for two-disc special edition DVD, $39.99 for HD-DVD/DVD combo and $34.99 for Blu-ray).
STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES made its highly anticipated DVD debut on Nov. 21, 2006 (CBS DVD and Paramount Home Ent. $62.99). Creator Gene Roddenberry's animated version of STAR TREK (produced by Filmation Assoc.: 1973-75) features the voices of nearly the entire cast of the original live-action series, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett, as they embark on the further adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
THE DA VINCI CODE blockbuster (with noteworthy vfx from Rainmaker UK and MPC) hits DVD shelves on Nov. 14, 2006 (Sony Pictures Home Ent., $29.96), just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday and pivotal Black Friday shopping spree.
