I thought I’d get this week’s DVD Tuesday out of the way a little early, so you won’t accidentally miss this week’s big releases, both of which I am very excited about.
After many, many, many many delaysEd Wood has finally made it to DVD. It was going to be released as a bare-bones movie-only edition a few years ago, but it got pulled at the last minute, supposedly because Tim Burton heard about the release and wanted to contribute to a special edition. (The usually taciturn Burton seems to have a newfound love for DVD special editions, as evidence by the Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure special edition, among others.) Then the special edition was almost released earlier this year (even making it to some stores and selling for a day or two), but it was also pulled at the last minute. Word is that the only piece removed from the final version was a short piece about cross-dressing, because Burton didn’t like it.
In any case, the Academy Award–winning film on the life of visionary director Ed Wood is finally available! Martin Landau is almost unrecognizable as Bela Lugosi, but he is simply brilliant in the part. And Burton favorite Johnny Depp is also a joy to watch as Ed Wood, the director with boundless blind optimism and a love for movies. Pick it up for $19.99 at Best Buy or most other stores.
Double-dipping, or filling a market demand? Interpret it how you like, but the Hellboy: Director’s Cut is finally out this week. As I mentioned before, this DVD is a companion piece to the original Hellboy DVD, and includes an extended director’s cut (about 10 minutes longer) with an all-new commentary. The set is indeed a three-disc special edition. There had been rumors that it would have one disc for the director’s cut, and the other two discs would simply be the discs from the previous DVD edition. Instead, we get the new director’s-cut disc, the same special-features disc from the previous DVD, and an all-new third disc with more behind-the-scenes material. So yes, you are paying for one disc twice, but if you love Hellboy like I love Hellboy (or at least, really liked it), then you’ll want to pick up this new DVD.
The DVD is $22.99 at most places, but Best Buy has a deal where you can buy both the director’s cut and Underworld, and save $10. And of course, if you later decide that you don’t really want Underworld, there is nothing stopping you from returning it, netting you Hellboy for $17.99. Tack on the $5 rebate from the previous DVD, and you’re down to only $12.99 for two new discs of pure Mignola goodness! No need to thank me…just doing my job.
Addendum: Okay, I was excoriated by Chris for not including Arrested Development: Season One on my list of must-buy DVDs for this week. I informed him that I had never seen the show, and was hesitant to pick it up sight unseen. He gave me a money-back guarantee: If I buy it and don’t like it, he will refund my money. Given that level of confidence in the show, how can I refuse? Therefore, I am adding Arrested Development to this week’s recommended DVDs. It has Chris’s seal of approval. I will watch and report back.
