November 15, 2007 - We've just posted our inevitably late but incomparably detailed DVD review of Shrek the Third. The latest installment in DreamWorks' blockbuster franchise of computer-animated comedies puts Shrek and Fiona on the brink of parenthood and the Far Far Away throne while catching up with a vengeful Prince Charming and setting out on a search for a teenaged heir. On DVD, the film is joined by an interactive Worcestershire Academy yearbook, two featurettes, 3 deleted scenes, various short features, plus a collection of DVD-ROM games, printables, and activities. Read our full review.

November 13, 2007 - Don't forget to check out November 13th DVD Schedule for information on more than two dozen of today's major DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD debuts.

Our latest DVD review by Kelvin Cedeno looks at today's reissue, The Princess Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition. Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel, this comedic fairy tale tells a love-driven adventure filled with colorful characters. Quiet in its theatrical release, the Rob Reiner-directed flick has since earned a major place in movie lovers' hearts and movie quoters' minds. The PG-rated MGM film's fourth time on DVD provides fine picture and sound, three new featurettes, a new game, and some snazzy reversible packaging, but sets us back by excluding some important bonuses. Read more...

The first of this week's new DVDs to get reviewed is Disney's "TaleSpin": Volume 2. The contents of this second 27-episode, 3-disc collection improve upon Volume 1's and rank highly among TV animation. This set includes a Christmas show, the 2-part arc "For Whom the Bell Klangs", and dozens of other clever and original episodes. Read the full review.

November 11, 2007 - Our latest review looks at Deck the Halls, Fox's PG-rated 2006 Christmas comedy that recently debuted on DVD. Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito star as heads of small-town New England families whose holiday celebration styles clash. Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth co-star as their supportive wives. The double-sided disc supplies both widescreen and fullscreen versions plus bloopers, three deleted scenes, a handful of short featurettes, and a commentary. Read on.

November 9, 2007 - Our newest review looks at My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Super Sleuth Christmas Movie, a 44-minute special that premieres on DVD later this month. It's spawned from the Playhouse Disney series which mixes things up in Hundred Acre Wood with three-dimensional computer animation, a mystery task force motif, and a 6-year-old girl named Darby. The DVD also includes an activity and a never-before-seen two-part bonus episode. Read the full review.

November 8, 2007 - Our newest DVD review looks at License to Wed. Returning to his manic roots, Robin Williams plays Reverend Frank who puts a young engaged couple (played by Mandy Moore and "The Office"'s John Krasinski) through an extreme marriage preparation course in order for them to wed in his church. Though the PG-13 rated comedy is light, predictable and leaves room for improvement, it's also diverting and quite a bit better than the scathing critical consensus suggests. The disc includes both widescreen and fullscreen formats plus a worthwhile lot of deleted scenes (with optional director's commentary) and "Ask Choir Boy", a made-for-DVD feature with Josh Flitter reprising his role. Read the full review.

November 7, 2007 - Charles Solomon of Amazon.com has posted very early reviews of Walt Disney Treasures: Wave 7 and in doing so has shed light on the contents of the two-disc sets due next month:

Browse more movie posters, photos, and memorabilia

Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic, The Chronological Donald, Volume 3, and The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The multi-paragraph reviews appear about a fifth of the way down the page, immediately beneath Product Details. Thanks to Bill for the head's up!

We've got a special three-in-one article for you today. The History of Pixar: One Story, Two Mediums looks at two new/upcoming items that cover the California studio's rise and success in the field of computer animation. First, we critique To Infinity and Beyond! The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, a lavish 300-page hardcover book from Chronicle Books that will reach stores on December 1. Then, we review The Pixar Story, an independent documentary film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Iwerks (granddaughter of legendary animator Ub Iwerks and the director of The Hand Behind the Mouse) which is winding down a very limited run in select U.S. cities' Landmark Theaters with hopes of Academy Award contention and wider theatrical release in the future. Finally, Christian Ziebarth has photographed and written about last week's Ratatouille-flavored party at Sunset Boulevard's Social Hollywood marking the Blu-ray Disc debuts of both Cars and Pixar's most recent film. Don't miss this special report.

The Ultimate Disney.com Forum is abuzz with news from Brazil that Alice in Wonderland is joining the collection of animated features that Disney has dubbed Platinum Editions. Subjected to hostile reviews upon release, the 1951 adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy has earned favor over the years, but it has never ranked among the studio's best-selling titles, the criterion for Platinum line inclusion. The presentation by the Brazilian arm of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment reportedly declared that with the addition of Alice, Aladdin will be bounced from the Platinum canon. A phenomenal box office success and winner of multiple awards, the 1992 film nonetheless is believed to have fallen short of Disney's sales expectations when it made its DVD debut in a highly-praised set in 2004. The presentation confirmed 2008's known Platinum schedule (101 Dalmatians, Sleeping Beauty) while announcing that 2009 will bring Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 2010 would see both Fantasia films and Beauty and the Beast resurfacing, and 2011 will give us newcomer Alice in Wonderland as well as The Lion King. Though the information pertains to the South American market, all Platinum Edition releases have been upheld worldwide.

November 6, 2007 - Don't miss our DVDizzy.com Guide to November 6th DVDs, for a look at the more than 20 noteworthy movies and collections available today.

Our latest DVD review looks at one of today's new releases, Chinatown: Special Collector's Edition. In one of the most acclaimed films in cinema history, Jack Nicholson plays a private investigator intrigued by a water department conspiracy and a suspicious death in 1930s Los Angeles. This R-rated 1974 noir-inspired mystery returns to DVD with three featurettes that catch up with Nicholson, director Roman Polanski, writer Robert Towne, and producer Robert Evans. An Oscar nominee in 11 categories and deemed the third best movie of the 1970s by the American Film Institute, Chinatown merits a look or, as the case more likely be, another look. Read on...

November 5, 2007 - Our Upcoming Cover Art page has been updated with artwork from this December's and early 2008's Disney DVD releases. Check it out now.

November 4, 2007 - Our newest DVD review covers The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, the third and apparently last film in Disney's Christmas comedy series. In this sequel, the holiday season finds Santa (Tim Allen) dealing with his wife's pregnancy and parents (award-winning cast-joiners Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret), his ex-wife's family (all returning), and a conniving Jack Frost (Martin Short) who's secretly set on making Christmas his. While playing closer to 2002's kid-oriented sequel than the superior 1994 hit, this one offers improvement in some ways, has enough good ideas and originality to justify its creation, and offers some spirited performances. The DVD serves up both widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film plus three good little featurettes, an alternate opening, a happily sincere director's commentary, bloopers, an Aly & AJ music video, and a 7-song Christmas karaoke feature montaging clips from all three Santa Clause films. Read the full review.

Like all DVD studios, this month sees the newly-renamed Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment kicking into high gear and we've updated our Disney DVD Schedule with new information and links for all of the company's scheduled 2007 and 2008 titles. More...

November 2, 2007 - Our latest review covers next Tuesday's home video debut of Ratatouille. Pixar's newest film feels like their weakest and its DVD release certainly pales next to studio's outstanding 2-disc sets. But... visually stunning, interest-sustaining, and full of ideas, this Jan Pinkava-turned-Brad Bird movie is well worth checking out in spite of its weaknesses. Though the disc delivers the usual flawless picture/sound of Pixar's digital transfers, it's lighter on extras than most modern films, supplying two shorts (one being the new 11-minute "Your Friend the Rat"), three deleted scenes, a featurette, and a brief Easter Egg. Read our full review.

Disney won't wait for the Halloween season to release the recently-debuted telemovie Twitches Too on DVD. The Disney Channel Original Movie will arrive in a "Double Charmed Edition" on January 29th with an alternate scene and a featurette with outtakes; like the first movie and most DCOMs, it will be presented in 1.33:1 and Dolby 5.1. Due the same day, on the heels of previous best-selling compilations, is a fourth DVD devoted to Disney Channel's most-watched current series. "Hannah Montana": One in a Million will serve up 4 episodes including one featuring the Jonas Brothers plus music videos and a countdown of the Top 10 Disney Channel Character Feuds.

Winter will also bring more for viewers of the network's Playhouse Disney programming. February 19th will bring episode compilations "Handy Manny": Fixing It Right and "Little Einsteins": Race for Space". Meanwhile, "Johnny and the Sprites": Meet the Sprites will mark that colorful children's series' DVD debut in March. In addition, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Wonderland, which is being dubbed an all-new movie, has been pegged for release in September 2008.

November 1, 2007 - Aaron Wallace pens our latest DVD review on Bram Stoker's Dracula: Collector's Edition. The 1992 Francis Ford Coppola-directed adaptation of the classic horror novel stars Gary Oldman in the title role and co-stars Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins, and Winona Ryder. The R-rated blockbuster was recently given two-disc treatment by Sony, which serves up a wealth of new supplements. Read on...

Recent Disney DVD and Movie Reviews:
• Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 1 - Compiles over twenty years of the computer animation wizards' largely terrific shorts. Picture/sound is flawless plus the set includes a great featurette, audio commentary on all but one short, and some minor Easter Eggs but at far too steep a price for stuff that everyone should already own.
• Baby Einstein: Lullaby Time - Rather than trying to educate toddlers, the 25th volume in the 10-year-old series just wants to comfort them with soothing sounds, peaceful landscapes, and lamb-featuring interstitials.
• Meet the Robinsons - This recent CGI adventure is one of Disney's most entertaining cartoons released this decade. While leaving room for improvement in the extras department, the disc serves up flawless picture and sound plus a commentary, a featurette, 2 music videos, and 3 deleted scenes.

Recent Non-Disney DVD Reviews:
• The Wendell Baker Story - Luke Wilson makes his writing and directing debuts while starring as the titular Texas schemer in this PG-13-rated independent comedy. He surrounds himself with family, friends, and famous faces (including big brother Owen, Will Ferrell, Seymour Cassel, Harry Dean Stanton, Eva Mendes, Eddie Griffin, and Kris Kristofferson). Involving and entertaining if not too frequently hilarious, the film merits a viewing on DVD after being severely underexposed in theaters. The disc includes two good featurettes, a group of deleted scenes, a lackluster director's commentary, and more.
• "October Road": The Complete First Season - Bryan Greenberg ("One Tree Hill") plays a young man returning home after ten years away; Laura Prepon ("That '70s Show") co-stars as the girlfriend-with-child he left behind. ABC's hour-long drama is buoyed by great performances but restrained by coincidence-riddled scripts. The 2-disc, 6-episode set includes a modest slate of bonus features.
• "Scrubs": The Complete Sixth Season - The hospital comedy turns the focus to relationships in its penultimate year, with 4 couples, 3 pregnancies, and a proposal all getting attention. Hilarity is still rampant, despite a midseason lull and slight drop in overall quality. Buena Vista's 3-disc set offers commentaries for all 22 episodes plus deleted scenes, alternate lines, an interview with Judy Reyes, a handful of featurettes, and an Easter egg.
• The Best of "The Colbert Report" - Disc contains three hours of memorable segments from Comedy Central's two-year-old "Daily Show" spin-off. Celebrity guests, musical acts, political news analysis, and green screen challenges all prove a showcase for entertaining host Stephen Colbert, whose absurd patriotic persona finds humor in current events.
• 28 Weeks Later - Despite major personnel changes and a lack of English language experience, the creative team here delivers an involving follow-up to the critically-acclaimed 2003 horror film. This sequel centers on two kids returning to London six months after the rage infection's outbreak to reunite with their parents. The DVD satisifies with a filmmakers' commentary, three good featurettes, two deleted scenes, and two graphic novel-adapted shorts adapted.
• Elvis: That's the Way It Is - Two-Disc Special Edition - This 1970 concert film showcases the energetic, crowd-pleasing stage presence of one of the 20th century's most popular performers. One part rehearsal and two parts Las Veags concert, this feature was meant to bring Presley back to real music after more than a decade in Hollywood. Warner's DVD offers the original theatrical cut in addition to 2001's significantly different (and more Elvis-centric) edit, plus outtakes, a featurette, a trailer, and dozens of text screens.
• Homie Spumoni - R-rated, Warner-distributed, direct-to-video comedy stars Donald Faison ("Scrubs") as a black man who's been raised as an Italian. Jamie Lynn Sigler ("The Sopranos"), Whoopi Goldberg, *NSync's Joey Fatone, Paul Mooney, and Tony Rock co-star. The DVD includes a gag reel and a featurette set at Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles.
• The Hoax - This recent Miramax film tells the (mostly) true story of Clifford Irving (Richard Gere), a writer who duped the world into believing he would deliver an exclusive autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. The DVD includes two audio commentaries, deleted scenes, an extended take, a featurette, and a short piece with "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace, who twice interviewed the real Irving.

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