Whatever the outcome of this situation, there seems to be one sure bet: we can look for an accelerated video release schedule for Oscar hopefuls in the next couple months, with studios pushing their movies out on DVD (and hopefully into voters’ hands) much quicker than before.

It seems like a long time ago that this mutant superhero sequel was released:

(O) X2: X-MEN UNITED (Fox) You may quibble with some of the logic (she can lift a jet with her mental powers, but can’t lift herself out of the way of a flood?) but this hit sequel continues Bryan Singer’s excellent adaptation of the Marvel Comics series in high style, with some great acting, f/x and fight scenes. The two-disc set in either widescreen 2.4:1 or fullscreen includes two commentraks, interactive multi-angle scene study, behind-the-scenes featurettes, Making-Of, 11 deleted/extended scenes, and more.
(O) X-MEN Collection (Fox) A four-disc set includes the X-MEN 1.5 and X2: X-MEN UNITED discs. It’s the ultimate X-Men box set until the next one. Both fullscreen and widescreen editions available.
SPOTLIGHT EXTRA:
Gotta give special mention to Anchor Bay’s double feature Hammer Collection re-releases! Some of them make for an odd pair, but they’re all worth a look :
(O) ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN / SHATTER (Anchor Bay)
(O) THE DEVIL RIDES OUT / RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK (Anchor Bay)
(O) DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS / SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (Anchor Bay)
(O) FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE / X THE UNKNOWN (Anchor Bay)
(O) FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN / LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (Anchor Bay)
(O) THE LOST CONTINENT / THE REPTILE (Anchor Bay)
(O) THE MUMMY’S SHROUD / PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (Anchor Bay)
(O) PREHISTORIC WOMEN / THE WITCHES (Anchor Bay)
(O) QUATERMASS 2 / QUATERMASS & THE PIT (Anchor Bay)
(O) VENGEANCE OF SHE / VIKING QUEEN (Anchor Bay)

(O) ANCIENT WARRIORS (MTI/Gator) Former Delta Force soldiers assemble the squad for a mission to take down an underground biomechanical weapons plant, but unleash a platoon of spooks!
(O) ALIEN CONTAMINATION (Westlake) Luigi Cozzi’s ALIEN-inspired tale of eggs from space that try to conquer Earth is still gross and yucky after all these years.
(O) ASSASSIN (Westlake) Robert Conrad has to stop a merciless cyborg killer.
(O) ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS (Alpha) U.S. version of the bizarre 1969 Japanese feature GAMERA VS. GUIRON.
(O) BLACK COBRA 2 (Westlake) Italian blaxploitation starring Fred Williamson as a tough Chicago cop that somehow ends up in the Philippines trying to save school kids from terrorists.
(O) BLOODFIGHT (Westlake) Yasuaki Kurata tries to make a comeback in the kickboxing game by training Simon Yam for a championship fight, but he has to deal with the evil champ Bolo Yeung. A surprisingly good 1989 martial arts feature.
(O) BODY MELT (Vanguard) Malfunctioning diet drug horror. Want fries with that?
(O) BRUCE ALMIGHTY (Universal) Omnipotent Morgan Freeman gives TV newsman Jim Carrey nigh-unlimited power. Hilarity ensues. Available in full and widescreen, both with deleted scenes, outtakes and more.
(O) CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (MGM) Dick Van Dyke stars as inventor Caractacus Potts, who invents a flying supercar that takes his family on a strange adventure, in this beloved musical adaptation of Ian Fleming’s novel. It was a big deal for us to see this opening night at the Chicago Theater in 1968. Fans were pretty cheesed off when this came out in a no-frills cropped edition a couple years ago, but now it’s available in a two-disc special edition that includes both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen, plus interviews, documentary featurettes, games, a booklet, and other extras.
(O) CREATURE (Westlake) Teams from different countries race for mining rights on Titan, but find the whole German team slaughtered by a brain-eating monster – except for Klaus Kinski, who was apparently too unpleasant.
(O) DARK CRYSTAL Collector’s Edition Box Set (Columbia TriStar) Frank Oz and Jim Henson’s fantasy film comes with a film frame reproduction, a copy of the director’s production notes and original treatment, work print and deleted scenes, galleries and a special foreword.
(O) DARK SHADOWS Set 9 (MPI) Another four-disc set of the greatest supernatural soap opera of the 1960s.
(O) THE DEAD OR ALIVE TRILOGY COLLECTION (Kino) Director Takashi Miike brought together yakuza movie icons Show Aikawa and Riki Takiuchi for this trilogy of totally over the top action features that turned the entire crime genre on its ear. These movies are incredibly cool!
(O) EMPEROR JONES (Image) In this 1933 adaptation of the hit play, Paul Robeson stars as a railroad porter who becomes the ruler of a small Caribbean island.
(O) FROZEN ALIVE (Alpha) Did a cryogentic scientist freeze his wife?
(O) THE HAND (Alpha) 1960 horror thriller has Scotland Yard hunting for a one-armed killer.
(O) HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND (Alpha) The good news: you’re stranded on an island with a dozen showgirls. The bad news: you get bit by a mutant monster spider.
(O) HOUSE OF MYSTERY (Alpha) Gorilla on the loose in this 1934 Old Dark House thriller.
(O) IN HELL (Columbia TriStar) Jean-Claude Van Damme is sent to a brutal prison where the warden stages fights to the death between prisoners. Directed by Ringo Lam. Includes Making-Of.
(O) LEGEND OF SURIYOTHAI (Columbia TriStar) Huge, critically-acclaimed Thai epic tells the true story of a 17^th century warrior princess. Includes director’s commentary, deleted scenes, Making Of, director’s commentrak, gallery and trailers.
(O) LIANE, JUNGLE GODDESS (Alpha) One of a trio of mid-1950s German jungle girl films.
(O) THE LOST JUNGLE 1 & 2 (Alpha) Animal trainer Clyde Beatty stars as himself in this chapretplay serial.
(O) LOST TREASURE (DEJ) Stephen Baldwin tries to rescue his abducted brother (no, not Alec) from a treasure-hunting gang on a Caribbean island.
(O) MARY-KATE & ASHLEY: THE CHALLENGE (Warner Bros.) Estranged twin sisters are surprised to find themselves on the same SURVIVOR-style TV game show. Yeah, we know you hide all your M-K & A videos behind your STAR WARS collection.
(O) MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN (Alpha) Atmospheric Eurohorror.
(O) NECRO FILES 2: LUST NEVER DIES (Astaroth) The original 1997 NECRO, a tale of a Zombie Maniac on a rape and murder rampage that’s opposed by a demonic flying baby, is one of the most outrageous low budget movies I’ve ever seen. In the sequel, the Zombie Maniac is re-animated by his serial killer brother and they team up for more sickening shocks. Includes filmmaker commentrak, behind-the-scenes documentary, deleted footage and more.
(O) NIGHT FRIGHT (Alpha) 1967 sci-fi thriller pits aliens against Jon Agar.
(O) THE PERSUADERS Collection 1 (A&E) Check it out! The first 13 episodes of this cool cult favorite TV series in which Roger Moore and Tony Curtis are two affable rich guys who team up to fight crime for kicks. Includes commentrak on the pilot.
(O) PROFILER Season 2 (A&E) 19 episodes on six discs. Includes commentrak by an actual criminal profiler.
(O) SCHLOCK!: The Secret History of American Movies (Pathfinder) Documentary tells the story of exploitation pioneers David Friedman, Doris Wishman, Roger Corman, Sam Arkoff, Harry Novack and many more. Includes extra interviews, commentrak, and more. Delayed from last month.
(O) SEVEN DOORS TO DEATH (Alpha) 1944 detective thriller.
(O) SHERLOCK HOLMES COLLECTION Volume 2 (MPI) Four-disc set of classic Holmes with Basil Rathbone includes HOUSE OF FEAR, PEARL OF DEATH, SCARLET CLAW and THE SPIDERWOMAN (all available separately). Includes special introduction, commentraks and poster & still gallery.
(O) STAR KNIGHT (Westlake) This Spanish-made 1985 sci-fi/swords & sorcery movie stars Harvey Keitel and Klaus Kinski!
(O) STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURES (Paramount) Box set of ALL TEN Trek movies in deluxe edition DVDs
(O) THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT (Columbia TriStar) Moe, Larry and Curly Joe shack up with a goofy inventor and fight a Martian invasion. The perfect thing to watch in between those STAR TREK movies.
(O) TORMENTED (Alpha) Richard Carlson is haunted by his dead fiancée in this cheesy Bert I. Gordon film.
(O) TUAREG THE DESERT WARRIOR (Westlake) After the Apocalypse, Mark Harmon fights for justice against a lot of Italian actors in this Enzo Castilari action epic.
(O) THE VIOLENT YEARS (Alpha) Ed Wood tale of wild chicks that rob gas stations.

ANIME ADDITIONS

And finally, we close off each weekly list with a rundown of the constant stream of anime from around the world:

(O) ANGELIC LAYER 2 (ADV Films)
(O) FIST OF THE NORTH STAR Volume 5 (Manga) Eight new episodes of super martial arts action, never before released in the USA, with a special drum and bass score on the English track.
(O) FULL METAL PANIC! Mission 04 (ADV Films) Sci-fi action.
(O) L/R MISSION FILE 1: Deceptions (Pioneer) The Cloud 7 team is "Licensed by Royalty" for impossible missions. Also available in collector’s box.
(O) NEW DOMINION TANK POLICE (Manga) From anime legend Masamune Shirow comes this six-episode sequel series about a police task force hunting down rogue androids and cyborgs in tanks! Includes DD 5.1 Surround and poster.
(O) POKÉMON: JOHTO LEAGUE CHAMPIONS Volume 5 (Viz)
(O) PROJECT ARMS Volume 7: Man at the Helm (Viz) Includes behind-the-scenes footage and animation art gallery.
(O) SLAYERS: RETURN (ADV Films) Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent are back in trouble again.
(O) THE SORCERER HUNTERS Volume 5: Chocolate, Springs & Other Hot Things! (ADV Films) Sex and sorcery collide in this series with some of the best drawn hair in all anime.
(O) SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS: Box Set 3 (AnimEigo)
(O) X: Eight (Pioneer) The final chapter.

And be sure to check back next week—and every week—for CINESCAPE’s DVD Shopping List!

DVD Shopping List (© 2003 Brian Thomas) is our weekly DVD column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive new book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!