The big DVD news of the day was supposed to be the long-anticipated arrival of The Criterion Collection's first Blu-Ray discs, including the Criterion debuts of Wong Kar-wai's dreamy cop melodrama Chungking Express and Wes Anderson's sweet, funny debut film Bottle Rocket (along with re-releases of Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell To Earth and Carol Reed's The Third Man). But the good people at Criterion have never exactly been sticklers for street dates, so while you can pick the standard editions of the Wong and the Wes today, you'll have to wait until December 16th to get your Criterion Blu-Ray fix. (The discs do exist though… I got my copy of Chungking Express in the mail yesterday.)
And that's not the only dreary DVD news of the day. Look down the list below and ask yourself if you'd like to make a special trip to your video retailer of choice this afteroon to pick up Meet Dave, or Fred Claus, or Space Chimps. Still, in the midst of that roll call of mediocrity, perhaps the daring, thoughtful, often-frustrating Hancock will finally get the respect it deserves. It's no masterpiece, and in a summer full of ambitious, staggeringly successful blockbusters, Hancock definitely looked like an also-ran. But it's much better than its reputation, and according to all reports, the unrated extended cut makes the ride a little less bumpy.
And now, since this is the season of giving thanks, let's end with two releases that should please people who like things that are good. First off, the long-out-of-print "yearbook edition" of Freaks & Geeks returns, allowing those who came late to the series and missed the original release to catch up with the bonus discs and accompanying reading material. And of course let's not forget the greatest gift of all: The release of A Colbert Christmas, a new holiday classic that manages to mock '70s variety shows while affirming their "everybody's welcome here" values. Good show, Colbert.
24: Redemption (20th Century Fox, $26.98)
The Atomic Café (Docurama, $39.95)
Beautiful Ohio (IFC, $19.95)
Bottle Rocket (Criterion, $39.95)
Chungking Express (Criterion, $39.95)
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All (Comedy Central, $19.99)
Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live At The Troubador (Shout! Factory, $14.98; Blu-Ray, $24.98)
Dead Of Winter (Lionsgate, $26.98)
The Doris Day Show: The Complete Collection (MPI, $159.98)
Elton John: Tantrums And Tiaras (Echo Bridge, $24.95)
Family Affair: The Complete Series (MPI, $159.98)
Focus: The Collected Filmstrips Of Brian Dewan, Vol. 1 (Bright Red Rocket, $25.00)
Freaks & Geeks: Yearbook Edition (Shout! Factory, $169.98)
Fred Claus (Warner, $28.98; Blu-Ray, $35.99)
George Carlin: It's Bad For Ya (MPI, $19.98; Blu-Ray, $24.98)
Girls In Chains (Media Blasters, $19.99)
Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Final Season (Paramount, $39.98)
Hancock (Sony, $28.96/$34.95; Blu-Ray, $39.95)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At Monterey (Experience Blu-Ray, $24.95)
Jimi Hendrix: Live At Woodstock (Experience Blu-Ray, $24.95)
Lady With The Dog (Facets, $29.95)
Larry The Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza (Warner, $19.95)
Madhouse (Dark Sky, $14.98)
Mahabharata (Image, $39.98)
A Man Named Pearl (New Video Group, $26.95)
Meet Dave (20th Century Fox, $29.99; Blu-Ray, $39.99)
Misty (Koch, $14.98)
The Mod Squad: The Second Season, Vol. 1 (Paramount, $39.98)
The Nutty Professor (Animated) (Weinstein, $19.98)
Part-Time Work Of A Domestic Slave (Facets, $29.95)
Paul Weller: Live At The BBC (Universal, $34.98)
Pink Panther Ultimate Collection (MGM, $199.98)
River Queen (Weinstein Company, $24.95)
Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live (Zoe, $24.98; Blu-Ray, $29.98)
Shadow Company (Passion River, $24.95)
Slap Shot 3: The Junior League (Universal, $26.98)
Sounder (Koch, $14.98)
The Story Of The Yardbirds (Zeit, $18.95)
Superman: Doomsday (Warner, $ 24.98; Blu-Ray, $29.99)
Space Chimps (20th Century Fox, $29.99; Blu-Ray, $39.99)
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (Criterion, $39.95)
The Town That Banned Christmas (Peace Arch, $19.99)