New Videos Coming Out This Week

Many are looking forward to new releases such as Finding Forrester and Little Nicky. But there are other exciting movies coming your way, including films already available on VHS that are just now being released on DVD or coming out in a special edition. Let’s take a look at the new releases.

Finding Forrester

Tagline: "In an ordinary place, he found the one person to make his life extraordinary."

In this drama from director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting), Jamal (Rob Brown) is a gifted black teenager who is good at basketball and also enjoys writing. Then Jamal befriends the reclusive William Forrester (Sean Connery), an aging writer who hasn’t published anything since his first book made him famous decades ago. Forrester believes Jamal has great potential as a writer and becomes his mentor. But when Jamal starts attending a private school on a scholarship, he must make some major decisions that will affect the rest of his life.

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

The Girl on the Bridge

Directed by Patrice Leconte, this French-language fable-like film is the story of a quirky relationship between Gabor (Daniel Auteuil) and Adele (Vanessa Paradis). In Paris, Adele is a suicidal young woman who goes to a bridge where she meets Gabor, a knife-thrower looking for a partner for his act. They team up and perform together on the Riviera, in Athens, and in Istanbul. A mystical bond develops between Gabor and Adele as he throws knives that land very close to all the parts of her body.

Formats Available: Already on DVD, VHS release April 24, 2001

Little Nicky - New Line Platinum Series

Tagline: "You know his number. You know his name. And now, you will meet...his son."

Adam Sandler stars in and cowrote this comedy that features a large number of cameo appearances by well-known movie and television personalities. In the film, the Devil’s two eldest sons go to New York City, where they’re responsible for all manner of mischief. Soon the Devil’s youngest son Nicky (Sandler) chases after his errant brothers to bring them back to Hell. But the plot is unimportant; what matters are the crude jokes and raunchy humor that Adam Sandler fans have come to expect in his films. On the Rotten Tomatoes Web site, 79 percent of the critics found Little Nicky to be rotten. But I imagine that Sandler’s fans don’t much care what the critics say as long as he keeps them laughing.

Special Features on the DVD:

• The behind-the-scenes documentary Adam Sandler Goes To Hell.
• A heavy-metal documentary Satan's Top 40.
• Commentary by Adam Sandler, filmmaker, and the cast.
• Production notes and the film’s trailer.

Formats Available: Little Nicky - New Line Platinum Series is a special DVD edition. Little Nicky is also available on VHS.

The Mummy - Ultimate Edition

Tagline: "The sands will rise. The heavens will part. The power will be unleashed."

This is a loose adaptation of the 1932 film of the same name in which Boris Karloff starred in the title role. Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) recruits Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) to lead her to the ancient city of Hamunaptra in search of Egyptian artifacts, but things get complicated when they must contend with a mummy who returns from the dead with hopes of resurrecting his lover.

• Listen to commentary by Stephen Sommers (director, cowriter screen-story) and Bob Ducsay (editor).
• Find out about the special effects used in the film.
• Learn more about Egyptian mythology and the world of ancient Egypt.
• Deleted scenes.

Formats Available: The Mummy - Ultimate Edition is a special DVD edition. The Mummy is also available on VHS.

One Day in September

Michael Douglas narrates Kevin Macdonald's 1999 Academy Award-winning documentary about the massacre that occurred during the 1972 Olympic Games at Munich after a Palestinian extremist group called Black September took Israeli athletes hostage.

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Rocky

Tagline: "His whole life was a million-to-one shot!"

Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture, Rocky is the film that made Sylvester Stallone (who both scripted the film and acts in the title role) a star. Rocky Balboa is a down-on-his-luck boxer from Philadelphia who has a chance at hitting the big time when he gets to fight the current heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. I’ll admit that Rocky suffers from some of the flaws that feel-good movies are prone to, but I've had a weakness in my heart for this film ever since I first saw it years ago. I always liked the way Stallone wove a sweet love story into a sports drama. There’s some flat-out terrific location shooting: Who can forget the image of Rocky Balboa running up the Philadelphia Art Museum’s steps?

• Commentary by Sylvester Stallone.
• Deleted Footage.
• Tributes to Burgess Meredith and cinematographer James Crabe.

Formats Available: Already available on VHS, DVD release April 24, 2001.

Here’s a short list of films that are additional releases of interest, including some that are already available on VHS and that will be released on DVD April 24, 2001

The American Experience - Return With Honor

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Ghost

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Mr. Hulot's Holiday

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Mon Oncle

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Princess Caraboo

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Repulsion

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Rififi

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

Spartacus - Criterion Collection

Formats Available: DVD, VHS

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