As we get ready to tear into the dog days of summer, this week brings a number of great new DVDs to help you beat the heat.
DVDs of the Week: In a banner week for culty fare, I would like to spotlight two especially noteworthy new DVD releases. First is the long-awaited release of Alex Proyas’ director’s cut of Dark City (Warner, also Blu-Ray). A flop on its original release, Dark City has in the intervening years become something of a cult film, its critical reputation salvaged in part by the ongoing support of Roger Ebert, who memorably chose it as his #1 film of 1998. With this director’s cut, Proyas has added more than ten minutes of footage to an already compelling original, in addition to making other noticeable changes (not least, dropping the introductory voiceover that was present in the theatrical cut). In addition to the original disc’s commentaries by the filmmakers and Ebert, the new edition includes two new featurettes, a review of the film by Neil Gaiman, and a number of other features. Most double-dips and “director’s cuts” are largely marketing department bluster, but Dark City should prove to be worth the upgrade.
My other pick this week is Peter Watkins’ Privilege (New Yorker), a movie which as some of you might recall I loved so much I kind of want to marry it. At the time I originally saw the film, I had no inkling that it would be released on DVD, as for years it had been unavailable in any home-viewing format, and was only available to theatrical venues in a single print. So if you’ve been waiting eagerly to see Privilege- and Lord knows you should have been- your day has finally arrived. New Yorker’s DVD is light on special features, but you know what? It doesn’t matter. That it’s available is cause enough for celebration, and should lead to the film becoming the cult classic it so richly deserves to be.
Other classics coming this week to DVD include the Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection (Fox, includes 10 feature films) and WarGames: 25th Anniversary Edition (MGM).
As for recent releases, you know it’s a good week when the release of a Martin Scorsese film on DVD isn’t the biggest story. Nevertheless, it’s still nice to have Scorsese’s Stones doc Shine a Light (Paramount, also Blu-Ray) available, even if it can’t match the spectacle of seeing the film in IMAX. Other recent releases coming to DVD include: the stoner sequel Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (New Line, also Blu-Ray); Owen Wilson in Drillbit Taylor (Universal, also Blu-Ray); the famously Oscar-snubbed Israeli crowdpleaser The Band’s Visit (Sony); Doug Pray’s documentary Surfwise (Magnolia); the year’s non-Mamet MMA drama Never Back Down (Summit); the postapocalyptic actioner Doomsday (Universal, also Blu-Ray). Also, three direct-to-DVD sequels: Lost Boys: The Tribe (Warner, also Blu-Ray), WarGames: The Dead Code (MGM), and Stargate: Continuum (MGM, also Blu-Ray).
This week’s TV on DVD releases include: Centennial: The Complete Series (Universal); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 7 (Universal); and Witchblade: The 
Complete Series (Warner). This week also brings the release of Masters of Horror Season 2 (Anchor Bay), and while many of the installments are of dubious quality, at least the box set can boast this week’s coolest packaging.
Finally, Blu-Ray only releases this week include the Paramount’s Jack Ryan tetralogy of The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears. Also of note: Beowulf: The Director’s Cut (Paramount); Top Gun (Paramount); The Lost Boys (Warner); and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (New Line).
