Entertainment, Movies - Air Force Times

What’s new on DVD for Oct. 20

A romantic drama set in Paris, a hilarious hotel and a tribute to a macabre showman arrive DVD on Oct. 20.

‘Cheri’

Buena Vista Home Entertainment ($29.99)

• The lowdown: Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates star in this ill-fated romantic drama as rival courtesans in pre-World War I Paris. Bates imposes on Pfeiffer’s Lea to teach her 19-year-old son about women and the lessons evolve into a tempestuous affair that leads to an emotional power struggle. Released June 26, the movie earned $2.7 million in the United States and $4.7 million overseas.

Reviewers were mostly divided on the film as it garnered a 54 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes.com, where Gannett Chief Film Critic Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic wrote that “Cheri is a serviceable period piece, but not much more.”

The sets are opulent. The digital transfer is flawless.

• Don’t miss: A standard making of featurette and deleted scenes are the major extras.

• Rated: R, sexual content, drug use.

• Critic’s rating: Two stars.

‘The Complete Fawlty Towers Remastered’

BBC Video ($49.98)

• The lowdown: John Cleese created one of his most memorable characters as the always irritable Basil Fawlty in this BBC sitcom that has found a following here in America.

This three-disc set features the entire hilarious series about the put-upon hardworking hotel manager whose life is plagued by various misfortunes, both on the job and at home. The remastered discs give the series a very fresh look.

• Don’t miss: Among the major extras are entertaining commentary tracks with Cleese, interviews with Cleese and other cast members, outtakes and a visit to Torquay, the home of Fawlty Towers.

• Rated: Not rated.

• Critic’s rating: Three-and-a-half stars.

‘William Castle Film Collection’

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment ($80.95)

• The lowdown: William Castle was a filmmaker known more for his showmanship than his movies. He was the master of ballyhoo who gained a reputation for the various gimmicks he concocted to promote his movies. This five-disc set features eight of his films. Unfortunately, unless you rig your home entertainment center, you will not be able to take advantage of some of Castle’s gimmicks.

The set includes:

• “The Tingler” (1959), starring Vincent Price. The gimmick was “Percepto,” in which some theater seats were wired to vibrate.

• “13 Ghosts” (1960), which featured “Illusion-O,” which was a piece of cardboard with a red and a blue strip. To see the ghosts, you looked through one; if too frightened, you used the other.

• “Homicidal” (1961) featured a 45-second “Fright Break” for the audience.

• “Mr. Sardonicus” (1961) featured the “Punishment Poll,” in which the audience decided the fate of the villain.

• “Zotz!” (1962) featured a magic coin for the audience. However, the coin didn’t do a thing.

• “13 Frightened Girls” (1963). The gimmick was the international search for the young actresses who played the title characters.

• “The Old Dark House” (1963) had no gimmicks.

• “Strait-Jacket” (1964) starred film legend Joan Crawford. Castle had cardboard axes handed out in theaters.

The restorations of the movies are fine; no problems were noticed in any of the titles.

• Don’t miss: A documentary about Castle, a couple of episodes of a TV series “Ghost Story” that Castle directed, featurettes on the various titles and commentaries are the major extras.

• Rated: Not rated.

• Critic’s rating: Three-and-a-half stars.