SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Sep 25, 2002--With the fall semester now in full swing, Artisan Home Entertainment offers two new DVDs that can be the study break students are looking for. Available now, the ''Boys in Black'' are back in a spectacular special edition DVD celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Quentin Tarantino classic Reservoir Dogs. Additionally, college will never be the same after viewing National Lampoon`s Van Wilder, starring Tara Reid and Ryan Reynolds. Called ''the Animal House of the new millennium,'' this hilarious film about Coolidge College super-super-super-senior, Van Wilder, comes in rated and unrated versions, with the unrated ''stripped down'' version offering more sex and uncensored menu screens. Perfect choices for some after- (or during-) class viewing, both DVDs are available for $26.98. The Reservoir Dogs set, specially packaged with five different colored covers, presents the film, starring Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Lawrence Tierney and Steve Buscemi, in all its gruesome glory. The two-disc set boasts one of the best sets of special features to come out this year. ''[I was] very impressed by it,'' said Madsen of the new DVD set. ''They put together something very entertaining.''
The film that got the ball rolling for Tarantino, the box set offers all-new interviews with the cast and director Tarantino, as well as deleted scenes — including two alternate camera angles of the infamous ''ear cutting'' scene which changed the rules for mainstream cinema and is often what people remember most from the crime drama. ''We did a lot of rehearsals for that movie, but we didn`t for that [the ear cutting] scene,'' said Madsen. ''I think we all understood we just wanted to let that scene play itself out.'' While the DVD extras offer graphic new angles of the scene, the theatrical version has the camera pull away as the carnage begins and what transpires is left up to the viewer to picture for themselves. ''I realized that it is in the eye of the beholder, and the violence of that scene is what people are imagining is happening, not what you see,'' Madsen explained. Those looking for some DVD fun that`s more campus-based should have a blast with Van Wilder. This one is sure to be a hit in residence halls nationwide. Both Van Wilder DVDs — rated and unrated — have a great array of special features including segments from Burly Bear TV and Sugarcult’s music video for ''Bouncing Off the Walls.'' But, the uncensored version pulls no punches, with more sex, more skin and even, yes, topless menu screens. Every campus has the kid who has seemingly been a student forever. At Coolidge College, that kid is Van Wilder, played to perfection by Reynolds. In his seventh year of studies, Van is the boss with the sauce. Women want to know him and men want to be him. After all, in the jungle of college, there can only be one king. At Coolidge, the king is Van. That is until he finds that the well of tuition money is about to go dry and he might just have to - gasp - graduate! As campus reporter Gwen Pearson (Reid) tries to profile Van, the antics take a turn toward fall-on-the-floor funny. Both Reservoir Dogs and Van Wilder are available at retailers now.
For more information on this releases, see details below or contact Adam Fenton or Jay Weisberger at 212-689-6360.
About Reservoir Dogs
Synopsis: Four perfect killers. One perfect crime. Now all they have to fear is each other. Assembled to pull off a diamond heist, a specially selected group of thieves begin to doubt one another when police arrive suspiciously early at the scene of the crime. Quentin Tarantino reached cult-stardom with Reservoir Dogs, a masterful showcase of solid, colorful ensembles of characters, dramatic empathy for usually unsympathetic archetypes and gory violence subdued and made watchable by a sadistic sense of humor and style. Michael Madsen delivers one of the most frightening performances ever seen in modern cinema as Mr. Blonde, a devil-may-care sociopath. Meanwhile, Harvey Kietel and Tim Roth give the film its most touching edge, as Kietel`s Mr. White develops a very paternal relationship with the mortally-wounded Mr. Orange, creating trust and bridging a promise to protect him at any cost—a predicament he is ultimately challenged with. The cast is rounded out with equally remarkable performances by the likes of Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn and Laurence Tierney as this drama eventually hits a crucial peak, leaving you with a climax that won`t soon be forgotten.
Special Features: The digitally mastered DVD contains both the newly re- mastered 2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer (Aspect ratio 16:9) and 4:3 full screen versions, DTS Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital, 2.0 Dolby Surround Sound, and scene index with English Closed Captioning and optional Spanish subtitles. Additionally, the 2-Disc DVD set is packed with special features including:
*Deleted Scenes/Outtakes/Two alternate camera angles of the ''infamous ear cutting scene''.
*All-New Featurettes, including:
-Real life Reservoir Dogs -Action Figures development documentary -Getaway Cars -Film Noir Retrospective -Tributes to Indie Film Makers -Tributes to Reservoir Dogs inspiring writers and directors -Tribute to Laurence Tierney
*New Interviews with Quentin Tarantino and the cast and crew
*Select Scene Audio Commentaries
-Several mini-commentaries with filmmakers, cast and critics that will be authored to zip through the film skipping to highlights seamlessly linked showing only those scenes discussed during their commentaries
*Production notes
*Poster Gallery
*Cast and crew info
*Theatrical trailer
About Van Wilder
Synopsis: He`s the biggest man on campus. He`s the boss with the sauce. He`s the guy all the girls want and all the guys want to be. Cause, in the collegiate jungle, there can be only one king...and at Coolidge College it`s Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds). Van`s been ''The Man'' at Coolidge these past seven years because...when you love a place, why leave it? With a full-time assistant, a personalized golf cart, and immediate entry into every club committee, frat house, classroom and administrative office, there`s no place he`d rather be, doing the thing he does best: helping out the underdog! With a heart minted in 24k gold, Van uses his influence, wiles and considerable charms to help the ''loser'' be a winner - from the virginal foreign exchange student to the sickest kid on campus, or the downcast underclassman who just needs to hear his inspirational, homespun wisdom to get back on up.
Trouble is, this professional student has just found himself without any tuition money to pursue his continuing education. That is, until he makes his social talents pay huge dividends by starting a business planning the greatest parties any college has ever seen! It isn`t long before his talent catches the eye of a serious (but sexy) student journalist (Tara Reid) who`s out to discover what lies beneath Van`s wilder exterior.
Special Features: In addition to 16:9 Widescreen & Fullscreen versions, 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Audio, and optional Spanish subtitles, special features on this DVD include: *Hilarious Deleted Scenes & Outtakes
*More than an Hour of ''Van Wilder'' specials
-Comedy Central`s Reel Comedy -Burly Bear TV -Movie Junky -Half Baked -Impostors
*Sugarcult`s ''Bouncing off the Walls'' Music Video
*Trailers & TV Spots
*Art Gallery In addition, special features available exclusively on the ''unrated'' versioninclude:
*An option to view Van Wilder ''uncensored'' and see the film hostess topless as she changes shirts between DVD menu options
*''Topless'' Tutor deleted scene
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