DVD round-up from The TOMB

A 'Planet of the Apes' box set and three Peter Weir classics have The TOMB salivating like a dog on heat.

Apr  7 2006

Sorry for the delay in the column this week, but exciting online expansion at Time Out Towers forced me to shift it back a few days. Anyways, I'm back in the game now, so let's get on with it.

This week fans of high-concept sci-fi are in for a real treat as Twentieth Century Fox have released 'The Planet of the Apes Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD Set'.

It features the 'Planet of the Apes' 35th Anniversary Edition, 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes', 'Escape From the Planet of the Apes', 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes', 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' and Tim Burton's misjudged 2001 remake 'Planet of the Apes'.

The box set also includes all 14 episodes of the 1974 TV series, plus all 13 episodes of the cartoon series 'Return to the Planet of the Apes'.

The DVDs are chock full of all manner of monkey business, from commentaries and featurettes to screen tests and deleted scenes, and come in an incredible ape head box making their purchase quite frankly compulsory (if you can afford the hefty £149.99 price tag that is).

At the other end of the spectrum, three classic Peter Weir films have hit DVD in special edition form – 'Gallipoli', 'Witness' and 'The Truman Show'.

Starring Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford and Jim Carrey respectively, they are not only three of the best films of the last 20 years, but also three of my favourite films of all time, so I urge you to go out and buy them all.

Aside from that, the big release of the week is 'Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', which, while being deeply average, will nevertheless sell squillions and squillions.

As for the 'one to miss' – this week I'm going to have to go with 'Cheaper by the Dozen 2', the godawful sequel to the unnecessary remake. Steve Martin – start being funny again or kindly sod off!

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