Welcome to this newest section of the supersite known as The Home Improvement Zone. This page will focus on the home video aspect of movies of "Home Improvement" cast members. Specifically, this will feature my reviews of DVDs, news on the digital format, and a bunch of other stuff related to movies and the new 5-inch medium that is re-creating the fun of watching movies at home. Click on one of the links to go that section:

Home Improvement Cast Movie DVD Info | Background and Information | My Most-Anticipated DVDs | Links

 

Home Improvement is coming to DVD! The Complete First Season, featuring 24 episodes including the show's pilot, will be released in a 3-disc boxset this November 23. Bonus features will include audio commentaries from the show's creators and "Loose Screws", a compilation of the show's funniest moments. Suggested retail price is $49.99, but you can now pre-order it from Amazon.com for just $34.99 (30% off) and free shipping.

Home Improvement: Season One DVD - click to pre-order

HOME IMPROVEMENT CAST MOVIE DVD INFO

So you got that great DVD player for Christmas, but now you need something to play in it. Well, here's a comprehensive reference for the availability of movies starring "Home Improvement" cast members. Info will be updated when it applies, so keep checking to see when those classic films like Man of the House and Jungle 2 Jungle are available to buy. To purchase any of the available titles, just click on the "buy it" at the end of the description.

TIM ALLEN

The Santa Clause

Released Oct. 1998
SRP $29.99
Widescreen
Walt Disney
One of the very first DVDs
released by Disney, the film is
slight on features, but big on
fun. Great picture quality and nice menus.
BUY IT (30% OFF)

 Toy Story

Now available in a 2-pack and a 3-disc Collector's Edition with Toy Story 2. Both films look and sound incredible...plus the Ultimate Toy Box packs in some nine hours of supplements. Featuring a direct digital transfer, THX certification, and an entire third disc of extras. For complete info on the Toy Story DVDs, Click here click here.

 Jungle 2 Jungle

Not Yet available
Nothing has been said by Disney about releasing this film on DVD, so don't expect it anytime soon. Click here for more info.

 For Richer or Poorer

Released 1998
SRP $24.99
Widescreen
Universal Pictures
Available in DTS and standard versions.
BUY IT (30% OFF)

 Toy Story 2

Now available in both a 2-pack and a 3-disc set with the original Toy Story. Click here for all information pertaining to the Toy Story special DVD releases. Incredible reference quality for DVD.

 Galaxy Quest

Released May 2000
SRP $29.99
Widescreen
DreamWorks
Considered one of the best DVDs of 2000, Galaxy Quest features a clean transfer, great sound quality, animated menus and some nice extras. Supplements include cast/crew bios and interview clips, "On Location In Space" featurette, 7 deleted scenes, trailers, and the film dubbed in Thermian. Also available in DTS version.
BUY IT (30% OFF)

PATRICIA RICHARDSON

Ulee's Gold - Two-sided DVD contains widescreen and fullscreen versions, as well as the trailer. MGM. BUY IT ($19.99 - 20% OFF)

JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS

The Lion King

Not Yet Available
One of the most-anticipated Disney cartoons to come to DVD. Disney plans to hold this title off for a few years before it is released as a "Platinum Collection" title with tons of extras.

 Man of the House

Not Yet Available
Disney hasn't said anything about releasing this film yet to DVD. Click here to see more on this film.

 Tom and Huck

Not Yet Available
No word yet from Disney on a DVD release.

 The Adventures of Pinnocchio

Released 1997
Warner Brothers
A quick DVD release from Warner.
BUY IT (30% OFF)

 Wild America

Released 1997
SRP $24.99
Widescreen and Fullscreen
Warner Brothers
This great DVD is two-sided, and contains a bunch of production notes on the film, as well as the original trailer.
BUY IT (30% OFF)

 I'll Be Home For Christmas

Released Nov. 1999
SRP $29.99
Widescreen
Walt Disney, Buena Vista
Good widescreen transfer and good movie, but no features at all outside of a fullscreen trailer.
BUY IT (20% OFF)

ZACHERY TY BRYAN

Magic Island - Not yet available on video or DVD, see more information on Disney DVDs here.
Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter - Not currenty available on video; DVD doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
First Kid - Not yet available from Disney, see more information on Disney DVDs here.
The Rage: Carrie 2 - Oddly, MGM has only released this horror sequel on DVD. BUY IT (30% OFF)

RICHARD KARN

Bram Stoker's The Mummy - Available, and Richard's only major movie that is. BUY IT (20% OFF)
Picture Perfect - Nope. Not even on VHS. You'll have to catch it on Fox Family.

TARAN SMITH

Ebbie - Not yet available.
Little Bigfoot - Nope.

BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION

The Digital Video Disc (DVD) went public as the newest medium for watching movies at home in early 1997. Warner Brothers was one of the first major studios to release movies on DVD, with their earliest titles available including Batman, Twister, Michael, Sleepers, and Space Jam. Other studios quickly took interest to the new digital format, including Columbia/Tri-Star and Universal. Today, nearly three years after their advent, all major motion picture studios have released at least some DVDs. The leader of the DVD market continues to be Warner. But with more and more studios jumping onto DVD, most notably Disney in late 1998, that could change within the next few months.

The main advantage to the DVD format is the possibility of storing seven times as much info as a standard audio CD. DVDs allow for instant scene access through chapter menus, like Laser Discs, but for the price of VHS cassettes. In addition, DVDs feature a video resolution two times better than VHS, allowing the discs to feature a MUCH clearer picture than a video cassette. Like CDs, DVDs do not wear after multiple viewings. This means, unlike VHS, the quality of the picture and audio of a DVD movie is as good as the day you bought it. DVDs also feature Dolby digital surround sound, the sound quality used in movie theaters. While surround speakers will enhance a disc's sound, playing a DVD on the television you currently own will also showcase a great audio advantage. Many DVDs include mulitple audio tracks; some feature the film in different languages, some contain tracks of audio commentary from the director, cast, etc., some feature soundtracks of isolated music or sound effects. DVDs also utilize a Subtitle function to contain subtitles in English, as well as a number of other languages. Some movie studios (such as Columbia with Ghostbusters) go further and use the subtitle function to feature video silhouetttetes of those who are commenting on the film. Most DVDs contain bonus features also. These include cast and crew biographies and filmographies, featurettes on the making of the film, interviews with the cast and crew, original theatrical trailers, music videos, deleted scenes, art or photo galleries, and more. Some DVDs also contain special features that utilize DVD-Rom drives on computers. These special DVD-ROM only features can include Internet links, screensavers, games, and more.

A number of movie titles, old and new, have yet to be released on DVD. The most anticipated films to get a digital transfer include the four Star Wars films, the Back to the Future trilogy, Steven Spielberg's films such as ET, and many Disney animated films. To learn if a movie has been released to DVD or not, the most resourceful site is currently The DVD List.

LINKS

DVDFile.COM - the most exhaustive site on the medium to date
The Digital Bits - decent site

This site was created as part of The Home Improvement Zone on January 22, 2000.
This page was last updated on September 14, 2000.
E-mail me with questions, comments, etc.


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