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# By Randy Williams Newdvdreleases
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/b-y-r-a-n-d-y-w-i-l-l-i-a-m-s-newdvdreleases-20070517/
- Published: 2007-05-17T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:46:39.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

‘Frasier’ Ninth Season A four disc look at the humorous events surrounding the life of a Seattle psychologist (Kelsey Grammer) and his popular radio show. This collection includes the 200th episode of the enduring sitcom which is the only one to have won five consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy Awards. (Paramount) ‘Big’ Extended Edition Tom Hanks stars as the boy who grew up overnight but inside he is still a 12 year-old. Dealing with adult issues like romance and a career make for interesting approaches from a pre-teen in an adult body. Viewers of this two-disc set will be living large with a bevy of bonus material including a dozen minutes of deleted scenes, writer/director commentaries, and back story features. (Fox) ‘Essential Classics’

This widescreen box set offers a trio of Hollywood’s greatest pictures in a tidy four-disc package brilliantly re-mastered — John Huston’s “The Maltese Falcon” features Humphrey Bogart as private eye Sam Spade, Orson Welles’ mystery masterpiece that stems from the final utterance of a dying magnate in “Citizen Kane,” and Charlton Heston in the epic story of betrayal and revenge in “Ben Hur.” Befitting their high status (winner of a dozen Academy Awards), the set comes with many extras from short subject newsreels, commentaries from Roger Ebert as well as Bogart and Welles biographers, storyboard galleries, clips from premieres, rare stills, production notes, even awards statistics. (Warner Bros.) ‘Reel Baseball’ Films from the Silent Era An array of very rare material is offered on this two-disc set with two features and eleven shorts including one of the very first images of the sport on film- —1899’s “Casey at the Bat” or “The Fate of the Rotten Umpire.” Legendary slugger Babe Ruth makes his motion picture debut in the 1920 drama — “Headin’ Home.” John Gilbert, Colleen Moore, and Charles Ray, superstars of the silent era, are featured in “The Busher.” (Kino) ‘The Guns of Navarone’ Collector’s Edition Oscar winners Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn band together as Allied specialists on a harrowing mission to disable two powerful long-range guns atop a Nazi-occupied island fortress. The double-disc set is loaded with extras including a message from screenwriter Carl Foreman, commentary by film historian Stephen Rubin and director Lee Thompson, roots of the historic music score, profile of co-star James Darren on his Greek honeymoon, details on the challenging restoration process, and a retrospective documentary. (Sony) ‘Comedy of Power’

Isabelle Huppert gives a compelling performance as a French magistrate driven to end white-collar crime of executives dipping into the public till. Her obsessive efforts make some inroads but it becomes a lonely life filled with threats and intimidations. From veteran French New Wave director Claude Chabrol, the picture was inspired by real political and economic corruption between a major oil conglomerate and senior politicians.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 17, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)