Booze News: Withnail and W.C. on DVD

No sooner do I proclaim Flicker Alley's Chaplin at Keystone to be the soused cinema DVD release of the year than I hear about the upcoming releases of two more essential videos for lovers of alcohol-related films. In terms of importance, these releases do not quite rise to the same level as Chaplin at Keystone, but both provide timeless liquor-laced laughs that stand up to repeated viewings. Here's what we're getting:

First on August 24th, Withnail and I (1987), one of the booziest movies of all time makes it way to Blu-Ray from Image Entertainment. The film was previously released on DVD by Criterion, but true soused cinema enthusiasts will want to experience the ravages of alcohol on the countenances of Withnail and his flatmate in glorious 1080P resolution.

Next on November 2nd, Universal will release Mississippi (1935), the best of the W.C. Fields features previously unavailable in the U.S., as part of the Universal Backlot DVD boxset, The Bing Crosby Collection. Also included in this set will be College Humor (1933), We’re Not Dressing (1934), Here Is My Heart (1934), Sing You Sinners (1938), and Welcome Stranger (1947); but the 1935 pairing of Der Bingle and the Great Man is the real standout of the collection.

By the way, U.K. readers or those with region-free DVD players may be aware that Mississippi was previously released in the Region 2 DVD box set, W.C. Fields: The Movie Collection, along with 16 other classics from the Great Man. Most of those movies are available in the U.S. within the highly recommended W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. At this point, only If I Had a Million (1932), Million Dollar Legs (1932), Tillie and Gus (1933), and Follow the Boys (1944) remain unavailable as Region 1 DVDs.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that Universal will put out a W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Vol. 3 to complete the U.S. releases. Come on, Universal! Do ya know how hard it is to hold a drink with your fingers crossed?

Cheers,
garv