The Simpsons Movie DVD Details
Fox Flick Comes Out on DVD and Blu-Ray December 18th
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will unleash The Simpsons Movie on DVD, coming December 18th. The suggested Manufacturers' Suggested Retail Price for the box set will be $29.98. The film itself will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track.
Extras will include a commentary by producer James L. Brooks, creator Matt Groening, with writers Al Jean, Mike Scully, and David Silverman, along with actors Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer, Itchy, Barney, Grandpa Simpson), and Yeardley Smith (Lisa).
There's also a directors' commentary by David Silverman, Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore and Rich Moore, plus deleted scenes (Russ Cargill - “Levels”, Springfield News, DMV, Sausage Truck, Emperor Moe, and Alternate Ending).
Also featured in the set is Homer’s monologue On The Tonight Show, a Simpsons Judge American Idol feature, a Homer Introduces American Idol feature, a Let’s All Go To The Lobby feature, and alternate character designs by the directors and Matt Groening.
A Blu-ray release of The Simpsons Movie will street for $39.98, and will have identical features to the regular DVD.
Not surprisingly, this is the "bare bones" edition that usually comes out to entice fans who absolutely have to buy The Simpsons Movie when it first comes out on home video. More patient (or casual) fans of the flick can hold out for the inevitable double-dip or "Making Matt Groening and Twentieth Century Fox Want to Make More D'Oh" edition (that's just my little joke . . . I hope) when it's announced later in 2008.
Spider PIg Disturbingly Popular
Fun Fact 1: The song "Spider Pig" (a spoof of the Spider-Man theme) that appeared in The Simpsons Movie has become disturbingly popular. Hans Zimmer's version of the tune reached #24 on the British Singles Chart, and #3 on the Irish Singles Chart. At 64 seconds, it is the shortest track to ever hit the upper levels of both charts.
As for the porker who inspired the tune, Plopper the Pig (AKA "Spider Pig" and "Harry Plopper") appeared in the opening credits for The Simpsons' 18th season premiere episode, entitled "He Loves to Fly and He D'Ohs."
Simpsons Love Star Wars References
Fun Fact 2: Much like Family Guy, The Simpsons do love them their Star Wars references. When The Simpsons Movie was sent to theatres, advance and premiere prints had the logo "Yellow Harvest" printed on the cans. "Yellow Harvest" was also the fake working title of the movie when it was in production. This is a reference/homage to 1983's Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, which had the fake working title of "Blue Harvest."
