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'Howard the Duck' finally landing on DVD March 10 (Updated with cigar-less art)

Posted Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 3:22 PM Central

by John Couture

When you think of Marvel Comics movies these days, successful films such as Spider-Man and Iron Man ("Man" I think I'm finally seeing a trend here) instantly spring to mind. But before these modern-day blockbusters, there was a Marvel Comics adaptation that literally set Marvel film adaptations back 15 years.

No, really. It took 15 years for the next Marvel Comics movie to see the light of day.

That film was of course, Howard the Duck. A film executive produced by George Lucas himself and destined for success only to bomb mercilessly for critics and audiences alike. But, the film's legacy has lived on mostly among those young children (like myself) who saw it with wide-eyed wonder and helped to propel it to a cult-like status.

Well for us, the day that we have long been waiting for has arrived. Howard the Duck will debut on DVD on March 10, 2009. The movie, which has been available in other parts of the world is finally coming home to the United States on a special edition DVD.

The special features include:

  • A Look Back at Howard the Duck
  • Releasing the Duck
  • News Featurette
  • The Stunts of Howard the Duck
  • The Special Effects of Howard the Duck
  • The Music of Howard the Duck
  • Teaser Trailer

The suggested retail price is $14.98 and as yet, there is no Blu-ray version planned. I guess we can't be choosy, after all it's taken 22 years for it to see the light of day on DVD. I just hope that it doesn't take another 22 years before we see a Blu-ray version.

This little tidbit got us thinking that while we are mostly now caught up with movies making the transition from DVD to Blu-ray and becoming restless over the wait, there are still quite a few movies that haven't even been released on DVD yet.

Movie classics like The African Queen, The Legend of Lizzie Borden, Treasure Island and Song of the South have long been sought after by fans and movie aficionados alike, but yet they still remain as elusive as the sleek gazelle.

You can check our list of the top 50 most requested DVD notifications to see the movies or TV shows that people are most desperate to see released on DVD. As always, you can sign up for our notification service and we will email you when the movie that you are interested in is announced for DVD or Blu-ray release. Simply click on the "Notify Me" button at the top right portion of each movie record.

Hmm...most of those movies on that list seem to focus on Christmas or the holidays. That got us thinking about another movie that we've been dying to see on DVD. The Star Wars Holiday Special, my Bea Arthur collection won't be complete without it. Yep, that's another George Lucas property, or as I like to say, the full circle.

What movies are you waiting for on DVD? Tell us and then sign up for a notification.

Update #1

Yes, the original post had March 10, 2008. Barring any moves by Lucas to distribute DeLoreans to people interested in buying the DVD, it's safe to assume that it was a simple typo. I've since fired myself, but Tim was kindly enough to re-hire me at half my original salary. The DVD release is March 10, 2009.

Update #2

Tim here. We just received the U.S. artwork for the Mar. 10 DVD release. I wanted to show it here along with John's story -- and to point out the lack of cigar.

I understand the sensitivity over smoking (and very much agree), especially considering this is a PG movie. However, Howard's cigar is as much a trademark of his character as it was for Groucho Marx -- or Bill Clinton. This is revisionist history akin to the removal of the guns in E.T.