Random Intelligence Dispatches For May 10, 2007

Renaissance On DVD
The fantastic French animated sci-fi noir Renaissance, starring Daniel Craig (in the English language version, anyway) arrives on Region 1 DVD at long last on July 24 courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Amazon lists a steep retail price of $29.99 and The Film Asylum reports that special features will include a making-of documentary. No word on whether the original French audio track will be included. Renaissance is a really incredible action movie, similar in look to Sin City, but still fiercely original, that deserves a wider audience that it got during its brief theatrical release last fall. It’s worth seeing for one setpiece alone, an exhilarating foot chase through a futuristic two-storey mall in which the pursuer (Craig) is downstairs, following a fleeing suspect on the upper level, visible through a transparent, all-glass floor. And of course there's some shooting... Great stuff.

The Rimington Conundrum
No, that’s not the title of yet another previously unpublished Robert Ludlum manuscript; it’s the mystery surrounding Dame Stella Rimington’s next Liz Carlyle spy novel, Secret Asset. Based on Amazon listings, I previously reported that the former MI-5 chief’s book (a follow-up to her compelling first novel, 2005's At Risk) would make its American debut in paperback this month. Well, not only has that not come to pass, but Amazon has pulled the listing entirely. However, Borders lists a June 19 release date... for a hardcover, at $24.95. This makes a lot more sense as Advance Readers Copies are already circulating (rare for a paperback original), and At Risk was released in hardcover by Knopf. I suspect that the erroneous Amazon listing was really the Canadian paperback, which hit shelves at the same time as the British paperback. (The book came out in hardcover in Britain last year.) Amazon.co.uk still lists the third title in the series, Illegal Action, for an August 2 UK release.

NBC Ups Chuck

TV Guide reports that NBC has picked up OC creator Josh Schwartz's show about twenty-something spies, Chuck, for next season. Chuck stars Zachary Levi, Everwood's Sara Lancaster and Firefly favorite Adam Baldwin. Too bad it doesn't have a better title! Variety describes Chuck as "a spy comedy/drama [about] a regular guy who accidentally learns government secrets." McG executive produces along with Schwartz.

Contest Reminder
The Double O Section’s first contest is still running! You have until midnight, Pacific Time, on Sunday to enter to win copies of The Wild Wild West Season Two and Assassination In Rome/Espionage In Tangiers on Region 1 DVD.