'Borat' escapes changes

Release joins well-timed Oscar hopeful DVDs

By DIANE GARRETT

'Flags of Our Fathers,' 'Borat' DVDs

The crazy Kazakh joins the roster of Oscar hopefuls on disc over the next few months -- pranks intact. "Borat" will debut on DVD March 6 without any changes to the bigscreen version, as lawsuits seeking to have the pic altered for disc have been defeated.

If anything, Fox's disc could offend even more sensitive souls -- it will come with deleted scenes and scenes from "Borat's" visits to the Toronto Intl. Film Fest, Cannes and Comic-Con. Sacha Baron Cohen conducted most of his early tubthumping for the pic in character, although he has lately appeared as himself at events around town.

The film, which has Golden Globes noms for comedy pic and for Cohen as actor, is considered a dark horse for the Oscars.

Hopes are higher for "The Departed" and "Babel," which arrive in the prime Oscar voting period next month along with "Flags of Our Fathers" and the surprisingly durable indie "Half Nelson." Warner Home Video will release "The Departed" on standard, HD DVD and Blu-ray on Feb. 13, the week before final ballots are due, with additional scenes introduced by helmer Martin Scorsese. "Babel," a leading Golden Globe contender, arrives Feb. 20, the date ballots are due, from Paramount Home Entertainment on standard, HD DVD and Blu-ray.

The studio will also release Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" Feb. 6, a release poised to play off buzz for it and Eastwood's Japanese-language followup, "Letters From Iwo Jima." And Sony will release "Half Nelson," an early award favorite distribbed by ThinkFilm for the bigscreen, on DVD Feb. 13.

Studios used to hold off their home video announcements for contenders until after nominations or awards themselves, but in recent years have timed their disc releases to surf -- and add to -- award-season buzz. They started by releasing a title or two in December, then moved further in the season.

Last year, several studios released smaller contenders on disc in January, "The Constant Gardener" and "Hustle & Flow" among them; they were followed by "Walk the Line" and "Pride & Prejudice" the week before the March 5 kudocast.

Fox's strategic bow paid off handsomely for "Walk the Line." The pic, which netted a statuette for Reese Witherspoon, ended the year as the sixth-biggest moneymaker on DVD, racking up $175.7 million in rental and sales revenue, compared with $119.5 million at the box office.

This season, even more hopefuls were launched in December -- think "The Devil Wears Prada," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "World Trade Center" -- but January activity so far is limited to "Sherrybaby," starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, out Jan. 23.

Academy Awards nominations are due Saturday, two days before the Golden Globes. Nominations will be announced Jan. 23, with ballots due Feb. 20, five days before the kudocast.