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Last week, a whole 18 months after the screening of Aizskalotais (Flushed Away) in Riga cinemas (back in December 2006), we have finally got the DVD version in our hands. Joining Aizskalotais is also Šarlotes tīkls (15 months later) and Šreks Trešais (12 months later) which have also only recently appeared on video store shelves. Why it takes so long to release the Latvian DVD versions remains a mystery.

If you are looking out for the professionally dubbed Latvian DVDs for the younger audience here is a quick overview of what is now available:

    

    

Although the DVD covers have been nicely translated to Latvian the distributers seemed to have forgot about the printing on the actual DVD disks which are in either Russian or English.

Both Šreks 2 (Shrek 2) and Haizivs stāsts (Shark Tale) are still only available in VHS video casette format. Noķert vilni (Surf’s Up) and Hortons (Horton hears a Who) both of which have screened in the last 6 months are yet to be released on DVD. The Latvian version of Kung Fu Panda is currently showing in cinemas. Trauksme mežā (Open Season) seems to have been forgotten completely (screened nearly 2 years ago) and only the Russian DVD version continues to be available in Latvia.

"Ice Age 2: The Meltdown” ("Ledus Laikmets 2: Atkusnis") by 20th Century Fox was first shown in Latvian cinemas in mid-April, 2006 and was finally released in DVD format in November, 2006.

It is fully dubbed in Latvian featuring the well known Latvian voices of Kaspars Upacieris/Ufo, Aivars Čivželis/Čižiks, Jana Kalniņa, Pēteris Šogolovs, Edgars Lipors, Ainārs Ančevskis, Andris Freidenfelds/Fredis, Jānis Jarāns and others.

You can select Latvian as the spoken language as well as Latvian sub-titles or even both simultaneously. This DVD is coded only for Region 2 so if you live outside of Europe you will need to use a region free DVD player. This is the first time that the Baltic distributors, Forum Cinemas, have decided to release the Latvian version of a blockbuster film in DVD format - up until November of last year all films dubbed in Latvian were available only in VHS format. Ledus Laikmets 2: Atkusnis is also available in VHS format.

"Vāģi” ("Cars") by Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar was first shown in Latvian cinemas at the beginning of August, 2006 and was finally released in DVD format earlier this week. It is fully dubbed in Latvian featuring the well known Latvian voices of Gundars Silakaktiņš, Rēzija Kalniņa, Pēteris Liepiņš, Uldis Dumpis, Jānis Kirmuška, Valdis Liepiņš, Jānis Jarāns, Pēteris Šogolovs, Leons Krivāns and others.

You can select Latvian as the spoken language as well as Latvian sub-titles or even both simultaneously. This DVD is coded for Regions 2 & 5 so if you live outside of Europe you will need to use a region free DVD player. Vāģi is also available in VHS format.