This batastic release from the classic 60's TV series Batman starring Adam West includes all 120 episodes of the show, following the titular hero through many exciting, sometimes psychedelic and always tongue-in-cheek adventures battling the likes of Catwoman, the Penguin, and the Joker.
This multi-disc release features the complete collection of Pokemon: Adventures in the Orange Islands where Ash, Misty and Brock set out on a quest to find a rare Poké ball for Professor Oak and find themselves heading to the Orange Islands to compete in the Orange League Tournament.
HBO Video's DVD of Cannonball Run delivers a bit more than one might expect from a budget-priced disc. For instance, the film looks and sounds better than it did in its videotape incarnation. The anamorphically enhanced widescreen image is sharp and the film has been given a punchy Dolby Digital 5.1 remix that plays up the film's witty use of music and the frequent car-chase sound effects. The Cannonball Run DVD also boasts an unexpected but welcome commentary from director Hal Needham and producer Albert Ruddy. The commentary falls prey to occasional dull spots (both men praise the actors to excess), but patient listeners will be rewarded with plenty of nifty facts. Interesting bits of trivia revealed on the commentary include how much of the budget went to Reynolds' salary and the fact that Hal Needham and screenwriter Brock Yates once participated the real-life Cannonball Run. The one downside of this disc is that it strangely lacks a trailer for the film. Despite this curious omission, the DVD edition of The Cannonball Run is guaranteed to please the film's cult following.
One of the funniest films of all time, Blazing Saddles, is awarded an excellent 30th anniversary DVD release by Warner Bros., a company that has often shown great care to the important titles in its vault. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, which makes it seem like one is hearing the infamous farting scene for the very first time. There is a healthy amount of quality extra materials, including a commentary by director Mel Brooks. Although it seems as if he was simply recorded while talking about the film (he never once refers to what is happening onscreen, and the commentary ends only an hour into the film), he recollections are amusing and enlightening. He discusses in detail how the various behind-the-scenes people as well as the cast came together. The other five-star nugget included on this disc is the pilot for the television spin-off Black Bart. Starring Louis Gossett Jr., the show is as amazingly unfunny as the movie is uproarious, but one may be struck by the crudity of the comedy that would have been telecast in the mid-'70s. A making-of documentary and a section from a special on the late great Madeline Kahn help make this DVD a must-own for comedy enthusiasts.