The story of Navy diver Carl Brashear, the first African-American to achieve the rank of Master Diver, Men of Honor comes to DVD in an excellent Special Edition package. As DVDs pile up on the shelves, that phrase often gets tacked on to even the most sparse discs. Here, however, the title is richly deserved. Boasting a stellar transfer -- a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen picture -- this is another good buy to show off the visual attributes of the medium. Men of Honor isn't the kind of film that absolutely requires Dolby Digital Sound, but the 5.1 treatment puts the underwater action center stage. These are fine additions, to be sure, but the special edition moniker usually refers to one thing -- extras. Here, viewers get a great commentary from director George Tillman Jr., star Cuba Gooding Jr., and the producer and writer. There is also a bevy of deleted scenes, including an alternate ending. These are available with or without a commentary track from Tillman. Also included are a pair of featurettes, including a look at the real Carl Brashear's life. In addition, this DVD also offers an animatic storyboard, a music video for the film's theme song, and the usual trailers and TV spots. All in all, Men of Honor is a solid release and the excellent extras make it worth owning.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle: The Xbox 360 is your high-definition portal to a world of blockbuster game franchises like Halo, Gears of War and Forza Motorsport. Xbox Live keeps you connected with your friends to team up for cooperative online gameplay or go head-to-head in competitive matches.Included are 2 games from the critically acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. Both Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops II feature action-packed single-player campaigns and give you access to the frenetic, adrenaline-fueled multiplayer gameplay the Call of Duty series is known for.Beyond gaming, the 360 is your 1-stop shop for streaming media, with a wide array of streaming video services and sports apps, and it now comes in a sleek new design.Pair the Xbox 360 with Kinect (sold separately) to immerse yourself more fully in your games. Kinect's motion tracking lets you put down your controller and step into virtual worlds that react to your movements. Voice recognition lets you speak commands to navigate through menus, operate your apps, search Bing and more.Broadband Internet connection and Xbox Live Gold account are required for several online features, including multiplayer. A 30-day Gold account is included, but a fee is required to keep using these features after the 30-day period has ended. Game card redemption requires an Internet connection.