For Next Friday, New Line has once again done a great job on a DVD. The transfer, framed at the theatrical ratio of 1.85: 1 (anamorphic), is superb. Colors are sharp and constant and there are no defects. The soundtrack, which includes a lot of hip-hop and rap tunes, is good but not outstanding, lacking any real range. The surrounds in the Dolby Digital 5.1 track are rarely used, but that is far from a surprise. Everything seems centered up front, with clear dialogue and sound that is distortion-free. The DVD for the original Friday was a bit disappointing in the way of supplemental material, but this disc more than makes up for it. There are numerous highlights to this disc, starting with an audio commentary track. Though they seem to be recorded separately, director Steve Carr and Ice Cube talk about everything from making a sequel to where they each began. It also might be the first hip-hop commentary, as it has numerous moments of reverb and vocal styling done after the fact. It's a bit unusual and takes a little time to get used to, but is interesting nevertheless. Next is a rather lengthy featurette with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film that includes numerous interviews with the cast and crew. A real plus is an audition tape for Mike Epps. While the video and audio quality are awful, it's interesting to see Epps, a stand-up comic without film experience, interact with Cube. An interesting idea that has been used on other discs -- watching the film with a small box showing the storyboards -- is taken to the extreme here as it can be done for the entire film. In addition there are bloopers and an alternate ending, some strange painting of the Cucamonga locations, music videos from Ice Cube ("You Can't Do It" featuring Mack 10 and Ms. Toi) and Lil Zane ("Money Stretch"). There are also trailers for this film, including the G-rated version and the R-rated version, plus trailers for Friday, The Players Club, and Dangerous Ground. Finally, there are some DVD-ROM features, including access to the screenplay. This is another excellent disc in the Platinum Series from New Line.

Spike Lee's epic biopic of Malcolm X gets a superb two-disc special edition release from Warner Bros. that offers a handful of appealing extras. A full-length commentary featuring Lee, cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, editor Barry Alexander Brown, and costume designer Ruth Carter (who earned an Oscar nomination for her work in the film) touches upon seemingly every conceivable aspect of the film's somewhat troubled production. Especially entertaining are Lee's stories about fighting with the bond company once they had taken control of the filming. There are a handful of deleted scenes introduced by the director. A second disc offers a 1972 documentary about Malcolm X that offers a healthy amount of footage of the man. This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary, and it offers the viewer the chance to appreciate how Denzel Washington fully captured the man in his performance. The transfer is presented in a widescreen image that preserves the original aspect ratio. Lee's film offers an English soundtrack mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, and a French soundtrack recorded in Dolby Surround Stereo. The documentary's soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Mono. This disc offers a first-rate presentation of what is arguably Spike Lee's best film.

John Singleton's remake of Shaft comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include cast and crew interviews, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a theatrical trailer, and music videos from Isaac Hayes and R. Kelly. This is a great-looking, great-sounding release from Paramount.