Clive Barker's highly underrated spook-house horror pic Candyman comes home to DVD in a packed Special Edition that's sure to get the juices flowing for fright fans everywhere. Updating the film's previous 1998 bare-bones release, Columbia TriStar pulls out the blood-red carpet for the flick this time, loading it with all the hot stuff you've come to expect. Presented with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image, the picture complements the film well, though the lone Dolby Digital Surround leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering how other less-regarded horror fare come standard with 5.1 tracks at the time of this release (New Line's release of The Mangler, anyone?). Audio gripes aside, the rest of the disc is where the DVD really shines, starting off with a commentary from director Bernard Rose, writer Clive Barker, producer Alan Poul, and actors Virginia Madsen, Kasi Lemmons, and the Candyman himself, Tony Todd. While cut-and-paste tracks aren't usually the kind to write home about, this one delivers a rock-steady commentary out of many separate tracks that, while not exactly scene-specific, does have some fine information on the production and the extreme lengths the filmmakers went to during the shoot (including hypnotizing star Madsen for most of the film!). Those who haven't caught up with Clive Barker are also in for a big surprise -- it seems the years of cigar smoking have finally caught up with him in a big way, which you'll discover even more in his ten-minute "Raising Hell" featurette. Looking like he has rapidly aged, with a gravel-filled voice that now sounds like one of his horrific creations, Barker is quite jarring to listen to as well as to look at. "Raising Hell" features the scribe looking back at his career, with lengthy time dedicated to his early days in the theater leading up to his time behind the camera with Hellraiser, Nightbreed, and Lord of Illusions. The 24-minute "Sweets to the Sweet: The Candyman Mythos" featurette is also included and delves far more into change of settings from Liverpool in the book to Chicago's Cabrini Green and how the race angle of the hooked killer changed once Tony Todd took on the part. With a collection of the director's storyboards and a few pretty lame previews for other horror projects, this DVD comes to a close. While the original theatrical trailer would have been a nice inclusion, as would have a more decent audio mix, this Special Edition serves its purpose and certainly gives viewers more Candyman than they had before, which is a good thing, just as long as you're not talking about the dreadful sequels.

Alien vs. Predator crashes to Earth in this widescreen edition of 20th Century Fox's long-awaited intergalactic boxing match. With an anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen image and both 5.1 Dolby and DTS tracks, the look and sound are impressive, offering a fitting presentation of the film's best qualities -- its dark photography and loud soundtrack. Extras on the disc begin with a director and actors commentary featuring Paul W.S. Anderson and his stars Lance Henriksen and Sanaa Lathan. Sadly, even if you stand by the film, you still might be annoyed at the level of praise that gets thrown around throughout the track. From Henriksen waxing Anderson's car every other second to both of them going gaga over the very un-incredible Lathan, the talk feels more like a bubbly love session than anything else. The other commentary comes from visual effects supervisor John Bruno and creature effects designers/creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., and it's informative as to what effects are what, but good for little else. Not only do you have to put up with both sets of effects people competing over credit for certain shots, but there's also a bit of ego-driven babble from Gillis as he continues to hold his mantle as the official Alien actor (this being his third film in the monster's shoes). The rest of the extras begin with an extended version of the film, though don't be expecting the R-rated violent cut of the film, which Anderson was rumored to have been forced to cut down weeks before the release. Instead, you get an extended opening scene of a Predator hunting down an Antarctic colonist in 1904 that is about 90 seconds long -- and that's it. You wonder why they didn't file that just in the deleted scenes section, which isn't too much to call home about in the first place. A 22-minute making-of is also supplied, though even that is basically made up of footage already released on the web before the movie's release. Other than that, only one other feature stands out from the rest of the extras, which include a ridiculous Superbowl spot and other Fox TV trailers, and that is the gallery of Alien vs. Predator comic covers from Dark Horse Comics. With 35 covers inside the gallery, this ode to all of the various mini-series is one of the most comprehensive things on the entire disc, which in a way, sums up this entire release in a sad kind of way.