The hockey-masked killer Jason goes cosmic in the tenth installment of the Friday the 13th series, Jason X. New Line has done an excellent job at making sure this 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks sharp, detailed, and very well produced. With solid black levels and bright colors throughout, this transfer should please any self-respecting horror film buff. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS Surround, and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, all in English. Both the Dolby 5.1 and DTS mix are in full bombastic order with multiple uses of directional effects throughout the movie. With nary an ounce of hiss or distortion in the mix, both of these soundtracks are very loud and enveloping. Also included on this disc are English subtitles. Jason X is featured as one of New Line's "Platinum Series" DVDs, and as such sports a vast array of extra features. Starting out the disc is a commentary track with director James Isaac, writer Todd Farmer, and producer Noel Cunningham. This is a grandly entertaining commentary with all kinds of stories about the film's production and lots of tidbits about the character of Jason (played by the imposing Kane Hodder). "The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees" is a half-hour featurette that takes a probing yet humorous eye to the legendary Friday the 13th series. Featuring interviews by film critic Drew McWeeny, film historian David del Valle, B-movie host Joe Bob Briggs and others, this is an exceptionally entertaining piece on the history of the franchise. "By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X" is a nice promotional piece on the making of the film with interviews by the principle cast and crew members. Much of the information from this featurette is covered in the commentary, though this is still a worthwhile treat for fans. Finally there is a theatrical trailer for the film, along with a fun "Jump to a Death" menu.

Director Marcus Nispel's over-the-top remake of Tobe Hooper's unrelenting horror masterpiece arrives on DVD in fine form with New Line Home Entertainment's Platinum Series double-disc release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image offers a near-perfect presentation of cinematographer Daniel Pearl's lush photography, save for some serious signs of edge-enhancement. Likewise, the English DTS-ES Surround Sound audio mix provides an eerie and effective grab bag of directional effects in addition to providing an ideal showcase for the shrieking, room-shaking buzz of the ever-familiar saw. Other audio options include English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 and English Dolby Digital Stereo Surround, with optional English and Spanish subtitles. As with their other Platinum Series releases, New Line has seen fit to include an abundance of extra features that, though slightly repetitive, will certainly have fans swooning. Starting off the extras, three audio commentary tracks cover the "Production," "Technical," and "Story" aspects of the feature, and it won't take viewers long to get the drift that there may have been a few too many cooks in this kitchen. From the revelation that the man driving this project is none other than The Bachelor and Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? producer Mike Fleiss to the admittance by the director that he has never seen the original film, the "Production" commentary is something of a mixed bag; and, while the "Technical" commentary provides interesting, detailed information regarding the photographic and special-effects techniques used in the film (the latter of which is covered more comprehensively in the "Chainsaw Redux: Making a Massacre" featurette), it's the "Story" commentary that offers the most compelling listen, with actors' comments and script changes offering a depth that may have been somewhat lacking in the final product. The aforementioned feature-length making-of documentary "Chainsaw Redux: The Making of a Massacre" offers production insight from such contributors as producer Michael Bay and executive producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, a chilling glimpse at an all-too-eager Andrew Bryniarski (Leatherface) as he gets onto character and freaks out the actors, and an exciting look at what might have been one of the bleakest horror endings ever committed to celluloid had screenwriter Scott Kosar had his way. Male lead Eric Balfour's hilarious exit on the last day of shooting must be seen to be believed. "Severed Parts" offers an intriguing look at footage that was left on the cutting room floor; although an alternate opening and closing (complete with S.W.A.T. team raid on the family farm) certainly aren't missed in the final product, a few omitted character revelations as well as some excised violence offer a glimpse at a film that would have truly gone for the throat (or crotch as it may be). Viewers in search of a real scare, however, need look no further than "Ed Gein: The Ghoul of Plainfield," a short documentary covering the shocking true-life atrocities that inspired the film. The phrase "truth is stranger than fiction" has rarely rung more true than here, and though much of the featurette is presented with cheesy stock footage, the story of Ed Gein is still powerful and frightening enough to resonate through the somewhat hokey execution. Shot-on-video screen tests for stars Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, and Erica Leerhsen offer testament to the power of a scream thanks to Leerhsen's formidable shriek, and a handful of trailers (including producer Michael Bay's original audio-only preview) offer a fun look at the film's promotional campaign. A music video for the Motograter song "Suffocate" exposes the new Texas Chainsaw's nu-metal roots, and potential filmmakers get a crash course in production thanks to such DVD-ROM features as script-to-screen comparison and a storyboard viewer. Rounding things out nicely is a bloodstained envelope ominously labeled "Evidence Enclosed," containing numerous grainy, black-and-white stills of chainsaws, mallets, items made from human body-parts, and other chilling images.