Michael Mann's muscular adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel The Last of the Mohicans comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Closed-captioned English soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, and Dolby Digital Surround, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Although there are no supplemental materials to speak of, the transfer does an exquisite job of presenting this visually breathtaking film.

The first two-disc set from Paramount, Forrest Gump is a sight to see, and sure to please anyone who understood the real meaning of the film. To begin, the picture quality is about as good as it gets. Framed at the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and anamorphic, the colors are right on (skin tones are especially on target) and the definition is outstanding. Darker areas stand out with the correct shading that goes to show what can be done with careful authoring. The sound, a 5.1 Dolby Digital English track, is also perfectly realized. Though there is only a slim amount of surround material, the track is very forward and forceful, taking advantage, just at the right time, of the deeper bass. Also available is a French surround track and subtitles in English. As for extras, there is no mistaking that this Academy Award-winning film gets the star treatment. The first of the two discs, along with the movie, has two audio commentary tracks. The first is from director Robert Zemeckis, producer Steve Starkey, and production designer Rick Carter. The second commentary is from another of the producers, Wendy Finerman. Neither is screen-specific, but both are, in different ways, filled with a wealth of valuable information. But it is the second disc that houses the majority of the supplemental materials. There you will find a half-hour documentary (originally released on VHS in 1994) called "Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump." There are enough interviews and behind-the-scenes shots to make this better than the standard fluff piece. Next are some shorter featurettes, "The Magic of Makeup," "Through the Ears of Forrest Gump" (made up of five short segments), and "Building the World Of Forrest Gump -- Production Design." Eleven visual effects discussions, including two scenes that were excised from the film, are the highlight of the extras. Visual effects producer Ken Ralston and his team talk in depth about the multitude of effects shots used in the film. Finally, this disc features a decent photo gallery, some wonderful (though short) screen tests, and a couple of trailers. This is a wonderful DVD set for a memorable movie, certainly worthy of any collection.

Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter -- only the second movie he ever directed -- makes its second appearance on DVD in an edition altered only slightly from its first, mostly in the form of its design, which was restructured to bring it into line with the 2003 "Universal Western Collection," of which it is now a part, alongside classics such as Winchester '73 and studio-generated filler such as The Redhead From Wyoming. (As few Eastwood fans need be told, High Plains Drifter is much closer in quality to the former than the latter.) The film-to-video transfer is a significant improvement over the old laserdisc edition, which was one of the earlier Universal letterboxed releases. It is sort of essential to see it in this format, as AMC -- where it turns up most frequently -- usually shows the movie full-frame; but even when they show the letterboxed version, they never air the R-rated cut with the uncensored language and violence. The 2.35:1 transfer offers good contrast and brings out such details as a wonderful shot eight and a half-minutes into the movie in which Eastwood's nameless stranger runs across to a trio of thugs at a saloon; his end of the shot is framed by his wide-brimmed hat, which, as he raises his head, reveals the presence of a further set of onlookers, including his soon-to-be-ally Mordecai (Billy Curtis). The detail of the transfer is exquisite, right down to the fabric of the wool blankets that Eastwood's stranger loads into the arms of a downtrodden Native American at the general store. One wishes there was an accompanying narration by Eastwood, but in its place there is a decent production history in the supplements, over a series of easy-to-access onscreen frames. One reason the movie has always looked as strange as it does is that Eastwood specifically chose to shoot it at the other end of California from Hollywood -- at Lake Mono in the California Sierras. He had the entire town, including interiors for all of the buildings, constructed to order from scratch, and shot everything there, adjacent to the lake, which had the helpful quality of changing its appearance and hue with virtually each new shot, adding to the unearthly feel of the action. The movie would probably have been better received by critics if it had not appeared in the wake of Dirty Harry, which had left most middle-of-the-road and liberal journalists and writers aghast, and also despising Eastwood. High Plains Drifter was a success despite mixed reviews, and has since come to be regarded as one of the most influential Westerns of the '70s. The other major supplement on the disc is the original trailer, which emphasizes the movie's violence more than its gallows humor and which has been modified into a mixture of full-screen and letterboxed shots. The menu must be accessed manually -- the disc goes automatically to the movie and startup mode -- and is easy to manipulate, going to a third layer in language selection (French, Spanish), with Spanish subtitles and English captions available. The 16 chapters fit the movie perfectly, covering every major scene.

Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Name of the Rose finally gets some preferential treatment in this solid release from Warner Bros. With a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and enhanced anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen picture (far richer than previous versions), the film's presentation is better than ever, which is only amplified by the fine extras included on the disc. First off is Annaud's commentary, which is a delight from start to finish. Laid back and jovial, with his French swagger on full blast, the director spills forth endless amounts of anecdotes on the production, including the tale of the controversial sex scene with 15-year-old Christian Slater, as well as details on his nasty relationship with F. Murray Abraham (whose ego had just come off the Oscar win for Amadeus). Annaud continues in the "Photo Journey with Jean-Jacques Annaud" interview section, where he again delves into the making of the film through archival photos from his collection. Additionally, a fantastic 40-minute vintage German documentary is also included, featuring rarely seen behind-the-scenes footage from the production. With the original theatrical trailer rounding out the extras, this disc is a classic release that does justice to the artistry that went into sculpting this beautiful and engaging film.