One of the most influential and popular films of the 1990's finally gets the DVD treatment it deserves on this fantastic two-disc set from Miramax. Video and audio quality are both stellar: the new anamorphically-enhanced widescreen transfer shows off the cinematography in all its colorful, kitschy glory and the stereo soundtracks (DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1) dish up a punchy, crystal-clear soundtrack that is guaranteed to give the stereo speakers a workout. Pulp Fiction also offers a staggering array of extras guaranteed to keep film fans occupied for hours on end. First up is a subtitle trivia track that replaces the usual commentary track. Some fans might be disappointed that they don't get to hear Tarantino's enthusiastic musings in audio form but this exhaustive trivia track makes up for this by supplying every bit of minutiae that a fan could want to know: it covers everything from the film's inspirations to on-the-set stories to explanations of the many symbols and references used in the film. There is also a fantastic new documentary that uses interviews old and new and a variety of background footage to create a slickly-edited and fast-paced portrait of the history and influence of Pulp Fiction. Fans will be pleased by the inclusion of deleted scenes that are set up with on-screen intros from Tarantino, video clips of Tarantino directing a pair of the film's scenes and the inclusion of the infamous Palme D'Or acceptance speech that features the director having to fend off a zealous heckler as he makes his remarks. Elsewhere, this special edition represents the critical response to Pulp Fiction with an episode of Siskel and Ebert devoted to the Tarantino phenomenon and a gallery of text articles that analyze the film. The package is rounded out with a great episode of the Charlie Rose Show that features Rose interviewing Tarantino at length, a production design featurette and a barrage of trailers and publicity material. In short, Miramax's special edition of Pulp Fiction is both the definitive edition of this film and a thorough primer on its enduring influence on the world of filmmaking.

Warner Bros.' DVD edition of Clint Eastwood's high-flying space adventure is as good as they come. The picture is an excellent 2.35:1 widescreen transfer. Most impressive are the opening scenes, shot in a sumptuous black-and white, and the space scenes. As is often the case with films of this kind, the sound design is top-flight, bringing booming rockets and sound barrier-shattering jets to life in Dolby Digital 5.1. There is also a nice selection of extras to be found. There is a behind-the-scenes documentary that serves largely to promote the film, but still provides a great look at the creative process. Also included are a pair of featurettes that look at the making of the special effects and the editing of the film. Both offer some tidbits of information that one might pick up otherwise (for instance, in one scene where Eastwood is walking in space, everything but his face was created by a computer). Lastly, there is the full version of a clip from The Tonight Show that was shown in the movie, featuring the film's stars as their characters banter with host Jay Leno. It's a great bit of improv and fun to watch. The clip is interspersed with interviews with Leno about how he was tapped for the project. This is a solid DVD with plenty to recommend it. The only complaint would be the glaring absence of a commentary track from Eastwood and/or his co-stars. Watching them work together on film makes one wonder what they would have had to say.

Roman Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers is a film that really needs to be seen widescreen to be fully appreciated, which you can now do with this solid release from Warner Bros. While people can debate its curious use of slapstick until the cows come home, there is no doubt that it is a gorgeously shot flick that ranks up there alongside Hammer's most accomplished '60s horror outings. This disc comes packed with a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen image that certainly does show off the camerawork and extravagant sets well, though, sadly, it's plagued by film elements that weren't corrected in the transfer. The mono Dolby Digital track on the other hand, might lose points for home theater inadequacy, but its mix is just fine otherwise. Extras include the theatrical trailer and a vintage clip, "Fearless Vampire Killers: Vampires 101," that must have played in some theaters upon the film's release. Just like the film, it's a silly setup where a professor of some sort (Max Wall) takes you through the vampire mythos and sets the audience up for the movie. Missing is the animated prologue from the American version -- and don't look for any commentaries or galleries of any sort. Still, the disc is worthy of recommendation, if only to be able to see the film on DVD the way it was meant to be seen.

You don't have to love (or even like) silent movies to enjoy this DVD -- that might be the most miraculous achievement of the many to be found on this two-disc set, which is worth at least twice what is being asked for it. The Phantom of the Opera (1925) has had so many incarnations, in terms of variant editions of the original 1925 version (and its 1929/1930 reissue version), that it could make seasoned film scholars' heads spin -- and that's not even counting the unauthorized DVD and video editions that are out there. But Milestone Film and Video's September 2003 double-disc DVD version is about as coherent and as good a presentation as the movie is ever likely to have, as good as the movie is likely ever to look, and as fulfilling as any silent movie will likely ever ever be to 21st century audiences. In addition to the most perfect film-to-video transfer ever seen of the movie, of the 1929/1930 sound-adapted reissue (the best surviving source of the movie in any form), it comes complete with two different soundtracks, a new orchestral track by composer Carl Davis done for a British television showing, and the original 1930 adapted soundtrack (complete with dialogue added). Watching this edition of the movie with either soundtrack -- but especially with the Davis music track -- is almost like watching a new movie; not only does the movie look like it was shot freshly (it's that clean), but it flows beautifully, with none of the clunkiness that one usually associates with silents as they are often presented. The tinting is done so smoothly and carefully that one forgets that it is present; after a few minutes, it seems the most natural way to present a movie. And you literally forget you're watching a silent. The principal bonus feature on disc one is film historian Scott McQueen's commentary track. It's a nimble walk through the movie from beginning to end, including a discussion of all of the changes (and some of them were dizzying) made in the movie between the various preview and official release versions, and the 1925 release and the 1929 and 1930 re-release versions. We get day-to-day accounts of Lon Chaney's involvement and work, director Rupert Julian's selection (and his mistakes), and such matters as costuming and set design, and places where the shooting departed from what were more impressive elements of the script. He even gets into the different camera angles of various shots utilized in the different editions of the movie issued by Universal in 1925 and 1929 -- but McQueen also weaves the relationship of The Phantom of the Opera into other movies, including the work of Jean Cocteau. It's all a masterful presentation, nearly as impressive and entertaining as the movie. The 1925 version, in its degraded state, appears on the second disc. It's more of a reference document than anything else, and not as easy to appreciate as the 1929 version on the first disc, but it's fascinating to compare the two, and it does, to a better degree than this reviewer has seen, hold up as more satisfying entertainment than any other DVD presentation of the 1925 version. What's more, in contrast to the old Lumivision laserdisc that also attempted to bring together the two different cuts of the movie between one cover, there is a music track, on piano and organ, for the 1925 film as well. The other major bonuses include the interview with Carla Laemmle, a descendant of the family that founded the studio, and who also played the prima ballerina in the ballet sequence in the beginning of the movie; and an audio interview with Charles Van Enger, who photographed the movie, recorded in 1973, seven years before his death. His observations about the 1943 remake show that Van Enger may well have had more sense of a good story than the Universal screenwriters who actually wrote that script, and might well have made a great director or head-of-production. The DVD set is well produced and entertaining enough to keep even casual viewers busy for two weeks. Serious movie buffs will come back to it for months. The menus are easy to use and the bonus materials easy to access. It's a masterful creation, and could be this reviewer's pick for best DVD of 2003.