John Carpenter's low-key science fiction drama Starman comes to DVD with a pair of images. The widescreen transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and is preferable to the standard full-frame 1.33:1 image. English, Spanish, and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Subtitles are accessible in all three of those languages as well. Supplemental materials are limited to theatrical trailers. The highlight of the film -- Jeff Bridges' performance -- works just as well on the small screen as it did in theaters. Considering the quality of the picture and sound and the affordable list price, this is not a bad DVD for the money.

Schwarzenegger's cheese-fueled action epic The Running Man charges its way to DVD in a two-disc Special Edition from Artisan Entertainment. The remastered picture comes in both a 1.85:1 widescreen image as well as the full-screen version, while the audio has been upgraded to an incredible 6.1 DTS-ES Surround Sound and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX tracks. With a remarkable new picture and crystal-clear sound options, it's unbelievable to see how much time has been put into this schlock-fest -- as evidenced also in the staggering amount of extras included on this edition. The fun begins with not one, but two, commentary tracks, the first including producer Tim Zinnemann and none other than the original Starsky himself, director Paul Michael Glaser! The second track is the perfect companion to the first, as executive producer Rob Cohen (director of XXX and The Fast and the Furious) details the production's troubles with the countless initial directors who were all fired before Glaser had the pleasure of picking up the pieces after only the second week of shooting. Those two tracks alone (plus maybe a trailer, which is also included) would make for a fine edition for the film, but strangely enough, the DVD just doesn't quit there! Also awaiting courageous viewers are two documentaries, each dealing with the similarities between the film and the culture in which this disc finds itself released. While the idea sounds strange enough -- and also quite humorous -- the pair actually do make a nice companion to Arnold's neon-tinged gem. First off is "Lockdown on Main Street," an engaging 25-minute look at American citizens' privacy after the tragedy of 9/11. With the help of various professors and scholars, it gives the viewer a front-row seat into the vagueness that has infected the country since the controversial Patriot Act was hastily adopted into law and shows how the rights of the people have been slashed mostly without their knowledge. Compounded with that, the "Game Theory" documentary takes a magnifying glass to reality TV programming in the new century, dissecting the trends that have been sold as entertainment and what the future of television might hold. While extreme in their possibilities, both share an interesting look at what has happened since The Running Man burst onto theater screens and just how absurdly on-target the film's depiction of the future seems now. With the end in sight, one more feature comes barreling at viewers, this time a more fun throwaway bonus that comes in the form of "Meet the Stalkers," an interactive area where you can select each villain and view their highlights all the way to their costume specs. Sure, it's worthless and cheap-looking, but so is the movie -- thus, it makes even more sense that it was included! For a film that never really deserved this much credit, this two-disc release ends up being a wealth of fun and actually worthy of merit thanks to the people over at Artisan.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a Philadelphia boxer, is but one step removed from total bum-hood. A once promising pugilist, Rocky is now taking nickel-and-dime bouts and running strongarm errands for local loan sharks to survive. Even his supportive trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) has given up on Rocky. All this changes thanks to Muhammad Ali-like super-boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). With the bicentennial celebration coming up, Creed must find a "Cinderella" opponent for the big July 4th bout -- some unknown whom Creed can "glorify" for a few minutes before knocking him cold. Rocky Balboa was not the only "Cinderella" involved here: Writer/director Sylvester Stallone, himself a virtual unknown, managed to sell his Rocky script (one of many that he'd written over the years) on the proviso that he be given the starring role. Since the film was to be made on a shoestring and marketed on a low-level basis, the risk factor to United Artists was small. For Stallone, this was a make-or-break opportunity -- just like Rocky's million-to-one shot with Apollo Creed. Costing under a million dollars, Rocky managed to register with audiences everywhere, earning back 60 times its cost. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture.