Retitled The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black and released just weeks prior to the sequel's opening, the stylish sci-fi horror monster flick that introduced audiences to Vin Diesel and the character of Riddick slams its way to DVD in four different versions thanks to USA Films and Universal Home Video. Previously released in 2000, this Unrated Director's Cut has been unearthed once again (it was released previously with a few of the same extras in 2000) as a promotional tool for the virtual onslaught of the series releases heaped upon audiences in the summer of 2004. The fun starts with the film itself, which is presented in an anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen picture and the choice of either 5.1 DTS Surround or 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks. Picture and sound quality are top-notch, evoking just the right balance of colors for the breathtaking panoramic scenes with sharp surround sound for the unique and effective sound effects. Extras start with a new introduction by director David Twohy; filmed in the editing suite for The Chronicles of Riddick, the intimate chat mainly focuses on the sequel and what viewers can expect from the bigger-budgeted epic. Next are the commentaries -- one with the director and stars and the other a purely technical track with the director, producer, and visual-effects supervisor. The star track with Twohy, Vin Diesel, and Cole Hauser is obviously the more engaging of the two, with the shaved-headed muscleman enthusiastically raving on about every scene to almost ludicrous levels. The technical commentary track does stand out for its detail and should be worth it for those in the field or looking to understand the process more. The five-minute making-of is next, which, besides the commentaries, is the closest thing to actually discussing the film at hand. The four-minute "A View Into the Dark" featurette comes close in delivering a little more perspective into the first movie, though it, too, is basically another lead-in to the sequel. The rest of the extras can be separated into two different sections -- commercials for movie tie-ins and new material created especially for this DVD. The promotional materials come in the form of two incredibly short (each under two minutes) ads for The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury straight-to-DVD animated prequel and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay interactive game. The new material begins with Johns' Chase Log, featuring Cole Hauser reading excerpts from his character's log account of his capture of Riddick previous to this film. While this bit isn't needed, it's interesting, though one may find it ridiculous to have to sit through 14 entries to get to the actual capture that's summed up simply with an "I got him" line. The last extra included is the Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia, which also features Hauser commentary over distorted film clips and production sketches. It might have a little more flair than your average stills gallery, but the fact is that nothing really takes the place of showing people the real production art and behind-the-scenes material. And for all of you who just haven't been teased enough by more shilling for the sequel, there's a few snippets of conceptual artwork in there to tide you over! There's a whole lot that's missing on this edition, namely trailers(!) and specific documentaries on the actual film (and not the sequel), so it really isn't fair to judge this as any kind of ultimate edition. Consider it more of a packaged advertisement for the world that David Twohy created and unleashed upon audiences everywhere in June 2004. If you didn't own Pitch Black before, now's as good a time as any to jump in, though others who were waiting to upgrade might want to be a little more patient for more meaty reissues down the road.

Mel Gibson's controversial box-office smash The Passion of The Christ debuts on DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. Caleb Deschanel's fabulous cinematography is compromised by this decision. The soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround. As in the theatrical release, the dialogue has been recorded in Aramaic and Latin. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. The only extra of note is an audio track designed to assist the visually impaired. A male voice narrates the action on the screen while a female voice delivers the dialogue. This disc is fine for what it is, but the movie is available with a widescreen transfer. That edition is preferable to this one.

Alien invaders kidnap everyone's favorite right jolly old elf in this low-budget mixture of children's comedy and sci-fi adventure. Christmas is not far away, and countless children are glued to their family's TV sets, watching reports about Santa Claus (John Call). However, this is happening on Mars, and leaders of the Red Planet aren't sure what to do for their kids who are pining away for a visit from the gift-bearing earthling. Martian leader Kimar (Leonard Hicks) dispatches two of his emissaries, the chronically grumpy Voldar (Vincent Beck) and the moronically cheerful Dropo (Bill McCutcheon), to Earth to bring Santa back for a visit. After arriving on Earth, Voldar and Dropo abduct two children, Betty (Donna Conforti) and Billy (Victor Stiles), and order the kids to show them the way to Santa's workshop, from which all three are taken to Mars against their will. As Santa, Betty, and Billy try to find a way back to Earth, Voldar becomes enraged with the Earth kids, while the children bond more comfortably with the intellectually-challenged Dropo. Shot on a shoestring budget on Long Island, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians has developed a rabid cult following over the years, and yes, it's true, Kimar's daughter Girmar really is played by a ten-year-old Pia Zadora.

Hollow Man makes its second debut on DVD care of Columbia's Superbit Deluxe line of movies on two discs. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and looks absolutely fantastic. With solid black levels and slick color schemes, this is a stunningly well-produced transfer that includes nary an imperfection or defect. Fans will be very pleased with how crisp this image looks. The soundtrack is floating in the same boat as the video transfer. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as DTS 5.1 Surround, both in English, each of these soundtracks feature a multitude of directional effects and surround sounds throughout the entire length of the film. Enveloping the viewer in the world of invisibility, both the video and audio portions of this disc should make anyone with a home theater system very happy. Also included on this disc are English, Chinese, French, Thai, Portuguese, and Spanish subtitles. This deluxe version of the film features a second disc that is full of extra materials (though the commentary track by the director has been excluded from this release). Starting off the supplements is an interesting HBO making of featurette titled "Anatomy of a Thriller." The feature is a short, fluffy look at the making of the film that includes interviews with that cast and crew. Some picture-in-picture comparisons allow the viewer to look at some footage before post-production effects were added in. Some deleted scenes are included that allow a glimpse at what was left on the cutting room floor. A few of these alternate/deleted scenes are interesting, though most were deservedly cut from the final film. No less than 15 featurettes are on this disc (including "The Underground Lab," "Digital Body Parts Montage," "Reversion Progressions," and more), each running anywhere from less than two minutes to nearly six minutes long. These short clips allow the viewer yet another peek behind the special effects department's curtain. Finally there are a few director and actor filmographies, plus a teaser trailer and theatrical trailer for the film.