The werewolf vs. vampire actionfest Underworld roars to DVD in a packed release from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment that's sure to please any fan of the gothic, bullet-ridden tale. This Widescreen Special Edition comes with a superb 2.35:1 picture, maintaining the deep blacks and blue hues that worked so well in theaters (a full-screen edition is also available). Sound options are solely relegated to a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, whose layers of atmosphere, music, and sound effects create a fine mix for this extremely loud film. Additionally, two commentary tracks are supplied, the first with director Len Wiseman and writers Danny McBride and Kevin Grevioux, and the second featuring creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos, executive producer/visual effects supervisor James McQuaide, and sound designer Claude Letessier. Both commentaries provide an insane amount of behind-the-scenes information, though each one is about as self-gratifying and pompous as you can get -- especially for a film that is such widely considered as un-groundbreaking as Underworld (though extra points do go to Grevioux for showcasing more of his unearthly deep vocal range for the audience). Filled to the brim with special features, the Featurettes section takes up the most space, as cast and crew alike spew gluttonous amounts of adoration for the film's "originality" and vision through each given clip. This area alone holds almost 45 minutes of footage split between various sections and beginning with the overall making-of documentary (directed by Danny McBride himself), as well as featurettes dedicated to "Creature Effects," "Stunts," along with "Sights and Sounds." The second page of Special Features provides a music video by Finch, storyboard comparisons, two separate TV spots, and a trailers section featuring the original theatrical trailer along with some other bonus horror previews. While the disc is quite stacked in its coverage of the film, the end result tends to leave the viewer rather cold, depending on his or her reaction to the film. If you loved it as much as the filmmakers obviously do, there's no way you could come out happier -- for everyone else, it might seem like a bit of overkill. Gripes aside, though, the disc has a stellar presentation, with flashy animated menus and a fantastic audio/visual transfer that will make your home theater system work for its money.

Bitingly and bitterly funny, Slap Shot has amassed a fervent cult following since its initial 1977 release and received one of the better early DVD releases. This 25th Anniversary Special Edition improves on that earlier edition with a remastered widescreen transfer and a number of worthy DVD extras. The image quality was already high on the previous release, but the source print has been remastered and cleaned up further without artificially brightening or perverting Victor J. Kemper's muted and dour cinematography. The Dolby Digital audio track has actually been improved upon more than the visual track and now sounds less compressed if played through a stereo system (while the two versions seem identical if played through a TV set). Real-life hockey players the Hanson brothers are fan favorites and they contribute the entertaining and often very funny audio commentary track even if it often deals more with their own experiences in hockey than the making of the movie. While in some ways a precursor to the type of rude, shocking comedies the Farrelly brothers are now famous for, the makers of Slap Shot knew that the reality of hockey and even of life in a dying town can be funnier than wild fiction. The Hanson brothers' commentary track and the disc's other highlights featuring their real life exploits bear this out. Slap Shot is one of the best sports movies ever made because it always aims for the truth rather than the legend. This 25th Anniversary Edition DVD is also being sold in a slip cased edition along with Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice, but that straight-to-video sequel doesn't hold a candle to the original.

After two previous incarnations, what may just be the definitive version of Oliver Stone's Platoon makes its way to DVD, and the result is no less than spectacular. The first big plus of this special edition is the new anamorphic transfer, framed at the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Though it does show some signs of wear, the minimal amounts of grain and specks are nothing compared to the detail and clarity of the image. Unquestionably, this is the best version that has ever hit home video. The sound is equally impressive. The English 5.1 soundtrack is flawless with just the right use of surrounds (though they are subtle) and clean dialogue up front. As for the extras, a number of them are taken from the original Live Entertainment disc, with a few new items thrown in. The main two, which are both highly recommended, are commentary tracks: one from Stone and the other from military advisor Captain Dale Dye. While each seems to focus more on what they are watching, each does supply enough anecdotal information to make them invaluable as reference to the making of the film. In addition, and also well worth viewing, is an in-depth behind the scenes look at the making of the film called "Tour of the Inferno," which runs nearly an hour. This documentary contains interviews with the director, cast, and crew and is simply outstanding and a real highlight of this disc. Finally, along with the theatrical trailer and three television spots, there are two dozen behind the scenes photos (focusing on Stone) and four posters.