Brian Gibson's biopic of Tina Turner, What's Love Got to Do with It?, comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. There are neither subtitles nor closed-captions on this release. Supplemental materials include a theatrical trailer. The film looks and sounds superb on this disc, but the best aspects of it are the commanding performances by Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. They both earned Oscar nominations, and the small screen does nothing to diminish their amazing work.

The little seen but wonderful Love & Basketball comes in a "Platinum Series" DVD from New Line and the results are spectacular. First of all, the anamorphic-enhanced 1.85:1 image is outstanding with rich, well-saturated colors and dark blacks. Detail is a real high point in this fine transfer. There are no real visible distractions, making for a picture that really stands out. The sound, an English 5.1 track, is adequate for a film like this, even though it really makes no use of the surround speakers. Dialogue is centered up front and clear. Also available is a stereo surround track and subtitles in English. Though those two elements are impressive enough, it's the supplemental materials that take this disc to a higher level. As is the tradition with this sort of special edition, those materials are plentiful. To begin with, there are two audio commentary tracks, one with director Gina Prince-Bythewood and star Sanaa Lathan, while the second track is a 5.1 isolated score with commentary from Prine-Bythewood, editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, and composer Terence Blanchard. Also included, with optional commentary, are seven deleted scenes, and a brief blooper reel that is quite amusing. In addition are four audition tapes, including the final scene in the film, with actors Omar Epps and Lathan. Animated storyboards, also with the final shots from the film, are included as well as a music video from Lucy Pearl, the theatrical trailer, and DVD-ROM content such as watching the film and viewing the screenplay at the same time. Finally, there's a very dry but valid 36-minute discussion of women and the competition they face, whether that is in business, politics, or sports.

Brown Sugar utilizes an impressive 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic transfer that is virtually free of defects. The bright colors spring nicely from the screen, and little grain appears during the darker shots. The reverse side offers the pan-and-scan, 1.33:1 full-frame format. An impressive collection of hip-hop tunes dominates this soundtrack, and it booms powerfully from an effective 5.1 Channel Dolby Digital transfer. The sounds move well across the field and offer decent complexity. The disc also includes a decent number of supplements spread across both sides of the disc. The most significant one is a commentary from co-writer/director Rick Famuyiwa and editor Dirk Westervelt. Famuyiwa has a relaxed form of delivery that sometimes becomes dull, but he does provide some interesting statements. The other major extra features are four deleted scenes, which cover about six minutes and were mostly removed for pace issues, and two music videos. They are both excellent tracks -- "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)" from Erykah Badu, featuring Common, and Mos Def's "Brown Sugar," featuring Faith Evans. The remaining supplements include a brief soundtrack spot and preview trailers, which offer widescreen transfers and decent stereo soundtracks.