Three Guys Pickin'

DVDs: No better home entertainment

by RICHARD DRAKE
columnist

It is taking me way too long to write this article. Thankfully, it won't take you as long to read it as it's taking me to write it. I've only written two sentences so far. Now it's three. Okay, four. Ack! At any rate, I have to apologise. You see, I'm a bit distracted. The DVD for "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" came out today, and it's playing on my television right now.

Yes, that's right, I said that the "Episode I" DVD is on my DVD player. I waited sixteen years for that movie to come out in the theaters. And when it did, I soaked up every bit of it. The magic of the movies finally came back to all of us. Now, two years after the theatrical release, we have it on DVD. "Star Wars" rules.

This really bad band from California put out a song last year that was also really bad. The first line in the song goes something like this ... "The VCR and the DVD, there wasn't none of that crap back in 1970." Besides being grammatically incorrect, that line just does not make sense. Sure, there were no DVD's or VCR's in peopleÕs home in 1970, but to call them crap?! I don't think so.

The VCR has been one of the greatest inventions ever, it completely changed not only the entertainment industry, but also the home-entertainment industry as well. Geeze, who was it wrote that song? Eveready ... Evercrap? Something like that. It doesn't really matter, they ripped on DVD's and that's just plain wrong.

If you don't have a DVD player, get one. If you have one, get a five-disc one. If you have a five-disc DVD player, get a big-screen TV to go with it. If you have a big-screen TV and a five-disc player, make sure you get a surround-sound system. If you already have all of that, can I move in with you? I love my DVD player, but I only have a puny 18-inch television set, and I donÕt have a five-disc DVD player. I used to think five-disc was dumb, but with all the double-disc special edition boxed sets out there, it only makes sense to be able to load up all five disc trays and enjoy the day without having to move off the couch.

Movies have never looked better at home than on DVD. As much as I love my videotapes, DVD has cleaned up so much. No more grainy pictures, ruined tape or tracking problems. A crisp, clear, colorful picture is what you get on your DVD. With the great picture comes incredible sound quality as well. Nearly every DVD is letterboxed also, which allows the viewer to see full wide-screen. No more pan and scan or cropped pictures, you see what was meant to be seen in the original picture.

Not only is the overall quality of the movie so much better on DVD, but the number of titles available in this wonderful, wonderful format is incredibly huge and still growing. For example, I just picked up this flick "Southern Comfort" on DVD last week. This 1981 Powers Boothe/Keith Carradine near-classic was virtually impossible to find for sale on video. But on DVD? Check. If you have a favorite flick, chances are it's on DVD, and it will definitely look awesome on your television screen.

Another beauty about DVD is the amount of extra features that can be held on a disc. Most DVD's come loaded with extras that you can access any time by selecting the appropriate menu. On video, any special features need to be fast-forwarded or rewound, and all that would do is wear down the tape.

Just like my Olympic hero Kurt Angle, you canÕt wear down a DVD. Oh, it's true my friends, it's true. The goodies that come on many DVD's are incredible: director and actor commentaries, documentaries, interviews, deleted scenes, trailers, flick-related music videos, added scenes on and on. Bottom line: You like movies, youÕll love DVD.

With the incredible number of titles on DVD out there, I'd like to give you a few titles that are the best DVD has to offer. Not every DVD has all of the possible extra features, but many of the ones that do are loaded with them. So of all the regular, boxed sets and double-disc special editions out there, here are some of the best.

A must-have is the "Die Hard Trilogy Boxed-Set." All these flicks are two-disc sets and are chocked full of deleted scenes, audio commentaries and Easter Eggs (hidden special features that you have to hunt for and find to be able to view.) "Die Hard" One and Three are directed by John McTiernan, who is a master of the action movie ("Predator" and "The Hunt for Red October" are his too). Bruce Willis is at his best John McClane, plus Alan Rickman as the bad guy and Samuel L. Jackson in the third flick, you can't be disappointed. Other must-haves include David Fincher's "Fight Club" and "Seven." Both are great flicks, and both are fully loaded and wonderfully packaged DVD's.

The Limited Edition of "Army of Darkness" two-disc set really is limited. You can't find it in stores anymore. It's gone. Poof. The only way to get this groovy baby is on the second-hand market or on the Internet somewhere. Two versions of the film plus commentary by director Sam Raimi and underrated, multi-talented star Bruce Campbell make this DVD awesome. Totally awesome!

Also, make sure you pick up "Episode I." It is full of extras that would make you want to cry. Not only is it in widescreen, but it has trailers, deleted scenes, documentaries and a very rare audio commentary track by George Lucas. It's a magical film and an even more magical DVD.

What else? Any Jackie Chan flick, "True Romance Director's Cut," "Mallrats Collectors Edition," "Spinal Tap Special Edition," "Unbreakable," "Pitch Black Special Edition," and "Office Space."

All said DVD's are not only really good flicks, but are also DVD's that exemplify what DVD's were invented for. Well, all but "Office Space." The "Office Space" DVD doesn't have any extras, just the movie. But you know, it's one of the greatest movies ever made and looks better letter-boxed, as all flicks do. Oh, and I know that song at the beginning of this article is by Everclear, it just happens that they really suck. Really. They suck. Enjoy your DVD's!

Comments can be sent to Richard Drake at parthenon@marshall.edu.