"LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL", and so is this DVD!  While we can't help but be disappointed BUENA VISTA, for some unknown reason, chose "not" to present this title in anamorphic, it still looks great.  Although the contrast between the opening 1/3 of the film and the remaining concentration camp scenes aren't as starkly different as "Sophie's Choice", there is a difference and it's perfectly rendered here.   The contrast and color values are slick and well polished throughout.  The dolby digital 5.1 sound mix offers some directional effects, but is most effective in terms of  atmosphere and assisting the musical dimensions. This score is terrific, moving in the same way as the one from "Cinema Paradiso".  An option of seeing the english dubbed version or the original version is offered.  The dubbed version isn't that bad, as dubbed versions go, but it would be a crime not to see it in its original form.

The extras?  Well, they're scarce.  We get a featurette, which isn't that well made, some academy award tv commercials....yawn, and a trailer.  The supplements don't really justify calling this a "collector's edition", but the movie's so good, and the transfer is so wonderful, that we recommend getting this.

The big question we've been getting inundated with in daily e-mails is whether or not the "Collector's Edition" of "Shakespeare in Love" is worth paying more for than the standard regular version.  Well, the standard version, with 2.35:1(16:9 enhanced) image and dolby digital 5.1 sound, is magnificent!  The picture and sound on the collector's edition appears to be from the same elements.  The same pristine image with enough depth  for the various costumes to come alive before our eyes, is still here.  The same dolby digital 5.1 soundtrack that offers perfect dialogue pitch and centering, as well as an enveloping musical score, is also present.  But, what makes the difference, and causes us to urge consumers to opt for this more expensive version, are the extras.  To begin with, there are 4 deleted scenes, around 10.30 minutes worth, which actually add to the film's narrative.  There's also a funny outtake.  Additionally, there's "two" commentary tracks!  The first one with the film's director, John Madden, lends careful reflection on every aspect of the film's production.  The second commentary features almost every important actor/actress in the film as well as the screenwriter, production designer, costume designer and more.  Their comments, while always interesting, are unfortunately not relating to what appears on screen.  It appears their reflections are taken from various interviews.  There are also two featurettes, one about 20 minutes with cast and crew examining various aspects of the film's design and production.  The shorter featurette looks at costumes. Add about 20 tv spots, and there's still more to offer.   BUENA VISTA's gone all out for this one, and it would be a crime for consumers to miss out on it!!!

"A man's home is his castle!"  Well, that could sum up the main theme to "The Castle", a wonderful new comedy from BUENA VISTA.  When the government tries to take acquire the Kerrigan home and property for airport expansion, the family   decides to fight with comedic, sometimes poignant results.  The film works on many levels, but mostly due to the intelligent restraint the flmmakers excercise, even in situations that would appear easy to go "over the top" with in terms of slapstick.

The transfer is also impressive.  BUENA VISTA chose to present "THE CASTLE" with 16:9 anamorphic form as an option, adding much more clarity to an already sharp picture.  The colors are quite vibrant, and contrast perfect.  The dolby digital 5.1 sound mix, is subdued for the most part, but there are some directional effects interspersed in key moments.  A theatrical trailer is included.

For some reason, various film treatment analysts considered the Gerald DiPego script brilliant.  We found it a muddled mess!  "INSTINCT" doesn't know what it wants to be, trying at times to be a psychological thriller/study, a prison reform film, and more.  Unfortunately, it fails at all these attempts.  As a psychological thriller/study, the ultimate conclusion as to why a brilliant anthropologist has killed, is understandable, but totally predictable.  As a prison reform film, there's "nothing" new here!  The acting is decent, but limited by a convoluted script, wherein the few "moments" of  slightly-above-average dialogue can't add to much in anyone's hands, even Hopkins' or Goodings'.

The dvd transfer on the other hand, is outstanding.  Even without 16:9 enhancement, there's fabulous depth to every scene.  The folliage in jungle flashbacks appears almost like "high definition" television.  The colors are often vibrant, and contrast is flawless in even the darkest scenes.  The dolby digital 5.1 sound mix is extremely active, offering non-stop directional and atmospheric effects.

Atom Egoyan has achieved a great deal of notariety for his innovative storytelling technique in "The Sweet Hereafter", but we much prefer his storytelling in "EXOTICA".  In this film, the hidden motivations of a central character are revealed in a completely surprising and satisfying conclusion.  Mia Kershner stars as a stripper, known for the  school girl attire she disrobes for one particular regular customer, all this in plain view of her ex-boyfriend, an emcee at the club.  Egoyan peels away layer upon layer of his character's inner personality, exploring the isolation and confusion existing in them.

The transfer is extremely sharp, although some brief scenes appear to have contrast problems(the blacks and grays aren't always discernible).  The dobly surround offers little in terms of directional effects, but is effective in assisting the musical atmosphere to the film.