"One False Move" is one incredible film!  The few times I'm clicking a cable channel and it appears on BRAVO, I can't help myself from sitting down and inevitably watching the whole thing.  BRAVO has been offering it letterboxed(with commercials) but now that this stunning dvd transfer is available, I'm even happier!  

The plot about a small town Arkansas sheriff and three hard-core murdering drug dealers about to merge, is riveting and disturbing from the first scene to the end.  Billy Bob Thornton co-wrote and stars as one of the killers in his pre-"Sling Blade"days.  He's a fine writer, and the dialogue is provocative, yet honest.   There's a great subtext dealing with racism as well, and director Carl Franklin discusses this in his equally engaging audio commentary offered on an additional track.

The dvd transfer offers great contrast in even the darkest(frequent) moments.   Grays and blacks are easilly discernible. The dolby surround sound offers little in the manner of directional effects, but is effective in highlighting the music.

Director Carl Franklin offers another fine commentary on the dvd version of "Devil in a Blue Dress".  "Devil" boasts what may be Denzel Washington's best performance yet, no small feat!!!  He's completely believable and engaging to watch every minute of the film.  In fact, I didn't want the film to end.  Director Franklin creates an incredible atmosphere in this tale set in L.A. as Washington tries to find a missing socialite.  Again, Franklin explores racism with a sensitive, scalpel like approach that never seems heavy-handed. 

The atmosphere is made more real with the incredible transfer, perfectly capturing the streets and neighborhoods of the period with sharp detail and excellent contrast.   The color values are flawless.  The dolby digital 5.1 sound mix doesn't offer much more in terms of directional effects.  They're excellent, but they were just as lively in the laserdisc version.  However, the score by Elmer Bernstein is greatly improved with the added clarity given here.

Tupac Shakur is actually the best thing about "Poetic Justice", director/writer John Singleton's followup film to "Boyz 'n' the Hood."   Janet Jackson co-stars as a poetic young woman paired together with Shakur on a road trip from South Central to Oakland, but taking a detour into a world filled with hatred and violence they aspire to flee from.

Jackson is never convincing, but Singleton's direction is always captivating, and his use of images to make a statement, though heavy-handed at times, is well suited for the transfer given to it here.  The colors are lively and contrast is excellent, made apparant in the film's opening segment set in a movie within a movie, as we realize what we're first watching is appearing on the screen of a drive-in theater.

The dolby surround mix is active, making the most of its directional effects when necessary.  The rest of the time, it's used for the musical score.  The audio commentary isn't as educational as the one offered on the CRITERION disc for "Boyz" and sadly left off of the dvd transfer for the same film.

While I wasn't that impressed with the film in its theatrical run, "La Bamba" appealed to me much more while watching it on dvd.  While it could be due to a deeper appreciation for the nostalgia the film represents, even more noticeable 12 years after its intital release, but more likely due to the wonderful transfer it's been given here!   Theaters didn't offer the film in DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 back then, and the musical numbers come to life with room shaking power now!  We found ourselves replaying the theme song over and over again! 

In addition to the wonderful sound mix, the transfer looks wonderful!  Director Luis Valdez utilizes colors with great effect in his production design, and the transfer captures this vast display of neon-like images perfectly, and without artifacts anywhere!

Additionally, the director as well as Taylor Hackford and cast offer their insights on an audio commentary included as an option.  All this for an SRP of  $24.98?   Please continue your form of "standard" COLUMBIA TRISTAR!!!!