Director Gregory Hoblit's "Primal Fear" is a tough, gritty, suspense film that doesn't let up at all up to and including its final moment.  Even rarer in suspense films today, the ending is a real shocker!  Gere is excellent as a sharp defense lawyer trying to get an acquital for an alter boy accused of a brutal murder.   Edward Norton is incredible in his debut as the severely troubled kid in a performance that he'll long be remembered for.  The picture quality is generally quite sharp, but as is the case with several other PARAMOUNT dvd releases, it's too dark in certain scenes.  This demonstrates a lack of control in quality, due to the loss of clarity during these key moments.  Otherwise the fleshtones and colors are sharp.   The dolby digital 5.1 sound is extremely active with directional effects.

PARAMOUNT has finally entered into the DVD arena with what they intend to be about 10 titles per month.  Among the first launch titles is "Top Gun".  While we're pleased that they've chosen to offer both letterbox and pan&scan, we're disappointed that they're not making 16:9 standard as WARNER BROS., COLUMBIA TRISTAR, and typically NEW LINE have done.  The letterboxed version, approximately 2:1 from a Super 35 format looks great, although it doesn't meet the standards in clarity and contrast set forth by the other studios we've mentioned in comparison.  The fleshtones are generally consistent, and contrast is fine, but there's no great depth to the image, "and" it appears darker than on laserdisc.  The pan&scan side is no brighter and the framing loses some impact.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is on par with the laserdisc version with great directional effects throughout the film.