Sometimes, the DVD format can take a must-watch movie and turn it into a must-own movie. Warner Bros. gets a gold star for this excellent DVD edition of David O. Russell's Gulf War heist epic. The picture, a masterful 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, beautifully shows off the desert surroundings. Colors are rich and seem to shimmer with the heat. Even when the film changes stocks, the picture retains its crisp texture. The sound is simply awesome. Dolby 5.1 does the madcap gunplay and thunderous soundtrack justice. The extras too are worth their weight in gold. Russell's commentary, for starters, is top of the line. He details every inch of the production, from effects to locations and more. He is also well-schooled in the Gulf War and provides many fascinating historical notes. Also featured is a fact-filled commentary from producers Charles Roven and Edward McDonnell. There is a 20-minute documentary that offers a very straightforward look at the making of Three Kings. Production designer Catherine Hardwicke takes viewers on an exhaustive tour of the film's various sets, while cinematographer Newton Thomas Seigel provides a look at the process by which the film was shot. There is also a batch of deleted scenes with optional commentary from Russell, as well as a humorous clip of co-star Ice Cube explaining the "acting process." While all of these are impressive, the real standout is Russell's video journal. Starting from the day the script is greenlit, it chronicles the journey of bringing Three Kings to the screen. We see his first meeting with George Clooney, watch rehearsals, and view the actual shooting. From Mark Wahlberg's obvious discomfort with being videotaped to a rather pushy publicist telling Russell (obviously not knowing who he is), "Sir, no cameras are allowed!" at the film's premiere, the journal is an amazingly personal look at the creation and execution of a feature film. Also featured are bios, trailers, and 12 Easter eggs, called "hidden bunkers" here. After buying Three Kings on DVD, viewers may want to block out four hours of an evening -- two for the movie and the rest to pore over the fabulous extras.

Sick little thriller starring Julian Sands, Jeff Daniels, John Goodman and a whole clan of deadly menacing South American spiders. (1990) Running time 109 minutes.