Retitled The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black and released just weeks prior to the sequel's opening, the stylish sci-fi horror monster flick that introduced audiences to Vin Diesel and the character of Riddick slams its way to DVD in four different versions thanks to USA Films and Universal Home Video. Previously released in 2000, this Unrated Director's Cut has been unearthed once again (it was released previously with a few of the same extras in 2000) as a promotional tool for the virtual onslaught of the series releases heaped upon audiences in the summer of 2004. The fun starts with the film itself, which is presented in an anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen picture and the choice of either 5.1 DTS Surround or 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks. Picture and sound quality are top-notch, evoking just the right balance of colors for the breathtaking panoramic scenes with sharp surround sound for the unique and effective sound effects. Extras start with a new introduction by director David Twohy; filmed in the editing suite for The Chronicles of Riddick, the intimate chat mainly focuses on the sequel and what viewers can expect from the bigger-budgeted epic. Next are the commentaries -- one with the director and stars and the other a purely technical track with the director, producer, and visual-effects supervisor. The star track with Twohy, Vin Diesel, and Cole Hauser is obviously the more engaging of the two, with the shaved-headed muscleman enthusiastically raving on about every scene to almost ludicrous levels. The technical commentary track does stand out for its detail and should be worth it for those in the field or looking to understand the process more. The five-minute making-of is next, which, besides the commentaries, is the closest thing to actually discussing the film at hand. The four-minute "A View Into the Dark" featurette comes close in delivering a little more perspective into the first movie, though it, too, is basically another lead-in to the sequel. The rest of the extras can be separated into two different sections -- commercials for movie tie-ins and new material created especially for this DVD. The promotional materials come in the form of two incredibly short (each under two minutes) ads for The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury straight-to-DVD animated prequel and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay interactive game. The new material begins with Johns' Chase Log, featuring Cole Hauser reading excerpts from his character's log account of his capture of Riddick previous to this film. While this bit isn't needed, it's interesting, though one may find it ridiculous to have to sit through 14 entries to get to the actual capture that's summed up simply with an "I got him" line. The last extra included is the Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia, which also features Hauser commentary over distorted film clips and production sketches. It might have a little more flair than your average stills gallery, but the fact is that nothing really takes the place of showing people the real production art and behind-the-scenes material. And for all of you who just haven't been teased enough by more shilling for the sequel, there's a few snippets of conceptual artwork in there to tide you over! There's a whole lot that's missing on this edition, namely trailers(!) and specific documentaries on the actual film (and not the sequel), so it really isn't fair to judge this as any kind of ultimate edition. Consider it more of a packaged advertisement for the world that David Twohy created and unleashed upon audiences everywhere in June 2004. If you didn't own Pitch Black before, now's as good a time as any to jump in, though others who were waiting to upgrade might want to be a little more patient for more meaty reissues down the road.

Poltergeist (DVD Deluxe Edition) [DVD]

Paramount's DVD edition of Silver Bullet is likely to confound the film's fans because it combines a high-quality transfer with a maddening lack of extras. The best element of this disc is its video transfer, which restores Silver Bullet to its 2.35:1 widescreen glory with razor-sharp detail and plenty of rich color. This transfer does a beautiful job re-creating the rich textures of Armando Nannuzzi's photography, especially during the fog-shrouded night sequences. Audio is limited to a mono soundtrack that lacks the excitement of a good stereo recording, but is skillfully mixed and recorded. There is also a French audio track and an English subtitles option. Beyond that, Silver Bullet has nothing else to offer -- no commentary, no trailer, no nothing. Considering the film's concurrent British DVD release includes the film's theatrical trailer and a full-length commentary from director Daniel Attias, it's baffling that Paramount made no attempt to flesh out this pricey disc to special-edition status. In the end, Silver Bullet is worthwhile for the film's fans thanks to its excellent transfer, but it is also likely to annoy said fans with its bare-bones presentation.

This third sequel to the 1975 mega-hit Jaws returns Lorraine Gary to the role of Ellen Brody, widow of the Roy Scheider character from the first two films. When her son Sean, the current police chief of shark-plagued Amity Island, is killed by the beast, Ellen goes to the Bahamas to comfort her surviving son. Michael Brody (Lance Guest) and his friend Jake (Mario Van Peebles) are marine biologists there to help, but in the end it is up to Ellen and her new beach-bum love -- played by Michael Caine -- to put a halt to the fishy horror. Director Joseph Sargent concludes the series with an ending chosen from several alternate possibilities.