Clive Barker's highly underrated spook-house horror pic Candyman comes home to DVD in a packed Special Edition that's sure to get the juices flowing for fright fans everywhere. Updating the film's previous 1998 bare-bones release, Columbia TriStar pulls out the blood-red carpet for the flick this time, loading it with all the hot stuff you've come to expect. Presented with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image, the picture complements the film well, though the lone Dolby Digital Surround leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering how other less-regarded horror fare come standard with 5.1 tracks at the time of this release (New Line's release of The Mangler, anyone?). Audio gripes aside, the rest of the disc is where the DVD really shines, starting off with a commentary from director Bernard Rose, writer Clive Barker, producer Alan Poul, and actors Virginia Madsen, Kasi Lemmons, and the Candyman himself, Tony Todd. While cut-and-paste tracks aren't usually the kind to write home about, this one delivers a rock-steady commentary out of many separate tracks that, while not exactly scene-specific, does have some fine information on the production and the extreme lengths the filmmakers went to during the shoot (including hypnotizing star Madsen for most of the film!). Those who haven't caught up with Clive Barker are also in for a big surprise -- it seems the years of cigar smoking have finally caught up with him in a big way, which you'll discover even more in his ten-minute "Raising Hell" featurette. Looking like he has rapidly aged, with a gravel-filled voice that now sounds like one of his horrific creations, Barker is quite jarring to listen to as well as to look at. "Raising Hell" features the scribe looking back at his career, with lengthy time dedicated to his early days in the theater leading up to his time behind the camera with Hellraiser, Nightbreed, and Lord of Illusions. The 24-minute "Sweets to the Sweet: The Candyman Mythos" featurette is also included and delves far more into change of settings from Liverpool in the book to Chicago's Cabrini Green and how the race angle of the hooked killer changed once Tony Todd took on the part. With a collection of the director's storyboards and a few pretty lame previews for other horror projects, this DVD comes to a close. While the original theatrical trailer would have been a nice inclusion, as would have a more decent audio mix, this Special Edition serves its purpose and certainly gives viewers more Candyman than they had before, which is a good thing, just as long as you're not talking about the dreadful sequels.

One of 2002's most highly acclaimed films, Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg, comes to DVD in a two-disc set. Everything is in the right place with this release, starting with the image. Framed at 2.39:1 and anamorphic (a severely cropped pan and scan version is available in a separate set), the washed-out, over-saturated visual style of director of photography Janusz Kaminski is produced with exacting measures. The intentional murkiness and overall cold color patterns are perfectly realized. There are plenty of signs of grain: just as it should be. Equally impressive are both the 5.1 English Dolby Digital and DTS tracks. Each is forceful in all respects, with just enough surround material to accentuate the aural experience, while never sacrificing dialogue or subtle sound effect clarity. The second disc in this set contains all of the supplemental materials (no, as usual, the first disc does not contain a Spielberg commentary, though it would be about time). Broken up into six sections, each contains small featurettes organized by longtime collaborator Laurent Bouzereau. These range from two-and-a-half up to nearly ten minutes, and while that may not seem impressive, the overall total runs around 90 minutes. Sections include detailed looks at the visual effects of ILM, locations, stunts, extensive art galleries, trailers, biographies, and much more. Numerous interviews from those involved, including actors Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell, production designer Alex McDowell, costume designer Deborah Scott, composer John Williams, and many others, flesh out this detailed look behind the scenes. While maybe not quite up to the standards of other two-disc sets, there is still a wealth of information on making this impressive film. Coupled with outstanding visual and auditory elements, this DVD deserves as much praise as the film itself.

Budgeted at a mere 130,000 dollars, Open Water is the independent success story of 2004, and this DVD will not only show you how the filmmakers did it, but how you can do it as well. Presentation should always be the number-one key to releasing films on DVD, and this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen edition, for the most part, does not disappoint. The problem for most home-theater enthusiasts will simply be that the type of digital video used here tends to create a less than clear picture some of the time. The upside is that the colors are indeed vibrant; just don't be surprised when you see obvious pixilation in some shots. The film's sound, however, is another story altogether -- one that boasts a completely absorbing experience through not only a 6.1 DTS ES track, but a 5.1 Dolby Digital EX track and a Dolby Digital 2.0 one as well. The disc has two audio commentaries, the first with the husband and wife filmmaking team and the other with the two stars, Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis. Both tracks provide tons of information and are a nice compliment to the other extras, starting with the "Calm Before the Storm: The Making of Open Water" featurette. Clocking in at 15 minutes, this behind-the-scenes clip is where you really get the nuts and bolts of how this entrepreneurial couple set out to make this indie feature themselves, and it's every bit as interesting as it would seem. From researching and then shopping for cameras online to home editing on a personal computer, the story of Open Water is almost as interesting as the feature itself. Also included is "The Indie Essentials: A Filmmakers Guide to Gearing Up for a Profitable Movie" featurette, which briefly discusses Lions Gate and their history of acquiring smaller films for higher profit. Add in the theatrical trailer plus seven deleted scenes (including a chilling alternate opening), as well as some on-location footage from the shoot, and that, in a nutshell, wraps up the DVD. This release is recommended for fans of the film and anyone else looking to get into the independent film world.