Long before Rat Race, director Stanley Kramer put together a cast of notable comic talents and sent them on a madcap chase around the country looking for lost loot. Now, MGM has seen fit to release It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in a solid DVD package that's sure to satisfy fans of the film. The picture is presented in a 16 x 9 widescreen transfer. As this is an older film, the print has a bit of wear and tear, though nothing to get upset over. It's certainly better than most VHS editions. Sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is a worthy treatment, though nothing earth-shaking. Extras include a lengthy documentary on the making of the film, a truckload of extended scenes, and a pair of trailers. With such a fine cast, many of whom are still living, a commentary track would have been welcome. However, even without it, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is offered in a fine DVD edition and is certainly worth owning.

This twin pack pairs the Martin Lawrence and Will Smith action comedy Bad Boys with its sequel, the appropriately titled Bad Boys II.

One of the funniest films of all time, Blazing Saddles, is awarded an excellent 30th anniversary DVD release by Warner Bros., a company that has often shown great care to the important titles in its vault. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, which makes it seem like one is hearing the infamous farting scene for the very first time. There is a healthy amount of quality extra materials, including a commentary by director Mel Brooks. Although it seems as if he was simply recorded while talking about the film (he never once refers to what is happening onscreen, and the commentary ends only an hour into the film), he recollections are amusing and enlightening. He discusses in detail how the various behind-the-scenes people as well as the cast came together. The other five-star nugget included on this disc is the pilot for the television spin-off Black Bart. Starring Louis Gossett Jr., the show is as amazingly unfunny as the movie is uproarious, but one may be struck by the crudity of the comedy that would have been telecast in the mid-'70s. A making-of documentary and a section from a special on the late great Madeline Kahn help make this DVD a must-own for comedy enthusiasts.