"The #1 Thriller of All Time" comes to DVD as part of Hollywood Pictures' Collector's Edition series. Fans of M. Night Shyamalan's ingenious supernatural story will revel in the 1.85:1 widescreen (enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions) format and 5.1 Surround Sound which fully capture the intricate details of the film and tangible paranormal presence. What makes this DVD especially enjoyable, however, is the multitude of behind-the-scenes features, many of which are narrated by Shyamalan and other key crew members. Included are a French-language track; a "Storyboard to Film Comparison" of the anniversary dinner scene; cast and crew interviews; a fascinating "Music and Sound Design" presentation that illustrates how the incredibly creepy background track was created; and "Reaching the Audience," an explanation of how word of mouth made this movie the cultural phenomenon it became. Also included are "Rules and Clues," a guide to the hints threaded throughout the movie before its explosive, surprise ending; four deleted scenes, one of which is an extended finale; and an interview with Shyamalan in which he talks about his background and how it affected his filmmaking. Theatrical and TV trailers as well as cast and crew biographies round things out. Finally, viewers should click on the beribboned box for a real treat -- Shyamalan's first horror film, "Nightmare on Old Gulf," which was written, produced, directed, and starred in by the film phenom when he was 11 years old.

Single disc

The DVD of Goodfellas has got to be one of the very first DVDs ever released by Warner Brothers because they make a critical error in the release. While many films offer widescreen on one side and full screen on the other, this film offers only one version -- a widescreen film broken into two sides. Viewers have to flip the DVD over to watch the second half of the film; 19 chapters are on side A and the last 15 chapters are on side B. Goodfellas is a classic film, and the DVD offers a great video transfer and excellent Dolby Digital 5:1 Surround, but no DVD fan will accept the two-sided format. In terms of extras, there are very few, limited only to theatrical trailers, production notes, and cast bios. For many, this Martin Scorsese classic is a must-have for any collection, but those who can wait for a future, corrected release of this film are better off watching the widescreen VHS tape. Language option in English and French and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.