"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.

Warner Brothers' presentation of Any Given Sunday is billed as a Special Edition Director's Cut and contains a handful of additional pieces of footage not seen theatrically. Visually, the film is very well presented. The colors are exceptionally bright, if a bit too red. This could have been the intention of director Oliver Stone, however, and not a fault of the transfer. The video is shown in an anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The details, especially in anamorphic mode, are extremely crisp. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is light on surround usage but full of pulse-pounding bass; each hit and tackle is rendered thunderous. Several special features are included: a documentary on the making of the film, an L.L. Cool J music video, trailer, and biographies. Unfortunately, there is no commentary. Any Given Sunday is also enhanced for DVD-ROMs with web events, chat-room access, Web-site links, reviews, and more. Although the extras are large in number, their quality is limited. As with any feature by a renowned director, some type of commentary would have been welcome. The trailer and bios are one-time views, if that, and the DVD-ROM features are hardly compelling. This DVD, however, is all about the presentation of the film. In this area it succeeds wonderfully. With added scenes, an incredible video transfer, and heavy-hitting sound, there is enough here for both fans of the film and newcomers to Stone's football opus.

Allen and Albert Hughes followed up their successful debut, Menace II Society, with the sweeping crime drama Dead Presidents. That film comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish subtitles are accessible. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, making this Disney/Buena Vista disc difficult to recommend to anyone other than fans of the film.

FIGHTER - DVD - Mark Wahlberg stars in Paramount Pictures' inspirational docudrama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born, junior welterweight title winner InchIrishInch Micky Ward. A determined pugilist whose career in the ring was shepherded by his loyal half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) - a hard-living boxer-turned-trainer whose own career in the ring was nearly sent down for the count due to drugs and crime - perennial underdog Irish Micky rebounded from a disheartening series of defeats to win both the WBU Intercontinental Lightweight title and the WBU Light Welterweight title thanks to a fierce combination of determination and hard work. David O. Russell directs from a script by 8 MILE's Scott Silver and Paul Attanasio (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM).