March 5, 2002

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Special Edition.

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that the Academy Award-nominated visual effects in this film make it worth watching. Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law play super-intelligent robots in this futuristic fairytale from director Steven Spielberg. The DVD features include a documentary detailing how A.I. was brought to the screen, a look at the production design, interviews with Steven Spielberg, Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law, behind-the-scenes featurettes on the design, lighting and costumes, an in-depth look at the development and creation of the robots including a behind-the-scenes visit to Stan Winston Studios, the creation of various special effects on the set with effects supervisor Michael Lantieri, interviews with Dennis Muren and Scott Farrar of ILM about blending the animation with the live-action, a visit to Skywalker Sound with sound designer Gary Rydstrom, storyboard sequences, production drawings, photo gallery and theatrical trailers.

Suggested retail price: Special Edition 2-disc DVD $22.95.

SCOOBY DOO AND THE RELUCTANT WEREWOLF

Warner Home Video brings an all-new feature length Scooby-Doo adventure direct to DVD and VHS. Count Dracula transforms Shaggy into a werewolf. To be returned to his former self, Shaggy and Scooby must win a cross-country race against a horde of celebrity monsters. DVD special features include "How To Draw Scooby Doo," a Scooby-Doo music video and "The Race Goes On" game.

DVD suggested retail price: $19.98; VHS $14.95.

JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE Special Edition

Set in a fictionalized version of the recent past, a repressive Japanese government is battling the Sect, a violent revolutionary organization that uses adolescent girls they call "Red Riding Hoods" as couriers. The special edition DVD features include special edition gatefold keepsake packaging, two disc DVD set plus the soundtrack by Hajime Mizoguchi on a separate CD, trailers, interviews with the cast, director Hiroyuki Okiura and writer Mamoru Oshii among others, 12-page booklet and a production art gallery. Presented in widescreen anamorphic format.

Suggested retail price: Special Edition 2-disc DVD $59.98.

Movie only version also available. Suggested retail price: DVD $29.98.

Fred Patten reviews the latest anime releases including JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE.

March 12

TOM & JERRY: THE MAGIC RING and TOM & JERRY: THE MOVIE

Here are two more feature length direct-to-video releases from Warner Home Video. In THE MAGIC RING, Tom & Jerry run into all sorts of trouble when a sorcerer’s magical ring gets stuck on Jerry’s head. DVD features include "How To Draw Tom & Jerry," two new games, a "Making Of" featurette and two bonus TOM & JERRY cartoons. TOM & JERRY: THE MOVIE special features include "The Race Is On" game and two bonus TOM & JERRY cartoons. Both films are available on DVD or VHS.

Suggested retail price: DVD $19.98; VHS $14.95.

March 19

SAMURAI JACK

The feature film that introduced the Cartoon Network series tells the history of the character Samurai Jack. Bonus features include an episode of SAMURAI JACK, "Behind the Sword" documentary featuring creator Genndy Tartakovsky and "The Making Of Samurai Jack" from drawing board to television.

Suggested retail price: DVD $19.98; VHS $14.95.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

Previously available on VHS, the original HUNCHBACK is now being released on DVD for the first time to coincide with the new direct-to-video release of its sequel. Special features include commentary by producer Don Hahn and directors Kirk Wise & Gary Trousdale, the making of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Topsy Turvy Underground" game and sing-along with the song "Topsy Turvy." Presented in widescreen anamorphic format.

Suggested retail price: DVD $29.99.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME II