Smart Discs

by Chris Raley
Winter 2001

Many DVDs and CD-ROMs have enhanced and interactive features that range from multiple endings and behind-the-scene footage to Web site links and director's commentary. Here's our sampling of some smart titles.

Gladiator
Dreamworks
DVD-Video
[www.spielberg-dreamworks.com]
$29.99
Enthusiasts of the epic film should enjoy the DVD release. It includes an extensive list of deleted scenes that you can view with or without director's commentary and a montage of additional footage set to the music of the film. You can view all the storyboards or just key scenes, and you can learn about the real gladiator games by watching an hour-long documentary. And, if you want an unusual behind the scenes look at the movie, you can read the production diary of Spencer Treat Clark (Lucius). The DVD also contains conceptual art and the usual director's commentary.

Spy Fox
Humongous Entertainment
CD-ROM
[www.humongous.com]
$19.99
Operation Ozone is the latest addition to the escapades of Spy Fox. In this game, Poodles Galore has sent a huge hairspray can into space in an attempt to destroy the ozone layer so she can corner the sunscreen market. Operation Ozone works much like the other Spy Fox installments. In between story-developing vignettes, you must find the location of an informant, get necessary tools from the spy vending machine and put together a paper-origami-rocket-powered-skateboard. In addition, the CD has 11 song tracks that you can listen to on a CD player. You can also play mini-games, like bowling, within the game. Geared towards kids, age 7 and older, Operation Ozone will keep your little spy entertained and thinking.

The Sound of Music
20th Century Fox
DVD-Video, DVD-ROM features
[www.foxmovies.com]
$29.98
A classic musical set amid the majestic Bavarian Alps, The Sound of Music, winner of five Academy Awards, is now available on DVD. The two-disc set comes with two documentaries: the original 1965 documentary and a recent one with interviews and rare music outtakes, an audio supplement and interviews with Julie Andrews and Robert Wise. DVD-ROM features include games, links to the fan Web site, storyboards and more.

Chicken Run
Dreamworks
DVD-Video, DVD-ROM
[www.spielberg-dreamworks.com]
$26.99
This funny and lovable children's flick offers plenty for young DVD and DVD-ROM users. DVD-ROM users can play interactive games, select desktop icons and screen savers. Others can view a narrated version of the film with a read-along script or choose from two documentaries. Hidden in the menu system are "eggs" that lead you to fun facts about the movie. Finally, if you can't decide what to watch, there's always the Panic Button. Press it and you'll see one of two scenes in which the chickens let out screams.

College View
Hobsons Digital Media
CD-ROM
[www.hobsons-us.com/collegesearch]
$395
College View is a CD-ROM database of nearly 4,000 two and four-year colleges aimed at making your college search a lot easier. With pages of key facts and multimedia presentations, College View is like an encyclopedia of colleges. You can search for colleges by name, alphabetically or partial name; or you can conduct a college search and save your results. The program allows you to keep track of your search results as you enter criteria. You can also get extensive information on financial aid as well as a calendar of college fairs. The addition of video and audio to much of the financial aid section and some of the colleges makes this a valuable resource.