Smart Discs

by Charles Fulton
Winter 2002/Spring 2003

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.

Ocean's Eleven
Warner Home Video
DVD
www.warnervideo.com
$27
This is a remake of the 1960 classic, starring George Clooney as the guy crazy enough to try robbing three Las Vegas casinos. In addition to the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix (available in both English and French), the DVD has two extra sound tracks, one featuring the director's commentary, the other featuring stars Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Brad Pitt. You can also enjoy the theatrical trailer and the two teaser trailers, along with a behind-the-scenes featurette as well as a segment on the style of the film.

Snow Dogs
Walt Disney Home Video
DVD
www.disneydvd.com
$30
This live-action family flick from Disney tells the tale of a transplanted urbanite turned musher. Snow Dogs features 5.1 surround audio in both Dolby Digital and DTS formats, along with a commentary track from the director and producer. A sledding game entitled "Ted's Arctic Challenge" is also on the disc. You get around using your DVD player's arrow keys. Unfortunately, we had trouble making the game work with our Samsung test player; our sled crashed practically every time. Also provided: three behind-the-scenes segments, along with deleted and extended scenes that didn't make the final cut.

Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8
American Gramaphone
DVD-Video
www.mannheimsteamroller.com
$30
A great deal for Chip Davis fans, Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 includes a free HDCD-enhanced CD along with the two-sided DVD. One side of the DVD is DVD-Video, and the other side is DVD-Audio. The DVD-Video has 5.1 surround audio in both Dolby Digital and DTS formats. The disc includes interviews with Davis and various professors on his inspirations for the songs (i.e. ancient Greece, the Big Bang theory, fractals and waterfalls). The DVD-Video also offers behind-the-scenes footage and a contest for viewers. Spot the common thread of the music video stories and watch your DVD player's time display, and you can enter to win prizes as well as experience the "Ninth Level of Infinity."

Memento
Columbia/Tristar Home Video
DVD
www.otnemem.com
$28
A psychological thriller with appropriately disturbing DVD menus that look like written psychiatric evaluations complete with Scantron bubbles, Memento is chock-full of extras on its two discs. Disc 1 includes 5.1 surround audio in both Dolby Digital and DTS formats, along with a director's commentary. Disc 2 includes a director's script on a separate angle. Production stills, sketches and the original short story that inspired the film are also available on Disc 2.

Zoboomafoo: Creature Quest
The Learning Company
CD-ROM
www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany
$20
If you're the parent, relative or caretaker of a 3- to 6-year-old who happens to watch some PBS every once in a while, here's a fun title for your living room PC running Windows, or Macintosh running in Classic mode (as opposed to running in OS X). Zoboomafoo: Creature Quest centers around Kratt brothers' main set, Animal Junction, where there are many clickable objects to explore. Many of these link to learning games that deal with familiarizing kids with colors, matching objects, pattern recognition, numbers and shapes, among others. There are a few surprises in the program to hold your interest. When you complete the game, you earn a puzzle piece. Get them all right, complete all of the games, arrange the puzzle correctly, and you win an animal video clip with the Kratt brothers, and a printable certificate.