Smart Discs

by Chris Raley
Summer/Fall 2003

101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London
www.disneydvd.com
$30
After watching this new Dalmatian adventure, in which Patch becomes the sidekick of his TV hero Thunderbolt, and the two together face the task of saving the other Dalmatian puppies from the scheming Cruela, your child can join in the fun with a couple clever interactive features. The first is the "Lost in London Game." In this game, the other 98 puppies are somewhere in London and your child can help Patch and Thunderbolt find them by answering questions about important London landmarks. This game combines animation with real life footage of places in London and provides brief facts about the landmarks. For a kid-level look at the film making process your child can join directors Brian Smith and Jim Kammerud as they show a troop of dogs how the film was made. Also included are two music videos and Weblinks for DVD-ROM.

Barbershop
www.mgm.com/barbershop
$27
This comedy about a neighborhood barbershop and Calvin, who wants out of the family business has some nice DVD features that make the experience a little more fun. The most interactive is the quiz that you can take after the movie. Actors ask you questions about the movie or barbering in general and judge your answers. The movie also includes some funny outtakes, something that always seems to enhance a comedy. You can also find seven scenes that were deleted from the final cut and watch them with commentary by director Tim Story. There's also the "Hair Club" which is a documentary about the making of the movie. Cleverly titled sections cover everything from costume design ("Finishing Touches") to hairstyles ("Hairdo's and don'ts").

XXX
www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex
$28
The special features on the XXX DVD show that film makers fully understand the three things that make up the film's draw: speed, special effects and Vin Diesel. The DVD capitalizes on these with a plethora of featurettes like "Building Speed: The Vehicles of XXX" and "The GTO is Back" (the titles say it all). And guess who "Diesel Powered" focuses on? The Visual Effects How-to's section shows the layered process of special effects creation — with or without commentary — by taking apart three clips that revolve around the movie's avalanche sequence. The DVD also includes Gavin Rossdale's "Adrenaline" music video. The DVD-ROM includes the screenplay, Agent Shaver's GTO Manual and Weblinks.

Liberty's Kids
www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany
$25
With the help of this CD-ROM, your child can learn about the American Revolution the interactive way. Sarah and James are apprentice reporters for Ben Franklin's Philadelphia Gazette, and it's their mission, as well as your child's, to help them discover the truth about important events in the revolution. You can navigate through an interactive scene, such as the town of Boston and find people to interview. Along the way you bump into historic figures and pick up items that will help you get the quotes you need. When you interview, you ask the who-what-when-where-why questions from your notebook. You can save quotes and draw sketches for your front page stories. You can even get feedback on your story from Mosses, Franklin's assistant, and print and publish your story. Great fun for kids 8-12!