8 Mile
Universal Home Video, $29.99
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? Eminem stars in this
semi-autobiographical "rap-umentary" about a young performer,
Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem), who struggles with personal
and professional obstacles on hisrise to success. 8 Mile also stars Oscar-winner Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential), as Smith's mother, Stephanie. The DVD is jam-packed with bonus materials for Eminem fans including deleted scenes, a "Making of 8 Mile" documentary, five "Rap Battles" shot during the making of the film and a music video for "Superman," available exclusively on this DVD.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Warner Home Video, $24.99
Quiddich, anyone? The magic is back in this dark adventure starring
the young wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his schoolmate chums,
Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). This time,
the three must band together to face a mysterious force that is
terrorizing Hogwarts Schoolof Witchcraft and Wizardry. Naturally, there are a handful of supernatural "extras" on this double-DVD set, including 19 never-before-seen or extended scenes, a dozen interactive computer games, a tour behind some of the locations in the film, a glimpse at rare pre-production artwork and interviews with cast members and J.K. Rowling.
Maid
in ManhattanColumbia TriStar Home Entertainment, $35.99
Bronx-born Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is a single mom who works as a maid in a swank Manhattan high-rise hotel. As fate would have it, Ventura meets the man of her dreams, Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), a handsome heir to a political dynasty, who believes she's a wealthy guest at the hotel. This successful romantic comedy was digitally re-mastered in high-definition for the DVD, and the disc includes both widescreen and full-screen versions of the film, English and French audio, interactive scene selections and a handful of Columbia TriStar movie trailers.
While
our friends across the pond have enjoyed this animated series collection
for some time, Canadians can now own the complete first season of Matt
Groening's Futurama. This three-disc DVD set includes the show's
first 13 half-hour episodes, along with de-leted scenes, a featurette,
animatics, an interactive image gallery and optional audio commentary.
Considered "The Simpsons-meets-The Jetsons," this satirical
cartoon follows the antics of a colorful crew of space travelers in the
year 3000. Bender, Leela and Fry fans, rejoice! - this "stellar"
DVD collection was well worth the wait.
Based on the acclaimed Thomas Harris novel, Red Dragon may be the
creepiest prequel to date, serving as a disturbing introduction to the
infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and the events leading
up to the 1991 Best Picture Oscar winner, Silence of the Lambs.
After capturing Dr. Lecter, FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) retires,
but is called back to duty to hunt down another mysterious killer,
"The Tooth Fairy" (Ralph Fiennes). Highlights of the two-disc
set include a comprehensive look at Dr. Lecter's history, a handful of
documentaries and "making of" featurettes and a host of DVD-ROM
extras (PC with DVD-ROM drive required).