AFI Top 10 in Sci-Fi

Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox finally unleash the beloved original Star Wars trilogy on DVD in this packed box set sure to heat up retailers' shelves and home systems everywhere. All three films have been remastered in their Special Edition forms and have been given a face-lift for the digital age with literally the most stunning picture and sound quality the films have ever seen. Colors are incredibly vivid, while the picture has never looked as sharp as it does now. Since George Lucas is a firm believer in letting artists control how the public sees their work, sadly there isn't any trace of the original versions on the new prints (so Greedo still shoots first, though it's not as jarring as the Special Edition made it out to be). Mixed with Ben Burtt's new sound mix, the overall presentation is stunning and truly does justice to the films. Extra effects have been added as well, with a new Jabba to replace the initial CG one cut into A New Hope, and yes, that is Hayden Christensen added into the end of Jedi. Released exclusively as a collection in two separate editions, this set includes the recommended widescreen versions (a full-screen set is also available) and features anamorphic transfers with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX tracks. Menu design is particularly stellar, with three optional ones chosen at random for all the movie discs that can also be chosen by entering Menu, 2, or 12 on your remote during the Warning screen. Commentaries can be found on each movie, with everyone from George Lucas and Carrie Fisher to Empire's director, Irvin Kershner, and sound designer, Ben Burtt, sounding off. Burtt actually is a joy to listen to as he takes the viewer through his process of recording these iconic sounds, though the main prize goes to Kershner, who astounds with his grasp of the characters and the film itself. If Empire is thought to be the best-made film out of the trilogy, you can bet that he's the main reason for it.

Over ten hours of extras are included on the bonus disc, with newly created featurettes and archival material spanning the entire history of the original saga. The 151-minute extended cut of the documentary "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy" is easily the most anticipated, and boy, it does not disappoint! Featuring countless interviews with cast and crew along with rare behind-the-scenes footage from the first three films, the story is told through time as Lucas battled to remain in control of the productions despite lawsuits and plenty of other obstacles that will come as quite a surprise to the casual viewer. You'll be glued to the screen, whether it's from glimpses of deleted scenes not included in the rest of the disc or just the sheer amount of mind-blowing behind-the-scenes footage (such as Peter Mayhew's voice saying Chewie lines, or how about David Prowse doing Vader's voice with a Scottish accent?). Three other featurettes make their debut in the set as well, including "The Birth of the Lightsaber," "The Characters of Star Wars," and "The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars." Each short featurette is solid, with more amazing footage from the vault, while the last one features interviews from current directors Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and others as they discuss how the original trilogy affected them.

Also on the bonus disc is what will be audiences' first look at Episode III in "The Return of Darth Vader" preview. Packed with footage of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen as they practice the final fight in the film, the ten-minute documentary cuts between that and the step-by-step process of sculpting and fabricating the new Vader costume. Sure it's a tease, but then again, this is the same marketing game that Lucas helped create, as you can see in the wall-to-wall production print galleries and packed sections of trailers and TV ads that are included. Extreme fans shouldn't expect everything, as only three trailers are attached to each film, thereby cutting a few memorable ones out of the pack. The photo galleries are another beast, with numerous shots of deleted scenes once again making their way onto the disc, but not in their film form. Indeed, despite additional promotional features that dive into future Star Wars games and some hilarious gag reels hidden within the bonus disc, it's not hard to see that Lucasfilm is still holding some stuff back. Still, fans should be quite used to buying multiple versions of these films by now, and these discs really are something special that should more than tide them over until the rumored six-movie set coming after Episode III. While many will be disappointed that the films couldn't be released in their original theatrical versions, this set will still be a nice package that most DVD customers will have a hard time turning down. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Stanley Kubrick dissects the nature of violence in this darkly ironic, near-future satire, adapted from Anthony Burgess' novel, complete with "Nadsat" slang. Classical music-loving proto-punk Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his "Droogs" spend their nights getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on "a little of the old ultraviolence," such as terrorizing a writer, Mr. Alexander (Patrick Magee), and raping his wife while jauntily warbling "Singin' in the Rain." After Alex is jailed for bludgeoning the Cat Lady (Miriam Karlin) to death with one of her phallic sculptures, Alex submits to the Ludovico behavior modification technique to earn his freedom; he's conditioned to abhor violence through watching gory movies, and even his adored Beethoven is turned against him. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim of his prior victims, with Mr. Alexander using Beethoven's Ninth to inflict the greatest pain of all. When society sees what the state has done to Alex, however, the politically expedient move is made. Casting a coldly pessimistic view on the then-future of the late '70s-early '80s, Kubrick and production designer John Barry created a world of high-tech cultural decay, mixing old details like bowler hats with bizarrely alienating "new" environments like the Milkbar. Alex's violence is horrific, yet it is an aesthetically calculated fact of his existence; his charisma makes the icily clinical Ludovico treatment seem more negatively abusive than positively therapeutic. Alex may be a sadist, but the state's autocratic control is another violent act, rather than a solution. Released in late 1971 (within weeks of Sam Peckinpah's brutally violent Straw Dogs), the film sparked considerable controversy in the U.S. with its X-rated violence; after copycat crimes in England, Kubrick withdrew the film from British distribution until after his death. Opinion was divided on the meaning of Kubrick's detached view of this shocking future, but, whether the discord drew the curious or Kubrick's scathing diagnosis spoke to the chaotic cultural moment, A Clockwork Orange became a hit. On the heels of New York Film Critics Circle awards as Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, Kubrick received Oscar nominations in all three categories. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

A blend of science fiction and noir detective fiction, Blade Runner (1982) was a box office and critical bust upon its initial exhibition, but its unique postmodern production design became hugely influential within the sci-fi genre, and the film gained a significant cult following that increased its stature. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard, a retired cop in Los Angeles circa 2019. L.A. has become a pan-cultural dystopia of corporate advertising, pollution and flying automobiles, as well as replicants, human-like androids with short life spans built by the Tyrell Corporation for use in dangerous off-world colonization. Deckard's former job in the police department was as a talented blade runner, a euphemism for detectives that hunt down and assassinate rogue replicants. Called before his one-time superior (M. Emmett Walsh), Deckard is forced back into active duty. A quartet of replicants led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) has escaped and headed to Earth, killing several humans in the process. After meeting with the eccentric Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel), creator of the replicants, Deckard finds and eliminates Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), one of his targets. Attacked by another replicant, Leon (Brion James), Deckard is about to be killed when he's saved by Rachael (Sean Young), Tyrell's assistant and a replicant who's unaware of her true nature. In the meantime, Batty and his replicant pleasure model lover, Pris (Darryl Hannah) use a dying inventor, J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson) to get close to Tyrell and murder him. Deckard tracks the pair to Sebastian's, where a bloody and violent final confrontation between Deckard and Batty takes place on a skyscraper rooftop high above the city. In 1992, Ridley Scott released a popular director's cut that removed Deckard's narration, added a dream sequence, and excised a happy ending imposed by the results of test screenings; these legendary behind-the-scenes battles were chronicled in a 1996 tome, Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner by Paul M. Sammon. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

A sequel to the low-budget sci-fi action thriller that made him and star Arnold Schwarzenegger A-list Hollywood names, writer/director James Cameron upped the ante with this follow-up by employing a more sweeping storyline and cutting-edge special effects. Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor, now a single mother to rebellious teen John Connor (Edward Furlong), during the late nineties. Having been informed by a time-traveling soldier in the first film that John will one day grow up to become humanity's savior from a computer-controlled Armageddon, Sarah has responded by becoming a muscle-bound she-warrior bent on educating John in survival tactics and battle strategies. Her ranting about humankind's future has landed Sarah in an insane asylum and John in the foster care system. The rebellious John has responded to his situation by getting into scrapes with the law. When a new and improved Terminator android called the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) arrives from the future to eliminate John, an older model T-800 (Schwarzenegger) is sent to protect the boy. The T-1000, however, has the ability to morph itself into any shape it desires, allowing it chameleon-like powers and near indestructibility. The T-800 saves John's life and helps break Sarah out of the institution. Staying only one step ahead of the dogged T-1000, Sarah leads her son and the T-800 to the headquarters of Cyberdyne Systems, the company that will invent a robotic intelligence that will eventually take over the world. There, they attempt to convince inventor Miles Dyson (Joe Morton) to help them stop the future from ever occurring by destroying his work. Dyson sacrifices himself in an explosion to save the world, leading to a final showdown between the two Terminators at a steel foundry. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which won four Oscars in technical categories for its groundbreaking effects, was followed by a short sequel filmed exclusively as an attraction for theme parks, Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time (1996). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

It's time to go back in time, to the future, or the past. The Back to the Future trilogy is now available with newly re-mastered audio tracks and tons of fantastic extras. The set is available in both pan and scan 1.33:1 and widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratios and is dual layered on three discs. The extra material includes a commentary track with Michael J. Fox, director Robert Zemeckis, producer Neil Canton and producer and screenwriter Bob Gale, a making-of featurette, outtakes from all three films, secrets of the trilogy, animated anecdotes and lots more. Not only will this make an excellent gift for almost anyone who loves the films, but you'll want to make sure you get one for yourself. ~ Sharon McRill, All Movie Guide