<I>Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Joe Morton. Directed by James Cameron. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic). THX, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Dolby Headphone. Two discs. 152 minutes. 1991. Artisan Home Entertainment 14638. R. $29.98.</I>
<I>Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Hazel Mailloux. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Dolby Digital 2.0 (French), DTS 5.1 ES. Two discs. 95 minutes. 2003. Columbia TriStar Home Video 01333. R. $25.95.</I>
<I>Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly. Directed by Rob Marshall. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French). 113 minutes. 2002. Buena Vista Home Video. 45510. PG-13. $24.99</I>
<I>Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden, Norma Moore, Perry Wilson, Peter J. Votrian, Adam Williams. Directed by Robert Mulligan. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (widescreen). B&W. Dolby Digital. 100 minutes. 1957. Paramount Home Entertainment 05607. NR. $19.99.</I>
Ah, crime and punishment. They go together like . . . Leopold and Loeb, Donny and Marie, Rimsky and Korsakov. Except, of course, in the movies or on TV, when folks sometimes get away with murder (think Body Heat or The Player).
<I>Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lucas, Peter Lorre. Directed by Richard Fleischer. Aspect ratio: 2.55:1 (anamorphic). Two discs. Dolby Digital 5.1, THX. 127 minutes. 1954. Walt Disney Home Video 27853. G. $29.99.</I>
<I>William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Paul Guilfoyle. Various directors. Aspect ratio: 4:3 (full frame). Dolby Digital 2.0. Six discs. 999 minutes. 2000. Paramount/CBS Video 87165. NR. $89.99.</I>
<I>Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters. Directed by Chris Columbus. Aspect ratio: 2.35 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (English, Spanish). Two discs. 161 minutes. 2002. Warner Home Video 23592. PG. $29.95.</I>
<I>Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Dermott Mulroney, Hope Davis, June Squibb, Len Cariou, Howard Hessman. Directed by Alexander Payne. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 (English). 125 minutes. 2002. Warner Home Video 39524. R. $27.98.</I>
The following reviews appeared as "Reference DVD" features in the Movies section of Sound & Vision. Out of the 22 discs chosen for their exceptional audio and video from September 2000 through July/August 2003, I consider these five the standouts. BLUE CRUSH Universal
<I>Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox. Directed by Gore Verbinski. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic widescreen). DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French), Dolby Digital 2.0. 115 minutes. 2002. DreamWorks 89980. R. $26.</I>
<I>Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughan, T.P. McKenna, Del Henney, David Warner, Jim Norton, Donald Webster, Ken Hutchinson. Directed by Sam Peckinpah. Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital mono. Two discs. 117 minutes. 1971. Criterion 182. NR. $39.95.</I>
<I>Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Nathalie Baye, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic widescreen). Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French), Dolby Digital 2.0, DTS. Two discs. 141 minutes. 2002. DreamWorks 39570. PG-13. $29.99.</I>