DVD releases include 'Juno,' 'Aliens v. Predator,' 'Melrose Place: Season Four'

“JUNO”

Blu-ray and standard widescreen, 2007, PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language

Best extra: “Screen Tests” gives us more than 22 minutes of footage of stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera – along with a few actors who weren’t ultimately cast – testing the film’s dialogue, including some lines that are longer than in the film.

PAGE AND CERA are Juno and Paulie, awkward friends with benefits. Juno, whose sharp tongue and grown-up wit belie her baby face, ends up pregnant. Heartache and hilarity ensue.

The Blu-ray or DVD is chock full of extras that add to the experience of one of 2007’s best movies. The commentary by director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody (former stripper), offers a good deal of insight into decisions, large and small, on the film’s production. More than 20 minutes of deletes scenes are a treat. Some of the eleven scenes are extensions of moments in the movie. Others help flesh out the film. And one lets us see Juno strumming her guitar.

Then comes the lighter fare, including a five-minute collection of outtakes and the three-minute “Cast and Crew Jam,” which is just a bunch of on-set goof-offs.

The Blu-ray also adds an exclusive second disc, which makes for easy transfer to your iPod, iPhone or PSP. The hi-def imagery is gorgeous, highlighting the lush landscape around Vancouver, British Columbia where the movie was filmed. There are also a two exclusive featurettes, with red-carpet interviews with Reitman and cast.

— Kyle Tucker

“BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD”

Blu-ray and standard widescreen, 2007, R for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language

Best extra:  “Directed by Sidney Lumet: How the Devil Was Made” shows the 80-plus-year-old Lumet (“Dog Day Afternoon,” “Network”) still making films with the same passion he had in his younger years.

LEGENDARY DIRECTOR Lumet returns with the family drama/crime film “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” which finds two down-on-their-luck brothers, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, attempting to rob their parents’ jewelry store to disastrous results.

The Blu-ray edition offers a significant upgrade in picture and audio quality from DVD, boasting more striking colors and detail and a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track that makes this dialogue-driven film more immersive.

This is a light release in terms of extras. The commentary, though featuring Hoffman, Hawke, and Lumet, features very little detail about the film’s production and the speakers fall into the trap of just saying nice things about everyone involved with the film. More substantial is the 24-minute making-of featurette taped in hi-def, that focuses on the extraordinary amount of time Lumet spends rehearsing with his actors and working on the script before shooting commences.

— Josh Boone

“LARS AND THE REAL GIRL”

Enhanced widescreen, 2007, PG-13 for some sex-related content

Best extra: A short documentary that tells the lengths star Ryan Gosling went to in embracing the role, including living with the Real Doll and staying in the garage where Lars lives.

GOSLING PLAYS LARS, a young man who’s good-hearted but shy, living his life shunning meaningful contact. One night, he announces that his Internet girlfriend has come to visit him. And though Bianca is a full-size, full-weight, fully anatomical love doll, he gives her the affection he hasn’t been able to show anyone else.

Oscar nominated screenwriter Nancy Oliver and director Craig Gillespie create a beautiful, warm fantasy world in which a grown man can fall in love with a doll, and people don’t laugh at him. Instead, they treat him with compassion, making Bianca a conduit through which they can share their love with him. Of the surprises in the movie, one is its sweet avoidance of the obvious and untoward. Viewers can even forget that it’s a sex doll we’re talking about. And they are real, made by a company in California.

The disc doesn’t come with many extras, and the making-of featurette makes you wish there was a commentary. There’s also a lone, short deleted scene that seemed like it should have been in the movie. For those who are curious, you can find a BBC documentary about Real Dolls online that’s unrelated. It’s eye-opening. — Judy Le

“ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM”

 Blu-ray and standard widescreen, 2007, R and unrated with plenty of violence, gore and language

Best extra: Commentary with directors Colin and Greg Strause and producer John Davis

THE SEQUEL TO “Aliens vs. Predator” is a darker movie than its predecessor – an intentional tack by the directors to get the series back to the horror roots of the “Alien” series. The set-up is simple: A ship crash lands near a small Colorado town, releasing aliens and a predator/alien hybrid (a predalien). Havoc ensues and a LOT of people die. It’s not for the squeamish.

The Blu-ray disc provides both versions; the theatrical cut and the extremely violent unrated version with seamless technology – which provides an optional onscreen pop-up icon when additional footage appears. The new scenes are mostly at the beginning, detailing the arrival to planet earth and some others interspersed throughout the rest of the film.

There are a slew of featurettes all taped in hi-def, that discuss the development and production of the film; the post-production; the creation of the aliens, predator and predalien (the film’s title monsters are created with an actor in a suit and puppet work, rather than CGI); and building the predator homeworld. All of them are interesting if you’re into the behind-the-scenes details of how a movie comes together. There’s also a still gallery of the design work and set, and green and red band (translation: less gory and more gory) versions of the trailer.

There are two commentaries with the film. The better one is by the directors and producer. They talk about the difficulty of the shoot a lot, which can get a little tiresome, but it is interesting to see just how difficult the making of a film can be. They also give some interesting behind-the-scenes stories and talk about casting and other aspects of the film. The other commentary is with Tom Woodruff Jr and Alec Gillis, the co-designers of the alien and predator effects. Their commentary is a little more technical but still has some interesting tidbits. The new PlayStation 3 firmware (2.3 version) upgrade released this week, unlocks Fox’s superior DTS HD soundtrack making the sci-fi adventure a clear winner. A HDMI cable is required and must be attached to an audio receiver to get the full experience.  And if that’s not enough, the Blu-ray set includes a second disc to transfer the campy flick to your PSP or iPod in a flash. Can’t get enough of those Predators? Fox has released a low-grade Blu-ray (no extras) of the original “Predator,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a commando out to terminate those killing machines.

What more Arnold? Fox has also released “Commando” in Blu-ray as Schwarzenegger (John Matrix), tries to rescue his 11-year-old daughter from South American kidnappers. Both discs feature a so-so hi-def picture with some visible film grain. Remember no extras.

— Brian Cleveland and Bill Kelley III

“A PASSAGE TO INDIA”

Blu-ray widescreen, 1984, PG

Best extra: A toss-up between a commentary from producer Richard Goodwin and the informative pop-up trivia track with tons of historical and production factoids.

THE GLIMPSE LASTS ONLY seconds, but it is magnificent. There’s legendary actor Peter O’Toole riding a stallion across the massive desert with thousands of extras in “Lawrence of Arabia.” Then, a quick cut to Alec Guinness collapsing onto the dynamite charge during the climatic finale of “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” No question, both are cinematic masterpieces (No. 7 and No. 36 respectfully in the American Film Institutes Greatest Movies list). But, to watch those explosive scenes in hi-def (Blu-ray) is purely amazing. Both have been restored to the highest hi-def standards and edited with clips from another brilliant epic, “A Passage to India,” into a short exhilarating trailer on the Blu-ray disc, celebrating the 100th birthday of Britain’s greatest director David Lean, who died 17 years ago this week.

The first two Lean films are planned for Blu-ray release by Sony Pictures in 2009, but “A Passage to India,” the adaptation of E.M. Forster’s 1924 novel, which was nominated for 11 Oscars is available to marvel over now.

The Forster tale follows a young Britishwoman, Miss Quested (Judy Davis), on an exotic adventure to India, to visit her fiancé Ronny Heaslop (Nigel Havers), the British magistrate in the fictitious city of Chandrapore. She is chaperoned by her future mother in-law, the sensitive Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft). The story, which Lean adapted in a Delhi hotel room, took nine months to recreate the East/West culture clash of the 1920s.

The photography looks spectacular in hi-def; the performances are first-rate, especially Ashcroft, who won an Oscar for best supporting role. Davis excels as the protagonist; she is a sheltered, repressed, but good-hearted woman who reacts to India with awe and fear, with near-tragic consequences. During the commentary, Goodwin recalls Lean’s endless search to find an Indian actor to play Dr. Aziz Ahmed, the young, eager-to-please Moslem medical doctor, who admires the British. Victor Banerjee, in his first Western film, was nearly perfect in a role that requires honor and anger.

The disc includes a half-dozen short interviews with Lean, who describes his biggest role as director: To relieve his actors of pressure, so they can produce their best work.

— Bill Kelley III

“BLAST OF SILENCE” Full-screen, 1961, unrated, violence

Best extra: “Requiem for a Killer: The Making of ‘Blast of Silence,” a new hour-long documentary

IT’S BILLED AS a “making-of” documentary, but with writer/director/star Allen Baron as the guide, “Requiem for a Killer” is more like a travelogue as the native New Yorker revisits the places that brought his gritty film noir to life.

The city, he says, is as much a character as “Blast’s” Frank Bono, a Cleveland hit man who comes East at Christmas to take out “a second string syndicate boss with too much ambition.” Baron is aboard the Staten Island Ferry, in the same spot as Bono. The skyline, he points out, has changed since ‘61. It’s an ironic observation. The ferry segment was lifted from a 1990 feature made for West German TV. The skyline has changed since then, too.

 Also on the itinerary: Baron’s boyhood home in Brooklyn; Downey’s, a Manhattan bar that was a second home to emerging stars of the day; Rockefeller Center; Fifth Avenue; Harlem. Baron, unassuming and likable, has great stories to share at each stop.

Like most Criterion titles, this one comes with a booklet that includes a must-read essay, in this case by critic/author Terrence Rafferty. In it, he gives proper due to the film’s memorable narration written (under a pseudonym) by Waldo Salt, an Oscar winner for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Coming Home,” and delivered by actor Lionel Stander. That both men were blacklisted, Rafftery writes, no doubt added to the film’s mood of chronic alienation.

Other extras include on-set Polaroids, location photos taken earlier this year and a four-page graphic novel by Sean Phillips. Baron was a comic book artist when he decided to take a stab at movies. He made a few other features and had a long directing career in TV. It’s been more than 20 years since he’s been behind a camera, but he’s clearly not bitter. He’s returned to his first love -- art -- and, at the time of the DVD’s production, was working on a series of abstract canvasses for a show in L.A. There’s nothing abstract about “Blast of Silence.” Noir fans need to move it to the top of their lists.

— Craig Shapiro

“IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE”

Enhanced widescreen, 2007, PG-13 for action violence

Best extra:  A "Behind the Scenes" feature that has, oddly, no narration, makes you realize how unnecessary voice-overs can be on that kind of material.  I also saw evidence, (although I always suspected it), that Ron Perlman likes to have a little fun with his work no matter what the project. 

DIRECTOR UWE BOLL continues his life's work of adapting computer/video games into movies with "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale." Jason Statham heads a cast that includes Jonathan Rhys-Davies, Leelee Sobieski, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Kristanna Loken, Burt Reynolds and Ray Liotta in a filmed version of the "Dungeon Siege" game.  Remote controlled monsters, the Krug, are sent by evil wizard Ray Liotta in a plot to take over Burt Reynolds' kingdom.

We'll pause here to let you screw your head back on.

Jason Statham is the "Farmer" character, leading a small band to avenge the murder of his son and locate his kidnapped wife.  He slings a mean boomerang and various edged weapons in his quest. 

Liotta actually works out rather nicely, once you get past the vague traces of New Jersey in his speech. Wisely, he doesn't even try to affect any sort of accent; neither do any of the other American cast members. Over all, it's not as bad as it could have been, but it's a video game, we're not looking for the next "Lord of the Rings" here.

Other extras include deleted and extended scenes.

— Mike Reynolds

“P2”

Enhanced widescreen, 2007, R for strong violence/terror, gore, language

Best extra: “A New Level of Fear: The Making of P2” offers all the standard cast and crew interviews. It’s fun viewing after the film.

AT LAST – A THRILLER that actually plays like a thriller. Preying upon our generally unvoiced fears of the parking garage, especially after dark, first time director/co-writer Franck Khalfoun and writers Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur (all worked on the 2006 remake, “The Hills Have Eyes”) have created a nifty urban terror story.

“P2” is your basic two person plot. Lonely parking garage security guy Thomas (Wes Bently, bad guy from “Ghost Rider”) plans a Christmas Eve dinner with paralegal Angela (Rachel Nichols of “Alias”). Angela has no idea of Thomas’ plans but soon finds herself garbed for the part and chained to a table all the same.

There is actually more character than gore here; that might be the reason behind its limited theatrical run. Among women-in-jeopardy films you may have seen, this one plays by the rules of actual suspense. Thomas is a believable nutcase and Angela teaches us not to underestimate paralegals. “I like to think of Angela as a role model for girls,” Nichols tells us in the making-of. Another “P2” nicety: Cops don’t behave like idiots.

A brief on Khalfoun among the extras introduces the director and his pals – they’re a team to look out for. But a commentary featuring the creative trio mostly spins on its own drinking game where viewers are invited to drink every time they see “P2” posted in a scene. So not necessary. — Kay Reynolds

“RESURRECTING THE CHAMP”   Enhanced widescreen, 2007, R for some violence and brief language   Best extra: The sit-down with Eric Bryson, the film’s boxing and stunt coordinator, is one of the best extras … especially if you are a boxing fan. Bryson, who worked on “Die Hard 2,” “X-Men” and “The Day After Tomorrow” among many others takes you through the paces of how he got Samuel L. Jackson and the others in the movie to look as if they are the real thing. The interviews work, as does the making-of featurette.

WHEN THE AUDIENCE FIRST MEETS CHAMP, he is being attacked. Sports journalist Erik Kernan (Josh Hartnett) happens upon the scene and rescues Champ. In finding Champ, he's found his story: Battling Bob Satterfield.

Kernan, a green reporter, makes a dire mistake of not checking background resources when he learns of "The Champ" (Samuel L. Jackson) and his famous stories of the boxing legend. The result is a mess that includes a potential lawsuit, almost losing his job and losing credibility as a reporter. The Champ does, however, tell him some truths involving life lessons, great memories and a passion for the boxing game. In “Resurrecting the Champ,” Jackson gets rid of his ultra-cool persona and turns in a great performance as the homeless Champ. Even though “Resurrecting the Champ” isn’t your typical sports movie, there's enough boxing history and action to satisfy avid sports fans: Satterfield is said to have battled the likes of fighters such as Jake La Motta, and bouts are shown throughout the film. This is a good movie, with a sad ending that’ll put you down for the count … at least for a little while.

— Cliff Redding

“ALIEN NATION: ULTIMATE MOVIE COLLECTION”

Full-screen, 1994-97, not rated Best extra: The commentaries by director and executive producer Kenneth Johnson are more than nostalgic — they're also entertainingly instructive.

SURE, THE FIVE "Alien Nation" made-for-TV movies that followed the canceled TV series seem a bit campy when compared to the eye-popping effects available today. But you wouldn't know it listening to Kenneth Johnson, the mastermind behind the series. Johnson, who ruled small-screen sci-fi in the 1970s and 80s ("The Bionic Woman," "The Incredible Hulk," and his other aliens-as-allegory miniseries, "V"), while gladly acknowledging the current advances in technology, still takes his five full-length commentaries for this collection quite seriously. And why shouldn't he? Until the reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise, which came shortly after this series wrapped up for good, there wasn't a lot of sci-fi around on the airwaves that stayed true to the genre's origins by aiming for social relevance. And "Alien Nation," a look at the reluctant assimilation of one disparate culture into another, seems mightily relevant when looked through the lens of America's immigration debate. Johnson, occasionally joined in other commentaries by fellow crew members, gets behind a bit of that thought process. He shares nearly every camera trick he used, and demonstrates how judicious he needed to be with funds for the effects shots. Minor trivia includes the origin of the Tectonese language (cast member names read backward -- who knew?) Plus, there's a making-of for almost every movie, a series retrospective, and separate blooper reels. Fans will lap up like sour milk (and if you know the show, you realize that's a good thing).

As a final note, a TV movie sequel to "V" is apparently being drawn up for 2009. Network sci-fi needs any boost it can get these days; so before you write it off, watch these episodes and judge for yourself.

— Carl Hott

“MEERKAT MANOR: SEASON TWO”

Enhanced widescreen, 2006, not rated, family safe but little ones should have an adult to help guide through intense scenes.

Best extra: None. What we need is a compilation of the cool “Meerkat Manor” commercials that Animal Planet cleverly set to pop music.

THANK GOODNESS we have the wise and compassionate Sean Astin narrating the adventures of the Whiskers tribe. He gets us through the beauty and increasing brutality of Season Two. When the rains fall on the Kalahari Desert ending a long period of drought, viewers are treated to some of the most gorgeous African landscape – and skyscapes – ever filmed. If ever a TV series was made for a hi-def presentation, “Meerkat Manor” is it. 

We are also exposed to moments of incredible tragedy, watching vulnerable Mozart, abandoned by her family and sitting outside the Whisker’s burrow. Having just given birth to a litter of pups, she is surrounded by fields of bright, yellow blossoms. She waits for the group to return; it’s impossible for her and the babies to survive without them. Yet Astin confirms they will not be back. Matriarch Flower still makes the hard decisions to keep her family strong, but they aren’t easy. It makes for hard watching, too. As Astin reminds us when tragedy strikes Mozart’s pups, “This is nature at its most raw.”

Season Two begins on a note of controversy. Millions of viewers tuned in to find out what had happened to the Season One Whisker favorite, Shakespeare, who was left defending pups in the finale. We don’t really find out, but chances are good that he gave his life for his little siblings.

Before we even have a chance to digest that news, Season Two is off and scrambling with the Whiskers, a tribe of some 40-odd, foot-long furries defending their two-mile stretch of  the Kalahari. The battle for territory between Flower’s family and their arch-rivals, the Lazuli, takes an uglier turn when both families are confronted by a new group, The Commandoes. Led by the ugliest one-eyed critter this side of the Pecos (or anywhere else), Hannibal and his equally gruesome mate, Nikita, live up to their “Jaws”-like theme music. Meanwhile, between foraging, grooming, training adorable pups, house cleaning, sunning, and keeping an eye out for predators – cage cobras and golden eagles – viewers follow a fascinating journey of true life and death. Don’t deny yourself the Whisker’s amazing story.

— Kay Reynolds

“I REMEMBER NELSON”

Full-screen, 1982, not rated but contains adult themes and war violence

Best extra: Still galleries and actor bios don’t offer much.

THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT BBC miniseries, which we Yanks see mostly on PBS. There have been others that weren’t so great. Unfortunately, “I Remember Nelson” is one of those. It’s not that it’s so bad. It is dated and never really captures the heart or the intellect, although actors Kenneth Colley, Geraldine James, and Anna Massey try very hard. Director Simon Langton (“Rosemary & Thyme”) and writer Hugh Whitemore (“My House in Umbria”) attempt a unique approach to the bio-series of Britain’s great Naval hero. Each episode chapter examines Nelson’s life through the memories of those who were closest to him, such as his soon to be ex-wife (Massey) and his best friend who loses his wife to Nelson (John Clements). It isn’t long before you begin to wonder if this biopic was written by the French. On top of that, the picture is fuzzy and pocked with dirt. Minimal effort seems to have been made to clean film and sound. Extras are all but nonexistent. The man who brought Napoleon to his knees deserved better. — Kay Reynolds

"THE LAST DETECTIVE: SERIES 4"

Enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated but contains violence, adult themes and language

Best extra:  A question and answer session with series star Peter Davison. The veteran actor looks familiar to American audiences as a former "Dr. Who" and a long turn as Tristan on the popular "All Creatures Great and Small."  He still gets stopped for veterinary advice.

"DANGEROUS" DAVIES (we will never learn his real first name) is, according to his boss, "the last detective you would ever want to have on a major case." Though middle-aged and probably the oldest detective on the squad, he has the lowest rank, Detective Constable, and his promotion prospects are non-existent. He is mild mannered, a soft-touch – his best friend has been living on his couch for years, much to the chagrin of his wife. His suits are cheap and don't fit well and he is not particularly lucky. "Dangerous" is the sarcastic label stuck on him by his fellow officers, for he appears anything but threatening. "Dangerous" Davies is the antithesis of almost all television detectives on either side of the ocean.

But, and a large "but" it is, Davies is the smartest and hardest working man on the squad.  For what he lacks in ferocity, he more than makes up for in shear determination and a keen eye for details the lesser lights of his division seem to miss. Also, in spite of his rather sorry lot in life, he's a glass-half-full kind of guy. 

Though the tone of the show is wry, those expecting a rollicking comedy will be sorely disappointed. As the subject is usually murder, there is considerable violence, and language may be an issue for some viewers. The shows are uniformly enthralling, good, basic cop dramas, framed around the who-dunnit formula. 

Other extras include cast filmographies and a bio of Leslie Thomas, who penned the "Dangerous" Davies novels. — Mike Reynolds

“PERRY MASON: 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION”

  Full-screen, 1960-1966, not rated   Best extra: It’s so jam-packed full of extras that it is hard to select just one of them. Without a doubt, however, one of the best finds is the “Perry Mason Talent Tests” section. Raymond Burr, the series star, was not supposed to play Mason initially. The show’s bigwigs wanted him to play District Attorney Hamilton Burger. Apparently, Erle Stanley Gardner, author of the “Perry Mason” books, was on the set the day Burr was auditioning for the show and was so impressed by Burr that he yelled, “That’s Perry Mason!” and Burr was cast as the famous defense attorney.  In the talent tests section, we see Burr’s audition tapes, along with some of the other cast members’ performances.   BEFORE “LAW AND ORDER,” OR “MATLOCK” OR “L.A. LAW” there was “Perry Mason,” which ran on CBS from 1957 to 1966. The enormous success of this show still resonates today, more than 50 years after its television debut.

Defense attorney Perry Mason won each of his cases by proving his client’s innocence, often while provoking a witness-stand confession from the real culprit.

There’s Barbara Hale, who played Mason’s confidential secretary, Della Street, in the hit TV show guiding you through the Perry Mason experience through interviews, anecdotes and recollections.

The show also starred William Talman as prosecutor Burger, William Hopper — who was married to gossip columnist Hedda Hopper — as Mason’s investigator, Paul Drake; and Ray Collins as homicide detective Lt. Arthur Tragg. And there’s the show’s distinctive theme, “Park Avenue Beat,” by Fred Steiner.

Hale, the only original surviving cast member of the show, does such a great job of hosting through this DVD set that you might want to go out and get your hands on all of the “Perry Mason” TV episodes. Books, too. Talman died of lung cancer in 1968. Weeks before his death, at age 53 however, he filmed one of the first anti-smoking public service announcements — included with the DVD sets’ extras — which was a huge thing to do then, because the thought was actors who came out against smoking would be taking themselves out of the running to make cigarette commercials. We’re talking before smoking bans here. Talman’s tearful plea is very haunting. Hopper died at age 55 of pneumonia in 1970. Burr succumbed to what began as kidney cancer in 1993. (He put surgery off so that he could complete filming his final TV movies. By that time, the cancer and spread and become inoperable.) He was 76. Each of the 12 episodes included in this set gets an introduction from Hale. Included in this four-disc set are performances by Barbara Bain, Robert Redford, James Colburn, Adam West, Burt Reynolds, Leonard Nimoy, Bette Davis, Ryan O’Neal and Dick Clark. Gardner, many of the crew and others affiliated with the show played parts in the series’ final episode, “The Case of the Final Fadeout.” This was done, according to Hale, as a thank-you to CBS and the “Mason” fans. “Perry Mason” has been out of production since 1966, but it still holds up and the “Perry Mason: 50th Anniversary Edition” helps.

— Cliff Redding

“MELROSE PLACE: THE FOURTH SEASON”

Full-screen, 1995-96, not rated but for mature audiences

Best extra: None

THE WAR CONTINUES on Season 4 of "Melrose Place," as Kimberly (Marcia Cross) continues her nutso ways and Amanda (Heather Locklear) manipulates the masses. Unfortunately, no bonus features grace this nine-disc set, as they did for the first three seasons. Nonetheless, the 32 episodes stand on their own, with love affairs, backstabbings and lies.

A must see is the season’s first episode, which picks up from Season 3's cliffhanger, after Kimberly blows up the apartment building with pretty much everyone except Jake (Grant Show) inside. Hopefully, in upcoming seasons on DVD, viewers will be able to see interviews with the "Melrose Place" stars today since so many of them are still on the acting scene. What about a reunion with those familiar faces including Locklear, Show, Cross, Courtney Thorne-Smith (Allison), Doug Savant (Matt) and Kristin Davis (Brooke)?

— Toni Guagenti

“GROWING UP WILD CATS”

Enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated and family friendly

Best extra: None

ENVY, ENVY, ENVY – if you’re an animal lover, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the green monster while watching these four stories about baby tigers, lions, cheetahs and a wonderful black leopard named Eddie. It would be such fun, and such a challenge, to trade places with their caretakers. How amazing to have a little tiger or lion cub to cuddle and care for.

Unfortunately, that’s what too many people think. But when the animal grows up into a 300 pound-plus meat eater, it’s not so cute any more. And it sure is hard to handle and feed. That’s why so many big cats are abandoned and, in worst cases, abused. The stories found on Animal Planet’s “Growing Up Wild Cats” traces individual stories of wild life refuges and sanctuaries who care for these animals properly.

“Growing Up Black Leopard” is one of the most charming stories presented – and they are all outstanding from the cheetah breeding program in South Africa to the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Narrated by “The Sopranos” star, Edie Falco, we watch how a rare black leopard, Eddie, is raised by a family in Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.

Eddie is a surprise birth from a pair of rescued African black leopards. We watch the details of his first year, watching him grow from a handful of fuzzy gray fur to a sleek and playful big cat. It’s an incredible thing to watch this animal cavort in snow, across the plains, in his swimming hole or at the local hardware store. Adults and young ones should enjoy this series.

— Kay Reynolds