‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’
NEW LINE, $26.98
Who’s in it: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund
Recap: A new edition of the modern-day horror classic? Just in time for Halloween? Hmm, what a coincidence!
Best extra: This two-disc set not only includes an older commentary track but a new one as well, this time roping in Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) plus a couple of executives along with smarty-pants director Wes Craven to dish the trivia and anecdotes.
Secrets revealed: Johnny Depp was discovered while accompanying a friend to an audition.
Feature to skip: “The House that Freddy Built: The Legacy of New Line Horror” is ultimately just a navel-gazing shill for other New Line DVDs.
Trivia: Craven was inspired to write the script after reading an article about several South Asian immigrants who had mysteriously died in their sleep.
If you liked this, try: “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare,” a savvy, postmodern take on the whole franchise that foreshadowed what Craven would soon do with “Scream.”
RATING: 3 PLAYS
‘The Notorious Bettie Page’
HBO, $27.98
Who’s in it: Gretchen Mol, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor
Recap: The legendary/infamous cult pin-up gal is given the biopic treatment, with strong results.
Best extra: The commentary with Mol, writer/director Mary Harron and writer Guinevere Turner is intelligent and candid. It underscores how well researched the film’s depiction of the repressed ’50s is.
Secrets revealed: “Presenting Bettie Page” is a short clip of the real Page that shows how well the filmmakers captured her laid-back, girl-next-door-gone-bad appeal.
Feature to skip: The “inside look” is, as usual, there to sell a film that, if you’re checking the DVD’s special features, one assumes you’re already interested in seeing.
Trivia: Bettie Page is still alive but very reclusive.
If you liked this, try: “The Bettie Page Collection,” a triple-disc set of Page-related stuff, including several (written) commentaries from the shy calendar girl herself.
RATING: 2 PLAYS
BEST OF THE REST
– “Dracula: 75th Anniversary Edition” (Universal, $26.98)
– “Frankenstein: 75th Anniversary Edition” (Universal, $26.98)
– “Depeche Mode: Touring the Angel–Live in Milan” (Reprise, $19.98)
COMING SOON
IN STORES NEXT WEEK
– “Scrubs–The Complete Fourth Season”
– “Click”
– “A Prairie Home Companion”
– “The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green”
– “Art School Confidential”
