Sapphire and Steel
"All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension. Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available: gold, lead, copper, jet, diamond, radium, sapphire, silver and steel. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned..."

So begins the underrated British science fiction show Sapphire and Steel. The six stories (30 or so episodes) were produced in the late seventies, early eighties and really divided the audiences of their time. The show's weirdness was much too much for some, just right for others. It was low budget-high conception fun.

Well, now that David (Man from UNCLE) McCallum and Joanna (Ab Fab) Lumley have travelled through time and space to bring Sapphire and Steel to DVD, we will get a chance to see how well it works in this millennium.
TV Brain


Robocop (Special Edition)
The Movie
Most people know about the Robocop story line. A police officer is sent to a dangerous precinct by an evil corporation that runs the police force to increase the chances of him being killed in the line of duty so they can take the remains of the body and create Robocop, a Cyborg (half man/half machine). It is a classic tale that owes its existence to the success of the movie Terminator. Orion Pictures green-lighted Robo after they made tons of money with that Arnie vehicle. It also marked the emergence of director Paul Verhoeven unto the American movie scene. Its use of made-up satirical television commercials and news broadcasts greatly adds to its appeal. This is a film that fans watch over and over. I know of one fan that has watched it over 100 times. With that much adulation it was inevitable that it would end up on DVD.

The Disc
The transfer is very good considering the age of the film and the reproduction has very few visuals anomalies. The main feature is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The new 5.1 soundtrack is quite good but uses the surround channels very sparingly.

The Extras
This aspect of the disc feature a gold mine for fans with deleted scenes, a few making of featurettes, theatrical trailers for this and the other two Robocop films and the prerequisite director's commentary. This commentary is very informative and greatly adds to the value of this Special Edition disc. Verhoeven seldom runs out of things to say and most of his comments will create much dialogue amongst fan and non-fans alike. The disc also includes a photo gallery and storyboard comparison.

Overall
Robocop is a great story and is presented on a disc that lives up to the name Special Edition. This film should be included in everyone's collection, if not just to enjoy but to play for friends, especially ones with a twisted sense of humour.
Rob Hudson



Snatch
The Movie
Let me try to sum up the plot of Snatch in a few words. It isn't easy. Frankie Four Fingers steals a huge diamond from an Antwerp jeweller and brings it to London for his American boss, Uncle Avi. Frankie is double-crossed, though, and Russian arms dealer Boris the Blade sets local thugs Tyrone and Errol to steal it. Meanwhile, dodgy boxing promoter Turkish gets in debt to crime boss Brick Top, and when his boxer gets knocked out, he has to recruit One Punch Mickey, a greasy gypsy with a devastating right cross. Finally, Uncle Avi brings in local strong-arm man Bullet Tooth Tony in to find the diamond. And from then on, it just gets more complicated.

Snatch is the second film from Guy Ritchie, director of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and it has a lot in common with that movie. It's also about a bunch of cheeky, quirky London criminals (all with improbable names and witty dialogue), it has storylines that start separate and eventually connect, and it's stylish, stylised and a lot of fun. In many ways, it's the same as Lock, Stock... with the volume turned up a few notches, a more complex plot, and more money in the production.

For this outing, Ritchie has recruited both some familiar faces from his first movie (Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham) and some big-name stars (Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, Goldie). Everyone looks like they're having fun with the production — especially Pitt, who works hard to look even more dirty and unpolished than in Fight Club. The editing and cinematography are razor-sharp, the dialogue is very funny, the soundtrack is great, and there's even a sense of real menace as the film heads for the climax.

It's not perfect, though. It's self-indulgent — every single scene is stylised in some way, with speed changes, dream sequences, voice-overs, rapid cuts or something else. And like Lock, Stock... it's pretty unbelievable. This is a hip fantasy about crime made by rich London media darlings, not a gritty crime drama with any degree of realism. It's a very artificial, quite hollow film, one without honesty or real emotion. Then again, it isn't trying to be Nil by Mouth or The War Zone. What it's trying to be is fresh, fast and stylish, and it succeeds in spades. If you liked Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, or enjoy comedy/capers with an edge of violence and danger, then Snatch has everything you want.
Patrick O'Duffy

The Extras
Disc one of this two-disc set features a widescreen version of the film with an additional audio track that features commentary by director Guy Ritchie and producer Matthew Vaugh. There is also a feature that allows you to insert 3 deleted scenes into the film.

Disc two features a 25-minute behind the scenes featurette, 6 deleted scenes (with optional director commentary), Storyboard to film comparison, a jump to song feature, photo galleries and more.

Hidden Features
Insert the first disc of the 2-disc set and from the main menu go to 'Audio Set-up.' Highlight the 'Play Movie' menu entry and then press the 'up' arrow key on your remote control twice. This will highlight a musical note icon on the screen. Pressing 'Enter' now will give you access to a screen with ring tone setup so you can set your cell phone to the same melody that Doug is using.

Now, insert the second disc from the set and highlight the right arrow key on the screen. Then press the arrow 'up' key on your remote control, followed by the 'right' arrow key. This highlights an exclamation mark on the screen, and if you hit 'Enter' now, you will get to a new section. After answering the question 'Are you easily offended?' you will be treated to a 90-second collage of gunplay and swearing clips from the film, either in their uncensored glory, or a bleeped-out version.

Now, go back to the second disc’s main menu and select the right arrow on the screen, which takes you to the second page of the main menu. Here, press the 'up' arrow key on your remote control, followed by the 'left' key, highlighting a '1' on the screen. After pressing 'Enter' you will now have the chance to see a 70-second montage of some of the greatest quotes from the movie.

There’s more to be found in the 'Filmographies.' Go there and select 'Guy Ritchie’s' filmography. Then press 'up' and 'left' on your remote control to highlight another '1' symbol, which will take you to some additional interview footage with the director.

In Brad Pitt’s filmography, hit the 'up' and 'right' buttons on your remote control to highlight another '1' symbol, which will take you to some additional interview footage with the director, talking about the actor.

In Vinnie Jones’ filmography, hit the 'up' button twice on your remote control and you will get to see some additional interview footage with the director, talking about the actor.