True Romance (Widescreen, Special Edition, Unrated Director's Cut, 2 Discs)

It was directed with energetic skill by Top Gun Tony Scott, but this breathtaking 1993 thriller (think of it as an adolescent crime fantasy on steroids) has Quentin Tarantino written all over it. True Romance is really part of a loose trilogy that includes Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, with a crackling Tarantino screenplay that rides a fine line between raucous comedy and violent excess. Christian Slater plays Clarence, the comic-book lover who meets a beguiling prostitute named Alabama (Patricia Arquette), confronts her vicious pimp (Gary Oldman), and embarks on a cross-country odyssey with $5 million worth of Mafia cocaine. Mayhem ensues, culminating in a favourite Tarantino climax--the "Mexican standoff"--in which a roomful of guys are pointing guns at each other, waiting to see who shoots first. Brutal, profane, and totally outrageous, True Romance is not for everyone, but with a supporting cast that includes Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, and Val Kilmer (as the ghost of Elvis!), you can be sure this movie will never be boring. --Jeff Shannon

While the unrated director's cut remains identical in content to the earlier DVD of True Romance, the bonus material on this special edition is exclusive and outstanding. Quentin Tarantino had heretofore avoided DVD commentaries for his own films, so his first-rate, rapid-fire commentary here is a welcomed opportunity to set the record straight on the history of Tarantino's screenplay, his approval of director Tony Scott's "happy" ending (paired here with Tarantino's tragic ending as an alternate feature), the inspiration for the film's climactic "Mexican standoff," and structural differences from first draft to final film. Scott's own informative commentary corroborates Tarantino's, while Michael Rapaport ("Dick Ritchie") steals the show with one of four scene-specific supporting-cast commentaries, self-effacingly begging for a sequel based on his character. Abundant behind-the-scenes footage is worthwhile for the film's most ardent fans, and Scott's "storyboard track" demonstrates the director's meticulous preparation, but it's the commentaries--especially Tarantino's--that make this one a keeper. --Jeff Shannon

This rock'n'roll adventure story tells of two unlikely lovers who accidentally double-cross the Detroit mob by stealing valuable contraband. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, flee to Los Angeles where they are sought by both gangsters and cops.