Universal Studios Home Video presents Las Vegas in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture quality and colors look very good. Detail and sharpness are satisfactory. There are no major flaws in the presentation. Audio is available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as a Dolby 2.0 track. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand, while the music is very nicely reproduced across the front speakers. Optional subtitles include English, Spanish and French.

The special features include four audio commentaries (Pilot, Hellraisers and Heartbreakers, The Night the Lights Went Out in Vegas, and the season finale Always Faithful) that are generally informative but unless you're a fan of the show I wouldn't recommend them, a 9-minute look at the sets of the show in a piece called "Inside the Montecito", a 20-minute documentary called "Las Vegas: The Big Gamble" that looks at some of the city's history and other things, a short film called "Rumble in the Montecito", and promos for the Arena Football League (including schedules and all) and Las Vegas.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

DVD Grade: 7 out of 10

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Shaun of the Dead   (Universal, 12/21/04, Rated R)

There comes a day in every man's life when he has to get off the couch...and kill some zombies. In Shaun of the Dead, when flesh-eating zombies are on the hunt for a bite to eat, it's up to slacker Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his best pal Ed (Nick Frost) to save their friends and family from becoming the next entree. Shaun of the Dead pays homage to many famous zombie films, mostly Dawn of the Dead and so on, and has a lot of fun with the concept of zombies taking over the human race, in all their bloody and hungry glory. The script here is pretty good, the two main characters are at first oblivious to the horrors going on outside their apartment so it becomes extremely funny to see their reactions to all the carnage. This is not a serious film by any means, a lot of the zombies and gore that goes around is played for laughs and stuff. Overall this film succeeds because of good production values, a fun premise, and two great characters, plus the whole supporting cast, if you know what I mean.

Universal Studios Home Video presents Shaun of the Dead in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture quality and colors look very good. Detail and sharpness are accurate. There are no major flaws in the presentation. Audio is available in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as Spanish and French 5.1 tracks. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand, while the music is very nicely reproduced across the front speakers. Surround usage is evident and creates an overall solid audio presentation. Optional subtitles include English, Spanish and French.

The special features include two audio commentaries (one with director Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, another with the cast), a Zomb-O-Meter trivia track, deleted/extended scenes, outtakes, a featurette explaining plot holes, casting tapes, Simon Pegg's video diary, special effects comparisons, make-up tests, an EPK featurette, interview with Coldplay, a photo gallery, ad campaigns including poster design concepts, and the film's theatrical trailer.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

DVD Grade: 8 out of 10

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Quantum Leap - Season 2   (Universal, 12/14/04)

Quantum Leap tells the story of Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula), a scientist who never knows whose body he is going to "leap" into next or when, where and at what moment in time he may find himself. Who will he be next? An undercover cop. A blind pianist. A harassed secretary. It's up to Sam to change the history of each person for the better, and hopefully complete the mission that will someday take him home. Accompanied by a wise-cracking, womanizing holographic guide, Al (Dean Stockwell), Sam's twisting the hands of fate with each adventure.

I remember watching Quantum Leap when I was younger. The stories were almost always involving and the acting was really good, which made this a pretty good show. The second season expands the number of episodes from the first season (only eight) and manages to maintain the basic quality of the storytelling and filmmaking. A few episodes don't quite work while others are very good telling involving and dramatic stories. My favorite episode is the season finale M.I.A. in which Al tells Sam he must save a woman from falling in love with the wrong guy, but something doesn't add up and Sam figures out Al's true intentions. This episode is emotional (especially the last 5-10 minutes) and also important as the story is revisited in the fifth and final season. Overall I liked seeing most of the episodes again.

Universal Studios Home Video presents Quantum Leap in 1.33:1 fullscreen format. Picture quality and colors look very good. Detail and sharpness are accurate. There are no major flaws in the presentation, but a bit of grain is seen during the night scenes. Audio is available in Dolby 2.0. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand, while the music is very nicely reproduced across the front speakers. Surround usage is evident a few times but that's it. Optional subtitles include English, Spanish and French.

There are no special features included with this release, which is certainly a disappointment for fans. Plus, Universal has changed some of the music in the show and replaced it with different songs to avoid paying licensing fees. Because of the lack of extras I'm forced to rate the DVD a 6.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

DVD Grade: 6 out of 10

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