Making a Case for DVD

There are two reasons this month to forget VHS tapes once and for all and jump on the Digital Video Disc wagon: The director’s audio commentary on the Harrison Ford blockbuster “Air Force One” and a digital magazine called “Short.”

Granted, neither suits all tastes. And the self-importance with which both discs regard film as an art form can be irritating at times. But both these DVD treats add depth to the home-viewing experience; they can even leave you inspired and exhilarated.

For instance, if you’re at all curious about how films are made, “Air Force One” might have left you with one big question: “How on earth did they do all that?” The special edition DVD version of the film helps answer that.

The movie itself is a satisfying suspense film with elaborate action set pieces. Columbia TriStar’s DVD edition includes a running audio commentary by German director Wolfgang Petersen, who after making the awesome World War II submarine movie “Das Boot,” was sought after by Hollywood.

Petersen has a rich voice and a charming European accent. Best of all, he marvels about Hollywood’s technological advancements as much as the average viewer. And he never misses an opportunity to explain a cinematic trick, relishing the combination of old-fashioned optical effects with computer-generated imagery.

The commentary is not technical enough to become boring and the director spices it up with scattered anecdotes about his working relationship with the movie’s many stars, from Gary Oldman to Glenn Close.

However, if hijacked airplanes and terrorist attacks are a bit much for your taste, then “Short” might just be your cup of tea.

A self-proclaimed “magazine of short films that don’t suck,” “Short” is one of the most inventive DVDs so far on the market. It combines actual movies with audio commentaries and some written information producing a kaleidoscopic effect that stimulates the mind and the senses.

The second issue is titled “Dreams” and unfortunately, the concept sounds better on paper than on the actual disc. After wandering through its contents, studying the menu and admiring the overall hip, artsy attitude of the project, you’re left with a bunch of short movies, many of which are just not that good.

This is partly due to the inclusion of two films by or about Australian director Jane Campion, who’s treated here with the reverence that befits an Ingmar Bergman. Neither the black-and-white “A Girl’s Own Story,” a short directed by Campion herself, or “The Making of Portrait of a Lady,” an adoring documentary on the recent Henry James adaptation starring Nicole Kidman, are entirely convincing.

Still, any DVD that includes Chris Marker’s “La Jetee” is worth having. This stunning work combines a literary script with the lyrical poetry of French New Wave cinema to tell a story in a unique way.

“Short” is a project worth following. Its Santa Monica-based publishers are working on another DVD magazine that will be devoted entirely to world cinema.

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On the laserdisc front, Elite Entertainment has just released a special edition of the hilariously over the top horror film “Evil Dead 2,” which is best described as a bloody cross between “Night of the Living Dead” and the Three Stooges.

The set includes the most casual audio commentary possible by director Sam Raimi and his troupe of friends/co-workers, none of whom take themselves or the film too seriously. A wise choice because as the 30 minutes of behind-the-screen footage corroborate, this excessive, slapstick film was made for laughs more than for screams.

CURRENT RELEASES

Laserdisc

“Rosemary’s Baby” (Pioneer), Roman Polanski’s psychological study on demonic possession is as morbid a thriller as you are likely to find. Widescreen, remastered version.

“The Ten Commandments” (Pioneer), the epic of all epics still commands respect after all these years. This remastered version presents all four hours of it just as De Mille would have wanted to see them: loud and clear.

“Lost in Space” (Image), the campy Irwin Allen TV series gets a deluxe treatment on laserdisc. Includes the pilot and two other episodes in black and white.

DVD

“Re-Animator” (Elite), the 1985 cult film is not really a horror film, but rather a brutal dark comedy. Includes two separate audio commentaries, one with director Stuart Gordon, the other with members of the cast and crew.

“Earthlight” (Mill Reef), 80 minutes of images of the Earth as seen from space, with new age music playing in the background. Can be used as a DVD or computer screen saver. For hard-core enthusiasts only.