Lucky ‘Dog’

Timing is everything in the world of home video, and New Line couldn’t have picked a better moment to release its Platinum DVD Edition of the political satire “Wag the Dog.”

The tale of a team of experts who manufacture a war in order to cover up a sexual scandal involving the president of the United States and a teenage girl, “Wag the Dog” now has an eerie, ominous feel to it, as if the filmmakers knew from the start something we don’t.

And yet, the audio commentary recorded with director Barry Levinson and actor Dustin Hoffman is only moderately interesting. Levinson makes few allusions to the Monica Lewinsky case and concentrates instead on describing the mechanics of working with people as talented as Hoffman, Robert De Niro and writer David Mamet.

The audio track comes to life whenever Hoffman starts quoting Arthur Miller or rambles about how he used his father as the basis for the character of megalomaniac producer Stanley Motss.

The DVD edition is supplemented with a documentary on the relationship between Hollywood and politics, including great quotes from director John Frankenheimer, a historical essay and a video interview with actor William H. Macy raving about the talents of David Mamet.

Things get more lively on the laser-disc front, with Image’s special edition of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” The film’s technical innovations appear tame by today’s standards of digital magic, but the sparkling audio commentary proves that if you want to throw a good party you have to invite the right people.

Here you’ll find director Robert Zemeckis, producer Frank Marshall, an associate producer, two screenwriters and a visual effects supervisor. It’s almost impossible to recognize who’s who during the conversation, but it hardly matters. What could have been a cacophonous disaster ends up as an extremely entertaining and informative chat among friends who are obviously passionate about the craft of movie making and share fond memories of working together.

Interestingly, the men spend only half the time talking about the complicated optical effects involved in mixing toons with live action, and instead emphasize how none of the visual illusions would have worked if it wasn’t for the superb acting skills of Bob Hoskins. The respect they have for each other makes for one of the most inspiring audio commentaries in recent times.

If you are in a more experimental mood and arty films are your cup of tea, you will certainly enjoy the third issue of the DVD cinema “journalShort” (Polygram), which this time focuses on authority as the thematic link unifying all sorts of short films from around the world. Because of its eclectic format, “Short” is bound to be uneven at times. But this volume is by far the best in the series. Just like Chris Marker’s “La Jetee” was the centerpiece of Volume Two (“Dreams”), the most poignant moment in “Authority” is Alain Resnais’ documentary “Night & Fog,” whose images of concentration camps are bound to scar your eyes forever. Although authority is criticized in many of the films, there’s also an attempt to explore its many faces.

Is authority necessary? Is there such a thing as good authority? Can we be really free from it? No answers are given on these heady matters, but the journey itself is filled with rewards, as in the lyrical “Flying Over Mother,” a sobering example of the marvels a talented filmmaker can achieve with 10 minutes of time and a shoestring budget.

CURRENT RELEASES

Laser disc:

Agatha (1978, Warner Bros.)--Watch Dustin Hoffman become a handsome, debonair American reporter from the ‘20s looking to explain the disappearance of Agatha Christie (Vanessa Redgrave). An exquisitely delicate film.

Mighty Joe Young (1949, Warner Bros.)--When compared to the movies of the ‘90s, this low-budget sequel to the original “King Kong” feels like a minor masterpiece. Includes the restoration of an original colored fire sequence.

Live Flesh (1997, Image)--Does Pedro Almodovar still deserve a chance after a never-ending string of flops? If so, this richly textured letterbox edition is the way to go.

Digital VideoDisc

The 39 Steps (1935, Delta)--Like many of Hitchcock’s movies, this one hasn’t lost any of its freshness. Delta has also released “The Lady Vanishes” (1938) and “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934), all at bargain prices.

Mississippi Burning (1988, Image)--British director Alan Parker abandons his trademark visual excesses for a meatier story regarding a brutal case of racism in the South. Includes an audio commentary with Parker.