‘Grinch’ Delivers Goodies but Misses Key Commentary

Universal’s DVD edition of the 2000 box-office holiday hit “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” ($27) has a ton of extras, including a behind-the-scenes documentary, deleted scenes and outtakes. There’s even a section just for kids. Unfortunately, the digital edition is notably lacking audio commentary from director Ron Howard and Jim Carrey, who plays the big green meanie.

Perhaps Howard was too busy directing his latest film, “A Beautiful Mind,” and Carrey too wrapped up in his upcoming film, “The Majestic,” to sit down to do commentary. But it would have boosted the appeal of this DVD immeasurably. Maybe they were just holding back so the film can be released another time with their observations.

Thankfully, the disc includes several entertaining mini-documentaries. One featurette looks at how the cast learned to become Whos, how Rick Baker created and applied Carrey’s amazing makeup and how the special effects and production design were created. There are also some sing-a-longs and a music video with Faith Hill. Rounding out the DVD--which is available in both wide-screen and pan-and-scan versions--are trailers, talent files and production notes.

The digital edition of “Planet of the Apes” (Fox, $30), Tim Burton’s disappointingly wan retelling of the 1968 film classic, is far more entertaining than the film itself.

The first disc of the two-disc set includes a crisp, wide-screen transfer of the film and two commentary tracks--one with director Burton and another with Danny Elfman, who has composed the scores to all of the director’s movies.

Burton’s commentary is enjoyable--especially when he talks about his fear of chimps--but the director takes one too many pregnant pauses that disrupt the flow of the commentary experience.

Also featured on the disc is a separate, enhanced-viewing-mode track, which allows you to watch the movie with picture-in-picture vignettes and mini-documentaries.

The second disc features numerous informative and entertaining documentaries, including “Simian Academy,” which chronicles how the actors were trained to walk, move and sound like apes and how the chimps were trained for their astronaut scenes.

The documentaries also explore Baker’s makeup design and a scoring session with composer Elfman.

One of the DVD’s fun extras allows viewers to watch certain scenes from four angles with different audio tracks. Rounding out the disc are extended scenes, a music video, trailers, talent files, a still gallery and an HBO “making-of” special.

On the DVD of the summer hit “Lara Croft--Tomb Raider” (Paramount, $30), director Simon West discusses the fact that star Angelina Jolie has more than 23 tattoos, so they had to be covered with makeup for her role as the action-adventure heroine.

Besides West’s commentary, the digital edition includes a standard documentary on the making of the film, a look at Jolie’s intense physical training for her part, an overview of the film’s stunts and special effects, deleted scenes, an alternate main title sequence, a chronicle of the “Tomb Raider” video game, trailers, talent files and U2’s nifty “Elevation” music video.

Kino on Video has just released on DVD the boxed set of its award-winning “The Art of Buster Keaton” ($200). The set includes 10 discs featuring numerous Keaton shorts and such classic films as “Three Ages,” “Our Hospitality,” “Sherlock Jr.,” “The General,” “Go West” and “College.”

The set also includes a fabulous bonus disc, “Keaton Plus,” a three-hour delight that features the newly restored 1921 short “Hard Luck” and recently discovered bits from the shorts “The Love Nest” and “Daydreams.”

Also included are two of his shorts for Educational Films in the 1930s: “Alley-Oop!” and “Jail Bait.”

The disc also features the TV commercials he did for Phillips 66, Shamrock Oil and Kodak, silent home movies of him filming “The General” and visiting Paris, scenes from a never-completed CinemaScope musical, “Ten Girls Ago,” his first dramatic TV role in Gogol’s “The Awakening” and several clips from his rare ‘50s series, “Life With Buster Keaton.”

John Bengston, author of the book “Silent Echoes,” which explores the locations Keaton used for his films, hosts a visual version of his book that includes interactive maps and a tour of Keaton’s L.A.

Frank Capra Jr. provides the loving and informative commentary for his father’s 1933 sentimental comedy “Lady for a Day” (Image, $25), the first for which Frank Capra received an Oscar nomination as best director.

Adapted by Robert Riskin from a story by Damon Runyon, this Depression-era comedy tells the story of Apple Annie (May Robson), a street peddler who has for years kept her identity hidden from her daughter, who has grown up in Europe.

But when her daughter arrives in town for a visit, Annie is transformed into a lady, thanks to the help of a slick gambler (Warren William) and her friends. Guy Kibbee and Ned Sparks also star. Capra remade the film in 1961--it was to be his last feature--as “A Pocketful of Miracles.”

Besides Capra Jr.’s commentary, the disc features a lovely new digital transfer of the black-and-white film, which was shot by Capra’s longtime cinematographer, Joseph Walker.

Peter O’Toole gives one of his best and bravest performances in the scintillating 1972 black comedy “The Ruling Class,” which Criterion recently released on DVD ($40).

Directed by Peter Medak and adapted by Peter Barnes from his play, “Ruling Class” finds O’Toole playing a royal heir who believes he is Jesus Christ and relaxes by sleeping on a giant crucifix he has in the living room of the family mansion.

The outstanding supporting cast includes Alistair Simon, Nigel Green, Coral Browne and Harry Andrews, who has one of the most amazing suicide scenes ever put on film. O’Toole received a best actor Oscar nomination for the film, but lost to Marlon Brando for “The Godfather.”

The DVD includes a new wide-screen digital transfer of the uncut version of the film that was supervised by Medak, a collection of publicity and production stills, the trailer, Medak’s 16-millimeter home movies during the production and inspiring and often wonderfully funny commentary from the three Peters--Medak, O’Toole and Barnes.

With his sly, infectious laugh, O’Toole is a real charmer as he fondly remembers his co-stars--the majority of whom are now deceased--and the fun he had making the film 30 years ago.

Criterion has also released the splendid DVD of Alfred Hitchcock’s super-sexy 1946 suspense thriller “Notorious” ($40), starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. The disc features a new digital film and sound restoration; it does show some of the flaws of the original negative, but the film looks far better than it does on TV.

Also included are the trailer; the 1948 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation starring Bergman and Joseph Cotton; production correspondence; excerpts from the short story “The Song of the Dragon,” which was the source material for the movie; script excerpts of deleted scenes and alternate endings; a look at how Hitchcock used rear projection to make audiences believe the film actually was shot in Rio de Janeiro; production and publicity photos; and posters and lobby cards.

There are two commentary tracks: one with Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane and one with film historian Rudy Behlmer, who penned the bestseller “Memo From David O. Selznick.”