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EW review: 'Sith' DVD deliversAlso: Lots of 'Sex'By Dalton Ross ![]() Hayden Christensen stars in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(Entertainment Weekly) -- "The real fun of 'Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith' is the fact that it connects all the dots," says George Lucas in one of "Sith's" DVD documentaries. "Finally, you can see how Episode I relates to Episode VI, and how they all come together." More important, you also get to see the most fearsome guy in the galaxy get his flesh burned off. Suffice it to say, "Sith" is satisfying on many levels (it's easily the best of the new films, and I'd even put it ahead of the Ewok-infested "Return of the Jedi"), as is its DVD package. On the commentary, the director and crew discuss the political nature of the franchise and share a few notable nuggets, like the fact that General Grievous' coughing is actually Lucas himself when he had bronchitis, and that they had to go back and film Obi-Wan picking up Anakin's lightsaber after their duel -- he later gives it to Luke in Episode IV -- because "we kind of forgot about that." The six tasty deleted scenes include Padme forming the rebel alliance with Mon Mothma, and Yoda arriving in exile on Dagobah. Less engrossing is the 78-minute doc "Within a Minute," which shows all the different people responsible for putting 49 seconds on the screen; bold idea, but do we really need to know the ins and outs of the accounts-payable and catering departments? (Especially when we're not being given money or food?) Much better are the 15 Web docs that provide a few truly surreal moments, like some bizarre concept art for Anakin (think mohawk and distressed leather), C-3PO crashing into a barrier, and -- my personal favorite -- a roomful of guys in Wookiee costumes sitting in front of a laptop. Chewie on that. EW Grade: B+ 'Sex and the City: The Complete Series'Reviewed by Erin Richter Man-lovin' Samantha discovered that bigger isn't necessarily better, but with "Sex and the City: The Complete Series," HBO's wagering that too much is never enough for "Sex" addicts. Following last December's Manolo-packed six-season set comes this 20-disc "ultimate DVD collection," pretty in a pink-velvet binder and stylishly packaged in pastel with pages of episode synopses and glamour shots. Many of the extras are hand-me-downs from previous releases -- executive producer Michael Patrick King's fawning commentary, 10 deleted scenes, alternate finale endings -- but they hardly feel worn. The new accessory is a shiny bonus disc, which features nostalgic montages, an "En-SEX-lopedia" episode breakdown with "Inside Scoop" behind-the-scenes info, and a list of 24 SATC Manhattan hot spots (find out where Samantha threw a drink in Richard's face). The finish-the-phrase interactive video quiz is great for a girly get-together, but the which-gal-are-you and which-guy-are-you-compatible-with games have easily manipulated outcomes. And fashionistas can head to the designer credits detailing who created the ruffled gown Carrie fell asleep in while waiting for the Russian and tracing Miranda's progress from Donna Karan to Gaultier. EW Grade: A- 'Office Space'Reviewed by Chris Willman An "Office Space" with only eight deleted scenes? Okay, not so ungenerous -- just a letdown for us cultists who harbored the fantasy that maybe, a la "Spinal Tap," there was a three-hour rough cut floating around. The comic gold comes fast -- well, medium-paced -- and furious in Mike Judge's first live-action feature, which should go further than any other artifact toward explaining the white man's burden to our puzzled descendants. Curiously for a pic in which even tiny performances are gems, it only really made a star of the red Swingline, a mythical item until "Space's" initial DVD's popularity forced such a stapler into existence. EXTRAS Outtakes include two different fates for Gary Cole's ultimate passive-aggressive boss. Fresh interviews revisit all the leads except Jennifer Aniston -- and you know you wonder what Stephen Root, who played unknowingly unemployed Milton, really looks like. (Except, perhaps, for you "NewsRadio" fans.) Maddeningly, Judge's old "Milton" 'toons aren't here; "Saturday Night Live" probably wouldn't grant rights, but it still gives us a case of the Mondays. Thanks to studio shortsightedness, the DVD-ROM content plays only on PCs, though we'd prefer to think that's a clever in-joke about Mac users' frustration in a Windows-only office. EW Grade: B+ 'Fame: The Complete First Season'Reviewed by Paul Katz Before "Dancing With the Stars" and "American Idol," this Emmy-winning '80s series was our favorite choice for catching a tango or a ballad on TV. The show stayed faithful to the film, focusing on the students at NYC's High School for the Performing Arts, who learned each week that "fame costs. And 'Fame: The Complete First Season' is where you start paying. In sweat." Beneath the perms, spontaneous musical numbers, and unintentionally humorous dialogue ("You mind telling me what it is I'm supposed to be afraid of?" a budding composer asks his mentor. "You're afraid of becoming a schlockmeister!"), the show sincerely portrayed young artists struggling to discover their talents. Seems MGM figures not only does fame cost but so do EXTRAS -- sadly, none are to be found on the four-disc set. EW Grade: B+ Click Here
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