Caged Heat (New Concorde, 2002)
"Caged Heat. Enter the female jungle of women's prison, U.S.A., a seething hell of steel and stone where bodies behind bars ache with hunger for a man, ANY man...where caged passions ignite in carnal confinement and explode into violence!" So begins the trailer for Caged Heat, one of the high points on any Roger Corman DVD. In addition to the trailer, the Caged Heat DVD features all the standard New Concorde features: a second-rate full-frame transfer, cast and crew biographies, a 5 minute Leonard Maltin interview with Roger Corman, a written introduction by Corman on the back cover (Corman admits that he refused to finance Caged Heat), and an assortment of "Preview Attractions" (trailers for other New World pictures): Candy Stripe Nurses, Big Bad Mama II, The Big Doll House, and Crazy Mama. Finally, in keeping with the less-is-more philosophy, the DVD does not include the customary paper insert. Still, it's an excellent movie and they're practically giving it away so most of the disc's shortcomings are forgivable.

Crazy Mama (New Concorde, 2002)
Crazy Mama receives better DVD treatment than Caged Heat, although the full frame transfer is actually worse. This time, the "Preview Attractions" include Grand Theft Auto, Battle Beyond the Stars, and Rock n' Roll High School. The Crazy Mama DVD distinguishes itself where it deviates from the New Concorde DVD formula. Instead of a brief Leonard Maltin interview, we get both an audio commentary and a 15 minute on-camera discussion between Demme and Corman. This material was recorded sometime in early 2002, shortly after Corman viewed a rough cut of The Truth About Charlie. Also, in case you missed it on the Caged Heat DVD, the Crazy Mama trailer appears again, along with more cast and crew information.

Melvin and Howard (Anchor Bay, 1999 / Universal, 2004)
One of Jonathan Demme's greatest triumphs, Melvin and Howard is available from the best producer of cult-movie-DVDs, Anchor Bay Entertainment. This DVD includes a good widescreen enhanced transfer, the theatrical trailer, talent bios, and an insert with a picture of the film's original poster. But the main reason to get this DVD, other than the movie itself, is the commentary with Jonathan Demme and production designer/Demme friend Toby Rafelson. Their love of the film is obvious, as they discuss production anecdotes, the true story of Melvin Dummar, and much more. An essential DVD for any Jonathan Demme fan. A significantly less essential movie-only version was released by Universal in 2004. Currently, this is the most widely available Melvin and Howard DVD but the Anchor Bay edition is still worth seeking out (DVD File review of the Anchor Bay version)

Swing Shift (Warner, 2004)
Unfortunately, this DVD release of Swing Shift only includes the theatrical version of the film, not Jonathan Demme's original cut. Demme's version has never been widely available, nor is there a print or transfer that meets the technical standards of a mainstream DVD release. Features on this DVD are minimal: it includes only a trailer and a new transfer (enhanced for widescreen TVs).

Stop Making Sense (Palm, 1999)
Another essential DVD for Jonathan Demme fans. Palm Pictures has released Stop Making Sense with a good transfer (enhanced for widescreen TVs), audio commentary by Jonathan Demme and all four Talking Heads, bonus tracks ("Cities," "Big Business/I Zimbra"), storyboard-to-film comparison, the theatrical trailer, and a David Byrne interview conducted by Byrne, himself. Also, the DVD includes an insert with pictures and more information about the DVD's audio, the commentary, and the storyboards. (DVD File review)

Something Wild (MGM, 2001)
Over the last couple years, MGM has exhibited some peculiar standards for creating special edition DVDs. I'm as big a fan of Buckaroo Banzai and The Fog as anyone but they're not Something Wild. Arguably one of the most influential films of the last 20 years, Something Wild definitely warrants a special edition DVD. Instead, MGM has elected to release it as a movie-only DVD. The transfer is good and enhanced for widescreen TVs but the only other feature is a theatrical trailer. Complaints about features aside, this is currently the best way to see Something Wild, outside of a movie theatre (and it's cheap, too).

Married to the Mob (MGM, 2000)
Released a year before the Something Wild DVD, this DVD is presented in pretty much the same way, with the addition of liner notes (aka "Collectible Booklet"). Again, the transfer is enhanced for widescreen TVs and the theatrical trailer is included but that's it. Let's hope that MGM sees fit to re-visit these films some day with commentary and other features. (DVD File review)

The Silence of the Lambs (Image, 1998 / Criterion, 1998 / MGM, 2001)
One film that definitely has seen its share of DVD releases, The Silence of the Lambs has been released in at least four different versions. I'll try to dispel the confusion. Image Entertainment released the first DVD in 1998. It doesn't include any features or a widescreen enhanced transfer and it's out of print so don't worry about it. Also out of print, but worth seeking out is the Criterion Collection release, also from 1998. Again, the transfer is not widescreen enhanced but it's redeemed by several features that originally appeared on the Criterion laserdisc of the film: deleted scenes, a film-to-storyboard comparison, storyboards, the FBI crime classification manual, some word-for-word statements from serial killers and an audio commentary featuring Jonathan Demme, Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally and FBI agent John Douglas. You can usually track this down on eBay but it's not cheap. Instead, you might want to pick up the latest DVD release, from MGM, which comes in two different versions. Both versions include the same features but one is widescreen (and enhanced for widescreen TVs) while the other is full frame. As you can see from the pictures above, the DVD covers are almost identical. The widescreen version is distinguished by a red "widescreen" banner across the top portion of the cover. Unlike the Criterion DVD, the MGM DVDs do not feature audio commentary. However, the MGM DVDs feature two worthwhile documentaries, one from the time of the film's original release and a longer documentary featuring recent interviews with cast and crew. Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster obviously chose not to participate, as they only appear in old interview footage but the documentary includes several good Jonathan Demme stories, nonetheless. The MGM DVDs also feature more deleted scenes, not included on the Criterion DVD, outtakes, trailers, and more. (DVD File reviews: Criterion, MGM)

Philadelphia (Columbia Tristar, 1997, 2002, 2004)
Released very early in the DVD phenomenon, the original Philadelphia disc (pictured above) features no extras (unless you count a disturbing Columbia Tristar promo) and generic Columbia Tristar menus, with a little Philadelphia picture off to the side. That said, the transfer (enhanced for widescreen TVs) is very good. In the Fall of 2002, Philadelphia was re-released on DVD with new menus and a new cover. In all other areas, this edition is the same as the original release. Finally, there is the definitive, 2 disc "anniversary edition" released in the Fall of 2004. This special edition includes commentary by Jonathan Demme, 2 documentaries, deleted scenes, and more.

Storefront Hitchcock (MGM, 2000)
The source of some minor controversey, the Storefront Hitchcock DVD is presented full frame (except for the multi-screen end credits), rather than in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. According to some reports, the DVD was presented in full frame, at Jonathan Demme's request. In any event, the full frame transfer doesn't appear to hurt the film too much. There are no features and the DVD's chapter stops are divided by song, although most chapters begin with Hitchcock's rambling, pre-song monologues. The insert includes a list of the chapter stops and an alternate DVD cover. Again, while far from perfect, this DVD is very cheap.

Beloved (Buena Vista, 1999)
This DVD stands out as one of the worst DVDs I've ever seen produced from a recent movie (in this case, the film was only about six months old, when the DVD came out). The transfer isn't terrible but there's far more dirt and scratches than you'd expect on a movie this recent. Although Beloved is presented in its original aspect ratio (1.85:1), it is not enhanced for widescreen TVs. The only features included are a brief promotional featurette, and the theatrical trailer. The insert includes a list of chapter stops but nothing else. If you're a die-hard Beloved fan, this is the best version available but casual fans might want to wait for a better DVD (however, considering Buena Vista's DVD reputation, this is not likely to happen, any time soon).

The Truth About Charlie (Universal, 2003)
Unlike Beloved, The Truth About Charlie has just about everything you could ask for from a recent film on DVD. There's 11 minutes of deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, production notes, a somewhat unorthodox 15 minute documentary and, best of all, an audio commentary by Jonathan Demme. The 2.35:1 transfer is enhanced for widescreen TVs and there is an option of either DTS or Dolby Digital sound. The second side of the disc features Charade, in its entirety, and, unlike the Criterion Collection release of the film, this edition features a new transfer, enhanced for widescreen TVs.

Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology, 1978-2000 (Sony, 2000)
This two-disc DVD set includes a combination of Bruce Springsteen concert performances and music videos, from 1978 to 2000. The DVD includes 15 more songs than the original VHS release, from 1989. Three of these videos/performances were directed by Jonathan Demme: "Streets of Philadelphia" (co-directed by Ted Demme), "Murder Incorporated", and "If I Should Fall Behind." This set also includes videos directed by John Sayles, Brian De Palma, Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and many others.