5 Best DVD "Easter Eggs"

comp0202dvd_A.jpg In the film Final Fantasy, Dr. Aki Ross saves the Earth. On the DVD, she dances like Michael Jackson.

There's more to DVD movies these days than just the film and cast bios. Moviemakers are increasingly including Easter eggs-hidden bits of amusing or wacky material that you can find only by snooping around. They're activated with a few clicks of the remote control. We asked Mr. DVD, Netflix.com's James Rocchi, for his list of the five coolest.

Star Wars: Episode One

What You'll See: A hilarious series of flubs from the movie's making.

How to Access: Go to the Options menu and type "1138" (from the title of George Lucas' debut, THX 1138) with your remote.

Mr. DVD Sez: "Who knew light sabers were so slippery? Funny stuff here-at the very least, funnier than Jar Jar Binks."

Final Fantasy




What You'll See: The computer-generated characters doing their own rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.

How to Access: Select the Highlights menu on the bonus disc; press the up-arrow on your remote, followed by the right-arrow button-this takes you to a second page. Press the up-arrow button, then press the right-arrow button twice and highlight a small frame in the righthand corner.

Mr. DVD Sez: "More wit, charm, and humor in 3 minutes than the film displays in 106."

Terminator 2: Judgment Day Special Edition

What You'll See: A 156-minute extended version
of the movie with an alternate ending.

How to Access: Go to the Special Edition menu screen, highlight the words Play Special Edition and enter the number "82997" (which is the date of the movie's original release).

Mr. DVD Sez: "OK, the alternate ending is hokey, but who can resist an extra-heaping helping of T2?"

The Matrix

What You'll See: A 12-minute montage of concept artwork and special effects test footage.
How to Access: Go to the Special Features menu, then to Cast and Crew biographies. The page about the writing-directing Wachowski brothers contains a small red pill-highlight it and press "enter."


Mr. DVD Sez: "A great glimpse behind the curtain of everyone's favorite brain-bending film."

Gladiator

What You'll See: Test footage of a cut scene in which Russell Crowe's Maximus faces down a computer-generated rhino.

How to Access: On the bonus disc, go to the second page of special features and click Original Storyboards; on the second page of that section, select Rhino Fight. Highlight the rhino in the second storyboard and press "enter."

Mr. DVD Sez: "With a budget as bloated as the rhino, this scene ended up on the cutting room floor."