Sandwiched between the releases of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Tony Scott's muscular take on Quentin Tarantino's first script fuelled the early '90s infatuation with the video-store clerk turned ultraviolent auteur. Influenced by Badlands and Bonnie And Clyde, it's the crime thriller as wish fulfilment, as Christian Slater's comic-book shop assistant hooks up with Patricia Arquette's doting hooker and goes on the run with a stolen case of coke.

Cracking cameos from Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini enhance the typically profane, bloody action, while Scott's burnished visuals and snappy editing ensure a lean, compelling caper right up to the bullet-strewn, breath-blagging conclusion.

DVD Extras:

The Director's Cut basically amounts to a bit more blood and guts, but there are plenty of other reasons to buy this quality two-discer. Neither Scott's storyboards or the Making Of doc have made it from the Region One release, but there are 30 minutes of deleted/ extended scenes - including more of Mr Walken and Samuel L Jackson's fleeting cameo. Plus there's the original, less upbeat, ending.Most impressive, though, are the three full-length commentaries. Slater and Arquette's effort is patchy, but both Scott and Tarantino are on hand with informative, amusing tracks. Given that QT hasn't talked over any of his own directorial efforts, his contribution is one to cherish - and it's predictably verbose and entertaining. More surprisingly, so is Scott's.