West Side Story (tbc)

Wanna start a fight? Put a bunch of musical fans in a room and tell them to agree on the five greatest song-and-hoof movies of all time. Then stand well back, because it will turn bloody... The Red Shoes, Meet Me In St Louis, Cabaret and Singin' In The Rain all have a case. Some weirdos will fight tooth and nail to see The Sound Of Music there; others would gut their own mother to make sure that High Society gets the nod.

But one entry brooks no argument and, yes, that's West Side Story. It may be four decades old, but it still gives you a tingle deep in your spine every time you hear the finger-clicking opening number. From Leonard Bernstein's flawless score (`America' and `I Feel Pretty' rubbing lyrics up against `Somewhere', `Jet Song' and `Tonight') to Jerome Robbins' way-ahead-of-its-time choreography, from the astounding opening sequence (a history of escalating gang warfare told in wordless ballet on the streets of New York) to the slap-in-the-face shock of the downbeat Romeo And Juliet finale, this is a cast-iron great. And anyone who disagrees better be ready for a rumble...

DVD Extras:

The West Side Memories documentary is a classy behind-the-scenes piece, with plenty on co-directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, input from pretty much all the surviving cast and a ton of on-set stills. There's even a little home-movie footage of the location work in New York, shot by one of the dancers. But the rest of the two-disc set - a handful of image galleries (from on-set photography to some stunning production sketches) and a few trailers - leaves you aching for more. Where's the music-only score? Or the archive interview with Bernstein? Or the look at Saul Bass' groundbreaking poster design? Or the commentary? They're all conspicuous by their absence...

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