Bullitt [Special Edition] [2 Discs] [DVD]

Bullitt races to DVD with this high-octane special edition from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment that manages to put a definitive stamp on the highly regarded actioner. Also available in the Essential Steve McQueen Collection box, this two-disc set is a fantastic edition of the film in both its presentation and bonus features. With a vivid new digital transfer, the anamorphic 1.85:1 picture is stellar, as is the Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack, which despite lacking the 5.1 surround option, manages to still deliver the goods on any audio system. Extra features start with the one and only Peter Yates in a director's commentary that digs deep into how his British sensibilities and commercial training were integral into what made Bullitt look and feel so different for an American production back in 1968. Two feature-length documentaries are included on the second disc, starting with the 87-minute Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool special from Turner Classic Movies. Following his career from his days on the stage back in Greenwich Village all the way to his death in 1980, Essence tracks the original bad boy's rise to fame through family and friends and does well to shed light on the complicated actor's life. The second documentary is the 2004 Starz/Encore special The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing, which goes a long way to explain the craft that has sadly lost much of its technical brilliance through the years thanks to the specialized computer systems available today. Finally, the vintage featurette "Bullitt: McQueen's Commitment to Reality" is presented and is a welcome inclusion, thanks to the archived audio clips from the actor as he explains the complicated car chase that virtually reinvented the action-film chase scene. With the theatrical trailer rounding out the extras, the Bullitt Special Edition is a must for McQueen fans and should live on thanks to the fine work done by Warner Bros.