Tech Specs: widescreen 2.35:1, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, DTS 5.1 Digital Surround.

Choice Scene: Oh, you know it already, and it involves a hypodermic needle full of adrenaline.

By now, the Quentin Tarantino story has achieved near legendary status. His ascendancy from video store clerk to wunderkind writer/director (not actor, by the way) proved the American dream in many ways.

Yes, as you watch Tarantino bounce around through the many extras on the collector's edition of Pulp Fiction, you realize that only fame keeps him from being just like an annoying video store clerk. If his movies weren't so darned good, he'd be insufferable. Okay, a lot of people still consider him insufferable.

To celebrate Pulp Fiction, Miramax has gathered together just about everything there is on the subject, and thrown it onto this great two-disc set. The one extra missing is commentary over the film, but there are so many segments of other people talking about the movie that you won't miss it. Besides, as Tarantino points out in introducing the deleted scenes, he made exactly the movie he wanted to make anyway.

It's up to you to analyze it. And in an open-mic DVD-ROM feature, you get that chance. If you really must watch it and have somebody telling you little production tidbits, there is a subtitle option that's a bit like "Pop-Up Video," which does have some amusing anecdotes. Reading about Christopher Walken alone is worth turning on the option.

Outside of the film, Miramax has included several commentaries. One is a faux behind-the-scenes documentary, cobbled together from various interviews with cast and crew from over the years.

Two real gems do the talking, though. First, a special done by Siskel & Ebert covering the hullabaloo over Tarantino's career, at a time when he had only directed two films. For fans now, agonizing over how long it has taken him to get going on Kill Bill, it's amazing to realize that there was a two or three year period where we actually got five films written by him. More importantly as a slice of history, we catch Siskel & Ebert on the cusp before they themselves became clichés.

Charlie Rose conducts an in-depth interview with Tarantino, and that, too, is well worth watching. One of the nation's best interviewers takes on one of the nation's best talkers.

Some of the extras are hold-overs from the Criterion Collection laser disc edition; Tarantino's introduction to the deleted scenes keeps referring to how this differs from other laser discs. But why redo it? They pretty much got it right the first time.

Miramax has also included the set in a really nice package. Slipped into a sturdy case that allows Uma Thurman to smolder in the owner's direction, the package contains a souvenir booklet that actually has some volume to it. For those without the patience to read reviews on their television screen, a few choice ones are reprinted in the booklet. Also included is a must-have for fans of the movie: a menu for Jack Rabbit Slim's. It's one of those stupid, useless items that exist just to be cool.

It's a good package released at a reasonable price. Miramax has also paired it with Tarantino's follow-up, Jackie Brown, also chock full of extras. We'll be getting to that one a little later.

Get Pulp Fiction - Miramax Collector's Edition at Amazon.com

Or Jackie Brown - Miramax Collector's Edition

Derek McCaw