Heavenly Creatures

No doubt the phenomenal success of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring paved the way for the DVD release of Peter Jackson's dazzling 1994 thriller based on the shocking true story of New Zealand teenagers Pauline Rieper (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet), inseparable best friends who conspired to murder Pauline's mother after she tried to sever their "unwholesome" relationship. Virtuoso stylist Jackson plunges into the fevered imaginations of the precocious girls, who together create an intricate medieval fantasy world they dub "Borovnia." Following hard on the heels of the initial release of this film came the startling revelation that Hulme, who, like Pauline, did prison time, grew up to become the best-selling crime novelist Anne Perry. Presented for the first time in its 109-minute "uncut" version (with 10 extra minutes), this otherwise extra-less disc features a solid if unspectacular transfer and a Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)