The Love Bug

Incredibly, in a movie year that included The Graduate, Yellow Submarine, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rosemary's Baby, Planet of the Apes and Best Picture-winner Oliver!, 1968's top-grossing film was Disney's live-action fantasy about a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own, who puts arrogant, washed-up racecar driver Dean Jones in the driver's seat. David Tomlinson, the neglectful dad in Mary Poppins, is the oily villain, with Buddy Hackett as spiritually-tuned artist Tennessee Steinmetz, and Michele Lee as the spunky girlfriend who doesn't take a backseat to the guys. Set in San Francisco, this film's images of hippies and beatniks (look closely--one of them is played by Jones) are dated to be sure, but the scenes of "the little car" taking control of the wheel and playing matchmaker are still irresistible. Sporting a decent, if far less than cherry, digital widescreen transfer, this revved-up double-disc DVD comes loaded up with a full tank of extras, including breezy commentary by Jones, Hackett, and a perky Lee (who points out some continuity errors); as well as a slew of featurettes, deleted scenes, and photo galleries. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)