Paul Newman may rightfully be identified by pool fans as 'The Hustler', but you can learn a few tricks of your own thanks to the new DVD release of the classic film.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture Fox makes a cool film that bit cooler, with an icy black and white transfer that's clear and sharp.

Sound The 2.0 stereo sound mix does seem a little boxy at first, but with a few minor adjustments it works well.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Audio Commentary This audio track is a tapestry of comments taken from a number of sources, including Paul Newman. He doesn't feature that much, but does drop in with such cryptic comments as, "If you were in trouble, he knew how to get you out of it" - in reference to director Robert Rossen. Carol, daughter of Rossen, also takes part, and provides an insight into her father's working methods. A lot of the best material, though, comes from editor Dede Allen, who recalls a nervous 20th Century Fox sending people over to check the crew out, as it didn't trust them to do a competent job in New York.

Featurette Find out some of the secrets behind the movie. For example, Paul Newman had never even held a pool cue before starring as 'Fast' Eddie Felson, and Jackie 'Minnesota Fats' Gleason was such a natural he could have been a pool pro. The man who taught them all the tricks was Willie Mosconi, a pool expert who was held in awe by other players that visited the set of the film. There are also some behind-the-scenes shots, as well as a brief history of the sport.

How to Make the Shot So, do you fancy yourself as a hustler? World champion trick shot artist Mike Massey is on hand to demonstrate how you can emulate tricks from the film, including a corner combo shot, and masse shot. Massey also offers his analysis of five 'action sequences' from the movie.

Additional Extra Features Also included on the DVD is a behind-the-scenes stills gallery, and two trailers.

Region: 2
Chapters: 24
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Technical Features: Scene selection, animated menus, multiple languages and subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.