LATEST ADDITIONS

One of the most honored films in the history of the movie business, <I>Ben Hur</I>, will make its DVD debut this coming March, 42 years after its theatrical release. On December 18, <A HREF="http://www.warnerhomevideo.com/">Warner Home Video</A> announced a March 13 street date for the disc. The film has been digitally restored and has a new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The suggested retail price will be $24.98.

Competitions and awards usually indicate that an art form has reached some degree of commercial viability. By that standard, movies made for the Internet have attained maturity: The <A HREF="http://www.sundance.org/">Sundance Institute</A> has announced that it will host parallel festivals this winter, one concentrating on traditional films and the other showcasing films made for the Internet. Both events begin January 18.

The film industry's yearlong pursuit of DVD hackers has hit a roadblock. On Thursday, December 14, the California Supreme Court issued an order that may result in the dismissal of charges against several defendants accused of promulgating a DVD decryption code known as DeCSS. Developed last year by a 16-year-old Norwegian computer hobbyist to allow DVDs to play on Linux-based PCs, the code also defeats copy prptection. CSS (copy scrambling system) is built into DVD movies and software to prevent illegal copying.