I want to buy the DVD of Ptushko's RUSLAN AND LUDMILA not just to see the movie but to get the Russian cartoon, "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Golden Fish" which is offered as a special feature on it. The Ruscico website lists this cartoon as a special feature on the disc and so does the entry on Amazon.com.

Last week I went to every video store in Manhattan that was likely to carry this film. The last one I went to was the only one that had it. However, it was a 2-disc edition ($49.95!) from Image Entertainment and its list of extras did not include this cartoon. The list of extras on the Amazon web page for this disc listed all the extras that were listed on the DVD case plus the cartoon. Yet the DVD case clearly omitted the cartoon from the list of extras. So I didn't buy it. Why pay $50 and get home only to confirm it wasn't on the disc? Looks like I'll have to buy it online, even though I REALLY have an aversion to buying on-line.

So I ask any of you who may own this disc: Does your copy have this cartoon as an extra? Did the DVD case list it? Can anyone confirm for me that the 2-disc edition for sale at this store does or does not indeed have this cartoon?

Thank you.

As far as I know, Image doesn't strike new discs; they repackage and distribute the Ruscico discs. So I would be surprised if the cartoon was omitted.

The main feature is magnificent and you'll love it. It's like a Terry Gilliam movie that isn't on his résumé.

I don't think that the cartoon appears on the RUSLAN AND LUDMILLA disc, at least not on the Image set (unless it's a hidden easter egg that I can't find).

Speaking of Image, I'm surprised that they didn't release ILYA MUROMETS along with SADKO.

Yeah, I was looking for ILYA MUROMETS at the same time, but I couldn't find it. I thought it was released along with SADKO, which I did find and purchase.

The cartoon was on my copy of RUSLAN AND LUDMILA and also an extra on the disc of Ptushko's TALE OF TSAR SALTAN. Both films are super.

This doesn't sound good. My copy of TALE OF TSAR SALTAN certainly does not have the cartoon. We've sure come full circle. I first bought TALE OF TSAR SALTAN and began this whole quest in the first place after reading Tim Lucas' review of TALE in Video Watchdog in which he described the cartoon as a special feature on the disc. I'm a big fan of Ptushko and certainly plan to sit down and enjoy all these movies eventually, but I sure want to get this cartoon.

I purchased my copies from Ruscico. Though they have Russian inserts, the discs are polylingual.

I guess I'll have to order from Ruscico. But I'm still baffled by the discrepancies in the different editions. Oh, well.