Pop heartthrob Justin Timberlake continues a sideline in movie acting with 'true story' Alpha Dog. He plays one of a gang of youths who kidnap a child and watch the situation quickly spiral out of control. Although director Nick Cassevetes is aiming for social commentary, some critics were distracted by his "flashy" camera tricks. Unfortunately his efforts didn't grab the attention of paying punters.

Dog Days

Emile Hirsch (who plays gang leader Johnny Truelove) insists that this is "an important story to tell" in a rapid-fire Making Of featurette. Cassevetes explains that, "It's about lost youth," and Timberlake weighs in with a brief treatise on family values. Of all the talking heads, Sharon Stone is the most entertaining, doing her earnest earth mother bit and talking about the need to listen to our kids; "Won't somebody, please, think about the children!?"

Stone also tells a great anecdote about a scene where she slaps around her onscreen son (played by Ben Foster). "He made me hit him till his nose started bleeding," insists Shazza. And, still pulling her oh-so serious face, the actress assures us that it was all for the greater good; "It's about the film. It's bigger than us." Let's hope the Nobel Committee are listening...

Exhibit A

A text-based Witness Gallery rounds off this barebones package, and contains snippets of testimony from real-life passers-by to the crime. It paints a rough picture of what happened during that fateful day when Johnny Truelove sealed his fate as one of the youngest criminals to make the FBI's Most Wanted list. Even so, this gallery doesn't boast enough evidence to satisfy anyone who might take issue with the veracity of Cassevetes' interpretation.

Overall it's a disappointing package (which is ironic given it features a guy nicknamed Trouser Snake).

Alpha Dog DVD is released on Monday 20th August 2007.