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PORTRAIT OF LEONARDO: THE KID WHO TOOK HOLLYWOOD
Passport International Products Inc.
60 minutes, $14.99
Aimed at the teeny-bopper set, this video sings the praises of Leo with the usual array of interviews from fellow actors, celebrity journalists, and fans. The producers have cleverly cut in interview segments from some of Leo's co-stars, such as Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Diane Keaton, to add some credibility, but they sink low by including a ridiculous interview with an astrologer. Famed psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Brothers also lends her two cents about dealing with the pressures of fame at an early age. To keep young viewers interested, there's plenty of footage of Leo talking about his various movie roles and attending star-studded premieres. The production values aren't as good as other Leo bios, but the target audience probably won't care. Contact: 818-760-1500.

POCAHONTAS II: JOURNEY TO A NEW WORLD
Walt Disney Home Video
72 minutes, $26.99
This direct-to-video sequel to the 1995 animated feature takes the Indian princess to London, where she must use all of her diplomacy skills to avert a war between England and her tribe. Everything goes smoothly until Pocahontas stops the brutal torture of a bear that is meant as the main entertainment at a royal ball. In the king's eyes, the action labels her a savage, and when she accuses him of being the savage, he throws her in jail. As it turns out, the evil Ratcliffe, who is an adviser to the king, has lied about the Indian threat back in America, and just before the armada is about to sail, Pocahontas and her new suitor, John Rolfe, reveal Ratcliffe's lies to the king. Along the way, the once-thought-dead Capt. John Smith reappears, putting Pocahontas into a romantic triangle. Disney has come a long way in improving the look of its direct-to-video features, and this one is certainly the best of the bunch. The story moves along briskly, and the music adds just the right amount of Disney magic.

BARNEY'S HALLOWEEN PARTY
Lyrick Studios
50 minutes, $14.95
This original video is as much a celebration of autumn as it is about every kid's favorite holiday. When Barney and his friends offer to help out with the school Halloween party, they're in for a string of seasonal surprises. Their teacher sends them off to bring back seasonal fruits and vegetables, which leads them to a produce stand where they learn about all kinds of apples and pick out pumpkins for decorating. Next, the pals busy themselves making decorations for the gym, painting jack-o'-lanterns, and readying their costumes for the big event. Meanwhile, BJ and Baby Bop head out trick-or-treating in a segment that offers some important safety tips. Inventive and fun, this one's as sugary as a caramel apple and is complemented by the first-ever Barney sing-along audiocassette.

THOMAS COMES TO BREAKFAST
Anchor Bay Entertainment
45 minutes, $12.98
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends have had numerous adventures that have taught them the importance of good behavior and getting along, and some of the most poignant episodes from past productions are assembled in this new video. The tape begins with the title segment, about the time a cocky Thomas believes he can navigate the tracks without a driver and winds up crashing into the stationmaster's house just as he and his wife are about to sit down to breakfast. The seven additional episodes span the tense relationship that develops between the diesels and the steam engines in the yard, the unpredictable consequences of a practical joke gone too far, the importance of helping friends in need, and other life lessons.

TITANICA
Miramax Home Video/Buena Vista Home Entertainment
67 minutes, $19.99, $24.99 DVD
Miramax throws its hat into the Titanic fray with this video version of the IMAX movie about the scientific exploration of the great ship in the mid-'80s. Although viewers at home obviously will not be able to reap the full audiovisual wonder of the IMAX production format, the program is nevertheless magnificently filmed and compelling in its own right. Framed by a history of the Titanic told through vintage footage and current historian commentary, the program also features two survivors of the tragedy.

WORLD'S SCARIEST POLICE CHASES: DELUXE EDITION
Real Entertainment
60 minutes, $19.99
This collection of cops and criminals culled from the Fox TV series, as well as some footage that never made it to the airwaves, is even more dramatic than its predecessors. In this video, desperate criminals engage in desperate acts to escape the law at all costs, and some of the police pursuits are disturbing, to say the least. The action comes primarily in the form of high-speed car chases‹and crashes‹be they on crowded highways or dusty desert roads. As the narrator melodramatically intones, these chases end with the criminals going to the hospital, going to jail, or not getting off so lucky. There's not much blood or close-up violence here, but those who get a kick out of watching swerving vehicles, burning bodies, and the like will soak this one up.

PANTERA PARTY
Thumbs up Video Productions
54 minutes, $19.95
Not to be confused with the seminal metal band, this video takes a look under the hood of the exotically designed Italian cars that made a splash stateside during the mid-'70s. Checking in at a Pantera convention in Las Vegas, the camera follows a gaggle of owners exchanging praise for their prized vehicles. The largely male attendees at the convention, many multiple Pantera owners, get into detail about their cars' specific engine power, interior design, paint job, specially created radiators, and more.

CREATIVE OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Cole & Co.
60 minutes each, $29.95 each
Based on a workshop given by famed outdoor photographers Frans Lanting and Galen Rowell, this two-part video series enables viewers to reap the benefits of their knowledge of photographing landscapes and wildlife. Although the videos are targeted to amateurs and professionals alike, they are best suited to those who at least know their way around a camera. The programs cover an array of inter-related topics, such as how to select the location and film for a given photo opportunity, how to translate a visual image to film, how to conceptualize images so that they convey a story, and how to put together a photo book. A fascinating journey into the world of photography that will help both the amateur and the professional. Contact: 800-489-8436.