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More News: July -- December 2006

Coming Soon:
Clint Estwood's remarkable "Flags of Our Fathers," starring Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Paul Walker, Jamie Bell, Barry Pepper and John Benjamin Hickey, will arrive February 6 from Paramount ... Also on that day Universal will release mystery "Hollywoodland," starring Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Bob Hoskins, Lois Smith and Robin Tunney; and Fox will release "Flicka," starring Tim McGraw, Maria Bello, Alison Lohman, Ryan Kwanten and Daniel Pino ... On February 20 DreamWorks will release animated "Flushed Away," with the voices of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis, Shane Richie, Kathy Burke and David Suchet ... Ridley Scott's drama "A Good Year," starring Albert Finney, Russell Crowe, Freddie Highmore, Rafe Spall and Archie Panjabi, will arrive February 27 from Fox. (Posted December 26)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Airwolf: Season Two," a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "The Simple Life: Til Death Do Us Part" is a single-disc with 10 episodes, $19.98 from Fox ... "Two-a-Days: Hoover High -- The Complete First Season" (2006), a three-disc set, $42,99 from Paramount. (Posted December 26)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Haven" (2006) stars Bill Paxton, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Dillane and Zoe Saldana in a steamy thriller of love, greed and revenge set in the tropical paradise of the Cayman Islands, from Fox ... "Magma: Volcanic Disaster" (2006) is a USA network sci-fi disaster telefilm that focuses on population-threatening volcanic activity occurring across the globe, starring Xander Berkeley and Amy Jo Johnson, from Sony ... "Danika" (2006) stars Marisa Tomei, Regina Hall, Nicki Prian and Craig Bierko in a psychological thriller about a devoted wife and mother who begins having horrible visions, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Mr. Fix It" (2006) stars David Boreanaz, Alana De La Garza and Paul Sorvino in a romantic comedy about a lovelorn Casanova who tricks women into returning to their ex-boyfriends, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Angst" (2003) is a horror thriller about a young woman who literally devours every man she has sex with, starring Paul Conway, Fiona Horsey and Phil Hayden, from Redrum Entertainment/MTI Home Video ... Two desperados in the Old West must settle their debts after a 30-year separation in "Mi Amigo" (2002), starring Josh Holloway and Channon Roe, from Velocity Home Entertainment/ThinkFilm ... "Dark Remains" (2005) stars Cheri Christian and Greg Thompson in a horror thriller about a grieving young couple who escape the city to find solace in the mountains only to find that their new home is haunted by violent entities with tragic histories of their own, from Monarch Home Video. (Posted December 26)

Special Interest:
Due this week is "Sir! No Sir!" a 2005 documentary about the soldiers on the front lines-of antiwar resistance, telling the story of the military men and women who helped force the U.S. government to end the Vietnam War, from Docurama ... "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" is a three-disc set of the nine-part docu-reality series that follows comedian Cook and three other comics on the sold-out 2005 Tourgasm bus tour, from HBO Video. (Posted December 26)

DVD Collectibles:
It's a man's world this week, headed up by "The Illustrated Man " (1969), An anthology of visionary Ray Bradbury sci-fi stories starring Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom, Robert Drivas, Don Dubbins, Jason Evers, Tim Weldon and Christine Matchett; extras include a vintage featurette "Tattooed Steiger\"; from Warner ... the "Dean Martin Double Feature" is a two-disc set with "Who Was That Lady?" (1960) starring Tony Curtis, Dean Martin, Janet Leigh, James Whitmore, John McIntire and Barbara Nichols; and "How to Save a Marriage (and Ruin Your Life)" (1968) starring Dean Martin, Stella Stevens, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Betty Field and Jack Albertson; from Sony ... "The Wicker Man Special Edition" is a two-disc set with the international version (fully restored from original vault materials with 11 more minutes of additional, rarely seen footage) as well as the U.S. theatrical version of the original "Wicker Man" that puts the 2006 remake (also released this week) to shame. The 1973 film stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento and Britt Ekland; the Anchor Bay release includes interviews with Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Ingrid Pitt, director Robin Hardy, producer Peter Snell, writer Anthony Shaffer, editor Eric-Boyd Perkins, art director Seamus Flannery, assistant director Jake Wright, U.S. distributor John Simon and legendary filmmaker Roger Corman; commentary by Hardy, actors Lee and Woodward; a TV spot; radio spots; and talent bios. ... "Police Story" helped catapult Jackie Chan to fame and fortune in the States, and The Weinstein Co./Genius Products has released the 1985 martial arts actioner to DVD under its Dragon Dynasty label. The film, directed by Chan, stars Chan, Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung ... Three "boy" films make their DVD debut via Warner: "Operation Crossbow" (1965) starring Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard and John Mills; "There Was a Crooked Man" (1970), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Burgess Meredith, John Randolph, Lee Grant, Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Arthur O'Connell and Alan Hale Jr.; and "Up Periscope" (1959) starring James Garner, Andra Martin, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Hale Jr. and Frank Gifford. (Posted December 19)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Criss Angel: Mindfreak: The Complete Season 2," a three-disc set with 20 episodes, $34.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Driving Force: The Complete Season One," with 10 episodes, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The First 48: The Most Intense Investigation" features seven fan-picked episodes from the A&E TV series, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The Complete Season One" includes the pilot episode, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Fifth Season" (1969-70) is a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Married ... With Children: The Complete Sixth Season" is a three-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Prisoner: Cell Block H: Collection 2" is a three-disc set of episodes of the cult Australian soap opera about women behind bars, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Simpsons: The Complete Ninth Season" is a four-disc set with 25 episodes, $49.98 from Fox. (Posted December 19)

On the Indie Front:
"Dreamland" (2006) stars Agnes Bruckner, Kelli Garner, Justin Long, John Corbett and Gina Gershon in a coming-of-age story about a young woman who discovers how to take care of herself in the Dreamland trailer park in the New Mexico desert, from Sony ... "Mozart and the Whale" (2006) stars Josh Hartnett, Radha Mitchell and Gary Cole in a romance inspired by the true story of two people with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism), from Sony. (Posted December 19)

Foreign:
There's three interesting releases this week from First Run Features: "Today and Tomorrow (Hoy y Manana)"> (2003 -- Argentina), about an out of work actress who turns to prostitution to pay her bills; in "Women's Prison" (2002 -- Iran) the lives of Iran's lost generation in the two decades since the Islamic revolution are depicted using the claustrophobic life of women behind bars as a metaphor for Iranian society; and "Agnes & His Brothers" (2004 -- Germany), a family comedy-drama about three brothers -- a transgendered woman, a sex addict and an up-and-coming politician -- and their relationship problems. (Posted December 19)

For the Kids:
Two family films from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products: "Chestnut: Hero of Central Park" (2006), starring Makenzie Vega, Abigail Breslin, Christine Tucci, Justin Louis, Barry Bostwick and Ethan Phillips in a cute comedy about orphaned sisters who find a magical chestnut colored Great Dane in the park; and "Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" (2006), starring Alex Pettyfer, Ewan McGregor, Alicia Silverstone, Mickey Rourke, Robbie Coltrane, Sophie Okonedo, Stephen Fry, a teen actioner about a not-so-ordinary 14-year-old boy who becomes the world's newest super-spy. (Posted December 19)

Special Interest:
"When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" (2006) is a three-disc set of the HBO documentary miniseries on the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina; directed by Spike Lee; $29.98 from HBO Video ... "Egypt: Engineering an Empire" is a 2006 documentary hosted by Peter Weller, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Revolution: The Series" is a fur-disc set of the documentary series that examines the American Revolution, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "True Caribbean Pirates" is a 2006 History Channel docu-drama, $19.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Beauty Academy of Kabul" (2004) is an arresting and optimistic portrait of post-Taliban Afghanistan; $26.95 from Docurama. (Posted December 19)

Coming Soon:
"Saw III" due January 23 from Lionsgate; "Flyboys" due January 30 from Fox; "The Grudge 2" due February 6 from Sony; indie film "Half Nelson" due February 13 from Sony. (Posted December 12)

DVD Collectibles:
Due this week: The second set of the "James Bond Ultimate Editions," Volume 3 and 4, featuring state-of-the-art Lowey Process digital frame-by-frame restoration and new 5.1 DTS Surround Sound. Each film gets a two-disc treatment with such extras as never-before-seen footage from the Bond archives, rare interviews, deleted scenes, documentaries, interactive film guides, more. Volume 3: "GoldenEye," "Live and Let Die," "From Russia With Love," "For Your Eyes Only" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Volume 4: "Tomorrow Never Dies," "You Only Live Twice," "Dr. No," "Octopussy" and "Moonraker." $89.98 each volume from MGM ... "The Doors 15-Year Anniversary Edition" (1991), directed by Oliver Stone and starring Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kevin Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley, Billy Idol, John Densmore, Kathleen Quinlan, Michael Wincott and Michael Madsen; the film has newly remastered and includes two new documentaries: "The Doors in L.A." and "Jim Morrison: An American Poet in Paris" as well as "The Road to Excess" documentary, deleted scenes, extended scenes, more.; from Lionsgate ... and, as a holiday bonus, Disney is re-releasing "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in a four-disc set with a new, extended version of the film with enhanced special effects and an extended, climactic battle scene, $42,99. A Gift Set that includes a pair of bookends designed by the artists at WETA Ltd., the people who designed the creatures for the film, also is available: $79.99. (Posted December 12)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "The Andy Griffith Show -- The Complete Eighth Season" (1967-68), a five-disc set with 30 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Pack<," a 39-disc set of all eight seasons, $309.99 from Paramount ... "Dog the Bounty Hunter: The Weddng Special" (2006), $12.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Full House: The Complete Fifth Season," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $29.98 from Warner ... "Gomer Pyle: The Complete First Season" (1964-65), a five-disc set with 30 episodes, $38.99 from Paramount ... "Law & Order: Criminal Intent -- Season Two," a five-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.89 from Universal ... "St. Elsewhere: Season One," a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Stacked: The Complete Series," a three-disc set with all 14 episodes from Seasons 1 and 2, plus five unaired episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "Wonder Showzen Gift Set -- Season 1 & 2" (2005-06), a four-disc set, $49.99 from Paramount. (Posted December 12)

Foreign:
Due this week: "House of Sand" (2006 - Brazil), starring Fernanda Montenegro, Fernanda Torres and Ruy Guerra in an epic drama about the lives and passions of three generations of Brazilian women struggling to find their place amidst an encroaching desert and the relentless march of time, from Sony .... and the first part of Theo Angelopoulos' trilogy about life his his native Greece at the begiining of the 20th century, "The Weeping Meadow" (2005), starring Alexandra Aidini, Nikos Poursadinis, Vassilis Kolovos and Eva Kotamanidou from New Yorker Video. (Posted December 12)

For the Kids:
Two direct-to-video sequels from Disney are due this week: "Air Buddies" (2006), starring Richard Karn, Cynthia Stevenson, Patrick Cranshaw and the voices of Michael Clarke Duncan, Debra Jo-Rupp, Wallace Shawn, Tom Evert Scott, Molly Shannon and Don Knotts, in an adventure in which five adorable golden retriever puppies must save their parents from evil dognappers ... and "The Fox and the Hound 2" (2006), an animated sequel with songs by country music luminaries Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood, with the voices of McEntire, Patrick Swayze, Jeff Foxworthy, Carol Lawrence and, Jim Cummings. (Posted December 12)

Special Interest:
"New York Underground: Building the Country's Largest Subway System" is a 2003 American Experience documentary on how the longest, most sophisticated electric subway in the world was built; $19.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Houston Rockets 1994 NBA Champions: Clutch City" is an eight-disc set recap of the Rockets 1994 championship season featuring all seven NBA finals games against the New York Knicks -- in their entirety and in original broadcast format; $49.98 from Warner. (Posted December 12)

DVD Collectibles:
There's a feast of great collector's sets due this week, just in time for Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa:
Topping the releases is "TCM Archives: The Forbidden Hollywood Collection Volume 1," a two-disc set with three rare groundbreaking films from Hollywood's risque pre-Production Code era, restored and remastered: Barbara Stanwyck in "Baby Face," the authentic version presumed lost for 70 years; Jean Harlow, Hollywood's legendary sex symbol in one of her best early films, "Red Headed Woman"; and "Waterloo Bridge," directed by James Whale, the gritty original 1931 version back in circulation after 75 years, starring Mae Clarke. $39.92 from Warner ... Follow that with two superb outings by Bernardo Bertolucci, risque in their own right: "The Conformist Extended Edition" (1970), starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli, Gastone Moschin, Enzo Tarascio and Fosco Giachetti; the DVD includes three featurettes: "The Rise of the Conformist," "Shadow and Light: Filming the Conformist," "The Conformist: Breaking New Ground" (which follows the editing and restructuring of the film along with the recent discovery of a deleted scene, and an all-new discussion with Bertolucci and director of photography Vittorio Storaro); and the gigantic epic "1900" (1976), starring Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda, Francesca Bertini, Laura Betti, Werner Bruhns, Stefania Casini and Sterling Hayden; the two-disc set includes the original five hour version of the film. Both releases are from Paramount. (Posted December 5)

More classic cinema: "The Premiere Frank Capra Collection" is a six-disc set with remastered editions of "American Madness" (1932), "It Happened One Night" (1934), "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (1936), "You Can't Take it With You" (1938) and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939); each disc includes a "Frank Capra Jr. Remembers..." featurette and commentaries; a bonus disc includes more featurettes, the "Frank Capra's American Dream" documentary hosted by Ron Howard; the set comes with a 96-page collectible Movie Photo Scrapbook; $59.95 from Sony. (Posted December 5)

Star vehicles: Warner will release the "Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection," a five-disc set with a special edition of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and the DVD debuts of "The Sandpiper," "The V.I.P.s" and "The Comedians," $49.92; "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" is available separately for $26.99 ... MGM will release a "Rocky Collector's Edition" of the 1976 film directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers and Burgess Meredith. The two-disc set includes commentary by Stallone and eight featurettes. (Posted December 5)

From The Criterion Collection comes the celebrated 1975 documentary "Grey Gardens": Meet Big and Little Edie Beale -- high society dropouts, mother and daughter, reclusive cousins of Jackie O. -- thriving together amid the decay and disorder of their ramshackle East Hampton mansion. An impossibly intimate portrait and an eerie echo of the Kennedy Camelot, Albert and David Maysles's intense portrait of the two women quickly became a cult classic and established Little Edie as fashion icon and philosopher queen. And now, 30 years later, the filmmakers have revisited their landmark documentary with a sequel of sorts, "The Beales of Grey Gardens," culled from hours of never-before-seen footage recently found in the filmmakers' vaults. As is par for the Criterion course, the two-disc set is loaded with extras. (Posted December 5)

And, last but not least comes the long-awaited "Saturday Night Live": The Complete First Season," an eight-disc set with all 24 original, episodes, in a specially designed gift package with a limited-edition collectible book. These are the unedited, 90-minute episodes one no longer gets to see in syndication, with guest hosts Richard Pryor, Rob Reiner, Candice Bergen, Buck Henry and George Carlin, and featuring the classic Land Shark and Killer Bees skits; $69.98 from Universal. (Posted December 5)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Mission: Impossible The Complete First Season," a seven-disc set with 28 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... Shades of Darkness," (2005), a two-disc set of the PBS Mystery series, featuring six classic literary ghost stories; $29.98 from Koch Vision ... "Survivor: Vanuatu: The Complete Season," (2004), a four-disc set with 15 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "24: Season Five Collection," a seven-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.98 from Fox. (Posted December 5)

Coming Soon:
Due December 19 from Buena Vista is football actioner "Invincible," starring Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks and Kevin Conway, and teen dance drama "Step Up," starring Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Mario, Drew Sidora and Rachel Griffiths ... On January 9 Jason Statham will "Crank" home; the thriller from Lionsgate co-stars Amy Smart ... The sleeper hit "The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan, James Babson, Brian Caspe, Tom Fisher, Aaron Johnson, Erich Redman, Ellen Savaria and Jake Wood, works its magic on January 9, from Fox ... Mike Judge's satire "Idiocracy," about an average guy who volunteers to be the subject of a hibernation experiment and wakes up 500 years in the future, discovering that he's the smartest guy on the planet, starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, David Herman, Sara Rue, Stephen Root and Justin Long, also arrives January 9 from Fox ... On January 23 Universal will release the acclaimed IFC indie film "Sherrybaby," starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ryan Simpkins, Brad William Henke, Bridget Barkan, Sam Bottoms, Kate Burton, Danny Trejo and Giancarlo Esposito ... Animated animal adventure "Open Season," with the voices of Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, Billy Connolly, Jon Favreau, Patrick Warburton, Jane Krakowski, Gordon Tootoosis and Georgia Engel, will arrive in stores January 30, from Sony ... And, on February 6, Sony will release the senior love tale "The Boynton Beach Club," directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Joseph Bologna, Dyan Cannon, Len Cariou, Sally Kellerman, Michael Nouri, Brenda Vaccaro and Renee Taylor. (Posted November 28)

DVD Collectibles:
This is the winter of Superman's content. Warner Home Video has pulled out all the stops for this week's release of "Superman Returns" by bracketing it with six Superman collections. First up is "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut," director Richard Donner's original footage, shot but never used in the 1980 film (Donner was replaced by Richard Lester, who molded the film to his own vision), including a never-before-seen beginning, a never-before-seen resolution, with 15 minutes of restored footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El and much more. The film stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Susannah York, E.G. Marshall, Marc McClure and Terence Stamp; $24.98. Next is "Superman: The Movie Four Disc Special Edition" of the 1978 film directed by Richard Donner and starring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Margot Kidder, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York and Jeff East. Disc One features the original theatrical version with soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1; Disc Two features the 2000 expanded edition movie with commentary by Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz; Disc Three includes three documentaries, restored scenes, screen tests; Disc Four includes the vintage TV special "The Making of Superman: The Movie," a 1951 Movie "Superman and the Mole-Men" starring George Reeves, and nine Fleischer Studios "Superman" cartoons mastered from superior vault elements; $39.92. "Superman II Two-Disc Special Edition" is Richard Lester's version with featurettes, cartoons and more; $26.99. "Superman III Deluxe Edition" is the 1983 outing, directed by Richard Lester and starring Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O'Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn and Margot Kidder; $19.97; and "Superman IV The Quest for Peace" is the 1987 adventure, directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Jon Cryer, Sam Wanamaker, Mariel Hemingway and Margot Kidder; $19.97. "The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection" is an eight-disc set packaging all the above (except "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut") in a boxed set for $68.92. (Posted November 28)

If that's not enough, then there's the "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition," a 14-disc set with "Superman Returns Special Edition" (two-disc set), "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut," "Superman: The Movie Four Disc Special Edition," "Superman II Two-Disc Special Edition," "Superman III Deluxe Edition" "Superman IV Deluxe Edition" plus three bonus discs that include "Look Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman," "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman" feature-length documentary, Bryan Singer's video journals chronicling the making of "Superman Returns." It's all packaged in a collectible keepsake tin which is shelf ready and holds the set inside lenticular packaging, along with a reproduction of the comic book Superman Issue #7, a Superman overview booklet and a mail-in offer for five Superman theatrical movie posters; $99.92. (Posted November 28)

More Superman: Warner will also release "Supergirl" (2005), starring Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro, Peter Cook, Simon Ward, Marc McClure and Hart Bochner; and "Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection," a four-disc set with 30 chapters of cliffhanger adventures from "Superman" (1948) and "Atom Man vs. Superman" (1950) serials, $39.98. (Posted November 28)

From The Criterion Collection comes one of silent cinema's great masterworks, G.W. Pabst's controversial 1929 melodrama "Pandora's Box," which follows the downward spiral of the fiery, brash, hedonistic yet innocent showgirl Lulu. Kansas native and onetime Ziegfeld girl Louise Brooks's legendary persona was defined by the character of Lulu, whose sexual vivacity has a devastating effect on everyone around her. As daring and stylish as ever, "Pandora's Box" is presented here as never before, with a newly restored digital transfer and the option of four dazzling accompanying scores. The two-disc set also includes commentary, "Lulu in Berlin," a rare 1971 one-hour interview with Brooks, and much more. (Posted November 28)

From TV to Video:
"Bones: Season One" is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "The Cheetah Girls 2" (2006) is a Disney Channel Original movie with the Cheetah Girls heading out to Spain for an international music festival, from Disney ... "Criminal Minds: The First Season" (2005-06), a six-disc set with 22 episodes from Paramount ... "Ellen: The Complete Season Five," a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone," a 2006 A&E Network Original Movie that tracks a crack team of firefighters as they battle massive flames threatening to eviscerate Yellowstone National Park, from A&E Home Video ... "Flavor of Love, Unrated: The Complete Second Season," a three-disc set with 11 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Jamie Kennedy's Blowin' Up" (2006), a two-disc set of the MTV reality series, $26.99 from Paramount ... "Joan of Arcadia: The Second Season" (2004-05), a six-disc set with 23 episodes, $64.99 from Paramount ... "St. Elsewhere: Season One," a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "7th Heaven: The Complete Third Season" (1998-99), a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Touched by an Angel: The Third Season, Volume 2" (1997),a four-disc set with 14 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount. (Posted November 28)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "Striking Range" (2006), a for-hire mercenary helps a wealthy businessman whose life is in danger over a weapons deal gone wrong, starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Yancy Butler, from Sony ... In "Searching for Bobby D" (2005), four young filmmakers raise money for their indie project by telling their investor that Robert De Niro is on board; now all they have to do is deliver the goods; stars William DeMeo, Tyson Beckford, Daniel Margotta, James Madio, Sandra Bernhard and Carmen Electra, from Monarch Home Video. (Posted November 28)

For the Kids:
Due this week: The animated "Robin Hood: Most Wanted Edition" (1973), with the voices of Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley, Andy Devine, Roger Miller and Pat Buttram, from Disney ... "Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 2," the final release in the series featuring new friends, new foes and new adventures, in a six-disc set with 31 episodes, $64.92 from Warner ... "Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front" (2006) is a live-action movie based on the American Girl doll and the bestselling "Molly" books, starring Molly Ringwald and Maya Ritter, $19.97 from Warner ... "What's New Scooby-Doo? Volume 10: Monstrous Tails" features five episodes from the TV show: "Uncle Scooby and Antarctica," "Block-Long Hong Kong Terror," "Great Reef," "Gold Paw" and "A Terrifying Round With a Menacing Clown," $19.96 from Warner ... "Hot Wheels AcceleRacers: The Ultimate Race," the final installment of the original animated films; $19.98 from Warner ... and two volumes of the next generation of Power Rangers, Power Rangers: Mystic Force, Legendary Catastros Volume 2" and Power Rangers: Mystic Force, Fire Heart Volume 3," $19.99 each from Buena Vista. (Posted November 28)

Coming Soon:
Oh the horror: M. Night Shyamalan's creepy "Lady in the Water," starring Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright, Bob Balaban, Freddy Rodriguez, Sarita Choudhury, Jared Harris and Bill Irwin, surfaces December 19 from Warner ... Due December 26 is scary underground thriller "The Descent," in both rated and unrated versions, from Lionsgate ... On January 16 New Line will release "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," also in rated and unrated versions ... And, on January 23, Sony will release the teenage juvenile delinquent football drama "Gridiron Gang," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Xzibit. (Posted November 21)

DVD Collectibles:
Universal has put together a seven-disc set of the best work of Preston Sturges, who was the reigning king of intelligent comedy from 1940 to 1948. "Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker Collection" includes "The Great McGinty" (1940), "Christmas in July" (1940), "The Lady Eve" (1941), "Sullivan's Travels" (1941), "The Palm Beach Story" (1942), "The Great Moment" (1944)and "Hail the Conquering Hero" (1944); $59.98. (Posted November 21)

More comedy: "Classic Comedy Teams" is a three-disc set with two double features each by The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbott and Costello: The Three Stooges in "Meet the Baron" (1933) and "Gold Raiders" (1951); Laurel and Hardy in "Air Raid Wardens" (1943) and "Nothing but Trouble" (1944); and Abbott and Costello in "Lost in a Harem" (1944) and "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood" (1945); $29.92 for the set or $14.97 each double feature, from Warner ... "A Fish Called Wanda: Collector's Edition" (1988) stars John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin in the wild heist comedy that ultimately involves a fish called Wanda. The two-disc set includes commentary by John Cleese, John Cleese's first farewell performance, "Farewell Featurette: John Cleese," a "Kulture Vulture" documentary, a "Something's Fishy" documentary, deleted and alternate scenes, a trivia track, a "Mug Shots" photo gallery, "A Message From John Cleese," Easter Eggs and a collectible insert, from Sony. (Posted November 21)

From The Criterion Collection comes "The Double Life of Veronique" (1991) by Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski. While Kieslowski's "Three Colors" Trilogy ("Blue," "White" and "Red") may have cemented his status as one of the world's great directors, his international breakthrough "The Double Life of Veronique" remains one of his most beloved films. Irene Jacob is incandescent as both Weronika, a Polish choir soprano, and her double, Veronique, a French music teacher. Though unknown to each other, the two women share an enigmatic, purely emotional bond. Aided by Slawomir Idziak's shimmering cinematography and Zbigniew Preisner's haunting, operatic score, Kieslowski creates an unforgettable symphony of feeling. (Posted November 21)

Christmas comes early from Fox this week: "Home Alone: Family Fun Edition" (1990) starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom and Catherine O'Hara, with such extras as commentary by Culkin and Columbus; "The Making of Home Alone," "How to Burglar Proof Your Home: The Stunts of Home Alone," "Home Alone Around the World," "Where's the Buzz Now?" and "Angels With Filthy Souls" featurettes; deleted scenes/alternate takes; bloopers and set-top games ... "Miracle on 34th Street Special Edition" (1947) starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood, Porter Hall and William Frawley. The two-disc set has the original B&W and a colorized version, with commentary by O'Hara, a "Hollywood Backstory" featurette, "The 20th Century Fox Hour of Stars" 1955 TV one-hour remake, a "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Floating in History" featurette, more ... and "O. Henry's Full House" (1952) with five O. Henry stories ("The Clarion Call", "The Ransom of Red Chief," "The Gift of the Magi," "The Cop and the Anthem" and "The Last Leaf") brought to life by five directors (Henry Hathaway, Howard Hawks, Henry King, Henry Koster and Jean Negulesco) and a host of stars: Fred Allen, Anne Baxter, Jeanne Crain, Farley Granger, Charles Laughton, Oscar Levant, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Peter, Gregory Ratoff, Dale Robertson, David Wayne and Richard Widmark. (Posted November 21)

From TV to Video:
" Alias: The Complete Collection -- Seasons 1-5" is a 29-disc set with 105 episodes in a limited edition, gold-foil embossed replica of a genuine show artifact: The Rambaldi Box. Includes a hardcover book and an exclusive bonus disc hidden in a special compartment; $199.99 from Buena Vista ... "Alias: The Complete Fifth Season" is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.99 from Buena Vista ... "Boston Legal: Season Two" is a seven-disc set with 27 episodes, $59.98 from Fox ... "Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Seereez" is the complete first two seasons of the hit comedy/reality show starring Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat"); the $49.99 four-disc set is from HBO Video ... "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist Season 2" (1995-96) is a two-disc set of the Comedy Central animated series, $26.99 from Paramount ... "Family Affair Season 2" is a five-disc set with 30 episodes, $39.98 from MPI Home Video ... "How I Met Your Mother Season One" is a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Mother and Son" is a two-disc set of the first season of the Australian comedy that airs on PBS; $29.98 from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. ... "Perry Mason: Season One, Volume Two" (1958) is a five-disc set with 20 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Seinfeld: Season 7" is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.95 from Sony ... "So NoTORIous: The Complete Series" (2006) is a single-disc of the Tori Spelling celebrity show, $26.99 from Paramount ... "Star Trek: Animated Adventures: The Complete Series" (1973-74) is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $62.99 from Paramount. (Posted November 21)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "Backlash" (2006), a CIA operative hiding out in Trinidad must stay one step ahead of two hired assassins and rogue agents while running through the island's hypnotic streets during Carnival, from MTI Home Video ... "Azumi" (2003 -- Japan) is a Samurai actioner about a young female assassin who questions her faith in her master and her country; set in In 19th century war-torn feudal Japan; in a two-disc set, $24.95 from AsiaVision ... "Slayer" (2006) stars Casper Van Dien, Jennifer O'Dell, Lynda Carter, Danny Trejo and Joyce Giraud in a Sci Fi channel telefilm about a company of soldiers sent on a mission into the South American jungle who discover a new breed of vampire, deadly by day as well as by night, from Anchor Bay. (Posted November 21)

On the Indie Front:
"Little Athens" (2005) stars Michael Pena, John Patrick Amedori, DJ Qualls and Rachel Miner in a day in the life of small-town young people trying to come to grips with desperation and fear, from ThinkFilm ... "Wassup Rockers" (2005) is director Larry Clark's look at teens and race in L.A. as a group of Latino skateboarder punk kids forsake South Central to hang out in Los Angeles' west side, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Bang" (1995), starring Darling Narita, Peter Greene, Michael Newland, Erik Schrody, Michael Artura and James Sharpe is an offbeat film about a young L.A. woman whose "bad day" gets more complicated when she gets the best of a cop, takes his uniform and motorcycle, and experiences a cop's life for a day, from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. ... in "Death & Texas" (2004), Charles Durning, Steve Harris, Corbin Bernsen, Jello Biafra, Susan Egan, Rance Howard, Mary Kay Place and Billy Ray Cyrus star in a comedy about a pro football player on death row given one last chance at redemption when his former team needs a replacement on the way to the Mega Bowl, from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. (Posted November 21)

For the Kids:
"The Thief and the Cobbler" (1993) is an animated adventure about a shy shoemaker who falls in love with an adventure-loving princess, with the voices of Vincent Price, Jennifer Beals, Eric Bogosian, Jonathan Winters, Toni Collette and Matthew Broderick, $19.95 from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... "How the Grinch Stole Christmas Deluxe Edition" is the 1966 TV animated version of the Dr. Seuss tale, narrated by Boris Karloff and directed by Chuck Jones; $19.98 from Warner ... "Walt Disney's Funny Factory With Goofy, Volume 3" brings together seven Goofy cartoons, $14.99 from Disney ... and "Walt Disney's Funny Factory With Huey, Dewey & Louis, Volume 4" includes eight cartoons with Donald's wacky nephews, $14.99 from Disney. (Posted November 21)

Special Interest:
"Andy Warhol" (2006) is an engrossing Ric Burns' PBS documentary about one of the most important artists of the late 20th century, $24.99 from Paramount ... "Benjamin Britten: A Time There Was" is an absorbing documentary that pays homage to and profiles the British composer, with archival footage of the maestro working his magic behind the scenes in rehearsal. One of his best-known works is "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" (1946); $29.99 from Kultur ... "El Doctor, Joy Street & Asparagus" features the wonderfully strange and surreal animation of Suzan Pitt; "Asparagus" is a candy-colored sexually charged nightmare; "Joy Street" captures a woman's journey from suicidal despair to personal renewal, and "El Doctor" follows a melancholic physician who prefers drinking to doctoring until he's visited by a psychedelic saint; $24.95 from First Run features ... "Def Comedy Jams Classics Volume 1" and "Def Comedy Jams Classics Volume 2" feature episodes from the seminal comedy show, $14.98 each from HBO Video ... "Thin" is a 2006 HBO documentary that takes viewers inside the walls of the Renfrew Center, a residential treatment facility for women (ages 15-30) with eating disorders, $24.98 from HBO Video ... "Heaven: Where Is It? How do We Get There?" is an ABC News Special, $14.98 from MPI Home Video ... "Mafia Empire" is an investigation into the history of greed, treachery and violence of organized crime in America; $19.98 from MPI Home Video ... "Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story" focues on the life and career of World Wrestling Entertainment legend Roddy Piper, in a three-disc set for $34.95 from WWE Home Video. (Posted November 21)

Coming Soon:
On February 13 Warner Home Video will showcase a group of four films from some of the world's most renowned directors with first-time DVD releases of "The Butcher Boy," "Ginger and Fred," "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" and "Performance." Directed by Neil Jordan, Federico Fellini, Tony Richardson and Nicolas Roeg, respectively, the notable films represent the first of two collections WHV is releasing that represent the work of some of cinema's most acclaimed directors. All the films have new transfers and will include bonus features such as commentaries, featurettes and vintage interviews. Each title will sell individually for $19.97. (Posted November 14)

DVD Collectibles:
Four big-screen legends get the DVD treatment this week: Paul Newman, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby and Rock Hudson. Warner will release the seven-disc set "The Paul Newman Collection" with new-to-DVD "Harper," "The Drowning Pool," "The Left Handed Gun," "Mackintosh Man," "Pocket Money," "Somebody Up There Likes Me" and "The Young Philadelphians" for $59.92. "Harper" will be available separately for $19.97. Each film includes commentaries and featurettes ... Universal highlights Grant, Crosby and Hudson with three-disc sets of some of the trio's more obscure outings: <"Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection" includes "Thirty Day Princess" (1934) starring Grant and Sylvia Sidney; "Kiss and Make-Up" (1934) starring Grant, Helen Mack and Edward Everett Horton; "Wings in the Dark" (1935) starring Grant and Myrna Loy; "Big Brown Eyes" (1936) directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Grant, Joan Bennett and Walter Pidgeon; and "Wedding Present" (1936) starring Grant and Joan Bennett ... "Bing Crosby: Screen Legend Collection" includes "Waikiki Wedding" (1937), starring Crosby, Martha Raye and Shirley Ross; "Double or Nothing" (1937) starring Corsby, Martha Raye and Andy Devine; "East Side of Heaven" (1939) starring Crosby and Joan Blondell; "If I Had My Way" (1940) starring Crosby and Gloria Jean; and "Here Come the Waves" (1944) starring Crosby and Betty Hutton ... "Rock Hudson: Screen Legend Collection" includes "Has Anybody Seen My Gal" (1952), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Hudson and Piper Laurie; "A Very Special Favor" (1965) starring Hudson, Leslie Caron and Charles Boyer; "The Golden Blade" (1953) starring Hudson and Piper Laurie; "The Last Sunset" directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotton and Carol Lynley; and "The Spiral Road" (1962) directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Hudson, Burl Ives and Gena Rowlands. Each set sells for $29.98.

The science fiction classic that inspired a generation of writers and directors and was the precursor to such sci-fi epics as "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," turns 50 this year and Warner Home Video is marking the occasion with the "Forbidden Planet Special Edition." The 1956 film, starring Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Richard Anderson, Earl Holliman and Robby the Robot has been restored and remastered and the sound has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1. The two-disc special edition includes additional scenes; lost footage; excerpts from the "MGM Parade" TV series; two follow-up vehicles starring Robby the Robot: 1958 MGM feature film "The Invisible Boy" and "The Thin Man" MGM TV series episode "Robot Client"; three documentaries: TCM Original "Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us," "Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet" (featuring new appearances by Leslie Neilsen, Anne Francis, Earl Holliman, Warren Stevens and more) and "Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon"; and a science fiction movie trailer gallery; $26.99. An Ultimate Collectors Edition also will be available and includes a metal alloy case, a collectible Robby the Robot replica with moveable limbs, "Forbidden Planet" and "The Invisible Boy" reproduction lobby cards portfolios, as well as a "Forbidden Planet" original theatrical poster mail-in offer; $59.92. (Posted November 14)

Fans of Looney Tunes can go crazy with the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Four," a four-disc set with 60 unedited classic, digitally remastered, animated shorts. There's 15 shorts per disc: Disc 1 features Bugs Bunny classics, Disc 2 is a Frank Tashlin showcase, Disc 3 spins with Speedy Gonzales and Disc 4 is devoted to Cats cartoons; $64.92 from Warner. (Warner also has put together a two-disc set featuring 28 of the best animated shorts pulled from the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Four"; that set sells for $26.99). (Posted November 14)

Four popular TV series wend their way to DVD this week in larger-than-life sets: "Adventures of Superman: The Complete Fifth & Sixth Seasons" (1957-58), a five-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.98, from Warner ... "Get Smart: The Complete Collection," a 25-disc set of the complete five season series, $199.96 available only via the Time-Life Web site, until Fall 2007 ... "Six Feet Under: The Complete Series," a massive 24-disc set housed in a mock burial plot; included in the set are two "Six Feet Under" soundtracks and an illustrated booklet with character obituaries, photos, family tree and memories from the show's creators; $279.99 from HBO Video ... and "Friends: The Complete Series Collection," a collector's box with all 236 episodes, $299.98 with more than 25 commentaries, more than 25 documentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes, gag reels, trivia quizzes, more; includes a 60-page commemorative book with behind-the-scenes photos and the original pilot pitch; from Warner. (Posted November 14)

And, lastly, Universal has reissued Peter Jackson's 2005 take on King Kong with the "King Kong: Deluxe Extended Limited Edition," a three-disc set with new bonus content including nearly 40 minutes of deleted scenes, 13 additional minutes of never-before-seen footage, 230 new visual effects shots, special introductions by the director, mini-featurettes, concept art galleries, outtakes and gag reels, trailers, commentary by Jackson for the first time, and much much more; $34.98. A limited edition $79.98 gift set is also available, housed in a specially designed collectable packaging with a King Kong figurine created exclusively for the package by the Oscar-winning artists at Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, the company responsible for the film's creature design, special makeups, miniatures and visual effects. (Posted November 14)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "CSI: The Complete Sixth Season" (2005-06), a seven-disc set with 24 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Columbo: The Complete Sixth & Seventh Season, a three-disc set, $39.98 from Universal ... "Family Guy Volume 4," a three-disc set with 14 episodes from the second half of the fourth season, $39.98 from Fox ... "The Golden Girls: Season Six," a three-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.99 from Buena Vista ... "Gunsmoke: The Directors Collection," a three-disc set with 15 episodes spanning 20 years of the series' run, directed by such luminaries as Robert Stevenson, Arthur Hiller, Mark Rydell and Andrew V. McLaglen; the collection also features episodes shot by such familiar on-camera talents as Dennis Weaver, Peter Graves, William Conrad and Victor French; $39.99 from Paramount ... "The Hamburg Cell" (2005), a BBC telefilm that explores the middle-class terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks; based on trial transcripts, the official 9/11 Commission Report and interviews; aired on HBO; $19.99 from Acorn Media ... "Home Improvement: The Complete Fifth Season," a three-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.99 from Buena Vista ... "Lois & Clark -- The New Adventures of Superman: The Complete Fourth Season," a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "NCIS: The Complete Second Season" (2004-05), a six-disc set with 23 episodes, $64.99 from Paramount ... "Northern Exposure: The Complete Fifth Season," a five-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Quantum Leap: The Complete Fifth Season," a three-disc set with 21 episodes, $49.98 from Universal ... "Reba: The Complete Fourth Season," a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $29.98 from Fox. (Posted November 14)

On the Indie Front:
"Hate Crime" (2006) is a provocative suspense thriller about a hate crime that overwhelms a community, starring Seth Peterson, Bruce Davison, Giancarlo Esposito, Cindy Pickett, Chad Donella, Susan Blakely and Lin Shaye, from Image Entertainment ... "Brothers of the Head<" (2005) is a wacky cult film that documents the rise of The Bang Bang, a brit-punk duo featuring conjoined twins, Tom and Barry Howe. The film is presented in documentary style, and almost leaves the viewer wondering if the subject of the film is based in fact or fiction. Augmented by a searing punk-rock soundtrack. From IFC Films/Genius Products ... In "Open Cam" (2005), starring Andreu Thomas, Ben Green and Amir Darvish, a sadistic killer hunts down gay men cruising online, from Wolfe Video. (Posted November 14)

For the Kids:
From Disney comes: "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales" (2005) featuring three episodes from the Disney Channel animated series: "Mickey Saves Santa," "Mickey Go Seek" and "Goofy's Bird," $19.99; "Chip 'n' Dale's Rescue Rangers Volume 2," a three-disc set that includes the five-part pilot episode, "Rescue Rangers to the Rescue, "$34.99; "Adventures of the Gummi Bears: Volume One, Seasons 1-3," featuring the stars of the first Saturday morning network series produced by Disney, from 1986-1991, in a three-disc set with 47 episodes, $34.99; and "Disney's Ducktales Volume 2," a three-disc set featuring Scrooge McDuck and Donald's nephews, $34.99 ... Two franchises have DVDs this week: "Strawberry Shortcake: Cooking Up Fun," a two-part animated feature packaged with a 12-page cookbook for kids, $14.98 from Fox; and "Pollyworld" (2006), featuring animated adventures based on the Polly Pockets line of toys for girls 5 to 10; $19.98 from Universal ... "Blue's Clues" Blue's Room: Meet Blue's Baby Brother" (2006) celebrates 10 years of "Blue's Clues," $16.99 from Paramount ... "Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas" (2006) is a made-for-video animated feature take on the holiday classic "A Christmas Carol"; $19.98 from Warner ... "The Best of the Electric Company: Volume Two" is a four-disc set with 20 of the best episodes of the 1970s series for kids, $39.98 from Shout! Factory ... And, finally, "A Sesame Street Christmas Carol" features Elmo, Oscar, Bert, Ernie and the Sesame Street crew's take on the classic, for preschoolers, $12.98 from Sony. (Posted November 14)

Special Interest:
"Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us" (2005) is a feature-length concert film of McCartney's 2005 U.S. tour using 25 hi-definition cameras and 5.1 digital surround sound, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (2006) is a one-woman comedy show from Alex Borstein, the star of "Family Guy" and "MAD TV," $19.98 from Fox ... "Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters" is a 2006 documentary that chronicles the stories behind Hollywood's biggest boxoffice hits and bombs, from HBO Video ... "Churchill's Bodyguard" is a four-disc set of the 13-part 2005 British documentary series that puts Winston Churchill's life in a new light, based on the newly discovered memoirs of Walter Thompson, the Scotland Yard detective who saved Churchill's life on many occasions; $59.99 from Acorn Media .. Two icons from the Wild West get their own DVDs this week: "Annie Oakley" and "Jesse James," both 2006 PBS documentaries, $19.99 each from Paramount ... and, for football fans there's "University of Notre Dame: Fighting Irish Collector's Edition," with 20 hours of legendary games, $89.95 from A&E Home Video; and three DVDs that highlight NFL cheerleaders: "NFL Cheerleaders Making the Squad: Miami Dolphins," "NFL Cheerleaders Making the Squad: Tampa Bay Buccaneers" and "NFL Cheerleaders Making the Squad: San Diego Chargers," $14.96 each from Warner. (Posted November 14)

Just Announced:

Due December 5 is genre-bending hip-hop action drama "Idlewild," starring Andre Benjamin, Antwan A. Patton, Paula Patton, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Malinda Williams, Cicely Tyson, Macy Gray, Ben Vereen, Paula Jai Parker, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Patti LaBelle and Ving Rhames, from Universal ... On December 19 Sony will release the remake "All the King's Men," starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Kathy Baker and Frederic Forrest ... Also on that day Universal will release Jet Li's martial arts swan song, "Jet Li's Fearless," directed by Ronny Yu with choreography by Yuen Wo Ping ... and Fox will release the wacky dysfunctional family comedy "Little Miss Sunshine," starring Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano and Greg Kinnear ... Brian De Palma's gruesome "The Black Dahlia," starring Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner, Mike Starr and Fiona Shaw, will arrive December 26 from Universal ... And, on January 23, Fox Faith will release the inspirational "One Night With the King," which stars Tiffany Dupont, Luke Goss, John Noble, Omar Sharif, John Rhys-Davies and Peter O'Toole in the biblical story of Esther, Queen of Persia. (Posted November 8)

Coming Soon:
Due Dec 19 is director Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly," a sci-fi tale about a near future in which the war on drugs has become one and the same with the war on terror, based on a Philip K. Dick story and starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane; the film uses live-action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process -- a method known as interpolated rotoscoping -- from Warner ... on January 23 Genius Products will release "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," an unrated investigation into the MPAA film ratings system and its profound impact on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick featuring interviews with John Waters, Kevin Smith, Matt Stone, Darren Aronofsky, Kimberly Peirce, Allison Anders, David Ansen, Atom Egoyan, Steven Farber, and many, many others. (Posted November 7)

DVD Collectibles:
It's quite a week for collectors -- the high level of releases must mean the holiday shopping season is fast approaching. Warner Home Video gets things rolling with collections of films by two cinematic icons: "Gary Cooper: The Signature Collection," a six-disc set with new-to-DVD "Sergeant York" (two-disc Special Edition), "The Fountainhead," "Springfield Rifle," "The Wreck of Mary Deare" and "Dallas"; $49.92 (with "Sergeant York" available separately for $26.99 and "The Fountainhead" for $19.97); and "The Marlon Brando Collection," a six-disc set with "Mutiny on the Bounty" (two-disc set) and four Brando films new-to-DVD: "Julius Caesar," "The Formula," "Reflections in a Golden Eye" and "Teahouse of the August Moon" for $59.92 (Bounty" is available separately for $26.99; "Julius Caesar" is available for $19.97). (Posted November 7)

To take advantage of the November 17 opening of the newest 007 film, "Casino Royale," starring Daniel Craig, MGM has restored and repackaged all the James Bond films in four five-disc sets, with Volumes 1 and 2 scheduled for release this week and Volumes 3 and 4 slated for December 12. Each film Features state-of-the-art Lowey Process digital frame-by-frame restoration and new 5.1 DTS Surround Sound. Each film gets a two-disc treatment with such extras as never-before-seen footage from the Bond archives, rare interviews, deleted scenes, documentaries, interactive film guides, more. Volume 1: "Goldfinger," "The World Is not Enough," "Diamonds Are Forever," "The Man With the Golden Gun" and "The Living Daylights." Volume 2: "Thunderball," "Die Another Day," "The Spy Who Loved Me," "A View to a Kill" and "Licence to Kill." $89.98 each volume. (Posted November 7)

More collections: Fox has put together "The Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection," a 12-disc set featuring two-disc special editions of "The King and I," "Carousel," "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music," "Oklahoma" and "State Fair," $99.98; and "The Ultimate Flint Collection" a three-disc set with "In Like Flint" and "Our Man Flint" plus a bonus disc with behind-the-scenes featurettes; cast interviews; screen tests; trailers; and "Our Man Flint: Dead on Target," a rare TV movie from 1976 starring Ray Danton; $19.98 ... Classic Media has on hand the "Complete Harveytoons Collection," a four-disc set with all 312 short Harveytoon cartoons. The cartoons, available on DVD for the first time ever, were originally created in the 1940s and '50s, and have been digitally restored. Harveytoon characters include Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the good little witch, Hot Stuff the little devil, Richie Rich, Herman and Katnip, and others; $39.98. (Posted November 7)

From The Criterion Collection comes "The Fallen Idol" (1948) the first of three collaborations between director Carol Reed and writer Graham Greene, who would go on to create the legendary "The Third Man." "Idol" is a masterpiece in its own right: An elegant, thrilling balancing act of suspense and farce, this tale of the fraught relationship between a boy and his beloved butler, who the child believes to be guilty of murder, is a visually and verbally dazzling knockout, with enough tricks up its sleeve to stand with the best of early Hitchcock. Stars Ralph Richardson, Michele Morgan, Sonia Dresdel, Bobby Henrey, Denis O'Dea and Jack Hawkins. (Posted November 7)

Other cool entries this week: Giuseppe Tornatore's 1989 "Cinema Paradiso," a sweeping and romantic tale of friendship and love as well as a magical tribute to film's inescapable allure. The film, which received the 1990 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, is inspired by the memories of director Tornatore's childhood, from his infatuation with movies to his own coming of age. The beloved classic follows a young boy in war-torn Sicily; growing up in a small town, his dreams of the outside world -- and of the mysterious responsibilities of faraway adulthood -- are informed only by glimpses he gets from movies, and by the bond he forms with the local projectionist. The Weinstein Co./Genius Products release is available in two editions: a Two Disc Deluxe Edition ($24.95) that includes the director's version of the film, the domestic version of the film, and featurettes; the Limited Collector's Edition Box Set ($39.99) includes the director's and domestic versions of the film, the "Cinema Paradiso" soundtrack from Ennio Marricone, featurettes, "Cucina Paradiso" Food Network tribute "Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello," special recipe cCards from Food Network stars inspired by "Cinema Paradiso," collectible lobby cards, more ... "Flower Drum Song Special Edition" (1961), starring Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Benson Fong, Jack Soo, Juanita Hall, Reiko Sato with new digitally remastered picture and 5.1 surround sound, from Universal ... "Oh! What a Lovely War Special Collector's Edition" (1969), directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Wendy Alnutt, Colin Farrell, Malcolm McFee, John Rae, Corin Redgrave, Maurice Roeves, Paul Shelley, Kim Smith, Angela Thorne, Mary Wimbush, Ian Holm, Juliet Mills, Edward Fox, Dirk Bogarde, Jean-Pierre Cassel, John Gielgud, Jack Hawkins, Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Maggie Smith, Susannah York and John Mills, from Paramount ... and "The Quiller Memorandum" (1966), starring George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger and George Sanders, from Fox. (Posted November 7)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Beverly Hills 90210: The Complete First Season" (1990-91), a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $61.99, from Paramount ... "The Debt," a 2003 BBC thriller about an ex-robber who reluctantly agrees to do one last job in order to protect his family, from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. ... "Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Series Megaset" is a massive 35-disc set with all 122 episodes of the critically acclaimed series, plus a new bonus DVD with the three "Law & Order" crossover episodes and "Homicide: the Movie"; $299.95 from A&E Home Video ... "JAG: The Complete Second Season" (1996-97) is a four-disc set, $64.99 from Paramount ... " M*A*S*H Season 11" is a three-disc set with 21 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "M*A*S*H Martinis and Medicine Collection" is a 36-disc boxed set with all 11 seasons; $199.98 from Fox ... "Melrose Place: The Complete First Season" (1992-93) is an eight-disc set with 32 episodes, $61.99 from Paramount ... "Police Squad: The Complete series" (1982) is a single-disc with all six episodes, $19.99 from Paramount ... "The Secret" is a 2002 BBC drama about a successful woman whose past comes back to haunt her, from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. ... "The Sopranos: Season 6, Part 1" is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, $99.98 from HBO Video ... "Totally Awesome," which aired last weekend, is a send-up of 80s movies as two small-town teens must fit into a new high school when their family moves to the big city, starring Chris Kattan, Dominique Swain, Ben Stein and Tracy Morgan, from Paramount ... " The West Wing: The Complete Seventh Season" is a six-disc set with 22 episodes of the final season, $59.98 from Warner ... "The West Wing: The Complete Series" is a 45-disc set with all 154 episodes, $299.98 from Warner. (Posted November 7)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"The Souler Opposite" (1998) is a romantic comedy about a comedian, whose love life is a bit of a joke, and a political activist with a spiritual bent who fall for each other, starring Christopher Meloni, Timothy Busfield and Janel Moloney, from Warner ... In "Freak Out" (2004), two horror film addicts turn a mental patient in to a slasher, from Anchor Bay ... "Archangel" (2005) stars soon-to-be-James Bond Daniel Craig in a thriller about an Oxford historian who embarks on a dangerous adventure when he uncovers the dark mystery behind the alleged secret diaries of Josef Stalin, from MTI Home Video ... "ShadowBoxer" (2006) stars Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Stephen Dorff, Vanessa Ferlito, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Macy Gray in a thriller about a pair of assassins (Mirren, Gooding Jr.) who take a pregnant intended victim under their wing -- and on the run, from Vivendi Visual Entertainment ... The "Pusher Trilogy" is Nicolas Winding Refn's violent, edgy and viscerally moving Danish crime film trilogy: "Pusher," (1996), "Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands" (2004) and "Pusher III: I'm the Angel of Death" (2005); $39.98 the set or $19.98 each, from Magnolia Home Entertainment. (Posted November 7)

Special Interest:
Comedy: "Thou Shalt Laugh" (2005) is a stand-up comedy concert featuring Christian comedians Thor Ramsey, Michael Jr., Jeff Allen, Teresa Roberts Logan, Joby Saad, Gilbert Esquivel and Taylor Mason, hosted by Patricia Heaton; $19.97 from Warner ... In "An Evening With Kevin Smith: Evening Harder" (2006) director Kevin Smith and his trusty sidekick Jason Mewes take viewers to London and Toronto for a no-holds barred Q&A with college students about filmmaking, pop culture and general questions; a follow-up to 2002's "An Evening With Kevin Smith"; unrated and uncensored two-disc set; $28.96 from Sony ... "Roseanne Barr: Blonde & Bitchin" (2006) is a recent HBO comedy special filmed live at the Comedy Store in L.A.; $19.97 from HBO Video. (Posted November 7)

Music: On the evening of October 29, 1999, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle performed live for the first time in 20 years as a 5-piece band, joined by Zak Starkey and John "Rabbit" Bundrick. The resulting concert, filmed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, comes to DVD as "The Who: The Vegas Job," $24.99 from Passport Video ... "Sinatra: Vegas" is a five-disc (four-CDs, one-DVD) deluxe set of previously unreleased material from Reprise Records that includes five unforgettable performances in legendary Vegas venues by Sinatra in his prime; housed in a metallic foil clamshell box that includes a 64-page book with celebrity commentary, essays by noted Sinatraphiles, rare photos, and reproductions of Vegas memorabilia; $79.98 from Rhino Entertainment. (Posted November 7)

Also due this week: "Wordplay" (2006), a documentary that provides an in-depth behind-the-scenes view of the New York Times crossword puzzle and the current and historical creative forces that drive its production; $24.95 from Genius Products ... "Hooray for Hollywood," a 1975 documentary on Hollywood of the 1930s-40s, narrated by Mickey Rooney, $24.99 from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Blood of My Brother" (2005), a compelling documentary that looks at one family's grief and desperation resulting from the death of their oldest son at the hands of American soldiers in Iraq; the film takes audiences deep into the day-to-day life of the American-occupied Iraqi people; $29.98 from Lifesize Entertainment ... "Martha's Favorite Cookies" (2006), a single disc that provides easy-to-follow information on baking 33 of Martha Stewart's favorite cookie recipes, $14.97 from Warner. (Posted November 7)

Revenge: Lionsgate has set November 21 for the release of "The Punisher Extended Cut," the harrowing and exciting tale of a cop who avenges the murder of his entire family at the hands of the mob; this edition adds 17 minutes of new material as well as an animated Kuwait deleted scene, which was originally slated to open the film but was never shot due to budgetary constraints. The film stars Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Roy Scheider, Laura Harring, Ben Foster and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ... The groundbreaking sketch comedy of the pioneering first season of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" comes to DVD with digitally remastered picture and sound for the first time on December 5 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment: "Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season" is an eight-disc set with all 24 original, unedited 90-minute episodes; $69.98 in a specially designed gift package with a limited-edition collectible book ... On December 12 Paramount will release the animated "Barnyard," a Comic look at what really happens when the farmer's back is turned, with the voices of Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, Andie MacDowell and David Koechner. (Posted November 1)

Burn, baby, burn: The fans have spoken and Anchor Bay Entertainment has heard their call: the company will release on December 19 "The Wicker Man Special Edition," a two-disc set of the 1973 film (starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento and Britt Ekland) with the international version (fully restored from original vault materials with 11 more minutes of additional, rarely seen footage) as well as the U.S. theatrical version. Anchor Bay's release is timed to coincide with Warner Home Video's release of the Neil LaBute-directed remake of "The Wicker Man," starring Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Frances Conroy, Molly Parker and Leelee Sobieski ... Paramount has scheduled two releases for December 26: "Jackass Number Two," in which Johnny Knoxville and the entire crew from the popular MTV franchise return with all-new -- and often nude -- stunts, pants-wetting practical jokes, fun with bears, bees, snakes, bulls, yaks, sharks and other really bad ideas; and the weak comedy "The Last Kiss," directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Casey Affleck, Rachel Bilson, Harold Ramis, Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson. (Posted November 1)

Coming Soon:
Due November 14 is the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" that explores the controversy and theories surrounding the demise of General Motors EV1, from Sony ... on December 5 New Line will release the family comedy "How to Eat Fried Worms," starring James Rebhorn, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tom Cavanagh, Luke Benward and Adam Hicks ... Thriller "The Covenant" bewitches video stores on January 2, on DVD and Blue-Ray, from Sony ... Coming-of-age drama "Quinceanera," starring Emily Rios, Chalo Gonzalez and Jesse Garcia, arrives January 9 from Sony. (Posted October 30)

DVD Collectibles:
Warner Home Video has put together "The Tarzan Collection Volume 2," a three-disc set with the last six Johnny Weissmuller films: "Tarzan Triumphs" (1943), "Tarzan's Desert Mystery" (1943), "Tarzan and the Amazons" (1945), "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman" (1946), "Tarzan and the Huntress" (1947) and "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1948); $39.32 ... "George Burns: The TV Specials Collection" is a four-disc set loaded with celebrities, song and dance; included are the "George Burns Special" (1976) featuring Johnny Carson, Madeline Kahn, Walter Matthau, The Osmonds, Chita Rivera; "George Burns One-Man Show" (1977) with Bob Hope, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Ann-Margret, Captain & Tennille and John Denver; "George Burns 100th Birthday Party" (1978) with Jimmy & Gloria Stewart, Milton Berle, Steve Martin, Andy Gibb, Don Rickles, Gregory Peck, George Jessel, Goldie Hawn, Helen Reddy and Pat & Debby Boone; "George Burns in Nashville" (1980) with Larry Gatlin, Minnie Pearl, Loretta Lynn; "George Burns: Early, Early, Early Christmas Special" (1981) with Ann-Margret, Bob Hope, Hans Conried and the Hawkins Family; "George Burns and Other Sex Symbols" (1982) with John Schneider, Bernadette Peters, Linda Evans, John Forsythe and some of his "Old Girlfriends"; "George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business" (1983) with Danny Thomas, Milton Berle, Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, Kenny Rogers, Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Dionne Warwick and Johnny Carson; "George Burns Tells How to Live to Be 100 Special" (1984) with Catherine Bach, Rams Cheerleaders, Bob Hope, Diahann Carroll, Artie Johnson and Dr. Joyce Brothers; "George Burns 90th Birthday Party" (1986) with Diahann Carroll, John Denver, Billy Crystal, Ann-Margret, Walter Matthau and Milton Berle; $39.99 from Kultur. (Posted October 30)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Baywatch Season 1" and "Baywatch Season 2," both five-disc sets with the syndicated episodes, $34.99 each from First Look Home Entertainment ... "CSI Miami: The Complete Fourth Season" (2005-06), a seven-disc set with 25 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Ghost Whisperer: The Complete First Season," a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $38.00 from Paramount ... "The Hitchhiker, Volume 3," a two-disc set of episodes from the cult TV series, $34.98, from HBO Video ... "The Kids in the Hall: Complete Season 5," a four-disc set, $59.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Kids in the Hall: The Complete Series DVD Megaset," a 20-disc set with nearly 800 sketches, $239.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Last Detective, Series 2," a two-disc set of the British TV mystery series about an underdog detective who solves all the big crimes, $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Legend of the Dragon" is a single disc with the first four episodes of the animated action-adventure TV series, $19.95 from Genius Products ... "Tales From the Crypt: The Complete Fifth Season," a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "A Touch of Frost Seasons 11 & 12," a two-disc set with three episodes of the British series starring David Jason as the gritty Detective Inspector Jack Frost; $39.98 from MPI Home Video. (Posted October 30)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
Ernest Borgnine, Tom Skerritt, Joan Prather, Eddie Albert, William Shatner, Ida Lupino and Keenan Wynn star in "The Devil's Rain," a 1975 thriller about Satanists running amuck in rural America; from Dark Sky Films/MPI Home Video ... In "The Human Factor" (1975), a NATO computer specialist avenges the murder of his family by political terrorists; directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring George Kennedy, John Mills, Raf Vallone, Barry Sullivan, Rita Tushingham and Arthur Franz; also from Dark Sky Films/MPI Home Video ... In "Heartstopper" (2006), two kids have to stop a maniac's killing spree in an isolated hospital; stars Meredith Henderson, Nathan Stephenson, James Binkley, Michael Cram and Robert Englund; from Union Station Media. (Posted October 30)

For the Kids:
"The Little Drummer Boy ... and Four More Holiday Stories" features five animated classic holiday stories and songs that will keep kids laughing and singing all winter long: "The Little Drummer Boy," with music and vocals by John Jennings; "Merry Christmas, Space Case," narrated by Christopher Lloyd.; "Sam and the Lucky Money," narrated by Ming-Na; "The Tomten," narrated by Owen Jordan and "The Twelve Days of Christmas"; $14.95 from Scholastic Video Collection ... "Hello Kitty: Stump Village" features five animated adventures full of silly inventions, yummy cookie towns and playful misbehaving with the pop culture icon; $14.98 from Geneon Entertainment ... "Speed Racer Vol. 5" is the final volume (eight episodes) of the popular anime television series; $19.98 from Lionsgate. (Posted October 30)

Special Interest:
"Hard Rock Teasures" (2005) is a documentary featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the prized possessions of and the stories behind Hard Rock International, considered to be the original curator of more than 70,000 priceless pieces of the greatest collection of music memorabilia in the world, including rare vintage guitars, distinctive drum kits, handwritten lyrics, and one-of-a kind elaborate stage costumes; $24.98 from MPI Home Video ... In "The Exodus Decoded" (2006), a team of renowned archeologists, Egyptologists, geologists, and theologians shed revelatory new light on the Exodus and the era's ruling Egyptian Dynasty; $29.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Making of Miss Saigon" (1989) is the definitive documentary film companion to one of the greatest Broadway hits of all time; $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Tales of the Rat Fink" (2006) is an animated feature documentary on Classic Car creator Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and his signature character Rat Fink. Includes the voice talents of John Goodman, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and classic car buff Jay Leno. Produced and directed by Ron Mann ("Grass," "Comic Book Confidential"); $19.98 from Shout! Factory ... "Vikings: Journey to New Worlds" (2005) is a docu-drama shot on location in Iceland, Greenland and New Foundland that explores the world of the Viking explorers who traveled to the New World 500 years before Columbus. Shown in Imax theaters; digitally mastered from the 70mm Imax film print; $14.95 from Vista Point Entertainment. (Posted October 30)

Coming Soon:
Due December 5 is raucous "Beerfest," starring Paul Soter, Jay Chandrasekhar, Erik Stolhanske, Steve Lemme, Kevin Heffernan, Cloris Leachman, Will Forte, Mo'nique, Ryan Blanchard and Eric Christian Olsen, in rated and unrated editions from Warner ... on December 12 Paramount will release Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jay Hernandez, in a single-disc edition and a two-disc "commemorative edition." HD DVD and Blu-ray discs will be released day and date. (Posted October 23)

DVD Collectibles:
Dancing in the stores: Warner Home Video will release this week "The Astaire and Rogers Collection: Volume 2," a five-disc set with "Carefree," "Flying Down to Rio," "The Gay Divorcee," "Roberta" and "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle"; $59.92 for the set or $19.97 each. Each DVD includes a vintage short. Warner has also put together a 12-disc set with all of the dance duo's films: "The Astaire and Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition" includes "Top Hat," "Swing Time," "Follow the Fleet," "Shall We Dance" and "The Barkleys of Broadway" from the first Astaire and Rogers volume and "Carefree," "Flying Down to Rio," "The Gay Divorcee," "Roberta" and "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" from the second volume. Includes the documentary "Astaire and Rogers: Partners in Rhythm," a salute that includes candid photos, behind-the-scene tidbits and sidelights about famed collaborators Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin, among others. Also includes an exclusive bonus audio CD with 10 soundtrack songs from the team's movies, a set of collectible behind-the-scenes photo cards, reproductions of the "Shall We Dance" and "Roberta" press books and a mail-in offer for four Astaire and Rogers movie posters. The set sells for $99.92. (Posted October 23)

There's two excellent outings from The Criterion Collection this week: "Hands Over the City" (1963), directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Rod Steiger, Salvo Randone and Guido Alberti. Anchored by a ferocious lead performance from Steiger as a scheming land developer, Rosi's "Hands Over the City" moves breathlessly from a cataclysmic building collapse to the backroom negotiations of civic leaders vying for power in a City Council election. Plunging headfirst into the politically driven real-estate speculation that had devastated Naples' civilian landscape, the film, which was awarded the Golden Lion at the 1963 Venice Film Festival, remains a blistering work of social realism. The double-disc set features a new, restored high-definition digital transfer ... Jane Campion will always be remembered for the shock and delight of her stunning debut feature, "Sweetie" (1989). Campion focuses on the hazardous relationship between the buttoned-down, superstitious Kay and her rampaging, devil-may-care sister, "Sweetie," and by extension, their entire family's profoundly rotten roots. A feast of distinctly framed photography and captivating, idiosyncratic characters, "Sweetie" heralded the emergence of this enormously gifted director. This special edition features a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Sally Bongers and approved by Campion; extras include commentary featuring Campion and Bongers and screenwriter Gerard Lee; "Making Sweetie" new video interview featuring the stars of the film; Campion's early short films: "An Exercise in Discipline: Peel," "Passionless Moments" and "A Girl's Own Story"; "Jane Campion: The Film School Years," a 1989 conversation between Campion and critic Peter Thompson; a gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and production stills; and a new essay by film scholar Dana Polan. (Posted October 23)

For "La Commune (Paris, 1871)" (2000) director Peter Watkins cast 200 nonprofessionals to recreate the events of March, 1871: the rise and fall of the Paris Commune. Mixing past and present in a radical format, Watkins has the complex historical drama unfold as it is "reported" by two TV news crews: one from "National TV Versailles" and the other from "Commune TV." From First Run Features ... Steamy thriller "Body Heat" (1981), directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna and Ted Danson, is being done up in a special edition this week. Extras include lifted scenes and three new featurettes; from Warner ... "Classic Comedy Teams" is a three-disc set with two double features by The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello: The Three Stooges in "Meet the Baron" (1933) and "Gold Raiders" (1951); Laurel and Hardy in "Air Raid Wardens" (1943) and "Nothing but Trouble" (1944); and Abbott and Costello in "Lost in a Harem" (1944) and "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood" (1945); $29.92 for the set or $14.97 each double feature; from Warner. (Posted October 23)

There's a wellspring of releases from Alpha Entertainment this week, each with a suggested retail price of $7.98: "His Double Life" (1933): Lillian Gish and Roland Young star in this comedy about a famous but reclusive artist who fakes his own death and takes a job as a butler; "A Shot in the Dark" (1935): Prolific director Charles Lamont helmed this mystery in which a college football hero tries to solve the murder of his roommate; "Mystery Man/The Racketeer": A Double feature starring Robert Armstrong. In "Mystery Man" (1935), Armstrong stars as a Chicago newspaperman who moves to St. Louis and gets involved in a murder mystery. "The Racketeer" (1929) co-stars Carole Lombard as a woman who sacrifices herself to a gangster (Armstrong) in order to support her true love, an alcoholic violinist; "My Son the Hero" (1943): Roscoe Karns and Patsy Kelly star in this film about a second-rate boxing manager who presents himself as a big-time promoter in order to impress his successful son. Directed by Edgar C. Ulmer ("The Black Cat," "Bluebeard"). (Posted October 23)

From TV to Video:
"The Addams Family Volume One" is a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $29.98 from MGM ... "The Adventures of Kit Carson: Volumes 10 and 11" features Bill Williams as Kit Carson in episodes from the classic 1950s television series; Volume 10 contains 2 episodes of the series while Volume 11 includes 4 episodes; $7.98 each from Alpha Entertainment ... "The Adventures of Robin Hood: Volume 15" contains four episodes from the 1950's classic TV series, $7.98 from Alpha Entertainment ... "Bewitched: The Complete Fourth Season" is a four-disc set with 33 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Creature Comforts: The Complete Second Season" is a two-disc set with 12 episodes from the Aardman Animations series, $24.96 from Sony ... "The Facts of Life: The Complete Third Season" is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.95 from Sony ... "Follow That Man Volumes 6 and 7" features Ralph Bellamy as a tough-guy private eye in this early TV detective series; each volume includes 4 episodes; $7.98 each from Alpha Entertainment ... "Greg The Bunny: The Best of the Film Parodies" (2005) is a two-disc collection with 14 parodies from the original IFC series, $24.98 from Shout! Factory ... "The L Word: The Complete Third Season" is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, from Showtime ...In classic TV series "Lock-Up: Volume 2" MacDonald Carey stars as a lawyer who fights for those unjustly accused of crimes, $7.98 from Alpha Entertainment ... In the vintage TV series "Meet Corliss Archer" the teenage troublemaker turns the tables on her friends and family; four episodes on a single disc for $7.98 from Alpha Entertainment. (Posted October 23)

"Monsignor Renard" (2000) is a Masterpiece Theatre miniseries about the experiences of a humble and extraordinary priest set during the German occupation of France during WWII, starring John Thaw; $19.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King" is a three-disc set with all eight episodes, $39.92 from Warner ... "The O.C.: The Complete Third Season" is a seven-disc set with 25 episodes, $69.98 from Warner ... "The Reading Room" (2005) is a Hallmark Channel Original Movie about a man who restores an abandoned building into a reading room for a depressed community notorious for its ineffectual high school and street gangs; stars James Earl Jones, Georg Stanford Brown, Tim Reid, Joanna Cassidy and Monique Coleman, from MTI Home Video ... "Roy Rogers: Volume 2" features four episodes of the popular TV series featuring Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Pat Brady, Roy's horse Trigger and Bullet the wonder dog, $7.98 from Alpha Entertainment ... "Saturday Night Live: The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse" features uncut episodes from the series of SNL adult cartoons; $19.98 from Universal ... "Slings & Arrows, Season 2" is a two-disc set of the hit Canadian series that revolves around the misadventures of the players in the fictional New Burbage Theatre Festival; $29.99 from Acorn Media ... "That's My Bush! The Definitive Collection" is a two-disc set with eight episodes of the Comedy Central series, $26.99 from Paramount ... "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season Two, Volume One" is a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "Wings: The Complete Third Season" (1991-92) is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount. (Posted October 23)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Invitation to a Suicide" (2004) is a dark comedy about a man who runs away with a Russian mobster's girl, gets caught, and must pay $10,000 or sacrifice his father's life. The solution: he decides to hang himself and sell tickets to the show; from Lightyear Entertainment ... In "The Kid & I" (2005), a down-and-out actor is hired to write a film for a teenager with cerebral palsy who dreams of starring in a big-time action movie. Directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Tom Arnold, Eric Gores, Linda Hamilton, Joe Mantegna and Henry Winkler; from Entertainment Studios Home Entertainment ... "Jailbait" (2006) is a psychological thriller about two prison inmates who become embroiled in a brutal power play; from Lightyear Entertainment ... In "Pizza" (2005), a thirtysomething pizza delivery "boy" teams up with a high school outcast for teen comic adventures. Stars Ethan Embry, Kylie Sparks, Julie Hagerty and Judah Friedlander; from Genius Products. (Posted October 23)

On the Indie Front:
In "Kiss Me Again" (2006), a married couple whose romance has withered decides to test the boundaries of their relationship with a seductive young Spanish woman who turns out to be one of the husband's students; from Monarch Home Video ... "Looking for Kitty" (2006) is a comedy about a small town baseball coach who hires a loner ex-cop to find his beautiful wife who has disappeared in New York City. Directed by Edward Burns and starring Burns, David Krumholtz, Rachel Dratch, Shari Albert, Max Baker, Connie Britton and Chris Parnell; from ThinkFilm ...In "Mini's First Time" (2006), an oversexed high school girl seduces her stepfather and convinces him to help get rid of her embittered gold-digging mother. Stars Alec Baldwin, Nikki Reed, Carrie-Anne Moss, Luke Wilson and Jeff Goldblum; from HBO Video ... On the 30th anniversary of his death, the angelic spirit of Jack Kerouac returns to earth in the abandoned body of a street bum, transforming the lives of three artists in 2004's "Beat Angel" (BeatAngel.com). (Posted October 23)

Foreign:
"Rolling Family" (2004 -- Argentina) is a comedy about four generations of a family and their journey in a 1956 Chevy Viking camper across Argentina to Brazil for a wedding; from Palm Pictures. (Posted October 23)

For the Kids:
"The Happy Cricket" is an engaging new animated film for ages 3 to 8 from Clever Image Studios/Start Animation. Selected to be shown in many film festivals sponsored by Kids First! a program of the nonprofit Coalition for Quality Children's Media, the film presents classic values that kids and their families can relate to, as well teaching kindness, sharing and protecting the environment. The story follows Christopher, a carefree cricket, who must defend his friends in the forest from a nasty lizard named Warlord. $19.99 from www.thehappycricketmovie.com or 877- 253-8374 ... "Hannah Montana: Volume 1" (2006) features episodes from the Disney Channel series, $19.99 from Disney ... "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior" (2006) is a Disney Channel movie about a candidate for homecoming queen who discovers she's a reincarnated Chinese warrior who must train to conquer an ancient spirit that threatens to destroy the world; from Disney ... Two winter-themed DVDs arrive from Sony: "Father Christmas" (1991), an animated short based on the book by Raymond Briggs; and "The Snowman" (1982), an Academy Award-nominated animated short, also based on the book by Raymond Briggs; narrated by David Bowie; $9.99 each ... Warner has three comic-book-hero DVDs due this week: "Batman Beyond: Season 2," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $44.98; "Justice League Unlimited Season 1," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $44.98; and "Krypto, the Superdog: Volume 2," featuring five animated Cartoon Network episodes for preschoolers, $14.97. (Posted October 23)

Special Interest:
"War Planes!" is a four-disc set with four NOVA documentaries chronicling the history and legends of warfare aviation: "Battle of the X-Planes," "Spies That Fly," "Top Gun Over Moscow" and "B-29: Frozen in Time"; $39.95. from WGBH Boston Video ... "P.D.Q. Bach in Houston: We Have a Problem" is a live concert performance of P.D.Q. Bach's greatest hits celebrating 40 years of his music, featuring professor Peter Schickele with Orchestra X; $19.99 from Acorn Media ... "Heavv Metal: Louder Than Life" (2006) is a documentary on the phenomenon of heavy metal music, featuring Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Korn and more, in a two-disc set for $24.99 from First Look Home Entertainment ... "The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited" (2006) is a four-disc audio/video tribute to the legendary archivist. In a series of concerts at the turn of the millennium, Beck, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, David Johansen, Steve Earle, Richard Thompson, Beth Orton and others paid tribute to Harry Smith and his Anthology, which encompasses the entire repertoire of American folk music. Smith's landmark 1952 six-album compilation brought such blues and roots artists as the Carter Family, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Dock Boggs and Uncle Dave Macon to national attention and sparked the late-1950s/early-1960s urban folk revival. $59.98 from Shout! Factory. (Posted October 23)

Coming Soon:
Due December 5 is creepy horror film "Pulse," starring Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Christina Milian, Rick Gonzalez and Jonathan Tucker, from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... On December 12 MGM will release clean-cut teen comedy "Material Girls," directed by Martha Coolidge and starring Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Anjelica Huston, Lukas Haas and Maria Conchita Alonso. (Posted October 16)

DVD Collectibles:
Getting the jump on Halloween is Sony's "Icons of Horror Collection: Boris Karloff," a two-disc set with four Boris Karloff thrillers: "The Black Room" (1935), "The Man They Could Not Hang" (1935), "Before I Hang" (1940) and "The Boogie Man Will Get You" (1942), co-starring Peter Lorre and Larry Parks; $24.96 ... Warren Beatty's celebration of revolutionary thought, "Reds," celebrates its 25th anniaversary with the appropriately titled "Reds 25th Anniversary Special Collector's Edition." The 1981 film stars Beatty, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton, Gene Hackman, Edward Herrmann, Paul Sorvino and M. Emmet Walsh. The two-disc set includes six "Witness to Reds" featurettes: "The Rising" about pre-production, "Comrades" about the cast, "Testimonials" about the witnesses featured throughout the film, "The March" on locations and sets, "Revolution Parts 1 & 2" on the making of the film, and "Propaganda" on the editing, scoring, release and Oscars; from Paramount ... Fox's "The Al Pacino Collection" brings together in a four-disc set three hard-to-find Pacino films: "Chinese Coffee" (2000), "The Local Stigmatic" (1990) and "Looking for Richard" (1996), as well as "Babbleonia," an hour-long intimate look at the actor and his craft; $34.98. (Posted October 16)

The Criterion Collection has scheduled this week the release of "Clean, Shaven" director Lodge Kerrigan's headfirst dive into the schizophrenic mindscape of a man (played by the remarkable Peter Greene) who tries to track down his birth daughter after he is released from medical treatment. Kerrigan's film brilliantly uses sound and image to lead audiences into a terrifying subjectivity in which no one is left unscathed. The DVD of the 1994 film features a director-approved restored high-definition digital transfer with commentary, a new video piece written and narrated by critic Michael Atkinson exploring the film's unique sound design, MP3 downloads from the film's final sound design, and a new essay by Dennis Lim ... Before Alfonso Cuaron helmed the international sensation "Y tu mama tambien," he made his mark on Mexican cinema with the ribald and lightning-quick contemporary social satire "Solo con tu pareja." Don Juan-ish yuppie Tomas Tomas (Daniel Gimenez Cacho, from "Bad Education") spends his nights juggling so many beautiful women that he can't keep their names straight -- until one gives him a taste of his own medicine. Cuaron's wildly successful feature debut surveys contemporary urban sexual mores with style to spare. The Criterion Collections DVD of the 1991 features a director-approved restored high-definition digital transfer. (Posted October 16)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Big Love: The Complete First Season," a five-disc set with 12 episodes, $99.98 from HBO Video ... "Cassanova" is a three-hour unedited BBC version of the Masterpiece Theatre 2005 drama telefilm starring David Tennant, Peter O'Toole and Rose Byrne, $19.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "CSI NY: The Complete Second Season," a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $72.99 from Paramount ... "Charmed: The Complete Sixth Season" is a six-disc set with 21 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "La Femme Nikita: The Complete Fifth Season," a three-disc set with the final eight episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 4" is a four-disc set with four episodes featuring Elizabeth George's crime-cracking duo from opposite sides of the track, $39.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Fourth Season" is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.95 from Sony ... "Taggart: Evil Eye" is a three-disc set of episodes from the longest-running detective drama on British television, featuring Mark McManus as Scotland's Inspector Morse; $49.98 from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. ... "That '70s Show: Season Five," a four-disc set with 25 episodes from the 2002-03 season, $49.98 from Fox ... "The Wilkie Collins Set" is a two-disc set of Masterpiece Theatre productions based on the works of the famed 19th century author: "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone," $29.95 from WGBH Boston Video. (Posted October 16)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Feast" (2006) is a grueling and exciting horror thriller in which a motley crew of strangers, trapped in an isolated tavern, must band together in a battle for survival against a family of flesh-hungry creatures. The film stars Balthazar Getty, Henry Rollins, Navi Rawat, Josh Zuckerman, Judah Friedlander, Jason Mewes, Jenny Wade and Krista Allen; from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... Another heart-stopping horror thriller due this week is "Rest Stop" (2006), in which a young couple is terrorized by a psychotic killer on a cross-country road trip. The film, starring Jaimie Alexander, Deanna Russo, Joseph Lawrence and Joey Mendicino, is available in rated and unrated versions, from Warner Raw Feed ... "Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil" (2006) stars Keith David, Bruce McGill, Peter Coyote and Nicholas Gonzales in a sequel-in-name-only, about four U.S. Navy SEALs stranded behind enemy lines in N. Korea, from Fox ... An infamous ex-con and gangster tries to go straight but gets involved in a series of misadventures that propel him back to life on the run in Mario Van Peebles' "Hard Luck" (2005), starring Wesley Snipes and Cybill Shepherd, from Sony ... In "Dark Reality" (2006), five strangers are forced to survive a madman's sadistic game in a basement somewhere in Europe, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up" (2006) is legendary filmmaker Larry Cohen's contribution to the TV horror anthology. Murderers go one-on-one when a serial killer who preys on hitchhikers offers a ride to a hitchhiker who kills anyone unlucky enough to offer him a ride. Stars Michael Moriarty, Warren Cole and Fairuza Balk; from Anchor Bay. (Posted October 16)

On the Indie Front:
"Gypo" (2005) is a fascinating drama about immigration in Britain, shot in the purist Dogme '95 style, from Wolfe Video ... "The Virgin of Juarez" (2006) stars Minnie Driver, Anna Claudia Talancon, Esai Morales, Angus Macfadyen and Joanna Cassidy in a story about an L.A. reporter who investigates a series of murders in the border town of Cuidad Juarez, Mexico; based on real events. From First Look Home Entertainment. (Posted October 16)

Foreign:
In "When the Sea Rises" (2006 -- French) a married actress who travels from town to town to perform her craft meets a scooter-driving vagabond and starts a tender love affair, from New Yorker Video ... "Angela" (2002 -- Italy) is the true story of an attractive Sicilian mob-wife who participates in her husband's drug-dealing business and falls for his lackey, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Champion" (2002 --- S. Korea) is the true story of Korean boxer Kim Duk-koo, who became the world's No. 1 lightweight contender in the early 1980s, from First Look Home Entertainment. (Posted October 16)

For the Kids:
In "StoryWatchers Club Adventures in Storytelling: Christmas," a multi-cultural club of puppet friends lead viewers from one story to the next as featured storytellers share engrossing Yuletide yarns that embrace the season; the combination of live-action and puppets help kids ages 4 to 10 learn to appreciate the art of storytelling, inspiring them to develop their imaginations; $19.95 from StoryWatchers Club (www.StoryWatchersClub.com) ... "Little Robots: Big Adventures" is the debut of the BBC animated series about 11 robots who work together to recycle rubbish to riches and create their own whimsical world from the junk around them; for preschool boys from Fox ... "Her Best Move" (2006) is a family film about a 15-year-old soccer prodigy who juggles life, love, and sports on her way to becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for the U.S. National Team, from Summertime Films. (Posted October 16)

Special Interest:
"Middle Sexes: Redefining He and She" (2005) is an HBO documentary that explores the controversial subject of gender blurring, narrated by Gore Vidal; from HBO Video ... "Infamy" (2005) is a documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Doug Pray that delves deep into the lives of six of America's most prolific graffiti artists; $19.99 from Image Entertainment/ Paladin Entertainment ... "Everyday Food Volume 1: Fast, Family-Friendly Ideas" (2006) brings the weekly half-hour cooking series to DVD, featuring selected recipes that teach you how to prepare quick meals in under an hour. Features the talent of expert chefs John Barricelli, Sarah Carey, Allie Lewis, Margot Olshan and Lucinda Scala Quinn; $14.97 from Warner ... "Julia Child: The French Chef" is a three-disc set of episodes from the celebrated public television series, $39.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "The Big Black Comedy Show Box Set" is a five-disc set of large venue, live comedy performances showcasing America's most popular black comics, including Mo'Nique, Michael Colyar, Ralphi May and Joe Torry; $39.98 from Fox. (Posted October 16)

Just Announced
Universal will release on December 5 Michael Mann's big-screen vision of his groundbreaking TV series "Miami Vice," here starring Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Li Gong, Naomie Harris, Ciaran Hinds and Justin Theroux, in the R-rated theatrical version and in an unrated director's cut ... On November 14, First Run Features will release the documentary "49 UP," directed by Michael Apted: In 1964, a group of British 7-year-olds were interviewed for the documentary "Seven Up." They've been filmed every seven years since; now they're 49 in this latest edition of a real-life filmic sociological study. (Posted October 10)

Coming Soon:
Due Oct 17: Comedy "American Dreamz," starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe, Jennifer Coolidge, Marcia Gay Harden and Chris Klein, from Universal; "Only Human," a romantic comedy about a Jewish woman who brings her Palestinian fiance to "meet the parents," arrives from Magnolia Home Entertainment; and Paramount will release "Reds 25th Anniversary Special Collector's Edition" (1981), directed by Warren Beatty and starring Beatty, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton, Gene Hackman, Edward Herrmann, Paul Sorvino and M. Emmet Walsh in a two-disc set loaded with extras ... Due October 24 is "The Road to Guantanamo," director Michael Winterbottom's look at the incarceration of three innocent men during the war in Afghanistan, from Sony ... Due November 7 is ugly comedy "Little Man," directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and starring Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Tracy Morgan and Kerry Washington, from Sony ... On November 14 Universal will release te college comedy "Accepted," starring Justin Long, Jonah Hill, Blake Lively, Maria Thayer, Anthony Heald, Adam Herschman, Columbus Short and Lewis Black, from Universal; and Fox will release teen high school comedy "John Tucker Must Die," starring Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Sophia Bush and Arielle Kebbel.

Animated family film "The Ant Bully," with the voices of Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Zach Tyler, Regina King, Bruce Campbell, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri and Larry Miller, will arrive November 28 from Warner ... On December 5 Paramount will release the long-awaited "The Conformist Extended Edition" (1970), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Stefania Sandrelli. Extras include several featurettes on the making of the film; also on that day the company will release Bertolucci's "1900" (1976), starring Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda, Stefania Casini and Sterling Hayden, in a two-disc set that includes the original five-hour version of the film; TV fans will lineup that day for Paramount's release of "Mission: Impossible The Complete First Season" in a seven-disc set with 28 episodes, $54.99 ... On December 12 Sony will release NASCAR-inspired "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan and Amy Adams; and Fox will release "St. Elsewhere: Season One," a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 ... On December 19 "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" will fly home; the Ivan Reitman film stars Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson and Wanda Sykes, from Fox; also on that day Warner will release the anthology of Ray Bradbury sci-fi stories "The Illustrated Man" (1969), starring Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom ... And, on January 2 New Line will release the Internet-buzz-film-turned-dud "Snakes on a Plane," starring Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies, Bobby Cannavale and Kenan Thompson. (Posted October 10)

DVD Collectibles:
Classics: "Hollywood Legends of Horror" features three double-feature discs, $29.98 each: "Mark of the Vampire" (1935) (directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi and Myrna Loy)/"The Mask of Fu Manchu" (1932) (starring Boris Karloff); "Doctor X" (1932) (directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray)/"The Return of Doctor X" (1939) (directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Humphrey Bogart); and "Mad Love" (1935) (directed by Karl Freund and starring Peter Lorre)/"The Devil Doll" (1936) (directed by Tod Browning and starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan; from Warner ... "Motion Picture Masterpieces" is a five-disc set with five restored and remastered literary classics; $49.92; individual titles available for $19.97, from Warner: "Marie Antoinette" (1939), starring Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore and Robert Morley; "David Copperfield" (1935), directed by George Cukor and starring Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan and Basil Rathbone; "Pride and Prejudice" (1940), starring Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan and Ann Rutherford; "A Tale of Two Cities" (1935), starring Ronald Coleman, Elizabeth Allan,Reginald Owen and Basil Rathbone; and "Treasure Island" (1934), directed by Victor Fleming and starring Jackie Cooper, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone and Nigel Bruce ... and, last but not least, Disney will release this week "The Fox and the Hound 25th Anniversary Edition" (1981), with "The Best of Friends" sing-along, a "Forest Friendship" game, DVD Storybook and more.

For more modern excursions there's "The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology," a six-disc set with "The Exorcist" (original theatrical version), "The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen," "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "The Exorcist III," "Exorcist: The Beginning" and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist"; $42.98 from Warner ... "Bad Santa Director's Cut" (2003), directed by "Art School Confidential's" Terry Zwigoff and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Lauren Tom, Bernie Mac and John Ritter, with commentary by Zwigoff and editor Robert Hoffman, deleted and alternate scenes, behind-the-scenes special and outtakes, from Dimension ... "Black Rain Special Collector's Edition" (1989), directed by Ridley Scott and starring Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Luis Guzman, John Spencer, Ken Takakura and Kate Capshaw, with commentary by Scott and four featurettes, from Paramount. (Posted October 10)

From TV to Video:
"The Andy Milonakis Show: The Complete Second Season" is a two-disc set with eight episodes, $26.99 from Paramountt ... "Brideshead Revisited: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" (1981) is a four-disc set of the acclaimed miniseries starring Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews, Diane Quick, John Gielgud, Claire Bloom and Laurence Olivier, with a 50-minute retrospective documentary, commentaries, outtakes, photo gallery, production notes, filmographies, and a 20-page companion guide, $59.99 from Acorn Media ... "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: Season Two" is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.98 from Warner ... "Numb3rs: The Complete Second Season" is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $61.99 from Paramount ... "Scrubs: The Complete Fourth Season," a three-disc set, $39.99. from Buena Vista ... "Simon & Simon: Season One" is a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "Sword of Honour" (2001) is a U.K. adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's World War II literary classic, starring Daniel Craig; in two-disc set for $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Wonder Showzen: The Complete Second Season" is a two-disc set with eight episodes, $26.99 from Paramount. (Posted October 10)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Black Dahlia" (2006) is a thriller about a modern-day serial killer copying the 1947 "Black Dahlia" murder, from Lionsgate ... "The Butterfly Effect 2" (2006) is a direct-to-video sequel, about a young man with the power to change the past, from New Line ... In "Disturbance (aka Choker)" (2005), a serial killer is set loose to hunt down and kill aliens inhabiting human bodies, from MTI Home Video ... In "Baby Blood" (1990 -- French), a voracious parasite finds the host that it has been searching for since the dawn of time -- a sexy circus performer -- and starts demanding gallons of fresh blood every day; restored for the first time in the U.S., from Anchor Bay ... In "Superstition" (1982), starring James Houghton, Albert Salmi, Lynn Carlin and Larry Pennell, a series of ghastly accidents take place near the house where a witch was drowned centuries earlier; from Anchor Bay ... and "Save the Last Dance 2" (2006), starring Izabella Miko, Columbus Short, Jacqueline Bisset and Ne-Yo, is a direct-to-video sequel to the 2001 hit that starredJulia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas and Kerry Washington; from Paramount. (Posted October 10)

On the Indie Front:
"Land of Plenty" (2004), directed by Wim Wenders and starring Michelle Williams, John Diehl and Shaun Toub, is a darkly humorous and powerful exploration of post-9/11 America, set in downtown Los Angeles, from IFC Films/Genius Products ... "12 and Holding" (2006), starring Jayne Atkinson and Annabella Sciorra, is an honest portrayal of three pre-teens who are forced to lose their innocence after the tragic death of one of their friends, also from IFC Films/Genius Products ... In "The King" (2006), starring Gael Garc’a Bernal, William Hurt, Pell James, Laura Harring and Paul Dano, a troubled man, recently discharged from the Navy, goes to Corpus Christi, Texas, in search of the father he's never met; the film was an Official Selection of Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival; from ThinkFilm. (Posted October 10)

For the Kids:
"Harry and His Bucket of Dinosaurs Volume 1" contains five episodes from the Cartoon Net series, $14.97 from Warner ... "Cartoon Network Christmas: Vol. 3" features five Christmas-themed episodes from Cartoon Net shows: "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: Billy & Mandy Save Christmas," "Codename Kids Next Door: Operation N.A.U.G.H.T.Y," "Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends: Store Wars," "Camp Lazlo: Snow Beans" and "Ed, Edd n Eddy: In Like Ed"; $14.97 from Warner ... Starz Media will release this week two "Eloise" animated features, based on the best-selling children's book series by Kay Thompson with illustrations by Hilary Knight, that follows the adventures of 6-year-old Eloise, the unofficial reigning princess of New York's Plaza Hotel: "Eloise: Little Miss Christmas" and "Me, Eloise," both with the voices of Lynn Redgrave, Tim Curry, Matthew Lillard, Curtis Armstrong and Mary Matilyn Mouser; $14.98 each. (Posted October 10)

Special Interest:
Comedy comes to the fore this week with "The Latin Legends of Comedy," featuring uncensored performances by three Latino comedians -- Joey Vega, J.J. Ramirez and Angel Salazar -- who broke into and became pioneers of the New York stand-up comedy scene 20 years ago, setting the scene for an invasion of Hispanic comics; $19.98 from Fox ... and "Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached," a Comedy Central special featuring the work of stand-up comic Carlos Mencia, recorded in San Francisco; $19.99 from Paramount ... Paramount also has two PBS documentaries on hand this week: "Marie Antoinette" (2006), timed for the theatrical release of Sofia Coppola's period drama, $24.99; and "Napoleon" (2000), $19.99 ... And Genius Products will release "Border War" (2006), a documentary that examines the volatile issue of illegal immigration and the continued conflict taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border, $19.95. (Posted October 10)

DVD Collectibles:
It's a well-packed first week of the month for collectibles: Warner Home Video kicks off Tuesday with "Humphrey Bogart: The Signature Collection Volume 2," a seven-disc set with "The Maltese Falcon Three-Disc Special Edition," "Across the Pacific," "Action in the North Atlantic," "All Through the Night" and "Passage to Marseille"; $59.92. The restored "The Maltese Falcon Three-Disc Special Edition" -- a veritable gem -- will be available separately for $29.92. Extras for the 1941 classic directed by John Huston and starring Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr. include commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax; Warner Night at the Movies 1941 short subjects gallery: vintage newsreel, Oscar-nominated Technicolor musical short "The Gay Parisian," classic cartoon "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt," trailers of "The Maltese Falcon" and 1941's "Sergeant York"; two previous movie versions of the classic Hammett caper: "The Maltese Falcon" (1931) with Bebe Daniels and Ricardo Cortez; "Satan Met a Lady" (1936) with Bette Davis and Warren William; documentary "The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird"; Robert Osborne hosts "Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart"; "Breakdowns of 1941: Studio Blooper Reel"; audio-only bonus: three radio show adaptations featuring the movie's original stars including a version starring Edward G. Robinson.

From the ridiculous to the sublime there's "Stooges on the Run," a single disc collection with four features: "Pop Goes the Easel" (1935), "Disorder in the Court" (1936), "Dizzy Doctors" (1937) and "Calling All Curs" (1938). Restored from the original negatives; in B&W and colorized versions; $24.95 from Sony ... and "Hail Mary" (1985 -- French), Jean-Luc Godard's take on the Virgin Birth that got banned by the Pope and the Church, from New Yorker Video.

From kids to just kidding there's "The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition" (1989), a two-disc set digital restoration of the family favorite loaded with extras and games, $26.99 from Disney ... "Monty Python and the Holy Grail: The Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition" (1975) is a two-disc set with a CD of the film's soundtrack, $29.95 from Sony. It's basically the same as the special edition of a few years back but with several added bonus features (a "Spamalot" animated medley featuring "Python" animations, all-new trivia quiz and "Grail" trailer, more) and, of course, the soundtrack. A must for Python fans.

There's plenty of action excitement with: "Point Break Pure Adrenaline Edition" (1991), directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty, John C. McGinley and James LeGros, from Fox ... "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Locked 'N Loaded Edition (Unrated Director's Cut)" (1998), directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham, Steven Mackintosh, Nicholas Rowe, Nick Marcq, Charles Forbes and Vinnie Jones, from Universal ... "Body Double Special Edition" (1984), directed by Brian De Palma and starring Melanie Griffith, Craig Wasson, Deborah Shelton, Gregg Henry and Dennis Franz, from Sony ... "Bugsy" (1991), directed by Barry Levinson and starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould, Joe Mantegna, Richard C. Sarafian and Bebe Neuwirth, in a two-disc set with extended cut (13 minutes of additional footage), from Sony. (Posted October 3)

From TV to Video:
"Avenger" (2006), starring Timothy Hutton, James Cromwell and Sam Elliott is a telefilm thriller about the transformation of a decorated war veteran to a secret gun for hire who chases down thugs and war criminals, from Warner ..."The Catherine Cookson Collection, Set 2" is a four-disc set with four adaptations of best-selling historical romances by Catherine Cookson, the top-selling British author of all time until overtaken by J.K. Rowling; includes "The Gambling Man," "The Glass Virgin," "The Dwelling Place" and "The Man Who Cried"; $59.99 from Acorn Media ... "Commander In Chief: Season One -- The Inaugural Edition" is a four-disc set of the failed TV series, $39.99 from Buena Vista ... "Forever Knight: The Trilogy, Part Three" is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.95 from Sony ... "MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Season One" is a two-disc set of the wacky Spike TV show, $34.98 from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "McLeod's Daughters: The Complete First Season" is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Koch Vision ... "Midsomer Murders, Set Seven" is a four-disc set with four feature-length mysteries involving murders in the quaint English village of Midsomer; $49.99 from Acorn Media ... "Stargate SG-1 Season Nine" is a five-disc set with 20 episodes, $49.98 from MGM/Sony. (Posted October 3)

Coming Soon:
Due November 28 is "Superman Returns," directed by Bryan Singer and starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Frank Langella, Sam Huntington, Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando and Kal Penn, available as a single-disc movie only and a two-disc Special Edition with extras, from Warner ... on December 12 Fox will release "The Devil Wears Prada" starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Adrian Grenier. (Posted September 26)

DVD Collectibles:
A pair of horror film staples have come back as special editions: "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Ultimate Edition" (1974) directed by Tobe Hooper and starring Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen cuts up again in a two-disc set with a new widescreen high-definition transfer from the original 16mm camera negatives and remixed audio in discrete Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0 stereo surround and the original monophonic soundtrack, digitally remastered. Extras include commentary by actors Burns, Partain, and Danziger and art director Robert A. Burns; commentary by director Tobe Hooper, cinematographer Daniel Pearl and actor Hansen; "Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth Documentary"; "Flesh Wounds Documentary"; tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar Hansen; deleted scenes; outtakes; theatrical trailers; TV and radio spots; blooper reel; and still gallery, from Dark Sky Films/MPI Home Video ... "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984), directed by Wes Craven and starring John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Johnny Depp, Charles Fleischer, Joseph Whipp and Robert Englund. The DVD uses New Line's infinifilm system so viewers can access behind-the-scenes documentaries, interviews and other extras as they are watching the film, so the bonus materials can be seen in the film's context. Extras include audio essays with director Wes Craven and star Robert Englund, documentaries on the franchise's origins and its legacy, trivia challenge, and a making-of featurette, from New Line.

"Soupy Sales: In Living Black and White" is a single disc of all of Soupy's classic black and white episodes containing more than two and a half hours of Soupy and friends at their crazy, comedic best: Soupy debuting the latest dance craze The Mouse; Pookie the Lion evoking such legendary greats as BB King and Muddy Waters when he sings the blues; White Fang -- the world's meanest dog -- playing an unusual game of fetch; the Soupy Shuffle; and plenty of flying pies. Soupy's show started out for kids in the early 1960s but quickly became a phenomenon for hipsters and straights; $14.98 from Morada Vision. (Posted September 26)

From TV to Video:
"The Adventures of Dick Tracy: The Complete Animated Series" (1961-64) is a four-disc set -- with a Dick Tracy comic -- $39.98 from Classic Media ... "Benny Hill: Complete and Unadulterated -- The Hill's Angels Years DVD Set 5" is a three-disc set with nine uncut episodes from 1982-85, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Best of the Kids in the Hall: Volume 1" features 39 of the cast's and fans' favorite skits from the early days of the series, $14.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Bliss: Season Two" is a single disc with eight unedited episodes of the second season of the Oxygen Net series, $24.95 from MTI Home Video ... "The Book of Daniel: The Complete Series" is a two-disc set, $22.98 from Universal ... "Brotherhood: The Complete First Season" is a three-disc set with 11 episodes, $56.99 from Showtime ... "City of Men" is a three-disc set with 19 episodes of the hit Brazilian TV series, in Portuguese with English subtitles; $32.98 from Palm Pictures ... "Dangermouse: The Final Seasons" is a three-disc set with all 21 episodes from Seasons 7-10 of the pop-culture savvy series, $39.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Daniel Boone: Season 1" and "Season 2" are eight-disc sets, digitally restored and re-mastered, $49.98 each from Goldhil Entertainment/Liberation Entertainment ... "Eleventh Hour" (2006) is a two-disc set with four episodes of the investigative sci-fi mystery series starring Patrick Stewart as a government detective who solves mysteries in the ever-evolving world of contemporary science (rogue cloners, resurgent viruses, ruthless polluters, etc.), $29.99 from Acorn Media ... "Ellen: The Complete Season Four" is a three-disc set, $49.95 A&E Home Video ... "Mama's Family: The Complete First Season" is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $26.97 from Warner ... "One Tree Hill: The Complete Third Season" is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Pride and Prejudice: 10th Anniversary Limited Collector's Edition" (1996) is a limited edition set -- only 150,000 will be created -- features the original, legendary A&E Network/BBC miniseries in its entirety on two discs; $59.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Riptide: The Complete First Season" is a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Thriller: The Complete Season One" is a four-disc set of the British anthology series from the 1970s; created by famed "Avengers" auteur Brian Clemens; $79.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Whose Line Is It, Anyway? Season 1, Volume 1" is a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $24.98 from Warner. (Posted September 26)

For the Kids:
"Diver Dan" is a single disc with episodes of the 1960s kids serial featuring live-action and puppet characters, $7.98 from Alpha Home Entertainment ... Scholastic Video Collection has two releases this week: "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel ... And More Stories About Trucks" (2006) is adapted and animated from the 1939 book by Virginia Lee Burton, and narrated by Andy Richter; the DVD features two other action-packed stories based on favorite children's books: "Trash! y Town" and "Dot the Fire Dog"; and "Teeny-Tiny and the Witch Woman ... And More Creepy Tales" (2006), a deliciously scary story about a boy who outsmarts an old witch-woman before she can capture him and his siblings for dinner; includes three other stories about witches: "Space Case" narrated by Christopher Lloyd, "The Boy With Two Shadows," "The Witch in the Cherry Tree" ; $14.95 each ... "Rounding First" (2005) is a family film about a group of boys who break out of Little League summer camp to secretly trail one boy's parents on a mysterious trip they're taking. from Hangin' Hams Prods. ... "Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz!" (2006) features the animated on-the-road adventures of the fashion dolls, $19.98 from Fox ... "The Wind in the Willows: The Feature Films Collection" (1983) is a two-disc set with Cosgrove Hall Productions' whimsical stop-motion animated "The Wind in the Willows" and "The Wind in the Willows: A Tale of Two Toads"; $29.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Laura's Star" (2005) is an animated children's film about a little girl who witnesses a shooting star fall from the sky and discovers that the star has broken its leg; after being mended with a band aid, the star begins scattering stardust around Laura's bedroom, bringing her toys to life; $14.98 from Warner ... "Power Rangers: Mystic Force: Dark Wish -- The Blockbuster" (2006) features the complete Dark Wish saga in a full-length feature, $19.99 from Buena Vista. (Posted September 26)

Special Interest:
"The Ground Truth" (2006) is a brutally honest, fulfilling, and unforgettable documentary account of the struggles of returned Iraq War veterans and their loved ones. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, film is unflinchingly forthright in its account of the broken hearts and shattered lives left in the wake of the War in Iraq. Devastated by the unrelenting brutality of the war and overlooked by the government they served and sacrificed for, these reluctant heroes are beset by personal demons as well as physical and psychological wounds as they attempt to reintegrate into their families and communities. From Universal ... "Combat Diary: The Marines of Lima Company" (2006) is a History Channel documentary about the war in Iraq; $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers" (2006) is a hard-hitting expose about the misuse of funds earmarked for reconstruction in Iraq. Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald ("Wal- Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," "Outfoxed") takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. The film uncovers the connections between private corporations (Halliburton among them) making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so; $14.95 from The Disinformation Company ... "Digging for the Truth: The Complete Season One" is a four-disc set of the History Channel's archaeology adventure series, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "New York Mets Vintage World Series Films" spotlights the classic moments of the New York Mets 1969 and 1986 World Series championships, $19.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Michele Balan Live! At Joe's Pub in NYC" (2006) is a stand-up routine by Michele Balan, one of the four finalists on NBC's "Last Comic Standing"; $19.99 from Kultur International ... "Windy City Heat: The Uncensored Director's Cut" (2003 -- TV) is a full-length original reality film, the climax of a decade-long practical joke played on its "star," Perry Caravello, in a two-disc set. from Comedy Central/Paramount ... "Docurama Film Festival II" is a 10-disc set with "Con Man," "The Education of Shelby Knox," "The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch," "Parallel Lines," "Passin' It On," "Power Trip," "Waging a Living," "The Shvitz," "Spotlight on Our Times -- Farmingville" and "Special Retrospective -- Original cast Album: Company"; $229.95 from Docurama. (Posted September 26)

Coming Soon:
Due October 10 is third-wheel romantic comedy "You, Me and Dupree," starring, Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon as a newly-wed couple who have to put up with their permanent temporary house guest Owen Wilson, from Universal ... On November 21, Universal will release Woody Allen's latest mystery, "Scoop," starring Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Allen and Ian McShane ... Due December 5 is the third-highest grossing worldwide film of all time, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Bill Nighy, Jonathan Pryce, Lee Arenberg, Mackenzie Crook, Kevin McNally, David Bailie and Stellan Skarsgard. The film will be available in a single-disc and a two-disc Collector's Edition, with such extras as commentary, 10 featurettes, including a profile on star Johnny Depp, an inside look at the movie's theatrical premiere on Disneyland's Main Street, a photo diary from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a feature on "re-imagineering" the Disneyland theme park's popular "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction into a movie, and an extensive making-of documentary; from Buena Vista. (Posted September 19)

DVD Collectibles:
From The Criterion Collection comes the shocking and outrageous "Jigoku (Hell)," the most innovative creation from Nobuo Nakagawa ("The Lady Vampire," "Ghost Story of Yotsuya"), the father of the Japanese horror film. After a young theology student flees a hit-and-run accident, all possible escape routes lead straight to hell, literally. A striking departure from traditional Japanese ghost stories, "Jigoku," with its truly eye-popping (and gouging) imagery, created aftershocks that are still reverberating in cinema around the world today. The 1960 film receives a new, restored high-definition digital transfer with new and improved English subtitle translations. Extras include "Building the Inferno," a new documentary on director Nakagawa and the making of the film; theatrical trailer; galleries of posters from selected Nakagawa and Shintoho studio films; and a new essay by noted Asian-cinema critic Chuck Stephens ... Criterion has also scheduled for release this week V'ctor Erice's spellbinding "The Spirit of the Beehive," widely regarded as the greatest Spanish film of the 1970s. In a small Castilian village in 1940, directly following the country's devastating Civil War, 6-year-old Ana attends a traveling movie show of "Frankenstein" and becomes haunted by its memory. "Spirit of the Beehive" is one of the most visually arresting movies ever made -- from one of cinema's most elusive auteurs.

Also due this week is "Grease: Rockin' Rydell Edition" (1978), the classic rock musical starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar, Alice Ghostley and Dody Goodman, presented in limited edition "T-Bird" leather jacket packaging. Extras include commentary by director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch; "The Time, the Place, the Motion: Remembering Grease" featurette; deleted, extended and alternate scenes; "The Moves Behind the Music"; "Thunder Roadsters"; vintage interviews with Travolta and Olivia Newton-John; photo galleries, more; from Paramount. (Posted September 19)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5," a three-disc set with 11 episodes from the second half of season two, $49.98 from Universal ... "The Chris Rock Show: Seasons 1&2," a three-disc set of uncensored episodes, $39.98 from HBO Video ... "Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery & Imagination" (1995), a four-disc set with 11 of Poe's most popular horror stories, narrated by Christopher Lee; $49.98 from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Limited ... "8th & Ocean: The Complete First Season," a three-disc set with 10 episodes, $39.99 from MTV Home Entertainment ... "The Ellen DeGeneres Show: DVD-licious" (2006) is a two-disc set with an assortment of DeGeneres' favorite moments from the past three years of the show; $24.98 from Warner ... "Everybody Loves Raymond: The Complete Seventh Season," a five-disc set with 24 episodes, $44.98 from HBO Video ... "Footballers Wive$," a two-disc set with nine episodes, $29.99 from First Look Home Entertainment ... "The Gilmore Girls: The Complete Sixth Season," a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Hart to Hart: The Complete Second Season" (1980-81), a five-disc set with 20 episodes, $49.95 from Sony ... "The King of Queens: The Complete Sixth Season" (2003-04), a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "My Name Is Earl Season One," a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "The Unit Season One," a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Waking Up Wally" (2005), a family drama telefilm about hockey great Wayne Gretzky's dad's recovery from a stroke, starring Tom McCamus, Victoria Snow, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Matthew Edison and Kristen Holden-Ried, from Monarch Home Video. (Posted September 19)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"10TH & Wolf" (2006) stars James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi, Brad Renfro, Piper Perabo, Dennis Hopper, Lesley Ann Warren, Tommy Lee, Brian Dennehy and Val Kilmer in a thriller in which an ex-Marine comes home to his South Philly neighborhood and, against his better judgment, gets involved with his family and their ties to the mafia, from ThinkFilm ... "Johnny Was" (2005) stars Vinnie Jones, Patrick Bergin, Eriq La Salle, Samantha Mumba, Lennox Lewis and Roger Daltrey in a thriller about a hood who tries to escape his past in a London "safe" house, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "The Nugget" (2002) is a comedy about three friends who stumble on to the world's largest gold nugget, starring Eric Bana, Stephen Curry and Dave O'Neil, from First Look Home Entertainment ... and "Chucky: The Killer DVD Collection" is a two-disc set with "Child's Play 2,' "Child's Play 3," "Bride of Chucky" and "Seed of Chucky," $19.98 from Universal. (Posted September 19)

On the Indie Front:
In "Loverboy" (2006), directed by Kevin bacon and starring Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon, Marisa Tomei, Oliver Platt, Campbell Scott and Kevin Bacon, Sedgwick plays Emily, a beautiful and brilliant loner obsessed with having the perfect child; her desperation drives her to commit shocking and perilous acts, from Screen Media Films ... "Strange Fruit" (2005) is a drama set in contemporary rural louisiana in which a successful New York lawyer and gay African-American comes home to the life he escaped from to investigate the lynching of his also-gay childhood friend, starring Kent Faulcon, Berlinda Tolbert, David Raibon, Ron Bottitta, Christopher May, Leon Morenzie and Sam Jones, from Ariztical Entertainment. (Posted September 19)

Foreign:
"Marius and Jeannette" (1997 -- French), starring Ariane Ascaride and Gerard Meylan, is the story of two unlikely lovers -- both in their 40s and carrying the weight of previous relationships -- who slowly develop a profound and beautiful romance; set in a sun-drenched working-class sector of the French port city of Marseilles; from New Yorker Video ... "Exorcist Master (Qu mo dao zhang)" (1993) is a Hong Kong horror thriller about a ghastly horror unleashed on the land when a haunted church is reopened in the secluded town of Wine-Spring; from Image Entertainment ... "Fuse" (2003) is a bitingly funny story set in Bosnia two years after the civil war; a small town is turned upside down as it prepares for a visit by President Bill Clinton, falling all over itself to create a squeaky clean image -- a brothel is turned into a "cultural center," a children's choir learns "House of the Rising Sun" -- before his arrival, in Bosnian and Serbian with English subtitles, from First Run Features ... "Go for Zucker" (2005) is the first German-Jewish comedy to come out of Germany since World War II; the film follows the misadventures of two brothers -- one an east German celebrity sportscaster always in debt, the other a quasi-Orthodox from the West -- who have to reconcile before receiving an inheritance from their mother; the slapstick, politically incorrect film was originally slated for television but was released theatrically and picked up six Lolas (German Film Prizes) in 2005; in German with English subtitles, from First Run Features. (Posted September 19)

For the Kids:
For preschoolers there's "Monkeydoos Things That Go!" is the newest title in the award-winning Monkeydoos series that engages young viewers with programs of simulated movements based on themes (this edition focuses on the world of vehicular motion -- planes, trains, boats, etc. -- combining live action footage of kids with computer animation to teach various movements based on the featured vessels), getting kids off the couch and on their feet and helping to stave off childhood obesity; $14.98 from Mazzarella Media (www.mazz.com) ... "Scooby-Doo in Pirates Ahoy!" is a 2006 original animated feature, $19.98 from Warner ... "The Batman: The Complete Second Season" is a two-disc set with 13 animated episodes, $19.98 from Warner ... "Teen Titans: The Complete Second Season" is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $19.98 from Warner. (Posted September 19)

Special Interest:
In "Bob Newhart Button Down Concert," Grammy and Emmy Award winner Bob Newhart milks everyday situations for comic gold in this rare 1995 live concert performance that recalls his days as a comedy circuit staple; $19.98 from Fox ... "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" (2006) is a documentary about cult musician Daniel Johnston, whose work has been recorded by Beck, Wilco, Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam, but whose life as a manic depressive has forced him to spend the last three decades in and out of mental institutions, from Sony ... "Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema" (2006) is a documentary on gay and lesbian cinema; $19.95 from Wolfe Video ... "Put the Needle on the Record" is a documentary on the global phenomenon of electronic music; $19.95 from MVD Visual ... "Plastic Disasters" (2006) is a documentary that examines the current lust for plastic surgery -- and some of the unwanted consequences, $24.98 from HBO Video. (Posted September 19)

Coming Soon:
Due October 24 is strange comedy "Nacho Libre," starring Jack Black, Peter Stormare, Ana de la Reguera and Carla Jimenez, from Paramount ... also on that day Sony will release animated kid thriller "Monster House," with the voices of Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jon Heder, Jason Lee, Catherine O'Hara, Kathleen Turner and Fred Willard ... Due November 14 is "Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas)," a film about French and German soldiers who call a temporary Christmas truce during World War I, from Sony ... "An Inconvenient Truth," a riveting documentary on global warming and the destruction of the environment, narrated by former Vice President Al Gore (in environmentally friendly packaging), is due November 21 ... And, on November 28, Kevin Smith's sequel "Clerks II," starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith and Trevor Fehrman, checks in from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products. (Posted September 12)

DVD Collectibles:
"The Laurel and Hardy Collection Volume 2" is a three-disc set with three of the duo's minor outings: "A Haunting We Will Go" (1942), "The Dancing Masters" (1943) and "The Bullfighters" (1945); $34.98 from Fox ... Lucasfilm and Fox have released the first three "Star Wars" flicks in two-disc sets with both the enhanced trilogy versions (with commentary by George Lucas, cast and crew) and the original theatrical version (available for the first time on DVD): "Star Wars: A New Hope," "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" and "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," $19.95 each. (Posted September 12)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "The Adventures of Chico & Guapo: The Complete First Season Uncensored," a two-disc set with all eight episodes, $26.99 from MTV Home Entertainment ... "Black. White. The Complete Series," a two-disc set with six episodes, $26.98 from Fox ... "The Complete Kathy & Mo Show," a two-disc set with two award-winning HBO specials adapted from the long-running off-Broadway sensation: "The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives," and "The Kathy & Mo Show: The Dark Side," from Image Entertainment ... "Diagnosis Murder: The Complete First Season, a five-disc set with 19 episodes, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Second Season -- Uncut" is a six-disc set with 27 episodes, $59.99 from Buena Vista ... "Home to Roost: Acting Out" a two-disc set of the British sitcom starrng John Thaw that airs on PBS, $29.98 from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Limited ... "Inspector Lewis" is a 2006 British police thriller from the Mystery! Series, $19.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Las Vegas: Season Three" a five-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "9/11: Press for Truth," is a 2006 documentary that stitches together rare and overlooked news clips, buried stories, and government press conferences, revealing a pattern of official lies, deception, and spin about 9/11; $14.95 from The Disinformation Company ... "The Office: Season Two." a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98 from Universal ... "A Salute to Hee-Haw: The Collector's Edition," a five-disc set comprised of eight different episodes with more than 40 musical performances, from Time Life ... "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" is the 1995 telefilm starring Glenn Close and Judy Davis, $19.94 from Sony ... "Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season" is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Stella: Season One," a two-disc set with 10 episodes of the Comedy Central series; $26.99 from Paramount ... "Wildboyz: The Complete Seasons 3 & 4 -- Uncensored," a two-disc set with the series' final 16 episodes, $39.99 from MTV Home Entertainment. (Posted September 12)

For the Kids:
Jamarama Live! Kidsfest is a dynamic traveling live music show designed to entertain children ages 2 and up as well as their entire families. It is an annual event that tours nationally throughout the U.S. It incorporates live music with interactive areas such as tumbling, face painting, coloring, singing, and dancing, and kiddie mosh pits. The "Jamarama Live ! Kidsfest Volume 1" DVD of the show features The Laurie Berkner Band, Milkshake (which counts Rodgers and Hammerstein and the White Stripes as influences) and The Ohmies, an interactive group that melds yoga and music. Guaranteed to get your kids on their feet and dancing; $14.98 from Goldhil Entertainment ... For girls only there's the animated "My Little Pony: The Runaway Rainbow," featuring Rainbow Dash and Rarity the Unicorn in a celebration of the first rainbow of the season in Ponyville, $16.99 from Paramount ... and for boys there's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 4," featuring 14 episodes of the heroes in a half-shell, and Sonic X: Season 5," with 13 episodes featuring Sonic the Hedgehog and friends fighting evil; both are two-disc sets priced at $16.98 each from 4Kids Entertainment Home Video. (Posted September 12)

Special Interest:
There's several documentaries due this week from WGBH Boston Video: "Killing Fields" is a 1998 People's Century TV documentary on WWI and "Total War" is a 1998 People's Century TV documentary on WWII, both $19.95; "Young Blood: Rebellion, Riots, and Rock 'n Roll in the Sixties," a 1999 People's Century TV documentary, $19.95; "The Stars: Supernovas, The Big Bang, and More," a three-disc boxed set of NOVA documentaries: "Death Star," "Death of a Star" and "Runaway Universe", $39.95; "Great Peaks: Everest, Kilimanjaro, McKinley, Mont Blanc and Vinson Massif," a boxed set of five NOVA documentaries: "Everest: The Death Zone," "Volcano Above the Clouds" (Mount Kilimanjaro), "Deadly Ascent" (Mt. McKinley), "Descent Into the Ice" (Mont Blanc) and "Mountain of Ice" (Vinson Massif), $49.95; "The Miracle of Life," a 1996 NOVA documentary set with "The Miracle of Life" and bonus feature "Life's First Feelings," $29.95 ... "Too Hot Not to Handle" is a 2006 TV documentary on global warming and how U.S. businesses and local governments are combating the problem, $24.98 from HBO Video ... "The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats" is a two-disc set featuring interviews with Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Astaire, Groucho Marx, Debbie Reynolds, Kirk Douglas, John Huston, Robert Mitchum and Orson Welles; $39.98 from Shout! Factory. (Posted September 12)

Coming Soon:
Due October 10: Wacky comedy "Click," starring Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff, Henry Winkler, Julie Kavner and Sean Astin, from Sony; "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties," starring Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Billy Connolly, Ian Abercrombie and the voice of Bill Murray, from Fox ... Due October 17 is black romantic comedy "The Break-Up," starring Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Ann-Margret, Jason Bateman, Judy Davis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Favreau and Cole Hauser, from Universal ... and due November 14 is one of the summer's blockbusters, "The Da Vinci Code," directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany and Jurgen Prochnow. The film will be available as a two-disc special edition and a gift set. Packaging will feature hidden phrases from the film that can be viewed only with a black light or a magnifying glass. One hidden message leads to exclusive online content. Extras will include featurettes on Howard, Hanks, Tautou and book author Dan Brown; a location featurette; more. The Gift set includes a full-sized movie prop reproduction of Robert Langdon's (Tom Hanks) journal containing notes, symbols and codes used to decipher the truth behind the Da Vinci Code; and a working replica of the cryptex featured in the film; from Sony. (Posted September 5)

DVD Collectibles:
There's four incredible releases due this week from The Criterion Collection: Jacques Tati's "Playtime," Federico Fellini's "Amarcord," Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and Terry Gilliam's "Brazil.

  • "Playtime" (1967): With a treasure trove of clips, documentaries, and interviews, this beautiful new transfer gives us more insight into Tati's life and work than we've ever seen before. For this monumental achievement, a nearly three-year-long, bank-breaking production, Tati again thrust the endearingly clumsy, resolutely old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, along with a host of other lost souls, into a bafflingly modernist Paris. With every inch of its superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, Playtime is a lasting testament to a modern age tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion. In a two-disc set with a new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras include a video introduction by Terry Jones; selected scene audio commentary by film historian Philip Kemp; "Au-dela de Playtime," a short documentary featuring archival behind-the-scenes footage from the set; "Tati Story," a short biographical film about Tati; "Jacques Tati in Monsieur Hulot's Work," a 1976 BBC Omnibus program; rare audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of "Playtime"; "Cours du soir," a 1967 short film written by and starring Tati; a new essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum; more.
  • "Amarcord" (1973) The Academy Award-winning film remains one of cinema's enduring treasures, presented here newly restored and in an eye-popping transfer. In his carnivalesque portrait of provincial Italy during the Fascist period, Federico Fellini's most personal film satirizes his youth and turns daily life into a circus of social rituals, adolescent desires, male fantasies, and political repartee, all set to Nino Rota's classic, nostalgia-tinged score. The two-disc includes commentary by scholars Peter Brunette and Frank Burke; a new 45-minute documentary, "Fellini's Homecoming," on the complicated relationship between Fellini, his hometown, and his past; video interview with star Magali Noel; Fellini's drawings, and other Amarcord ephemera; audio interviews with Fellini, his friends, and family by Gideon Bachmann; a book featuring a new essay by Sam Rohdie and Fellini's 1968 memoir, "La mia Rimini."
  • "Seven Samurai" (1954): The most widely seen Japanese film in history has never been seen quite like this: hundreds of hours of restoration has resulted in a magnificent new transfer of one of the most beloved movie epics of all time. The story of a 16th century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits, this three-hour ride seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope. Extras on the three-disc set include two audio commentaries; a 50-minute documentary on the making of "Seven Samurai," part of the Toho Masterworks series "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create"; "My Life in Cinema," a two-hour video conversation between Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima; "Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences," a new documentary; gallery of behind-the-scenes images of Kurosawa at work on "Seven Samurai," plus original poster art; theatrical trailers and teaser; a booklet featuring essays by Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Kenneth Turan, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn, Sidney Lumet, and an interview with star Toshiro Mifune.
  • "Brazil (1985): Gathering footage from both the European and American versions of his celebrated masterpiece, Terry Gilliam has assembled the ultimate 142-minute director's cut of Brazil-- now with a new anamorphic transfer and commentary, and available for the first time as a single-disc release separate from Criterion's exclusive three-disc "Brazil" box set. Gilliam's bitter science-fiction parable for the Information Age has come to be regarded as an anti-totalitarian cautionary tale equal to the works of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Kurt Vonnegut. The film stars Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Kim Greist and Jim Broadbent. Gilliam provides commentary.

Other classic and would-be classics due this week are "Gojira (Godzilla)" (1954), the original, uncut Japanese-language version of Ishiro Honda's "Gojita," critically acclaimed as a bold anti-nuclear allegory and one of the greatest monster movies of all time -- released to DVD for the first time. Also included is the English edited version "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" (1956) starring Raymond Burr. Extras include commentary by Steve Ryfle (author of "Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of Godzilla") and Ed Godziszewski (editor and publisher of Japanese Giants magazine); a 16-page booklet that includes a history of "Gojira," a "Making of the Godzilla Suit" featurette; more; from Classic Media ... "All the King's Men" (1949), director Robert Rossen's adaptation of William Penn Warren's classic novel about the rise to power of ruthless politician Willie Stark, starring Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, Joanne Dru and John Derek, from Sony ... Disney has on offer a camp double feature about orphaned kids with extraordinary supernatural powers, "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "Return From Witch Mountain": "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975) stars Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann, Walter Barnes and Denver Pyle; "Return From Witch Mountain" (1978) stars Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann and Jack Soo; $19.99 ... Fox has four Studio Classics releases due this week: "Frankenstein Unbound" (1990), a cult favorite about a scientist who goes back in time to meet Dr. Frankenstein, directed by Roger Corman and starring John Hurt, Raul Julia, Nick Brimble, Bridget Fonda, Catherine Rabett and Jason Patric; "Night Train to Paris" (1964), a thriller about an ex-OSS officer's journey into post-WWII espionage, starring Leslie Nielsen, Aliza Gur and Hugh Latimer; "The Other" (1972), a psychological horror thriller about twin brothers, one good, one very bad, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Uta Hagen and Diana Muldaur; and "Pretty Poison" (1968), about a mentally unstable young man exploited for evil by a sensuous high school girl, starring Anthony Perkins, Tuesday Weld, Beverly Garland and John Randolph. (Posted September 5)

From TV to Video:
"Anne of Avonlea" (1975) is a two-disc set of the six-part BBC miniseries, $29.98 from Koch Vision ... "The Bob Newhart Show Season Four" is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "Bridget Loves Bernie: The Complete Series" is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.95 from Sony ... "Broken Trail" is a 2006 AMC miniseries directed by Walter Hill and starring Robert Duvall, Thomas Haden Church, Greta Scacchi, Todd Allen, Rusty Schwimmer and Scott Copper, from Sony ... "Commander in Chief: The Inaugural Edition Part 2" is a two-disc set with episodes 11-18, $29.99 from Buena Vista ... "Family: The Complete First and Second Seasons" is a six-disc set with 28 episodes, $49.95 from Sony ... "The Flintstones: The Complete Sixth Season" is a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "Gerald McBoing Boing Adventures" and "Gerald McBoing Boing Fairytales" each contain six episodes from the Cartoon Network animated series, $12.98 from Classic Media ... "Lost: The Complete Second Season -- The Extended Experience" is a seven-disc set with every second-season episode, $59.99 from Buena Vista ... "Supernatural: The Complete First Season" is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $58.98 from Warner ... "The Three Musketeers" (1966) is a two-disc set with all 10 episodes of the BBC production starring Jeremy Brett, Brian Blessed, Gary Watson and Jeremy Young; $29.98 from Koch Vision. (Posted September 5)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "Dead Man's Shoes" (2004), a British soldier returns to his rural village and gets even with the thugs who brutalized his simple-minded little brother; stars Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch and Toby Kebbell; from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "I, Vampire: Trilogy of Blood" is an anthology of three films focusing on vampire-driven stories of blood-thirsty immortals: "Spawn of Hell," "From the Grave" and "Undead Evil"; $14.98 from Koch Vision ... "Tales From the Grave" includes a trio of tales featuring the dead coming back to get revenge on the living: "Beyond Death," "Brides of the Dead" and "The Rotting Dead"; $14.98 from Koch Vision ... "Shock Treatment" (1981) is a sequel of sorts to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," with Jessica Harper and Cliff De Young picking up the roles of Janet and Brad in a spoof of rock musicals, horror films and even "Rocky Horror" itself; the 25th Anniversary Edition includes commentary by the founders of the Shock Treatment Fan Club, a making-of featurette, "Let's Rock 'n' Roll: Shock Treatment's Super Score" musical retrospective featurette, more, from Fox ... "The Legend of Lucy Keyes" (2006) is a supernatural thriller about a young girl who disappeared 250 years ago, starring Julie Delpy, Justin Theroux and Brooke Adams, from MTI Home Video ... "Population 436" (2005) is a horror-thriller about a small town population that neither shrinks nor grows, starring David Ames, James Blicq, Cory Cassidy and Fred Durst, from Sony ... In Clive Barker's "The Plague" (2006), the world's kids arise from a 10-year coma and wage war on adults, starring James Van Der Beek, Dee Wallace Stone and Ivana Milicevic, from Sony. (Posted September 5)

Special Interest:
Warner Home Video plays football this week with "The History of Notre Dame Football" (2006), which celebrates the winning tradition of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, with interviews from the most memorable players and coaches in Notre Dame history, $19.98; "NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Road to XL" is a four-disc set with all three playoff games and Super Bowl XL in their entirety; "The History of Texas Longhorns Football" (2006) focuses on the winning tradition of the Texas Longhorns from their first game in 1893 through their fourth national championship season in 2005; $19.98. ... "Gang Wars" is a two-disc set with award-winning HBO documentaries on gangs in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the homicide rates are higher than in New York or Los Angeles: "Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock" and "Back in the Hood: Gang War 2"; $24.98 from HBO Video ... "Heart of Darkness: The Vietnam War Chronicles (1945-1975)" is a comprehensive three-disc documentary with seven chronologically-ordered episodes about the war in Vietnam; $39.98 from Koch Vision ... "Secrets of Mary Magdalene" is a two-disc documentary providing the most up-to-date information on one of the world's most controversial religious figures, $19.98 from Koch Vision ... And, lastly, WWE Entertainment will release a lavish three-disc set on "The History of the WWE Championship," featuring some of the greatest matches from the '70s to the present, a WWE timeline, multimedia highlights from every title change, and much more, $34.95. (Posted September 5)

DVD Collectibles:
Leading off this week's collectibles is The Criterion Collection's edition of "Seduced and Abandoned" (1964), Pietro Germi's follow-up to his international sensation "Divorce Italian Style." A rollicking yet raw series of escalating comic calamities ensue in a small Sicilian village when 16-year-old Agnese (the beautiful Stefania Sandrelli) loses her virginity at the hands of her sister's lascivious fiance. Don Vincenzo will do anything to restore his family's honor, including shotgun weddings, kidnapping, attempted murder, even emergency dental work. A real gem of a film, in a new, restored high-definition digital transfer with new interviews with screenwriters Furio Scarpelli and Luciano Vincenzoni and Italian film scholar Mario Sesti; interviews with Stefania Sandrelli and co-star Lando Buzzanca; a Stefania Sandrelli screen test; and a new essay by film scholar Irene Bignardi.

Fox has added three titles to its film noir collection: "Fourteen Hours" (1951), directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Richard Basehart, Paul Douglas, Agnes Moorehead, Barbara Bel Geddes, Debra Paget, Howard Da Silva and Jeffrey Hunter, about a tormented young man who teeters on a New York hotel ledge 15 floors up, deciding whether or not to jump; "Shock" (1946), starring Anabel Shaw, Frank Latimer, Vincent Price and Lynn Bari in a psychological thriller about a young woman who suffers shock after witnessing a brutal murder and comes under the treatment of a psychiatrists who she later finds out is the killer; and "Vicki" (1953), starring Jean Peters, Elliott Reed, Jeanne Crain and Richard Boone in a thriller about the far-reaching investigation into the death of a famous New York cover girl.

Fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will fairly quiver when New Line releases more versions of the esteemed trilogy: two-disc sets of each film ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Limited Edition," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Limited Edition" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Limited Edition") featuring both the theatrical and extended versions but minus all extras save a behind-the-scenes documentary. ... "Brat Pack" fans will appreciate Paramount's release of "Pretty in Pink: Everything's Duckie Edition" (1986), directed by Howard Deutch and starring Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader and Andrew McCarthy, with such extras as "The First Time: The Making of Pretty in Pink," "Zoids and Richies," "Prom Queen: All About Molly," "Volcanic Ensembles," "Prom Stories" featurettes, favorite scenes, "The Lost Dance" original ending, "Wrap Up" epilogue and a photo gallery; and "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1987), also directed by Deutch and starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Craig Sheffer, Eric Stoltz and Lea Thompson, with such goodies as commentary by Deutch and Thompson, "The Making of Some Kind of Wonderful," "Meet the Cast" featurette, "The Music" featurette, "John Hughes Time Capsule" and a photo gallery.

Warner will release this week the "Agatha Christie Classic Mystery Collection," an eight-disc set with eight Agatha Christie telefilms: "A Caribbean Mystery," "Murder Is Easy," "Murder With Mirrors," "Dead Man's Folly," "Murder in Three Acts," "Thirteen at Dinner," "The Man in the Brown Suit" and "Sparkling Cyanide"; $99.92. Two "subset" three-disc sets are also available at $39.92 each: Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Helen Hayes ("A Caribbean Mystery," "Murder Is Easy" and "Murder With Mirrors") and Agatha Christie Collection Featuring Peter Ustinov ("Dead Man's Folly," "Murder in Three Acts" and "Thirteen at Dinner.") (Posted August 29)

From TV to Video:
"Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures" (2004) is a BBC docudrama about the great mystery writer, starring Olivia Williams, $19.99 from Acorn Media ... "Agatha Christie's Marple Series 2" is a four-disc set with four Miss Marple mysteries: "Sleeping Murder," "By the Pricking of My Thumb," "The Moving Finger" and "Sittaford Mystery," $59.99 from Acorn Media ... "Andy Griffith Show: Season 7" is a five-disc set with 30 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Arrested Development: Season Three" is a two-disc set with all 13 final episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "The Best of the Awful Truth" features six fan-favorite episodes, $19.95 from Docurama ... "The Best of Mr. Bean" compiles five episodes, $14.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Desperate Housewives: The Complete Second Season -- The Extra Juicy Edition" is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, featuring an unaired story line, "Anatomy of a Show: Director's Diary" featurette, "Iconic Housewives" wit and wisdom featurette, deleted scenes, more, $59.99 from Buena Vista ... "Ellen: The Complete Season 4" features the groundbreaking two-part episode in which she announced she was gay, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Epitafios: The Complete First Season" is a five-disc set with all 13 episodes of the Argentinean TV series that follows a cat-and-mouse game between a police officer looking for a reason to live and a psychotic killer bent on revenge; $59.98 from HBO Video ... "Flavor of Love Unrated: The Complete First Season" is a three-disc set with all 10 episodes of the VH1 reality series featuring Flavor Flav; $39.99 from Paramount ... "Hogan's Heroes: The Complete Fourth Season" is a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $38.99 from Paramount ... "The Moonstone" (1972) is a two-disc set of the Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of Wilkie Collins' 1868 classic, $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Nip/Tuck: The Complete Third Season" is a six-disc set with 15 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "OZ: The Complete Sixth Season" is a three-disc set with the final eight episodes, $64.98 from HBO Video ... "South Park: The Complete Eighth Season" is a three-disc set with 14 episodes, $49.99 from Paramount ... "Survivor Palau -- The Complete Season" (2000) is a four-disc set, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Talking to Heaven" (2002) stars Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Queen Latifah, Michael Moriarty, Diane Ladd, Jack Palance in a miniseries inspired by the life and work of famed medium James Van Praagh, from MTI Home Video ... "Thames Shakespeare Collection" is a four-disc set with British TV productions of "Twelfth Night," "Romeo and Juliet," "King Lear" and "Macbeth"; $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Tick vs. Season One" (1961-62) is a two-disc set with 12 episodes, $34.99 from Sony. (Posted August 29)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
In direct-to-video "The Hard Corps" (2006), a former Desert Storm Special Forces soldier (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is hired to create a team of young fighters to protect a wealthy entrepreneur from a rap music mogul; co-stars Razaaq Adoti and Vivica A. Fox, from Sony ... In the comedy "Hot Tamale" (2006), a road trip to Los Angeles leads a young man from Wyoming into a wild maze of psychotic hit men, racey women, jewel thieves and a salsa band, starring Randy Spelling, Diora Baird, Carmen Electra and Jason Priestley, from Monarch Home Video. (Posted August 29)

On the Indie Front:
"Her Majesty" (2001) is a family film set in 1953 New Zealand in which a young girl's unusual friendship with an old woman outcast from society transforms an entire community, starring Sally Andrews, Vicky Haughton, Anna Sheridan, Mark Clare and Alison Routledge, from Image Entertainment ... "Lonesome Jim" (2006) is a comedy about a failed writer who returns to his small Indiana town to contend with his own depression, his suicidal brother and crazy relatives, directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Casey Affleck, Liv Tyler, Mary Kay Place, Seymour Cassel and, Kevin Corrigan, from Genius Products ... "American Gun" (2006) stars Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Marcia Gay Harden, Linda Cardellini, Chris Marquette and Nikki Reed in an IFC drama that depicts people from all walks of life directly affected by the consequences from acts of gun violence, from Genius Products. (Posted August 29)

Foreign:
"The Swindle" (1997 -- French) is the 50th film from Claude Chabrol, a story about a small-time swindler and his accomplice who get in over their heads when they take on a new scam, starring Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault and Francois Cluzet, from New Yorker Video ... "Voyage en Douce" (1980 -- French) is the sensuous story of two women -- childhood friends -- who travel together from Paris to the country, starring Dominique Sanda, Geraldine Chaplin and Jacques Zabor, also from New Yorker Video. (Posted August 29)

For the Kids:
"Brother Bear 2" (2006) is an animated sequel about the adventures of bears Kenai and Koda and their human friend Nita, with the voices of Patrick Dempsey, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Mandy Moore, and songs by Melissa Etheridge; $29.99 from Disney ... The animated "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers ... And More Inspiring Tales" (2006) is based on the lyrical Caldecott Award-winning book by Mordecai Gerstei about Phillppe Petit, a French man who walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers in New York in 1974, narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal; includes three other stories: "Snowflake Bentley" with Sean Astin narrating, "Miss Rumphius" narrated by Claire Danes and "The Pot that Juan Built" narrated by Alfred Molina; $14.95 from Scholastic Media ... "Winx Club Volume 5: Battle for Alfea" features the five concluding episodes from the first broadcast season of the boy's action series, $14.98 from 4Kids Home Video ... Two Disney animated series make their way to DVD in boxed sets: "Darkwing Duck Volume 1," a three-disc set with the pilot and first 25 episodes, $34.99; and "Talespin Volume 1," a three-disc set with 27 episodes of the animated series, $34.99. (Posted August 29)

Special Interest:
Two hot music documentaries rock their way to home video this week: "Kill Your Idols" (2006), a docu about the underground New York City music scene, from No Wave in the late 1970's, with Suicide, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, the Theoretical Girls and DNA; through the 1980's with Sonic Youth and Swans to the present with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Dice, Liars, A.R.E. Weapons and the Gypsy stylings of Gogol Bordello, from Palm Pictures ... " After The Crash: Bob Dylan 1966-1978" is a 2005 documentary on Bob Dylan's 'middle period', from his still controversial motorcycle accident through his conversion to born again Christianity. Features historic footage with review and criticism from experts, friends, fellow musicians and Dylan performances; $19.95 from MVD/Chrome Dreams ... For laughs there's "Comedy Gold" (2005), showcasing a stellar line up of the most famous Canadian comedians, writers and directors, including Dan Aykroyd, David Steinberg, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, Ivan Reitman, Howie Mandel, Eric McCormack and Tom Green; $24.99 from Kultur International ... "Joan Rivers (still a)Live at the London Palladium (allegedly)" (2006) was filmed in October during her first annual farewell tour; $19.99 from Kultur International ... "The Personal Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus" is a six-disc set, $44.95 from A&E Home Video.

"Apollo 13: Journey to the Moon and Mars" is a three-disc set with three NOVA Apollo 13 documentaries: "Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back," "To the Moon" and "Mars: Dead or Alive"; $39.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Criss Angel: Mindfreak -- Halloween Special" (2005) features performances from the Magic Castle in Hollywood and Criss Angel's hometown, New York; $19.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Digging for the Truth: The Complete Season 1" is a four-disc set about archaeology from the History Channel, $49.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Hurricane!: Katrina, Gilbert, and Camille" (2005) is a NOVA documentary on the devastating 2005 hurricanes, $29.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "NASCAR: Driven to Win Season 1" is a two-disc set that takes viewers behind the wheel of the world's fastet cars, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Baghdad ER (2005) is a documentary that pays tribute to the heroism of U.S. military and medical personnel in Iraq; $24.98 from HBO Video ... "Washington the Warrior" (2006) is a History Channel documentary on George Washington, $24.95 from A&E Home Video. (Posted August 29)

DVD Collectibles:
Universal has three wonderful releases this week that span the gamut of film genres: On the noir front there's the classic "Double Indemnity" (1944), directed by Billy Wilder and starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers and Byron Barr. The two-disc set features the restored film as well as such extras as an introduction by Robert Osborne, a "Shadows of Suspense" featurette, commentary by film historian Richard Schickel, and commentary by film historian/screenwriter Lem Dobbs and film historian Nick Redman ... for metaphorical Cold War sci fi there's the classic adventure "This Island Earth" (1955), about Earth scientists who get involved in an interstellar war on the planet Metaluna, starring Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason, Lance Fuller and Russell Johnson ... And for pure sentimental Americana melodrama there's Frank Capra's "State of the Union" (1948), staring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou and Lewis Stone, about an idealistic businessman (Spencer Tracy) -- chosen to run for the Presidency -- caught between the ruthless ambition of a string-pulling newspaper owner and the integrity of his devoted wife (Katharine Hepburn).

Anchor Bay will re-release this week "The Wicker Man" (1973), the cult classic thriller about a Scottish policeman called to an island to investigate the disappearance of a girl only to get involved in the doings of a strange village cult, to coincide with the big-screen remake starring Nicolas Cage. The original stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt and Lindsay Kemp, and is fully restored from original vault materials. Extras include interviews with Woodward, Lee and Pitt, director Robin Hardy, producer Peter Snell, writer Anthony Shaffer, editor Eric-Boyd Perkins, art director Seamus Flannery, assistant director Jake Wright, U.S. distributor John Simon and legendary filmmaker Roger Corman ... The Criterion Collection will release the director approved special edition of Noah Baumbach's "Kicking and Screaming" (1995), starring Parker Posey, Eric Stoltz, Josh Hamilton, Samuel Gould, Catherine Kellner, Jonathan Baumbach, John Lehr, Olivia d'Abo and Peter Czernin. Paralyzed with post-graduation ennui, a group of college friends remain on campus, patching together a community for themselves in order to deny the real-world futures awaiting them. Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Baumbach's hilarious and touching directorial debut was one of the highlights of the American independent film scene of the 90s, stingingly funny and incisive, and with endlessly quotable dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble cast. The release features a restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by Baumbach, with a new video interview with Baumbach; new video conversations featuring Baumbach and cast members; deleted scenes; more. (Posted August 22)

From TV to Video:
"The Bill Cosby Show: Season One" (1969-70), a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.98 from Shout! Factory ... "Blue Thunder: The Complete Series," a three-disc set with 11 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Conviction: The Complete Series," a three-disc set with all 13 episodes of the cancelled spin-off from "Law & Order," $39.98 from Universal ... "Elizabeth 1" (2005) is a two-disc set of the HBO miniseries starring Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Malahide, Toby Jones and Hugh Dancy, from HBO Video ... "House: Season Two" is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Invasion: The Complete Series," a six-disc set with all 22 episodes, $59.98 Warner ... "Threshold: The Complete Series," a four-disc set, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Veronica Mars: The Complete Second Season," a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner. (Posted August 22)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Satan's Playground" (2005) is a horror thriller homage to the horror pictures of the 1970s and 80s: a family gets stranded en route to a wilderness retreat and find themselves terrorized by a supernatural presence; stars Felissa Rose, Ellen Sandweiss, Edwin Neal and Irma St. Paule, from Anchor Bay ... "Kisses and Caroms" (2006) is a twentysomething sex comedy that takes place in a billiards shop, starring Nikki Stanzione, Drew Wicks and Nicole Rayburn, from PolyChrome Pictures ... "Neil's Party" (2003) stars Andrew Casey, Lauren Bigby and James Murtagh in a British teen comedy about a group of friends planning a gigantic summer bash while their parents are on vacation, from Lightyear Entertainment. (Posted August 22)

On the Indie Front:
In "Love for Rent" (2005), in order to avoid deportation, a young woman from Columbia sells her body as a surrogate for a wealthy couple unable to have a baby, starring Angie Cepeda, Ken Marino, Martita Roca, Nora Dunn and Jim Piddock, from HBO Video ... "Film Geek" (2006) is an indie film about a socially inept video store clerk with an encyclopedic knowledge of film who takes up with a pretty downtown hipster, starring Melik Malkasian, Tyler Gannon, Matt Morris and John Breen, from First Run Features. (Posted August 22)

Foreign:
"Angel of Vengeance" (1993) is a Hong Kong mobster martial arts action thriller staring Fat Chung, Yukari Oshima and Alex Fong, from Image Entertainment ... "Hunger" (1966 -- Swedish) stars Per Oscarsson and Gunnel Lindblom in the harrowing tale of a literally starving artist who would rather waste away than jeopardize his talent, integrity or his soul, from New Yorker Video ... "The Uninvited Guest (Habitante incierto, El)" (2004 -- Spain) is a thriller about an architect in Barcelona who lets a stranger into his home one night to use the phone and discovers that the man has disappeared into -- and now mysteriously inhabits -- the large house, starring Andoni Gracia, Monica Lopez and Francesc Garrido, from HBO Video. (Posted August 22)

For the Kids:
Three new releases for pre-schoolers this week: In "Elmo's Potty Time," Sesame Street characters help kids bolster self-confidence around potty time, $12.98 from Sony Wonder ... "Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration" features three episodes from the Playhouse Disney series that takes kids on thrilling adventures in the real world where they help solve an important mission; here they solve birthday problems by traveling to Italy and the wild West; $19.99 from Buena Vista ... The "Tot-a-Doodle-Do!" series helps foster imagination, creativity, social skills and healthy eating habits and exercise by engaging kids in various craft activities revolving around "School," "Animals" and "Transportation," the company's three latest releases; $14.95 each or $19.95 each with a craft kit; for more info contact www.totadoodledo.com.

For slightly older kids there's a host of releases this week from old standbys: "Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers" (2006) is a new feature-length animated film, $19.98 from Warner ... "Berenstain Bears: Discover School!" features six animated episodes, $14.94 from Sony ... "Dragon Tales: Experience New Things!" includes five animated episodes, $14.9 from Sony ... "The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The Cat's Colorful World" features three animated episodes, $9.95 from Sony ... "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason" is a 2006 animated feature from Paramount ... "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 40th Anniversary" is the great 1966 Peanuts adventure re-released to DVD, from Paramount ... "Little Bear: Halloween Stories" includes three animated episodes, $16.99, from Paramount ... "Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Fairy Tales" (2006) features two episodes for girls: "When the Berry Fairy Came to Stay" and "The Legend of Sherry Bobbleberry," $14.98 from Fox ... For older kids there's "Saving Shiloh" (2006), the third film based on the successful dog book trilogy by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, starring Jason Dolley, Gerald McRaney, Ann Dowd and Scott Wilson, from Warner. (Posted August 22)

Special Interest:
"A Model for Matisse" (2006) is a documentary look at the friendship between the great artist Henri Matisse and a 21-year-old nursing student in 1941 who, after World War II when she became Sister Jacques-Mariew of the Dominican nuns, inspired Matisse to create his masterpiece, The Chapel of the Rosary in the French Mediterranean village of Vence; $24.95 from First Run Features ... Fighting words: Who is Vincent Kennedy McMahon? Is he the outrageous owner and chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment who appears on WWE and Smackdown? Is he the philanthropist and family man who focuses on what would be best for his company? WWE's two-disc set "McMahon" is a comprehensive look at the man and the myth, $29.95 ... And after the documentary, feast your eyes on WWE's "The Great American Bash," featuring Smackdown superstars (including Undertaker, Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio) pummeling each other, recorded at Indianapolis on Sunday, July 23, $24.95 from WWE. (Posted August 22)

DVD Collectibles:
Several fabulous sets make their way to home video this week. First up are a pair of sets from Warner Home Video: "James Stewart: The Signature Collection," a five disc set with six of Stewart's films -- all new to DVD: "The FBI Story," "The Naked Spur," "The Spirit of St. Louis," "The Stratton Story" and a double feature "The Cheyenne Social Club/Firecreek"; $49.92 with all titles available individually for $19.97; and "Ronald Reagan: The Signature Collection," a five disc set with "Kings Row," "Knute Rockne All-American, "The Hasty Heart," "Storm Warning" and "The Winning Team," $49.92; only "Kings Row" and "Knute Rockne All-American" will be available individually for $19.97 ... Fox, meanwhile, will release "The Clark Gable Collection: Volume One," a three-disc set with "The Call of the Wild," "Soldier of Fortune" and "The Tall Men"; $49.98.

The Criterion Collection will release "Six Moral Tales," a six-disc set with the "Moral Tales" films of Eric Rohmer: "The Bakery Girl of Monceau," "Suzanne's Career," "My Night at Maud's," "La Collectionneuse," "Claire's Knee" and "Love in the Afternoon," with new, restored high-definition digital transfers, supervised and approved by Rohmer; $99.95. The multifaceted, deeply personal dramatic universe of Eric Rohmer has had an effect on cinema unlike any other. Gently existential, hyperarticulate character studies set against vivid seasonal landscapes, Rohmer's audacious and wildly influential series defined a genre. A succession of jousts between fragile men and the women who tempt them, the Six Moral Tales unleashed onto the film world a new voice, one that was at once sexy, philosophical, modern, daring, nonjudgmental, and liberating. There's plenty of extras as is Criterion's way: A new video conversation with Rohmer and Barbet Schroeder; short films: "Nadja in Paris," "Charlotte and Her Steak," "Une etudiante d'aujourd'hui," "The Camber" and "Veronique and Her Dunce"; archival interviews with Rohmer, actors Jean-Claude Brialy, Beatrice Romand, Laurence de Monaghan and Jean-Louis Trintignant, film critic Jean Douchet and producer Pierre Cottrell; video afterword with filmmaker and writer Neil LaBute; a book featuring the original stories by Eric Rohmer; a booklet featuring "For a Talking Cinema" by Rohmer, a memoir from Nestor Almendros, and six new essays. Highly recommended.

And, lastly, Paramount has put together a two-disc set containing both the 1979 "Apocalypse Now" and the 2001 "Apocalypse Now Redux," dubbed "Apocalypse Now -- The Complete Dossier." Extras include commentary by Coppola on both versions, never-before-seen featurettes, the lost "monkey sampan" scene, 12 never-before-seen segments from the cutting room floor, Brando's complete reading of T.S. Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men," an "Apocalypse Then and Now" retrospective, and a "PBR Streetgang" cast members reunion, more. (Posted August 15)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "The Duchess of Duke Street Series 2," a five-disc set with the final 16 episodes of the Masterpiece Theatre drama series starring Gemma Jones and Christopher Cazenove, $79.99 from Acorn Media ... "Floored by Love," a 2005 comedy about two different Canadian families -- an Asian-Canadian lesbian couple and a straight family with a newly-out gay son, created for the Canadian anthology TV series "13 Stories About Love," $19.95 from Wolfe Video ... "The Flying Nun: The Complete Second Season," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $29.95 from Sony ... "Full House: The Complete Fourth Season," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $29.98 from Warner ... "The Jeffersons: The Complete Fifth Season," a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.95 from Sony ... "Jericho Season One" (2005) with two episodes of the Mystery! Series about the brilliant detective Inspector Michael Jericho who solves crimes against the background of the social upheaval of 1950s London, $29.95 from WGBH Boston Video ... "Magilla Gorilla: The Complete Series," a four-disc set with 23 episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "Remington Steele: Seasons Four and Five," a five-disc set with 27 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Road: The Complete Series," a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.98, from Universal ... "Rome: The Complete First Season," a six-disc set with 12 episodes of the HBO series, $99.98 from HBO Video ... "The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season," a four-disc set with 25 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Surface: The Complete Series," a four-disc set with all 15 episodes, $37.98 from Universal ... "The Weird Al Show: The Complete Series," a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $34.98 from Shout! Factory. (Posted August 15)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
Due this week: "Land of the Blind" (2006), a thriller about government agents, terrorists and betrayal, starring Ralph Fiennes, Donald Sutherland and Lara Flynn Boyle, from Vivendi Visual Entertainment ... "Do You Like Hitchcock?" (2005 -- Italy) is a murder-thriller about a nerdy film student and voyeur who suspects two lovely young strangers may have conspired to commit a brutal murder, directed by modern horror master Dario Argento, from Anchor Bay ... "Survival Island" (2006) is an actioner about a couple stranded on a supposedly deserted island, starring Billy Zane, Kelly Brook and Juan Pablo Di Pace, from Paramount ... "Twisted Sisters" (2006) is a thriller about a young, successful woman stalked by the identical twin sister serial killer she didn't know existed, starring Fiona Horsey, Andrew Southern, Edna Ford and Paul Conway, from MTI Home Video/Redrum Entertainment ... In "Asphalt Wars" (2004), a young mechanic who dreams of becoming a professional racer instead becomes the getaway driver in a bank heist, starring Calvi Pabon and Mario Alvarado, from Buena Vista. (Posted August 15)

On the Indie Front:
"Love Comes to the Executioner" (2006) is a black comedy about a young man who takes a job as a "closer" at the local jail, only to find out that a "closer" is the one who pulls the switch on an execution, starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jonathon Tucker and Jeremy Renner, from Velocity Home Entertainment ... "Some Prefer Cake" (1988) is a comedy that follows the adventures of a promiscuous lesbian comic and her best friend, a food-obsessed straight woman who prefers cake to sex, starring Kathleen Fontaine, Tara Howley, Tirza Naramore and Leon Acord, from Wolfe Video. (Posted August 15)

Foreign:
"Cape of Good Hope" (2004 -- S. Africa) is an upbeat romantic comedy that connects a number of story lines all revolving around a Cape Town animal rescue shelter, starring Debbie Brown, Eriq Ebouaney and Nthati Moshesh, from Metro Home Entertainment ... In "L'Enfant (The Child)" (2005 -- French), a petty theft and panhandler sells his newborn son to a black market connection; realizing the error of his ways, he sets out to try and undo his callous dead; directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, and starring Jeremie Renier, Deborah Francois, Jeremie Segard and Fabrizio Rongione, from Sony. (Posted August 15)

Special Interest:
"The Complete History of the San Francisco 49ers" takes a look at one of the most celebrated franchises in NFL history, from the post-war era through the fabulous 50s through their resurgence in the early 70s, in a two-disc set, $26.95 from Warner. (Posted August 15)

Just Announced:
In an industry first, Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that it will release the $133.4 million summer movie hit "Mission: Impossible III" on DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc all on the same day: Monday, Oct. 30. It's the first movie ever to be released simultaneously on standard DVD as well as on both next-generation, high-definition optical disc formats. The actioner, which stars Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Keri Russell, will be available in a two-disc special edition loaded with extras and a pared-down single-disc edition ... Other new release announcements: 9/19: "Hard Candy," a thriller about a teenage girl who meets a photographer via the Internet, starring Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page and Sanda Oh, from Lionsgate; 9/26: "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," the latest edition in the street-racing franchise, starring Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley and Sonny Chiba, from Universal ... 10/3: "Edmond," starring William H. Macy, Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Dylan Walsh, Joe Mantegna and Rebecca Pidgeon in the story of an everyman who, after realizing his life is boring and meaningless, unexpectedly leaves home and lurches into the hell of New York City's underworld, from Vivendi Visual Entertaiment ... 10/24: "Slither," a sci-fi horror outing about slugs from outer space that turn humans into zombies, starring Nathan Fillion, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker and Elizabeth Banks, from Universal ... 11/14: "Strangers With Candy," starring Amy Sedaris in a prequel of sorts to the Comedy Central series, from ThinkFilm. (Posted August 10)

Coming Soon:
Hart Sharp Video will release on August 22 the Passover comedy "When Do We Eat?" starring Michael Lerner, Lesley Ann Warren, Jack Klugman, Meredith Scott Lynn,Shiri Appleby, Mili Avital and Ben Feldman. ... "Unknown White Male," a documentary about a man who one day finds himself traveling on a NYC subway toward Coney Island with no memory of who he is or where he is going, arrives September 5 from Wellspring/Genius Products ... On September 12, the new martial arts division of The Weinstein Company/Genius Products, Dragon Dynasty, will release the cult favorite "Kill Zone (Saat po long)," a 2005 Hong Kong actioner directed by Wilson Yip and starring martial arts greats Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Simon Yam and Jacky Wu ... Aussie Western "The Proposition," starring Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt, David Wenham and Emily Watson, will shoot to DVD on September 19 from First Look Home Entertainment ... On October 17 Fox will release "The Omen," the remake of Richard Donner's 1976 scarer, starring Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Gambon and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick ... And, on November 7, Disney will release the blockbuster animated film "Cars," which features the voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry The Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Jenifer Lewis, Paul Dooley, George Carlin, Katherine Helmond, John Ratzenberger, Michael Keaton, Richard Petty, Jeremy Piven, Bob Costas, Darrell Waltrip, Tom Magliozzi, Ray Magliozzi, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Schumacher and Jay Leno. (Posted August 8)

DVD Collectibles:
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of "The Girl Can't Help It," starring the original blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield, Fox will release this week "The Jayne Mansfield Collection," a three-disc set with "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" "The Girl Can't Help It" and "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw," for $49.98. Extras include commentaries by film historians, a stills gallery and a "Jayne Mansfield: Blonde Ambition" featurette. These three classic screwball comedies, restored and remastered, are a must for collectors -- offering a time machine look at a more naive -- but cool -- era ... Diehard collectors who love drunken, wild, fun, crazy partys will want Fox's "The Frat Boy Collection," a three-disc set with "Bachelor Party," "PCU" and "Porkys," $26.98 in a themed slipcase. (Posted August 8)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Aristocrats" (1999) a three-disc set of the Masterpiece Theatre costume drama starring Jodhi May, Sian Phillips, Alun Armstrong and Julian Fellowes, $49.99 from Acorn Media ... "Beautiful People: The Complete First Season," a four-disc set with 16 episodes, $49.95 from Sony ... "The Brak Show: Volume 2," a single disc with the last 14 episodes of the Adult Swim animated series, $29.98 from Warner ... "Dante's Cove: Season One," a two-disc set of the supernatural drama series on here!, America's premium gay television network, $26.95 from Genius Products ... "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Fourth Season," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $29.98 from Warner ... "Hong Kong Phooey: The Complete Series," a two-disc set with 31 episodes, $26.99 from Warner ... "The Irish R.M.: Complete Series," a six-disc set with all 18 episodes, $79.99 from Acorn Media ... "Jude the Obscure" (1971), a two-disc set of the Masterpiece Theatre drama starring Robert Powel, Fiona Walker, John Franklin-Robbins and Daphne Heard, $29.98 from Koch Vision ... "Laguna Beach: The Complete Second Season," a three-disc set with 17 episodes, $39.99 from Paramount ... "Noah's Arc: The Complete First Season," a three-disc set with nine episodes from the Logo hit series, $39.99 from Paramount ... "Prison Break: Season One," a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Fox ... "Sealab 2021: Season Four," a single disc with the last 13 episodes of the Adult Swim animated series, $26.98 from Warner ... "Third Man Out: A Donald Strachey Mystery," the first installment of here! Network's gay detective series, $22.95 from Genius Products ... "The Wire: The Complete Third Season," a five-disc set with 12 episodes, $99.98 from HBO Video ... "Xiaolin Showdown: The Complete First Season," a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $19.98 from Warner. (Posted August 8)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Bring It On: All or Nothing" (2006) stars Hayden Panettiere and Solange Knowles-Smith in a direct-to-video sequel in the popular cheerleading franchise: High school cheerleader Britney moves from her posh school to a working class school and must prove she's got the moves and the attitude to earn a spot on the cheer squad; from Universal ... In "The Tooth Fairy" (2006), starring Carrie Fleming, Nicole Munoz, Jianna Ballard, Jesse Hutch, Peter New, Ben Cotton and P.J. Soles, a quaint country inn in Northern California harbors the ghost of a witch who lured in children, stole their teeth and butchered them; in an uncut version from Anchor Bay. (Posted August 8)

On the Indie Front:
Genius Products has two interesting releases this week: "C.S.A: Confederate States of America" (2004) is a satirical film that poses the question: What would have happened if the South had won the Civil War? Played as a straight-faced Ken Burns-style documentary; and "Sorry, Haters" (2006), starring Abdellatif Kechiche, Robin Wright Penn and Sandra Oh, a psychological thriller with political and social undertones set in New York ... In "Cavite" (2005), a young Filipino-American living in San Diego travels to the Philippines for his father's funeral and is forced to get involved in a terrorist plot; from Magnolia Home Entertainment. (Posted August 8)

For the Kids:
"EZ Money!" (2005) is a family film about an 11-year-old girl who mistakenly is the recipient of $3 million from a Nigerian computer fraud, $19.95 from MTI Home Video ... "Heidi" (2005) is the latest retelling of the classic kids story, starring Emma Bolger, Geraldine Chaplin, Jessica Claridge, Pauline McLynn, Diana Rigg and Max von Sydow, from Warner ... "Popular Mechanics for Kids: Firefighters and Other Life-Saving Heroes" and "Popular Mechanics for Kids: Lightning and Other Forces of Nature" each feature four episodes from the award-winning Discovery Kids Network series, $14.98 from Koch Vision ... For pre-schoolers from Paramount there's "Caillou: Caillou's World of Wonder," with four episodes from the TV series, $14.99; "Teletubbies: All Fall Down: Funny Friends and Terrific Tumbles" $14.98; and "Max & Ruby: Afternoons With Max & Ruby," featuring four episodes from Nick Jr.'s popular series, $16.99. (Posted August 8)

Special Interest:
For comedy this week there's "Damon Wayans: The Last Stand?" an uncensored HBO stand-up comedy special, $19.98 from Fox ... Documentaries this week include "Death in the Bunker: The True Story of Hitler's Downfall" and "Embedded: The Shooting War in Germany" $19.98 each from Koch Vision ... In the world of music, Music Video Distributors will release four sets of jazz performances paying homage to the East Coast and West Coast jazz scenes: "Jazz Shots: East Coast Vol. 2" with performances by the Miles Davis Quintet, Art Blakley & the Jazz Messengers, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, the Modern Jazz Quartet, more; "Jazz Shots: East Coast Vol. 3" with performances by John Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis with the Jazz Messengers, the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, the Thad Jones -- Mel Lewis Orchestra, the Jimmy Smith Trio, the Woody Herman Big Band, the Sonny Rollins Quartet, and the Miles Davis & Gil Evans Orchestra.; "Jazz Shots: West Coast Vol. 2" with performances by Wes Montgomery, the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, the Shorty Rogers Quintet, the Paul Desmond Quartet, Lester Young and Teddy Edwards; and "Jazz Shots: West Coast Vol. 3" with performances by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the Jimmy Giuffre Trio, Stan Kenton, Jim Hall, Hampton Hawes, and the Frank Rosolino Quartet; $19.95 each ... For rockers there's "Rolling Stones: Under Review 1962 -- 1966," a 90-minute documentary that looks at the Stones during their formative years, with rare musical performances never before available on DVD, obscure footage, rare interviews and private photographs, $19.95 from Music Video Distributors ... Also from MVD is "Led Zeppelin: The Origin of the Species," a documentary on the years of struggle before the group's first two albums; extras include "The Story of the Yardbirds" and "The Hardest Led Zeppelin Quiz in the World Ever"; $19.95 ... For Manga fans there's "Wrath of the Ninja Collector's Series Edition," a two-disc set with the "Wrath of the Ninja" motion picture and the original miniseries "Yotoden: Chronicles of the Warlord Period," which has never been released on DVD; $24.95 from Central Park Media. (Posted August 8)

Coming Soon:
Due September 19 is "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" (2006), a documentary about cult musician Daniel Johnston, whose work has been recorded by Beck, Wilco, Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam, but whose life as a manic depressive has forced him to spend the last three decades of his life in-and-out of mental institutions, from Sony ... On October 10 Sony will release very dark comedy "Art School Confidential," directed by Terry ("Ghost World") Zwigoff and starring Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Matt Keeslar, Ethan Suplee, Joel David Moore, Anjelica Huston, Steve Buscemi and Adam Scott. (Posted August 1)

DVD Collectibles:
The Highlight of the week is The Criterion Collection's release of "Olivier's Shakespeare," a three-disc set with three Shakespeare adaptations directed by (and starring) Laurence Olivier: "Henry V" (1944), "Hamlet" (1948) and "Richard III" (1955), all in high-definition digital transfers. Olivier directed only five films in his 60-year acting career, yet his three Shakespeare adaptations are still widely considered the definitive film adaptations: his thrilling directorial debut, "Henry V," stunned audiences with its vivid Technicolor and full-throttle battle scenes; "Hamlet," which won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Actor in 1948 brought to stunning life literature's greatest protagonist; and his legendary "Richard III," thought by many to feature Olivier's most magnetic performance. All three are presented for the first time together on DVD in this deluxe gift set; $79.95.

Before his impressive character turns in "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca," Peter Lorre (who came to worldwide attention in 1931's "M") tried his hand at being a secret agent in the short-lived Mr. Moto series of eight films. The series combined mystery, action and exotic locales with inventive plots, dark characters and wry humor. Fox will release this week the "Mr. Moto Collection: Volume 1," a four-disc set with four "Mr. Moto" films: "Think Fast, Mr. Moto" (1937), "Thank You. Mr. Moto" (1937), "Mr. Moto Takes a Chance" (1938) and "Mysterious Mr. Moto" (1938); $59.98. Extras include profiles of Lorre, "Mr. Moto" director Norman Foster, producer Sol Wurtzel and stuntman Harvey Parry.

"What the #$*! Do We (K)now!?" was a sleeper hit when released in 2004; the semi-documentary combined a storyline about a young woman (Marlee Matlin ) searching for herself in the modern world with interviews with scientists, mystics, philosophers, journalists, and clergy, combining religion, psychology and quantum physics in an absorbing foray into exploring (but not answering) life's big questions. A Web site associated with the film has also been an overwhelming success, and the folks at Fox have wisely decided to tap the filmmakers for "What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole Edition," a three-disc set with a new five-hour expanded version of the film. Extras include new interviews as well as uncut interview footage not included in the original version; and a "Quantum Mode" feature that randomly generates the film content creating a unique experience on each viewing; $26.98.

Sony this week will release the classic comedy "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988, starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin) in a Collector's Edition two-disc set that includes commentary by Cleese, Cleese's first farewell performance, "Farewell Featurette: John Cleese," "Kulture Vulture" documentary, "Something's Fishy" documentary, deleted and alternate scenes, trivia track, "Mug Shots" photo gallery, "A Message From John Cleese," Easter Eggs, and a collectible insert. (Posted August 1)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Beavis & Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection Volume 3," a three-disc set with Mike Judge-chosen episodes, specials, promos and guest appearances; $39.99 from Paramount ... "Blue Collar TV: The Complete Second Season," a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $24.98 from Warner ... "The Comeback: The Complete First Season," a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98 from HBO Video ... "Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Fifth Season," a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $39.98 from HBO Video ... "Dallas: The Complete Fifth Season," a five-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "The Girls Next Door: Season One," a three-disc set with 15 episodes in unrated versions, $29.98 from Fox ... "Good Times: The Complete Sixth Season" (1978-79), a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.95 from Sony ... "Hazel: The Complete First Season" (2005), a four-disc set with 35 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Mrs. Harris" (2005), starring Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Frances Fisher , Lawrence O'Donnell, Cloris Leachman and Frank Whaley, is a biodrama about Jean Harris, who killed her lover, Dr. Herman Tarnower, of the Scarsdale Medical Diet fame, from HBO Video ... "Star Trek: Fan Collective -- Klingon" is a four-disc set with favorite Klingon episodes as voted upon by fans, from Paramount. (Posted August 1)

For the Kids:
"VeggieTales: LarryBoy and the Bad Apple" (2006) is an animated feature for kids featuring a host of vegetables who learn about battling temptation and discovering the importance of good choices; $14.98 from Big Idea ... In "Elmo's World: Pets!" Elmo and other Sesame Street characters teach kids about pets: why they need plenty of water, food, exercise, and rest to stay healthy, and lots of tender loving care; $12.98 from Sony Wonder ... "Alice in Wonderland" is a 1985 telefilm version of the kids tale, starring Natalie Gregory, Steve Allen, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine, Sid Caesar, John Stamos, Beau Bridges, Pat Morita, Ringo Starr, and others, from Sony ... "Blue's Clues: Blue's Biggest Stories" is a compilation of some of the best Blue's Clues episodes, tying into an on-air 10th anniversary event; $16.99 from Paramount ... "Winnie the Pooh: Shapes and Sizes" and "Winnie the Pooh: Wonderful Word Adventure" are the latest editions to Disney's Pooh lineup of Learning Adventure titles that help build fundamental skills a child should have prior to entering pre-school or kindergarten; $19.99 each. (Posted August 1)

Special Interest:
"Broken Saints" (2006) is a flash-animated Internet graphic novel that has become a cult favorite, a hypnotic visual feast that fuses art with comic-style text, haunting music and cinematic effects. The story follows four strangers who receive a series of chilling apocalyptic visions and travel to a dark city in the West where their fates, and the fate of the world, are linked together; told in 24 episodes in a four-disc set, $49.98 from Fox ... "Burning Man: Beyond Black Rock" (2005) is a documentary on the annual gathering in the Nevada desert that has evolved from a fringe counter-culture event into a global community of artists and social revolutionaries. For the past two decades a massive city (with emergency services, electricity, street signs, newspapers and radio broadcasts) rises in the barren Nevada desert, created by and attracting some 35,000 artists and visionaries. For one week it's a community free of commerce, bound by a social contract of tolerance and cooperation and dedicated to the transforming power of art and self-expression. Then it disappears without a trace until the next summer. From Lightyear Entertainment; $19.95 ... "Seattle Seahawks NFC Champions" (2006) is a documentary about the Seattle Seahawks' 2005 championship season; $19.98 from Warner ... "MacArthur" (1999) is an American Experience documentary that explores the triumphs and hardships of the career of General Douglas MacArthur, from WGBH Boston Video. (Posted August 1)

Just Announced:
Due August 8 is first-time director Rian Johnson's dark comedy-thriller "Brick," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner, Lukas Haas, Noah Fleiss, Emilie de Ravin, Brian White, Meagan Good, Noah Segan, Matt O'Leary and Richard Roundtree, from Universal ... Animated family film "Curious George," with the voices of Will Ferrell, Frank Welker, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowright and Dick Van Dyke, swings to home video from Universal on September 26 ... Blockbuster hit "X-Men: The Last Stand," directed by Brett Ratner and starring Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden and Patrick Stewart, mutates onto DVD October 3 from Fox ... On October 10 New Line will release Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion," starring Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, Yolanda Johnson and Lily Tomlin ... and on October 17 DreamWorks will release their animated hit " Over the Hedge," with the voices of Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Avril Lavigne. (Posted July 27)

Coming soon:
Due August 8 is Spike Lee's bank heist action thriller "Inside Man," starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer and Willem Dafoe, from Universal ... "Poseidon," Wolfgang Petersen's lackluster remake of the 1972 disaster flick, founders home August 22, from Warner ... Very dark comedy "Thank You For Smoking," directed by Jason Reitman and starring Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, David Koechner, Rob Lowe, William H. Macy, J.K. Simmons and Robert Duvall, insinuates itself to home video on October 3, from Fox ... Due October 31 is comedy "Keeping Up With the Steins," starring Jami Gertz, Daryl Hannah, Garry Marshall, Jeremy Piven, Doris Roberts, Daryl Sabara, Larry Miller, Cheryl Hines and Richard Benjamin, from Miramax. (Posted July 25)

DVD Collectibles:
From the folks at The Criterion Collection comes Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's beloved classic "A Canterbury Tale." The film is a profoundly personal journey to Powell's bucolic birthplace of Kent, England. Set amidst the tumult of the World War II, the film follows three modern-day incarnations of Chaucer's pilgrims -- a melancholy "landgirl," a plainspoken American GI, and a resourceful British sergeant -- who are waylaid in the English countryside and forced to solve a bizarre village crime en route to the mythical town. "A Canterbury Tale" has acquired a following of devotees passionate enough to qualify as pilgrims themselves. The two-disc set features a new high-definition digital transfer from Michael Powell's re-edited American version; $39.95. "The War Game" has to be one of the scariest movies of all time. Director Peter Watkins was commissioned to create a drama depicting the effects of a nuclear attack on England. Using hand-held cameras, he instead created a devastatingly real and harrowing mock-documentary that horrified viewers for its verisimilitude in showing the death and destruction that would be wrought by an attack on England. The BBC banned the film, and it subsequently had difficulty getting aired elsewhere, including the States. I first saw the film in 1966 and had nightmares for weeks after. The 49-minute film is piggybacked with "Culloden" (1964), Watkins' reconstruction of the 1746 battle in which the Scottish Highlanders were slaughtered by the English; on one disc from New Yorker Video; $39.95.

Will Rogers was an American original: part Cherokee Indian, he was a cowboy, a trick roper, a Ziegfeld Follies star, a radio commentator, a columnist, a philosopher, a philanthropist and a Hollywood movie star. To honor the simple wisdom of this iconoclastic Everyman, Fox has put together "The Will Rogers Collection: Volume 1," a four disc set with four of Rogers' 1935 filmed outings, restored and remastered: "Doubting Thomas," "In Old Kentucky," "Life Begins at Forty" and "Steamboat Round the Bend"; $59.98.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of TV's most thoughtful and enigmatic series, A&E Home Video has put together "The Prisoner Megaset: 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition," a 10-disc set with all 17 episodes, plus bonus footage; "The Prisoner Video Companion"; original production and promotion materials; rare location footage; and a new 60-page Limited Edition series companion guide, fully illustrated with extensive episode guides and complete with liner notes detailing the many hidden mysteries behind the series, plus a new, deluxe fold-out map of The Village; $139.95.

In its ongoing celebration of America's "dimpled darling," Fox has put together "The Shirley Temple Collection, Volume Four," a three-disc set with "Captain January" (1936), "Just Around the Corner" (1938) and "Susannah of the Mounties" (1939), in original black and white and colorized versions, $29.98 or $14.98 each ... On a scarier note, Anchor Bay will release "Halloween: 25 Years of Terror" (2006), a two-disc set retrospective that chronicles the man and the movies, loaded with extras; "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" (1988), a DiviMax special edition featuring the first ever high-definition transfer of the film; and "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers" (1989), also a DiviMax special edition. (Posted July 25)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Animaniacs Volume 1," a five-disc set with 25 episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "Boondocks: The Complete First Season," a three-disc set with 15 episodes, $49.95 from Sony ... "Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes -- Uncensored," featuring three completed episodes from the long-lost third season. $24.99 from Paramount ... "God or the Girl" (2005), a single disc of the A&E miniseries, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "JAG -- The Complete First Season," a six-disc set, $64.99 from Paramount ... "Jane Eyre" is the 1973 BBC miniseries considered to be one of the best adaptations of Charlotte Bronte's masterpiece, starring Sorcha Cusack and Michael Jayston, from Acorn Media ... "Laguna Beach: Season 2" is a three-disc set, $42.99, from Paramount ... "Pinky and the Brain Volume 1" is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "Punky Brewster: The Complete Third Season" (1987-88) is a four-disc set with 23 episodes, $34.98 from Shout! Factory ... "Rawhide: The Complete First Season" is a seven-disc set with 23 episodes, $49.99 from Paramount ... "Rebus, Set 1" (2006) is a two-disc set of the BBC America series based on the Scottish detective thrillers by bestselling crime author Ian Rankin; $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Robert Ludlum's Covert One: The Hades Factor" is a 2006 two-part miniseries starring Stephen Dorff, Mira Sorvino, Blair Underwood, Sophia Myles, Danny Huston, Colm Meaney, Josh Hopkins, Jeffrey DeMunn and Anjelica Huston, from Sony ... "Tales From the Crypt: The Complete Fourth Season" is a three-disc set with 14 episodes, $39.98 from Warner. (Posted July 25)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "Rave" (2000), six friends search for the ultimate Rave in Los Angeles, encountering events that will change their lives forever, starring Douglas Spain, Aimee Graham, Nicholle Tom, Dante Basco and Steven Bauer, from Lightyear Entertainment ... "Asphalt Wars" (2004) is an actioner about a would-be race car driver who becomes the getaway driver in a bank heist, starring Mario Alvarado and Calvi Pabon, from Buena Vista ... "The Iris Effect" (2004) is a supernatural thriller about a mother who travels to Russia in search of her missing son, starring Anne Archer, Mia Kirshner, Agnes Bruckner, Kip Pardue, Devon Alan and Gregory Hlday, from MTI Home Video ... "Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story" (2004) is a comedy that tells the story of paintball's first near-legendary superstar, his fall from grace and his rise back to the top, starring Rob Corddry, Paul Scheer, Dannah Feinglass, Rob Riggle, Curtis Gwinn, Seth Morris and Rob Huebel, from Shout! Factory ... "Scorpius Gigantus" (2005) stars Jeff Fahey and Jo Bourne-Taylor in a horror sci-fi thriller about a military experiment to create super soldiers using the genes of scorpions that goes horribly awry, from Buena Vista ... "White Coats (aka Intern Academy)" (2004) is a comedy about fun and sex among a group of hospital interns, starring Dave Foley, Dave Thomas, Dan Aykroyd, Maury Chaykin, Matt Frewer and Saul Rubinek, from First Look Studios ... "Angus Valley Farms" is a direct-to-video supernatural slasher film about documentary filmmakers unearthing a horrible curse, from Central Film Company. (Posted July 25)

On the Indie Front:
"Deepwater" (2005) stars Lucas Black, Peter Coyote, Mia Maestro, Lesley Ann Warren and Xander Berkeley in a dark tale about a drifter seduced into a world of deceit, adultery and murder, from Monarch Home Video ... "Forbidden Fruits" (2005) is a racially charged indie drama about three college students (African-American, Chaldean-American and Arabic-American) in a love triangle, starring Taral Hicks, Keith David, Fredro Starr and Keith Sweat, from Codeblack Entertainment ... In "Somersault" (2004), a young girl runs away from home to start a new life in the Australian ski town of Jindabyne, where her sexuality is awakened; the film stars Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran, Nathaniel Dean, Erik Thomson and Leah Purcell, from Magnolia Home Entertainment. (Posted July 25)

Foreign:
"Electric Shadows" (2004 -- Chinese) stars Yu Xia, Haibin Li, and Yijing Zhang in a charming tale about a young man and woman and their love of movies, set during the Cultural Revolution, from First Run Features. (Posted July 25)

For the Kids:
"Roald Dahl's The BFG" is an animated adaptation of the classic story about a young girl spirited away by the Big Friendly Giant to Giant Country, where she faces all kinds of exciting adventures; $19.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Baby's Favorite Places" (2006) is the latest release from The Baby Einstein Co. in which puppets, real world images, and classical music take babies and toddlers on a vocabulary journey to new places; narrated by Marlee Matlin; $19.99 from Buena Vista ... "Scholastic Video Collection Jumbo Box of Storybook Classics Volume 2" is a six-disc set with 35 stories and five hours of viewing pleasure: "Curious George Rides a Bike ... And More Tales of Mischief," "The Wheels On the Bus ... .And More Sing-A-Long Favorites," "Good Night, Gorilla ... And More Bedtime Stories," "Corduroy ... And More Stories About Friendship," "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? ... And More Stories That Rhyme" and "Tikki Tikki Tembo ... And More Favorite Tales"; $59.95 from Scholastic Video ... "Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3" includes five episodes featuring Nick's Jimmy Neutron and Timmy from the "Fairly OddParents," $14.99 from Paramount ... "Nursery Tap, Hip to Toe Volume Two" is a charming presentation of sights, sounds, rhythm, storytelling, dance and song designed to introduce pre-schoolers to the enjoyment and wonder of dance, featuring 28 classic nursery rhymes; $19.95 from Nursery Tap LLC (www.nurserytap.com) ... "Jay Jay the Jet Plane: Jay Jay's Sensational Mystery" contains six episodes from the PBS Kids pre-school animated series, $12.99 from Paramount. (Posted July 25)

Special Interest:
Music, music, music from Kultur: "Leonard Bernstein's New York" (1997) is a showcase of Bernstein's best film scores, ballet excerpts and show tunes; $19.99 ... "Stuart Sutcliffe: The Lost Beatle" (2005) is a documentary on the "fifth" Beatle; $19.99 ... "Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance" (1994) is a performance of the comic operetta recorded live at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, in Australia; $29.99 ... "Testimony" (1988) stars Ben Kingsley, Sherry Baines, Magdalen Asquith, Mark Asquith and Terence Rigby in Tony Palmer's award-winning bio of Dmitri Shostakovich, $29.99 ... also due this week is "Soweto Gospel Choir: Blessed Live in Concert," filmed live on the vibrant group's 2005 Australian tour, $19.99 from Acorn Media.

Also due this week: "Aristide and the Endless Revolution" (2005), a documentary on the United States' removal of Haiti's democratically elected president Aristide, $24.95 from First Run Features ... "Docurama Awards Collection Volume 2" a boxed set of 12 Academy Award-winning and nominated documentaries: "Balseros," "Colors Straight Up," "I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School," "Marjoe/Thoth," "A Time for Burning," "In the Shadow of the Stars," "Broken Rainbow," "Sister Rose's Passion," "Legacy," "Doing Time: Life Inside the Big House," "Unfinished Business," "Who Are the DeBolts?" $199.95 from Docurama ... "The 2005 Academy Award Short Films Collection" (2006) contains eight shorts: "The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation," "Badgered," "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello," "Six Shooter," "Our Time Is Up," "Ausreisser (The Runaway)," "The Last Farm" and "Cashback"; $29.98 from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "D-Days in the Pacific" includes three History Channel D-Day documentaries: "Death at Tideline," "Closing the Jaws" and "The Final Graveyard"; $29.95 from A&E Home Video. (Posted July 25)

DVD Collectibles:
Warner Home Video has two superb collections due this week, one honoring film's tough guys, the other a compilation of Film Noir outings (the third volume in WHV's series). "Warner Bros. Pictures Tough Guys Collection" is an all new to DVD, six-disc set with "Bullets or Ballots" (1936) starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane, Humphrey Bogart; "Each Dawn I Die" (1939) starring James Cagney, George Raft, Jane Bryan, George Bancroft, Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom; "'G' Men" (1935) starring James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Ann Dvorak, Robert Armstrong, Barton MacLane, Lloyd Nolan; "San Quentin" (1937) starring Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, Barton MacLane; "A Slight Case of Murder" (1937) starring Edward G. Robinson, Jane Bryan, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly; and "City for Conquest" (1940) starring James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Frank Craven, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh, Arthur Kennedy, George Tobias, Jerome Cowan, Elia Kazan, Anthony Quinn, Lee Patrick. All six titles have been fully restored and digitally remastered with special features including historian commentaries and new making-of featurettes. Each disc also contains an exclusive "Warner Night at the Movies" segment that recreates moviegoer attractions such as newsreels, comedy shorts, cartoons and trailers from the years each film was released. The collection will be available for $67.92; each title is also available separately for $19.97.

"The Film Noir Classics Collection: Volume 3" contains five new to DVD, digitally remastered titles: "Border Incident" (1949) directed by Anthony Mann and starring Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Howard Da Silva, James Mitchell; "His Kind of Woman" (1951) starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, Vincent Price, Tim Holt, Charles McGraw, Marjorie Reynolds, Raymond Burr, Jim Back; "Lady in the Lake" (1947) directed by and starring Robert Montgomery, with Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames, Jayne Meadows; "On Dangerous Ground" (1952) directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond, Charles Kemper, Ed Begley; and "The Racket" (1951) starring Robert Mitchum, Lizabeth Scott, Robert Ryan, William Talman, Ray Collins. Available exclusively with the set will be a bonus documentary, "Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light"-a companion piece that contains an elucidating overview, complete with clips and expert commentary -- and "Vintage Shorts": "Women in Hiding," "You, the People," "Forbidden Passage" and "A Gun in his Hand." The six-disc collection will be sold as a set only for $49.92.

Also due this week is the classic TV production "Sybil" (1976) directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, Brad Davis, Martine Bartlett, Jane Hoffman, Charles Lane, Jessamine Milner and William Prince. The anniversary edition two-disc set of the true story of a young woman (Field) with a multitude of personalities and the brave therapist (Woodward) who heals her includes the "Examining Sybil" featurette with exclusive interviews with Field and Woodward, writer Stewart Stern, producer Peter Dunne, and close friends of the real Sybil; and "The Paintings of Sybil," a gallery of never-before-seen artwork by the real Sybil; from Warner. A landmark TV feature ... Sony is re-releasing "Some Like It Hot" (1959), directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Nehemiah Persoff, Joan Shawlee, Billy Gray, and Mike Mazurki), as a Collectors Edition two-disc set with an eight-page collectible booklet;, collectible postcards; commentary featuring interviews with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and others; a new documentary "The Making of Some Like It Hot"; a second new documentary "The Legacy of Some Like It Hot"; a "Nostalgic Look Back With Tony Curtis" featurette; "Memories of the Sweet Sues" all-girl band featurette; more. (Posted July 18)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Amazing Stories: The Complete First Season," a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.98 from Universal ... "Carnivale: The Complete Second Season," a six-disc set, $99.98. from HBO Video ... "An Early Frost" (1985), the first major exploration of AIDS. starring Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Sylvia Sidney, Aidan Quinn, D.W. Moffett and John Glover, from Wolfe Video ... "The Incredible Hulk: The Complete First Season," a four-disc set with 10 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "Jack of All Trades: The Complete Series" (2000), a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "The Pretender: Season Four," a four-disc set with 19 episodes, including the two-hour finale, $39.98 from Fox ... "Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes," a two-disc set with uncensored episodes, $26.99 from Paramount. (Posted July 18)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Edison Force" (2005) is an action thriller about an elite police force that takes the law into their own hands, starring Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J, Dylan McDermott, John Heard, Cary Elwes, Roselyn Sanchez and Damien Wayans, from Sony ... "Subject Two" (2006) is a modern take on the Frankenstein monster story, set high atop the Rocky Mountains, starring Christian Oliver and Dean Stapleton, from First Look Studios ... "Road House: Deluxe Edition" (1989) is the cult film about gangsters and bouncers, starring Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott and Ben Gazzara; the followup, "Road House 2: Last Call"(2006), stars Johnathon Schaech and Will Patton; both are from Sony. (Posted July 18)

On the Indie Front:
"Touched" (2005) is a romantic yarn about a loving father who survives a terrible accident but mourns the loss of his son, eventually finding beauty, love and hope with a beautiful young woman, starring Jenna Elfman, Randall Batinkoff, Samantha Mathis, Diana Venora and Bruce Davison, from First Look Studios ... In "The Second Chance" (2006), a suburban pastor is forced to confront his own prejudices when the Church, disturbed with his unconventional ways (he uses electrifying music to bring his parishioners to their feet), send him off to the city's poorest neighborhood; stars Grammy-winner Michael W. Smith, Jeff Obafemi Carr, J. Don Ferguson and Lisa Arrindell Anderson; from Sony ... "Harry Knuckles and the Pearl Necklace" (2004) is a wild "kung-fu" comedy in which Harry Knuckles (aka Special Agent Spanish Fly) hunts down a missing necklace, starring Phil Caracas, Jeff Moffet and Shana Sosin, from Eclectic DVD. (Posted July 18)

Foreign:
"Don't Move" (2004 -- Italy) is a heated drama about an ill-fated love affair between a Rome surgeon and a working-class woman, starring Penelope Cruz, Sergio Castellitto and Claudia Gerini; in Italian with English subtitles, from Wellspring ... "Intimate Stories" (2002 -- Argentina) stars Javier Lombardo, Antonio Benedicti, Javiera Bravo and Julia Solomonoff in a beguiling tale about the separate journey of three neighbors -- whose lives and adventures crisscross in seemingly free-form patterns -- seeking better lives. Nothing is going to stop Maria, Don Justo or Roberto from reaching San Julian, where Maria has been promised fame, Roberto foresees love and Don Justo seeks redemption. But getting there is no small task; in Spanish with English subtitles, from New Yorker Video. (Posted July 18)

For the Kids:
Episodes from two TV standbys come to DVD this week: "SpongeBob SquarePants: Karate Island" features seven episodes of the porous one, $16.99 from Paramount ... "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Volume 3" and "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Volume 4" are single discs with four 22-minute episodes of the Cartoon Network favorite; $14.97 each from Warner. (Posted July 18)

Special Interest:
The 1981 "The Pee-wee Herman Show" was a precursor to the critically lauded, multiple Emmy-award winning television show "Pee-wee's Playhouse." "The Pee-wee Herman Show" was rooted in improvisational theater and conceived by Paul Reubens as an homage to kids television programs of the 1950s and '60s. During a wildly successful five-month engagement at Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre in 1981, the adult stage show was taped live for HBO's "On Location" series; $14.99 from Image Entertainment ... "Louisiana on My Mind" comprises three documentaries on Louisiana music: "Maroon: On the Trail of Creoles in North America", "Zarico" and "Liberty Street Blues," $24.95 from Music Video Distributors/Video Service Corp. ... "Shakespeare Behind Bars" is a 2005 award-winning documentary about an all-male Shakespearean theatre company composed of convicted felons doing hard time at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in Kentucky; $19.98 from Shout! Factory ,,, "That's Funny" (2004) contains 10 hours of America's funniest people, zany animals, unusual tricks and craziest hidden camera episodes hosted by Rondell Sheridan; $14.99 from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment. (Posted July 18)

Coming Soon:
Due August 8 is "The Lost City," directed by Andy Garcia and starring Garcia, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman and Ines Sastre in a story of pre- revolutionary Cuba, from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... Director Sydney Pollack's incisive documentary "Sketches of Frank Gehry" arrives August 22 from Sony ... Also on that date Fox will release the Lindsay Lohan teen comedy "Just My Luck" ... On September 12 Buena Vista will kick home the soccer film "Goal! The Dream Begins," starring Kuno Becker, Alessandro Nivola, Miriam Colon, Marcel Iure, Stephen Dillane, and Anna Friel ... And, on November 21, Fox will melt your heart with the smash animated sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown." (Posted July 11)

DVD Collectibles:
Milestone Films and Video will release this week "Beyond the Rocks," the recently rediscovered 1922 silent romance starring film legends Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. Long considered one of the great "lost" films from the Hollywood golden age, only a one-minute fragment was known to exist in the Nederlands Filmmuseum. The film, just for its star power alone, has been one of the most sought-after movies of the silent era. Lost for more than 80 years, film catalogers at the Nederlands Filmmuseum were amazed to find the first two nitrate reels of "Beyond the Rocks" when inventorying a vast collection of nitrate bequeathed to them by a film collector from Haarlem. The Filmmuseum staff then searched for many more months until they found and identified all the missing reels of the film. "Beyond the Rocks" has been lovingly restored and features a brand-new score by the well-known Dutch composer Henny Vrienten; other extras include an introduction by Martin Scorsese; "The Delicious Little Devil" (1919) silent with Valentino; stills gallery from Swanson's personal collection; 85-minute wire recording of Swanson from 1955; interviews, articles and videos of the restoration process; more. Also from Milestone this week is "Electric Edwardians: The Films of Mitchell & Kenyon," a compilation of the footage of filmmakers Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon, who were hired in the early days of the cinema (when still a novelty) to shoot footage of local people going about their everyday activities. These films would be shown later at nearby fairgrounds, town halls and neighborhood theaters. Workers, school children, sports fans and seaside vacationers all flocked to see themselves miraculously captured on screen. The 85-minutes of footage from 1900-1913 is like taking a time machine to the past. Both Milestone releases have $29.95 price tags.

Two interesting outings from The Criterion Collection: "Koko: A Talking Gorilla" (1978) a documentary about the controversial experiment in which a gorilla would be taught the basics of human communication through American sign language; directed by Barbet Schroeder $29.95 .... and "Yi Yi" (2000), Taiwanese director Edward Yang's sweeping look at a middle-class family in Taipei during the course of one year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. The intimate epic is at once warm, sprawling, and dazzling; $39.95.

Fox has added three titles to its Studio Classics line: Pirate swashbuckler "The Black Swan" (1942), starring Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Thomas Mitchell, George Sanders and Anthony Quinn; missionary drama "The Keys of the Kingdom" (1944) starring Gregory Peck, Vincent Price, Thomas Mitchell, Rose Stradner, Roddy McDowall, Edmund Gwenn, Cedric Hardwicke, Peggy Ann Garner, Jane Ball and James Gleason; and love triangle "The River's Edge" (1957), starring Anthony Quinn, Debra Paget, Ray Milland and Harry Carey Jr. ... and, lastly, rev up your engines for a two-disc set of the restored (from 65mm elements) "Grand Prix 40th Anniversary Special Edition" (1966), directed by John Frankenheimer and starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune, Brian Bedford, Jessica Walter, Antonio Sabato, Fran¨oise Hardy, Claude Dauphin and Genevieve Page. Extras include a host of "making-of" and "behind-the-scenes" featurettes; the soundtrack has even been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1; from Warner. (Posted July 11)

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Bloodlines," a 2005 British suspense thriller starring Emma Pierson and Kevin McNally, from Koch Vision ... "Bridezillas: Season One" and "Bridezillas: Season Two" are two-disc set with eight episodes each, $26.95 from Genius Products ... "ER: The Complete Fifth Season," a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98 from Warner ... "The Ellen Show: The Complete Series," a three-disc set with 18 episodes, $29.95 from Sony ... "The House of Eliott, Series Three" (1994), a four-disc set with the last 10 episodes of the BBC series about two sisters who fight their way to the top of the cutthroat world of fashion in London during the Roaring 20s; $59.99 from Acorn Media ... "I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Second Season," a four-disc set with 31 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Masters of Horror: Homecoming" (2005), Joe Dante's contribution to the Showtime anthology series, from Anchor Bay ... "McCallum: The Complete Series," a five-disc set with nine episodes of the BBC America forensic drama series, $59.98 from Koch Vision ... "Murder in Suburbia Series I" (2004), a two-disc set with six episodes of the BBC series about two young female homicide detectives who investigate grisly goings-on in England's leafy suburbs; $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Oh Brother," a two-disc set with eight rare episodes of the 1968 British sitcom, $24.98 from Koch Vision ... "Perry Mason: The First Season, Volume 1," a five-disc set with 19 episodes from the granddaddy of all legal eagle shows, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Reno 911: The Complete Third Season," a two-disc set with 13 uncensored episodes, $26.99 from Paramount ... "30 Days: Season One," a two-disc set with six episodes, $26.98 from Fox ... "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season One, Volume 2," a three-disc set with 16 episodes of the classic adventure series, $39.98 from Fox ... "Weeds: Season One," a single disc with 10 episodes and such extras as commentaries by cast and crew, a "Smoke and Mirrors" original marijuana mockumentary, agrestic herbal recipes, more; $39.98 from Lionsgate. (Posted July 11)

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Pirates" (2005) is a sexy swashbuckler -- billed as the first XXX feature to get an R-rating after being edited -- featuring scantily-clad pirates, CGI effects and sea battle, starring Jesse Jane, Carmen Luvana, Janine Lindemulder, Devon, Teagan, Evan Stone and Tommy Gunn; $24.95 from MTI Home Video ... "The Garden" (2005) is a thriller with a melange of horrors including weird visions, the walking dead, and the apocalypse, starring Claudia Christian, Adam Taylor Gordon, Lance Henriksen, Victoria Justice, Brian Wimmer and Sean Young; $19.98 from Anchor Bay ... "Negadon: The Monster From Mars" (2006) is billed as the "first completely computer-generated monster movie"; the film -- about a monster from beneath the surface of Mars who's transported to Earth and escapes on a deadly rampage -- pays homage to a wide variety of 1950s and 60s Japanese monster movies; $19.95 from Central Park Media. (Posted July 11)

Foreign:
Two Koch Lorber releases this week: "Soundless" (2004), a German thriller about a hit-man on the run from the police who risks everything for the love of a woman, starring Josef Hader, Simon Schwarz, Joachim Krol ($24.98); and "Tiresia" (2003), a modern French take on the Greek myth, starring Laurent Lucas, Clara Choveaux, Thiago Teles, Celia Catalifo and Lou Castel ($29.98). (Posted July 11)

Special Interest:
Three comedy releases this week: "Bill Maher: New Rules," an anthology of "New Rules" segments from the acclaimed "Real Time With Bill Maher" series, $19.97 from HBO Video; "Dennis Miller: All In, Miller's seventh solo stand-up special, recorded live from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, $19.97 from HBO Video; and "The Best of the David Steinberg Show" features a show-within-a-show format and includes guest stars Jon Voight, Ethel Merman, Robert Vaughn and others, on a single disc, $14.99 from Koch Vision ... "Martha's Guests: Master Chefs" features cooking segments with popular chefs including Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Lidia Bastianich, culled from the "Martha Stewart Living" series; the DVD features links to printable recipes; $19.98 from Warner ... "The Protocols of Zion" (2005) is a documentary that discusses the modern-day incarnation of beliefs based on an ancient racist tract; $29.99 from ThinkFilm ... "Secrets of Archaeology" is a six-disc set of the History Channel 27-part series that explores Pompeii, Troy, the pyramids, the lost cities of the Incas, El Dorado and more, $89.98 from Koch Vision. (Posted July 11)

Coming Soon:
Due August 15 is the family adventure "Hoot," based on Carl Hiaasen's Newbery Award-winning book, from New Line ... Albert Brooks' askew comedy "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World," starring Brooks, Fred Dalton Thompson, Penny Marshall, John Carrol Lynch, Jon Tenney and Sheetal Sheth arrives August 29 from Warner ... Deepa Mehta's powerful and controversial Indian film "Water" also comes to home video on August 29, from Fox ... On September 5 Universal will release "United 93," starring Christian Clemenson, Trish Gates, Polly Adams, Cheyenne Jackson, Opal Alladin and Gary Commock ... And, on September 12, actioner "Lucky Number Slevin," starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Michael Rubenfeld, Peter Outerbridge, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Chamberlin, Dorian Missick and Mykelti Williamson, will rough house its way to DVD, from The Weinstein Co. (Posted July 4)

From TV to Video:
Only one set due this week: "Charlie's Angels: The Complete Third Season" (1978-79) is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.95 from Sony. (Posted July 4)

Special Interest:
In "Shiva Rea: Yoga Trance Dance" instructor Shiva Rea combines yoga and dance to "lead us back into our bodies." The result of the workshop is high-energy, inner-fire movement meditation. Filmed at White Sands National Park, shot in high definition, directed by a yoga teacher and fashion photographer, "Yoga Trance Dance" is appropriate for all ages and experience levels; $19.99 from Acorn Media. (Posted July 4)

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January 1, 2007
OnVideo News (ISSN 1094-3676).