DVD REVIEWS 'TIS THE SEASON TO SHOP FOR DVDS.Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor Who knew that these little plastic silver discs could be used for something other than decorating a Christmas tree Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. ? But DVDs, it turns out, fit better gift-wrapped under the tree. The gift suggestions that follow by no means make a comprehensive list. You'll notice that there aren't any musical suggestions, and there are plenty of excellent concert films and filmed versions of stage shows to buy. There are no yule classics. We make only one suggestion - ``A Christmas Story: Two Disc Special Edition'' (Warner; $26.99), the 1983 film based on the the sweet and sour sweet and sour adj → agridulce Jean Shepherd Not to be confused with American singer Jean Shepard. Jean Parker Shepherd (July 26, 1921 - October 16, 1999) was an American raconteur, radio and TV personality, writer and actor who was often referred to by the nickname Shep. book. There are no foreign classics listed, either. That can be remedied by going to the Criterion Web site (www.criterionco.com). The company specializes in putting out special remastered editions of classic films, including the marvelous ``The Adventures of Antoine Doinel'' box set ($99.95) of four of French director Francois Truffaut's semi-autobiographical films, including ``The 400 Blows'' and ``Stolen Kisses.'' Now, before you call me, a few tips on where to buy: Your local video store is not likely to have much of a selection; it's for rentals. Most of the giant electronics chain stores that advertise in this paper have fairly large selections. If you're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. something a little off the beaten track, try the Web. Type in the disc's title and DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. into a search engine, and you should be directed to a number of well-known retail sites. Though the list price is included here, you generally can find titles anywhere from 25 to 35 percent lower; so look around if a disc seems pricey. Recent movies, special editions and box sets As he did last year with ``The Fellowship of the Ring,'' director Peter Jackson has brought out an extended version of the second film in ``The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy: ``The Two Towers - Platinum Series Special Extended Edition'' (New Line; $39.99). The results here are even more satisfying. All of the new material is integrated seamlessly into the film, and while sitting in a theater for more than four hours (including previews) is a long time for the average moviegoer mov·ie·go·er n. One who goes to see movies. mov  ie·go ing adj. , watching the extended film over two nights on DVD as I did worked out fine. The new material falls mostly into two categories - the expansion of the plot and characters, and humor (there are either completely new scenes or extended ones). A fair portion revolves around Aragorn's story, which is perfect for those prepping for the final installment, ``The Return of the King,'' which arrives in theaters Dec. 17. Arguably the best trilogy on DVD - at least until ``The Lord of the Rings'' comes out in its entirety - is the ``Indiana Jones'' set. Even with No. 2 -``Temple of Doom'' - being a bit over the top, the films benefited from having Hollywood's best living director, Steven Spielberg Noun 1. Steven Spielberg - United States filmmaker (born in 1947) Spielberg , steering the course. While George Lucas Noun 1. George Lucas - United States screenwriter and filmmaker (born in 1944) Lucas , who created Indy, has a talent for clever pop concepts, Spielberg is light-years ahead of him as a director. This four-disc DVD set eschews the standard commentary for Laurent Bouzereau's informative and interesting behind-the-scenes material, including archival footage and new Spielberg and Lucas interviews. On Tuesday there are two DVD sets to look out for - ``The Alien Quadrilogy'' (Fox; $99.98) and ``The Pirates of the Caribbean'' (Disney; $29.99). The nine-disc ``Alien'' project has 45 hours of never-before-seen footage plus the four films. The delightful ``Pirates'' is a more modest two-disc set, with a number of fun extras. Another fun family film from Disney out this summer was ``Freaky freak·y adj. freak·i·er, freak·i·est 1. Strange or unusual; freakish. 2. Slang Frightening. freak Friday'' ($29.99) with Jamie Lee Curtis  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. and Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan (born July 2 1986) is an American actress and pop music singer. Lohan started in show business as a child fashion model for magazine advertisement and television commercials. . It hits stores Dec. 16. If you haven't already bought the two-disc DVD of ``Finding Nemo,'' (Disney; $29.99) then you're missing one of the year's best films. This winning and brilliantly animated movie is bound to be a classic. Humorous without being cutesy cute·sy adj. cute·si·er, cute·si·est Informal Deliberately or affectedly cute; precious: a cutesy boutique for children's fashions. , touching without being maudlin maud·lin adj. Effusively or tearfully sentimental: "displayed an almost maudlin concern for the welfare of animals" Aldous Huxley. See Synonyms at sentimental. , ``Finding Nemo'' - with the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Dafoe - also boasts eye-catching 3-D-like animation. The extras on the DVD are mostly suited for the young ones, but adults won't mind sitting though repeated watchings. ``Finding Nemo'' includes commentary with deleted scenes and tons of extras. Also from Disney are upgraded versions of two of their animated classics. ``The Lion King - Special Platinum Edition'' ($29.99) includes the original theatrical release digitally restored and remastered, a new song, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, a sing-along track, two music videos, five featurettes and games. The 1959 animated classic ``Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty sleeps for 100 years. [Fr. Fairy Tale, The Sleeping Beauty] See : Enchantment Sleeping Beauty enchanted heroine awakened from century of slumber by prince’s kiss. - Special Edition'' ($29.99) gets the same royal treatment. The new two-disc DVD of the digitally restored ``Beauty'' contains a wealth of archival features that should keep film buffs popping from extra to extra, while the film itself remains an endearing entertainment for - as the saying goes - kids of all ages. ``The Matrix Reloaded'' (Warner; $29.95), the second part of the trilogy, includes numerous extras about the making of the film. However, the writing and directing team of Larry and Andy Wachowski, who have pushed filmmaking special effects to new levels, are nowhere to be found; so you have to be content with a featurette on how the freeway chase was done and scenes from the MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. Movie Awards. A more satisfying summer sci-fi film was ``X2 - X-Men United'' (Fox; $29.90). Directed by Bryan Singer, it is one of the more cohesive and intelligent of all the comic-book-to-screen mutations. Singer neatly balances the angst and pathos of his misunderstood characters - the mutants - with good old-fashioned comic-book fun and action, but he saves the most tantalizing tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. moments for Rebecca Romijn-Stamos' Mystique, a scaly scal·y adj. 1. Covered or partially covered with scales. 2. Shedding scales or flakes; flaking. scaly skin condition characterized by scales; scalelike. , blue shape-shifter who can turn into anybody, including a very sexy version of the real supermodel Romijn-Stamos, which she does to great effect twice in the film. Coming out Dec. 16 is another summer favorite, ``Seabiscuit'' (Universal; $26.98), the story of the little racehorse racehorse refers usually to thoroughbred but may also include standardbred, trotter. that captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. America in the late 1930s. Two oldie-but-real-goodie comedies out on special edition are ``Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'' (Universal; $26.98), which besides including the brilliantly sick movie features some funny new material put together by the remaining Pythons, and ``National Lampoon's Animal House This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since September 2007. - Double Secret Probation'' (Universal; $19.98), which has some fun extras - including a where-are-they-now feature - to go along with the original (and still champ) frat-house romp. Fans of 007 should be aware that MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. has repackaged the latest editions of all the films - the ones with the new extras - into three gift sets: ``The James Bond 007 Special-Edition DVD Collection, Volumes 1-3'' (each set lists for $124.96). Not unexpectedly, they are not in chronological order. Each set has a mixture of different eras and Bonds and quality; so you can't be logical in choosing if you just want one. Of course, you can look at Bond films as one big movie with 20 variations - just change the girls, the sardonic jokes and action sequences, and occasionally 007 himself. Like a lot of people, director Danny Boyle didn't expect his zombie-style film ``28 Days Later'' (Fox; $27.98) to be such a hit. But the story about how an outbreak of a plague that turns the infected into enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. killers resonated among young people. The DVD includes both the downer down·er n. A depressant or sedative drug, such as a barbiturate or tranquilizer. and the happier endings. If you want to see our new governor in action, which won't be easy in Sacramento, there's plenty to choose from. ``Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' (Warner; $29.95) pumped up the action - as well as the Terminatrix's breasts - at the expense of everything else that made the trilogy interesting, but it is still fairly entertaining. ``Pumping Iron - The 25th Anniversary Special Edition'' (HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy ; $19.98) shows off Arnold Schwarzenegger's youthful side in this fascinating documentary on body building. All of Arnold's earlier films are out there, too, the most notable being ``T2 - Extreme DVD'' (Artisan; $29.92). It boasts a metal box, 16 minutes of extra footage and a new digital transfer. Television ``The Sopranos - The Complete Fourth Season'' (Warner; $99.90) brings you the latest hilarious and grisly adventures of America's favorite TV family. Husband and wife Tony (James Gandolfini) and Carmela (Edie Falco) are battling internally while scores are being settled, including a particularly grotesque end for crazy Ralph (played by Emmy winner Joe Pantoliano). If you can wait, ``Sex and the City - The Complete Fifth Season'' (HBO; $49.99) will be out Dec. 30. Give fans you know a gift certificate. Two top-notch British crime shows were released recently - the 1993 ``Prime Suspect I'' (Warner; $29.98) with Helen Mirren as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, and ``Cracker - The Complete 1st Season'' (Warner; $29.98) with Robbie Coltrane as title character Fitz, a psychologist who helps the police on tough cases. Both are worth the time. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) went through some unbelievable moments last year. Most of those involved getting from one side of Los Angeles to the other in record time. But ``24 - Season Two'' (Fox; $69.90) has its share of riveting scenes. When the California's governor's race was going on, Fox tried to promote the third season of the critically praised animated series ``Family Guy'' with a T-shirt that read: ``Stewie for Governor.'' As fans of the acerbic series know, baby Stewie is out for world domination. Oh, would that politicians were that honest. Buy the DVD as your vote. ``Volume 1, Season 1 and 2'' and ``Volume 2, Season 3'' each go for $49.98. Departed creator Aaron Sorkin gets to have a say along with director Thomas Schlamme on five episodes on ``The West Wing - The Complete First Season'' (Warner; $59.98). The four-disc box set of all 22 episodes from that first season in 1999, digitally remastered, includes two documentaries - ``The Primaries'' and ``The West Wing Inauguration'' - and ``Gag Order A court order to gag or bind an unruly defendant or remove her or him from the courtroom in order to prevent further interruptions in a trial. In a trial with a great deal of notoriety, a court order directed to attorneys and witnesses not to discuss the case with the media—such ,'' a collection of outtakes and bloopers. The recent passing of Art Carney is yet another reminder of how terrific he was as Ed Norton. ``The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes'' (Paramount; $49.99) gives you a chance to enjoy Carney along with Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolph in this landmark sitcom from what is considered the show's best season, 1955-56. ``The Dick Van Dyke  This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. Show - Season One'' and ``The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Two'' (Image; $69.99 each) give you a chance to relive another groundbreaking sitcom - this one from the '60s. Yeah, Dick as comedy-show writer Rob (Van Dyke) still trips over the ottoman, and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore This article is about the actress. For her 1970s television series, also known as "Mary Tyler Moore", see The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary Tyler Moore ) is still lovely and loopy. ``Soap - The Complete First Season'' (Columbia; $29.95)'' shows off the best of this parody of you-know-what, which revolves around two families - the rich Tates and the blue-collar Campbells. The show is notable for a number of reasons. It boasts a top-flight cast of Billy Crystal, Richard Mulligan mul·li·gan n. A golf shot not tallied against the score, granted in informal play after a poor shot especially from the tee. [Probably from the name Mulligan.] Noun 1. , Katherine Helmond and Robert Guillaume, and it also had one of TV's first gay characters, Jodie (Crystal). And as long as we're talking about offbeat off·beat n. Music An unaccented beat in a measure. adj. Slang Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor. , keep these sets in mind: ``The Office - The Complete First Series'' (BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. ; $29.98), the brilliantly funny dead-on comedy about - what else? - the machinations inside an office; ``Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete First Season'' (Sony; $39.98), the clever animated series that's still funny today; and ``South Park - The Complete Third Season'' (Paramount; $49.99), out on Dec. 16, which has some of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone's most wicked satire. And the list goes on. Here are some others to keep an eye out for: ``ER - The Complete First Season'' (Warner; $59.98); the first two seasons of ``Alias'' (Disney; $66.99 each); ``The Simpsons: Season 3 (Fox; $49.98); ``Mr. Show: Season 3'' (HBO; $34.98); ``CSI CSI Crime Scene Investigator CSI CompuServe, Inc. CSI Commodity Systems, Inc. CSI Commodity Systems Inc. (Boca Raton, FL) CSI Crime Scene Investigation (CBS TV show) CSI Christian Schools International : Crime Scene Investigation Crime scene investigation may refer to:
Classics For anyone who has gone to a film revival house and sat through a scratchy, faded print of a Charlie Chaplin classic, the new digitally remastered DVDs of four of his best films are a delight. ``Modern Times'' (1936), ``The Gold Rush'' (1925), ``The Great Dictator'' (1940) and ``Limelight'' (1952) (Warner; $89.92 for the set or you can get them individually) are among the greatest films ever made. Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . has been dipping into its vaults and remastering a number of other films and adding extras, including a few starring Humphrey Bogart. Bogey fans can't go wrong with these films, which show him off at the height of his career. These, too, are new digital transfers and remind us how vivid black and white could be. The most acclaimed is the 1942 ``Casablanca'' ($26.99). The new special-edition two-disc DVD set is a treasure trove TREASURE TROVE. Found treasure. 2. This name is given to such money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, which having been hidden or concealed in the earth or other private place, so long that its owner is unknown, has been discovered by accident. for film buffs. The same can be said for John Huston's gritty ``The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' ($26.99). Then there's the fun ``To Have and Have Not'' ($19.98), directed by Howard Hawks; ``High Sierra'' ($19.98) with Ida Lupino; and ``They Drive by Night'' ($19.98) with George Raft, Anne Sheridan and Lupino. Some other Warner classis clas·sis n. pl. clas·ses Ecclesiastical 1. A governing body of pastors and elders in certain Reformed churches, having jurisdiction over local churches. 2. The district or churches governed by such a body. : ``The Adventures of Robin Hood - Two-Disc Special Edition'' ($26.99), which includes a new documentary, ``Welcome to Sherwood.'' The extras on the Errol Flynn adventure include outtakes, a blooper reel and a ``Robin Hood Through the Ages'' featurette. Then there's James Cagney as George M. Cohan Noun 1. George M. Cohan - United States songwriter and playwright famous for his patriotic songs (1878-1942) Cohan, George Michael Cohan in ``Yankee Doodle Dandy Yankee Doodle Dandy feather-capped dandy; “handy” with the girls. [Nurs. Rhyme: Opie, 439] See : Foppishness - Two-Disc Special Edition'' ($26.99). It includes commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer and the documentaries ``James Cagney: Top of the World'' and ``Let Freedom Sing! The Story of Yankee Doodle Dandy.'' Not everything sparkles in the nine films made between 1957 and 1972 on ``The Billy Wilder DVD Collection'' (MGM; $129.99) but there are enough jewels and shiny baubles to make you forgive the duller spots. Of course, ``nobody's perfect,'' as we all know is the famous last line of the one of the greatest comedies ever made, ``Some Like It Hot'' (1959), which is part of the collection. The collection features the first pairing of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, in Wilder's 1966 biting comedy ``The Fortune Cookie.'' Matthau won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as a shyster lawyer. Wilder paired up Lemmon and Matthau two other times - ``The Front Page'' (1974) and ``Buddy Buddy'' (1981). Lemmon pairs up with Shirley MacLaine in the ``The Apartment'' and ``Irma la Douce'' (1963). Music There are simply tons of music-related DVDs out there now, most of them concert-related, which gives you a chance to crank up your home-theater sound system, turn down the lights and wave your lighters in the air. There are new ones from big stars like Bruce Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks, and there is something interesting in almost every musical genre - from hip-hop to classical. Here are just a few: For the '60s generation there's ``Standing in the Shadows of Motown'' (Artisan; $22.98), the acclaimed documentary that tells the story of the Funk Brothers, the session men who helped create the Motown sounds. D.A. Pennebaker's famed 1967 documentary has been expanded into ``The Complete Monterey Pop Festival'' (Criterion Collection; $79.95). It includes the complete performances of Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding. ``The Who - The Kids Are Alright (Special Edition)'' (Pioneer; $29.98) will make Jack happy as well as every other fan of the Brit band. ``Paul Simon - Live at the Tower Theatre'' (Pioneer; $19.98) has rhymin' Simon in a 1980 concert with some of the top session men of the era. Moving into the '70s, there's ``The Essential Clash'' (Epic; $19.98), a mixed bag of material about the seminal punk band. On a different note, there's ``Alison Krauss + Union Station Live'' (Rounder; $24.98), which lets dobro great Jerry Douglas show his stuff. Jazz buffs might want to check out ``The Intimate Duke Ellington'' (Image; $19.99), which features Ellington from a 1967 Danish TV show doing some of his classics either solo or with a few sidemen. Rob Lowman, (818) 713-3687 robert.lowman(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 13 photos Photo: (1) no caption (``The Two Towers - Platinum Series Special Extended Edition'') (2) no caption (``Indiana Jones'') (3) no caption (``Alien'') (4) no caption (``Finding Nemo'') (5) no caption (``The James Bond 007 Special-Edition DVD Collection, Volumes 1-3'') (6) no caption (``28 Days Later'') (7) no caption (``Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'') (8) no caption (``The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes'') (9) no caption (``24 - Season Two'') (10) no caption (``Family Guy'') (11) no caption (``Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete First Season'') (12) no caption (The Chaplin collection) (13) no caption (``Casablanca'') |
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