DVD REVIEWS BURTON'S 'BIG FISH' WILL REEL YOU IN.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

Every once in a while, everyone lies - and you don't even have to be a politician. They may not be big or important ones, but mere embellishments. As the heroes of our own lives, we all want to look good.

At the heart of Tim Burton's ``Big Fish'' is the conflict over truth between a father, Edward Bloom (Albert Finney),and his son, Will (Billy Crudup). Edward is a storyteller in the Southern tradition, and as Will was growing up, his father regaled him tales of his adventures, always being the star of his stories. As a boy, Will was fascinated and awed by them, but as he grew older - and further apart from his father - he saw the stories as the fabrications of a blowhard.

As a journalist, Will wants just facts, and that quest becomes even more important to him when he returns with his pregnant wife to his homestead in Ashton, Ala., because Edward is dying.

There, with a new audience in Will's wife, Edward again - much to his son's dismay - begins telling stories. There's the time the young Edward (played by Ewan McGregor) confronts a witch with the glass eye (Helena Bonham-Carter), the time he befriends Karl the Giant (Matthew McGrory), and when he joins the circus run by Amos Calloway (Danny DeVito). There he sees a beautiful woman, Sandra (Alison Lohman), and magically pursues her until she becomes his wife (the older Sandra is played by Jessica Lange). Most fantastical is the time Edward parachutes onto the stage of a red army talent show in Korea and is aided in his escape by Ping and Jing, a conjoined singing duo who share two legs.

All these tales are told with panache by Burton - who has always had a wonderful flair for the unusual (``Edward Scissorhands''). The title of the film comes from Edward's encounter with a big fish he hooked and had to battle after it swallowed his wedding ring. The big fish, of course, is Edward, who had always found his small-pond town too limiting for him. The truth, as Will finds it, doesn't make Edward less of a blowhard, but it does give him a window into his father's life.

``Big Fish'' is a story of forgiveness and understanding. Fathers and sons are rarely on the same footing, and reaching common ground is not easy. But Burton's film - filled with terrific acting and wondrous moments - makes it seem possible. Film critic Glenn Whipp in these pages called it Burton's masterpiece, and I must agree.

There are some excellent extras on the DVD, including commentary by Burton, who mentions that he was drawn to the story, which is based on a novel by Daniel Wallace, because his father had recently died.

``Big Fish'' (Columbia; $28.95) includes commentary by Burton; featurettes on Burton, the importance of myths and fairy tales, the magic of Stan Winston studios, the author's journey, a look at the larger-than-life world of Edward Bloom, a tour through the Calloway Circus by DeVito and a look at the father-and-son dynamic.

Monster mishmash 

With ``Van Helsing'' kicking off the summer season on May 7, Universal is releasing ``The Monster Legacy Collection,'' which includes box sets of its ``Frankenstein,'' `` Dracula'' and ``The Wolf Man'' films from the '30s and '40s.

At the same time, Warner is releasing the ``Hammer Horror Collection.'' Those films - ``Curse of Frankenstein,'' ``Dracula Has Risen From the Grave,'' ``Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed,'' ``Horror of Dracula,'' ``The Mummy'' and ``Taste the Blood of Dracula'' - starred Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and were turned out by Hammer Studios in England during the '50s and '60s.

Though essentially 20 years apart (the Universal pictures are black and white while the Hammer ones are in color), they have two things in common - both are fun, and boy, do the monsters move slow. As Dracula inches across a room, all you want to do is yell, ``Run, you sucker!''

However, the original ``Frankenstein,'' and ``Bride of Frankenstein'' directed by James Whale, as well as Todd Browning's original ``Dracula,'' are true classics. The rest of both lots have their moments of silly pleasure - relying on atmosphere to create their terror.

``The Monster Legacy Collection'' (Universal; $79.98. Individual sets are $26.98)

``Hammer Horror Collection'' (Warner; $68.92. Individual titles are $19.97 each)

Double feature

The Farrelly brothers (``Dumb and Dumber,'' ``Me, Myself and Irene'') have made a living getting laughs from people with, um, problems. Their latest, ``Stuck on You,'' is no different.

``Stuck'' has Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twins. Some of the jokes score well, but you're not far into the film before you're wondering if all it will be is a series of sight gags involving the twins playing baseball or hockey, flipping burgers or taking turns hitting on women.

Eventually, the Farrellys send the boys to Hollywood, where there is more fodder for comedy, including amusing turns from Cher and Meryl Streep. While the film is uneven, the Farrellys give it a sweetness that helps redeem it somewhat.

``Stuck on You'' (Fox; $27.98) includes commentary from the Farrellys, a blooper reel and behind-the-scenes featurettes that explain the special effects involved in creating the conjoined twins.

Actually, it's uneven

Richard Curtis, who is known for his screenwriting (``Four Weddings and a Funeral,'' ``Notting Hill'') takes the helm in ``Love Actually'' and probably could have used an editor.

The romantic comedy involves so many different stories - from Hugh Grant as a British prime minister hot for a staffer who is also the target of the U.S. president (Billy Bob Thornton), to Colin Firth as a writer in love with his housekeeper. Then there are stories involving characters played by Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley and I forget who else. Bill Nighy as an aging rocker fares best with the laughs. Some of the vignettes - the film does seem like a series of them - aren't bad, but half the time you're just waiting for the next one.

``Love Actually'' (Universal; $26.98) includes commentary by Curtis, Grant and Nighy; deleted scenes with commentary; and music of the film with introductions by Curtis.

A safe bet for rental

William H. Macy as Bernie Lootz in Wayne Kramer's ``The Cooler'' has no luck, which is precisely why his boss at the casino wants him to stand by gamblers on hot streaks and queer their luck.

The boss of the Shangri-La - an old-style Las Vegas casino - is Shelly (Alec Baldwin), a nasty sort. He originally had Bernie knee-capped for not paying a gambling debt. But recognizing his value, Shelly had Bernie fixed up and put him on the payroll.

The film is a dark character study with some comic payoffs and fun twists. Baldwin, who got an Oscar nomination, is superb, capturing all of Shelly's many contradictions. Macy - as always - is great as the loser Bernie, but has his own moments of triumphs and even a hot sex scene with a waitress named Natalie (Maria Bello). If you're looking for something a little different, ``The Cooler,'' which boasts a seductive score by Mark Isham, is a good bet.

``The Cooler'' (Lions Gate; $26.98) includes commentary by Wayne Kramer and Isham; the Sundance Channel's ``Anatomy of a Scene.''

Tyranny of the Taliban

``Osama,'' which was written and directed by Siddiq Barmak, tells the story of a young girl under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, where women are forbidden to leave the house without a male escort.

Since she is from a home without a man, Osama (Marina Golbahari) and her family are reduced to charity. At the suggestion of grandmother, Osama cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy in order to get work. After finding a job, though, Osama is then sent to school to teach young men in the ways of the Taliban, where her real identity is discovered. Needless to say, her punishment is harsh.

This film will make you feel both sad and angry - but you won't forget it.

``Osama'' (MGM; $29.98)

Rob Lowman, [phone]

robert.lowman(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) ALBERT FINNEY in ``Big Fish''

(2) BORIS KARLOFF in ``The Bride of Frankenstein''