DVD PLAYHOUSE--SEPTEMBER 2008

DVD PLAYHOUSE—SEPTEMBER 2008
By
Allen Gardner

SALO: OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (Criterion) Pier Paolo Pasolini’s notorious final film (he was brutally murdered days after its 1975 release) takes the Marquis de Sade’s story of torture and degradation and re-sets it in the waning days of Fascist Italy. Arguably the most disgusting, and debated, “art” film ever made, this reviewer counts it as one of neo-realisms great masterpieces. Tough going, to be sure, but for discriminating viewers, an experience that is sure to stay with you, and a message that remains timely as ever (think about some of the images that came out of Abu Ghraib prison, and compare them to those in this film). Two disc set. Bonuses: Trailer; Three documentaries on the film; Interviews with film scholars and crew members. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
TWO FROM MINNELLI: Warner Bros. releases two classic American musicals from one of the best directors of the genre: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS: TWO DISC SPECIAL EDITION Vincente Minnelli’s masterful blend of song, dance and visual panache, stars Gene Kelly as an ex-GI who falls hard for engaged Parisian store clerk Leslie Caron. Scored entirely to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, this classic deservedly won six Oscars, including Best Picture, and an honorary statuette for Kelly’s iconic work. Two disc set. Bonuses: Commentary featuring archival interviews with cast and crew; Short subjects and cartoons; Trailer; Documentary featuring new interviews with surviving cast and crew; Featurette on Kelly; Outtakes; Outtake song gallery; Radio promos. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. GIGI: 50th ANNIVERARY EDITION again stars Caron, this time as a young Parisian girl who captures the heart of wealthy playboy Louis Jourdan. Great score by Alan Lerner and Frederick Lowe. Two disc set. Bonuses: Commentary by Caron and film historian Jeanine Basinger; Vintage shorts and cartoons; New documentary; Original, 1949 version of the film, in French with English subtitles. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE BUSBY BERKELEY COLLECTION, VOL. 2 (Warner Bros.) Four of the song and dance maestro’s classics have been lovingly restored: GOLD DIGGERS OF 1937 finds insurance man Dick Powell pursuing gorgeous Joan Blondell in between spectacular song and dance set pieces; GOLD DIGGERS IN PARIS stars crooner Rudy Vallee as a band leader whose dancers are accidentally sent to Paris, where they take the City of Lights by storm; HOLLYWOOD HOTEL features Powell again, this time as a Hollywood hopeful keeping time with Benny Goodman and his band; Finally, VARSITY SHOW again stars Powell, this time as a loyal alumnus who tries to save his alma mater’s music revue. All feature vintage cartoons and short subjects, as well as music numbers from other Berkeley productions. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
THE ERROL FLYNN WESTERN COLLECTION (Warner Bros.) In between donning tights and swashbuckling with a sword, Errol Flynn made some of the best oaters of 40s and 50s Hollywood. Here are a few: MONTANA stars Flynn as a rancher caught up in a vicious range war, with lovely Alexis Smith co-starring as his love interest. Beautifully shot in Technicolor. ROCKY MOUNTAIN features Flynn as a former Confederate soldier who relocates to frontier-era California, only to find that the Shoshone Indians might be tougher foes than the Union soldiers he survived! SAN ANTONIO pairs Flynn again with Alexis Smith, this time as a law-abiding sort who tangles with cattle rustlers. Features one of the great saloon brawls/gunfights of the genre. Finally, VIRGINIA CITY has Flynn portraying a Union officer who goes undercover to stop a train headed for Dixie with a payload of gold that could help the Rebs win the war. Co-starring western icon Randolph Scott and (really!) Humphrey Bogart. All feature Warner Night at the Movies: Vintage newsreels, short subjects, cartoons, and trailers. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
THE HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK COLLECTION (Universal) Three of writer/director John Hughes’ films that helped define the very ‘80s genre of the teen comedy: SIXTEEN CANDLES leads the pack starring Molly Ringwald, in the role that cemented her status as the iconic face of the decade, as a love-struck girl whose family forgets her 16th birthday in the wake of her obnoxious older sister’s wedding. Anthony Michael Hall also scored big as her geeky, underage suitor. THE BREAKFAST CLUB takes a serio-comic look at the trials and tribulations of teenage life, as five high school archetypes: the loser (Judd Nelson), the princess (Ringwald), the geek (Hall), the jock (Emilio Estevez) and the nutcase (Ally Sheedy) spend a Saturday afternoon detention spilling their guts. Still quite timely, and loaded with Hughes’ signature sight gags. Finally, WEIRD SCIENCE tells the story of two hopeless high school nerds (Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) who actually create a dream girl (Kelly LeBrock) on their computer and find their social lives vastly improved! Great fun, although nowhere near in the same league as the first two films. Fun early turns by Bill Paxton and Robert Downey, Jr. Bonuses: Retrospective documentaries on all three films, featuring interviews with cast and crew members; Commentary on Breakfast Club by Hall and Nelson; Featurettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE VISITOR (Anchor Bay) Finely observed character study starring Richard Jenkins, a character actor of the highest order who is finely getting much-deserved recognition for his portrait of a lonely widower who becomes involved in the lives of two illegal immigrants he finds flopped in his New York apartment. Writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) weaves another quiet, beautiful human story, fully of keen observations and no easy answers. A real gem. Bonuses: Commentary by McCarthy and Jenkins; Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
FOX FILM NOIR 20th Century Fox reaches into their vaults and restores more of their noir classics from the ‘40s and ‘50s. BOOMERANG stars Dana Andrews in director Elia Kazan’s true crime story about a small Connecticut down that is rocked by the murder of its local priest. One of the best films of the genre. MOONTIDE stars Jean Gabin and Ida Lupino as lovers in a California beach town whose happiness is threatened by Gabin’s best friend (Thomas Mitchell) who harbors a dark secret; Finally, ROAD HOUSE stars Richard Widmark as the owner of a rowdy juke joint on the Canadian border who finds himself in a jealous rage when he falls for his pal (Cornel Wilde)’s fiancée (Lupino), and she for him. Bonuses on all: Commentary by film historians; Featurettes; Photo galleries. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono and 2.0 stereo.
SON OF RAMBOW (Paramount) Delightful coming-of-age story about two boys in ‘80s Great Britain who, after watching a video of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo: First Blood, decide to make a Rambo film of their own with the family video camera, some elbow grease, and some ingenuity that only childhood naiveté can foster. Bonuses: Commentary by cast and crew; Short film; Featurette; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
REPRISE (Miramax/Red Envelope) Fascinating drama about friendship and fate from Norway follows two lifelong friends, both aspiring novelists, who find their relationship strained after one is wildly successful and the other isn’t. Reminiscent of the best films of the French New Wave, with fine turns from its young cast. Bonuses: Five featurettes; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
DELICATESSEN: SPECIAL EDITION (Lions Gate) Phantasmagorical fantasy from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet set in a post-apocalyptic world where meat has become so rare, it’s used as currency! When the local deli starts to run low, its resourceful butcher looks to other sources for its supply of meat, mostly notably human sources, in particular the new tenant (Dominique Pinon) who goes to work as the building’s handyman! Odd, but affecting, mixture of comedy, sci-fi, and Grand Guignol. Bonuses: Two featurettes; Commentary by Jeunet; Trailer and teaser; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY: SPECIAL EDITION (MGM/Fox) Excellent adaptation of Jay McInerney’s novel of ‘80s excess was met with mixed reaction upon its release in 1988, but hold up well as a real touchstone of the times. Michael J. Fox gives one of his best dramatic turns as an aspiring writer who finds himself caught up in the nightlife of New York City and the drink, drugs and fast life that go with it. Kiefer Sutherland is wonderfully slimy as his partner in after dark crime. Directed by the late, criminally underrated James Bridges. Bonuses: Commentary by McInerney, cinematographer Gordon Willis; Two featurettes; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround.
NOISE (Anchor Bay) Biting social satire starring Tim Robbins as a New Yorker driven to the edge of madness by the ambient noise that surrounds him on a daily basis, particularly the annoyance of car alarms. When he declares a one-man war on excessive decibels, he incurs the wrath of the city’s blowhard mayor (William Hurt, hilarious) and becomes a folk hero of sorts to the city’s fellow travelers. Bonuses: Commentary by writer/director Henry Bean; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI: 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Universal) The Coen brothers’ now-classic modern detective story about reluctant sleuth “The Dude” (Jeff Bridges) who scours modern-day L.A. to retrieve his prized rug that was stolen by two thugs in a case of mistaken identity. Goofy, surreal comedy almost defies description (as do many of the Coens’ films), and has become a cult classic, deservedly so. Bonuses: Four Featurettes; Interactive map; Photo gallery by Bridges. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BEETLEJUICE: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Warner Bros.) Zany supernatural comedy from the mind of Tim Burton stars Michael Keaton as a freelance “bio-exorcist” hired by recently-deceased couple Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis to rid their quaint New England home of its new owners: obnoxious, yuppie New Yorkers. Eye-popping sets, make-up and effects all add to the delightful, inventive mix. Bonuses: 3 episodes of Beetlejuice animated series; Music-only audio track; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
CHICAGO 10 (Paramount) Dynamite, utterly original documentary about the infamous trial of the so-called “Chicago 10” who, according to the U.S. attorney, masterminded the riots that rocked Chicago during the 1968 Democratic convention. Brilliantly blending animation, stock footage and photos, and actual trial transcripts, writer/director Brett Morgen has crafted a unique work that combines some of the most inventive filmmaking techniques ever seen in the genre. Voice talent includes Liev Schriber, Roy Scheider, Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeffrey Wright. Bonuses: Chicago 10 remix video; Previews. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE SINGING DETECTIVE (Paramount) Inventive, surreal, wholly unique work based on (and written by) Dennis Potter’s much-lauded BBC series in which a pulp fiction author (Robert Downey, Jr.) bedridden in a hospital, fantasizes that he is his fictional alter ego: a hardboiled private eye and big band singer in the 1940s. Eclectic cast includes Robin Wright Penn, Katie Holmes, Carla Gugino, Adrien Brody and an unrecognizable Mel Gibson. Bonuses: Commentary by director Keith Gordon. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
RISKY BUSINESS: 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Warner Bros.) One of the 1980’s touchstone films (which also made an international star of Tom Cruise), tells the fable of an ambitious, about-to-graduate high school senior (Cruise) who, through unforeseen circumstances, is forced to ally with a savvy Chicago call girl (Rebecca De Mornay) and open a one-night only brothel in his parents’ swanky home, catering to his fellow horny high schoolers, while they’re away. Savage satire of American mores has only improved with age and for those of us who were there, does a beautiful job of capturing a very different, dare we say it, more innocent time. Bonuses: Commentary by Cruise, writer/director Paul Brickman, producer Jon Avnet; Retrospective featurette; Screen tests; Director’s cut of final scene; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
COOL HAND LUKE: DELUXE EDITION (Warner Bros.) Paul Newman plays a ne’er do well that winds up on a southern chain gang in the 1950s, soon finding himself in a battle of wills with the camp’s sadistic overseer (Strother Martin, as one of cinema’s greatest villains). Magnificent ode to non-conformity, with Newman turning in one of his finest performances, ably aided by (Oscar winner) George Kennedy and stars-to-be like Dennis Hopper, Ralph Waite, Wayne Rogers, Joe Don Baker, and Harry Dean Stanton. World-class filmmaking all around, one of the greats! Bonuses: Commentary by film historian Eric Lax; Documentary; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF: DIRECTOR’S CUT (Universal/Focus) In 18th century France, a mysterious, wolf-like beast roams the countryside spreading terror, causing King Louis XV to assign a scientist and an Iroquois warrior willing to hunt the beast down. Bizarre, and effective, blend of horror, mystery, sex and history that must be seen to be believed. Director’s cut adds 40 minutes of footage deleted from the North American release, resulting in a much more coherent film! Bonuses: Two featurettes; Documentary; Storyboard gallery. 2 disc set. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE CHARLIE CHAN COLLECTION, VOL. 5 (20th Century Fox) Sidney Toler takes over the role of the titular Asian sleuth in these seven films from the 1940s: CHARLIE CHAN’S MURDER CRUISE has Charlie solving multiple murders at sea; MURDER OVER NEW YORK finds Charlie and Number Two Son, Jimmy, in the middle of a murder investigation while vacationing in the Big Apple; DEAD MEN TELL finds Chan and Jimmy solving a mystery shipboard on a vessel bound for a treasure hunt; CASTLE IN THE DESERT find Chan summoned to a castle deep in the Mojave Desert to investigate a murder that may have been committed by a member of the infamous Borgia family; CHARLIE CHAN IN PANAMA has Chan working undercover in the port city, where he discovers a plot to blow up the U.S. Naval fleet! CHARLIE CHAN IN THE WAX MUSEUM finds Chan tracking an escaped murderer, whom he helped put away, to a mysterious wax museum. One of the series’ best. Finally, CHARLIE CHAN IN RIO has Chan investigating the killing of a beautiful nightclub singer. Bonuses: Featurettes; Trailers; Photo galleries. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
THE HORROR, THE HORROR…MGM/Fox releases some new titles, sure to give you gooseflesh. Leading the pack is CHILD’S PLAY: CHUCKY’S 20th BIRTHDAY EDITION When a single mom (Catherine Hicks) buys her son (Alex Vincent) a Chucky doll for his birthday, little does she know that the doll contains the spirit of an escaped mass murderer! Near-perfect blend of humor and horror from co-writer/director Tom Holland (whose presence on the commentary track is sorely missed), with animatronic effects that were state of the art in 1988, and still hold up beautifully today. Fine support from Chris Sarandon and Brad Dourif, both in the flesh, and as the voice of Chucky. Bonuses: Commentary by Hicks, Vincent, Chucky designer Kevin Yagher, producer David Kirschner, co-writer Don Mancini; Scene specific Chucky commentary; Four featurettes; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. FOX HORROR CLASSICS, VOL. 2 features the great vintage scarefests CHANDU THE MAGICIAN, starring Bela Lugosi as a madman bent on destroying the world, with only Chandu the Magician (Edmund Lowe) to foil the fiend! DRAGONWYCK marks the directing debut of Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Vincent Price and Gene Tierney in this spine-tingling ghost story. DR. RENAULT’S SECRET tells the tale of a wealthy French (mad) scientist who attempts to turn men into apes to prove his theory of evolution! Bonuses: Commentary by film scholars; Isolated score track; Radio shows; Restoration comparisons; Photo galleries. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. REVENGE IS SWEET TRIPE FEATURE, has three macabre tales: CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH, the sequel to the horror hit about the hook-handed specter who haunts the ghetto; JOHN CARPENTER’S THE FOG, stars Jamie Lee Curtis in a tale of ghostly sailors who come back for revenge on the townsfolk who caused their demise. TERROR TRAIN again features Curtis, this time playing a sorority girl on a train rented for a fraternity bash that turns deadly when one of the frat’s former pledges shows up for some payback! Muuu-hahahahha! Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround.
THE PRESIDENTS COLLECTION (Paramount/PBS) Mammoth box set collection of “American Experience” documentaries on some of the United States’ most notable leaders, and influential families, in politics. Ten volume set contains profiles of: Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, The Kennedys, LBJ, Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. Five of the ten are 2 disc sets, and the films on the Kennedys and FDR really stand out, although entire series is stellar. Full and widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo and 5.1 surround.
BLU-RAY TITLES Blu-ray technology offers a new standard in DVD viewing and the home theater experience: 1080p resolution; Lossless audio, which delivers the finest uncompressed digital sound available; and Smart Menu Technology, which floats on-screen during playback so you never leave the film. Just a few of the titles arriving on Blu-Ray this month include: Disney leads the pack with SMART PEOPLE, an aptly-named dysfunctional family comedy about a self-absorbed professor (Dennis Quaid) who falls for a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker). Fine support from Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Interviews with cast and crew; Bloopers and outtakes; Commentary by director Noam Murro and writer Mark Jude Poirer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Oliver Stone’s NIXON features Anthony Hopkins in his Oscar-nominated turn as the eponymous President in a finely-etched portrait of self-destruction. Bonuses: Documentary; Deleted scenes; Charlie Rose interview with Stone; 2 commentaries with Stone; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS follows the animated adventures of Jack Skellington, the pumpkin King who longs to put the joy in Christmas, but finds his ghostly appearance not only threatens Santa’s status, but puts fear into the hearts of kids, instead of warmth! Dazzling technical achievement, punctuated by Burton’s signature inventiveness. Bonuses: Intro by Burton; Four featurettes; Burton’s film Frankenweenie (uncut version); Short film, Vincent; Commentary by Burton, Henry Selick, Danny Elfman; Deleted scenes; Storyboards; Trailers and posters. Widescreen. Dolby 7.1 surround. THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN COLLECTION features all three Pirates films (Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End) gloriously remastered for Blu-ray, all featuring the acting genius of Johnny Depp. Bonuses: Featurettes; Exclusive Blu-ray interactive features; Bloopers and outtakes; Audio commentary; Games; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. KILL BILL, VOL 1 & 2 are Quentin Tarantino’s masterful pastiche of grindhouse kung-fu, spaghetti westerns and ‘70s exploitation flicks, starring Uma Thurman as a wronged woman out for vengeance. Inventive, exciting and utterly original. Great stuff! Bonuses: Featurettes; Deleted scene; Bonus musical performances; Tarantino trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. THINKFilm/Image Entertainment release THEN SHE FOUND ME, Oscar winning actress Helen Hunt’s directing debut about a schoolteacher (Hunt) dealing with the split of her marriage, her mother’s death, and the introduction of the woman (Bette Midler) who is apparently her biological mother! Sounds soapy, but it’s quite good, thanks to a solid script and excellent cast. Bonuses: Commentary by Hunt; Interviews with cast and crew; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. 20th Century Fox releases STREET KINGS, a so-so policier starring Keanu Reeves as a tough cop who finds himself framed for murder. James Ellroy was one of three writers credited. Bonuses: Commentary by director David Ayer; Picture-in-picture featurette; Five featurettes; Deleted scenes; Alternate takes; Vignettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. PRISON BREAK: SEASON THREE follows the continuing adventures of Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), an American who finds himself inside a brutal Panamanian prison. Bonuses: Four featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. Lions Gate releases THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, an animated feature based on the Marvel Comics character, where Iron Man must battle the evil villain Mandarin. Good fun for the kiddies! Bonuses: Alternate opening; Six featurettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 and DTS 7.1 surround. Jet Li stars in the goofy, but fun superhero/marital arts adventure BLACK MASK, a mild-mannered Hong Kong librarian who fights bad guys with the baddest moves this side of Bruce Lee. Bonuses: Two featurettes; Black Mask game; Trailers. Widescreen. DTS 7.1 surround. Sony releases MARRIED LIFE, a nuanced drama set in post-WW II suburbia that finds a husband (Chris Cooper) planning to murder his seemingly devoted wife (Patricia Clarkson) to spare her the heartbreak that his love affair with another woman (Rachel McAdams) might cause. Little does he know, his best friend (Pierce Brosnan) has designs on the young woman, as well! Punctuated with black humor and some nice twists, a sharp, sophisticated movie for adults. Bonuses: Commentary by director Ira Sachs; Three alternate endings. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. 88 MINUTES is a turkey of a thriller starring Al Pacino who literally phones in his performance as a forensic psychologist who gets a threatening phone call that he has only 88 minutes to live. Huge disappointment from a movie full of talent behind and before the camera! Bonuses: Alternate ending; Commentary by director Jon Avnet; Two featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. THE FALL is a visually stunning, but hopelessly muddled fantasy about a little girl in 1920s L.A. who, while recovering from a fall in a local hospital, befriends a Hollywood stuntman who spins a tall tale for the girl, while going through an emotional and physical recovery of his own. Beautiful, to be sure, but what it all means remains a mystery at the end. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Featurettes; Cast and crew commentary. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Finally, Universal releases Michael Mann’s feature film of his hit ‘80s TV series MIAMI VICE, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx assuming the mantle of Miami P.D. detectives Crockett and Tubbs, here in pursuit of a deadly drug cartel. Kinetic action, dynamic visuals. Bonuses: Picture-in-picture featurettes, technical specs, GPS, cast bios, and production photos; Four regular featurettes; Commentary by Mann. Widescreen. DTS 5.1 surround. U-571 is an exciting, white knuckle WW II submarine adventure starring Matthew McConaughey as a Naval officer who must lead his men, disguised as Nazis, to infiltrate a damaged German U-boat. Bonuses: Picture-in-picture featurettes; Commentary by director Jonathan Mostow. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. HEROES, SEASON 1 & SEASON 2 brings one of TV’s greatest adventure sagas to Blu-ray, each set containing five and four discs respectively. Bonuses: Picture-in-picture featurettes; Never-aired premiere episode; Regular featurettes; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL! More of TV’s finest arrive on DVD this month. Paramount leads the pack with ‘90s hit WINGS: THE SEVENTH SEASON. 4 disc set. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono; THE GHOST WHISPERER: THIRD SEASON, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt as a sleuth with a knack for solving mysteries with supernatural aids. Bonuses: Eight featurettes; Animated short. Widescreen. THE UNTOUCHABLES, SEASON 2, VOL. 2 is a 4-disc set containing the further adventures of G-man Eliot Ness. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 CHEERS: SEASON 10 offers all 25 episodes of the classic early ‘90s comedy set in everyone’s favorite Beantown bar. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono; NCIS: THE FIFTH SEASON features more drama and suspense from Mark Harmon and his team of special agents. 5-disc set. Bonuses: Cast and crew commentary; Five featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround; STAR TREK: ALTERNATE REALITIES COLLECTIVE is an inspired collection of all the strangest episodes of all five “Star Trek” series, from the original “Trek” to “Voyager.” What will they think of next? Bonuses: Six featurettes; Commentary by cast and crew. Full and widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround; CSI MIAMI: THE SIXTH SEASON, features more forensic mysteries solved by David Caruso and his squad of Miami cops. Bonuses: Three featurettes; Commentary by cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. MEDIUM: SEASON 4, stars Patricia Arquette as a psychic Phoenix housewife whose dreams often help local cops solve the seemingly unsolvable. Bonuses: Commentary by producers Glenn Gordon Caron and Larry Teng; Three featurettes; Gag reel. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. CRIMINAL MINDS: THE THIRD SEASON, follows the adventures of legendary criminal profiler David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) and his team of FBI agents. Bonuses: Five featurettes; Deleted scenes; Gag reel. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. ABC Studios releases ELI STONE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, stars Jonny Lee Miller as a Walter Mitty-like man whose strange visions and life “soundtrack” either have medical, or metaphysical, implications. Very inventive, smart, witty stuff. Bonuses: Extended pilot episode; Deleted scenes; Bloopers; Four featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: SIZZLING SECRETS EDITION, SEASON 4, has more great dirt from the seamy side of suburbia. Bonuses: Two featurettes; Deleted scenes; Bloopers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. CYBILL: THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION, VOL. 1 stars Cybill Shepherd as a single mother dealing with divorce, parenthood and dating all in one package. Ten episodes. Bonuses: Interview with Shepherd; Cybill’s favorite episodes. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. NBC/Universal releases THE OFFICE: SEASON FOUR, with more deadpan humor from Steve Carell and co. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Four featurettes; Commentary by cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. WILL & GRACE: SEASON EIGHT features the final season of the beloved sitcom. Bonuses: Four featurettes; Commentary by cast and crew; Outtakes. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. LIFE: SEASON ONE, stars Damian Lewis as an ex-cop/ex-convict-turned-detective looking for redemption in this clever, eccentric series. Bonuses: Four featurettes; Deleted scenes; Bloopers; Commentary by cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Warner Bros. releases the holiday classic IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN, featuring the Peanuts gang celebrating Halloween. Bonuses: 2 featurettes. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. GOSSIP GIRL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, stars Blake Lively as Manhattan’s most notorious, and savvy, social blogger. Bonuses: Unrated scenes; Three featurettes; Gag reel; Downloadable audio book, read by Christina Ricci. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. SMALLVILLE: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON, features the early adventures of young Clark Kent/Superboy and life his adopted hometown of Smallville. Bonuses: Commentary by cast and crew; Unaired scenes; Four featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Acorn Media releases some of the finest series from across the pond: TRIAL & RETRIBUTION, SET 1, follows a “Law & Order” type formula that follows cases from the commission of the crime, to the trial of the accused. 4 disc set. Bonuses: Interview with creator Lynda La Plante; Bio of La Plante. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. MOBILE is a crackling good miniseries following terrorist attacks on cell phone towers, and murders of cell phone users, across England. Smart, and exciting. 4 episodes. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. EDWARD THE KING is a 1973 miniseries about King Edward VII, who waited nearly 60 years to become king, and reigned for only nine, after being derided by his mother, Queen Victoria. 13 episodes. Bonuses: Select audio commentary; Two featurettes; Trailers; Photo gallery. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono. MISTER ROBERTS is a 1984 television production of the classic play, starring Kevin Bacon, Charles Durning and Robert Hays, filmed before a live audience. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. MIDSOMER MURDERS: SET ELEVEN, tell the further mysteries of seemingly pastoral Midsomer County, in this clever detective series. Four episodes. Bonuses: Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Finally, Koch Vision releases SHELLEY DUVALL’S FAERIE TALE THEATER, THE COMPLETE SERIES of 26 fractured fairy tales, acted out by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and helmed by names such as Francis Ford Coppola and Tim Burton. Bonuses: Lost episode; Presentation reel; B-roll promo footage; 112 page storybook; Game. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.