(Rhino, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP)

After a few collections spotlighting Mike Nelson and the Sci-Fi Channel era, Rhino heads back into Joel Hodgson's Comedy Central run with Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 6.The 4-disc set contains Attack of the Giant Leeches, Gunslinger, Teenagers from Outer Space, and the Mr. B's Lost Shorts collection of the show's golden nuggets. There are no bonus features this go round, but the very fact that they're accelerating the release of this much-beloved show certainly makes up for it.

(Universal, Rated R, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

In the annals of character comedy, Sacha Baron Cohen's clueless rap hipster Ali G is right near the top. Like most characters of limited intelligence, Ali is able to provide some subtle – and hilarious – social commentary through his reactions to various situations, which is one of the reasons his television shows (including the more recent HBO outing). In his first feature film, Ali G Indahouse, the evil Chancellor of Britain enlists the clueless Ali as a means of overthrowing the Prim Minister (Michael Gambon). The plan backfires, however, when Ali becomes a cult figure and his proximity to the Prime Minister instead gives the government "street cred." The anamorphic disc contains commentary from Ali G, deleted scenes, outtakes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a lesson on how to talk the talk.

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP)

I was leery when I heard a new edition of Stanley Kubrick's classic Dr. Strangelove was being released on DVD. Why another edition? The last special edition left me quite satisfied (despite the exclusion of the legendary deleted pie fight finale). Well, the new 2-disc edition manages to raise the bar with a new 5.1 audio mix (a large improvement over the original mono), a new documentary on the genesis of the film, a spotlight documentary on Peter Sellers, an interview with Robert McNamara, and a collectible scrapbook. Not bad, and definitely worth the upgrade.

(MGM/UA, Rated R, DVD-$14.95 SRP)

Lee Tamahori's Mulholland Falls tries to be Chinatown and L.A. Confidential rolled into one  – a period noir set in LA full of characters moments to remember – but it never quite manages to capture the same fire, despite a cast that includes such dramatic heavyweights as Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connolly, John Malkovich, and Chazz Palminteri. The story revolves around a group of detectives who uncover a secret that reaches into the highest levels, and could be the undoing of them all. As a way to pass the time, it's not bad, but if you want to watch the classics – do so. The anamorphic DVD includes the theatrical trailer.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.95 SRP)

There's no denying that Philadelphia remains a powerful picture. Unfortunately, as is the case with most "message" films as they age – especially those at the vanguard – it also tends to be heavy-handed and maudlin. Still, as a film that used star power (in this case, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington) to put a human face on AIDS and discrimination, it still retains its status as a landmark. The 2-disc special edition contains an audio commentary (with director Jonathan Demme & writer Ron Nyswaner), 2 making-of documentaries, deleted scenes, the TV spot for the film, Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" video, interviews, and more.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP)

Spend another holiday season with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, & Maggie with The Simpsons Christmas 2, a collection of four more seasonal tidings taken from the show's later seasons. The episodes included this go round are "Homer Vs. Dignity," "Skinner's Sense of Snow," "Dude, Where's My Ranch?," and "'Tis the 15^th Season."

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$134.95 SRP)

For many, the second season of the original Star Trek was when the show really clicked. It was also the season that gave us Walter Koenig's Russian helmsman, Chekov, and his Monkee-do. Not only did this season include the classic "Trouble With Tribbles," but also the alternate universe "Mirror, Mirror," the sex-crazed Spock of "Amok Time," and "I, Mudd" (and that's just a short list. The bonus featurettes continue to be underwhelming, even when compared with the anemic offerings on past Trek spin-off sets. Whoever produced these materials though, for whatever reason, that tacky, superficial, and cheap were the way to go. It certainly doesn't do justice to the series that started it all.

(Universal, Rated R, DVD-$27.98 SRP)

'Tis the season for themed repackaging (just in time for holiday gift-giving!), and Universal's Ultimate Party Collection contains the special editions of two high school classics – Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Dazed and Confused. The bonus features are essentially the same, but both sport brand-spanking-new remasters and 5.1 surround sound. For a pair of flicks whose soundtracks are just as important as the story, that's a huge plus.

(Lion's Gate, Rated R, DVD-$24.95 SRP)

If you've gone to see The Grudge in theaters, you owe it to yourself to see the far creepier Japanese original, Ju-On. I don't what it is about Japanese horror = maybe the slightly alien culture – but they manage to hit emotional buttons far more effectively than their slicker American counterparts, particularly in this tale of a spirit of vengeance whose curse permeates a Japanese home, awakened when a new resident arrives. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with Sam Raimi & Scott Spiegel, cast & crew interviews, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and the theatrical trailer.

(Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP)

When Warners released their Marx Brothers Collection earlier this year, mainly all it did was whet my appetite for the release of their classic Paramount-era flicks (probably because, save for A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races , it featured the boys inferior MGM-era outings). Well, the Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection sports those classics I was waiting for – The Cocoanuts (their debut), Monkey Business, Duck Soup, Animal Crackers, and Horsefeathers. Hooray for Captain Spaulding! The prints have not been restored in the least, and are virtually identical to the Image releases from a few years back (what's up with that, Universal?). The bonus materials – what they are of them – are also disappointing, to say the least. They consist of a trio of interviews taken from NBC's Today show archive, featuring Groucho, Harpo, and Harpo's son Bill. What's annoying about these interviews is they're merely excerpts and not the full appearance… What's the use in that? You devote an entire disc to about 20 minutes of excerpts? Bah! These films deserve more! But at least we finally have them back in print, which is certainly the most important thing. And hey, after this, you'll be able to answer the eternal question – "What a duck?"

(Lion's Gate, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

CG animation is still no match for the fluidity and feeling of hand-drawn traditional animation, but the CG adventure Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy manages to come closer than most, primarily due to a fun little script (whose only real weak point is its softening of the franchise by making Bluto Popeye's shipmate and friend – bleh) and darn good voice acting, particularly Billy West's channeling of Jack Mercer's classic Popeye. The story finds Popeye and crew (Bluto, Olive, Swee'Pea, and Wimpy) against the evil Sea Hag in a quest to find Poop Deck Pappy. Bonus features include 4 of the original Paramount-era cartoons (not the classic Fleischers), interviews with the "cast," and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$139.95 SRP)

Star Trek: Voyager hit episode number 100 during its 5^th season, celebrating the occasion with (what else?) a time travel story  that finds future versions of Harry Kim and Chakotay on the run from Captain Geordi LaForge as they try and correct a mistake from the past that stranded (and eventually killed) the Voyager crew on a frozen world on the edge of the Alpha Quadrant. That pretty much summed up the season as a whole, as Voyager attempted (often fruitlessly) to correct some of the confused signals of seasons past (although, given a few more seasons, I'm sure just about the entire Alpha Quadrant would have crossed paths with the Voyager, which was "supposed" to be isolated in the Delta Quadrant). My favorite stories, however, continue to be the ones that focus on Robert Picardo's holographic doctor – don't ask me why… Maybe because I think Picardo's just a great actor. The 6-disc set contains the usual complement of featurettes (a Season 5 overview, spotlights on Roxann Dawson's Be'lanna Torres and Robert Duncan McNeill's Tom Paris, an interview with "Borg Queen" Susanna Thompson, and a make-up effects featurette) and easter eggs.

(Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

Not expecting much, I didn't have nearly the same level of problems that most viewers had with Frank Oz's remake of The Stepford Wives. Sure, it in no way tops the of-a-time creepiness of the original, whose story of a group of upper-class men who decide to combat the encroachment of women's lib by replacing their wives with robotic visions of perfection certainly encapsulated the changing times. Today, the same story plays as a farce, and the execution of the film does little to combat the PC feeling that lingers about it. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with Oz, featurettes, deleted/extended scenes, a gag reel, and trailers.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

Over 40 years on, The Andy Griffith Show is still a classic. Most remarkably, where other shows of the era have dated (sometimes to the point of unwatchability), the small town stories of Andy, Opie, Barney, Aunt Bea, and the denizens of Mayberry still remain fresh and – most importantly – funny. Why? Well, the easiest answer is that it's because the show is a character piece – you care about these people, no matter when (or where) it takes place. One of the most-requested titles to finally make its way to DVD (finally eliminating the need to pick up those scattershot public domain releases), you can pick up all 32 episodes of the show's first season. Just remember – don't touch that pie on the windowsill.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$59.95 SRP)

To any self-respecting Buffy fan, the 7^th (and final) season was a complete and utter disaster. Directionless, preachy, dry, pretentious, and practically phoned in, it became a parody of its former greatness. As you may guess, I wasn't particularly fond of its swan song ( Angel got it right – it went out like a champ). But hey, make up your own mind with The Complete Seventh Season, featuring commentaries, featurettes, outtakes (none of which feature the perpetually prickly Gellar), wrap footage, and a few other odds and ends.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

I'm still not sure that I buy the logic behind jumping ahead from the last Frasier DVD release – which was season three – all the way to the final, eleventh season (it's something about it still being fresh in people's minds), but any release of this rather consistently enjoyable show is still worth picking up. Frasier: The Complete Final Season contains all 23 episodes, plus farewell featurettes an d interviews. Paramount intends a faster roll-out of both Frasier and Cheers next year, so at least there's that – but until then, there's this.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

Who do you call when Santa is offed by his vicious son (Andy Dick) in a grab for seasonal power, who then launches into a plan to destroy Chanukah by brainwashing Jewish children via bootleg copies of "It's a Wonderful Life" ? You call in the Semitic Super Stud, Mordechai Jefferson Carver – a.k.a. The Hebrew Hammer (Adam Goldberg). It's just surreal enough to be funny, but not nearly the laugh riot the whacked-out concept deserves. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes footage.

(Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$34.95 SRP)

Home Movies is one of those shows that – despite making it 5 seasons – was cancelled before its time. Victim of apathy at Cartoon Network (a few influential individuals though it didn't fit into their vision for the Adult Swim line-up), the animated adventures of budding filmmaker Brendon (Brendon Small) who, along with his friends Melissa (Melissa Galasky) and Jason (H. Jon Benjamin), crafted some truly Ed Wood-ian movies, was one of the most well-written character pieces ever to grace the small screen (be it live action or animation). The most vibrant character, though, would definitely have to be the kid's gym teacher and emotional man-child, Coach John McGuirk (Benjamin, again), who had designs on Brendon's single mother. Discover the series via the complete first season box-set, containing all 13 episodes plus audio commentaries, interviews, short films, and a couple of easter eggs that should make fans quite happy.

(Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$19.96 SRP)

They taunted us for years – announcing release dates, canceling release dates, and finally pushing back release dates – but we've finally got the Iron Giant special edition we've been pining for. The special edition contains a brand-new (sparkling) transfer, an audio commentary (with director Brad Bird, head of animation Tony Fucile, story department head Jeff Lynch, and Giant animation supervisor Steve Markowski), 8 additional scenes, 13 branching mini-documentaries, analysis of the film's "educational film" sequences, "The Voice of the Giant" featurette, and more. So go see The Incredible, but bring Brad Bird's first classic home for a spin.

(A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP)

Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of MacBeth? What, are you kidding? Sign me up! A beautiful production, featuring a brand new introduction from McKellen (who also provides an explanation of the play), a timeline, and bios.

(BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP)

It's always better when a show decides when to end itself, rather than lingering into mediocrity. For Britcoms, the ultimate example of this being John Cleese's legendary Fawlty Towers. Another brilliant show that picked the right time to exit the field was The Office, which wound up its run with a two-part Christmas special that brought closure to… well… everything. From Brent to Tim and Dawn, it's all resolved – in some ways completely unexpectedly. Thankfully, the show never compromised, and its finale is a fitting end. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary on the second special with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, a behind-the-scenes featurette, the full music video to "Free Love Freeway," and footage from the Golden Globes ceremony.

(Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$14.95 SRP)

During the acrimonious actors' strike of 1980, only one production was permitted to shoot – director Milos Forman's Ragtime. The reason it was allowed to move forward was due to a single castmember – ailing film legend James Cagney, in what proved to be his final screen appearance. The adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's novel of the lives, passions, and dramas of a small town middle class family in turn-of-the-century America is brilliantly executed, evoking the dichotomy of a simpler, yet rougher, time in our cultural history. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with Forman and executive producer Michael Hausman, a retrospective documentary, and a deleted scene.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

I can think of no better title for a tribute to one of the greatest stand-ups of all time than Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!. While the ailing comic never appears, there are a gaggle of other stand-ups who attest to his immense influence, plus plenty of clips from Pryor's heyday. All in all, it's a fitting remembrance of a lasting legacy. The DVD contains an additional 30 minutes of interviews.

(MGM/UA, Rated R, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

In The Saddest Music in the World, Isabella Roseellini stars as a legless depression-era beer baroness who stages a contest aimed at finding the world's saddest song. The winner is guaranteed a prize of $25,000, which flushes everyone and their brother out of the woodwork, leading to twists and turns aplenty. Would you believe it's a comedy – and a damn good one, at that? The anamorphic DVD contains shorts films from director Guy Maddin, a making-of and character featurettes, teasers, and the theatrical trailer.

(MGM/UA, Rated PG, DVD-$26.95 SRP)

The highlight of Sleepover has to be Spy Kids' all-grown-up Alex Vega, who manages to anchor the otherwise fluffy tale of her friends all-night scavenger hunt against their "popular" rivals with wit, sweetness, and – yes – hot looks. There. I said it. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Joe Nussbaum and the cast, a making-of featurettes, profiles of the actresses, confessions, a gag reel, and more.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

I'm still trying to figure out who asked for a director's cut special edition of Daredevil. Was there anyone – anyone – who walked out of that flick thinking, "Gee, I wish there were more…" ? I'd personally like to slap those people, then hand them a copy of the atrocity they desired, which adds 30 minutes (!) and contains a brand new commentary with director Mark Steven Johnson and producer Avi Arad, as well as a featurette on the making of the director's cut.