(Criterion, Not Rated, DVD-$79.95 SRP)

Every time I think they can't top themselves, Criterion finds a way to prove me wrong. The new case in point is their release of The Complete Monterey Pop Festival – documentarian D.A. Pennebaker's chronicle of the first (and only) festival to bear that name, held in the Summer of 1967 (also known as the "Summer of Love"). This 3-Disc Set contains the original cut of the film (featuring such acts as Janis Joplin, The Mamas & the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and many more) as well as the features Shake! Otis at Monterey and Jimi Plays Monterey – all with a fully restored picture and 5.1 sound (that is simply a wonder to hear, considering the age of the elements). Disc 3 contains performances cut from the finished film (over 20). As far as bonus features go, there's an audio commentary on Monterey Pop (with Pennebaker and Festival producer Lou Adler), an audio commentary on Jimi Plays Monterey (with Jimi Hendrix biographer Charles Shaar Murray), an audio commentary on Shake! Otis at Monterey (with music critic Peter Guralnick), a 2001 video interview with Lou Adler and D.A. Pennebaker, a video interview with Phil Walden (manager of Otis Redding), audio interviews (with John Phillips, publicist Derek Taylor, Cass Elliott, and David Crosby), the original theatrical trailer, and a photo gallery.

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

I had heard rumblings of this incredibly funny British comedian named Eddie Izzard going back 4 years or so, so it was with piqued interest that I awaited the debut of his stand-up special, Dress to Kill, a few years back on HBO. Izzard did not disappoint, filling almost 2 hours of airtime with some incredibly funny comedy that was remarkably intelligent and witty (a rarity in American comics). Maybe that's why I enjoyed revisiting that special in DVD form. Not only does the disc contain Dress to Kill, but it also includes his French special Circle (and yes, he does the entire thing in French). Special features include an audio commentary on both programs from Izzard, as well as a photo featurette (an homage/parody of Ken Burns). C'est magnifique.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG-13, DVD-$28.96 SRP)

Ach, so much wasted potential! This is a flick that could have been… nay, SHOULD have been so much better than it is. I mean, come on – you had to wonderful actors with fun characters, a great premise, and a ton of goodwill left over from their first outing. Sadly, all of the is squandered in a rather boring way over the course of this sequel that pits our agents in black against a monster hell-bent on – you guessed it – the destruction of the human race. The 2 disc anamorphic DVD set features an audio commentary with director Barry Sonnenfeld, featurettes ("Take 2: Looping MIB II", "Alien Estoterica", Animatics montage, "Bo Welch -art/production design", Danny Elfman, Foley artists, Frank the Pug, Jarra, Jeebs, Jeff the Worm, Rick Baker, Scrad/Charlie, Serleena, and The Worms), an alternate ending, Will Smith music video, multi-angle scene deconstructions, trailers, and blooper reel.

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

As a Mystery Science Theater fan from way (way) back, it's always been with a great deal of impatience that I've awaited the next release of episodes on DVD. Maybe that's why I wholeheartedly endorse the release of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 1. Containing 4 classic "episodes" (movies) – Bloodlust, The Creeping Terror, Catalina Caper, and The Skydivers – this set is definitely a step in the right direction (Rhino has already tentatively scheduled the release of the next two volumes). As a special feature, you also get the un-MSTed version of each flick on the flip side of their respective discs – if you're brave enough to watch them, you'll quickly realize just how watchable MST made these horrid films. On a side note, I can't tell you how good it feels to have Catalina Caper on DVD – it has the honor of being the first Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode whose rights were lost, which made it a much sought-after episode.

Fulfill your insatiable desire for nonfiction entertainment by checking out two recent releases from National Geographic, Ambassador: Inside the Embassy (National Geographic, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP) and The Search for Kennedy's PT-109 (National Geographic, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP). Ambassador is an incredible look behind-the-scenes at the crucial role an ambassador plays in keeping foreign relations in order, especially post-9/11. PT-109 follows Dr. Robert Ballard (who uncovered the location of the Titanic) as he hunts down the final resting place of Kennedy's legendary torpedo boat. Both programs make for fascinating viewing – and great gifts, too.

(Rhino, Not Rated, $59.95 SRP)

I am, unashamedly, a child of the 1980's. I came of age in a time when animation crassly surrendered itself to the toy gods, existing merely as 22 minute commercials for the latest product that our parents absolutely HAD to buy. The difference between those cartoons and today's pap is that the cartoons of my childhood were actually cool. We had GI Joe, Thundercats, He-Man, and – my personal favorite – Transformers. Digging through the 4-disc Transformers Season 2: Part 1 Box Set, I was reminded that these were more than just eye candy – they were stories with honest-to-gosh *characters*. My childhood was filled with the power-hungry machinations of Megatron and his evil Decepticons against the noble Autobots, led by the charismatic (you heard me) Optimus Prime. I can't wait for the Rhino to release the remaining half of Season 2 (it was split due to the large amount of episodes in this particular season) and future seasons. The set contains remastered audio and video (from the 35mm masters), a featurette on the annual Transformers fan convention Botcon, a mistake reel, an interview with writer Earl Kress, and interviews with voice actors Neil Kaplan & Michael McConnohie. You even get two character cels.

(Paramount, Rated PG, DVD-$24.99 SRP)

As a first film, The Duellists certainly shows a great deal of promise. It's even more fascinating when you realize that the person whose progress you're charting is director Ridley Scott – and in viewing this movie, you can certainly see the seeds of Scott's future work. The Duellists (based on Joseph Conrad's novel) revolves around the escalating duels between two officers in Napoleon's army (played by Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine) over the course of 30 years. What began with a relatively minor incident spirals out of control, evolving into a destructive passion that consumes them both. The DVD features an audio commentary with Scott, an audio commentary and isolated score by Howard Blake, "Dueling Directors: Ridley Scott and Kevin Reynolds" featurette, "Boy And Bicycle" short film by Ridley Scott, photo galleries, storyboards, and the original theatrical trailer.

(New Line, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

After the rather tired nature of much of the "comedy" contained within The Spy Who Shagged Me, it was quite refreshing to take in the latest Austin Powers flick, Goldmember. Maybe it was because the production seemed more focused (I think it was just a better script), but this third outing in Mike Myers spy-spoof franchise is a movie I still haven't grown sick of seeing (a true feat). It's also a film whose arrival on DVD I've been eagerly awaiting, if only for the fabled cut footage. Well, I'm happy to say, the Infinifilm release doesn't disappoint, sporting not only 30 minutes of deleted footage (with optional commentary), but also an audio commentary with Myers and director Jay Roach, "The World Of Austin Powers" featurette, visual effects featurette, "M:16 International Men Of Mystery" featurette, "Fashion Vs. Fiction" featurette, "Disco Fever" featurette, "English, English" featurette, Fact & Trivia subtitles track, music videos ("Work It Out" by Beyonce, "Boys" by Britney Spears, "Daddy Wasn't There" by Ming Tea, and "Hard Knock Life" by Dr. Evil and Mini-Me), and theatrical and teaser trailers.

(Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

When I first saw Iron Giant – an amazing film – I couldn't help but think, "Why can't Disney do this?" Why couldn't Disney produce an animated film that was heartfelt without being cloying, funny without being cute, and memorable without being desperate? Why did it seem that Disney was incapable of that? Then I saw Lilo & Stitch, and my first thought was, "Who had their back turned at the House of Mouse, allowing this gem to slip out?" Lilo & Stitch is an amazing flick – who'd have thought that Disney would release a film about a violent alien that takes refuge in a broken home in Hawaii, where he's befriended by a young girl (who's a bit left-of-center) who teaches him civic-mindedness by using Elvis as a reference point? Never mind the double threat of a social-worker gunning to take Lilo away from her guardian/sister and a pair of aliens gunning for Stitch. I honestly can not speak highly enough of this film. Unfortunately, I fear Disney will not take heed of this wake-up call. While a 2-disc special edition DVD is currently in the works for a release next year, this single-disc release contains a few nice features that make it worth picking up, including deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of Wynonna's cover of Elvis' "Burning Love", the A-Teens music video "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You", "A Stitch In Time" featurette, "How-to-Hula" lesson, Inter-Stitch-als", the teaser trailer for the film (where Stitch ruined scenes from classic Disney flicks like Beauty and the Beast and Lion Ling), DisneyPedia: Hawaii, "Animating the Hula" featurette, "The Young Voices of Hawaii" featurette, "On Location with the Directors" featurette (easily one of the best, most candid behind-the-scenes look to come out of Disney), and the "Build An Alien Experiment" Set-Top game.

(MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP)

It's been a long (incredibly long) wait, but The Producers has *finally* arrived on DVD. Alongside Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, this is one of the finest flicks to ever spring from the mind of Mel Brooks. Not only does it contain one of the funniest sequences ever placed on celluloid – the meant-to-bomb musical "Springtime for Hitler" – but it also contains memorable performances from two comedic geniuses, Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel (as nebbish accountant Leo Bloom and bombastic Broadway producer Max Bialystock). Not only does this DVD feature a rather spiffy anamorphic print, but it also contains a new 50 minute making-of documentary. It also contains an outtake, photo gallery, sketch gallery, and trailers. It's about time.

(Paramount, Rated R, DVD-$24.99 SRP)

Based on the true story of a New York City cop who discovers a police force riddled with corruption, Serpico features one of Al Pacino's finest performances (second only to the Godfather films). It's a grim, gritty, landmark film that has finally been given a very nice special edition treatment containing an audio commentary with director Sidney Lumet, "Serpico: From Real to Reel" featurette, "Inside Serpico" featurette, "Serpico: Favorite Moments" featurette, photo gallery, and the film's original theatrical trailer.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$134.99 SRP)

Although many viewers consider Season 6 of ST: TNG to be its highpoint (including the people behind-the-scenes), I often found it to be one of the weakest (next to the horrible Season 1 and the waning Season 7). Fortunately, Star Trek shows average 26 episodes per season – which means that there are plenty of good episodes to balance out the clunkers. Amongst those classic episodes are the Q-driven "Tapestry" (where Picard gets the opportunity to revisit a past mistake), "Ship in a Bottle" (featuring the return of the Holodeck Moriarty), "Starship Mine" (Picard does Die Hard), and – best of all – the return of Scotty (and the classic Enterprise bridge) in "Relics". As far as special features go, they're on par with Paramount's previous TNG seasons – "Mission Overview: Year Six", "Departmental Briefing: Year Six – Production", "Departmental Briefing: Year Six – Dan Curry Profile", "Bold New Directions" featurette (about the directing experiences of Patrick Stewart and Levar Burton), and "Special Crew Profile: Lt. Commander Data" (a nice, in-depth overview of the character both in front of and behind the camera). All that leaves is Season 7… The bonus features on that one should be interesting. I can't wait until Deep Space Nine makes its debut.

(Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$32.99 SRP each)

With the holidays fast approaching, it seems that truly wonderful gift-giving ideas are in short supply… At least they were until I explored the latest Walt Disney Treasures releases from Disney. You may remember the Walt Disney Treasures line from last year – they were the snazzy 2-disc collector's sets hosted by Leonard Maltin, packaged in a limited edition tin case. What made those releases DVDs to cherish were not those admittedly wonderful numbered tins – rather, it was the beautifully restored classic Disney cartoons and programs from the archives. This go round doesn't disappoint in the least, and goes a long way towards cementing Disney Home Video's efforts as a benchmark other studios should follow in how to release archival material from the vaults. First up is the second Mickey Mouse collection (following last year's Mickey Mouse in Color), Mickey Mouse in Black and White, which contains all 34 of Mickey's black & white adventures looking better than they EVER have. Bonus materials include interviews with Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, rare pencil test footage, story scripts, story sketch sequences, and a poster gallery. The Complete Goofy pretty much says it all – it contains every Goofy short subject (including those memorable "How To" sports shorts). Bonus materials include a Goofy character study, a featurette on Pinto Colvig (Goofy's original voice), a featurette with Bill Farmer (his current voice), poster & memorabilia galleries, and a "Goofy Through the Years" gallery. Last but certainly not least is Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studio, which presents rarely seen behind-the-scenes footage and documentaries about the studio itself – starting with the 1941 feature The Reluctant Dragon. Also contained are the RKO documentaries "A Trip Through the Walt Disney Studios" & "How Walt Disney Cartoons are Made", "The Story of Animated Drawing", "The Plausible Impossible", and "Tricks of Our Trade". The bonus features include even more behind-these scenes info and footage, making for a Disneyphile's dream come true. I really can't be emphatic enough in my recommendation of these sets. A lot of love and care went into making these true "Event" releases that will be cherished for years (consider this is wake-up call, Warner Bros). To put it bluntly – they're just very well made and pretty darn cool. I hope the delayed Wartime Cartoons volume will finally see the light of day (it was originally planned for this release), and I eagerly look forward to more from this line.

(Paramount, Rated PG, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

I guess this is about as close to a sequel to Time Bandits – in a roundabout way – that we'll ever get. If you're wondering what in the heck I'm talking about, Ian Holm played Napoleon Bonaparte in Time Bandits, and he reprises that role here. Of course, everything else is different – including the characterization of Napoleon – but I couldn't pass up the chance to mention Time Bandits. In this flick, we catch up with the deposed emperor during his exile on the island of St. Helena – a broken, powerless, lonely man… or maybe not. This movie presents a slightly skewed scenario, wherein Napoleon switches places with a lookalike commoner in hopes of traveling to Paris and reclaiming the throne. Unfortunately, his journey is fraught with twists and tangents that force him to live a commoner's life – all while the commoner posing as him revels in his newfound stardom. A fun flick that's worth checking out for Holm alone.

(Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

Harrison Ford, what happened to you? I used to love everything you were in… okay, maybe not Frantic or Force 10 from Navarone, but still – I liked just about everything. Then you made Six Days, Seven Nights. And What Lies Beneath. And now this – an attempt at documenting the true story of the K-19, a Soviet sub that encountered a deadly nuclear leak en route to America. Ford plays Captain Alexei Vostrikov, Russian accent and all. Unfortunately, it does little to improve this turgid drama that is supposed to highlight the courage and sacrifice of the Soviet crew in the face of disaster, but instead bored me to tears. Ah well… there's always Indy IV. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, 3 featurettes, a making-of, and the theatrical trailer.

(Warner Bros, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP)

As Star Trek: Nemesis "graces" the big screen, it's disconcerting to watch Patrick Stewart in King of Texas. In it, the dignified British actor who has become iconic as both Captain Jean Luc Picard and Professor X plays the part of… a 19^th century Texas cattle baron. Before your head explodes from the cognitive dissonance, let me tell you that Stewart plays John Lear – an aging rancher who decides to divvy up his ranch between his feuding daughters (Lauren Holly, Julie Cox, Marcia Gay Harden). If the plot sounds somewhat familiar, maybe that's because you know it better as Shakespeare's King Lear. The adaptation is pulled off remarkably well, and the supporting cast (including Colm Meaney, David Alan Grier, and Roy Scheider) fill the story in nicely. 

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG, DVD-$27.96 SRP)

Surprisingly enough, this is a sequel that actually is better than its predecessor – and I liked the original film a great deal. However, much like Babe: Pig in the City, Stuart Little 2 failed to get the box office it deserved. This go round, the story is a little less saccharine, the editing is a bit tighter, and the character work is much funnier. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary, a "Show And Tell" behind-the-scenes option, "A Touch Of Evil: Creating The Perfect Villain" featurette, "Life In The Fast Lane" featurette about the filmmaking process, a Read-Along, "Stuart's Circle Of Friends" interactive game, "I'm Alive" music video by Celine Dion, trailers, and the ability to record your own read-along.

(Creative Light, Not Rated, $19.95 SRP)

William Shatner's Spplat Attack is… well… just plain surreal. Who else but Shatner would spearhead a charity event that pits 1,500 participants – divided into teams (Klingons, Borg, and Shatner's Federation) – against each other in the largest paintball event ever attempted? And, perhaps most shocking of all, make a coherent, downright enjoyable DVD out of it. Even though he's in his early 70's, Shatner is an active participant in the event – running through the woods, leading charges, and managing to dodge paintballs even though 1,000 people on the opposing teams are out to get him. Surprisingly, Bill Shatner is just as much a cunning strategist as his alter-ego, Captain Kirk. His double – and sometime triple – crosses are a wonder to behold. The DVD contains bonus features galore, including featurettes, photo galleries, bios, and more. I sincerely hope they do this again next year.

(Universal, Rated PG, DVD-$56.98 SRP)

When the DVD platform was launched way back in 1997, Universal made an announcement of titles that were soon to be released in the nascent format – an announcement which included Back to the Future. Well, 1997 came and went. So did 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.  But when 2002 rolled, it seemed that the long-awaited flick would finally be making its debut alongside its two sequels. Personally, I was a bit skeptical – it had been five years since that promise was last dangled in front of BTTF fans. Thankfully, Universal proved me wrong, and have released a set containing all three films in the Back to the Future Trilogy with newly re-mastered anamorphic prints. As if that wasn't enough, they've also packed the discs to the gills with bonus materials that fans have been desperately hoping to get for years (and some surprises to boot). All three films contain an audio Q&A with writer/director Bob Zemeckis and writer/producer Bob Gale (recorded at USC), a more technical-minded audio commentary with Gales and producer Neil Canton, the original making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes (the best surprise of all), the newly-produced "Making the Trilogy" documentary, trailers, and fact-filled subtitle tracks. In addition, the set contains music videos (Huey Lewis' "Power of Love" and ZZ Top's "Doubleback"), effects and design featurettes, a select-scene commentary/interview with Michael J. Fox, and production archives. If I had a quibble with this set at all, it would be the lack of any of the fabled Eric Stoltz footage (Stoltz was originally cast as Marty, but replaced two weeks into production) – but I can live without it. Overall, this is a great set, and its nice to have all three flicks in one convenient package. Kudos to Universal, and let this be a wake-up call to Paramount and Lucasfilm to get off their asses and get the Indiana Jones trilogy released in a set even half as good.

(MGM/UA, Rated PG, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

I am a fan of The Crocodile Hunter. There… I've said it. I'm not ashamed of it, because Steve Irwin's often loony antics are incredibly entertaining – It's like a post-modern Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, with a mad Aussie at the helm. Having said that, is it any wonder that I got a kick out of Irwin's first feature film, Collision Course? My one issue with the film is that they the framing story –some hoo-ha about a missing piece of spy equipment being tracked by multiple government agencies, not knowing it's in the gut of one of the Croc Hunter's crocs – is completely unneccesary. I would much rather they simply made a documentary feature – Irwin is entertaining enough all by himself. The anamorphic DVD contains a making-of documentary, "Lights! Camera! Animals!" featurette, deleted scenes introduced by the director, behind-the-scenes effects footage, Baha Men music video, a "Pop-up Croc" track, Outback interactive games, photo gallery, and trailers.

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

An Evening with Kevin Smith is exactly what it sounds like. Collected from Smith's numerous Q&A sessions at colleges across the country, this 2-disc set contains nearly four hours of unadulterated Kevin Smith (with a smattering of Jason Mewes). Smith is an engaging speaker (actually, he's f***in' hilarious – pardon the language), and this DVD set captures his appearances (which I've attended in the past) beautifully.

(Warner Bros, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

It's been a long time since I've seen a Clint Eastwood movie that didn't make me cringe inside. Actually, the last one I liked was probably Unforgiven… Since then, Clint has squinted his way through parts that either should have been played by a far younger actor or were just plain poorly written. Maybe that's why I found myself enjoying Blood Work so much. In it, Eastwood stars as an FBI profiler who's just been given a new lease on life via a heart transplant. The heart came from a murder victim, whose sister asks Clint to find the killer. What follows is a well-executed murder mystery that's worth checking out. The anamorphic DVD contains a making-of featurette, a conversation in Spanish (with Clint Eastwood, Wanda DeJesus and Paul Rodgriguez, subtitled in English), and the theatrical trailer.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$134.99 SRP)

The DVD releases of Star Trek: The Next Generation finally come to a close with the arrival of Season 7. As a season, the final TV voyage of the starship Enterprise is not exactly its finest hour. There are a good deal of clunkers throughout the year (including the annoying recurrence of family members coming out of every nook and cranny every time you turn your back), but there are also a few highpoints – including the alternate universe adventure "Parallels" (featuring a thoroughly confused Worf) and a different view of the Enterprise's operations in "Lower Decks". My favorite episode of the season (and of the series), however, is the finale – "All Good Things…". Maybe its because it features a one-two punch of two of my favorite story devices in TNG: Time Travel and Q. As far as bonus features go, they hew pretty closely to what's been established with these Trek box sets – "Mission Overview: Year 7" featurette, "A Captain's Tribute" featurette (featuring Patrick Stewart's remembrances of his fellow crewmembers), "Departmental Briefing: Year 7 – Production" featurette, "The Making of All Good Things" featurette, "Starfleet Moments and Memories" featurette, and a sneak peek at the upcoming Deep Space 9: Season One set. If you've been holding off on purchasing the TNG Season 5, 6, and 7 box sets, you might want to pick them up at your local Best Buy. Why, you ask? Well, those sneaky little devils at Paramount and BB have arranged to include a bonus disc in each set, containing additional (exclusive) featurettes. The Season 5 disc contains "Intergalactic Guest Stars" and "Alien Speak". Season 6 contains "Select Historical Data" and "The Starfleet Archives: Set and Props". Season 7 contains "Special Crew Profiles" (including a spotlight on Q) and "Dressing the Future". Each disc runs about 30 minutes.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.96 SRP)

Vin Diesel… How do I hate thee? Mr. Diesel is an actor I truly loathe – he simply grates on me. Maybe that's why I enjoyed the fact that he fronted this third rate Bond rip-off crapfest, in which he stars as a "hesitant action hero" pegged by the CIA to infiltrate a Russian crime ring. Ho-hum. One more minute of staring into Diesel's dead eyes is 15 minutes too long. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Rob Cohen, "A Filmmaker's Diary" documentary, featurettes ("Diesel Powered", "The GTO Is Back", "Designing The World Of XXX" and "Building Speed: The Vehicles Of XXX"), deleted scenes, script-to-screen comparisons, multi-angle deconstructions, visual effects demos, and "Adrenaline" music video by Gavin Rossdale.