(Fantoma, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

One From the Heart is like a lost Francis Ford Coppola film. It barely registered at the box office and has been buried ever since. Maybe that's because the public wasn't ready for a surreal fairy tale of a musical about a Las Vegas couple (Raul Julia and Natassia Kinski) who break up on the 4 ^th of July and then spend an evening pursuing their respective romantic fantasies over the course of an evening in America's city of lights. As if that wasn't a trippy enough presence, Coppola got Tom Waits to do the music. It's an imperfect film, to be sure, but it's also an ambitious artistic attempt that's worth viewing . The film has gotten a 2-disc DVD release containing a remastered high-definition transfer of the film, an audio commentary with Coppola, an isolated music track, numerous featurettes, previously unreleased Waits demo recordings, deleted and alternate scenes, rehearsal footage, a photo gallery, theatrical trailers, and more.

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

American Splendor is, hands-down, of the most inventive and entertaining films I've seen in quite awhile. It seems like an odd statement to make when one considers that the film spotlights the decidedly downbeat Harvey Pekar – a file clerk turned autobiographical chronicler whose comic book, [American Splendor], collected his everyday "adventures" in a world not unlike our own. The real joy of the film comes from it's playful attitude towards reality – do we find it in the depictions of Harvey's past starring Paul Giamatti as Pekar? Is it the frequent appearances of an animated Harvey in the various art styles employed in the comic book over the years? Perhaps it's the real Harvey, who narrates the film and appears in short interstitial bridging segments? Who knows? All I do know is that this is a film that should be viewed, so why don't you go do that. The DVD contain an audio commentary (with Giamatti, Pekar and his wife and daughter, and the directors) and a short featurette on the process of bringing Pekar's story to screen.

(Capitol, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP)

With last year's release of The Beatles Anthology on DVD and Let It Be… Naked on CD, one gets the distinct feeling that we're on the verge of a Beatles resurgence. The release of The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit on DVD serves to reinforce that idea. Newly remastered, expanded, and looking better than ever, the Maysles Brothers documentary of that historic 1964 visit is an enthralling time capsule of a cataclysmic generational shift. The disc also includes an audio commentary with Albert Maysles, a new interview, and a 51-minute making-of documentary with additional footage. Now where is my Let It Be DVD?

(Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$14.98 SRP)

I will forever remember Down Periscope as the film that got Kelsey grammar to cut his hair between the second and third seasons of Frasier , and for that I'm grateful. As a film, it's funny but by no means great. Or good. Well, okay, it's a decent diversionary flick… But it did get him to cut his damn hair, so for that, I give it props.

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

I honestly didn't think I'd like The Fighting Temptations in the least. I mean, it stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., for cripes sake – how can it be good? I like it when I'm wrong about a film, because it usually means I wound up enjoying myself, and that's what happened with this story of a New York ad exec (Gooding) who journeys home to Georgia in order to claim an inheritance. There's a hitch – in order to claim his money, he has to fulfill his deceased aunt's final wish and form a local choir. Desperate for the money, he undertakes the task, and soon runs across just what he needs – a singer named Lilly (Beyonce Knowles). Convincing her to come aboard is not so easy, however. In the end, the flick is funny in a cozy kind of way, and the soundtrack is killer. The anamorphic DVD contains extended scenes and music numbers, and the theatrical trailer.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP)

I've said it before and I'll say it again – I love the continuing CG adventures of Jimmy Neutron. The creators behind these short serials have learned a thing or two that companies like Pixar have rediscovered (and Disney has forgotten) – keep it funny, keep it snappy, and ground your stories in well-developed characters. The latest collection of 6 storylines is Jet Fusion, and I recommend you give 'em a spin.

(Universal, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

As a comedy, Lost in Translation is quite lyrical in its execution, much like director Sofia Coppola's freshman effort The Virgin Suicides . For his role as an American celebrity adrift in a foreign land when the lure of easy commercial cash brings him to Tokyo, Billy Murray deserves all of the accolades that are being heaped upon him. Nuanced and pitch-perfect, he's brilliant. A chance encounter in a bar leads him to a fellow traveler, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), who becomes a life preserver at a time when he's sinking fast. The anamorphic DVD contains an interview with Murray and Coppola, a behind-the-scenes documentary, extended and deleted scenes, and a music video.

(BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP)

Keeping Up Appearances is one of those Britcoms that one could never be pulled off adequately in an American version. The frantic schemes in the pursuit of social ladder climbing that Hyacinth Bucket (she insists it be pronounced "bouquet") attempts are truly steeped in the British attitudes towards status, and it's within that context that her ultimately disastrous failures become truly hilarious. The four-disc Hyacinth in Full Bloom  collects the show's final three seasons.

(Dimension, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

In the year of Gigli, it was easy for other crappy movies to slip under the radar without getting their deserved pummelings. The Ashton Kutcher "comedy" My Boss's Daughter is one such abomination. Director David Zucker manages to forget everything that makes a film funny, much to the anguish of anyone unlucky enough to attempt to view it. The anamorphic DVD is available in both PG-13 and R rated versions (can you guess what there's more of), and contains a Tara Reid screen test, a making-of featurette, and outtakes.

(Fox, Rated G, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

I love when companies finally get around to fixing mistakes made in the early, rough-and-tumble days of DVD – you know, back when companies weren't terribly concerned with that whole "anamorphic" thing, and would release long-awaited catalogue titles in non-anamorphic widescreen. One title that I've been waiting eagerly for has been revisited – the original Planet of the Apes. The picture is impressive, and the 2-disc set features bonus material that should be familiar to those who picked up a copy of Image's Behind the Planet of the Apes set a few years back. What's noticeably new are two audio commentaries (the first with Roddy McDowell, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter, and makeup artist John Chambers – the second with Jerry Goldsmith along with the isolated score). I hope the reminder of the Apes films aren't far behind…

(MGM/UA, Rated R, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

I've never particularly liked Rain Man. Don't get me wring – it's a competent and entirely watchable film, but it's also a flick that led to the accolade-needy star turns we later saw in Forrest Gump and I Am Sam (the horrible "challenged role" syndrome). I do get a kick out of "Time for Wopner…" though. The anamorphic special edition features an audio commentary with director Barry Levinson, and audio commentary with screenwriter Ronald Bass, an audio commentary with screenwriter Barry Morrow (yeah, you read that right), a deleted scene, featurette, and the original theatrical trailer.

(BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$34.98 SRP each)

Getting only two series of Red Dwarf a year is excruciating, but considering the amount of care being paid to these releases, I'm willing to wait. Series 3 and 4 were a time of change (Norman Lovett's Holly is out and Hattie Hayridge's Holly is in, Kryten gets added to the cast, new sets), but they were also the strongest written – in my opinion – of the entire 8 series run. Classic episodes like the warring waxworld "Meltdown," Ace Rimmer's first appearance in "Dimension Jump," and "Backwards" bear my assessment out. The real fun is in the extras, including cast commentaries on every episodes, two hour-plus documentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers, music cues, Easter eggs, and more. Only one more year till Series 5 & 6…

(New Line, Rated PG, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

With Secondhand Lions, writer/director Tim McCanlies dares to revisit a genre long thought dead – the somber-yet-uplifting coming of age family film. Not since the golden years of Disney live action – with movies like Old Yeller and Pollyanna – has a film sought to address such issues of maturity through a golden filter. And I respect McCanlies for even trying. That the film is as good as it is owes largely to McCanlies' script and the performances of Robert Duvall and Michael Caine as the seemingly Munchausen-esque Texan brothers Hub and Garth. Haley Joel Osment is less effective as Hub and Garth's nephew Walter, who is left in their care by his irresponsible mother (the "coming of age" part of the equation). The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with McCanlies, deleted/alternate scenes with optional commentary, two behind-the-scenes featurettes, "Haley Joel Osment: An Actor Comes of Age" featurette, visual effects comparisons, TV spots, and the theatrical trailer.

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

Make all the judgment calls you like, but there's a part of me that gets a real kick out of the release of the complete first season of What's Happening! . Many an afterschool afternoon was filled with reruns featuring the nutty exploits of teen friends Raj, Dwayne, and Rerun. The set has absolutely no bonus features except for the presence of Shirley Hemphill in each and every one of the 21 episodes.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP)

Angel has always been a show in search of a voice. The first season played up the dark night avenger angle, but quickly segued into The Night Stalker. Season 2 played up the backstory and soap operatic themes, but my favorite has to be the third season, which is best viewed via the Complete Third Season on DVD. The main element that makes it tops on my list is the introduction of a true opponent for our hero – and a perfectly sympathetic one at that. Holtz was a vampire hunter whose entire family was turned by Angelus, forcing him to kill them all. After striking a pact with a demon who desires an end to Angel as well, Holtz is transported through time to the present day, where his hunt is rekindled. The season featured plenty more than that, including a son for Angel, but it was the conflict with Holtz that really brought the game up a level. All 22 episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen, and bonus features include audio commentaries, outtakes, deleted scenes, screen tests, and featurettes.

(Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

I'm a sucker for a Coen Brothers film, so I'm a bit biased in going against the tide and expressing how much I enjoyed their latest surreal foray, Intolerable Cruelty. George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones star as a ruthless divorce attorney and his equally ruthless match. Funny and sublime, check it out for yourself. The anamorphic DVD contains outtakes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

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

The Lion King 1 ½ is a rarity amongst Disney's direct-to-video animated sequels – it's actually watchable. More than that, it's even good in many ways… I know, I know, it's hard to believe – but there it is. Essentially it's a prequel to The Lion King, filling in the background of Timon and Pumbaa while also offering an alternate angle on what was happening during some critical events of the original film in an imaginative, and often hilarious, manner. The 2-disc set contains a mock-biography of Timon hosted by Peter Graves, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a music video, and more. I know – I'm still stunned.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP)

The transition from child to adult actor is a difficult one littered with many a failure, and I admit that I considered Macaulay Culkin to be one of them. Once a top child actor, his post-puberty publicity has been wholly taken up by his strained relationship with his parents and that odd little marriage a few years back, with nary a film project in sight. With Culkin's powerfully demented performance as the late 80's wannabe club-kid Michael Alig, whose rise and fall is chronicled in Party Monster, I may have to take him off the retired list. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary, an interview with Alig, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and the original theatrical trailer.

(Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP)

Ken Plume, documentary geek, here again and recommending you check out The Celts, a series focusing on the warrior peoples who swept across Europe and whose barbarian culture lasted nearly 800 years. Trust me.

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

I know I shouldn't have, but I actually got some enjoyment out of David Spade's Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. I know, I know… I shouldn't have. It's a David Spade film, for cripes sake! But who can resist Spade playing a Corey Feldman-esque former TV star who now parks cars for a living and is desperate to revive his non-existent acting career? After Rob Reiner turns him down for a part in his new film by telling him he's not normal enough, Dickie inserts himself into a real family in order to live the childhood he never had. The scenes featuring a bevy of former child actors (Danny Bonaduce, Leif Garrett, Barry Williams, Dustin Diamond, and Feldman) alone are worth it. The anamorphic DVD includes an audio commentary with director Sam Weisman, an audio commentary with Spade and writer Fred Wolf, featurettes, deleted scenes, and the original theatrical trailer.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP)

Fans have been clamoring for years to get a DVD release of Roswell – a show I always considered to be Buffy with aliens (but that's just my opinion). Huge (monetary) music licensing issues held the release back, but it's finally hitting DVD – but not without a price. Much of the music has been replaced with, as the box-copy touts, "new cutting-edge songs selected by the original Roswell music team!" Not being a fan, I don't know how seriously these replacements affect the shows themselves, but at least you'll be able to pick up this set and see for yourself. All 22 first season episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen, plus select episode commentaries, deleted scenes, audition clips, and featurettes.

(Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.98 SRP)

Runaway Jury barely made a bubble at the box office let alone a splash (remember when anything with the name "Grisham" attached actually made it hot?), but that doesn't mean the film wasn't any good. Sure, it's a formulaic Grisham thriller, but the real draw is the cast – Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman pitted against each other in a struggle for a jury that's on the verge of being fixed. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Gary Fleder, scene-specific commentary with Hackman and Hoffman, deleted scenes with optional commentary, rehearsal footage, and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

(History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)

With a unique blend of interviews and powerful reenactments, Barbarians details the sordid histories of the Vikings, Goths, Mongols, and Huns. This 2-disc set also contains A&E's Biography of Genghis Khan and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

In an era when formerly subversive stalwarts like Saturday Night Live become increasingly toothless and irrelevant, the most biting social satire currently resides on basic cable. With a line-up that includes South Park and The Daily Show, Comedy Central has built a reputation as haven for edgy comedy that packs a powerful punch (I know, whoda thunk it?), and no where is that more evident than on Chappelle's Show – the first season of which is now available on DVD. Hosted, co-written, and produced by Dave Chappelle, the sketches are nothing short of brilliant in both conception and execution. I can think of very few performers this side of Richard Pryor (probably Chris Rock) who can pull off a sketch about a black white supremacist. The 2-disc set includes the 13 episodes comprising the first season, 5 audio commentaries with Chappelle and co-writer/producer Neal Brennan, 30 minutes of bloopers and deleted scenes with optional commentary, and unaired "Ask a Black Dude with Paul Mooney" footage.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.96 SRP)

Just One of the Guys is one of those cable classics that are forever seared in my memory. The story is typical 80's fare (which, interestingly, very often addressed the idea of identity) – a college girl blames sexism when her journalism professor refuses to enter her article in a competition for a summer internship. In order to prove her theory, she disguises herself as a boy and goes undercover in high school, planning to submit the article built around her experiences. Hijinks ensue. There are no bonus features to speak of and the film is presented in disappointing full-frame, but at least the print looks good.

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

While watching Ridley Scott's con dramedy Matchstick Men, I'm reminded how wonderful Nic Cage is when he's able to clamp down on his respectability-seeking antics while avoiding his frequent pendulum swings into schlock. It's in that middle ground that Cage is most comfortable, often playing a schlub who just can't seem to catch a break (see Raising Arizona). In Matchstick, he's Roy – a con artist who, with his partner Frank (Sam Rockwell), is on the verge of a career-making con that's as precarious as a house of cards. It's no [Con Air] (that's a compliment), but it is an involving character piece that draws you in almost immediately. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary (with Ridley Scott, writer Nicholas Griffin, and writer/producer Ted Griffin), a featurette on the day-to-day filmmaking process, and the original theatrical trailer.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated R, DVD-$28.95 SRP)

One of my biggest problems with Ron Howard as a director is his pathological attraction to annoying flaccid storytelling with a schmaltzy core. Even with a supernatural thriller like The Missing, Howard can't help himself. Despite a cast including Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, the story about a frontier couple whose daughter is kidnapped by a shape-shifting phantom is just flat an uninvolving – despite its clear desperation to be a psychological mood piece. It's a shame, because all of the elements are there (see The Others ), but Howard just can't pull it together. The anamorphic DVD contains deleted scenes, no less than 3 alternate endings, behind-the-scenes featurettes, Ron Howard's short films, and more.

(A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$79.95 SRP)

In the middle of investigating a divorce case, PI's Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk run into a bit of a problem… Well, a big problem – Hopkirk is killed. Not one to take death lying down, Hopkirk returns as a ghost to aid Randall in tracking down his killer – and then he sticks around to continue helping his partner on other cases. Only Randall can see him, however, which leads to quite a few interesting situations in a unique series that combines drama, comedy, and adventure. That it originally ran in the '60's only goes to show just how innovative its offbeat premise was. The first 4-disc set of Randall And Hopkirk: Deceased contains 13 episodes, plus The History Channel's Haunted History: London and a photo gallery.

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

Robert Rodriguez brings his Spy Kids trilogy to a close with Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over] – a film that is as enjoyable as it is disappointing. Okay, okay – let me quantify that. Rodriguez is a filmmaker who is capable of creating a world, as he has with all three Spy Kids flicks, that evokes the best of filmmakers like Gilliam and Spielberg – it's touching, surreal, funny, adventurous, and magical. Where the 3^rd installment falls down is in trying to be too "all that," with the insertion of 3-D into a story about a game programmer (an enjoyable Sylvester Stallone) gone mad who takes Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) hostage, leaving brother Juni (Daryl Sabara) and their grandfather (Ricardo Montalban) to try and rescue her within the villain's game environment. Rodriguez has decided to make the game world portions of the film 3-D, but unfortunately decided to go with the same lackluster methods of years past. The result is a mixture of a great looking film with a technology that just isn't up to snuff. Thankfully, the DVD release gives viewers the option of both the 3-D and a 2-D version of the film (4 pairs of glasses are included). The 2-disc set also includes an audio commentary with Rodriguez, a 10 minute film school, Alexa Vega in concert, a making-of featurette, and effects featurettes.

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

First, let me say right up front – I never liked the fourth Star Trek series, Voyager. In hindsight, after experiencing the excruciatingly mediocre Enterprise and watching the entirety of Voyager's first season, it sure looks a lot better than what we're being force-fed now. It's still a concept in search of a consistent execution… I mean, if your concept is to have a Federation starship stranded on the far side of the galaxy with a crew consisting of enemies (the Federation crew and members of the renegade terrorist organization the Maquis) forced to work together in order to get home, one would hope that the dramatic tension would last more than 3 episodes. Sadly, Voyager allowed the tensions to virtually disappear in a dramatically awkward assimilation more insidious than anything the Borg ever tried. Still, compared with Enterprise, Voyager at least featured competent storytelling even if it was uninspired. The first season of Voyager was a short one consisting of only 16 episodes, which are contained across 5 discs. Bonus materials include 8 featurettes and 4 hidden segments, but by far the most precious of all of these is "The First Captain: Bujold." Kate Mulgrew auditioned for the role of Captain Janeway, but she did not win the role – French Canadian actress Genvieve Bujold did. After only a few days of shooting, however, Bujold was jettisoned and Mulgrew assumed the role. The featurette in the bonus materials actually contains the footage Bujold shot, and it leaves no doubt in one's mind why she was replaced. I don't blame Bujold, who is a fine actress who is obviously uncomfortable with the role – I blame the producers and executives who never caught this in the audition process. Either way, the ability to finally see this footage alone makes it worth picking up the set.

(History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

If you're looking for an uplifting documentary, try the one found on The Statue of Liberty . Originally presented as an episode of the History Channel's Modern Marvels series, this comprehensive portrait of Lady Liberty is an engrossing hour examining the statue's cross-cultural history as well as its symbolism. The DVD also contains the Ellis Island episode of Save Our History.