(Dreamworks, Rated R, DVD-$26.99 SRP)

Very often, films that critics describe in glowing terms turn out to be overblown duds when you finally catch up with them, usually on home video. House of Sand and Fog actually lived up to, and exceeded, the hype. Its story, about two strangers (Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connolly) who go head-to-head over ownership of a rundown beachfront bungalow, is a powerful little drama that managed to surprise me with a few of its twists. There's a bit of social commentary thrown into the mix (Connolly's character has lost her position in society and Kingsley's hopes to regain the stature he had before coming to America – and yes, the house is a symbol), but it's not the type that bludgeons the viewer. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary (with Kingsley, director Vadim Perelman, and novelist Andre Dubus III), deleted scenes with optional commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and the theatrical trailer.

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

I've professed my love of the work of the late Harry Nilsson numerous times in the past (if you haven't discovered his music, you don't know what you're missing), so it is with immense joy that I greet the DVD release of his animated special The Point. Originally produced for television in the early 70's, it tells the tale of Oblio – a boy who lives in the land of "Point," where everyone has a point on their head except for him. Ostracized by his peers, he ventures into the Pointless Forest with his dog Arrow, where he encounters numerous eccentric characters and begins to learn that everything has a point. The soundtrack is an amazing pop artifact which will (I guarantee) prompt you to run out and pick up the deluxe edition of the CD.

(Lion's Gate, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.95 SRP)

Like a post-modern answer to the journalistic ideals of All the President's Men, Shattered Glass dramatizes the fabrications of Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), the New Republic writer who crafted fictional stories and passed them off as the genuine article. Taut and with a killer supporting cast (Hank Azaria, Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny), it's worth a spin. The anamorphic DVD contains the [60 Minutes] interview with the real Stephen Glass.

(Fox, Rated PG, DVD-$29.98 SRP)

With Cheaper by the Dozen – a faux remake of the 1950 original – Steve Martin has firmly entrenched himself as the inoffensive, mild-mannered comedic leading man we all feared he'd devolve into. The film is a harmless piece of fluff that's enjoyable enough, but I weep for the Steve Martin we've lost. Wither The Jerk? The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Shawn Levy (who's all set to make a disastrous Pink Panther remake starring Martin as Clouseau), an audio commentary with the kids, deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary, and a featurette.

(Shout Factory!, Not Rated, DVD-$69.95 SRP)

I'll be honest with you – Freaks and Geeks was a painful show to watch when it originally premiered (for far too brief a life) on NBC in the Fall of 1999. It was painful because I could relate to every bit of the awkward adolescence that the characters on screen were going through – my high school years were reflected in the tribulations of Sam and Lindsay Weir, and their assorted friends and enemies. Freaks and Geeks was the first (and so far only) show that presented the teenagers as they really are, and what high school is really like. And it was painful to see that on screen, because it dredged up my bitter memories of gym class, of disastrous social situations, and just the perpetual teenage ennui. But the beautiful part is that once you get past the pain it dredges up, Freaks and Geeks became a catharsis. It became a way of measuring your growth as a person against the mirror being presented on screen. And it was a damn good show, to boot. Well-written, funny, and emotional, it was… Well, it was life. Not a comedy, not a drama, and nothing as hackneyed as a "dramedy," it merely existed as one of the most well-crafted shows ever to get slaughtered upon the network altar of quick returns and poor judgement. Credit goes to creator Paul Feig and producer Judd Apatow for giving us a glimpse of greatness, however briefly it shone. Of course, the coda on all of this is that we at least get a long-awaited DVD set, collecting all 17 episodes (with their original period song-packed soundtracks intact) alongside a ton of bonus features. Each episode features at least one audio commentary (while some feature more than one) from the cast, crew, executives, and sometimes the characters themselves. Although the standard 6-disc set  will satisfy most, true fans will want to pick up the limited 8-disc special edition (Shout Factory!, Not Rated, DVD-$120.00 SRP), which comes packaged in a replica of the William McKinley High School Yearbook and contains 2 additional discs crammed full of cool bonus materials. The limited edition is only available via the official website at www.freaksandgeeks.com.

(Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$44.98 SRP)

The 7^th season of Friends is seen by many to be among the show's weakest, and it's an opinion I tend to agree with. It was the only year when I feared the show might be running out of steam, creatively. Still, even tired, Friends has always been better written than the majority of sitcoms on television, so I was happy that this season was just a momentary lull. While there are a few off-episodes, there are still plenty of gems to be found, particularly the "The One With the Holiday Armadillo," which finds a desperate Ross trying hopelessly to interest his son in Hanukkah. Bonus features on the 4-disc set include a gag reel, a spotlight on the guest stars (including Jason Alexander, Morgan Fairchild, Denise Richards, and Winona Ryder), producers commentary on three episodes, and a sneak peek at Season 8.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP)

Continuing their line of Studio Classics releases, Fox has unveiled a very nice special edition of John Ford's production of John Steinbeck's Depression-era drama The Grapes of Wrath. Picture and sound are beautiful, and special features include an audio commentary with scholars Joseph McBride and Susan Shillinglaw, the UK prologue, the Biography episode "Darryl F. Zanuck: 20^th Century Filmmaker," MovieTone News reels, outtakes, a featurette, still gallery, and a restoration comparison.

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

Though it's a bit bloated, there's a wonderful poignancy within the spectacle of Cecil B. DeMille's Oscar-winning The Greatest Show on Earth. The depiction of the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus is spectacular, but it's the devastating train wreck at the end that makes the film resonate.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP)

You know, In Living Color really was a brilliant sketch comedy show when it launched. That little nugget of appreciation was borne out of a marathon viewing of the entire 13-episode run of the first season. Before they became tired from overuse in later seasons, characters like Homey the Clown and "Men on…" were actually fresh and exciting. Supported by an amazing cast (including Jim Carrey, the endless Wayans clan, David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson, and Kelly Coffield) and pointed writing, it was a burst of creativity that had to eventually flame out (which it did, after only a few years). The set is light on special materials (and participation by any of the principals) – all you get is 2 commentaries from Davidson and featurettes on the first season and the ubiquitous Fly Girls. Wither the Wayans?

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

While Stanley Donen's big screen adaptation of The Little Prince doesn't quite live up to its potential, any film starring Gene Wilder is worth checking out, at the very least. Richard Kiley stars as the downed pilot who encounters a very odd child from a far off place in the Saharan desert.

(MGM/UA, Rated PG, DVD-$69.95 SRP)

When the first Pink Panther film premiered, no one could have known that they were witnessing an all-too-rare cinematic alchemy at work. Maybe that's because it wasn't until the second collaboration of director Blake Edwards and star Peter Sellers, A Shot in the Dark, that the explosion happened. Edwards snappy slapstick direction and Sellers sublime portrayal of the gloriously buffoonish Inspector Clouseau was a thing to behold. Clouseau's bumbling was like a comedic ballet, each move a thing of beauty, and his character became more and more outrageous as the series developed (to include The Pink Panther Strikes Again , Revenge of the Pink Panther, and the unfortunate post-Sellers Trail of the Pink Panther, which recycled outtakes in an attempt to make a film after Sellers' passing). These 5 films are all contained within the Pink Panther Film Collection box set. Besides a commentary track on the original film from Edwards, all of the bonus materials are contained on the 6^th disc, which features an all-too-brief documentary on the series, six original Pink Panther cartoons, and a short featurette on the Depatie-Freleng shorts. Sadly, The Return of the Pink Panther is not included in the set, since it currently resides with Artisan.

(Warner Bros., Rated R/PG, $59.95 SRP)

One of the lasting legacies of having spent my formative years mired in the 80's is that my nostalgic feelings for certain pop culture touchstones often overrides my critical thinking. Case in point: I have fond memories of the Police Academy series of films (Well, the first 4, anyway). As comedies go, they're not much to write home about, but cable in the 80's had a way of brainwashing a person into loving even the schlockiest of schlock. I think it has something to do with the Stockholm Syndrome. Now you too can relive those memories with the Police Academy: The Complete Collection, which collects all 7 "classics" (Police Academy, Their First Assignment, Back in Training, Citizens on Patrol, Assignment Miami Beach, City Under Siege, and Mission to Moscow) in one big ol' box set. Each film gets a making-of featurette, with the first film getting a nice documentary plus an audio commentary with the cast & crew. 

(Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$99.98 SRP)

The fifth season of Babylon 5 was not an altogether even affair. After the stellar seasons before it (not counting the equally uneven first season), the final chapter of J. Michael Straczynski's extraordinary accomplishment came off a bit half-hearted. Maybe that's because there was a very real fear that JMS wouldn't get the final season of his five-year arc, and so he made sure to wrap up the major arcs – the ones that had driven the series - during its fourth year. He even filmed the poignant series finale, "Sleeping in Light," in case the end was nigh. At the eleventh hour, TNT stepped in to fund the fifth year, which meant JMS shelved "SiL" and filmed a different episode to top off the penultimate season. However, that still left the problem of Season 5. With the major arcs out of the way, what was left was a lot of character stories (most of which came off feeling like filler) until the final half of the season began to weave in the fates of the characters we'd come to know over the course of the series. Still, even disappointing Babylon 5 is a lot better than most of the drivel out there, and the season still contains quite a few gems – including its finale. The 6-disc set contains audio commentaries, featurettes, and a gag reel.

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

Although I enjoyed much of Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Reservoir Dogs, I've never really been a fan of Quentin Tarantino. As a writer and director, you get the sense that Tarantino is merely a cultural mixmaster, blending and regurgitating all of the films he's absorbed over the years. Nowhere is that more evident than in Kill Bill: Volume I, his sound and fury pastiche of the Asian cinema he's worshipped his whole life. As The Bride, Uma Thurman mission (and the entire film's crux) is to accomplish the goal stated in the title – to kill Bill, the man who ambushed and left her in a coma on her wedding day. And did I mention she was pregnant, and that when she awakes four years later the baby is gone? What follows is a gory, violent collage of fight scene after fight scene – in true Asian fashion. Does it work for me? Not particularly… I got weary of it all about 30 minutes in. But hey, there are plenty of people who did dig it, and for all of you, it's on DVD now. The anamorphic disc contains a relatively brief making-of featurette, musical performances, and trailers.

(Miramax, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99)

Though I knew that Paul McCartney had at some point been involved in some animated projects, I never knew what exactly his involvement was. Paul McCartney: The Music and Animation Collection clears everything up. In the early 80's, McCartney produced a few cartoon shorts, providing the stories, soundtracks, and voices. They were a labor of love, and it shows in the charming tales he generated, all of which are included in this collection. The disc also contains a new interview with Sir Paul, a making-of featurette, storyboards, and line tests.

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

If you go into Richard Donner's Timeline expecting to see what you read in Michael Crichton's novel, you'll be disappointed. Gone is much of the nuance and, frankly, the intelligence. If you either abandon your preconceptions or have none to begin with, than what you'll find is a serviceable, and somewhat enjoyable time travel adventure with a little bit of action, a little bit of adventure, and a sci-fi bent. All in all, a perfect popcorn flick for a Friday night of home viewing. The DVD contains a 3-part making-of documentary, a design featurette, and trailers.

(Shout Factory!, Not Rated, $24.95)

Based on Peter Biskind's chronicle of the rise and fall of New Hollywood (the director as auteur period beginning with Bonnie & Clyde and ending as the 80's ushered in the rise of the blockbuster), Easy Riders Raging Bulls is an engaging Cliff's Notes version of Biskind's book, featuring interviews with most of the principles of the period. While not as in-depth as the book, there's a different power when the stories are being related by the people themselves – including Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Dreyfuss, Cybill Shepard, Margot Kidder, Polly Platt, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Ellen Burstyn, John Milius, and Paul Schrader. A bonus disc includes additional interviews.

(Fox, Rated PG, DVD-$14.95 SRP)

You don't watch Paul McCartney's Give My Regards to Broad Street because it's a good film. Because it's not. Honestly, it's a really bad film. But what it does have is a clutch of truly wonderful songs – some classics, some new – presented as nascent music videos. The remastered sound on the DVD makes its relatively low price tag quite acceptable.

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

Disney's 2^nd attempt at mining their theme park attractions for box office gold, The Haunted Mansion, is a cinematic placebo. It neither harms nor enriches – it's just there. It's a pleasant diversion, to be sure, starring Eddie Murphy (seemingly stuck in family-movie purgatory) as a real estate agent who goes up, with family in tow, against the cursed inhabitants of Gracey Manor. Aided by psychic Madame Leota (played with head-in-a-crystal-ball exuberance by Jennifer Tilly), they attempt to defeat the evil old man Gracey and free the inhabitants of the estate. The scares are as mild as the laughs, but as I said – it's a pleasant enough diversion that won't have you tearing out your hair, like with the final Matrix installment. The anamorphic DVD contains audio commentary (with producer Don Hahn, Visual Effects Supervisor Jay Redd, and writer David Berenbaum), bloopers, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and yet another Raven music video (let the poor girl rest!).

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)

The first season of The King of Queens was a bit shaky, clearly a show trying to find its footing. It had a great cast already in place – Kevin James as blue collar family man Doug Heffernan, Leah Remini as his feisty wife, and Jerry Stiller as his eccentric live-in father-in-law. It was during Season 2, however, that the writing caught up to the cast, and the result is a sitcom worth seeing (a rarity these days). The 3-disc set contains 25 episodes, audio commentary with James and Michael Weithorn, and the "Kevin James: The Life of an International Superstar" featurette.

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

Long available as a featureless disc (one of the first to be released in the early days of the format), Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own is the next up to bat with a revamped special edition. Bonus features include an audio commentary (with Marshall and the cast), 15 deleted scenes with introductions from Marshall, a brand new documentary, and Madonna's "This Used to be My Playground" video.

(Studioworks, Not Rated, DVD-$14.99 SRP)

I think the reason that the telefilm reuniting Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper as Mary and Rhoda met with such audience disappointment is that it starts out on a very depressing footing, with Mary recently widowed from a Congressman husband and Rhoda recently divorced and back in her New York stomping grounds. It takes the film a little while to win the viewer back, but it does warm up as it goes a long, and the chemistry between Moore and Harper is still there. It's worth a second look on DVD.

(Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$39.98 SRP)

As my good friend Glen Oliver so aptly stated after seeing a press screening for Master and Commander, "It's the Star Trek episode that never was." And he's absolutely right. Peter Weir's 19^th century naval epic has got the action, adventure, and most of all the character interplay that's evident in the best of the original Trek. Granted, Russell Crowe is no Shatner, but he's good enough to make this the perfect film to spend a night with. The 2-disc special edition is loaded to the water line with documentaries and featurettes.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP)

Although Fox is touting their colorization of Reefer Madness – the classic 1938 paranoid treatise on marijuana use – as a selling point, the real reason to pick this up is the audio commentary from MST3K's very own Mike Nelson. 'Tis hilarious.

(Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$24.98 SRP)

What's not to love about the 1982 television adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, especially when said adaptation stars Angela Lansbury as the meat pie peddler Nellie Lovett? Remastered in 5.1, you have to check it out… And try to keep visions of Mrs. Potts out of your head.

(Artisan, Not Rated, DVD-$14.98 SRP)

My sister has been waiting years – YEARS! – for some kind of video release of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Not a month goes by where she doesn't ask me, "So, are they on DVD yet?" Again and again, I ad to tell her, "No, they're not," and watch her walk away, dispirited. But now I can finally give her some good news – the classic TMNT is finally coming to DVD! The first volume contains the first 5 episodes ("Turtle Tracks," "Enter the Shredder," "A Thing About rats," "Hot-Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X," "Shredded and Splintered") plus four "never seen" bonus episodes ("The Beginning of the End," "The Return of Dregg," "Mobster from Dimension X," "The Day the Earth Disappeared"). Now she'll be hounding me about when the next volume comes out.

(Dreamworks, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.99 SRP)

Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! is one of the puffiest romantic comedy puff pieces to come down the pike in quite awhile. Essentially an updating of Bye Bye Birdie, it casts cardboard soap hunk Josh Duhamel as the titular Tad, a bad-boy actor whose image is in serious need of some rehab. His agent and manager (Nathan Lane & Sean Hayes) latch on the idea of a nationwide "Win a Date" competition, the winner of which winds up being a small-town West Virginia woman named Rosalee (Kate Bosworth), who works at the Piggly Wiggly. As you'd expect, Rosalee's goodness rubs off on a surprised Tad, but the real reason to see this film is Tad's opposition – Rosalee's best friend and boss at the Piggly Wiggly, Pete. Played by Topher Grace, Pete is a beautifully comic (and at the same time touching) performance. Truly, the film is worth catching for Grace's participation alone. The anamorphic DVD disc contains deleted scenes and a gag reel.

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

In 1979, filmmaker Ira Wohl documented his family's attempt to teach his cousin, Philly Wohl, a measure of independence. Mentally handicapped since birth, 52 year-old Philly is a cheerful man who still lives with his now elderly parents, and the film chronicles their efforts to help Philly be able to function in the world after his parents eventually pass away. The film, Best Boy, won an Academy Award, and deservedly so. It's a touching, uplifting film about overcoming difficulties. Every once in awhile, you need a feel-good flick, and this is one. The DVD also contains the follow-up, Best Man, which was shot 20 years later and catches up with the now 70 year-old Philly.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG-13, DVD-$28.95 SRP)

After Planet of the Apes, it would take a miracle for me to respect Tim Burton again. Big Fish is that miracle. Whoda thunk it? Maybe it's because its mixture of fantasy and reality – as a son tries to make sense of his dying father's overwhelming propensity for tall tales about his early years, filled with witches, giants, and a very big fish – is right up Burton's alley. This is the same Burton who breathed life into Pee Wee's Big Adventure and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and thank Jeebus he found his way back to us. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with Burton and extensive featurettes on the story and filmmakers.

(Lion's Gate, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

As films go, The Cooler is a pleasant enough diversion. Nothing to write home about, but entirely watchable, it stars William H. Macy as an unlucky schmo whose bad luck streak is utilized by a mobster (Alec Baldwin) to kill of the high roller action in his casino. Oh yeah – there's also a love story in there. Like I said, it's a fun little diversion. The anamorphic DVD contains director & crew commentaries, the Sundance Channel's Anatomy of a Scene, and storyboard comparisons.

(History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

With Memorial Day fast approaching, I tend to gravitate towards documentaries in my leisure viewing, and one of the select few I've managed to squeeze into my limited free time is D-Day: The Total Story. This 2-disc set provides a comprehensive look at the epic, and costly, undertaking that proves a turning point in the war.

(Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$14.99 SRP)

Fat Man & Little Boy presents the story behind the development of the nuclear bomb, the first two of which give the film its title. Paul Newman stars as General Leslie Groves, the man in charge of "The Manhattan Project," tasked with realizing the weapons. While Newman shines, the most riveting performance is Dwight Schultz's portrayal of lead scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

(New Video, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP)

Watching The First Year – a documentary which follows 5 inner-city school teachers over the course of their first year – you can't help but view these people as truly unsung heroes. Despite low pay, miniscule budgets, overcrowding, and difficult students, these men and women persevere in their singular goal of giving these kids – our kids – an education. Anyone who watches this and doesn't gain a new appreciation for what these hardworking people accomplish, in the face of overwhelming odds, is either blind or ignorant.

(Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

In hindsight, I really can't locate exactly when my fascination with the story of the Titanic disaster really took root. It was probably the first time I checked A Night to Remember out of my elementary school library (I checked it out so many times, in fact, that the librarians finally gave it to me). My interest in the story was so great that I actually sat through James Cameron's bloated epic 3 times in the theater, just so I could see the ship live and breathe – and then hit that iceberg and plunge to the bottom. Cameron's documentary Ghosts of the Abyss goes a long ways toward earning my forgiveness for having to sit through all that romantic claptrap. With the aid of state-of-the-art cameras, Cameron and Bill Paxton (I'm still trying to figure that one out, despite Paxton's role in the feature) dive to the ocean floor and film some amazing footage of the wreck, going in many places never before documented. This is supplemented by CG and recreations, reconstructing locales ravaged by the ship's harsh environment. Unfortunately, the home video experience does not recreate the film's original 3-D IMAX presentation, but we do get an extended cut as a consolation prize (in addition to the theatrical cut). The 2-disc set also contains more footage, interviews, and a multi-camera exploration of the dive.

(Warner Bros., Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

Urban comedies aren't my particular cup of tea, but I loves me the Steve Harvey. There's just something about that Fuller brushstache that cries out comedy, and he looks like his comedy – Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby smashed together into one comic. Harvey is only a supporting player in the Nick Cannon comedy Love Don't Coast a Thing – about a geek (Cannon) who's transformed into the epitome of coolness by association with his high school's reigning beauty (Christina Milian) – but his performance as Cannon's Dad is worth picking this up. The anamorphic DVD contains additional scenes, an alternate ending, a behind-the-scenes, featurette, music videos, and the theatrical trailer.

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

Peter O'Toole as Cervantes, forced to enact his tales of Don Quixote while jailed during the Spanish Inquisition, in Man of La Mancha ? I'm so there.

(MGM/UA, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP)

When I first heard about Osama, the first feature filmed in post-Taliban Afghanistan, I feared that most of the praise it garnered was due to its unique status. After viewing its tale of a starving mother and daughter whose only means of surviving in the harsh Taliban regime is to disguise the daughter as a boy, I have to say that the praise lavished on the film is deserved. One can only hope that the future of the people depicted in the film ism much brighter. The anamorphic DVD contains a featurette with director Siddiq Barmak and the original theatrical trailer.

(Lion's Gate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)

You know, I was shocked to find out that Saved by the Bell only ran four seasons. My memories are that it ran for an eternity, as Screech's hair grew larger and more ominous each year. With Saved by the Bell: Seasons Three & Four, the high school "adventures" of  Zack and company draw to a close in a 4-disc box set. Bonus materials include commentaries from executive producer Peter Engel and various castmembers, and there's always Screech's hair…

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

The Farrelly Brothers have never really floated my boat, and with each successive picture, their tendency towards the grossout outweighs the sentimentality I know they're capable of (see There's Something About Mary). Stuck On You is typical of their fare – thoroughly oddball. Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear star as a pair of conjoined twins whose life gets a bit more complicated when one of them decides to pursue a career in acting. Thankfully, it's a return to their better qualities, and the movie is a fun romp. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with the Farrelly's, deleted/extended scenes, a blooper reel, featurettes, and trailers.