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

What a guy won't do to make a living. In Paycheck, Ben Affleck is Michael Jennings, a brilliant computer engineer hired by a mysterious firm that purges his short-term memory after he completes each job. Oblivious to what he's doing for them, all he knows is that he gets a hefty paycheck – at least until his latest op, when he emerges, clueless as ever, only to learn that he forfeited his payment. Everything begins to unravel when a packet containing clues to his lost time arrives out of the blue, leading to your standard sci-fi thriller conceits. There's a lot that's rote about this flick, but it's an enjoyable enough sense of déjà vu. Bonus materials include an audio commentary with director John Woo, an audio commentary with screenwriter Dean Georgaris, deleted/extended scenes, and 2 featurettes.

(MGM/UA, Rated R, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

Okay, so you've got an aging Elvis Presley, John Kennedy's brain in the body of an aging black man, and they both live in a retirement home currently being decimated by a murderous, 3,000 year-old Egyptian mummy. No, it's not an acid trip – it's the deliriously daffy Bubba Ho-Tep, starring cult-fave Bruce Campbell as a pitch-perfect Elvis who must team up with the former President (Ossie Davis) to defeat the evil creature roaming the halls of their care facility. Believe me, you just have to watch the damn thing. The DVD contains an in-character audio commentary from Campbell (which is truly funny), an audio commentary with Campbell and director Don Coscarelli, a reading of Bubba Ho-Tep by writer Joe R. Lansdale, deleted scenes with optional commentary, 4 featurettes, a music video, TV spots, trailer, and a photo gallery.

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

Feeling in the mood for another one of my insane marathons, I watched the entirety of the third seasons of both Cheers and Frasier nearly back-to-back (taking time out for food, rest, and work). Having done so, the similarities of where both shows stood in their third seasons became apparent. On the most superficial level, one shared trait was the presence of Frasier Crane, who made his first appearance in the premiere episode of Cheers' third season, and would eventually grow to become a regular in the fifth season. No, the true similarities are that both shows were in a state of flux and attempting to shake up the form a bit. In Cheers, Frasier is a third wheel in the Sam-Diane dynamic, providing an added layer of tension between the two on-again/off-again lovers. This also marked the last year for the character of Coach, as actor Nick Colasanto passed away after the season wrapped. Over in Frasier's third season, our eponymous doc is dealing with a management shake-up at the radio station, while Niles begins his long estrangement from Maris. It's in the ability to deal with these upheavals that we see the earliest signs that both shows could (and did) manage a long, healthy run. I'm still a bit underwhelmed by Paramount's bonus materials on these sets, since mostly they consist of "greatest quips" featurettes. There are still gems, however, including the tribute to Nick Colasanto on the Cheers set and the season 3 retrospective on the Frasier set.

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

What can I say? I was a sucker for the TV adaptation – mixing dramatic recreations and interview footage – of Barry Williams' Brady memoir, Growing Up Brady. It's a fun little docudrama. It's sad, I know, but admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery.

(New Line, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

The dust from its Oscar sweep has finally settled, and the long-buildup to the trilogy's conclusion is a thing of the past. So, in viewing the third installment of Lord of the Rings on DVD, The Return of the King, the question is – does it hold up past the zeitgeist? A lot of praise – some of it heady – was lavished upon this film in the past few months, and I believe a large percentage was hyperbole in the heat of the moment. Also, a good deal of it was because, not so much that ROTK is a great film, but that it's a mostly competent epic. Sadly, competent storytelling is enough of a rarity in the age of Star Wars prequels and Brad Pitt's heel that ROTK looks positively magnificent by comparison. Don't get me wrong, the film is enjoyable, but I think it suffers a bit from burn-out by the end while, paradoxically, feeling truncated (as many key story elements were excised, most of them far more vital than the trims in earlier films). Still, it's great to finally have this on disc, even if it is a stopgap until the long-awaited Expanded Edition hits shelves this fall. Like the previous theatrical editions, the DVD supplements mainly consist of EPK, TV, and web-based behind-the-scenes materials. Of particular note is the inclusion of the National Geographic special previously available as a standalone disc.

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

It's tacky, but Back to the Beach is endearingly tacky. Reuniting Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon 20 years after their 1960's Beach Blanket heydey, it sought to set a skewed, anachronistic tone that wouldn't bear fruit until the 1990's big screen take on The Brady Bunch. But hey – any film that features a Bob Denver cameo as a bartender who gets whisked away by an insistent Skipper eager for another 3-hour tour (Alan Hale, Jr. in his last performance) is aces in my book.

(Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$49.92)

Warner Bros., as much as I hate your theatrical releases, I love your DVD division. They've always been at the forefront of the medium, be it the early embrace of anamorphic widescreen (save for some comedy titles – where's my anamorphic Spies Like Us, people?) or their attention to bonus materials when most studios were still bare-bonesing it, they've been there for the aficionado. Their 5-film Cary Grant: Signature Collection is a case in point, collecting a quintet of classics – The Bachelor & The Bobby Soxer, Destination Tokyo, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, My Favorite Wife and Night And Day. The discs contain vintage short subjects, trailers, classic Warner Bros. cartoons, radio productions, and more. Kudos, Warners, for another job well done.

It's taken awhile, but Miramax is slowly re-addressing some of their back catalogue (titles that were some of the early bare-bones releases on DVD). That brings us a trio of truly spiffy special editions – Stallone stretching his acting chops (and waistline) in Cop Land, a group of Gen-X Brits utilizing proper toilet etiquette in Trainspotting, and Ben Stiller's quest to find his biological parents in Flirting With Disaster. Cop Land sports an audio commentary (with director James Mangold, producer Cathy Conrad, Stallone, and Robert Patrick), deleted scenes with optional commentary, a storyboard sequence, and a making-of featurette. Trainspotting is a 2-disc affair with a retrospective, interviews, a making-of, an audio commentary, and trailers. Finally, Flirting With Disaster delivers deleted scenes, the original behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and outtakes.

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

I love Das Boot. I love that we've finally gotten a DVD release of the original, uncut miniseries on DVD. That's over 4 hours of submarine fun. There's even a behind-the-scenes featurette! Seriously, how cool is that?

(Dreamworks, Not Rated, DVD-$26.99 SRP)

Eurotrip is like the bastard stepchild of Road Trip and European Vacation. The tale – about a recently jilted post-high school graduation guy who mistakes his longtime German e-mail pen pal for a guy, spurns her advances before realizing his mistake, then heads off to Europe with his best friend in order to fix said mistake and woo her (whew) – combine elements of both flicks. In England, our hero and his best friend (Scott Mechlowicz & Jacob Pitts) run into a pair of friends from high school – twins (Michelle Trachtenberg & Travis Wester) – who join their little cross-continent jaunt. The humor is hit & miss (thankfully, more hits than misses) and it flies by fast enough to avoid becoming tired. You know you're going to pick up the unrated version (you just know it), which has bonus features including commentaries, deleted scenes, a gag reel, direct links to all the nude scenes, and a featurette on the nude beach.

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated R, DVD-$28.99 SRP)

I'm often a bit skeptical of films that contain the type of transformative performances that garner acting Oscars. Often, they tend to be gimmicky maneuvers that draw attention away from the story at hand. Charlize Theron's performance as trailer trash killer Aileen Wuarnos in Monster caught me by surprise. Granted, it's still gimmicky – Theron gained weight, shaved her eyebrows, and apparently rubbed her hair in bacon fat – but she manages to move beyond the visual and bring a broken, battered, confused, and profoundly violent character to life. The anamorphic DVD contains a featurette, and interview with writer/director Patty Jenkins, and trailers.

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

Full disclosure time. I consider my very first crush to be on Punky Brewster. Just to show how aware I was at the time, as a wee lad, I even knew that the precocious Punky was played by a girl named Soleil Moon Frye – who I vowed I would one day marry. At least that's what I told my friends while we played in our junk wood playhouse at the top of the hill behind Quantico base housing all those years ago. I never did marry Soleil (her loss, really), but I did watch her show. Now, thanks to those pop culture machiavellis at Shout! Factory, I can relive that long-ago crush with the complete first season of Punky Brewster. Not only does this 4-disc set feature the first season, but you get interviews with the cast and crew, as well as 2 hours worth of episodes from the animated It's Punky Brewster. Some crushes die hard… "Punky Power," indeed…

How can you tell a major blockbuster sequel is in your near future? Because it rains DVD re-releases of the previous flick. Case in point – not one, but two new editions of the first Spider-Man film. You can either pick up a copy of the Superbit edition which has an exclusive audio commentary with Tobey Maguire. If that isn't enough to entice you, how about a three disc Deluxe Edition? Sure, you've already got the first two discs (it's the exact same release you purchased two years ago), but the third disc contains 7 brand-new featurettes, and a preview & teaser trailer for Spider-Man 2 . Is it worth the money? That's for you to decide.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$16.99 SRP)

Fans of underwater misadventures are sure to surface for the latest Spongebob Squarepants, Spongeguard on Duty. Hopefully, the 8 episodes contained will hold you over until the feature film opens this summer.

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

You gotta love those cable staples! Eventually they'll all hit DVD, but for now you can strike the Mark Harmon classic Summer School off your list. You may think I'm being facetious when I call it a classic, but I'm absolutely serious – it was directed by Carl Reiner, for cripes sake!

(Lion's Gate, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

To be perfectly honest, I didn't think the TV series based on Stephen King's The Dead Zone – about a post-coma school teacher whose touch elicits prophetic visions – would last past its first season. I guess I was wrong, since Dead Zone: The Complete Second Season is hitting DVD. I have to give a lot of the credit to showrunners Michael and Shawn Piller, who've managed to assemble a quality creative team (on both sides of the camera) and an open-ended extrapolation of the premise. The 5-disc second season set contains all 19 episodes, audio commentaries, deleted scenes, interviews, and a wonderful little documentary that traces the production of an episode from start-to-finish.

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

I don't care what anyone says – I was a fan of Just Shoot Me!. I happen to think it was one of the better-written ensemble comedies to hit the idiot box (a true rarity when dreck like Good Morning Miami managed to linger). Set in the offices of Blush magazine and starring George Segal, Laura San Giacomo, David Spade, Wendie Malick, and Enrico Colantoni as the staff of said fashion mag, it's a show worth discovering. Conveniently enough, you can pick up the complete first and second season in one convenient 4-disc set, and you even get audio commentaries and a documentary (hopefully Columbia will continue to provide these kinds of features, since they've mainly released featureless TV sets in the past).

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$39.98 SRP)

I usually don't go in for big "event" dramas – you know, the type that people fall all over themselves about, howling to the heavens about what a daring, heart-wrenching piece so-and-so is. It just turns me off. So it was with some trepidation that I finally watched Mystic River. As a director, I find Clint Eastwood to be uneven – either he's on his game or he's not, and his style is such that you're either with him or you're not. With this story about a group of tragedy-scarred friends who are brought back together years later when tragedy strikes again – this time the murder of a daughter - Eastwood is on his game. While I don't think Tim Robbins and Sean Penn were the right choices for their Oscar wins, there's no denying the power of their performances as two-thirds of the trio of friends (Kevin Bacon fills the last slot). The 3-disc deluxe edition includes an audio commentary with Bacon & Robbins, a making-of documentary, a tour of the Boston neighborhood that provides the setting for both the film and the book upon which it's based (conducted by author Dennis Lehane), Charlie Rose interviews (with Robbins, Eastwood, and Bacon), and trailers. The 3^rd disc, meanwhile, is the CD soundtrack of the film.

(Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.98 SRP)

My one lasting memory of Reality Bites is how much of a splash the soundtrack album made. Remember Lisa Loeb? Sure you do! Relive a defining Gen-X moment with the 10^th Anniversary Edition of the film, with an audio commentary from Ben Stiller and writer Helen Childress, deleted scenes with a Stiller intro, a retrospective, an interview with Ms. Loeb (and her music video), and the theatrical trailer.

(MGM/UA, Rated R, DVD-$39.96 SRP)

The merits of its two sequels are debatable, but there's an undeniable verve present in the Paul Verhoeven's original Robocop. For the price, you're better off getting the whole lot in the Robocop Trilogy box set, which features anamorphic bare bones editions of the latter films, but the extended cut special edition of the first film – including an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, TV spots, a photo gallery, and trailers. Serve and Protect…

(Shout! Factory, Not Rated, DVD-$89.95 SRP)

If Saturday Night Live is like a T-bone steak, than SCTV was New York strip – sketch comedy at its most inventive and unique. The conceit was devilishly simple – viewers were watching the programming of a small TV station in the podunk town of Melonville, which was staffed by a cadre of colorful characters and whose programming mix included celebrities (via legendary impersonations by the cast) and not-so-celebrities. Speaking of the cast, get a load of this line-up: John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Flaherty, Rick Moranis, and Andrea Martin. All that talent in one place at the same time – it dwarfs even the heydey of SNL by a country mile. Even while other programs have made it to DVD, the holy grail has always been SCTV, and the folks at Shout! Factory (those gods who made Freaks & Geeks on DVD a reality) are the ones that have answered our wishes with the release of SCTV Network 90: Volume 1. This 5-disc set collects the first 9 episodes of the show's 4^th season, when it premiered in the 90-minute format on NBC (seen by many, including the cast, as the show's strongest material). The original 30 minute seasons will eventually make it to disc, but these shows are an excellent starting point, featuring classic characters like Bob & Doug Mackenzie, Guy Caballero, Johnny LaRue, Edith Prickly, and sketches like "Polynesiantown," "Leave it to Beaver 25 ^th Anniversary Special," "Fantasy Island," "Grapes of Mud," and "The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes." If you know not of what I speak, than you are the kind of person most in need of picking up this set. 'Tis comedy manna from the heavens. The set also contains 3 featurettes exploring the history and craft of the show with interviews from all the heavy-hitters, a tribute to John Candy, 2 audio commentaries from Eugene Levy & Joe Flaherty, and the 63-minute tribute to SCTV from the 1999 Aspen Comedy Festival, hosted by Conan O'Brien. All I can say is Shout! damn well better get us volume 2 before the end of the year (if only for the legendary Christmas episode centering on Johnny LaRue's holiday wish – a crane shot).

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

Hogan's Heroes found levity in the second World War, and M*A*S*H managed to do the same for the Korean conflict, but Vietnam has been a tough nut to crack on TV, be it comedy or drama. Besides China Beach, the only other show that approached the subject was Tour of Duty. Focusing on a group of diverse characters as they brave the Southeast Asian terrain, it played like the TV version of Platoon – and managed to pull it off. See for yourself with the 5-disc Tour of Duty: The Complete First Season featuring all 20 episodes from the show's inaugural run.

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

Yeah, I was one of those people who watched Who's the Boss? - and no, I'm not proud. What can I say? I was just a kid, too young to have a fully developed sense of what made for quality TV. Still, I did enjoy the sex-hungry escapades of Mona (Katherine Helmond) and the blossoming of Alyssa Milano (I was a growing boy – again, what can I say?). You can make your own nostalgic judgement call with Who's the Boss?: The Complete First Season. The 3-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus featurettes.

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

It's no Wedding Singer, but 50 First Dates finds Adam Sandler back in his romantic comedy mode again wooing Drew Barrymore. The twist this time is that Barrymore's Lucy has short-term memory loss, so every outing Sandler's Henry has with her winds up being their first date. But he loves her, naturally, so every date becomes a challenge in trying to find new and exciting ways to spend their "first" encounter. Think Groundhog Day and you won't be too far off. It's pleasant fluff, but not up to Sandler's classics. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary, deleted scenes with optional commentary, a making-of featurette, music videos, a gag reel, the Comedy Central Reel Comedy special, and a "Talkin' Pidgin" featurette.

(MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$58.96 SRP)

Her life tragically ended by a plummeting toilet seat from the Mir Space Station, George (Ellen Muth) finds herself on the other side of the veil with a job assignment – grim reaper. Yes, she's tasked with collecting the souls of the recently departed. After being killed by a toilet seat from space. Anyone else sense a decidedly twisted dark comedy? That's exactly what the series Dead Like Me is, and the entire 14 episode first season is available in a 4-disc set with cast commentaries, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a featurette on the music, and a photo gallery. Hey, she gets killed by the Mir's toilet seat… How you can you pass up a show with a conceit like that?

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP)

Out of 15 seasons (and counting), the best run The Simpsons ever had – in my most humble opinion – was Season 4. In that 22-episode batch, you had "Homer's Triple Bypass," "Mr. Plow," "A Streetcar Named Marge," "Kamp Krusty," "Marge Vs. The Monorail," "Duffless," "Last Exit to Springfield," "Krusty Gets Kancelled"… And that's not even half! Classic after classic after classic, and they're all in the long-awaited Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season DVD set. Bonus features include commentaries on every episode (with Matt Groening, the writers, producers, directors, and even surprise appearances from John Lovitz, Hank Azaria, and former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien), deleted scenes, commercials, animatics, and more. That 5^th Season set better be out before the year ends, dammit.

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$24.98 SRP)

David Mamet writing and directing a thriller? Even if it's crap, it's worth viewing just for the novelty. Spartan is not crap, but is in fact a taut little piece about an agent-for-hire (Val Kilmer) whose latest assignment may wind up getting him killed. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with Kilmer (a novelty in itself) and the theatrical trailer.

(Dimension, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

Ah, Bad Santa… It must be Christmas in June. Every year, safe cracker Willie T. Stokes and his 3-foot-6-inch accomplice Marcus get jobs at a different department store – playing Santa and his helper. Their con is to eventually rob the place blind, then move on to another town a year later and start the whole enterprise all over again. The only problem is that Willie is a drunken, womanizing bastard who runs the risk of ruining the whole plan, especially during their latest operation when the store manager (John Ritter) gets suspicious and orders his head of security (Bernie Mac) to investigate the work history of his new seasonal hires. What follows is a flick that's funny often enough that I forgave some of its over-the-top nastiness. Bonus features include deleted & alternate scenes, outtakes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a gag reel.

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

It took me awhile to get into the groove of Reno 911!. Once I latched onto it as a delirious cross between COPS and the Upright Citizens Brigade, I was on board and gung-ho for the documentary-filmed day-to-day operations of the officers staffing the decidedly inept Reno, Nevada Sheriff's Department. Any show that gives us police brutality of a mime is aces in my book. Bonus features include cast audio commentaries on 4 episodes and deleted/alternate scenes.

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

Instead of wasting your money on Frank Oz's (sadly) pathetic remake, why not take in the original Stepford Wives? The satire is far sharper, the atmosphere is far more off-kilter, and the experience is far more memorable. There is a reason why it became a classic, after all. The newly-remastered special edition contains new cast and crew interviews, radio spots, and the original theatrical trailer.

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$19.97 SRP)

It seems like it's taking forever, but the entire Mel Brooks library is slowly but surely making its way to disc (for better or worse). For better is the "30 ^th Anniversary Special Edition" re-release of Blazing Saddles which features a brand new anamorphic transfer that puts the original release to shame. Also included is a newly-produced documentary, an excerpt from the Intimate Portrait documentary on Madeline Kahn, additional scenes, the theatrical trailer, and the rare Black Bart TV pilot. There's also a lift of the "audio commentary" Brooks did for the original release (which is essentially just an hour-long interview laid over the film, but its content is quite interesting). The worse is Brooks' mediocre Dracula: Dead And Loving It, which casts Leslie Neilsen as the undead vampire in this half-hearted parody of Coppola's Dracula. The only saving grace is a new audio commentary from Brooks, co-stars Steven Weber & Amy Yasbeck, and co-writers Rudy de Luca & Steve Haberman. Sadly, no apologies.

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

There are some films that cry out for Oscar attention – to their detriment – and Cold Mountain falls squarely into that category. All of the "important" elements are there – big actors (Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renee Zellweger), a historical setting (the American Civil War), a sweeping location (the mountains of North Carolina), and an epic story (a lover's wait for the return of her lover). And what do all these parts add up to? A middling mess that occasionally manages to entertain. Ah well – there's always next Oscar season. The 2-disc DVD set contains deleted scenes, an audio commentary with writer/director Anthony Minghella and editor Walter Murch, a making-of documentary, and featurettes.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$89.95 SRP)

Unlike the various and sundry Law & Order spin-offs, the CSI franchise essentially takes the same premise and relocates it to a new city, with new actors. On paper, it sounds like it really shouldn't work – I mean, come on, they're going to the same well. Shockingly, it does. That's probably because CSI: Miami manages to capitalize on the dynamics of its characters (including lead criminologist Horatio Caine, played by David Caruso) and location (the palm trees & sun of decadent Miami). Whatever voodoo they do, they do it well enough that watching the entire first season on DVD (25 episodes across 7 discs) was just as addictive as its progenitor. Bonus features include audio commentaries on 4 episodes ("Cross-Jurisdictions," "Golden Parachute," "Dispo Day," and "Freaks and Tweaks") and 5 featurettes.

Okay, I've been playing rapid-fire with a stack of documentaries that have sitting in my "stack of things I want to watch" (a stack that never seems to shrink). First into the DVD player was Breaking Vegas (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP), which traces the true story of a group of MIT students who managed to scam Vegas casinos for millions before the jig was up. The fascinating tale is recounted through interviews and recreations, and it's still hard for me to believe. The DVD features bonus documentaries High Rollers: A History of Gambling and the How to Win in Vegas episode of History Channel's Conquest. Speaking of gambling, my next disc was Independent's Day (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP), Marina Zenovich's "warts & all" look at the three ring cinema circus that is the Sundance Film Festival, packed with insider interviews (with the likes of Steven Soderbergh, Neil LaBute, Roger Ebert, Greg Mottola, Robert Redford, and more). The disc includes an audio commentary, extended interviews, and early versions of the film. While we're on the subject of theater, how about Sing Faster (Docurama, Not Rated, DVD-$26.95 SRP)? I mean, what other film documents the trials of stagehands during an epic performance of Wagner's Ring Cycle? Wanting to warm up a bit after my faux-Germanic turn, my eyes drifted to the Mediterranean – or at least the ancient iteration, with The First Olympics (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP). Prepare yourself for the Grecian Summer Games with a look back at the origins of the competitions – where victory meant honor and failure often meant you were probably not far from death's door. The disc contains three programs – The First Olympics, Blood And Honor at The First Olympics, and a look at The Greek Gods. Wanting to end my little docu-fest on home turf, last into the player was America On The Move: 1876-2000 (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP), which traces our America's history of transportation from horses to horsepower. The disc also contains the A&E Biography of Henry Ford (fittingly enough).

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$54.95 SRP)

As Matt Stone and Trey Parker state in one of their mini-commentaries (they've decided that they can say all they have to say about in episode in 6 minute chunks, thereby eliminating useless prattle), it was during the 4^th season of South Park that they fully embraced the idea that they didn't need a B or a C story in order to construct an episode. Instead, they would concentrate on a single A storyline and let and supporting storylines grow out of that theme – and I have to agree that the approach allows for more focused, potent, and funny stories. The fourth season brought us Timmy (whose performance later in the season as the titular character in "Helen Keller: The Musical" is hilarious), Cartman's run-in with NAMBLA (leading to Mr. Garrison's dismissal and the extreme mammary-afflicted 4 ^th grade teacher Ms. Choksondik), the boy band Fingerbang, a sentient Trapper Keeper, a crappy Christmas, and the Malcolm McDowell-hosted rendition of Great Expectations featuring Pip. An amazing season, don't you think?

(Buena Vista, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP)

"Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Does whatever a…" If you just finished those lyrics, then you're as hopeless a pop culture addict as I am. That song came from the so-bad-it's-good Spider-Man cartoon from the late 60's, and you can now own the complete 52 episodes of limited animation bliss with Spider-Man: The '67 Collection. Spanning 6-discs, they're fully restored and looking more crappy than ever… but that's their charm!