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

I don't care what anyone says… The greatest Disney click of the 80's was not the cutesy Little Mermaid, or the uneven Black Cauldron , or the awkward Oliver & Company. No, the greatest Disney film of the 1980's was The Great Mouse Detective. I mean, heck – how can you not love the tale of a mouse named Basil, living in the walls of Sherlock Holmes' Baker Street abode, styling himself as the master detective of the animal world whose current case is to rescue a kidnapped girl and her father from the clutches of the evil Ratigan, who plans to undermine the English monarchy and install himself as king? WHEW! Vincent Price's performance as Ratigan is, to run right into a pun, priceless. The anamorphic DVD contains a making-of; a sing along, and a scrapbook.

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

If you've ever seen his Naked Chef program on Food Network, then you know what a funny, funky, daft Brit chef Jamie Oliver is. Well, in conjunction with the release of his latest book, he went on tour doing live cooking shows – and Jamie Oliver: Happy Days Live! captures all of the enthusiasm we've come to expect from Mr. Oliver. There are plenty of demonstrations of Oliver's "Naked" cuisine (referring to the quick, easy, unadorned quality of his recipes) and bushels of boisterousness.

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

Ah, the mischief that can come from a conversation… Paula (Julia Stiles) and Julia (Stockard Channing) are two employees on different levels of the same industry who meet on a business trip. Over drinks, Paula tells Julie that she was accosted by a mutual acquaintance (Frederick Weller). Not one to let such a transgression go unavenged, Julie agrees to help Paula get back at him. Their actions soon become far darker than simple cruelty and, bordering on criminal transgression, Julie begins to doubt that Paula's told her the whole story. Taut, funny, and chilling, this is a fun flick for an evenings perusal. The anamorphic DVD contains the original theatrical trailer.

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

If you were to take Rumble Fish, The Warriors, Grease, and West Side Story, then put them in a blender with a ton of sugar and bleach, you'd get this garishly bland tale of gang violence in 1950's New York. Technically, it's about a turf war between two rival gangs that explodes in the summer of '58 soon after a rival leader is released from prison… did I mention there's a dash of Romeo & Juliet in there, too? Overall, it's a deadly dull, ugly looking flick that plays like a cheap TV movie. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Scott Kalvert and the original theatrical trailer.

(Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$19.98 SRP each)

Remember those big ol' goofy, completely dumb movies that you used to be enraptured by every time you were channel-surfing when you were younger? Movies like Airplane!, The Naked Gun, Top Secret!… or Hot Shots!? Since the first three items on that list have already seen a DVD release, it was inevitable that the pop culture skewer that is Hot Shots! eventually had to make its way to the digital realm as well. While not as funny as Airplane! (which I still say is a masterpiece), Hot Shots! Is still a damn funny flick, filled with more visual and verbal gags than you can shake a stick at (go get a stick… I dare you…). While the original film contains a brief making-of featurette and the original theatrical trailer, Hot Shots! Part Deux – the lesser, but still quite funny sequel – contains two featurettes ("Adventures in Filmmaking" and "Early Awareness") and the theatrical trailer. Two very silly, very dumb movies to occupy your weekend.

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

There's nothing that points out the deficits in today's lackluster TV fare than viewing some of the groundbreaking (and *still* pretty damn funny) sitcoms from the 70's. It was with giddy delight, then, that I tore into the DVD releases of two of those gems – The Jeffersons: The Complete First Season and Sanford And Son: The First Season . Both sets contain 13 episodes (both shows were mid-season replacements) and it's amazing to note, after viewing these episodes, just how much they could get away with that is now seen as verboten. It makes you wonder how much we've progressed as a nation. Either way, both these sets are worth checking out… Now where are my Newsradio sets?

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

Unlike many people out there, I was not blown away by Peter Jackson's adaptation of the first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. Admittedly, I was never a fan of Tolkein's books, either, as my numerous attempts to read them were stymied by an overall feeling that they were just too friggin' DENSE. Tell me what a character is doing – don't give me a 15 page dissertation on their axe. Still, I can respect Jackson's first foray into Middle-Earth as a competent flick full of some genuinely wonderful performances (how Ian McKellen didn't get an Oscar, I'll never know) and special effects that make the last two Star Wars prequels look positively embarrassing by comparison. Despite whatever reservations I may have had over the film, fans out there are surely rejoicing over its recent DVD release. The only thing tempering that enthusiasm is the knowledge that New Line is releasing a huge 4-disc set in November, containing an expanded cut of the film, commentaries, documentaries, and more. So you may be asking yourself – "Why, besides impatience, would I want to pick up this version?" Other than owning the theatrical cut of the film, New Line has made the wise move of making the copious supplements that are available here exclusive to this release (they will not be duplicated in the 4-disc set). So what exactly do you get? Well, you've got all of the mini-documentaries originally featured on lordoftherings.net (15 in all), the Sci-Fi Channel special "Passage to Middle-Earth", the Fox Network special "Quest for the Ring", a featurette produced by Houghton-Mifflin about the literary history of the film, original trailers and TV spots, Enya's "May It Be" music video, a preview of the expanded DVD edition, a preview of the Electronic Arts Two Towers video game, and an exclusive 10-minute preview of The Two Towers.

Speaking of dumb flicks, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I found myself enjoying two more completely sophomoric releases lately – Super Troopers (Fox, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP) and Kung Pow: Enter The Fist (Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$ SRP). Actually, I'm very ashamed that I actually laughed quite a bit… Maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe it was the juvenile "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to humor that both employed. Whether it's a group of extremely off-kilter Vermont State Troopers making a mess of a drug investigation, or a man kung-fu fighting a cow (I can't believe I just typed that), I was actually enraptured by both of these movies. I feel so dirty for laughing so much. Of the two, I enjoyed Super Troopers because it had genuinely funny moments… I enjoyed Kung Pow because it was just so friggin' BAD. The Super Troopers DVD contains two audio commentaries with the Broken Lizard team members (the comedy group behind the film), outtakes, extended scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an alternate ending, and the theatrical trailer. Kung Pow features an audio commentary with writer/director/producer/star Steve Oedekerk, 2 alternate audio tracks (the original Tiger & Crane Fists Cantonese/English track, and the Long Lost Book-on-Tape version), 6 alternate takes, 14 deleted scenes, before-and-after visual effects comparisons, cow animatic, a "making-of" featurette, trailer, and promo spots. So while I go seek counseling, you check both of these DVDs out over the weekend and get back to me with your experience.

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

Words can not describe how much I love Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Yes, it is the greatest of the Star Trek feature films (a place it is sure to hold when compared to the increasingly laughable films of late – Insurrection, anyone?). After the success of the special edition treatment of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Paramount has seen fit to bestow upon fans an even bigger treat with a two-disc, whiz bang Director's Edition of Khan. Now, before you get worried, this is not some kind of Lucasian butchering of the film – in fact, it pretty much amounts to just a few scene extensions that director Nicholas Meyer had in his original cut of the film. What really makes this DVD edition sparkle are the bonus materials, starting with a brand new audio commentary with Meyer, which goes a long way towards shedding light on why this film worked as well as it did. Also on disc one (and similar to The Motion Picture release) is a trivia filled text commentary from the almost frighteningly knowledgeable Mike Okuda. The second disc contains a brand new behind-the-scenes featurette (containing interviews with writer/executive producer Harve Bennett, Meyer, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, and William Shatner), a featurette on the groundbreaking visual effects, original EPK interviews, a featurette on the production and costume design, "The Star Trek Universe" featurette (about the novels based on Khan and the Kobayashi Maru Scenario), storyboard archives, and the film's original trailer. Now if that doesn't make you run to the store, I don't know what will. Paramount is setting an excellent precedent for these special edition releases – now let's see if they let Shatner reveal the complete truth about Star Trek V, as well as release the deleted footage from Star Trek: Generations.

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

Nicole Kidman stars as a Russian mail-order bride, Nadia, who is "ordered" by a socially repressed bank employee, John Buckingham (Ben Chaplin). Everything is going along swimmingly in the bedroom until Nadia's two gregarious cousins show up, placing John in a situation way out of his league. It's an entertaining roller-coaster ride of a film well worth checking out. The anamorphic DVD contains a behind-the-scenes featurette and the Robbie Williams/Nicole Kidman "Somethin' Stupid" music video.

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

A fun, completely competent, but ultimately unfulfilling sci-fi tale about a teen (Jesse Bradford) on the run after he comes into possession of a watch that literally stops time around him. He uses it to impress a girl (Paula Garces) but his pursuers (led by Michael Biehn) want the ultimate power that they perceive in such a device, and will stop at nothing - including kidnapping his father in order to fix a "flaw" in hypertime that rapidly accelerates the aging of those who continuously use it. As I said, I respect Jonathan Frakes as a competent director, but the film as a whole lacks a unique voice - which is a shame because there's so much potential that's just not realized. The anamorphic DVD contains a making-of, two music videos, 4 promotional spots, and the film's trailer.

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

For everyone who has spent the last 10 years making jokes at Marisa Tomei's expense, I point them to this film as a means of proving that yes, she deserved an Oscar. Frank Fowler (Nick Stahl) falls in love with an older single mother (Tomei), a situation that leaves his parents (Tom Wilkinson & Sissy Spacek) deeply concerned. Their concern comes to a head when the relationship takes a tragic turn, leading to devastating consequences for all involved. Unfortunately, the anamorphic DVD contains no special features… For shame!

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

Going in, I was expecting this flick to be just another gross-out, horribly dumb teen abomination. What I found instead was a surprisingly sweet look at navigating the social perils of high school life peppered with a good deal of humor – both physical, situational, and verbal. Perhaps it's just the completely engaging quality of its lead, rail-thin and geeky DJ Qualls (of Road Trip fame), that makes it so endearing. Also, keep and eye out for some fun cameos. The anamorphic DVD contains trailers and a music video.

(Warner Bros, Rated PG-13, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

After an undercover bust goes disastrously wrong under the watchful eyes of TV cameras, a television producer (Renee Russo) has the wonderful idea of building a show around following Mitch Preston (Robert De Niro), the straight-laced police detective whose bust went south. He rejects their plans to film him, but is forced to participate by his superiors. Unfortunately, the producers hit upon teaming him up with a partner – and the partner they choose is Trey Sellars (Eddie Murphy), the beat cop who fouled up Mitch's bust. They're about as mismatched as one could possibly hope for in this amiable comedy whose true high point comes from the inclusion of William Shatner – poking fun at his TJ Hooker past – who is hired by the producers to teach Mitch and Trey how to be "TV cops". The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary (with director Tom Dey, producer Jorge Saralegui and editor Billy Webber), the "HBO First Look: The Making Of Showtime" special, additional/extended scenes, and the theatrical trailer.

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

There's an incredibly tacky charm to these twelve episodes from their short-lived TV series (how the irony of the title could escape anyone, I'll never know). Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen star as sisters Chloe and Riley Carlson, two teens going through those things that young teenage girls go through… You know… those things. As far as bonus features go, both discs include bloopers, photo galleries, and trailers.

(Criterion, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)
A comedy classic (oft-ripped off) makes its DVD debut in fine form, both visually an aurally. Liberte tells the tale of Emile, an escaped convict who becomes a wealthy industrialist. His past soon catches up with him in the form of an old jail pall, Louis, whose presence could prove disastrous to Emile's new life. This special edition is chock-full of features, including deleted scenes, the surrealist short subject Entr'acte, a 1998 video interview with Madame Bronja Clair, and a featurette with film historian David Robinson regarding the plagiarism lawsuit brought against Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times.

(Paramount, Rated PG-13, DVD-$24.99 SRP each)

Ah, those were the days… Those bygone days when John Hughes could actually write films that were relevant, funny, and memorable for something other than a gimmick. Two such flicks are Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful. Pink is a modern classic (yes, it is) centering around the high school relationship between a wealthy kid (Andrew McCarthy) and a girl from the wrong side of the tracks (Molly Ringwald) – a love threatened by the devastating (and all too identifiable) specter of peer pressure. Some Kind of Wonderful deals with similar issues, this time with the high school misfit (Eric Stoltz) who falls madly in love with the senior class hottie (Lea Thompson) – never noticing the devotion of his best friend Mary Stuart Masterson). Both discs are completely featureless, but thankfully in anamorphic widescreen. So check them out, and try to forget the John Hughes that gave us Baby's Day Out.

If you're a fan of Quentin Tarantino, then you've probably gone goofy while waiting for his films to get an adequate treatment on DVD. Well, the wait is finally over with the release of full-fledged special editions of Reservoir Dogs (Artisan, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP), Pulp Fiction (Miramax, Rated R, DVD-$ SRP), and Jackie Brown (Miramax, Rated R, DVD-$ SRP). Not merely content to be simple special editions, these 2-disc releases are literally packed to the gills with additional material (although my one consistent disappointment was the lack of audio commentaries on both Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown… Maybe they couldn't keep Quentin still long enough). But here's what you do get, starting off with Reservoir Dogs: deleted scenes, all new interviews (with Tarantino, Lawrence Bender, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, Eddie Bunker, Kirk Baltz, and more), a tribute to Lawrence Tierney, a featurette focusing on the director's whose work inspired Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs, a retrospective on the other indie films and filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival during which Dogs was introduced, a featurette on the development of the action figures (weird but fun), a featurette on the writers and directors behind the film noir legacy, audio commentary (featuring assorted cast, crew, and critics), a fun little K-BILLY Interactive Radio, Reservoir Dogs style guide, location scouting featurette, trailer, and poster gallery. Pulp Fiction strides in with an enhanced trivia track, "Pulp Fiction: The Facts" documentary, deleted scenes with introductions from Tarantino, behind-the-scenes montages, production design featurette, "The Tarantino Generation" Siskel & Ebert special (it's great to see Gene again), footage from the Independent Spirit Awards (featuring Michael Moore), Palm d'Or acceptance speech, reviews and articles about the film, Charlie Rose Show episode with Quentin, theatrical trailers, TV spots, and a still gallery. Last but not least, Jackie Brown boogies down with the "How It Went Down" documentary, "A Look Back" interview with Tarantino (which clocks in at almost an hour), the full "Chicks With Guns" video, the Siskel & Ebert review, deleted/alternate scenes with intros from Quentin, trailers, TV spots, Pam Grier radio spots, Pam Grier and Robert Forster movie trailers (the trailers for Coffy are a hoot), Jackie Brown appearances on MTV, reviews and articles, and still galleries. Heck, just typing this has left me out of breath…

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

So how many of you out there know that Bill Murray's dramatic film debut was not Rushmore, but The Razor's Edge? Murray portrays Larry Darrell, a World War I veteran who becomes disillusioned with the superficial values he finds when he returns home. He rejects those values and decides to seek enlightenment in the Himalayas, but he doesn't any answers – only more questions. Returning to civilizations, he continues his search while also trying to save a hometown girl-turned-prostitute. Murray's performance is a true delight – it's a shame that he hasn't done more material like this.

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, $27.96 SRP)

Ah, the "Girls on the Road" film genre… It just never ceases to amaze. This time around, it's a trio of club-hopping friends (Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair) two of whom embark on said road trip after one of them encounters "Mr. Right" – who leaves town – so she enlists her friend's aid in tracking him down. Both rated and unrated versions are available (you can guess what the unrated contains) and overall it's a lackluster, though occasionally giddy, estrogen-fest. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, trailers, production notes, and storyboard comparisons.

(Artisan, Rated and Unrated versions available, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

National Lampoon's Van Wilder seems to be a desperate attempt to restore the National Lampoon brand name to its former glory – a glory that included Animal House and Vacation. Unfortunately, this tale of a 7-year college BMOC does little to evoke those old glories, despite its collegiate setting. The humor is strained and its anarchy is about as manufactured as you get. Forget Van Wilder and give me Bluto Blutarsky. The film is available in both Rated and Unrated versions, with the Unratd version essentially containing more T&A. The two disc (!) anamorphic set includes deleted scenes, outtakes, the Comedy Central "Reel Comedy" special, music video, and trailers.

(MGM/UA, Rated R, DVD-$19.98 SRP)

It's nice to revisit a time when John Carpenter knew how to direct movies… A time before Vampires or… Brrrr… Ghosts of Mars. While not his best film (for me, a toss-up between Big Trouble in Little China and The Thing), The Fog is a very nice horror thriller in the classic vein. There's very little gore – almost negligible, really - but there are scares and atmosphere aplenty, as a small coastal town is haunted by its past in the form of ghostly apparitions contained within a mysterious fog. The cast is nothing to shake a stick at, either, with Hal Holbrook, Jamie Lee Cutris, Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh, and even John Houseman. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with Carpenter and co-writer/producer Debra Hill, a brand new retrospective documentary, the original 1980 making-of featurette, outtakes, storyboard comparisons, an advertising gallery, and trailers. So pick this up along with Big Trouble, The Thing, Escape From New York, and They Live and make a weekend out of old school Carpenter.

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

You know, every once in awhile, ya just gotta watch a bad movie. Not just your run-of-the-mill bad movie, mind you, but a real stinkburger. Something so laughably bad that you can't help but revel in its awfulness. Thankfully, Queen of the Damned fits that criteria to a "T". Not only is this a horribly bad vampire movie, but it's also a horribly bad Anne Rice vampire movie. The term "schlock" doesn't even begin to approach how awkward this flick is – so I recommend it wholeheartedly. Why? Because it's worth every dollar for allowing you, the viewer, to laugh a little… Or quite a bit, actually. The anamorphic DVD contains an audio commentary with director Michael Rymer and producer Jorge Saralegui, 3 Making-of documentaries ("Aaliyah Remembered", "Creating The Vampires" and "The Music Of Lestat"), 30 minutes of additional scenes, a gag reel, 3 Lestat music videos ("Forsaken", "Redeemer" and "System"), the Static X music video "Cold", extended "Slept So Song" and "Not Meant For Me" concert sequences, trailer, and production stills.

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

The classic parallel class-struggle between the upstairs upperclass Bellamys and their downstairs servants wraps up with the release of the complete fourth and fifth seasons of the acclaimed British series. From the onset of the first World War to the confusion and elation of Armistice Day – and a surprising tragedy – the conclusion of this landmark show should not be missed. What sets this series so counter to most people's expectations – that it's some stuffy period drama – is the reality that it's a very human exploration of the interrelationships between family, servants and masters, and people in general within society.