Putting the force into a boxed set

Star Wars Trilogy

Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford

Fox, $70

George Lucas originally contemplated Luke Skywalker as a little person. His initial concept for Han Solo was a green scaly lizard. And Chewbacca was based on his dog Indiana, an Alaskan malamute who was his constant companion while writing the script to “Star Wars.”

These are just some of the fun facts in this superb new four-DVD set.

It took a while for the first three installments in Lucas’ space opera to enter the digital edge. But the wait was worth it.

“Star Wars: A New Home” (1977), “Episode V: “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi” (1983) have been digitally restored and remastered by THX. The versions debuting on DVD are from the 1997 re-releases, in which Lucas digitally added characters and some scenes.

Each film has informative, amusing commentary from Lucas, sound designer Ben Burtt, Industrial Light & Magic’s special effects guru Dennis Murren and actress Carrie Fisher. “Empire” director Irvin Kershner joins the group for the audio commentary on his film.

The fourth disc has several hours of extras. The piece de resistance is the 2 1/2 -hour documentary “Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy.” Though the narration gets a bit grandiose for its own good, the film overflows with revealing interviews with Lucas, Fisher, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew (who played Chewbacca), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), crew members and even Walter Cronkite, who puts the film into a historical perspective.

The behind-the-scenes production footage is captivating, and the audition tapes -- Kurt Russell tries out as Han Solo and Cindy Williams as Princess Leia -- are a hoot.

Other documentaries include “The Birth of the Lightsaber,” “The Characters of Star Wars” and a gushy tribute to Lucas from filmmakers Peter Jackson, John Singleton, Lawrence Kasdan and James Cameron.

Rounding out the disc are a cool preview of “Star Wars: Episode III -- The Return of Darth Vader,” which chronicles the creation of the new Vader costume; trailer and TV spots; posters and print campaigns; and a production photo gallery with wry, tongue-in-cheek captions.

*

Mean Girls

Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams

Paramount, $30

A sharp teen comedy penned by Tina Fey of “Saturday Night Live” from Rosalind Wiseman’s nonfiction book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” examining high school life. Mark S. Waters directs.

The DVD includes a decent behind-the-scenes documentary, a discussion about high school cliques with Wiseman, a featurette on the costume design, a blooper reel and a few deleted scenes. Waters, Fey and producer Lorne Michaels supply breezy commentary.

*

Coffee and Cigarettes

Bill Murray, Roberto Benigni

MGM, $30

Writer-director Jim Jarmusch shot this offbeat comedy -- a collection of vignettes centering on coffee and cigarettes -- over the last 15-odd years. Among the best sequences are a satiric Hollywood bistro encounter between Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan, and Cate Blanchett playing herself and her jealous cousin.

The DVD, though, is pretty paltry -- there’s a small outtake with Murray, a montage of tabletops and a quirky short interview with director Taylor Mead, who appears in the last vignette.

*

Everybody Loves Raymond -- First Season

Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton

HBO, $45

As the Emmy Award-winning CBS comedy series enters its eighth and last season, HBO is releasing the complete first season on DVD. It includes amusing, folksy commentary between Romano and his executive producer, Phil Rosenthal, on the first and last episode, plus enjoyable documentaries on the genesis of the series and casting.

*

La Dolce Vita

Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg

Koch Lorber, $35

Though Federico Fellini had been directing films for more than a decade, this 1961 Oscar winner was his breakthrough. It also made a superstar of Mastroianni, who plays a jaded Rome journalist who chronicles the debauched lives of the rich and famous.

The two-disc set has a beautifully restored transfer of the film, historian-critic Richard Schickel’s astute commentary, interviews with Mastroianni and Ekberg, a vintage interview with Fellini, a collection of the director’s surreal shorts and production photographs.