Fistful of remakes, fresh takes

DVD Sneaks includes selected movies and TV-to-DVD releases scheduled through mid-January. Prices are suggested list and may vary. If no release date is given, DVDs are already out; dates and titles may change.

Capsules compiled by Casey Dolan.

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Comedy

Checking Out. Peter Falk stars as a retired vaudevillian who thoughtfully plans his own suicide, inviting his estranged children to his 90th and final birthday party. Also stars David Paymer, Laura San Giacomo and Judge Reinhold. Allumination FilmWorks: $29.98, Dec. 19.

Classic Comedy Teams Collection. Double features from the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, including “Meet the Baron/Gold Raiders,” “Air Raid Wardens/Nothing but Trouble,” and “Lost in a Harem/Abbott and Costello in Hollywood.” Warner Bros.: $29.92.

Dean Martin Double Feature. Includes “Who Was That Lady?,” costarring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and “How to Save a Marriage (and Ruin Your Life),” costarring Stella Stevens. Sony: $19.94, Dec. 12.

The Groomsmen. Edward Burns has to attend a bachelor party before his marriage to his pregnant girlfriend (Brittany Murphy). His old gang gets their high school band together. Vivendi Visual: $26.99.

Little Man. The Wayans Brothers deliver a comedy that falls deliriously outside the bounds of decency with a physically small jewel thief who must pretend to be a boy to regain the stolen jewel that he lost. Sony: includes deleted scenes, featurettes, $28.95.

Queens. Spain faces up to a mass gay wedding; five mothers must do so as well. A Spanish film celebrating a triumph over bigotry and starring several of Spain’s greatest actresses -- Carmen Maura, Marisa Paredes, Mercedes Sampietro, Veronica Forque and Betiana Blum. Genius/Here! Films: $24.95, Dec. 5.

Scoop. Scarlett Johansson plays a college journalist who starts to figure out a string of murders but runs into the debonair Hugh Jackman, who promises romance and ... danger? Universal: $29.98.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Will Ferrell plays a NASCAR driver who has it all, loses it all and has to regain his confidence and dignity. Sony: includes deleted scenes, interviews, commentaries, bonus race footage (more features on unrated and uncut edition), $28.95 (Blu-ray: $38.96), Dec. 12.

Van Wilder: Van Gone Wilder Edition. Ryan Reynolds is a college student who may never graduate and who establishes a new standard for partying. Also starring Tara Reid. Lionsgate: includes interactive games, commentaries (including Drunken Idiot Kommentary), deleted scenes, $19.98, Tuesday.

You, Me and Dupree. It’s Owen Wilson as the hapless houseguest who never leaves, drives newlyweds Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson crazy, and plunges their lives into chaos. Universal: includes alternate ending, deleted scenes and outtakes, $29.98.

Family

and kids

A Christmas Carol. Among the many versions of this classic tale of greed, repentance and benevolence, this is the first to be all-animal, with CGI 3-D animation and a score of songs. Genius: $19.95.

Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas. Daffy Duck plays the Scrooge character in this send-up of “A Christmas Carol” as a first-ever Looney Tunes movie with Bugs, Tweety and Yosemite Sam all making appearances. Warner Bros.: $19.98.

Chestnut: Hero of Central Park. Two orphaned sisters find a Great Dane puppy in New York’s Central Park who turns their lives around. Genius/Weinstein Co.: $19.95, Dec. 19.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Deluxe Edition. The mean old Grinch discovers the true meaning of Christmas, with narration by Boris Karloff. Warner Bros.: includes new extra content and “Horton Hears a Who,” $19.98.

Lassie. Based on the heart-tugging book “Lassie Come Home,” it’s the story of a collie, who’s been sold to a new owner 500 miles away in Scotland, trying to return home by Christmas to the boy she loves in Yorkshire. Stars Peter O’Toole, Samantha Morton, Peter Dinklage, John Lynch and Jonathan Mason as the boy, Joe. Genius/Weinstein Co.: includes deleted scenes, featurettes, outtakes, $28.95.

Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 4. Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzales and the whole crew up to their usual mischief. Warner Bros.: four discs, includes 60 shorts, commentaries, featurettes, rare shorts, $64.92.

Star Trek: The Animated Series. Nearly the entire cast of the original live-action series voice their small-screen roles. Paramount: four discs, includes commentary and show history, $62.99.

Toot and Puddle: I’ll be Home for Christmas. Toot must find his way through a blizzard to get to his home in Woodcock Pocket. Based on the award-winning book series by Holly Hobbie. National Geographic Kids: $19.98, Dec. 5.

Drama

1900: Special Collector’s Edition. Italy from 1900 to 1945 as seen through the eyes of Bernardo Bertolucci and his great cameraman, Vittorio Storaro. The extraordinary cast includes Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Burt Lancaster and Donald Sutherland, and every detail in this five-hour epic is meticulously drawn. Paramount: two discs, includes featurettes, interviews, $19.99, Dec. 5.

All the King’s Men. Sean Penn plays Willie Stark, a politician loosely based on Huey Long. The film looks at corruption and power, and the betrayal of ideals. Sony: includes deleted scenes, featurettes, documentaries and interviews, $28.96 (Blu-ray: $38.95), Dec. 19.

The Black Dahlia. One of the most gruesome of L.A. murders is brought to life by director Brian De Palma, starring Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank. Universal: includes interviews, $29.98, Dec. 26.

Bugsy: the Extended Cut. Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, played to perfection by Warren Beatty, double-crosses the Mafia for the love of a woman, played by Annette Bening. Not content as costars, the two became a couple after this film. Sony: includes 15 more minutes of footage, documentary, deleted scenes, $24.96.

The Conformist. Bernardo Bertolucci’s evocative story of the insidiously destructive effects of fascism in Italy with Jean-Louis Trintignant at his most inhumanly steely-eyed best. Dominique Sanda and Stefania Sandrelli dance a much-remembered tango. Paramount: includes a deleted scene, interviews with Bertolucci and director of photography Vittorio Storaro, $14.99, Dec. 5.

The Descent. Six women on a spelunking adventure get more than they bargained for among the stalactites and stalagmites. Lionsgate: four versions are being released, including rated and unrated versions in full screen or widescreen, $28.98 (Blu-ray: $39.99), Dec. 26.

The Doors: 15th Anniversary Edition. The biopic starring Val Kilmer as the Lizard King, Jim Morrison, in his sybaritic adventures as frontman to the L.A. band. Lionsgate: includes 40 minutes of deleted scenes and an interview with director Oliver Stone, $19.98, Dec. 12.

El Doctor, Joy Street & Asparagus. Suzan Pitt’s acclaimed experimental, disturbing animated films that examine wonders both transformative and miraculous. The films are not for children. First Run: includes documentary, galleries, $24.95.

The Green Mile: Special Edition. A prison story starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. Warner Bros.: two discs, includes, commentary, additional scenes, interviews, a six-part documentary gallery, $20.97.

Holiday. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in a drama of love and money, in which Grant’s character has to choose to act according to his instincts or his pocketbook. Sony: includes featurette, $24.95.

The House of Sand. Andrucha Waddington’s mystical film of three generations of women playing out their shifting relationships in a desert landscape in northern Brazil. Sony: includes featurette, $29.95.

Invincible. Mark Wahlberg stars as a Philadelphia Eagles fan who decides to take his love of the team and football to its extraordinary, life-changing conclusion and tries out for the team. Also starring Greg Kinnear and Elizabeth Banks. Buena Vista: includes documentaries, featurettes (Blu-ray: $34.99), Dec. 19.

Joyeux Noel. Based on one of the most extraordinary incidents in modern warfare: the Christmas truce on the western front of World War I, when German and English soldiers met in No Man’s Land to sing Christmas songs, play soccer -- all at risk of being shot by their superior officers. The next morning, the war resumed. Sony: includes commentaries, $26.96.

La Dolce Vita: Deluxe Collector’s Edition. No one captures the decadence and eventual exhaustion of pleasure-seeking Italians in the early ‘60s like Fellini. Marcello Mastroianni is droll and bored in turns, brilliantly. Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee, Yvonne Furneaux are part of the Roman tableau. Koch Lorber: includes Fellini shorts, interviews, galleries, $79.98.

Loving Annabelle. A young poetry teacher at a Catholic boarding school and the daughter of a U.S. senator begin a relationship. Both are female. Diane Gaidry won best actress at the 2006 Outfest for her portrayal of the teacher in this film about a forbidden love loosely based on the 1931 German film “Maedchen in Uniform.” Wolfe: includes featurette, commentaries, deleted scenes, $24.95, Dec. 12.

Mozart and the Whale. Two people overcome physical challenges to find romance, starring Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell. Sony: includes commentary, $24.96, Dec. 12.

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont. Dame Joan Plowright stars as an elderly woman who befriends a much younger man played by Rupert Friend (from “Pride & Prejudice”) in a retirement hotel. Westlake: includes commentary, $19.98, Dec. 12.

Quinceanera. A 14-year-old Mexican American girl faces adulthood early when she becomes pregnant and moves in with her uncle, who has his own difficulties. Sony: includes commentaries and featurettes, $26.96, Jan. 9.

Van Gogh. The last months of the painter’s life as envisioned by director Maurice Pialat. Nominated for the Golden Palm. Sony: includes deleted scenes, $24.96, Jan. 9.

Wah-Wah. Richard E. Grant’s semi-autobiographical film about growing up in Swaziland in the late ‘60s with a family going through change. Sony: $24.96.

The Wicker Man. The original 1973 cult film of a strange Hebridean cult starring Christopher Lee, Edward Woodland and Britt Ekland. Perhaps the true inspiration behind the Burning Man festival. Anchor Bay: two discs, includes commentary, $19.98, Dec. 19.

Women’s Prison. Banned in Iran, the film bravely looked at conditions in women’s prisons through the relationship between one prisoner and the warden. First Run: includes director Manijeh Hekmat’s statement, $24.95, Dec. 19.

Action

The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection. All four features of the Man of Steel as portrayed by the late Christopher Reeve. Warner Bros.: eight discs, includes commentaries, additional scenes, $79.92, Tuesday.

The Covenant. Young New England boys inherit special powers that have been in their families since they were early-17th century settlers. But another descendant who moves to town threatens to expose the secrets. Sony: $28.95 (Blu-ray: $38.95), Jan. 2.

The Da Vinci Code. Taken from Dan Brown’s strange meta-historical book, Tom Hanks heads an all-star cast (Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina) in a pursuit to get to the roots of a fundamental religious conspiracy. Sony: gift set includes a reproduction of Robert Langdon’s journal and a replica of the cryptex, 11 featurettes, $80.95 (regular two-disc set: $29.96).

Enemy of the State. Will Smith and Gene Hackman find themselves caught up in a vortex of paranoia and vengeance when information about a political murder is disclosed. Buena Vista: includes featurette, deleted scenes (Blu-ray: $34.99).

Fearless. Jet Li, a man who defies gravity, fights back to regain the respect of all as the greatest martial arts champion of China. Universal: includes deleted scene, featurette, $29.98, Dec. 19.

Flightplan. Classically Hitchcockian (cf “The Lady Vanishes”), Jodie Foster stars as a mother who mysteriously loses her daughter aboard an airplane in flight and no one believes her or, seemingly, can help her. Buena Vista: includes featurettes, commentary (Blu-ray: $34.99).

Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector’s Edition. The seminal science fiction film that introduced Robby the Robot. Warner Bros.: includes more than four hours of special features, documentaries and lobby cards portfolio, $59.92 (also available as a two-disc edition: $26.99).

Miami Vice. Michael Mann expands upon the white-hot action TV show he created two decades ago, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs plunging into the drug world of south Florida, a world where no one is quite who they seem. Universal: includes featurettes (the unrated edition also includes commentary and added art-direction featurette), $29.98 (HD: $39.98), Dec. 5.

Mission: Impossible III: Collector’s Edition. Tom Cruise is Special Agent Ethan Hunt, a man who seemingly defies all physical laws in this spy thriller filled with more special effects than most studios’ entire yearly output. The star-studded cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, Michelle Monaghan and Billy Crudup. Paramount: includes commentaries, deleted scenes, galleries (each format with different features), $19.99 (HD and Blu-ray: $29.99).

Pearl Harbor. The devastating day America entered into the war with Japan, with two men -- played by Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett -- joining up to fight and the woman they love, played by Kate Beckinsale. Buena Vista: includes documentaries, music video (Blu-ray: $34.99), Dec. 19.

The Punisher Extended Cut. Thomas Jane is a special agent who avenges the deaths of his family in this film adaptation of a Marvel Comics character. John Travolta is the nemesis he must defeat. Lionsgate: includes comic book gallery, featurettes, 17 minutes of new footage, $19.98.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. The original footage as Donner wanted it, including a different beginning, a different end and 15 more minutes of Marlon Brando as Jor-El. Warner Bros.: $24.98, Tuesday.

Superman: Ultimate Collector’s Edition. Contains all six films of the franchise with more than 20 hours of bonus features. Warner Bros.: 14 discs, including three bonus discs of documentaries and director Bryan Singer’s journal of the making of “Superman Returns,” $99.92, Tuesday.

Documentary

2006 World Series. Follows the success of the St. Louis Cardinals and narrated by Cardinals fan Billy Bob Thornton. Shout! Factory: $19.98.

49 Up. Michael Apted continues to profile the growth of a group of individuals in this, his seventh film in the series, from their beginnings as children 42 years ago. There are always startling changes to observe among them, and expectations are often confounded. First Run: $34.99.

America: Freedom to Fascism. Producer Aaron Russo looks at the rights and wrongs of the income tax system. He interviews two U.S. congressmen, a former IRS commissioner and former IRS and FBI agents. Cinema Libre: $19.95, Dec. 12.

Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film. Director Ric Burns examines the life of the 20th century Pop artist with narration by Laurie Anderson and interviews with many Warhol friends and associates. PBS/Paramount: $24.99.

An Inconvenient Truth. An unflinching look at the disastrous effects of global warming as had been described by former Vice President Al Gore. Packaged with no excess materials. Paramount: $29.99.

The Brave New Films Box Set. Includes Bob Greenwald’s scathing but timely documentaries: “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price,” “The Big Buy: Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress,” “Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers.” Disinformation Co.: $39.98, Tuesday.

Darfur Diaries. Three independent filmmakers open a forum for those who are suffering under genocide in Darfur so that they may speak on what is occurring there. Amnesty International intends to use the film to inform its members of the situation. Cinema Libre: $19.95.

Female Misbehavior. Five films by Monika Treut that challenge stereotypes of female sexuality. First Run: includes interview, $29.95, Dec. 19.

Giuliani Time. An examination of the former New York City mayor through interviews with former mayors, former Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, journalists, police officers and Donald Trump. Winner of best documentary at the 2006 Silver Lake Film Festival. Cinema Libre: $24.95, Jan. 30.

Grey Gardens/The Beales of Grey Gardens. A double bill of the Maysles brothers’ documentaries on two eccentric older women, Big and Little Edie Beale, in East Hampton, Long Island. Criterion: includes commentaries, interviews, galleries, $49.95, Dec. 5.

The History Channel Ultimate Collections: World War II. Seven previously issued DVDS with nearly 30 documentaries on World War II have been assembled for this collection. Archive footage, interviews and reenactments make up the presentations. A&E;: 10 discs, $59.95, Tuesday.

Inside the Actors Studio: Dave Chappelle. Showcases the episode of “Chappelle’s Show” that aired right after he decided to walk away from it. Shout! Factory: $14.98.

Inside the Actors Studio: Icons. James Lipton sits down to chat with Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford to discuss their craft. Shout! Factory: three discs, $39.98.

The Internationale. A look at the song that became identified with every movement of struggling, oppressed people since the Paris Commune of 1871. First Run: includes interview with Pete Seeger, Billy Bragg, featurette, bonus 31-minute film, $26.99.

Investigation of a Flame: A Documentary Portrait of the Catonsville Nine. Three priests, a nurse, an artist and four others deliberately burned selective service records in Catonsville, Md., in 1968. This award-winning documentary is the story of their protest. First Run/Icarus: includes short film featuring interviews with Daniel Berrigan and director Lynne Sachs, $24.98, Friday.

Marshall University: Ashes to Glory. The documentary of the real events behind the upcoming film, “We Are Marshall,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox, about Marshall University’s football program rebounding after a devastating plane crash wiped out the team. Winner of an Emmy. Docurama: $26.95, Tuesday.

The Revolution: The Series. The History Channel’s blow-by-blow account of the American Revolution going beyond the standard personalities into the social and political movements lying underneath. A&E;: $49.95, Dec. 19.

Sir! No Sir! David Zeiger’s film looks at the role that military men and women took in protesting and ultimately ending the war in Vietnam. Docurama: $26.95, Dec. 19.

True Caribbean Pirates. Captain Kidd, Ann Bonny, Blackbeard, Henry Morgan and other scurrilous terrors of the high seas are profiled in this documentary with interviews, CGI animation and much archival imagery. A&E;: $19.95, Dec. 19.

When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. Director Spike Lee’s documentary looks at New Orleans following the devastation of hurricane Katrina. HBO: includes commentaries, additional footage, galleries, $29.98, Dec. 19.

Musicals

Idlewild. Andre Benjamin and Antwan A. Patton of OutKast sing and play in this story of a nightclub in which greed and murder threatens to cast a dark shadow over all. Universal: includes deleted scenes and extra song, $29.98, Dec. 5.

Oh! What A Lovely War. The film version of the successful stage satire on the insanity of World War I and war in general. Starring Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Mills, John Gielgud, Maggie Smith, Vanessa Redgrave, etc. Basically every great of British theater was involved with this film. Paramount: includes commentary by director Richard Attenborough, documentary, $14.99.

TV

The Adventures of the Gummi Bears: Vol. 1. Disney’s first animated series about a family of bears who get superpowers when they drink Gummi Berry juice was broadcast from 1985 to 1990. Buena Vista: three discs, 47 episodes, $34.98.

The Best of Carson: Vol. 1. Here’s Johnny Carson in many of his famous sketches on “The Tonight Show” and featuring such comedic wonders as Steve Martin, Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield and Garry Shandling. Esi Distribution: includes “Tonight Show” highlights, rare photographs, $39.99.

The Best of the Electric Company, Vol. 2. The award-winning children’s show teaches children reading and grammar skills and this set features appearances by Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Carol Burnett, Barbara Eden and Victor Borges. Shout! Factory: four discs, 20 episodes, $39.98.

Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers: Vol. 2. The adventures include the Rangers meeting a leprechaun and taking a trip to the Himalayas. Buena Vista: three discs, including the pilot episode, $34.99.

Criminal Minds: Season 1. A team of FBI profilers tracks down potential baddies before they do harm, starring Mandy Patinkin. CBS/Paramount: six discs, 22 episodes, includes commentaries and featurettes, $64.99, Tuesday.

Dr. Katz: Season 2. Ray Romano, Sandra Bernhard and Janeane Garofalo guest star in this animated comedy about the beleaguered therapist dealing with a world of neuroses. Comedy Central/Paramount: includes follow-up visits from the likes of Garry Shandling among others, $26.99.

Friends: The Complete Series Collection. Six friends; six careers launched forevermore. Warner Bros.: 40 discs, 236 episodes, includes 60-page commemorative book, commentaries, featurettes, gag reels, $299.98.

Get Smart: The Complete Collection. Don Adams as the affable but bumbling Agent Maxwell Smart is a television icon along with Barbara Feldon as the brilliant and beautiful Agent 99. Together, they somehow made it work and every episode is here. But the set is available only at getsmartondvd.com. Time-Life/HBO: 25 discs, 138 episodes, includes interviews, commentaries, featurettes, $199.96.

Gunsmoke: The Director’s Collection. The longest-running Western on television has some of its finest episodes highlighted in this set, focusing on the work of several directors, including John Rich, Arthur Hiller, Dennis Weaver and Mark Rydell. Paramount: three discs, $39.99.

The Impressionists. A three-part miniseries on the lives of Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Manet and Degas and how they shook up the art world. KOCH Vision: two discs, includes five-minute documentary on Monet, $34.98, Dec. 5.

Joan of Arcadia: The Second Season. Amber Tamblyn is Joan, a 16-year-old who talks to God. CBS/Paramount: six discs, 23 episodes, $64.99, Tuesday.

Law & Order Criminal Intent: The Second Year. In producer Dick Wolf’s series, Vincent D’Onofrio plays a dogged investigator with Kathryn Erbe as his partner. The series gives the audience information that the investigators must discover for themselves. Universal: five discs, 23 episodes, includes deleted scenes, $59.98, Dec. 12.

Little Britain: Complete Series Three. Thoroughly British and utterly hilarious as we see the return of such characters as Vicky Pollard, Emily and Florence, Dafydd Thomas and their uproarious daily life in a village. BBC: includes deleted scenes, commentaries, interviews, $29.98.

MASH: The Martinis and Medicine Collection. All 11 seasons of a field hospital fighting war with humor. Fox: 36 discs, $199.98.

Mission: Impossible: The Complete First Season. Steven Hill heads a group of spies who have to undertake assignments, such as overthrowing menacing Third World dictatorships, that would normally be considered “impossible.” The show reveled in James Bond-type technology. Paramount: seven discs, 28 episodes, $54.99, Dec. 5.

NCIS: The Complete Second Season. Mark Harmon leads a team whose purpose is to investigate crimes connected with those in the armed forces. CBS/Paramount: six discs, 23 episodes, includes commentaries and featurettes, $64.99.

Seinfeld: Season 7. Jerry and his crazy New York friends continue their shenanigans into yet another successful season. Sony: includes featurettes, Jerry Seinfeld stand-up comedy footage, bloopers reel, $45.95.

7th Heaven: The Complete Third Season. The life of a minister’s family, including his wife and seven children. Paramount: $54.99, Tuesday.

Shades of Darkness. PBS’ Mystery series produced these six 45-minute mysteries by well-known authors such as Edith Wharton and Elizabeth Bowen. Hugh Grant and Miranda Richardson are among the featured actors. Koch Vision, $29.98, Dec. 5.

Six Feet Under: The Complete Series. Life in a funeral home never looked so ... lively. The award-winning series in all five seasons. HBO: includes a Book of Obituaries, $279.99.

That Girl: Season 2. Marlo Thomas broke ground in this series from the ‘60s portraying a woman who gradually found herself and took charge of her life. Shout! Factory: four discs, includes commentaries, interviews, pilot of “Two’s Company,” an earlier Thomas sitcom, $38.98.

Touched by an Angel: The Third Season, Volume 2. Three angels, played by Roma Downey, Della Reese and John Dye, are sent from heaven to help those of us on Earth in need. Paramount: $42.99, Tuesday.

The West Wing: The Complete Series. The intense, stressful life of the inhabitants of the Oval Office staff, with Martin Sheen, Stockard Channing, Alan Alda, Jimmy Smits, Allison Janney, John Spencer etc. Warner Bros.: 45 discs, includes all 154 episodes, 20 commentaries, 20 documentaries, gag reels and much more. $299.98.

Holiday

box sets

Bing Crosby Collection. Der Bingel croons in a series of musicals, including “Waikiki Wedding,” “Double or Nothing,” “East of Heaven” and “Here Come the Waves.” Universal: $29.98.

Cary Grant Collection. Cary charms in a series of early romantic comedies, including “Thirty Day Princess,” “Kiss and Make Up” and “Wings in the Dark.” Universal: $29.98.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Collection. Includes “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” “The Sandpiper,” “The VIPs” and “The Comedians.” Warner Bros.: five discs, $49.92 (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” is available as a two-disc set for $26.99), Dec. 5.

Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films. Possibly the most important box of DVDs ever released. These are the films that influenced several generations of filmmakers, started an industry of specialty film houses, kicked into gear college programs on film and affected the very way we look and imagine film to be. Everyone is here, including Fellini, Bergman, Cocteau, Kurosawa, Ophuls, Truffaut and Renoir. Criterion/Janus: includes a hardcover book detailing the history of Janus Films, $850.

Forbidden Hollywood Collections. Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Harlow and Mae Clarke pushing the limit on what was acceptable before the Hays Code put down the clamps. Includes “Baby Face,” “Red Headed Woman” and “Waterloo Bridge.” Warner Bros.: two discs, $39.92, Dec. 5.

The Premiere Frank Capra Collection. Includes “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” and “It Happened One Night.” Sony: includes essays, rare photographs, commentaries and featurettes, $59.95, Dec. 5.

James Bond Ultimate Collection: Vols. 1 and 2. Vol. 1 includes “Goldfinger” and “Diamonds Are Forever”; Vol. 2 includes “Thunderball” and “The Spy Who Loved Me.” MGM: $89.98.

James Bond Ultimate Collection: Vols. 3 and 4. Vol. 3 includes “From Russia With Love” and “For Your Eyes Only”; Vol. 4 includes “You Only Live Twice” and “Octopussy.” MGM: $89.98, Dec. 12.

Paul Newman Collection. Newman flashes his blue eyes and dramatic intensity in such films as “Harper,” “The Drowning Pool,” “The Left-Handed Gun” and “The Young Philadelphians.” Warner Bros.: seven discs, includes new and archival featurettes, $59.92.

Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker Collection. From slapstick to irony, hands-down one of America’s greatest and earliest auteur directors. Among the stars in these classics are Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Veronica Lake and Eddie Bracken, in some of the best performances of their careers. Utterly essential for the film enthusiast. Includes “Sullivan’s Travels,” “The Lady Eve” and “The Palm Beach Story.” Universal: seven discs, $59.98.

Rock Hudson Collection. Every woman’s dream leading man in films such as “Has Anybody Seen My Gal?,” “A Very Special Favor” and “The Golden Blade.” Universal: $29.98.

Rodgers & Hammerstein Box Set Collection. Includes “Carousel,” “The King and I” and a two-disc collector’s edition of “South Pacific.” Fox: 12 discs.

The Wim Wenders Collection: Vol. 2. Eight films by the great German director, including “Room 666,” “Tokyo-Ga,” “A Trick of Light,” “The American Friend” etc. Anchor Bay: eight discs, including commentary and a 16-page booklet, $89.98, Dec. 5.

Pop

Carson Country. Johnny Carson hosts a cavalcade of ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s country stars on his “Tonight Show,” including Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, the Judds and Dwight Yoakum. Esi Distribution: includes featurettes, $14.99.

Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows. Ol’ Swivel Hips cemented his national star status with his appearances on Sullivan’s show and those appearances helped to make Sullivan a household name as well. Image: three discs, includes rare footage of a 20-year-old Elvis, interviews, collectible booklet, $29.99.

Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man. A documentary on the Prince of Erotic Despair and one of the finest songwriters, with many interviews with fans and associates. Lionsgate: includes performances, commentaries, deleted scenes, $27.98.

Loud Quiet Loud: A Film About the Pixies. One of America’s most challenging and influential bands from the ‘80s is given an unsparing verite examination for their 2004 reunion tour. Daniel Lanois provided additional music for the film. MVD Visual: $19.95.

Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us. Chronicles the 2005 McCartney U.S. tour in which he plays Beatles, Wings and solo songs. A&E;: includes notes by Cameron Crowe, interviews with President Clinton, Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Vedder, 35 minutes of bonus material and featurettes, $24.95.

Scratch vs. Freestyle. Two documentaries, “Scratch” and “Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme,” that minutely examine the fascinating intricacies of two sides of hip-hop -- the art of the DJ and that of the spoken word. There are many appearances by important personalities including DJ Shadow, Mix Master Mike, Cut Chemist, Afrika Bambaataa, Tupac Shakur, Mos Def, Notorious B.I.G. and too many others to mention. Essential. Palm: includes commentaries, featurettes, $29.98.

The Who 20th Anniversary Reunion Concert. Filmed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1999, Daltrey, Townshend and Entwistle are joined by Zak Starkey and Rabbit Bundrick. Many of the classic songs are performed. Passport: includes interviews, $24.99.

The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. Four decades of performance footage from the great Satchmo and songs recorded from 1931 to 1967 all indicate his wide appeal. Time-Life: three discs (two CDs and one DVD), $39.98.