TOP PICK
Up
(Walt Disney)
One of the year’s (and decade’s) best films gets the deluxe package
it deserves: a four-disc set that includes Blu-ray, DVD and digital
versions of the movie. You’ll want to watch it in HD, where every
detail — from rainbow-colored balloons to a glorious island vista
— sparkles. Tons of extras — including a funny new short
starring Dug the dog — round out the set.
DVD
Clint Eastwood Star Collection
(MGM)
The four movies in this gift set (part of a series featuring
Hollywood heavies) focus on Eastwood’s westerns. Hang ‘Em High is the only one that isn’t a classic. The other three — A
Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly — make up Sergio Leone’s great Spaghetti
Western trilogy and rank among Eastwood’s all-time best.
DVD
Fawlty Towers:
The Complete Collection Remastered
(BBC)
After Monty Python’s Flying Circus shut down, John Cleese
quickly moved on to this British comedy about a flustered hotel
manager. Very few people do flustered as well as Cleese, who’s at his
best here. This three-disc set includes all 12 episodes of the
short-lived 1975 sitcom, plus outtakes and new commentary by the
star.
DVD
Gone With the Wind: Two-Disc Special
Edition
(Warner)
One of old-school Hollywood’s greatest epics is filmmaking (and
storytelling) at its most grand. There are pricey Blu-ray and “Ultimate
Collector’s Edition” versions of the movie — which celebrates its
70th anniversary this year — available too, but this double-disc
set is all you really need. Historical commentary puts it all in
perspective.
VIDEO
Lost: The Complete Fifth Season
(Walt Disney)
The best show on TV turned in one of its greatest seasons this year.
You can prep for Lost’s return in February with this five-disc
set that includes all 17 episodes. There’s plenty of action and
mind-fucking going on, so you’ll want to settle in and dissect every
second. And be sure to pick up the Blu-ray: This is one show that
deserves the full HD treatment.
DVD
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live
(Time Life)
This massive nine-disc box includes 125 performances from the Rock
Hall’s induction ceremonies over the past 25 years. There are also lots
of speeches and backstage footage. Hope you like Bono, Keith Richards
and Bruce Springsteen: They seem to be onstage every year. Best: Clips
from the early days, like when Beach Boys a-hole Mike Love dissed
everyone in the room.
VIDEO
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — The Complete Season
One
(Lucasfilm Ltd./Warner)
The animated TV show is way better than the movie that launched it.
It got darker as it progressed, so stick with it. The Blu-ray version
is the best way to take in all the cool visuals — the battle
scenes especially look awesome. In addition to 22 episodes, the set
includes directors’ cuts, companion shorts and a 60-plus-page
production journal.
VIDEO
Monsters, Inc. Blu-ray
(Walt Disney)
Pixar’s 2001 movie about a pair of monsters trying to get a little
girl home finally comes to Blu-ray. And it’s never looked greater. It’s
not only a more enjoyable film than it was eight years ago (it’s gotten
better with age), the HD makes everything — especially all the
cool creatures — burst from the screen. Extras include
commentary, games and early sketch concepts.
VIDEO
Rocky: The Undisputed Collection
(MGM)
By 2006’s Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone’s high-flying
boxer had taken some severe beatings (who are we kidding? The series
was pretty much played out by 1985’s Rocky IV). But the 1976
original remains one of the top movies of all time. This seven-disc box
compiles all six films on Blu-ray plus a bonus disc featuring
interviews and documentaries.
DVD
TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Hitchcock
Thrillers
(Warner/Turner Classic Movies)
The latest addition to this great series features four movies by one
of the greatest directors of alltime. Suspicion, I Confess and The Wrong Man (all from the’40s and ’50s) are
entertaining Alfred Hitchcock films, but 1951’s Strangers on a
Train is the classic. The story — two guys trade murders
— influences filmmakers and writers to this day.
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2009.