Warner Bros. aimed to replicate Nolans Dark touch with its Superman reboot, Man of Steel. Zack Snyders summer smash lives on a double-disc combo ($35.99) with four hours of extras.
Super-weird
If
your kids think they cant be scared by a 50-year-old TV show, behold
the power of Rod Serling! Now on DVD shorn of extras, thus available at a
more affordable price, The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series ($169.98)
caused my three skeptical children, ages 9 to 16, to jump and scream.
Anti-black-and-white as they are, they found themselves entranced by
such classic half-hours featuring a ventriloquists dummy with a mind of
its own, a proto-Chucky kids doll (My names Talky Tina
and Im
going to kill you!) and William Shatners nervous airline passenger
spotting a creature on the wing of the plane. Get in the Zone
all five seasons, 156 episodes, 25 discs because its not just the
greatest anthology in television history but one of the greatest shows
period.
Similar, but in Japanese, is Ultra Q: The Complete Series ($59.97). This utterly oddball sci-fi series from 1966 also predates The X-Files with
investigations of such strange stories as UFO sightings, a house full
of giant spiders, killer vines, shrunken citizens, a dimension-tripping
train and many, many rubber monsters à la Godzillas golden age. Take a
chance on it because the 28 episodes represent a ton of fun; the only
negative is the absence of any kind of guide on the package to acquaint
newbies, but youll live.
Weirdest of all is Time- Lifes The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts: Complete DVD Collection ($249.95),
likely the only spot in popular culture to corral Ronald Reagan, Zsa
Zsa Gabor, Muhammed Ali, Betty White and Mr. T. Its a real time-warper
and, at 25 discs, a time-eater. (Warning: Contains Charo.)
Super-funny
To celebrate a quarter-century of movie-skewering, theres Mystery Science Theater 3000: 25th Anniversary Edition ($64.99). Presented in a tin, the limitededition set is heavy on the sci-fi or should that be sigh-fi? with Moon Zero Two, The Day the Earth Froze, The Leech Woman and Gorgo being
ripped new ones by our lightning-witted, space-stranded hosts. To make
this batch more special than the previous ones, Shout! Factory has
included a pair of classic, out-of-print episodes (The Brain That Wouldnt Die and the riotous Joe Don Baker action vehicle Mitchell) along with a feature-length, retrospective documentary on the groundbreaking, Peabody-winning comedy series.
Super-scary
The Vincent Price Collection ($79.97)
gives six of the horror legends best movies their Blu-ray debut,
including four of his stellar Edgar Allan Poe pictures for director
Roger Corman and the fan-favorite The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Beautiful transfers and a wealth of special features help viewers see the films with fresh eyes.
And
because nothing says Christmas quite like a mental institution run by
nuns and a serial killer appropriately named Bloody Face, theres American Horror Story: Asylum ($59.99), the second season of the FX hit series.
Super-good
Now that Breaking Bad is gone, can we please talk about phenomenal Mad Men: Season 6 ($49.97) was? Spend your new year watching Don Drapers worst days.