‘Elf’ toy bag’s just stuffed with fun

Elf

Will Ferrell, James Caan

New Line, $30

“Saturday Night Live” alum Will Ferrell went from supporting player to movie star in this hip, heartfelt comedy about an orphan who crawls into Santa’s toy bag and is raised at the North Pole. When Ferrell’s Buddy grows up, he seeks out his real father (James Caan) in New York. Writer-actor Jon Favreau (“Swingers”) directed with just the right touch of whimsy.

The two-disc DVD set is as jolly as the movie. Among the featurettes are “Tag Along With Will Ferrell,” which follows the actor during a shooting day; “Film School for Kids,” a breezy look at the film crew; “How They Made the North Pole,” which examines the complex production design for the film; and “Lights. Camera. Puff.,” which focuses on the stop-motion animation. There are games and interactive goodies for kids, deleted scenes with optional commentary from Favreau, a trivia track and a commentary track from a sweet, subdued Ferrell.

*

The Chronicles of Riddick

Vin Diesel, Judi Dench

Universal, $30

Back in 2000, actor Vin Diesel and writer-director David Twohy teamed up for a scrappy low-budget sci-fi thriller called “Pitch Black.” Diesel’s stock rose in Hollywood and so did the budget for this inane sequel. There are plenty of expansive, expensive sets, CGI effects and scenes of Diesel flexing his mighty pecs. But story-wise, it’s a flameout. How did Oscar-winner Judi Dench get mixed up in this?

The DVD features the director’s cut of the film -- clocking in at 15 extra minutes -- which includes an entire character and subplot that didn’t make it to the release version. There are also more deleted scenes, a fact track, a tour of the sets with Diesel and ho-hum commentary with Twohy and costars Karl Urban and Alexa Davalos.

Skip “Riddick” and check out the special edition of the acclaimed 1999 animated fantasy “The Iron Giant” (Warner Home Video, $20), in which Diesel voices the sensitive, misunderstand robot from outer space who befriends a lonely little boy.

*

Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Seasons 1 and 2

Pee-Wee Herman

Image ($15 for the special;

$40 for the series set)

From 1986 to 1991, one of the best Saturday morning kids’ shows -- and a guilty pleasure for adults -- was CBS’ “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” an exhilarating, clever and offbeat series starring Paul Reubens as the bow-tied man-child. It picked up 22 Emmys during its run. Among the regulars who have gone on to bigger things are Laurence Fishburne (he was just “Larry” back then) and S. Epatha Merkerson of “Law & Order.”

Though there are no extras on the series set, the zippy Christmas special includes commentary with Reubens, co-writer John Paragon, animation producer Prudence Fenton, Lynne Marie Stewart, as well as with several puppeteers.

*

Spies; Woman in the Moon

Kino, $30 each

Two of the legendary German director Fritz Lang’s lesser known silent films have arrived on DVD in newly restored incarnations.

“Spies,” from 1928, had previously been seen in the U.S. in severely edited prints, but this edition restores it to its proper 143-minute length.

It’s a breakneck thriller starring Rudolph Kleine-Rogge (of Lang’s “Dr. Mabuse” crime thrillers) as Haghi, the head of an elaborate criminal network. Willy Fritsch is the undercover government agent assigned to ferret him out; Gerda Maurus plays a beautiful agent who falls in love with Fritsch. Extras include an explanation of the restoration.

Even more entertaining is 1929’s “Woman in the Moon,” a romantic, sci-fi spy thriller about the first manned flight to the moon. “Woman in the Moon” is the first film ever to show a countdown to launch a rocket, depict a rocket that was built in two stages and illustrate, rather amusingly, zero gravity. The extras include rare production photographs.