Classics, cult hits and couples

Comedy

Airplane! -- Don’t Call Me Shirley Edition. Laughs every minute as Robert Hays takes over the controls of a jetliner while the crew succumbs to food poisoning, with Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack. Paramount: with commentary, deleted scenes and interviews, $19.99, Dec. 13.

Almost Normal. A gay reversal of “Back to the Future.” Wolfe Video: $24.95, Tuesday.

American Pie: Band Camp. Tad Hilgenbrinck is sentenced to band camp, where much mischief takes place. Universal: includes outtakes, music video, interviews; available in both rated and unrated form, $26.98, Dec. 26.

Bad News Bears. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the remake of the 1976 comedy hit about a former minor league player coaching a team of misfits. Paramount: includes featurettes, deleted scenes, commentaries and video baseball cards, $29.99, Tuesday.

The Baxter. Michael Showalter is the “Baxter,” a tax accountant trying to find his real self and marry his ideal girl, Elizabeth Banks. Sony/MGM: $24.95, Dec. 13.

Death to the Supermodels. Jaime Pressly stars in this satire about models getting picked off one by one on a tropical island. MGM: $24.95, Dec. 13.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Rob Schneider must clear the sullied name of his pimp (Eddie Griffin). Sony: includes featurettes and comedy special, $28.95, Nov. 29.

Dirty Love. Jenny McCarthy in a comedy that scours for slapstick. First Look: includes commentaries, in rated and unrated editions, $26.98,

Dec. 6.

A Fine Mess. Ted Danson and Howie Mandel star as an updated Laurel and Hardy in a Blake Edwards comedy involving horse-race fixing. Sony/MGM: $19.94, Dec. 6.

Formula 17. A gay romantic teen comedy in the summer heat of Taiwan. Strand Releasing: $24.99, Nov. 29.

The 40 Year-Old Virgin. Steve Carell stars as a late bloomer goaded by his friends into doing the deed. Universal: includes commentaries, gag reel, sex education video; available in both rated and unrated form, $29.98, Dec. 13.

Happy Endings. Stars Lisa Kudrow and Steve Coogan, among others, in comedy involving various interlocking romantic stories. Lions Gate: $27.98, Tuesday.

Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection. Much of the comic master’s work from 1919 to 1936. New Line: seven discs in three volumes, includes commentaries, featurettes, galleries and a bonus disc with rare home footage, $89.95, Tuesday.

The Honeymooners. Cedric the Entertainer takes on the Jackie Gleason role of Ralph Kramden in this film remake of the celebrated TV series. Paramount: includes commentaries and deleted scenes, $29.95, Nov. 22.

Must Love Dogs. Diane Lane and John Cusack attempt to kindle a romance in their divorced lives. Warner Bros.: includes deleted scenes, gag reel, $28.98, Dec. 20.

The Producers: Deluxe Edition. The enduring black comedy of two Broadway producers, neurotically and hysterically played by Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, who succeed beyond their expectations or desires. Sony: two discs, includes documentary and outtakes, $29.95, Dec. 13.

12 Days of Christmas Eve. An update of “A Christmas Carol” with a dash of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Steven Weber. First Look: $24.98, Tuesday.

Animation/Children

Disney Rarities, Celebrated Shorts 1920s-1960s. The “Alice” comedies, featuring early combinations of animation and live action, award-winning shorts and others. Buena Vista: $32.99, Dec. 6.

The Great Muppet Caper. Kermit heads to London to report on a case and falls in love with Miss Piggy. Buena Vista: includes a profile of Miss Piggy, $19.99, Nov. 29.

Kronk’s New Groove. Animated film on the adventures of Kronk and his discovery of the true riches of life. Buena Vista: includes featurettes and music from Earth, Wind & Fire, $29.99, Dec. 13.

The Muppet Christmas Carol. Dickens’ classic tale as played by the Muppets. Buena Vista: includes a profile of Gonzo and an on-set gag reel, $19.99, Nov. 29.

The Muppet Movie. Kermit and friends head to Hollywood. Buena Vista: includes a profile of Kermit, $19.99, Nov. 29.

Muppet Treasure Island. Inspired by the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, Kermit et al set off to find treasure. Buena Vista: includes profile of Fozzie Bear, $19.99, Nov. 29.

The Polar Express. Tom Hanks is a conductor on this train to the North Pole and Mr. Claus. Warner Bros.: two discs, includes featurette and behind-the-scenes looks, $29.95, Nov. 22.

Sky High. Sky High, the school for super-teens, proves a challenge for Michael Angarano. Buena Vista: includes bloopers and featurettes, $29.99, Dec. 6.

Toy Story 2: Special Edition. Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear once again. Buena Vista: includes deleted scenes, outtakes, production tours, $29.99, Dec. 26.

Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Vol. 2, 1942-1946. Donald Duck shorts. Buena Vista: two discs, includes interviews with the current voice of Donald and Disney artist Carl Barks, $32.99, Dec. 6.

Drama

A River Runs Through It: Deluxe Edition. Two brothers rebel against their father in different ways. Sony: includes featurettes, commentaries and production notes, $19.94, Nov. 29.

A Sweet Scent of Death. Murder, love and revenge in the Mexican sierra. Studio Latino: includes deleted scenes and featurette, $19.99, Nov. 22.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped. A Parisian property owner wants to become a concert pianist with the help of a beautiful young Chinese pianist. Wellspring: $24.99, Tuesday.

The Beautiful Country. A young half-Vietnamese, half-American boy comes to America seeking his father and a new life. Sony: includes commentary, interview with writer and photo gallery, $24.96, Dec. 13.

Belle of the Yukon. Randolph Scott and Gypsy Rose Lee star in this musical set in the Gold Rush. Sony/MGM: $14.94, Dec. 6.

Big Bad Mama. Angie Dickinson and William Shatner in a film about bank-robbing babes. Buena Vista: $19.99, Dec. 13.

Dark Water. Jennifer Connelly stars as a mother who, with her daughter, is terrified in an old New York tenement. Buena Vista: includes featurette and deleted scenes, $29.99, Dec. 26.

The Edukators. Pranks turn into motives for revenge in this German import. Columbia Tri-Star: $29.95, Tuesday.

The Football Factory. The charm and mayhem of English football culture. Image: includes commentaries, deleted scenes and featurettes, $24.99, Dec. 27.

Forbidden Games. Rene Clement’s film of an orphan and her friend trying to survive World War II France. Criterion: $29.95, Dec. 6.

Four Brothers. Brothers seek to avenge their mother’s death. Paramount: includes commentary and featurettes, $29.99, Nov. 22.

The Frighteners -- Director’s Cut. Peter Jackson’s film of a psychic private investigator. Universal: includes commentary and featurette, $26.98, Nov. 29.

Gallipoli: Special Edition. Early Mel Gibson vehicle about blunders and bloodshed on a Turkish beach in WWI. Paramount: includes six documentaries on making of film, $14.98, Dec. 13.

Havoc. Barbara Kopple directed this uncomfortable look at rich teens seduced by the gangster life (in both an unrated and an R-rated edition). New Line: includes alternate ending and extra footage, $19.97, Nov. 29.

House by the River. Fritz Lang directs this 1949 study of murder and lust. Kino Video: includes interviews and photo gallery, $24.95, Nov. 22.

Ice Men. David Hewlett stars in a thriller about a weekend and revealed secrets. Wolfe Video: $24.95, Dec. 20.

Kings and Queen. Directed by Arnaud Desplechin, two former lovers find their lives intertwined again. Wellspring: $24.99, Tuesday.

Ladies in Lavender. The dueling dames, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, as directed by Charles Dance in this pre-WWII drama. Sony: includes featurette, $26.96, Dec. 6.

Legends of the Fall: Deluxe Edition. A father’s love for his family in the Montana wilderness, with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. Sony: includes commentary and featurettes, $19.94, Nov. 29.

Lila Says. Teenage lust in Marseille between a French girl and a young Arab. Sony: $29.95, Nov. 29.

Mighty Joe Young. The heartbreaking 1949 film that could be called “Son of King Kong.” Warner Bros.: includes commentaries and featurettes, $19.97, Nov. 22.

Murderball. Quadriplegics battle it out in a game of rugby. ThinkFilm: includes featurette and behind-the-scenes footage, $29.99, Nov. 29.

Novo. Eduardo Noriega stars as a man with recurring memory loss. Sony: $29.98, Nov. 22.

Now & Forever. Love amid secrets and betrayal, with Mia Kirshner and Adam Beach. Ardustry: $24.98, Nov. 22.

Old Yeller Two-Movie Collection. The unparalleled family dog film teamed with sequel “Savage Sam.” Buena Vista: includes interviews, featurettes, production documents and animated shorts, $29.99, Tuesday.

Pretty Persuasion. Evan Rachel Wood stars in a drama of charges of sexual harassment in a school. Sony: $24.96, Dec. 13.

Ran. Akira Kurosawa’s masterful reimagining of “King Lear.” Criterion: includes Chris Marker documentary on making of film and a Sidney Lumet introduction, $39.95, Nov. 22.

The Reception. A mother, her husband, her daughter and her daughter’s husband and an explosive sexual denouement. Strand Releasing: includes commentaries, $24.99, Tuesday.

Saint Ralph. Campbell Scott, Jennifer Tilly and newcomer Adam Butcher star in this film on the redemptive force of long-distance running. Sony: includes commentary and featurette, $24.96, Dec. 13.

Scarlet Street. 1945 Fritz Lang film noir starring Edward G. Robinson as a nice guy (!) caught in the snares of Joan Bennett, a not-so-nice girl. Kino Video: includes commentary and photo gallery, $24.95, Nov. 22.

Scary True Stories: Ten Haunting Tales From the Japanese Underground. Director Norio Tsuruta’s seminal work in Japanese horror. Dark Sky: includes storyboards and trailers, $19.98, Nov. 22.

Second Best. Joe Pantoliano plays a man who must deal with his lack of self-esteem, especially when measured against his more successful friends at a reunion. ThinkFilm: $29.98, Tuesday.

7 Men From Now. Randolph Scott stars in a revenge western, seeking his wife’s murderers. Paramount: includes documentary on director Budd Boetticher and commentaries, $14.99, Dec. 20.

Shooting Gallery. Pool hustlers out-hustling each other, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ving Rhames. First Look: $26.98, Dec. 27.

Shoot the Piano Player. Charles Aznavour is the piano player in this funny, crazy, tragic film by Francois Truffaut. Criterion: $39.95, Dec. 6.

Silence Becomes You. Evil lurks in the hearts of two isolated sisters played by Alicia Silverstone and Sienna Guillory. First Look: $24.98, Dec. 13.

The Skeleton Key. Gothic Southern tale in the Louisiana delta with Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands and John Hurt. Universal: includes deleted scenes, commentaries, cast member accounts of ghosts and voodoo spells, $18.98, Tuesday.

Action/Adventure

AVP: Alien vs. Predator (Unrated Director’s Cut). A new generation’s version of Godzilla vs. Mothra. Fox: includes much restored footage, $26.98, Nov. 22.

Death Race 2000. Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine star in a race in which the drivers earn points by hitting people. Buena Vista: $19.99, Dec. 13.

F.I.S.T. Sylvester Stallone is Johnny Kovak (a thinly veiled Jimmy Hoffa), union leader who ultimately falls prey to corruption. Sony/MGM: $14.94, Dec. 13.

Godzilla: Final Wars. Godzilla fights old foes across the world. Sony: includes original Japanese trailer and B-roll of special effects, $24.96, Dec. 13.

Harryhausen Gift Set. Includes three films of master animator Roy Harryhausen: “20 Million Miles From Earth,” “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” and “It Came From Beneath the Sea.” Sony: includes documentary and featurettes, $49.95, Dec. 13.

The Island. Revolution of the clones, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. DreamWorks: $29.99, Dec. 13.

The Jurassic Park Adventure Pack. All three Jurassic Park films -- about a dinosaur theme-park island gone horribly wrong -- are included in this set. Universal: includes featurettes, commentaries, interviews and many other extras, $26.98, Nov. 29.

King Kong: Collector’s Edition. The 1933 film of the ape who loved too well. Warner Bros.: many extra features, including interviews with Peter Jackson, a documentary by Kevin Brownlow and a 20-page reproduction of the original 1933 souvenir program, $39.98, Nov. 22.

Land Raiders. Telly Savalas is a landowner pitted against Apaches and his brother, George Maharis, in this 1969 western. Sony/MGM: $14.94, Dec. 6.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Mr. Pitt and Ms. Jolie battle it out as hired assassins. Fox: includes commentaries and deleted scenes, $29.98, Nov. 29.

The Mummy Collector’s Set. “The Mummy,” “The Mummy Returns” and “The Scorpion King” in one set. Universal: includes commentaries, featurettes, outtakes and many other extras, $26.98, Nov. 29.

Roadracers. David Arquette and Salma Hayek star in Robert Rodriguez’s film of a rebellious couple. Buena Vista: includes commentary, featurette and Rodriguez’s “10 Minute Film School,” $29.99, Dec. 13.

Serenity. Director Joss Whedon’s film of rebels on the run in space. Universal: includes deleted scenes, outtakes, featurette, commentaries, $29.98, Dec. 20.

Frank Miller’s Sin City (Recut & Extended Edition). Robert Rodriguez’s audacious adaptation of Frank Miller’s noir graphic novel. Buena Vista: includes hours of commentaries and featurettes, $39.99, Dec. 13.

Son of Kong. Kong’s ape progeny in a quick 1933 follow-up to the original “King Kong.” Warner Bros.: $19.97, Nov. 22.

Stealth: Special Edition. Rob Cohen directed this high-altitude thriller. Sony: includes three-part documentary and in-depth scene deconstructions, $16.98, Tuesday.

The Tremors Attack Pack. Contains all four films about the Graboids versus the town of Perfection, Nev. Universal: includes featurette, cast profiles, outtakes, $26.98, Nov. 29.

VIBE’s Fox in a Box Featuring Pam Grier. Box set featuring blaxploitation queen Grier in “Coffy,” “Sheba, Baby” and “Foxy Brown.” Sony: includes interviews with hip-hop celebrities, $24.96, Nov. 29.

Musicals

Chicago: The Razzle-Dazzle Edition. Award-winning musical with Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere. Buena Vista: includes extended musical performances, featurettes and commentary, $29.99, Dec. 20.

The Five Pennies. Danny Kaye stars in 1959 biopic of Red Nichols. Paramount: $14.99, Dec. 13.

Kid Galahad. Elvis Presley as a mechanic turned boxer, with Charles Bronson and Gig Young. MGM: $14.94, Dec. 6.

Oklahoma: 50th Anniversary Edition. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that started a new age of musical theater. Fox: includes commentaries and vintage stage excerpts, $20.23, Tuesday.

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. High school rebellion featuring the Ramones. Buena Vista: $19.99, Dec. 13.

The Sound of Music: 40th Anniversary Edition. The Von Trapp family and singing nun Maria once again. Fox: includes documentary, storyboards, behind-the-scenes looks, $18.89, Tuesday.

State Fair: 60th Anniversary Edition. Rodgers and Hammerstein try to pull an Oklahoma with an Iowa. Fox: includes commentaries, stills, television pilot, $26.98, Tuesday.

The Tales of Hoffmann.

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s typically kaleidoscopic treatment of the Offenbach opera. Criterion: includes commentary by Martin Scorsese and George A. Romero, Powell’s short musical film “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” $39.95, Nov. 22.

Documentary

American Chain Gang. Xackery Irving’s documentary examines the effects on both inmates and officers of the recently revived practice. Cinema Libre: $19.95, Nov. 22.

The Future of Food. Deborah Koons Garcia’s documentary on the subtle introduction of genetically engineered food into our supermarkets. Cinema Libre: includes interviews and genetically engineered-free menu downloads, $24.95, Dec. 6.

Genesis. Documentary on animals, insects, fish and the cycles of birth and death. ThinkFilm: $29.95, Dec. 13.

Grass. The 1924 documentary on human and animal migration in Iran (then Persia) directed by “King Kong” director Merian C. Cooper. Milestone: includes interview and stills gallery, $29.99, Tuesday.

The Last Mogul. Documentary on master film player Lew Wasserman. ThinkFilm: $29.99, Dec. 20.

Operation Last Patrol. A documentary about Vietnam vet Ron Kovic’s march at the 1972 Republican Convention. Cinema Libre: includes interviews, $19.95, Nov. 22.

Ringers: Lord of the Fans. Documentary on the nature of being a “Lord of the Rings” or Tolkien fan. Sony: includes featurettes and interviews with film trilogy cast, $24.94, Nov. 22.

The SuperFight: Marciano vs. Ali. Not seen since 1970 -- a computer created an imaginary fight, then the two boxers created it for real and the results were compared. Mackinac Media: includes commentary, featurette, extra scenes, $19.95, Dec. 27.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. An intimate look at a group of wild parrots in San Francisco. A&E;: includes deleted scenes, featurettes, music video, $26.95, Dec. 27.

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Guide to the lists

The DVD Sneaks lists include selected movies and TV-to-DVD releases scheduled through Dec. 31. Some have already hit shelves in recent weeks. All prices are suggested list and may vary at different outlets. Release dates and titles may change.

Capsules compiled by Casey Dolan.