SINGLES:

"Gojira Deluxe Collector's Edition" (Sony _ $21.98)

   Forget bad dubbing into English. Forget Raymond Burr as a kind of creature feature color commentator. In fact, forget everything you know about the traditional Toho titan and check out this attempt to reclaim his original motion picture majesty. This is the timeless Japanese monster movie classic the way it was meant to be seen. Those used to Perry Mason amongst all the Tokyo destroying mayhem will be happy to see the American version included, as well. Toss in a collection of commentaries and bonus features and you've got a DVD presentation that forever vanquishes the film's Saturday afternoon kid vid matinee aura. Godzilla was meant to symbolize nuclear technology run amuck, and with this release, his b-movie babysitting days may finally be over. _ Bill Gibron

"Lollilove" (Troma _ $19.98)

   Welcome to one of the best movies of the year. Yes, Troma's "LolliLove" is just that good. Though it should have been a problematic project from the start _ the mockumentary and/or ad-libbed comedy are two of the trickiest cinematic styles to get right, let alone perfect _ what co-writer/director Jenna Fischer and her Hollywood screenwriter husband James Gunn have managed here is nothing short of pure comedic bliss. Brave, brazen, and filled with the kind of well-observed satire that's practically impossible to capture on film, this ode to questionable intentions and even more perplexing protocols takes Tinseltown by the throat and really rings its silly, self-important neck. All we can do is laugh at the truth and wonder how far this filmmaker will push the concept. _ Bill Gibron

"Equinox: The Criterion Collection" (Criterion – $39.95)

   For many fright fans, "Famous Monsters of Filmland" and its maverick overseer, Forrest J. Ackerman literally created the post-modern fright flick movement. A few of his so-called "students" _ Dennis Muren, Mark McGee, David Allen and Jim Danforth _ were so inspired by the publication that they made something called "The Equinox...a Journey in the Supernatural." Like most homemade movies, it showed locally in a few out of the way places, and that was it. Yet, there was soon another version of "Equinox" on the market _ a 1970 b-picture revamp of the footage these determined fans shot. Criterion, in clear acknowledgment of the DIY domain of modern digital moviemaking, releases a comprehensive DVD package that presents both versions. _ Bill Gibron

"Small Gauge Trauma" (Synapse Films _ $24.95)

   For a little over 10 years, Canada's Fantasia International Film Festival has been on the cutting edge of up and coming genre greatness. They discovered such macabre masters as Takashi Miike and introduced J-Horror and other world shock cinema to a "desperate for something different" Western mentality. Offering the unusual, the brazen, and the unique, the festival specializes in both full-length features and an amazing array of short films. At last year's (2005) celebration alone, over 100 of these truncated talent showcases were presented. In conjunction with Synapse Films, the festival is offering up "Small Gauge Trauma," a DVD collection of its most novel and creative contributions. Believe it or not, it's one of the best film packages of the year. _ Bill Gibron

"An Evening with Kevin Smith / An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder" (Sony _ $45.95)

   No one ever accused the creator of "Clerks" of being a mild mannered milquetoast when it comes to expressing his opinion. Infamous for taking on even the most meaningless of personal and professional battles, Kevin Smith clearly enjoys the art of confrontation _ and conversation. Proof exists in this magnificent pair of performance pieces culled from his college/lecture tours. Loaded with an amazing amount of dirt dishing ("Superman" producer Jon Peters, rock star Prince, and director Bryan Singer all fall into his carefully considered sites) as well as some very astute conclusions about the state of film, the over eight hours of material here argues for Smith's abilities as a potent public speaker, as well as his remarkable ability to connect with people everywhere. _ Bill Gibron

"Clerks II" (The Weinstein Company _ $29.95)

   What makes "Clerks II" one of the best movies of 2006? Is it the focus on interspecies erotica? The discussions centering on body parts that aren't necessarily supposed to be combined? Maybe it's the mindless debate over which is better _ "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings" _ or the pop culture poetry of hearing the Go-Bots referred to as the "K-Mart of Transformers." Whatever the rationale, writer/director Kevin Smith has done the impossible: he stayed true to his original black and white opus from 1991, while successfully arguing for the value of sequels. Surprisingly moving and emotional at times, the DVD version offers Smith's usually cornucopia of added content, while proving that what could have been bothersome somehow magically mutated into motion picture magic. _ Bill Gibron

"Dazed and Confused: The Criterion Collection" (Criterion _ $39.95)

   "Dazed and Confused" is a perfect movie. It flawlessly captures the spirit of the '70s while arguing for a clear universality in the high school experience. It is a film that expertly illustrates that cliched concept called 'coming of age' while wrapping the usual elements in the era's cultural make-up within the typical teen dynamic of sex, drugs and rock and roll, all in furtherance of the adolescent art of maturation. Perhaps writer/director Richard Linklater said it best when he commented about wanting the movie to feel "like a camera had just dropped down in the middle" of this specific day at a typical Texas high school. Thanks to the inclusion of a true profusion of added content (commentaries, documentaries) what we end up with is a true motion picture masterwork.

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TV:

"The Addams Family: Volume 1" (MGM _ $29.98)

   It goes without saying that "The Addams Family" is a product of its time. Viewed some 40 years later, the show is nothing short of luminous. It is superbly cast, brilliantly acted, and rebellious to a fault. What was weird and eccentric in 1964 is now nice and normal; the family's main mantra of individualism and being true to oneself a coveted current cultural directive. It is easy to see what '60s audiences eventually dismissed about this wonderfully inventive comedy. The Addamses were radicals, rocking the boat of suburban conformity with their love of all things dark and dour. Thanks to MGM, and their initial DVD offering of the original black and white episodes, we can experience just how immensely entertaining this sadly underrated series actually is. _ Bill Gibron

"The Prisoner: The Complete Series" (A&E _ $139.95)

   It's the "Gravity's Rainbow" of '60s British science fiction series, an utterly compelling and completely baffling exercise in puzzle box plotting and sly social commentary. Co-created by its star, the elegant Englishmen Patrick McGoohan, as a critical response to all the action oriented espionage brought about by a certain 007, it was only supposed to last seven episodes. But ITC executive Sir Lew Grade demanded a full season, and a compromise was reached. Oddly enough, after only 13 installments, Grade cancelled the series, and then reluctantly allowed an additional four episodes to finish up the storylines. Still talked about nearly 40 years later, this finely crafted conundrum is wildly inventive and intelligent. Now collected in one complete box set, you, too, can get lost in this excellent episodic experiment. _ Bill Gibron

"Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Seereez" (HBO _ $49.98)

   While he's currently collecting residuals _ and the occasional lawsuit _ for his intensely popular turn as the bumbling Borat, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen first came to the notice of many Americans through this short-lived cable series. A long-standing star in his native UK, Cohen created three memorably misguided characters _ hip-hop poseur Ali G, gay fashionista Bruno, and the aforementioned Kazakhstan reporter _ to ambush the celebrated into exposing their foibles. For many, this is the format where the talented trickster truly succeeds. Stripped of cinema's necessary narrative, Cohen is liberated, able to freely satirize any and every thing. While HBO must be unhappy for ending this series before his recent box office bonanza, this DVD set proves they were on the frontlines of Cohen's conquering of comedy. _ Bill Gibron

"That's My Bush: The Definitive Collection" (Paramount _ $26.99)

   Though it appears to be purposefully poking fun at a certain two term President and his penchant for bold-faced stupidity, "South Park" scribes Trey Parker and Matt Stone actually had lofty goals for their first live action sitcom. They wanted to satirize the whole TV comedy genre, from the wacky neighbor next door to the predictable plotting that finds major pragmatic and moral issues resolved in less than 22 minutes. But viewers weren't quite prepared to see their Commander in Chief bumbling around like a boob, and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 turned much of the show's premise into entertainment poison. Now seems like the perfect time to revisit this brave attempt at tweaking television, thanks in part to the recent DVD release of all eight episodes. _ Bill Gibron

"Wonder Showzen Season 1 & 2" (Paramount _ $26.98 each)

   At one time, "Wonder Showzen" was the new "it" phenomenon _ a corrupted kid-vid concept brilliantly realized and abstractly insane. It was "Pee Wee's Playhouse" if that magnificent man-child Paul Reubens' porn store persona had run the show, a sensationally sick perversion turned into a proto-pedophilic playtime. After a brilliant first season, some feel that creators Vernon Chatman and Johnny Lee went overboard in series two, going for simple Red State targets with their unabashedly political take on "Hee Haw," "Horse Apples." But the fact is that no other recent series has taken on the sacred cows and untouchable taboos of our pro-child society as astutely and caustically as this definitive dada-esque satire. Get both DVD sets now before some state wises up and bans this genuine genius effort all together. _ Bill Gibron

"Rome: The Complete First Season" (HBO _ $99.98)

   HBO took a huge gamble with this potentially problematic dramatic series. As periods go, Ancient Rome has always had a certain staid Hollywood approach to its production design: massive columns, ornate statuary, people parading around in pristine togas. But the producers of this revisionist version of history wanted to make the era a living, breathing place, with recognizable and realistic elements. They've succeeded beyond any TV fans wildest dreams. Easily taking its place with channel champions "The Sopranos" as mandatory viewing, the current trend towards quick turnaround releases of single season box sets means that followers can drink in the incredible designs _ and delicious narrative dynamics _ of this sensational series over and over again. _ Bill Gibron

"The Time Tunnel: Volume 1 & 2" (Fox _ $39.98 each)

   With the success of the sci-fi series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (based on his film of the same name) producer/director Irwin Allen brainstormed a show about a pair of scientists tapped in a time machine. He would send Dr. Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert) and Dr. Tony Newman (James Darren) on a fantastic voyage through the eons, all part of a secret government experiment gone horribly wrong. Representing an attempt to bring serious action and adventure to the small screen, it failed to click with audiences. Of all Allen's shows put on during the '60s, "The Time Tunnel" remains the shortest-lived, lasting only a single season. Ripe for reconsideration, Rhino's two volume collection provides all 30 episodes of this criminally underrated series. – Bill Gibron

"The Tomorrow Show: Punk and New Wave" (Shout! Factory – $29.98)

   Before David Letterman, John Stewart, Conan O'Brien or Jimmy Kimmel, there was only one truly irreverent late night talk show, and equally cheeky host. Tom Snyder was a martini and Pall Mall response to the meat and potatoes broadcasting of most celeb-based chat fests. Unafraid to tackle subjects both scandalous and silly, his "Tomorrow" program was one of the first to address the growing international importance of punk rock. Featuring appearances by Paul Weller, The Ramones, Iggy Pop and Elvis Costello, this terrific digital time capsule recalls an era when music _ and the people who played it _ made the media nervous. Even Snyder's considered cool was tested by an infamous confrontation with PIL's John Lydon and Keith Levine, preserved on the digital domain for future generations to enjoy.

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