By DNA Smith
PICKS OF THE WEEK
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Those Aren’t Pillows Edition)” — This perennial holiday favorite starring John Candy and Steve Martin is being re-released on DVD with a few new extras slapped on: a deleted scene (“Airplane Food”) and three featurettes — a documentary on the making of the film, a tribute to John Candy, and short on director John Hughes.
“Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition” — Before Rowan Atkinson became Mr. Bean; before Hugh Laurie limped his way into American hearts as House, MD, the two men starred in one of the smartest, funniest and devilishly clever television series ever produced. “Black Adder” ran for four seasons — each one taking place during a different period in British history: the age of Richard III, Elizabeth II, the Regency Period and World War I.
This boxed set has been remastered to look better on high-def screens and includes not only all four seasons (with tons of extras), but also all the “Black Adder” specials, including my favorite, “Black Adder’s Christmas Carol.” There also is an extra disc that includes the 90-minute, 25-year retrospective “Black Adder Rides Again,” plus interviews with the cast, a feature on the costumes, and rehearsal footage from the fourth season.
“It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete Series” — Wow. I never thought this would ever come out on DVD, but here it is — Garry Shandling’s groundbreaking Showtime series. Shandling took the sitcom formula, turned it inside out and created some of the most surreal, hilarious television of the 1980s, which influenced shows from “Seinfeld” to “30 Rock.” The boxed set of 16 discs includes all four seasons of the show, plus more bonus features than I care to list.
TV SERIES
“The L Word” Season Six
“Hawaii Five-O” The Seventh Season
“Numbers” The Complete Fifth Season
“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” The Complete Series
“Homicide: Life on the Street” The Complete Series
“The L Word” Complete Series Pack
© 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.