Evil Residents of the Twilight Zone

Well, seeing as this is the last DVD Shopping List of 2004, you might want to print out this column to carry along with you. Then, if there's a lull at any New Year's Eve party, you can pull it out to get the fun started again. You can say things like, "Guess how many Rutger Hauer movies are on DVD? Oh so? Well, guess again!", or "WICKER PARK may not be a documentary about a straw weaving community, but it's still not a very good movie." However, if everybody at the party is already watching RESIDENT EVIL 2 or ANCHORMAN or GARDEN STATE, then they may have already read this column, so save your comments for another occasion.

Some weeks, it's tough to decide on a spotlight item, but old classics often get extra points over the [IMG2R]Hot New Thing in my book.

(O) RAY HARRYHAUSEN LEGENDARY MONSTER GIFTSET (Columbia TriStar) Five-pack box set of the f/x master's works includes JASON & THE ARGONAUTS, 7^th VOYAGE OF SINBAD, GOLDEN YOYAGE OF SINBAD, SINBAD & THE EYE OF THE TIGER and 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER.

(O) ALICE IN ACIDLAND / SMOKE & FLESH (Image) LSD and marijuana turn innocent schoolgirls into free lovin' hippies, all in a swirl of colored lights, in these two 1960s exploitation mindbenders from the vaults of Something Weird Video. Plus tons of trailers, drug scare shorts and more. Delayed from earlier this month.
(O) ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (Universal) [IMG3L]Hilarious dumb comedy with Will Farrell as a TV newsman in the 1970s. In wide and fullscreen standard editions include commentrak, Making-Of, deleted scenes, bloopers, Making-Of, MTV Music Awards clip, music video, auditions and lots more, and a two-disc extended edition has even more extras. Also available in a limited gift set.
(O) BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: The Miniseries (Universal) A wagon train of spaceships seeks the promised land while harried by cyborg enemies in this Sci-Fi Channel miniseries. With commentrak, Making-Of, deleted scenes and more.
(O) BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Complete Epic Series (Universal) Six-disc set collects the entire 1978 original TV series, plus commentrak, over three hours of deleted scenes, Making-Of, interviews, episode guide book and more.
(O) BLIND FURY (Columbia TriStar) Phillip Noyce's 1989 Zatoichi knock-off with Rutger Hauer as a sightless Viet Nam MIA who tries to save an old Army buddy from druglords.
(O) UN CHIEN ANDALOU (Facets) Luis Bunuel's 1929 surrealist classic. Includes commentrak, interviews and featurettes.
(O) CYBER BANDITS (Columbia TriStar) 1995 adventure in which Martin Kemp & Alexandra Paul steal a computer program and escape into something called "virtual reality". Guest stars '80s pop stars Adam Ant and Grace Jones.
(O) DARKMAN 3: DIE DARKMAN DIE (Universal) Arnold Vosloo stars as Sam Raimi's mystery man.
(O) GARDEN STATE (Fox) Zach [IMG4R]Braff directs and stars as a drifting young actor who tries to get his life together while attending his mother's funeral. Natalie Portman is the oddball girl who helps. Superior comedy drama in the tradition of HAROLD & MAUDE, with commentrak, deleted scenes (with commentrak), Making-Of, outtakes and more.
(O) GARGOYLES: WINGS OF DARKNESS (Lions Gate) CIA agents tracking a kidnapping ring to Romania finds a castle inhabited by a monster.
(O) G.I. SAMURAI (Adness) Soldier Sonny Chiba and his squad time travel back to Japan's feudal period.
(O) HOLT OF THE SECRET SERVICE (VCI) Jack Holt stars as Secret Service Agent Jack Holt in this 15-chapter 1941 serial.
(O) ICEMAN (Universal) Prehistoric man revived in the present tries to adjust. Remade as ENCINO MAN.
(O) INHERITANCE (Ardustry) When a beautiful young caretaker inexplicably inherits her employer's huge estate, she begins to fear she may have lost her soul in return. Includes commentrak, interviews and behind-the-scenes.
(O) KARATE BEARFIGHTER (Adness) Sonny Chiba's dream project (aka YELLOW FANGS), which bankrupted him, was this 1977 action flick based on a true story about a killer bear that terrorized a mountain community in the 1920s.
(O) 964 PINOCCHIO (Unearthed) 1991 underground Japanese hit about a prototype sex android without a memory running loose. Includes interview and short film.
(O) OMEGA DOOM (Columbia TriStar) Rutger Hauer tries to protect surviving humans from killer robots in a post-apocalyptic world.
(O) ONE OF THEM (MTI) Teens discover a black magic cult at an abandoned academy. With behind-the-scenes featurettes and more.
(O) OPEN WATER (Lions Gate) [IMG5L]Suspense thriller based on fact about a scuba diving couple who lose their boat in the middle of the shark-infested ocean. Includes two commentraks, Making-Of featurettes and more.

(O) RED RYDER DOUBLE FEATURE Volume 7 (VCI) Red, his sidekick Little Beaver, and even Red's aunt The Duchess plunge into adventure in GREAT STAGECOACH ROBBERY and PHANTOM OF THE PLAINS.
(O) RED RYDER DOUBLE FEATURE Volume 8 (VCI) More action in RUSTLERS OF DEVIL'S CANYON and SANTA FE UPRISING, plus both volumes include two chapters from the ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER serial and a gallery of Red's movie posters and comic-book covers.
(O) RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE (Columbia TriStar) Super-powered Milla Jovovich must fight her way out of a zombie-infested Raccoon City before it's nuked. Two-disc set includes three commentraks, outtakes and deleted scenes, Making-Of, featurettes and more. Also available bundled with the first RE.
(O) RUBBER'S LOVER (Unearthed) Mad scientists trying to unleash psychic powers through intense drug and sound bombardment torture their human guinea pigs, until one of their experiments is all too successful. Intense horror from Japan.
(O) SEVERE INJURIES (Sub Rosa) Horror comedy in which the son of a long line of inept serial killers tries to honor his father's last wish by going on a rapage through the Ro Ro Ro sorority house. Features dual commentraks, outtakes & bloopers, bonus short "Were-Grrl", interviews, etc.
(O) SHAOLIN VS. THE DEVIL'S OMEN (VideoAsia) Hmmm.
(O) A SHORT FILM ABOUT JOHN BOLTON (New Video) Author Neil Gaiman's documentary about frequent collaborator artist Bolton. With commentrak, interview, documentary on Gaiman, and more.
(O) S.S. HELL CAMP (Media Blasters) 1977 Euro knock-off of ILSA.
(O) TERROR TAXI (Media Blasters) Haunted taxi is fueled by the blood of victims in this Korean horror comedy.
(O) TOP FIGHTER 2: DEADLY FIGHTING DOLLS (VideoAsia)
(O) TRUE GAME OF DEATH (VideoAsia) 1979 Bruce Lee knock-off.
(O) TWILIGHT ZONE: Season 1 (Image) [IMG6L]Six-disc set of Rod Serling's classic TV fantasy anthology in HD transfers. Includes commentraks, Serling lectures, promos, music tracks, bloopers, original pilot and more.
(O) TWILIGHT ZONE: The '80s Season 1 (Image) Gee, which TZ volume should you buy? All 25 episodes from the 1985 revival on six discs, plus commentraks, interviews and more.
(O) WAKE OF DEATH (Columbia TriStar) Jean-Claude Van Damme protects a little girl from Chinese triads. With Making-Of and more.
(O) WICKER PARK (MGM) Don't be fooled by ads that portray this as a thriller. It's actually a dreadful chick flick.Includes commentrak, Making-Of, deleted scenes, gag reel, music video and more.

And finally, we close off each weekly list with a rundown of the constant stream of anime from around the world:

(O) BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: TOKYO 2040 #2: Crusade (ADV) The war with GENOM explodes into the streets of Tokyo. With commentrak and more.
(O) GAD GUARD Volume 4: Collections (Geneon)
(O) GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE (DreamWorks) [IMG7R]Stunning, trippy sequel proves just as complex and moving as the original, as a government crime fighter in a future where almost everyone is a cyborg searches for an elusive criminal in between the circuits. Includes commentrak, Making-Of, interviews, storyboards and more.
(O) GIANT ROBO: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL Volume 2 (Media Blasters) Giant Robo fights a Big Baloon.
(O) INU-YASHA MOVIE 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (Viz) Inuyasha & company face a new enemy in this feature.
(O) KING OF THE HILL: Season 3 (Fox)
(O) NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: Platinum Volume 4 (ADV) A terrifying new Angel attacks Unit 01. Includes commentrak, animatics, booklet and more.
(O) ROBOTECH REMASTERED: NEW GENERATION COLLECTION 2 Volume 7 (ADV) The final volume of this series transferred direct from original 16mm elements. Includes exclusive limited edition Super Veritech Morpher toy. Macross completists' video shelves sigh relief.
(O) SAMURAI X: REFLECTION Director's Cut (ADV) Feature film about the popular samurai assassin Kenshin.
(O) SERAPHIM CALL (Media Blasters) Eleven girls with special talents team up to improve the world.
(O) SPIRAL Volume 2: Disarming Fate (Goldhil) Ayumi is challenged by the Blade Children.
(O) TENCHI MUYO GXP Volume 8: Past, Present & Future (Funimation)
(O) TSUKIHIME Volume 2 (Geneon)
(O) TWELVE KINGDOMS Chapter 9: Atonement (Media Blasters) Fantasy saga continues.
(O) WEDDING PEACH Volume 8: Black Heart (ADV) The Love Angels are overwhelmed with romance.
(O) YU-GI-OH: Showdown in the Shadows (Funimation)
(O) YU YU HAKUSHO: Three Kingdoms (Funimation) Uncut.