TWO TOWERS The "Viagra" Edition

A great collection of DVDs is nice to have, but even better if you can enjoy them with a friend around the house, whether that friend has two legs or four. Try tying a DVD on a string and dangling it a couple feet off the ground your cat will go nuts! Animals from rescue shelters make the best pets, but those places can't operate on fees alone. They need help, and a great place to start is the website for Help Shelter Pets [www.helpshelterpets.org], where you can buy handmade gifts for your pets and proceeds go to some great pet shelter charities.

This week, our spotlight is drawn toward Lara, Ichi, and a Sergio Leone masterpiece (see below), but is inevitably overcome by this DVD powerhouse:

(O) LORD [IMG2R]OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS Extended Cut (New Line) A four-disc set that includes the extended edition of the film with an extra 45 minutes of footage, a 6.1 DTS ES soundtrack, 4 commentraks, and enough bonus features to keep you busy at least until the final film of the trilogy is released. Also available in a gift set that includes a companion book and a little statue of Gollum. Precious! Both editions carry rebate offers for those that also bought the two-disc edition.

(O) ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Home Vision) Dark Gothic version of the Lewis Carroll nonsense novel made for the BBC in 1966 with Peter Cook, Peter Sellers, Michael Redgrave and John Gielgud. Includes director's commentrak, gallery, essay and the 1903 film version.
(O) ANDROMEDA Volume 3.1 (ADV Films) Episodes 301-305.
(O) ASYLUM DAYS (Velocity) A movie actress is kidnapped by her insane brother, who forces her to act in his movie.

(O) BARELY LEGAL LESBIAN VAMPIRES (Sub Rosa/Mr. Creepo) You know what to expect.
(O) BEASTMASTER Season 3 (ADV Films) Beastmaster searches for the Pushmepullyou.
(O) BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS [IMG3L](Alpha) Mind-numbing trash classic in which Tor Johnson becomes a rambling mutant.
(O) BEAT GIRL (Crash) Gillian Hills stars as a bird gone wrong in this Brit juvenile delinquent cult favorite. With Adam Faith, Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee as an evil stripclub owner.
(O) BLACK PANTHER / NINJA DRAGON (Ground-Zero) Martial arts action double bill.
(O) BLEED (Shadow) Debby Rochon stars in this horror thriller about a secret Murder Club. With deleted scenes, auditions, rehearsals and more.
(O) A BOY AND HIS DOG (First Run) [IMG9R](In this 1974 cult favorite, a teenage Don Johnson uses his telepathic dog to find him girlfriends in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
(O) CAT CHASER (Artisan) Kelly McGillis and Peter Weller star in this erotic mystery thriller directed by Abel Ferrara, based on an Elmore Leonard novel.
(O) CHALLENGE OF THE SHAOLIN DISCIPLES (Crash) One of several "disciple" flicks that followed Chang Cheh's DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN. In widescreen.
(O) DEATH DIMENSION (Crash) Al Adamson (DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN) directing a martial arts movie? Believe it! Jim Kelly went from ENTER THE DRAGON to low grade chop-socky like this, with 007 vets George Lazenby and Harold "Odd Job" Sakata on-hand in support.
(O) DEEP SHOCK (Ventura) Sea monsters are discovered from a trench on the ocean floor.
(O) DEMON DISCS (EI Cinema) Box set includes CREMAINS, DEMONESS and DEMON LUST.
(O) EATEN ALIVE (Image) Tobe Hooper's 1976 bayou alligator massacre is overdue for rediscovery. Neville Brand stars as a swampside psycho who feeds his victims to a pet lizard, including a handful of guest stars that includes Carolyn Jones, Mel Ferrer and Robert Englund.
(O) EDUCATIONAL ARCHIVES: SOCIAL ENGINEERING 201 (Fantoma)
(O) EDUCATIONAL ARCHIVES: MORE SEX & DRUGS (Fantoma) More classic vintage ephemeral educational films (and excerpts from same) from the fine folks at Fantoma.
(O) EROTIC ADVENTURES OF THE INVISIBLE MAN (New Concorde) Hey that reminds me: I've got some hardcore footage for sale of the invisible man with the invisible woman. They get in a three-way with invisible Britney Spears. R-rated and unrated available.
(O) FOREVER LOYAL: A Salute to the Chicago Cubs and Their Field (MPI) Bob Costas narrates a documentary tribute to the National League's record heartbreakers.
(O) ICHI THE KILLER (Media Blasters) [IMG4L](Takashi Miike's incredibly outrageous action picture in a special edition. An ex-cop manipulates yakuza gangs into fighting each other using a shy and unstable youngster with a gift for violent assassination, while a sadomasochistic gang boss tries to hunt down the kid to fulfill an agenda of his own. Also available in a lower-priced R-rated edition.
(O) THE JAMES BOND COLLECTION: Volumes 1-3 (MGM) All the 007 films in three deluxe DVD box sets.
(O) THE KING OF QUEENS First Season (Columbia TriStar) One of the best sitcoms on TV.
(O) KISS DADDY GOODNIGHT (Artisan) Uma Thurman stars in this suspense thriller.
(O) LARA CROFT, TOMB RAIDER: The Cradle of Life (Paramount) [IMG5R](Angelina Jolie rocks the cradle in this superior sequel. In fullscreen and widescreen editions, includes commentrak by director Jan De Bont, six deleted scenes, alternate ending, screen test, five featurettes, music videos and DVD-ROM website. Also available in a two-pack with the first movie.

(O) LEOPARD FIST FIGHTER / STEEL FISTED DRAGON (Ground-Zero) Kung fu double feature.
(O) LITTLE MONSTERS (Artisan) Incredibly awful 1989 kids movie in which Fred Savage finds misfit monster Howie Mandel under his bed.

(O) MAROONED (Columbia TriStar) Three astronauts (Richard Crenna, James Franciscus and Gene Hackman) stuck in orbit, while Gregory Peck wrings his hands in worry. The warm-up movie for APOLLO 13.
(O) MISTY MUNDAE ULTRA LIMITED DVD COLLECTION (EI Cinema) Yeah, limited to anyone who wants a box set of FEMALE ANIMAL, WITCHBABE, MASTER'S PLAYTHING and AN EROTIC VAMPIRE IN PARIS, four features starring EI's resident sexy cutey-pie. Includes interviews, bonus footage, commentrak, and a Misty mini-poster.

(O) MY BIG FAT GREEK LIFE Complete Series (Columbia TriStar) One of the worst sitcoms ever.
(O) NAKED CITY: New York to L.A. (Image)
(O) NAKED CITY: Prime of Life (Image) A new series of DVDs collects the vintage (1961) crime TV series, along with shorts and radio show audio tracks.
(O) ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (Paramount) [IMG6L]Special edition of Sergio Leone's 1968 masterpiece (from a story by Leone, Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci) starring Henry Fonda as a psychopathic land baron, with Jason Robards and Charles Bronson set against him and each other. Includes commentrak with film historians, with directors John Carpenter, John Milius and Alex Cox, plus members of the cast and crew, chiming in, plus three documentaries, gallery, etc.
(O) PALE FLOWER (Home Vision) 1964 Masahiro Shinoda thriller mixes yakuza, drugs, murder and drag racing. Includes director interview.

(O) PRINCESS BLADE (ADV Films) Pop superstar Yumiko Shaku stars in this fan favorite actionfest which transposes Japanese feudal society into an alternate future in which a disgraced princess becomes a vengeful assassin.
(O) PSYCHIC KILLER (Image) While locked in an asylum for a murder he didn't commit, Jim Hutton develops psychic powers to use for his revenge.

(O) RED TIGER / DOUBLE DRAGON'S LAST DUEL (Ground-Zero) Two mediocre kung fu flicks.
(O) THE SANTA CLAUSE 2: The Mrs. Clause (Disney) Tim Allen dons the big fake beard again. Fullscreen and widescreen versions include commentrak, deleted scenes, gag reel, games, Making-Of, featurettes.
(O) SECRET OF SNAKE & CRANE / STRIKE OF THE THUNDERKICK TIGER (Ground-Zero) Dorian Tan and Cassanova Wong star in kung fu action movies.
(O) SEXBOMB (Media Blasters) While a Poverty Row sleaze director shoots his latest horror films, his wife plots to use the projects as a cover to murder him.
(O) SHERLOCK: CASE OF EVIL (Universal) A young Holmes and Watson meet for the first time and pursue a serial killer.
(O) SPLAT PACK (EI Cinema) Horror box set includes ZOMBIE DOOM, ZOMBIE '90, ROCK & ROLL FRANKENSTEIN and POSSESSION OF NURSE SHERRI.
(O) TWISTER (Artisan) Nutty 1990 comedy starring Harry Dean Stanton and Crispin Glover, not to be confused with the Jan DeBont weather thriller.

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

(O) AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE: Volume 1 (Warner Bros.) Fast food heroes. Includes commentrak on select episodes.
(O) AURA BATTLER DUNBINE Volume 4: Escape from Byston Well (ADV Films) Episodes 14-17.
(O) BABEL II: TESTAMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE COLLECTION (Media Blasters) Four-disc box set includes all 13 episodes.
(O) BERSERK Premium Collection (Media Blasters) [IMG8R]All 25 episodes in a six-disc box set, and a $10 rebate coupon.
(O) CARDCAPTOR SAKURA Movie 2: The Sealed Card (Pioneer) Another adventure about magical cards.
(O) CERES: CELESTIAL LEGEND: Collector's Edition 2: Ascension (Viz) The final 12 episodes.
(O) CITY HUNTER TV: Season 2 Volume 2 (ADV Films)
(O) DREAMWORKS FAMILY ANIMATED MOVIE COLLECTION (DreamWorks) Five-disc set includes SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMMARON, PRINCE OF EGYPT, ANTZ, CHICKEN RUN and ROAD TO ELDORADO.
(O) EDEN'S BOWY Volume 5 (ADV Films)
(O) FIGURE 17 Volume 2: Flying Hearts (Media Blasters) Episodes 4-5. A girl and an alien that looks just like her can combine to form a bio-android to fight an alien monster.
(O) GENESHAFT Volume 4: Mobius (Pioneer) Big battle on Europa! Includes galleries.
(O) GUNPARADE MARCH: Operation One (Media Blasters) Aliens invade Earth in 1945, overcoming Earth forces. The survivors fight on in battlesuits. Also available in collector's box.
(O) .hack//SIGN Version 5: Uncovered (Pioneer) Regular and limited edition that comes in a special CD box.
(O) INFINITE RYVIUS Volume 2: Vital Guarder (Pioneer) 487 astronaut cadets stranded aboard a spaceship. Includes collectible pencil board.
(O) JOHNNY LEGEND PRESENTS: COMPLETE WEIRD CARTOONS (Sony Music) Twisted cartoons from Johnny's vault.
(O) THE LAST EXILE Volume 1: First Move (Pioneer) Retrofuture aviation adventure from some of Japan's top animators. Also available in collector's box.
(O) MAISON IKKOKU Box Set 2 (Viz) Rumiko Takahashi's famed romantic comedy-drama set in a boarding house continues. 12 episodes (13-24) on three discs.
(O) POKÉMON: ADVENTURE ON THE ORANGE ISLAND #3 (Viz) Four episodes.
(O) RANMA ½: RANMA FOREVER (Viz) Ultimate martial arts laugh riot. Five-disc box set of the 7^th season.
(O) RUROUNI KENSHIN: WANDERING SAMURAI Premium Collection (Media Blasters) Six-disc box set includes episodes 1-27, and a $10 rebate coupon.
(O) SAIYUKI Volume 5: Sting of the Scorpion (ADV Films)
(O) SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS (DreamWorks/Universal) Proving celebrity voice actors do not a hit cartoon make. Includes commentrak, Making Of, featurettes, etc. Fullscreen and widescreen versions.

(O) SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST: Volume 1 [IMG7L](Warner Bros.) The retired superhero's talk show finally arrives on home video with the first 16 episodes, plus station I.D.s, a New Years countdown, and other bonuses.
(O) TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Box (Goldhil) Four volumes.
(O) TWELVE KINGDOMS Volume 3: Coup (Media Blasters) Episodes 11-14 concludes the first book.
(O) YU-GI-OH! SCHOOL OF DUEL: New Duelist (Ardustry)