Bond in hi-def and 'The Strangers' provide a good Halloween scare

“THE INCREDIBLE HULK”

Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2008, PG-13 for action violence, frightening images and mild sensuality

Best extra: "Anatomy of a Hulk-Out," a three-part feature that breaks down the film's big action sequences

HERE’S ONE FROM the Department of Redundancy Department: The extras on "Hulk" include an animated comic.

How so? Because the latest take on the not-so-jolly green giant IS an animated comic. Thank goodness.

Producer Kevin Feige gets style points for saying, in a making-of doc that Ang Lee's 2003 film stood on its own as an exploration of Hulkian angst. (It's much nicer than saying it was a dud with too much psychological baggage.) But that was just a sliver of what makes Hulk tick. This time, he says, a broad, comic-book approach was in order. "It's what audiences wanted to see."

With Frenchman Louis Leterrier at the helm, this thrill ride piles it on. The back story is recounted in the credits; from there, Leterrier hits the gas. Here's the gist: Bruce Banner wants to be a regular Joe. Gen. Ross wants to make the ultimate weapon. His top gun wants to be like Hulk. Something's gotta give.

That's not to say "The Incredible Hulk" is just an FX extravaganza ... OK, it is – more on that in a sec. But Edward Norton, William Hurt and Tim Roth are too good to not carry their weight. In a sense, they keep the story grounded.

Now, about those FX. Every time you think the bar can't be raised, along comes a flick that says, "Oh, yeah?" "The Incredible Hulk" is that flick, and the FX (wait for it) are incredible – doubly so in Blu-ray. In fact, watching this in hi-def should be mandatory.

The audio is a dynamo, too. Pictures were rattling on the walls at Casa Shapiro.

The best extras, then, play to that strength, especially "Anatomy of a Hulk-Out," which breaks down the big sequences in a cramped bottling plant in Brazil, a bucolic college campus in Virginia and, finally, on the streets of New York. One FX honcho calls the latter the biggest bar fight in history. Another says it was "a dream project for a lot of people around here." It shows. "Becoming the Hulk" and "Becoming the Abomination" pair nicely.

Other extras include a spectacular alternate opening, deleted scenes, a chummy commentary with Leterrier and Roth and the Blu-ray exclusive U-Control feature, which lets viewers call up interviews, behind-the camera stuff and even character files and intel maps as the story unfolds.

Oh yeah. That animated comic? It's taken from an issue of "Hulk" to show where the filmmakers got their inspiration for a particular scene.

 Blu-ray widescreen, 1962, PG for violence

 “FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE”  

Blu-ray widescreen, 1963, PG for violence 

“THUNDERBALL”

Blu-ray widescreen, 1965, PG for violence

“LIVE AND LET DIE”

Blu-ray widescreen, 1973, PG

Blu-ray widescreen, 1981, PG for violence

“DIE ANOTHER DAY”

Blu-ray widescreen, 2002, PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, and sexual content including innuendo

Best extra: A 30 minute hi-def documentary, “Inside: From Russia With Love” 

BOND – JAMES BOND – is back.  

And never has he looked so sharp and dazzling. 

The British super agent just premiered on Blu-ray. Classics starring Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan in six of the original 20 Bonds, use restored frame-by-frame masters from Hollywood’s king of restoration, Lowry Digital Images. “The Bond magic was using the original camera negatives,” says CEO and founder John Lowry, during a “Dr. No” featurette.

The primary goal was to remove millions of marks, tears and dirt from the complete franchise – a process that took two-half-years – while reducing excess grain without compromising detail and sharpness, a Lowry trademark. Color was revived and contrast enhanced. Wait until you see Ursula Andress pop out of the water in “Dr. No.” She looks as if she’s ready to step into the room.

 “Dr. No” features a commentary from director Terence Young and his cast and crew and a short featurette on the director, who could’ve been Bond himself, says longtime friend and Editor Peter Hunt. A 30-minute hi-def documentary highlights the production, filmed mostly in Jamaica, and how flamboyant producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman initially considered Roger Moore as Bond. But Moore had already committed to the British TV series “The Saint” so the role went to Sean Connery.

The disc also includes trailers, a photo gallery, radio spots, premiere footage from all 20 spy thrillers and much more. 

“From Russia With Love,” is worth buying just to watch one of the greatest fight sequences in movies – Connery vs. Robert Shaw on the Orient Express.  

This production faced great odds getting to the screen. Young returns behind the camera, but nearly died when his helicopter crashed into 15 feet of water while filming the climatic final scene. Leading lady Daniela Bianchi (Miss Italy, 1962) was injured in an auto accident and pulled from the wreckage by Connery. And Pedro Armendariz (Kerim Bey, a Turkish agent) became deathly ill during the final days of the filming. More amazing stories can found in the documentaries and interview commentary with Young and cast and crew.

This is clearly my favorite Connery Bond film.

“Thunderball” actually introduced me to Bond, at a West Virginia drive-in. Wearing my favorite pajamas and fighting with my 4-year-old sister, I could barely see the superspy from the back seat of my parents’ new Chevy Malibu. But that didn’t stop 007 from being implanted in my mind – especially during the massive underwater fight sequence. Bond tries to recover two nuclear bombs from Adolfo Celi playing Emilio Largo, the mastermind of SPECTRE. Claudine Auger and Luciana Paluzzi are the gorgeous Bond girls.

Young demanded an exuberant budget; more than quadruple the cost of “Goldfinger” to make it “Thunderball” his most successful movie. Also, it was the first to be shot in super widescreen Panavision, a process that benefits tremendously from Blu-ray imagery. Did you know that Miss Moneypenny had freckles? They were never visible on standard-def DVD.  

The disc includes a 50-minute NBC TV special that aired in ’65 narrated by the king of documentaries, Alexander Scourby. It also features an interview with creator Ian Fleming, world premiere highlights where foreign audiences called Bond, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” and clips from the first four spy thrillers. Additional extras include a short documentary with production designer Ken Adam, a making-of documentary, two commentaries, trailers and radio spots.

“Live and Let Die” is the ninth Bond and it’s pure blaxploitation. Roger Moore has taken over as Bond, venturing into a world of pimps, drugs, afros and leather coats in Harlem to investigate the death of three agents.Jane Seymour plays a tarot-reading voodoo queen, while Gloria Hendry is the first romantic African American Bond girl. This Bond is missing some of the grit and style of the Connery spy thrillers.

The disc features solid Blu-ray imagery while the DTS HD soundtrack rocks Paul McCartney’s Oscar nominated theme song.

Moore provides an interesting commentary, who digresses into a plug for UNICEF where he succeeded Audrey Hepburn as the goodwill ambassador. Another commentary with director Guy Hamilton (“Goldfinger”), a short documentary on the production, a ‘73 behind-scenes featurette, concept art, photo gallery and trailers round out the extras.

“For Your Eyes Only” director John Glen finally gets his day behind the camera after years working as second unit director. During the making-of documentary, he promises Bond would return to earth, especially after the campy sci-fi adventure “Moonraker.” Glen wanted a grittier, meaner Bond, which caused some friction with his star. Moore was reluctant, especially when Glen wanted him to finish off an assassin by kicking his car off a cliff. Guess who won?

One of Bond’s onscreen lovers, Cassandra Harris, just happened to be married to future Bond, Pierce Brosnan. Harris died in 1991 leaving one son, Sean Brosnan.  

The disc includes another Moore commentary – something he calls a conversation – just expressing his thoughts as memories pop up. The disc includes two more commentaries, a hi-def making-of documentary, storyboards and photo gallery.

The Blu-ray picture is superior to the two-disc standard-def DVD set featuring the same master from Lowry Digital.

“Die Another Day” is another clone when it comes to the extras, working from the two-disc DVD set of a couple years ago. But that’s where comparison stops. The picture and sound on this super charged Blu-ray is in a completely different class. Technically it’s the best of the first batch of Blu-rays.

Irishman Brosnan stars in his last hurrah as Bond – his fourth Bond outing – but the highlight is his co-star Halle Berry mimicking Ursula Andress’ opening shot from “Dr. No.” I’ll take the first Bond girl any day. The beach scene was actually filmed in Spain, subbing for Cuba here. The plot … well it’s utterly absurd like many of the Brosnan Bond creations. Only one thing is sure, his replacement (Daniel Craig) insures Bond will never die.

The disc includes two commentaries, one with New Zealand director Lee Tamahori (“Once Were Warriors” and “Mulholland Falls”) and producer Michael G. Wilson. The second features Brosnan and co-star Rosamund Pike who plays Miranda Frost. Another highlight is the MI6 trivia track, one of my favorites, on location featurettes and plenty of hot extras that will keep you going for hours.

It’s time to pick up a Bond film or two or three... especially since each include an eMovie ticket for “Quantum of Solace,” the next thriller staring Daniel Craig, the grittiest Bond yet.

“CASINO ROYALE: COLLECTOR’S EDITION”

Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2006, PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity

Best extra: A 30-minute hi-def documentary “The Road to Casino Royale,” and why it took over 50 years to get it right.

DOUBLE-DIPPING and DVDs are synonymous, especially since it’s what makes Hollywood go round-and-round, raking in billions each year. Some DVDs have already been remastered, repackaged or overhauled four or five times in just the past 10 years.

Now, Blu-ray gets one of its first overhauls. “Casino Royale” is considered by many the greatest Bond film ever. OK, that’s debatable. Still, the first Blu-ray “Royale” barely had time for the plastic to gel. Truth be told, that first featured a fabulous hi-def picture and sound, although it was clearly lacking in features department.

Re-releasing “Royale”? A no brainer, especially since it now boasts a half-dozen new hi-def documentaries, two new commentaries, deleted scenes and a free eMovie ticket for the next Bond installment, “Quantum of Solace,” hits American theatres Nov. 14.

During the documentaries, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson explain their intention to reinvent Bond, making him gritty and fresh. “Royale” was the prefect start since it was Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel. Yet for decades the story was held up by red tape.

“Royale” made its first appearance on live TV on CBS in the mid ‘50s. The show had most of the key ingredients: a Bond girl, fancy cloths and gambling. Except they seemed to forget one thing: James Bond is a British secret service agent. The TV Bond, named Jimmy Bond, was an American. Unthinkable. Then the rights were purchased by ex-Russian actor Gregory Ratoff, who eventually split ownership with one of Hollywood’s biggest agents, Charles K. Feidman.

Feidman ended up getting it all and produced a lame Bond spoof; “Casino Royale,” using a half-dozen directors while David Niven played an aging secret agent, relinquishing the Bond role to Woody Allen. The all-star cast included Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Orson Welles, Deborah Kerr and William Holden. It was a total waste of talent and time.

Rights to “Casino Royale” dangled between two studios for decades until legal battles were settled in 2000. But once Broccoli and crew got the go-ahead, they had to find a new Bond since Pierce Brosnan at 50-plus was too old to play the part.

“Royale” gives us a younger Bond in blond, blue-eyed Brit Daniel Craig and, initially, fans weren’t happy with the change.

Not to fear. The new Bond is athletic and tough. He’s an undisciplined rogue – almost a killing machine – using any weapon at hand to stop a terrorist planning to bomb the world’s largest jetliner. An hi-def documentary highlights the FX where we discover Craig did most of his own stunts.

French actress Eva Green, who perfected a convincing English accent, is wonderful as Bond’s love interest, Vesper Lynd. During the video commentary with director Martin Campbell and Wilson, the two applaud Green who always brought her dialogue coach – and dog – to the set. The two also detail the Bond trademarks – exotic locations from Miami, the Bahamas, Prague and Venice – which all look great in hi-def. Most of the interiors, including the embassy fight sequence, were filmed in Prague. Campbell also mentions that he was inspired by the Brit spy thriller “The Ipcress File” (1965), for its style of photography.

Additional hi-def documentaries include “Ian Fleming: The Secret Road to Paradise” – exploring the world of the British author who got many of spy ideas during World War II when he served as an intelligence officer; James Bond in the Bahamas – and how the tropical paradise has been home for nearly half-dozen Bonds; “Death to Venice” – detailing the importance of the Italian city to the plot, in which screenwriter Robert Wade tells us how it felt right to have Bond and Vesper’s relationship collapse in the sinking city; “Bond Girls are Forever” – highlighting the best Bond girls, including an interview with the very first, Swiss wonder Ursula Andress; “The Art of Freerunning” – an in-depth look at the amazing work of Sebastien Foucan as seen during the first chase scene, and “Becoming Bond” – how Daniel Craig became the best Bond ever.

Hi-def deleted scenes are available and clearly show they were worthy of the cutting room floor.

OK Bond fans, this one is worth buying again or for the first time.

— Bill Kelley III

“THE STRANGERS”

Blu-ray widescreen, 2008, R for violence/terror and language

Best extra: The supplements are very disappointing.  A run of the mill promotional featurette running nine minutes and six minutes of deleted scenes leads one to believe another edition will be coming down the pipeline.

FIRST TIME WRITER/DIRECTOR Bryan Bertino shows real promise with his debut film, a truly scary horror flick that chooses to unnerve viewers with incredible sound effects and the sustained threat of violence instead of resorting to graphic onscreen carnage. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as a couple on the rocks who are terrorized by three masked intruders at a remote cottage. There's nothing more to the story than that.  Bertino was inspired by both the Manson murders and a real life event that happened to him as a child.

The Blu-ray includes both the theatrical cut and the unrated cut running six minutes longer.  The unrated cut consists of literally one major new moment towards the end. Sorry, no details – not going to spoil the ending.  The hi-def image is outstanding with blacks that are rich and deep (the film takes place entirely at night).  Equally impressive is the uncompressed soundtrack which is the film's most important feature.  Surrounds are used exceptionally well and the balance between long stretches of silence and then the loud boom of doors being rattled and pounded on should send those with good sound system jumping in their seats.

Highly recommended for those hungry for a little Halloween scare.

— Josh Boone

"STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE"

Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2008, R for disturbing images and content involving torture and graphic nudity, and for language

Best extra: The reason to buy the Blu-ray is the two hours of additional interviews and an additional 45 minute documentary not available on the DVD.

THOUGH YOU’LL FIND a noticeable upgrade in the audio/video department for the Blu-ray release of Errol Morris' powerful documentary, "Standard Operating Procedure" deals with the immoral abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib.

Morris, one of our most acclaimed documentary filmmakers (his documentary "The Thin Blue Line" led to the exoneration of a man who was wrongly convicted of murder), examines Abu Ghraib through interviews with the participants, the photographs they took of their crimes, and dramatic re-enactments.  This, along with HBO's recent "Taxi to the Dark Side," is well worth a watch although it is often hard to stomach the brutal and inhumane treatment of fellow human beings.

The Blu-ray includes several additional features. First up is two additional hours of interviews (every bit as good as those included in the film), a Q&A with Morris at both the L.A. premiere and the Berlin Film Festival, and a forty-five minute panel discussion called "Diplomacy in the Age of Terror: The Impact of Diminished Rule of Law on International Relations."  The panel does not include Morris but references the film.  Carried over from the DVD is a commentary with Morris, who discusses at length his opinions of the events, the Bush administration's endorsement of torture, and how he feels about the men and women he interviews, and a handful of deleted scenes.  All the extra features are presented in standard-def.

Highly recommended.

— Josh Boone

“HALLOWEEN: 2-DISC UNRATED COLLECTOR'S EDITION”

Blu-ray and enhanced widescreen, 2007, not rated but with strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Best extra: The four-and-half hour documentary "Michael Lives: The Making of Halloween" is one of the most comprehensive and revealing looks at the filmmaking process that has ever been made available on Blu-ray or DVD. 

ROB ZOMBIE IS a talented filmmaker, but his remake of John Carpenter's classic horror suspense thriller is a trashy mess that has not one iota of the elegance and Hitchcockian suspense Carpenter's original had.  Instead we have foul mouthed rednecks, graphic violence, rape and an intolerably long running time.

But guess what?  I recommend you run out and pick up either the three-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition DVD or the Blu-ray, because of the unbelievable documentary about the production that shows every detail of how films are made, warts and all.  You have to give Zombie credit for allowing this amount of access into his creative process and the doc clearly shows that everyone works just as hard making a bad movie as they do a good one.  You'll see Zombie in prep as he casts the film and storyboards it, you'll see the various production departments as they bring together the wardrobe, props, Michael's masks, fake blood, etc, and you'll follow Zombie through every single day of shooting.  Once you finish watching this doc, you will understand how movies are made. 

The Blu-ray edition of "Halloween" carries over all the special features from the earlier standard editions, including Zombie's commentary, some behind-the-scenes featurettes, and audition footage.  You'll only get the unrated cut though, which is quite different from the theatrical cut which involved some reshoots that makes Michael's asylum breakout more spectacular. The hi-def image is excellent bearing in mind that much of the film takes place at night. The blacks are deep and detail is quite impressive at times. The uncompressed Dolby TrueHD track is quite good as well, highlighting the creative sound mix which mixes classic redneck rock tunes, strange sound effects, and the original Carpenter score mixed with a new score by Tyler Bates.

Regardless of what you think of Zombie's re imagining of the horror classic, this documentary is to die for.

Poor film, highly recommended doc and Blu-ray package.

— Josh Boone

“DIARY OF THE DEAD”

Blu-ray widescreen, 2007, R for strong horror violence and gore, and pervasive language

Best extra:  The 80-minute "For the Record: The Making of the Diary" documentary is the gem here.  As is the case with most zombie DVDs, gore hounds should enjoy the section dealing with the special effects and makeup the most.

AFTER A RATHER nice return to form with "Land of the Dead," George A. Romero tries his hand at plunging the zombie genre into "Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" territory with mixed results.  Telling the story through footage shot by film students who are pulled from making a low budget horror flick into taping their own fight for survival isn't a bad idea, but the quality of acting and storytelling simply can't compete with a film like "Cloverfield."

The Blu-ray sports a terrific hi-def image.  The film was primarily shot with HD cameras and this is as clean and colorful a transfer as they come. Though the uncompressed audio track is excellent, it really shouldn't be considering this should be the sound from the camera the protagonist wields throughout the film. Little details like this chip away at the reality the film tries to create.

Extras are the same as the standard DVD. A commentary by Romero, cinematographer Adam Swica, and editor Michael Doherty largely deals with the film's technical challenges like creating the illusion of continuous shots.  Also included is the 80 minute doc, deleted scenes, a handful of short featurettes, and several short zombie films from filmmakers who won a MySpace contest.

— Josh Boone

“THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM: SEASON TWO – VOLUME ONE”

Full-screen 2008, not rated (mature themes, not for children)

Best extra: Probably the commentaries, as they at least pretend to offer some kind of information.

AS ONE OF THE MOST risqué comedians’ working today, Sarah Silverman’s standup isn’t for everyone. Her show, however, is different. It's not only funny, it makes you think. Take "Face Wars," which finds Sarah donning blackface for a day to prove that being a Jew is harder than being black. As entertainment, it shouldn't work. But by always making herself the butt of the joke, she walks the tightrope between hot-button stereotypes and hilariously defuses them. With her frumpy football jerseys and carefree, almost oblivious manner, she's like a female Charlie Chaplin, with incendiary taboo subjects substituting for the slapstick.

In addition to several casual commentaries on the first disc, the second disc of extras is a collection of animated shorts and improv skits seen in parts of the show and at Comic Con, the newest clearinghouse for TV and movie execs to shill their product. Except for the Steve and Brian animated short, most range from baffling to painfully unfunny. Even more disappointing is the cast's question and answer session at Comic Con, where every participant acts as if she or he would rather be miles away. If you don't want your bubble burst, I'd stick with just watching the show.

Enhanced widescreen, 1972, unrated

Best extra: “Life as a Romance,” a documentary about the director Luchino Visconti.

VISCONTI’S EPIC FILM biography of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (a.k.a. “the mad king”) is about 4 hours long, which may seem even longer if you’re not a fan of Richard Wagner’s music. Nevertheless, this restored, re-mastered film looks absolutely marvelous.

The two-disc set contains a host of features, but the fine documentary on Visconti’s career is a standout, beginning with a look at his theater productions, on to neorealist masterpieces like “La Terra Trema,” through his homage to Thomas Mann (“Death in Venice”), and up to “Ludwig,” for which Visconti earned the title of “narrator of decadence.” Interviews with frequent stars Burt Lancaster and Vittorio Gassman are included. Another documentary, on the life of Silvana Mangano, who starred in several Visconti films and was married to Dino de Laurentiis, is quite interesting. A lengthy, informative interview with the costume and set designer Piero Tosi is also worth watching.

Enhanced widescreen, 1982, unrated

Best extra: A recent interview with Joyce Horman, portrayed in the film by Sissy Spacek

THIS CRITERION TWO-disc set presents a restored version of Costa-Gavras’ powerful film of the true story in which a young American woman and her father-in-law join for a frustrating, heart-breaking search for her husband (and his son) Charles, arrested and executed by soldiers in Chile after Pinochet’s coup.

An interview with Costa-Gavras puts the film in context as he tells how and why he made it under the auspices of Hollywood (it was his first English-language picture), but insisted on using his own French and location-based Mexican crew.

In her interview, Joyce Horman says it was a “fabulous experience for us to have this much truth out for Americans to see,” considering the U.S. government’s part in the coup as well as officials’ resistance and lies to the Hormans in their search, as well as the lawsuit brought by the Hormans against Henry Kissinger and the State Department.

Also included are interviews with the film producers and author of the book it was based on; another with an author of a book about the 1973 coup and declassified documents related to Charles Horman; with Joyce and Ed Horman at the Cannes Film Festival; and highlights from an event honoring the film, featuring Gabriel Byrne, Spacek, and others.

“LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION: VOLUME SIX”

Full-screen, 2008, not rated, but intended for adults

Best extra: This collection requires a sense of history and context, and the most effective extras are the occasional commentaries. The risque in-house animation department Christmas movies are a close second.

THE DISCLAIMERS are everywhere: on the cover, the box, the discs themselves. And for good reason. Much of this Warner Bros. animation compilation, full of Depression-era black-and-whites, World War II propaganda pieces and oddball later efforts, is not kid stuff.

My 5-year-old, watching a pre-screened selection, made it only a few minutes before she frowned, crossed her arms, and announced: “This is not appropriate.”

Some of the pieces have simply gone out of style, particularly the early “Bosko” cartoons that look like nothing so much as vaudeville-influenced music videos. Others have cringe-inducing racial and ethnic stereotypes and other material that make them unsuitable for young audiences. But this four-disc set does a very good job of packaging these animated “missing links,” as one commentator puts it, highlighting their significance and discussing their influences.

It’s an odd mix of very early work, wartime shorts and late, often undistinguished efforts, including some TV specials. There are World War II pieces -- including a clear precursor to the legendary “What’s Opera, Doc” short – funny Chuck Jones dog-and-cat battles, a strikingly violent black-and-white trench warfare epic, and even a version of Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hatches the Egg.”

The extras, too, are an odd grabbag spanning several decades. There’s a long, limp documentary on voice genius Mel Blanc, an extraordinary list of “bonus” cartoons and animated segments, commentaries on some key works, and music-and-effects tracks. Among the most startling tidbits are the in-house movies produced by Leon Schlesinger’s animation team – made to be shown at the studio Christmas party as a joke – which are a surreal combination of sometimes off-color and tasteless bits, silly voices and sight gags, a peek at these artists that shows them as both quite cartoonish and very human.

This is not a collection for kids or casual viewers. But for anyone taking a serious look at a very silly art form – warts and all – this is a crucial collection that fills in a lot of the blanks.

“THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND: SEASON 2”

Full-screen, 2008, not rated

Best extra: Behind-the-scenes extras of spoon flicking and making a sandwich

It’s hard to believe that The Naked Brothers Band, headed by siblings Nat and Alex Wolff, has a second, 13-episode season out on DVD already (the first episode, "Sidekicks," is a double-length one and the last episode, "Polar Bears" is in three parts).

The shows are still pretty funny, with the love lives of puppy-love kids still on display, plus that bubble gum rock that Nat Wolff writes most of. Of course, you can listen to the shows in Dolby Digital.

Seeing boys dressed as girls, and young kids smooching and farting and burping goes a long way for Nickelodeon. It always has.

The extras are minuscule, with six music videos that have aired numerous times on Teen Nick; a long-burp contest, in which none of the band members actually wins; and the behind-the-scenes extras of band members explaining the history of fork flicking – yes, picking up a utensil and sticking things like raisins and grapes in its curves, then flicking them with all your might at your friends. The second behind-the-scenes bonus features two band members making the grossest sandwich known to man. You have to see it to believe it.

“LIFE WITH DEREK: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”

Full-screen, 2005, not rated

Best extra: Studio tours with Derek, Casey, Lizzie and Marti

WHAT DO YOU GET when you take two separate families and mix them together after parents, one from each, marry? It’s a far cry from the "Brady Bunch."

Welcome to intermingled families in the 21st century and the show that puts it all into perspective, "Life with Derek," filmed in Newfoundland, a province in Eastern Canada.

This first season introduces viewers to the MacDonald and Venturi families. Nora MacDonald merges her family, two daughters, Casey and Lizzie, with George Venturi’s family, Derek, Edwin and Marti. Having two teenagers in the house can be complicated when Derek (Michael Seater) and Casey (Ashley Leggat) have to cohabitate. What ensues in each of the 13 episodes is chaos, hurt feelings, yelling, food flicking and eventually comprise and understanding.

The bonus features add to the viewer’s understanding of the characters, first with mini-interviews with each cast member. Of course, Leggat and Seater, as the stars, get the most camera time.

There’s also a nifty studio tour where Leggat and Seater show you their rooms on the set, from opening up jewelry boxes like Leggat does to find no bling to viewing the top of Seater’s desk, complete with scads of hockey cards. The attention to detail that set designers put into the rooms is amazing. You also get a tiny look behind the scenes with actresses Jordan Todosey (Lizzie) and Ariel Waller (Marti).

Rounding out the bonus features is a behind-the-scenes photo shoot of the family in their fantasy living room, a small poster of Derek and Casey, and several quick snippets from director Ron Murphy.

If you’re in the market for a more realistic look at sudden siblings, this is your show – you can also watch newer episodes on The Disney Channel.

“ACCORDING TO JIM: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON”

Enhanced widescreen, 2001-2002, not rated

Best extra: “The Season According to Jim” with star and producer Jim Belushi.

THERE WAS A TIME when Americans set their TV viewing clock around the family sit-com: “All in the Family,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Dick Van Dyke,” “Good Times,” “Sanford and Son,” “Chico and the Man,” “Car 54, Where Are You?,” “Roseanne,” “M.A.S.H ,” “Taxi,” “WKRP in Cincinnati” – and so many more it’s hard to keep track.

Lately, however, sit-coms are few, lacking lovable characters and laughs.

That would be the case of “According to Jim,” an ABC comedy now approaching its eighth season after being nearly canceled many times. It’s not the first-view audience numbers that keep this show in production; it’s the dollar value it achieves in syndication.

It’s a great show to nap by. Pacing is glacial. Belushi and team (Courtney Thorne-Smith, previously of “Ally McBeal” and “Melrose Place,” Larry Joe Campbell and Kimberly Williams-Paisley) never hit their comic rhythm. Even the laugh track sounds sleepy.

Belushi helped conceive the show where he claims his sit-com dad is no wuss. Indeed. Dad never apologizes for getting his child kicked out of school. It’s ok to stash his wife’s dead cat in the freezer so he can make a football game. It’s also ok to replace said-dead cat with a puppy (this dad always wanted a dog) so everything will end up in the good by the time credits roll by. According to Jim.

Special features include a glad handing pilot commentary, gag reel (not funny), and cast interviews. Belushi leads viewers on a tour of the set which may be of interest to novice filmmakers. He also tells viewers why the Season One, 22 episode four-disc set is good. Really? Just consider that it took ABC six years to release season one on DVD. That tells us something, too, but it certainly isn’t funny.

“BACK TO YOU: SEASON ONE”

Best extra: The three-disc set contains three unsubstantial special features – two making-of featurettes that are comprised of clips from the show more than anything else, and a short gag reel, which, despite its being disappointing, is the best this DVD set has to offer.

“BACK TO YOU,” unlike several axed shows that were nowhere to be seen after the writers strike hiatus ended, returned to the air in late February, but it wasn’t picked up by FOX for another season.

And that’s too bad, too, most of the time. Veterans Kelsey Grammer (“Cheers,” “Frasier”) and Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) come off as if they’re slumming it a little bit, and really deserve better material. This teaming of perceived comedy gold was highly anticipated, but the magic didn’t happen.

Still, it has its moments. I mean, there’s Kelsey Grammer, right?

Grammer is Chuck Darling, a womanizing anchorman who returns to a station in Pittsburgh after a bad career move. Reunited with his co-anchor and old flame, Kelly Carr, Darling learns that he is the father of Carr’s 10-year-old daughter.

Emmy Award winners Grammer and Heaton give it their all, sending salvos and barbs back and forth and engaging in all sorts of ridiculous physical comedy for the good of the show. But “Back to You” is, well, a little too late. The material might have worked 10 years ago. Weak scripts, full of sexual innuendo, get old fast.

It’s a shame too, because “Back to You” has a fresh, talented supporting cast in addition to its main stars. Josh Gad as the harried news director and the reliable Fred Willard gets the majority of the laughs for his off-kilter sports anchor. Even though he’s playing the same character he always does, it doesn’t matter. He’s hilarious.

“Back to You” had potential, and if you like Grammer and Heaton, you might still enjoy this show.