NY1.com

  74º

You are not signed in  |  Sign in here  |  Help

You're viewing a lite version of NY1.com

Time Warner Cable customers: Sign in with your TWC ID for video access.

Get my TWC ID. | Get TWC service. | Read the FAQ.

Updated 12/09/2011 06:16 PM

Neil Rosen's Holiday DVD Gift Guide

By: Neil Rosen

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

If you're looking for the perfect gift this holiday season, there are some great, new DVD box sets of classic movies and TV shows that are sure to fit almost anyone's taste.

The Classics
The “Star Wars” films are finally available on Blu-Ray disc. All six movies come in one box, and there are lots of bonus features. The same can be said for several other beloved movies series, like all three “Lord Of The Rings” films, the “Jurassic Park Trilogy” and “Harry Potter: The Complete Eight Film Collection” — they’re all on Blu-Ray, which offers stunning picture quality.

Neil Rosen's Holiday DVD Gift Guide
Film buffs will love the “Citizen Kane” 70th anniversary collector’s edition. Orson Welles’ masterpiece has been painstakingly remastered in high definition, and the box set comes with lots of goodies, including in-depth features, like photos, storyboards and a peek behind the scenes.

Also remastered in a glorious-looking box set, complete with a beautiful book, is the multi-Oscar-winning classic “Ben Hur.”

Fans of funnymen Laurel and Hardy will certainly enjoy their essential collection, which features their most cherished and hilarious films on 10 discs.

For Kids and Teens
The ultimate collector’s edition of “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” may just be your golden ticket. This limited edition set comes with lots of tasty extras including a Wonka-shaped tin box.

Neil Rosen's Holiday DVD Gift Guide
The folks at Disney have repackaged some of their classic movies in a way that might delight both kids and adults. All four “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, starring the inimitable Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, come in a neat compact treasure chest. If you buy the “The Lion King” gift set, it comes with a miniature African drum, and both “Cars” movies include a toy car on top of the box.

TV Picks
Turning to television, “The Best of ‘I Love Lucy’” includes 14 of the funniest and most recognizable episodes from the classic series.

Neil Rosen's Holiday DVD Gift Guide
All eight Seasons of Tim Allen's sitcom “Home Improvement” come appropriately packaged in a collectible red toolbox.

All 10 seasons of “Smallville” are nicely packaged together. They follow the adventures of a young Clark Kent, who eventually becomes Superman.

Other complete series that are new on DVD include the sci-fi drama “Stargate Atlantis” and the classic New York detective sitcom “Barney Miller.”

In this critic’s opinion, “Friday Night Lights” was one of television's best dramas. Now, the entire series—five seasons—is available in one box.

Showtime’s heralded and groundbreaking “The L Word” is available in a complete series set, including every episode from its six seasons, while new DVD offerings from HBO include the polygamist drama “Big Love: The Complete Series” and a special gift set of the acclaimed World War II miniseries “Band Of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” which are now specially packaged together.

Animation
For the kids and maybe some adults, too, you'll find “Mr. Magoo - The Television Collection,” “Jem and the Holograms,” which features the animated 80s pop star, and “The Marvel Knights Collection,” a five-DVD set featuring animated versions of Black Panther, Iron Man, and the X-Men.

Neil Rosen's Holiday DVD Gift Guide

Finally, I'm a huge fan of vintage Warner Brothers cartoons. Now, Bugs Bunny and his pals are available for the first time on Blu-Ray disc in a platinum collection to cherish that makes the Technicolor pop and includes lots of fun Looney Tunes memorabilia.