By David Weiner
11:01 AM PST, December 21, 2011
Not sure what to get your kids, parents or significant other for the holidays? In the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas, we have 12 last-minute Blu-ray & DVD gift ideas for you and yours!
Band of Brothers/The Pacific Special Edition Gift
The Story: Two of the greatest
portrayals of World War II -- in two separate corners of the globe -- are now
available in one incredible gift set. Band of Brothers, based on
Stephen E. Ambrose's best-selling book, goes deep into the story of Easy
Company, who parachuted into France on D-Day. The Pacific, based on
the books Helmet for my Pillow by Robert Leckie and With the Old
Breed by Eugene B. Sledge, explores the lives of three marines -- Robert
Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone -- as they travel to and fight within
the Pacific Theater. These Emmy-award winning mini-series' are a must-have!
Notable Bonus Features: The exclusive, never-before-seen
documentary He Has Seen War; "The Making of Band of
Brothers" goes behind the scenes of the miniseries; picture-in-picture
video commentary; Ron Livingston's video diaries; "The Pacific Enhanced
Viewing" features archival footage from The March of Times;
"The Pacific Field Guide" and more.
Smallville: The Complete Series
The Story:
All ten seasons, complete with all 218 episodes of the hit show are now
available in this ultimate collector's set! Watch Clark Kent's arrival on Earth
all the way until the end of his story, when he embraces himself as the Man of
Steel. Tom Welling stars in this hit action series!
Notable Bonus Features: Superboy
pilot from 1961; a retrospective look at the series; a look at the Palay Fest
2004 event; Aquaman pilot; a making-of featurette.
The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray
The Story: Wow, man, Lebowski
on a limited edition Blu-ray, huh? Far out! The Coen Brothers' ultimate cult
classic follows an amiable slacker, The Dude (Jeff Bridges), who must go
through a belligerent philanthropist, a fishy kidnapping scheme, a shady
pornographer, a missing toe and marmot-wielding nihilists just to replace his
peed-on rug. Featuring unforgettable performances from Bridges, John Goodman,
Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the
1998 film remains laugh-out-loud.
Notable Bonus Features: The limited edition Blu-ray features a
cool, all-new 28-page companion book featuring an exclusive interview with Jeff
Dowd -- the real-life inspiration for The Dude -- plus Jeff Bridges' personal,
on-set photography, a film timeline, trivia and more; "What's My
Line" trivia and an onscreen counter of all the "F-Bombs,"
"Dudes," and "Dude-isms" in the film; behind-the-scenes
retrospective with the cast; a look at the annual fan-appreciation phenomenon
"Lebowski Fest"; plus a digital copy of the film. It's portable, man!
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition
The Story: Gene Wilder stars in the
original big-screen adaptation of the fantastical Roald Dahl children's tale,
full of flavorful tunes and visual wonders. On a whirlwind tour of Willy's
incredible, edible realm of chocolate waterfalls, elfish Oompa-Loompas and
industrial-sized confections, a boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum) discovers the
sweetest secret of all: A generous, loving heart.
Notable Bonus Features: Mel Stuart's Wonkavision, a brand-new
interview with the director; a new featurette on Roald Dahl; a 144-page
production book reprint filled with production photos and notes, and archival
letters; a retro Wonka Bar-shaped tin box with scented pencils and eraser --
and a limited time Golden Ticket Instant Win Game piece for a chance to enter
and win a trip for two to Los Angeles. Just like in the movie, five Grand Prize
winners will receive a very special trip for themselves plus a guest.
Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy on Blu-ray
The Story: Steven Spielberg's
action-packed, blockbuster dino trilogy is now available on Blu-ray for the
first time in a special set. Based on the best-selling books by Michael
Crichton about genetically engineered dinosaurs run amok, the
Spielberg-directed series (Joe Johnston directed the third film, which
Spielberg produced) pioneered special effects with its incredibly realistic,
wow-inducing T-rex, velociraptors, stegosauruses and brontos. Sam Neill, Laura
Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, William
H. Macy and Tea Leoni face off against the blood-thirsty reptiles.
Notable Bonus Features: Return to Jurassic Park, an
all new, six-part documentary featuring cast and crew; making-of featurettes
for all three films; early pre-production meeting footage; a discussion with
author Michael Crichton about the phenomenon of the films; commentary with the
special effects team; deleted scenes; a tour of Stan Winston's studio and much
more!
Tom & Jerry Golden Collection: Volume One on Blu-ray
The Story: The timeless
cat-and-mouse chase is now re-mastered on Blu-ray! Thirty-seven Hanna Barbera
cartoons are included in Volume One, such as Puss N' Toots, The
Night Before Christmas, The Yankee Doodle Mouse, Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Mouse and The Zoot Cat. One of the most long-lived
rivalries in American cinema, the classic Tom & Jerry cartoon series has
won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film several times.
Notable Bonus Features: Nine commentaries; a retrospective
documentary; and a live-action excerpt from Anchors Aweigh featuring
Jerry dancing with the legendary Gene Kelly!
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1 on Blu-ray
The Story: The Looney Tunes gang is on Blu-ray for the first time ever! This collection features 50 of the most memorable shorts starring
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester and all your other
favorites. Some Academy Award-winning shorts
are included, such as Tweetie Pie. With an entire disc of special features,
this is a must-have for any Looney Tunes lover.
Notable Bonus Features: Several
documentaries; behind-the-scenes info from popular animators; three full-length
documentaries about Chuck Jones; Blu-ray book with rare sketches.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended Edition on Blu-ray
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin and Andy Serkis as Gollum, The Lord of the Rings trilogy follows the adventures of the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his perilous journey to throw back the magical One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. The new Blu-ray set contains all three extended editions of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, amounting to more than two hours of new and extended scenes integrated into the films.
Special features include commentary with Jackson, cast members and numerous production members; a trailer for the The Lord of the Rings: War in the North RPG video game; "The Appendices" Parts 1-6 ("From Book to Vision," "The Journey Continues," "From Vision to Reality," "The Battle for Middle-earth," "The War of the Ring" and "The Passing of an Age"); BD-Live; digital copies of all three extended versions of the films and much, much more.
Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection
The Story: The Harry Potter series
will never be truly over since you can now watch the entire series again and
again with this special eight-film collection! Catch every moment of Harry's
life, from finding out that he's a wizard and his first steps into Hogwarts to
battling the giant Basilisk to his many dangerous encounters with the evil Lord
Voldemort. No part of Harry's life can be missed with this 8-film set that
includes Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The
Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The
Half-Blood Prince, The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and The Deathly
Hallows – Part 2.
Notable Bonus Features: "Capturing the Stone," a
conversation with the filmmakers; additional scenes; interviews with students
and professors; Maximum Movie Mode with interviews, focus points, and scene
comparisons.
Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition
The Story: Just in time for the
David Fincher remake starring Daniel Craig, the extended version of the Stieg
Larsson trilogy is now available in the U.S. for the first time, with
characters and plot developments never seen in the film versions of The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The
Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.
Notable Bonus Features: The nine-hour edition includes more
than two hours of never-before-seen footage; and "Millennium: The
Story" details the phenomenon of the trilogy and the personal history of
author Stieg Larsson up until his tragic death.
Mission: Impossible Extreme Blu-ray Trilogy
Notable Bonus Features: "Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossible"; "Mission: Explosive Exploits"; commentary and more.
Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray
The Story: Coming
from a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas' legendary, six-part saga following
the adventures of Anakin and Luke Skywalker can finally be seen in widescreen
hi-def with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. The complete saga is available in
a nine-disc set and also in distinct collections divided into Episodes I-III (The
Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith)
and Episodes IV-VI (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return
of the Jedi).
Notable Bonus Features: Curious about those controversial
changes? See what all the fuss is about, plus catch never-before-seen footage
(including deleted, extended and alternate scenes), all-new documentaries
(including a profile of the 501st Legion of Star Wars costume
enthusiasts, an in-depth 30th anniversary commemoration of The Empire
Strikes Back, and even a doc on Star Wars spoofs) among the
40-plus hours of special features.
ET's Holiday Blu-ray & DVD Gift Guide
holidays? In the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas, we have 12
last-minute Blu-ray & DVD gift ideas for you and yours, from the complete Star Wars saga to the original Dragon Tattoo and Looney Tunes on Blu-ray!