CULTURE JAMMING -- DECEMBER 2

TOP PICK

Up

(Walt Disney Studios)

One of the year’s (and decade’s) best films gets the deluxe package it deserves: a four-disc set that includes Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions of the movie. You’ll want to watch it in HD, where every detail – from rainbow-colored balloons to a glorious island vista – sparkles. Tons of extras – including a funny new short starring Dug the dog – round out the set.

DVD

Clint Eastwood Star Collection

(MGM)

The four movies in this gift set (part of a series featuring Hollywood heavies) focus on Eastwood’s westerns. Hang ’Em High is the only one that isn’t a classic. The other three – A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- make up Sergio Leone’s great Spaghetti Western trilogy and rank among Eastwood’s all-time best.

DVD

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered

(BBC)

After Monty Python’s Flying Circus shut down, John Cleese quickly moved on to this British comedy about a flustered hotel manager. Very few people do flustered as well as Cleese, who’s at his best here. This three-disc set includes all 12 episodes of the short-lived 1975 sitcom, plus outtakes and new commentary by the star.

DVD

Gone With the Wind: Two Disc Special Edition

(Warner)

One of old-school Hollywood’s greatest epics is filmmaking (and storytelling) at its most grand. There are pricey Blu-ray and “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” versions of the movie – which celebrates its 70^th anniversary this year – available too, but this double-disc set is all you really need. Historical commentary puts it all in perspective.

VIDEO

Lost: The Complete Fifth Season

(Walt Disney)

The best show on TV turned in one of its greatest seasons this year. You can prep for Lost’s return next month with this five-disc set that includes all 17 episodes. There’s plenty of action and mind-fucking going on, so you’ll want to settle in and dissect every second. And be sure to pick up the Blu-ray: This is one show that deserves the full HD treatment.

VIDEO

Monsters, Inc. Blu-ray

(Walt Disney Studios)

Pixar’s 2001 movie about a pair of monsters trying to get a little girl home finally comes to Blu-ray. And it’s never looked greater. It’s not only a more enjoyable film than it was eight years ago (it’s gotten better with age), the HD makes everything – especially all the cool creatures – burst from the screen. Extras include commentary, games and early sketch concepts.

DVD

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live

(Time Life)

This massive nine-disc box includes 125 performances from the Rock Hall’s induction ceremonies over the past 25 years. There are also lots of speeches and backstage footage. Hope you like Bono, Keith Richards and Bruce Springsteen: They seem to be onstage every year. Best: Clips from the early days, like when Beach Boys a-hole Mike Love dissed everyone in the room.

VIDEO

Rocky: The Undisputed Collection

(MGM)

By 2006’s Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone’s high-flying boxer had taken some severe beatings (who are we kidding? The series was pretty much played out by 1985’s Rocky IV). But the 1976 original remains one of the top movies of all time. This seven-disc box compiles all six films on Blu-ray plus a bonus disc featuring interviews and documentaries.

VIDEO

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Complete Season One

(Lucasfilm Ltd./Warner)

The animated TV show is way better than the movie that launched it. It got darker as it progressed, so stick with it. The Blu-ray version is the best way to take in all the cool visuals -- the battle scenes especially look awesome. In addition to 22 episodes, the set includes directors’ cuts, companion shorts and a 60-plus-page production journal.

DVD

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Hitchcock Thrillers

(Warner/Turner Classic Movies)

The latest addition to this great series features four movies by one of the greatest directors of all-time. Suspicion, I Confess and The Wrong Man (all from the’40s and ’50s) are entertaining Alfred Hitchcock films, but 1951’s Strangers on a Train is the classic. The story – two guys trade murders -- influences filmmakers and writers to this day.

--Michael Gallucci