AJ Reardon: Ong Bak. Not too bizarre or obscure, but it seems to have had a pretty limited theatre run, so you may have missed it. The plot is pretty run of the mill, the acting is only OK, the film quality can be downright poor, but when it comes to Muay Thai and stunts, this movie will blow you away. What makes the DVD worth owning is the extras, which include B-Sides, a montage of live demonstrations by Tony Jaa (the movie's star), and a little feature that shows several of the core moves of Muay Thai. Previously, Muay Thai has mostly been reserved for martial arts movie villains. It's nice to see it used by a hero. Samurai Fiction. If you're a regular CT reader, you may have already seen my review of this movie. It's as if they took a samurai action/comedy anime and filmed it as a live action movie. The action isn't spectacular, but there's a good story and great humor, especially if you've watched a lot of anime and Kurosawa films. Call of Cthulhu. I haven't seen this yet, but I'm recommending it anyway, because it sounds that cool. The Call of Cthulhu story, filmed as a 1920s style silent film. How can you resist that? I intend to pick it up for my husband and I for the holidays, and I recommend that any Lovecraft fan do the same. You can find further details at http://www.cthulhulives.org/toc.html I'd recommend MirrorMask, too, but it's not out on DVD yet, so I'll just say . . . go see it in the theatres if it's in your city! Brett Schmidt: Wonder Boys (2000) Starring: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire The concept of an English Professor leaving his wife sounded boring to me, but more often than not, people overlooked this film like I did. I got forced to watch Wonder Boys in college and it completely surprised by how well written it was. The twists and turns in the middle will reel you in until the ending. The scene with the dog is one of my all-time faves. Chris Karnes: THE COMPLETE SUPERMAN CARTOONS DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY EDITION This DVD has been out for a few years now, but I consider it a "must have" if you're even a modest fan of Superman, animation or comics in general. It's a compilation of ALL 17 of the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoon shorts from the '40s; brilliant, innovative, and ahead of its time. If you can't find it at a local DVD store, many online retail outlets have it in stock and it can list as cheaply as $9.99 -- a bargain! Sheryl Roberts: Cracker (put out by HBO video) Long before we had CSI and Law and Order: Criminal Intent, the British had Cracker. Robbie Coltrane starred as Fitz, a criminal psychologist with more than a few problems. Brilliant at his job, featuring some extremely warped cases, Fitz is always a resounding success. In his private life, not so much. He gambles too much, he drinks too much, he smokes too much and he has an affair on the side. It's quite a character study told with a sympathetic eye to the foibles of human nature. The cases are bizarre, the stories compelling, the outcomes thrilling. And despite of his flaws, Fitz really is a hero. Start with series one and work your way through. You will not be sorry. Jeremiah, The Complete First Season (MGM DVD) Yeah, I never, ever thought I would be recommending something featuring Luke Perry and Malcolm Jamal Warner, but this is a prime example of me having to warn you to never to say never. This was the brainchild of J.M. Straczynski, and whereas I haven't liked his previous works, I loved this series. In fact, I cannot wait for season 2, where Sean Astin joined the cast. The premise here is that the government accidentally released a biological weapon that killed everyone over the age of puberty. The story takes place about 15 years later, and the efforts of some to rebuild civilization. Luke Perry does a wonderful job as Jeremiah, poignantly writing letters to his dead father and burning them. Malcolm Jamal Warner is one of the coolest characters of the series, an opportunist who ends up teaming with Jeremiah to make the world a better place. All is not right in these new civilizations. Several little dictatorships have sprung up, and there is a hidden fortress where some of the children of the military have all the comforts of the previous life, and are trying to slowly co-ordinate the growth of civilizations. There's tension, great stories, and great emotional moments in this series that resonate with all of us. And it's got one episode that speaks to every comic fan in the world and it makes me cry like a baby every time I see it. So go buy it now. The more you people buy season one, the more likely it is I will get my season two . . . and I want my season two. Jamie Coville: Hellboy I recommend this because part of takes place in Russia where there is snow. Makes for a good Christmas time movie without being too Christmasy (is that even a word?). The movie is fun, a family can watch it but it's not brain dead either. Sidra Roberts Roman: Jeremiah Season 1 Jeremiah was an absolutely brilliant television show on Showtime. The first season was just dazzling. The basic premise was that there was a virus that broke out in the world and wiped out any and everyone who had already hit puberty. Leaving the children of the world to fend for themselves alone. That was fifteen years ago. Now those children are adults and the world, in Short, is going to hell. Jeremiah has drama, intrigue and heart. It also has breasts, sex and violence, so this is not a gift for the little ones. It's a brilliantly thought out show, and it has one of the most beautiful tributes to comic books that I have ever seen in its third episode. National Treasure It's fun for the whole family. It's an action/adventure movie with history and intrigue. It's one of those great movies designed so that the viewer can just kick back and be taken on a fun ride. But unlike most fun ride movies this one is actually kind of cerebral with its historical clues and mythology. Really it's just a lot of fun. And it's PG so; it's safe for almost anyone in your family. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind This was by far one of the best movies put out last year, and it only gets better with repeat viewings. This is a great gift for the more artsy people on your gift list. This is not a every man movie. It is more for that type of person who enjoys complicated intricately woven movies that you have to see more than once to fully appreciate. In short the art house film fanatic in your life. The DVD for it is awesome and the deleted scenes give a whole new spin to several relationships in the movie. In my book it's a definite winner. Garden State It's a modern day cross between The Graduate and Harold and Maude without the old people. It's a poignant tale of a twenty something guy that has gone through the better part of the last decade of his life feeling nothing but a great numbness. He comes back to his hometown in New Jersey for his mother's funeral and there he starts to figure out how to not feel numb anymore. It's a wonderful movie for a college age or just past college age person. It's quirky, sweet, and the music is fabulous. Love Actually This is the movie for the romantic on your gift list, assuming that they don't mind British accents and off color language. Love Actually is a very sweet movie that follows the lives of approximately 15 different characters. All 15 of these people are connected somehow of course, but they don't all know one another directly. It's hilarious. It's heartbreaking at points. And it really leaves you with a warm feeling. It's the only real Christmas movie I'm putting on this list. Love Actually takes place in the month leading up to Christmas and Christmas itself is the climax of the movie. It's an extremely sweet movie, but it does earn its R rating so beware. Most of the deleted scenes are just so-so, but be sure to watch the one about looking for naked pictures of Claudia Schiffer on the internet. That one is "laughing so hard you're about to pee yourself" funny. Jason Bourgeois: Sin City Special Edition DVD set While as I'm writing this, it's not actually out yet, so I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend the Sin City Special Edition DVD set, based entirely on the strength of the movie I saw in theatres. For the comic fan, it's hard to go wrong with this, arguably the most accurate translation of a comicbook to film, as it is almost frame for frame taken straight from the comic, and loving, insane detail was put into making this so close to the book. The version that came out on DVD a few months ago was frankly disappointing, containing only the film, and a brief behind the scenes feature. This new edition is recut, extended, and unrated. All four segments of the film have been separated out, with additional footage added to each, so you can watch them as separate mini-movies on their own, if you wish, or watch the movie as it was, originally. And the discs are packed with features, several commentary tracks, behind the scenes featurettes, and even comes packaged with a trade paperback of Sin City: The Hard Goodbye. A very nice, full collection of stuff to put in someone's stocking this year.

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