Got a video game nut on your shopping list? How about a
music-lover? Check out this year’s hottest buys
MUSIC
CD box sets
The Band: A Musical History ($89.98)
Their name might be generic, but their music isn’t. This five-disc set charts The Band’s recording career from 1963-1976, including 37 previously unreleased tracks and rare live concert footage.
Johnny Cash: The Complete Sun Recordings, 1955-1958 ($39)
Hear 61 Johnny Cash songs the way they were originally recorded – stripped of all overdubs for the pure sound of the Man in Black. A 40-page hardcover booklet features rare or previously unpublished photos.
Bill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 ($29)
Three discs capture the jazz pianist and his trio on June 25, 1961. All five sets from that show are presented, for the first time, complete and in their original order. Hear snippets of on-stage banter.
Billy Joel: My Lives ($59.98)
Eighty-eight keys, five discs, four decades. The Piano Man sings us a song – 66 actually, 23 of which were previously unreleased.
The Motown Box ($59.98)
These 72 tracks are to your stereo what gas is to a Ford Fairlane. Features the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops and Stevie Wonder, among many others.
DVDS
TV series sets
24: Season 4 ($69.98)
Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), the world’s most sleep-deprived government agent, must rescue the defense secretary from kidnappers, stave off nuclear meltdown, and stop a terrorist cell from vaporizing Los Angeles – all in one day and without a bathroom break. “24: Season 4,” the best yet of Fox’s “real time” 24-hours-in-24-episodes series, is not for the squeamish, but rewards viewers with tight plot lines and edge-of-your-seat cliffhangers. In a full disc of extras, see the building of the new counterterrorism headquarters and a short bridging episode to Jack’s next harrowing day, which begins Jan. 15.
Battlestar Galactica: Seasons 1 & 2 ($59.98, $49.98)
This is not your father’s “Battlestar Galactica.” It’s not your children’s, either. With its sex scenes and violence, this revisionist version of the 1970s show earns its late time slot on the Sci-Fi Channel. By shunning the “Star Trek” model (no alien monsters here), creator Ronald D. Moore has fashioned a space drama rather than a space opera. This thoughtful allegory about 9/11 is one of the best sci-fi shows ever. Extras: Moore’s erudite commentary on each episode will add mileage to these discs.
The Daily Show: Indecision 2004 ($39.98)
If you’re tempted to take politics too seriously, this three-disc, 10-episode set is a reminder that all politics is theater – and hilarious theater at that. Jon Stewart and his Emmy Award-winning cohort from Comedy Central are on hand to cover the Democratic and Republican conventions (and their free spa service), the first Bush-Kerry debate (“The Squabble in Coral Gables”), and election night (“Prelude to a Recount”). If you’re worried that your political views will be skewered – they will be. Fake news, real funny.
Gilmore Girls: Season 5 ($59.98)
With the dialogue quicker and wittier than ever, season five is one of the finest for mother/daughter duo Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel). Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at the 100th episode, in which the Gilmore grandparents renew their wedding vows.
Animation films
The Incredibles ($29.99)
When society turns on those with superpowers, Bob and Helen Parr hang up their Spandex suits and Zorro masks, enter the equivalent of a witness-protection program for superheroes, and try to raise a family. But as they try to lead a normal life, it leads to tensions within the home that would flummox Dr. Phil. To save itself, the family has to unite to save the world from a villain. In a lively commentary track, director Brad Bird doesn’t shy from discussing conflict between himself and the film’s producer over artistic decisions.
Polar Express ($28.98)
This animated tale of a young boy’s magical trip to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, starring the voice and digital face(s) of Tom Hanks, is a special-effects wonder – and an instant holiday classic.
Classic films
Astaire & Rogers Collection: Vol. 1 ($59.98)
To instantly class up your Christmas tree, just stick this boxed set underneath it. Showcasing the flying feet of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, it includes the duo’s two best films (“Top Hat” and “Swing Time”) and their last appearance together onscreen (“The Barkleys of Broadway”). With music from geniuses such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, there isn’t room to list all the standards crammed into the five movies, but here’s a few to whet your appetite: “Cheek to Cheek,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” Extras: Skip the dull documentaries and stilted commentaries, and dive directly into the classic shorts (including Bob Hope in “Watch the Birdie”) and cartoons.
The Wizard of Oz: Collector’s Edition ($49.98)
If you’re off to see the wizard, travel first-class with this three-disc collector’s edition. The 1939 classic that made Judy Garland a star has been gorgeously restored – Kansas isn’t black and white anymore, it’s a rich sepia, and you can even see the rivet on the Tin Man’s nose. Extras: The set comes with everything but a pair of ruby slippers. Highlights include five earlier versions of “Oz,” one starring comedian Oliver Hardy, and a Busby Berkeley-choreographed dance for the Scarecrow that was cut at the last minute.
The Sound of Music: 40th Anniversary Edition ($26.98)
“The Sound of Music: 40th Anniversary Edition” is the perfect boomer stocking stuffer – yet another excuse to watch Julie Andrews whirl through the ravishing Austrian mountains and cityscape all the while singing some of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most hummable tunes. While avid collectors may own the DVD set released in 2000, this is a new transfer with richer, deeper colors and no visible wear and tear – and noticeably better sound. The eminently watchable extras include several full-length documentaries – one on Ms. Andrews and the making of the film, another on the children – and the A&E Biography episode about the real von Trapp family.
Sports
Hoop Dreams ($29.95)
“Hoop Dreams” is a real-life story with so many twists and turns, you’ll think it was scripted. The Oscar-nominated 1994 documentary follows two inner-city teenagers on their quest for basketball glory. What was supposed to be a one-year effort by the filmmakers turned into six, as dreams were made and broken. “People always say to me, ‘When you get to the NBA, don’t forget about me,’ ” says one player. “Well, I should’ve said back, ‘If I don’t make it to the NBA, don’t you forget about me.’ ”
Friday Night Lights ($19.98)
For many parents in Texas oil country, high school football is more important than good grades, and coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) is charged with turning a bunch of undersized overachievers into a well-oiled machine. Most of the kids reach the pinnacle of their football careers – and lives – before they can vote.
VIDEO GAMES
Console games
Peter Jackson’s King Kong: the Official Game of the Movie ($49.99)
There’s no other way to say it: Kong rules the screen, small and big, this holiday season. After you take in the film masterwork, you can rush home, pick up your controller and go back to the lush, atmospheric Skull Island where the King lives. A first-person action adventure game, you can play as hapless screenwriter Jack Driscoll or as Kong himself. But whether you enjoy battling the astonishingly detailed and well-rendered dino-critters of this lost world, or just looking around, the game is a great personalized visit to a vision that once again sets new standards for computer-graphics storytelling. Rated T for teens.
Star Wars: Battlefront II ($49.99)
A follow-up to a familiar franchise that many fans are calling better than the original. This multiplayer shooting game with online capability offers a few notable improvements without straying too far from the original most important among them: the new space combat maps and the Jedi characters whom you can play. A must for “Star Wars” fans. Rated T for teens.
Handhelds
Lumines for PSP ($39.99)
Sony launched its challenger in the handheld marketplace earlier this year, the PSP, a sleek, high-powered miniature console that plays games, movies and MP3 files. It’s somewhat ironic that one of the best early games for this extremely sophisticated piece of equipment is the puzzle game, Lumines, dubbed by some fans the best in its class since Tetris. Rated E for everyone.
Nintendogs for DS ($29.99)
If you missed the virtual-pet fad of a decade ago, Nintendo resurrects the genre, this time for soft-hearted adults as well. Who can resist the astonishingly well-rendered pups in this game? You can adopt one of 18 different breeds, train and play with it on a two-screen hand-held system that’s so engaging it virtually guarantees you’ll miss your bus or train if the puppy wants your attention. Rated E for everyone.
PC games
The Movies ($49.99)
Tap into your inner Steven Spielberg or Tom Cruise. This Sims-inspired game can be played in two modes: movie mogul (creating and running your studio) or filmmaker (casting, writing and shooting your movie). It’s a fun dry run for all those aspiring filmmakers or movie stars on your gift list, offering all sorts of interesting industry insights – that directors and actors don’t perform well under stress and that movies are more likely to make a box-office killing if they’re in a hot genre – as well as an informative window into one of the biggest businesses in the world. Warnings: Parents should note the rating, no doubt for the seamier sides of the biz, from the casting couch to plastic surgery. And it’s a real system hog – make sure your PC is up to the requirements. Rated T for teens.
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV ($49.99)
For all you parents, Sid Meier and crew has just made it that much harder to pretend these games are just for the kids. This strategy franchise continues with its familiar format of allowing players to charge through time as a world leader (Gandhi, Caesar, etc.) bent on taking over the globe. Going through the various “ages” – stone to space – developing cities and cultures along the way, everything about the familiar game is better in this version. Best improvement: the new “open borders,” which allows players to fence off their territories while pursuing diplomatic options to their problems. Rated E for everyone.
CONCERT DVDS
Live 8 – Various artists ($44.98)
This compilation of July’s Live 8 concerts for Africa comes with close-up shots of Paris Hilton and Ashlee Simpson in the audience. And Mariah Carey, voice in full glass-shattering warble, turns up in a dress that’s one burst seam away from a wardrobe malfunction. But those are small quibbles. Older acts such as Madonna, Annie Lennox and Paul McCartney tended to steal the show, but rising stars such as Razorlight and Joss Stone made their mark, too. Best of all, the reunited Pink Floyd’s magnificent set is included in its entirety while the extras include rehearsal footage of the band.
U2 – Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago ($19.99)
Not a tour goes by without U2 releasing an obligatory concert film. But when the camerawork and editing is of a caliber to match the band’s energy, few will complain. At times the cameras seem like they’re in a tumble dryer – talk about vertigo! – while at others they gaze up at the underside of Edge’s guitar as he throttles its neck.That said, the band isn’t perfect. Lyrics are flubbed, notes are forgotten, and Bono admits he has a “frog in the throat.”
