DVD Releases: February 24

[Sonnie]

The Bible's Buried Secrets: Beyond Fact or Fiction NOVA special presents the results of more than 100 years of excavation and centuries of biblical scholarship, digging deep into the origins of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. This archeological detective story tackles some of the biggest questions in biblical studies: Where did the ancient Israelites come from? Who wrote the Bible, when, and why? How did the worship of one god - the foundation of modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - emerge? $24.99. (WGBH Boston Video).

The Brain (2008) History Channel documentary uses simple analogies, real-life case studies, and state-of-the-art CGI to explore how the brain works, the frequent battle between instinct and reason, and the mysteries of memory and decision-making; $24.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Breaking Bad: The Complete First Season (2008) Three-disc set with seven episodes, $29.95. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, photo gallery, commentary, screen tests, more. (Sony).

Canterbury's Law: The Complete Series (2008) Two-disc set with six episodes, $29.95. (Sony).

Conspiracy? Three-disc set of History Channel documentaries: Vol. 1: "TWA Flight 800/Majestic Twelve: UFO Cover-Up/FDR and Pearl Harbor/Area 51," Volume 2: "Who Killed Martin Luther King Jr.?/Princess Diana/Lincoln Assassination/Oklahoma City Bombing," Volume 3: "CIA and the Nazis/Jack Ruby/RFK Assassination/Kecksburg UFO," $29.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

The Cult Spy Collection Megaset Fourteen disc-set collection of he collection of debut episodes includes Roger Moore and Tony Curtis as wealthy playboys who unravel criminal cases in "The Persuaders"; Patrick McGoohan's classic and mysterious British series "The Prisoner; "The Champions," a trio of crime fighters with special power bestowed by a lost Tibetan civilization; and Robert Vaughan as a London private eye in the stylish series "The Protectors," $99.85. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Cyclops (2008) Eric Roberts, Kevin Stapleton, Frida Show. Sci Fi Channel telefilm about the ferocious one-eyed monster that slaughters those foolish enough to enter his forest domain and the Roman Emperor who has a plan to please the bloodlust of the people: capture the creature and unleash him in the arena against his condemned slaves. (Anchor Bay).

Einstein (2008) History Channel documentary. The remarkable, little told story of Albert Einstein and his decades-long battle to prove his Theory of General Relativity amid the violence of war and his tumultuous personal life; $24.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Enemy at the Door, Series 1 (1978) Four-disc set with 13 episodes of the ITV British series that explores the human drama of the long Nazi siege of Britain's Channel Islands during WWII; $59.99. (Acorn Media).

The Founding of America Megaset Fourteen-disc set of History Channel programming -- dramas and documentaries -- including "Founding Fathers" (miniseries), "Founding Brothers" (miniseries) as well as "1776," "Washington & Arnold," "Birth of the Republic," "The Revolution" (series), "Washington the Warrior," "Ben Franklin," "Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor," more. $99.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009) Fourth feature-length animated adventure has mankind standing on the brink of a wondrous new Green Age. But ancient forces of darkness, three years older than time itself, have returned to wreak destruction. Even more shocking: Bender's in love with a married fembot, and Leela's on the run from the law -- Zapp Brannigan's law! Fry is the last hope of the universe ... so if you're in the universe, you might want to think about going somewhere else. Could this be the end of the Planet Express crew forever? Extras: Commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Michael Rowe, Lee Supercinski, Patric M. Verrone and Peter Avanzino; storyboard animatic: "Into the Wild Green Yonder, Part 1"; "Matt Groening and David X. Cohen in Space!" featurette; "Docudramarama: How We Make Futurama So Good"; "Louder! Louder!: The Acting Technique of Penn Jillette"; "Golden Stinkers: A Treasury of Deleted Scenes"; "How To Draw Futurama In 10 Very Difficult Steps"; "Bender's Movie Theater Etiquette"] more. $29.98. (Fox). Available on Blu-ray Disc.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008) Chace Crawford, Haley Bennett, AnnaLynne McCord, Jake Weber, Josh Stewart, Nina Siemaszko, Randy Wayne, Jessica Lowndes, Shannon Marie Woodward, Marin Hinkle. Extras: Interviews with cast and crew. (Fox).

History Presents: The 60s Megaset Fourteen-disc set with "1968 With Tom Brokaw," "The 1960's," "Days of Rage and Wonder," "King," "Hippies," JFK: A Presidency Revealed," "The Race To The Moon," "The Vietnam War," $99.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

How'd They Build That? (2009) Behind-the-scenes series that looks at this country's most renowned assembly plants showing how different types of trucks are built, using live action and 3-D animation. The two latest offerings: "School Bus" and "Concrete Truck," $8.99 each. (Marvelous Media).

Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force: The Complete Season One (2008) Five-disc set with 13
episodes, $24.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Just Shoot Me: The Complete Third Season (1998-99) Three-disc set with 25 episodes, $39.95. (Sony).

The Last House on the Left Collector's Edition (1972) Dir.: Wes Craven; Sandra Cassell, Lucy Grantham, David Hess, Fred J. Lincoln, Jeramie Rain, Marc Sheffler. When two young girls are kidnapped and brutalized by a vicious group of escaped convicts, one of the victim's parents takes matters into his own hands and seeks ultimate vengeance. Extras: Commentary by actors David Hess, Marc Sheffler and Fred Lincoln; more than 80 minutes of featurettes including all-new interviews with Wes Craven; a deleted scene featuring Mari dying at the lake; never-before-seen outtakes; Craven's annotated shooting scripts. Timed for the release of the theatrical remake. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (MGM).

The Librarian: Curse of Judas Chalice (2008 -- TV) Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart, Stana Katic, Jane Curtin, Bruce Davison. Third installment in the "Librarian" series of adventures. Extras: Deleted scenes, visual effects deconstruction sequences, "A Look Behind the Monastery Scene" featurette. (Sony).

Painted Lady (1997) Helen Mirren, Iain Glen, Franco Nero. Semi-retired, with wine glass in one hand and cigarette in the other, former '60s rock singer Maggie Sheridan (Helen Mirren) seems resigned to life on a crumbling country estate, ruminating about her past. But everything changes when a botched robbery leaves her friend dead and one of his priceless paintings stolen. Determined to retrieve the masterpiece and find the killer, Maggie plunges into the deadly underworld of the art trade. PBS Masterpeice Theatre miniseries, $24.99. (Acorn Media).

Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge (2008) Jesse Jane, Evan Stone, Belladonna, Sasha Grey, Shay Jordan, Katsuni. R-rated version of the adult film about swashbuckling female pirates. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (MTI Home Video).

Red Sands (2009) Shane West, J.K. Simmons, Callum Blue. U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan discover an ancient stone statue hidden deep within an ancient ravine; using the relic for target practice, they destroy it, unwittingly releasing a vengeful supernatural force that is about to wage a horrifying war on them. Extras: Deleted scenes, director and writer commentary, "The Screenwriter Diaries: The Making of Red Sands" featurette, "Red Sands Set Tour" featurette. (Sony).

S.I.S. (2008) Keith David, Matt Nable, Peter Stebbings, Omari Hardwick, Colleen Porch. Spike TV psychological crime thriller about an elite covert unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. (Sony).

Summer Heights High (2009) In this mockumentary series set in a real Australian high school, creator and comedian Chris Lilley brings to life three hilarious characters: Jonah, a 13-year-old delinquent breakdancer from Tonga; Mr G, an ego-driven drama teacher with delusional showbiz dreams; and Ja'mie, a spoiled private school girl on a student exchange. Two-disc set, $29.98. (HBO Video).

The Universe: Collector's Edition Megaset Fourteen-disc set includes "The Universe: The Complete Season One," "The Universe: The Complete Season Two," "The Planets," "How the Earth Was Made," more. $99.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

What Just Happened (2008) Dir.: Barry Levinson; Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, John Turturro, Stanley Tucci, Robin Wright Penn, Kristen Stewart, Michael Wincott. Extras: Also available on Blu-ray Disc.

The Wiggles Present Dorothy the Dinosaur (2009) Nineteen new songs and special features from the best-selling musical artists that cater to the preschool set; $14.98. (Warner).