DVD Releases: June 24

[Sonnie]

Before the Rain (1994 -- Macedonian) Dir.: Milcho Manchevski; Katrin Cartlidge, Gregoire Colin, Rade Serbedzija. New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Milcho Manchevski. Extras: Commentary featuring Manchevski and film scholar Annette Insdorf; new video interview with actor Rade Serbedzija, Manchevski's award-winning music video for Arrested Development's "Tennessee," stills galleries of Manchevski's photographs and
on-set shots, new essay by film scholar Ian Christie, more. (The Criterion Collection).

The Big Easy: The Complete First Season Four-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98. (MPI Home Video).

Birth of a Civilization National Geographic Channel epic account of the first 8,000 years of our civilization, from humankind's emergence on the planet through the continued quest to dominate the world; $19.98. (Warner).

Bonneville (2008) Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Joan Allen, Tom Skerritt, Christine Baranski. The lives and friendships of three best friends are tried and tested as they take a cross-country road trip. After losing her husband, a widow persuades two friends to tag along as she sets off to California in a vintage '66 Bonneville convertible to deliver her late-husband's ashes to her resentful stepdaughter. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, alternate and deleted scenes, gag reels. (Fox).

Charlie Bartlett (2007) Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, Tyler Hilton, Jake Epstein, Lauren Collins, Dylan Taylor, Mark Rendall, Kat Dennings, Derek McGrath. Extras: Commentary by director Jon Poll and writer Gustin Nash; commentary by Poll and editor Alan Baumgarten; commentary by Poll, actors Anton Yelchin and Kat Dennings; "Restroom Confessionals," Spiral Beach "Voodoo" music video; deleted scenes; featurettes. (MGM/Fox).

Dark Heart (2006) Greg Joelson, Darcy Halsey, Brian Howe, William Dennis Hurley, Huntley Ritter. Upon returning home as a hero from the Iraq War, Special Forces Agent Matt Taylor is thrown into another battle in his once quiet hometown where, as in Iraq, you don't know who are friends and who are enemies. (MTI Home Video).

Definitely, Maybe (2008) Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz. Extras: Commentary by director Adam Brooks and Ryan Reynolds, deleted scenes, "Creating a Romance" featurette, "The Changing Times of Defintely, Maybe" featurette. (Universal).

Don't Call Me Bugsy Documentary about the gangster who founded Las Vegas; $14.98. (MPI Home Video).

Early Edition: The First Season Six-disc set with 23 episodes, $46.99. (Paramount).

Elmo's World: Summer Vacation (2008) Elmo takes toddlers to the beach to lean about sunblock, sand and cameras. Three episodes, $12.93. (Sesame Workshop/Genius Products).

Finishing the Game (2007) James Franco, Dustin Nguyen, Roger Fan, Sung Kang, McCaleb Burnett. Mockumentary-style comedy. The unexpected death of Bruce Lee came at the zenith of his popularity. Having already shot scenes for his upcoming movie "Game of Death," studio heads decided to complete the film by launching a search for his replacement, attracting hopefuls from around the world. This film re-imagines that audition process and pokes fun at Hollywood, martial arts and Asian stereotypes in the process. Extras: Commentary by co-writer/director Justin Lin, co-writer Josh Diamond and composer Brian Tyler; "On Set Mayhem" featurette; deleted scenes; "Satisfaction" music video by Far*East Movement. (Genius Products).

The Free Will (2006 -- Germany) Jurgen Vogel, Sabine Timoteo. Disturbing drama about a convicted sexual predator who has just been released from psychiatric detention. His fear of women stirs a profound, unfulfilled longing within him, making his reintegration into society an unbearable ordeal. Can hope exist in his budding relationship with Nettie, herself a victim of abuse, as they embark on a journey to the limits of free will? Silver Bear Winner at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. Extras: Commentary with director Matthias Glasner and co-writer-star Jurgen Vogel (English subtitled), all new critical essay by "Time Out New York" film critic David Fear. (Benten Films: www.bentenfilms.com).

The Furies (1950) Dir.: Anthony Mann; Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson, Wendell Corey, Gilbert Roland. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Commentary featuring film historian Jim Kitses; rare, 1931 on-camera interview with Walter Huston, made for the movie theater series "Intimate Interviews"; new video interview with Nina Mann, daughter of director Anthony Mann; stills gallery of rare behind-the-scenes photos; booklet featuring a new essay by critic Robin Wood, a 1957 Cahiers du cinema interview with Mann, and a new printing of Niven Busch's original novel. (The Criterion Collection).

Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs (2008) In their latest extraterrestrial exploits, Bender, Fry, Leela and crew encounter a repulsive, planet-sized creature with billions of probing tentacles ... and soon find themselves involved in a disturbing -- yet sensuous -- interplanetary love story; $29.98. Extras: Commentary, featurettes, animatics, deleted scenes, more. (Fox).

The Hammer (2008) Adam Carolla. Comedy about a middle-aged boxing instructor and carpenter who loses his job and gets another chance at his dream -- he's invited to try out for the U.S. Olympic Boxing team. Extras: Deleted scenes, outtakes, commentaries, conversation with Carolla. (The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).

Homemade Hillbilly Jam (2007) Enjoyable documentary captures the rich and wonderful sounds of Ozark "hillbilly" music by following three families of modern-day hillbillies back to the roots of their music-making heritage, $24.95. (First Run Features).

In Bruges (2008) Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Clemence Posey, Ralph Fiennes. Extras: Deleted scenes, gag reel, "When in Bruges" behind-the-scenes featurette, "Strange Bruges" featurette, "A Boat Trip Around Bruges," "F*cking Br*ges" featurette. (Universal).

The Lodge (2008) Elizabeth Kell, Mandi Kreisher, Kevin McClatchy, Owen Szabo. A young couple's weekend getaway at a secluded mountain ranch becomes an unfathomable nightmare when they discover the truth about the caretaker. (Monarch Home Video).

My Boys: The Complete First Season Three-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98. Extras: "Life in the Press Box" behind-the-scenes featurette, "PJ's Rules for Sports and Dating" featurette, "No Crying in Baseball" outtakes and bloopers, "Favorites in Sports" montage of sports from the show featurette, sports quiz with cast and crew, "Riding the Pine" deleted scenes, minisodes. (Sony).

Persepolis (2008 -- French) Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes. Extras: English Language version of the film featuring the voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Sean Penn, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands and Iggy Pop; "The Hidden Side of Persepolis" making of the French version featurette; "Behind the Scenes of Persepolis" recording the English version featurette; commentary by directors Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud and actress Chiara Mastoianni on select scenes; animated scene comparisons; 2007 Festival des Cannes press conference Q&A with cast and crew. (Sony).

The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Set 3 Three-disc set with five episodes of mysteries based on the fiction of best-selling crime-writer Ruth Rendell, $49.99. (Acorn Media).

Simon: King of the Witches (1971) A professional warlock summons evil forces to thwart his enemies. (Dark Sky Films/MPI Home Video).

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Seth Rogen, Martin Short. Available in a single-disc and two-disc special edition (with extras). Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, "The Magic of Spiderwick" featurette, "Spiderwick: It's All True" featurette, deleted scenes, peek inside "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide." Also available on Blu-ray Disc.(Paramount).

The Tattooist (2007) Jason Behr, Mia Blake, David Fane. A tattooist unwittingly unleashes a deadly spirit through an ancient Samoan tattoo tool that marks him for death. Extras: Commentary by director Peter Burger and Jason Behr, deleted scenes, featurettes: "The Tattooist: Behind the Scenes," "Behind the Tattoo Designs," "The Colors of The Tattooist," "Real Life Samoan Tattoo," "Becoming a Chief," digital copy of the film. (Sony).

Telling Lies (2006) Melanie Brown, Jason Flemyng, Kelly Stables. Psychological thriller about a seemingly innocent co-ed under suspicion for murder who tries to convince the authorities and her father that she's not guilty. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).

10,000 B.C. (2008) Dir.: Roland Emmerich; Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Omar Sharif, Reece Ritchie, Suri van Sornsen. Extras: Alternate ending, additional scenes. Available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).

The Vice: Season Two Three-disc set with eight episodes of the hard-hitting British TV series set in the vice unit of London's Metropolitan Police; aired on BBC America, $49.98. (MPI Home Video).

Where Is Jimmy Hoffa? Documentary explores the life and disappearance of Teamsters Union's Hoffa; $14.98. (MPI Home Video).

Wide Sargasso Sea (2006) New U.K. production of Jean Rhys' novel, dubbed a prequel to "Jane Eyre," which imagines how Mr. Rochester met and married his first wife and how she wound up as the madwoman in the attic. Stars Rafe Spall and Rebecca Hall. $24.99. (Acorn Media).

The Wig (2005 -- South Korea) Min-seo Chae. A wig given to a cancer patient who lost her hair during chemotherapy turns out to harbor evil spirits. (Genius Products).

Xanadu - Magical Music Edition (1980) Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly. Remastered with 5.1 soundtrack. Extras: Photo gallery, bonus music CD with the complete soundtrack. (Universal).