DVD Releases: May 22

[Sonnie]

The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) Gary Cooper, Basil Rathbone, Sigrid Gurie. (MGM).

The Adventures of the Black Stallion Four-disc set of the Family Channel series, $39.99. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).

American Pastime (2007) Gary Cole, Leonardo Nam, Aaron Yoo, Masatoshi Nakamura, Judy Ongg Nakano, Sarah Drew, Jon Gries Based on the true events of the World War II home front in the United States, where nearly a quarter of a million Japanese Americans were placed in remote internment camps because of a perceived security threat. The film's story centers around one family in Utah's Topaz camp where the interned community ironically uses baseball, for decades a part of the Japanese American fabric, as a way to rise above their daily hardships and adversity. (Warner).

Ball of Fire (1941) Dir.: Howard Hawks; Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck. (MGM).

Big Dreams in Little Hope (aka Mom) (2006) Julie Goldman, Emma Bowers. Two mismatched women doing market research in small town America begin to question where they've been and where they are going when their plans go awry. (Wolfe Video).

Casanova Brown (1944) Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Anita Louise. (MGM).

The Cowboys: Deluxe Edition (1972) Dir.: Mark Rydell; John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Colleen Dewhurst, Bruce Dern. Extras: Commentary by Rydell, "The Cowboys: Together Again" featurette, "The Breaking of Boys and the Making of Men" featurette. (Warner).

Dogfight Over Guadalcanal PBS documentary gives an up-close look at two ace fighter pilots' showdown over the Pacific in 1942; $24.99. (PBS Video/Paramount).

Epic Movie (2007) Kal Penn, Adam Campbel, Crispin Glover, Kevin MacDonald, David Carradine, Darrell Hammond, Carmen Electra, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard. In theatrical and unrated versions Extras: Rated version: Commentary by writer-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, casting tapes, storyboards, Adam Campbell's tour of the Willy Wonka Factory; unrated version adds a "Making the Video" featurette about the Pirate Rap, "How Gratuitous" featurette, "Everyone Loves Beaver Epic Hook-Ups" featurette, gag reel, alternate ending, more. (Fox).

Flags of Our Fathers Special Collector's Edition (2006) Dir.: Clint Eastwood; Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Paul Walker, Jamie Bell, Barry Pepper, John Benjamin Hickey. Two-disc set DVD, Blue-ray and HD DVD sets. Extras: An introduction by Clint Eastwood, six featurettes: "Words on the Page," "Six Brave Men," "The Making of an Epic," "Raising the Flag," "Visual Effects" and "Looking Into the Past." (Paramount).

Flags of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima Commemorative Edition (2006) Five-disc set with the two-disc "Letters from Iwo Jima," the two-disc "Flags of Our Fathers" and a fifth disc of extras, $49.96. Extras: "Heroes of Iwo Jima" History Channel documentary hosted by Gene Hackman, "To the Shores of Iwo Jima" 1945 Academy Award nominated short film.

The Hard Easy (2005) Henry Thomas, David Boreanaz, Nick Lachey, Vera Farmiga, Bruce Dern, Peter Weller, Gary Busey. Pair of losers are both approached by separate groups of thieves looking for accomplices in a bank robbery; an "easy" job gets complicated when the men find themselves involved in the same hold-up at the same time. Extras: Commentary by director Ari Ryan and producer Scott Gold, bloopers, behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew. (HBO Video).

The Italian (Italianetz) (2005 -- Russian) Kolya Spiridonov, Denis Moiseenko, Sasha Sirotkin. A young boy set to be adopted by an Italian couple sets out on a perilous journey to find his Russian mother. (Sony).

John Wayne Film CollectionSix-disc set with "Allegheny Uprising," "Reunion in France," "Tycoon," "Without Reservations," "Trouble Along the Way" and "Big Jim McLain"; $49.92 or $12.97 each. (Warner).

• Allegheny Uprising (1939) John Wayne, Claire Trevor, George Sanders, Brian Donlevy. Extras: "The Bill of Rights" (1939 WB short) and "Land of the Midnight Fun" (1939 WB cartoon).
• Big Jim McLain (1952) John Wayne, James Arness. Extras: "So You Want to Enjoy Life" (1952 WB short) and "The Super Snooper" (1952 WB cartoon).
• Reunion in France (1942) Dir.: Jules Dassin; John Wayne, Joan Crawford. Extras: "We Do It Because" (1942 MGM short) and "War Dogs" (1943 MGM cartoon).
• Trouble Along the Way (1953) Dir.: Michael Curtiz; John Wayne, Charles Coburn, Donna Reed. Extras: "So You Think You Can't Sleep" (1953 WB short) and "Muscle Tussle" (1953 WB cartoon).
• Tycoon (1947) John Wayne, Laraine Day, Cedric Hardwicke, Judith Anderson, James Gleason, Anthony Quinn. Extras: "Hollywood Wonderland" (1947 WB short) and "Red Hot Rangers" (1947 MGM cartoon).
• Without Reservations (1946) Dir.: Mervyn LeRoy; John Wayne, Claudette Colbert, Don DeFore, Jack Benny, Cary Grant, Louella Parsons. Extras: "I Love My Husband, But! (1946 MGM short) and "Holiday for Shoestrings" (1946 WB cartoon).

Kitchen Confidential: The Complete Series Two-disc set with all 11 episodes, $29.98. (Fox).

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) Dir.: Clint Eastwood; Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura, Hiroshi Watanabe.Two-disc set. Extras: ÒRed Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima,Ó ÒThe Faces of War: The Cast of Letters From Iwo Jima,Ó Images From the FrontlinesÓ photos from world premiere at Budo-kan in Tokyo, press conference at Grand Hyatt Tokyo. (Warner).

The Marines Definitive documentary about the rich history and tradition of the United States Marine Corps; $24.99. (PBS Video/Paramount).

M-G-M Movie Legends Gary Cooper Collection Four-disc set with "Vera Cruz" (1954), "Cowboy and the Lady" (1938) (new to DVD), "The Real Glory" (1939) and "The Winning of Barbara Worth" (1926); $39.98. (MGM).

M-G-M Movie Legends Peter Sellers Collection Four-disc set with "The Pink Panther" (1963), "Casino Royale" (1967), "The Party" (1968) and "What's New, Pussycat?" (1965); $39.98. (MGM).
Memory (2005) Billy Zane, Tricia Helfer, Ann-Margret, Dennis Hopper. A researcher in Brazil is haunted by nightmarish visions of a shadowy predator who abducts young girls. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).

The O.C.: The Complete Fourth Season Five-disc set with the final 16 episodes, $59.98. Extras: "The Magic of Chrismakkah" and "Summer Roberts: Coming of Age" featurettes, unaired scenes. (Warner).

Prince of the City (1981) Dir.: Sidney Lumet; Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Bob Balaban, Lindsay Crouse. Two-disc set. Extras: New featurette "Prince of the City: The Real Story." (Warner).

Rio Bravo: Special Edition and Ultimate Collectors Edition (1959) Dir.: Howard Hawks; John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Ward Bond. Two-disc set special edition ($20.97) and a two-disc Ultimate Collectors Edition that includes such collectible memorabilia as the film's press book, a Dell comic book and lobby cards. Extras: Commentary by John Carpenter and Richard Schickel, Wayne trailer gallery, "The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks" (1973 documentary), two new featurettes: "Commemoration: Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo" and "Old Tucson: Where the Legends Walked." (Warner).

Roots: 30th Anniversary Special Edition (1977) Four-disc set, $59.98. Cicely Tyson, Le Var Burton, Ed Asner, Maya Angelou, O.J. Simpson, Ralph Waite, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Reed, Lorne Greene, Lynda Day George, Vic Morrow, Richard Roundtree, Ben Vereen, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Uggams, Doug McClure, Sandy Duncan, Burl Ives, Richard Farnsworth, Chuck Connors, George Hamilton, Carolyn Jones, Extras: "Crossing Over: How Roots Captivated an Entire Nation" new featurette; "Remembering Roots" behind-the-scenes documentary; video highlights with key cast members relaying their memories of filming particular scenes; commentary by key cast members including Le Var Burton, Cicely Tyson and Ed Asner; CD-ROM content: "Roots' Family Tree." (Warner).

Sansho the Baliff (1954 - Japan) Dir.: Kenji Mizoguchi; Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyoko Kagawa, Eitaro Shindo. Stunning film set in medieval Japan about an idealistic governor who disobeys the reigning feudal lord and is cast into exile; his wife and children are left to fend for themselves and eventually are wrenched apart by vicious slave drivers. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Two-disc set. Extras: Commentary by scholar Jeffrey Angles; new video interviews with critic Tadao Sato, assistant director Tokuzo Tanaka, and legendary actress Kyoko Kagawa on the making of the film and its lasting importance; booklet featuring a new essay by scholar Mark Le Fanu, Ogai Mori's 1915 "Sansho Dayu," the story on which the film was based, in a new translation by J. Thomas Rimer, and a written form of an oral variation of the same story, dating back to the 15th century, in a rare English translation. (The Criterion Collection).

Steelyard Blues (1972) Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Howard Hesseman, Peter Boyle, John Savage, Garry Goodrow. Extras: Vintage featurette "Would You Believe? Peter Boyle!!" (Warner).

Straight Time (1978) Dustin Hoffman, Theresa Russell, Harry Dean Stanton, Gary Busey, M. Emmet Walsh, Kathy Bates. Extras: Commentary by Hoffman and director Ulu Grosbard, vintage featurette "Straight Time: He Wrote It for Criminals." (Warner).

Summer School Special Collector's Edition (1987) Dir.: Carl Reiner; Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Patrick Labyorteaux, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Dean Cameron. Extras: Commentary by director Carl Reiner and Mark Harmon, "Inside the Teacher's Lounge" featurette, "Summer School Yearbook" featurette, photo gallery. (Paramount).

The Third Man (1949) Dir.: Carol Reed; Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Two-disc set. Extras: Video introduction by writer-director Peter Bogdanovich; commentary by film scholar Dana Polan; "Shadowing the Third Man," a 90-minute 2005 feature documentary on the making of the film; abridged recording of Graham Greene's treatment, read by actor Richard Clarke; "The Third Man" on the radio: the 1951 "A Ticket to Tangiers" episode of "The Lives of Harry Lime" series, written and performed by Orson Welles, and the 1951 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of "The Third Man"; illustrated production history with rare behind-the-scenes photos, original U.K. press book and U.S. trailer; actor Joseph Cotten's alternate opening voiceover narration for the U.S. version; archival footage and photos of postwar Vienna; look at the untranslated foreign dialogue in the film; booklet featuring essays by Luc Sante, Charles Drazin, and Philip Kerr. (The Criterion Collection).

True Grit: Special Collector's Edition (1969) Dir.: Henry Hathaway; John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, Strother Martin, Dennis Hopper. Extras: Commentary by Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Boze Bell and J. Stuart Rosebrook; "True Writing," " Working With the Duke," "Aspen Gold: Locations of True Grit" and "The Law and the Lawless" featurettes. (Paramount).

Warplane PBS documentary explores the evolution of the warplane by telling the stories of the creative minds who, out of necessity, have created awe-inspiring machines; $24.99. (PBS Video/Paramount).

The Wedding Night (1935) Gary Cooper, Anna Sten. (MGM).

Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981) Dir.: John Badham; Richard Dreyfuss, John Cassavetes, Christine Lahti, Bob Balaban. Extras: Commentary director John Badham and composer Arthur B. Rubinstein. (Warner).