A & E

'World Trade Center'
PG-13; 2006;

Oliver Stone's movie has a particularly effective first half hour -- the scenes that anticipate the catastrophe on 9/11. But in focusing on just two true-life characters who were buried in rubble beneath Manhattan's World Trade Center for many hours, the movie becomes myopic in the manner of a mine rescue thriller.

The two trapped heroes are Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena).

The double-disc DVD has deleted and extended scenes, featurettes and commentaries by Stone, Jimeno and others.

Bond, James Bond

Tied to the theatrical release of "Casino Royale," which could become the biggest grosser in the series, 10 more of the earlier Bond adventures are back in a pair of five-film box sets. Every one is a double-disc deal with audio commentaries and lots of featurettes.

In listing each, I'll mention the actor who plays Bond.

Volume 3

• "From Russia With Love", Sean Connery; PG; 1963;
• "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", George Lazenby; PG; 1969;
• "Live and Let Die", Roger Moore; PG; 1973;
• "For Your Eyes Only", Moore; PG; 1981;
• "Goldeneye" , Pierce Brosnan; PG-13; 1995;

Volume 4

• "Dr. No", Connery; PG; 1962;
• "You Only Live Twice", Connery; PG; 1967;
• "Moonraker", Moore; PG; 1979;
• "Octopussy" PG; 1983;
• "Tomorrow Never Dies", Brosnan; PG-13; 1997;

'True-Life Adventures'

Although Walt Disney's studio is associated most with its cartoon features and, later, live-action comedies, the studio produced many superb nature documentaries, some of which were half-hour shorts released as companions to the animated pictures and some were feature-length movies released on their own.

Four new double-disc "True-Life Adventures" DVDs are loaded with Disney documentaries. Collectively the content is .

Listed here are highlights.

"Wonders of the World" includes "White Wilderness," "Mysteries of the Deep" and "Beaver Valley."

"Lands of Exploration" packages "The Living Desert," my favorite, with "The Vanishing Prairie" and "Seal Island."

"Creatures of the Wild" groups "The African Lion" with "Jungle Cat" and "Bear Country."

"Nature's Mysteries" consists of "Perri," "Nature's Half Acre" and "Secrets of Life."

'The Devil Wears Prada'
PG-13; 2006;
.

A hit, maybe. A good movie, sure. But no one supposed the Meryl Streep picture would gross $125 million in North America and another $187 million abroad.

Streep plays the impossible control freak editor of a major fashion magazine where nice young Anne Hathaway hopes to hang on for just one year. Just by surviving the endurance test, Hathaway expects to be more highly regarded in the fashion community and in publishing.

'Pursuit of Honor: The Rise of George Washington'
G in nature; 2006;
.

A documentary, with passages set in the Pittsburgh area, about the first U.S. president, whom on-screen historians describe as vain, volatile, a natural leader and possibly sterile. Though not a part of his identity today, his temper and profanity were astonishing in their era.

He and wife Martha, who had been the wealthiest widow in Virginia, had no children together although they raised hers from a previous marriage. George loved epileptic stepdaughter Patsy but was disappointed by unambitious stepson Jackie.

The film is refreshingly steeped in historical detail and well worth a look.

One reservation that may not trouble many: It weaves recently photographed and narrated scenes featuring Bryan C. Cunning as Washington, plus many other actors, through historical paintings of the real people, who look nothing like the wigged actors. The irreconcilable images from past and present have a distancing effect.

'Barnyard'
PG; 2006;
.

Though less sophisticated than the comic panel The Far Side, the animated comedy "Barnyard" shares with it an antic sense of animal farm life. As the tone becomes more serious, a threat by coyotes is more startling than one might expect in a cartoon.

There's a commentary by the filmmakers plus featurettes and seven deleted scenes.

'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'
PG; 2005;
.

Returning to DVD in a four-disc Extended Edition, "Narnia" now contains additional scenes, a feature-length documentary on author C.S. Lewis and hours of features on the "Narnia" series and the film's production.

'My Geisha'
PG in nature; 1962;
.

A serious drama is founded on an "I Love Lucy" kind of premise: When movie director Yves Montand decides against casting comedienne-actress wife Shirley MacLaine in his "Madame Butterfly" film, she disguises herself as a Japanese geisha to get the part.

The premise, which has the audience rooting for MacLaine, was not regarded as politically incorrect in its time but would be now. Edward G. Robinson and Bob Cummings co-star.

Dean Martin duo

Steubenville's Dean Martin was 78 when he died on Christmas 1995. No one can say he chose his roles with great care, but he turned up in his share of good pictures ("Some Came Running," "The Young Lions," "Rio Bravo," "Toys in the Attic"), and a case can be made for the 16 he did with Jerry Lewis.

Two romantic comedies he did for Columbia have been packaged as a double bill:

"Who Was That Lady?" PG in nature; 1960; .

This is from a moderately successful Broadway comedy that was produced frequently in stock in the '60s. When Tony Curtis is suspected by wife Janet Leigh of tomfoolery, best pal Martin helps but with farcical repercussions.

"How to Save a Marriage (and Ruin Your Life)" PG in nature; 1968; .

A watchable, if implausible, misfire in which Martin becomes involved with Stella Stevens, whom he mistakenly believes is his friend's mistress.

'Bugsy'
Unrated (but R in nature) extension of R-rated film; 1991;
.

Widely admired at the time and amply Oscar-nominated, Barry Levinson's "Bugsy" suffers from a self-conscious central performance by Warren Beatty as Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, the mobster who jump-started Las Vegas as a tourist destination. Annette Bening was better liked as Virginia Hill, the actress he loved.

The double-disc DVD has deleted scenes and a promotional featurette but no audio commentary.

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