“Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”One of the most crude, crass yet beloved overseas observers of the glorious nation of U.S. and A. blusters his way into your homes. Reprising one of the alter egos he created on “Da Ali G Show,” British comic Sacha Baron Cohen delivered a $100 million hit with this uproarious assemblage of sketches, documentary-style encounters and moments of cultural ridicule. Cohen plays the clueless, buffoonish Borat, a Kazakh TV journalist traveling across the United States to report back on the nation and its people to his homeland — and hopefully, to wed Pamela Anderson in the process. The DVD includes five deleted scenes plus a montage of deleted footage, along with coverage of the publicity tour Cohen did last year, always maintaining the Borat persona. DVD, $29.98. (20th Century Fox) Read the review
“Peter Pan”Another of the most cherished cartoon features ever is re-released from the Walt Disney vaults in a two-disc set with a digitally restored version of the 1953 classic. The adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s tale follows the adventures of three children, Wendy, John and Michael Darling, who are whisked to a magical land of pirates, fairies and Peter Pan, the boy who can fly and refuses to grow up. Among the highlights of the DVD extras is a segment about alternate approaches Disney considered for the film but abandoned, including a different opening that would have started the story in the fantasy world of Never Land, instead of the Darlings’ London home. The set includes a couple of deleted songs, games and storybooks, a making-of featurette and an essay from Walt Disney himself on why he made the film. Walt’s nephew, Roy Disney, is host for audio commentary that includes Disney animators, critics such as Leonard Maltin, and Kathryn Beaumont, who provided the voice of Wendy. The set also has a preview of the upcoming straight-to-video release “Tinker Bell,” centered on the tiny flying pixie who is best pals with Peter. DVD set, $29.99. (Disney)
“Literary Classics Collection”Three decades of films adapted from classic literature debut on DVD. The five-disc set includes Vincente Minnelli’s 1949 rendition of Gustave Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary,” with Jennifer Jones as the doomed adulteress. Also in the set: the 1948 take on Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers,” starring Gene Kelly as the dashing D’Artagnan; 1962’s “Billy Budd,” with Robert Ryan and Peter Ustinov in an adaptation of Herman Melville’s shipboard saga; Gregory Peck in the title role of C.S. Forester’s naval adventure “Captain Horatio Hornblower”; and a double-feature disc containing the 1937 and 1952 versions of Anthony Hope’s “The Prisoner of Zenda.” Terence Stamp, who plays the title role in “Billy Budd,” and his director on “The Limey,” Steven Soderbergh, offer commentary for that film, while the other discs feature vintage cartoons and short films. DVD set, $59.92; single DVDs, $19.97 each (Warner Bros.)
“The Full Monty: Fully Exposed Edition”
It’s been 10 years since a scruffy bunch of out-of-work Brits dropped their drawers and endeared themselves to movie audiences. The comedy that bulled its way into the 1997 best-picture race at the Academy Awards gets a DVD makeover in a two-disc set with a huge range of extras. Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson and Mark Addy lead the cast in the story of unemployed steelworkers who find a new avocation as a team of male strippers. The set includes 10 deleted scenes; featurettes on the Oscar-nominated score, the Sheffield, England, locations, and director Peter Cattaneo; and a look at Britain’s film industry in the 1990s. Addy and Cattaneo team up for audio commentary. DVD set, $19.98. (20th Century Fox)
TV on DVD:
“Hawaii Five-O: The First Season” — Book ’em, Danno. Jack Lord’s so-square-it’s-hip cop drama resurfaces on DVD. Lord and James MacArthur star in the show that debuted in 1968, following a team of tough Hawaiian detectives. The seven-disc set has the first 24 episodes, plus the original movie pilot and a 1996 retrospective featuring cast interviews. DVD set, $54.99. (Paramount)
“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The First Season” — Melissa Joan Hart returns as the sweet-16 sorceress, who lives with her two witchcraft-mentoring aunts and balances her magic studies with teen life. The first 24 episodes come in a four-disc set. DVD set, $42.99. (Paramount)
“Northern Exposure: The Complete Sixth Season” — The show about the quirky town of Cicely, Alaska, could not survive the departure of Rob Morrow part way through year six. The final season’s 23 episodes come in a five-disc set, accompanied by deleted scenes. Fans justifiably annoyed that some songs critical to the mood of the broadcast episodes were replaced with generic tunes on the earlier DVD seasons will be glad to know the sweet closing montage in the series finale still has Iris DeMent’s lovely “Our Town” as backdrop. DVD set, $59.98. (Universal)
“Stargate Atlantis: Season Two” — The spinoff of the sci-fi hit “Stargate SG-1” continues with a five-disc set packing all 20 episodes from year two. The set has commentary for each episode, plus a handful of featurettes. DVD set, $49.98. (MGM)
“Moonlighting: Season Five” — The final season of Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd’s glib action comedy comes in a three-disc set with all 13 episodes. The set has cast and crew commentary and Willis and Shepherd’s original screen tests. DVD set, $29.98. (Lionsgate)
Other new releases:
“Let’s Go to Prison” — Dax Shepard and Will Arnett star in this revenge comedy about a career criminal seeking payback against the judge who sentenced him by having the jurist’s son tossed in the clink along with him. DVD, $29.98. (Universal)
“Confetti” — Taking its cue from “This Is Spinal Tap” and Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, this British comedy features Martin Freeman in the story of couples competing on a reality-TV show to create the most original and outlandish wedding. DVD, $27.98. (20th Century Fox)