Goodies for Home Viewers and Ardent Fans

Gifts for the video lover and especially for the DVD owner in your life are in abundance in this holiday season, with Christmas-themed specials, gift sets, documentaries and sports among the highlights.

General Interest

“THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES,” video, Paramount Home Video ($44.85). Watch Indiana Jones old or young with digitally remastered versions of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which was just inducted into the National Film Registry; “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”; “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”; three feature-length video releases from the TV series “The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones,” starring Sean Patrick Flanery; and behind-the-scenes interviews with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and Flanery. (All 12 of the TV episodes are available individually, priced at $14.95 each.)

“ ‘HEAVY METAL’ COLLECTOR’S SERIES,” DVD, Columbia TriStar, ($27.95). For the obsessive metal music fan, this deluxe DVD of the 1981 cult sci-fi flick produced by Ivan Reitman features a documentary, deleted scenes, a rough cut with optional commentary, production photo gallery, pencil portfolio with animation, production notes, single and layered cells portfolio and a Heavy Metal magazine cover gallery.

“THE JAMES BOND COLLECTION,” video or DVD, MGM ($14.95 each for VHS; $34.98 each for DVD; $199.98 for DVD gift set). Agent 007 is back in digitally enhanced special-edition DVD and videocassettes of “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “GoldenEye,” “Thunderball,” “Live and Let Die,” “For Your Eyes Only” and “License to Kill.” Each DVD includes a new documentary, commentaries, featurettes, storyboards and music videos.

“MTV UNPLUGGED,” video or DVD, SMV ($12.98 each for VHS; $19.98 each for DVD). Two collections from the acclaimed MTV series: “Finest Moments” and “Classic Moments.” Each tape features eight performances from the likes of Oasis, Live, Duran Duran, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Chris Isaak.

“JUDY GARLAND COLLECTION,” DVD, Pioneer Entertainment and Classic World Productions ($119.98). This deluxe DVD set contains 14 complete episodes of Garland’s 1963-64 CBS series, all digitally remastered, including two concert programs and a program of her solo songs. There are also a dozen never-aired outtakes, rehearsal footage, audio commentary from original producer George Schlatter, and a paperback copy of Coyne Steven Sanders’ book, ‘Rainbow’s End.”

“BIOGRAPHY OF THE MILLENNIUM,” video, A&E; ($39.95). This four-volume set features the 100 most influential people of the last 1,000 years, including Genghis Khan, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates and Marilyn Monroe.

“THE BARRY LEVINSON COLLECTION,” video; Warner Home Video ($44.92). Just in time for the release of the director’s new “Liberty Heights” comes a set of the director’s other three films set in his native Baltimore: “Avalon,” “Tin Men” and “Diner.”

“MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-CENTURY TEAM,” video, USA ($19.95). This tape includes interviews with the winners of the fans’ all-star team of the last 100 years, stories about the best players in history, and rare historical footage. No Jim Gray here: The tape was made before his infamous interview with Pete Rose.

“DISNEY GIFT SET,” DVD, Disney ($359.99). Starting Tuesday for just 20 days, Disney is offering a gift disc set of nine of its animated classics, including “Pinocchio,” “101 Dalmatians,” “Hercules,” “Mulan,” “The Lady and the Tramp” and “The Little Mermaid.”

“MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, VOLS. 3 and 4,” video and DVD, A&E; ($12.95 for single VHS; $29.95 for the set; $24.95 for single DVD; $44.95 for DVD set). More silly walks and dead parrots: Included on these tapes are the famous “Spanish Inquisition” and Spam sketches; the DVDs include rare photos, footage and silly bits, and a glossary of Pythonisms.

“ANASTASIA,” video, Fox, ($29.98). Fox’s first full-length animated adventure makes its DVD debut with such bonus features as animated menus, three interactive puzzles, two sing-along songs, a documentary and a featurette.

Holiday Themes

“RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER,” video and DVD, Golden Books Family Home Entertainment ($9.98 for VHS; $19.98 for DVD). The classic CBS holiday treat celebrates its 35th anniversary with a special-edition DVD, which features interactive menus, an interactive “Rudolph’s Trivia” game and video clips of other holiday animated classics.

“ ‘HOME ALONE’ GIFT PACK,” DVD, Fox ($79.98). This gift pack features all three holiday family comedies: “Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2” and “Home Alone 3.”

“JINGLE BELLS,” video, Artisan ($12.38). Jason Alexander is the voice of the elf in this animated holiday musical, which also features the talents of Shelley Long and Don Knotts

“HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS,” DVD, Warner ($19.98). A new disc of the classic Dr. Seuss animated holiday fable includes an interactive game and pencil tests of the Grinch and Horton characters.

“A CHRISTMAS STORY,” DVD, Warner ($19.98). The quirky, delightful 1983 comedy directed by Bob Clark makes its DVD debut with such extra goodies as an animated menu and the theatrical trailer. Purists may object because it is available only in the pan-and-scan format.

“IT’S A WONDERFUL RED GREEN CHRISTMAS,” video, Acorn, ($19.95). Fans of the PBS comedy series will want to check out its first Christmas video, which finds Red, Harold and the gang of Possum Lodge gathering for an old-fashioned holiday.

“THE NUTTIEST NUTCRACKER,” DVD, Columbia TriStar ($19.95). The first computer-animated direct-to-video title features the voice talents of Jim Belushi, Cheech Marin and Phyllis Diller.

“BARNEY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,” video or DVD, Lyrick ($14.95 for VHS; $24.99 for DVD). In this yuletide special, the Purple One and his friends take a magical musical trip to the North Pole to visit Santa. The DVD features eight new DVD-ROM interactive games, a sing-along and a song sampler featuring eight Barney songs.