"Big Trouble" (Touchstone) - Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry's best-selling novel, this comedy tells the story of a mysterious suitcase and how it brings together a divorced dad, an unhappy housewife, two hitmen, a pair of street thugs, two love-struck teens, two FBI men and a psychedelic toad. Starring Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Omar Epps, Dennis Farina and Janeane Garofalo. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Rated PG-13 for language, crude humor and sex-related material.

"High Crimes" (Twentieth Century Fox) - In this thriller/drama, a happily married, successful female lawyer (Ashley Judd) is shocked to learn that her husband has a hidden past as a classified military operative and is accused of committing a heinous war crime. She must wrestle with her own doubts about his guilt as she defends him, with the help of a private investigator, in a top-secret military court where none of the rules she knows so well apply. Starring Judd, Morgan Freeman, Amanda Peet, Adam Scott and James Caviezel. Directed by Carl Franklin. Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language.

"National Lampoon's Van Wilder" (Artisan) - In this comedy, Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) might be starting his seventh year at Coolidge College, but graduation is the furthest thing from his mind. Armed with a personal assistant and a coterie of admirers, Van has reached the status of living legend on campus, throwing bashes that make geeks popular, raising money for charity and generally "inspiring the uninspired." But when Van's father refuses to pay any more of his son's tuition bills, Van must turn to party planning for profit in order to continue living in undergraduate bliss, thereby becoming the subject of an exposé by disapproving school journalist Gwen Pearson (Tara Reid). What begins as a clash of wills, however, soon leads to unexpected romance as Van and Gwen both realize they have a lot to learn from each other. Starring Reynolds, Reid, Tim Matheson, Tom Everett Scott and Alex Burns. Directed by Walt Becker. Rated R for strong sexual content, gross humor, language and some drug content.

"Bandits: Special Edition" (2001) - Somewhat lost in the shuffle in the fall of Billy Bob Thornton, the DVD for this comedic caper includes an alternate ending, deleted footage, a "Creating Scene 71" featurette and a making-of featurette.

"The Net: Special Edition" (1995) - While some might call this the official scraping of the barrel for special editions, the fans of this thriller yelled loud enough to garner the attention for Sandra Bullock's star vehicle. The DVD features audio commentaries, a "From Script to Screen" featurette and an HBO making-of featurette. Look for the acting performed by Dennis Miller, rivaling his epic turn in "Bordello of Blood" for his career achievement.

"Transylvania 6-5000: Special Edition" (1985) - Sometimes, a film captures the fledgling beginnings of an acting revolution: Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley Jr., Michael Richards and Geena Davis. It's a veritable who's who from the Odd Role Choice School of Acting. The supposed cult-classic collectible includes audio commentary by writer/director Rudy De Luca and visual consultant Steve Haberman, a still gallery, original storyboard art and theatrical trailers.

"The Usual Suspects: Limited Edition" (1995) - For a short time in the mid-'90s, "Who is Keyser Soze?" became the cool catchphrase for film buffs, a phenomenon not seen again until "Memento" in 2001. Replacing a minimal DVD edition, this special edition includes audio commentary by director Bryan Singer and writer Christopher McQuarrie, audio commentary by John Ottman, a "Pursuing the Suspects" featurette, a "Keyser Soze: Lie or Legend?" featurette, a "Doing Time With the Suspects" featurette, a gag reel and trailers.

DVDictionary

GIE films (acronym): Stands for Groan-Inducing Embarassment films; movies that, though cheesy, feature regrettable performances by actors who go on to bigger and better things, i.e. two releases this week featuring Tom Hanks ("Joe Versus the Volcano" and "Turner and Hooch").