18 Must-Have DVDs and Blu-rays

From anniversary editions (''Breakfast at Tiffany's,'' ''Willy Wonka'') to collections (''Harry Potter,'' ''Toy Story'') to favorite miniseries (''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,'' ''Band of Brothers''), discs to delight anyone on your list
By Chris Nashawaty
November 23, 2011 at 06:00 PM EST

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Memento (10th Anniversary Special Edition)

Revisit the groundbreaking thriller that put Christopher Nolan on the map, with a Blu-ray disc that features a new commentary track from the director. ?(amazon.com; $17)

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Harry Potter Complete 8-Film Collection

Fans going through Potter withdrawal will take solace in this set, which gathers the full saga of Daniel Radcliffe as the boy wizard for the first time on DVD. ?(bn.com; $71)

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Cars Director's Edition

Every kid loves Lightning McQueen, and every kid (big and little) will love this 11-disc Blu-ray/DVD set, complete with a collectible figure of pit-crew chief John Lasseter. (overstock.com; $74)

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Three Colors: Blue, White, Red

The heartbreaking 1990s trilogy now comes with better subtitles, but the real gift is a vivid Blu-ray transfer that makes each movie’s namesake colors glow brighter than ever. (criterion.com; $64)

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Tom Cruise Blu-ray Collection

With the fourth Mission: Impossible about to heat up the multiplex this holiday season, what better time to revisit five of the star’s biggest hits — Collateral, Minority Report, War of the Worlds, Days of Thunder, and Top Gun? (amazon.com; $34.99)

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Breakfast at Tiffany's (50th Anniversary Edition) Blu-ray

Audrey Hepburn’s indelible performance as New York flibbertigibbet Holly Golightly gets a digital facelift for its 50th birthday … and a slew of extras, including a look at the actress as a style icon. (amazon.com; $20.99)

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Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy

Steven Spielberg’s T-Rex thrill ride (and its two underrated sequels) makes its Blu-ray debut in this rip-snorting box set stuffed with behind-the-scenes extras. (amazon.com; $79.99)

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Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition

While you’re waiting for David Fincher’s Hollywood take on Stieg Larsson’s bestseller, why not check out how the Swedes adapted it in this new uncut edition? Memo to Rooney Mara: Noomi Rapace’s Lisbeth is going to be hard to top. (amazon.com; $71.99)

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Rushmore Criterion Edition Blu-ray

Wes Anderson’s brilliantly quirky coming-of-age comedy makes its Blu-ray debut in this special edition, which includes a commentary with the director, cowriter Owen Wilson, and star Jason Schwartzman. (amazon.com; $27.99)

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Before John LeCarre’s Cold War spy saga was a Hollywood film with Gary Oldman, it was a brilliant 1979 BBC miniseries featuring Alec Guinness. Buckle up, this is as good as it gets. (amazon.com; $19.99)

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Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume One

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and (our personal fave) Foghorn Leghorn saddle up for this box-set bonanza of 50 classic cartoon shorts and featurettes about the animators. (amazon.com; $49.99)

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Band of Brothers Blu-ray box set

HBO’s gut-wrenching and glorious WWII miniseries about the men of Easy Company makes its Blu-ray debut. A special feature allowing you to listen to picture-within-picture commentary from the real veterans chronicled in the film should come with a box of Kleenex. If you’re stumped about what to get Dad, we just made your life a whole lot easier. (amazon.com; $56.99)

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Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition

Charlton Heston’s biblical epic is a throwback to a lost era of bigger-was-better filmmaking. Speaking of bigger being better, not only does this set include the 1959 William Wyler classic, but also the 1925 silent version and a chariot full of documentaries. (amazon.com; $47.99)

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Toy Story trilogy

Having all three of Pixar’s Woody and Buzz outings on Blu-ray in one place is the main attraction here. The chance to see them in 3-D is just gravy. (amazon.com; $67.99)

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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: Three-disc 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray

Gene Wilder’s 1971 candyland kiddie classic makes its Blu-ray debut in this set loaded with collectible tchotchkes. Now in high-def, you’ll swear the snozzberries taste like snozzberries! (amazon.com; $45.99)

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Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown on Blu-ray

Quentin Tarantino’s one-two punch of pop-flavored crime flicks bow on Blu-ray. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Pulp is the best film of the ’90s. As for the daredevil director’s follow-up, it somehow feels fresher now than ever thanks to Pam Grier’s terrific performance. Both discs come with sweet making-of extras. (amazon.com; $11.99 each)

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Planet Earth: Limited Edition

This astonishing, eye-opening 11-part BBC nature series narrated by David Attenborough is a must see. And this gift set, encased in a globe-shaped package, is the perfect present for the toughest relative on your shopping list. (amazon.com; $68.99)

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West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Edition

The timeless love story looks better and brighter than ever on this sparkling, four-disc Blu-ray box set, which includes eye-opening (and toe-tapping) featurettes about the making of a true Hollywood classic. Even if you don’t like musicals, you’ll love this one. (amazon.com; $44.99)

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