Criteron also has "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" (1973), a Robert Mitchum thriller, on the cusp, as well as John Huston's quirky 1979 dark satire on Southern religion, "Wise Blood."

 If that's not enough, in June Sony will release a box set of five new-to-DVD Jack Lemmon comedies from the 1950s and '60s. The "Jack Lemmon Film Collection" will feature one film that has never been on home video and four that were once on VHS but are frequently asked about by fans:

 "Phffft!" (1954) is Lemmon's second movie, and it reteams him with Judy Holliday (they costarred in Lemmon's first film, "It Should Happen to You," which has been on DVD for some time). This one is a marriage-and-divorce farce with Kim Novak in support.

 "Operation Mad Ball" (1957) is a frantic military comedy co-starring Ernie Kovacs and Mickey Rooney, the lone title that is new to home video.

 "The Notorious Landlady" (1962) is a mystery-comedy with Lemmon in London trying to determine whether Kim Novak killed her husband. Fred Astaire costars.

 "Under the Yum Yum Tree" (1963) casts Lemmon as a lecherous landlord who pursues a tenant (Carol Lynley) who is living with her boyfriend (Dean Jones). Co-stars include Edie Adams, Paul Lynde and Imogene Coca.

 "Good Neighbor Sam" (1964) is easily the most-requested of these, with Lemmon as a harried ad executive who is happily married to Dorothy Provine but gets roped into pretending he is neighbor Romy Schneider's husband. Edward G. Robinson and Michael Conners (TV's "Mannix") costar.

 Even if your favorite film, the one you've always hoped would come to DVD, is not among these, at this rate it may not be far off.

 That is, of course, if DVD can just hang in there.

E-MAIL: hicks@desnews.com