2-disc DVDs are couch potato's dream

Warner Bros. has raided the vaults to give four films new double-disc, extras-galore releases. Fans may now officially spend far too much time watching the tube.

— "Giant: Two-Disc Special Edition" (Warner, 1956, G, $26.99, two discs). Despite a few weaknesses here and there, director George Stevens' epic look at Texas oil barons — in which the state is as much a character as the people — holds up marvelously. And the three central performances — by Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean, all three still in their 20s — remain fascinating.

The main complaint about "Giant" has always been that when the characters age over some 40-odd years, the makeup and mannerisms are unconvincing. That's true to some degree — especially with Dean — but it's not as distracting as it might be. (There are many recent films that have the same problem and look much worse.)

Of the many first-rate performances here, I'd rank Hudson particularly high.

The DVD extras are also fun, although some of them are from earlier video editions. It's especially refreshing to hear the candor with which the film is discussed on the audio commentary track by George Stevens' Jr., screenwriter Ivan Moffat and film historian Stephen Farber. They aren't afraid to point out elements that didn't work as well as desired and aspects that haven't aged particularly well.

A series of fadeout interviews are also interesting, with director Alan J. Pakula in particular offering some very thoughtful observations about Stevens' work.

Extras: Widescreen, audio commentary, documentary on director George Stevens, making-of documentaries, newsreels, trailers, production notes, photo galleries, etc.

— "The Right Stuff: Two-Disc Special Edition" (Warner, 1983, PG, $26.99, two discs). I've always loved this film, and I've returned to it many times over the past 20 years. Writer-director Philip Kaufman accomplished a remarkable feat by adapting Tom Wolfe's excellent account of Project Mercury, the seven astronauts who became reluctant celebrities, and test pilot Chuck Yeager, who, despite some remarkable achievements, remained in the background.

The film is a remarkable look at a specific time in American history, the special effects are stunning for the early '80s and the cast is perfect, with especially noteworthy performances by Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Scott Glenn and Sam Shepard.