Armchair Cinephile: The Cine-Mini

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PICK OF THE WEEK: United 93 (Universal): Those who don’t want to experience it have my full understanding, but this reenactment of 9/11’s "fourth plane" is devastatingly effective — a hundred times better than World Trade Center, and maybe the best film of the year.

Lost (Second Season) (Buena Vista): Back in the world of make-believe, plane wrecks make for enormous fun, and the most addictive TV show since the debut season of 24.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (Image): Jennifer Jason Leigh takes a memorably bitter turn as the title character in Alan Rudolph’s sad but compelling biopic of the Algonquin Round Table.

Amarcord, Seven Samurai (Criterion): Two flagship Criterion titles get a fresh coat of paint, with new transfers and bountiful extras; meanwhile, their landmark Brazil box already had all the extras imaginable, but a new edition cleans up the picture.

Jesse James (1939), Return of Frank James, True Story of Jesse James (Fox): Anticipating the new Brad Pitt vehicle, three early James brothers sagas. Henry Fonda stars in the first two; the second and third, respectively, boast the unlikely directors Fritz Lang and Nicholas Ray.

Japan’s Longest Day (AnimEigo): Toshiro Mifune witnesses Japan’s WWII defeat, while ... Gojira (1954) (Classic Media): ... the bombing of Hiroshima plants the seed for the iconic monster Godzilla — in his debut film, included here in both the starkly beautiful original cut and the goofier version imported to America.

Dead Man’s Shoes (Magnolia): Ever-compelling Paddy Considine (In America) not only stars but co-wrote this gritty revenge story set in Northern England
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shock Treatment (Fox): You’ve always wondered if the Rocky Horror sequel was as bad as it sounded. Time to find out, with the original on hand to get the taste out of your mouth just in case.

Kinky Boots (Buena Vista): Predictably sentimental in the way of so-quirky cute Brit comedies, but if you want to see Chiwetel Ejiofor in drag ...

TV-on-DVD: The Bob Newhart Show (Season Four) (Fox); Broken Trail (Walter Hill miniseries starring Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church) (Sony); Oz (Sixth Season) (HBO)

KIDS’ STUFF: Escape to Witch Mountain / Return from Witch Mountain (Buena Vista); four new Goosebumps titles (Fox); Fraggle Rock (Season Two) (Hit Entertainment); Gerald McBoing Boing Adventures and Fairytales (Classic Media); Charlie and Lola (Vols. 1 & 2) (BBC); Bob the Builder: Built to be Wild (Hit Entertainment)

DOCS (AND DON’T-YOU-WISH-IT-WEREN’T-NONFICTION): Our Brand Is Crisis (Koch); Unknown White Male (Wellspring); Jackass: The Movie (Unrated) (Paramount)