Joel Siegel: New on DVD

Feb. 28 -- New on DVD: Sunset Boulevard, Road to Perdition Unfaithful, My Big Fat Greek Wedding Monsoon Wedding, Y Tu Mamá También, Unforgiven, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Thelma and Louise and more.

Sunset Boulevard — Recently I picked up a new book on the making of the movie, Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard. "You've never seen the original opening of Sunset Boulevard, nor have I," Sam Staggs writes. "Virtually no one has. Billy Wilder wants us never to see it. It's the sequence that almost ruined him."

But there it is, on the special features of this DVD. Newly restored in crisp black and white, the best Hollywood movie about Hollywood just got better. Grade: A

Oscar-Nominated Movies

Road to Perdition — Most of the Oscar-nominated films opened in November and December and, given the usual six-months window, won't be out on DVD till May or June. But Road to Perdition, a shoo-in for Best Cinematography (in part because, sadly, cinematographer Conrad Hall passed away a few months ago), is out on DVD. And gorgeous. And Paul Newman, also Oscar-nominated, is perfect. Grade: A-

Unfaithful — Diane Lane's up for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as an adulterous wife. Excellent film, an almost-10 best. Grade: B+

My Big Fat Greek Wedding — As much fun the second time. Or third or fourth time. Grade: A-

Should Have Been Oscar-Nominated

Monsoon Wedding — Set the story in Delhi instead of Greek Wedding's Chicago and add a serious subplot. An excellent film, I have no idea why it wasn't India's official foreign language film nominee. Grade: A-

Y Tu Mamá También — A Mexican coming-of-age, R-rated comedy. This didn't qualify to be Mexico's official entry because it opened in 2001 in Mexico. But it does qualify for a Best Original Screenplay nomination because it opened this year in Hollywood. The foreign film folks have to get their act together. (The Mexican director is on his way to London to direct Harry Potter 3.) Grade: A-