Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Top 25 of 50 Must Buy DVDs

The introduction of everyone’s favorite serial killer is addicting, fast-paced, and by far, one of the best purchases you can make of the 2007 holiday season. Dexter isn’t your traditional serial killer. With his desire for justice for those who deserve to be killed, it’s hard not to like him, even when it is clear that he enjoys what he does. This is on our HOT HOT HOT Holiday Picks.

You don’t have to be a Trekkie to appreciate Star Trek – The Complete First Season DVD/HD Combo. This newly released DVD box set features a remastered visual masterpiece with amazing audio to accompany the beautiful picture. To read our review of Star Trek – The Complete First Season DVD/HD Combo click here.

Mork from Ork did some of the most crazy things in the third season. This classic television show may have been in the start of its decline, but Mork & Mindy – Season Three is still worth the purchase, nearly 30 years since the show first aired. To read our review of Mork & Mindy – Season Three, click here.

What isn’t there to like about C.S.I.? The crime drama is still going strong in its seventh season. Old and new fans alike will enjoy solving crimes along with the cast of C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation. To read our review of C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation – The Complete Seventh Season click here.

After the disappointment of season two of Lost, season three picked up momentum and returned to the intrigue-filled, addicting formula that worked so well during the first season. Lost – The Complete Third Season is available just in time for the holidays. It comes out on December 11, 2007, though you can purchase advanced copies of the box set on Amazon and the websites of other online retailers.

No cast of SNL can beat the original casts of the first few seasons. Saturday Night Live has been on for over 30 years and the longevity of the show only continues to show how good the original performers were. In Saturday Night Live – The Complete Second Season, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd were all are part of this season with hosts running the gamut from George Harrison to Sissy Spacek. This is a HOT HOT HOT Holiday Pick.

Happy Days was a sitcom that seemed to get better as the seasons went on. In Happy Days – Season Three, this is the first season where the Fonz is a regular performer. As he moves in with the Cunninghams, the story gets even funnier and the show was at its peak, with some of the greatest moments of the series occurring during this season. To see our review of Happy Days – The Third Season click here.

While the later seasons of 24 don’t seem to be quite as good as the first few seasons, the show still holds some suspense and is worth owning even in its sixth season. 24 – Season Six was just released on December 4, 2007. Just in time for Christmas, this season of the popular FOX show is a must have for any fan of the show and/or its star, Kiefer Sutherland.

One of the shows that we’re personally addicted to is the HBO series, Big Love. We never knew polygamy could be so appealing and yet so terrifying all at the same time. In Big Love – The Complete Second Season, the Hendricksons deal with exposure, issues, with the compound, and so many surprises that each episode had us on our toes. Big Love – The Complete Second Season will be released on December 11, 2007, just in time to make the perfect stocking stuffer!

The love, the murder, the drama. This could only mean one thing. Melrose Place – The Third Season has recently been released. This season of Melrose was just as catty as the others though our reviewer wasn’t as fond of it as the first two seasons. Still Melrose Place – The Third Season is a great addition to any nostalgic fan’s collection. To read our review of Melrose Place – The Third Season click here.

Just like Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley was a spin-off of the popular television show, Happy Days. In Laverne & Shirley – The Third Season, this crazy sitcom was still going strong as Laverne, Shirley, Lenny, and Squiggy brought on the laughs. To read our review of Laverne & Shirley – The Third Season, click here.

The entire series of Seinfeld was memorable. There has never been another sitcom like it. In fact, we’d say that Seinfeld is the definitive sitcom. Even in the ninth season, the show was amazing. Seinfeld – Season 9 was released in the beginning of November. Nevertheless, we predict this box set will be a big seller this holiday season, which is why it is one of our HOT HOT HOT holiday picks.

It didn’t matter if the last half of The Sopranos wasn’t nearly as good as the first half. It still was good. It didn’t matter that the show had the most unconventional ending for a mob drama. It made sense. It doesn’t matter that the last season was split up into two parts to make more money. We’ll still buy it. This Christmas, The Sopranos – Season 6, Part 2 is a HOT HOT HOT Holiday Pick. To read our review on The Sopranos – Season 6, Part 2, click here.

Rick & Steve are the happiest gay couple in all the world. Airing on LOGO, Rick & Steve – The Complete First Season is one heckuva show. The humor is raunchy. The content is in your face. There are plenty of embellishments and stereotypes. However, the show is absolutely hilarious and worth the purchase this Christmas. While this may not be the show for those who are squeamish about homosexuality to understand or comprehend, the show should not be taken seriously and those who love this kind of humor will love it in their stocking!

The Wire – The Complete Fourth Season is one of the box sets that you simply have to own. This is one of the most gripping, thrilling, and raw shows on television. The Wire – The Complete Fourth Season just came out on December 4, 2007. With the new season of The Wire set to begin in early 2008, this box set is a must have for those who love the series or want to get caught up on the series over the holiday season.

DOH! Just in time for Christmas, on December 18, 2007, The Simpsons Movie is set to be released by 20th Century Fox. The same formula that has made The Simpsons television show a household name has come to the silver screen and will now be available on DVD. The fruits of the creators’ labor is available in both Widescreen and Blu-Ray. This is one of our must have movies for a reason and is one of two comedies that are our HOT HOT HOT Holiday Picks

Yet another sequel to complete the collection of an Ocean, Brad Pitt, or George Clooney fan, Ocean’s Thirteen is not as good as either of the originals. While Ocean’s Thirteen is much better than its predecessor, Ocean’s Twelve it still falls short when compared to Ocean’s Eleven. Nevertheless, we still feel audiences will want this DVD and therefore we’ve included this pseudo-comedy, suspense, mystery, thriller movie on our Top 5 list.

Any movie that has Kevin James marrying Adam Sandler is worth a purchase in my opinion. While I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is not supposed to be a gay movie, it is funny to see what lengths the two will go to pretend they are a committed and loving gay couple. With the recent release of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, this one is going to be a seller for comedy fans this Christmas.

While we were thinking The Nanny Diaries was actually going to be more chick flick then comedy, when we popped this DVD into our player, we couldn’t stop laughing. Available for purchase on December 4, 2007, The Nanny Diaries was a pleasure to watch as Scarlett Johansson plays Annie, a young, hardworking nanny who gets exploited by her wealthy employers as she tries to discover where her life is headed.

While Shrek the Third may not have been the funniest of sequels, it certainly had its moments. While not everyone is going to want Shrek the Third, those who want to complete their collection and those who enjoyed this movie will be surprised to find it under the tree this year. To read our review of Shrek the Third click here.

Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Captain Jack is back! In the newly released sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, this swashbuckling adventure continues with some unexpected turns and plenty of well choreographed, action packed, fighting scenes. The unique blend of romance, action, drama, and comedy make the third Pirates movie a must have DVD. This ones a HOT HOT HOT Holiday pick. To see our review of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End click here.

It is easy to see why people have said that 2007 is the year of the sequel. Yet another hot sequel to be released close to Christmas is Live Free or Die Hard – Unrated Edition. This movie has all the action, adventure and Bruce Willis, all of which made Die Hard one of the most popular action series of all time. John McClane is back though this time it isn’t with a vengeance. This time, he’s ready to live free, or die hard. Live Free or Die Hard – Unrated Edition is a HOT HOT HOT Holiday pick.

Most of Paris Je T’Aime is in French. If you don’t mind subtitles and you like films that make you think, then this series of shorts, with actors like Gena Rowlands, Elijah Woods, and Natalie Portman, is worth the purchase. This film is getting our Smartsy & Artsy award of the 2007 season. Paris Je T’Aime is available in a two disc collector’s edition, and we think you should buy it this holiday season!

Seldom is the third installment of a trilogy as pleasing as the first. However, in the case of The Bourne Ultimatum, we get all that and more. Through the first two films, we looked on as Jason Bourne struggled to find out his identity, maintain a relationship, and stay alive. This heart-racing, thrill ride takes us through the final moments of the story as we (and Jason) discover who he is and what he has become. This is one of our HOT HOT HOT Picks this holiday season!

You can pretend you didn’t like Titanic, but we all know you saw it, just like everyone else on the planet. It’s hard to believe its been ten years since one of the greatest films of its time was released. However, the epic is back as Titanic (10th Anniversary Edition) was released in late November. Get this one for your stocking, as a Hanukkah present, for Kwanzaa, Yule or any other holiday celebration. Your DVD Collection won’t be complete without it.