Holiday buying guide: Best DVDs and box sets for geeks

Physical media ain't dead yet, and every technophile has a soft spot for at least a few movies and TV shows of yesteryear. Good news: This year's special edition DVDs and box sets have pulled out all the stops. Here are a few of my top picks for the most gift-worthy DVDs of the year for 2008.

The Dark Knight - A no-brainer. Batman's big sequel (which should need no introduction to anyone on your shopping list) will be a hot title this season, and it includes a bonus digital copy of the film.

300 - Limited Collector's Edition - The presentation alone, which features an oversized cigar-style box, Lucite-encased lenticular still, and discs and discs worth of extras, makes this geek favorite a hot choice.

Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection - This eight-DVD set (packaged into an actual book) features some of Hitch's best films, and a few forgotten gems, too.

Ray Harryhausen Gift Set - Includes three newly colorized Harryhausen classics (don't worry, the black and white originals are also included if you're a purist), plus a 10-inch figurine of the creature from 20 Million Miles to Earth.

Transformers - The Transformers movie... packaged inside an actual Transformer. More than meets the eye.

Heathers - The teen angst classic comes packaged in this limited edition release inside an actual metal locker with a working combination lock.

Wild Wild West: The Complete Series - The original steampunk adventure TV series gets the full-on box set treatment, featuring every episode of the matinee classic.

JFK - The Oliver Stone conspiracy classic is remastered and updated (the extended cut appears here), along with more extras which shed further light on the assassination of Kennedy. A feature-length documentary about the Kennedy family is also included.

Harry Potter Years 1-5 - If you haven't already invested in the individual discs, this $30, five-movie set is a quick way to get up to speed as we enter Potter's movie-life home stretch.

David Lynch The Lime Green Set - 10 discs worth of remastered movies (including Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and The Elephant Man), largely from Lynch's early career and commanding a Lynchian price. David's gotta eat!

10 Years of Rialto Pictures - 10 must-see classics from the pros at Criterion, including Rififi and The Third Man.

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Giftset - The Godfather trilogy has never looked better. Except for Part III, that is. That one's still a big waste of time. I blame Fredo.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition - Hard to believe it's been 20 years. Four of MST3K's most popular episodes -- plus scads of extras -- populate this box set. Bonus: Includes a figurine of Crow T. Robot.

Freaks & Geeks: Yearbook Edition - The entire cult TV series from the geek god of directors, Judd Apatow, spanning 19 episodes of highschool awkwardness.

I Am Legend: Ultimate Collector's Edition - Another big box set, just like 300's, featuring two different cuts of the haunting CGI-infused nightmare. That's a whole lotta Will Smith under the Christmas tree.