Just in time for Halloween (er, almost), kicking off this week's news is the arrival of the box office bomb House of the Dead. Artisan Entertainment will release the video game-inspired living dead pic on January 27th. This special edition includes an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, an audio commentary with director Uwe Boll and the screenwriters, multiple effects vignettes, a still gallery, trailers and more. Retail is $24.95.

Hard-Knock Life - 2:15pm

You can bet your bottom dollar that the sun will come out tomorrow...as will endless DVD reissues and repackagings. Just in from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is their January 13th lineup of new and catalog releases. Getting the special edition treatment at last following a disappointing movie-only edition released two years ago is the 1982 musical flop Annie. This new reissue inculdes only a 4:3 full screen transfer (yes, really), Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks, the "My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn" featurette, an exclusive msuical performance of "It's the Hard Knock Life" by the pop group Play (be very afraid), "The Age of Annie" trivia game, sing-along and act-alongs (don't ask me) and theatrical trailers. Retail is $24.95. Also due for release on the 13th is a new special edition of another family favorite, Matilda. This one is also presented in full screen only and Dolby Digital 5.1, and includes the "Making Matilda" featurette, a read-along, six interactive games, the "Go to the Library!" activity, a character gallery and trailers.

New to DVD is the Seann William Scott action-comedy Stark Raving Mad, which is presented in anamoprhic widescreen and full screen tranfers, and includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, featurette and trailers. Retail is $24.95. And making their catalog debuts are three new classic and TV on DVD releases. Judy Holliday stars in the classic It Should Happen to You, presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and mono with no extras. Retail is $24.95. Also on tap is The Three Stooges: Stooges at Work, which features the episodes "Crash Goes the Hash," "Dutiful but Dumb," "How High is Up?" and "Three Missing Links." All are presented in 4:3 full screen and mono, and retail will cost you $19.95. Last but not least is Spider-Man: The Animated Chronicles - Season One. This two-disc set includes 4:3 full screen transfers and Dolby 2.0 soundtracks, multiple featurettes and audio commentaries, test footage, rough animations and more. Retail is $29.95.