The impetus for the "Collector's Edition" upgrade of 1991 Oscar winner "The Silence of the Lambs" (MGM) is the impending release of "Hannibal Rising," in which we learn exactly what made the evil genius Hannibal Lecter a sociopath. Anthony Hopkins, the second actor to play Lecter (Brian Cox had the job in "Manhunter") not only won an Oscar but also was voted most memorable movie villain of all time in an American Film Institute poll.

I have little interest in Lecter's origin. I like him the way he's portrayed here: as a mysterious, malevolent force of nature — not the star of the show, but the twisted, erudite mastermind whose perverse interest in rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) can be used to help her find a less sophisticated serial killer before he strikes again.

"Silence" is hardly the sort of film that traditionally wins multiple Oscars, yet it swept the top five categories of best picture, actor, actress, adapted screenplay and director. The talented and versatile director Jonathan Demme, while remaining true to Thomas Harris' well-written novel, made a suspense thriller that would pretty much define the serial killer genre by making plot and characters equally complex, and challenging the assumptions of the viewer instead of catering to them.

The new bonus material is mostly great. A two-part documentary titled "From Page to Screen" charts the evolution of the project, and Demme and Foster reteam for a three-part look back at the making of the film. They talk about why they chose not to return for the stylish but utterly exploitive sequel "Hannibal." (Julianne Moore took over as Clarice, and Ridley Scott assumed directing duties.)

There are also 20 selected scenes, ranging from the insignificant to some that are truly interesting. In one, conflicted Clarice is suspended from the case by her boss, played by Scott Glenn.

You also can check out "The Hannibal Lecter Collection" (MGM). It packages the sequel "Hannibal" and the first film in which Lecter figured, Michael Mann's excellent "Manhunter" from 1986. In that movie, "CSI" star William Petersen is an FBI profiler who requires old nemesis Lecter's help in getting into the head of a killer. A single-disc, no-frills "Silence" completes the box set. It does not contain "Red Dragon," the "Manhunter" remake that had Hopkins back chewing gourmet food and scenery.

Moving from the darkly sublime to the supremely silly, Fox has released three Doris Day comedies on DVD for the first time. The best one is 1963's "Move Over, Darling," a remake of the classic 1940 screwball comedy "My Favorite Wife." It has the presumed-dead Day returning from the island on which she had been long deserted to find her hubby James Garner remarried. A great supporting cast includes Thelma Ritter, Polly Bergen and Don Knotts.

The other two Day films are of less consequence, but "Do Not Disturb," from 1965, which has Day transplanted to England when her executive husband Rod Taylor gets posted there, is amusing. 1967's "Caprice" has Day as an industrial spy in a comedy that some old studio fogey must have perceived as being very mod and hip. Instead, it's pretty terrible.

ALSO NEW

"Catch a Fire" never caught fire at the box office, but this drama set in apartheid-era South Africa features an excellent performance by Derek Luke as an apolitical factory foreman who joins the revolution after his family is targeted by a government cop (Tim Robbins).

Last year's action drama "Flyboys" (MGM), based on the story of U.S. volunteer pilots (James Franco and Martin Henderson among them) in World War I France, was pretty routine. But the flying sequences were terrific, and they look even better in the new 50 GB Blu-ray Disc version. Also available is a two-disc version with deleted scenes and a documentary about the real Lafayette Escadrille squadron.

The offbeat and original coming-of-age tale "The Motel" (Palm) about a 13-year-old Korean-American (Jeffrey Chyau) who works at the sleazy motel his parents own, had a lot of admirers at the 2005 Sundance festival.

TV ON DVD

Best TV box of the week is the 1971 BBC adaptation of Honore de Balzac's novel "Cousin Bette" (Acorn) shown on Masterpiece Theatre in 1972. It tells the story of Bette (Margaret Tyzack), the poor and mistreated black sheep in a wealthy family who manipulates a young and ambitious beauty (a young Helen Mirren) to seek revenge.

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