I spy a gem: 'Duplicity' deserves second look

"Duplicity" - Tony Gilroy is fast becoming one of my favorite filmmakers. After writing the solid "Bourne" films and then scoring a home run as writer/director of "Michael Clayton" in 2007, Gilroy is back with this frothy and deliriously entertaining thriller/romance/comedy. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play former international spies - she's ex-CIA, he's ex-MI6 - who now put their espionage skills to use for two rival corporations. They also happen to be in love, despite never being able to trust each other fully. Gilroy, again writing and directing, takes this basic setup and threads it through a twisty plot full of double- and triple-crosses, creating real tension while keeping the tone light and fizzy. (It helps that instead of state secrets, these spies are pursuing the formulas to grooming products.) Owen and Roberts sparkle here, and the great character actors Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson deliver perfect supporting turns. I'm rooting for this sophisticated, well-crafted gem to find new life on DVD. The disc includes just one extra, but it's a good one - a lively commentary track with Gilroy and his editor (and brother) John Gilroy. (PG-13; Universal, $29.98 or $39.98 for Blu-ray)

"thirtysomething: The Complete First Season" - Who knew a show about baby boomers welling up with tears and talking endlessly about themselves would enjoy such a devoted following? Though "thirtysomething" never garnered huge ratings, it enthralled yuppies from coast to coast when it premiered in 1987. The show, created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (director of "Defiance" and "Blood Diamond"), used cinematic techniques to examine the daily ups and downs of a group of young professionals living in Philadelphia. Though it dealt with some big issues - infidelity, death, parenthood - what made the series stand out was how much screen time it gave to the minutia of everyday life. Critics attacked it for being whiny and self-indulgent, and it often is. These characters never stop discussing and analyzing and obsessing over their own (pretty comfortable) lives. But it's hard not to relate a tiny bit to a show where infants scream in restaurants and strollers cost too much and the neighbors party too loud on Saturday night. The Shout! Factory has done a fantastic job with this long-awaited first season, packaging the 21 episodes with numerous cast commentaries, interviews with Herskovitz and Zwick and retrospective featurettes galore. Fans will not be disappointed. (NR: Shout! Factory, $59.99)

"Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection" - Hats off to Sony for releasing this three-disc collection of late-'50s genre flicks by legendary sci-fi director Ishiro Honda ("Godzilla"). The films included here - "H-Man," "Battle in Outer Space" and "Mothra" - offer plenty of campy, pulpy fun that reflects the paranoia and fears of the post-World War II world. The remastered films look great, and they come both in their original Japanese versions as well as the (inferior) English dubs (awesome!). "Battle in Outer Space" and "Mothra" also offer commentaries. If you're a fan of old-school monster movies, check out this set. (NR; Sony, $24.96)