Historically inspired or biographical movies — at least the interesting and intriguing ones — often send us off on discovery missions: How much of that is true? How has that character or event been treated in previous films?

DVD marketers expect that Sofia Coppola's new "Marie Antoinette," starring Kirsten Dunst as the impervious and ill-fated wife of Louis XVI, will have that effect. Advance viewers of the film say that although Coppola's take on the teenage queen was based in Antonio Frasier's revisionist tale, it has a 1980s rock 'n' roll sensibility, with intentionally anachronistic touches.

That would put it in sharp contrast to the 1938 version of "Marie Antoinette" (Warner), a decidedly serious, often stodgy account of the Austrian Antoinette's courtship and reign, despite a screenplay by witty David Ogden Stewart, who two years later would write "The Philadelphia Story." The project had been pushed forward by boy wonder producer Irving Thalberg, and stars his widow, Norma Shearer, as Marie, determined to make a marriage with unambitious fuddy-duddy Dauphin Louis, played by Robert Morley, before succumbing to the glamour of the court.

Director W.S. Van Dyke managed to essay a lot of history and court intrigue between the melodramas, but even the film's defenders would concede it is too long and meandering.

Still, it looks pretty great in this restored and remastered version, which is also available as part of yet another of Warner's extras-laden box sets, "Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection." It also includes director Jack Conway's terrific 1935 adaptation of "A Tale of Two Cities" and George Cukor's excellent and impeccably cast 1935 version of "David Copperfield."

ALSO NEW

The horror, the horror!

Joining the new prequel to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," which is now in theaters, is the first unnecessary and altogether inferior sequel to the horror classic. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" from 1986 is out on disc in what's billed as "The Gruesome Edition" (MGM), apparently because it includes some deleted scenes. They don't do anything to enhance the reputation of this self-referential resurrection of Leatherface, now being stalked by obsessed lawman Dennis Hopper.

The sequel to the American remake of the spooky Asian ghost story "The Grudge" will be on screens today, but you may prefer the chills of "Ju-on: The Grudge 2" (Lion's Gate), the Japanese sequel by original director Takashi Shimizu.

It's essentially a continuation of the original, with Kyoko (Norika Sakai) realizing that even though she miscarried the baby she was expecting with her dead boyfriend, something is still going on inside her.

TV ON DVD

While the Merchant-Ivory production team usually gets credit for turning the world on to the English country-house historical fiction of Evelyn Waugh, many people got their first glimpse on "Brideshead Revisited," the 10-hour drama that PBS broadcast in 1982. The BBC ran it in 1981; that's why it merits a "25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" (Acorn).

This is the 660-minute version that was released on DVD four years ago; the American broadcast was trimmed. Now the show comes with commentaries by cast members Jeremy Irons (introduced to U.S. audiences via the show), Anthony Andrews and Diana Quick; a new 50-minute retrospective documentary, and the holy grail for fans: a few outtakes.

This was great TV in an era when there was precious little of the stuff.

Other new box sets: