Revered by anyone who grew up in the 1980s, writer-director John Hughes' first three movies -- Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science -- are emblematic of the decade of tall hair and synth pop. Although the films have been previously released on DVD several times, the new High School Flashback Collection (Universal, $40), which collects the trilogy in a metal tin shaped to resemble a high school locker, marks the first time the movies have received any substantial supplements.

Hughes, who hasn't directed a movie since 1991's Curly Sue, is the Howard Hughes of contemporary filmmakers: He hasn't been heard from since he unofficially retired, which explains his absence from the supplements included in the set. But Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall do show up to reminisce about The Breakfast Club (the most enduring of the three pictures) in a 40-minute documentary about the film.

All three seem genuinely fond of the film, which effectively launched their respective careers, and they have a great time talking about Hughes' filmmaking methods (he rehearsed the actors extensively before he shot a frame of film), the surprising reaction to the movie and the way it affected their lives.

Other people also show up in the documentary, including Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody and Heathers director Michael Lehmann, paying their respects to The Breakfast Club's huge influence on them. Nelson and Hall also contribute a commentary track for the film, and unlike their respective characters in the movie, the two actors have a natural rapport that makes them sound like old friends who haven't seen each other in a while.

The Sixteen Candles disc includes another retrospective featurette about the film, but without Molly Ringwald's participation, it's pretty much a wash. The DVD of Weird Science, the strangest and slightest of the three movies, has a brief featurette in which everyone remarks what an odd movie it was -- as if Hughes, after playing things so seriously with The Breakfast Club, decided to give his imagination free rein and see where it led him.

`BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY'

Another 1980s staple, Jay McInerney's famed chronicle of New York City in the crazed decade was a huge bestseller that seemed tailor-made for the movies. But the resulting film adaptation seemed dated the moment it was released in 1988. Bright Lights Big City flopped at the box office, but the new special edition DVD (MGM, $15) of the movie pretends it was just as successful as the book.

McInerney shows up for a featurette in which he reminisces about writing the script and talks about the autobiographical elements of the story. He also contributes a commentary track in which he circles around the film's troubled production but doesn't really dive into the juicy stuff (the producers desperately wanted Tom Cruise to star, but he didn't want to appear in a movie where his character was constantly doing drugs).

The great cinematographer Gordon Willis contributes another commentary track in which he shares a lot of technical information about the film and lays out exactly what a director of photography does. Sorely missed is Michael J. Fox, who took the lead role as a way of breaking out from the Family Ties/Alex P. Keaton stereotype and prove he could handle serious drama.

`THE MIST'

Released on DVD last year, Frank Darabont's scary adaptation of the Stephen King short story The Mist has hit Blu-ray in a two-disc set (Weinstein Company, $35) that carries over all of the extensive extras included in the first version -- including a black-and-white cut of the film that Darabont says is his preferred way of viewing the movie. The change from color has a dramatic effect on the film, making what sometimes seemed like a hokey monster flick much creepier and disturbing. The ending is still among the grimmest that ever adorned a major Hollywood film.

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