With Halloween just around the corner, a couple of DVDs filled with scorpions and spiders make great entertainment.

Universal’s The Scorpion King, a prequel to the successful The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, is bringing The Rock back to a TV near you, and if you’re at a loss for a costume on Halloween, this film is sure to give you a few ideas. DVD extras include alternate versions of key scenes, a making-of documentary, choreography of a fight sequence, and, for diehard Rock fans, a look at his next film, Helldorado. Sounds hellish.

The day after Halloween, while the kids are still on their sugar high, get them to the video store for the much-anticipated release of Spider-Man. The two-disc DVD, available in both wide- and full-screen editions, is packed with enough extras to keep the whole family busy, and offers never-before-revealed facts about the web-slinger, as well as a first-time comic-book-to-film comparison. There are also amusing gag outtakes, a historical documentary, and the usual commentaries by various key figures. Note for early-bird holiday shoppers: Look for the specially packaged limited-edition Collector’s Gift Set, complete with a reprint of Marvel Comics’ “Amazing Fantasy” #15, which introduced Spider-Man to the world back in 1962.