Revered cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky finally makes it to DVD in a long-awaited box-set that includes: his feature debut, Fando y Lis (1968), El Topo (1970) and Holy Mountain (1973), as well as bonus features which include the director’s first short film (believed lost for 50 years), La Cravate and a 90-minute documentary on Jodorowsky’s life and his art.

For those unfamiliar with the filmmaker’s work, fans of Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini and David Lynch will take heart in the domestic arrival of one of avant-garde cinema’s key figures. Championed by John Lennon and the film that set off the midnight movie craze of the ’70s, El Topo, the surrealist, mystical and bloody western, is probably the best place to start.

For fans of sacrilegious, existential symbolism, look no further than Holy Mountain. The scandal of the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, the film will grab you from its first frame.

Jodorowsky’s imagery is arresting, hypnotic and, like a great painting, full of layers that reveal more upon each viewing. Plus, it’s got a dwarf Christ, seriously.

The set’s only fault comes in its inclusion of Fando y Lis, one of the director’s lesser works, over Sante Sangre (arguably his best), which still languishes in bootleg purgatory without a domestic release. With all of the cynicism that goes into DVD packaging, what with the endless unrated versions, extended director’s cuts and super, ultimate, special editions, one can never tell if the masterpiece’s exclusion is due to a rights issue or just another marketing ploy to milk the most out of a future re-release of the One True, Ultimate Jodorowsky set.

With a supposed new film in the works for Jodorowsky (a rumored 2009 release, making it his first in nearly two decades), now is a great time to (re)discover one of the most incendiary artists of the film medium.

Extras: El Topo and Holy Mountain soundtracks, commentary tracks, interviews with Jodorowsky and script excerpts.

Grade: B+

The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky is currently available.