The Alamo (Unrated, 1960) — John Wayne’s bloated spectacle about the fight for Texas independence hits the shelves shortly before the release of a new film based on this historical milestone.

While the movie has its moments, the best part of this MGM Home Entertainment disc, is the documentary, “John Wayne’s The Alamo,” which takes you behind the scenes during the filming of the movie and features interviews with many participants, including Wayne’s son, Michael, who admits his father overburdened himself by producing, directing and starring in the film. And the results, unfortunately, are obvious on screen.

Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bob@bloomink.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site: www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom