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I would highly recommend David Kalat's book. I wore out the softback edition and had to search around for the hardcover. I see you're a Chicago native, Ben. Since you're likely looking for Region 1 DVD's start with the Fritz Lang films. I would recommend starting with the second THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE (available in a great set from Criterion with feature length commentary by David Kalat and loads of extra's). It is the most accomplished of the films cinematically (it still holds up well in 200 and set the tone for the films that followed. When getting the silent film epic, DR. MABUSE THE GAMBLER, opt for the Kino DVD. Its lacking David Kalat's feature length commentary (and at four hours its certainly impressive), but if you buy David's book, you'll already have the information. The Kino DVD is nearly one hour longer and has much improved picture quality. Fritz Lang's final film, THE THOUSAND EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960) is available from Kalat's own company, All Day Entertainment and again offers feature-length commentary and nice extra's. An impressive swan song from a legendary filmmaker, but also a bit derivative of the second film and slightly hokey at times. The advantage here is that the original German version is included. Watching the film with subtitles is far superior than the dubbed version. All Day Entertainment also released Werner Klinger's 1962 update of THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE. Not a true remake, it holds up better than most of the sixties films and Kalat's insistence on a quality transfer, the original German soundtrack, and extra's only sweetens the experience. Retromedia offers THE DR. MABUSE COLLECTION with three films dubbed in English and hacked to death: Harald Reinl's superior THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE and THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE and Hugo Fregonese's laughably bad THE DEATH RAY MIRROR OF DR. MABUSE. Avoid Alpha Video's release of THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE as it too is dubbed and edited but comes with a notably poorer transfer than Retromedia's release. You'll have to rely on Sinister Cinema for a DVD-R of SCOTLAND YARD HUNTS DR. MABUSE, the only Sixties title not officially on DVD. Salvation/Redemption claims to be preparing Jess Franco's rarely seen THE VENGEANCE OF DR. MABUSE for DVD, but few would consider this a legitimate entry in the series. If you have a region-free player, you should pick up Capelight's release of Claude Chabrol's DR. M, an affectionate tribute to all things Mabuse, although not a series revival as some sources state. There is a high-priced German DVD box set of all the sixties films uncut, but it lacks English subtitles making it of limited interest to most Americans. That's as comprehensive a round-up as I can give you. The opinions are very much my own so don't let it influence you too much. Mabuse is an essential part of my diet and I hope it becomes part of yours and remember...anyone could be Dr. Mabuse, even you.