The Grey: Blu-ray
In the frequently frightening man-vs.-nature thriller, “The Grey,” director Joe Carnahan and co-writer Ian Mackenzie Jeffers resurrect old demons and reignite ancient fears of mankind’s impotence against the pack mentality of less-evolved species … as if wolves didn’t already have enough problems in the Darwinian universe. There are some places humans simply aren’t meant to inhabit and, as the movie suggests, the sub-Arctic wilderness is one of them. So, when a small group of oil workers miraculously survive a fiery plane crash on the way home to Anchorage, they’re pitted against elements no man is prepared to endure without weapons, thick layers of fur and a good reason to be there. Ottway (Liam Neeson) knows this better than most of the other guys who avoided death in the crash. As a hunter who collects a bounty for every wolf he keeps from trespassing in the oil camp, Ottway understands his prey better than those working the rigs and haunting the bars. He also knows how to avoid freezing while stalking a wolf and being ambushed by its allies. Robbed of his rifle and down-filled clothing, Ottway must convince the motley crew of reprobates of the necessity of allowing him to become the alpha-male in a pack dedicated to one thing: survival. These are not men who welcome each other’s company in the best of times, let alone be required to take orders from a stranger. Indeed, one of the reasons they’ve come to Alaska is to escape the demands and restraints of polite society. Some agree to cooperate, while others must be introduced to the sole alternative. It doesn’t take long for wolves to find them and make their displeasure known. To escape white-out conditions on the frozen lake where the plane crashed, they decide to make a beeline to the treeline, where they might find shelter and wood for a fire. As is their nature, the wolves lay back in anticipation of a wounded straggler separating himself from the herd, where he’ll be vulnerable to attack and defenseless against the pack. After managing to kill a few of their attackers and reach the forest, Ottway senses that they’ve stumbled into a situation where aggressive young males would like nothing better than to unseat the reigning leader of the pack. For this to happen, though, the winner would be forced to prove his strength, cunning and ferocious desire to dominate the others. During the next 100 minutes, or so, the humans and the wolves engage in something resembling a war of attrition, with Mother Nature and natural terrain favoring the local team. No one need be shocked to learn that the final battle will be waged between Ottway and the most determined candidate for the position of alpha male. In life, as in Hollywood, such things are pre-ordained. Between the spectacular natural settings (Alberta and British Columbia for Alaska) and CGI-enhanced predators, however, there’s no shortage of thrills and chills leading up to the exciting climax.

Credit Carnahan for navigating past the shoals of a screenplay that demands a suspension of disbelief so great “The Grey,” it sometimes makes “True Blood” look like a documentary about the prevalence of shape-shifting in domesticated werewolves. It’s difficult, for example, to ignore the absence of rescue teams attempting to locate survivors of the crash or the presence of a pack of wolves that might normally be expected to be trailing migrating caribou. The robustness of the animals doesn’t square with the lack of sustenance to found in the frozen surrounding. The hours of sunshine available to the survivors would suggest, as well, that the writers skipped a chapter or two in their high school geography textbook. An attempt to escape being trapped on the edge of a cliff is so poorly rendered that its execution and partial success inadvertently reveal its green-screen origins. Neither does Ottway turn into a Popsicle after jumping into an ice-encrusted river to save a buddy from drowning. The movie’s worst sin, though, is in ignoring everything we learned about sub-Arctic wolves in Carroll Ballard’s wonderful outdoors adventure “Never Cry Wolf” – among other fine documentaries and books — and ascribing behavior to them that isn’t found in nature. While the final scene neatly contextualizes the writers’ overriding hunter-becomes-the-prey conceit, it does so only after turning the long-demonized beasts into something out of a 1930s Universal horror classic. Neeson, though, is extremely credible as the existential bounty hunter, who, like the other survivors, is haunted by memories of his lost family and a life that got sidetracked along the way to Alaska. Dallas Roberts (“The L Word”), Dermot Mulroney (“Lovely & Amazing”) and Frank Grillo (“Warrior”) are among the cast members who shine in the time allotted them on screen. Carnahan and editors Roger Barton and Jason Hellmann provide commentary on the Blu-ray and there are 22 minutes of deleted scenes. – Gary Dretzka

Golf in the Kingdom
Writer/director Susan Streitfeld has made two feature films in the last 16 years: the aptly titled sexual psychodrama “Female Perversions” and this overly talky and somewhat convoluted adaptation of Michael Murphy’s contemplative 1972 novel, “Golf in the Kingdom.” If the two movies have anything in common, it might be that Murphy set his book at Scotland’s mythical Links of Burningbush and the star of “Female Perversions,” Tilda Swinton,” is a product of the same nation. Considering that “Golf in the Kingdom” was shot on location at Oregon’s exclusive Bandon Dunes Golf Resort … well, even that highly tenuous connection doesn’t exist. Like the novel, Streitfeld’s barely released film describes what happens when a young American philosophy student turns left at London, on his way to India in search of enlightenment. Instead, he finds it at an enchanted seaside links course upon which the residents of Brigadoon might have played. Mason Gamble (“Dennis the Menace,” Rushmore”) plays the cocky young golfer, who arrives at the celebrated course full of spit and vinegar and leaves a day later humbled by the experience. Conveniently, Murphy is paired with the course’s loopy golf pro, Shivas Irons (David O’Hara, of “The Tudors”), and a caddie toting a bag full of mystical tricks. When he isn’t playing the Shakespearian fool, Irons dispenses wisdom about the game that makes it sound as if it were invented by a Zen monk, instead of a bunch of bored soldiers and farmers at Saint Andrews. He also invites Murphy to join him on a midnight snipe hunt, during which they share a bottle of single-malt and search for a hermit living among the course’s craggy cliffs, dense thickets and winding ravines. Off the course, Irons and some of his other friends wax philosophic about how the game’s lessons apply to everything from soup to nuts to sex. “Golf in the Kingdom” is for golfers who find meaning in the game deeper than the rush that comes from making a birdie or kicking their ball to a more advantageous lie without getting caught. Many of the same musings apply to the game of baseball, especially when viewed from the grandstands at Wrigley Field or Fenway Park. Knowing, going in, that it’s impossible to achieve perfection in golf – unlike, say, bowling and baseball – writers must content themselves with explaining  how grown men and women can justify wasting four or five hours of their lives on a pursuit that demands so much devotion, yet is so damned frustrating, even for those who make a living from the game? The poetry in their words often belies the banality of the sport’s most prominent practitioners. The Shivas Irons of the world are few and very far between. There’s nothing wrong, however, with the magnificent scenery and a spirited cast that also includes Malcolm McDowell, Frances Fisher, Julian Sands, Joanne Whalley, Tony Curran, Catherine Kellner and Jim Turner. – Gary Dretzka

Norwegian Wood
Normally, it wouldn’t be unusual for a filmmaker of any ethnic or cultural background to choose a Beatles song for the title of his or her movie. “Norwegian Wood,” however, is a particularly significant track in the band’s repertoire, both for its enigmatic Lennon-McCartney lyrics and George Harrison’s choice of the sitar as a lead instrument. That it was based on an affair between Lennon and a friend’s wife also set it apart from the “yeah, yeah, yeah … I wanna hold your hand” bunch. Set in Japan, amid the tumult and promise of the 1960s, Anh Dung Tran’s adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s best-selling novel captures the mystery and exoticism of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” while also remaining true to the book’s bittersweet romanticism. As rendered by cinematographer  Mark Lee Ping-bin (“In the Mood for Love,” “Millennium Mambo”), it may be one of the most sumptuously beautiful movies you’ll see this year on DVD – sadly, not released here on Blu-ray – or in theaters, as well.

How significant is it that the Japanese-backed production was entrusted to a Vietnamese director (“Scent of the Green Papaya”), now living in Paris, and a Taiwanese cinematographer? As significant, I think, as any fusion of tastes experienced at a pan-Asian restaurant in that city of uncommonly gifted chefs from outside France. Why bother parsing the flavors, though, when it’s the whole of the meal that matters?

In “Norwegian Wood,” we’re introduced first to longtime friends Toru (Kenichi Matsuyama), Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi) and Kisuki (Kengo Kora), whose platonic bond recalls Francois Truffaut’s “Jules and Jim” and Paul Mazursky’s “Willie & Phil.” Too soon, however, Kisuki commits suicide, leaving the other two to mourn deeply and separately ponder the origins of such despair. Several years later, Toru and Naoko enjoy a joyous, if unexpected reunion. After a failed attempt at a sexual liaison, initiated by the shy and brittle Naoko, she abruptly disappears from Toru’s life again, leaving him to his studies amid the chaos of almost daily clashes between students and police. Toru finds relief in the company of fellow student Midori (Dallas-born newcomer, Kiko Mizuhara), who’s as self-confident and outgoing as Naoko is withdrawn and fragile. The possibility of a longterm relationship between them, however promising, is thwarted by Midori’s emotional commitment to another man. In due time, Toru receives a letter from Naoko, asking him to visit her in at a secluded sanitarium in Japan’s lush and bountiful highlands. She’s suffered a nervous breakdown after her brief liaison with Toru and may or may not be ready to reclaim her sanity. Slowly, the facts of her relationship with Kisuki are revealed, as are several other facets of her psychological makeup. There’s no reason to go into any greater depth here. Suffice to say that the new triangle tests the strength of Toru’s loyalty and heart as greatly as the previous one. Curious viewers are advised to remember the lyrics, “I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me” and the song’s original title, “This Bird Has Flown.” The DVD adds a very decent making-of featurette, filmed on location and in the studio. – Gary Dretzka

We Were Here: The AIDS Years in San Francisco
My Perestroika
The War: Ken Burns
Something Ventured
Although many fine documentaries and feature films have been made about the AIDS epidemic, “We Were Here: The AIDS Years in San Francisco” marks something of a turning point, in that the eyes of its creators are set as much on the future as in the past. Twenty years ago, many gay men feared there might not be a future from which to reflect upon the struggles of the past. As the tide has turned on the possibility of a cure or preventative medicine, members of the LGBT community have been allowed the luxury of turning their attention to such issues as same-sex marriage and protection from discrimination and bullying. That’s an especially useful and welcome change, given the need to combat the Hitlerian rhetoric being employed by Republican candidates and religious bigots to attract the lowest common denominator of voters. Like Claude Lanzmann’s highly influential 1985 Holocaust documentary “Shoah,” “We Were Here” is informed by interviews with a half-dozen men who survived the 20-plus-years scourge and women who worked to comfort the afflicted in San Francisco’s Castro district. Directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber (“The Cockettes”), it chronicles the epidemic’s shocking impact on one neighborhood, whose plight was ignored by politicians, used as rhetorical fodder by clergy and for which there still exists no cure. In addition to describing the fear and uncertainty that comes from knowing something mysterious is causing neighbors, friends and lovers to wither and die before their eyes, those interviewed explain how the community put aside its differences and rallied not only to support the victims but also demand action from politicians and pharmaceutical interests. Many, if not most residents of the Castro had been disowned by their relatives, after all, and it became necessary for new support networks to be formed. Fortunately, the political activity that followed in the wake of Harvey Milk’s assassination caused networks to be formed ahead of the plague years and revelation that unprotected sexual activity exacerbated the spread of the disease. Because the witnesses all have lost dozens of friends, lovers, relatives, patients and co-workers, their stories necessarily are heartbreaking. If there are tears shed in “We Were Here,” though, they finally are overshadowed by the pride and optimism that comes from surviving a war, even one that’s not yet been completed. The people we meet speak eloquently for the “lost generation” of gay men, everywhere, whose dreams and promise were extinguished so quickly and cruelly. Finally, what’s left is promise for the future and an insistence that the dead not be forgotten or ignored by those who weren’t even born when the horror was replaced by hope.

A similar methodology is employed in Robin Hessman’s highly illuminating “My Perestroika,” during which a half-dozen Soviet-era baby boomers attempt to convey what it was like to have everything they’ve known in life change overnight, with the reforms instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev and other forward-thinking members of the Communist Party. These now-middle-age men and women remember growing up in a state quite different than the one portrayed by American politicians, industrialists and militarists, who couldn’t tolerate a world in which more than one economic ideology prevailed. Soviet leaders were no less inflexible in their beliefs about capitalism and the limitations of western-style democracies. They were, however, able to make a convincing case to Soviet citizens that their ethnically and culturally diverse country, where the state ensured full employment and something resembling equal opportunity, was superior to one in which segregation was legal, joblessness was acceptable and poverty was ignored. In “My Perestroika,” these well-educated and gainfully employed Russians — raised at a time when the last of the hardened veterans of World War II were losing their grip on the Politburo – admit to being downright nostalgic for a time when school, sports, rallies, vacations and camp were the only thing that mattered. Yes, Soviet schoolchildren were mindful of the potential for nuclear war. Instead of being advised merely to “duck and cover,” however, they’re shown donning gas masks, digging trenches and visiting shelters infinitely more intricate and safe than the ones permitted Americans not working for the government. No matter, they probably would have fried with the rest of us. Clearly, too, perestroika and glasnost didn’t cure all of the country’s ills or prevent some of the horrors of capitalism from visiting citizens. Just as in every country that’s come to embrace free-market economics, the skyline of Moscow is littered with billboards and neon-lit logo. Fast-food restaurants have corrupted the native palette and chain stores have pushed traditional shops and merchants to the fringes of town. As a pair of middle-class teachers reminisces, their son is glued to the TV set watching “South Park,” while also playing video games on his hand-held computer. A close friend recalls forming a punk-rock band dedicated to condemning both imperialism and Soviet intransigence on promoting individual freedoms and cultural diversity. He quit after other founding members found higher-paying gigs in banks and other new businesses, yet continued to rail against conformity and capitalism in their music. A former classmate lives in the same apartment her parents once occupied and where she was raised, alongside a dozen relatives. She resides there now, with her sister and their two children, and it still looks small. Nevertheless, she seems happy to be in the same neighborhood of high-rise residences where she grew up. Another man has opened a chic shirts-and-ties boutique, but has trouble convincing his employees that they should adhere to a dress code that requires them to wear the company’s apparel. Above all, the people we meet fear that lessons learned in the past are being lost on their kids and older Russians who have begun to yearn for Soviet-style security, as manifest by possible President-for-life Vladimir Putin. Instead of blaming the system, they’ve become as intolerant of immigrants as any politician in Arizona. “My Perestroika” is just under 90 minutes, but the bonus package adds more than an hour of extended interviews, archival material and discussions of issues brought up in the film. It’s remarkable how similar these Russians are to their American counterparts, who were raised at the same time.

Shown on PBS in 2007 and released previously on DVD, Ken Burns’ epic documentary eschews the case-by-case, day-by-day, mile-by-mile approach to chronicling the history of World War II, in favor of describing how it impacted the lives of everyday Americans and average towns across the country. Burns doesn’t attempt to convince anyone that the men and women who served the Allies’ cause represented our “Greatest Generation,” as some would like us to accept as Gospel. The people we meet here, along with most of those who served, have continually refused to present themselves as anything other than citizens who answered Uncle Sam’s call to duty. Even as these men and women were changed by war, so too were their hometowns: Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Luverne, Minnesota; and Sacramento, California. Burns and co-director Lynn Novick build on a template created for other of the team’s popular documentaries. Stories are told through individual testimony, letters, public records, cultural artifacts and, of course, archival film and newsreel footage and photographs. Celebrities contribute their voices to the narrative, without stealing any of the thunder of the people they represent. No matter how many movies and documentaries we’ve seen about the war and the people who participated in it, Burns’ seven-part, 15-hour “The War” adds something fresh and compelling to our understanding of the time and ourselves. Not surprisingly, the Blu-ray presentation is excellent, adding audio and video clarity to what already was a handsome package. The set includes a 36-minute making-of featurette, 45 minutes of deleted scenes, Burns and commentaries on two episodes and nearly an hour’s worth of bonus interviews.

There are at two different forms of capitalism practiced in the United States. One of them demands that the institutions that control the money supply be nourished and protected by the federal government, even when they make horrendously bad decisions, lose billions of investor dollars and ignore laws instituted to protect us all. The other allows investors to assume all of the risks of entrepreneurial invention and, if things work in their favor, reap the rewards. If not, tough bananas. Sometimes, a sharp fellow like the media-beatified Steve Jobs — a central figure in “Something Ventured” – is able to work the system in such a way that he not only benefits mightily from the risks taken by venture capitalists, but also enjoys the protection of government when he decides he doesn’t want to pay taxes and insists on subcontracting work to companies that enslave workers in China. Instead of lionizing the idiosyncratic inventors and visionaries, most of whom ended up being fired after their companies went public, Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s documentary focuses on the men – almost exclusively – who backed the ideas of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs either with their own money or that of other risk-takers. Typically, the banking and investment establishment has been loath to fund anything that doesn’t come with a sound and proven business plan, a conservative board of directors and a guarantee of profits according to an established timeline. Anyone without an Ivy League education and solid track record need not apply. With the 1970s came a new breed of inventors, whose idea of a good time was nerding out in a laboratory and creating cool new toys for the enjoyment of their friends and fellow geeks. If any of them owned a Brooks Brothers suit, it would have been handed down to them by a grandfather and left in the closet awaiting his funeral. Only a handful of investors saw promise in their inventions or could explain them to their buddies over lunch. By rolling the dice on such aspiring interests as Intel, Apple, Cisco, Atari, Genentech and Tandem, the more visionary among them reaped immense rewards. Not all of the start-ups would pan out, of course, but the ones that did would turn the heads of the eastern establishment toward Silicon Valley and change the course of Wall Street history. Inevitably, perhaps, so much money was being poured into projects doomed to failure that it precipitated an economic disaster in the Bay Area that presaged the current national malaise. The venture capitalists we meet in “Something Ventured” clearly have survived those catastrophes and with their wallets and senses of humor intact. As always, what’s most fascinating is learning how little was invested in companies that today seem to have been no-brainers.  “Something Ventured” is especially relevant in light of Facebook – a company built on chatter and pictures of pet dogs and cats – going public at what promises to be a record haul. – Gary Dretzka

Road Trip: UNR8D
Nine years before “The Hangover” sent Todd Phillips’ stock soaring into the stratosphere, he caught the attention of Hollywood studio executives with the gross-out, campus-slacker comedy “Road Trip.” That’s what happens when a $15-million first movie returns $68.5 million at the domestic box office. Three years later, he would return to college with the similarly themed and equally successful “Old School.” Then, in short order, came “Starsky & Hutch,” “School for Scoundrels,” “The Hangover,” “Due Date” and “Hangover II,” with a third entry in the franchise scheduled for 2013. Along the way, Phillips even had time to collaborate on “Borat.” Not all of the comedies became blockbusters, but the ones that did were the cinematic equivalent of grand-slam home runs. “Road Trip: UNR8D” arrives on Blu-ray as a Best Buy exclusive, with an alternative “R8D” version (60 more seconds of topless-coed hilarity, I’m guessing); the featurette, ‘Ever Been on a Road Trip?”; deleted scenes; and an Eels music video, “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues.”

The story involves a group of college guys who are required to make a road trip from New York to Texas after a roommate of Breckin Meyer’s character sends his girlfriend a video cassette in which he allows himself to be seduced by a blond hottie (Amy Smart). Naturally, the only vehicle available to them is owned by the class geek (D.J. Qualls, in his breakthrough role), who insists he be allowed to join them on the trek. Along the way, the students encounter crazy hillbillies, swinging senior citizens, a frat house full of doubtful black brothers and a gleefully sadistic nurse at a sperm bank. Tom Green, front and center on the cover of the DVD, is left behind to entertain a group of high school seniors and their parents with his recollections of the epic road trip, seemingly as it’s happening. There are many undeniably funny moments in “UNR8D,” even if the laughs-per-scene ratio will vary according to the viewer’s age, maturity and sobriety. Nothing new there, however. – Gary Dretzka

Walking Tall Trilogy: Blu-ray
While not technically a vigilante movie, “Walking Tall” differs from such nearly contemporaneous crime/revenge/vigilante dramas as “Dirty Harry,” “Magnum Force,” “Straw Dogs,” “Billy Jack,” “Death Wish” and “Taxi Driver” in that it was based on an actual, larger-than-life Tennessee lawman. Knowing this going into the theater, 1973 audiences reportedly erupted into applause and standing ovations whenever Sheriff Buford Pusser went medieval on local gangsters and corrupt public officials with a fence post. Even 40 years later, the events detailed in “Walking Tall” are disputed and debated by locals who remember both Pusser and the production. At 6-foot-3, Joe Don Baker was extremely credible as the 6-foot-6 star athlete and ex-marine. Not only did he look as if he might have been carved from an oak tree, Baker was large enough to wield such a weapon without it looking as if it were made of rubber. In the sequels also included in “Walking Tall Trilogy” and subsequent TV series, Pusser was played by the 6-foot-4 ex-Marine, Bo Svenson. (The lawman was asked to play himself in the first sequel, but he died in a car accident on the day he signed with Bing Crosby Productions. Considering the modest $500,000 budget, veteran director Phil Karlson’s version of the legend of Buford Pusser holds up pretty well as an action picture and biopic of a genuine American hero. There are times when it resembles an episode of “The Dukes of Hazzard,” but audiences lapped it up to the tune of $23 million in domestic box-office revenues. “Walking Tall Part II” picks up the story after the murder of Pusser’s wife (Elizabeth Hartman) at the hands of members of the notorious State Line Mob. “Final Chapter: Walking Tall” covers the period between Pusser being voted out of office and losing his life in the accident, the cause of which is left ambiguous. The 2004 “Walking Tall,” starring Dwayne Johnson, borrowed the facts of the original but changed the name and characteristics of the protagonist. The DVD set comes with a vintage featurette and trailers. – Gary Dretzka

Father of the Bride: 20^th Anniversary Edition/Father of the Bride, Part II: Blu-ray
Bringing Down the House: 10th Anniversary Edition: Blu-ray
If “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride, Part II” show Steve Martin working at or near the top of his game, “Bringing Down the House” locates the onetime A-lister at the point in his career when he became known for recycling time-worn shtick and easily predictable physical humor. (His spotlight dance with Queen Latifah in “BDTH” is only a slight variation on the ones he performed decades earlier in his numerous “SNL” appearances.)  All three movies did well at the box office, but Martin clearly wasn’t being offered – or he wasn’t accepting – roles that deviated from those he played in a dozen previous comedies. In any case, by 2003, Martin seemed far more interested in writing essays, plays and novels, playing banjo and raising his profile in the art world than seeking out better material in the movies. He’d already paid for the privilege many times over, so good for him. “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride Part II” are updated versions of “Father of the Bride” and “Father’s Little Dividend,” which were written by Albert Hackett and Francis Goodrich, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starred Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor. The 1950 “Father of the Bride” was nominated for Oscars in the Best Picture, Best Writer and Best Actor categories. Likewise, the 1991 and 1995 remakes were directed by Charles Shyer, written by Shyer and Nancy Meyers, and starred Martin, Diane Keaton and Kimberly Williams, although Martin Short stole the show in both pictures. Comparing the DVD versions of both the originals and updates is an exercise I recommend to fans of the actors.

Adam Shankman’s “Bringing Down the House” benefits from being able to appeal to crossover audiences not fussy about the gags in which Martin and Eugene Levy (also in both “FOTB” releases) are required to perform as if their characters know how actual African-American gangstas might act. The stereotypical portrayals of the black characters, including co-star Queen Latifah, weren’t terribly funny in 2003 and, nine years later, appear to have been created by someone whose only contact with people of color is through 1970s sitcoms. No matter how lame Jason Filardi’s script still feels, “BDTH” is Queen Latifah’s baby and she runs with it. A consummate professional, Martin keeps up with her as well as he can, but her youth and ambition allow her to dominate most of the scenes they share. Martin plays a lawyer whose devotion to duty has caused his wife and children to consider him a lost cause. He and Latifah connect in an Internet chatroom devoted to discussions of legal issues. She allows him to confuse her with a blond in a photograph attached to her contributions and, of course, he looking for someone to match up to his wife’s new boyfriend. He’s shocked to realize Latifah’s not only black but also a suspect in a bank robbery. Latifah works the homegirl angle to perfection, coercing Martin into letting her crash at his expensive home and accepting her legal case. Naturally, his nearest and seemingly only neighbor (Betty White) is appalled by the presence of Negroes in their neighborhood. Things get even more testy when Latifah invites half of the ’hood to a pool party.  The lawyer’s kids take an immediate liking to her, though, and this proves to be the turning point in their relationship. Joan Plowright has a few enjoyable moments as an onerous bigot, as does Levy, whose character falls in love with Latifah’s booty. Both Blu-ray editions come with commentary, deleted scene and funny bits featuring Levy, Short and Martin. – Gary Dretzka

Hell on Wheels: The Complete First Season: Blu-ray
PBS: Titanic & Me
PBS: Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World
History: The Universe: The Complete Season Six: Blu-ray
History: Top Shot: The Gauntlet
Any fans of HBO’s “Deadwood” who haven’t already checked out AMC’s “Hell on Wheels” are doing themselves a huge disservice. The same goes for folks who love traditional and/or revisionist Westerns. Until last week, I hadn’t watched more than a few minutes of “Hell on Wheels,” either. Once hooked, though, I spent the next 450 minutes of my life catching up with the series.  It’s that good. Although it doesn’t contain any of the artistically rendered cursing, flesh-eating pigs and topless hookers that made “Deadwood” such a unique experience, “Hell on Wheels” is every bit as gritty, violent and angry. In the series’ first stanza, the writers focused as much on the intrigue that surrounded the early days of the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad as the emotional tomult of a former Confederate soldier (Anson Mount) determined to avenge the murder of his wife by Union soldiers. Colm Meaney plays the unethical tycoon willing to break any law in pursuit of his dream to connect his line’s tracks to those of the Union Pacific, thus making him richer and more powerful than only a handful of other American. Mount’s Johnny Reb soldier, farmer and onetime slave owner forms an unlikely and decidedly uneasy alliance with a freed slave (the Chicago rapper, Common) while working in close proximity to each other on the tracks. Wes Studi stands tall as a Cheyenne chief, with one son raising hell as a dog soldier and another in the camp of the workers preaching the gospel. Among the other key characters are a slightly mad, if inarguably devout preacher (Tom Noonan), who gave up his family to ride with abolitionist John Brown; the pretty blond wife (Dominique McElligott) of a surveyor killed in an attack by dog soldiers, in possession of his precious maps; a prostitute (Robin McLeavy) whose facial tattoos mark her as a former Indian captive and target for ridicule; and a Scandinavian road boss (Christopher Heyerdahl), whose high forehead and cold eyes recall Doctor Frankenstein’s monster. Myriad other characters pass through the work camp when needed, but these are the ones whose stories are laced through the series. The cast is uniformly good – if mostly unwashed — and the Alberta setting provides a reasonable facsimile of Kansas and Missouri in the post-Civil War era. The Blu-ray adds a half-dozen excellent making-of featurettes.

I’m already on record, saying, “Enough, already, with the Titanic.” If I see one more ship sink on screen in the next 10 years, it could inspire me to spray-paint something blasphemous on the side of the Queen Mary, berthed in Long Beach. Naturally, along comes the PBS documentary, “Titanic & Me,” to test my resolve. Blessedly, the producers of this fine documentary assumed, as well, that everything we need to know about that the dreadful night on the North Atlantic has already been revealed, ad nausea, and they would have to come up with something new to justify its existence. It does so by remaining mostly on dry land, exploring the impact of the disaster on folks who didn’t make the ill-fated trip. Among other things, “Titanic & Me” reminds us of the ship’s first casualties, among the labor force that built the great ship. Remarkably, the ledger includes a man who was killed as the Titanic was lowered into the sea from dry dock. Records show just how much – or, more specifically, how little – these men were worth to the company. It’s also shocking to learn how the disaster impacted on one city, Portsmouth, where so many crew members lived and raised their families. Virtually, the entire adult male population went missing. When he was hired to run the most-exclusive restaurant on the ship, a much-celebrated Italian-born restaurateur brought his entire kitchen and wait staff from London to join him in the enterprise. They all died, too.

In PBS’ compelling religious travelogue, “Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World,” we join British historian Bettany Hughes as she crisscrosses the globe, visiting the most important shrines, statues and landmarks of Buddhism. She accomplishes this feat, wearing the same clothes and shoes she had on in Episode One. I’m not kidding. The series begins at India’s Mahabodhi Temple, where Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment under the world’s most famous fig tree. It was from this spot that the philosophy/religion spread to cities throughout the subcontinent and Asia, and, hundreds of years later, across the ocean to the Americas. Hughes spends much time here introducing western viewers to Buddhism’s roots and belief system. At Nepal’s Boudhanath Stupa, she examines the concept of dharma, then, at the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka, she turns to the concept of karma. (Yes, a precious tooth is enshrined therein.) Reincarnation and meditation are explored at Thailand’s Wat Pho Temple and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, respectively. A stop at Hong Kong’s Giant Buddha inspires a discussion of Zen. Nirvana is reserved for Los Angeles’ Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles. The shrines are magnificently designed and maintained, even the complex at Angkor Wat, which was nearly destroyed by Khmer Rouge fighters.

When God created the heavens and Earth, I suspect he already had digital technology and hi-def imagery in mind. As evidence, I present the pictures of deep-space phenomena rendered by computers linked to the Hubble Space Telescope. Words aren’t adequate to describe the majesty of the images we’ve already been shown, and, one suspects, many surprises lie ahead. As such, it’s always good news when History releases another complete-season package of “The Universe” on Blu-ray. Not only do pictures from space sparkle when viewed in hi-def, but the CGI representations also look terrific. The 14 episode titles for “Universe: The Complete Season Six” read like notes from a development meeting at Michael Bay’s office. Among them are “Catastrophes That Changed the Planets,” “Nemesis: The Sun’s Evil Twin,” “Crash Landing on Mars,” “Worst Days on Planet Earth,” “UFOs: The Real Deal” and “Ride the Comet.” Physicists and theologians also have been recruited to discuss where God fits into the universe, as described in the series’ six years.

If Annie Oakley were alive today, besides being 152 years old, she’d probably be a contestant on History’s “Top Shot.” America’s most famous sharpshooter was still knocking down clay pigeons in her 60s, before and after she and her marksman husband Francis E. Butler were involved in a serious automobile accident. Although she was known primarily for her skills with firearms, she probably wouldn’t have any problem mastering the vast array of weapons and projectiles featured on “Top Shot.” In the latest DVD release, “The Gauntlet,” a national revolver champion, two homeland security agents, a former Navy SEAL, firearms instructors, a restaurant owner and a camp director competed for a $100,000 prize. In addition to their weapons of choice, they were assigned state-of-the-art firearms, rocks, Gatling and Hotchkiss Mountain Guns and other unusual devices. The DVD set includes all 12 episodes from Season Three on four discs, plus contestant bios, bonus footage, “Anatomy of a Shot,” a weapons rundown and “Behind the Bullet.”– Gary Dretzka

42nd Street Pete’s 8mm Madness
Sex on the Sunset Strip: Grindhouse Triple Feature
Euro-Grindhouse Double Feature: I, A Woman Part 2 / The Daughter: I, A Woman Part 3
While I can’t begin to imagine how the story of the late porn star Linda Lovelace will translate into a mainstream movie, starring Amanda Seyfried and several other top stars, I believe that it’s in the right hands and won’t exploit her tragic life. If directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (“Howl,” “The Celluloid Closet”), working off a script by Andy Bellin (“Trust”), do manage to pull it off, it will be fun to watch entertainment reporters attempting to explain what made Lovelace more worthy of a biopic than, say, such contemporaries as Seka, Veronica Hart, Vanessa del Rio, Annette Haven and Gloria Leonard. These women not only were prettier than Lovelace and demonstrably better actors, but they also possessed the same skill that she made famous in “Deep Throat.” So did tens of thousands of other actresses and amateurs of both genders. What distinguished “Deep Throat” was that it was the first feature to base its narrative – and, unlike today’s porn, it did tell an actual story – on a particular sexual skill. It also differed from the “loops” collected in “42nd Street Pete’s 8mm Madness” and other early grindhouse fare by having a distinct comic voice and actors who were in on the gag. (Sorry, pun intended.) It wasn’t an immediate sensation, however. By attempting to censor “Deep Throat,” government bluenoses turned it into a cause celebre for open-minded couples and celebrities, willing to wait in line to see it without fear of embarrassing themselves or having a social stigma attached to them. Some ambitious reporters may also attempt to contextualize “Deep Throat,” by looking back at the sexual revolution of the 1960-70s and why it still has resonance today. Let’s beat them to it by checking out some historically significant titles from After Hours Cinema.

Many soon-to-be porn stars entered the business by performing in short films that left no time or budget for such things as plot, character development, exposition, drama, moralizing or comedy. Sex was the only thing that interested customers who frequented the booths in the back of 42^nd Street bookstores and arcades, as well as those outlanders who ordered 8mm loops from the ads in the back of skin mags. As “42^nd Street Pete” explains in his introduction, they would arrive in small white boxes and customers couldn’t be absolutely sure what they bought until they watched it. Depending on length, technical proficiency and whether they were in black-and-white or color, a loop could cost anywhere from $25 to $100, or much more, if certain kinky stuff was specifically requested by collectors. It’s how Lovelace got her start, as dictated by her physically and emotionally abusive husband, Chuck Traynor. Here, at least, Pete doesn’t go into detail about the actors’ motivations, but a taste for exhibitionism played less a role in their decision than avoiding poverty, copping their next fix and keeping their lover/pimp in business. The guiding principle was to convince the rubes they were having a good time and encourage them to keep dropping quarters into the slot to see where it led.  The movies included in “Sex on the Sunset Strip: Grindhouse Triple Feature” represent the next stop on the porn food chain, “one-day wonders.” Four or five times longer than the average loop and shot on 16mm, these films allowed for some plot and character development, as well as some comedy, moralizing and variety in the sexual encounters. Many were populated by actors who looked as if they might have been recruited that morning in the Haight-Ashbury or from the Charles Manson Talent Agency. The young women rarely were shown wearing bras and the guys had crossed “Go to Barber” off their to-do lists. “Trapped in the House” and “Love Freestyle” avoided prevailing anti-pornography laws by not showing penetration or engorged genitals in the group gropes. “See Me, Feel Me, Take Me,” which looks as if it might have taken more than a day to produce, offers plenty of hard-core action and outdoor locations.  The two-DVD sets include informative booklets and liner notes.

Well before crowds thronged to see “I Am Curious (Yellow)” and “Deep Throat,” Americans lined up to see the ground-breaking Swedish sensation, “I, a Woman,” which would quickly spawn two sequels. Viewed from a distance of almost 50 years, “I, a Woman” doesn’t look hot enough to have caused a sensation in Manhattan, Kansas, let alone Times Square. Of course, things were much different in 1965 America than they are in 2012 … except, perhaps, inside the homes of the many Republican presidential candidates and their rabid supporters. (Even Barry Goldwater would have been tarred as liberal by these mopes.)  European erotica retained an arty sheen throughout the 1970s, thanks primarily to Radley Metzger, who introduced “I, a Woman” to American audiences and would go on to make groundbreaking soft-core films set in exotic locations, with sophisticated characters and discernible narratives. Released here in 1968 and 1970, the still-tame “I, a Woman, Part II” and “The Daughter: I, a Woman, Part III” extend the story of Siv Holm, an increasingly sexually liberated literary invention who ditches her perverted husband when his behavior and demands become oppressive. She’s played by different women in the trilogy, all three physically striking and extremely classy brunettes. In “III,” Siv’s daughter is confronted with Swedish racism, when the pretty blond falls both for an African-American ex-pat and his sister, a go-go dancing lesbian. The gallery of vintage trailers is infinitely more sexually explicit than any of the “I, a Woman” series. – Gary Dretzka

Chained: Code 207
Movies as amateurishly produced, directed and acted as “Chained: Code 207” don’t come along every week. Indeed, most can’t find distributors willing to invest good money in a title destined to find a home in remainder bins. Shot on Super 16, Tino Struckmann’s vanity project makes most DIY horror flicks look like “Alien.” I certainly don’t begrudge any aspiring filmmaker for accomplishing the near-miracle of having his dream realized, if only on DVD. Still, it begs the question as to how “Chained” made the cut, while hundreds of other indies couldn’t. Writer/director Struckmann is reputed to be a former Army Ranger and security expert who served as a bodyguard for many prominent celebrities and billionaires. How, then, could the fight scenes in “Chained” look so anemic? It’s as if the actors playing soldiers, cops and thugs had clauses in their contracts requiring financial remuneration for every bruise, cut and broken finger nail suffered. The violence experienced at the line of scrimmage in most high school football games is more plausible than anything here. Neither is it made completely clear whether the bad guys are involved in weapons smuggling, stealing organs from their young victims or white slavery. When the protagonist’s wife is snatched from in front of their motel, it takes about a minute and a half for the guy to trick the local sheriff into leading him to where she and other women are being stashed. By contrast, the rescue proceeds at a snail’s pace. While picking off the guards one by one, the former soldier is joined by one of the first women he’s able to rescue. She turns out to be every bit as ditzy as Johnny Carson’s “Matinee Lady,” Carol Wayne, and as helpless as Snooki at Friars’ Club roast. If Struckmann wanted to add some comic relief to the drama, he would have been better advised not only to hire actors capable of delivering their lines with some semblance of professionalism, but also to dial down the violence inflicted on the caged women around them. Even the blood looks as if it were applied by 1^st Graders, using poster paint and tongue depressors, instead of Caro syrup, red food coloring and cosmetic tools. Otherwise, Mrs. Lincoln, “Chained” is a hell of a movie. – Gary Dretzka

Underworld: Awakening 3D/2D
Shock Labyrinth 3D/2D
The first time I can remember seeing Kate Beckinsale on screen was her appearance in John Schlesinger’s charming period barnyard comedy, “Cold Comfort Farm.” In addition to her delightfully spunky approach to the material, it was her delicate features – most noticeably, a long, swanlike neck — that made her character’s presence on a disheveled Sussex farm seem so incongruous. It was impossible to think, then, that Beckinsale would someday become a bankable action star. And, yet, in “Van Helsing,” the “Underworld” franchise and upcoming “Total Recall” remake, she’s done just that. In “Underworld: Awakening,” the fourth installment in the fantasy/horror series, her super-sexy vampire-warrior Selene is required not only to deal with the dreaded Lycans, but also the threat posed by humans who hitherto have been blissfully unaware of their presence. Beyond that, the story’s plot is far too difficult for casual fans to grasp with any certainty … not that it matters all that much.  (Blessedly, previous installments are in summarized in two-minute preface.) Early on, Selena is knocked unconscious by a rocket grenade, leaving her comatose in cryogenic sleep for at least the next dozen years. In the meantime, as the war aboveground has exacted a huge toll on both the vampires and werewolves, the mad scientist Dr. Jacob Lane (Stephen Rea) has been performing experiments on her. Upon awakening, Selene discovers that she’s the mother of a laboratory-raised daughter, Eve (India Easley), whose powers have begun to attract the attention of the Lycans. It becomes the duty of Selene and the vampire, Thomas (Charles Dance), to protect her from mom’s various enemies … or, something like that. All an action junkie needs to know is that “Underworld: Awakening” is 1 percent exposition and 99 percent action of the screen-popping variety. Swedes Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein (“Shelter”) were enlisted to direct this exceedingly dark battle for survival, with an eye toward maximizing the effects of the 3D presentation. I don’t own a 3D-capable Blu-ray system, but can see how every hurled object, drawn weapon and bloody gush of gore might look terrific in it. It helps greatly that the darkly clad human, undead and CGI characters are allowed to get lost in the murky interiors and exteriors — foreground, mid-ground and background — thanks to the employment of Red Epic 3D cameras. The dramatic audio and video presentation doesn’t lose much in 2D Blu-ray, either. As hot as Beckinsale remains in her black Spandex outfits, it’s pretty clear that “Underworld” producers have set the stage for next-generation appeal with the introduction of Eisley, Michael Ealy and Theo James. Even if they’re interchangeable with dozens of other up-and-coming ingénues, they’ll fit the bill until the next Beckinsale comes along. The Blu-ray package adds commentary by producers Richard Wright and Gary Lucchesi, directors Mårlind and Stein, and visual-effects supervisor James McQuaide; hi-def making-of featurettes “Selena Rises,” “Casting the Future of ‘Underworld,’” “Resuming the Action,” “Building a Better Lycan” and “Awakening a Franchise, Building a Better World”; several pre-visualization sequences; a blooper reel; the music video, “Heavy Prey,” by Lacey Sturm; and a UV digital copy.

“Shock Labyrinth” is set largely inside the world’s largest horror maze, the Haunted Hospital, at Fuji-Q Highland Park, which sits in the shadow of Japan’s Mount Fuji. Directed by J-Horror icon Takashi Shimizu (“Ju-on”/“The Grudge”), it is reputed to be the genre’s first live-action 3D feature. No one is willing to say if its genesis owes anything to the success of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean,” also based on a theme-park attraction, or the haunted houses that pop up around Halloween at amusement parks. Either way, it’s a logical hook for a supernatural thriller. “Shock Labyrinth,” available in 3D and 2D Blu-ray, involves a group of childhood friends, now teens, who feel a bond with a girl who disappeared a decade ago after sneaking into the Haunted Hospital. Even though she’s long been declared dead, someone or something resembling Yuki suddenly reappears to them, inspiring another trip to the attraction. Shimizu plays with everyone’s heads in the return visit, using 3D effects to give audiences the best bang for their bucks. Apart from a neat time-travel angle and the usual array of ghosts and goblins, it’s the genuinely Surrealistic imagery that sets “Shock Labyrinth” apart from the pack. While creepy, the effects are also quite artistic. Again, I’m not sure how “Shock Labyrinth” comes off in 3D Blu-ray, but anyone who’s seen more than a few stereoscopic movies on the big screen will know intuitively where the effects might have been employed to their best effect. Despite Shimizu’s excellent track record, I’d be surprised if anyone outside the “Hello Kitty” crowd was jolted out of their seats by anything here. The set adds interviews with the familiar cast members, Misako Renbutsu, Yuya Yagira, Ryo Katsuji, Ai Maeda and Erina Mizuno, and making-of material. – Gary Dretzka

Dark Tide: Blu-ray
PBS: Inside Nature’s Giants: Great White Sharks/Big Cats
Halle Berry must have been in desperate need of a vacation when she agreed to lend her estimable name – along with the registered brand of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – to such an un-thrilling thriller as “Dark Tide.” Cape Town and its environs are lovely most times of the year and any invitation to frolic with the native colony of sharks and sharks isn’t to be taken lightly. If only the script were up to the standards set by the tourist bureau. Shark completists and nature buffs may not be terribly disappointed in “Dark Tide,” but there’s nothing in it they haven’t seen before, including that insanely dramatic footage of a Great White leaping completely out of the water with a seal in its mouth. Contrary what’s implied by the cover art, Berry dons a bikini only in the film’s early scenes. Otherwise, her remarkably fine body is fully encased in a wet suit. She plays Kate Mathieson, an accomplished diver and fearless oceanologist whose skills have earned her the designation, “the shark whisperer.” Kate was communing with Great Whites outside the protection of a safety cage – accommodating the makers of yet another nature documentary – when a shark acted out its frustrations by devouring a friend and fellow diver. It’s taken several years for her to shake off the memory and agree to return to Shark Alley. In the meantime, her reluctance to once again test the patience of resident sharks has caused her business to tank, as it were. Relief arrives in the form of an obnoxiously rich and cocky outdoorsman who wants to swim with the sharks and force his wisely cautious son to do likewise. The jackass simply isn’t content to stay in the cage, thereby endangering everyone involved. This can’t possibly end well, can it? Turns out, the client was recruited by Kate’s smug and impossibly handsome estranged husband, played by Olivier Martinez. Sadly, he’s no more likeable than the European adventurer, leaving Kate to be the only character of substance with whom to empathize. There’s a few potentially exciting moments near the end of the film, when the European’s hubris is tested both by an unexpected storm and the shark’s bad humor, but it too clearly was staged in a tank at England’s Pinewood Studios. The scene pales by comparison to most IMAX nature docs.

More compelling are this week’s editions of “Inside Nature’s Giants: Great White Sharks” and “Inside Nature’s Giants: Big Cats,” which take viewers where most other wildlife documentaries fear to tread: inside the carcasses of dead predators. Whenever the word, “autopsy,” is attached to nature programming, it generally is limited to the examining of the contents of an extracted stomach. More often than not, the scientists in the PBS series “Inside Nature’s Giants” don’t get to the stomachs of their corpses until just before the final credits roll. They start on the surface of an animal’s body and slice their way through layers of skin, bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and sinew to find answers to questions that have perplexed scientists for centuries. Take that seal in the mouth of the Great White, for example. If, as assumed, a shark’s jaws were locked in place inside its mouth, they may not be sufficiently forward-placed to grab and hold an animal as nimble as a seal. In fact, a Great White’s jaws are detached from bone and a long, slender and strong muscle controls its ability to thrust forward and nab its victim, without the interference of its snout. Without the benefit of an autopsy and observations in the field – the same feeding grounds filmed in “Dark Tide” – it would be difficult for laymen to discern what really happens in such attacks. And, of course, it’s as fascinating as the scientists’ enthusiasm and excitement are palpable. Beyond such discoveries, the autopsies can be extremely grisly. (Viewers can thank their lucky stars that DVDs aren’t enhanced with Smell-O-Vision.) The results are worth the effort of enduring the procedures, though.

In the “Big Cat” episode researchers locate a dead lion’s hidden, razor-sharp claw, genetically engineered to snag prey when large and puffy paws can’t do the trick. A close examination of a lion and tiger’s mouth reveals how the alignment of their teeth could cause the molars to be destroyed with one violent snap of the jaws. Instead, the musculature prevents such dental disasters from happening. There’s more, of course, including the revelation of stomach contents. (The digestive tracks of animals too sick or damaged to eat, however, rarely contain anything worth noting.)  Here, too, the resident company of veterinarians, biologists and anatomists travel to Africa and India to study live predators in action. – Gary Dretzka

Madison County
Mother’s Day: Blu-ray
Ever since “Deliverance” was released in 1972 and, a decade later, “Southern Comfort,” the geniuses who do such things for reference websites have classified them as adventure/drama/thrillers. Ditto, “The Grey,” another killers-in-the-woods flick that arrives next week on video. All are horror movies. “Deliverance” has been elevated from genre status by its studio-sized budget, brilliant cast and literary roots, while “Southern Comfort” still is seen as a metaphor for Vietnam. Among other things, “The Grey” is distinguished by the presence of Liam Neeson. The line separating action/adventure/drama/thrillers from horror is that thin. Of course, any thriller that goes straight to video after testing the festival circuit is automatically accorded genre status. In Eric England’s debut feature, a group of college students travels to a small, mountain town in Arkansas to interview an author of book about grisly crimes that occur in the boonies. Naturally, upon their arrival in Madison County, they are un-welcomed by several barely literate rednecks, a creepy grandma and a lunatic in a pig costume. (This is, after all, Arkansas Razorback country.) While the author is nowhere to be found, the students quickly find themselves surrounded by people trying to kill them. So far, so typical. What makes “Madison County” worth the effort of trying to track down is the intensity of the pursuits and palpable sense of terror and mystery maintained throughout by England. Who are these yahoos and what are they hiding? The action sequences are so accomplished, in fact, that the writer/director allowed himself the luxury of withholding large chunks of information that would have shed light on the motivations of the townies, including a completely twisted grannie; the missing author; and the Pigman.  Any time a filmmaker can bank material for a possible sequel or prequel – the likelihood of which I wouldn’t bet against – it’s a bonus.

There are two very good reasons for genre enthusiasts to get excited about “Mother’s Day,” a titular follow-up to the campy 1980 Troma horror classic from Charles Kaufman. First, it was directed by “Splat Pack” member Darren Lynn Bousman, whose credits include “Saw II,” “III” and “IV”; second, the infrequently seen Rebecca de Mornay stars as the chillingly malevolent “Mother.” After a bank robbery gone wrong, three brothers seek shelter in the only home they’ve known, outside of prison. What these pinheads don’t know, however, is that their mother has been foreclosed upon and the house is now owned by a young couple, who has invited a few friends over for a party. The proximity of several pretty women tests the brothers’ ability to maintain discipline, at least until the arrival of the stern Mother and their sister. When she arrives at the house, she chastises the boys for their misbehavior, but has reasons of her own to torture the residents. A good deal of her money has gone missing and she believes it is being hidden in the house. Foolishly, the owners decide to play dumb. The subsequent bloodletting is substantial. – Gary Dretzka

The Genesis Code
At 140 minutes, “The Genesis Code” practically defines what it means to be a faith-based epic, unless one considers “The 10 Commandments” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told” to be representative of the largely contemporary genre. In addition to tackling issues common to such films – the power of prayer, applying New Testament tenets to modern life, the merits of abstention and chastity – the predominantly likeable characters here are challenged to find common ground between faith and science. In particular, the students of an idyllic Christian college debate the ages-old question of what God truly meant when he handed Genesis over to the first publishers of the Good Book.  Their findings are to be judged by a panel of classmates, instructors and clergy, who, considering the rancorous debate that usually accompanies such discussions, are unusually open-minded. The cast is unusually rich in acting talent. While no longer on the A-lists, Ernest Borgnine, Louise Fletcher, Fred Dalton Thompson, Lance Henriksen, Rance Howard (Ron and Clint’s dad), Catherine Hicks, Susan Blakely and Ben Murphy really need very little introduction. Left to carry most of the story’s weight, however, are unheralded youngsters Kelsey Sanders, Logan Bartholomew, Andrea Lui, C.R. Lewis, Danny Mooney and Adam Chambers. Sanders plays Kerry Wells, a reporter for the college newspaper who’s been assigned a piece on the new campus sports hero, Blake Truman (Bartholomew). They hit it off immediately, but have different spiritual ideas. Kerry takes the word of the bible to be true as written, while Blake looks for answers in science. He’s tested by the inability of doctors to keep his deathly ill mother’s condition from deteriorating, while her core beliefs are being tested in the classroom. The common ground is provided by a pair of students who hope to convince fellow students, teachers and local clergy that science allows for such things as God’s creation of the Earth and universe in a week’s time. Scientists, atheists and the majority of religious-mind people willingly subscribe to the theory of evolution, while fundamentalists insist the process took no more than 168 hours of the Creator’s valuable time. Those who prefer not to waste time exploring such unfathomable concepts as infinity and the force behind the forces that led to the Big Bang are content knowing that neither Darwinian scholars nor fundamentalists of all religious stripe haven’t the vaguest clue as to what constitutes biblical time. The students’ multimedia presentation uses physics, astronomy and other life sciences to support the likelihood that a day – biblical or otherwise — could last much longer than 24 hours and, theoretically, an eon or age could last a minute or a millennium. The details of their thesis would confound most lay observers, but it makes sense in a cinematic sort of way. Only the most ardent of creationists, televangelists and hidebound academics, whose livelihood depends on rubes buying into their interpretation of Genesis, would find anything but admiration for the hard work and enthusiasm of the students. No one’s saying that it’s the last word on the subject. Meanwhile, when Blake’s mother takes what appears to be a final turn for the worst, he dispenses with science altogether by asking team members to join him in prayer for her recovery. By the end of “Genesis Code,” everybody seems happy. If only such tolerance for other people’s beliefs were the norm, instead of a cinematic pipedream, we’d all find ourselves in a better world. – Gary Dretzka

Bobcat Goldthwait: You Don’t Look the Same Either
In his heyday, Bobcat Goldthwait was one of the most purposefully annoying standup comics on the circuit. His hyperactive stage presence, peculiar sense of humor and a voice that was alternately gravelly and screechy set him apart from every comedian other than Gilbert Gottfried, with whom he’s still mistaken. (His bit about friends commiserating with him over the loss of Gottfried’s Aflac-duck gig is very funny.) Even so, Goldwaith has always enjoyed steady employment as a voice actor and wacky guest star on TV sitcoms and talk shows. There was period in the early 1990s, though, when his destructive and outright rude outbursts on late-night talk shows probably did cost him some work. Since then, he’s spent a lot of time behind the camera as a director of TV shows (“Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Chappelle’s Show”) and a couple of the most offbeat indie films in memory. “Sleeping Dogs Lie” examines in a darkly hilarious fashion what can happen when a man or woman makes the mistake of being completely honest about their sexual experiences with a fiancé. In this case, a pretty young woman is coaxed into revealing she experimented in bestiality, while in college. Big mistake. He also directed frequent collaborator Robin Williams in his even darker “Shakes the Clown” and only slightly lighter, “World’s Greatest Dad.” Goldthwait addresses the passage of time between his standup appearances in the title of his special, “You Don’t Look the Same Either.” It has, after all, been 27 years since he immortalized the Cadet Zed character in the “Police Academy” series. The separation also allows the comedian three decades’ worth of autobiographical material from which to draw. Loyal fans will enjoy the experience immensely, I think, while younger viewers will find only a few things in common. – Gary Dretzka

The Kreutzer Sonata
Leo Tolstoy’s widely banned novella “The Kreutzer Sonata,” which, itself, was inspired by Beethoven’s emotionally charged Violin Sonata No. 9, has stirred the imagination of dozens of playwrights, filmmakers, artists and dancers since its aborted publication in 1889. The story describes how carnal urges and sexual passion in a marriage leads invariably to disappointment, estrangement, adultery and fits of dangerously jealous rage. Tolstoy was an advocate of abstinence and chastity in the service of God and he felt as if certain works of art were capable of enflaming lustful behavior. If Tolstoy’s theories on temperance haven’t stood the test of time, unbridled rage and blind jealousy continue to upend relationships between men and women, men and men, women and women. In director Bernard Rose and co-writer Lisa Enos’ latest retelling of the story, Danny Huston plays Edgar to Elizabeth Rohm’s Abigail. He’s a wealthy Beverly Hills philanthropist who falls in lust with a married pianist he meets at a dinner party. He tries mightily to blind her with his wit and cynicism, but she seems perfectly willing to be used by him sexually. At first, their relationship benefits from an excess of raw passion. After her divorce and the birth of their first child, however, Abigail begins to feel overwhelmed by the demands both of motherhood and her husband’s desires. (Philanthropy may be many things, but it isn’t physically taxing.) Edgar understands her growing depression and provides Abigail with help around the house and, a few years after a second child arrives, an opportunity to return to her piano. To this end, he encourages Abigail to perform the Kreutzer Sonata with a handsome and dynamic young violinist (Matthew Yang King). Instead of basking in their reflected glory, Edgar begins to fear that the emotions invested in their performance already have translated into a sexual affair. Once he’s convinced himself of that threat to his marriage and ego, anything becomes possible. “Kreutzer Sonata” is a smart adult entertainment in which recognizable characters respond to perceived slights much in the same way as any spouse might when consumed with jealousy and rage. If the ending is particularly ugly, it also is true to Tolstoy’s vision. It’s worth noting, as well, that the sex scenes are extremely hot, without also being gynecologically correct. It took me a while to recognize the woman writhing on the floor with her breasts on full display as the all-business ADA Serena Southerlyn in “Law & Order.” If “Kreutzer Sonata” had received anything beyond a courtesy release in the U.S., Rohm might have been accorded the nomination as Best Actress she deserved. – Gary Dretzka

The Front Line: Blu-ray
What most Americans know about South Korea’s contributions to the war effort against North Korea and China would fit onto the head of a pin. While we respect and admire the efforts and sacrifices of the U.S. soldiers who held the line against communist aggression in horrid conditions, too many of us hold South Korean fighting men in only slightly higher regard than South Vietnam’s much disparaged ARVN and the Italian army under Mussolini. By focusing on South Korea’s elite Alligator Company and the final battles for the Aerok Hills, on the eastern front, “The Front Line” paints a much more precise and sympathetic portrait of the Korean soldiers, hundreds of thousands of whom fought and died, even after the ceasefire was announced and armistice was hours from becoming a reality. It’s a familiar story, really. Soldiers who have grown tired of maintaining what essentially is a stalemated situation are ordered to fight and die, if necessary, to capture a position more important for its symbolic value than strategic importance. The hills have changed hands so often that soldiers on both sides leave gifts and messages in pre-arranged spots and share the love of a song sung on both sides of the front lines. Jang Hun’s drama overflows both with scenes of great ferocity and the interaction of humans who are nothing more than pawns in a game being played in Washington, Beijing and Moscow. Finally, it’s heartbreaking and life-affirming in the way all good war movies should be. It stars several of Korea’s most popular stars. – Gary Dretzka

42nd Street Forever: Blu-ray
Schoolgirl Report, Volume 8: What Parents Must Never Know
It’s often said that trailers not only give away too much of a movie’s plot, but they also run the risk of being more entertaining as the titles they’re supporting. Even so, the thought of investing almost four hours of valuable time absorbing the not-at-all-subliminal messages contained in grindhouse trailers is beyond daunting. Fortunately, the previews collected in Synapse Films’ Blu-ray edition of its popular “42nd Street Forever” series frequently are better than the classics, bombs and novelties they advance. That’s primarily because they’re far shorter, edited with an eye to accentuating gratuitous skin and explosive action, and hilariously narrated. In effect, Synapse’s six “42^nd Street Forever” installments are to the grindhouse genre what Reader’s Digest is to magazine articles, readers’ jokes, self-help texts and cookbooks. They’re appetizers in lieu of a main course.

There’s only so much Blu-ray technology can do with a piece of film that’s passed through a projector’s gate tens of thousands of times and have been spliced together dozens of times. With the help of some digital TLC, they look as good here as they ever will. The trailers represent the many subgenres of exploitation pictures, including sexploitation, blaxploitation, action, horror, science-fiction, women-in-prison hybrids and “mondo” schlockfests. Some of the previews in the “mondo” section even were too sleazy and graphic for guest commentators Edwin Samuelson, of Avamaniac.com; Michael Gingold, of Fangoria magazine; and Temple of Schlock’s Chris Poggiali. That’s saying a lot. It’s especially interesting to see how successful the creators of some of these trailers were in trampling on the borders of political correctness. It wasn’t at all uncommon to see and hear the word, “nigger,” in the titles of blaxploitation flicks and names of the protagonists. If the predominantly urban audiences minded, they still bought tickets.

In the early 1970s, the censorship boards of some countries required purveyors of sexploitation films to include material that offered some intrinsic educational value. For a long time, the only sexually graphic material found in American movies was that contained in such “socially significant” and “educational” movies as “Mom and Dad” (1945), which, while only as explicit as most sex-ed courses in the 1970s, were deemed too explosive to be screened before mixed-gender and mixed-race audiences. Even so, “Mom and Dad” was a huge commercial success for years after its original release. One of West Germany’s socially conscious responses to the controversy surrounding the legalization of hard- and soft-core pornography was the pseudo-documentary series “Schoolgirl Report,” which purported to serve as a warning to parents that their teen daughters have something else on their minds, besides pop stars and homework. The eighth entry in the promiscuous-coed franchise is “What Parents Must Never Know.” Here, the girls wile away their time on a bus trip to a rural hostel by telling stories about their first sexual experiences. Almost nothing is revealed in these naughty little comedies, except breasts, buttocks and nostalgic clumps of unruly pubic hair. The anecdotes aren’t nearly as titillating as they must have seemed 40 years ago — or remotely educational, for that matter — but the characters’ genuinely good-natured approach to youthful sexuality feels downright refreshing when compared to today’s gonzo productions. There are lessons to be learned here, but mostly of the physiological variety. – Gary Dretzka

Kawa
This strangely old-fashioned coming-out movie was adapted from “Nights in the Gardens of Spain,” by Witi Ihimaera, the same man who wrote the book upon which “Whale Rider” was based. That should tell prospective viewers to expect “Kawa” to be a multi-generational portrait of contemporary Maori life, with a protagonist who challenges hidebound tradition and exploits the beauty of New Zealand to its full extent. The title character, Kawa, is the next in line to succeed his father as tribal leader and head of a successful Auckland business. Knowing that his coming-out as a gay man would almost certainly upset the apple cart at work and home, he attempts to remain on the down-low with everyone around him. By abruptly moving out of the home he shares with his unsuspecting wife, teenage son and young daughter, Kawa allows his parents, friends, children and business associates to believe falsely that his marriage is in trouble for reasons not associated with his sexual preference. It isn’t fair to his wife or his lover, but that’s the way it plays out sometimes. The ploy gives Kawa enough wiggle-room to fall back into her arms when things get hairy with his lover and he fears losing custody of their children, who, of course, blame mom for dad’s unhappiness. When, finally, Kawa admits to himself and those close to him that he’s gay, his father cuts him out of the line of succession with the tribe and his daughter takes their loud argument as a cue to run away, toward the beach, where crocodiles lurk in the darkness. The ending is truly affecting, even if it holds no real surprises. Director Katie Wolfe manages to dodge most of the clichés associated with such coming-out dramas and finds a way to make everyone except Grandma happy. The largely Kiwi cast does a nice job elevating the material and denying us an excuse for laying blame on any single character, except Kawa, for the bruised feelings and misdirected anger. Among the actors are Calvin Tuteao and George Henare (“Once Were Warriors”), Nathalie Bolt (“District 9”), Vicki Haughton (“Whale Rider”) and Dean O’Gorman (“McLeod’s Daughters”). – Gary Dretzka

The Big C: The Complete Second Season
Fantasy Island: The Complete Second Season
Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season: Blu-ray
Showtime’s “The Big C” is one of several series that puts viewers through a wringer each and every episode. All of the characters have been accorded storylines that require us to invest emotional equity in them, while simultaneously riding alongside Laura Linney on her roller-coaster ride in the shadow of imminent death. Why the “The Complete Second Season” DVD package is being released during Week 5 of the third season is a mystery to me. The decision would seem to discourage potential viewers from subscribing to Showtime and, instead, stick with watching this fine dramedy on DVD, months after the weekly water-cooler synopses have ended. Among the second-season highlights are Cathy Jamison’s experimental clinical trial under the supervision of Dr. Atticus Sherman, her close relationship with another cancer patient (Hugh Dancy), Paul’s own dance with death and the exceedingly bizarre relationship between Sean and Rebecca (Cynthia Nixon). It’s quite a reversal from Season 1, when Cathy was determined to hide her illnesses from friends and family, and her decision stopped making sense after the third or fourth episode.

In the 1970s, ABC employed more C-, D- and no-list guest stars than all of the other networks combined, mostly in the service of such lowbrow anthology shows as “Love, American Style,” “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” The weekly visitors also included some familiar movie stars, who once were on the A-list but not in anything anyone under 40 would remember buying tickets to see. Even if they may not have relished being considered over-the-hill, they probably felt fortunate to earn a week’s pay on shows that required relatively little actual acting and were widely seen. The hardest part of their day was sitting still while the makeup was ladled onto their faces. The characters most closely associated with “Fantasy Island” were Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban) and his pint-sized sidekick, Tattoo (Herve Villechaize). In it, new guests would arrive on weekly basis on “de plane,” having paid a substantial fee to make their wishes come true in one way or another. If they couldn’t afford the freight, the mysterious Mr. Rourke often would devise ways to bring them to the island, where, generally, they figured into someone else’s fantasy. The bulk of Tattoo’s responsibilities involved providing comic relief – driving tiny cars, speaking with a high-pitched French accent – and prodding guests to make decisions that advanced the strategies of “de boss.” Looking back from a distance of 40 years, it’s not only difficult to believe how little acting was required of the guest stars, but also how frequently the small army of hula-hula girls were deployed.  It looked as if they had survived a jailbreak at the Playboy Mansion and they were hired to fulfill the fantasies of the producers, casting director and other behind-the-camera personnel. Sexual innuendo and implied consensual liaisons were staples of the anthology shows, where a well-filled bikini was worth a thousand words of dialogue. In today’s more liberated times, beach bunnies in bikinis have been replaced by women executives, lawyers and doctors in tight blouses, short skirts and fuck-me shoes. Male stars still seemingly wear whatever they want. Each episode of “Fantasy Island” included at least two life-affirming lessons and a firm balance of comedy and faux-drama. Among the second-season guests are Sonny Bono, Rory Calhoun, Dan Rowan, Lynda Day George (who appeared a half-dozen times in different roles), Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, Celeste Holm, Maurice Evans, Shelley Fabares, Desi Arnaz Jr., Ray Milland, Red Buttons and Barbi Benton. As lame as the series might seem today, its nostalgia value for viewers of a certain age is undeniable.

Through all of its five years on NBC, “Chuck” was a series that required more than the usual amount of attention. Its many characters and plot twists didn’t allow for reading a newspaper or playing solitaire on the computer between commercials. Each new season, as if to hold the geeks’ attention, the stories got even more convoluted and the guest list grew nearly as long as that for “Fantasy Island.” In its abbreviated final stanza, CIA agent Chuck Bartkowski (Zachary Levy) and his new bride and former partner Sara Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) joined forces with John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez) to launch their own spy shop, using money from last year’s villain, Alexei Volkov. Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix) has a recurring role as the leader of a rival firm. Responsibilities change and a threat to the team’s freedom emerges, as well. “Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season” has the last 13 episodes of the show, as well as a blooper reel, deleted scenes and a few farewell features. – Gary Dretzka

American Experience: Grand Coulee Dam
Frontline: Inside Japan’s Nuclear Meltdown
StoryCorps’ Animated Shorts
Depending on whom one listens to here on the subject of Washington’s Grand Coulee Dam, it either was the greatest thing to happen to the Pacific Northwest or a massive boondoggle that wasn’t worth the expense of creating new jobs in the Depression or the long struggle to bring water to the state’s parched southeast. While there’s no questioning the magnitude and majesty of the project, it’s also undeniable that the dam adversely impacted Native American culture in large sections of the region, nearly wiped out the salmon population and devastated the ecology of the Columbia River. Very few public-works projects of similar size and impact escape criticism of one sort or another, but its venerable age and importance in winning World War II have put such questions on the back burner. “American Experience: Grand Coulee Dam” takes an exhaustive look at the political fight that preceded construction of the dam and continued with each new setback, as well as  its place in the history of the American west and the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The documentary also devotes a section to the role played by Woody Guthrie in keeping the project on track and extolling the worth of the American labor force when almost no one in power cared to help them. “Grand Coulee Dam” demands that viewers consider the continuing debate that pits engineers and financiers against environmentalists and preservationists with every new call for that most elusive of qualities, progress.

It’s the same argument that’s perplexed proponents of nuclear energy ever since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Advocates promote the idea that nuclear sites are safer than they’ve ever been and work in the favor of clean air and against global warming. Detractors need only point to the facts presented in “Frontline: Inside Japan’s Nuclear Meltdown” as evidence that there’s no such thing as a disaster-proof facility and the threat of a meltdown is exponentially more serious than anyone in the industry wants to admit. The “Frontline” crew traveled to Japan’s

Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, which was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, and endured several aftershocks. Although company officials forbade employees from cooperating with the investigation, enough of them found ways to tell their stories to form a complete picture of what happened in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami. It’s as fascinating as it is frightening. Only hard work and sheer luck prevented an even greater disaster. The most jarring piece of information, perhaps, comes in the knowledge that the company was committed to sending “suicide squads” of workers into the plant to do what couldn’t be accomplished from a distance.

PBS’ “StoryCorps’ Animated Shorts” is the visual companion to NPR’s “StoryCorps,” a project that has given voice to the stories and memories of tens of thousands of average Americans. Begun by former documentary filmmaker Dave Isay in 2003, it began with a “recording booth” set up in New York’s Grand Central Station, where people would interview each other for 40 minutes in the company of a facilitator. “StoryCorps” then extended its reach through a mobile unit, its first stop being at Studs Turkel’s front door. In 2010, Isay teamed up with the Rauch Brothers to create three-minute animated shorts based on the stories. They would air on PBS’ “P.O.V.,” from which this DVD set arrives. It includes interviews with the creative team. – Gary Dretzka

Doctor Who: Nightmare of Eden/Dragonfire /The Happiness Patrol
The latest package of “Doctor Who” releases from the BBC fantasy factory contained a DVD from the Tom Baker era, 1974-81, and a pair from the Sylvester McCoy years, 1987-89.  In “Nightmare of Eden,” two spacecraft fuse in a hyperspace collision, leaving the Doctor, Time Lady Romana (Lalla Ward) and the robotic K-9 to cope with a large clawed creature that’s stalking the corridors and killing the odd voyager. After picking the brain of zoologist Professor Tryst – creator of the CET protection machine – they uncover the planet Eden, where the ferocious Mandrels dwell.

Skip ahead a few years and things get really crazy. It’s at the Iceworld Space Trading Colony on Svartos, that the Doctor and Mel (Bonnie Langford) unexpectedly encounter the penniless and desperate trickster, Sabalom Glitz. Along with Ace (Sophie Aldred), a teenage waitress with a penchant for blowing things up, the group ventures off to uncover the lost “Dragonfire” treasure. First, however, they must outsmart the planet’s evil overlord, Kane. The chase takes them into ice caverns, home to the monstrous dragon. “The Happiness Patrol” is set on the happy and colorful planet of Terra Alpha. In fact, unhappiness is punishable by death at the hands of colony leader Helen A’s stooges. After escaping from prison, the Doctor and Ace hunt down the bittersweet torturer, Kandy Man, who’s in charge of the Kandy Kitchen, where all the happy people are made to disappear. There’s also an itinerant musician who stirs trouble by wailing the blues on his harmonica. All of the sets contain bonus features designed to bring smiles to the faces of “Doctor Who” fans. – Gary Dretzka

W.E.: Blu-ray
One needn’t be an ardent opponent of all things royal to be sick of watching movies and media coverage of the British sovereigns. Intelligent coverage of the occasional wedding or funeral is to be expected, but, so soon after “The King’s Speech” and the excellent BBC mini-series “Any Human Heart,” Madonna’s almost-paranormal rethinking of Edward VIII’s abdication has all the relevance of another TV show starring a Kardashian. Only “The Life and Times of Pippa Middleton” would have been less welcome last winter than was “W.E.,” a parallel romance in which the ghost of Wallis Simpson provides a link between 1936 Europe and 1998 New York. Abbie Cornish plays Wally Winthrop to Andrea Riseborough’s Wallis Simpson. The lifelong burden of being named after one of the most notorious women in history has resulted in the young American becoming obsessed with an upcoming auction of the duchess’ personal property. Standing among the items on the display floors allows Wally to imagine what the socialite’s life must have been like in the periods before and immediately after the death of Edward’s father, King George V.

As a transplanted American, world-class partier and unabashed material girl, Mrs. Simpson couldn’t have provided a juicier target for Madonna, the filmmaker, and, in fact, she does a pretty good job capturing the woman’s essence. The portrayal of Wally, though, is far more problematic. Beyond her understandable fascination with all-things-Simpson, Wally is married to an abusive jackass, who responds to her sexual advances as if her vagina was the one thing preventing him from prosperity and stardom. After several visits to the gallery, she succumbs to the charms of a Russian security guard (Oscar Isaac), who, without being asked, rescues her from more brutality at the hands and feet of her closet-case husband. By the time this occurs, however, the ugliness of the hyper-violent and barely explained attacks derails any forward momentum in the increasingly murky storyline. Madonna and co-writer Alex Keshisian’s desire to tell the story from Simpson’s p.o.v. remains interesting throughout the movie.

Even through her first two marriages, Simpson was known to have taken lovers, as did Edward (James D’Arcy). No harm, no foul. Indeed, had Edward agreed to certain titular compromises, he could have been king and she would have remained “the woman I love.” The media added a romantically heroic sheen to the decision, without allowing for the possibility that Simpson dreaded the thought of being surrounded by royal twits and blood-sucking photographers for the rest of her life. Madonna doesn’t explore the couple’s reputed sympathy for fascism, both in Germany and England, but it, too, would have become a moot point once Winston Churchill committed troops to the Allied struggle. (Edward wouldn’t have been the first British monarch Hitler would have approved.) In “W.E.,” we can see how Simpson was the true victim in the story, unable to shed the spotlight and rejoin the social whirl, or ever divorce her husband, who was no genius. By contrast, Wally’s story is essentially that of a smart, pretty and modern New Yorker, who married the wrong guy and inexplicably couldn’t leave the cad, even after his true nature revealed itself. Did Simpson put up with such mistreatment, as well, or was Wally merely holding out for a hero? Madonna’s most audacious decision, perhaps, was adding the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant” to Abel Korzeniowski’s otherwise lovely soundtrack during a party attended by Simpson, Edward and their aristocrat friends. After several hours of heavy partying, Edward discovers to his chagrin that he’s the last man standing. To reignite the guests, he passes around glasses of champagne laced with Benzedrine. Dramatic license or parody? It’s hard to say. I, for one, would have welcomed more such unexpected detours from the narrative. The excellently produced Blu-ray adds “The Making of ‘W.E.,’ Featuring Madonna,” which is too self-conscious to be of any use to anyone except her diehard fans. – Gary Dretzka

Haywire
If “Haywire” hadn’t been entrusted to director Steven Soderbergh and writer Lem Dobbs – also responsible for “The Limey” – it might have lacked the class, polish and velocity to prevent it from going straight to DVD. Essentially an action-thriller based on familiar spy-vs.-spy and kung-fu conceits, “Haywire” follows black-ops agent Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) through Europe and the U.S. as attempts to complete a mission that’s doomed to failure. It’s been determined that Kane will be made the scapegoat in a botched assignment and no expense will be spared to take her out. We, of course, learn of this deceit long before she does, but are never completely clear as to why such a skilled and loyal agent would be sacrificed for someone else’s mistake. It’s enough to know that she’s no longer able to trust her handlers or the leaders of her country. Soderbergh took a calculated risk by hiring MMA fighter Carano to play the protagonist alongside several far more recognizable actors. She’d acted previously in movies and television shows, but only in such fight-genre fodder as “Ring Girls,” “Fight Girls,” “Blood and Bone,” “American Gladiators” and as a key character in a video game. Tall, darkly pretty and muscular, Carano may not be a threat to steal any jobs from Scarlett Johansson, but she seems to know her boundaries and plays within them. Besides, she’d probably dismantle any director who suggested replacing her with a stunt double. Carano is a specialist in the Muay Thai discipline and it, too, adds something different to the almost non-stop ass-kicking.  It’s exciting to watch and the punishment she endures looks pretty realistic.

Soderbergh took some of the weight off Carano’s shoulders by surrounding her with such marquee talents as Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton and Channing Tatum. Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas also were invited along for the ride, but it doesn’t look as if they were required to spend more than a couple of hours on the set. No matter, because Carano looks as hot in an evening dress as any Bond Girl and women in the audience likely will appreciate the presence of Fassbender and Tatum, who probably did require the help of stunt doubles. The extras include a featurette on Carano’s transformation as an actor and interviews with the male actors. – Gary Dretzka

Joyful Noise: Blu-ray
Todd Graff’s comedy-musical “Joyful Noise” is the kind of movie that continues to be made even though audiences intuitively know exactly what’s going to happen, when, and with what frequency. Nothing that takes place on screen could possibly occur the same way in real life, nor do people interact in ways the characters do. In movies like “Joyful Noise,” amateur choirs and high school orchestras deliver performances that wouldn’t be out of place at Rockefeller Center or the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The impossibly-accomplished-musical sub-genre isn’t anything new, certainly. It’s at least as old as the Andy Hardy movies, with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland staging productions worthy of Busby Berkeley and as fresh as every new episode of “Glee.” By casting Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in lead roles, the producers of “Joyful Noise” not only knew that fans of Gospel, R&B and country music would find the movie, but they’d also have an inside track attracting faith-based audiences of all colors. After the choir director (Kris Kristofferson) at a small-town church dies unexpectedly, the pastor (Courtney B. Vance) chooses Latifah’s traditionally minded Vi Rose Hill to lead the ensemble over Dolly Parton’s more spirited G.G. Sparrow. The decision is fine with Sparrow, but it doesn’t bode well for future competitions, where the other groups – including one led by superstar Kirk Franklin – could pass for the bands that backed up James Brown and Tina Turner. Further complicating Vi’s life is the arrival of G.G.’s cocky grandson. The teenager (Jeremy Jordan) takes an instant shine to her daughter (Keke Palmer), who returns his attention in kind. While both of them are good kids and wonderful singers, their talents are limited by Vi’s conservative direction. She also attempts to nip their blossoming romance in the bud, fearing her daughter will succumb to the charms of a man like her estranged husband, now a soldier conveniently stationed nearby. These actions serve to drive a wedge between Vi and G.G., as well. In a twist of fate so swift and unlikely that it wouldn’t pass muster in a cartoon, Vi finally comes to realize that her choir wouldn’t stand a chance against flashier, “Glee”-influenced competitors and she hands the reins over to G.G. Naturally, even without practice, the choir performs as if the music and dance moves were built into their genetic code. Like the other show-stopping numbers in “Joyful Noise,” their number terrific. If only there were more of them. The Blu-ray package adds interviews, extended musical numbers, a deleted scene and a live clip of the cast and singers at the Staples Center. –Gary Dretzka

New Year’s Eve: Blu-ray
Considering that the critically thrashed “Valentine’s Day” made more than $100 million at the domestic box office, it was inevitable that director Garry Marshall and writer Katherine Fugate would be asked to do another crowd-pleasing holiday-themed comedy. Once again, it would feature appearances by a couple dozen bankable stars, in roles of varying degrees of length and importance, and play to the broadest possible audience. Because neither picture is particularly memorable or laugh-out-loud funny, they practically define what it means to be an “airplane movie.” While stylishly made, there’s nothing that could possibly offend anyone or require a parent to shield their child’s eyes from the screen. Just as in “Valentine’s Day,” the camera follows a couple of dozen attractive characters as their paths intersect over the course of a day. Everyone is in need of sexual or emotional healing and the coincidental occurrences designed to accommodate them are nothing short of miraculous. Because “New Year’s Day” is set in New York, all roads lead to Times Square, which, for a few hours, at least, becomes the center of the universe for homebound TV viewers and tens of thousands of tourists, pickpockets and revelers looking to score an easy midnight kiss. Prominent among the cast members are Hilary Swank, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, Sofia Vergara and Josh Duhamel. Given less to do are Ashton Kutcher, Hector Elizondo, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro, Jessica Biel, Cary Elwes, Seth Meyers and another dozen familiar names. As sad as it was inevitable was the hiring of Ryan Seacrest to play himself, as host of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” His lack of charisma is another reason to mourn the loss of Dick Clark. I’m not sure how Marshall’s been able to lure so many fine actors to join the cast of these movies, but it probably involves embarrassing photographs. The Blu-ray package adds Marshall’s often-amusing commentary, 17 minutes of deleted scenes, a gag reel and short featurettes on making a movie in Times Square, the cast members’ favorite New Year’s memories and the construction of the musical climax with Bon Jovi and Michele. Marshall may be a really nice guy and he’s made some wonderful movies, but let’s hope he decides not to extend the series with an “April Fool’s Day,” “Arbor Day” and a comedy version of “Halloween.” – Gary Dretzka

The Theatre Bizarre
The Shrine
Mimic: 3-Film Set: Blu-ray
Arriving hot on the heels of the truly strange Italian “Museum of Wonders,” “The Theatre Bizarre” extends the concept of Grand Guignol entertainment into the straight-to-video and festival-track arena here.  A Pigalle landmark for most of the 20^th Century, Paris’ macabre Grand Guignol Theater – the probable inspiration for the vampire playhouse in “Interview With the Vampire” — attracted fans of graphic and decidedly twisted horror fare, delivered in a naturalistic setting and short-story form. The productions pushed the limits of good taste in the same way as the movies lumped together in the wake of such slasher, splatter, gore and torture-porn epics as “Black Christmas,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Night of the Living Dead” and “Halloween.” Made up to resemble a life-size marionette, cult icon Udo Kier introduces the segments in “The Theatre Bizarre” to an audience comprised of a signal increasingly wary spectator. Each one is directed by a different horror specialist and contains varying degrees of torture, witchcraft, revenge, seduction, instrumentation, slimy creatures and/or fantasy. Among the directors are Douglas Buck (“Sisters,” “Family Portraits”), Buddy Giovinazzo (“Combat Shock,” “Life is Hot in Cracktown”), David Gregory (“Plague Town”), Karim Hussain (“The Beautiful Beast,” “Subconscious Cruelty”), Jeremy Kasten (“The Wizard of Gore”), Tom Savini (“Tales from the Darkside”), Richard Stanley (“Hardware”) and Jeremy Kasten (“The Wizard of Gore”), who handled the framing sequences. They were allotted an equal, if limited budget and the freedom to interpret the subgenre as they saw fit. Believe me when I caution that the material is not for beginners. While cruel and largely gratuitous, the violence (and a bit of sex) also is replete with kinky humor and nightmare visions. True horror buffs, though, will eat up “The Theater Bizarre.”

In the reasonably scary Canadian import, “The Shrine.” director Jon Knautz (“Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer”) avoided stretching his limited budget past the breaking point by borrowing freely from several established genre tropes. Even if the movie bears a passing resemblance to several other horror pictures, though, it avoids easy compartmentalization by shuffling the cards every 20 minutes. After a curiosity-driven American backpacker disappears in Europe, his mother convinces a television news team to investigate. In an entirely implausible setup, the lead reporter decides to ignore her editor’s orders and travel to Poland with a cameraman and assistant in tow. Their research leads them to a secluded rural village, where everyone looks as if they’ve just seen a ghost. The journalists quickly stumble upon a shack with men in Druid outfits standing outside its door. Before they can approach them, however, thugs from the village chase them off the premises. This, of course, only serves to whet the team’s appetite for discovering what lies therein. After pretending to drive away, they double-back to investigate a stream of smoke rising from a nearby grove of trees. Instead of smoke, the team encounters a thick wall of fog, in which they discover statuary and other strange creatures and objects. Even this doesn’t dissuade the intrepid reporters from further investigation. It leads them to a dungeon, where they discover coffins containing bodies of tortured souls, including that of the backpacker, with masks nailed to the heads. The tortures scenes are pretty effective, if only because no one enjoys watching sharp objects being shoved into the eyes humans or animals.  The priests may seem out of place in Poland, but their presence is explained in a satisfying, if unexpected way. The cast includes fresh faces Aaron Ashmore (“Smallville”), Meghan Heffern (“The Fog”) and Cindy Sampson (“Supernatural”). The DVD adds an informative making-of featurette.

When Hollywood producers come calling at the door of a filmmaker whose first movie was as beautifully constructed, genuinely suspenseful and critically favored as “Chronos,” you’d think they’d have the common sense and decency to allow the director some space to work in peace. That the opposite experience generally is the one most recalled by such international sensations as Guillermo del Toro begs the question as to why anyone would think they could change the system. Even though the Mexican filmmaker’s fingerprints are all over “Mimic,” he almost immediately disowned it because of the meddling of producer Bob Weinstein and other geniuses at Miramax/Dimension. It’s interesting that del Toro subsequently agreed to be interviewed, at length, for the director’s-cut Blu-ray says a lot about the artist and the power of the format to redress past grievances. Still unhappy with the finished product – it’s as good as it’s ever likely to get, he says – del Toro seems mildly appreciative of being given an opportunity to revisit the bugs-vs.-man thriller. Genre loyalists will deliver the final verdict on how well the director’s-cut captures del Toro’s original vision and compares to his future successes. As muddled as it still seems at times, in my opinion it’s clearly an improvement over the dozens of horror titles released each month into DVD and Blu-ray. In any case, New Yorkers now fear bed bugs more than cockroaches content to live in the subway. Mira Sorvino plays Dr. Susan Tyler, the entomologist who developed a genetically engineered cockroach to combat the plague-carrying cockroaches threatening children. The Judas Breed bugs were supposed to have expired naturally in three years, but no such luck. Indeed, they’ve become more dangerous than the critters they helped eliminate. As is his wont, del Toro wastes little time taking the action underground, where the bugs have had plenty of time to breed and grow. They’ve also developed the ability to mimic human form. The battle for survival, which will be fought on the home turf of the enemy, ultimately will require the services of Charles S. Dutton, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Northam, Giancarlo Giannini and F. Murray Abraham. Blu-ray keeps the characters and cockroaches from getting lost in the darkness of the subway tunnels and accentuates the sources of light del Toro does provide. The heightened audio presentation also adds to the shock value. The bonus features include the director’s prologue and commentary, deleted scenes and a gag reel, interviews, storyboard animatics and a featurette on the restoration.

Even if there was no great clamor for sequels to “Mimic,” which just about broke even at the box office, there are only so many good titles from which to choose. Within the horror genre, short titles tend to have the most impact. In the straight-to-video world, as well, memorable titles provide hooks upon which franchise can be hung. This is true even when a sequel has almost nothing in common with the original. “Mimic 2” and “Mimic 3: Sentinel” are paint-by-numbers affairs, with the killer bugs being the constant element. Just as in real life, the Judas Breed cockroaches simply defy eradication. In “2,” the bugs begin to venture forth from the subway, while, in “3: Sentinel,” they appear to be targeting an entire neighborhood for re-location. In an unmistakable nod to “Rear Window,” a man stricken in the original plague documents the advance of cockroaches with a camera mounted in his bedroom. It should be said that some genre buffs consider “3: Sentinel” to be as good, if not better than the mutilated original. I say: you see one movie cockroach, you’ve seem ’em all. Each disc contains several additional bonus features. – Gary Dretzka

Circus Columbia
Kinyarwanda
After the lifting of the Iron Curtain, the American media described an Eastern Europe that was crying out for democracy, MTV and Kentucky Fried Chicken, and desired little more than to be molded into virtual Americans. It wasn’t true then and it certainly isn’t true now. It didn’t take long for the citizens of those beleaguered nations to realize that democracies could be corrupted and exploited from within and without, just as the previous authoritarian regimes had been, and an embracement of capitalism wouldn’t automatically ensure full employment or prosperity. Moveover, in the absence of a balance of power between superpowers, wounds suffered in conflicts long thought settled would be allowed to split wide open, spilling fresh blood over the borders of arbitrarily drawn maps. “Circus Columbia” is set in Bosnia-Herzegovina, circa 1991, a decade after the death of Josip Broz Tito and in the direct wake of the collapse of Yugoslavia’s communist government. Already, western nations were positioning themselves to exploit the inevitable division of the country into smaller democracies. With no one to stop them in their destructive paths, nationalists of Serb, Croatian and Bosnian ancestry were left free to devise strategies to eliminate ethnic minorities from the new nations. If the Serbs garnered most of the headlines – and international censure – it’s only because they were largely in control of the armed forces and struck first. The Croats and Bosnians would commit atrocities of their own, while the spotlight was elsewhere. “Circus Columbia” revisits the brief period of time between the declarations of independence and outbreak of war when some expatriates returned to the homes they left decades earlier and there existed at least a small glimmer of hope for continued peaceful co-existence. Divko Buntic (Miki Manojlovi) is just such a person. After 20 years in Germany, avoiding punishment for a political crime, he returns to his former home in a Mercedes-Benz, with a pretty young woman on his arm and roll of bills in his pocket. While welcomed by some of his former neighbors and friends, others are old enough to recall the reasons for Divko’s flight and his caddish behavior toward the woman and son he deserted. After 20 years, the disagreeable cuss doesn’t appear to have softened much. Divko gets the mayor to evict his wife and son from the home they’ve shared since he split for Germany. In the hands of director Danis Tanovic (“No Man’s Land”), Divko is the prototypical Yugoslavian male chauvinist, incapable of lifting himself off the living-room couch to get cigarettes, pick up his socks or pour himself a drink. While his girlfriend, Azra (Jelena Stupljanin) is at home, cleaning the house and cooking dinner, Divko holds court at a local cafe. He’s convinced Azra that he’ll soon have his estranged wife’s signature on divorce papers, but the disappearance of his beloved pet cat has lift him incapable of any following up on the promise. Lonely and disappointed, Azra attempts to develop a familial bond with her husband’s handsome and genuinely friendly son, Martin (Boris Ler).

Although the war for independence in Croatia has begun to make headlines throughout the former Yugoslavia, Divko and most other Bosnians not wearing a uniform can’t imagine their multicultural society being torn apart by violence, nationalism and religious intolerance. Of course, the calm before the storm wouldn’t last much longer. Already, teenage boys are being recruited to serve militias of their own ethnic backgrounds and the army is coming apart at its seams. Just as the conflagration is about to erupt a friendly army officer convinces Martin and his mother, Lucija (Mira Furlan), that it’s time to get out of Dodge and head for Germany. Up until this point, viewers were free to take away from “Circus Columbia” as much dark humor and satire as they could mine. Nothing that happened after the first shells were lobbed could be considered remotely amusing. It would stay that way for another three years. As in “No Man’s Land,” Tanovic is reluctant to fix blame on any one Bosnian tribe. The backgrounds of the characters aren’t made clear, perhaps, because everyone within reach of a gun had an itchy trigger finger and there soon will be plenty of blame to share. The decision works to the advantage of the story’s narrative. Knowledge of the intricacies of the Bosnian conflict isn’t necessary for any enjoyment of “Circus Columbia,” but the film’s full flavor won’t cut through the surface of the dark comedy without it. The acting throughout is exemplary and the Bosnian locations – I’m guessing, closer to Croatia than Serbia – add a distinct air of authenticity.

At about the same time as the Bosnian War was consuming the attention of the international media, an even greater transgression against humanity was percolating in the central African nation of Rwanda. It would boil over during a 100-day period of unfathomable violence, later determined to be genocide. If the slaughter of Tutsi men, women and children by Hutu militias was slow to make the front pages of western newspapers, the horror would subsequently be well documented in such films as “Hotel Rwanda,” “Shake Hands With the Devil,” “Beyond the Gates” and “Munyurangabo.” Most striking, perhaps, was the barbaric nature of the slaughter, which largely was accomplished through the use of machetes, spiked clubs, gasoline and cheap handguns. “Kinyarwanda” assumes the point of view of characters we might have seen in earlier films huddling in churches and crawl spaces or standing alongside a military transport or checkpoint. Freshman director Alrick Brown uses the budding romance of a Tutsi girl and a Hutu boy as connecting tissue to separate through-lines involving a woman army officer, hoping to eradicate the militias preying on innocent people; a mullah risking his own life to shelter refugees; a priest who’s lost his religion in the wake of the atrocities; a man and woman of mixed religious background whose marriage is being pulled apart by other people’s prejudices; and several militia members required to acknowledge their crimes in the reconsolidation process that followed the genocide. “Kinyarwanda” is based on accounts from survivors – Tutsi and Hutu, alike — who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrassa of Nyanza. The cast includes professional actors and amateurs who experienced the tragedy first-hand. If, at times, it feels as if what’s happening on screen is tearing holes in your heart, there also are scenes in which characters display great courage and generosity and other values attributed to a kind and just God … wherever He might have been vacationing in 1994. – Gary Dretzka

She’s Not Our Sister
Since it rebranded in 2010, the cable service GMC (a.k.a., Gospel Music Channel) has broadened its entertainment menu to include more than a half-dozen original movies it promotes as being “uplifting” and “family oriented.” All deal one way or another with moral issues affecting young and attractive middle-class African-Americans. Members of the clergy help the characters make decisions about love and romance, but, just as often, they provide comic relief. While comparisons can be made to similarly targeted productions from Tyler Perry’s entertainment factory, the GMC movies tend to have a sharper edge and sexier looking stars. “She’s Not Our Sister” is typical in that it leavens its sermonizing with much broad humor, flirtatious behavior and songs. In it, three sisters have different reactions to the death of their estranged father. Their mother has already died, but it isn’t likely she’ll make any great effort to reunite with the man when and if he passes through the pearly gates. It isn’t long after the funeral that the sisters sense something isn’t kosher. It isn’t until they’re told to gather for the reading of the old man’s will that they learn of his multimillion-dollar estate and the presence of a half-sister who must have been born within days of one of the sisters. When their step-sister is introduced to them, two of the sisters open their arms to her, while the oldest treats her like damaged goods. The will stipulates that the women share the money, but only after living under the same roof for a few months. You can probably guess the rest of the story. The attractive cast includes Azur-De, Tony Grant, Christian Keyes, Jazmin Lewis, Drew Sidora and Clifton Powell. – Gary Dretzka

Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore
I’d love to see NBC dedicate a season of “The Biggest Loser” to such fat-bordering-on-obese comedians as Ralphie May, Gabriel Iglesias, Lavelle Crawford, John Pinette, Brian E. Kiley and Mo’Nique. Even if none of them lost a pound, it could be the funniest show on TV. The winner would be awarded trainer Jillian Michaels to eat for dinner, deep-fried or pan-seared. Ralphie May, whose fourth Comedy Central special, “Too Big to Ignore,” has just been released on DVD, would have a distinct advantage over the other contestants in that he’s already shed 400 pounds. Given that he lists Sam Kinison as one of his comedy heroes, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his material, while often hilarious, is undeniably raunchy. As difficult as it might be to imagine anyone who weighs 400-plus pounds and stands 5-foot-9 making love – the father of two is married to comedian Lahna Turner – the bits involving oral sex are particularly outrageous. This isn’t to say May uses his weight as his primary vehicle for comedy, because his stuff is all over the board. His quirky hip-hop delivery opens the door for much homeboy humor, which he ladles out in surprisingly nimble fashion. A caution to viewers allergic to the N-word: he’s uses it unsparingly in a funny bit about his idea for eliminating the stigma surrounding such slurs, by replacing them with the flavors of popular cookies. (It works better on stage than in print.) – Gary Dretzka

Men in Black/Men in Black II: Blu-ray
Clueless: Blu-ray
With the arrival of “Men in Black III” right around the corner, the folks at Sony thought it would be a good time to re-release the 1997 original in Blu-ray and send out the 2002 sequel in hi-def, as well. Sure, why not? Based on a fairly obscure comic book, “Men in Black” took the world by storm with its delightful array of aliens and hilarious parody of government spooks and conspiracy theorists. Frank the Pug might have had something to do with its popularity, as well. Although it didn’t exactly embarrass itself at the box office, almost no one will admit to enjoying “Men in Black II” nearly as much as “MiB.” It was widely condemned for being uninspired and absent the same spark that lit Barry Sonnenfeld and Ed Solomon’s original collaboration. Waiting 10 years for a third installment almost certainly was a good idea, no matter the critical response to the new movie. The real question is whether Sonnenfeld can return to the same form he displayed in “MiB” and “Get Shorty,” some 15 years ago. He takes a back-to-the-future approach in “MiB III,” but with four writer’s names attached to the screenplay, it’s anyone’s guess how it will turn out. Nevertheless, newcomers to the franchise are advised to do some homework ahead of time. “MiB” looked and sounded very good in its original Blu-ray incarnation and the bonus features remain pretty much the same, as well: alternative and extended scenes, visual and audio commentaries, galleries, a trivia game and “Ask Frank the Pug”. Technically, the “MiB II” presentation represents an upgrade from the DVD. The bonus package adds several leftovers from the special widescreen edition, including director’s commentary, an alternate ending and blooper reel, behind-the-scenes and creature featurettes, scene deconstructions and a music video. Both offer UltraViolet capability, discount coupons for “MiB III” and previews of the video game.

“Clueless” stands proudly alongside such pitch-perfect movies about the peaks and valleys of the American high school experience as “Breakfast Club,” “Blackboard Jungle,” “Mean Girls,” “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Rock ’n’ Roll High School,” “Rushmore,” “Cooley High,” “Election,” “Stand and Deliver” and “Heathers.” A delicate balance between classroom scenes and outside action was maintained throughout and each addressed issues specific to their time and cultural milieu. In “Clueless,” Alicia bowled everyone over with dead-on impression of a Beverly Hills teenager able to turn being spoiled into a team sport, with friends who mimicked the ostentatious mannerisms of their mothers, whose only goals in life are to maintain their girlish figures and shop until they drop. Her Cher Horowitz could easily have grown up to Carrie Bradshaw,” in “Sex and the City,” and her circle of friends might have served as an inspiration for the cliquey rich kids in “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl.” Thirteen years earlier, Amy Heckerling had turned “Fast Times at Ridgemont Times” into a modern classic. Two and three decades later, it’s still fascinating to see how much their characters would evolve into actual teenage archetypes, on and off the screen. The fine cast includes Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Elisa Donovan, Breckin Meyer (channeling Jeff Spicoli), Dan Hedaya, Wallace Shawn and Paul Rudd. The only new bonus features here are the “Clue or False Trivia Game” and hi-def trailer/teasers. Otherwise, they package is the same one included in the “Whatever! Edition.” – Gary Dretzka

Flicka 3: Country Pride
Novelist Mary O’Hara introduced the Wyoming wonder-horse Flicka in a Western trilogy, custom-made to be adapted by several generations of filmmakers, spanning the 1943 “My Friend Flicka” and the new DVD original, “Flicka 3: Country Strong.” It’s been more than half-century since the original protagonist, Ken McLaughlin, made his last appearance on the back of the tempestuous mustang mare. Roddy McDowell originated the character and was succeeded in the saddle by fellow child star Johnny Washbrook. Between TV and the movies, O’Hara’s source material seemingly was exhausted long ago. Fox revived the series in 2006, electing to put girls in Flicka’s stirrups for the first time. Alison Lohman would be followed by Tammin Sursok and Kacey Rohl, with singer Clint Black acting as the horse’s trainer. In “Flicka 3,” Black’s character is hired by the owner of a stable that caters to the jumping and dressage crowd. (She’s played by his real-life wife, Lisa Hartman.) The ruling clique at the stable treats Rohl as nothing more than the girl who mucks out the stalls. In fact, she’s a talented rider and Flicka is a natural jumper. In a subplot right out of “Mean Girls,” Rohl is bullied by riders jealous both of her skills and her rising status in horsy society, and angry that one of the cute guys has taken a liking to her. Naturally, there’s a showdown between Rohl and her snobby nemesis, with the future of her mom’s stable at stake. In a return to the director’s chair, Michael Damian manages to overcome the many inherent clichés built into such family dramas. The actors are a game lot and the British Columbia locations are close enough to the non-mountainous stretches of Wyoming to pass. – Gary Dretzka

Masterpiece Classic: The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Blu-ray
American Experience: Jesse Owens
Nova: Secrets of the Sun
Charles Dickens left countless readers in the lurch when, after completing just 6 of 12 chapters in the serialized novel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” he suffered a stroke and died. In the ensuing 142 years, several playwrights and screenwriters have attempted to conjure an ending that would honor Dickens’ memory and satisfy amateur sleuths. The first two film adaptations appeared in 1909 and 1914, before the movies talked, with others showing up in 1935 and 1993. The new “Masterpiece Classic” version, with a new ending by Gwyneth Hughes, was broadcast on England’s BBC 2 earlier this year in two parts. Matthew Rhys plays John Jasper, the opium-addled choir master who may or may not have killed the title character (Freddie Fox) in a fit of jealous rage. Jasper has developed a crush on his much younger student, Rosa Bud, who is engaged to be married to his nephew, Drood, Conveniently, his descent into madness coincides with the arrival in Cloisterham of twins, Helena and Neville Landless, from Ceylon. All are potential heirs to the Drood fortune, and stepbrothers Edwin and Neville take an instant dislike to each other. This provides a convenient alibi for Jasper if and when he takes action to eliminate his perceived competitor for Rosa’s hand. Meanwhile, the lovely flower has begun to fear Jasper, and for good reason. Hughes’ ending not only allows for a solution to Drood’s disappearance, but also a spooky visit to crypts below Cloisterham Cathedral overseen by the drunken stonemason, Durdles, who only thinks he knows where all of the bodies are buried. The BBC production is as suspenseful as it is intellectually satisfying.

It is a chapter of American history thoroughly engrained in the collective memory of every student who’s passed through the public-school system over the past 70 years. In an early, pre-war victory in the Allied effort to destroy the Nazi menace, Jesse Owens personally burst Adolph Hitler’s bubble on the issue of Aryan supremacy in sports. Hitler had intended to use the 1936 Berlin Olympiad as a showcase for Germany’s athletic prowess, but he hadn’t reckoned on the ability of Owens and teammate Ralph Metcalfe to dominate every race in which they were entered. The “American Experience” biodoc chronicles every step in Owens’ march to Berlin, as well as the more revelatory events that followed on his home turf. We’ve been taught as Americans to hold sacred Owens’ triumphs in Berlin. What Owens knew then and most Americans have forgotten – or never learned – is that one of his and Metcalfe’s gold medals might have gone to Jewish teammates if USOC president Avery Brundage hadn’t acquiesced to Hitler’s demands that Jews be forbidden from competing against Germans. Owens would be greeted as a hero when he returned home from Europe but none of the rewards he was promised ever materialized. To avoid bankruptcy, he agreed to race against horses at fairs and tracks. Neither could he avoid other humiliations associated with being a person of color in America at the time. Racists in America accomplished what Hitler couldn’t by denying Owens the fruits of his hard work and courage. The documentary is informed by interviews with historians, relatives and people who watched Owens perform at the Games.

Watch “Nova: Secrets of the Sun” in Blu-ray and you may never leave your house in daylight hours again. The Sun is one scary star. Thanks to new spacecraft and Earth-based telescopes, scientists are getting more adept at predicting the effects of solar storms and other phenomenon on our electrical grids and communications systems. The images sent back from probes as they approach the gaseous surface are nothing short of awe-inspiring, as frightening as they are beautiful. I suggest watching “Secrets of the Sun” before or after reading Ray Bradbury’s “The Rocket Man.” – Gary Dretzka

The Dick Van Dyke Show: Carl Reiner’s Favorites
Kojak: Season Four
Sesame Street: Singing With the Stars
Bubble Guppies
If hope ever did spring eternal, it would be in the dark hearts of network programming executives who keep throwing defective spaghetti against a wall believing it will stick. Even the shows that make the cut look anemic compared the hits of yesteryear and, of course, premium cable. The ratio of hits to misses probably hasn’t changed much over the last 50 years, but, given the continuing deflation of ratings and share points, it’s safe to argue that creativity has been devalued, as well. While it would be difficult to argue that “Kojak” is a better show than “CSI” or “Law & Order,” there’s no question that no one creates TV cops in the same mold as Telly Savalas, anymore. With all due regard for the producers of “Modern Family,” “Community,” “30 Rock” and “The Office,” it’s become almost impossible to build an ensemble show around a star like Dick Van Dyke and sell it to audiences of all ages. When network executives began parsing audiences into distinct demographic segments and targeting content at the viewers that advertisers valued most, it was an invitation for less-valued viewers to join the niche world of cable and satellite. Not only did “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and other classic sitcoms appeal to audiences of all ages, but, on DVD and retro networks, they still do. The measure for success once was 100 episodes, the number that assured syndication. Now, even shows that didn’t last an entire season find an afterlife on DVD and niche cable. While it’s true that “The Dick Van Dyke Show” is no stranger to the DVD marketplace, it continues to profit those anxious to sell its individual parts. Out of 158 episodes, series creator/writer/producer was asked to pick 20 of his favorites for this Image Entertainment compilation. Collectors already will have most of them on tape and disc, and it’s likely they’ve been memorized by diehard fans, but newcomers will find in “Carl Reiner’s Favorites” a convenient entry point to the show, which also starred Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie. The 500-minute collection would be worth the price of admission to aspiring actors if only to study the elasticity of Van Dyke’s physical comedy. Among Reiner’s favorites are “Never Name a Duck,” “The Attempted Marriage,” “Hustling the Hustler,” “Gesundheit,” “Pink Pills for Purple Patients” and “No Rice at My Wedding.”

Among the guest stars on the first episode of “Kojak: Season Four” is Richard Gere. It isn’t a huge role, but it’s fun to watch him at this stage in his career.  You can almost see the gears moving in the future superstar’s head as he honed his craft and screen persona simultaneously. Such dramatic series, especially those from the 1970s, became a crossroads where stars of the past and future often met. Savalas’ giant Greek personality dominated the show, of course, but there was also something else of interest to enjoy. When Kojak wasn’t bouncing insults off the heads of his motley crew of detectives, he would suck on lollipops and invent new catchphrases, like “Meow, baby.” Crimes and chases that wouldn’t have worked nearly as well if shot in L.A. worked wonderfully in the streets, alleys, rooftops and business of New York. Watching it after all these years, it makes me wonder how a cop show starring Larry David would look.

For parents, one of the trademark attractions of “Sesame Street” was the likelihood that a celebrity or popular entertainment might show up unexpectedly and join Elmo and the other Muppets in song and dance. In the latest compilation, “Sesame Dance: Singing With the Stars,” the gang is joined by such luminaries as Alicia Keys, the Dixie Chicks, Andrea Bocelli, Adam Sandler and other performers on such songs as R.E.M.’s “Furry Happy Monsters” and “What I Am.” The DVD adds a karaoke sing-along feature, activity tips for parents, a downloadable book and CD.

Nickelodeon’s “Bubble Guppies” is designed to help pre-schoolers prepare for an immersion in social skills, science, math and literacy. A diverse collection of animated characters – who look more like mermaids and goldfish than guppies — dedicates itself to finding snacks and providing adventures for Bubble Puppy. The set includes the TV movie, “Bubble Puppy’s Fin-tastic Fairy Tale,” karaoke videos, an interactive game and song selection. – Gary Dretzka

Contraband: Blu-ray
Like so many other crime dramas involving reluctant protagonists, “Contraband” can be summed up in the words of Michael Corleone, “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.” Hang a few cool characters on that hook, add some inspired gunplay and set it in an interesting locale and, sometimes, even, a producer can save money by cribbing a script from any one of a hundred similar movies. Set in New Orleans and Panama City, “Contraband” stars such dependable actors as Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster, Lukas Haas, Kate Beckinsale, Diego Luna and J.K Simmons. The gun fights and chases are impressively choreographed by Baltasar Kormákur, the fine Icelandic filmmaker who produced and starred in the 2008 “Reykjavik-Rotterdam,” from which “Contraband” was faithfully re-interpreted. This time around, Wahlberg plays retired seaman and smuggler Chris Farraday, who’s forced back into action after a deal arranged by his moronic brother-in-law goes south. Chris tries to reason with the gangster who sucked the kid into the scam, but, when that fails, he does the honorable thing by agreeing to recover the debt. In short order, Chris reconnects with a counterfeiter he knows in Panama City and ships out on a freighter with some old pals and a captain who has good reason to mistrust him. Things get even stickier when the fake money turns out to be less than perfect and Chris is forced to deal with a different Panamanian gangster. His bad luck is far from over, though. Not only is the clock running out on his ability to return to the ship before it pulls away from the dock, but he’s also required to join the second gangster in an armored car heist and deal with another betrayal by his brother-in-law. This kind of bad craziness continues to occur back home in New Orleans, where Chris’ wife is being held as a hostage by Ribisi’s dastardly hoodlum character and someone we’ve been led to believe is a friend. A lot of harm can be done by adding 21 minutes to what originally was brisk 88-minute thriller and, in his first Hollywood outing, Kormákur was required to do just that. Still, despite the added bulk, “Contraband” moves along in orderly fashion. Much of the credit for that belongs to Wahlberg, who’s as likeable an actor as we have right now. The brutality that begins building as soon as the ship leaves New Orleans also keeps our attention from wavering. Even so, it would be a greater crime if Kormákur were forced to focus on action pictures on future big-studio projects. He built a reputation as one the world’s most interesting new writer-directors with such offbeat films as “Reykjavik 101,” “The Sea,” “Jar City” and “White Night Wedding,” and it would be shame to lose that singular vision. The Blu-ray adds a pair of making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, commentary and U-Control picture-in-picture capability. – Gary Dretzka

Camelot: Blu-ray
I wonder how many potential viewers of Joshua Logan’s 1967 adaptation of the blockbuster Broadway musical, “Camelot,” are aware of the production’s links to the tragically abbreviated administration of John F. Kenndy and the mythology that still surrounds it. After the assassination of her husband, Jacqueline Kennedy compared the resurgence of hope, optimism and prosperity during his reign to that of King Arthur in “Camelot.” That’s how, the First Lady said, she wanted the public to remember President Kennedy. The media ate it up, allowing her vision of an American Camelot to obscure the compromises and mistakes that would lead to the Vietnam War; the Bay of Pigs and still problematic blockade of Cuba; the bottlenecking of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by segregationist Democrats; and conspiracy theories about JFK’s links to the mafia and his sharing of lovers with Chicago mobster Sam Giancana. No matter, though, because as much as the media bought into the Kennedy mystique, that’s exactly how much Kennedy loyalists despised his less charismatic successor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who took the fall for almost all of the dead President’s shortcomings. LBJ would become Mordred to JFK’s King Arthur, even though he subsequently led the charge for the Civil Rights legislation and followed Kennedy’s lead in Vietnam. So much, then, for mythology.

Like JFK’s legacy, the movie version of “Camelot” hasn’t aged well in the succeeding nearly 50 years. In fact, after knocking ’em dead on Broadway in the early 1960s, the movie version failed to overwhelm Oscar voters or attract nearly the same number of fans as “My Fair Lady.” While the Lerner and Lowe score remains as wonderful as ever, everything else in “Camelot” seems old-fashioned and stagey. Even though some of the action and ceremony would be staged inside and around historic Spanish castles, the soundstage sets failed to capture the compressed majesty of the Broadway production. Today, however, the choice of Franco Nero, Richard Harris and a post-“Blow-Up” Vanessa Redgrave to replace Julie Andrews, Robert Goulet and Richard Burton doesn’t seem nearly as fatal as it did in 1996, when Jack Warner found himself in the same situation as the one surrounding “My Fair Lady” a couple of years earlier. For her part, Redgrave
There’s certainly nothing much wrong with the “45th Anniversary Edition” of “Camelot.” It looks great in Blu-ray and the songs sound as if they were recorded yesterday. The many tight focuses on the principle actors also hold up very well, capturing all the twinkles and enhancements applied by makeup artists and the cinematographer. The package also includes commentary by Stephen Farber, who discusses both the film and original Broadway production; a new high-def featurette, “Camelot: Falling Kingdoms,” which discusses the fortunes of Warner and the studio in the mid-1960s, as well as the connection to JFK; two previously shown pieces, “The Story of Camelot,” about both the Arthurian legend and movie, and “The World Premiere of ‘Camelot’”; several vintage trailers; and a CD containing four songs. It does not, however, include the previously released alternate music-only track. – Gary Dretzka

Return
Linda Cardellini (“ER”) was an inspired choice to play a wife, mother and member of the Ohio National Guard, returning home from an unconscionable 18-month tour of duty in Liza Johnson’s heart-wrenching drama, “Return.” Kelli joined the Guard right out of high school, in the mid-1990s, in the interest of helping disaster victims and to afford a college degree. What she and tens of thousands of other young men and women in the same situation hadn’t counted on, however, was that the war in Iraq would require the longtime support of so many National Guard troops. Neither could they have predicted that they would be treated so very differently from their counterparts in the regular army after supporting the same cause. As we meet Kelli, she’s being welcomed home in much the same way as other wives and mothers, husbands and fathers who served. Lacking a cushion of time and purpose, though, it doesn’t take long before Kelli begins to unravel and people stop cutting her slack. One day she was over there and the next she was here, with a husband and child who might as well have been strangers to her. Her job was held open, but, by comparison to what she had been doing in Iraq, she deemed it to be meaningless and insignificant. Never mind that 90 percent of all employment is indefensible as an intellectual exercise or beneficial to humanity, Kelli simply saw the absurdity in it. Neither does she allow herself to believe her husband – Michael Shannon, in another great performance – when he says he didn’t cheat on her with an attractive redhead who seems to be too familiar with him and their daughter. (We aren’t given enough evidence to know for sure, one way or the other, either.) When Kelli does finally snap and ends up before a judge for drunken driving, she’s routinely assigned to complete a 12-step program whose leader isn’t equipped to handle the specific problems of returning vets. Like so many other soldiers, Kelli begins to feel as if her real home is back in the shit.

In her debut feature, Johnson doesn’t pull many punches or allow her protagonist any easy answers. Kelli may think that the world as she knew it has changed, but it’s she who has been changed by the war and, while sympathetic, most people would rather not be reminded of what’s happening to Americans half a world away. (They care even less about what’s happening to the Iraqis and Afghans.) Cardellini does a really nice job interpreting Kelli’s spectrum of emotions and her difficulty re-adjusting to things she once took for granted. “Return” is as topical as it is compelling. The simple truth is that members of the Guard, especially, are paying the price for the bi-partisan political decision to avoid an unpopular and unsupportable draft at all costs. It’s manifested itself in tours of duty that were unheard of in the Vietnam era and assignments the Guard was never intended to perform. “Return” may not be an easy movie to watch, but it’s an important one to experience, especially by those in a hurry to commit American resources to another war based on lies, rumors and revenge. – Gary Dretzka

Young Goethe in Love
If the name, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, means nothing to you, it’s very unlikely you’ll want to spend much time with the German polymath in Philipp Stolzl’s scrupulously conceived period biopic, “Young Goethe in Love.” This isn’t to say there isn’t much to enjoy here, only that 21st Century audiences are too concerned with the plight of comic-book superheroes and their fear of a zombie holocaust to be impressed by the achievements of an 18th Century poet, dramatist, author, artist, biologist, theoretical physicist and stud muffin. Fans of European literature, though, should appreciate the exacting attention to detail paid by Stolzl’s team and the lush settings of historic Saxony. When we first meet the young and handsome Goethe (Alexander Fehling), in 1777, he’s in the process of failing his law exams. His refusal to pay attention to his teachers infuriates Goethe’s wealthy and prominent father (Henry Huebchen), who exiles his son to a provincial court as punishment and a tactic to get his priorities straight. The plan works to the extent that Goethe is able to impress his boss, Albert Kestner (Moritz Bleibtreu), and establish himself as a local character. The rub comes when he discovers that the woman of his dreams, Lotte (Miriam Stein), has been promised to Kestner by her father and he’s the last to know it. It results not only in a duel and incarceration, but also the impetus to write the semi-autobiographical “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” The novel became such a huge European literary sensation that it made him something of a pop star and inspired a rash of sympathetic suicides. The DVD bonus package is worth sampling, if only to see how well existing locations lent themselves to the film’s period look. – Gary Dretzka

The Innkeepers: Blu-ray
The Wicker Tree: Blu-ray
Enter Nowhere
Night Wolf
The Fields
Upon its release in February, “The Innkeepers” was accorded the kind of limited release usually reserved for movies about to go straight-to-video, without passing “Go,” or making $200 at the box office. Despite receiving some excellent notices by influential critics, Ti West’s chiller never played on more than 25 screens simultaneously, before disappearing into the limbo that separates theatrical exposure and ascendance to DVD and Blu-ray afterlife, where it deserves a far better fate. There’s nothing terribly unusual in the setup. Clerks working at an inn about to close its doors for good decide that they’ll have a little fun by playing their own game of “Ghost Hunters,” using strategically placed video equipment and hypersensitive microphones. The male clerk (Pat Healy) gets things rolling right off the bat by devising a time-honored visual gimmick guaranteed to shock his partner (Sara Paxton) and unprepared viewers. She’s a bundle of raw nerves, anyway, so the more absorbed she gets in the investigation and issues surrounding the inn’s last guests, the more the suspense builds for everyone. West is very good at not showing his hand too early and tipping us off as to what he has in mind for his characters. He doles out the thrills sparingly, until we can’t wait any longer and the hotel gives up its secrets in a qfinal exhilarating rush. If nothing is particularly new in “The Innkeepers,” West makes the most of the archetypical and paranormal tropes. Rated R, for no good reason, the film could serve as great starting point for any teenager who is pursuing a serious interest in the horror genre.

Knowing that Robin Hardy’s 1973 “Wicker Man” is still revered as one of the horror genre’s most influential imports from the U.K. – or, for that matter, anywhere else – bought for its far-less-riveting sequel nearly an hour’s worth of my patience and willingness to suspend disbelief. My confusion had almost nothing to do with Hardy’s inability to produce any thrills – cheap or otherwise — or the possibility that pagan rituals stopped being scary when an episode of “Malcolm in the Middle” was staged at the Burning Man Festival. In “The Wicker Tree” a pair of young American bible-bangers travels to the wilds of Scotland to spread the good news about Jesus Christ to the creepy residents of Tressock. Brittania Nicol and Henry Garrett play the missionaries – one a born-again pop singer and the other a naturally born cowboy – who, for some unknown reason, have decided that this community of Scots requires salvation more than any other. It’s as if the fates drove them here. Even if it’s safe for us to assume that the townsfolk haven’t changed their religious stripes over the course of the last 40 years, the residents enjoy singing along with Beth and testing the vow of chastity of her cowpoke companion. What locals really see in Beth is the perfect candidate to be this year’s May Queen and, seemingly ignorant of the meaning behind the lyrics to “Stairway to Heaven,” she agrees to join in the fun. The cowboy’s role in the pageant is less obvious, but no less essential to addressing the near-total absence of children in Tressock. If any of this sounds promising as a fodder for horror, it’s best to know ahead of time that there’s far more humor here than chills. Blessedly, the traditional pagan impulse to shed clothes while on long walks to worship remains as strong as ever here. Otherwise, there might be less reason to sample “Wicker Man” than rent Neil Labute’s 2006 remake of the original, which starred Nicolas Cage. In a making-of featurette, Hardy allows that the “Wicker” flicks are intended to be seen as a hybrid of horror, humor and music. The missing ingredient here is the horror. It stars Graham McTavish, Jacqueline Leonard, Honeysuckle Weeks, Clive Russell and with Christopher Lee, star of the original.

“Enter Nowhere” finds three strangers drawn to the same sort of decrepit cabin in the woods that’s served as a final home to young adults in dozens of other such horror movies. For all intends and purposes, the strangely vacant abode could have been constructed of boards and roofing material left behind from the last incarnation of “The Twilight Zone.” It’s that kind of movie. Before discovering that none of them can agree on the same state of the union they’re in, or even the country, the strangers literally stumble over the entrance to a bomb shelter that contains maps, supplies and other material that dates back to World War II-era Germany. Could the Nazis have made a beachhead here decades earlier and left abruptly? It isn’t until someone in uniform begins shooting at them that the characters begin piecing together the puzzle that’s drawn them all here at this particular time and place. Although “Enter Nowhere” isn’t particularly horrific, a sense of suspense is maintained throughout by freshman director Jack Heller and the ending isn’t entirely predictable, as is so often the case in such mysterioso psycho-dramas.

The American DVD edition of “13Hrs” suffers from two rather unfortunate choices, 1) its title has been changed to the more generic “Night Wolf” and, 2) the cover gives away too much of the monster’s appearance, which the director carefully guards for most of the movie’s running time. “Night Wolf” describes what happens in the 13-hour period between the arrival home of the wayfaring Sarah Tyler (Isabella Calthorpe) and the horrible discovery of a beast that possibly is out to destroy the whole family and mansion in which they all once lived. After some coolish greetings are exchanged, Sarah and her siblings and friends (Gemma Atkinson, Tom Felton, Joshua Bowman, among them) are inspired by some frightening occurrences to spend much of the rest of the night in the mansion’s attic, where something or someone is conspiring to freak the shit out of them. It doesn’t get interesting for the audience, though, until closer to the dawn, when the monster must reveal itself or forever hold its peace. It’s at this point that “Night Wolf” pays its debt to viewers who’ve waiting patiently for something exciting to happen. Naturally, there’s more to the beast than meets the eye.

“The Fields” takes me back to the time when the full extent of the atrocities committed by the Manson Family was being revealed in the media and in a Los Angeles courtroom, outside which young women with swastikas etched onto their foreheads held a daily vigil. The Tate-LaBianca case had officially closed the curtain on the Flower Power era and similarly shabby-looking radicals had begun blowing up symbols of U.S. imperialism wherever they found them. Regular folks had stopped picking up hitchhikers and what FBI informants couldn’t prove about Black Panthers, Yippies and the Weather Underground, it simply invented or provoked. In “The Fields,” an 8-year-old boy already traumatized by his parents’ (Tara Reid, Faust Checho) marital problems is shipped off to the Pennsylvania countryside to live with his slightly unbalanced grandparents (Cloris Leachman, Bev Appleton). As if the kid weren’t sufficiently unnerved by the chaos in his life, they expose him to news reports of the Manson killings and issue a stern warning about entering the cornfields next to their house. This is like telling a fledgling surfer not to worry about the sharks. Because Nintendo has yet to be invented, Steven is required to kill time watching late-night horror films with grandma and the loony stories of gramps. It’s no wonder, then, that the boy starts hearing things go bump in the night and sees shadows on his window shades. Not surprisingly, “The Fields” is enhanced by the fine acting of its veteran stars. Then, too, there are the corn fields, which we’ve learned to fear as much as deranged hippies and the SLA. Apparently, directors Tom Mattera and David Mazzoni, and writer Harrison Smith, were inspired by real people and childhood memories, some of which are recalled in bonus features. – Gary Dretzka

Chasing Happiness
Planet of the Vampire Women
Male fantasies don’t get much flimsier than the one at the core of “Chasing Happiness,” which, if its female leads had been required to give up a bit more skin – or any at all – could have easily found a home on Cinemax. Even though the ladies are plenty sexy and reasonably accomplished as actors, freshman writer/director Beni Tadd Atoori treats their characters as if they were being played by his daughters and he was concerned about preserving their cinematic chastity. The women share a large Los Angeles house with a money-grubbing madam with a male prostitute masquerading as a sex therapist. In other rooms of the house, there’s an ongoing poker game, a phony ashram and enema clinic. Before turning her female clients over to the stud for treatment, the madam interviews them. Mostly, this is to ensure that they aren’t undercover cops, but also to give young man a headstart on curing their ills. One day, after listening to a client’s sad tale, the madam discovers that she has a conscience, after all. Somehow, this revelation also inspires her employees to seek happiness and satisfaction in different ways. The most noteworthy attraction in “Chasing Happiness” is Indian star Kashmira Shah, who not only is strikingly beautiful, but also a terrific dancer in the Bollywood tradition.

What’s missing from “Chasing Happiness” is on abundant display in Darin Wood’s “Planet of the Vampire Women,” a new release that would have been at home in any drive-in or grindhouse theater in the last 60 years. Made cheaply and featuring a brigade of bimbos whose tops fly off with even the faintest hit of a breeze, it could hardly be more exploitative and, therefore, curiously hilarious. The weapons look as if they were power tools modified after being shoplifted from Home Depot and the monsters are less credible than a 12-year-old’s excuse for not doing his homework. The plot, such as it is, involves space pirate Trix Richards and her gang of interplanetary outlaws, who steal a top-secret doohickey and are required to seek shelter on a remote planet. Meanwhile, an Amazonian vampire is hot on their trail, sinking her fangs into men and women with equal relish. “Planet of Vampire Women” is for those genre buffs who insist they don’t make exploitation flicks like they used to. – Gary Dretzka

The Scarlet Worm
Reportedly made on a budget of $25,000, “The Scarlet Worm” is a remarkably authentic-looking Western, with production values that belie its bargain-basement roots. With the possible exception of “Deadwood,” I can’t recall an oater that addresses the question of unwanted pregnancies in Old West prostitutes. Here, a veteran gunslinger is hired to kill a brothel owner who forbids his ladies from carrying babies to term and uses tools that might have been invented in the Dark Ages to perform abortions. If these scenes aren’t nearly as graphic as they might have been, it’s still made abundantly clear that the brothel owner doesn’t have the best interests of his employees at heart. It’s all about money. Somewhere along the way, the bounty hunter picks up a trainee, who falls in love with one of the prostitutes – none of whom looks as if she’s taken a bath in weeks – and must be trained in the sniper’s art. Aaron Stielstra, who bears a passing resemblance to Sacha Baron Cohen, is surprisingly credible as the gunman, while the other mostly unknown actors perform way above their salary grade here. Of all the do-it-yourself movies I’ve seen lately, “Scarlet Worm” would rank among the best in getting the best bang for its bucks. In the featurette “Of Worms and Dogs,” we learn how a diverse group of genre buffs, critics and dreamers came together to accomplish something everyone else in the world merely talks about doing: making a movie that someone other than family and very close friends would pay to see. – Gary Dretzka

Of Dolls and Murder
Crime After Crime
Any documentary about cops and killers that’s endorsed by John Waters is one that demands our attention. “Of Dolls and Murder” describes how an heiress, denied a college education by her overprotective father, changed forever the way police detectives and forensics experts would do their jobs. By re-creating crime scenes in intricately detailed “nutshell” tableaux, Frances Glessner Lee allowed police to formulate opinions based not solely on first impressions or notes, but from visualizations exact to the brands of miniature products in the victims’ cupboards. More than a half-century before the first airing of “CSI,” Lee founded Harvard’s Department of Legal Medicine, the first program in the nation dedicated to forensic pathology. The original recreations still are used as training tools for police in Baltimore and Washington, some of whom are interviewed extensively in Susan Marks’ film. She also interviews one of the creators of “CSI” and takes us on a graphic tour of the FBI’s “bone farm” facility. Waters introduces the cases described in the “nutshells’ in his usual way of making murder sound like fun. “Of Dolls and Murder” delivers on the documentarian’s commitment to introducing audiences to something of which they weren’t aware and making as enlightening as it is informative.

The title of the latest OWN Documentary Club presentation, “Crime After Crime,” refers to the refusal of a California parole board to do the right thing by releasing a woman from prison after serving 27 years of a life sentence in connection with the murder of the drug dealer who pimped her out in high school, beat her continually, threatened her family members and sexually abused their child. Debbie Peagler had been convicted solely on the evidence of an anonymous informer, “Deadman,” who lied about her desire to collect her husband’s life insurance and hiring local gang members to kill him. Peagler was convicted of first-degree murder after she copped a plea to avoid the death penalty the DA promised she would receive if she continued to fight the charge. Two decades later, a pair of young attorneys re-examined her case and fought for seven years to have it reopened. After jumping through several hoops, the new Los Angeles County district attorney broke his promise to reduce the charge to involuntary manslaughter and release Peagler, based on the fact that the maximum term for such a crime would have been six years. The DA’s reversal was based on the advice of government lawyers whose own motivations are suspect and wanted to avoid a stain – as well as a potential lawsuit – on their professional records. The lawyers refused to quit and Peagler continued to be a model prisoner.

Hundreds, if not thousands of women remain incarcerated – rightfully and wrongfully — after killing the men who abused them. California is the only state that allows the reopening of such cases with “habeas” petitions. It’s easy to watch such documentaries as “Crime After Crime” and wonder, if the evidence of injustice is so clear, why can’t government officials see it, too. Could it be possible that the documentary makers manipulated the evidence as much as the original prosecutors did on Peagler’s case? In this case, the only response from the DA’s office was silence and wall-to-wall ass-covering. If the lawyers hadn’t pleaded their case in the only court open to them – the media – she would have died in prison of lung cancer, instead at home with her friends, children and grandchildren. After more than a quarter-century of failed justice, the biggest crime of all is that incompetent attorneys and other public officials remain free to do harm, and it’s only through the good offices of determined pro-bono attorneys, private investigators and filmmakers that the truth finally is revealed. “Crime After Crime” is the scariest kind of horror story. – Gary Dretzka

Let the Bullets Fly: Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray
Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie
Set in China in the chaotic period that followed the overthrow of centuries-long dynastic rule, “Let the Bullets Fly” opens with a train robbery that could have been directly lifted from a thousand earlier American Westerns. A bandit puts his ear to the iron rail connecting the provincial capitals to such backwater towns as Goose Town. The reason he can’t identify the vibrations is that the train isn’t being powered by coal and steam, but is being pulled by a team of majestic white horses. Inside sit the state’s governor and his wife, his counselor and a platoon of heavily armed soldiers whose guns are pointed everywhere except where the bandits are hiding. Shots ring out from the surrounding cliffs, the team is separated from the engine and the rails are split in a way one has to see to believe. Everything that happens in the rest of the movie can be traced to the moment when the war lord decides to switch places with the now-dead governor, retain his self-serving adviser and accept the wife’s offer to become his lover (Loosely translated: “I didn’t marry the man, I married his money and power.”). After arriving in Goose Town, the warlord endeavors to become the white knight who slays the governor that’s taxed the people into poverty and drained the town’s coffers. In the ensuing battle of wits and kung-fu, the citizens see their fortunes reversed several times as the governor’s men adopt the disguises of the mayor’s police, in order to steal the money given them by the warlord. If this sounds confusing, know ahead of time that it is. I got the feeling that some of the references and gags went over my head because of my inability to understand the language. Still, the best new Western on your video store’s shelves this week could be from China.

The cover art for “Films of Fury” is a composite of photographs from classic martial-arts flicks positioned to resemble a kung-fu fighter in mid-kick. Like a poster that looks as if it might have in a sun-facing display window for too long, the cover isn’t the most welcoming invitation to a documentary that’s as up-to-date as possible and as entertaining as it is informative. That’s because instead of employing the talking-heads of critics, the filmmakers let the many film clips present the evidence for them. Although the ancient art of kung fu didn’t find an audience in the west until the early 1970s, its roots in the popular culture of China are traced to the Peking Opera, in which it represented an especially expressive form of dance. It emerged on film in the silent era, but exploded with the international stardom of Bruce Lee. As audiences grew weary of the same-old/same-old, filmmakers invented new ways to maintain their attention, including adding gunplay, urban settings, Hong Kong-style wire work, epic period pieces, special-effects, fantasy elements and female protagonists. Recently, in such films as “Kung Fu Hustle” and “Shaolin Soccer,” legitimate action was coupled with outrageous comedy. It’s ironic that Chinese authorities chastised its film community for not beating Hollywood to the pot of gold that came with the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise. “Films of Fury” probably could have used some interviews with the genre’s greatest stars and directors, instead of explanatory sequences featuring an animated narrator. – Gary Dretzka

The Beatles: Strange Fruit: The Beatles’ Apple Records
Unauthorized: The Story of Rock N Roll Comics
Michael Tilson Thomas: The Tomashefskys
Beatles completists should be thrilled with the arrival of “Strange Fruit: The Beatles’ Apple Records,” which documents the Fab Four’s failed attempt to reshape the music-publishing business by nurturing new talent, recording their material and sending it out with the Apple imprimatur. It was a great idea and completely in step with the mood of the revolutionary times. In 1968, the major labels had yet to figure out how to exploit the emergence of album-oriented rock ’n’ roll and bands that didn’t rely on songwriters with offices in the Brill Building and Tin Pan Alley, as was the common in the early days of rock and R&B. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the success of Apple wasn’t the Beatles’ top priority. They had recently stopped touring and were going through the changes that ultimately would lead to their breakup and pursuit of such pastimes as Transcendental Meditation, radical politics and trading in old wives for new ones. This would have been OK if the persons left minding the store back home in London could make decisions without the OK of one Beatle, at least, and the artists were given the attention they deserved. Paul tended to mold the artists he recruited in his own image, while John obsessed over Yoko’s career and his collaboration with Elephant’s Memory. George dropped everything he was working on to focus on the Concert for Bangladesh and Ringo had other things on his mind. Even the artists who scored early hits – Mary Hopkin, Badfinger, Billy Preston, James Taylor – eventually came to think of themselves as afterthoughts. The ones whose work suffered from being overshadowed by the release of the Beatles last album – deejays could only squeeze one or two Apple products into rotation, and the company was releasing as many as four new singles simultaneously – missed the train to success entirely. Some soon-to-be huge bands voiced a desire to be added to the label, but couldn’t find a receptive ear to listen to their songs. While fascinating, the Apple story isn’t terribly relevant in the era of Internet publishing and declining record sales. If anything, the exhaustively researched “Strange Fruit” best serves as a cautionary tale for artists aspiring to control their music and swim with the sharks of the industry. Fans, though, tend to eat up anything new about the Beatles.

“Unauthorized: The Story of Rock N Roll Comics” examines another interesting sidebar to the history of the musical genre. Long before the phrase, “The Internet wants to be free,” was introduced to studio and label executives hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the Web, rock fans fought efforts to monetize an art form spawned in the garages of suburban America and nurtured in musty nightclubs from Hamburg and Liverpool, to the Sunset Strip and Lower Manhattan. Such anti-establishment thinking reached its apex when tens of thousands of fans stormed the fences at Woodstock, turning it into a “free festival” (apart from the album and movie revenues). Bill Graham would find ways to keep the barricades intact, but some folks still found it unseemly to bow to the gods of rock ’n’ roll capitalism. Such was the thinking of comic-book publisher Todd Loren, who refused to pay for the right to depict the stories and myths surrounding some of the 1980-90s’ most popular entertainers, including Kiss, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, Motorhead and Skid Row. Loren stood up to the artists’ lawyers, citing the same First Amendment rights that allow for parodies and satire. Any sympathy we may develop for Loren, though, is diluted by the knowledge that he was as likely to rip off his stable of talented artists as he was to publish an unauthorized biography of the latest pop sensation or assign salacious stories on Tipper Gore and other perceived enemies of free speech. By all accounts, Loren was an egomaniacal asshole, who couldn’t comprehend the concept of keeping employees and contract workers happy for the sake of the product. He was murdered in 1992, possibly by the same sociopath who stalked and killed Giorgio Armani. The documentary benefits from the inclusion of the comics themselves and plenty of interviews with artists, industry reps and such rockers as Alice Cooper and Mojo Nixon.

In “The Thomashefskys,” composer, conductor and musical director of the San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas pays homage to his grandparents, Boris and Bessie, “two kids from the little shtetls in the middle of the Ukrainian nowhere, who came to America and became the founders and pioneers of the American Yiddish Theater.” The DVD was recorded during a performance last year at the New World Center, in Miami. His grandparents also owned theatres, published their own magazine, wrote columns in popular Yiddish newspapers, sponsored and encouraged generations of young artists, brought countless Yiddish artists to America, and tirelessly raised funds for progressive social causes. It features music reconstructed from the original repertoire, as well as projected images and dramatized stories from the Thomashefskys memoirs. The music combines Eastern European klezmer and cantorial modes with American tones and rhythms. The result is a lively evening of music and memories — Gary Dretzka

Car 54, Where Are You?: The Complete Second Season
Billy the Exterminator: Season 4
Marvel Anime: Iron Man/X-Men: Complete Series
Last year, I had a lot to say about the release on DVD of the complete first season of “Car 54, Where Are You?” For my money, that set and the new four-disc, second-season package from Shanachie offer as much bang for the nearly $40 price tag as any recent TV-to-DVD release. It arrives on the 50th anniversary of sitcom’s debut. Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne star as a pair of truly dim-witted NYPD cops who’ve been partners so long that they share each other’s thoughts, mannerisms and ailments. Unlike the precinct house in “Barney Miller,” which would come along a decade later, the unit was delightfully dysfunctional from top down. Fortunately, the officers rarely were required to investigate real crimes. One of the funniest episodes here involves then-President John F. Kennedy, who, after arriving at Idlewild Airport, requires a police escort into the city. Because Toody and Muldoon have been partners for 10 years and have the best driving record, they’re picked by the commissioner for the prestigious assignment. No one at the precinct level thinks this is a particularly good idea – Muldoon faints at the mere thought of being in the same vicinity of JFK – and the Secret Service wisely chooses to know what they’re getting into ahead of time. Naturally, behavior that seems to be completely abnormal to an outsider is standard operating procedure for the guys in the precinct. The humor may not be terribly sophisticated, but, in the hands of actors trained in the New York Theater, it feels inspired. In the second season, the list of guest stars includes Sugar Ray Robinson, Molly Picon, Larry Storch, Mitch Miller and Shari Lewis. This time, all 30 episodes are being presented in broadcast order and, as a bonus extra, there’s a 10-minute standup comedy routine by Ross.

A&E’s “Billy the Exterminator” is far from the most bizarre reality series on television, but it’s a lead-pipe cinch that Billy probably would be the last to be invited to compete on “Dancing With the Stars.” He looks as if he might have inspired a Zap Comix character and makes no concessions to contemporary fashion. In Season 4, Billy and his brother Ricky travel from Arizona to Miami to Chicago to humanely trap varmints ranging from javelina and pack rats in Arizona, to a bed bug infestation in Miami, vicious squirrels and raccoons in Chicago and some truly nasty geese in North Carolina. There are, as well, the usual array of monster alligators and dangerous snakes. If non-Southerners can’t relate to alligators and snakes, most suburbanites have horror stories to tell about squirrels and raccoons attempting to nest in their chimneys and attics. If another raccoon attempts to tear up my roof to find a warm corner of my attic for a temporary home, I know who I’ll call and it ain’t Ghostbusters. That, I think, is the appeal of this crazy show. Billy has answers to questions all of us have had at one time or another.

New story arcs involving superheroes Iron Man and X-Men were created as part of an anime project between Marvel and Tokyo’s Madhouse studios. The re-imaginings were designed to introduce the American characters to young television viewers in Japan. In “Iron Man,” Tony Stark travels to Japan to introduce his replacement, the Iron Man Dio. When the armor proves not to be ready for prime time, he requires the help of Zodiac and other Japanese organizations, not all of whom are anxious to cooperate. In the “X-Men” series, Professor X reassembles the gang to combat the U-Men’s plot to abduct young mutants and harvest their organs. – Gary Dretzka

Titanic: Blu-ray
Masterpiece Classic: Birdsong: Blu-ray
Lifetime: The Bling Ring
Lifetime: Girl Fight
Lidia Celebrates America: Weddings
Anyone attempting to make a new movie or mini-series about a historic event of the magnitude of the sinking of the Titanic probably ought to consider doing it differently than what’s come before it. In addition to the almost countless number of documentaries that have beenq made, it would be difficult to make anything as compelling as James Cameron’s “Titanic” and Roy Ward Baker’s “A Night to Remember.” Last week, the Internet was abuzz over recently shot photographs of what appear the legs, pants and shoes of one of the male victims. Without much other reshuffling of the chairs on the deck of the “Titanic,” the esteemed British writer/director has added a “Downton Abbey,” “Upstairs, Downstairs” twist to the proceedings, by focusing as much on the poor souls in steerage as the swells. Cameron did much the same thing, of course, but the primary focus was on Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane’s characters. In any case, while the “Titanic” mini-series doesn’t embarrass anyone involved in it, even Fellowes wasn’t able to keep it afloat in the ratings. It arrived after most of us were up to our ears in Titanic nostalgia and couldn’t stomach any more of it. Completists, though, should enjoy it more than casual viewers and fans of “Downton Abbey,” which opened Season 1 with bad news from the disaster.

Currently airing on PBS stations, as part of the “Masterpiece Classic” series, “Birdsong” tackles the same cinematic period as “Titanic” and “Warhorse.” Eddie Redmayne (“My Week With Marilyn”) and Clemence Poesy (“Harry Potter”) are the star-crossed lovers whose timing could hardly have been any less unfortunate. Stephen is a young Englishman who arrives in Amiens, France, in 1910. While living with a family there, he enters into a passionate, if secretive affair with the daughter, Isabelle. The romance is so demanding of the couple that it can’t be sustained in the normal ways and is allowed to falter. Years later, Stephen returns to the same area, only this time as a soldier in the trenches. As horrible as the conditions are there, he can’t help but be haunted by memories of their time together in these same now-destroyed fields. “Birdsong” is another exemplary production from the BBC and the Blu-ray contains featurettes on its stories of love and war, as well as a behind-the-scenes piece.

Lifetime didn’t have to dig too deeply into its archives for its two latest TV-to-DVD releases. With all of the fallout from the controversy surrounding the movie “Bully” and its original R-rating, “Girl Fight” strikes a chord with another story of bullying and the role the social media play in the terrible process of destroy a teenage girl’s life. It is, of course, “inspired by a true story.” Anne Heche and James Tupper star in the movie, but it’s Jodelle Ferland, who, as Haley, is beaten and humiliated by leaders of her school’s ruling clique. It begins after careless comments made by Haley on the Internet come back to haunt her in real life. “Girl Fight” is yet another movie that describes how a child’s high school years can be the best of times and the worst of times.

“Bling Ring,” you might recall, was the name bestowed on a gang of young crooks in the San Fernando Valley who broke into the homes of celebrities and stole their expensive and oh-so-trendy clothes and accessories. In a sign of the times, the girls and boy hoped that their daring acts would make them popular at school. The local media ate it up. As luck would have it, one of the girls was a member of a family – low-rent Kardashians – already being followed around by camera crews and much of the drama was used to create a soap-opera atmosphere for the show. Austin Butler, Yin Chang and Jennifer Grey lead the cast.

On her travels through America, chef and cookbook author Lidia Bastianich recognizes recipes and traditions that have survived the journeys of millions of immigrants and generations of cultural cross-breeding. More than anything else, I think, the maintenance of such honored dishes and ceremonies is what gives the U.S. the illusion of being a melting-pot nation. Bastianich follows the roots of several of the rituals – “from jumping the broom to tying the knot” – before they’re allowed to disappear forever in “Lidia Celebrates America: Weddings.” – Gary Dretzka

A Hollis Frampton Odyssey: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave: Criterion Collection
Although the many short films included in Criterion’s “A Hollis Frampton Odyssey” were made in a two-decade rush of creativity in the 1960-70s, many look as primitive as those made at the dawn of the age of cinema, when Thomas Edison tested the limits of his camera by capturing movement and studying it. It was left for others to see if audiences would buy into the concept of telling stories on film, rather than simply enjoying the sensation caused by watching trains and bullets rush by them. They did, of course. When surrealists Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel collaborated on “Un Chien Andalou,” the relationship between (A)rt and commerce would be examined. The cultural volatility of the 1960s and general acceptance of so-called arthouse films laid the foundation for avant-garde artists to combine mediums and produce films that served more as much Rorschach tests than entertainments. To some degree, these experiments would trigger the subsequent rise of the American independent movement. In the 15 years given to Frampton to map the boundaries of his art, he merged complex intellectualism with basic visual and aural techniques. If the results remain baffling even to sophisticated viewers, it’s only because, well, no one said art has to be easy. Frampton came to film after committing to poetry and photography. In Ed Halter’s essay, included in the bonus package, we learn that he was influenced by Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp and Jorge Luis Borges. His interest wasn’t in telling stories, per se, but seeing how well film could incorporate mathematics, literature, sculpture, philosophy and the natural elements into the vernacular. Not all of the films made it past the experimentation stage, but those that did became increasingly more accessible and provocative as he neared his untimely death, at 48, of cancer. What struck me while watching the films in this extensive collection is how difficult – and costly – it must have been for artists to make the transition to film in the 1950s and 1960s. It was a time when everyone seemed to be pushing the limits on something and advance technology was being made affordable to consumers. Analog techniques, however, didn’t always lend themselves to quick and easy answers, and distribution was limited to institutions in a few big cities and college towns. Today, of course, anyone with access to a “smart phone” can make a movie and distribute it via the social media to a ready-made audience of millions of geeks dedicated to “cool” stuff. This isn’t to say that it cheapens thought or is less challenging, just that there are few, if any barriers to creativity today. And, that’s a very good thing. The Blu-ray “A Hollis Frampton Odyssey” collection is comprised of 24 films, representing 266 minutes of time. Several films are narrated by the artist and the set also includes excerpts of a 1978 interview, footage from a 1968 performance piece, a gallery of works from his xerographic series, “By Any Other Name,” and an informative booklet filled with essays.

While Frampton was experimenting in New York, Czech artists were using film to tell stories, some of which could be read as commentary on life under the yoke of communism. Czechoslovakia was a burr under the saddle of Soviet rulers in Moscow and efforts to quash artistic freedom by local party officials were greeted with anger and derision. Even so, the so-called Czechoslovak New Wave continued to crank out movies that were slyly critical of the repressive state and challenged the boundaries laid by censors. Among those that made a splash in the west were Milos Forman’s “Loves of a Blonde,” “The Firemen’s Ball” and “Closely Watched Trains”; Jan Kadar’s “The Shop on Main Street”; and Jiri Menzel’s “Closely Watched Trains.” Not so well known here are are “Pearls of the Deep,” “Daisies,” “A Report on the Party and Guests,” “Return of the Prodigal Son,” “Capricious Summer” and “The Joke,” which are included in Criterion’s “Eclipse Series 32: Pearls of the Czech New Wave.” The 1966 omnibus film “Pearls of the Deep” introduced five top filmmakers, Vra Chytilov, Jaromil Jire, Ji¡ Menzel, Jan Nmec and Evald Schorm. All of the installments are based on stories by writer Bohumil Hrabal, All of the movies remain entertaining and representative of period in time when ideologues were as interested in shackling minds as bodies. – Gary Dretzka

Paradise Recovered
“Paradise Recovered” is a cautionary tale about extremists in the Evangelical Christian community who prey on people so desperate to be “saved” that they willingly turn off their brains and hand them over to fire-breathing preachers and silky-haired televangelists. If it had been made in Hollywood, “Paradise Recovered” might have been lambasted as yet another attack on the beliefs of outsiders. Instead, the movie appears to have been produced by moderate Evangelicals, dedicated to keeping the minds of young people open to fresh ideas and philosophies that aren’t shaped by pastors whose beliefs haven’t changed much since the Dark Ages. Cheryl is a member of Prophetic Watchman Ministries, as Christian sect so radical that it doesn’t even believe in heaven, hell, birthdays and doctors. Damaged by the split-up of her parents, she has been accepted into the family of a minister, primarily as an unpaid babysitter and future wife of the sex-crazed son. Home-schooled and denied access to any media outlet not sanctioned by the sect’s leader, Cheryl (Heather Del Rio) is a sweet girl, but ignorant about the ways of the world. She assumes that God gave women to men to do with as they see fit. The teenage son in the family, who’s following in his dad’s footsteps, convinces her that God would like nothing more than for her to take off her clothes and submit to her future husband. After the old man interrupts the interlude, he naturally blames Cheryl for corrupting the boy, denouncing her as a Jezebel and demanding she leave her home. Fortunately, she works with a couple of nice guys at a health-food store, who offer to take her in and promise not to entice her any further into straying from Jesus’ flock.

The store’s manager, Gabriel (Dane Seth Hurlburt), is the son of pastor but a dedicated skeptic. He’s at once fascinated and horrified by Cheryl’s story. Moreover, Gabriel convinces her that free will and Christianity can co-exist and it isn’t a sin to wear makeup, watch TV or eat the occasional hot dog. (Because “unclean food” is the devil’s work, she’s never even been allowed to eat a marshmallow.) Still too weak to say no to her adopted family, she allows herself to be talked into returning home and getting back with the program. Gabriel, though, refuses to give up on Cheryl. “Paradise Recovered” isn’t a particularly polished drama, but it’s easy to empathize with Cheryl and hope she listens to Gabriel. In the meantime, we’re encouraged to watch the boy’s own attitude toward religion evolve, based on his dialogues with Cheryl. The DVD comes with commentary and interviews with Christian sociologists and de-programmers. – Gary Dretzka

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Blu-ray
Say what you will about Tom Cruise, his religion, marriage, recent bombs and publicity stunts, but there’s no questioning his willingness to go to extreme lengths to give audiences their money’s worth of entertainment. Despite a story that defies credulity as much as any James Bond flick, “Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol” is both an exceedingly entertaining addition to the series and one of the most hair-raising thrillers in memory. Cruise has always taken pride in his ability to perform many of the same stunts as the pros who have been hired by the producers to stand in for him. No one would expect Cruise, one of Hollywood’s most valuable commodities, to risk his own life, especially when CGI technology could put his head on the body of any stuntman and motion-capture gear can simulate any dangerous gag. But, there he was anyway, swinging from floor to floor atop Dubai’s Burj Khalifa Tower – the tallest building in the world – in both the movie and chilling making-of featurette included in the Blu-ray package. It’s as scary as anything in “Ghost Protocol” and an ironic salute to the stunt-actor’s art. It’s not the only gag Cruise performs in the fourth installment of the “M:I” series, but it’s by far the most spectacular and essential set piece in Brad Bird’s debut live-action feature.

As usual, what’s at stake in “Ghost Protocol” is merely the fate of mankind itself. The first time we see Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, he’s cooling his heels in a decrepit prison somewhere in Eastern Europe. Naturally, members of the IMF team (Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg) are outside its walls, orchestrating a riot intended to distract guards from his intricately planned escape. Because Ethan elects to bring another prisoner along for the ride, things don’t play out precisely as planned. It isn’t clear exactly why the guy deserves the get-out-of-jail-free card, but he does show up later in the movie for a few minutes. The next thing you know, Ethan and computer whiz, Benji Dunn (Pegg), are wandering around the Kremlin in Russian military uniforms barking out orders and in pursuit of a computer doo-dad that contains nuclear codes. Whatever it is they grab from the computer bank apparently was booby-trapped to trigger a series of explosions inside the Kremlin and in the plaza outside of it. Once again, Ethan and Benji manage to escape by the hair on their chinny chin chins. This time, though, the Russkies know exactly who is to blame and it isn’t Chechen rebels. Fearing nuclear war and not inclined to believe that IMF wasn’t involved, our President imposes “ghost protocol,” thereby freezing any and all activities of the team. Also, naturally, the IMF team decides to go after the bad guys, anyway, on the off chance someone might be nuts enough to blow up the world and everyone on it. The search for clues leads them to Dubai, where the high-wire act is followed by a cool chase through a sandstorm, and on to Mumbai and San Francisco. If the first half of “Ghost Protocol” is all “Mission: Impossible,” the rest of it is ripped from the 007 playbook. Because of all the great stunts and Bird’s direction of them, there’s no need to call the Movie Police for borrowing from the best.

Among other noteworthy things, “Ghost Protocol” has the distinction of being the first “M:I” movie shot in IMAX, which, won’t affect home-video viewers one way or the other. The Blu-ray/DVD/Ultra Violet package presents the film in its 2.39:1 original aspect ratio with 7.1 Dolby TrueHD sound and it’s superlative. Buyers should be aware that not all of the bonus features are available in sets not purchased at Best Buy, the chain that recently announced it was closing 50 stores, so read the cover notes carefully. All will contain deleted scenes and featurettes “Heating Up in Dubai,” “Vancouver Fisticuffs,” “The Sandstorm” and “Props.” The Best Buy edition adds “Suiting Up in Prague” and several more informative behind-the-scenes pieces that really should be made available to consumers everywhere. – Gary Dretzka

Shame: Blu-ray
Although the protagonist of “Shame,” Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender), masturbates as often as any three characters in “American Pie,” there’s no truth to the rumor viewers could go blind, grow hair on their palms or diminish their ability to perform sports at maximum efficiency by watching it in the privacy of their own homes. It is possible, however, that some viewers may want to take a shower after watching it. It’s that raw an experience. Steve McQueen’s audacious character study profiles a New York yuppie so consumed with sex that nothing else matters as much to him. If he were an actor or politician, Brandon would be the perfect candidate for a month-long stay in a rehabilitation center for men caught cheating on their wives and blaming it on being addicted to sex (who isn’t?). As it is, though, concerns over his obsessive behavior have led to his office computer being confiscated a cleansed of downloaded porn. His choice of his playmates also is getting increasingly risker.  Fact is, though, he doesn’t seem all that unusual a fellow before his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), drifts into town to stay with him for a few days, while singing at a cocktail lounge. She’s every bit as needy a person as her brother, but he resists all of her attempts to clear the air between them. Memories of something that happened in their past or, perhaps, some sin committed by their parents, appears to have twisted them in different ways. Brendan is incapable of connecting emotionally with anyone, especially his temporary lovers, and Sissy wants to share her angst with anyone who’ll listen to her. Even if “Shame” doesn’t offer many answers and fewer resolutions, it can’t be said that we don’t know these people after 101 minutes in their presence. In this way, it feels like a fully realized short story or novella. The acting is terrific and McQueen’s direction delivers a real punch. It’s not an easy movie to watch, though, so viewers not looking for a challenge may want to think twice before renting it. The Blu-ray adds several short bonus featurettes, but nothing terribly illuminating. – Gary Dretzka

Last Rites of Joe May
It’s been said that the only thing separating the cops and crooks in Chicago is a badge. After spending 18 years on the CPD, Dennis Farina has made a very decent living portraying both. and Farina and former partner Chuck Adamson first caught the movie bug, teaming on Michael Mann’s “Thief,” “Crime Story” and a few “Miami Vice” episodes. Now 68, the Chicago native has gone on to play dozens of hard-ass characters, working both sides of the law, on television and on the big screen. In Joe Maggio’s compelling crime drama, “Last Rites of Joe May,” Farina plays a veteran “short-money” con artist who’s trying to beat the odds simply by staying alive in a young man’s hustle. When we meet Joe May, he’s being released from a Chicago hospital, where he’s spent the last six months recovering from something or other. Not only have all of his cronies given him up for dead, but his landlord has re-leased his apartment and thrown his property into the trash. The woman now inhabiting the flat feels sorry for May and offers him a spare bed, in return for some rent money and babysitting chores. Things get complicated when the woman’s police-detective boyfriend shows up, pushing her around and threatening May. As time goes by, the cop adds a couple of black eyes to her bruises. You can probably already guess how that scenario plays out. What’s less predictable is what happens to May when he tries to get back into the only job he’s ever known. To accomplish this, he is required to kiss the ring of his former patron’s son, played with icy indifference by Gary Cole. Considering how well Farina plays the role of a criminal in the twilight of his career, it’s as if Maggio wrote the role of May with Farina specifically in mind. Besides bringing out the humanity in the character, the filmmaker effectively demonstrates how difficult it is to grow old and useless as a conman. Jamie Anne Allman and young Meredith Droeger are excellent as May’s roommates and Chicago looks every bit as cold and unwelcoming as it usually does when temperatures dip into minus territory, as they did during production. The DVD adds interviews and making-of material. – Gary Dretzka

Man on the Train
In Mary McGuckian’s faithful English-language remake of Patrice Leconte and Claude Klotz’ 2002 crime drama, “Man on the Train,” Donald Sutherland and Larry Mullen Jr. capably fill the shoes of Jean Rochefort (“The Hairdresser’s Husband”) and Johnny Hallyday. They play a semi-retired poetry teacher and a dispassionate crook, respectively, who cross paths in a small town about to have its only bank robbed. If the names Mullen and Hallyday ring a bell in the ears of music fans, it’s because Mullen drums for U2 and Hallyday once was known as the French Elvis Presley. The Professor, who could talk the ears off a deaf person, runs into the Thief in a drug store, which appears to be the only business open after 10 p.m. Without a place to sleep, the Thief accepts an offer to crash at the Professor’s books- and art-filled mansion for a couple of nights. Although the Professor spends most of the first night talking, with the Thief doing most of the listening, that changes radically over the next two or three days. Moreover, as time passes, the Thief reveals a distinctly intellectual bent, while the Professor shares his regret over not sowing some wild oats before committing to a life of the mind. Things get murkier as the deadline for the bank job approaches and both men anticipate the next step in their personal evolution. I don’t recall Sutherland being allowed to savor a dramatic role as meaty as the Professor in several years and was unaware that Mullen had previously not acting in anything except music videos. McGuckian’s iteration of “Man on the Train” may not add anything to the original French version, but it doesn’t embarrass itself, either. – Gary Dretzka

From the Other Side/South
A quote typically attributed to Mexican strongman Porfirio Diaz, observes, “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States.” I don’t know if the much-revered Belgian documentarian Chantal Akerman was familiar with the dictator’s lament before embarking on her film, “From the Other Side,” but it fits the problems addressed in it like a glove. Employing long, lingering and often silent takes and pans to assay the territory along the porous Arizona/Sonora border and, then, punctuating them with interviews, Akerman can’t help but capture the not-so-porous divide between cultures and economies. She then visits nearby Douglas, Arizona, to address the other side of the illegal-immigration coin. Separating the two cities are several miles of punishing desert terrain, a fence along the border and a small army of border police. Still, they come. Given how long Americans have been debating the issue and how heated the arguments have become, there isn’t much Akerman could add about the issue that hasn’t already been beaten into the ground. So, she lets the images stand on their merits and allows the full-time and temporary residents of the region to tell their own stories. What is made abundantly clear in the interviews is the inability of the governments of two neighboring countries to deal with the problem, absent calls for vigilante justice and armed self-defense. American politicians promise the moon to citizens of border communities, while knowing full well that undocumented laborers are an essential link in the food chain and service industries. Meanwhile, Mexican officials refuse to interfere with a process that ultimately results in tens of millions of gringo dollars being sent home to families south of the line. Instead of reforming drug laws and putting a dent in gang warfare in Mexico, American politicians insist on extending a fence that only forces coyotes to lead their caravans into ever-more-dangerous desert wilderness, where the price of failure is death. At the same time, widespread corruption ensures that officials in Mexico City will remain unwilling to finance the reforms needed to ensure gainful employment to Mexican citizens. It’s in the faces of the desperate illegals and beleaguered residents of Douglas that the real truths can be read.

Ackerman was in Mississippi, working on a project involving William Faulkner and the American South, when she learned of the horrifying murder of James Byrd Jr. in rural Jasper, Texas. Byrd had been walking through town, as usual, when he was grabbed by a trio of white-supremacist pinheads in a pickup truck. Within hours, Byrd’s severely mutilated body would be found lying dead outside the town’s African-American graveyard. He had been chained to the rear bumper of the truck and dragged four miles along a country road. Last year, one of the perpetrators was executed; another remains on death row; and the third man was given a life sentence. Finished in 1999, “Sud” includes interviews with black and white citizens involved in the healing process and other residents. By far the most powerful statement Ackerman makes is the seemingly endless drive she makes – her camera pointing backwards – along the same stretch of highway where Byrd was lynched, simply for being African-American. It’s impossible to separate the memory of what happened to Byrd on that early summer night, in 1998, from the haunting rear-window point-of-view she provides. Also included in the DVD set is a portion of “East,” about the changing Eastern European landscape after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. – Gary Dretzka

Roadracers: Blu-ray
Roger Corman’s Cult Classics: The Nurses Collection
In 1994, several years before Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez made it safe for audiences to return to the grindhouse, the Showtime network and producer Lou Arkoff — son of exploitation pioneer Samuel Z. Arkoff – paired for a 10-week series of 1950s “drive-in classics” remade “with a ’90s edge.” The series was called “Rebel Highway,” not “Raging Hormones,” as originally planned, and it featured the work of up-and-coming directors, writers and actors. Each movie would share the title of a classic AIP movie and the filmmakers would be allowed a budget of $1.3 million, final-cut privileges and 12 days to shoot their movie. The series debuted with Rodriguez’ “Roadracers.” Considering the talent involved in the other movies in the collection, it would be great to see all of them re-released into DVD and Blu-ray. Here, David Arquette plays the bad-boy street racer to Salma Hayek’s good-girl who’s razed unmercifully for being of Mexican background. Arquette gets in trouble with a rival set of hot-rodders after he flicks a cigarette and it lands in the heavily sprayed hair of one of the gangs’ skanks, immediately catching fire. Clearly, a showdown between the two Alpha-male greasers is inevitable, but not before Arquette is given an opportunity to tour with a rockabilly ensemble imported from Austin by the director. Fresh off the indie hit, “El Mariachi,” Rodriguez was gung-ho to make another positive impression on Hollywood with “Roadracers” and he took the assignment to heart. Even on Blu-ray, “Roadracers” has the distinct texture of something allowed to escape into the drive-ins of America in the 1950s, when being a juvenile delinquent meant alienating one’s self from polite suburban society and thumbing your nose at Eisenhower-era complacency.  In this regard, Rodriguez gets plenty of help from his design team, wardrobe and hair specialists, as well as actors who easily capture the gritty vibe. John Hawkes does a nice job as Arquette’s sidekick, while William Sadler turns in a seemingly effortless portrayal of a bully cop. It’s a lot of fun to watch, although some viewers might find that a little bit of 1950s camp goes a long way. The set includes the short doc, “The Robert Rodriguez 10-Minute Film School” and interviews.

In the annals of sexploitation and other drive-in fare, no one has come as close to perfection as Roger and Julie Corman in their series of films about horny and rebellious teachers, horny and rebellious women in prison, horny and rebellious female gangsters, horny and rebellious flight attendants and horny and rebellious nurses. The latest compilation of “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics” includes “Candy Stripe Nurses,” “Private Duty Nurses,” “Night Call Nurses” and “Young Nurses,” all of which correspond to a set of guidelines laid out by Roger Corman when freshman director Jonathan Kaplan was experiencing a lack of faith in the production of “Night Call Nurses.” Among other things, the commandments dictated how characters with different colors of hair had to fit specific personality traits, how messages were to be delivered in each of the movies and the amount of nudity that was required. (Breasts and backsides are OK, but no pubic hair … although that prohibition would be eased, as well, in a couple of years.) Although the female characters’ physical assets clearly were being exploited, the guidelines required they be the masters of their own fates and heroic. It was the Cormans’ bow both to the feminist movement and the fact women made up a substantial percentage of the drive-in audience. As usual in early Corman pictures, now-familiar faces also could be found in the cast of characters. Here, they included Chuck Norris, Sally Kirkland, Alana Collins (now Stewart), Jean Manson (Playboy’s Miss August 1974), Dennis Dugan, Dick Miller, Bill Erwin, Paul Gleason, Alan Arbus, Dixie Peabody and Mantan Moreland. The set adds a pair of featurettes on what it was like working for Corman and “Calling Dr. Corman.” – Gary Dretzka

Paul Goodman Changed My Life
The Flaw
I don’t know if the works of Paul Goodman, especially the landmark book, “Growing Up Absurd,” are still being assigned as part of the liberal-arts curriculum in American colleges. Once judged unfashionable by violence- and rhetoric-prone radicals, they should be considered required reading in these days of Occupy Everywhere politics and the economic collapse of the middle class, which includes many of the same Baby Boomers who made “Growing Up Absurd” a best-seller in the 1960s. A brilliant radical thinker, self-proclaimed anarchist and reviled anti-capitalist, and outspoken critic of military-backed American imperialism, Goodman turned a book ostensibly about juvenile delinquency into an indictment of the “disgrace of the Organized System of semi-monopolies, government, advertisers, etc., and the disaffection of the growing generation.” Widely read on campuses across the country, it convinced a generation of young, mostly white, suburban students that there were more important ways to kill time than attending toga parties and preparing for a life of enforced consumerism, conformity and corporate servitude. The acceptance of that belief would manifest itself in a joining of forces in the civil-rights and anti-war movements and such countercultural touchstones as the folk-music revival, the alternative press and formulation of the Port Huron Statement of the SDS. Like too many other pacifists and academics of the post-war generation, Goodman ultimately would find himself shouted down by the increasingly petulant firebrands of the New Left and Black Power movements, and completely marginalized by the hippies, flower children and LSD voyagers.

And, yet, given the effects of predatory capitalism and endless war, Goodman’s teachings are only slightly less relevant today than they were in 1960. Director/producer Jonathan Lee and producer/editor Kimberly Reed have crafted a bio-doc that while largely worshipful, as the title “Paul Goodman Changed My Life” would suggest, is thought-provoking throughout. Goodman, who died in 1972, at 60, was a complex, enormously driven man, who excelled not only in political rhetoric, but also as poet, novelist, playwright, critic, lecturer and Gestalt psychotherapist. It’s also true that when he wasn’t sitting at his typewriter, he often could be found cruising the parks and bars of Manhattan for male companions. Although most of the people interviewed here clearly didn’t have any problem with his bisexuality, it’s clear that the pursuit of much younger men was a distraction they didn’t find terribly appealing. Neither did Goodman, a loving husband and doting father for most of his adult life, pay much attention to the women’s movement, even though it addressed many of the same issues as those raised in his books and essays. Even if this oversight may have been dictated by personal issues left over from his childhood, it solidified a belief that Goodman was out of touch with the time and, perhaps, an outright male chauvinist. The DVD contains interviews with many friends and contemporaries, as well as appearances on William F. Buckley’s interview show. (I’d love to see episodes of “Firing Line” show up on DVD.) It adds several worthwhile bonus features, including an interview with Lee, deleted scenes, additional poetry readings and entries from the diary of Living Theater founder and collaborator Judith Malina.

David Sington’s illuminating documentary, “The Flaw,” opens with free-market advocate Alan Greenspan’s pathetic admission — before a congressional committee investigating the economic collapse of 2008 – that there was a flaw in the banking system he didn’t see coming and might never reveal itself. In far simpler terms than those expressed in this otherwise worthwhile film, however, the flaw was easy to predict and, in fact, revealed itself in several ways. First, measures to deregulate commerce allowed for American jobs to fly overseas, like so many migrating birds; then, measures to deregulate the banking industry allowed for corrupt and predatory lending practices; the same measures allowed banks to push credit cards and sub-prime mortgages on people who normally would have found it difficult to pay off any loans; and, finally, until the Enron scandal broke, almost no corporate outlaws were made to pay for their crimes. To some extent, “The Flaw” is an indictment of the brainwashing of American consumers that began decades ago and resulted in a false sense of security, based on an abundance of jobs and general feeling that Americans are all in this thing together. Bankers made sound loans and consumers knew better than to buy things on credit they couldn’t afford. Once brainwashed into thinking our economy’s bubbles were too strong to burst, marketing specialists found it easy to feed the addiction of consumers for more stuff. Other, more arcane details factored into the creation of the current ongoing catastrophe, but mostly it was caused by the refusal of free-market disciples to recognize when their lust for obscene profits, salaries and bonuses had finally triumphed over the ignorance and greed of their customers and it was time to cut them some slack.

Sington addresses the marketing of American capitalism by juxtaposing the expert testimony of his stable of experts – not a commie or anarchist among them – with the thinly disguised rhetoric found in cartoons, movies and TV clips funded by various chambers of commerce and industry groups, then dispensed to classrooms and civic organizations as mildly entertaining propaganda. The not-so-subliminal messages delivered in the films fit the world view of Greenspan and other followers of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman. Anyone who’s already absorbed “Capitalism: A Love Story” and “Inside Job” likely will find much in “The Flaw” to be redundant. Newcomers, though, will come away from it far more informed and frightened about the likelihood of the same thing happening again in their lifetimes. As the movie points out, salaries and bonuses along Wall Street have recovered to the point that they’re as glutinous as they were before 2008; the stock market has recovered, largely based on the elimination of millions of American jobs and benefit programs; and no one in the banking industry has been indicted, let alone arrested for their role in stealing the hopes and dreams of so many Americans. – Gary Dretzka

The Divide: Blu-ray
Xavier Gens’ entry into the crowded field of post-apocalyptic thrillers is noteworthy primarily for its willingness to inflict great reserves of savagery on characters trapped in a makeshift fallout shelter in the basement of a Manhattan apartment building. The sense of imminent doom that pervades among the six men and four women and a girl in “The Divide” is not dissimilar to the pressure-cooker atmosphere that might have permeated the rooms in “Ten Little Indians” and “12 Angry Men,” if the characters in those films had been sociopaths. No sooner does the iron door clamp shut on the shelter than the inhabitants begin to be bullied by the maintenance supervisor, Michael Biehn (“Tombstone”), who laid in the provisions and divided the space into places where people could sleep, east and relieve themselves. Knowing that supplies won’t last nearly as long as the nuclear rain, the inmates jockey for positions of strength, finally deposing the ax-wielding potentate. Power shifts continually throughout the movie as weapons are found or fashioned and new alliances are shaped. The only time when the characters are united, to some degree, is when men in Hazmat suits invade the sanctuary, apparently in search of children to kidnap and participate in hideous experiments and adults to eliminate entirely. Not expecting to meet such fierce resistance, the invaders are overcome and forced to give up their weapons. One of the trapped men volunteers to search for the lost child, but what he finds in the newly built network of plastic tunnels and laboratories is just as horrifying as anything above ground. After he returns to the basement, soldiers weld its door shut, ensuring no one else will leave the concrete coffin. It is at this point that the real slaughter begins. One survivor does discover an escape route, but it’s too gruesome to recall here. Fans of such gorefests will find plenty to like in “The Divide.” Others probably won’t make it past the welding of the door. The actors trapped in the shelter include Lauren German (“Hostel: Part II”), Milo Ventimiglia (”Heroes”), Courtney B. Vance (”Law & Order: Criminal Intent”), Ivan Gonzalez, Michael Eklund (“Hunt to Kill”), Ashton Holmes (”Revenge”) and Rosanna Arquette (“Pulp Fiction”). – Gary Dretzka

Domain
The only way Patric Chiha’s psycho-sexual drama, “Domain,” could be more French is if the DVD package came with berets and coupons for baguettes. That isn’t a bad thing, per se, only a warning to Americans averse to the idea of spending 110 minutes in the company of smug, bourgeois Parisians who prefer preening, smoking and gossiping in nightclubs – at times, to the accompaniment of a gay chanteuse named Joan Crawford — to working or paying attention to the concerns of normal people. Oddly enough, most of the key adult characters we meet in “Domain” are mathematicians, not of the tweedy academic variety but fashionable sophisticates able to translate the performance of daily chores into numbers based on complex numerical theorems. Fortunately, Chiha’s story isn’t nearly as shackled to the pursuits of stereotypical twits as the characters are committed to their unrelenting pursuit of being French. Above anything else in “Domain” stands the iconic presence of Béatrice Dalle (“Betty Blue,” “Trouble Every Day”), who plays the sexy and seriously dissipated Aunt Nadia to 17-year-old Pierre, an attractive young man unable to balance his passion for her with his sexual attraction to his gay friends. Pierre clearly is transfixed with his beautiful and bodaciously built relative, mostly, though, for her intellectual brilliance, sharp wit and circle of accomplished friends. His mother warns him not to get too close to her sister, but to no avail. She’s provides a gateway to manhood no mother could hope to close. As time passes, though, Pierre realizes that Nadia is an alcoholic whose charm and self-esteem is dictated by the percentage of alcohol in her blood. After dragging his aunt’s drunken ass home one too many times, Pierre decides to commit himself to gay romance and boys his own age. This really sends Nadia over the edge. Besides being concerned about her sanity, we learn that she is suffering from an extremely serious disease, even before she does. Her doctor finally tells Nadia that her recovery is conditioned on her not taking another sip of a cocktail or glass of wine. In her mind, this is like asking her to agree to a lobotomy. Nonetheless, she agrees to attempt rehabilitation in a facility with a billion-dollar view of the Austrian Alps. When Pierre comes to visit, all bets are off as to the likelihood of success. After steering dangerously close to disaster early on, Chiha does a nice job steadying the ship and putting “Domain” on course to a satisfying conclusion. As for Dalle … ooh-la-la. – Gary Dretzka

Reuniting the Rubins
The term “faith-based” typically is reserved for movies with Christian themes favored within the evangelical movement. In “The Passion of the Christ,” Mel Gibson identified what the Hollywood studios felt to be an untapped market for movies in which prayer and faith in the Lord trump all manner of evil-doing and negative influences. Yoav Factor’s debut movie, “Reuniting the Rubins,” is recognizably faith-based, but the message being delivered can be found in the Torah and other rabbinical teachings. Frequently loud and rancorous, “RtR” isn’t all that dissimilar to other family-reunion flicks set during a holiday weekend, wedding or funeral. Here, though, the matriarch (Honor Blackman) of the Rubins’ clan fakes several serious medical maladies to inspire her only son (Timothy Spall) and disparate grandchildren to join her in what turns out to be a final Passover Seder. In doing so, she confounds her son’s plans for a long-awaited cruise vacation by demanding he assemble the mean-spirited businessman grandson (James Callis); the rabbi grandson (Hugh O’Connor), who’s lately devoted his every waking moment to ensuring that everything in his life is kosher; her Buddhist-monk grandson (Acier Newman), who has become a much gentler and well-reasoned man since switching teams; and her sole granddaughter (Rhona Mitra) a militant eco-freak. The capitalist and environmentalist are at odds over a project in Africa so important to him that he’s willing to finance a mercenary army to kill her friends and comrades. For his part, the rabbi refuses to compromise on his ultra-Orthodox demands for the Seder, causing everyone a major headache. If you’ve already guessed that the great-grandchildren are far more adult than their parents and prayers for a medical miracle are answered, reuniting the Rubins, give yourself a cigar. Timothy Spall is typically fine as the beleaguered son/dad/grandpa and it’s always nice to learn Honor Blackman is still alive and kicking, even if she could pass more easily for a WASP doyenne here. There’s a making-of featurette and alternate ending. – Gary Dretzka

Crew 2 Crew
Just when you think that the break-dance phenomenon has spun on its head for the last time, along comes another inspirational tale of hoofers against the world. In Mark Bacci’s “Crew 2 Crew” (a.k.a., “Five Hours South”), handsome Luca (Andres Londono) hopes to parley his love of hip-hop dance into a world tour in the company of like-minded male and female hotties. Because movies targeted at young audiences can’t exist without a moralistic conclusion, Luca is confronted with the possibility that dance is no substitute for the love of his family and girlfriend. (Try telling Madonna that.) The cast also includes Jordan Bridges (“Rizzoli & Isles”), Brooklyn Sudano (“Alone in the Dark II”) and Kate Nauta (“Transporter 2”). The DVD offers an alternate ending and making-of material. – Gary Dretzka

Baseball’s Greatest Games: 2011 World Series Game 6: Blu-ray
Anyone who stuck with the entire Game 6 of last year’s World Series isn’t likely to forget the St. Louis Cardinals’ tenacity and refusal to accept an early exit from one of baseball’s most exciting fall classics. Victory required five comebacks in 11 innings and a walk-off home run by post-season MVP David Freese. Even knowing the outcome of the game and series, the game is nearly as exciting as it was the night. (I gave up on the Cardinals far too early and missed all the fireworks.) The game is shown in high-definition and 5.1 surround sound. A special audio feature in the “Baseball’s Greatest Games” series allows fans to watch the television broadcast and listen to the radio play-by-play in English or Spanish. – Gary Dretzka

BBC Earth: Frozen Planet: The Complete Series
IMAX: Born to Be Wild
PBS: America Revealed
Given all the debate about global warming (a.k.a., climate change), it’s interesting that the BBC Earth documentary mini-series, “Frozen Planet,” feels so alive and upbeat throughout most of its 350-minute length. Really, though, if our polar icecaps are going to disappear in the foreseeable future, why not celebrate them while they’re here? Who knows, green technology might someday reverse the warming, rescuing all of the endangered polar bears and penguins and giving them a new lease on life. In the meantime, “Frozen Planet” must suffice for those of us not likely to visit the north or south poles in our lifetimes. Hosted, of course, by naturalist David Attenborough, the mini-series is nothing short of enthralling. It follows the seasonal cycle on both ends of the Earth, paying attention not only to the native species and vegetation, but also the effects of going from extreme cold to relative warmth – permanent midnight to 24 hours of sun for months at a time — on full-time and temporary residents, including whales, birds, fish, seals and krill. Fast-motion hi-def cameras capture both the annual buildup of ice and inevitable thaw, as well as the genetically dictated habits of the animals, plants and other carbon-based life forms. Fans of such BBC presentations as “Planet Earth,” “Galapagos,” “Wild China,” “Ganges,” “Life” and “Blue Planet” already know to expect scenarios so patiently recorded – and fortuitously captured – that they could be mistaken for simulations. How, for example, was it possible to get inside the snow-covered den/incubator of a snoozing polar bear and her pair of nursing cubs? Or, be positioned below the surface of the ice at the precise moment when female emperor penguins return from their long hunt for food? More than wee bit of good fortune allowed a team to join an isolated clan of Siberian Inuit as one brave man scaled the sheer cliffs of a remote island, collecting eggs, just as his ancestors had for centuries. Among the longer featurettes are “On Thin Ice,” an exploration of the effects of global warming; “Science at the Ends of the Earth,” in which we visit teams of researchers living and working under the most extreme meteorological conditions on the planet; “Freeze Frame,’ a series of six 10-minute making-of vignettes, one for each episode; a set of 47 video shorts, compiled by the production team; and “Frozen Planet: The Epic Journey,” an hour-long greatest-hits package.

“Born to Be Wild,” originally shot for presentation on large-format screens, describes the efforts of two women to re-introduce orphaned animals – African elephants and orangutans in Borneo – into their native habitats. It is a family film in the same way as most other IMAX productions intended for viewing at museums and other such institutions. Really, though, it’s the younger demographic that will enjoy it most. Poachers have orphaned many baby elephants in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park. If other adults in the herd shun the baby, it will starve to death. Daphne Sheldrick has committed her life to rescuing the helpless creatures and restoring their strength and will to live. In the South Pacific, Biruté Galdikas runs a similarly effective facility for baby orangutans, whose parents might have been victims of encroaching civilization, in the form of loggers and planters. The IMAX digital HD cameras neatly capture the dignity and mannerisms of the animals and the beauty of the terrain. Parents of kids enchanted by the new Disneynature feature, “Chimpanzee,” ought to consider a purchase or rental of “Born to Be Wild,” to elongate the experience. The supplemental package adds six short webisodes, in HD: “Borneo,” “Kenya,” “Camp Leakey,” “Coming Home to Tsavo,” “Wild Filmmaking” and “Caregivers.”

Currently running on some PBS stations, “America Revealed” offers an aerial view of the systems and networks that connect Americans and the facilities that sustain us. The series is hosted by “Survivor: Cook Islands” winner Yul Kwon, who’s never shy about sharing the camera with his subjects or attempting to offer humorous observations. He also helps interpret the satellite- and GPS-delivered data that reflects the movement of people, traffic, food, manufactured goods and energy through ribbons of light. If I have a complaint about “America Revealed” it’s that Kwon doesn’t challenge the pronouncements of industry spokesmen and farmers who think it’s great that genetically altered corn has become the pre-eminent source of nutrition in corporate ranching and other food production, while the benefits of chemical fertilizers aren’t balanced against the potential hazards. We’re told about the Oglala Aquifer, but not much information is provided about quickly it’s being drained by corporate farmers. While Kwon doesn’t ignore environmental issues and advocates of organic farming, methinks too much credit is given the robotization of American life. – Gary Dretzka

Bob’s Burgers: The Complete 1^st Season
American Dad: Volume 7: Uncensored
Meet the Browns: Season 5
Yo Gabba Gabba: Super Spies
Succeeding in prime-time is never a certainty for new shows these days. A-list talent no longer even guarantees a ready audience for a series’ debut episode, let alone a pick-up for an additional 13 episodes or second season. Last winter, “Bob’s Burgers” was launched as part of Fox’s Sunday night “Animation Domination” block. It received the same hefty marketing push as the ill-fated “Allen Gregory,” “Sit Down, Shut Up” and “Napoleon Dynamite,” but still somehow managed to live to see a second season, which began on March 11. Never a lock to make it that far, the show has recently enjoyed a nice bump in the ratings numbers. For those who missed all or some of the first season, Fox has made it available in a “Complete 1^st Season” package. Like almost every other prime-time animated show, “BB” is irreverent to the point of being rude and crude. Bob’s Burgers is a family-run restaurant that struggles to succeed against stiff competition from Jimmy Pesto’s Italian restaurant – across the street and next-door to a funeral parlor – and the perpetual animosity of a health inspector who was jilted by Bob’s wife, Linda. They are supported at the diner by two daughters and a son who sometimes is required to don a hamburger costume to attract customers. The show was created by Loren Bouchard, also responsible for “Lucy, Daughter of the Devil,” “Home Movies” and “Doctor Katz, Professional Therapist.” The voicing cast includes H. Jon Benjamin and Dan Mintz (“Jon Benjamin Has a Van”), Kristin Schaal (“Flight of the Conchords”), Andy Kindler (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) and, every so often, Kevin Kline, Sarah and Laura Silverman, and Megan Mullally. The compilation adds commentary tracks, audio outtakes, the demo episode, a music video and a bit on the behind-the-characters art gags.

The big news in Season 7 of “American Dad” came in its reaching the 100^th-episode plateau, with, I think, “The Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls.” In it, Stan’s plan to out-do the neighbor’s fancy Halloween attraction backfires when Roger the Alien releases the serial killers he was borrowing from the CIA. Meanwhile, Steve faces Toshi’s revenge when he takes a liking to his sister, Akiko. By another accounting, the centennial mark was reached earlier in the season in the episode where Hayley elopes with Jeff. Fans will grasp the implications better than I ever could and, as usual, newcomers are advised to start at the beginning. In short, though, Stan Smith is a CIA agent in Langley Falls, Virginia, obsessed with national security. His family members, including a talking goldfish and a space alien who likes to play dress-up, keep Stan busy while he tries to prevent terrorist activity in the United States. It’s the product of Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman, and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane. Guest voices for this season include Lisa Edelstein, Jason Alexander, Hayden Panettiere, Sandra Oh, Grace Park, Burt Reynolds, Anjelica Huston and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Like time, itself, Tyler Perry and his creations keep marching along. It seems like only yesterday when the last collection of “Meet the Browns” episodes was released. In fact, it was three months ago. For those keeping score at home, the compilation spans episodes 81-100, or roughly “Meet the Postponement” to “Meet the Phobia.”

In “Super Spies,” the latest collection of “Yo Gaba Gaba” episodes. The emphasis is on mysteries, espionage and kiddie-friendly intrigue. As usual, there’s plenty of music to go along with the fun and a new interactive game, to boot. – Gary Dretzka

History: Planet Egypt
History: The Presidents
History: Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy: Volume Two
History: Ice Road Truckers: Season 5
The latest collection of DVDs from the folks at History Channel is representative of its eclectic mix of programming. “Planet Egypt” and “The Presidents” deliver the goods in the form of lessons from the dawn of recorded history and in an eight-part survey of the American presidents. No civilization is more fascinating than that of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs we know primarily through the discovery of their mummified remains. Because the early Egyptians were so intellectually and technologically evolved, we’re able to trace the country’s history back more than 3,000 years. The four-part presentation examines the confluence of technology, culture, religion, architecture, military might and statesmanship that’s unified the country through wars, plagues, natural disaster, colonization and religious fanaticism. Moreover, it is a country that still matters greatly in the pursuit of world peace. The timeline begins with King Narmer, who united more than 40 regional tribes into the first Egyptian civilization, and answers mysteries raised by the pyramids and temples.

In the eight-part “The Presidents,” the men who’ve held sway in the Oval Office are profiled, with close attention paid to their accomplishments, failures, idiosyncrasies and personal lives. Originally shown in 2005, the collection now includes a “Biography” chapter on Barack Obama, as well as the 42 commanders-in-chief who preceded him. The series is based on “To the Best of My Ability,” edited by Pulitzer Prize-winner James McPherson. It includes much rarely seen photographs and footage, as well as observations of such luminaries as Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Wesley Clark, Bob Dole and former President Jimmy Carter. It is narrated by Edward Herrmann and adds the feature-length “All the Presidents’ Wives” and a timeline of U.S. presidents.

Less traditional lessons are delivered in Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy: Volume Two” and “Ice Road Truckers: Season 5.” Comedian Larry the Cable Guy may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but fans will enjoy his hands-on approach to re-creating such historical events as the Continental Army’s crossing of the Delaware River and the California Gold Rush, as well as experiencing the pains and pleasures of logging, eating and preparing deep-friend food, training to be a Marine, maintaining San Francisco’s fleet of cable cars and hunting with a musket. There’s plenty more and Larry isn’t reluctant to get downright raunchy when the occasion calls for it.

I still don’t know what hazardous driving has to do with history, but “Ice Road Truckers” has become a staple of programming on the cable network. Season 5 is the first season to focus on two different roads simultaneously, Alaska’s Dalton Highway and one in Manitoba upon which freight is hauled to isolated communities that have no other way to bring in materials. Hugh, Rick and Alex return to Canada for the Manitoba run, while Lisa and veteran Tony Molesky transport loads on the Dalton Highway, along with newcomers Dave Redmon and Maya Sieber. I’d enjoy seeing a series based on how the truckers spend their hard-earned money when they aren’t confined to their trucks and if it involves driving the kids to Disneyworld every couple of years. – Gary Dretzka

Dark Crimes: 50 Movie Set
The Nifty Fifties: 50 Movie Set
Timeless Family Classics: 50 Movie Set
I can’t think of many better deals than the ones offered by Mill Creek Entertainment in their collections of 50 feature films, representing several different genres and time frames. Here, for less than $30 each, fans can own 150 films representing 10,000 minutes of entertainment. The catch comes in the fact that many of the public-domain titles have previously been included in other collections and some aren’t up to par with those given facelifts by other leading distributors. Collectors who don’t own high-end home-theater systems benefit the most because definition isn’t an issue and, in most cases, the DVDs are clean enough to look good on the cheapest of prehistoric black-and-white TVs. Since everything looks like film noir on such appliances, the films in the “Dark Crimes” collection are the least hurt by imperfections and visual artifacts. No matter the price, how bad could performances by such stars as Basil Rathbone, Yul Brynner, Boris Karloff, Ava Gardner, Angela Lansbury, Raymond Burr, Edward G. Robinson, Constance Towers, Hedy Lamarr, George Raft and Melvyn Douglas be? “The Nifty Fifties” compilation features movies with Sidney Poitier, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe, Bing Crosby and Warren Beatty.

I’ve yet to be convinced that kids actually can tell the difference between the quality of a DVD and VHS presentation. (If they can, you might suggest a visit to the local public library.) This works in favor of the Westerns and silent comedies in “Timeless Family Classics.” There’s also such memorable fare as the 1933 “Oliver Twist,” 1932 “A Farewell to Arms,” 1937 “A Star Is Born,” Buster Keaton’s “The General,”  Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” and 1934 “Jane Eyre.” Look for performances, as well, by Ginger Rogers, Kirk Douglas, Jack Benny, Douglas Fairbanks, Eddie Albert and James Cagney. – Gary Dretzka

The Iron Lady: Blu-ray
The Conquest
What does it say about our democracy that elections in England — and, now, France — make for more compelling drama than those in the U.S.? Probably nothing voters don’t already know from watching the nightly news and such documentaries and dramatizations as “The War Room” and HBO’s “Recount” and “Game Change.” On film anyway, elections in other western democracies appear far more civil than the ones we’ve experienced lately and the candidates don’t seem to pander to the lowest common denominator. By contrast to Newt Gingrich, Vladimir Putin is a statesman in the John Kennedy mold. It’s our fault, though, because we allow these bottom feeders to leave their toxic ponds every four years and wander freely among normal folks. “The Iron Lady” tells the story of Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power in an England as politically divided and close to economic collapse as any non-Third War country. The only thing missing is a guest appearance by Michael Sheen as David Frost or Tony Blair.

Love her or hate her, Thatcher stood her ground and made a difference. Her legacy, though, still is a long way from being etched in concrete. After all, it took more than 20 years for the seeds of an economic disaster, planted by Thatcher’s friend and conservative ally Ronald Reagan, to bear their poison fruit here. And, as for the tired business of this dynamic duo singlehandedly ending the Cold War, I would give equal credit, at least, to Pope John Paul II and MTV Europe. Even before the movie was released in England and the U.S., “The Iron Lady” was drawing fire from supporters on the right and detractors on the left. Not surprisingly, Laborites and Liberal Democrats criticized it for not showing how Thatcher’s hardline decisions negatively impacted working and poor people. Complaints from the right targeted the decision by director Phyllida Lloyd (“Mamma Mia!”) and screenwriter Abi Morgan (“Shame”) to tell her story from the point of view of a woman who regularly engaged in conversations with the ghost of her late husband, Denis, and recalled events throughout her life through the haze of Alzheimer’s disease. Brits of all political persuasions felt as if the filmmakers had broken the unwritten rule against portraying a living person’s struggle with dementia. Considering how few Americans, myself included, were aware that the baroness has Alzheimer’s, “Iron Lady” occasionally does seem to be an unnecessary invasion of privacy.

What is indisputable, however, is Meryl Streep’s dead-on lifting of Thatcher’s looks, mannerisms and speech patterns. Even if relative newcomers Rooney Mara, Michelle Williams or Viola Davis might have deserved this year’s Best Actress Oscar more that Streep or fellow finalist Glenn Close, the degrees of difference were infinitesimal. As First Husband Denis Thatcher, whose sense of humor kept his wife on an even keel, Jim Broadbent is his usual enchanting self, as well. The Blu-ray package adds a half-dozen featurettes, none of them too short to be particularly noteworthy. They include a 12-minute behind-the-scenes piece, with cast and crew discussing Thatcher, her marriage and the times; “Recreating the Young Margaret Thatcher,” with 25-year-old co-star Alexandra Roach; “Denis: The Man Behind the Woman,” with Broadbent commenting on his role; “Battle in the House of Commons,” which dissects the chaotic scenes of debate in Parliament; “Costume Design: Pearls and Power Suits,” with costume designer Consolata Boyle describing how the film’s wardrobe evolved as Thatcher grow older and more powerful; and “History Goes to the Cinema,” which looks at the history behind “My Week With Marilyn,” “W.E.”, “Coriolanus,” “The Iron Lady” and “The Artist.”

Any similarity between elections in the UK and France begins and ends with the actual casting of a vote, at least as described in Xavier Durringer’s “The Conquest.” More than “Iron Lady,” it is a dramatization of events in the long, difficult and often bitter political process that led to Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election as President of France. The depiction of his marriage during the same five-year period is every bit as interesting as the clash of ideologies, personalities and political strategies. As interpreted by Denis Podalyedes, Sarkozy is as pugnacious as a pit bull forced to share his bones with the laziest dogs in the kennel and as impatient as a spoiled child on Christmas morning. No sooner does the conservative politician find a niche in the government of Jacques Chirac (Bernard Le Coq) than he’s quoted as saying that he foresees being president every morning when he looks in the mirror. At first, Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin dismiss Sarkozy as a political midget – a reference to his short size – and a thoroughly unlikeable candidate. What they hadn’t considered, though, was the discontent of French workers and other moderates with both his Socialist and incumbent opponents. Because French presidential elections are contested in several rounds of voting, it’s easy to get lost in the details. What’s far more compelling is watching Sarkozy’s marriage to his second wife, Cecilia, crumble before our eyes. Although he considered Cecilia to be his closest political aide, he’s shown being disrespectful to her in strategy sessions and openly hostile behind closed doors. Knowing that it would be difficult to win the election without his wife at his side, Sarkozy continually begs her forgiveness and plays touchy-feely with her in public. Unlike American political wives, who stand by their men no matter how shabbily they’re treated, Cecilia not only left the campaign, but she also split to Switzerland for a tryst with her lover. Even after her husband convinced her to re-join the race in the stretch run, she refused to be photographed entering her polling station. The movie ends days before he got his revenge by marrying model/singer-songwriter/actress/babe Carla Bruni, who stands several inches taller than Sarkovy, but is 10 years younger than Cecilia. (She has since remarried and stays busy as a champion of women’s rights and other humanitarian causes.) I loved that the political scenes were accompanied by a light and bouncy Nicola Piovani score, unmistakably inspired by Federico Fellini’s circus movies. – Gary Dretzka

Sleeping Beauty
Much is left unsaid in freshman writer/director Julia Leigh’s erotic anti-romance, “Sleeping Beauty.” That’s partially because the movie’s protagonist and title character, Lucy (Aussie Emily Browning), spends much of her time in drug-induced deep-REM sleep, while pervy old men share her bed. When she isn’t at college or doing minimum-wage jobs, Lucy is an employee of a high-end service that employs beautiful young women to serve as servers and companions at private parties in various stages of undress. Her boss/madam assures them that “penetration” is not part of any deal, because “your vagina is a temple.” Lucy, who isn’t averse to casual sex or last-minute hookups, doesn’t share that opinion, but the money is too good for a cash-strapped student to resist. I know next to nothing about Leigh or how her “Sleeping Beauty” is supposed to relate to the original fairy-tale, which has undergone much critical analysis by psychiatrists and other deep thinkers. Today, our dysfunctional economy has forced many women to consider positions – not all of them prone – in the adult-entertainment industry, where they can make more money in a night than at Walmart in several months. For a student who’s already comfortable with her body to agree simply to sleep her way through an evening shift isn’t nearly as outlandish a proposition as it would have sounded even five years ago. Still, Lucy can’t help but wonder what the rich geezers are doing to her, if not having intercourse with her. She begs the madam to let her watch one of the girls or be allowed to feign sleep, but is told it would break the spell. And, that’s pretty much where “Sleeping Beauty” ends. What’s nice about it is the pacing of the narrative, which approximates a dream state of its own. Nothing is rushed, padded or contrived. Browning is a mere wisp of a lass, not voluptuous by any stretch of the imagination, but far less innocent that the average fairy-tale heroine. If I were to guess, I’d say Leigh’s style here was inspired by David Cronenberg or Louis Bunuel, whose fantasies have advanced similarly surreal notions. – Gary Dretzka

Into the Abyss: Blu-ray
Surviving Hitler: A Love Story
Missrepresentation
Is it possible that, at the ripe old age of 69, Werner Herzog is only now hitting his stride? As a documentarian, his films are the equal of anyone else in the non-fiction game. Such recent theatrical features as “The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans,” “Rescue Dawn,” “The Wild Blue Yonder” and “My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done” reflect the work of a man unafraid to follow his imagination into the dark corners of the American psyche. If their excellence isn’t always rewarded with substantial support at the box office – or recognition by AMPAS’ nominating committees – it doesn’t appear to have fazed him. Last year, his remarkably beautiful meditation on the ancient sketches found in France’s Chauvet Cave, “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” preceded the release of “Into the Abyss,” a haunting study of crime and punishment in Texas. Such is the current state of human affairs in the Lone Star State that the triple homicide assayed in the documentary could almost be described as a routine crime … as was the execution of one of its perpetrators. Such horrors are so commonplace that neither the murders nor the men convicted in them – Michael Perry and Jason Burkett – have been accorded Wikipedia pages of their own. Even though Herzog is an opponent of the death penalty, “Into the Abyss” is careful not to steer viewers in the same direction. The film was being edited at approximately the same time as then-presidential candidate Rick Perry was using his state’s record of executing criminals, as well as men who would posthumously be found innocent, to elicit cheers from his rabid supporters. “This is not an issue film; it’s not an activist film against capital punishment,” Herzog told the Los Angeles Times. “Yes, it has an issue, but it’s not the main purpose of the film.” To this end, he not only interviews the condemned Perry (eight days before his execution) and his partner, who drew a life sentence, but he also spends time in Conroe, Texas, speaking with family members and friends of the men and their victims. Herzog also revisits the murders and subsequent shootout with police with detectives and prosecutors. A sequence each is devoted to a jailhouse interview with Burkett’s father, serving a 40-year bit across the road from his son, and the woman who met and married Burkett after the trial. She doesn’t deny the probability that she might be pregnant with his child, even though they’ve never been allowed a conjugal visit or anything more sexual than a held hand. This is amazing stuff. Americans don’t appear to be in any mood these days to launch a national forum on capital punishment, let alone ban it outright. Herzog deserves praise, though, for attempting to lay a foundation for such a debate.

“Surviving Hitler: A Love Story” is remarkable as a story of uncanny good luck and remarkable fortitude, told by a woman, Jutta Cords, who only learned as a teenager that she was legally half-Jewish and therefore was prohibited from getting married or going to university in Nazi Germany. Neither could she know that another teenager, Helmuth, whom she met and shared dances with while on vacation, would play a major role in her life when they found each other again before he was deployed to the eastern front. Because Jutta and Helmuth’s family recorded so much of their early lives on film, “Surviving Hitler” benefits from firsthand source material and views of life before World War II. Jutta, now 92, vividly recalls how her parents were prescient enough to send her to school in Switzerland, where she could be safe no matter what happened back home in Berlin. Knowing that her parents were beginning to fear for their lives, Jutta returned to the city for the duration of the war. Even though it’s clear that all three were on the Nazis’ radar screen for a long time, they managed to avoid incarceration until nearly the end of the war. After the siege of Stalingrad, it became clear to Helmuth that his fuhrer was leading Germany into disaster. After his hospitalization, he and Jutta joined the Resistance movement, which, she insists, was larger and more active than Americans even now give it credit for being. Jutta introduced Helmuth to her friend, Werner von Haeften, an officer in the Wehrmacht who was secretly in the Resistance and was one of the driving forces behind Operation Valkyrie. After that operation failed, nearly 5,000 people believed to have been involved in it were executed and others were jailed. By the time the Red Army had entered Berlin, Jutta believed that Helmuth and her parents all were dead. We share her surprise when the truth is revealed. “Surviving Hitler” is interesting primarily for giving us an idea of what life was like behind the front lines, but it also serves as a heart-warming romance and nearly unbelievable story of survival.

One needn’t be an ardent feminist to agree wholeheartedly with the conclusions reached in actor-turned-director Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s debut documentary, “Miss Representation.” That the media is obsessed with sexual imagery and exploits it sell products and ad-supported publications and shows is an inarguable fact of American life. It’s been 57 years since the first Miss America was crowned on national television women and how far have we come? “Toddlers and Tiaras”? “Bad Girls of Las Vegas”? NBC’s disgraceful “Playboy Club”? In Los Angeles and other markets, longtime weather forecasters are being replaced by increasingly busty beauties whose wardrobe appears to have been selected by Larry Flynt. Nothing’s really changed and the data presented in Newsom’s documentary supports her theory. This might have been sufficient cause for its inclusion in the OWN Documentary Club lineup, but, if she really wanted to do some damage, Newsom would have advanced the dialogue to 2012. Despite the presence on her witness list of a couple dozen distinguished and learned talking heads – Gloria Steinem, Katie Couric, Jane Fonda, Rachel Maddow, Dianne Feinstein, Geena Davis and Margaret Cho among them – several tough questions go virtually unanswered. For example, why do so many women in positions of power do so little to prevent such exploitation? There’s no scarcity of women in the executive suites at studios, networks and magazines, yet the women who get the most exposure in their movies, shows and covers are young (and getting younger), thin (and getting thinner), digitally and/or cosmetically enhanced, and required to wear skimpy outfits picked out for them by sponsors and product-placement firms. That’s because executives, producers, directors and editors of the female persuasion answer to the same gods of Wall Street as their male counterparts.

In hindsight, Couric wonders if she inadvertently became part of the problem when she allowed “Today” producers to photograph and dress her in ways they considered to be sexy, right down to the free Manolos and Jimmy Choos on her feet. Yes, Katie, you did. Likewise, Fonda is allowed to take off on media exploitation without being challenged on her own enhancements. If Newsom is suggesting that OWN Documentary Club viewers forgo dieting, having their boobs done and going out sans makeup, she owes it to them to explain why these celebrities play the media’s game. And, if they do decide to undergo the same procedures as the celebrities, they shouldn’t be chastised for it. As worthwhile an exercise as “Miss Representation” is, it often feels more like a PDA than a call to arms. – Gary Dretzka

A Streetcar Named Desire: 60th Anniversary Edition: Blu-ray
Kate & Leopold: Blu-ray
Bounce: Blu-ray
Newly re-released into Blu-ray, “A Streetcar Named Desire” stands tall both as a supreme entertainment and a reminder of a time when Hollywood was afraid of its own long shadow. As important a film as it remains in the repertory, Elia Kazan’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ landmark play – also directed by Kazan on Broadway – was anything but an easy sell as a movie. Darryl F. Zanuck’s plans for producing the movie version at Fox were thwarted by his bosses, who foresaw insurmountable problems getting “Streetcar” approved by the Hays Office and Legion of Decency. It ended up at Warner Bros., where Charles K. Feldman shepherded the movie through the landmines laid by censors and priests. This was 1951, after all, and everyone in power in the motion-picture industry feared being a purveyor of anti-American values to defenseless adults (all of whom had somehow just endured the agonies of a world war and economic deprivation). To appease the MPAA and Roman Catholic ratings board, several alterations were made in the adaptation. As documented in the excellent bonus material, they included inferences of desires felt by Blanche and Stella DuBois toward Stanley Kowalski and another male visitor; dialogue that makes it clear that Blanche’s husband committed suicide after she found him in bed with another man; the depiction of Stanley’s rape of Blanche; and Stella’s final reaction to her husband’s lustful behavior. Neither were Alex North’s sultry musical score and Harry Stradling’s brilliant black-and-white cinematography exempt from the legion’s prudish nitpicking. A featurette uses side-by-side comparisons to show how several scenes looked before and after being edited. What the censors couldn’t contain, however, was Brando’s raw animal magnetism. In an unprecedented performance, Brando reeks of unvarnished sexuality, unbridled lust and unexpected vulnerability. It set the standard for actors looking to escape the straitjacket of tradition and conformity so commonplace at the time.

It’s also interesting to learn how the movie allowed Kazan to re-balance the characterizations of Stanley and Blanche. On stage, he catered to audience expectations by allowing Brando to dominate every scene in which he appeared. In the movie, it’s made clear that Williams intended Blanche to be every bit as compelling and formidable a character, if far more damaged. By the end of the stage version, anyway, it’s clear that that war between Stanley and Blanche symbolizes post-war divisions dividing the increasingly less agricultural, more urbanized New South and faux gentility of Old South traditions. So, throughout most of the story, it was important that a certain balance between the opposing forces be enforced. Vivien Leigh, who took over the role of Blanche originated on Broadway by Jessica Tandy, benefited from being directed in the London production by her husband, Laurence Olivier, who wasn’t required to defer to an actor of Brando’s strength. Kim Hunter and Karl Malden reprised their roles in the movie version and lived long enough to be interviewed here about their recollections of the experiences. Their thoughts are included in the making-of featurettes. Of the four primary actors, only Brando failed to take home an Oscar. The informative commentary track adds the thoughts of Malden and historians Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young. Among the other featurettes are the feature-length “Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey,” “A Streetcar on Broadway,” “A Streetcar in Hollywood,” “Censorship and Desire,” “North and the Music of the South,” “An Actor Named Brando,” Brando’s screen test, outtakes, audio outtakes, trailers and Digibook packaging, with photos and text. Of course, the Blu-ray represents the un-edited, pre-censored version of “Streetcar.”

Other Blu-ray re-issues pale in comparison to “Streetcar,” but that’s only to be expected. In 2001, Meg Ryan’s career still was benefitting from the fumes left behind such successes as “You’ve Got Mail,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Courage Under Fire,” while multitalented Aussie Hugh Jackman was the handsome new kid on the block. The time-travel rom-com “Kate & Leopold” seemed on paper, at least, a logical place to combine her spunky charm and his natural good lucks. He was the charming 19th-century nobleman magically transported to 21st Century New York, where she would assume he’s just another poser friend of her brother looking to get into her pants. It’s fun to watch Leopold struggle to make sense of myriad consumer goods, cars and fast-food restaurants, while Kate is, well, just another stereotypical blond career gal playing hard to get. Other than the fish-out-of-water confusion, there’s not much else to recommend “K&L” to anyone who’s not a fan of the stars. The Blu-ray brings back commentary by director James Mangold, a making-of featurette, deleted scene, a music video of Sting’s “Until” and short piece on Donna Zakowska’s costumes.

Also from the Miramax vaults, now controlled by Lionsgate, comes “Bounce,” a romantic drama starring the hot couple of 2000, Ben Affleck and Gwenyth Paltrow. Affleck plays Buddy Amaral, a slick ad exec who avoids being killed in a plane crash by agreeing to give his ticket to a passenger “bounced” due to overbooking. That poor soul (Tony Goldwyn) was in a hurry to get home to his wife, Abby Janello (Paltrow). The near-miss disturbs Buddy to the point where he nearly drowns himself in drink and must find help of the 12-step variety. Following one of the organization’s tenets, Buddy feels it necessary to meet Abby and explain his role in the tragedy. Instead, he pretends to be a friend of her late husband. They spark, but the flame is extinguished by his admission of what really happened. Can love survive deceit? Duh. Again, “Bounce” will be appreciated more by fans of the stars than anyone else. The Blu-ray package contains commentary by director Don Roos (“The Opposite of Sex”) and co-producer Bobby Cohen; deleted scenes and a gag reel; a pair of behind-the-camera featurettes; a “Need to Be Next to You” music video; a pullout of selected scenes with additional commentary. – Gary Dretzka

American Reel
The Museum of Wonders
Claustrofobia
Although not in the same league as “Crazy Heart,” fans of the Jeff Bridges vehicle might consider renting “American Reel,” in which David Carradine plays another singer-songwriter whose refusal to sell out has kept him out of the spotlight for 20 years. Instead of bashing his head against the wall, James Lee Springer has made a modest living teaching school and doing his own musical thing. Out of the blue, a song he wrote as a young man hits the charts, opening the door to a comeback tour. Springer’s all for it, as long as he isn’t required to compromise the same ideals upon which he refused to compromise two decades earlier. If anything, though, the music industry – now, apparently, centered in Chicago — has only gotten more segmented, hit-driven and rigid in its demands on artists. His old friend and manager, played by British Shakespearean Michael Maloney, tries desperately to get Springer to bend just a wee bit, if only to acknowledge the passage of time. He hires a Second City comedian (Mariel Hemingway) to babysit the singer and keep him amused (not sexually … just happier). Even if the setup doesn’t reflect current reality and the ending is fairly predictable, “American Reel” moves along at an even pace and the music, at least, is good. Finished in 2002, Carradine looks very much alive and comfortable in his character’s boots. He co-wrote and plays guitar on several the songs on the soundtrack, which gets a boost from some of Nashville’s top session players. “American Reel” is serious enough to qualify as a drama, but it has gentle heart and offers more than few laughs.

If Todd Browning’s “Freaks” ever were to be turned into an Italian opera — or David Lynch decided to direct a summer-stock revival of “Cabaret” — it might look a lot like Domiziano Cristophro’s very bizarre, “The Museum of Wonders.” The characters who gather to celebrate the good fortune of the wee circus owner, Marcel (Fabiano Lioi), and his dancer bride, Salome (Maria Grazia Cucinotta), don’t share the same physical deformities as sideshow attractions in “Freaks.” There’s a strongman, mystic, sword-swallower and fire eater, tattooed and bearded ladies, a transvestite or two, and a creepy master and mistress of ceremonies. Civilians come to their little theater to marvel at things people now take for granted. (A professional tattooed lady wouldn’t stand out in any crowd, today.) It’s the drama of the characters’ personal attitudes toward themselves, each other and so-called normal people that Cristophro accentuates with his brilliant lighting design and special visual effects. Salome shows her true colors by adding poison to her diminutive lover’s drinks and attempting to steal away with the strong man, Sansone. Marcel diagnoses his own malady before Salome can make her getaway, however, causing the other museum attractions to exact their punishment on the fiends. For all of its horror conceits, “Museum of Wonders” is an unusually artful blend of Italian genres. The acting is quite good, by any standards, and the score mixes elements of tragic opera and carnival midway music.

Also from the MVD catalog arrives “Claustrofobia,” a claustrophobic Dutch thriller that succeeds even though its plot has holes through which you could drive a truck. Eva aspires to be a veterinarian, although her study habits would qualify her only to change the newspapers on the bottom of bird cages. Feeling her youthful oats, she decides to move into an apartment in a building seemingly populated with peepers and perverts. One morning, after being plied with drinks by the doctor downstairs, Eva awakes to find herself chained to a bed in a dank dungeon. Loud noises and disembodied voices unnerve her, of course, but it’s the black-clothed creep with the gas mask who really freaks her out. Eva fights back, however, eventually unmasking her captor and discovering cracks in his veneer and that of her prison. Just when we think she’ll be able to pull off her escape, Eva discovers her captor’s greater mystery and the reality that a security system won’t allow her to get past the coded door lock. Hope is trumped by disappointment twice more, with the stakes rising each time her plans are thwarted. As the clock ticks closer to Eva’s personal midnight, viewers might find themselves far more deeply invested in her predicament than they thought possible. – Gary Dretzka

Kill
The Terror Experiment
Thou Shalt Not Kill … Except: Blu-ray
Hidden
This isn’t the best week for horror releases of the domestic variety. Since Troma’s “Kill” has the most unusual fiends – birdbrains wearing Tiki and knight gear – it immediately jumps to the head of the class, and I use that word advisedly. Even by the usually low production standards associated with Troma’s do-it-yourself features, this one is cheesier than a mountain of warmed-over nachos. Made on a budget estimated to be $5,000 in play Canadian money, Gabriel Carrer and Chad Archibald’s collaboration is one movie that could have benefited from far more gratuitous nudity and fewer cardboard props. In it, a half-dozen unrelated characters are surprised to find themselves trapped in a locked house, whose bedrooms and common areas are monitored by obviously placed cameras and linked to their puppet masters by a loud-speaker system. Curiously, too, they’re all wearing head-to-toe white outfits. They first sense that things aren’t going to get any better any time soon comes when a bleeding man is tossed into the mix and they’re told that their survival depends on killing everyone else around them. Before that happens, though, the Tiki warriors invade the living quarters. Their unexpected presence is funnier to us than it is to the characters, who don’t appear to be particularly surprised. If somehow the producers had been able to stage this atrocity in Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room or Trader Joe’s, “Kill” might have had a shot at immortality.

Any movie in which top billing is shared by C. Thomas Howell, Judd Nelson and Robert Carradine either was made in 1985 or a quarter-century later in a straight-to-video thriller. You’ll find “The Terror Experiment” (a.k.a., “Fight or Flight”) in the bargain-bin wing of the latter category. In it, a disgruntled veteran detonates a biological weapon inside a crowded federal building to alert the world to a secret government program to create a similarly hideous toxic gas. Never mind the hypocrisy, however, because what “The Terror Experiment” then becomes is an escape thriller. Can the people inside the federal building exit the facility without infecting humanity or being shot by soldiers awaiting orders from high command? In a rare foray from the TV arena, director George Mendeluk has produced a film that feels as if it were commissioned by the Syfy or Chiller networks. Tipping the balance closer to a younger demographic — not aware earlier entries in Nelson, Howell and Carradine’s resume — are co-stars Alicia Leigh Willis (”The L Word”), Serah D’Laine (“General Hospital”) and Alexander Mendeluk (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”).

And, speaking of 1985, that’s when “Thou Shalt Not Kill … Except” (a.k.a., “Stryker’s War”) reared its bloody head from the wilds of Detroit. Josh Becker’s cut-rate action-thriller combines elements of “Platoon,” “The A-Team” and “Helter-Skelter,” in the service of a story that probably would have been more relevant in the early 1970s. When the injured Marine Sergeant Jack Stryker (Brian Schulz) returns home from Vietnam, he’s required to rescue his ex-girlfriend (Cheryl Hausen) from the clutches of a Charles Manson-like cult leader. Horror maestro Sam Raimi, another Michigander, hams it up as the deranged fellow. Synapse Films gives “Thou Shalt Not Kill …” a new 2K high-definition transfer from the original negative. It’s probably better treatment than the movie warrants. It includes amusing audio commentaries featuring director Josh Becker, co-writer Bruce Campbell and Schulz; a new video interview with Campbell; a deleted scene with optional director’s commentary; an alternate title sequence; and original theatrical trailer.

Not much more entertaining, but technically proficient, at least, is “Hidden,” a movie with the rare distinction of being co-written by the fictitious Alan and Alana Smithy. Originally intended to be presented in 3D, it tells a story that appears to have been borrowed from David Cronenberg’s “The Brood.” The son of a mad scientist is invited to return to the “Divine Sanctuary of Hope,” where his mother conducted her experiments on people addicted to various evil substances. She was able to locate the place in the brain where the neurons controlling the addiction are found and transform them into livings capable of being delivered from the body as babies. Or, something like that, anyway. Turns out, these manifestations of evil are significantly more dangerous than the thing being cured. In any case, the clinic was closed for some ghastly reason and Brian and his friends are about to discover that the buggers are tough to kill. I’m guessing that “Hidden” is more effective in 3D, but I doubt if it will ever be shown publically in that format. – Gary Dretzka

True Story of a Woman in Jail: Sex Hell
Debauchery
Historically, the Japanese cinema has bowed to no one in its willingness to push the boundaries of good taste, simply to sell a few more tickets and videos. And, the titles are almost as wonderfully vulgar as what happens in the movies. In the late-1960s, Japanese horror and action flicks gave way to what was loosely termed, soft-core porn. In fact, the difference between “Emmanuelle” and “True Story of a Woman in Jail: Sex Hell” and “Debauchery” is quite a bit greater than the occasional glimpse of pubic hair and genitalia, which were strictly prohibited there at the time. The prominent Japanese studio Nikkatsu entered the “pink” movie game in 1971 with its Roman Porno line, adding higher-the-usual production values to sexploitation fare. As goofy as some of the movies seem today, critics gave them high marks for writing and direction. Released in 1975, “True Story of a Woman in Jail: Sex Hell” resembles all other women-in-prison movies in that it offers such staples as scenes involving convict changing uniforms, medical examinations, communal showers, predatory lesbians, gentle lesbians, a prison break, catfights and brutal male and female guards. Director Koyu Ohara didn’t stop there, however. As if to compensate for the absence of pubic hair, Ohara added sexual sadism, “water sports,” implied fisting and the insertion of foreign objects into the vagina, and even the occasional used tampon. The larger story is largely told in flashbacks, during which the women relate how it came to be that they’ve been incarcerated. As genre specimens go, “Sex Hell” is wild by American standards and routine compared to similar Japanese fare.

Released in 1983, “Debauchery” represents a step in a different direction from “pink” films, which were tame compared to the hard-core (if still censored) VHS tapes then flooding the adult marketplace. Hidehiro Ito’s stylish film borrows shamelessly from “Belle du Jour,” in that a bored, if extremely attractive housewife (Ryôko Watanabe) is talked into taking a shot at prostitution by a friend of her surgeon husband. He directs her to the elite Madame Machiko Society Club, which specializes in sex games, S&M, bondage, beads and whips. Her original intention was to add a bit of spice to her marriage, but, of course, she becomes addicted to the pain and humiliation she suffers at the hands of anonymous men. Things begin to get weird when her husband’s friend becomes her costumer. A lot of the stuff in “Debauchery” is pretty rough, even compared with such S&M classics as “The Story of O” and “The Image,” and it makes “9½ Weeks” look like a Disney cartoon. Both pictures come with informative notes by Japanese film historian Jasper Sharp. – Gary Dretzka

Fix: The Ministry Movie
Anyone who had Al Jourgenson in their office death pool during the latter half of the 1990s probably felt pretty confident about their chances for winning it. Based on the information provided in “Fix: The Ministry Movie,” it’s truly a wonder that the pioneer of “industrial rock” not lived through the making of the documentary, but also has survived to reconstitute the band, record an album and make plans for another tour of Europe this summer. Besides following in the footsteps of other debauched rock-’n’-roll survivors – shooting heroin and cocaine, drinking copious amounts of booze, avoiding sleep – Jourgenson managed to avoid being killed by fans who make the Hell’s Angels look like Boy Scouts. It’s no coincidence that the “scariest rock band ever” attracted some of the most frightening people in the world to their concerts, including, Jourgenson testifies, at least one of the planet’s most aggressively horny groupies. Industrial is an interesting distillation of rock genres. While as unquestionably loud and percussive as a drop forge, it also is characterized by transgressive and provocative themes. Early on, it mixed experimental electronic conceits with punk and heavy metal, and everyone involved seems to be pissed off about something or other. In case anyone doubts Jourgenson’s contributions to the genre, director Doug Freel records the observations of such kindred musicians as Trent Reznor, Jonathan Davis, Dave Navarro, Ogre Nivek, Lemmy, Jello Biafra, David Yow and former and current members of Ministry, of which there are many. If none of these names are familiar, “Fix” probably isn’t the movie for you. (Although listed as a co-producer, Jourgenson sued when denied final-cut privileges). The DVD adds extended interviews and footage. – Gary Dretzka

Donald Glover: Weirdo: Live From New York
Comedian Donald Glover is best known for his role as the nerdy junior-college student, Troy Barnes, in the NBC sitcom, “Community.” Before landing that job, however, he wrote for “The Daily Show” and “30 Rock,” and did sketch work on stage and bits on late-night television. He also records hip-hop music as Childish Gambino. In “Weirdo: Live From New York,” Glover spends most of his time telling stories from his childhood and describing what it’s like to be a kid. I’m not partial to this brand of comedy, if only because one generation’s iconography is another’s trivia. Bill Cosby made a great pre-“I Spy” living telling stories about Fat Albert and other friends from his neighborhood, but I doubt they resonant much with kids living there today. In some neighborhoods, Chris Rock’s memory sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris” probably seems hopelessly out of date, as well. That’s not to say “Weirdo” won’t appeal to anyone over, say, 25. Glover has an appealing nature and confident stage presence, and much of his material is very funny. Glover’s comparisons of visits to Toys ‘R’ Us and Home Depot, from a kid’s point of funny, are hilarious. His reverence for Cocoa Puffs, a source of amusement since 1958, is shared by several generations of Americans. The DVD adds an interview with Glover. – Gary Dretzka

The Witches of Oz: Blu-ray
Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous
Shown outside the U.S. as a television mini-series, “The Witches of Oz” made a brief appearance in theaters in our Midwestern tornado belt before shipping into DVD and Blu-ray. The latest updating of L. Frank Baum’s enduring legend finds aspiring writer Dorothy Gale (Paulie Rojas) in New York, where a big-time publisher hopes to sign her and make hay of the Oz stories she learned from her grandfather. Although Manhattan, New York, is a long way from Manhattan, Kansas, Dorothy is anxious to get a taste of the Big Apple in all of its cosmopolitan glory. Far from being a shrinking violet, she spends her first night in town at a cocktail lounge, where she tries to pick up a young Scotsman. The next morning, her agent gives her a sophisticated new hairdo and a flashy outfit. Somehow, news of Dorothy’s big break reaches the Wicked Witch of the West, who, contrary to what Dorothy has been led to believe, is very much alive and anxious to add Earth to her real-estate holdings. “The Witches of Oz” is full of young adults who are much more attractive than those in the beloved 1939 classic. In fact, it’s as much “Gossip Girl” and “Hannah Montana” as it is Judy Garland and Victor Fleming. I don’t think it will play well with anyone older than 14, but that leaves a lot of room for success. The special effects look pretty spiffy in Blu-ray. Other cast members include Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, Ethan Embry, Mia Sara, Lance Henriksen and Christopher Lloyd. Although she’s petite enough to be blown to Nebraska by a stiff Kansas wind, star-to-be Rojas has enough pep and verve to light up the entire city of New York in a blackout.

Shout! Factory has released the second installment in Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s continuation of the “X-Men” saga, animated to resemble the uneven pacing, muted color palette and dotty texture of graphic novels and motion comics. In “Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous,” the heart-breaking death of a student at the Xavier Institute reveals a greater threat to destroy the organization from within its walls. As such, the evil force already knows the weaknesses and tendencies of the various mutants. This follow-up to “AXM: Gifted” encompasses the events described in Issues 7 through 12 of Whedon and Cassaday’s 2004 comic book series for Marvel Comics. It’s divided into six 12-minute episodes and, in addition to our favorite “X-Men” characters, the “Fantastic Four” make an appearance. – Gary Dretzka

Goodnight for Justice: Measure of Man
In his second of three “Goodnight for Justice” Westerns for the Hallmark Channel, Luke Perry’s circuit-riding Judge John Goodnight arrives in dusty frontier town just as it’s about to have its bank robbed by the Spradling Gang of cold-blood killers. In the resulting shootout, one of the gang is killed and a teenager is arrested. Unbeknownst to the teenager and judge, the kid is Goodnight’s son by former Chicago showgirl Callie Bluepoint (Stefanie von Pfetten). Coincidentally, she also lives in the town where her long-ago boyfriend is temporarily assigned. That’s a lot of coincidences for the first 15 minutes of an 88-minute movie. It leaves a lot of room for old-fashioned Western action and intrigue, including the very real possibility that the boy will reject the father he didn’t know he had and stick with his criminal mentors in the gang. The “Goodnight for Justice” pictures never would be confused with a Clint Eastwood movie, but they’re a good fit on Hallmark. – Gary Dretzka

Dark Shadows: Fan Favorites/The Best of Barnabas
Logan’s Run: The Complete Series
Adam 12: Season Seven
Doctor Who: The Daemons/Carnival of Monsters
By the time the otherworldly soap “Dark Shadows” arrived on ABC, viewers had already fallen in love with “The Munsters” and “The Addams Family.” Even so, its success was anything but assured. In the mid-’60s, the demographics of daytime TV were significantly different than those associated with prime-time sitcoms. Fewer women worked in full-time jobs and they tended to control buying patterns at the supermarket. Romance in the afternoon was blooming and it didn’t include fangs and capes. Even so, Dan Curtis’ brainstorm would enjoy a six-year run, thanks, in large part, to support from teenagers who rushed home from school – or, so we’re told – to enjoy the kinky storylines and handsome undead characters. It was as different from “The Guiding Light” and “The Days of Our Lives” as “American Bandstand” was to “Lawrence Welk.” The DVD compilations “Dark Shadows: Fan Favorites” and “Dark Shadows: The Best of Barnabas” have been released in advance of the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp adaptation, set for May 11, and simultaneous to the super-duper, all-inclusive “Complete Original Series: Limited Edition,” priced to sell at $500-plus. In this way, newbies and diehards both have been given an appetizer for the main course to come. Fans always will be the harshest critics of any adaptation or re-imagining of a beloved show or movie, so it remains an open question as to how closely their expectations meet those of critics and admirers of Depp and Burton. Both “Fan Favorites” and “Best of Barnabus” run about 180 minutes, minus commercial breaks, so they serve well as primers on “Dark Shadows.” The early episodes were shot in atmospheric black-and-white, on a set that must have seemed elaborate at the time, but now looks pretty basic. Color episodes would test the work of makeup artists, but, by then, the storylines were firmly established. Neither would Jonathan Frid’s debonair vampire be required to carry the weight of evil-doing alone, as he would eventually be joined by a zombie, werewolf, ghosts and witches. It remains great fun. The episodes are introduced by a still-gorgeous Kathryn Leigh Scott, a.k.a. Maggie Evans.

Sci-fi fans of a certain age will remember with fondness – if only for Jenny Agutter’s skin-tastic performance – the futuristic confection, “Logan’s Run.” Set in 2274 and set in a giant crystal dome, citizens were allowed to live as they wanted until they were 30, when they would be terminated. Those who balked and tried to escape their doom were called “runners” and their goal was to elude the killer Sandman. A year later, MGM and CBS decided to see how a spinoff series would fly, even if the network found it difficult to commit to a single day and timeslot. The series only lasted a year, adding a cult-like sheen to its memory. The setup is basically the same, with Gregory Harrison playing a turncoat Sandman, Logan, and Heather Menzies-Urich taking over for Agutter in the runner role. In another deviation, a few “elders” were allowed to survive and run things in secret. Approaching 30, Logan and another enforcer decide to split the dome in advance of their termination date. Look for such cast regulars and guest stars as Donald Moffat, Randy Powell, Mariette Hartley, Christopher Stone, Spencer Milligan, Kim Cattrall, Ellen Weston, Nicholas Hammand, Linden Chiles, Leslie Parish, Angela Cartwright, Paul Shenar and Melody Anderson.

During the seven-year run of NBC’s hit police-procedural “Adam-12,” public attitudes toward uniformed officers ran the gamut from respectful to downright hostile. It didn’t help that rank-and-file cops were being required to do the dirty work of conservative politicians, moralistic preachers and parents who’d lost control of their kids. They took the brunt of the abuse, often returning it in kind. In addition to nipping real crimes in the bud and capturing hardened criminals, they often were ordered to don helmets and beat the crap out of students protesting the Vietnam War and harass blacks and Hispanics whose only crime might have been standing in front of a liquor store drinking beer. Hippies had become fair game for impromptu searches and candidates for office demanded a tougher stance on law-and-order issues. “Adam-12” was different from its sibling series, “Dragnet,” only in that its primary characters wore crisp blue uniforms, while detectives Joe Friday and Bill Gannon were allowed the luxury of cheap suits and hideous sport coats. Both series did a pretty good job humanizing the cops, without delving very deeply into the issues dividing them from those assumed to be guilty, even when proven innocent. By the time the seventh and final season of “Adam-12” rolled around, Joseph Wambaugh’s novels and NBC’s “Police Story” had waded far more deeply into the muck surrounding the job and difficult situations at home. As representative as Martin Milner and Kent McCord’s characters might have seemed, it was impossible to envision them howling at the moon, alongside the other “choir boys” of the LAPD, in Wambaugh’s breakthrough novel.

Both “Doctor Who: The Daemons” and “Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters” are from the Jon Pertwee years, 1970-74, and are highly regarded by fans and collectors, alike. In “The Daemons,” the Doctor is laying low in a rural England burg known as Devil’s End, favored by diehard pagans and archeologists interested in the nearby burial mounds. The Doctor recognizes them as being of alien origin and things get even more complicated when a local preacher shows up, looking very much like the Master. In “Carnival of Monsters,” a test drive of the TARDIS delivers the Doctor to a cargo ship, seemingly steaming through the Indian Ocean in 1926. He’s joined on the ship by Lurman entertainers Vorg and Shira, turned away from the planet Inner Minor. They’re in control of a “miniscope” peepshow plinth, which has imprisoned the TARDIS crew, along with a dinosaur and various Orgons, Cybermen and Drashigs. The DVD sets contain a plethora of bonus features. – Gary Dretzka

PBS: Inside Nature’s Giants: Sperm Whale
PBS: Secrets of the Manor House
The latest DVD offerings from PBS are a curious lot. “Inside Nature’s Giants: Sperm Whale” devotes most of its time to a makeshift autopsy of a beached sperm whale. To say it’s graphic is only to scratch the surface of the show’s strange appeal, especially for those viewers who enjoy watching the deconstruction of once-living things. Sperm whales are particularly interesting because they’re able to dive to extreme depths and stay there for more than an hour collecting food for themselves and nourishment for their calves. Besides that, they’re able to withstand the extreme cold of the depths and the tentacles of giant squid. In this episode, the researchers are forced to do their digging below the surface of the blubber only when the tide’s out, which complicates things considerably. Even so, the corpse does reveal several deeply held secrets … even a few booby traps involving trapped gas and other noxious artifacts. (Fortunately, the whale had starved to death and not much was left to spoil.) Another researcher, located near the Azores, collects bones, teeth and ambergris, a substance that is as valuable as a truffle and can only be found in a whale’s rectum. It’s used in the production of some of the world’s most expensive perfumes. Arriving next week, “Inside Nature’s Giants: Monster Python” examines what one large snake enjoyed for its last dinner. Considering how pythons have now become a menace in Florida, this episode is especially scary.

The title, “Secrets of the Manor Born,” is a bit misleading in that no mysteries are solved and the juiciest details already are recorded, such as the huge discrepancy between the wages paid the servants and annual income of their bosses. It’s more of a national shame than a secret. What’s truly wonderful, though, are the manors and estates visited in the report and some of the stories about the privileged few who could afford them. (Many have been turned over to the National Trust and their maintenance is afforded through tourist revenues.) The show is especially timely now that we’re between seasons of “Downton Abbey.” The history of the manors corresponds directly to the rise and fall of the British Empire. – Gary Dretzka

War Horse: Blu-ray
I’d be willing to bet that horses have been the subject of more memorable movies than any other animal, Lassie and Rin Tin Tin notwithstanding. Among the 30 best titles, compiled by the editors at HorseChannel.com, are “Seabiscuit,” “Phar Lap,” “National Velvet,” “Into the West,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “Hidalgo,” “Dreamer” and “The Black Stallion.” Clearly, no one’s bothered to update the list lately, because Steven Spielberg’s equine epic, “War Horse,” has yet to be added to it. The Motion Picture Academy included it among the eight movies nominated for this year’s Best Picture, and it competed in five other categories. Adapted from a popular novel and hit play, “War Horse,” tells the story of Joey, a rambunctious colt blessed with both the brute strength required to pull a plow through a rock-strewn field and the nerves of steel needed to lead an officer into battle in an old-fashioned cavalry charge. Unfortunately, both for Joey and the cocky British officer, front-line German soldiers in World War I weren’t about to be intimidated by mounted swordsmen. The Huns feigned surprise and beat a hasty retreat to a nearby tree line, where a dozen or so machine guns laid in wait. The swift and sure slaughter anticipated a war that wouldn’t be contested by gentlemen on horses or rows of brightly clad infantrymen marching smartly into battle. Joey would survive the debacle, only to be put to work by an enemy with no respect for his royal bloodlines. Through an unusual series of events, Joey soon would find temporary refuge in the home of a French farmer and his granddaughter. After being re-captured, the Thoroughbred was forced to drag cannons up hills and wade through mud, carrying supplies to the bloody Battle of the Somme. When Joey finally managed to break away from the Germans, his only escape route was littered with steel barriers, potholes, dead bodies and gas canisters. Only an act of divine mercy and human kindness, though, could save him from being strangled by barbed wire and crushed by a tank. Other miracles were yet to come. How any of this action could be contained on a stage remains for me to be seen.

A large part of the appeal of Spielberg’s adaptation is its majestic sweep and the great physical beauty of the Devon countryside, where Joey was born, broken and first put to work by a boozy farmer (Peter Mullan) who couldn’t resist a bad deal when he saw one. Instead of purchasing a plow horse, Ted Narracott finds it necessary to engage in a bidding war with his tight-fisted landlord (David Thewlis) for the Thoroughbred, which he neither can afford nor expect to break ground for crops. All too aware of his dad’s shortcomings, his son, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), takes it upon himself to train Joey to cut rows for turnips. After a summer storm destroys the crop, the desperate old sod breaks the boy’s heart by selling Joey to an army captain (Tom Hiddleston) in need of a war horse. Albert decides to joins the infantry, as much to reconnect with Joey as to spite his father and serve his country. Finally, though, all either of them wants to do is return home.

It may not take a crystal ball to anticipate a happy Spielbergian ending for “War Horse,” but nothing that happens between the auction and the credit roll is predictable or routine. The battle scenes are as gruesome as the Devon countryside is beautiful. “War Horse” has been compared with films of John Ford, whose films often combined spectacular landscapes with stories of common folks forced by circumstances to make heroic stands. In a making-of featurette, Spielberg says that he was constantly attuned to changes in weather over the moors — “the skies here are as dramatic as the story” – and would stop production on a scene to capture a cloud formation or sunset on film. The Blu-ray presentation does an excellent job capturing the brilliant cinematography of Spielberg regular, Janusz Kaminski, and the artistry of his design team. Apart from the amazing performances by the horses – there were several Joeys – it’s the overall look of the movie that will remembered most by the audience. In addition to the interesting and informative background features, digital copy and DVD, the Blu-ray package adds “Through the Producer’s Lens,” in which Kathleen Kennedy shares photos she took during filming; “War Horse: The Journey Home,” with Spielberg and members of the production team and cast; “A Filmmaking Journey,” in which Spielberg describes what compelled him to make the movie; “Editing & Scoring,’  with Spielberg, editor Michael Kahn and composer John Williams; and “The Sounds Of ‘War Horse,’  with sound designer Gary Rydstrom.” Given the recent uproar over the loss of horses in the production of HBO’s “Luck,” it’s interesting that the featurettes devote so much time on the Humane Society’s role on the “War Horse” set. – Gary Dretzka

We Bought a Zoo
Terry Thompson didn’t do filmmaker Cameron Crowe any favors when, immediately before committing suicide last October, he freed his collection of exotic pets into the wilds of Zanesfield, Ohio. Thompson did far more harm to the 48 animals — lions, cougars, leopards, bears, monkeys, wolves and 18 Bengal tigers – that paid the ultimate price for their owner’s financial problems and emotional instability. Seven of the animals survived the ordeal, but man’s tendency to harness everything that’s wild and foreign to him had already prevailed. Even with a two-month buffer between the outrage and launch of Crowe’s warm family dramedy, “We Bought a Zoo,” the barrage of horrifying headlines and photographs almost certainly took their toll at the box office. Such terrible coincidences are nothing new in Hollywood and damage-control experts made sure that potential customers understood the differences between a private preserve, a wildlife refuge and a public zoo. The movie is based on a memoir by British newsman Benjamin Mee, who saved Devon’s Dartmoor Zoological Park from financial ruin, much in the same way as Matt Damon’s Benjamin Mee saves a broken-down zoo in California. Unlike the real Mee, Damon’s Mee has the great good fortune of working alongside a zookeeper who looks exactly like Scarlett Johansson. He’s also been given a beyond-cute 7-year-old daughter (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) and a 14-year-old son (Colin Ford), who Mee fears has gone to the dark side since the recent death of his mother.

In the movie, Mee faces two possible barriers to the zoo’s re-opening. One, of course, is the unexpected amount of money required get such a facility in shape to protect both the animals and patrons. Two, the official (John Michael Higgins) responsible for accrediting zoos has an unpleasant history with an employee of the Rosemoor Wildlife Park and his OK to re-open it is anything but a done deal.  Otherwise, the crew Mee inherited from the former owners displays the kind of kooky traits usually associated with blue-collar types in the movies; parallel love stories emerge, linking Mee and the pretty zookeeper, and his son to her bright-and-sunny cousin (Elle Fanning); and the animals face significant crises of their own. Pretty standard stuff for a family entertainment, but competently rendered by Crowe and his cast. The director’s touch also is evident on the soundtrack, which overflows with songs from artists as well-known as Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens) and Randy Newman and such hipster faves as Temple of the Dog, jonsi, the Bronx and Quantic.

“We Bought a Zoo” probably made money, but didn’t produce the kind of numbers desired from a Christmas release with A-list stars. It’s impossible to say whether its underperformance can be pinned on the Ohio animal slaughter, an ineffective marketing campaign or the mostly indifferent reviews from critics who still can’t forgive Crowe for making them sit through his last bomb, “Elizabethtown.” It’s not in the same league as “Jerry Maguire” or “Almost Famous,” but I can’t imagine anyone reading the script and thinking it would be. Mostly, it’s a very decent family film – in the broadest sense of the term – that should do lots of business in DVD and Blu-ray. The bonus package adds commentary with Crowe, co-star J.B. Smoove and editor Mark Livolsi; featurettes on the Mees’ actual zoo and the creation of Mees’ movie zoo; a bunch of delted scenes; and a gag reel. – Gary Dretzka

Chasing Madoff: Blu-ray
Almost everything one needs to know about the inability of federal regulators to prevent a financial catastrophe during the run-up to the collapse of this nation’s economy can be found in this alarming documentary. Although “Chasing Madoff” sticks primarily to the bungled handling of Bernard Madoff’s worldwide Ponzi scheme, it clearly demonstrates that such a massive fraud didn’t happen in a vacuum. Agencies created after the last Great Depression to protect investors were allowed to take a nearly 30-year, post-Reagan snooze, while Wall Street predators routinely picked the pockets of clients, homeowners and people looking forward to retirement. The scope of Madoff’s arrogance, along with the familiar names of many of well-heeled clients he swindled, ensured headlines for months and years to come. In fact, though, his scheme represented only the tip of an increasingly visible iceberg. Jeff Prosserman’s film describes how Boston-based securities analyst Harry Markopolos came to smell a rat 10 years before Madoff’s arrest, but couldn’t get any of his bosses to take the investigation to the next level. The scheme may appear hopelessly complicated to a layman, but the evidence was there all along for anyone with a business degree to see. In fact, after a decade without any movement – even the Wall Street Journal refused to believe the scoop of the crime — Markopolos began to fear that his findings were being deliberately swept under the rug and his life was in danger. Only after the story finally was printed and Madoff was arrested did congressional oversight committees find the time to put SEC flunkies on the hot seat. Still, only a handful of people involved in the overall economic disaster have been penalized and neither President Obama nor any of his potential opponents seem comfortable pursuing bankers and other business executives they might want to hit up later for campaign contributions. Madoff likely will spend the rest of life in prison, while investors scramble to rebuild their dreams and con artists are formulating the next big swindle. “Chasing Madoff” is structured like a good detective story, with a palpable level of suspense throughout it. If any of the corrupt wheel-dealers who were bailed out by taxpayers had been prosecuted and jailed, alongside Madoff, Prosserman’s documentary might have had a far more satisfying ending. – Gary Dretzka

Miss Bala
The Yellow Sea
The Hidden Face
The Double Hour
If the DVD and Blu-ray revolution has taught film buffs anything, it’s that the international cinema is far more productive and worthy of our attention than previously thought. Every week, new foreign titles are released into the domestic marketplace that may only have been shown here in festivals or extremely limited release. Although these films are readily available through subscription services and VOD, Americans’ reluctance to read subtitles is reflected in anemic sales and rental revenues. Neither is there much money invested by distributors in marketing. One of the encouraging signs, however, is the willingness of some new companies to take a risk on our desire for something besides action, horror and rom-coms … not that those genres aren’t explored, as well, by artists around the world.

Fox International Productions and Fox World Cinema are relative newcomers to the game of co-producing and co-distributing interesting foreign-language movies. If FIP’s support of a 2009 Japanese remake of Alexander Payne’s “Sideways,” didn’t exactly set the world on fire, recent releases demonstrate how far the strategy has come in a short time. The offbeat crime thriller “Miss Bala” not only was Mexico’s nominee in the 2012 Academy Awards’ foreign-language category, but it’s also an extremely topical story. Gerardo Naranjo’s film describes how weird things can get when the trajectories of a violent drug gang and contestants in a beauty pageant cross paths in one of the world’s most dangerous cities, Tijuana.  Stephanie Sigman plays the painfully shy and withdrawn Laura Guerrero, who may be one of the least prepared contestants in a beauty pageant, anywhere. After checking in at the auditorium, Laura and a friend agree to meet at a disco frequented by Baja Norte’s flashiest men and women. While powdering her nose in the ladies’ room, she hears automatic-weapons fire on the dance floor and catches sight of an assault team dressed in ninja gear. Even though Laura’s seen by one of the gunmen, she’s allowed to escape the carnage. Unnerved by the experience, she attempts to contact police to discover the fate of her friend. It’s just her luck that the policeman she chooses to tell her story is in cahoots with the gang, to whom she’s promptly delivered. It’s at this point where things begin to get really strange. Instead of silencing her forever, the ruthless leader of the gang hands her keys to an Escalade and instructs her to follow him and park it in front of a consulate. We assume that it’s loaded with explosives, but don’t know if Laura will be allowed to survive the blast. Instead of turning Laura into toast, gang leader Lino Valdez (Noe Hernandez) returns her to the pageant venue and pulls the strings necessary to get her back on the program. In fact, he hands her a wad of cash and tells her to go on a shopping spree for an appropriately glamorous gown. Every time Laura attempts to escape, Lino or one of his guys picks her up and gives her another dangerous assignment to perform. Once completed, she’s again returned to the pageant, which, by now, we know is demonstrably fixed. “Miss Bala” is an extremely violent movie, as befits the times in Mexico’s drug war, but Lino’s determination to give Laura her shot at stardom borders on the hilarious. By the time she gets to the interview stage, Laura can barely remember her name. Naranjo uses Tijuana as well as Steven Soderbergh did in “Traffic” and the cruelty of the perpetrators of the violence is palpable throughout the movie. While it’s definitely not something for the faint of heart, fans of new Mexican cinema should get a charge out of it.

Likewise, Na Hong-jin’s “The Yellow Sea” is extremely violent, wickedly entertaining and occasionally darkly comic. Ha Jung-woo plays Gu-nam, a Korean-born taxi driver living in a lawless province of northern China. He’s cursed with a huge debt, a gambling habit and a missing wife he fears is turning tricks in Seoul, instead of making money to send home to support their daughter. To pay off his debt, the driver accepts an assignment from a local vice lord to sneak into Korea and assassinate one of his enemies, bringing the man’s severed thumb home as proof of his success. If he has any time left before the next smuggling ship leaves port, the reluctant assassin hopes to track down his errant wife. It doesn’t take long for us to realize that Gu-nam has been lured into the web of a vicious spider and his odds of escaping border on nil. When he isn’t waiting outside the apartment of his target, freezing his ass off, Gu-nam is being chased through the streets of Seoul by police and two opposing gangs, at least. It’s easy to get lost in the conspiracies here, but the real fun comes in watching Gu-nam avoid being captured. To that end, nearly as many cars and trucks are sacrificed in “The Yellow Sea” as the “The Blues Brothers.” And, given the choice of weapons employed by the gangsters, this is one movie in which “getting medieval” actually means something.

The less revealed upfront about what happens in Andres Baiz’ pyscho-thriller “The Hidden Face,” the better the experience will be for viewers. As it is, the trailer gives away far too much of the plot. On the off chance you see it coming, hit the skip-ahead button. Any appreciation of “The Hidden Face” requires buying into a plot twist that’s worthy of an Edgar Allen Poe story and isn’t predictable 10 minutes ahead of the reveal. The movie’s protagonist certainly doesn’t see it coming. Adrian is an up-and-coming Spanish symphony director, who’s awarded a year-long residency with the Bogota orchestra. He brings his jealousy-prone girlfriend along to keep him company. After Belen determines that he’s cheating on her with a violinist, she decides to test his loyalty. The estate’s owner, who was married to a Nazi war criminal for several decades, comes up with deliciously devious idea, which we won’t discuss. As could be predicted, the test backfires on Belen, leaving Adrian vulnerable to the advances of a pretty Colombian waitress, Fabiana, who’s rescued him from a drunken stupor. Those are all the hints you’re going to get. Fans of the genre won’t be disappointed by this terrific thriller, which is a feast for the mind, as well as the eyes.

Samuel Goldwyn Films can also be counted on to deliver stimulating entertainments from around the globe. Giuseppe Capotondi’s debut feature “The Double Hour” is a complex and occasionally bewildering thriller that reminded critics of Guillaume Canet’s international sensation, “Tell No One,” but probably owes a great deal to Alfred Hitchcock and Nicolas Roeg. After opening with a mysterious suicide, a speed-dating party and a quick roll in the hay, “The Double Hour” abruptly transitions into a psycho-drama in which all easy assumptions are challenged and the characters never betray the intelligence of viewers by dropping easy-to-read hints. One minute, Slovenian immigrant Sonia (Ksenia Rappoport) is chatting with a guest whose bathroom she’s cleaning; the next, the maid is staring down on the patio upon which the women took a header. Apparently, the suicide didn’t cause her any lasting trauma, because the next time we see Sonia, she’s interviewing potential suitors at a speed-dating event. Among them is recent widower Guido (Filippo Timi), a former Turin cop and current security guard at a fabulous palazzo outside the city. Their five-minute chat wouldn’t qualify as “meeting cute,” by any means, but they convince each other that an impromptu snog wouldn’t hurt anything. After an awkward late-night goodbye, Sonia and Guido actually do spark. Their romance is upended, however, when armed thieves interrupt a stroll they’re taking through the grounds of the estate and tie them up among the treasures being ransacked. During a skirmish with one of the gunmen, a fatal bullet exits Guido’s chest and wounds Sonia, leaving her in a coma. After that, everything we see happening on the screen is open to question, but in an entirely satisfying way. Don’t expect to figure things out in one sitting, though. Some clues are provided in the deleted scenes and making-of featurette, but not many. – Gary Dretzka

Chinatown: Blu-ray
It’s taken a while for “Chinatown” to arrive in Blu-ray, but its continued presence on all other formats –and repeated airings on premium cable – have probably kept fans from going through withdrawal. It’s nice to report that “Chinatown” looks and sounds spectacular on Blu-ray and a third, fourth or fiftieth revisiting is definitely recommended. Moreover, there’s no reason to think that the experience could get much when the next new technological wonder arrives. The story and dialogue remain the same, of course, but everything around them is better. In no previous iteration has the overworked term, “California noir,” made so much sense. That includes Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score, which was completed in a mere nine days and sounds splendid in TrueHD 5.1. The hi-def transformation isn’t discussed in the featurettes, but the decisions that allowed “Chinatown” to be the perfect candidate for a Blu-ray facelift are fully explored. Because of this, I recommend to return viewers that they savor the making-of featurettes – borrowed from two previous DVD editions – before re-screening Roman Polanski’s classic mystery. I hadn’t studied them previously, but took the time this time around to learn some things I hadn’t previously known about one of my favorite movies. Robert Towne and David Fincher’s commentary plays like a clinic in the art of making all pieces of a cinematic jigsaw puzzle come together in seamless fashion. The 78-minute documentary, “Water and Power,” explains how thin a line there is between truth and fiction in “Chinatown.” Many of the same issues that caused the split between Noah Cross and Hollis Mulwray continue to be heatedly debated today, especially by conservationists and folks who would have enjoyed the kind of water sports Kern Lake might have accommodated had the water not been diverted to faucets in L.A. In “‘Chinatown’: An Appreciation,” directors Steven Soderbergh and Kimberly Peirce, cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer James Newton Howard offer their observations on “Chinatown” and why it continues to be an important and influential drama. “‘Chinatown’: The Beginning and the End” describes how the movie came to be made in the first place and how it was envisioned as a trilogy, covering more than 30 years in L.A. history. It includes the reminiscences of Polanski, Towne and Jack Nicholson. The same guys contribute to “Legacy,” which looks back at the success of the “Chinatown.” The Blu-ray package also includes a booklet with text and photos. – Gary Dretzka

Truth or Dare: Blu-ray
Nicole Kidman/Gwyneth Paltrow/Renee Zellweger: 4-Film Collection
It’s fitting that “Truth or Dare” is being released on Blu-ray just as Madonna is about to embark on another world tour, in support of a new album.  It will be interesting to see if she’s as spry, at 53, as she was in 1991, when the so-called Material Girl enjoyed a following of “Madonna wannabes” as loyal as any of Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters.” In addition to becoming a gay icon and tormentor of David Letterman, Madonna made people care about dance as much as anyone since Chubby Checker, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. (Michael Jackson was from a different planet, altogether.) Today, Gaga is the reigning queen of pop music and Madonna may have to do something more radical than grab her crotch and invent new ways to abuse crucifixes. While both Gaga and Madonna continue to re-invent themselves in public, it is Madonna’s insistence on rubbing her private life into the noses of fans and non-fans, alike, that keeps her profile high. When “Truth or Dare” launched, Madonna was at the top of her game and commanded every stage on which she appeared. She was dating the much older Warren Beatty, then, instead of men closer to her daughter’s age.

Her 1990 “Blond Ambition” tour was distinguished by the kind of masturbatory dance routines that caused Canadian police to threaten her with arrest, as well as her extravagantly pointed bras. Off-stage, we watch her mother-hen the young dancers with whom she shares the stage, going so far as to hold pre-show prayer circles and nightly tuck-ins for the fortunate few. While in Detroit, Madonna requires that we join her on a visit to her mother’s grave and asks the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to her dad. In other stops, she has great fun dissing Kevin Costner, for the sin of calling her show “neat,” and barely tolerates the presence of her best childhood friend, whose letters Madonna has continually ignored. The music’s as good as expected, but, otherwise, there isn’t a moment in “Blond Ambition” when something resembling spontaneity is allowed to prevail. The Blu-ray presentation does justice to the both the performance and off-stage segments, which alternate between black-and-white and color, and the music sounds fine in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Also crystal clear is Beatty’s observation, “She doesn’t want to live off-camera, much less talk. There’s nothing to say off-camera. Why would you say something if it’s off-camera? What point is there existing?”

And, while we’re on the subject of divas, Lionsgate is taking advantage of its year-old distribution deal with the new owners of Miramax by repackaging films made by company faves Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Renee Zellwegger. None of the titles in the four-packs is particularly underrepresented in DVD, but, at $19.98, the price is right. I don’t know if or when the same material will be repackaged in all-Blu-ray sets.

The Kidman package includes Alejandro Amenabar’s stylish, suspenseful and often downright scary thriller, “The Others”; John Cameron Mitchell’s emotionally draining family drama, “The Rabbit Hole”; “Dogville,” Lars von Trier’s taxing story of a woman attempting to hide from gangsters in a Colorado mining town; and Anthony Minghella’s intricately re-imagined adaptation of Charles Frazier’s best-seller, “Cold Mountain.” Kidman received a Best Actress nomination for her performance in “Rabbit Hole.”

“Cold Mountain” also shows up in the Zellweger four-pack, which is appropriate because it is the picture for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Although Zellwegger hasn’t had much luck lately finding comparable roles, the DVDs remind us that she made a big splash in “Bridget Jones’ Diary,” alongside Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, resulting in an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She was accorded the same honor for her turn as Roxy Hart in Rob Marshall’s splashy musical, “Chicago.” “New in Town” is the clinker in this group, as the fish-out-of-water story was trashed by most mainstream critics and quickly forgotten by fans.

With the exception of Harvey Weinstein, Paltrow was the public face of Miramax in its heyday. She took home the Best Actress prize for her delightful performance in “Shakespeare in Love,” the period rom-com that stunned Hollywood by stealing the Best Picture Oscar from heavily favored “Saving Private Ryan.” Two years later, she rejoined then-boyfriend Ben Affleck in “Bounce,” an offbeat romance that split critics down the middle. Paltrow may have been a tad out of place as the title character in the Jane Austen adaptation, “Emma,” although no more so than Zellwegger in “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” “View From the Top” is the turkey plucked clean by critics. Along with Christina Applegate, Kelly Preston and Candice Bergen, Paltrow plays a flight attendant with sky-high ambitions. – Gary Dretzka

Del Shores’ My Sordid Life
Sebastian Maniscalco: What’s Wrong With People
In addition to his skills as a writer, playwright, director and producer, Del Shores is a heck of a monologist and raconteur. Among the award-winning plays on his list of credits are “The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife,” “Daddy’s Dyin’ (Who’s Got the Will?),” “Sordid Lives,” “Cheatin’” and “Southern Baptist Sissies.” Extremely funny and great story teller, Shores has contributed to such TV series as “Queer as Folk,” “Dharma & Greg” and “Sordid Lives: The Series.” “Del Shores’ My Sordid Life” spans his rural Texas boyhood and success as an in-demand Hollywood writer. Openly gay and married to his longtime lover, Shores draws from a barrel full of recollections about growing up in a wildly eccentric Southern Baptist family and making a living among the loony-tunes in Hollywood. They’re gay-centric, but completely accessible to straight viewers, as well. Filmed in front of a largely gay and lesbian audience – peppered with actors who’ve acted in his productions – he’s preaching to an enthusiastic choir.

In “What’s Wrong With People?,” Sebastian Maniscalco demonstrates that the kind of observational humor that killed ’em in the 1980-90s still can work today … even without flurries of dick jokes and f-bombs. His material sounds like pretty standard stuff – growing up Italian-American, picking up girls in club – but he’s surprisingly adept at making it sound fresh and relateable. I don’t remember him being as funny when he was touring with “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show.” The bonus features, “Getting to the Stage,” “Sebastian’s Fans,” “Photo Shoot” and “Pictures With Fans,” may not add much to the package, but they’re pretty harmless. – Gary Dretzka

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey
The timing for the release of the bio-doc, “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” couldn’t be much better. With last week’s release on DVD and Blu-ray of “The Muppets,” it’s likely that several young viewers, at least, will wonder if they have the talent it takes to make a living at puppetry or, best case, Muppetry. Growing up in a middle-class Baltimore family, Kevin Clash defied the expectations of his African-American neighbors and friends – anyone who doesn’t aspire to a career in sports or music must be gay — by sewing puppets and giving them personalities and voices of their own. This happened even before “Sesame Street” launched on PBS, changing his life forever. Before long, Clash’s puppets would be entertaining kids in the neighborhood and contributing to a local kiddies’ show on one of Baltimore’s leading stations. To make his dream come true of working with Jim Henson and his gang, Clash invested part of his class trip to New York in visiting the Muppet workshop there, making friends and learning secrets. That trip eventually would lead to a regular gig with “Captain Kangaroo” and odd jobs in the Muppet universe. Flash-forward only a few years and the kid with a dream has grown into the man behind one of the world’s most popular foam-and-felt characters: Elmo. Constance Marks’ inspirational documentary chronicles Clash’s longshot bid for the coolest job in the world and the honor of breaking bread on a daily basis with heroes Henson, Frank Oz, Bill Barretta, Fran Brill and Caroll Spinney.  It took Clash a while to realize that he was spending far more time with his puppet creations than his wife and daughter, but he made time to rectify the situation before it was too late. He also decided to become a mentor to aspiring performers, just as he benefitted from the kind advice of strangers in the Muppet Workshop.  The DVD adds interviews and a Sundance Q&A with the filmmakers and extended footage. – Gary Dretzka

The Kate Logan Affair
At first glance, Alexis Bledel appears to be the least likely actor to play a cop. At 30, the thin and willowy brunette still could pass for a virginal freshman at an Ivy League college, as she did in “Gilmore Girls.” In the movies, anyway, anything is possible, so one willingly suspends disbelief for a reel or two of “The Kate Logan Affair.” When we first meet rookie cop Kate Logan, she’s about to arrest a handsome French conventioneer she mistakes for a wanted serial killer. He’s not, of course, so it’s not surprising that she’d be profusely apologetic. What we don’t expect, however, is that Kate would show up later at his motel, practically demanding that they go out for dinner. One thing leads to another and the married actuary (Laurent Logan) agrees to be her boytoy for a couple of nights, not anticipating that Kate might be as nutty as Glenn Close’s character in “Fatal Attraction.” After her gun accidentally discharges in his motel room, Kate convinces him they both would be in jeopardy if the truth came out. So, they escape through the bathroom window just as her cop cronies are about to enter. It’s best to leave what happens in the next half-hour unexplained. Writer/director’s sophomore feature probably wouldn’t hold up to close scrutiny on the big screen, but on DVD, at least, it’s quite convincing. Bedel turns out to have been an inspired choice. Here’s one case where still waters actually do run deep. – Gary Dretzka

Dysfunctional Friends
Black Butterfly
In Corey Grant’s overly crowded ensemble drama, “”Dysfunctional Friends,” a group of college friends gathers for the funeral of a well-liked comrade who died too young.  The group is so disparate that it’s difficult to imagine any school that could accommodate their many interests and majors. Because they’re all African-American, the characters don’t immediately remind us of the ones we met in “The Big Chill,” which this movie admittedly resembles. At the funeral, they’re told that their friend left behind an estate valued at $13 million, but they all would have to spend five days and nights together, without anyone getting fed up and fleeing, to share it. Naturally, the characters all are undergoing crises of their own and have old scores to settle, several of the romantic variety. Among the actors in the young and attractive cast are Datari Turner, Stacey Dash, Terrell Owens, Hosea Chanchez, Persia White, Christian Keyes, Jason Weaver, Stacy Keibler (George Clooney’s current squeeze), Wesley Jonathan, Tatyana Ali and Reagan Gomez-Preston. Their fans may not be surprised by what happens in “Dysfunctional Friends,” but they probably won’t be disappointed, either.

As family melodramas go, “Black Butterfly” is about as subtle as a hand grenade or sledge hammer. If there are any shades of gray in this story about crime and punishment in an extended African-American family, my eyes couldn’t discern any. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie, only that potential viewers should expect to be manipulated within an inch of their heart strings. When we meet her, Ariel (Mahogany Monae) is a perfectly normal American teenager with a jock boyfriend and dreams of representing her country as an Olympics-level swimmer. She’s immediately likable and the rape she suffers early in the movie is so upsetting it nearly causes “Black Butterfly” to derail before it’s even left the station. We’ve already met the rapist, a cop, who threatens to harm her family if she reveals what happened. The truth eats on Ariel’s soul and conscience to the point where she finds it difficult to practice her sport, feel close to her boyfriend or answer the growing concerns of her parents. Meanwhile, the cop commits another rape and murders a fellow officer who becomes suspicious of him. There’s more, but you get the point. After writer/director Mark Harris convinces us of the antagonist’s unredeemable evil, he demands that we take a side on vigilantism. Again, without revealing everything, he stacks the deck in a most unconscionable way. The largely untested cast almost succeeds in maintaining a grip on the unwieldy narrative, but, more often than not, the script leaves them handcuffed. The DVD adds a making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka

Tyrannosaur
The Truth About Kerry
With his second screenplay and in his directorial debut, Paddy Considine has delivered a protagonist very much like the ones he’s played in such films as “Dead Man’s Shoes,” “Stoned,” “My Summer of Love” and “Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980.” In his place stands Peter Mullan, another British actor who demands our attention with every new performance. (He plays the boozing Devon farmer in “War Horse.”) “Tyrannosaur” is less a story than a character study. Mullan plays Joseph, a man filled with rage and prone to violence. He drinks to excess and willingly puts himself in the way of potential harm. After very nearly pushing his luck to the limits of its elasticity, Joseph reluctantly seeks redemption and forgiveness in the hands of a saintly woman, Hannah (Olivia Colman), who works at a Christian-charity thrift shop. If her nature tells her to take Joseph under her wing and protect him from himself, Hannah’s insanely jealous husband orders her to keep her distance from all men and punctuates his demand with a punch to her face. Because of this, Joseph is required to take a windy path to rehabilitation. In addition to working out his own inner demons, he could solve Hannah’s problems simply by playing to type and beating the life out of the husband. Instead, Considine adds a twist that offers Joseph hope for salvation and Hannah an opportunity to become whole, again. “Tyrannosaur” isn’t an easy movie to watch, but the acting, alone, rewards the effort.

Set in a remote Irish fishing village, “The Truth About Kerry” is being promoted as a psycho-thriller with paranormal overtones. In fact, though, it’s only slightly more suspenseful than your average sweeps-month episode of “Desperate Housewives.” In it, a young American woman, Emma (Stana Katic), travels to Ireland to investigate her friend Kerry’s suspicious death. Police ruled it a drowning, but the weird behavior of the locals toward her suggests otherwise. There’s nothing wrong with Emma’s investigation, per se, even if it basically goes nowhere fast (84 minutes). The problem is that Emma is prone to hysterics and the ghost she sees is leading her in the wrong direction. Anyone who’s watched more than few “Law & Order” episodes will guess the “truth” about Kerry, even if Emma doesn’t. On the plus side, County Kerry is a lovely place to set a mystery and Katic is easy on the eyes. The one truly interesting thing about “Kerry” is its journey to the screen. Shot in 2004, it wasn’t screened at a festival until 2010 and is only now showing up on DVD. In the meantime, according to her making-of featurette, writer/director Katherine Torpey shed 140 pounds and husband/collaborator Shaun O’Sullivan. Before feeling confident enough to finish the project, she decided it was necessary to disappear from view and “find herself.” Good for her. – Gary Dretzka

Alien Opponent: Uncut
I’m not all that familiar with cable’s Chiller network, but, solely judging from the evidence presented in “Alien Opponent,” I can only guess that it’s competing with SyFy for the honor of airing the least competently made horror flicks. That I’m making that judgment based on the “Uncut” edition, made available by Shout! Factory, I dare not imagine how bad the “cut” version must have been. Like almost every basic-plus network carrying original movies and mini-series, Chiller is required to pull back on extreme gore and horror – and merely hint at nudity and normal human sexuality – in order not to rouse the ratings gods and various parental watchdog groups. In doing so, these channels often appear to be more prudish than PBS and BBC America. The best thing about the hugely derivative “Alien Opponent” is the assault of the slug aliens that threatens the happiness of a bunch of hillbillies who spend most of their lives hanging out at a rural junkyard. At approximately the same moment as the son-in-law of the junkyard’s owner kills his blond wife’s lover, and is himself murdered by the older woman, a space vehicle crash lands in a nearby cornfield. In the morning, it becomes clear that the aliens are up to no good and need to be exterminated. Their presence is first manifested in the appearance of slugs that make a beeline to any human orifice not protected by a cork or mouth gag. If these atrocious creatures weren’t sufficiently obnoxious, the junkyard owner puts a bounty on the robots controlling the slugs and using her toolshed to invent new weaponry. On paper, then, “Alien Opponent” displays a sliver of originality. In execution, however, Colin Theys and John Doolan (“Banshee!!!”) have delivered a movie that looks as if it were intended as parody, but someone forgot to add the laughs. The only stars anyone is likely to recognize are former wrestler Roddy Piper, as a crazed priest, and Jeremy London (“7^th Heaven,” “Party of Five”). – Gary Dretzka

BBC: Great Expectations: Blu-ray
BBC: Torchwood: Miracle Day: Blu-ray
Call Me Fitz: The Complete Second Season
Designing Women: The Complete Sixth Season
Top 21 Best Episodes of ‘21 Jump Street’
Knowing that Gillian Anderson was born in Chicago and attended high school and college in the Midwest, I’ve wondered how it’s come to be that most of her recent work has either been filmed in England or has roots there. Even amid the hysteria surrounding “X-Files” and its unworthy sequels, Anderson was commuting between Hollywood and London. In fact, though, she spent a great deal of time in England in her youth, returning to America with a decided British accent. If the BBC ever wanted to adapt “Laverne & Shirley,” she and fellow ex-pat Elizabeth McGovern could star as the characters, now employed by Watneys Red Label, or moms of L&S II. In the latest remake of Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” – not counting the Mike Newell version, arriving later this year – Anderson plays one of the great characters in English literature, Miss Havisham. The three-part BBC mini-series currently is currently being shown on PBS’ “Masterpiece Classics,” which no longer airs on Los Angeles’ KCET-Ch. 28, but can be seen on outlying  KOCE and KLCS. She is joined by Douglas Booth, as Pip; Ray Winstone, Abel Magwitch; David Suchet, as the lawyer Jaggers; Paul Rhys, as Compeyson; Mark Addy, as Pumblechook; and Dickens’ great-great-great-grandson, Harry Lloyd, as Herbert Pocket. (The names, alone, are worth the price of admission to any Dickens’ story.) Your Blu-ray will be tested by the production’s dark and moody tones. For the uninitiated, “Great Expectations” follows the young Pip, who, after being talked into helping an escaped convict, manages to steal a meat pie, instead. He wants to work at his brother’s forge, but, again, fate intervenes, this time in the form of the rich recluse, Miss Havisham. Through his eccentric neighbor, Pip is introduced to her devious adopted daughter, Estella, who likewise has a chip on her children about men. Pip’s path takes him to London, where, through the kindness of a strange, he is able to lead a fat life and envision a bright future. It isn’t to last, however.

Also from the Beeb comes the fourth season of the hit sci-fi series, “Torchwood,” whose story arch was labeled “Miracle Day.” Ever hear the old bromide, “Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true”? The wisdom in it is tested on the day convicted child killer Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) is executed, but doesn’t die. And, neither does anyone else. In fact, people around the world start not-dying at an alarming frequency, causing a rush on medical and food supplies that threatens our ability to respond to normal comings and goings, as well as the occasional disaster. In the course of investigating the phenomenon and possible links to the disbanded Torchwood institution, CIA agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer) follows a path of crumbs back to Washington and officials in his own organization. To save humanity, Rex is required to make contact with surviving members Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and the mysterious Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), both of whom were introduced in “Doctor Who.” The hi-def bonus package adds a behind-the-scenes special, iTunes intros and a “Web of Lies” motion comic.

“Call Me Fitz” is a wildly profane, unabashedly sacrilegious and often very funny Canadian sitcom, set around the nation’s most ethically challenged used-car dealership. Jason Priestly plays the boss’ thoroughly unwanted son and the survivor of automobile accident that, we learn, would have killed anyone with a conscience. Lacking one, the Almighty provides Fitz with the next best thing: a guardian angel/brother who desperately attempts to make him see the error in his ways, mostly with women. In the second season, Larry is given 73 days to clean up Fitz’ act and have him make amends to the many people — again, mostly women – he’s hurt. Adding to the intrigue is a sexy, red-haired temptress, Dot Foxley, who would love to see him fail. But, then, so would his rotten-to-the-core father and off-the-wall sister. Features include, “Profanity as Art,” “Fitz Family,” “Meet Dot Foxley,” behind-the-scenes material, interviews, bloopers and selected audio commentaries.

The sixth season of “Designing Women” was noteworthy for a couple reasons, not the least of which was the forced departure of Delta Burke, a.k.a. Suzanne Sugarbaker, and voluntary exit of Jean Smart. In their place would arrive Julia Duffy (“Newhart”) and Jan Hooks (“Saturday Night Life”). The changes would test the series’ popularity with loyal viewers, insomuch as the original ladies all had distinct personalities and strong opinions. At the same time, creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and her husband, Harry, were becoming integral members of fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. As unofficial media advisers, they produced the documentary film, “The Man From Hope,” which won Clinton more votes than the windy speech he gave at the Democratic National Convention. The season debut of “Designing Women” drew a huge, publicity-driven audience, but, in hindsight, it also probably spelled the beginning of the end for the show.

The recent theatrical re-imagining of “21 Jump Street” garnered surprisingly positive reviews, as well as decent, if not great box-office returns. Originally co-created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, the TV series became one of the first hits on the fledgling Fox Network and a magnet for the much-desired teen audience. Best known today for its role in launching the career of Johnny Depp, it also was one the first TV series to take the problems of contemporary teens seriously and tell stories from their point of view. Full-season packages already are in circulation, but “Top 21 Best Episode” pretty much cuts right to the chase for those who’ve only seen the movie. Among the highlights in the three-DVD collection are Johnny Depp’s last appearance, several themed episodes and a roster of guest stars that includes Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, Vince Vaughn, Jason Priestly, Shannen Doherty, Josh Brolin and Blair Underwood. – Gary Dretzka

A Dangerous Method: Blu-ray
To laymen, the vernacular of psychoanalysis often sounds as if it were invented simply to maintain some hierarchical distance between patients and their doctors. The closest most people get to a couch is in a Woody Allen movie and the results don’t often speak well for the science. With all due respect for Mr. Freud’s teachings, sometimes a train entering a tunnel in a dream simply means the invisible engineer is attempting to get to the other side of an impediment. In David Cronenberg’s fascinating “A Dangerous Method,” we watch three brilliant people — Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), Carl Gustav Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) – explore places in the mind that are as deeply hidden as the rusted hulk of the Titanic once was. While Freud and Jung’s names are familiar to most educated people, Spielrein may only be known to post-graduate students and documentary buffs who’ve stumbled upon Elisabeth Marton’s illuminating “My Name Was Sabina Spielrein” (Facets Video). “A Dangerous Method” opens in 1904, upon the hugely troubled young woman’s forced placement in a clinic in which Jung is attempting to put his mentor’s theories into practice. A Russian Jew from a wealthy family, Spielrein’s gift is locked behind a thick wall of anger, repressed memories and sexual mania. Employing Freud’s “talking cure” to uncover points of entry into her dreams, Jung gets his reluctant patient to sit still long enough explain how the beatings applied by her abusive father triggered sexual urges that confused and disturbed her. Jung’s willingness to probe corners of Spielrein’s mind that other specialists consider to be off-limits helps clears a path for her recovery and emergence as a formidable therapist. Although Jung’s success validates Freud controversial theories, his inability to rein in his own libido represents an ethical breach that ultimately will drive a wedge between the two men.

Unlike most of Cronenberg’s movies, the violence here is largely limited to the incoming patient’s confrontational behavior and Jung’s shocking willingness to replicate the whippings Spielrein endured at her father’s hands. It unclogs a blocked sexual artery in Spielrein and causes Jung to re-evaluate his personal and professional ethics and marriage to the independently wealthy analyst, Emma. It is at this point in the movie that another former student of Freud, the rebellious hedonist Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel), convinces Jung that it would be counterproductive to sublimate his own sexual urges. As finely tuned and wonderfully acted as “A Dangerous Method” is, it’s difficult to recommend it to anyone without at least a passing interest in psychoanalysis and psychiatry. Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of his own play is talky and much of the dialogue is medical in nature. There are places in “A Dangerous Method” where fans of Cronenberg’s previous films will want Mortensen to break out of his muted characterization of Freud and kick the crap out of Jung, who deserves a good thrashing. The kinky sex is limited to the aforementioned whippings and a brief nip-slip, so admirers of “Crash” and “Eastern Promises” likely will be disappointed here, as well. On the plus side, the story is undeniably compelling and Cronenberg’s team has conjured a fin-de-siecle Vienna that is as rich and tasty as a chocolate cake from the Café Sacher. To this end, the Blu-ray featurettes are essential viewing. They describe the hard work that went into the sets and costumes, as well as the development of the story. – Gary Dretzka

The Broken Tower
Compared to James Franco’s impressionistic profile of the important, if difficult poet Hart Crane, in “The Broken Tower,” Cronenberg’s psychoanalytic “A Dangerous Method” might as well be a “Roadrunner” cartoon. Poetry is difficult enough to translate into film, without also introducing a protagonist who’s openly gay in an intolerant society (but sleeps with a woman once, at least); a drunk capable of great metaphorical clarity; and a distinctly American writer who often felt more at home on foreign soil. As an actor, Franco is nearly as difficult to pin down. Like Johnny Depp and Tilda Swinton, he’s the rare performer who can play mad and frivolous in one movie and deadly serious the next. Neither is he afraid to compound the expectations of fans and the media, who only want easy answers to their questions about his sexual preferences, willingness to dull the luster of his Academy Award nomination by acting in daytime soap operas and put his career on hold while pursuing advanced academic degrees. In “Howl,” Franco portrayed the beat poet Allen Ginsberg at a pivotal juncture in his career. Compared to Crane, Ginsberg might as well be Jerry Seinfeld. Both poets were homosexual, rebellious and possessed complex personalities. Ginsberg lived to the ripe old age of 70, long enough to experience several social and cultural reformations and the blossoming of queer culture. Crane died at 32, largely uncelebrated, after jumping or falling from the fantail of a ship in the Gulf of Mexico. His body was never recovered. (Ironically, Crane’s father had invented Life Saver candy, which resembles the kind of buoy that might have saved his son’s life.)

Franco, who also wrote and directed “The Broken Tower,” divides his biopic into “Voyages,” after one of Crane’s most erotically charged poems. He bases much of the desperately sad story on the scholarship of biographer Paul Mariani and his own scholastic research. Contrary to what’s posited in the tabloid press, Franco is no sometime-scholar or flake. Besides a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from UCLA, he has two MFA degrees — both in writing — from Columbia and Brooklyn College, and a third MFA, in film, from New York University. Cinematically, “Broken Tower” owes a great deal to John Cassavetes and other independent filmmakers unafraid to break the mold when they feel it necessary to do so. It isn’t an easy movie to absorb in one sitting, especially if one isn’t committed to an appreciation of poetry. It does, however, challenge viewers to consider what it was like to be poet when poetry mattered as much as any art form. Franco set the movie in New York, Mexico and Paris, all haunts of the writer, as far away from away from Crane’s native Ohio as money and time would allow. Commentary is provided by Franco, producer Vince Jolivette and cinematographer Christina Voros; and Franco interviews several Crane scholars, via Skype. – Gary Dretzka

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Blu-ray
Finding fault with a movie in which a precocious 9-year-old boy attempts to make sense of his father’s death inside the World Trade Center on 9/11 would be as cruel an exercise as stomping an unwanted puppy or kitten. So, I won’t bother, except to say that some viewers will come away from “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” feeling as manipulated as the many critics who did voice their disappointment. In his debut performance, young Thomas Horn plays Oskar Schell, the boy who comes to believe that his delightfully eccentric dad (Tom Hanks) left clues to a task which needs to be completed if his soul is ever to rest in peace. It arrives in the form of the key he finds in a broken vase, along with a vague reference to the name of its possible owner. Without telling his still distraught mother (Sandra Bullock) of his plans, Oskar enlists the help of a mysterious mute “Renter” (Max Von Sydow), who lives across the street with his grandmother. Together, they scour the boroughs in an effort to contact everyone with the surname, Black. Further driving Oskar are guilt feelings over his refusal to answer his phone as his father tried to reach him before and after the collapse of the towers. It would be a difficult enough task for an adult to accomplish, but only in Hollywood could a boy and an 80-year-old man realize success in 129 minutes.

Despite the large number of suspensions of disbelief director Stephen Daldry (“The Reader,” “Billy Elliot”) demands of his audience, “Extremely Loud” doesn’t allow his audience much time to worry about them. A hectic pace is maintained throughout, even in flashback interludes that define the boy’s relationship to his father. Horn and Von Sydow make a terrific team, even if the old man’s background remains a question mark. Hanks is fine as the extroverted parent, but it’s the kind of role we’ve seen him play many times in his long career. As Oskar’s mother, Bullock isn’t given much to do or say until the very end of the movie, when the character makes an essential, if equally unbelievable revelation to her son and viewers. Eric Roth’s screenplay gives a fair reading of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, I think, and New York plays its part quite well. “Extremely Loud” is likely to test the patience of even the most loyal viewers, but those willing to stick with it probably won’t mind being manipulated all that much. The Blu-ray package includes commentary by Daldry, Hanks, Bullock and John Goodman, who offers a bit of connective tissue as the family’s doorman; a piece on Horn’s journey from being a contestant on “Jeopardy!” to star of the movie; a 44-minute interview with Von Sydow; and a short profile of a character who died in the collapse of the towers, but whose inspiration message lives on a decade later. – Gary Dretzka

In the Land of Blood and Honey
The first question that anyone familiar with the pedigree of “In the Land of Blood and Honey” will ask is about Angelina Jolie’s ability to direct a drama in which she doesn’t also star. The answer: the Oscar presenter with the most famous right leg in Hollywood not only demonstrates a gift for direction, but her screenplay also stands up to close scrutiny. She avoids most of the landmines that could have upended the difficult and potentially divisive war movie and elicits terrific performances from actors working in their native tongue. Even today, it’s difficult to parse the elusive scraps of truth from the mounds of propaganda left behind in the wake of the stalemated Bosnian War. If the region is currently experiencing something resembling peace, it could disappear in a heartbeat if and when international peacekeepers split the scene. While the Bosnian Serbs are painted in the darkest possible colors here, the seeds of war and atrocious behavior were planted long ago, in conflicts dominated by the Muslim majority and Croatian fascists aligned with the Nazis, as well as the Turks, Austrian and Bulgarians before them. Jolie has chosen not to focus on the political decisions that led to the Bosnian, preferring to indict those who used rape and terror as weapons and, by extension, continue to do so in Africa and other war zones. In a country populated by followers of three different religions, everyone believed God was on their side. “Land of Blood and Honey” suggests early on that God had decided to sit this conflagration out. The cruelty on display demonstrated that civilization hadn’t progressed much from the days when, as the Old Testament teaches, rape, pillage and plunder not only were commonplace, but also demand by the deity. The war crimes tribunal found evidence of atrocities in all three sectors.

“Land of Blood and Honey,” then, is as sad and depressing a statement on moral relativism and intolerance as we’ve seen outside the documentary arena. In setting up her story, Jolie returns to the period when members of all three ethnic groups – or those born after WWII, anyway – worked, partied and served their country together. Serbian soldier Danijel (Goran Kostić) and Bosniak artist Ajla (Zana Marjanović) meet in a popular nightclub, but their budding romance is put on hold when a bomb tears the place apart and war begins. They meet again when dozens of women and children are rounded up and imprisoned in an abandoned school. Just after the first rape occurs there, Danijel interrupts a soldier about to mount Ajla from behind. As a senior officer, he appears to claim her for his own personal amusement. Naturally, she’s in no mood to rekindle their fire, fearing him as much as the other Serbs. She comes around as protects her from the systematic rapes, but doesn’t demand anything in return. Danijel tells his men that she’s painting his portrait, while servicing his sexual desires, and she’s off-limits to them. After he orders them to find paints, canvas and easel for her to use, Ajla and Danijel become lovers. Things get extremely complicated after his father (Rade Šerbedžija), a commander in the breakaway army, demands that his son get rid of his Muslim roommate, one way or the other. Like almost every Serb in the former Yugoslavia, the old man’s memory extends past the horrors of World War II, to 1389 and the Battle of Kosovo. Shot on location in Bosnia and Hungary, “Blood and Honey” has an extremely convincing look. Many of the actors lived through the war and have distinct memories of the violence and deprivation. If some of the political and cultural aspects of the war aren’t made precisely clear, what’s inarguable is the integrity of the performances and Jolie’s passion. The Blu-ray adds deleted scenes, a Q&A with Jolie and extensive making-of material. Oh, yeah, the DVD comes in English and the Blu-ray offers a track in the native tongue. – Gary Dretzka

Delta

"Delta"

Devotees of spectacular cinematography, especially, will want to invest time in a screening of “Delta,” a disturbing Hungarian drama set among the lush and fertile wetlands of the Danube Delta. The way Mátyás Erdély’s camera lingers on natural phenomena recalls the haunting imagery that distinguishes the Terrence Malick, Bela Tarr and Andrei Tarkovski. In Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó’s film, depictions of the area’s natural beauty run contrary to the ugliness of the local male population, whose only mission in life appears to be diminishing the potential for happiness in others. Their targets in “Delta” are a young man, who, after a long absence, returns to his home town with some money in his pocket and a dream of constructing a home on stilts on a lake where is father once fished. After being introduced to a half-sister he’s never met, they decide to work together on the project, even knowing that the geezers who idle away their days in their mother’s tavern will accuse them of incest. Nevertheless, the possibility of finding happiness, freedom and sanctuary in a location so richly blessed is too much to resist. It also provides the fools in the town sufficient reason to despise and plot against them. It would be easy to blame their intolerance solely on the likelihood that the couple is breaking the law of God and man, but Mundruczó leaves vague the extent of the couple’s sexual attraction to each other. There’s clearly an instant rapport between Mihail and Fauna. He comforts her after she’s raped by her brutal pig of a stepfather and anticipates their housewarming party, as if they’re a couple. It is the audacity of their invitation, perhaps, that causes the villagers to believe they’re putting on airs and, therefore, deserve a comeuppance. We know that’s not the case, but it would be impossible for the lard heads to discern the difference between hospitality and arrogance. That it all plays out in such a splendid setting is all the more upsetting. “Delta” won the International Critics’ Prize and was nominated for the Golden Palm at the 2008 Cannes festival. It stars Felix Lajko and Orsi Toth in roles that were short on dialogue, but long on physicality. The original soundtrack by Felix Lajko also is noteworthy. The set includes three interesting shorts. – Gary Dretzka

Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Limited Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray
In this week’s edition of “Can There Ever Be Too Much of Good Thing When It Comes to Re-Releases of Classics on DVD and Blu-ray?,” we offer for your consideration, “Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Limited Collector’s Edition,” from Warner Home Video. It’s entirely likely that viewers of a certain age already own copies Michael Curtiz’ great romance in several different formats and special editions, dating back to the era of Beta, VHS and Laserdisc. Given that “Casablanca” has been available on DVD for almost 14 years and on Blu-ray since 2008, with a brief appearance on HD-DVD in 2006, it could easily be argued that the company is trying to milk a dry cow. It’s also a staple on cable’s TCM channel, widely available via subscription services and pay-for-view outlets and, last week, was exhibited on the big screen in select markets. That’s a lot of exposure for a 69½ -year-old product. Even so, we’re talking about “Casablanca” here, folks, and there’s almost always something to crow about in subsequent iterations and new generations to enchant. The same holds true with the latest edition.

Even those Blu-ray enthusiasts who couldn’t explain the difference between 1080i, 1080p and 720p should be able to grasp how much better the new edition looks and sounds, thanks to an all-new 4K scan of the master, a closely monitored frame-by-frame restoration and 1080p/AVC-encoded MPEG 4 video transfer, backed by a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio track. What that boils down to is recognition of the fact that no matter how good the 2008 Blu-ray edition was, the 2012 upgrade makes “Casablanca” a more satisfying experience for everyone. I’m not very sophisticated technologically, but Roger Ebert’s commentary provided me with another reason to look deeper into the picture quality. He recalled sitting with cinematographer Haskell Wexler during a screening and learning how Arthur Edeson photographed Ingrid Bergman to make her face look thinner and body less statuesque than usual, so as not to tower over Humphrey Bogart. He also described how inventive deployments of shade and light were used to make Rick’s nightclub more credible as a hotbed of intrigue and give his upstairs office a different personality with each new visitor. The restoration and technical upgrade make it easier than ever to understand Wexler’s observations. Viewers with more sensitive ears than mine will relish the fact that the dialogue sounds more natural than in previous versions and the Max Steiner’s score sounds cleaner than it’s ever been.

The limited and numbered “Giftset” includes a full-size reproduction of the original 1942 film poster; a 62-page production art book, with rarely seen photos, personal memos and archival documents about the production; four drink coasters in a faux-leather jacket; and a three-disc Digipak, containing a Blu-ray edition of the movie, a second BD disc, with ; and a DVD copy. New on the first disc are “Warner Night at the Movies,” which replicates the audience’s experience in 1942”; “Casablanca: An Unlikely Hero,” with this testimony from contemporary filmmakers; and audio-only “Vox Pop Radio Broadcast,” which includes a behind-the-scenes “listen” with Jack Warner. Disc 2 is comprised of the documentaries “You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story,” “The Brothers Warner” and “Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul.” Most of the material included in the bonus package on Disc 1 goes back to the 2003 DVD upgrade, 2006 HDTV and 2008 “Ultimate Collector’s Edition.” – Gary Dretzka

A Night to Remember: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
I’m pretty sure that I’ll skip the new 3D edition of “Titanic,” when it sails into my local megaplex on Friday. It’s not that I dislike James Cameron’s movie or have anything against 3D. It’s just, after watching all the DVDs released and rereleased to commemorate the centennial of its sinking, I feel as if I’ve actually sailed halfway across the Atlantic and ice floes are gathering around me. The good news, though, is that the 1958 “A Night to Remember” has been given a facelift and shipped out again in hi-def by Criterion. If I had watched it first, I could have skimmed through Discovery’s “100th Anniversary Collection,” Mill Creek’s “The Definitive Documentary Collection” and History’s “The Complete Story,” and ignore the three docs yet to come. I’m surprised the Fox hasn’t released a Blu-ray version of the melodramatic 1953 “Titanic,” with Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb, although it’s currently available on VOD outlets. Directed by Roy Ward Baker and adapted from Walter Lord’s book by Eric Ambler, “A Night to Remember,” benefits from a straight-forward approach to the tragedy and judicious deployment of only a few subplots. It’s obvious that Cameron relied largely on Lord’s research for the non-fiction elements of his blockbuster and the author couldn’t possibly have been cognizant of evidence revealed 50 years later by men using submersibles to probe the ship.

Baker’s version of the story is told from the point of view of 2nd Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller (Kenneth More), the most senior of the RMS Titantic’s deck officers to survive the disaster. With the exception of the crew members who followed insane orders prohibiting passengers in steerage from passing through first- and second-class quarters, the heroes of “A Night to Remember” are those who kept their heads about them and helped as many people as possible to reach the inadequate supply of lifeboats. The goat is the captain of the nearby SS Californian, Stanley Lord, who instructed his officers to ignore rockets and Morse-lamp signals from the Titanic and let him sleep. The Criterion Collection edition includes commentary by historians Don Lynch and Ken Marschall; an hour-long British TV documentary about the making of the film; the U.S. and British theatrical trailers; a Swedish documentary on the 50th anniversary, with interviews with three survivors; and a 25-minute interview from 1990 with survivor Eve Hart. – Gary Dretzka

David Lean Directs Noel Coward: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
It’s difficult to imagine any movies being made in Engla, nd during the war years, 1942-45, considering the constant threat of Nazi bombers, nightly blackouts, the enlisting of actors and lack of raw material for sets. I was surprised, then, to learn that David Lean had collaborated four times with playwright Noel Coward during this turbulent period. Lean, of course, would become known chiefly for such historical epics as “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Doctor Zhivago,” “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Passage to India,” while Coward was a kind of Renaissance man famous for his sharp wit, dapper dress and first-class tastes. After joining Coward as an editor on “In Which We Serve,” Lean was given an opportunity to direct the action sequences that, as an actor, he had little time to prepare and, as a playwright, wasn’t much interested in supervising. Lean would earn sole director’s credit in their next three collaborations, “This Happy Breed,” “Blithe Spirit” and “Brief Encounter.” Coward already was working at the top of his game and busy entertaining troops when the call came in for the war drama “In Which We Serve.” The patriotic film was inspired by the sinking of the destroyer HMS Kelly, commanded by his friend Lord Louis Mountbatten. A big hit on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, it earned two Academy Award nominations in 1944 and a special Oscar a year earlier. The amazing thing about “In Which We Serve” is the ability of the producers to construct a set that so resembled a fighting ship, with so few resources and combat footage available to them. Even if it’s possible to recognize the seams in the plywood and paint, the picture remains captivating.

“This Happy Breed” chronicles the affairs of a working-class family, living in the London suburbs, in the decades between the wars. The Technicolor picture effectively blends political upheaval with topical news events and domestic melodrama. This includes labor strife, the rise of the fascism in Britain and reaction to the Neville Chamberlain’s non-aggression pact with Adolf Hitler. It occurs against a familiar background of familial highs and lows, including one daughter’s declaration of independence from traditional ways of doing things and a friend’s undying loyalty to her. At 105 minutes. “This Happy Breed” accomplishes things the television mini-series would be able to build on three decades later.

Coward didn’t particularly like Lean’s interpretation of “Blithe Spirit,” in which a successful author agrees to participate in a séance, strictly as research for his next book, and is made a believer through circumstances beyond the control even of the medium. The ending was changed while he was in New York and some of the characters’ personalities were altered to fit a distinctly comic tone. Neither did he approve of the choice of debonair Rex Harrison to play the protagonist, who he envisioned quite differently. His Charles Condomine is a chap who wears a tuxedo to dinner and whose wealth provides a buffer to the cares of the world. To the author’s great surprise and disappointment, he is visited by his late wife, who finds herself trapped between dimensions. His current wife, Ruth, is none too pleased, either, as Charles comes to enjoy exchanging barbs with his extremely sarcastic ex and stays up all night doing so. Neither do things work out as planned when Ruth revisits the medium (Margaret Rutherford), hoping to exorcise the “old girl,” as Charles refers to Elvira. The special effects look prehistoric today, but are fun to watch, nonetheless. The project didn’t get off on the right foot, because almost everyone involved thought less of the play than Coward. For his part, the playwright considered “Blithe Spirit” to be far less comedic than anyone else, including the audience. He envisioned a more ironic ending and more tragic overtones, and this was reflected years later in revivals.

Even so, Lean and Coward would collaborate again on “Brief Encounter,” a movie consistently listed alongside “Gone With the Wind” and “Casablanca” as the greatest romances in cinema history. Adapted from Coward’s “Still Life,” the movie chronicles the fleeting, if emotionally intense affair – possibly imaginary – between a married Buckinghamshire housewife (Celia Johnson) and a doctor (Trevor Howard) after a chance meeting on a train platform. The spectacular black-and-white cinematography adds a dramatic element that further separated the movie version from the play. It was Coward’s intention to show how such a momentous thing could happen to an “ordinary” woman, whose uneventful marriage had stalled in midstream. The doctor asks her to join him in his new posting in Africa, causing her to rethink everything she’s taken for granted. Typically, of course, such dangerous liaisons only occur among the upper-crust. Lean was in the processing of mastering the art of letting the camera say things that dialogue couldn’t express and he succeeds wonderfully. All four of the movies collected her represent high-definition digital transfers of the BFI National Archive’s 2008 restorations, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-ray editions. Coward scholar Barry Day adds informative background material at the end of each film and all feature interviews with cast and crew members, making-of featurettes and commentary. Also included is an episode of the British television series “The Southbank Show,” from 1992, on the life and career of Coward, and an audio recording of a 1969 conversation between Richard Attenborough and Coward at London’s National Film Theatre. A booklet features essays by Ian Christie, Terrence Rafferty, Farran Nehne, Geoffrey O’Brien and Kevin Brownlow. – Gary Dretzka

Romantics Anonymous
You can add the frothy French confection “Romantics Anonymous” to the list of food-centric movies that can’t help but provoke a sudden craving for something sweet and dark. As such, John-Pierre Ameris’ rom-com perfectly complements Lasse Hallstrom’s “Chocolat,” Alfonso Arau’s “Like Water for Chocolate,” Claude Chabrol’s “Thank You for the Chocolate,” “Willy Wonka/Charlie at the Chocolate Factory” and, yes, even “Forrest Gump.” The title doesn’t come right out and say it, but everything important in this dysfunctional love story takes place against a backdrop of the art and science of making chocolate. Jean-Rene (Benoit Poelvoorde) owns a chocolate company whose specialty product is facing stiff competition from smaller and more flexible chocolatiers. Jean-Rene may be able to run a company, but the thought of sitting across the table from a woman leaves him apoplectic. Angelique (Isabelle Carre) enters his life after her career as the anonymous creator of chocolates for a rival firm ends abruptly, with the death of her employer. Because of her fear of being in close proximity to strangers, she produced her delicacies in private and without credit. She takes a job with Jean-Rene’s company as a salesman, but yearns to prove herself as a top-flight chocolatier without also ruining her mentor’s reputation. Even though her emotional hang-ups keep her from committing to something as concrete as a relationship, she accepts a dinner date with her new boss. It ends hilariously in disaster. Angelique attends “émotif anonymes” meetings to deal with issues relating to her inability to connect with outsiders. At these meetings, she’s very supportive of her neurotic peers. The only other place Angelique feels comfortable is in the factory kitchen, where she pretends to be working off recipes transmitted to her by the same person who helped her former employer prosper. One former customer approves of the new treats so much that she suggests that Angelique enter them in an important competition. It forces Angelique and Rene to confront the probability of sleeping together.

If the happy ending seems completely inevitable, what happens in between their arrival at the contest and the end credits isn’t at all predictable. Blessedly, Ameris keeps us guessing right up to the moment when all such movies must succumb to sentimentality and viewers’ needs for a happy resolution. Even so, “Romantics Anonymous” is blessedly free of clichés and stereotypes. Carre is appropriately shy and withdrawn, while Poelvoorde is all ticks and flop sweat. Whoever was responsible for designing the chocolates knew what they were doing, as well. – Gary Dretzka

Trinity Goodheart
Soda Springs
Produced by ReelWorks Studios and the Gospel Music Channel, “Trinity Goodheart” is one of the more interesting faith-based, family-friendly movies I’ve seen lately. Most of the credit belongs to writer Rhonda Baraka, who knows the difference between a universal message and evangelical tub-thumping, and the title character, played by 12-year-old star of the future Erica Gluck. Joanne Hock’s compelling drama probably wouldn’t have found a home anywhere except a niche festival or cable television, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have a big heart. Trinity lives with her father, Jeremy (Eric Benoit), a musician who loses his girlfriend to the lure of the road and arguments with her parents over his value as a man and provider. Jeremy also is estranged from his father, a wealthy man who desires something more from his son than a career as an itinerant musician. Trinity is of mixed black-and-white heritage, which is a far larger problem for her maternal grandparents than Jeremy’s folks. Even so, she’s had no contact with any of them. After a quasi-religious experience, Trinity has developed a healthy curiosity about her roots and endeavors to make contact with her grandparents, despite her dad’s objections. Trinity has been visited by an angel, who leaves behind half a heart medallion that must have belonged to her mother. Trinity makes it her mission to mend the broken heart, hoping that it will lead directly to a re-connection with the troubled woman. Her journey isn’t an easy one, but it’s ultimately satisfying for almost everyone involved, including the audience. Trinity’s faith and perseverance is the glue that closes the fissures separating the warring parties. It helps, of course, that she has a couple of angels in her corner.

The bible makes an early appearance in “Soda Springs,” a contemporary Western in which an ex-con returns to his Idaho home to find redemption for his role in an accident that left several people dead. Even after spending eight years in prison, several residents of the small country town in which he grew up aren’t ready to accept him back home. They remember him as a wild youth whose day of reckoning eventually was going to come and it wouldn’t be pretty. Eden (Jay Pickett) recognized the heavenly light pouring in through the bars on his windows and turned his back on his wicked ways. No sooner does he arrive in town, however, than he is confronted by halfwit cops and the redneck thug married to his ex-girlfriend. He also is blindsided with the news that he’s the father of an 8-year-old boy. It should come as a surprise to no one that the bully doesn’t want to share the boy with Eden and warns him to stay away from him. If not, there will be hell to pay. “Salt Springs” has a nice sense of place and leisurely pace that’s in keeping with the western locale. Director Michael Feifer allows the tension between the two men to build to a point where it’s nearly unbearable and, then, let’s the steam out in way that should satisfy viewers, if not the man who first suggested we turn the other cheek to our enemies. “Soda Springs” isn’t nearly as polished or compelling as “Crazy Heart,” to which it bears a slight resemblance, but both movies share a common sensibility. And, like “Trinity Goodheart,” there’s a guardian angel looking over the shoulder of the protagonist. — Gary Dretzka

Breaking Wind: Unrated
Just in case you can’t guess the movie’s ongoing gag from the title, “Breaking Wind” is a spoof of the wildly popular “Twilight Saga” franchise and much of the humor, such as it is, derives from fart jokes. It was written and directed by Craig Moss, whose credits include “The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Super Bad About It” and the comic short, “Saving Ryan’s Privates.” His latest effort borrows the template used to make “Eclipse,” in which Bella was required to choose between a vampire and a werewolf for her eternal love interest. Her indecision caused quite a disturbance in that film, but led to the lovely wedding and terrifying delivery of a monster in “Breaking Dawn.” Both “Breaking Dawn” and “Breaking Wind” will be of interest only to “Twilight” fanatics. For the record, Bella is played here by Heather Ann Davis, while Eric Callero and Frank Pacheco assume the roles of Edward and Jacob. Put this movie alongside last week’s “The Legend of Awesomest Maximus” and you have two of the least funny straight-to-DVD parodies in cinema history. – Gary Dretzka

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Blu-ray
Assigning a movie critic to review every new entry in the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” series is like asking an Al Qaeda terrorist about to be water-boarded to answer the question, “sparkling, flat or tap?” It’s torture, either way. It’s also beside the point. In the third sequel since the series was revived in 2007 – 20 years after the big-screen Chipmunks were last put on hiatus – the series keeps rolling in the dough for Fox 2000, Regency and heirs to creator Ross Bagdasarian’s 1958 brainstorm, “The Chipmunk Song” (“Christmas, Don’t Be Late”). Would it surprise you to learn that “Chipwrecked” earned $132 million at the domestic box office last Christmas, against an estimated budget of $75 million? Revenues from international distribution, DVD/Blu-ray, CDs and plush toys are simply the icing on the cakes. Needless to say, the critics’ negative grades had virtually no impact on the kids or their moms and dads. Hey, it’s cute … almost irresistibly so. Here, Dave (Jason Lee) and the sprightly rodent trio hop a Carnival Cruise Line ship, where they sing, dance and create mayhem. Eventually, they become castaways on a not-so-deserted island that reminds us of “Gilligan’s Island,” “Lost” and “Castaway.” Before attempting to escape the island with its other inhabitants, the Chipmunks take time to impersonate Indiana Jones and track down a hidden treasure. All of this occurs against a CGI backdrop and soundtrack that includes such re-synthesized pop hits as “Vacation,” “Real Wild Child,” “Bad Romance,” “Kumbaya,” “Conga” and “Born This Way.” The boys are voiced by Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney and Justin Long, while the damsels in distress are given a vocal assist from Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate. Children should enjoy the Blu-ray bonus features, including the dance-along and sing-along segment; several making-of featurettes, extended scenes, “Growing Up Alvin” and “In Character With Jason Lee”; and an “Ice Age” short, also involving a hidden treasure. – Gary Dretzka

Red Persimmons
One Lucky Elephant
Betty White: Champion for Animals
There’s an old line, which I can’t place, to the effect, “I’m not afraid of hard work, I could watch people do it all day.” The late Japanese director Shinsuke Ogawa loved to watch the farmers of his country labor, as well, and record them doing it, going to exhaustive lengths to make sure he got it right. “Red Persimmons” was begun by Ogawa in 1985 and finally completed 15 years later (after his death in 1992) by one of his devotees, Chinese feminist filmmaker Peng Xiaolian. On its surface, the documentary simply describes the annual process of growing, picking, peeling, drying, preparing, selling and packaging the fruit for delivery to stores in the city. It’s an arduous process and no one appears to be prospering greatly in the village he observes. The farmers we meet are in the autumn of their life cycle and young consumers in the city don’t have much of a taste for persimmons. Anyone looking for a analogy here will find it in the steadily decreasing number of agricultural communities dedicated to the growing of items many now see as specialty products. Unlike the acceptance of boutique-brewed beer by American yuppies, Japanese yuppies have yet to embrace specialty persimmons. But, that’s only part of the story. Ogawa and his crew lived among the villagers, observing them and asking questions. In “Red Persimmons,” he records the history of the techniques and tools devised specifically to make the process easier and more profitable. Along the way, he captures the beauty in common practices and the dedication in his subjects faces. It’s an amazing documentary, if intended only for the most patient of viewers.

In a separate film, included on the DVD, “A Visit to Ogawa Productions,” the filmmaker and members of the collective are interviewed during mid-production of a documentary about rice growing in mountainous northern Japan. In it, we learn that he was inspired to focus on farmers while chronicling the riots over the confiscation of fields upon which the Narita International Airport now sits. If his assignment was to record the clashes between police and radical farmers and students, what fascinated him was the passion for the land and way of life being sacrificed for the convenience of business executives and tourists. Again, remote rice-growing villages are dying for lack of a solid financial reason to exist, apart from being way stations for motorists going in opposite directions. Being a staple crop, corporations have found ways to make the production of ordinary rice highly profitable and not nearly as dependent on the whims of nature.

“One Lucky Elephant” describes a romance between man and beast … the owner of a small circus and the elephant after which it is named. It represents a 10-year immersion in a single subject by director Lisa Leeman. Depending on one’s point of view of circuses and the ownership of exotic pets, the title can be interpreted as ironic or the true attitude of the filmmakers. What isn’t in dispute is that David Balding adopted Flora, an orphaned baby African elephant, with the intent of creating a marquee attraction for the circus. The training process is forceful to the point of cruelty, although Balding appears to have been cognizant of the dangers to the animal and moderated his techniques accordingly. Over the years, he became as close to Flora as he might a child. As he grew older and his health deteriorated, Balding decided that Flora’s fate ought not to depend on his. Through his contacts in the training community, he’s able to place Flora in a Florida zoo with a modern facility for the large beasts. Then, unexpectedly, Flora becomes a problem elephant. Instead of socializing, her temperament becomes unpredictable and occasionally threatening to zookeepers. The same thing happens when Flora is moved to a large elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. The diagnosis suggests that, as a social creature living alone in a small space, she may have become too dependent on the love and nurturing provided by Balding, who, we sense, may have been more interested in his own emotional needs than those of Flora. After each of his frequent visits to the zoo and sanctuary, Flora would experience something resembling post-traumatic-shock syndrome, causing her to act out her aggressions. Because of this, he is asked not to visit. The trainer refuses to buy this theory – which could extend all the way back to the “culling” process in the wild — preferring the advice of an “elephant whisperer” at the Pittsburgh Zoo. In any case, the death of a more dominant female at the sanctuary appears to relieve much of Flora’s anxiety, if not that of Balding. “One Lucky Elephant” is a fascinating documentary, which naturally begs the question as to the ethics of separating such beasts from their parents and clan and shipping them across the ocean, not always to the most humane environments.

Things are more cut and dry in “Betty White: Champion for Animals,” which is as much a celebration of the star’s longevity as it is a cautionary tale about the need for humans protect and cherish species both thriving and endangered. White’s job here primarily is to share anecdotes about pets and other animals in her life, as well as introducing representatives of organizations dedicated to their care, protection and maintenance. We also are invited to go behind the scenes at national parks, zoos and aquariums. Although “Champion for Animals” has been recommended by the Dove Foundation, children might be disturbed by some of the images of wounded animals. – Gary Dretzka

The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol
Die
Even by the standards usually associated with Troma and Vicious, “The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol” is a grotesque and intensely revolting entertainment. Most of the shocks involve the separation of limbs, organs and erogenous zones from the bodies of naked skanks and male slimeballs in drag. Throw in a few puss bombs and flesh-eating penis extenders and you have a movie that could turn the stomach of a zombie. Tommy Pistol is an aspiring actor and full-time doofus, too stupid to understand that insulting the boss’ mother may not be a good idea. After being fired and losing his wife and child, Tommy wastes away on his couch watching porn and being pleasured by a suction tube. In his dreams, he fantasizes answering a casting notice in a Hollywood trade paper, only to learn that the job involves being the killer in an actual snuff film. It sets him off on a course that leads to becoming a director of a torture-porn flick and capturing, skinning and pretending to be Arthur Schwarzenegger, if he were a psycho killer. Given the bare-bones budget of the project, the effects can’t help but look absurdly cheesy and frequently hilarious. “TGDOTP” shouldn’t be mistaken for an entry point for aspiring horror fans. No matter how ridiculous the carnage seems, it sometimes is capable of momentarily fooling the brain and inducing physical revulsion. If this sounds like your cup of tea, see a doctor before checking out the bonus features, which add commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, the music videos “It Ate His Face” and “DJ Tommy Pistol,” interviews with the director and cast and “Cheese Theater,” a look at the “first sketch comedy troupe from Queens.”

Director Dominic James and screenwriter Domenico Salvaggio’s freshman feature, “Die,” is an overfamiliar and ultimately not terribly convincing torture thriller, in which a half-dozen troubled individuals are imprisoned and forced to roll the die to determine each other’s fate. They are being held by the wealthy, if psychotic author of ‘The Will of the Die,” which has developed a cult following among people who have survived the game. Depending on their luck, a participant either will be on the receiving end of a lethal dose of something or be the one who doles out the punishment. They will be familiar with the implements from their own experience at attempting suicide. The other wrinkle allows for the dungeon master to administer punishments that are far less than lethal, thus adding an element of surprise to the “game.” Among the more familiar cast members are John Pyper-Ferguson, Emily Hampshire, Catarina Murino, Katie Boland and Elias Koteas. – Gary Dretzka

The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch
Some European exports simply don’t translate into English. One of them is “Largo Winch,” an action hero first introduced in the 1970s as a character in a Belgian comic-book series by Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme. The character has since been revived in novels, a TV series, video game and a pair of movies, the first of which has only now reached our shores. “The Heir Apparent: Large Winch” was greet in limited by middling review and almost no interest at the box office. I can’t help but think that the unwieldy title had almost everything to do with its failure here. As a child, the character was adopted from the Bosnia war zone by one of the richest men on Earth, Nerio Winch. His existence remains a closely kept secret while he explores the world and gets into the kind of trouble all untethered young men tend to find, left to their own devices. When the old man is assassinated by forces unknown, Largo (Tomer Sisley) is called to world headquarters in Hong Kong by the second-in-command (Kristin Scott Thomas) and is expected to assume the role of sole heir. The corporation is so huge and profitable that the list of Largo’s potential enemies is practically endless and the action takes us from Brazil, to Bosnia, Hong Kong, Macau, Sicily, Malta and Paris. If the plot isn’t all that compelling, the scenery makes up for it. – Gary Dretzka

Girls Just Want to Have Fun
I’m of the opinion that Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” was as anthemic for girls who came of age in the 1980s as “I Am Woman” and “I Will Survive” were for women asserting their independence in the ’70s. Indeed, it may have been the first post-feminist anthem to achieve broad mainstream acceptance. Naturally, the song inspired a movie to exploit both the jauntily affirmative message of the song, but also anticipate such emerging “girl power” movies as “Pretty in Pink,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Flashdance,” “Adventures in Babysitting” and “Clueless.” It also influenced the “Riot Grrrl” movement, which sprang up in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1990s. As much an exemplar of gender independence as Lauper was, however, the movies that “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” most closely resemble are “Footloose” and the 1988 “Hairspray.” Unfortunately, those films are several times more inspired, original and entertaining than Alan Metter’s movie. Today, “GJWTHF” best serves as a time capsule to a time when mullets, “big hair” and spandex ruled. Moreover, the fashions adopted by the characters bordered on the hideous.

So why would anyone want to invest time in a movie that could otherwise be used as punishment for unruly teenagers. “GJWTHF” is loaded with stars of the future, not the least of whom are Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt in their first big non-TV roles. They play students at a Catholic high school in Chicago whose primary aspirations in life are becoming dancers on the “Dance TV” show and meeting cool boys. Hunt’s character, Lynne, is quite a bit hipper than Parker’s more repressed Janey, whose father is the movie’s designated Nazi figure. He forbids Janey to audition for the show, which, of course, only makes her more likely to do just that. Before the audition takes place, the girls decide it might be fun to crash a party at the local country club in the company of a pack of Madonna-wannabes, punks and women body builders. The intrusion only serves to piss off the richest guy in town and his daughter, who also wants to dance on the show. Among the now-familiar faces to be found in the cast are
Shannen Doherty, Jonathan Silverman and dancers Robin Antin and Gina Gershon, (The body-double dancers are easy to spot.) Poor Cyndi Lauper is given a cameo, but the producers were too cheap to license her version of the title song, — Gary Dretzka

The Seminarian
It would be difficult to find a subject more taboo in Hollywood – or anywhere else, for that matter – than homosexuality and the priesthood. It’s been difficult enough for established religious leaders to acknowledge its very existence, let alone attempt to separate the sexual predators from the gay men whose faith is more important to them than their sexuality. Even if such a thing were possible, it would open the gates to a tacit acceptance of something they’ve taught goes against the teachings in the bible. Holy conundrum, Batman. Typically, it’s independent filmmakers who allow themselves the freedom to explore questions the mainstream media elect to ignore. If writer/director Joshua Lim’s “The Seminarian” doesn’t directly address the issues that make sordid headlines, it does at least accept as a given that gay clergy do exist and their faith isn’t in question. The ones we meet here are attracted to other male adults, sometimes, but not always in a sexual way. What’s important here are the kinds of questions only God could answer in person and not in a book written and interpreted by humans.

Ryan (Mark Cirillo) is a gay seminarian entering his last semester of studies and anxious to attend Yale. The evangelical seminary isn’t progressive on the question of homosexuality, of course, but it isn’t difficult for Ryan to find like-minded students, with whom he can confide. He also seeks and finds friendship on the Internet, albeit with a young man with unresolved issues. As Ryan prepares his thesis, “The Divine Gift of Love,” he ponders, “If love is a gift from God and love entails great suffering, then what does that say about God?” What, indeed. Lim’s film attempts to appeal to too many cinematic suitors, including the ones attracted handsome young men willing to sample forbidden fruit. It would be interesting to see what a movie like “Seminarian” might look like given a larger budget and more profound theological mandate. – Gary Dretzka

PBS: Solartaxi: Around the World With the Sun
The BBC High Definition Natural History Collection 1: Blu-ray
Green documentaries tend to be preachy and resplendent with images of smog-shrouded cities, suffocating rivers and the corpses of birds and fish. Watch enough of them and you’ll either become hugely depressed or motivated to seek out the local recruiter for Earth First! I prefer the second option, but not all such documentaries are downbeat. “Solartaxi: Around the World With the Sun” is one such movie. In 2007, Swiss teacher Louis Palmer embarked on an epic journey in which he would drive an automobile towing its own solar battery around the world. Along the way, he hoped not only to avoid being rescued or transported by vehicles powered by fossil fuels, but also to prove to everyone on his route that such a thing can be done. Director Erik Schmitt picked up the tour in India, where he was sent by a Berlin-based agency to produce a series of YouTube clips. The 18-month project covered some 50,000 kilometers, touched 40 countries and produced 200 hours of video footage. Part of what makes “Solartaxi” so interesting is the reception Palmer received along the way. In some, he was received like a hero, while in others his mission was ignored. Energy-rich countries, such as Australia, fail to recognize any threat to the environment by carbon-based fuels. In Syria, an accident that threatened his progress became a huge teaching opportunity, when a minister personally greased the wheels for his recovery. Another accident, in India, might have turned into an international incident if Everett’s camera hadn’t proven that Palmer was blameless. They traveled through hostile territory in Pakistan without any problems and made it to a Chinese border station with only moments to spare before their entrance permit would expire. Palmer is a soft-spoken guy with a decent sense of humor, so “Solartaxi” comes off less as a lecture than an entertaining adventure, with guest cameos by James Cameron, Jay Leno, Bianca Jagger, Larry Hagman and UN officials.

Another way to teach kids the value of green thinking is simply to show them examples of the kinds of wildlife and vegetation that might not be around to show their grandchildren. No series has made the connection between survival and extinction clearer than the films included in the BBC’s magnificent “Natural History Collection.” And, they’ve done so without having to beat viewers over the head with obvious conclusions. The Blu-ray set is comprised of the full, six-disc “Special Edition” of “Planet Earth,” single discs of “Galapagos” and “Ganges,” as well as the two-disc “Wild China.” Each disc also contains making-of featurettes and bonus films. Fans of the series may already have purchased previously released editions, so some caution is advised. It’s the addition of the complete BBC-version of “Planet Earth” – important distinction, there — that sets the box set apart. The “Special Edition” includes 107 minutes of video “Diaries”; the bonus documentaries “Snow Leopards: Beyond the Myth,” “Secrets of Maya Underworld,” “Elephant Nomads of the Namib Desert” and “Natural World: Desert Lions”; the three-hour, “The Future,” with “Saving Species,” “Into the Wilderness” and “Living Together “; “Great Moments,” narrated by Sir David Attenborough; audio commentaries on “Pole to Pole,” “Mountains,” “Caves,” “Great Plains” and “Shallow Seas”; and a sneak peak of the upcoming “Frozen Planet” series. If nothing else, it’s worth the cost of the set to show American kids that not all homes come ready-made with air conditioners, microwave ovens and flat-screen TVs. In some parts of India, the homes’ only luxury is hot- and cold-running cobras and rampaging elephants are a greater threat than electrical fires. – Gary Dretzka

Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel: Blu-ray
Camel Spiders: Blu-ray
Roger Corman has been producing and directing movies longer than most people in the world have been alive. As far as I know, none has come close to being nominated for an Academy Award. One way or another, though, the vast majority of them have made money. In 2009, at 83, Corman was honored by the academy for “his rich engendering of films and filmmakers,” decidedly not for making such drive-in epics as “Creatures From the Haunted Sea,” “Bloody Mama,” “X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes,” “Last Woman on Earth,” “The Wasp Woman,” “The Fast and the Furious,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Crybaby Killer,” “House of Usher” and “The Wild Angels,” which, in1966, bumped his list of credits to 100 (and, incidentally, was nominated for a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Forty-six years later, he’s still churning out movies. One of his worst, “Camel Spiders,” is his latest release. He has four more movies, at least, at the filming stage or in post-production. More to the point, as we’re reminded throughout Alex Stapleton’s highly entertaining bio-doc, “Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel,” he’s done all of the movies his way … on the cheap and with a smile on his face. The documentary overflows with anecdotal evidence of the maestro’s legendary penny pinching and the stories are funnier than most of the so-called comedies being made within the studio system these days. Among the many stars and filmmakers testifying in Corman’s defense are Paul W.S. Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert DeNiro, Peter Fonda, David Carradine, Pam Grier, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Martin Scorsese and William Shatner. Graduates of the “Corman School of Filmmaking” learned how to bring in pictures for substantially less than a million dollars, shoot without permits, gratuitously flash their breasts, jerry-rig sets and props, and sneak social messages into exploitation flicks. More importantly, perhaps, Corman has somehow managed to remain a gentleman for more than 55 years in a business that rarely rewards kindness and generosity.

Lately, the Corman factory has focused on making quick-and-dirty entertainments for cable television and international distribution. “Camel Spiders” isn’t a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it demonstrates the limitations imposed on him in a post-grindhouse environment. Most obviously, while basic-cable networks are able to show bikini-wearing beach bunnies being torn in half by hybrid sea monsters, bare breasts (a Corman drive-in staple) are prohibited. If anything, cable budgets are more restrictive than the ones handed such fledgling directors as Howard, Bogdanovich, Scorsese and Jonathan Demme. Bargain-basement dino-sharks, piranhacondas, supergators and camel spiders – carried to America in the coffin of a dead soldier – look as if they were created by kids in a high school AV club. The budgets only allow for the casting of mid-list actors, such as C. Thomas Howell and Brian Krause, and newcomers who’d pay him to land a part in a Corman-produced movie. My suggestion for longtime fans and those unfamiliar with the drive-in genre is to start with the classic titles in new “Cult Classics” releases, instead of the new stuff. “Camel Spiders” doesn’t add any featurettes, but “Corman’s World” includes extended interviews and tributes. – Gary Dretzka

Carnage: Blu-ray
Say what you will about Roman Polanski, the man can still direct movies. The fact that no one on either side of the Atlantic Ocean has devised a way for him to return to the United States without either party losing face – including the victim, who has long forgiven his perverted fetishes – is evidence of a dysfunctional and vindictive judiciary. (Don’t take my word on it, watch the documentary “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.”) In his adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning “God of Carnage,” Polanski demonstrates how peaceful relations between otherwise normal couples can devolve over a short period of time into something approximating the ferocity of armed combat. In this way, at least, “Carnage” resembles “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and other staged arguments against mixing booze with marriage. Here, the combatants include two well-off New York couples – John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet — who agree to work out a no-fault agreement after their sons are involved in a playground skirmish, which leaves one boy with two seriously damaged teeth. Together, they iron out a precisely worded statement acknowledging the incident and factors that led up to it, while carefully weighing every adverb and adjective. Insurance will cover the injury, but it’s important to the moms, especially, that some kind of resolution be reached, in as civil and non-pejorative a manner as possible. No sooner do the parties agree on the wording, however, than they begin exchanging demands for codicils, amendments and formal apologies.  Needless to say, the new wrinkles ignite flames that cause a nearly complete breakdown in decorum.

Just when it looks as if the parents of the antagonist will do the smart thing and leave for home, the other couple suggests they not end the meeting on a sour note. Coffee and dessert are served, one of the women gets violently ill, and the husbands decide this would be a good time to open a bottle of single-malt scotch and sample some Cuban cigars. If nothing else, the guys figure the fireworks will be easier to enjoy if they’re stewed. To this end, Reilly gets the ball rolling by admitting to kidnapping his daughter’s pet hamster and dropping it off at a local park to fend for itself. Horrified, Winslet uses the admission as a weapon in her defense of her child – a notorious brat who had reacted violently to being accused of snitching — and after a couple of drinks Foster agrees that her husband’s thoughtless act was indefensible. Instead of tag-team match between couples, the fight erupts into a verbal free-for-all. The hugely skilled actors do a fine job interpreting the material, of course, but Polanski deserves the bulk of the credit for keeping “Carnage” from becoming overly stage-bound and claustrophobic. The handsome set is spacious enough to contain the action, without forcing the characters to get in each other’s face. After weeks of rehearsal, the actors are as comfortable and familiar with the floor plan and furniture as they would feel in their own homes. Kept to a brisk 80-minute length, the film demands little more from viewers than their attention. When, finally, the camera pulls back from the apartment, they’ll be rewarded with a totally satisfying surprise ending involving the boys and the forlorn hamster. The Blu-ray edition adds a making-of featurette and an amusing Q&A interview with Reilly and Waltz. — Gary Dretzka

Louder Than a Bomb
It’s somehow appropriate that the documentary “Louder Than a Bomb” is being released on DVD in the same month as the NCAA basketball tournament kicks off and elite high school players are given an opportunity to impress college and pro scouts in tournaments of their own. The games are hotly contested and fans, players and coaches wear their emotions on their sleeves. Some of the young men and women will go on to become stars at the next level or, perhaps, skip college altogether. The mad skills of one or two of the most talented athletes might even inspire an equipment manufacturer to name a shoe after them. Chicago poetry slammer Nate Marshall, one of the students we meet in “Louder Than a Bomb,” aspires to becoming the “first spoken-word brother with a shoe deal.” After watching Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel’s undeniably exhilarating film, you’ll be pulling for Nate to do just that. You might even shed a tear of joy for the other contestants, many of whom come from dirt-poor backgrounds and will have their coaches to thank for college scholarships and a real shot at finding a meaningful career, just like their schools’ star athletes.

It’s said that Chicago is the home of the poetry slam, an activity that, in less than a decade, spread from the Get Me High Lounge and Green Mill Tavern, to nightclubs and stages around the globe. The competition came of age in 1994, when it debuted on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam.” Last year’s National Poetry Jam attracted more than 75 teams from the U.S. and Canada, and one from Australia. “Louder Than a Bomb” follows four teams as they prepare for the eighth annual poetry competition between schools in the Chicago school system. A spotlight is turned on individual contestants from each of the teams, as well. The kids’ personal stories, when merged with the rapping, rhyming and cheers from the audience, are powerful stuff. The poetry can’t help but be semi-autographical, as the sentiments speak directly to issues shared by their peers. Knowing that the returning champions represent a school outside Chicago’s elite magnet and college-prep program only adds to the drama of the 2008 contest. The previous year’s achievement was made doubly impressive because the inner-city youths took top prize in their first appearance.

“Louder Than a Bomb” is the latest title from the OWN/Documentary Club to find distribution on DVD. Last month’s entry, “Most Valuable Players,” told a similarly rousing story about teams competing in a high school musical-theater competition, in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. It is Oprah Winfrey’s intention to use her name and network to promote noteworthy documentaries, just as she’s previously done with books on her syndicated show. In addition to following the contestants, the filmmakers describe the interaction between students and teachers, some of whom can’t disguise the strain that comes with enforcing discipline and serving as a sounding board for kids with personal problems. At a time when many parents, politicians and educators have written off the Chicago schools as being unmanageable, it’s wonderful to observe students and teachers working together for a common educational goal and not accepting non-existent budgets and decrepit facilities as an excuse for underachievement. Watch “Louder Than a Bomb” and you’ll feel a whole lot better about the future of our country. – Gary Dretzka

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Typically, I anticipate English-language remakes of foreign movies with the same dread I reserve for rom-coms starring television stars who believe they’ve outgrown the confines of the small screen. They’re rarely, if ever, an improvement on the original and only serve to reward American audiences too lazy to read subtitles. In the capable hands of director David Fincher and writer Steven Zaillian, however, their interpretation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” easily qualifies as the exception that proves the rule. It may not improve on the 2009 Swedish original, but the changes to the first installment of the Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy” demonstrate respect for both the nearly 700-page novel and Niels Arden Opley’s film.  Avid readers shouldn’t feel slighted by either adaptation. This time, Daniel Craig portrays the disgraced financial journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who’s hired by the least demented member of the powerful Vanger clan to investigate a murder that occurred years earlier. The disappearance of the man’s niece, Harriet, has haunted the old man ever since he began receiving anonymously sent mementos on his birthday. As an investigative reporter, Mikael might be able to discover clues overlooked by police.

I think that most people would agree that Noomi Rapace owns the essential role of Lisbeth Salander and could have stepped right into the Hollywood version. Her replacement, Rooney Mara, may not improve on Rapace’s interpretation of the troubled punk investigator, but its close enough to earn a cigar … and justify her Academy Award nomination. The same can be said for fellow cast members Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Joely Richardson, Yorick van Wageningen, Goran Visnjic, Steven Berkoff and Tony Way. Neither can Fincher’s work be faulted. Not listed among the cast members in either iteration is Old Man Winter, whose presence can’t be underestimated. Shooting took place during one of Sweden’s coldest winters on record. Fincher and his fave cinematographer, Jeff Cronenweth, capture every frost-bitten minus-degree reading, especially in scenes shot on the Vangers’ private island. Also intriguing are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ soundtrack, the incidental music chosen by Fincher, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter’s editing, the locations and amazing credits sequences.

All are discussed extensively in the commentary track and mini-docs included on a separate second disc of the Blu-ray. (The DVD screener I received added only commentary.) A half-dozen of the featurettes are devoted to the casting of Mara and the evolution of her portrayal of Salander, one of the most complex characters in contemporary cinema. The Craig/Blomkvist transformation is put under the microscope. The only real question that remains after perusing the bonus material is the status of the other two English-language sequels. “TGWTDT” wasn’t cheap to make and it didn’t crack the $100 million milepost at the domestic box office. While the second installment of the trilogy works well in print, however, any Hollywood-produced adaptation of “The Girl Who Played With Fire” would require a lot more tweaking than the first movie. Salander’s ordeal is far from over, but much of her torment is internalized in first sequel. Rapace’s terrific performance can’t disguise the fact that “TGWPWF” is the bridge that connects “TGWTDT” to the more satisfying “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.” Replacement director Daniel Alfredson’s adaptations of the sequels are readily available on DVD and Blu-ray here for anyone who wants to get a headstart on the Hollywood sequels that may never come. The trilogy was re-edited and extended for Swedish television. The six-episode mini-series is available from Music Box as “Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition.” – Gary Dretzka

The Sitter: Totally Irresponsible Edition: Blu-ray
Everything happens very quickly in “The Sitter,” the 2011 comedy for which Jonah Hill didn’t earn an Academy Award nomination. That movie was “Moneyball” and, in it, he plays an untested and somewhat intimated baseball geek, who, under Billy Beane’s tutelage, matures into a formidable sports executive before our eyes. “The Sitter” finds Hill in the familiar position of a young-adult slacker, except that, here, his one great talent is performing cunnilingus. It’s a small gift from the Almighty, but the only thing that keeps his Noah Griffith from being completely ignored by women. As a favor to his divorced mother, Noah agrees to babysit the children of the couple hoping to set her up with an eligible bachelor. The kids are a distinctly mixed lot: 13-year-old Slater (Max Records) is an anxiety-ridden closet case; 8-year-old Blithe (Landry Bender) is a Paris Hilton wannabe; and 10-year-old Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez) is a Nicaraguan adoptee, well on his way to a career in urban terrorism. Needless to say, Noah has his hands full. When his “girlfriend,” Marisa (Ari Graynor), calls him from a party, requesting “party favors,” Noah grabs the kids, packs them into the family mini-van and lights out for her drug dealer (Sam Rockwell, in a wildly bizarre performance). At first, the kids aren’t at all pleased with Noah’s decision. After a strange brush with cops, a burglary at the diamond store owned by his estranged father, a stop at a hip-hop nightclub and a few dances at the party, however, they decide their sitter isn’t a dick, after all. A late-night confrontation between Noah and the drug dealer at the merry-go-round in Central Park threatens to get ugly for everyone involved, but some quick thinking on Blithe’s part gives them a chance to make it home before their parents’ notice they’re missing. (To get into the nightclub, Hill convinces the doorman that the kids are midgets, with wee Blithe adding, “I’m a grandmother.”)

Director David Gordon Green (“George Washington”) and freshman writers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka weren’t at all reluctant to pepper their story with extremely crude language and put impressionable children not only in harm’s way, but also in the company of drug dealers and alcohol abusers. In some ways, “The Sitter” resembles a kiddie version of Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours.” Is it funny? Very often, it is. Parents of young children should know going into it, though, that its R-rating is fairly earned and “The Sitter” shouldn’t be used as babysitter, no matter how cute and harmless Hill looked on “Saturday Night Live” and in “Moneyball” and commercials for “21 Jump Street.” The Blu-ray package gives viewers the choice of watching a rated and unrated version; deleted and alternate scenes; a gag reel and outtakes; and three making-of featurettes. – Gary Dretzka

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
To the extent that Serge Gainsbourg is known on this side of the Atlantic at all, it’s for his scandalous duet with Jane Birkin, “Je t’aime … moi non plus,” and his second noteworthy collaboration with Birkin, the gifted Anglo-French movie star, Charlotte Gainsbourg. (Birkin is best recalled here, perhaps, as one of the first women to flash her pubes in a mainstream movie, “Blow-Up.”) Dead, lo these many years, Gainsbourg still is considered to be a national treasure. Joann Sfar’s delightfully offbeat “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life” is one of the most intriguing biopics I’ve seen in a long time. Adapted from his own graphic novel, “A Heroic Life” employs music, puppetry, hallucinations and other special effects in an effort to understand what made the multifaceted artist tick. As a young, Jewish art and music student in occupied France, Gainsbourg was exposed to images of great beauty while also being surrounded by the specter of being arrested by French police and turned over to Nazis. Much to the consternation of his parents, he would give up art and his classical training to become a chanson who sang jazz, pop and rock-inflected songs of his own creation. In his new career, he embodied the popular image of the French saloon singer as a melancholy loner with an omnipresent cigarette dangling from his mouth.

He wasn’t an attractive man, by most standards, but his artistry attracted some of the country’s great beauties, including Brigitte Bardot, to his boudoir. In Sfar’s imagination, the adult Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino) is accompanied at all times by effigies – whose faces bear an exaggerated resemblance to the Nazi Party’s “Eternal Jew” – who serve as mirrors, agitators and confidantes. The Gainsbourg we meet in “A Heroic Life” is as self-destructive as he is prolific. Besides the Gitanes, he’s an alcoholic and a masochist. Before emerging as a superstar, he risks alienating an entire nation by writing a song, in which lollipop licking and fellatio are performed with equal gusto, for a teen pop sensation. Later, he and Charlotte record a song with incestuous overtones and he makes a rock album about Nazis. A reggae version of “La Marseillaise” brought death threats from right-wing veterans of the war in Algeria. In the end, his death was as inevitable as that of Amy Winehouse. “A Heroic Life” is a remarkably compelling movie, but not one that welcomes curious viewers with open arms and an air kiss. It’s never easy to watch someone you admire slowly but surely commit suicide. The great music and beautiful women playing Gainsbourg’s many lovers do make the medicine go down smoothly, though. The DVD adds a making-of piece; galleries of Sfar’s lyrical storyboards and character sketches; and views of the artist at work. – Gary Dretzka

The Muppets: Wooka Wocka Value Pack: Blu-ray
Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention: The Complete 6-Part Series
Jim Henson’s world of make-believe has undergone great upheavals over the last 50-plus years, not the least of which being the maestro’s untimely death in 1990. What began as a late-night sensation in Washington, D.C., would go nationwide over the next decade in appearances with his puppet menagerie on several popular talk and variety shows, including several incarnations of “Tonight” and Ed Sullivan’s show. At the time, they were a hipster’s delight, right up there with Mad magazine and post-Beat poetry. When the puppet troupe was invited to join “Sesame Street,” it inspired a new generation to learn their A-B-C’s, while also following a decidedly progressive social agenda. The Boomer crowd would find the original puppets once again on season one of “Saturday Night Life,” if only for 13 episodes. It wouldn’t take long, however, for Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog et al. to find new life in prime-time specials, the syndicated “Muppets Show” and in “The Muppet Movie” (1979). After this came the deluge, of course. In addition to various splinter projects, including “Fraggle Rock” and “Muppet Babies,” there were several other movies, a couple minus the Muppet gang. A merchandising empire also was inspired by the characters’ popularity. His premature death, at 53, of an ignored bout with bacterial pneumonia, threw a huge monkey wrench into the Muppet juggernaut. Among other things, it delayed a planned sale to Disney for a dozen years.  Family members would continue turning out various Muppet and Creature Shop entertainments, but much of the thrill was gone.

“The Muppets” cleverly acknowledges both the commercial hysteria that accompanied the Muppets rise and their subsequent battle to remain fresh and relevant. It is the first Muppet film to open in theaters in 12 years and, for some young viewers, probably their first introduction to most of the auxiliary characters. Going into the project, it was difficult to gauge just how much gas was left in the tank was anyone. Blessedly, Disney made a stop at a filling station before committing to spending $45 million. (Sounds modest by today’s standards, doesn’t it?) The movie could hardly be more entertaining. Veteran television director James Bobin (“Da Ali G Show”) was put at the helm, with Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller putting the words into everyone’s mouths. Segel also stars as the peppy fanboy, Gary, who travels to Hollywood with his puppet brother, Walter, and longtime girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), who simply couldn’t be any cuter. When they arrive in L.A., the trio realizes all that remains of the empire is a tour of the Muppets’ rundown studio. Walter, who’s slipped away from the group, overhears a discussion in which a greedy oilman, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), discusses his evil plans for the Muppet Theater, under which sits a fortune in oil. In the deal, he also acquires rights to all Muppets properties and character likenesses. (Not unlike the deal with Disney, minus the evil intentions.) After locating a lonely Kermit in his Beverly Hills mansion, the trio volunteers to help raise the $10 million necessary to buy back the theater before Tex can take control. It takes a while to round up the old gang and decide that a telethon is the only way to accomplish the nearly impossible task. A network run by Rashida Jones has a timeslot open and is willing to release it if they can find a celebrity host. The rest, as they say, is Muppet history. The whole thing, from star cameos to “Rainbow Connection,” is right out of the Henson playbook. There’s also the irreverent wisecracks from the balcony, Miss Piggy’s sassy double entendre, a cliffhanger ending and songs that diabetics would be wise to turn out, including the Oscar-winning “Man or Muppet.” The Blu-ray adds some sketchy commentary by the filmmakers; the amusing making-of featurettes, “Scratching the Surface” and “Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song”; deleted scenes and a blooper reel; an in-character read-through of the script; promotional spoof trailers; and a downloadable soundtrack album.

I don’t think “Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention” found a home on American television, so “W&G” completists should take due note of its release on DVD and Blu-ray. In it, the inveterate tinkerer and cheese lover, Wallace, and his canine better half, Gromit, primarily serve as hosts on a show devoted to the inventions and brainstorms of people as wacky as they are. The stop-motion characters, molded from plasticine modeling clay on metal frameworks, are limited to introductions and interstitials. As such, the producers of “World of Invention” could have borrowed the title of an exhibit at London’s Science Museum, “Wallace & Gromit Present a World of Cracking Ideas.”  The inventions are heavy on robotics, but there is also room for the occasional giant flying mantra ray and pedal-powered submersible. All six episodes are presented here, along with “Your ‘World of Invention’ Shorts,” which includes such do-it-yourself construction experiments as “Atmosphere Railway,” “Wind-Powered Sprinkler,”  “Fin Ray Grabber,” “Air Rocket,” “Spy Camera” and “Upside-Down-O-Scope.” – Gary Dretzka

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection: Blu-ray
I don’t want to accuse Suzanne Collins of stealing ideas from other peoples’ books and movies, but it’s interesting that both “Battle Royale” and “Hunger Games” envision a blood sport in which teens are required to kill other teens to ensure their own survival. “Battle Royale” and “Battle Royale II,” also adapted from a novel, demand that they employ youthful resourcefulness to a task that’s not otherwise associated with juvenile delinquency and disobedience to their elders. It caused a huge sensation in Japan and wasn’t shown here until late last year (after its DVD release). The reality that American kids already are killing each other with some regularity may have had something to do with the reluctance of an American distributor to pick it up, only to be accused of inspiring the next Columbine. The conceit governing “BR” is that the arrival of a new millennium coincided with a widespread epidemic of lawlessness among Japanese youth. Desperate, the government decides to organize a survival game in which a class of 9^th Graders is captured, shipped to a remote island and given three days to eliminate all but one student. Each student is handed a weapon, provisions and a GPS-equipped dog collar, which also contains a listening device and explosives. If any of the kids refuse to participate or more than one contestant survives the games, they’ll be killed, anyway. In the sequel, the collars are linked to one belonging to a fellow classmate, ensuring they’ll act as a team or perish as individuals. In the sequel, too, the government decides to pit the students against a gang of terrorists, led by a survivor of the previous contest, plaguing the world from an island outpost. Among the things pissing them off is the popularity of the Battle Royale competition, itself. Again, teenagers who may have begun their day as pacifists, vegans, PETA volunteers or wimps are, within hours, required to storm a beachhead, not unlike the GIs in “Saving Private Ryan” and scale cliffs leading to the stronghold.  Yes, it’s genius.

The movies are every bit as violent, gory and frightening as one might expect from Japan’s genre specialists. Credit for that here belongs to veteran action director Kinji Fukasaku – who defied his doctors by beginning the sequel while in the late stages of prostate cancer – and his son, Kenta, working from a novel by Koushun Takami. The teacher in the original is portrayed by the great action star, Beat Takeshi. His character is knifed by a student, but heals in time to join the class on the island as an instructor and exact his punishment on misbehavers. He’s replaced in “II” by Takeuchi Riki, but reappears in flashbacks. (Even Sonny Chiba makes a cameo.) I’m not quite sure what the movies want us to think about the role of the United States in the narratives, but one of the terrorists’ crimes bears a resemblance to 9/11and subsequent imposition of the Patriot Act. In a making-of featurette, Fukasaku describes a scene of carnage he recalls from the final days of World War II and, later, peaceful protests that were thwarted by armed police. The special commemorative boxed set includes two versions of the 2000 “Battle Royale,” a copy of the 2003 sequel and a fourth disc of extras that will vary greatly in value to U.S. viewers. – Gary Dretzka

A Lonely Place to Die: Blu-ray
Here’s a terrific English-language thriller that saw almost no distribution in the United States, despite the presence of a star of hit prime-time series (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “In Treatment”), some spectacular scenery and much edge-of-your-seat action. Just because you haven’t heard of “A Lonely Place to Die,” however, doesn’t mean it’s not worth your attention. Melissa George plays the leader of a team of climbers testing the vertical cliffs of the Scottish Highlands. After a scare, they reach a forested plateau where they discover a little girl who’s been kidnapped and buried in a box with a visible air vent. No sooner has the frightened girl been rescued than the climbers are targeted by snipers armed with high-power, long-distance rifles. The craggy landscape allows for hiding places, but one fewer than would have been needed to protect one of the original five climbers. George’s character, Alison, narrowly avoids a similar fate after she and a less fortunate chap leave the girl with the other couple and attempt to find help. It isn’t clear immediately what the snipers want with the little girl, who apparently speaks only Serbo-Croatian. The cat-and-mouse game continues for another hour, before moving to the nearest northern city, where the very freaky Beltane Fire Festival is being celebrated. Now, however, we learn that the bad guys are being pursued by a trio of mercenaries in league with a wanted fugitive from the Balkan war. In addition to the girl’s well-being, at stake is a $20 million ransom. The chase through the streets of the ancient town is nearly as exciting as the one in the mountains, although far less scenic. “A Lonely Place to Die” was directed by Julian Gilbey and co-written by his brother, Will (“Rollin’ With the Nines,” “Rise of the Foot Soldier”), both of whom mastered the sport before shooting the film. They seem to do everything right here, including making the threat of falling rocks feel very real to the characters and viewers. – Gary Dretzka

Sidewalls
Gustavo Taretto’s gentle romantic comedy, “Sidewalls,” reminds me of the line, widely credited to Martin Mull, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” Set in Buenos Aires, where building codes apparently are accorded the same respect as visiting soccer teams, the movie opens with an essay on the city’s anarchic skyline and the alienation that comes from such an undisciplined and impersonal approach to life. After making its case in this regard, “Sidewalls” drops a pair of innocents into the deep end of the pool and demands they swim or sink, emotionally. A wafer-thin Pilar Lopez de Ayala plays Mariana, a former architect who’s taken up window dressing and brings mannequins home to decorate and keep her company. Javier Drolas, who doesn’t look any more robust than Ayala, portrays the Web designer Martin. His whole life is wrapped up in Internet exchanges with anonymous people and games. That they meet at all is a small miracle, considering the city’s size and street life that resembles a page from “Where’s Waldo?” But, as we learn, finding the elusive cartoon character is an activity Mariana enjoys doing, so it fits. After an encounter with Martin at an indoor swimming pool, the couple spends a night together. It doesn’t seem to amount to much, really, but the prospect of romance lingers in the air like static electricity. The fun comes in observing the whimsical machinations Taretto fashions so Martin and Mariana can reconnect. “Sidewalls” provides a fun and unabashedly romantic experience for viewers, whether or not they understand Spanish or have ever danced about architecture. – Gary Dretzka

Letter Never Sent: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
The War Room: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
Making great art in the Soviet Union, even after the death of Josef Stalin, was rarely an option for the communist creative class. Still, given the context, some amazing work did survive, and not all of it was merely a variation on the common hammer-and-sickle, triumph-over-adversity, workers-paradise theme, although there was plenty of that, too. Only years after the collapse of the Iron Curtain did movie buffs in the west find access to the more obscure masterpieces of eastern-bloc artists. “Letter Never Sent” remains a terrific example of a film that extolls Soviet ideals, while also providing great entertainment value. Mikhail Kalatozov is best known here for “The Cranes Are Flying” and “I Am Cuba,” both which benefit mightily from the sometimes astonishing cinematography of Sergei Urusevsky. “Letter Never Sent” is a survival drama set in the Siberian wilderness, where a team of four geologists is searching for diamonds, not for personal gain, but for the good of the state. After being dropped off on a beautiful, if completely isolated river basin, the team quickly gets to work. It is summer and their duties require mostly digging and toting. The youngest geologists are enthusiastic and in love, while the two older men have been through this unrewarding drill several times already and are only along for the heavy lifting. In a stunning reversal of usual fortune, Tanya (Tatyana Samojlova) finds a diamond about six feet deep in a hole dug into a hillside. Their “eureka” moment brings great celebration, including the ceremonial opening of the last bottle of vodka. After drawing a map and detailing their discovery, the team is ready to be extracted. Overnight, however, a fire erupts across a large section of the forest. It traps them, leaving only small avenues of escape. In the scramble to get to the river, their radio is rendered useless; one of them is killed by a falling tree; and another is seriously wounded in a fall. Sergei and Tanya attempt to carry him to the river, but the man sacrifices himself for the good of the team and mission. Even so, the journey proves too strenuous for Tanya and nearly destroys the emaciated Sergei. After finally reaching the river, already revealing signs of colder times ahead, Sergei manages to fashion a crude raft and, unconscious, floats downstream among the early ice floes. In a final moment of clarity, he fantasizes a vision of a mine, where happy Soviet workers exploit the earth’s bounty, enriching Kremlin coffers and making him a people’s hero. When his frozen body is finally discovered, the map and diagrams are found intact on his body. “Letter Never Sent” is graced with some of the most imaginative and evocative cinematography one is likely to find in a black-and-white movie, anywhere. The Criterion Blu-ray is splendidly restored and includes an essay by film scholar Dina Iordanova.

Also from Criterion Collection is D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’ fly-on-the-wall political documentary “The War Room,” in a restored high-definition edition. Relevant now that we’re in the midst of an especially hideous presidential campaign, the film reflects on the hotly contested 1992 race for the White House. Bill Clinton would win his party’s nod for the general election, but only after surviving “bimbo eruptions” and other traps laid by his Republican opponent. Clinton’s reputation ultimately would be damaged by his horndog hubris, but, in 1992, his team and voters both were willing to buy his excuses and lies. Politics got really ugly after Clinton assumed office in1993. Dirty tricks and pranks have since given way to character assassination and we probably haven’t seen the worst of it yet. “The War Room” does shine a light on how far the science of politics had come since the days of back-room negotiations and brokered conventions. A decade later, the Internet would make James Carville and George Stephanopoulos’ methodology seem just as primitive. What’s valuable in the Blu-ray edition are the excellent featurettes that point out the ramifications of what happened in 1992 and the update the key players. Among them are “Return of the War Room,” a 2008 documentary in which Carville, Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala and other advisers reflect on the what they had wrought; a conversation on the difficulties of filming in the campaign’s fast-paced environment; a fascinating  and often hilarious panel discussion, hosted by the William J. Clinton Foundation and featuring Carville, Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan, journalist Ron Brownstein and surprise guest Bill Clinton, who picked up the mike and added his own testimony; and an interview with strategist Stanley Greenberg on the increasing importance of polling. – Gary Dretzka

National Lampoon’s the Legend of Awesomest Maximus: Blu-ray
Clown Hunt
If Will Sasso’s interpretation of Curly in the upcoming “Three Stooges” is as lame as his portrayal of the title character in “The Legend of Awesomest Maximus,” he may want to consider hitting his agent over the head with one of Moe’s mallets. The National Lampoon product is yet another parody of sword-and-sandal epics, ranging from “300” to “Gladiator.” The setting here is the Trojan War, even if the name of Sasso’s character implies a Roman heritage. “Legend of Awesomest Maximus” exists mostly as an excuse to give other funny names to historical figures: King Looney and Ellen of Troy; King Erotic of Greece; the doomed warrior, Testiclees, whose Achilles’ heel is in his nut sack; Maximus’ greedy wife, Hotessa; and the self-descriptive, Minoritees, Pervius, Testiclees’ Little Cousin and Milfia. Oh, yeah, Jeff Kanew’s comedy also shows off voluminous pairs of breasts. I, for one, was ignorant of the fact that women in ancient Greece and Troy had such easy access to boob jobs. If any of that strikes a chord in you, go for it.

Others, looking a truly funny and inventive parody, ought to find a copy of “Clown Hunt.” Barry Tubbs’ outrageous comedy takes pot shots at goons-with-guns horror flicks and such Outdoor Channel staples as “Duck Trek,” “Women of Hunting” and “Ted Nugent: Spirit of the Wild.” Here, the hunters are taking advantage of the open seasons on clowns – one for happy clowns and another for sad ones – in a huge reserve in Texas. The targets come in all shapes, sizes and varieties, from Pierrot to Emmett Kelly. They exist in the wild, doing the same things as any species would do, left to their own devices. Somehow, though, when clowns get back to nature, the results are a million times creepier. In response to the annual assault on their habitat, killer clowns stalk the hunters and bomb them from the air with water balloons. The only recognizable actors in “Clown Hunt” are David Keith, singer Robert Earl Keen and rodeo legend Tuff Hedeman. Among other things, Tubbs proves that a tight budget doesn’t necessarily preclude funny material. – Gary Dretzka

Resurrection County
Splintered: Blu-ray
Snow White: A Deadly Summer
Fans of movies in which inbred homicidal hillbillies terrorize naïve suburban tourists will revel in the depravity that is “Resurrection County.” It begins in typical fashion when two couples arrive in a wooded retreat for a few days of fun. Before they get there, they stop at a convenience store where they meet some of the locals, who look like rejects from “Sons of Anarchy.”  The two male campers light out on the ATVs, leaving the gals behind. Instead of listening to the local sheriff’s advice by staying on the assigned paths, they get lost and ask directions of a gun-toting good ol’ boy. Things get nasty when the man’s brother interrupts the discussion, waving his gun around and threatening the Yankee scum. What no one expects is that one of the campers is armed and willing to protect himself and his friend from further harm and humiliation. He shoots and kills the moron brother in self-defense – no defense for innocence in these hills – thus triggering a chain of events that will include kidnaping, rape, torture, more rape and lots more torture. And, things just keep getting worse. Yeah, this is one you’ll want to hide from the kiddies.

Simeon Halligan’s “Splintered” combines several different horror tropes, including ones involving teen campers in jeopardy, virgins in jeopardy, non-virgins in jeopardy, inescapable nightmares of childhood trauma, the boogey man in the abandoned building, unheard screams, evil priests, vindictive orphans and werewolves. The result is a good-looking, if not particularly interesting or scary horror hybrid that even at 85 minutes seems long. Holly Weston (“John Carter”) plays Sophie, who we meet as a child being attacked by a goat-like creature that might have been an abusive relative. While walking through the woods in pursuit of a perceived menace – always a good idea – she and friend chance upon an abandoned building. On a dare, she enters the building and is quickly locked up by someone or something lurking in the shadows. Although it looks as if she’s hopelessly trapped, Sophie manages to open the lock and search the surroundings. While sneaking around, Sophie meets a young man who appears during the daytime hours to tend the beast’s needs. Naturally, the rest of the camping party falls prey to the creature in one unpleasant way or another. Then, a priest arrives to explain what’s happening in the building and what might be causing Sophie’s nightmares.

When viewed on the same day as “Snow White: A Deadly Summer,” “Splintered” looks like “Psycho.” Here, a teenage girl is sent to a tough-love disciplinary camp after being caught with her boyfriend in a stolen car. Snow (Shanley Caswell) isn’t a bad girl, but she’s been in a funk ever since her widowed father (Eric Roberts) married a woman who would turn out to be her own personal wicked stepmother (Maureen McCormick). The camp is full of kids just like Snow and none takes kindly to the over-the-top exhortations of the former Navy SEAL owner and his lackey. Naturally, Snow suspects that something or someone is lurking in the bushes and she wonders if it might be the one responsible for the death of a camper years ago. What she can’t possibly know is that her stepmother has been aware of the legend all along and is orchestrating events through her “mirror, mirror on the wall.” Just in the nick of time, Snow gets some help of her own from beyond the grave. – Gary Dretzka

!W.A.R.: !Women Art Revolution
Lynn Hershman Leeson’s insightful documentary looks back at the roots of the feminist-art movement and extends them to the current day, when post-feminist and post-post-feminist artists are reaping the rewards of their foremothers’ labors. After more than 40 years of protest and the usual infighting that leftists engage in when they have nothing better to do, the pioneers are starting to find the respect denied them by mainstream curators, their male peers and critics. Much of the archival footage looks pretty silly in hindsight, but it’s of a whole with other aspects of the 1960-70s counter-culture. In their protests against the objectification and forced subservience of women, several of the artists created work that only served to encourage condescension and ridicule. (A naked woman, even one who’s righteously indignant and threatens castration, will always be met with approving glances by men, no matter their ideological persuasion.) Even so, over time, progress undeniably was made. “!Women Art Revolution” benefits greatly from testimony provided by artists and other observers able to contextual the art and performance pieces. Statistics, though, often speak louder than angry words. The argument that women artists have been marginalized, when they weren’t downright ignored, is borne out by the historical lack of representation in museums, galleries, textbooks, exhibitions and commercial equity. And, for the most part, that inequality has been institutionalized by politically liberal educators, curators and buyers. This shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone who’s studied art history or visited an art museum in the last hundred years, or so, but that the same practices were allowed to continue in this seemingly enlightened period simply was a cross women artists and activists found too heavy to bear. It took the accessibility and clarity of Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” to open the door to museums for other women and for meathead congressmen to publicize the work through their mean-spirited diatribes and threats. Among the women spotlighted here are Miranda July, the Guerilla Girls, Yvonne Rainer, Judy Chicago, Marina Abramovic, Yoko Ono, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, B. Ruby Rich, Ingrid Sischy, Carolee Schneemann, Miriam Schapiro and New Museum founder Marcia Tucker. The film also features a score by Carrie Brownstein, Sleater Kinney and “Portlandia.” – Gary Dretzka

The Descendants: Blu-ray
I didn’t know until the night of the Oscar telecast that director Alexander Payne co-wrote the screenplay for “The Descendants” with Groundlings Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Although I don’t know exactly where Payne’s contributions end and Faxon and Rush’s input begins – the bonus interviews don’t offer much information on the subject — it helps explains some of the movie’s kookier moments. It’s also possible that Kaui Hart Hemmings’ novel of the same title was sufficiently meaty to require little more than a gentle massage and the guys put some new words into the mouths of the characters, especially the kids’ wickedly funny digs and disses. No matter, Hemmings is a Honolulu native whose bloodlines aren’t all that dissimilar those of her protagonist, attorney Matt King (George Clooney). Her novel dovetails perfectly with Payne’s approach to making movies, in that his characters are recognizable as everyday people who normally wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but, somewhere along the way, took a detour or hit a bump that made their stories worth hearing. Several things like that happen at once in “The Descendants.” At the same time as King is legally obliged to make a decision that could change the face of Kauai forever, his wife is involved in an accident that leaves her in a vegetative state and his wiseass daughter discloses a devastating piece of news she’s been harboring for months. Along with a whole bunch of cousins, King stands to benefit from the sale of one of the largest undeveloped tracts on the island. After 150 years of family stewardship, the property must either be put up for sale or left undisturbed. A huge amount of money is at stake and several of the cousins have already cut side deals with local real-estate developers. Meanwhile, King conducts business from a makeshift desk alongside the bed upon which his comatose wife languishes. He has none of the experience required to succeed as breadwinner and single parent, and his precocious ’tween-age girl, Scottie (Amara Miller), and her hugely troubled sister, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), are beginning to freak him out. After King rounds up Alexandra from the expensive boarding school/rehab center she attends on another island, she explains why she continues to hate her mother and consider him to be a sap. While Dad was focused almost exclusively on business, Mom was stepping out on him with a local real-estate salesman. Stunned, he makes a beeline for the home of his in-laws, who also neglected to inform him of his wife’s affairs and unhappiness. With so many different individual characters already involved directly in the narrative, it’s a small miracle that so many of them are accorded memorable moments of their own. This includes the eldest daughter’s pothead boyfriend (Nick Krause), whose evolution from doofus to King’s confidante is delightful to watch.

Besides possessing a gift for finding extraordinary qualities in ordinary people, Payne has located and successfully exploited the qualities that make the locations of his stories unique. The portrait he paints of Hawaii and its permanent residents effectively captures both their obsessively hang-loose lifestyle and the chinks in the state’s heaven-on-Earth façade. It could hardly be more dissimilar to the one he sketched of California’s Central Coast and wine fascism (“Sideways”) and those of the aggressively forthright and unabashedly hypocritical – but, in a nice way — citizens of the American heartland (“Primary,” “Citizen Ruth,” “About Schmidt”). Not many movies have as distinct a sense of place as “The Descendants” and the credit for that belongs to Hemmings, who imbued Payne and the cast with the native “aloha spirit.” For his part, Clooney looks exactly like the kind of middle-aged guy who grew up in Hawaii and sees it less as paradise than as the place where his chickens come home to roast every night. Not so much his daughters, who mostly take the islands’ splendor for granted. By the time the movie reaches its climax, we care as much about the fate of the disputed chunk of land as the cousins and marvel at the distance traveled by the Kings in such a short time and over such rough terrain. The Blu-ray adds several deleted scenes, with introductions by Payne; seven behind-the-scenes featurettes of varying degrees of value; a trio of music videos; a silent-era travelogue, “The World Parade: Hawaii”; and an amusing conversation with George Clooney and Alexander Payne. Also excellent in the ensemble cast are Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Rob Huebel and Robert Forster, as King’s thoroughly unlikeable ex-Marine father-in-law. – Gary Dretzka

My Week with Marilyn: Blu-ray
At 31, Michelle Williams already has three Oscar and a pair of BAFTA nominations to her credit and a bunch of Independent Spirit trophies and nominations for films going back to 2004’s “Land of Plenty.” Her myriad choices reveal a degree of confidence that borders on fearlessness. Only time will tell if she’ll be accorded the same royal status as Meryl Streep and Glenn Close, who keep piling up nominations and awards simply for gracing the screen with their presence. As long as Williams continues to challenge herself with clever scripts and fascinating characters, I don’t see why not. In “My Week With Marilyn,” Williams takes on one of the most complex and thoroughly enigmatic women in show-business history. She doesn’t try to explain or mimic Marilyn and, yet, there are moments when we can read in her portrayal of Hollywood’s greatest tragic figure both the joy that comes with impromptu adulation and the pain of being perceived as a mindless sex doll, to be used and abused by the media, her industry and men who treat her as trophy fuck. At the same time, Williams makes us see how Monroe could be her own worst enemy, putting herself in harm’s way when avoiding a collision would have been the more sensible option. “My Week With Marilyn” locates the star at the precise moment, we’re told, that she was at the emotional zenith of her career and, possibly, her life. She’d recently married playwright Arthur Miller and felt as if working in England with Laurence Olivier would validate everything she hoped to accomplish during her time at the Actor’s Studio. Apparently, though, what the Strasbergs neglected to teach her was the ability to discern the difference between projects that can sustain the Method approach and those that simply require one to show up for work on time, hit your marks and read your lines. “The Prince and the Showgirl,” a light period romance, was the perfect example of the latter. Even so, Monroe felt it necessary to be joined outside London by a visibly bored Miller and Paula Strasberg, whose advice to Olivier could be boiled down to, “Let Marilyn be Marilyn, until Marilyn is ready to become your ‘showgirl.’” Naturally, that approach didn’t cut much ice with the traditionally trained Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). I’m no psychiatrist, but it seems as if the angels and demons residing Monroe’s head rarely could agree on where they wanted to her to be on any given day. Without a prescribed sense of purpose and direction, Monroe floundered. Williams allows us to weigh both sides of her bipolar equation.

“My Week With Marilyn” was adapted from a memoir written many years after the fact by Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a third assistant director – a.k.a., go-for – assigned specifically to somehow keep Monroe on an even keel. In doing so, the recent university graduate won her over with his innocence and sincere concern for her well-being. He was the kind of a friend who happily took her on sight-seeing trips and didn’t paw at her whenever he got within two feet of that world-famous bosom. Even if they hadn’t slept together – and it’s never made precisely clear that they did anything, besides sleep together – Monroe’s brief respite from pain and anxiety would have qualified as the greatest moment in any young man’s life. (The son of historian Sir Kenneth Clark, he would go on to be a successful documentarian and author.) Williams captures the star’s many highs and lows with equal dexterity, finally charming Olivier with comedic chops no acting coach could have taught her. Except for one or two scenes, “The Prince and the Showgirl” is an eminently forgettable confection that’s more of a footnote than a career landmark for either actor. Similarly, without Williams and Branagh’s splendid contributions, “My Week With Marilyn” might be just another Lifetime movie. The Blu-ray adds the making-of featurette, “The Untold Story of an American Icon,” with background material and interesting interviews with Branagh, Williams, Judi Dench and other co-stars, as well as commentary with director Simon Curtis. – Gary Dretzka

Young Adult: Blu-ray
Almost none of the movies released in 2011 scored better reviews from established critics than Jason Reitman’s “Young Adult.” Even so, it was stiffed by Academy Award voters, who ignored noteworthy performances by Charlize Theron and Patton Oswald and Diablo Cody’s imaginatively caustic original screenplay. I’m guessing that members were intimidated by a movie that failed to wear its genre on its sleeve and refused to insult its audience by offering phony redemption and a happy ending. Judging from how many different examples of the poster art I’ve seen – the DVD and Blu-ray editions have different covers, as well — it’s likely that Paramount’s marketing team struggled with its mission to identify an audience and sell those viewers a comedy so dark it’s a drama … that’s also kind of funny. It’s interesting that Cody’s name appears on the front cover of the Blu-ray jacket, while Theron and a cute little puppy alone are required to sell the DVD. Are hi-def advocates somehow more hip to the nuances than DVD buyers? I doubt it. As noted on the theatrical posters I’ve seen, Cody and Reitman partnered previously on “Juno,” another movie that defied easy pigeonholing, but benefitted from its likable characters. Reitman’s other features, “Thank You for Smoking” and “Up in the Air” also required some work on the audience’s part to enjoy.

As we’ve learned, as well, the mere presence of a “bankable” star no longer assures even a solid opening weekend. Theron may have bombshell good looks, but, to her credit, it’s impossible to pin her down as an actor. She’s never been afraid to assume the identity of horrifying criminals (“Monster”) and unglamorous blue-collar types (“North Country”) and, here, we knew from the commercials that her character was going to be messed up in some way. Known primarily for his standup comedy, Oswald has distinguished himself playing the frumpy sidekick or a pitiable loser. Anyone who’s seen him in “United States of Tara” or “Big Fan,” though, already knows he’s a terrific actor. Patrick Wilson has also done much fine work in interesting projects, but his name on a poster rarely has meant anything commercially, one way or another. The television ads and trailers accentuated the movie’s edgy humor and the potential for offbeat romance, without acknowledging its toxic heart. “Young Adult” was destined to become a textbook case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t. For audiences who don’t mind having their expectations challenged, however, “Young Adult” is a must-see in Blu-ray, DVD or VOD.

Theron’s Mavis is a celebrated author of teen lit, deflated by a recent divorce and tantalized by the news that her high school flame has become a father for the first time. With the concept for a book already percolating in her devious mind, she drives to her small Minnesota hometown of Mercury for the first time in years. Mavis wouldn’t be the first person to return home and find more comfort in a bottle of booze than the house in which she once lived and, the drunker she gets, the more dangerous she becomes. On her first night in town, Mavis shares a drink or two with an old acquaintance, Matt (Oswald), who has more reason to be bitter about his high school experience than she does. Bullied by jocks, who assumed he was gay, Matt finally was left in a wheelchair after taking a beating. He would seem to be the perfect ally for Mavis’ plan to steal back her former boyfriend – and, in doing so, shock the good citizens of tiny Mercury – but, eventually, even he is appalled by her ferocity. Wilson plays the ex-boyfriend, Buddy, who’s too dense to understand the forces at play around him. Neither is his wife, Beth (Elizabeth Reaser) immediately suspicious of Mavis. The only person who’s fully conscious of the potential for disaster here is her mother, nicely played by Jill Eikenberry. Everything else in the story leads to the baby’s “naming ceremony,” where Mavis plans to announce to the gathering of friends and relatives that Buddy has agreed to join her in the Twin Cities, along with the child. Somehow, though, Buddy’s missed all of Mavis’ signals and has no more intention of splitting Mercury than she has of making a fool of herself. Somehow, Theron, Reitman and Cody find ways make us laugh at Mavis’ impertinence, without being required to sympathize with her. The Blu-ray adds deleted scenes; commentary by Reitman; a making-of featurette, with on-set interviews; a deconstruction of a key scene; an overly fawning interview by critic Janet Maslin of Reitman; and a UV digital copy. – Gary Dretzka

The Adventures of Tintin: Blu-ray
Wizards: 35th Anniversary Edition: Blu-ray
Happy Feet Two: Blu-ray
In the hands of producer Peter Jackson and director Steven Spielberg, “The Adventures of Tintin” is a thoroughly enjoyable, if not particularly memorable adaptation of the celebrated comic-book adventures of a young reporter and his intrepid dog, Snowy, by the Belgian artist and writer Hergé. Employing performance-capture and CGI technology to retain the comic-strip texture, it combines the stories “The Secret of the Unicorn,” “Red Rackham’s Treasure” and “The Crab With the Golden Claws.” It opens in a bustling Brussels market, where Tintin falls in love with a model of the seagoing vessel, Unicorn, and purchases it moments before two other suitors offer even more money for it. Before long, it becomes clear that the model ship is valuable for something other than its interest to hobbyists. After his home is ransacked and the ship stolen, Tintin visits the stacks of the Royal Navy Research Archive to research its fate. The evidence leads him to a cargo ship skippered by the rum-soaked Captain Haddock, whose grandfather piloted the Unicorn until it was sunk in battle with pirates. Sakharine, the likely suspect in the break-in at Tintin’s house, is on the same ship as Haddock and seems intent on hijacking it. Turns out, Sakharine is the grandson of the pirate who attacked the Unicorn in pursuit of the fortune he believed to be stored in its hold. All these years later, the grandsons are in pursuit of the same sunken ship, but require three more pieces of the puzzle to locate it. The search takes them from Europe to northern Africa, where Tintin, Snowy and Haddock find themselves stranded on a sea of sand and a wealthy Moroccan potentate is in possession of the second model of the Unicorn. After locating the scroll inside the ship’s mast, a hawk trained by Sakharine grabs it from Tintin’s hand. It leads to a terrifically exciting chase through the streets of the port city.

While “The Adventures of Tintin” is inarguably impressive as an entertainment and technological achievement, I couldn’t help but wonder what prompted Spielberg to direct it, instead of co-producing with Jackson. After all, he already had his hands full with “War Horse” and preproduction for “Lincoln” and “Robopocalypse,” and he certainly doesn’t need the bread. The estimated $130-million budget probably was too Spielbergian for his ego to resist, however. For that amount of money and the cachet of the director and producer on full display in ads, it’s likely American audiences, at least, expected something quite a bit more magical than simply a commendable reworking of a European comic strip. Last year, Shout! Factory got a jump on the project by releasing on DVD the first season of the traditionally animated “Adventures of Tintin,” which aired on HBO in 1991. (The second season is on tap for next week.) That seems to me, at least, to be the proper scale for “Tintin.” But, hey, give Spielberg an “A” for effort. There’s certainly no criticizing the quality of the animation and storytelling on display, and the voice actors (Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones, Cary Elwes among them) earned their paychecks. If there is to be a sequel, as envisioned, his team probably will be able to step into the master’s shoes and not miss a step, even on half the budget.

The Blu-ray’s bonus package is a treasure trove for viewers of all ages. The featurettes help explain how the special effects were achieved and fill in the blanks of the characters’ backgrounds. They include, “The Who’s Who of Tintin”; “‘Tintin: Conceptual Design”; “Tintin: In the Volume,” a detailed look inside the 3D box in which the human performances were captured on film; “Snowy: From Beginning to End,” on the brilliant canine companion; “Animating ‘Tintin,’” which describes the animation process that follows the performance captures; pieces on John Williams’ score and Tintin collectibles; and “The Journey to Tintin,” in which Spielberg and Jackson recall how they were introduced to Tintin. (Spielberg discusses his first exposure to the character, through European critics who referenced the strip in their reviews of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”) I haven’t seen the 3D edition, but can’t imagine it being all that much better than the Blu-ray 2D

It’s interesting that Ralph Bakshi’s “Wizards: 35th Anniversary Edition” is being released simultaneously with “The Adventures of Tintin” and so quickly after the arrival of Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo.” One of the true pioneers of modern animation, Bakshi became the first old-school animator to create feature films — “Fritz the Cat,” “Heavy Traffic,” “Coonskin” — relevant to the generation of young people who came of age in the 1960s, but cut their teeth on new and re-released Disney movies. Perhaps taking a cue from Disney’s experimental “Fantasia,” the Brooklyn-raised filmmaker also was one of the first to make rock, jazz and R&B music as integral a part of his movies as any character. Adults weren’t merely the target audience for such entertainments, they were the only people allowed to see them. Based on its subject matter, language and cartoon sex, “Fritz the Cat” has the distinction of being the first animated film to be rated “X” and gross more than $100 million. (This was before the introduction of NC-17. The DVD would go out unrated.) “Wizards” would be different than those three movies in that it was a post-apocalyptic fantasy and, although violent, rated PG. If it’s less known than other of Bakshi’s movies, it’s only because after opening well, it would be dwarfed a week later by the release of “Star Wars.” “Wizards” is set many millennia after the population of Earth is decimated by a nuclear holocaust. Those few who survive have evolved into elves, fairies and grotesque humanoids, and a battle between twin spirits, representing good and evil, looms on the horizon. The forces of evil are inspired by newly recovered films that date back to the Nazi propaganda machine. Budgetary restraints required of Bakshi that he employ economic rotoscoping techniques and film stock of battle scenes from older movies. As such, some critics of the DVD and Blu-ray have slammed “Wizards” for looking hopelessly old-fashioned, bordering on primitive. Considering the context of its origins, however, its vintage didn’t bother me. Bakshi forcefully defends the process and the results in his commentary. What does survive is a singular dystopian vision that has influenced an entire generation of disaster geeks. The Blu-ray package includes a 24-page collectible book packaging; Bakshi’s commentary; the bio-featurette, “Ralph Bakshi: The Wizard of Animation”; and a still gallery.

“Happy Feet Two” is a perfectly amiable sequel to the very successful “Happy Feet,” which, itself, was inspired by the surprise hit documentary, “March of the Penguins.” Although more expensive than both of its predecessors combined, “Happy Feet Two” returned only a third as much as the first feature and $8,000 less than U.S. revenues for the documentary. I’m no mathematician, but those numbers tell me that any “Happy Feet Three” will be released straight-to-DVD and without most of its A-list voicing talent. As the story goes, the male child of Mumble (Elijah Wood) and Gloria (Pink) has not inherited his parents’ happy feet. Instead, Erik (Ava Acres) is determined to fly, like the puffin Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria). Naturally, this disturbs his parents, but not as much as a seismic disturbance that causes a glacier to shift, trapping Gloria and many other emperor penguins without food. At one point, a live-action rescue team of live-action humans appears on the icy cliffs above the penguins, but just as quickly disappears, never to be heard from again. Ultimately, an army of elephant seals is trained to use their happy flippers to thunderously reverse the damage caused by the earthquake. In a completely different story, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon lead a revolt of bright orange krill. These sequences looked spectacular on my Blu-ray. Considering the budget, backers of “Happy Feet Two” probably relied too heavily on young children for its box-office appeal. The music’s is fun, without being memorable, but the animal characters are too reliant on pop-cultural references and scatology to impress older viewers. It arrives with bonus features, “Helping Penguins and Pals,” “How to Draw a Penguin,” “I Taut I Taw a Putty Tat,” “Running with Boadicea,” “The Amazing Voices of ‘Happy Feet Two,’” three sing-a-longs and a video of Pink’s new song. – Gary Dretzka

The Three Musketeers: Blu-ray
Alexandre Dumas’ classic swashbuckler, “The Three Musketeers,” has been adapted for the large and small screens more than 30 times, with the 1973 Richard Lester edition being the one against which all others are now measured. In an interview included in the Blu-ray package, horror specialist Paul W.S. Anderson admits as much, while recalling how he was inspired to create a new one, anyway. It boils down to his desire to cast as D’Artagnan an actor under 20, as Dumas intended, and a balls-out action flick in luscious, historically accurate locations. I’m guessing that Anderson also was anxious to use all of the new digital tools available to him, given a $75 million budget. This time around, the aspiring musketeer is played by the relatively unknown American actor Logan Lerman, while Athos, Aramis and Porthos are portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans and Ray Stevens, respectively. Brits Orlando Bloom and Freddie Fox assume the roles of the Duke of Buckingham and King Louis XIII, and Germans Til Schweiger and Christoph Waltz and Dane Matts Mikkelsen fill out the male cast. It’s the women, Milla Jovovich, Gabriella Wilde, Helen George and Juno Temple, however, who steal most of the scenes they share with the men. None of the actors, though, is given enough meat to satisfy adults for very long in this oft-told tale.

Although it’s rated PG-13, there’s nothing in “The Three Musketeers” to concern parents, unless it’s a fear of exposing tween-age males to the existence of women so far out of their league that they might forsake any thought of pursuing the perfect woman. No sense destroying a boy’s enthusiasm for the hunt before it’s even begun. Most will happily settle for enjoying Anderson’s deft touch at creating fantastic flying machines and fight scenes that owe as much to James Bond, “The Wild Wild West” and Hong Kong-style martial arts as anything in Dumas. The swordplay is lots of fun to watch; the costumes are splendidly conceived; and the Bavarian settings are out of fairytale. The movie didn’t do very well in the U.S., although I suspect that the largely European cast helped drive ticket sales overseas. Whether they were enough to green-light the planned sequels right now is anyone’s guess. The Blu-ray 2D bonus package adds commentary, in which Anderson discusses “reinventing the Dumas story in a post-‘Matrix’ world”; deleted and extended scenes; interesting picture-in-picture background material; and several too-short featurettes. I can’t vouch for the 3D, but can see how it might look impressive. – Gary Dretzka

House of Pleasures
Every couple of years, police in New York and Los Angeles uncover a prostitution operation that’s been prospering under their noses by catering to some of the cities’ wealthiest and most influential men, including lawmakers and politicians. The tabloid press eats it up, of course, even as replacement operations are gearing up to claim the suddenly underserviced customers and unemployed working girls. I suspect that the turn-of-the-(last)-century Parisian brothel in which “House of Pleasures” is set is what most men would consider to be the perfect house away from home … a refuge from all women, except the ones who don’t say “no.” It goes without saying that the girls are gorgeous and sexually proficient. More than that, though, they’re friendly and flattering; know how and when to breathe new life into a dying conversation; agree to all requests, unless the money isn’t right; and a gentleman isn’t given the bum’s rush once he’s been satisfied. The needle that will pop most men’s balloons here is learning that the women of the “L’Apollonide are little more than indentured servants, in debt to Madam Marie-France. The madam keeps a running tally of what’s owed to her for opium, clothes, cosmetics and hygienic products, such as they were in 1900. If any of the women dare voice their disapproval of the deal, Marie-France need only threaten to “sell” them to a bordello owner in Marseilles.

Unlike the ladies we meet in sex-umentaries on HBO, the prostitutes in Bertrand Bonello’s “House of Pleasures” (a.k.a., “House of Tolerance”) don’t have meters implanted in their heads, measuring time in half-hour increments. Neither do they engage in cat fights or throw hissy fits when they’re aced out by the new girl on the block. In fact, they’re downright friendly and helpful to each other when the chips are down. They understand that their options are limited to one – streetwalking — and appreciate having a roof over their heads, being able to dress like ladies and tricks who bathe regularly. Here, at least, they’ll meet handsome, intelligent and wealthy men who give them some faint hope for freedom through marriage or the money to pay off their debt. Bonello is quick to emphasize the camaraderie and esprit de corps that, all things being equal, allows them to survive. The greatest kindness is shown to a popular prostitute, Madeleine, known as “the Jewess,” whose face is disfigured by a knife-happy client. Instead of being tossed to the curb like a piece of damaged luggage, Marie-France allows her to stay on in the house, doing odd chores and counseling the other gals. She avoids the lineups, but makes herself available for “special” engagements as “the woman who laughs.” We also watch the prostitutes rally around a colleague slowly dying of the syphilis.

Most of the gentlemen we meet in “House of Pleasures” live off inherited wealth or are adept at one lucrative profession or another. Even so, they tend to be as dim and debauched as a hooker married to her opium pipe. In 1900, all that was required of most noblemen and learned men was that they keep their names out of the papers and not squander the family fortune. Even the occasional psychopath was tolerated, if he didn’t continue to damage the merchandise. Finally, though, it isn’t the freaks or disease that puts the bordello at risk. It’s the rising cost of maintaining a discrete business on a good street. After teasing his narrative with songs that wouldn’t be written for several decades, Bonello ends his story on an ironic note. In a quick cut to the distant future, we watch as a familiar looking prostitute steps out of a customer’s car and returns to the stroll, showing how little actually changes for working girls. In a nice narrative touch, the filmmaker keeps something terribly wicked up his sleeve for the slimeball who disfigured Madeleine, yet kept showing up at the house. I don’t know if anyone in France considers Bonello to be the male equivalent of Catherine Breillat, but here and in such provocative films as “The Pornographer,” he definitely has had interesting things to say about sex and commerce. The DVD adds casting sessions with the women portraying the prostitutes and interviews. They’re all splendid in roles that demanded much of them. – Gary Dretzka

The Women on the 6th Floor
In the movies, great cities rarely show their true age. The Manhattan of “Manhattan,” for example, looks much the same today as it did when it was profiled by Woody Allen. As others continue to point out, as well, the Paris of “Paris Street, Rainy Day” remains easily recognizable 135 years after Gustave Caillebotte first committed it to canvas, dot by pointillist dot. Ditto, for the Rome of “La Dolce Vita” and 65 Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, of “Upstairs, Downstairs.” As Jacques Tati reminded us in “Play Time” and “Mon Oncle,” it’s only on the edges of these eternal cities that dramatic changes can be found. I only mention this because of my confusion over the Paris described in Philippe Le Guay and co-writer Jerome Tonnerre’s gentle period farce, “The Women on the 6th Floor.” It’s the 1960s, but nowhere to be seen are the street barricades and calls for revolution, as are the mini-skirts and blue jeans favored by young people no longer impressed by haute couture. It wasn’t until the movie was nearly over that I guessed what French audiences and American Francophiles probably had already assumed, that “The Women on the 6th Floor” recalls a time when people all over the world were asking themselves whether the mainstream was somewhere they wanted to be and if, by steadfastly maintaining the status quo, they might be complicit in some crime against humanity. Just such a sea change is experienced by Jean-Louis Joubert (Fabrice Luchini), an uptight stockbroker who doesn’t realize how miserable he is until his snooty wife gets a bug up her ass and fires their longtime family maid. He’s thrown a lifesaver when she hires an attractive Spanish housekeeper, Maria (Natalia Verbeke). Through Maria, Joubert is introduced to a small community of maids from a country where poor people can’t afford to be obsessed with money, status and bourgeois diversions. Unbeknownst to both of the Jouberts, several of the Spanish women live directly above them, in the servants’ quarters on the 6th Floor of the posh apartment building he owns.

The Jouberts are strict but not uncaring employers. Once discovered, Jean-Louis allows the women to use the family phone to maintain contact with relatives in Spain, and, while still in the dark, Suzanne (Sandrine Kiberlain) encourages Maria to take advantage of the apartment’s modern plumbing. The women’s optimism has a transformational effect on Jean-Louis, who immediately improves their living quarters and gives them solid advice. Naturally, he begins to fall in love with Maria, who has problems of her own back home. It isn’t until his two sons return from boarding school and begin bossing around Maria that Jean-Louise decides that they probably wouldn’t benefit as human beings from automatically being handed the reins of the family business. Instead, he moves into the maids’ quarters and begins the process of becoming Spanish. Even if it seems a tad unfair to Suzanne, who’s only guilty of behaving in a way Jean-Louis expected a woman of her stature to act, we’re happy for him. When Maria moves back to Spain to reconnect with her son, all of the Jouberts are affected in one way or another. “Women on the 6th Floor” is entertaining without being frothy or manipulative. Indeed, plenty of previously hide-bound adults were profoundly changed by things that happened in the 1960s, some of which couldn’t be attributed to psychedelics or liberation politics. Fans of French comedies should find something to love on the 6th Floor. – Gary Dretzka

The Sweet Season
This gently affecting documentary answers the musical question, “Whatever happened to those darling musicians from Ireland, I think, who sang that nice song on the Oscars a couple of years ago?” For the record, that melodious duo was comprised of Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard and they sang the 2008 Academy Award-winning song, “Falling Slowly,” from “Once,” the low-budget indie that introduced them to the non-Irish world. Not surprisingly, that appearance made Marketa and Glen overnight stars around the world. Millions more people became fans on the night they performed on stage in Hollywood’s Kodak Theater than had seen John Carney’s heartwarming musical romance in theaters. (The already-released DVD would benefit the most from the magical moment on stage.) “The Sweet Season” reminds us of Marketa’s inspiring acceptance speech, “This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just the proof that no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up.” Fair play, indeed. Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ documentary tags along with the duo on several subsequent tours, during which they experience for the first time the frequently suffocating adulation that accompanies any such phenomenon. Suddenly, they were the toast of every town in which they appeared. Fans not only stood in line for autographs, but also the opportunity to bend their ears about how the music forever changed the course of their lives. The local media at each stop on the road pressed Marketa and Glen for morsels of gossip not already widely disseminated.

At first, of course, it was fun. After a while, though, the pressure would get to Marketa, who, at 16, met her future partner at a concert in her native Czechoslovakia and followed him to Ireland. “Once” made them the most famous buskers in the world. Seventeen years older than Marketa, Glen was already something of a road warrior when they set out to exploit their 15 minutes of fame. In his mind, the hysteria served to validate the hard work it took for him finally to become a star. Marketa played along for as long as she could stand it and split before things got too weird. “The Sweet Season” deftly captures both the on-stage chemistry they shared and the devolution of their off-stage relationship. It seems to begin after Glen attempts to put his career in perspective for his parents, who worship the ground upon which he walks. It’s a tough scene to watch, especially because we know that Glen’s dead is an alcoholic and soon will die of cancer. His son’s Oscar was the highlight in a life that started out promising, but fell into disrepair when abruptly ended his boxing career. Watching Marketa’s reaction to Glen’s insensitivity is similarly wrenching. Blessedly, the directors elected not to dwell on the discordant moments, allowing the lyrics of their newly written songs to tell the story. Nothing explosive or jarring … life would go on and we’d still have the music. “The Sweet Season” is intimate, without being intrusive, and informed by some wonderful songs. The DVD adds deleted scenes and extended concert footage. – Gary Dretzka

La Terra Trema
Bellissima
La Visita
Young, Violent, Dangerous
The latest shipments of post-war Italian movies from Entertainment One and Raro Video contain some prime examples of neo-realism, commedia all’italiana and Italo-crime, all rarely shown in the U.S. Released in 1948, Luchino Visconti’s “La Terra Trema” is both a heart-breaking example of post-war neorealism and a curious choice for an aristocrat-turned-communist. The setting is a Sicilian fishing village, whose residents live and die by the bounty of a fickle sea. Even on a good day, however, the fishermen are nickeled and dimed by the kind of wholesalers who’ve cheated poor workers for centuries. The practice is so engrained in the culture that the locals have stopped questioning it. Their resistance to change is challenged by a soldier, who, after seeing how people in the rest of Italy conduct business, convinces family members to invest in a strategy designed to bypass the thieves. Just when it looks as if the scheme might bear fruit, a devastating storm nearly destroys the family boat and all of its equipment is lost. Ntoni was advised not to go out in testy weather, but even one day without income could prove disastrous for a family living on the edge. Instead of supporting their neighbor, all of the other fishermen take the opportunity to mock him and insist that his hubris could have cost all of them their livelihoods. Too proud to accept a place on the boats owned by one of the wholesalers, Ntoni turns to booze and a bland acceptance of his pitiful condition. When it becomes clear that Ntoni won’t be able to honor the terms of a second mortgage, Ntoni’s brother leaves home to work with smugglers supplying black-market profiteers, a sister turns to penny-ante prostitution, another sister’s humiliation deprives her of an opportunity to accept the love of a hard-working mason, his ailing father is shipped to a hospital in another city and a younger brother is given a cruel lesson in life. Viewers know that Ntoni is an honorable man and, if it weren’t for this twist of fate, his plan might have worked for the betterment of the community. If “La Terra Trema” had been produced in the Soviet Union at the same time, the other fishermen would have rallied around their fallen comrade and banished the wholesalers from the pier, allowing them to find success in a communal marketplace. That the opposite happens in Visconti’s operatic social tragedy makes one wonder what he had in mind, unless it was to outrage his out-of-touch countrymen who munched on their sardines, oblivious to the conditions endured by the fishermen. Among the decisions that contributed to the movie’s strength was Visconti’s determination to cast non-actors and retain the Aci Trezza location.

Three years later, Visconti would merge neorealism with satire in “Bellissima.” It features a tour de force performance by Anna Magnani as a fame-obsessed stage mother, whose only moderately talented daughter becomes a pawn in a game designed to impress studio executives looking for the next big child star. Magnani’s Maddalena Ciccone is so self-centered and determined to win the contest that she fails to notice how much pain she’s causing little Maria and her husband, Spartaco, whose dreams of building a house for them diminishes with every dollar Maddalena spends on photographs, costumes and bribes. In Magnani’s hands, Maddalena makes all off the stage mothers you’ve seen in the movies and on television reality shows look like amateurs. The portrayals of studio executives and hangers-on are exaggerated, of course, but not so much as to be unrecognizable by anyone who’s ever had the misfortune of dealing with such weasels. The mass call for talent is a veritable three-ring circus of cynical filmmakers, rabid stage moms and almost impossibly precocious children. Combine the early rounds of “American Idol” with “Toddlers and Tiaras” and you’ll have an idea of what happens on the Cinecitta stage. Back home in their tenement apartment, Maddalena and Spartaco do their best imitation of Ralph and Alice Kramden.

In “La Visita” (“The Visitor”), two lonely people from different parts of Italy attempt to make a love connection through ads in a magazine’s Lonely Hearts column. The bubbly and highly personable Pina (Sandra Milo) is a thirtysomething northerner, who resembles Judy Holliday crossed with Bette Midler. Neat and efficient Adolfo works in a book store in Rome, where he’s admired by no one, and looks a bit like a bespectacled John Hillerman. They meet for the first time at the train station near her village, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else from birth and the local nutcases are treated as tourist attractions. Their differences are apparent immediately. Where Pina is vivacious and outgoing, Adolfo is uptight and quiet. She lives in a cottage otherwise populated by a singing parrot, a small tortoise and a lazy dog. He’s unnerved by animals. Our perceptions of both of them will change gradually as we get to know the characters – he’s a drunk and lecher, she’s involved in an affair with a married truck driver – but not so much that we don’t find room in our hearts for them. Indeed, in certain key ways, they complement each other. In the short run, though, Pina is made to feel uneasy by all the attention Adolfo pays to the teenage granddaughter of her maid. The girl is right out of the pages of “Lolita” and knows exactly how to flout her assets in private and public. Another potential problem arises when Adolfo suggests that he’d love to open a book shop in a small village like the one in which Pina grew up, while she is looking forward to experiencing big-city diversions. Milo is a blast to watch, as she goes about her chores in a comical rush and attempts to rinse the starch out Adolfo’s sails. “La Visita” was directed and co-written by Antonio Pietrangeli, one of the unsung heroes of Italian post-war cinema, from a story by Gino De Santis, Ettore Scola and Ruggero Macarri. In the interviews included in the DVD, we learn how rare it was for women to land such substantial comic roles in movies of the period.

“Young, Violent, Dangerous” was written primarily by “master of mafia mayhem” Fernando Di Leo, from a novel by Milanese crime specialist Giorgio Scerbanenci. No stranger to exploitation flicks, himself, director Romolo Guerrieri had by 1976 successfully made the transition from spaghetti westerns, including Johnny Yuma, to Italo-crime (a.k.a., poliziottesco). This collaboration is considered to be a minor-grade action movie, interesting primarily for the behind-the-camera talent and Cuban-American actor Thomas Millian’s formidable presence as police commissioner. In a scenario that recalls Roger Corman, “Young, Violent, Dangerous” tells the story of a trio of trigger-happy young punks whose plans for a simple bank heist are altered after a murderous shootout at a gas station with police, during which several bystanders also are killed. The cops had already been tipped by one of the guy’s girlfriends, who, knowing that trouble was brewing, hoped they could nip it in the bud and save the guy from a prison sentence. The intensity of the car chases increases as the trio closes in on the Swiss border. The digitally enhanced DVD adds the documentary, “Ragazzi Fuoro,” and access to a PDF booklet with critical analysis. – Gary Dretzka

Loosies
As portrayed by writer/star Peter Facinelli, Bobby is a pickpocket so skillful at his game that he’s able to steal the shield of a NYPD detective (Michael Madsen) without him being aware of its absence. If nothing else, the theft guarantees the young man will be hounded by police throughout the rest of the movie. Bobby seems to enjoy his work, insisting at one point that he only steals from people who seem as if they can afford the loss. The problem is that he can’t quit, even if he so desired, because he’s inherited a huge debt left behind by his father, a degenerate gambler. The shylock (Vincent Gallo) has Bobby by the balls and is concerned that he might lead the cop with the lost shield to his lair. Complicating things even further is the re-appearance in his life of a pretty one-night stand, Lucy (Jamie Alexander), who informs him that she’s pregnant and he supplied the sperm. Being a standup guy, he offers to pay for an abortion. When they get to the clinic, however, he not only changes his tune about fatherhood, but also is mugged while arguing with Lucy and is chased through the facility by the cop and his cronies. If that weren’t enough baggage, Facinelli demands of his character that he react strongly to his mother’s blossoming romance with a diamond merchant and all-around nice guy played by Joe Pantoliano. When it comes time to pull all of the disparate storylines together, Facinelli deftly conceives a device that requires the participation of all of the key characters and a few of the lesser ones. It’s a nifty conclusion, well worth the time and head-scratching required to get there. The title, “Loosies,” refers to the New York tradition of being able to buy individual cigarettes at magazine stands and bars. – Gary Dretzka

Screwball: The Ted Whitfield Story
A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed a do-it-yourself comedy, “Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury,”
which employed several actors and writers also responsible “Screwball: The Ted Whitfield Story.” While not exactly a laugh riot, when compared to “Screwball,” “Poolboy” might as well have been made by Mel Brooks. Writer Ross Patterson stars as the title character, whose claim to fame is that he’s the greatest living player of wiffleball and during the baseball strike of 1994, whiffleball briefly replaced it as the national pastime. (It takes place on a triangular playing field, upon which batters holding a long, thin wooden stick attempt to hit a hollow, aerated plastic ball past markers representing bases.) In effect, Ted Whitfield is a trailer-park version of Barry Bonds, with the same power and steroids habit. Patterson and director Tommy Reid chronicle Whitfield’s various bad habits and how the end of the strike impacted his legend. Their first mistake, however, was limiting Whitfield to a precise and practically meaningless time frame. Fact is, whiffle leagues and national tournaments actually do exist and a storyline could have been written around the pursuit of a championship, not unlike “Kingpin” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” That, or having Whitfield compete against big-leaguers during the strike. As it is, “Screwball” lacks much reason to exist. – Gary Dretzka

Absentia
The Burning Moon
One thing upon which most horror fans can agree is that a movie can be creepy without also being gory and gory movies aren’t necessarily scary. Here are two movies that I’d use as examples of those beliefs. Mike Flanagan’s “Absentia,” which has made the rounds of dozens of horror film festivals, now hopes to make its case in DVD. Made on a budget of about $70,000, much of which was funded by Kickstarter.com donors, “Absentia” has received sensational reviews from bloggers and other indie critics. Spending millions of dollars on a marketing campaign for a theatrical release would have proven counterproductive as it isn’t anywhere as new and different as, say, “The Blair Witch Project,” which, too, was creepy without being gory. That’s a long way of saying that genre fans ought to consider taking a shot on it in the video store or from a subscription service. Indies need your love and support as much the folks who wasted your time on “Twilight: Breaking Down.” Here, a woman whose husband has been missing for seven years petitions to have him declared dead, in absentia. She’s pregnant and wants to get on with her new life. Her sister, a dedicated jogger, has come to live with her in the months leading up to the birth of her child. One day, while running through a tunnel that connects one side of the freeway to the other, the sister spots a man who looks half-dead lying on his side. She decides to offer the man a plate of food, an act of kindness that coincides with appearances of spectral figures in the mirrors and odd corners of their house. They occur with such frequency that the pregnant sister is able to ignore them after a while, a luxury easily frightened viewers aren’t accorded. Then, no sooner does the ink dry on the death certificate than her missing husband stumbles down the street to her home, bruised and bloody. And, no, he has no idea where’s been, either. Apparently, such disappearances have been happening with some regularity since the construction of the freeway and police only now are putting 2 and 2 together. Anyone familiar with “Three Billy Goats Gruff” will have a leg up on understanding the mystery. The DVD adds a worthwhile making-of featurette.

Conversely, “The Burning Moon” is gory, disgusting and not all that scary. Made in 1997, German splatter specialist Olaf Ittenbach cut his teeth in the industry on “The Burning Moon” and it shows. There’s a story or two here somewhere, but I’ll be damned if I can summarize them. I know that they involve several Teutonic slackers and dopefiends, the occasional escaped psychopath and deranged priest, and a Satanist or two, and one of the storylines appears to have been inspired by Warren Zevon’s “Excitable Boy.” Basically, though, the story is what happens in between the disembowelments, extractions, gouging, beheadings and bisections. That, of course, is what the people in the cheap seats pay to see. Ittenbach has benefitted from once having the movie banned, ensuring cult status and much positive word-of-mouth among genre fanatics. On the Intervision DVD, the movie probably looks and sounds as good as it ever has, but this isn’t saying a lot. Gore fans will want to stay tuned for the lengthy making-of piece. – Gary Dretzka

Bag It
Fresh
Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to be admonished by George Costanza and Michael Moore simultaneously? I hadn’t either, until I put on the green documentary “Bag It” and experienced such an unspeakable horror first-hand. It’s not pretty. The star of Suzan Beraza and Michelle Curry Wright’s film is a nebbishy “ordinary guy” named Jeb Berrier who bangs on viewers like Jerry Seinfeld’s annoying pal, but leavens his preachy delivery with the same fact-based message and snarky humor as Moore. When he isn’t lecturing folks on the evils of petroleum-based products and plastic bags, Berrier can be found in such scream-queen movies as “Die, Garage Band, Die” (a.k.a., “Azira: Blood From the Sand”) and “Satan Hates You.” Berrier has the great, good fortune of living and acting in Telluride, the kind of pristine habitat even Rush Limbaugh might hate to see polluted with free-floating shopping bags and empty pop bottles. In “Bag It,” his message is every bit that simple: if people in Telluride, Seattle, San Francisco and dozens of foreign countries are actively working to curb the plague of plastics pollution, why aren’t more Americans as concerned about what’s happening in their waterways and national parks? There are plenty of answers to that question, but none of them are easy to stomach. For one thing, Americans are addicted to convenience and enjoy testing innovations in packaging, such as twist-off caps on orange-juice containers and snack-size yogurt. For another, too many of us actually believe that capitalism is a benign economic system, designed to create good-paying jobs and level the playing field for all Americans. And, because we believe this, we don’t march on Washington en masse to neuter fat-cat lobbyists and loudly declare, “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore.” Some of us even believe President when he says he’s powerless against the rise in gasoline prices.

“Bag It” presents evidence against the chemical and plastics industries only a boneheaded radio talk-show host or Republican candidate for president would attempt to dispute. It isn’t exactly news that there’s an island of plastic floating around the Pacific Ocean that’s larger than many states, or that whales, seals and seabirds die horrible deaths after ingesting plastic items they mistake for food. And who doesn’t know by now that it takes a plastic bag about a billion years to degrade and, no matter how recyclable, water bottles require an unnaturally large amount of petroleum to produce. It makes as much sense to limit our consumption of petroleum-based plastics as it does to stop buying gas-guzzling cars. And, yet, the only thing that prevents Americans from buying oversized SUVs is gasoline at $5/gallon. Members of Congress and everyone else running for office in this country should be required to watch documentaries like “Bag It.” As for the rest of us, the next time you’re asked, “paper or plastic?,” respond, “Neither, I brought my own.”

“Fresh” is yet another feel-bad movie about the American way of producing and marketing groceries that bear the same resemblance to food as Frankenstein’s monster had to people. Here, though, in addition to disturbing scenes of feed lots, chicken ghettos and crop dusting, director Ana Sofia Joanes offers concrete examples of how some farmers already have found ways to return to nature’s way of producing food and are benefitting financially from the decision. Joanes provides several other examples of positive reforms. Like “Food Inc.” and a dozen other recent indictments of industrial farming, “Fresh” should be shown in a recurring loop in the lobby of U.S. Agriculture Department, where corporate interests go to reap the benefits of subsidies and lobby for lax nutritional guidelines. – Gary Dretzka

The Killing: The Complete First Season: Blu-ray
Breakout Kings: The Complete First Season
Victorious: The Complete Second Season
AMC, home of “Mad Men” and “The Walking Dead,” scored another direct hit last year with “The Killing,” an intricately scripted series that stitches together several intriguing storylines in the service of an investigation into the murder of a teenage girl. It is set in Seattle, not from where the investigation into the death of Laura Palmer strained the imaginations of fans of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s “Twin Peaks.” “The Killing” is based on the Danish series “Forbrydelsen,” which was broadcast in England under the name “The Killing.” It is as complex as “Twin Peaks,” without also being determinedly surrealistic and perversely enigmatic. The search for clues into the killing of Rosie Larsen, whose body is discovered in the trunk of a car found submerged in a lake, leads police detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holden (Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman) into the swamp of local politics and other unanticipated directions. Within two weeks, “The Killing” became must-see viewing for the people who gather around water fountains to discuss their favorite shows. The writers kept them guessing right up to the show’s season finale, which many considered to be a major disappointment. These people were promised a better explanation of their intentions going into Season 2. To this end, the Blu-ray package adds “Orpheus Descending: Extended Season Finale,” as well as commentary on it and the pilot, “An Autopsy of ‘The Killing,’” deleted scenes and a gag reel.

That A&E’s crime drama “Breakout Kings” is premised on a totally preposterous idea wouldn’t make it unique in the world of series television. Cops and federal agents have used criminals and ex-cons to capture fugitives from the law before and likely will again. Here, two U.S, marshals and three jailbirds, skilled in the art of escaping lockups, gather each week to track down assorted perverts and fiends. Each possesses a particular personality quirk that will be used by the team as an irritant or to help zero in on a fugitive with a unique twist. As usual, the woman con is a hot babe, whose hair-trigger temper keeps her behind the 8-ball when attempting to reconnect with her daughter. Another pretty woman runs the computer bank. The guys, of course, run the gamut from handsome to grotesque. Even if the series doesn’t break much new ground, it is well made and competently written. Not surprisingly, too, the show’s fugitives tend to be more interesting than the cops. The DVD adds commentaries, deleted scenes and the featurettes “Bullpen Sessions,” “Good Cons, Bad Cons” and “T Bag: Dealt a Bad Hand.”

The Nickelodeon series, “Victorious,” follows the exploits of teenager Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) and other students at Hollywood Arts High School. Given the school’s location and precociousness of the aspiring superstars, the series often finds the kids in awkward situations, caused by a desire to hasten their rise to the top of the Hollywood food chain. The second season opens with the demand by a new principle that all of the students re-audition for their various school gigs. The band also gets worked up over plans for the prom, a private Ke$ha concert and a scary incident involving a giant cupcake. Bonus material includes “Seven Questions With Victoria Justice” and “Behind the Scenes of ‘Locked Up.’” A soundtrack album is available separately. – Gary Dretzka

Come Fly With Me: Season One
Nature: Raccoon Nation: Blu-ray
Ghost Hunters International: Season 2: Part 1
History: Titanic: The Complete Story
History: History of the World in Two Hours
The best way to describe the wonderfully wacky and thoroughly politically incorrect “Come Fly With Me” is to suggest that it’s “Little Britain” at an airport. Any fan of that BBC America comedy, or its HBO counterpart, “Little Britain USA,” will want to run to the nearest video store to see if they’ve got a copy of the uproarious six-part series. It might take newcomers a while to get the hang of watching what’s essentially a two-man cast slipping in and out of drag, each assuming the identity of more than a dozen different characters, but it’s worth the effort. They range from striking baggage handlers and indifferent flight attendants, to upwardly mobile desk clerks and the pompous president of the low-cost FlyLo airline. Matt Lucas and David Walliams truly are hysterical in their impressions of archetypal airport employees and passengers. In this way, “Come Fly With Me” recalls the A&E reality series, “Airline,” itself an adaptation of “Airline UK,” except for the fact that everything that went right in those shows is handled extremely poorly in “Come Fly With Me.” Bags that go missing, remain missing; agents paid to translate for foreign passengers are conversant only in English; another agent guides curious tourists only to the gayest of attractions in destination cities; and a coffee vendor does everything but sell refreshments to travelers. No matter how exaggerated these characters seem, you’ll recognize several of them, at least, from your own experiences in transit.

Like that of big-city squirrels, the popular image of raccoons has devolved from cute and cuddly, to annoying and undesirable. In “Raccoon Nation,” the PBS series, “Nature,” describes exactly how that reversal occurred and why it has nothing to do with suburbia’s encroachment into the animal’s natural habitat. Indeed, the raccoon’s natural habitat lies closer to the tropical and sub-tropical river basins in South and Central America than the forests of the United States and Canada. These highly proficient breeders now go wherever there’s enough food to sustain their needs and those of their children. Once there, they tend to stay forever. More often than not, the critters’ dietary requirements are being met by foraging through the garbage containers of unfortunate homeowners in cities large and small. Like cockroaches, they have the ability to squeeze into spaces and places humans and other predators can’t. In fact, the greatest threat to an urban or suburban raccoon now is the automobile. Scientists interviewed for the show have attempted to track the journeys made by specially tagged raccoons on a nightly basis. On one city’s grid, the multi-colored trails through neighborhoods cover every backyard, rarely overlapping turf boundaries. In Japan, where raccoons were imported only a few decades ago, the path of destruction leads through the cedar shake roofs and ancient wooden towers of numerous historic monasteries. I haven’t encountered any horror movies in which roving packs of rabid raccoons have served as antagonists, but I’ve read books and articles about the increasing unwillingness of squirrels to put up their human neighbors’ shit anymore. They’ve already become notorious for chewing through the protective covering of cables supplying programming to suburban homes. Where will raccoons draw their line in the sand?

The more often I watch “Ghost Hunters International,” the more it seems as if the team members are as counterfeit as the operators working at Psychic Hotline. Duh, you say? Well, I kind of believe that such spirits exist and would love to see evidence pointing one direction or the other on the subject. Watching the paranormal investigators at work in “GHI,” however, is less informative than, say, sitting through a full season of “Casper the Friendly Ghost” cartoons, which I also did recently. I didn’t pay terribly close attention to the original “Ghost Hunters,” so am ignorant about any successes that show might have recorded prior to going global. I was attracted to “GBI” for many of the same reasons tourists are drawn to castles, prisons, hotels and abandoned monasteries while vacationing in Europe. They look cool and reek of historical importance. The investigators spend lots of time in such places, so that’s a plus. Less appealing is the extraordinary number of loud and annoying interstitials that interrupt the flow whenever a wisp of vapor or blip on the radar screen is recorded. After each break, the narrator rehashes everything that’s gone on before it, right down to such brilliant observations as, “That’s really crazy” and “Wow, I didn’t expect that.” Am I the only viewer who finds it hilarious when the investigators attempt to talk to the ghosts in English, instead of their native German, Czech, Italian or Gaelic dialects? Maybe I’d take the show more seriously if the team members dressed more like the guys in “Ghostbusters.”

It’s difficult to think anyone could learn much new about the sinking of the Titanic, 99 years and 11 months after the fact. As we approach the anniversary of the tragic event, however, researchers continue to investigate the whys and wherefores, placing blame on people and things no one could have imagined before the ship’s carcass was first scanned by submersibles. In the History Channel’s often overly exhaustive documentary, “Titanic: The Complete Story,” we’re asked to believe that the notorious killer iceberg was less guilty than previously assumed. In fact, using advanced technology, it’s likely that a previously undiscovered design flaw compounded the impact of the collision, causing the ship to break in half at a completely different angle than first believed. They determined this through a study of long-hidden original blueprints of the Titanic and a dive to its sister vessel, the Britannia, now lying under 400 feet of water in the Mediterranean Sea. Some of the evidence even contradicts information collected in a 2005 dive to the Titanic, also covered by the History Channel. The mini-series couldn’t help but be fascinating, given the subject, but the third and final segment ends far too abruptly, after the Russians call back the ship being used for the Titanic dive and the search for clues on the Britannia ceases to be cost-effective.

“History of the World in Two Hours” employs the Billy Joel, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” approach to the confluence of history, geography, zoology, biology and every other “-ology” that comes to mind. The stop watch begins with the Big Bang, which somehow created “all the energy that will ever exist.” (Creationists will beg to differ on how and when that hyper-epochal event came to be, but their opinions aren’t given much credence here.) From that point on, everything that was going to happen already had been set in motion, whether it’s the introduction of metals that fuel the great leaps in human technology or the creation of vast grassland, where monkeys would test their sea legs and kick-start human evolution. If two hours doesn’t sound like a lot of time to study the history of the world, make a list of all of things that a learned kangaroo wouldn’t give a crap about knowing, given an opportunity to attend an Ivy League school, and substitute them for all the other stuff you can remember from your high school and college textbooks. Minus commercials, it will approximate a two-hour TV show. – Gary Dretzka

Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen: Special Edition
Doctor Who: The Three Doctors: Special Edition
Doctor Who: The Robots of Death: Special Edition
Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
There must be millions of fans of the BBC series “Doctor Who” who jumped on the bandwagon long after the first TARDIS launched, in 1963. The British showcase network appears to be working overtime to take these folks back to the future in newly restored early-season packages, containing complete story arcs and generous bonus packages. Some have been lost and others belatedly found. “The Tomb of the Cyberman” is one of only three complete serials recovered since 1978. It stars the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton (1966-69), and describes his mission to Telos, accompanied by Jamie and Victoria, to learn the fate of his old enemy, the Cybermen. A team of archeologists from Earth has discovered an entrance to an underground tomb, where the Cyber army rests in hibernation. A rise in temperature threatens to unleash their fury once again. The “Special Edition,” available for the first time on DVD, includes an interview with director Morris Barry; audio commentary by actors Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling; a panel discussion with cast and crew; “Behind the scenes at BBC”; visual-effects outtakes; an unused title sequence; 8mm footage; and several other backgrounders

“The Three Doctors,” which aired during third Doctor (1970-74) Jon Pertwee’s tenure, chronicles the defense of the home planet of the Time Lords, Gallifrey, against attack by unknown and inexplicable forces. The arc celebrated the show’s 10th anniversary, so it was fitting that all three of the Doctors would be ordered join in the fight. Survival involves tapping into the power of a black hole connecting separate universes.

“The Face of Evil” and “The Robots of Death” arcs belong to the fourth Doctor (1974-81), Tom Baker. On a nameless jungle planet in the distant future, the Doctor joins forces with Leela, a “savage” warrior banished from a primitive tribe, the Sevateem. To his surprise and dismay, the Doctor is known hereabouts as the Evil One, because has imprisoned their god and needs to be taught a lesson. Leela sticks around for the subsequent series, “Robots of Death,” during which the TARDIS materializes on a mining ship on a desert planet. The vessel is controlled by robots, but dominated by humans. The interlopers are suspected of killing of human crewmen. Like the other volumes, this one comes loaded with bonus features. – Gary Dretzka

9½ Weeks: Original Uncut Version; Blu-ray
Striptease: Uncut International Version: Blu-ray
Disclosure: Blu-ray
This trio of sexy studio films attempted to raise the temperatures of mainstream audiences at a time when hard-core sex was readily available on VHS cassettes and premium cable networks were beginning to offer soft-core selections for teenage boys and their daddies with sleep disorders. Except on VOD outlets, very little has changed. Hollywood remains frightened of exposing genitalia to grown-ups and only on its sex-umentaries does HBO and other premium networks dare more than a glimpse of neatly trimmed pubic hair. Because it’s the rare breast that isn’t obviously enhanced these days in the movies, much of the thrill is gone there, as well. Still, for some reason, “Striptease” remains a staple of cable television and “9½ Weeks” and “Disclosure” probably attract multiple repeat visitors, as well. Each is noteworthy for reasons other than the nudity and sex.

“9½ Weeks” was adapted from an “autobiographical” book by Elizabeth McNeill, in which she describes her experiences in the world of S&M and bondage. Adrian Lyne’s version was stylish and classy, but it stopped well short of putting Kim Basinger in danger of being a true submissive. For all of his slick appeal, Mickey Rourke’s arbitrageur seemed more of a cartoon character than a living, breathing sexual explorer. Bassinger’s playful stripteases and black stockings were the highlight of a movie ostensibly about a woman who becomes sexually addicted to pain and humiliation. It was soft-core for couples. The Blu-ray edition adds no features and I’m not sure what differentiates the “original uncut version” from the theatrical release. It does, however, provide a fair representation of Lynne’s grainy visual technique and ability to match music to action. Co-writer/producer Zalman King would apply the same aesthetic conceits to such cable series as “Red Shoes Diaries,” “ChromiumBlue.com” and “Body Language,” to better effect. (King went to that big gentleman’s club in the sky last month, at, yes, 69.)

The less said critically about “Striptease,” the better. For writer/director Andrew Bergman, who had enjoyed a productive career up until its release, it represented his career Waterloo. He would direct only one more movie, the Bette Midler vehicle “Isn’t She Great,” before disappearing from view. The reason is that his screenplay took Carl Hiaasen’s wonderfully satirical novel, detailing the juncture of sex, politics and corruption in Florida, and turned it into an excuse to expose Demi Moore’s horrendous boob job to the world. All the book’s wicked humor and political haymakers were lost in Burt Reynolds’ slapstick portrayal of a perverted congressman and Moore’s dancing, which she seemed to confuse with a performance of the Bolshoi Ballet. Like I mentioned, though, “Striptease” is on regular rotation on cable TV, so someone is laughing all the way to the bank. The unrated video version of the film includes two minutes of footage not seen in the theatrical release. I’m just guessing here, but I think I recognize some previously unflashed boobies in the Blu-ray.

Moore was significantly more credible in “Disclosure,” in which her super-sexy business executive fakes a sexual encounter gone bad with an old flame. Moore and Michael Douglas are competing for the same top job at a digital-technology company and the easiest way to get rid of him is to play the harassment card. Without having to shed all of her clothes, Moore was able to raise more sweat in male viewers than she had, almost naked, in “Striptease.” The best thing about Barry Levinson and Paul Attanasio’s adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel is the intrigue and back-stabbing that occurs after Moore accuses Douglas of rape. The story takes full advantage of the then-feverish tech boom, even simulating a virtual reality environment that holds up well in Blu-ray. Some of the other technology on display is downright prehistoric. No bonus material here, either. – Gary Dretzka

Footloose: Blu-ray
54: Blu-ray
When the first “Footloose” was released, in the middle of the enlightened 1980s, people outside the Bible Belt were shocked to learn that towns like Bomont, Utah, actually existed. How dare a town ban dancing and loud rock music? The next thing you know, integrated schools in the South would be allowed to accede to parents’ demands and outlaw integrated proms and homecoming dances. In fact, as we would learn in Paul Saltzman’s documentary, “Prom Night in Mississippi,” just such an outrage was common practice throughout the South, ever since the courts mandated the integration of public schools. Indeed, things hadn’t really advanced much in this regard since the period and place chronicled in John Waters’ original “Hairspray” – 1962 Baltimore – a comedy that assayed the confluence of dancing and intolerance. I’m not sure how the current candidates for the presidency stand on the subject of limiting such creative expression, as dictated by the Bill of Rights, but surely one or two of them, at least, could find a way to link dancing to premarital sex and abortion, if pressured by their benefactors on the religious right and other social extremists. I can’t imagine that the producers of the new “Footloose” had such questions on their minds when they decided to move the updated edition from Utah, the home base of Mitt Romney’s church, to the heart of Newt Gingrich’s Georgia. If they expect us to take the issues presented in both iterations of the movie seriously, however, the question might eventually have to be asked. After all, it’s become sport in some districts to cancel proms in the face of being forced to allow gay, lesbian and transsexual couplings.

Putting politics aside, the only things separating Craig Brewer’s faithful adaptation of Herbert Ross and Dean Pitchford’s 1984 original are time and distance. Otherwise, they’re remarkably similar. The relatives of the small-town rubes who were buffaloed into imposing a ban on dancing and rock music in Bomont, Utah, appear to have taken root in a one-horse Georgia burg, only, this time, the sourpuss pastor is played by Dennis Quaid, not John Lithgow. Gorgeous Julianne Hough plays the reverend’s rebellious daughter; Andie MacDowell, his wife; and Kenny Wormald, the dancing demon from Yankeeland. What Wormald lacks in Kevin’s Bacon’s original swagger and big-city menace, he makes up for in dancing chops and “American Idol” charm. Anyone who enjoyed the first, should find something to like in the follow-up.

Movies like “Footloose” aren’t made to please cynical farts, like me, who see in their overly simplistic conclusions popular fictions that border on urban myth.  Similarly suspicious is the fresh-faced cast, which doesn’t resemble any student body I’ve seen lately. It’s as if Dick Clark personally selected the actors and dancers. The sequel did reasonably well at the box office, even compared to Ross’ surprisingly successful version. Brewer does makes good use of his rural Georgia location and the soundtrack effectively combines rock, hip-hop, country and “Glee”-style production numbers. If there’s a larger disconnect here, it comes in the faces of Bomont’s adults – especially the African-American parents – who made to act like sheep in the face of the preacher, who acted in response to the death of his son in a terrible accident. The Blu-ray edition adds Brewer’s commentary; featurettes on the adaptation process, casting and dance choreography; deleted scenes; separate UV and DVD copies; and music videos by Blake Shelton, Big & Rich and Ella Mae Brown.

Studio 54, New York’s mecca for the beautiful people of the 1970-80s, existed on a different planet than the high school gymnasiums and boot-scooting honky-tonks of “Footloose.” As written and directed by Mark Christopher, “54” is as much a coming-of-age story for its youthful characters as a portrait of a legendary institution in the age of disco. Released in 1998, the movie featured Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Breckin Meyer, Sherry Stringfield, Heather Matarazzo, Neve Campbell, Sela Ward and Mike Myers, as celebrity wrangler Steve Rubell. The emerging actors played employees of the club, all of whom became intoxicated by the club’s glamour and proximity to fame, drugs and easy money. After Rubell taunted law-enforcement agencies over their perceived inability to shut him down, they found ways to take him up on his offer. The club’s downfall ruined some of the employees’ dreams, but finally made them better able to the craziness of adulthood. What’s missing from the Blu-ray edition of “54” is the 45 minutes of deleted material, compiled by Christopher and shown at New York’s Outfest in 2008. It expands on the promiscuity and cocaine-fueled depravity that made Studio 54 the attraction it was, while amplifying on Phillippe’s bisexuality, which was only alluded to in finished product. The Blu-ray adds the music video for “If You Could Read My Mind.” Whit Stillman’s “The Last Days of Disco” offers a different perspective on the Studio 54 phenomenon and New York’s top-end-disco craze. It’s part of a trilogy of films, with “Metropolitan” and “Barcelona,” about the neuroses and habits of New York’s preppy and post-preppy crowd. – Gary Dretzka

To Catch a Thief: Blu-ray
More than a half-century after the release of “To Catch a Thief,” it’s possible to enjoy it in ways not normally associated with an Alfred Hitchcock picture. It isn’t particularly suspenseful and it’s not at all dark. Indeed, from a distance, choosing to direct “To Catch a Thief” still could be construed as an excuse for the Hitchcocks to enjoy a few weeks on the French Riveria. As a vehicle for commercial success, the pairing of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly must have seemed to be as close to a no-brainer as there was in the mid-1950s. Adapted from David Dodge’s popular novel, it looked great and didn’t require the mind of a detective to follow. If you can’t guess the true identity of the cat burglar after a half-hour, you simply haven’t been paying close enough attention. More than anything else, John Michael Hayes’s screenplay gave Hitchcock an opportunity to tweak the bureaucrats enforcing Hollywood’s Production Code by pitting his intelligence and wit against the outdated moralizing of the industry’s bluenoses. Even with the mandatory edits, “To Catch a Thief” may be the most overtly suggestive of all of Hitchcock’s movies. The double-entendres fly by like so many bumble bees and hummingbird in the garden of retired cat burglar John Robie’s villa. All of the characters were given verbal zingers to recite, with Jesse Royce Landis, as Kelly’s mother, allowed some of the most suggestive.

As portrayed by Grant, Robie is a former cat burglar of extraordinary skill and taste, as well as a rakish hero of the Resistance. He lives well on an estate overlooking the Cote d’Azur and could lose everything if he reverted to his former ways. (After the war, criminals who joined the Resistance were given conditional amnesties.) Still, as the burglaries continue, Robie remains the chief suspect in the eyes of the law, his former cronies and Kelly’s bejeweled mother, who’s actually tickled to be targeted by such a legendary character. The wealthy widow even encourages her strong-willed daughter to consider favorably his advances. Meanwhile, a British insurance investigator senses that Robie is innocent and an imposter his using his m.o. to confuse the police. Together with a sympathetic police official, they hope to set a trap for the culprit. One of Hitchcock’s favorite plot devices is requiring a falsely charged person to track down the real offender after police have rejected his alibi. Besides being extremely funny, “To Catch a Thief” is wonderful as eye candy, thanks to Edith Head’s splendid costumes, Robert Burks’ cinematography and the splendor of France’s Alpes-Maritimes region, Cannes’ Hotel Carlton and Monaco. The Blu-ray upgrade captures all of it in fine fashion. There are several featurettes, most already made available on DVD.  They include pieces on Hitch’s skirmishes with the Production Code enforcers; the location and studio shoots; the careers and chemistry of the stars; a retrospective piece on Head’s designs; commentary; and an interactive travelogue. – Gary Dretzka

Vanya on 42nd Street: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
Theater buffs will already be aware of the central conceit behind “Vanya on 42nd Street,” as will admirers of the French director Louis Malle, who died a year after the movie’s release in 1994. Everyone else is likely to be more that a wee bit confused. As explained in the informative documentary included in the Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray edition, “Vanya” began as something of an illusion. Using a new translation of “Uncle Vanya” by David Mamet, director Andre Gregory essentially blurred the lines separating practice and performance, by inviting people to watch something that looked very much like an unfinished product. He staged the “final rehearsal” of the Chekov classic in several different New York locales, some no larger than a living room. No more than a couple of dozen spectators were invited to witness “Vanya on 42nd Street” at any one time, its exclusivity making it the hottest ticket in town. Tickets couldn’t be purchased and New Yorkers are never more obsessive than when they’re denied access to a controversial event. None of the actors wore costumes and the props could have been collected from an attic or Goodwill store. Because audience members practically sat in the laps of the actors, their proximity often impacted on the reading of lines and comfort level of the cast, who weren’t restricted to a strict adherence to the stage directions.

As an invited guest, Malle was enchanted by the production. He intended his interpretation of “Vanya” to be every bit as intimate and organic as any staging of the play. In the film, though, Gregory plays the director of the production, which is set in the decaying New Amsterdam Theater, on Broadway. It reflects the general state of the family as dissected by the author. Besides Gregory, the actors include Wallace Shawn, Julianne Moore, George Gaynes, Brooke Smith, Larry Pine, Phoebe Brand, Jerry Mayer and Lynn Cohen., with Madhur Jaffrey playing the sole invited guest. Not surprisingly, perhaps, this combination of talents skillfully overcomes any initial confusion or our part, drawing us into the play by bringing the characters and their individual plights to light and life. As landowner Serybryakov’s personal doormat, Vonya (Shawn) naturally demands most of our attention. No one, however, is denied their own moments to shine. The new high-definition digital restoration, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio, puts us as close to the actors as were those fortunate few invitees in New York. It arrives with a new documentary, “Like Life: The Making of ‘Vanya on 42nd Street,’” and a 22-page illustrated booklet, featuring essays by writer Steven Vineberg and film critic Amy Taubin. – Gary Dretzka

Like Crazy
Anyone’s who had the misfortune of being in a precarious lost-distance relationship will understand the emotions at play in “Like Crazy.” In Drake Doremus’ hands, the largely improvised story dissects a romance between a pretty young British woman, Anna (Felicity Jones), attending college in Los Angeles, and a furniture-making American classmate, Jacob (Anton Yelchin). Instead of returning home immediately after graduation, as specified in her visa, Anna decides it might be fun to stick around a couple of months and play house with her new boyfriend. After returning to her London home, she’s informed by U.S. immigration officials that this country doesn’t welcome back people who think that love trumps legalities. Anna appeals to the conscience of INS officials, hoping they’ll do for her what they wouldn’t do for a Mexican or Arab immigrant in similar circumstances. Even though Anna and Jacob commit to a marriage of legal convenience, they don’t waste much time finding other lovers to keep them warm at night. Even after watching the movie and the deleted scenes, I couldn’t understand why the lovebirds tempted fate by engaging in affairs with other people (Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley), except to acknowledge that young people today are a randy bunch and no one should be expected to go two weeks without getting laid. The intimacy of Doremus’ vision, amplified by John Guleserian’s hand-held digital camerawork, should appeal most to viewers new to the intricacies and complexity of l’amour. Unless they have children in similarly difficult situations, older viewers might find themselves wondering why Anna and Jacob don’t simply listen to her parents’ sound advice, by getting married and laying low in London until the paperwork is finished. Or, they could commit ritual suicide at the gates of the U.S. Embassy to protest immigration policy. The DVD extras add deleted scenes and commentary. – Gary Dretzka

Immortals: Blu-ray
As always, kids are advised not to use Hollywood movies as primary sources for school papers and projects. This applies especially to Tarsem Singh’s garish 3D adventure, “Immortals,” in which Mickey Rourke portrays the megalomaniacal King Hyperion. Still pissed off that the Hellenic Olympians defeated the Titans and imprisoned them inside the mountain fortress, Tartarus, Hyperion is determined lay waste to the outpost and free the mythic warriors. First, however, he must secure the Epirus Bow, which is to archery what a rocket-propelled grenade is to an M-80. If he succeeds at freeing the Titans, he will enlist them in his war to eliminate the Olympians and dominate humanity. He’s a nasty cuss, alright, perfectly suited to being played by the living gargoyle, Rourke. To combat the Hyperion scourge, Zeus enlists a gung-ho mortal, Theseus. Along the way, Theseus is introduced to Phaedra – here, an oracle – who nurses him back to health after a serious beat-down by forces loyal to Hyperion. In Singh’s vibrant imagination, the high-concept conceit informing “Immortals” is “Caravaggio Meets Fight Club.” He hoped it would remind audiences of “300,” as “done in Renaissance painting style.” As such, it doesn’t feel quite so much like a graphic novel in tone or texture. In the 2D Blu-ray version I watched, the effect strangely served to soften the impact of the extreme violence being manifest on the screen, which otherwise might have been unbearable. Almost blessedly, the blood resembles spilt paint and the dismembered body parts look like they do on large canvasses hanging on the walls of Europe’s great museums. How the splatters look on 3D, I don’t know.

Put aside for a moment the fact that this scenario doesn’t resemble any of the myths associated with the period after the Titans were defeated and held captive in Tartarus (described elsewhere as an abysmal dungeon, located below the Underworld), or the true identities of Theseus, Hyperion and Phaedra. “Immortals” isn’t meant to be any more historically or mythologically accurate than “300” or dozens of other epic sword-and-sandal dramas. It simply is what it is: highly stylized violence, wrapped around a rudimentary storyline like a burrito. Before turning to cinema, Singh made a name for himself as a director of elaborately staged music videos. He’s working at a remarkably grand scale here, inserting somewhat larger-then-life characters into vast landscapes and seemingly endless seascapes. The vistas are drawn in such a way to suggest that mere mortals are no more consequential to the gods than ants on a picnic table. “Immortals,” which didn’t impress many critics, did far better at the international box office than in the U.S. If parents don’t mind their teenage kids being drenched in make-believe blood, “Immortals” should find a ready market for the Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D edition. Young adults probably won’t be immersed in it the muck here than they already are in their hyper-violent computer games. It would be nice to think, though, that “Immortals” may encourage one or two of them to read up on Greek mythology. Many centuries ago, the stories explained the human condition to emerging civilizations as well as any book, with the possible exception of the bible. The Blu-ray arrives with the featurettes, “It’s No Myth” and “Caravaggio Meets Fight Club: Tarsem’s Vision,” deleted scenes, an alternate opening, a pair of alternate endings and the “Immortals: Gods & Heroes” graphic novel. — Gary Dretzka

Where the Dead Go to Die: Blu-ray
House of Flesh Mannequins
The Pack
Wound
Watching “Where the Dead Go to Die,” I flashed on the underground comix of the 1960-70s and wondered how such outré artists as S. Clay Wilson, R. Crumb, Robert Williams, Spain Rodriguez, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin and other members of the psychedelic school might have exploited the digital tools available to artists today. For the most part, they were confined to the analog world of ink-on-paper and poster art. Today, computers perform as much of the grunt work as the artists once were required to do. Jimmy ScreamerClauz’s “Where the Dead Go to Die” clearly was informed by the work of the grand old men of the psychedelic school, several of whom are still productive. In his determination to set his animated feature in the darkest of all dark places, ScreamerClauz pushes an envelope I’m not even sure exists anymore. Outlets for such depictions of grotesque psycho-sexual and hyper-violent behavior no longer are limited to headshops and underground newspapers, both of which were frequent targets of police harassment and moral outrage. The Internet bypasses both channels of interference. Moreover, the costs associated with making indie movies have decreased to point where kids can borrow from their First Communion and Bar Mitzvah funds to launch careers that could lead directly to Hollywood. The horror genre has reached a point in its evolution where do-it-yourselfers can afford the same special-effects techniques once available only to the pros, and let their sick little imaginations run roughshod on all previous notions of good taste. It takes a lot more than a butcher knife and mummified mom in a rocking chair to scare today’s kids.

The animated feature, “Where the Dead Go to Die,” is unique among most of the other DIY titles in that it is consistently interesting to watch and the artwork is as intricate as it clever. Fittingly, too, the images and ideas are often as shocking as anything in a live-action genre flick. Anytime vulnerable children are added to the mix of a horror film, the stakes are raised accordingly. Here, the narrative revolves around a group of troubled kids living in the same neighborhood. Labby, a talking dog from hell, arrives out of nowhere to help them deal with their perverted parents and other disgusting adults. With Labby’s assistance, the kids become time-travelers and dimension jumpers. Among the more familiar voicing talents are Ruby Larocca, Brian Slagle, Joey Smack, Linnea Quigley and Devanny Pinn, all veterans of the horror-porn game. “Where the Dead Go to Die” doesn’t always work, or even make a lot of sense. It is memorable, however. Now, if only someone would make a movie adapted from Wilson’s epochal “Captain Pissgums & His Pervert Pirates,” we could finally put the ’60s to bed.

Domiziano Cristopharo’s debut feature, “House of the Flesh Mannequins,” feels very much like the work of a recent film-school graduate attempting to make a movie whose influences, motivations and references will be parsed by connoisseurs of slasher flicks. Domiziano Arcangeli plays Sebastian, an artist, filmmaker and photographer, whose specialty is recording the final positions of victims of automobile accidents and violence. He does this at the behest of a sleazy magazine-stand operator, who sells the photos to death-fetishists. Sebastian doesn’t seem to enjoy his work much or respect himself for getting involved with such scuzzballs. What he does enjoy is eavesdropping and spying on a pretty young neighbor, Sarah (Irena A. Hoffman). Once they connect, the movie takes a turn for the truly bizarre and unnerving. Viewers are taken on a tour of an underworld populated with sadists, masochists, body modifiers and torture freaks. What happens in the S&M dungeons in many cases is real, performed by actual fetishists. Cristopharo seems to making a point about fake and manufactured violence and the media’s willingness to confuse the two to sell tickets and boost ratings. He asks us to measure how far we would go to find out makes a friend, neighbor or stranger tick. “Flesh Mannequins” isn’t an easy picture to watch, even for those with strong stomachs. Interestingly, the most disturbing moments come in watching real people act out their tortuous desires.

As tired as I am of watching movies in which displays of zombies’ voracious appetites for human flesh compensate for holes in the plot, I have to admit that new angles continue to be explored. From France, “The Pack” opens in a relatively conventional way, with a young woman picking up a hitchhiker in the middle of nowhere. When they arrive at his destination, a remote inn, they’re rescued from being raped by bikers through the intervention of the proprietor. Charlotte is only allowed to count her blessings so long, before her passenger disappears and she’s knocked out and locked in a cage by the sadistic old lady. And, she’s not alone. The bad craziness happens at night, when an unfortunate prisoner or two are strung up outside, seemingly to be used as bait for the nightly parade of undead victims of a long-ago mine disaster. Instead of being summarily executed by the owner, the zombies are allowed to gorge themselves on the bodies, before shuffling to the porch, where she pats them on the head and comforts them. I didn’t see that one coming. The rest of “The Pack” is taken up with Charlotte’s attempts to escape and an inquisitive investigator’s insistence on explaining her disappearance.

There is a scene very early in “Wound,” an exceedingly strange movie from New Zealand, in which a pretty young woman exacts revenge on her sexually abusive father in the most appropriate way possible. Normally, the graphic nature of the act would be nearly impossible for any man in the audience to watch. The appendage is so clearly a prosthetic, however, that the scene can be endured without too much emotional scarring on the audience’s part. That it isn’t even the most unsettling scene in the movie should tell you how truly creepy “Wound” is. Susan soon will have another visitor, who will test her sanity even further.  Tanya is the daughter Susan gave up, believing she was dead, at birth. Given that it’s likely Tanya owes her existence to the incestuous relationship between father and daughter – however forced – the memories she dredges up for Susan are nearly unbearable. It’s when a giant pig-like fellow suddenly appears in an S&M club visited by both women that things get really weird, however. By employing a variety of lenses, writer/director David Blyth establishes an ominous tone early on and maintains it throughout the rest of the movie. “Wound” is only for those who like their horror with a side order of psycho-sexual menace. The DVD comes with a pair of music videos and “Circadian Rhythms,” Blyth’s first short film, made in 1976. – Gary Dretzka

High Road: Blu-ray
Matt Walsh’s “High Road” opens with the promise of being just another undernourished stoner flick. After about 15 minutes of expository buildup, though, it becomes apparent that a different sensibility is at work here. Walsh is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe and he’s gathered veterans of other such companies to execute what is largely a feature-length experiment in improvisation. In the aftermath of a failed drug deal, band breakup and a bad romantic breakup, a dozen characters scramble up the coast from L.A. to Oakland. Each is looking for something resembling a family or is attempting to protect the one they already have. Once they all hit the road, “High Road” could easily be taken for a “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” homage. While it doesn’t measure up to that landmark comedy, it does provide plenty of laughs along the way. Among its stars are James F. Pumphrey, “SNL” regulars Abby Elliott and Horatio Sanz, Ed Helms, Dylan O’Brien, Zach Woods, Matt L. Jones and Lizzy Caplan. Fans of such shows as “Reno 911!,”  “Party Down,” “Onion News Network” and “Funny or Die” are likely to get a lot more out of “High Road” than anyone else. – Gary Dretzka

Wyatt Earp’s Revenge
That known commodities Trace Adkins and Val Kilmer share top billing on the jacket of “Wyatt Earp’s Revenge” with largely unknown Shawn Roberts and Matt Dallas should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with how such projects get made and distributed. That their combined screen time doesn’t amount to much more than a “special guest performance” is also standard operating procedure. The discrepancy wouldn’t matter much if the movie was noteworthy apart from Adkins and Kilmer’s presence, but it isn’t. Kilmer’s responsibility is to look over-the-hill and overweight, while introducing the film’s key plot twists in flashbacks. I can’t even remember what Adkins was assigned to do. Essentially, the story revolves around a manhunt for a gang of dangerous hombres, with the end result being that Earp and his mates are awarded specially made guns, including the famed Buntline Special. For the record, Roberts plays the young Wyatt Earp and Dallas portrays Bat Masterson. – Gary Dretzka

What Goes Around Comes Around
DVD representations of David E. Talbert’s plays – shot on stage, before a live audience – are being released on almost a monthly basis. They all resemble each other in the same way as do the creations of Tyler Perry and, yes, Neil Simon. Unlike Perry’s productions, Talbert’s are consciously racy and genuinely ribald; unlike Simon’s plays, the road to true romance leads not through a psychiatrist’s office, but that of a minister. Normally, Talbert’s material wouldn’t be my cup of tea. In the course of reviewing the DVDs, however, I’ve found them to be strangely entertaining. “What Goes Around Comes Around” is typical of the productions I’ve seen. Tyree Jackson (Wesley Jonathan) is a playa’, who thinks nothing of inviting his hootchie-mommas to the home he shares with his girlfriend, Desirae Baxter (Reagan Gomez), when she’s at work. Once discovered, Desirae and her friends devise a plan that acknowledges the play’s title. Also typically, it’s Talbert’s supporting cast that is accorded the best comic material. Much of it is broad to the point of slapstick, but it’s a formula that’s worked on the chitlin’ circuit for decades. Also appearing are comics Tony Rock (“All of Us”), Lavell Crawford (“Shaq’s Comedy All-Stars”) and film and television stars BeBe Drake (“Martin”) and Tico Wells (“Five Heartbeats”). – Gary Dretzka

Busting Out
This documentary explores the western world’s often-contradictory obsession with women’s breasts. On the one hand, they’re admired for their size, shape, texture and ability to cause men of all ages to break into a cold sweat. On the other, they illicit fear and disgust in people – some, anyway – when exposed, ever so slightly, in public to nurse babies. One U.S. attorney general was so unnerved by the possibility that he might be photographed in front of the breast of a Grecian statue he spent $8,000 in taxpayer money to have it re-robed. In parts of the world where butts, thighs and feet are worshipped, an unexposed breast wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. To each his own fetish, apparently.  Directors Francine Strickwerda and Laurel Spellman have other things on the minds here, though. They include delving into the mind of an impressionable girl who, as an adult, recalls how her mother’s death to breast cancer caused her to fear her own blossoming “boobs of doom.” That girl grew up to be the co-director, Strickwerda. Even though it was released in 2004, “Busting Out” reveals none of the stylistic flairs that have accompanied documentaries over the course of the last 30 years. It may look old-fashioned, but the message remains the same: women and girls have as much to fear from the Neanderthals who exploit women’s breasts and contraceptives to sell ads on their radio shows – Tom Leykis and Rush Limbaugh, among others – than breast cancer, when detected in time to do something about it. “Busting Out” is a movie that girls facing puberty would benefit from seeing more than their moms, who already have a good idea of the double standards faced by women living in the real world. – Gary Dretzka

Blade of Kings
Ardent admirers of Hong Kong-style martial-arts films, especially those crossed with Chinese historical epics, should recognize “Blade of Kings” as “The Twins Effect II.” Just as well, because the first “Twins Effect” involves contemporary vampires and the “sequel” is set in feudal China in a fictional province, Huadu, where “Amazons” dominate men. The Amazons aren’t particularly Amazonian in a physical way, but in every other sense they’re in control. They trade in male slaves (a.k.a., dumbbells), who also double as breeding agents, and can kick any man’s ass. Things appear to be going normally, until the point where the Amazon empress takes a fancy to an acrobat in a circus on the outskirts of the capital. The young man, Charcoal Head (Jaycee Chan), and his brother, Blockhead (Wilson Chen) — one of whom is of royal blood, as well — are on a mission to track down an Excalibur-like treasure located on a stone map given them as boys. Along the way, they are joined by 13^th Young Master and Blue Bird (Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung). Meanwhile, General Lone (a.k.a., Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) is preparing an offensive to topple to Amazon regime and restore traditional male rule. It’s all very silly, really, but in a good way. The wire-work is exceptional, as are the costumes and chemistry between the actors, several of whom appeared in the original “Twins Effect” (Choi, Chung, Edison Chen, Jackie Chan). More to the point, the appearance of so many young performers and pop stars indicates that Chinese filmmakers are as obsessed with attracting teenagers to their movies as American studio executives. The Blu-ray arrives with making-of featurettes and interviews. – Gary Dretzka

Jeremy Fink & the Meaning of Life
Adapted from a popular children’s book by Wendy Mass, “Jeremy Fink & the Meaning of Life” is exactly the kind of movie no distributor knows what to do with anymore. A few decades ago, it might have found an audience of ’tweeners and young teens, looking for clues as to what being a teenager might entail. Today, of course, 10-year-olds feel dissed whenever they aren’t allowed to see a R-rated movie. Locating and exploiting the pre-pubescent demographic has become as difficult as attempting to monetize the Internet. Here, 12-year-old Jeremy Fink receives a wooden box with the words “the meaning of life etched” onto it and instructions to open it before his 13^th birthday. It has four locks and Jeremy is given no keys. Along with his friend, Lizzy, he embarks on something of a scavenger hunt to find the clues necessary to locate the keys. One by the one, the clues bring them closer to the meaning of life. Before long, the mission takes on all the appearances of a tick-tock mystery. While it’s fun and colorful, Tamer Halpern’s urban adventure is probably too close to what’s already available on cable to have made a dent at the megaplex. The scale is just fine on DVD, though. Among the adult stars are Joe Pantoliano and Mira Sorvino, while Maxwell Beer and Ryan Simpkins represent the younger generation. – Gary Dretzka

Tooth Fairy 2
Its popularity based primarily on a sight gag – Dwayne “Rock” Johnson in a pink tutu – “Tooth Fairy” did well enough at the box office to warrant a DVD-original sequel. Alas, none of the assets from that picture — writers Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz, veteran director Michael Lembeck, stars Ashley Judd, Billy Crystal, Stephen Merchant, Julie Andrews and Seth MacFarlane – made the trip. In “Tooth Fairy 2,” the main and only worthwhile attraction is Larry the Cable Guy in a pink tutu, which, while undoubtedly funny, isn’t sufficient cause for anyone older than 10 to invest precious time in it. He plays the boyfriend of a pretty pre-school teacher (Erin Beute) and someone who takes extraordinary pride in his bowling skills. When his obsession causes a schism in their relationship, he attempts to make good by volunteering at the school, where he inadvertently convinces one of the boys that the whole tooth-fairy deal is a hoax. It isn’t, of course, and Larry pays the price for his lack of faith. There’s another complication, but, suffice it to say, the sight of Larry in the arms of a young and beautiful teacher, is almost as a crazy as watching him take orders from a winged 12-year-old. In addition to some advice on achieving sound oral health, the movie contains several plugs for MoonPie, the official dessert of the American South. – Gary Dretzka

The David Susskind Show: How to Be a Jewish Son
The second addition to the series of episodes from “The David Susskind Show” – Jerry Lewis was the guest in the first – proves once again how much better talk shows once were. Ostensibly, “How to Be a Jewish Son” was the topic of the evening. It could just as easily have been, “How Does It Feel to Play Second Banana to Mel Brooks?” In 1970, Brooks wasn’t the known quantity he would become after the release of “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” a couple of years later. “The Producers” had been released in 1968 and his adaptation of “Twelve Chairs” was about to open. Also on the panel were comedian David Steinberg, actor George Segal, writer Dan Greenburg and a couple of guys who barely even attempted to get a word in edgewise. As moderator, Susskind might as well have been trying to wrangle a herd of cats. None of the panelists offered insights that couldn’t also be attributed to the sons of Italian, Irish or Sudanese mothers, but that’s far from the point here. It’s about wringing laughs – lots of ’em – from a clichéd subject. – Gary Dretzka

Decision
The biggest problem I have with such faith-based entertainments as “Decision” and “WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?” – produced and directed by the same team of filmmakers – is that they purposefully confuse Christian values for values associated with good people of all backgrounds. Certainly, one needn’t have memorized the New Testament to buy into the Golden Rule and the basic ethical and moral tenets espoused by Jesus Christ. An understanding of the bible is a swell thing to possess, but atheists can be just as honorable as the Christians who wear their beliefs on their sleeves. Conversely, the least Christian of Americans are those pray-for-pay televangelists who Jesus would have kicked out of the temple along with the money changers. In “Decision,” Michael Rosenbaum plays a teenager, Jackson, traumatized by the death of his firefighter father in an accident that also claimed the life of a local woman. For some reason, Jackson becomes the target of bullies at school. He acts out his outrage at home and in the classroom, causing him to be left back a grade. His pregnant mother, Ilene (Natalie Grant), has been left destitute by her husband’s accident and Jackson’s behavior makes her situation even more difficult to handle. Finally, she contacts her father, Wyatt (Rusty Whitener), from whom she’s been estranged since she ran away from home with Jackson’s father. The old fart agrees, but on the condition the boy abides by his rules, which seem draconian to Jackson, but are standard-operating-procedure for most farm kids. After some initial give-and-take, Jackson becomes a productive farmhand and ardent reader of the bible, as does his mom back home. The boy isn’t able to fully appreciate Wyatt’s constant references to scripture until both of them are put to the test on a hunting trip. When disaster strikes, we’re led to believe that Jackson’s unselfish behavior is solely the result of bible studies. In the hands of director Thomas Makowski and writer/producer Kevan Otto, “Decision” is both overly simplistic and entirely predictable. It’s difficult for me to believe that this sort of one-size-fits-all proselytizing is what America’s Christian community demands. If so, it’s worth noting at least that production values have improved steadily in the past few years. The DVD comes with a rudimentary study guide. – Gary Dretzka

Menschenfrauen
Released in 1980, the feminist drama “Menschenfrauen” (“Humanwoman”) feels even more prehistoric than it is. That men are dogs and women are crazy to believe their lies is a premise already mined successfully in such contemporaneous American films as “An Unmarried Woman,” “The Stepford Wives,” “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” “A Woman Under the Influence,” “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Nine to Five” and “3 Women.” In Austrian director and video artist Valie Export’s film, the male-chauvinist antagonist is Franz, a journalist who could pass for a cousin of porn star John Holmes. He has a wife and three mistresses, all of whom he strings along with empty promises and outright lies. Apparently, he’s enough of a stud to keep them from coming back for more. Thirty years ago, in Europe, Franz might have been able to pull off such a ruse, but, today, he resembles a caricature of a cliché. Export introduces us to the women in dream sequences, which suggest how they might have found in Franz an alternative to the hellish conditions at home. In one truly horrific sequence, a waitress is required by the government to pay the alimony owed by her slacker son to his former wife. The diversion in income causes her worthless husband to beat her in front of the young man, who does nothing to stop the injustice. Compared to these men, Franz is an angel from heaven. Neither does Franz feel any obligation to the two women he impregnates. “Menschenfrauen” is pretty bleak, but that shouldn’t scare off fans of German New Wave and the films of John Cassavetes. – Gary Dretzka

Black Briefs
Launched in 2005, Guest House Films specializes in telling “unique stories that usually cannot be found in other productions.” It is joined in this regard by such purveyors of quality “gueer cinema” offerings as TLA Releasing, Strand Releasing, Breaking Glass Pictures’ QC Cinema and the venerable Wolfe Video. Guest House’s “Black Briefs” is a collection of six award-winning short films, with decidedly dark themes and interesting twists. They include Hong Khaou’s “Spring,” Greg Ivan Smith’s “Remission,” Camille Carida’s “The Back Room,”

Lalo Vasquez’ “Promise,” Jack Plotnick and Jim Hansen’s “Video Night” and Christopher Banks’ “Communication,” which range in length from 6 to 20 minutes. None is particularly graphic sexually. – Gary Dretzka

Michael Schenker/Public Image Limited/Roy Buchanan/Ian Hunter: Rockpalast
A mainstay of German television since 1974, “Rockpalast” has showcased hundreds of the world’s top rock, pop and blues groups in performance. MVD Visuals has more than 40 of those concerts on its roster of DVD releases. Because of the age of some of the shows and use of recording equipment that may have been state-of-the-art at the time, but no longer is, the concerts aren’t nearly as easy on the eyes as, say, the “Soundstage” concerts available through Image Entertainment. The audio presentation isn’t bad at all. The latest batch includes concerts from the early 1980s. The featured entertainers include German metal heroes Michael Schenker Group; Public Image Limited, with a post-Sex Pistols Johnny “Rotten” Lydon; American guitar god Roy Buchanan, whose set list included “Green Onions,” “Walk, Don’t Run” and “Foxy Lady”; and glam-rock pioneer Ian Hunter, with ace guitarist Mick Ronson. Needless to say, the German audiences were stoked and ready to party. – Gary Dretzka

NFL Super Bowl XLVI Champions: 2011 New York Giants: Blu-ray
In what must be considered one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, the 2011 New York Giants overcame a bad case of mediocrity just in time to make a run for the playoffs. Its journey from the outhouse to the penthouse began after overcoming a four-game losing streak, which wiped out a 6-2 start and inspired demands for head coach Tom Coughlin’s ouster. Their December streak extended from the beginning of December through the Super Bowl, where the Giants upset the New England Patriots. As is usually the case with such NFL Films productions, “NFL Super Bowl XLVI Champions” covers the game and events leading up to it like a blanket. In addition to sparkling goalpost-to-goalpost coverage of the game, the Blu-ray package includes highlights of the Super Bowl Media Day and post-game ceremonies; the communications between coaches and players who were “wired for sound”; NFL “Shots of the Year”; and featurettes on Eli Manning, “Back to the Future,” “The Receiving Giants” and “Catching Up With David Tyree.” – Gary Dretzka

The Lion King 1½ Special Edition: Blu-ray
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride Special Edition: Blu-ray
Last October, when “The Lion King: Diamond Edition” was released in Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D, ravenous fans also were tantalized by a special super-duper “Lincoln King Trilogy.” The eight-disc set contained Blu-ray and DVD editions of the direct-to-video sequels, as well as Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and digital copies of the original, along with bonus features. How anyone could possibly utilize all of these iterations of the same thing is beyond me. At full retail, it would have set consumers back an even $100. Considering that full retail for the sequels, in Blu-ray, goes for a sliver less than $40 a piece, that price represents something of a bargain. No one needs to pay full retail anymore, of course, but you get the picture. The “Special Edition” of “The Lion King 1½” adds deleted scenes, “Timon and Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari,” “Timon: Behind the Legend,” Before the Beginning: The Making of ‘The Lion King 1½’” and a music video. “The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride” includes “Timon and Pumbaa’s Insectapedia,” the animated short “One by One,” “Proud of Simba’s Pride,” “Timon and Pumbaa,” “Find Out Why” and a music video. – Gary Dretzka

MI-5: 10
Dalziel & Pascoe: Season Five
Judge John Deed: Season Five
The great thing about British drama series is that the actors don’t look as if they’ve stepped out of the pages of a Nordstrom’s catalog or Hollywood nightclub. Neither do the actors in medical series look as if they are old enough to have finished medical school, let alone be handed a scalpel with which to slice open a patient. As is evident in the BBC collections released on DVD this week, Brits come in different sizes, shapes, colors and ages. Some of them are outright unattractive, a sin against nature rarely committed on American network television.  Being something north of 30, myself, I enjoy seeing people who look like me in the shows I watch. Even after 10 years, “MI-5” (a.k.a., “Spooks”) can be counted among the best television dramas in the English-speaking world. The agency is in charge of domestic intelligence in the U.K., which means that bad trouble arrives on its doorstep on a weekly basis. Fortunately, the country’s intelligence-gathering infrastructure is second to none, thanks primarily to a CCTV system many Americans would consider overly intrusive. Director Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) has been in charge of the agency for the entirety of the series, 21 episodes longer than the character with the next longest tenure. He’s tough as the average British beefsteak and, as we’ve learned in the last two seasons, is carrying more baggage on his conscience than any man should bear. The 10^th stanza reveals the one secret that’s been eating at him for nearly 30 years. It’s a fascinating arc, primarily because the cast is mostly new and several of the agency’s deepest cracks are showing. Also put to the test is Harry and Ruth’s teasingly romantic relationship. Toss in several Jihadists, a home-grown bomber, rogue KGB agents, devious CIA types and a murdered MI-5 analyst, and you have a doozy of a possibly final season. The DVD comes with a retrospective on Pearce’s career and top-10 episode list, as chosen by cast and crew.

The dark and unforgiving police drama “Dalziel and Pascoe” ran on the BBC from 1996 to 2007. It would be familiar to American audiences in that it features a blustery, intuitive and only occasionally likeable lead detective and his partner and roommate, who’s young, handsome and tends to go by the book. “Season Five” opens with the reappearance, after 19 years, of a kidnap victim believed to be long dead. It was case that Dalziel (Warren Clarke) closed years earlier, after a suspect confessed to the crime and was incarcerated for it. Now, he’s required to defend his investigation and make new enemies. Fans have seen many now-familiar actors begin their careers in cameos and guest-star roles on “D&P.” In the opener here, look for Richard Coyle (“Coupling”), Nikola Walker (MI-5”) and Pippa Haywood (“Green Wing”).
Martin Shaw plays the title character in “Judge John Deed,” another very good BBC legal drama that will have American viewers wondering why the principles in British courtrooms wear those silly wigs. Deed is the kind of judge who doesn’t automatically accept plea deals and has a healthy disregard for anonymous government witnesses. Unlike American judges, too, he’s able to ask questions that lawyers forget to mention. His overly melodramatic personal life, in and out of chambers, sometimes gets in the way of story flow, but it adds an interesting chink to his armor. – Gary Dretzka

PBS: America Goes to War: World War II
Nature: Ocean Giants
Nature: Fortress of the Bears: Blu-ray
It didn’t take long for Americans to tune out coverage of the nearly simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, thanks in no small part to an easily distracted media. Today, even as American soldiers continue to die in combat, there are only a few outward indications here that a war is going on in a country far away. PBS’ excellent documentary series, “America Goes to War,” was made several decades ago, but still resonates today. Hosted by journalist Eric Sevareid, it describes how Americans reacted both to the outbreak of war in Europe and Asia, and the drive to conserve resources ranging from nylon stockings to gasoline. The point is made that this country was as unprepared for war, as it was for the peace that followed. Both times, it was the sacrifices and hard work of the civilian population, along with the heroics of those in combat, that pulled us through. Subsequent wars have required little, if any sacrifice on the part of civilians – other than throwing good tax dollars after bad – and even less from a media desperate to monetize coverage. As anyone who lived through World War II can easily recall, citizens rallied voluntarily and often at great cost to their pre-war lifestyles. It partially explains why the reaction to the announcement of war’s end was so exuberant on the home front. “America Goes to War” doesn’t overlook the controversies of the day, including the institutionalized racism abided by the Pentagon and White House and the role played by women at home and near combat. (Black nurses were only allowed to treat black soldiers, at least until their services were required in whites-only hospitals.) “America Goes to War” is the kind of documentary series that can and should be enjoyed by grandparents, parents and kids, all of whom have had to deal with wars of their own.

The “Nature” series “Ocean Giants” provides unprecedented access to whales and dolphins of all sizes, not just XXL. Underwater cinematographers Doug Allan (“Planet Earth”) and Didier Noirot (“Oceans”) swam, dived and broke bread with the cetaceans in their various natural habitats. What distinguishes “Ocean Giants” from other such documentaries is the footage captured of the whales’ mating habits. Without going into great detail, it’s fascinating in all the usual ways, as well as a couple that border on animal pornography. I’ve never seen anything like it before, anyway. Their cameras also were able to capture the feeding practices of cetaceans, ranging from Amazon River dolphins to great blue whales, solving a mystery or two along the way. Given the migratory patterns of the whales, “Ocean Giants” also serves well as a travelogue. The humpbacks even orchestrate a concert for the eavesdroppers.

A “Nature” camera crew also spent months at a time in Tongass National Forest, located on Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska. It is populated with an estimated 1,700 brown bears, all of whom have been doing the same things, in the same ways, as their ancestors had for countless centuries. I’m not sure what the reporters were expecting to find there, but it was their great good luck to be on Admiralty in the year an El Nino system caused drought and a shift in the salmon migration that impacted bears and local fishermen, both of whom depend on the fish for their sustenance. “Fortress of the Bears” is full of terrific cinematography and scenes only biologists and other specialists will witness in the wild. – Gary Dretzka

Happily Divorced: Season One
Transformers Prime: Complete First Season: Blu-ray
Sitcom premises don’t hit much closer to home than the one that informs TV Land’s “Happily Divorced.” It stars Fran Descher as a Los Angeles florist, Fran, who learns after 18 years of marriage that her husband of 18 years (John Michael Higgins) is gay. Instead of kicking him out of the house and splitting their assets, Fran allows the struggling real-estate salesman to stay in a separate wing, while she juggles her work and dating. The story was inspired by Descher’s own relationship with ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, who reportedly exited the closet after their divorce, but remains business partners and friends with her. Higgins, known primarily for his hilarious roles in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, has played several gay characters and is his usual funny self here. Given TV Land’s demographic, it comes as no surprise that most of comedy derives from Descher’s suddenly-single status, instead their mutual searches for male companionship. Higgins’ free time is mostly spent playing mother hen to his ex-wife and interfering with her new life. It would nice if he was given a boyfriend of his own, but no one’s holding their breath on that score. Fans of Descher and Higgins will be able to tolerate the stale gags and 1970s-sitcom framework better than other viewers, who, unlike TV execs, are ready to accept the fact that homosexual characters enjoy sex, too. The show co-stars Tichina Arnold, Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Valente Rodriguez.

The animated TV series “Transformers Prime” owes less to the live-action blockbusters than storylines advanced in ancillary video games and novels. As such, it probably provides a more satisfying experience for fans not all that interested in the romantic affairs of Sam Whitwicky (Shia LeBeouf) and director Michael Bay’s other embellishments. There have been several other spinoffs from the original video game and “Transformers: The Movie” (1986), each one more technologically advanced than the last. Among the constants that have remained throughout are the voice acting of Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) and Frank Welker (Megatron). For many years, the Autobots have managed to avoid detection and the risk of escalating their war with the Decepticons to disastrous proportions. Here, they’re assisted by three young human allies (Jack, Miko and Raf) and Special Agent Bill Fowler (Ernie Hudson). The Blu-ray edition looks excellent and contains a 96-page “Transformers: Prime” prequel graphic novel. – Gary Dretzka

Hugo: Blu-ray
Leave it to Martin Scorsese to hit a grand slam in his first at-bat in the 3D game, while also delivering a genuinely moving tribute to one of his cinema heroes and a call to action for film preservation. If, to some degree, all movies are magic, it’s fitting that “Hugo” is set in the city, Paris, where the medium’s first great illusionist worked his wonders. We’re not supposed to know upfront that George Méliès is at the heart of the movie’s central mystery, but anyone who’s taken a film-history course will know immediately what’s happening here. Adapted from Brian Selznick’s Caldecott Medal-winning “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” “Hugo” is divided roughly in two halves. The first chronicles a boy’s determination to make sense of the death of his tinkerer father and complete his final creation, an intricately designed automaton able to write and draw. Hugo lives behind the clockwork face of the Gare Montparnasse tower. He subsides on stolen food and, father-like-son, tinkers away the idle hours. After rebuilding the robot, Hugo (Asa Butterfield) discovers that he is missing the heart-shaped key that will make it come alive. Thinking that he might be able to make one, he revisits the station’s toy store, from which he’s stolen countless small items in the past. The proprietor, Georges (Ben Kingsley), recognizes the boy as the perpetrator of the petty thefts and grills him about his purposes. When Hugo shows him his sketchbook, Georges is stunned by the intricacy of the drawings and the subject matter. Hoping to teach the scamp a lesson, he seizes the notebook and takes it home with him as a tool for ransom.

In the movie’s second half, Hugo teams up with Georges’ cute and inquisitive goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), to recover the book. As luck would have it, the necklace she wears has a heart-shaped key hanging from it. They both find it curious that she’s in possession of the one thing necessary to complete the automaton and proceed to investigate the mystery. First, though, Hugo takes her to the local cinema, where a Harold Lloyd movie is playing. Fascinated by what they’ve both witnessed, they decide to pay a visit to the station’s bookstore to learn more about film history. It is owned by Monsieur Labisse (Christopher Lee), who appreciates any youngster interested in reading. The book they find is full of images that Hugo recognizes from discussions with his father. They also find photographs of someone looking suspiciously like Georges. Coincidentally, an actual film historian is passing behind the kids at precisely the moment they’re perusing the chapter on the works of a fellow named Melies. He tells them that the extremely prolific “cinemagician” died in World War I after losing all of his money and becoming disillusioned with life, in general. The upstarts dispute the assertion that Melies is dead, leading to a visit to Isabelle’s house and an encounter with her godfather, who’s in no mood to accommodate their new friend. In any case, Georges apparently is unaware of his contributions to the medium and importance to lovers of movies everywhere. The realization leads to other small miracles, which include resuscitating the automaton and escaping from the clutches of a one-legged gendarme (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his Doberman pinscher. The self-conscious cop is determined to capture Hugo and send him to an orphanage. This wonderful story is close enough to the truth to make “Hugo” both entertaining and educational.

Rated PG, another Scorsese rarity, “Hugo” should hold the interests of kids and young adults based solely on its marvelous visuals and the kids’ excellent adventure. Grownups, especially those with an appreciation for movie trivia, will be captivated by Scorsese’s cleverness in incorporating images of between-wars celebrities and nods to film history into scenes set at the station. Scorsese, in league with screenwriter John Logan (“Rango,” “The Aviator”), has crafted a movie that could hardly be more captivating, and it’s the director’s palpable sense of wonder that inspired the designers who walked away with five Oscars Sunday night. Not having seen the Blu-ray 3D version, I can only assume that it will test the limits of those expensive new home-theater systems people got at Christmas. The Blu-ray 2D edition certainly is equal to the task. As one might expect, the bonus package overflows with compelling featurettes, ranging from those of the making-of variety to the films of Méliès. “Hugo” truly is a movie to be enjoyed as much by family members as buffs, and not just once. – Gary Dretzka

The Myth of the American Sleepover
David Robert Mitchell’s debut feature easily qualifies as one of the most criminally under-screened and neglected movies of the young century. While Hollywood continues to search in vain for the new John Hughes and independents hope to capture the same lightning in a bottle as “American Pie,” “The Myth of the American Sleepover” was there all along. Even in DVD, it succeeds at almost every level in capturing the joys, angst and insanity of being a teenager in middle-class America. It does so without pushing any envelopes or attempting to reinvent the genre, merely capturing teens as they might behave in real life. The story takes place on a late summer day – and night — when kids in a suburban neighborhood in Michigan are preparing for another year of the same-old same-old at high school or getting ready for new adventures at college. Everything that occurs in the daylight hours is in anticipation of parties and sleepovers of various sizes and demographics that will take place on the night before the city’s big parade. The characters know to expect all the usual temptations of such events: excessive drinking and drugging, skinny-dipping, ill-advised late-night driving and carousing, uncomfortable sexual situations and, God hear our pleas, outright promiscuity. Some of the teens will emerge unscarred, while the lives of others will be changed forever. Sound familiar?

We know “Myth” is going to be different, simply because none of the actors look as if they’re past 25, a former Miss America or Mr. Universe contestant or extras in a Michelob commercial. Neither do they appear to have played the “after” face in a Clearasil spot. If gross things happen at the parties, it’s only because gross things do happen at such soirees. They don’t have to be manufactured or exaggerated, as in every teen movie since a guy in “American Pie” pissed off a balcony, filling the cup of an unsuspecting reveler below him. That said, “Myth” does bear a passing resemblance to “American Graffiti,” right down to one desperate boy’s nightlong search for an elusive blond beauty, and “Dazed and Confused.” The only real question in such movies is who’s going to wake up with an incurable hangover, pregnant or immeasurably wiser. It’s enough to say here that the ending is perfectly satisfying and in keeping with everything that’s come before it. The fresh and energetic cast, comprised primarily of actors in their debut performances, also is very good. – Gary Dretzka

The Catechism Cataclysm
If there’s anything that sends up more red flags than the presence of a priest in a contemporary movie, I don’t know what it is. You just never know, anymore, if the character’s going to be cut from the same pattern as Spencer Tracy and Pat O’Brien or the prelates we meet in the newspapers on their way to hell. If there’s a happy medium, it can be found in movies like “The Catechism Cataclysm,” in which men of the church are no more or less screwed up than any other character. As played by Steve Little (“Eastbound & Down”), Father William isn’t as much disillusioned by religion as he is bored and distracted by other things. When his boss senses that William is bumming out the people who come to him for counseling, he’s asked to take some time off and contemplate his commitment. He’s kind of a doofus, but not remotely evil or disillusioned. William decides to contact a friend from his secular days, who, without any enthusiasm, agrees to go on a canoe excursion with him.

In William’s memory, Robbie (Robert Longstreet) remains a rock-’n’-roll hero and primary inspiration to him. For his part, Robbie can barely remember William, apart from the endless e-mails he sends and being an ex-girlfriend’s little brother. In fact, his rock life was limited to being a roadie and a chronic has-been. Nevertheless, he agrees to join the priest on the trip, not realizing it would mean suffering through sing-alongs and hundreds of dopey jokes. Before they embark, however, the bumbling priest manages to drop his bible into a toilet (yeah, eech), adding an element of paranormal dread in the narrative. “Catechism Cataclysm” shifts abruptly from buddy movie to horror comedy, with Satan represented by a kooky pair of Japanese twins named Huck and Tom. They’re navigating the same river in the company of a large black bodyguard, who doesn’t wait for William to finish relieving himself to ask him to hear his confession. What happens afterward, while sitting around a campfire, ultimately factors into William’s future in the Church and ability to work with troubled parishioners. Todd Rohal’s movie always threatens to take off erratically like a rapidly deflating balloon, if only because the writer/director doesn’t always appear to be in command of the material. By the time it reaches a satisfying ending, though, “Catechism Catalyst” has come together in a convincing and positive fashion. After the bible took its plunge, I wouldn’t have bet on it happening. – Gary Dretzka

Conversation Piece
The Automobile
One of the great things about Burt Lancaster was his ability to keep studio executives, critics and audiences guessing as to where his next great whim might take him. For a huge Hollywood star, his willingness to appear in such non-mainstream films as  “Go Tell the Spartans,” “Atlantic City,” “Executive Action,” “The Swimmer,” “The Unforgiven” and Luchino Visconti’s “The Leopard” and “Conversation Piece” bordered on the miraculous. Moreover, his commitment to liberal causes always threatened his ability to find work in the Blacklist era. As odd as it might seem to watch a larger-than-life star of Westerns and suspense flicks ensconced in the luxurious trappings of Visconti’s dramas, after five minutes there’s no doubting he belongs there. Unlike “The Leopard,” which was set in 1860s Sicily, “Conversation Piece” finds Lancaster in 1974 Rome. He lives there in a palazzo once owned by his mother, who used a hidden room to shelter Jews and dissidents. Lancaster’s character is an American professor who feels more comfortable in the company of his countless art treasures and record albums than anyone in the outside world, except his longtime housekeeper. It explains why he’s content to leave the upper floor of the majestic house unoccupied. Il Professore modestly describes his paintings and sculptures as “conversation pieces,” as might any gentleman of wealth when complimented for his ability to afford such gems. As fine as they are, though, the pieces fall short of being masterpieces, and that’s just how the professor likes it.

Ostensibly a drama, the movie takes a humorous turn early on, when a rich Italian marchesa tags along with a group of art dealers hoping to make a deal, but fails to leave. She arrogantly insists on leasing the second-floor apartment in the palazzo for her much younger lover, Konrad (Helmut Berger), refusing to take “no” for an answer. Anyone who’s experienced the horror of having a family of raccoons move into their attic knows what the professor will undergo when the woman’s daughter and her boyfriend unexpectedly join Konrad in the apartment. The first sign of trouble comes when the plaster on the ceiling begins falling to the floor of the kitchen and water seeps through the walls downstairs, threatening the paintings. This infuriates the professor, who’s told by Konrad that a lease, which he didn’t sign, allows the tenant to take down a wall to remodel one bathroom. Clearly, everyone in the marchesa’s orbit not only is spoiled rotten, but also suffering from the delusion that they’re entitled to special treatment by everyone below their station in life. At first, Konrad is the most intolerable intruder, bragging of a radical past and many brushes with the law while nibbling on the marchesa’s leftovers. Soon, however, the professor and Konrad find that they share a passion for art and music and develop a bond. It could be of the father-son, mentor/devotee variety, or one meant to signify latent homosexuality on the old man’s part. The other interlopers remain a pain in the butt, even as they begin to form a strange family unit. Looks likely are deceiving, though.

Visconti is in familiar territory in “Conversation Piece,” describing, once again, the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Indeed, unbeknownst to the professor, Konrad decorates the apartment in a Modern, 1960s-era style, which is the antithesis of everything the professor holds dear. As one of the critics interviewed in the DVD suggests, “‘Conversation Piece’ is like the portraits of families hanging on the professor’s walls. Like him, they exist in a different world than the one outside the gates of the palazzo, which, itself, is an antique. By embracing his new “family,” the professor appears to be accepting the passage of time and cultural milieu. The possibility that he may be imaging the whole thing also exists. Lancaster’s performance reminds me, a bit, of the transformation of oil magnate Felix Happer in “Local Hero” and the small-time gangster, Lou, in “Atlantic City.” Likewise, Berger and Silvana Mangano are entirely credible as the hustler and the marchesa. Anyone who enjoyed “The Leopard,” or is a fan of Lancaster, is urged to give “Conversation Piece” a shot.

Also from Rarovideo comes “The Automobile,” a 1971 confection first shown as part as the “Tre donne” mini-series on Italian television. The great Anna Magnani, in her penultimate performance, appeared in all three segments. In Alfredo Giannetti’s hands, she plays a former prostitute, Anna (a.k.a., the Contessa), who remains something of a living legend among Rome’s “la dolce vita” crowd. Finally tired of walking everywhere and being confined to the city, the grand dame buys a flashy new Fiat convertible, which quickly becomes her pride and joy. One weekend, like everyone else in the city, she decides to venture forth to the beach and it introduces her to the reality of an epic Italian traffic jam. In a scene that might have been inspired by Jacques Tati, the traffic jam takes on a life of its own, with insane drivers yelling and blowing their horns at each other, maneuvering for every precious inch of open highway. While at the beach, Anna spots an attractive young man, showing off his physique and skills on the diving platform of a fresh-water pool. Like any experienced cougar, she puts herself in a position to be noticed by him, as well. He and his older, bearded buddy need a ride back to the city, and, conveniently, Anna has room for them in her Fiat. Much to her consternation, the young man insists on driving. Needless to say, the ride home proves disastrous. Even at 63 and well beyond her prime, Mangani could still turn heads with her formidable beauty and fire. (She would be dead two years later.) “The Automobile” may be interesting mostly as a diversion, but, for fans of Italian comedies, there are plenty of worse ways to kill a couple of hours. – Gary Dretzka

Felipe Esparza: They’re Not Gonna to Laugh at You
Like most other comedians featured in Showtime’s urban-comedy showcase, Felipe Esparza is an expert at breaking down ethnic stereotypes one minute and, seconds later, demonstrating how accurate they might be. At a time when trigger-happy lawmen and grubby Republican politicians see illegal immigrants behind every rock – and the border remains as porous as ever — there’s plenty of boils for Esparza to lance in “They’re Not Gonna Laugh at You.” A product of East L.A., Esparza draws much of his material from decades of first-hand observations of barrio life.  After winning the 2010 edition of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” the mop-top comedian naturally has been required to broaden his reach beyond the Southwest and Galavision. After starting out with some predictable icebreakers here, Esparza finds his rhythm and starts knocking the gags out of the park. And, the audience of locals is putty in his hands. Fans of his buddy, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, will especially enjoy “They’re Not Gonna Laugh at You.” – Gary Dretzka

Bounty Hunters
King of the Triads
Three-time “WWE Babe of the Year” and “Diva of the Decade” Trish Stratus breaks into feature films in the Canadian indie, “Bounty Hunters” (a.k.a., “Bail Enforcers”), a movie solely distinguished by the athleticism of her bad-ass character and that of her equally tough antagonist, Andrea James Lui. Indeed, if I were scoring on points, I’d say that Lui got the best of the heroine, until her inevitable demise before the final bell. They’re both extremely talented pugilists and, as far as these things go, anyway, competent actors. Everyone else turns in performances one would expect to find in the late-night skin flicks on Cinemax, minus the benefit of nudity. The plot, such as it is, involves a team of bounty hunters who pick up a small-time hoodlum in an Asian-Canadian S&M joint and agree to flip him for a fugitive of far greater value, to the cops and the mobsters on whom he snitched. Honorable to a fault, the chief bounty hunter resists the $1-million temptation, but manages to lose the guy anyway. None of it is very convincing, especially the fights between the male characters. As diverting as Stratus and Lui may be, Patrick McBrearty’s “Bounty Hunters” is about as realistic as Stratus’ fake love affair with slimeball WWE boss Vince McMahon in her days as a wrestler.

“King of the Triads” opens briskly with a confrontation between Chinese police and a gang of counterfeiters. What makes it interesting is the absurd notion that the cops could be talked into holstering their weapons by the gangsters, who would prefer to duke it out with fists and feet of fury. Within days of the gang leader being apprehended with the plates in his possession, he’s escorted to a nearby soccer field and shot in the back of the head by a rifle-wielding PRC soldier.  You don’t find stuff like that in the tourist brochures. The rest of “King of the Triads” involves the battle to choose a successor to the boss and take possession of family resources. As is the case in most of Dennis Law’s other martial-arts thrillers, logic and plot development henceforth takes a backseat to the almost non-stop violence choreographed by Li Chung Chi and shot by Herman Yau. After about a half-hour, I lost track of who was doing what to whom and why … not that it matters all that much. The struggle for power within the previously close-knit family requires a colossal suspension of disbelief and I was far too interested in watching foxy and desperately ambitious Bernice Liu slaughter her brothers and in-laws to care about the triad’s line of succession. Also appearing in “King of the Triads” are Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, Lam Suet, Andy On, Xiong Xinxin, Ken Lo, Jiang Luxia and Chris Lai. A making-of featurette describes the always-fascinating preparations for the fight scenes. – Gary Dretzka

Answers to Nothing
Fans of such ensemble dramas as “Short Cuts,” “Magnolia,” “Crash” and “Powder Blue” should find in the interlocking stories that comprise “Answers to Nothing” something to their liking. Set, like the others, in Los Angeles, Matthew Leutwyler’s story is enhanced by an excellent cast of largely unheralded actors, playing characters that have more problems collectively than a megaplex full of troubled souls. The most prominent storyline involves the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl and the search for her kidnaper and probable killer. None-too-realistic media coverage can be heard in the background of most of the scenes, effectively diminishing the importance of everyone else’s problems. Another throughline involves a young alcoholic woman who appears to have been involved in an accident that turned her marathon-running brother into quadriplegic, and wants to compensate for it by wheeling him along in races he might otherwise have entered. Dane Cook plays a therapist whose affair with an aspiring rock star threatens his marriage and his wife’s increasingly desperate attempts to be artificially inseminated. The therapist also must deal with his mother (Barbara Hershey), who’s deluded herself into believing that the man who abandoned his family will miraculously reappear at Christmas, which celebrates every day of the year, apparently. I would have believed Cook as any other male character in the movie, except as the thoughtful therapist. Not only does his comic persona precede him here, but his character looks as if he should still be in med school. Among his patients is a pretty African-American woman (Kali Hawk), who’s offended by her white co-workers’ propensity to defer to her race, yet is bothered by the fact she “hates black people.”  The most compelling characters are the therapist’s wife (Elizabeth Mitchell) and his lover (Aja Volkman), both of whom are tortured by his inconsistent behavior, bad moods and inconclusive plans for the future. As the musician, Volkman proves to be the real deal, belting out the same kinds of songs that made Alanis Morissette a star, only better. What the women and Leutwyler see in Cook is a mystery. He’s a cad to his very nice and undeniably pretty wife and too square to be credible as the lover of an edgy rocker. More reasonably cast are Julie Benz, Zach Gifford, Erik Palladino, Miranda Bailey, Mark Kelly and Greg Germann. They continually dig deeper into their characters to give us reasons to stick with the spotty screenplay and find answers to, yes, nothing.  – Gary Dretzka

Stags
As you can probably guess from the title, “Stags” concerns the midlife crises of a group of middle-age men, who appear to be professional bachelors. The best gag in the movie comes early on, when the buddies are gathered in a private room in a restaurant and a stripper asks which one of them is the person getting married. After they reply, “no one,” the other stripper follows up with, “Then, why did you hire us for a bachelor party?” The answer, “Because we’re all 40 and still bachelors.” Ruining the party, for both the guys and the strippers, is the revelation that another close pal has announced his engagement and soon will be a non-bachelor. The men have been close friends from boyhood and haven’t made much effort to grow up in the meantime. As if to prove that their decision to remain unmarried has always been the right way to go, the friend has only been married a few hours before suffering a heart attack and dying “in the saddle.” During the course of sitting Shiva, the men have plenty of time to think about what his death means to their future. Basically, it boils down to dumping old incumbencies and getting laid as often as possible. One of the guys becomes close to the widow, who somehow was unaware – as were the men – of their friend’s brilliant career as a porn star. Jamie Greenberg’s dramedy might not have found much in the way of distribution, but, considering the vapidity of the characters, is surprisingly watchable. (I say that as a guy. Something tells me women might come away from it with a much less favorable opinion.)  I didn’t recognize any of the actors, whose roles mostly have been limited to guest appearances in television shows. (Is there a New York actor who hasn’t appeared in at least one episode of “Law & Order”?) They keep things moving in a forwardly direction, though. – Gary Dretzka

Rabies
Beneath the Darkness: Blu-ray
InSight
In Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado’s nifty debut thriller, the characters endure so many truly awful punishments – none of them involving infected raccoons or bats — that I began to wonder if the Israeli title “Kalavet” hadn’t been mistranslated. According to the marketing material, “Rabies” is Israel’s first American-style slasher flick. In a scenario all too familiar to audiences here, a madman is loose in a forest near Tel Aviv, torturing young couples and slashing the throats of their pets. (In decades of watching news footage from Israel, I’ve never seen images of any of the forests in which saplings donated by American kids were planted. This one is full of nice-sized trees.) One attack leads to a string of killings, accidental or otherwise, involving perverted cops, teenage girls in tennis outfits, their dopey boyfriends, the bloodied brother of the first victim and a hunter. Hunting for something besides terrorists in Israel, who knew? Among the ways people die are impalement, bludgeoning, brutal beatings, gunshots, automobile collisions and explosives. One man manages to step into a bear trap – again, who knew? – while one of the tennis-playing girls picks a deserted minefield in which to take a piss. Even as the deaths mount up, the characters remain on their cellphones, chatting and arguing with friends back in the city, never mentioning the bad craziness occurring in the woods surrounding them. It adds a surrealistic element to a story that might have begun its life as an inky black comedy. Somehow, Keshales and Papushado are able to harness the madness and turn it into something entirely watchable and thoroughly creepy.

I can’t remember the last time Dennis Quaid was assigned a role of any real substance. He’s a well enough known commodity to draw attention to virtually-direct-to-DVD movies, but nothing remotely reminiscent of his turns in “Far From Heaven,” “The Big Easy” and “Traffic.” In the insufficiently thrilling thriller, “Beneath the Darkness,” he plays a former small-town sports hero and mortician who creeps out a group of teenagers with his bizarre nocturnal activities. We know he’s evil because, in the opening scene, he buries alive a jogger and possible lover of his dead wife. (All too coincidentally, the teens are studying Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” in English class.) Overly curious as to the shadows they see dancing on the shades on the windows of the mortician’s bedroom, the youthful sleuths are unable to resist the temptation to break into the man’s home. The cops don’t believe that they’ve seen the embalmed corpse of his dead wife in the bedroom and advise them not to risk being shot by the owner. Kids being kids, they ignore the warning and proceed as if they never received one. It allows the mortician to pick them off one-by-one, keeping them alive long enough to bury them, as well. Fortuitously, the mortician is far too nuts to pull off his scheme, as planned, and it adds a nice touch of strangeness to the climax. The final five minutes are better than anything else in “Beneath the Darkness.”

In another paper-thin psychological/supernatural thriller, an ER nurse is accidentally electrocuted by a backfiring defibrillator, while attempting to save the life of a stabbing victim. As played by Natalie Zea (“Justified), Kaitlyn not only is capable of channeling the dead patient’s memory of the crime, but also is forced to deal with the sublimated feelings of guilt left over from the death of her mother (Veronica Cartwright). As Kaitlyn is able to form a picture in her head of what happened in both incidents, the ghosts begin to drive her increasingly crazy. A doubtful police detective, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, decides to give her the benefit of a doubt, while a psychiatrist (Adam Baldwin) allows her to bounce her theories off him. Kaitlyn’s flashbacks add some intrigue to Richard Gabai’s story, but not much clarity. By the time the true villain is revealed, you’ll either be as confused as I was or happy that “InSight” is finally over. Coincidentally, Zea and Quaid’s characters end up in exactly the same place. – Gary Dretzka

Left and Loose in the Lot
Jesus, the Total Douchebag
Fans of such stoner comedies as “Half-Baked,” “Harold & Kumar” and “Up in Smoke” are the primary and, perhaps, only audience for “Left and Loose in the Lot.” It involves a pair of ne’er-do-well security guards in a parking structure who seem to function better when wasted on marijuana than when they’re straight. The other people who work the night shift at the lot are every bit as motley as Left and Loose (Wayne Waynee, Demetrius Dedmon). When they observe a pair of crimes taking place, via security cameras, Left and Loose snap into action, which is to say that they hop into a golf cart and try to avoid getting lost on the way to the scene of the crime. Naturally, it involves marijuana. “The Lot” won’t make anyone forget any of Cheech & Chong’s comedies, even “The Corsican Brothers.” It should, however, amuse viewers who are fully baked and hungry for comedies about people like them.

Knowing that Bill Zebub’s list of credits includes “Zombiechrist,” “Forgive Me for Raping You” and the surprisingly funny “Antfarm Dickhole,” should give you a pretty good idea of what passes for humor and insight in “Jesus, the Total Douchebag.” To say it isn’t for everyone is like saying Draino isn’t everyone’s idea of a refreshing beverage. It is “The Passion of the Christ” as interpreted by perverts, degenerates and people whose brains have been scorched by too much crystal meth and death-metal music. Typically, Zebub plays the title character, opposite GWAR’s Oderus Urungus, as Satan, and alongside lots of naked skanks. (Mary Magdalene is played by Taylor Trash.) Only fans of unabashed blasphemy and creative freedom, however anarchic, will find something to like in the Passion Play that is “Jesus, the Total Douchebag.” The DVD also contains “Metalheads,” a more contemporary examination of the agony and ecstasy of being a metalhead. Don’t say you weren’t warned. – Gary Dretzka

Enemies of the People
The Spectre of Hope
Among other things that separate human beings from apes and other living things is a willingness to periodically and systematically murder people we don’t like in numbers so staggeringly large as to be unimaginable. In some cases, we don’t even bother to keep score. Such was the case in Cambodia, when Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot declared war on his own countrymen, leaving anywhere between 2 million and 4 million of them dead. The slaughter was chronicled in Roland Joffe’s “The Killing Fields,” which also outlined the evacuation to the countryside of millions of intellectuals, teachers, doctors and property owners living in Phnom Penh. If American audiences were surprised by what they saw, it’s only because the Vietnam War had begun to fade from our collective memory and, well, good riddance. No one wanted to revisit the mess we helped make of Southeast Asia. Nearly 30 years after that movie was released, filmmakers Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath returned to the killing fields, literally, to record the memories of participants, witnesses, relatives of the victims and some of the people who green-lit the murders. “Enemies of the People” is a stunning documentary, if only for the matter-of-fact recollections they got and images of peasants knowingly living and working within feet of mass graves.

Sambath, an investigative reporter who lost his parents and siblings in the massacres, spent years gaining the confidence of the people he wanted to interview. In doing so, he admittedly neglected his family and invested his income in the project. Thanks to his his well-earned familiarity with the subjects, Sambath was able to inform his film with the unforced testimony of soldiers and officers, some of whom admit slitting the throats of “enemies of the people” and agree to demonstrate how it was done. In some cases, as well, the filmmaker is able to elicit the confessions by bringing along the officer who pumped them full of palm wine and demanded they do it. These men were told that Pol Pot personally ordered the execution of anyone suspected of posing a threat to the communist government or, maybe, someday, thinking about threatening the regime. If it wasn’t a certainty that anyone in the chain of command who disobeyed orders would be murdered on the spot, it might be easy to dismiss their claims of being forced into performing such acts. At one time, Americans believed that the just-following-orders defense was baloney and ex-Nazis should be held liable for their crimes. By the time the My Lai massacre was exposed to the public – and, later, the crimes perpetrated at Abu Ghraib and by Blackwater mercenaries – it became apparent that, at most, one or two guys would be scapegoated for the atrocity, while the people who gave the orders (or closed their eyes to it) went free. All guilt became relative. Sambath’s largest coup was locating and gaining the confidence of Nuon Chea — Pot’s second-in-command – who not only admitted the killings, but also his belief that they were justified. (The 85-year-old “chief ideologue” has since been jailed, awaiting a UN trial. Some have argued that Henry Kissinger ought to be put on trial, as well, for plotting the illegal bombings of Vietnamese positions inside Cambodia that set in motion the events that would lead to the Khmer Rouge coup. It’s complicated.) The two-disc set comes with deleted scenes, extended interviews, a making-of featurette, exclusive footage from a videoconference between Khmer Rouge survivors and killers featured in film, television reports, a 28-page booklet on the film, PBS interview with the directors and Q&A with David Puttnam, producer of “The Killing Fields.”

Paul Carlin’s “The Spectre of Hope” is less a documentary than a thought-provoking discussion of the effects of globalization on poor and displaced people around the world. It was inspired by photographs taken by Sebastiao Salgado for his book, “Migrations.” British critic/novelist John Berger joins the photographer for a soulful exchange of views on the role of art in times of great turmoil, as were the 1990s. As an economist for the World Bank, the native Brazilian traveled around the globe, often witnessing conditions and situations that troubled him. He turned to photojournalism in the 1970s, before focusing his attention on social documentary photography. For “Migrations,” he shot heart-wrenching photographs of people forced to leave their homes due to war, genocide, natural disasters and political and religious schisms. Viewers can read their pain in the eyes of their children, not to mention the hacked-up corpses lining the roads. Among the places he visited in his six-year journey were Rwanda, Mozambique, Sudan, Kosovo and Albania, Mexico, Eastern Europe and Asia. Although the photographs mostly speak for themselves, Salgado has plenty to say about the economic conditions that put displaced people at a disadvantage wherever they settle. Berger’s job here is to ask the questions we might have been inspired to ask, given the same access to the photographer. – Gary Dretzka

Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury
El Monstro del Mar!
The common element in both of these bargain-basement genre parodies is that they largely take place on water. In the case of the former, it’s the chlorinated ponds in the backyards of homes throughout the San Fernando Valley, while the latter is set along the Australian coast. “Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury” stars Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules”) as a Rambo-like Vietnam veteran who returns to L.A. after too many years in the warzone, only to find his former profession taken over by illegal immigrants from Mexico. It isn’t the only thing he doesn’t recognize in his Van Nuys neighborhood. Determined to reclaim his stake in the SoCal pool-servicing industry, Sorbo is required first to take on his chief rival, played by Danny Trejo, a veteran actor who seems to be everywhere these days. A key part of the joke here is host Saint James St. James, who purportedly produced the movie in 1990, but lost it for 20 years after it was deemed un-releasable. “Poolboy” is a hit-or-miss comedy, distinguished by some amusing sight gags and diminished by lots of over-the-top racial humor. Writer/co-star Ross Patterson already has a pair of Saint James St. James (the St. is pronounced “street”) sequels on the drawing boards, so expect more silly direct-to-DVD stuff down the road. I don’t know what, if any connection Patterson has with Milwaukee sports teams, except to point out that Sorbo’s character is named Sal Bando (a former Brewer) and one of his buddies is Sidney Moncrief (a former Buck).

When considering a rental of Stuart Simpson’s parody of grindhouse and Ozploitation flicks, feel free to ignore the Spanish title, “El Monstro Del Mar.” It’s about as Hispanic as Foster’s beer and Australian-rules football. Think of it as “Monster of the Sea” and you won’t come away disappointed or misled. In fact, considering its resemblance to several recent Roger Corman and Syfy collaborations, a better title might be “Octo-Hydra” or “It Came From Down Under.” It opens with three hootchie-mommas stuck on the side of a country road, laying a honey trap for passing horndogs. After stealing their car, the ladies head straight for a seaside community that is mysteriously absent of crowds and buff beach boys. Nonetheless, they party until the cows come home. It soon becomes apparent that the ocean is haunted by the aforementioned “monstro del mar,” a giant squid-like creature with toothy mouths on the tips of tentacles that bark like seals. Mayhem ensues. The best thing about the movie is its grainy period look and 75-minute length. Any longer, and he would have been pushing his luck. – Gary Dretzka

The Guild: Season 5
Internet mini-mogul Felicia Day takes Season 5 of “The Guild” on a road trip – along with the Knights of Good — to a gamers’ convention populated by even more nerds than your average ComiCon. Over the course of the three-day MegaGameORama-Con, Codex (Day) hopes to have non-virtual relations with the panel-obsessed Zaboo. Otherwise, the 32-going-on-17 ditzoid is determined to prevent the developer of the massively multiplayer online role-playing “Game” from selling it to mainstream interests. Meanwhile, all of the other knights are busy, working angles of their own. This unrated DVD includes all 12 episodes, featuring guest stars Nathan Fillion, Wil Wheaton, Kevin Sorbo, Stan Lee and Brent Spiner. As usual, there’s also plenty of original bonus material, including cast interviews, audio commentaries, a gag reel, a table, script  PDF file and the featurettes, “How to Build a Con Featurette” and “Steampunk Verite.” – Gary Dretzka

Kink Crusaders
There’s an entire subgenre of documentaries that focus on conventions and beauty contests dedicated to the pursuits of people who flourish in the backwaters of American mainstream culture. Coverage of Trekkie events and “drag” beauty contests got the ball rolling, with dozens of other such gatherings to follow in due course. (Morgan Spurlock’s “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope” debuts in April.) “Kink Crusaders” describes what transpires at the world’s oldest kink/fetish contest — International Mr. Leather – which has taken place in Chicago for more than 30 years. By now, such competitions aren’t nearly as shocking or quasi-legal as they were before the advent of the gay-rights movement. Certainly, no Gay Rights Parade is complete without a leather-fetish contingent and respectful media coverage. Michael Skiff’s film goes beyond the on-stage posing and backstage primping to chronicle the evolution of the event, which has grown from an event catering strictly to white, gay males, to one that includes men of all colors and ethnic backgrounds, as well as straight, disabled and transgender participants … and, of course, the women who love them. Skiff eavesdrops on panel discussions and interviews the founder, whose bar has been a leather landmark for a half-century. – Gary Dretzka

American Experience: The Amish
Todd & the Book of Pure Evil
Top Gear 17: Blu-ray
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?: The Complete Series
Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: Complete Series
Archies Weird Mysteries: The Complete Series
Normally, the Amish avoid headline-making situations like they would electric power tools. Occasionally, an elder would protest efforts to make horse-drawn carriages conform to laws written for automobile owners, but that’s what lawyers are for. In 2006, however, the nation was stunned by the ritual killings of five young girls and wounding of five others in a one-room schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pa. Nearly was shocking as the attack by the non-Amish gunman – who would commit suicide after shooting the girls — was the outpouring of forgiveness on the man’s family by the members of the tight-knit community. As unexpected and unpredictable as that crime, if in a less tragic way, were the attacks perpetrated last fall by members of a breakaway Amish sect on co-religionists in Ohio. Eventually, 10 men and 2 women would be charged under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act in five separate beard- and hair-cutting incidents. For the first time, headline writers would call attention to “Amish-on-Amish crime.” The 2006 incident inspired filmmaker David Belton to make “The Amish” for PBS’ “American Experience” documentary series. Chronicling 500 years’ worth of traditions, beliefs and practices might have been easier for Belton if anyone in the community actually cared to be interviewed or open their books to “the English,” as outsiders are known. Even so, he was given unprecedented access to the people who didn’t mind having the message of their lifestyle clarified. In fact, the Amish Mennonite movement isn’t as easy to portray in the media as one might think. Turns out, their history is anything but “plain” and “simple.”

“Todd & the Book of Pure Evil” is the title of a sitcom that airs on Canada’s Space network, an outlet that specializes in sci-fi, horror, fantasy and paranormal programming. It is being shown on America’s Fearnet cable channel, of whose existence, until today, I was unaware. The series resembles most shows set in a modern North American high school, in that there’s a firmly entrenched caste system and teachers who run the gamut from dweebish to enlightened. The scene at Crowley High is unique in that it is the only secondary school in a town founded by Satanists. Somehow, their “Book of Pure Evil” has gone missing and currently is believed to be lurking within the bowels of the school. Every time it falls (literally) into the hands of a student in need of a granted wish, chaos follows. Typically, it arrives in the person of a grotesque being or unintended disaster. Todd is one of only a few students who understands the pluses and minuses of the book’s gift and, after it allowed him to become a guitar hero, has volunteered to help kids who have fallen under its spell. Free of the usual censorship that neutralizes the impact of shows aimed at American teens, “T&TBOPE” provides solid laughs and cheap thrills for viewers of most ages. As entertaining as the show might be, however, it will be a long time before a mainstream American network schedules a series in which Satanists comprise the school board. Jason Mews plays the school’s janitor, who, when he isn’t swabbing the floors, dispenses sex advice to students and satisfies the itches of horny female teachers. Be advised that in addition to some grotesque creatures, the series also can be pretty raunchy.

Now in their 18^th season, the car nuts of “Top Gear” just keep rolling along the highways and byways of Great Britain and beyond. For those who have yet to locate BBC America on their television, the 17^th season package has just been released on Blu-ray and DVD. It opens with Jeremy throwing a lavish party to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Jaguar E-type. Meanwhile, Richard is in South Africa testing a rugged alternative to the Hummer and James tests the latest Mini rally car with British Olympian Amy Williams. In future episodes, the lads attempt to find the world’s best hatchback; pit the McLaren MP4-12C against the Ferrari 458; and invite guest celebrities, including Alice Cooper, to test “reasonably priced cars.” The Blu-ray adds an episode of the U.S. spinoff of “Top Gear”; a new series intro; a test of the Nissan GT-R’s launch-control system; and several behind-the-scenes featurettes. The series’ only drawback comes in knowing that with gasoline prices at record levels, no one except oil-company executives will ever be able to afford driving high-performance automobiles under optimum conditions.

The series represented in Mill Creek Entertainment’s Cookie Jar collection arrive with spiffy new covers that distinguish them from most other titles in the company’s catalog. The newest entries include complete-series editions of “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?,” “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century” and “Archie’s Weird Mysteries.” In all three of the series no small amount of crime-fighting and detective work takes place. Carmen Sandiego, of course, is determined to steal the most valuable objects in the world, without being caught by the teen detectives Zack and Ivy. The set adds the bonus feature film, “The Secret Garden” and the bonus episode, “Liberty’s Kids.”

As unlikely as it sounds, “Sherlock Holmes in the 22^nd Century” focuses on the cases solved by a reincarnated Holmes and the pickled brain of companion Dr. John Watson, which has been transplanted in the head of an android. Holmes hasn’t looked this good since he was 25, the first time around. Unfortunately for the private detectives, Professor James Moriarty has also made the journey to the 22nd Century, which, apparently, has hitherto been relatively crime-free. The set contains all 26 episodes, as well as bonus episodes of “Stargate Infinity,” “Carmen Sandiego,” “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” “Flight Squad” and “Liberty Kid’s

At one time or another, most American teens have wanted to attend Riverdale High, with Archie, Betty, Veronica, Reggie and Jughead. In the animated adaptation of the still-popular comic strip, a failed physics experiment opens the door to a menagerie of monstrous newcomers, including a swamp creature, Frankenstein, mad scientists, werewolves, vampires, giant ants, UFOs and zombies. It’s up to Archie and the rest of the malt-shop gang to keep Riverdale safe from harm. In addition to all 40 episodes, the DVD adds episodes of “Sabrina’s Secret Life,” “Sabrina: The Animated Series” and “Mona the Vampire.” – Gary Dretzka

Justice League: Doom
Even as its collaboration with DC Comics continues to pay dividends at the box office, Warner Bros. is finding an enthusiastic audience for ancillary superhero fun with its feature-length animated features. Such DC Universe Animated Originals as “Justice League: Doom” take already established storylines – here, Mark Waid’s “JLA: Tower of Babel” and Alex Ross’  “Justice” – and expand on them by tweaking the narratives, amplifying the color scheme and liberating the characters’ physicality. The better the response from fans, the more effort is put into the movies by the animators and authors and money by the studio. In “Justice League: Doom,” Batman’s contingency plans for the eventuality of a rogue superhero are stolen by wannabe supervillains. The Dark Knight’s concerns aren’t widely shared by his fellow JLA members, so the revelation of their existence is met with suspicion.  It complicates the retrieval process. If it weren’t for the super-villains propensity for attempting to destroy the world, they probably would have been just as happy to not find the plans. As usual, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Nathan Fillion lead the voicing cast. It arrives with a preview of the upcoming “Superman vs. the Elite.” – Gary Dretzka

Take Shelter
At 6-foot-3, Michael Shannon towers over most of the actors with whom he’s asked to share the screen. Even so, it wasn’t until his Oscar-nominated turn in “Revolutionary Road” – along with a recurring role as a backsliding federal agent in “Boardwalk Empire” — that audiences began putting a name to the face. That relative newcomer Jessica Chastain, who stands 5-foot-4, holds her own opposite Shannon in the psychological thriller, “Take Shelter,” speaks volumes about her promise, as well. Two years ago, she couldn’t get arrested in Hollywood. Today, the 30-year-old redhead is sitting on a Best Supporting Actress nomination of her own. It’s for her portrayal of the disrespected “white-trash blonde” in “The Help,” but several critics groups thought enough of her performances in “Tree of Life,” “The Debt,” “Coriolanus,” “Texas Killing Fields” and “Take Shelter” to honor her 2011 body of work collectively. (For my money, her film debut in the little-seen and much-delayed “Jolene” represents her best work to date.) In Jeff Nichols’ haunting “Take Shelter,” Shannon and Chastain play a working-class couple, Curtis and Samantha, who are barely making ends meet in a rural Ohio town hard hit by the recession. They have an adorable daughter, who’s deaf and learning to use American Sign Language, and a home filled with love, if not plush furniture and sparkling appliances. It doesn’t take long for Nichols to introduce a palpable sense of menace and dread to the proceedings.

Something is eating Curtis, besides the economy. At first, it takes the ominous form of storm clouds gathering on the horizon and the sight of thousands black birds swarming in the skies above the town. Nichols isn’t at all timid about alerting us to the history of mental illness in the hard-working man’s family, especially when it becomes clear that he’s the only one hearing the thunder and seeing the birds. He senses that a storm of biblical proportions is gathering in the distance and borrows tools from his employer to upgrade the tornado shelter already dug in his backyard. Although his wife and friends fear Curtis may be experiencing a breakdown similar to the one that’s kept his mother in bed for the last couple of decades, savvy viewers understand things are never that simple in the movies. Anyone who’s seen the End of Days drama, “The Rapture,” will recognize what could be informing Curtis’ visions and nightmares. In an effort to keep his family together, he volunteers to attend counseling sessions and therapy, if necessary. Things continue to get worse, however, when furniture begins to levitate at home and his daughter begins to observe the same paranormal phenomena. Even when his obsessive behavior boils over in public, Nichols keeps us guessing as to what’s happening inside and around Curtis. Shannon has a brooding demeanor during the best of times, so it’s easy to accept Curtis as a harbinger of disaster. Samantha’s behavior also is consistent with a woman who wants to believe her husband isn’t nuts, but is prepared protect her daughter and herself if he is. “Take Shelter” is a smart and scary movie, no matter how one interprets the signs of impending doom. How the academy couldn’t see fit to nominate Shannon for a Best Actor trophy is, well, par for the course. The Blu-ray package adds commentary with Nichols and Shannon; a Q&A with Shannon and co-star Shea Whigham; a behind-the-scenes featurette and “Better Safe Than Sorry.” – Gary Dretzka

Tiny Furniture: Blu-ray: Criterion Collection
Every year, it seems, one or two movies emerge from the festival circuit with the imprimatur of urbane critics and young people anxious to embrace the Next Cool Thing. The disarming rom-com, “500 Days of Summer,” could serve as prototype for the successful hipster sensation. Besides starring the impossibly cute Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it took liberties with traditional narrative structure; was filled with songs by little-known rock groups; shamelessly dropped the names and titles of hipster icons; built buzz at nearly two dozen festivals; and was directed by a first-timer with a music-video background. Unlike most other flavor-of-Sundance favorites, Marc Webb’s debut feature wasn’t about a dysfunctional family, as was the similarly constructed and profitable, “Little Miss Sunshine,” and too many other indie sensations. It might even be the exception that proves the rule.

Perhaps, it’s wiser to compare Lena Dunham’s “Tiny Furniture” to Miranda July’s “Me and You and Everyone We Know” and “The Future.” Unlike “500 Days of Sunshine” and “Little Miss Sunshine,” these decidedly offbeat films owe less to cinematic conventions than the conceits of performance and Internet art. They’re personal visions sold as-is … no apologies or refunds to those who don’t “get it.” In “Tiny Furniture,” it’s difficult to tell where writer/director/star Dunham ends and the character, Aura, begins. Like Aura, Dunham is a graduate of a progressive Midwestern college (Oberlin) and creator of humorous Internet series (“Tight Shots,” “Delusional Downtown Divas”). After her senior year, Aura returns to her mother’s loft apartment, where she finds herself overwhelmed by her domineering mother and pushed around by her younger sister. Mom Siri is a well-known photographer of miniatures, which sometimes require the body parts of her sister, Nadine, to provide perspective and irony. Would it surprise you to learn that Siri and Nadine are played by Dunham’s real-life mother and sister? No? Me, neither. Aura is a bit at loose ends, uncomfortable at home and unable to commit to a job. Her friends are extensions of the hipper-than-thou scenesters of her Internet series and as shallow as a teardrop. The closest she comes to having a boyfriend is a drifter, who’s in need of a place to crash. He takes full advantage of the pad, if not Aura’s sexual advances. Beyond that, nothing much happens.

Again, you’ll either buy into Aura and her world or you’ll find “Tiny Furniture” excruciatingly pretentious and boring. The Criterion Collection edition adds Dunham’s first film, “Creative Nonfiction,” and four short films. I recommend watching them before attempting “Tiny Furniture,” if only because they provide helpful context. There are new interviews with Dunham and writer-director Paul Schrader and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate. – Gary Dretzka

Three Outlaw Samurai: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
As far as I know, the 1964 Japanese chambara, “Three Outlaw Samurai,” never was released in the United States. Some attention was paid here to the films of Akira Kurosawa, but only after “The Seven Samurai” was translated into English as “The Magnificent Seven.” In Hollywood, swords were for swashbuckling and no one wanted to acknowledge that the samurai code of honor pre-dated Hopalong Cassidy’s Creed for American Boys and Girls by several centuries. Watching the debut film of sword-fight specialist Hideo Gosha makes me wish that he had been asked to work his magic on a theatrical version of “Have Gun — Will Travel.” Although considerably more dapper and well-read than the swordsmen we meet in “Three Outlaw Samurai,” Paladin was similarly mercenary and principled. It wouldn’t unusual for Paladin to volunteer his services to the lowest bidder or turn against his sponsor in the name of justice. In “Three Outlaw Samurai,” a seen-it-all ronin finds himself in the company of peasants who abducted the daughter of a corrupt magistrate, unwilling to reduce taxes on starving farmers. At first, Sakon Shiba (Tetsuro Tamba) mocks the efforts of the kidnappers, knowing that the magistrate could obliterate a peasant militia without raising a sweat. Impressed by their grit, however, Shiba decides to even the score by joining their cause. He manages to convince two of the magistrate’s samurai to switch teams, while also educating the young woman on plight of the peasants. The second half of the movie is filled with exciting swordplay, as well as the occasional betrayal and act of revenge.

The black-and-white cinematography glistens in the restored Blu-ray edition, as does the musical soundtrack, which adds an ominous tone to the standoff. “Three Outlaw Samurai” served as the origin-story for a popular Japanese TV series and Gosha would go on to make the highly celebrated “Sword of the Beast” (also on Criterion), “Goyokin,”Hitokiri, “The Wolves” and “The Geisha.” When the sword and samurai genre lost steam in the 1970s, Gosha turned his attention to yakuza flicks. Besides the excellent hi-def restoration, “Three Outlaw Samurai” includes only a booklet, with an essay by film critic Bilge Ebir. – Gary Dretzka

Tales From the Golden Age
Summer Holiday
A decade after the Ceausescus were dragged, kicking and screaming, from power, the Romanian cinema became recognized as one of the most interesting and challenging in the world. Life under the country’s unique brand of communism was so profoundly strange and confounding that memories of it continue to inform the work of Romania’s finest filmmakers. Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days” – which described the harrowing ordeal of a woman seeking an abortion in 1980s Bucharest — became an international sensation after it won the Palme d’Or and two other major awards at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Mungiu returns to the same period in the seriocomic “Tales From the Golden Age,” comprised of a half-dozen urban myths and folk tales from the “dark years.” The title refers comes from to the term applied by Nicolae Ceausescu to Romania’s “golden age” of communism, in the 1980s, and the marketing of it to a captive population, who knew better. “Tales From the Golden Age” describes how shrewd peasants and desperate urbanites related to the disconnect between propaganda and reality. While apparatchiks delivered the company line to the people, the people found other ways than communist doctrine to feed themselves and make ends meet. “Tales From the Golden Age” isn’t as profound or moving as “4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days,” but viewers old enough to remember the Iron Curtain will find it entertaining and not a little bit nostalgic. I can’t help but wonder what kind of films will emerge from North Korea after that long nightmare ends.

Radu Muntean’s “Summer Holiday” (a.k.a., “Boogie”) describes a distinctly different Romania. The people we meet are free to travel and make money in professions other than coal mining and spying on their neighbors. They are, if fact, yuppies. Set in a decreasingly popular Black Sea resort, “Summer Holiday” focuses on Bogdan and Smaranda Ciocazanu, a married couple with a young son and another child on the way. They seem to be having fun, although Bogdan can’t escape business calls and the interruptions annoy Smaranda. Their son is a bundle of energy who demands almost constant attention … again provided primarily by mom. Also visiting the resort are two of Bogdan’s oldest running mates. Smaranda isn’t keen on them, but she isn’t about to interrupt the reunion. One night, when he comes back to their room smelling of cigarettes and booze, she can’t help herself from unloading on him. Even if her complaints aren’t unusual or unwarranted, they are sufficiently hurtful to cause Bogdan to rejoin his friends in serious boys-will-be-boys revelry. The same scenario probably could have played out in a hundred other countries, but what identifies Romania as the country of origin is an ironic early-morning visit to an estate that once belonged to the Ceausescu family. The only thing the men really know about it is that it once served as home to a flock of peacocks, which they attempt to summon with ear-piercing squawks. No response given, they go about their business as if the dictator never existed. – Gary Dretzka

Few Options
Given George Pappy Jr.’s low profile on the Internet, it’s difficult for me to understand how he was able to attract such talents as Michael Sheen, Laura San Giacomo, Brad Dourif and Rainn Wilson to a project that must have seemed pre-destined to go straight-to-DVD, if only in brief cameos. There’s very little wrong with his unpretentious crime thriller, “Few Options” — and it’s rarely a surprise anymore to find familiar actors in smallish movies – but the science of casting is endlessly fascinating. If nothing else the good that derives from stars lending their name to a deserving project balances the bad karma that comes from praising a movie that sucks during press junkets and talk-show interviews. The real star of “Few Options” is Kenny Johnson, a fine character actor known primarily for his work in the TV series “The Shield,” “Saving Grace,” “Sons of Anarchy” and “Prime Suspect.” In “Few Options,” Johnson demonstrates that he can carry a low-budget indie drama, at least, and convince us of a character’s pain and vulnerability. Here, he plays a middle-age guy, Frank Connor, released from prison after 22 years for a bungled drug transaction. Twenty-two years seems a bit excessive for a first-time offender, but such a draconian sentence is required if anything else here is to be believed. Upon his return home, he’s surprised to discover that the only people prepared to welcome him back are the dirtballs who got him into trouble originally, if only for nefarious purposes. He struggles to stay on the straight-and-normal path, but the man (Brad Dourif) who gives him a job parking cars at his strip joint is the same one who set up the original deal and now he wants his investment back, in cash or in kind.

As the title suggests, Connor is left with few or no options. Even so, Pappy’s script allows for an ending that will come as a surprise to most viewers. Erin Daniels (“The L Word”) does a nice job as a desperate stripper drawn to Connor, apparently because he doesn’t try to get in her pants five seconds before they’re introduced. (In an ironic spin on the old cliche, her Helen spends far more time putting on clothes then taking them off.) Sheen and San Giacomo are on screen for a blink of the eye, but Wilson (“The Office”) is memorable as a henpecked cousin forced to kick Connor out of his garage retreat because, basically, he’s an eyesore. If nothing else, it reminds us that he can play characters whose appeal doesn’t rely on his subversive comedy chops. “Few Options” has all the usual holes found in these sorts of movies, but none large enough for us to fall through them. – Gary Dretzka

The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that’s so vile and lacking in redeeming social value that it’s impossible to ignore. Most serious critics were so repelled by “The Human Centipede (First Sequence)” that it began attracting fanboys like flies to a corpse in Central Park. Once that happened, it was a short ride to Internet fame and monologues on late-night talk shows. The premise was simple: a demented surgeon (Dieter Laser) kidnaps tourists stranded in a German forest and uses them to prove that it’s possible to reverse the procedure used to separate conjoined twins. His conceit was to assemble the tourists, ass-to-mouth, in a human chain that resembled a centipede. Given the history of German medical experimentation, it was possible to believe that the surgeon had escaped prosecution in the aftermath of World War II or had picked up a sketchbook left behind by a Nazi ancestor. “First Sequence” didn’t make a lot of money at the box office, primarily because few exhibitors would touch it. I’m guessing, it killed in DVD. Somehow, Dutch writer/director Tom Six anticipated the ancillary fame of “First Sequence,” by promising a “Full Sequence” and “Final Sequence.” That qualifies as chutzpah.

If anything, “Full Sequence” is more disgusting than the original … not scary, exactly, but truly repellant. This time, the gag involves an emotionally disturbed and physically deformed fan of the first movie who becomes obsessed with creating a human centipede to call his own. Martin (Laurence R. Harvey) works in an underground parking garage, where he collects specimens he spies over the security system. After they wake up from their concussions and comas, the victims find themselves duct-taped and helpless in a dank warehouse. Meanwhile, the fiend is at home tormenting and being tormented by his abominable parents. For an amateur, Martin does a serviceable job as a surgeon. That’s he’s also a pervert proves to be his undoing, however. Stiches and tape only last so long, after all. Six isn’t delusional enough to represent his franchise as anything more than an exercise in grossing out those genre obsessives who think they can stomach any possible cinematic atrocity. He promises even greater nightmares in “Final Sequence.” – Gary Dretzka

Nude Nuns With Big Guns: Blu-ray
Porn Star Zombies
Naked Nazi
Return to BloodFart Lake
In the world of micro-budget and do-it-yourself filmmaking, the difference between being seen and being ignored often boils down to choosing the right title. A few weeks ago, I was drawn to a movie that promised more gore and abhorrent behavior than I normally care to see in a month of reviewing DVDs. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that “Dead Hooker in a Trunk” lived up to the promise of its title.

While Joseph Guzman’s “Nude Nuns With Big Guns” comes close enough to earn a cigar, it falls well short of enshrinement in the Grindhouse Hall of Fame. This isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of nude nuns or big guns in the story, because there are. Too often, though, they merely compensate for a decreasingly coherent narrative. Here, the bishop of a Spanish-speaking archdiocese is in cahoots with the motorcycle gang, Los Muertos, to distribute heroin. Nuns are required to package the powder, but only after shedding their habits. After a drug transaction with the bikers goes sour, the drug-czar bishop offers Sister Sarah (Asun Ortega) in exchange for the missing heroin. Naturally, the leader of the gang, Chavo (David Castro), enslaves the pretty young nun to heroin and turns her out in a shithole brothel in the desert. Just as she’s about to hit rock bottom, God appears to Sister Sarah, instructing her to exact revenge on the bikers and corrupt priests. This, she does. “NNWBG” is targeted at several generations of Catholic males, who, as lackadaisical students, idled away with their days imagining how their teachers would look naked. The bonus features include the short film that inspired Guzman to make “NNWBG.”

Made on a budget estimated to be in the neighborhood of $10,000, “Porn Star Zombies” is exactly the movie you’d imagine it to be. Yes, it revolves around a scene in which a ravenous porn star reveals her true nature by biting off her co-star’s penis. Almost everything else is incidental to the story. Keith Emerson’s debut film may be crudely made, thoroughly predictable and poorly acted, but every penny of the $10,000 can be found on the screen, in one way or another.

“Naked Nazi” isn’t so much a horror movie as it is an excuse to show Michelle Young (a.k.a., Amber Lee) masturbating in Nazi fetish gear … minus the matching Hello Hitler bra-and-panties set. After being raped by a client, Young’s Naked Nazi decides to turn the tables on non-Aryan male pigs by dominating and killing them. Only another Nazi fetishist can stop her. Young and Jason Impey last collaborated on “Women Prisoners of SS Camp From Hell,” in which our fair maiden played “Hitler’s slut.”

Released in 2009, “Terror at Blood Fart Lake” was a micro-budget parody of such horror flicks as “Sleepaway Camp” and other slasher epics set on the shores of a lake, in a rustic cabin or among vacationers about to be slaughtered by a guy wearing a mask. It follows, then, that “Return to Blood Fart Lake” is parody of “Return to Sleepaway Camp” and other uninspired sequels. Even after watching the movie, I can’t explain what happens in it, except that the “Scarecrow Killer,” Jimmy Van Brunt, is back and still pissed off about something or other. “Return to Blood Fart Lake” is all title and no movie. – Gary Dretzka

The Devil’s Rock
By all rights, “The Devils Rock” and “Naked Nazi” belong in the same capsule review, if only because the jackets of both movies feature sexy, semi-dressed women wearing Gestapo gear. (The original poster art for “Devil’s Rock” was far less suggestive.) Far more artistically legitimate, Paul Campion’s debut film is a blend of WWII intrigue and satanic horror. It opens with a New Zealand commando team landing on the beach of a heavily fortified island in the English Channel. Their job is to sabotage artillery positions, causing the Germans to think the D-Day landing will occur somewhere other than Omaha and Normandy beaches. As the soldiers descend deeper into the tunnels of the bunker, screams emanating from below grow louder and more terrifying. Upon reaching the command center, they are greeted by a scene from an old-fashioned charnel house and a Nazi officer, who kills one of the Kiwis and interrogates the other on the inevitable assault.

Given the movie’s title, it’s safe to assume something other than German intelligence and defense is at work on the island. We know that Hitler had a keen interest in the occult and assigned agents to investigate the possibility of exploiting paranormal phenomena in the war against the Allies. The Gestapo agent here has conjured the devil and chained it to a wall. In the presence of the Kiwi officer, it assumes the identity of his recently deceased girlfriend and attempts to seduce him into revealing plans for the invasion of Europe. Apparently, it’s not the first time such shape-shifting has been employed. It accounts for the carcasses of soldiers who likely bought into its deceit. The making-of material, which specifies how the actual bunkers and tunnel systems informed the production, is quite interesting, as is the discussion of special makeup effects. – Gary Dretzka

Ocean Heaven: Blu-ray
My Kingdom
All great actors enjoy a change in scenery and wardrobe every so often, even those whose names have become synonymous with a particular genre. Martial-arts master Jet Li couldn’t be any further removed from hand-to-hand-to-foot combat than he is in “Ocean Heaven.” In it, Li’s aquarium technician is confronted with a sad reality faced by many parents of autistic and otherwise disabled children. Already a widower, Sam Wong has recently been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and he knows that his 22-year-old son, David (Lunmei Kwai), probably couldn’t survive without him. His first inclination is to conduct an act of filicide and suicide, while on a boat at sea. Because David is more at home in water than anywhere else, it fails. As long as Sam lives, David is allowed to swim and cavort among the fish and turtles in the aquarium’s largest pools. Once on dry land, however, David has trouble remembering his own name.

Compounding Sam’s fears is the reluctance of Chinese social-service agencies to accept an autistic adult into government-run residences and schools. His only recourse is to teach the young man how to perform the most rudimentary of daily tasks and finding someone to provide a roof under which he can sleep. The process is exhausting for everyone involved – the audience, too – but reaps benefits down the road, as David finds kindness in unexpected places. “Ocean Heaven” succeeds as a tear-jerker, albeit one with which western audiences will already be familiar. I’m pretty sure that Xiao Lu Yue intended for Chinese viewers to gain a greater understanding of the problems faced by families with kids who are autistic or have Down’s syndrome. The Blu-ray package arrives with deleted scenes and an interview with Li about autism.

The often exhilarating and spectacularly staged “My Kingdom” provides a perfect example of what can happen when a work of art loses its balance and symmetry. Gao Xiaosong’s story opens in stunning fashion, with the mass beheadings of an entire Chinese clan by the Prince Regent of the Qing dynasty. A defiant elder warns the Prince Regent that his descendants will avenge his death, if any are left after the slaughter. Before he steps to the butcher’s block, a boy bravely forces the executioner to wait until he sings a mournful song for the young girl ahead of him. In the crowd is a famous actor in the Beijing Opera and his adopted son. The boy begs Master Yu to step up and adopt the obviously talented child, which, remarkably, he’s allowed to do. Under their master’s tutelage, the boys grow into two of the opera’s most promising stars. When Yu loses a non-lethal, but spectacularly choreographed winner-take-all showdown to a younger actor from Shanghai, the boys vow to avenge his embarrassment, as well. They will get their opportunity in another 15 years or so, when they show up at the historic Shanghai Opera House and demand satisfaction. For those unaware of how the Beijing and other regional operas operated before Chairman and Mrs. Mao shut them down, it’s important to understand that performances combined dance, acting, pageantry, discordant music and song, and martial arts, with the actors dressed in elaborate costumes and amazing cosmetic masks. The face-offs, staged by Sammo Hung, are among the greatest fights — lethal or non-lethal – I’ve seen on film. The actor’s goal in these fights is to clearly destroy the opposing actor’s ego without actually killing or maiming him. This requires the razor-sharp dexterity, split-second timing and athletic abilities of a Bruce Lee and Baryshnikov clone. Unlike Yu, the defeated Master Yue elects to commit suicide, rather than suffer the indignity of losing his troupe and never being able to perform on stage again. Meanwhile, the boys have instantaneously become superstars. So far, “My Kingdom” is a heck of a movie. Unfortunately, it will take all the second half for the “opera warriors” to simultaneously avenge the executions, enjoy their newfound celebrity, romance the opera’s star actress and perform other narrative tasks. Sadly, none of them are as exciting as anything that happens previously on the opera stages. Neither do the young men look mature enough – sans makeup and costumes – to scare anyone who threatens them offstage. Apparently, the actors Wu Chun and Han Gen are big pop stars in China and Taiwan, as are Barbie Hsu and Louis Liu, and the producers hope to attract men and women of their generation to the venerable opera tradition. For all I now, young Chinese might dig the plotting and romance in the second half more than all of the scenes on the opera stage. “My Universe” is one DVD that really would have benefitted from a decent making-of featurette. –Gary Dretzka

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within: Blu-ray
No sooner had it been announced that Rio de Janeiro and Brazil would host the Summer Olympics and World Cup than fears were raised about the safety of tourists and fans. Crime was at epidemic levels in Rio and Sao Paolo, but the government pledged that it would be held in check by the time the games began. One way of accomplishing such a difficult task was for the police to declare war on the gangs that control the favelas and slums. This accomplished, however, the same communities apparently came under the control of corrupt and blood-thirsty police. “Elite Squad: The Enemy Within” flows naturally from “Elite Squad,” which, in 2007, described the efforts of a select division of the police department to remove potential dangers and embarrassments before the pope’s visit to Rio in 1997. In “The Enemy Within,” Wagner Moura reprises the role of Capitao Nascimento, head of the crack BOPA task force. As the sequel opens, Nascimento is required to put down a rebellion by gang leaders in a nearby prison. Following his orders, instead of those of politicians, the cops mercilessly gun down the perpetrators. It causes a huge stink among the politicians still on the payroll of the gangs, but the massacre couldn’t have been more popular with the citizenry.

Seeing Nascimento as something of a loose cannon, the state’s governor decides to give him a position monitoring illegal wiretaps. Even here, it’s difficult to avoid the corruption of the police and government officials who benefit from the power vacuum. This time, however, the closer he gets to the truth, the farther out in the pasture he finds himself. So much money and power are at stake that the established powers are willing to take on a hero and threaten his family. In an interesting subplot, Nascimento’s former wife has married a high-profile reformer, who has convinced their son that daddy’s a fascist. It all comes together in an extremely exciting and unexpected climax. Fans of recent Brazilian cinema will recognize the name of writer/director José Padilha in the credits of both “Elite Squad” installments. He’s also responsible for the documentary “Bus 74,” which described a dramatic hijacking that captured the attention of the Brazilian media in 2000. Likewise, Braulio Mantovani, who wrote the screenplay to “City of God,” collaborated with Padilha on the story and screenplays for both “Elite Squad” entries. Anyone looking for movies that reverently borrow stylistic mannerisms from Martin Scorsese’s gangland dramas will find a good one here. – Gary Dretzka

Mozart’s Sister: Blu-ray
Watch “Mozart’s Sister” alongside “Amadeus” and you’ll gain a pretty good understanding of what show business was like in 1763, at least as practiced in the salons of the crowned heads of Europe. Written and directed by Rene Feret, “Mozart’s Sister” follows the musical family – father, Leopold; mother, Anna-Maria; sister, Nannerl; and, of course, boy-genius Wolfgang – as it crisscrosses the continent in a rickety carriage in search of paid gigs, commissions, free meals and accommodations, both posh and modest. In some ways, things haven’t changed all that much in 250 years. The focus here is on Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart, Wolfgang’s older sister by nearly five years and a brilliant musician in her own right. The children dote on each other and collaborate under the tutelage of Leopold, who serves as teacher, promoter, manager, banker and parent. As a girl, Nannerl is at a distinct disadvantage in the showdowns among child prodigies, all seeking the approval and patronage of royalty. She was discouraged from playing the violin and composing, even by her father, who requires she accompany her brother on the harpsichord, at least in public. This she also does very well.

Fresh-faced Marie Feret is delightful as Nennerl, equally at home pillow-fighting with Wolfie and conversing with dauphins and princesses. Her story is blessedly free of such dramatic staples as parental abuse, life-threatening illnesses and a broken heart. Certain things were taken for granted when dealing with the royals, including the impossibility of their marrying commoners. Instead, viewers are encouraged to gorge themselves on the period fashions, regal surroundings and beautiful music. It isn’t until the postscript that we learn the true fate of a woman, however brilliant, in a society where women mostly serve as ornaments. Even her friend and confidante, Princess Louise de France, couldn’t escape the borders enforced on women. Wolfgang Mozart’s story already has been wonderfully dramatized in “Amadeus,” which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven others in 1985. Nannerl’s is every bit as worthy of the attention that movie received. A CD featuring selections from the soundtrack is included in the Blu-ray package. – Gary Dretzka

Taylor Swift: American Beauty: Unauthorized
Yardbirds: Performances
Only 22, superstar singer/songwriter Taylor Swift already has an unauthorized biography based on her life and career. “American Beauty” isn’t at all salacious or embarrassing. It’s simply a recitation of quotes, by actors, attributed previously to Swift, family members, friends and music-industry weasels. In fact, it’s not even clear what the actors say can be attributed to real people, just as none of the songs have anything to do with the favorite daughter of Reading, Pa. The most interesting segment is a dramatization of Swift’s 30-second, over-the-phone breakup with one of the Jonas boys. After a crying jag, she goes on to write a withering song about it. That’a girl.

“Yardbirds: Performances” is comprised of videos made by the heavily influential British band, during various stages in their career. The early ones, unfortunately, are basically unlistenable. The interest in this collection is the participation of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as successive lead-guitar gods. Even then, the camera focuses on singer Keith Relf far more often than the soon-to-be superstars. The transition from garage blues band to psychedelic virtuosos is the most noteworthy thing about the DVD. I found the videos to be unusual, but it’s entirely possible that all of them already are in circulation. – Gary Dretzka

Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story
How to Die in Oregon
Elevate
Urbanized
Like nearly everyone else in America, I grew up playing Monopoly. If nothing else, it taught me the true value of play money and that rich people always wear tuxedos and top hats. I’ve since participated in the Monopoly contest at McDonald’s and played 15 iterations of the slot-machine game in Las Vegas. Watching Kevin Tostado’s entertaining and informative documentary, “Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story,” I was surprised to learn how much the board game has changed since the last time I tossed the dice. For example, I had no idea that hard-core players now throw three cubes in competition … two white and one red. From what I can tell, the extra die serves as something of wild card, allowing for shorter, if considerably more intense contests. Neither was I aware of the fact that the laws of mathematical probability are as important in competitive Monopoly as they are in poker. Am I the only one who doesn’t know that the last time an American won the Monopoly World Championship was in 1974 and the current title-holder is frickin’ Norwegian? That’s the kind of otherwise useless information that makes “Under the Boardwalk” so fascinating. The filmmakers follow the now-familiar pattern of attempting to identify likely finalists beforehand and explain the nuances of the game through them. Although that strategy doesn’t quite work here, Tostado’s choices reflect the intensity and intricacies of Monopoly, as it’s played among professionals. He also provides fans with a very decent history lesson on the origins and evolution of it. The DVD package adds footage from a class taught by one of the masters of the “mind sport” and clips from memorable championships.

Basketball may not qualify as a “mind sport,” but it definitely takes brains to play it well. Like Monopoly, the sport no longer is dominated by American players. If it were, the U.S. Olympic squad would still be manned – and womanned – by amateurs, not multi-millionaires. Still, countries with no deep history of hoops occasionally step up their game to a level where they can beat our “dream teams.” Anne Buford’s ambitious doc, “Elevate,” opens at the SEEDS Academy in Dakar, Senegal, where the cream of West Africa’s basketball crop competes for scholarships to American high schools and colleges. They also learn what it takes to compete in the classrooms of some the America’s finest basketball factories, er, prep schools and universities, while occasionally daydreaming about a possible pro career. As one might imagine, West African teens are among the tallest and deceptively graceful athletes in the world. Outside of SEEDS, their schools and training facilities are primitive. Inside of it, however, there are few distractions to interfere with the business at hand; the courts are adequate to the task; the food is good; and everyone has closet full authorized NBA gear, shoes, team T-shirts and bags. The kids aren’t pampered, by any stretch of the imagination, but as future representatives of Senegal and Africa, they do enjoy some privileges. We follow two of the players from SEEDS to the Kent Academy, in Connecticut, and Lake Forest Academy, near Chicago. Another player is a couple of days away from boarding a plane to America when he’s told by the embassy that he’s not wanted here (no reason given by staff or the filmmakers, although we know that most of the boys practice Islam). It’s a truly heartbreaking moment in an otherwise uplifting documentary. Anyone with a lazy, underachieving kid at home might consider forcing them to watch “Elevate.”

Once exposed to “How to Die in Oregon,” it would be impossible for even an ardent opponent of physician-assisted suicides not to ponder whether it’s better for a terminally ill friend or relative to die painlessly of his or her own volition or to condemn them to an excruciating, undignified and prolonged death. That person may come away with their core belief unchanged, but, at least, they’ll have a better understanding of what’s at stake. In 1994, Oregon voters approved doctor-assisted suicides and, since then, several hundred men and women have taken advantage of the law. (I thought the count might be higher.) We’re introduced to several of these people in the weeks, days and moments before they die. Clearly all are in severe pain and none wants to be a burden on their families. They’re lucid and fully understand the consequences of their decision. They’re also told that the decision is reversible any time before they drink the fatal cocktail. (“It tastes woody,” one says, just before we watch him take his last breath.) While director Peter Richardson’s sympathies clearly lie with the terminally ill individuals, “How to Die in Oregon” falls well short of advocacy filmmaking or exploitation. Everything one needs to know about the seriousness and compassion with which he approached his project can be read in the eyes and final dignity of his subjects.

Gary Hustwit’s “Urbanized” is the final chapter in a documentary trilogy that considers how we relate to the designs of such everyday things as typography, manufactured objects and urban planning. As in “Helvetica” and “Objectified,” Hustwit consults with design experts to determine their opinions on historical miscalculations, successes, trends, fads and long- and short-term solutions. About urban development, the one thing upon which almost everyone in the film agrees is that nothing works anymore and that it’s not their fault. Complacent architects, planning commissions, politicians, short-sighted modernists and greedy developers all share the blame for the mess. Once these learned men and women get past their egos, however, many interesting things are discussed and ideas forwarded. Hustwit’s itinerary includes stops in New York, Paris, Santiago, Bogota, Capetown, Mumbai, Phoenix and Rio, where old and new elements often are required to co-exist in eternal discordance. He also visits Brasilia, which, when it was founded in 1960, was considered to be the most progressive and harmoniously designed capital in the world. Today, one of the architects describes Brasilia’s open spaces and widely separated buildings as a nightmare for people who can’t afford cars or chauffeurs. Indeed, the one common thread running through “Urbanized” is how often cars take precedence over humans in most modern cities and how easy it is to correct the imbalance. The discussions are thought-provoking and blessedly accessible to lay viewers. – Gary Dretzka

Dragon Age: Redemption
If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a noise? If you’re only famous on the Internet, does that make you a star in the real world? Felicia Day is the kind of frequently employed actor, whose face people recognize from a dozen different television appearances but can’t place. On the Internet, everyone seems to know the chronically cute Alabama-born redhead. That’s because she’s found a niche on the Web as someone who understands things that studio executives in the analog world can’t quite grasp. For one thing, she appears to be satisfied with a fan base limited primarily to “gamers” and “geeks.” She understands their world, is an avid player and is able to dramatize – add another dimension, if you will — the games they love. At 32, she probably could still pass for a perky college cheerleader, as she did in “Bring It On, Again”; a vampire slayer on the WB; or too-adorable-to-die patient on a hospital series, such as “House.” It’s on the Internet, however, that she’s a force with which to be reckoned. In 2007, Day launched the YouTube series, “The Guild,” which follows a clan of gamers addicted to a “massively multiplayer online role-playing game.” It’s since expanded its reach to include several other multimedia platforms. The success of “The Guild” prompted producer Joss Whedon to create the Internet musical, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” a show that also starred Neil Patrick Harris. Day is also responsible for the Web series “Dragon Age: Redemption,” a six-episode live-action adventure based on the fantasy role-playing game developed by BioWare. She’s played a fairy in at least two Internet series and provides a voice in “Fallout: New Vegas.” In addition to being an award-winning actor and writer, she also is a partner in a production company. In the geek universe, she might as well be Angelina Jolie.
Not being a gamer, I don’t know what to make of “Dragon Age: Redemption.” The webisodes require grownups to dress as pixies, elves, sorcerers and Templar knights, and then wander around a forest near L.A., killing each other with medieval and special-effects weaponry. It feels as if it only cost a few bucks to stage, but, on the Internet, looks usually are deceiving. In any case, it’s popular with the people who count: gamers. The DVD package includes all six episodes and more than 40 minutes of extra stuff. An extensive making-of featurette, interviews with Day and creative director Mike Laidlaw; commentary; bloopers; a script; and marketing material for new “Dragon Age” products. – Gary Dretzka

Mama I Want to Sing
Adapted from the long-running off-Broadway musical of the same title, “Mama I Want to Sing” was inspired by the careers of such church-nurtured singers as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Donna Summer, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan and playwright Vy Higginsen’s sister, Doris Troy (“Just One Look). Its release, only three days after the death of Whitney Houston, also reminds us of that great diva’s gospel roots and her rise through the ranks of pop and R&B artists. Here, the future superstar, Amara (Ciara), is tutored by her father, the Reverend Dr. Kenneth Winter (Marvin Winans), and mother, Lillian Winter (Lynn Whitfield), who is a diva in her own right. Before he died of a heart attack while preaching to his congregation, the dynamic Reverend Winter taught Amara and her younger brother, Luke (Kevin Phillips), that they not only are blessed as a gifted singer and photographer, but also as African-Americans with no borders on their horizon. His wife, though, would prefer for her children to limit their dreams to the church and within shouting distance of their nest.

Naturally, Amara is discovered by a producer of pop hits (Billy Zane) and, as part of her transition from gospel, is required to wear outfits and sing lyrics that Mrs. Winter ascribes to hoochie-mommas. (Troy reportedly was discovered by James Brown, while Houston was famously molded by Clive Davis.) It creates a rift between the two headstrong women that is as familiar as it is melodramatic. Ultimately, a tragedy brings them together in welcome compromise. As interpreted by Charles Randolph-Wright, “Mama, I Want to Sing” is an extremely broad musical and dramatic experience. Whitfield, especially, appears to be playing to the customers in the balconies. Even so, everyone involved knows what’s demanded by fans of such gospel musicals and delivers the goods in large strokes. The music, of course, is very good, and the inspirational messages are universal. If Amara manages to avoid the tragic path taken by Houston, we know it’s by the grace of God and gospel music. – Gary Dretzka

Beavis & Butthead: Volume 4: Blu-ray
Storage Wars: Volume 2
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie
Dora’s Easter Adventure
For a certain caste of television viewers, the highlight of the current season hasn’t been the return of “Downton Abbey” or even the renewal of the “Hawaii Five-0” franchise. It was the welcome, by some, revival of MTV’s strangely wonderful “Beavis & Butthead” in new episodes. The show, created by Mike Judge, originally ran on the cable network from March 8, 1993, to November, 1997. Among other things, the dimwitted friends were blamed for the “dumbing-down” of America and encouraging teens to become serial arsonists. The show also is credited with putting MTV on the map as a purveyor of original programming, including “Jackass” and “Jersey Shore,” both of which make “B&B” look like “Masterpiece Theater.” In the new season, the animated pals don’t appear to have aged a day since 1997. They’re just as stupid as they were in the 1990s, wear the same clothes, listen to the same kind of music and remain virgins. None of the other characters have evolved, either. Thematically, though, the new episodes do reflect the passage of time, most obviously in the music and YouTube videos they critique. Snooki and “The Twilight Saga” also take some direct hits. The Blu-ray is comprised of 24 segments, including “Werewolves of Highland,” “Holy Cornholio,” “Drones,” “Supersize Me” and “Bathroom Break,” “Copy Machine,” “Massage” and “Whorehouse.” Blu-ray extras are “2011 San Diego Comic-Con Panel,” during which Judge and Johnny Knoxville discuss the show’s history; phone conversations between B&B the cast of “Jersey Shore”; and the PSA, “Silence Your Cell Phone.”

If Beavis and Butthead were ever allowed to grow into adults, they might find work as pilferers of abandoned storage units. As we learn in the offbeat A&E series, “Storage Wars,” practitioners require only cash and an ability to judge, sometimes incorrectly, what other people’s castoffs are worth. Just as one man’s trash is another’s treasure, a less authoritative metal-head might spot gems passed over by the more seasoned buyers … vintage Metallica and AC/DC T-shirts, for example. In the second season, which is only partially collected here, Dan and Laura Dotson of American Auctioneers return to orchestrate sales and coax top dollar for the opportunity to strike gold or overpay for useless junk. There are no guarantees.

Lest we forget the occasion of Valentine’s Day, Disney sends out “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I (Heart) Minnie.” Coincidentally, it’s also her birthday. The collected episodes include the newly shown “Minnie & Daisy’s Flower Shower,” “Daisy’s Dance,” “Daisy’s Pet Project,” “Minnie’s Rainbow” and “Minnie’s Birthday,” in which the Clubhouse gang attempts to arrange and set up a surprise party.

In “Dora’s Easter Adventure,” Our Heroine and Boots are called upon to retrieve a basket filled with holiday confections. Two other episodes involve the Grumpy Old Troll and Troll Land. The DVD adds several interactive karaoke numbers, during which kids are encourage to follow the bouncing Easter egg. – Gary Dretzka

Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe: Blu-ray
Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani: The Peter Davison Years, 1982-84
Doctor Who: The Sensorites: The William Hardin Years, 1963-1966: Blu-ray
The floodgates have yet to shut on the flow of titles from the BBC’s “Doctor Who” catalogue. The newly available material runs the full gamut of the show’s life. Indeed, it’s only been two months since Christmas and the enduring series’ 2011 holiday special, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe,” is already available in Blu-ray. By contrast, it’s taken 46 years for “The Sensorites” to arrive in hi-def and 28 for “The Caves of Androzani,” in DVD.

“The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe” borrows freely from the C.S. Lewis classic, in ways suggested by the fractured title of the disc. The special episode opens in 1938, with the doctor stuck on a damaged alien spacecraft in Earth-orbit. Just in the nick of time, he dons his impact suit and plummets to the surface, where a kindly British woman helps the hapless spaceman get his bearings, so he can locate his TARDIS. Skip ahead three years to the Blitz. The woman’s pilot husband is missing in action over the English Channel and the she’s taken the kids to a relative’s house in Dorset to avoid the incessant bombing. We recognize the home’s caretaker as the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith), even if the woman doesn’t. His desire to give the family a happy Christmas inadvertently results in the opening of a gift that leads to a time portal, into which the son disappears. The daughter and doctor follow the light to an enchanted forest. Meanwhile, mom bumps into a group of miners from the ecologically threatened Androzani Major. There’s more, but I’m already confused.

And, speaking Androzani, it’s on Androzani Minor that the TARDIS drops the 5th Doctor (Davison) and Peri, during the show’s 21st season. As usual, the planet is wracked with turmoil, including the pursuit of a compound, excreted by bats, that is believed to extend life. Rebels are battling the dominant corporation for access to the substance. It probably wasn’t one of the doctor’s best ideas to intervene in the fracas, and by the end of the episode, a 6th Doctor has been regenerated to save the planet and solar system. Many aficionados consider “The Caves of Androzani” to be their favorite episode.

“The Sensorites” is No. 007 in the “Doctor Who” canon. Shown in six parts in the 1964 season, it stars William Hartnell as the 1st Doctor and companions played by Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. When the doctor arrives, the Sensorites are holding a capsule inhabited by Earthlings frozen in orbit. A previous survey team had discovered something valuable on the planet and caused much damage there. In an effort to get both problems solved, open-minded Sensorites allow the doctor and his team to join them in finding a cure for mass-poisoning and other disasters. Clearly, one of the reasons cultists love “Doctor Who” is that the complexity of the plots and story arcs discourages easy access to newbies, like me. – Gary Dretzka

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas: Blu-ray
If I were younger and had been far more stoned than I’ve been in years, I probably would have enjoyed “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas” quite a bit more than I did. Apparently, too, if I were rich enough to afford a Blu-ray 3D television, the experience would have been enhanced exponentially. Nothing freaks out stoners faster than images flying off a screen and landing in their laps. It begs the question as to how a Cheech & Chong comedy might have looked if the technology were as advanced as it is today. Many of the gags in the “H&K3” work fine in 2D, but almost all of the visual effects anticipate that viewers are wearing the necessary optical equipment. That said, Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) have matured into adulthood more or less gracefully, if in widely separated households. When a package containing a gift intended for Harold is mistakenly delivered to Kumar’s home, it provides an excuse for a road trip and reunion. Naturally, the box contains the mother of all marijuana joints, which the boys agree to share. The fun begins when an errant match ignites the Christmas tree proudly mounted in Harold’s home by his menacing father-in-law (Danny Trejo). They have about eight hours to replace it, before the in-laws return from shopping.

Harold and Kumar recruit new friends Adrian (Amir Blumenthal), Todd (Tom Lennon) and Todd’s baby daughter to find a similar replacement. Lennon is a wonderfully deadpan comedian and, together, the lads devise several hysterically inappropriate ways to exploit the child’s innocence. And, yes, they involve second-hand smoke and a substance that resembles baby powder. The team searches New York City (Detroit) high and low for a tree to replace the original, finding possible matches at a mall, where Patton Oswald is working as a Santa; Rockefeller Center, where Neil Patrick Harris is performing; at a party hosted by the horny virgin daughter of a Russian gangster; and with Princeton alum Bobby Lee. Some of the best scenes involve Claymation versions of Harold and Kumar and Harris outting himself as a faux homosexual, while being groped by topless (female) hotties. (His real-life husband also appears.) They are quite funny and sparkle in Blu-ray. The bonus package includes a deleted scene that explains how Jews celebrate Christmas Eve; a making-of piece on the Claymation sequence; and a half-dozen short spots, with Lennon, that spoof junket-produced interviews. – Gary Dretzka

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1
The fact that I’ve missed the last two installments of “The Twilight Saga” pegs me as a novice when it comes to Stephenie Meyer’s brainchild series. Serious fans are welcome to ignore my opinions on the penultimate installment. Anyone interested in jumping on the bandwagon at this late date, however, is advised to begin at the beginning of the series, with Catherine Hardwicke’s table-setter, “Twilight,” which succeeded as a romantic fantasy, vampire thriller and hyperkinetic action picture. Starting at “Breaking Dawn” would be like beginning study of the New Testament at the Wedding at Cana or entering HBO’s “True Blood” as Sookie is being revealed as a descendent of fairies. The latest installment, “Breaking Dawn,” has been split into two parts, filmed back-to-back. While much of “Part 1” looks splendid and there’s an air of menace throughout, it left me wondering when something resembling a plot was going to emerge. The first third is taken up with plans for Bella and Edward’s wedding; the second, in anticipation of the couple’s furious coupling on their honeymoon; and the third, by Bella’s harrowing pregnancy and nearly calamitous delivery of something resembling a human child. The absence of stylized action and violence makes “Part 1” feel more like a Lifetime movie than any of its predecessors. The accent is on wedding fashions, honeymoon accommodations and the cruelty of childbirth. There’s a bit of a chase between the vampires and wolf pack, but it mostly involves growling and posing. Director Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”) apparently has saved the battle royal for the closing chapter. The supplemental material adds commentary by Condon; a video from Bella and Edward’s wedding; character features, “Jacob’s Destiny,” “Edward Fast Forward” and “Jacob Fast Forward”; and a six-part behind-the-scenes documentary.  If studios are going to bisect the final episode of a series – as happened, as well, with “Harry Potter” – they really offer ticket-buyers a half-price coupon for “Part 2.” – Gary Dretzka

Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition: Blu-ray
The love story is charming, but what distinguishes Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” — the latest classic film to undergo a “Diamond Edition” facelift — from the studio’s previous 14 animated features is the music. Written mostly by Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke, they are inseparable from the characters who interpret them, including the canine torch singer, Peg, performing Lee’s unforgettable “He’s a Tramp” (“What a dog …”). Watching it this time around, however, I flashed on a distinctly different tune. Could Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson have watched “Lady and the Tramp” before penning the lyrics, “… Ladies love outlaws like babies love stray dogs/Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold/And outlaws touch the ladies/Somewhere deep down in their soul”? The country hit may not resonate with the masses in quite the same way as “Bella Notte,” “The Siamese Cat Song” and “He’s a Tramp,” but “Ladies Love Outlaws” captures the enduring essence of the story. The Blu-ray edition of the 57-year-old animated feature – Disney’s first in CinemaScope — looks and sounds as good as it ever did on the big screen and better than in any of its video incarnations. Parents will be as appreciative of the meticulous restoration as their kids, who probably have gotten spoiled on Blu-ray by now. The generous bonus package adds an introduction by Walt Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, as well as her memories; a trio of deleted scenes and storyboards; the unrecorded song, “I’m Free as the Breeze”; more than two hours of previously available featurettes; and the Second Screen app that links to “Inside Walt’s Story Meetings.” – Gary Dretzka

Yakuza Weapon: Blu-ray
Anyone whose idea of a good time is watching and re-watching Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s “Grindhouse” duo, “Planet Terror” and “Death Proof,” shouldn’t hesitate tracking down the totally nuts, “Yakuza Weapon,” from Japan’s gore-happy Sushi Typhoon studio. Such extreme genre epics as “Alien vs. Ninja,” “Mutant Girls Squad,” “Deadball,” “Helldriver” and “Karate-Robo Zaborgar” overflow with the kind of overheated violence, mostly, that makes fanboys salivate and Boomers yearn for the days of drive-in triple-features. “Yakuza Weapon” was adapted from a manga by Ken Ishikawa by Tak Sakaguchi and Yudai Yamaguchi. As the picture opens, the notorious hipster warrior, Shozo, is dispatching bad guys of one stripe or another in South America. At the same time, Shozo’s yakuza father is murdered by a rival mobster in direct repudiation of the gangs’ code of honor.  Upon his return to Japan, Shozo must come to grips with the realization that the Iwaki Family has been decimated by the defection of his father’s former top aide, Kurawaki. Over-confident of his abilities, Shozo engages in an assault on Kurawaki headquarters, which levels the high-rise building, but leaves the upstart warrior with missing limbs. They’re replaced with a M61 Vulcan cannon and a rocket launcher. After a brief period of rehabilitation, Shozo is required to deal with a turncoat lieutenant of his own and his sister, who’s been transformed into a “naked weapon.” Anyway, you get the picture. Sushi Typhoon movies aren’t for everyone, but those who admire wild makeup effects – constructed by Yoshihiro Nishimura – and non-stop action will find a great deal of it in “Yakuza Weapon,” which arrives with 45-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes and a spinoff short, “Takuso Weapon.” – Gary Dretzka

Love Story: Blu-ray
Looking back at the hysteria surrounding the release of “Love Story,” in 1970, it comes as a surprise to learn how well Arthur Hiller’s Ivy League tear-jerker was received by mainstream critics. Maybe I missed something the first time around. Adapted from a best-selling Erich Segal novel, which, itself, was adapted from his original screenplay, “Love Story” became the movie that launched a thousand maudlin disease-of-the-week television movies. It may even have triggered an allergic reaction to “chick flicks” in an entire generation of Boomer males. Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw play undergraduates at Harvard and Radcliffe who meet cute at the beginning and never stop meeting cute throughout the course of the drama. She calls him, “Preppie,” while he refers to her as “Cavalleri,” after her last name. Oliver comes from the proper side of the tracks, while Jennifer is a daughter of working-class parents. She curses like a sailor and he’s pigheaded to a fault. And, yet, they come together in one of those picture-perfect marriages doomed to end in tragedy. “Love Story,” the book and movie, were huge successes. Many of the people who discover it today will find it unwatchable, if not for its cheesy dialogue, then its unrelievedly maudlin conclusion. O’Neal isn’t at all bad as Oliver, the unspoiled rich kid. McGraw has her fans, but her ticks and unnaturally coarse dialogue feel awfully bizarre after all these years. The Blu-ray visuals enhance the many interesting Boston and New York locations, as well as a freak snowstorm integrated into the story at the last minute. The extras include Hiller’s commentary and the informative featurette, “A Classic Remembered.” – Gary Dretzka

Fireflies in the Garden
Ever since the term “dysfunctional family” entered the vernacular – sometime after the release of “Ordinary People,” no doubt – it’s been used as an excuse for all sorts of cinematic meltdowns. Most boil down to perfectly normal, if disagreeable, behavior more accurately described as eccentric. Almost no families, however nutty, resemble those who populate the sorts of “quirky, offbeat” dramedies popular with the Sundance crowd. The family we meet in “Fireflies in the Garden” is so truly and thoroughly dysfunctional that it could have provided a case study for aspiring psychiatrists. The patriarch of the Taylor family, Charles (Willem Dafoe), is a thoroughly disagreeable English professor, who has made his son Michael (Ryan Reynolds) his personal punching bag for more than 20 years. They’re joined by the long-suffering, yet dutiful matriarch, Lisa (Julia Roberts); a daughter (Shannon Lucio) about to enter law school; an aunt, Jane (Emily Watson), who’s nearly Michael’s age and was a childhood confidante; Michael’s estranged wife (Carrie-Anne Moss), recovering from alcoholism; younger versions of Michael and Jane (Cayden Boyd, Hayden Panattiere); and various lovers. The trigger for everything that follows, as well as numerous flashbacks, is the accidental death of Lisa, in a car crash on the way to her much-delayed graduation from college. Reynolds is well cast as the son, whose success as a romance novelist causes Charles no small degree of professional jealousy and undisguised rage. Anticipating a graduation, not a funeral, Michael has brought with him the manuscript of his new book, which includes a bitter recounting of his own youth. No one is spared embarrassment. Apparently, much of what happens in “Fireflies” is based on events in writer/director Dennis Lee’s life. (Robert Frost is credited with the poem that inspired the title and the film’s ugliest scene.) As difficult as “Fireflies” is to watch, at times, Lee doesn’t embarrass himself in his debut. The actors probably didn’t need much coaching, but everything else appears to bear his fingerprints. The standard making-of, behind-the-scenes featurette isn’t bad, even if it sometimes seems as if the cast and crew are discussing a different, happier project. – Gary Dretzka

5 Star Day
The central conceit informing Danny Buday’s debut feature, “5 Star Day,” is so improbable that it’s a small miracle any kind of story could have been constructed on its foundation. Give the indie drama 20 minutes, though, and its inherent strangeness will weave a spell on adventurous viewers. Studly Cam Gigandet plays Jake, an unorganized college student who’s up against a strict deadline, but isn’t likely to get his project completed in time to assure an A-grade. In effect, he wants to prove that astrology is bunk and the people who faithfully read newspaper horoscopes are fools. He formulates his thesis after experiencing one of the worst 24 hours in his life on the day all of his stars and planets are aligned in the most positive way possible. It prompts him to track down the three people with whom he once shared the maternity ward in a Chicago hospital. Surely, if the experiences of any three human beings were alike in this world, it would be those who shared the same astrological code. All things being equal, which, of course, they never are, this experiment might have carried some weight. It isn’t difficult for Jake to track down the three people (Gena Malone, Brooklyn Sudano,  Max Hartman), two of whom, in fact, had a miserable birthday. What Jake couldn’t have anticipated, however, is how closely the stars actually had predicted what would happen on that day and how the lives of these maternity-ward graduates ultimately would affect the others. Instead of feeling manipulated and contrived, I was left satisfied by Buday’s solution to Jake’s problem. – Gary Dretzka

Metal Shifters: Blu-ray
It’s been a while since movies produced for airing on Lifetime could automatically be dismissed for their predictably sappy storylines, B- and C-list stars and pandering to undiscerning women. While the made-for-cable movies still target women, their overall quality and production values have improved markedly, raising the network’s demographic profile. The folks at Syfy ought to be taking notes. While its original programming is pretty good, most made-for-Syfy movies look as if they were written and directed by members of the A-V clubs at well-endowed high schools. Such Corman-inspired hybrids as “Piranhaconda” and “Dinocroc vs. Supergator” are so purposefully bad, they’re funny. More traditional sci-fi conceits are exploited to less satisfactory results. “Metal Shifters” (a.k.a., “Iron Invader”) is a prime example of the latter. Not being a premium channel, Syfy is required to hold the line on violence, language, sex and gore. There are thousands of movies available for audiences seeking gratuitous displays of one or more of these attributes, at least, so it would be logical to assume that kids in their early teens are the primary audience. No network executive would invest in something that doesn’t attract viewers without access to a credit card, however, so the “hits” keep right on coming. Writer/director Paul Ziller has become a leading supplier of genre fodder to cable networks. Besides “Metal Shifters,” his “Ice Quake,” “Snakehead Terror,” “Collision Earth,” “Yeti: Curse if the Snow Demon” and “Stonehenge Apocalypse” have debuted on Syfy, then found extra mileage in DVD and foreign distribution. “Metal Shifter” follows a familiar pattern in that the introduction of a powerful outside force – here, a meteorite collides with a satellite, causing alien bacterium to fall to Earth on the metallic debris – threatens the planet’s eco-system and mankind, itself. Here, the citizens of a tiny Idaho town are required to battle germs that cause metal objects to regenerate and infect residents. One stack of metal actually is transformed into a killer Erector Set robot. It’s unredeemedly corny, but what’s even sillier is the positioning of old flames as heroes. There’s a making-of featurette included, as well. I wonder if the change in titles, even at IMDB.com, isn’t an attempt to get consumers with short memories to purchase a movie they’ve already seen on TV for free. – Gary Dretzka

Downton Abbey: Season 2: Original U.K. Edition: Blu-ray
Song of Lunch
Steve Coogan Live
Geek Charming
Admirers of so-called “quality television” who haven’t already watched one season, at least, of “Downton Abbey,” are missing one of the great viewing experiences of the decade. The first installment of Julian Fellowes’ brilliant “Masterpiece Theater” mini-series either won or was nominated for every major television award the American and British industries bestow. Even if one hasn’t seen a single episode, however, a working knowledge of “Upstairs, Downstairs” would suffice as an introduction. “Downton Abbey” is “Upstairs, Downstairs,” but among the landed gentry. Set during approximately the same period in English history, the series chronicles the roller-coaster affairs of the Earl and “Countess” of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern) and the rest of the aristocratic Crawley family, as well as their servants, during the reign of King George V. The first season began with the sinking of the Titanic and ended in anticipation of World War I. The second covers the war years 1916 to 1919, both in pastoral Yorkshire and the Somme killing fields; the 1918 flu pandemic; and the first stirrings of the war for independence in Ireland. The 2011 “Christmas Special” wraps the decade up in a bright bow, leaving us in early 1920 and salivating for the start of Season 3, when Shirley MacLaine joins the cast as the Countess’ American mother. While everyone is very good in the cast, Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess steals every scene with her precise use of the English language, toxic sarcasm and ability to surprise viewers and characters with unexpected acts of kindness. Jim Carter, as butler Charles Carson, is similarly memorable. Both are front and center when it comes to dealing with the various intrigues, which include love, loss, blackmail and betrayal … just like in “Dallas.” In Blu-ray, the magnificent Highclere Castle and beautiful Hampshire countryside are wonderful to watch and savor. The set adds the featurettes, “Fashion and Uniforms,” “Romance in a Time of War” and “House to Hospital.”

Also from “Masterpiece Theatre” comes Niall MacCormick’s short but withering play, “The Song of Lunch,” in which ex-lovers reunite after 15 years to see if they still have anything in common. Alan Richman plays “He,” while Emma Thompson is “She.” Facebook junkies of a certain age will recognize the urge to re-connect with old flames after a long passage of time. MacCormick points out what some of the Facebook daters have already learned: most graves are best left undisturbed. In the ensuing 15 years, She has married a writer who He doesn’t respect. She lives in Paris with their two children. By all accounts, He is a poet of no standing and publisher of works he despises. If he isn’t an alcoholic, He turns in a masterful impression of one over lunch. He’s aggressively passive-aggressive, petty and distant to the woman he loved and happily made the jump over the channel to see him. Moreover, even before the main course is set before him in the restaurant they once frequented, He has consumed nearly two bottles of wine. How one man could be so boorish in the presence of such grace is a mystery that doesn’t require much of an investigation, really. Times change, places change and our perceptions of people we once loved can change, as well. Thompson is especially well suited for the role of She. I’d like to think Richman had to work overtime to come up with a character as pathetic as He, however.

For American audiences only aware of British comedian Steve Coogan from his appearances in such movies as “The Trip,” “Our Idiot Brother” and “24 Hour Party People,” the in-performance DVD “Steve Coogan Live” might come as a revelation. Like Sacha Baron Cohen, he has a tremendous gift for mimicry and creating characters that seem to have lives of their own. His most recognizable creation is the unctuous, self-absorbed British talk-show host, Alan Partridge. “Steve Coogan Live” contains the stage presentations, “The Man Who Thinks He’s It” and “Live & Lewd,” during which he becomes such bizarre characters as “lager lout” Paul Calf and his slutty sister, Pauline; Portuguese Eurovision-winner Tony Ferrino; the incompetent stand-up comedian, Duncan Thicket; and Partridge, who has no regard for his guests, audience or the limits of his own talent. They’re joined on stage and in backstage interludes by the “politically correct” comic Bernard Righton (John Thomson), Simon Pegg and Julia Davis. The rest of the two-disc set is comprised of highlights from Coogan’s Australian tour; the featurette, “Steve Coogan: An Inside Story”; and “Animations of Paul and Pauline Calf.” The often bawdy comedy is distinctly British and may go under the heads of American audiences, just as the coarse language may offend some tender American ears.

Sarah Hyland (“American Family”) is the main reason for anyone over 17 to watch the Disney Channel’s “Geek Charming.” In it, she assumes the role once mastered by Alicia Silverstone, in “Clueless.” Her Dylan Schoenfield is the spokewoman for all that’s cool, trendy and expensive at Woodlands Academy, in L.A. Since she already owns everything she covets, Dylan isn’t particularly interested in anything that doesn’t involve her A-list boyfriend or the school’s Fall Formal Blossom Queen competition. When offered an opportunity to be the star of a nerd’s entry into the school’s film festival, she senses that it could make her the idol of teenagers far beyond Woodland Academy and accepts his invitation. If you think the good guy will lose in a Disney Channel movie, you’d always be wrong. The set also arrives with 10 episodes of the “Glee”-ish “Shake It Up” series and a “Best Friend Charm Set.” – Gary Dretzka

3
What Happens Next
German filmmaker Tom Tykwer made such a splash with “Run Lola Run” that expectations for his success in America likely were raised to a point no director of arthouse fare could meet. His big-budget action thriller, “The International,” is memorable solely for its exquisitely staged shootout inside New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Constructed on a far more modest foundation, “3” may be his finest film since “Lola.” Set in Berlin, “3” observes a trio of aging yuppies, anxious to achieve sexual fulfillment before becoming middle-age crazy. There’s no question that Simon and Hanna are happy together, even after 20 years together. Hanna develops a crush on a teacher of one of her post-graduate classes, even fantasying about him as she daydreams her way through his dry lectures. After several coincidental meetings and a fun night on the town with his friends, Hanna decides to give the younger man a shot in the sack. Her timing is awful, in that it coincides with Simon’s unplanned operation to remove a cancerous testicle. Genuinely unhappy that she missed his surgery, but not exactly wracked with guilt, she repeats her declaration of love for Simon and we have no reason not to believe her. Weeks later, in another chance meeting, Simon hooks up with Adam at a cool Berlin swimming facility, which appears to double as a pickup spots for gay men. More time passes and Hannah discovers she’s pregnant with twins. This situation could have been handled, poorly, in several different ways. Tykwer settled on one that leaves several questions unanswered, but is satisfying in other significant ways. Because of the occupations of the three characters, it was possible for Tykwer to make “3” look as sleek and hip as possible, without losing any old-world flavor. All of the actors (Sophie Rois, Sebastian Schipper, Devid Striesow) are very good in untypical roles. And, while erotic, the sex in “3” is likely to offend only people willing to vote for the current slate of Republicans seeking the White House.

Americans still have a long way to go before they’ll accept gay dramas and rom-coms in mainstream movies, even ones as innocuous and unchallenging as “What Happens Next.” In writer/director Jay Arnold’s debut feature, it takes being fired from his job for a rich businessman, Paul (Jon Lindstrom), to accept his sexual reality. Meanwhile, his sister (Wendie Malick) is desperately attempting to come to grips with her son’s homosexuality. Paul finally is able to act on his deeply sublimated feelings after meeting a much-younger gay man, Andy (Chris Murrah), in the local dog park, where he walks the puppy he received as a going-away gift. Meanwhile, Paul’s sister continues to arrange hetero dates for him. “What Happens Next” feels quaint by comparison to more sophisticated gay-and-lesbian fare, including “3.” As the clichés mount – the mandatory fag hag and sissy boy, among them — it’s possible to wonder who the movie was intended to impress, gay daters or closet cases. – Gary Dretzka

The Dead: Blu-ray
As zombie movies go, “The Dead” isn’t particularly scary. It does, however, contain many scenes of undead dismemberment, gore and shooting. What separates “The Dead” from a zillion other such flicks are the bleak Burkina Faso and Ghana locations, which recall news footage of starvation in sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, many of the zombies look healthier – from a distance, at least – than the victims of neglect, starvations and internecine war. In Howard and Jonathan Ford’s arid thriller, U.S. Air Force engineer Lt. Brian Murphy is the sole survivor of a plane crash off the coast of war-torn Africa. No sooner does he wash up on shore than he’s confronted with zombies drawn to him like a lighthouse. Because Murphy is a dead shot, he avoids being eaten fairly easily. On his trek to the interior, Murphy is joined by an African soldier (Daniel Dembele) also desperate to leave the area. When their vehicle expires, they proceed by foot through the badlands. The quest for survival is more interesting as a reverse-travelogue than as a creature feature, but that’s OK. There’s a deleted scene and making-of piece, showcasing the special makeup effects work. – Gary Dretzka

David E. Talbert’s What My Husband Doesn’t Know
If it weren’t for Tyler Perry, David E. Talbert might be the country’s best-known creator of plays and musicals, movies and TV shows, novels and DVDs targeted primarily at the African-American audience. Rather than restage the plays for the movies, Talbert shoots the stage production and sends it out on DVD. It captures the intimacy of the production, while saving lots of money. “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” is the first one I’ve seen that justifies taking the shortcuts. Here, Michelle Williams plays Lena, the beautiful wife of an older, wealthy developer (Clifton Davis) who neglects his wife’s sexual needs. In a moment of weakness, she succumbs to the physical attributes of a younger man (Brian White) hired to fix the house’s plumbing. When her husband smells a rat and pledges to pay closer attention to Lena, she decides to end the affair. Easier said than done, of course. The plumber becomes her stalker. It makes for a dramatic climax, but, what I didn’t expect was that “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” would be so legitimately risqué and funny. Even the pastor is a man with a sexual past. I especially enjoyed the innuendo and double entendre delivered by Lena’s horny BFF, played hilariously by sexy Tiffany Haddish. As is typical with these sorts of productions, there are plenty of belt-it-out singing and larger-than-life characters. “WMHDK” is well acted and stylishly directed by Talbert. It may not be Neil Simon, but it doesn’t need to be. The DVD adds interviews and a backstage tour. – Gary Dretzka

All Things Fall Apart
In this overburdened sports melodrama, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson not only is responsible for carrying the ball, but also recovering the occasional fumble in the narrative. Besides starring in “All Things Fall Apart,” as an NFL-bound football player cruelly stricken with cancer, Jackson is credited as writer (with Brian A. Miller) and producer. His character, Deon, is a natural born athlete. By the time he blossoms as a running back, Deon’s also amassed an impressive display of dreadlocks, which flow from under his helmet and partially hide his handsome face. He’s built like the proverbial brick shithouse and probably could run through a concrete wall, as well. Until a potentially deadly tumor is discovered near his heart, Deon’s biggest problems are caused by an overbearing brother (Mario Van Peebles, who also directs) and avoiding the temptations associated with being a soon-to-be millionaire. Chemotherapy causes Deon – and 50 Cent — to lose more than 40 pounds of bulk, braids and most of his energy. His older brother is devastated by the reality of never being able to share Deon’s fame and fortune; his mother (Lynn Whitfield) is working triple-time to make ends meet; and a younger brother has finally begun to assert himself as something other than a sidekick, forced to sacrifice his dreams for Deon’s career. After losing his scholarship, insurance and likelihood of supporting himself doing the only thing he’s qualified to do, Deon goes from bad to worse. It isn’t until the young man hits rock bottom is he able to beg his younger brother for a job at a used-car dealership. Turns out, he’s a natural salesman, as well. The surprises don’t stop there, either. “All Things Fall Apart” has so many things going on in it that it’s impossible to keep track of all of them. 50 Cent still has a way to go before he can carry a film on his acting skills, instead of his looks and personality. Van Peebles’ capable direction keeps the movie from drifting too far into territory previously mined by “Brian’s Song” and other sports tragedies, and it looks good. There’s also a pounding hip-hop soundtrack and Ray Liotta playing a surgeon. That’s a lot of heavyweight stuff for a direct-to-DVD picture to address, even in 110 minutes. – Gary Dretzka

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Blu-ray 3D
When the Blu-ray and DVD editions of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” were rushed into video release last September, sans bonus features and 3D, Paramount assured fans that both soon would be added to the package. Some Internet wags expressed concern that this was a typical bait-and-switch swindle, targeted at less savvy consumers and “firsties.” Maybe, but, this kind of release pattern is nothing new, really. It was fairly prevalent in the early days of VHS and DVD, even when the release windows were closer to a year, than today’s two or three months. “Director’s Cut” and gold/silver/platinum” editions took even longer to appear. Today, Disney’s the only company that seems committed to that sort of platform-release schedule. Seemingly, everyone else plays it by ear. In the case of blockbuster titles, anyway, consumers really should do their homework in advance of street date. The distributors of “Transformers” made no attempt to hide the lack of bonus material. Indeed, they probably were doing fans a favor by not throwing a crappy making-of featurette or warmed-over EPK (electronic press kit) into the mix. Those who waited an additional four months for the complete “T: DOTM3D” package should be feeling pretty good about themselves right now.

Fortunately for everyone concerned, the previous DVD and Blu-ray editions of “T:DOTM” didn’t require much tinkering in the visual and audio departments. Like them, the 3D version is as close to state-of-the-art as buffs could have anticipated. There’s no need to rehash my opinions of Michael Bay’s sci-fi extravaganza, except to say that the basic narrative still is no match for the fireworks that dominate the second half. That’s what made the 3D edition worth waiting for, at least for the few fortunate souls who own one a set capable of showing it. Moreover, the third disc is comprised of four hours’ worth of special features in hi-def. They include the five-part “Above and Beyond: Exploring ‘Dark of the Moon’”;  “Uncharted Territory: NASA’s Future Then and Now”; “Deconstructing Chicago: Multi-Angle Sequences,” from pre-visualizations to visual effects, with optional commentary; “The Art of Cybertron,” with still galleries depicting all manner of Autobots,  Decepticons, Environments, Weapons and Gear, and Ships; “The ‘Dark of the Moon’ Archive,” which includes a brief conversation between Bay and James Cameron on the value of 3D; “The Matrix of Marketing,” about the extensive campaign to attract customers to megaplexes around the world; and 2D, Blu-ray and UV copies. Was it worth the delay? I think so. – Gary Dretzka

Thunder Soul
Timed to arrive at the start of Black History Month, “Thunder Soul” is a movie that could have been released at Halloween and still be one of the most inspirational films of this or any year. It also is as hip as any documentary since “The Buena Vista Social Club” and “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” which it resembles. If ever a case were to be made for the importance of musical education in our public schools, it can be found in Mark Landsman’s film recounting the recent reunion of graduates of Houston’s Kashmere High School. It was in the early 1970s that Conrad “Prof” Johnson, a respected jazz musician, took the reins of the music department and transformed a typical high school ensemble into something very special. He accomplished this by convincing the students that they could make music on a par with the professional soul, R&B and funk bands of the time. And, they did it in a style that was organic to the African-American student body and neighborhoods surrounding the school. It was no easy trick persuading kids they could make music comparable to Sly Stone and James Brown’s units, but that’s exactly what Johnson did. They would go on to win every show-band contest in which they competed and be invited to tour Europe and Japan.

Thirty-five years later, with Johnson on his death bed, dozens of his former students gathered to perform the songs they learned as teenagers. Some of them hadn’t picked up an instrument since they graduated from Kashmere, let alone performed the coordinated movements that became a trademark of the band. (Imagine watching a marching band or drum line from an all-black college, limited to strutting their stuff on a stage.) The respect and love shown to Johnson here –in words, music and hugs — could coax tears from a rock. The DVD, narrated by Jamie Foxx, adds commentary, more music and excerpts from a documentary made on the band in 1975. – Gary Dretzka

The Big Year
Not having read the book upon which “The Big Year” is based, I have no way of knowing how well director David Frankel and writer Howard Franklin succeeded in capturing its flavor. If I were to guess, I would think that journalist Mark Obmascik’s work of non-fiction skewed strictly to adults who might not think the non-lethal pursuit of birds – if only for a split-second sighting – is the most ridiculous thing they’ve ever heard. It’s the kind of activity people do when they’ve outgrown other hobbies, but still feel young enough to go to extreme lengths for a cheap thrill. Done right, birding combines ecological voyeurism, adventure tourism and fresh air.  One needn’t learn Latin to participate, but a conversance with binominal nomenclature is essential. Neither will fashionable outdoors attire won’t impress anyone waiting for the appearance of a rara avis in a marsh, meadow or swamp. And, it is a dead certainty that your kids will dismiss your obsession as being a nerdy waste of time. That much, at least, “The Big Year” gets right. By attempting to appeal to a broader audience – it’s rated PG — than the one attracted to the book, however, Frankel was required to put too much weight on the trademark personalities, physical humor and sentimentality of the principle actors: Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black. In fact, their characters might not have been sufficiently peculiar to pass for actual birders, who are nothing if not eccentric. Certainly, their estimable presence wasn’t enough to attract more than a relative handful of ticket-buyers to a movie about birds and the humans who pursue them.

That said, however, “The Big Year” does seem to be a better fit for the small screen, especially in Blu-ray, which enhances the splendid locations in which the movie was shot. The producers spared little expense in replicating the geographical demands of birding, by transporting cast and crew throughout much of western Canada, the American Southwest, Southeast and Northeast. The scenery is often spectacular and not much diminished by the necessity of having the birders slog through rain and snow. If the gags fall flat, there’s usually something neat in the background on which to focus. Wilson, Martin and Black’s characters are modeled after actual birders, who participated in Big Year competitions in the late-1990s. They had 365 days to record sighting of different birds, from the mundane to the nearly extinct, based on tips from local birders. The aftermaths of huge meteorological events are especially conducive because strong winds bring birds from their natural habitats to places they’re rarely seen. It requires the most obsessive of birders to become avid viewers of the Weather Channel and be able to pick up and go at a moment’s notice. Not being able to book flights two weeks in advance also can be expensive. The movie’s trio of competitive birders is willing and able to do just that, but it takes a melodramatic toll on their families and viewers, alike. Adding a bit of flash to the proceedings are Brian Dennehy, Dianne Wiest, Anjelica Huston, Rosamund Pike, Kevin Pollack, Joel McHale, JoBeth Williams, Steven Weber, Rashida Jones, Jim Parsons, Tim Blake Nelson and the narration of John Cleese. Because of all the travel required, the making-of featurette is one of the more interesting I’ve seen lately. Simply getting the personnel to the Yukon was an operation worthy of some kind of award. Oh, yeah, the birds are pretty cool, too. – Gary Dretzka

The Double: Blu-ray
In “The Double,” first-time director Michael Brandt has constructed a Cold War thriller for post-Cold War audiences. In an interview included in the bonus package, Brandt – also writer of “2 Fast 2 Furious” and the remake of “3:10 to Yuma” – describes it as a “genre picture,” in that viewers shouldn’t expect historical precision and artistic conceits. Indeed, the less viewers are required to sweat the details in “The Double,” the more likely they will be able to enjoy it simply as an entertainment. And, I think, he’s right. It also takes a lot of weight off the shoulders of Richard Gere, who often is expected to be the same matinee idol who swept Deborah Winger off her feet in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” Instead, he plays a retired CIA operative, who specialized in eliminating the deadliest KGB agents. If the character demonstrated an uncanny ability to find and kill them in the field, it was because he had previously worked for the Soviets as a trainer. Here, he’s been asked to coordinate the search for the assassin who took out a U.S. senator for blocking deals lucrative to Kremlin interests. The killing bears the earmarks of a KGB agent, Cassius, who Gere’s Paul Shepherdson supposedly had killed a dozen years earlier. How could this be?

Shepherdson has been asked by the director (Martin Sheen) to collaborate with a junior agent (Topher Grace), who revers him but may be too young to understand what they’re up against. The stylized killings, which quickly begin to add up, are traced to a group of Russian agents who slipped across the Mexican border undetected, possibly with the help of Border Patrol agents told to look the other way. The search for Cassius leads not only to them, but also to all sorts of other bad guys living in the U.S. illegally. As confusing as things get, Brandt is able to deflect the viewer’s attention from the real threat to American security and stage chases through warehouses and through the streets of Washington (Detroit) that are fun to watch. The bonus package includes commentary with Brandt and writer-producer Derek Haas, who have plenty to say about the difficulties in getting “The Double” made, and set interviews with Gere, Grace, Stephen Moyer, Brandt and Haas. – Gary Dretzka

In Time: Blu-ray
I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find Philip K. Dick’s name listed among those credited for the screenplay to “In Time.” Instead, the sci-fi thriller was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, who’s already given us such speculative fictions as “Gattaca,” “The Truman Show” and “S1m0ne.” The gimmick in his latest picture is straight out of the Dick playbook, though, without being a rip-off or direct homage. In it, the population of parts of the United States has outstripped the country’s ability to provide for the welfare of all citizens. Instead of imposing such draconian population-control regulations as one child per family – as is done in China – a system has been instituted giving everyone an opportunity to live until they’re 25. After that, they must earn the right to accumulate more time on the planet. As a side benefit to contributing to the nation’s economy, by piling up time, physical aging also has been eliminated. Anyone with enough credits to live to 80 will look exactly as they did at 25. Not a bad deal, if you’re rich or crooked. Everyone else lives in constant fear that they’ll lose their job or inflation will diminish the value of their work. They get a free year’s indulgence implanted on a clock implanted in their arms, but time flies and nothing’s free. To purchase a cup of coffee or ride a bus, one is required the arm in a scanner, which deducts the cost in minutes. Time can be added to one’s life in the same way. Once the timer hits zero, the person collapses and dies.

Justin Timberlake’s Will Salas struggles to make do at a minimum-wage job, which he hates but can’t quit. To keep his mother alive, Will is required to purchase more time or barter for it. Before he can do so, however, she dies. Determined to make someone pay for what he determines is a corrupt system — weighted against the poor and middle class — Will begins an investigation that takes him from the lowest rungs of society to the highest. It helps that he’s made a friend out of a suicidal visitor from another “time zone,” who bestows 100 years of time on him. On the downside, Will becomes the target of “time police,” led by Cillian Murphy, who have reasons of their own for controlling such trades. It isn’t long before he runs into a pretty and truly young woman (Amanda Seyfried), whose overprotective 80-year-old father (Vincent Kartheiser, looking 25) controls millions of hours of time and doesn’t want to share it with poor people. Together, Will and the blond spend the second half of the movie evading time cops and thugs hired by her father to maintain the status quo. This may make “In Time” sound ridiculously confusing, but it isn’t. Action fans will be satisfied with the many car chases, most of which seem to take place in Los Angeles’ concrete river beds, and noisy shootouts. The conceit also allowed for Niccol to cast hottie Olivia Wilde as Will’s mother, even though they look as if they could be siblings. (Being PG-13, any suggestions of incest are purely in the dirty little minds of viewers.) The bonus package adds a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted and alternative scenes, and access to “In Time: The Game” app. – Gary Dretzka

Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection: Blu-ray
RaroVideo has re-released into Blu-ray its quartet of wildly plotted crime thrillers – after 40 years, some viewers might find them darkly comic, as well – by the influential Italian director Fernando Di Leo. The titles include “Caliber 9” (1972), “The Italian Connection” (1972), “The Boss” (1973) and “Rulers of the City” (1976), all of which, we’re told, influenced the movies of Quentin Tarantino and John Woo. Even if the shootouts look as if they were staged by people who never fired a gun or saw film of people being shot, they are too entertaining to hate. Moreover, the actors hired by Di Leo to play gangsters look as if they’ve been recruited from a prison in New Jersey, not through Central Casting. The hi-def transfers were struck from the original 35mm negatives and re-mastered in collaboration with the Venice Film Festival. The boxed set adds a booklet of essays. – Gary Dretzka

Texas Killing Fields: Blu-ray
Movies about serial killers are a dime a dozen these days. To stand out, a really good crime thriller has to have something going for it besides an insane killer and grotesque murders. Even with Michael Mann’s name on the list of credits, as producer, daughter Ami Canaan Mann’s “Texas Killing Fields” failed to inspire any more than an extremely limited release. Set largely at night in the swamps and marshes of eastern Texas (Louisiana), the movie oozes atmosphere and is populated with very good actors: Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sheryl Lee, Annabelle Gish and Jessica Chastain. It was inspired by actual events and looks as if it might have been set in a town where serial killers can escape justice by feeding the bodies and evidence to alligators. Worthington plays a cop with local ties, whose partner is a transplanted New York City police detective. Outsider Brian Heigh (Morgan) becomes obsessed with solving the crimes, even though it’s out of their jurisdiction and he’s been warned that nothing good can come looking too deep into the “killing fields.” Sure enough, the deeper Heigh sticks his nose into the affairs of the locals, the more his life is threatened by rednecks who don’t care what he does for a living. Chastain plays a hard-nose cop from a neighboring town and Lee plays the junkie mom of a sweet and highly independent teenager (Moretz), who always looks as if she’s being dangled as bait for the killer. That’s enough baggage for a TV mini-series, let alone a 105-minute thriller by a second-time director and freshman writer (Don Ferrarone). The Blu-ray comes with commentary by Mann and Ferrarone. – Gary Dretzka

Dead Hooker in a Trunk
Spider Hole
If the masters of exploitation cinema have taught us anything, it’s that a great title will trump negative reviews every time. Likewise, a great tabloid headline (“Headless Body in Topless Bar,” “Ford to City: Drop Dead”) will attract otherwise intelligent readers to a crappy newspaper. “Dead Hooker in a Trunk” is the title of a do-it-yourself horror flick by Jen and Sylvia Soska, who not only co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred, but also are credited as co-producers, set decorators and assistants to the editor and cinematographer. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made PB&J sandwiches for the cast and crew, as well. Unlike the great headlines and titles that point to lousy stories and movies, however, “Dead Hooker in a Trunk” is both a madly inventive parody of slasher flicks and a deliciously dark comedy. If it doesn’t quite reach the bar set by their cinematic hero, Richard Rodriguez, it isn’t for lack of passion and chutzpah. That it hasn’t been seen outside a couple of genre festivals qualifies as a sin.

The plot is simplicity itself. While on a mission to score drugs, three Vancouver riot-grrrls – Junkie, Geek, Badass – discover the body of a blond woman decomposing in the truck of their black Camaro. Having no idea as to how the corpse got there or if they had anything to do with her death, the teenagers enlist the help of a bible-banging relative, Goody Two Shoes, to dispose of it. If only clearing a guilty conscience were that simple. The girls barely can get out of their own ways as they’re confronted by a variety of cops, deviants and lunatics, at least one of whom wields a chainsaw. They’re also stalked by the likely killer of “Hooker,” an evil dude simply referred to as Cowboy Pimp. In the great Grindhouse tradition, too much ain’t enough for the Soskas, who immersed themselves in the books of Stephen King while other girls their age were obsessed with Judy Blume. The blood and gore in “Dead Hooker in a Trunk” may be excessive, but it’s generated with surgical skill and twisted humor. Their debt to Rodriguez is addressed in the casting of Carlos “El Mariachi” Gallardo in the role of God. It’s that kind of movie. The bonus making-of featurette is as free of form as the movie itself and worth a visit.

Until the capture of Saddam Hussein by American troops, I wasn’t aware of the term, “spider hole,” which apparently is military parlance for a hidey-hole used to conceal a single person. In the movie, “Spiderhole,” it refers more to the fact that a group of London squatters has taken up residence inside a boarded-up apartment building that also is home to a few harmless spiders and a sadist in surgeon’s garb. By extending the metaphor, one could argue that the killer lures his prey into his web and devours the trapped victims. Here, the web is the building and the cost-conscious art students are dinner. After a night in their new home, the students awaken to find the doors and windows locked and impenetrable. It’s clear that someone has it out for the squatter, but the fiend is in no hurry to reveal himself. Instead, he toys with the victims before killing them. I doubt that fans of torture porn will find anything revelatory or particularly frightening in “Spiderhole.” The blood is mostly shed off-screen. Even so, it isn’t the worst idea for a slasher film I’ve seen. – Gary Dretzka

Chalet Girl
This unassuming teen rom-com not only doesn’t break any new ground, but the formula already was old when Sally Field, Annette Funicello and Haley Mills were planning their sweet-16 parties. That it keeps popping up decades later only attests to the fact that tweens and teens still dream of beating the odds by impressing a prince, heir or rock star, and changing his mind about marrying the bitchy rich girl his parents have picked out for him. (The same scenario works for boys, but not nearly so often.) In “Chalet Girl,” a 19-year-old “tomboy” from a working-class background lands a job cooking for a family of wealthy skiers in their posh Austrian chalet. That Felicity Jones’ Kim isn’t a gold-digger — unlike her similarly employed friend (Tamin Egerton) — is evidenced by the fact that she’s something of a klutz and a pipsqueak, at least compared to the leggy bombshells who also frequent the chalet. Instead, she bumps into a European ski bum on the slopes and he convinces her that she’s a natural snowboarder. After all, how much more difficult could skiing be for an accomplished skateboarder, as is Kim? An Xtreme snowboard competition is scheduled for later in the season and the prize money could help her dad save his London greasy spoon. Within weeks, Kim has developed the skills necessary to compete at the highest level in her demanding new sport and on the most challenging slope. In the meantime, the heir to the family’s fortune (Ed Westwick, of “Gossip Girl”) has taken a shine to her naiveté and sense of humor, which are in direct contrast to the stick-up-her-butt attitude of his girlfriend (Sophia Bush) and mom (Brooke Shields). “Chalet Girl” rarely, if ever deviates from the well-trod path to a “Cinderella” ending. For girls entering their teens, though, the story won’t feel overly familiar. The crisp mountain air keeps the story from going stale and the actors seem to be enjoying the break from soundstages and smog. I suspect that Jones has more in common with the target audience for “Chalet Girl” than the vast majority of ingénues cast in movies solely for their blond hair and appearance in Victoria’s Secret ads. – Gary Dretzka

Bollywood Beats
It would be interesting to see how some of the top Bollywood dancers would fare in competition on “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing With the Stars.” The moves they display in Indian musicals and videos are fascinating to watch, even without subtitles to explain the lyrics and plot twists. The central character in Mehul Shah’s “Bollywood Beats” is a dance-obsessed teenager caught in the classic struggle between an immigrant son or daughter’s desire to follow their dreams in the New World and their parents’ more pragmatic strategy for success. St. Louis native Sachin Bhatt stars as Raj, a born-to-dance young man whose Indian parents have patiently waited for their son to make good, but now want him to get serious about himself by entering the family business. Raj bargains with his parents to get another six-month grace period, before agreeing to take the job. Although clearly talented, his fusion of hip-hop and Bollywood dance styles has yet to impress casting directors looking for dancers with more marketable skills. He decides to open a school, where amateurs can learn Bollywood steps and lose some weight at the same time. Just when things begin to come together at the school, the students begin experiencing a litany of soap-opera problems at home. They include hypocritical husbands, lack of self-respect, hide-bound traditions and fathers who think all male dancers are gay and, therefore, an insult to them. Before long, though, the students coalesce into an ensemble anxious to impress a panel of Indian judges. A bit more drama ensues, but that can’t be predicted or ruin the predestined ending. The fun comes in watching the dancers grow as individuals and perform as a unit. Fans of the network dance shows are the logical target for “Bollywood Beats.” – Gary Dretzka

Janie Jones
The Other F Word
Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess
What’s the greater disconnect, watching 68-year-old multimillionaire Mick Jagger prancing around a giant stage demanding satisfaction or watching a documentary about punk-rock stars attempting to avoid the mistakes made by their parents, while raising their own children?

Both images are pretty hair-raising, I suppose. “Janie Jones” and “The Other F Word” have a lot in common in the area of child-rearing and musicians’ accepting the realities of age. In the former, a temperamental singer-songwriter freaks out when he’s introduced to the 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had, by a groupie he can’t remember meeting, let alone having unprotected sex. It’s popular male nightmare, especially in the worlds of music and professional sports. Here, the mother of the girl, Janie (Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Breslin, respectively), insists that she couldn’t wait any longer, because she’s strung out, requires lengthy detox and has nowhere else to turn. Even though, the mother isn’t demanding any money from singer Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), he chooses not to believe her. While performing on stage, however, she takes a powder, leaving Janie to her own devices. After the police pick up the girl for vagrancy – and being in a free-fire zone for pimps looking for fresh talent – Ethan reluctantly allows Janie to hop on the bus, heading for the next gig. It doesn’t take long before the singer’s drinking problem blossoms into a full-blown crisis and his band decides not to stick around for the explosion. The rest of “Janie Jones” chronicles how Ethan and Janie’s passion for music – she’s a natural singer-songwriter — ultimately creates a bridge between them. Writer-director David M. Rosenthal (“Falling Up”) has avoided most of the traps inherent in these scenarios, thanks to an unsentimental portrayal of a father and daughter at loose ends and in desperate need of a helping hand. Breslin and Nivola are terrific and Shue is extremely convincing as a junky who missed too many exit signs on the road to rock-’n’-roll hell. Peter Stormare also is good as the band’s seen-it-all manager. Nivola and Breslin sing original music by Gemma Hayes and Eef Barzelay.

The title, “The Other F Word,” refers both to fatherhood and the barrage of F-bombs lobbed during the course of the average punk-rock concert. Among the many ironic twists informing Andrea Blaugrund Nevins’ frequently heart-warming documentary is watching the musicians attempt to balance their anarchic stage personae with the realities of 21^st Century parenting. It would have been all too easy for a filmmaker to locate the kids of musicians and ask them what it was like to be raised by rock stars – men and women, both – in a society obsessed with celebrity, wealth and pop culture. For every Jakob Dylan, Miley Cyrus, Stella McCartney and Sean Lennon, there probably are an equal number of train-wreck childhoods. Going blind into “F Word,” I wondered if Nevins anticipated finding a mix of success stories and disasters; tattooed toddlers in leather jackets; musicians too stoned or drunk to remember to pick up the kids at school; and retired-groupie moms in fishnets and industrial-strength mascara. Instead, the parents we meet here lead relatively normal lives with their seemingly normal children, who are encouraged to do their homework and play nice with the other kids at school. The common problems faced by those interviewed in “F Word” is the same one that’s haunted musicians, actors and athletes for more than 100 years. How much damage is done to kids, adults and marriages if a parent is required to spend months at a time on the road, performing and promoting projects? Would even greater problems arise if the parent stayed at home, vegged out and rested on his royalties? Can children be traumatized by a parent’s hairstyle, body ink or attire? Among the musicians interviewed are Blink-182′s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against the Machine’s Tim McIlrath and Pennywise’s Jim Lindberg, whose band’s anthem is “Fuck Authority.”

On the other hand, not all punk rockers grow old gracefully or can escape the stereotypes of the genre. “Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess” chronicles the troubled personal life and chaotic career of Marion Anderson. Abused as a child by her father, Anderson attempted to escape her pain through drugs, street life and outrageous behavior. After a stint in juvenile detention, she committed herself to a type of music that was as angry and unforgiving as she was. And, for a while, Anderson was able to hold off the demons of bi-polarity. As lead singer of the Bay Area punk group the Insaints, she developed a reputation for acting out her hostility and sexual proclivities on stage. Law-enforcement agencies attempted to shut down her act, of course, but the ACLU took her side in the argument over the limits of artistic expression and won. After moving to Los Angeles, the very pretty Anderson began to moonlight as a fetish model and dominatrix, somewhere along the way acquiring a taste for heroin. Her death didn’t prompt the same media coverage as that of other doomed pop stars, so Lilly Scourtis’ “Last Fast Ride” provides a proper eulogy. Narrated by Henry Rollins, the movie is loaded with interviews, concert footage and the recollections of her family and girlfriend. It’s an interesting portrayal, but one that fits a pattern familiar to other pop idols. – Gary Dretzka

Manhattan/Annie Hall: Blu-ray
Woody Allen: A Documentary
Among the many things for which Woody Allen is widely known is his reluctance to add bonus material and commentaries to his movies as they’re released in video, DVD and Blu-ray. A few years ago, he told a reporter for Total Film, “I’m really not interested. I want my films to speak for themselves. And hopefully they do.” He’s granted many such interviews over the course of his long career, but not the kind of frame-by-frame analysis collectors of laserdiscs, DVDs and Blu-rays relish. The Blu-ray release of “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” – arguably, his two most popular and enduring titles – once again raises the question as to how Allen managed to resist the temptation to flog his projects. It seems like such fun, after all. Certainly, enough already has been revealed about these two movies, so that commentaries might only serve as the icing on the cake or cherry on the sundae. In a very real sense, “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” do speak for themselves. “2001: A Space Odyssey,” they’re not. The only real question to be answered, then, is how well the hi-def presentation compares to the theatrical and DVD experience. Very well, thank you. Cinematographer Gordon Willis’ magnificent black-and-white work in “Manhattan” remains transcendent and the studio has decided not to mess arbitrarily with the original audio presentations. That’s enough to recommend them.

Patient admirers of Allen’s films need only wait another two weeks for Robert Weide’s “Woody Allen: A Documentary,” a 191-minute exploration of the artist, his work and influences. Allen is interviewed at length, as are such actors as Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, John Cusack, Larry David, Mariel Hemingway, Scarlett Johansson, Julie Kavner, Diane Keaton, Martin Landau, Louise Lasser, Sean Penn, Tony Roberts, Chris Rock, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest and Owen Wilson; collaborators Marshall Brickman, Mickey Rose and Doug McGrath; cinematographers Gordon Willis and Vilmos Zsigmond; Allen’s sister and aide, Letty Aronson; longtime manager Jack Rollins; casting director Juliet Taylor; and friends Dick Cavett and Martin Scorsese. Not all of what’s said about Allen is particularly new or revelatory, but all of the pieces add up to a recognizable whole. Allen also opens up a little on his personal life and the controversies that continue to dog him. The documentary takes viewers from Allen’s earliest writing jobs and Marxian comedies, through the highs and lows of his movie career, and to the surprising success of “Midnight in Paris.” It’s a fascinating portrait and not a minute too long. The bonus material on the DVD includes “12 Questions With Woody Allen,” deleted scenes and interview material, and an interview with Weide. – Gary Dretzka

Notorious/Spellbound/Rebecca: Blu-ray
The Apartment: Blu-ray
In the world of Blu-ray, some weeks are better than others. Sure, hardly a week goes by without the release of one or two current hits, sure to top the list of best-selling and best-renting titles. What makes buffs stand up and applaud, though, is the concurrent release of important catalogue classics, which took their own sweet time to arrive, but are in as good a shape as the latest technology allows. This is one of those weeks. It’s pretty tough to beat the near simultaneous releases of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” “Spellbound” and “Notorious”; Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment”; and Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall.” The movies speak for themselves as necessary additions to anyone’s library. If not, the duly noted Academy Award nominations and Oscars make the case even clearer. Besides being examples of Hitchcock working at full speed, the movies are populated with such immortal acting talents as Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Claude Rains, Leo G. Carroll and Rhonda Fleming (in her second credited role), as well as the writing of Robert Sherwood and Ben Hecht.

“Rebecca” may be the most significant in that it represents Hitch’s first American-made feature, under notorious meddler/genius David O. Selznick, and the only one of his titles to win the Best Picture Oscar. Adapted from a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, “Rebecca” tells the story of a pretty, if oddly unfashionable young woman (Fontaine) who falls quickly and deeply in love with a filthy-rich older man (Olivier). Their days at the Manderley mansion would become increasingly dark as the clouds of controversy, conspiracy and fear continue to roll in and the specter of the owner’s recently dead wife haunts the narrative throughout.  It’s one of the rare movies in which the suspense continues to build, even as final credits are about to roll. The Blu-ray bonus package adds commentary by Richard Schickel; isolated music and effects tracks; the featurettes, “The Making of ‘Rebecca’” and “The Gothic World of Daphne DuMaurier”; screen tests, including those of Margaret Sullavan and Vivien Leigh; and radio plays; audio interviews with Hitchcock.

“Spellbound” is famous largely for the inclusion of a trippy dream sequence conceived by Salvador Dali. Otherwise, according to Hitchcock, the film is “just another manhunt wrapped up in pseudo-psychoanalysis,” albeit a very enjoyable one. Bergman plays a dedicated psychiatrist, who falls in love with a doctor (Peck) whose true identity is masked by amnesia and abnormal behavior. The police believe him to be a murderer, but the psychiatrist isn’t convinced. “Calling Dr. Freud …” Here, the extras include commentary with film historians Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg; the excellent featurettes, “Running With Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali,” “Guilt By Association: Psychoanalyzing ‘Spellbound,’” and “A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming”; a 1948 radio play, directed by Hitchcock; and interviews conducted by Peter Bogdanovich.

The spy thriller “Notorious” is many people’s favorite Hitchcock movie, if only because of the steamy post-war romance between an American intelligence officer and the playgirl daughter of a Nazi spy that he recruits to infiltrate a nest of Nazi spies in Brazil. Despite the fact that her father was convicted in court and elected to commit suicide instead of serving time, Alicia Huberman professes a love for America and accepts the challenge. She even agrees to marry a former friend (Rains) of her father and member of a gang of unrepentant Nazis. One of Hitchcock’s tricks here is to give us more information about Alicia than what’s available to her control agent, Devlin (Grant) – who still considers her to be a loose cannon — setting up the possibility of a Shakespearean tragedy. The romantic scenes pushed the borders of the Hollywood Production Code, as did the ambiguity surrounding Alicia’s sexual past. The closer Alicia gets to exposing her true colors to her husband and his fascist mother, the hotter the romance grows between her and Devlin. The broken-bottle scene in the wine cellar is a classic example of how Hitchcock builds tension, without resorting to thriller conventions or superfluous dialogue. The Blu-ray adds commentaries by film professors Rick Jewell and Drew Casper; isolated movie and effects tracks; making-of featurettes, including one on the development of the love scenes; a 1948 radio play with Bergman and Joseph Cotton; a short piece of an AFI honored bestowed on Hitch; and his discussions with Bogdanovich and Francois Truffaut. It amazing that some of the most romantic moments in cinema history have been orchestrated by someone who doesn’t look as if he could get laid in a whorehouse. Discussions about Hitchcock’s often testy relationship with Selznick also are fascinating.

The numbing sameness of factory work has been dramatized in movies for almost as long as there have been movies, with Charles Chaplin’s 1936 “Modern Times” scoring a direct hit on the dehumanizing effects of assembly lines, automation and unsafe conditions in the workplace. In Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment,” employees of the giant Consolidated Life Insurance Company aren’t much happier than Chaplin’s hapless nut-tightener. The only thing missing in Wilder’s depiction of Consolidated’s vast un-partitioned workspace is an open window, from which the miserable clerks and bean-counters could commit suicide. It’s a miracle that any single drone could be singled out for special duty by the office managers, but C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) benefits from his willingness to allow married senior executives to use his nearby apartment for their trysts with young female employees. To a man, the executives are first-rate cads and exploiters of women who believe their lies about divorcing their wives. Baxter is led to believe that his cooperation could enhance his chance for promotion and, indeed, it does. Even when his bosses begin to abuse the privilege, Baxter literally allows himself to be left out in the cold Manhattan winter, catching a world-beater cold. Shirley MacLaine is wonderful as Fran, the elevator operator who breaks Baxter’s heart when the big boss leaves her at the apartment, despondent and betrayed. He helps her survivea suicide attempt, but is dismayed when Fran leaves herself open to more heartache. C.C. and Fran may be perfectly suited to each other, but it takes more courage than they’re usually able to muster to declare their independence in this often very dark comedy.

Wilder won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay (co-written with longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond). Lemmon and MacLaine were nominated in the Best Actors categories. The Blu-ray package includes the informative commentary of film historian Bruce Block; the featurettes, “Inside ‘The Apartment’” and” Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon,” in which Chris Lemmon discusses the life and career of his father. – Gary Dretzka

Shakespeare in Love: Blu-ray
Radio Inside
Vice Squad
Getting It Right
Up the Creek
Monsigner
With the nomination process behind us for another year, there’s no better time to recall the great upsets in Oscar history. I’m not sure anything would qualify as an upset this time around, although “The Artist” is the current favorite. One of the biggest surprises was the awarding of the Best Picture trophy to “Shakespeare in Love,” and victories for Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, writers Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, composer Stephen Warbeck, costume designer Sandy Powell and art directors Martin Childs and Jill Quertier. Director John Madden lost out to Steven Spielberg, whose “Saving Private Ryan” was considered to be the prohibitive favorite for more than six months. Most, if not all of the credit for the upset was given to Harvey Weinstein, whose lobbying efforts forever changed the way Oscar campaigns would be organized. It certainly has impacted on the release patterns, which practically ensure that potential Best Picture candidates no longer will open before Thanksgiving. Even if the debate continues, there’s no questioning that “Shakespeare in Love” is a wonderful entertainment. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary with Madden alone; a separate track with the commentary of cast and crew members; the post-Oscar featurette, “‘Shakespeare in Love’ and on Film”; deleted scenes; a profile of costume designer Powell; and marketing material.

“Radio Inside” is a curious romantic drama from 1994. As far as I can tell, it wasn’t accorded a theatrical release, debuting on VHS four years later. Considering that William McNamara, Elisabeth Shue and Dylan Walsh had yet to emerge as stars, and the subject matter was pretty dark, the studio must have decided not to throw good money after bad. Fact is, it’s pretty good. McNamara plays Matthew, a Midwestern youth who moves to Miami to live with his older brother, Michael (Walsh), after the accidental death of their father. Michael is a genuinely nice guy and devoted brother, whose relationship with his girlfriend, Natalie (Shue), suffers an inability to push himself away from his desk. Matthew’s arrival is convenient in that he and Natalie can keep each other company, while Michael is working overtime or generally running late. Naturally, something happens that brings Matthew and Natalie together in a way that feeds on both of their insecurities. What isn’t predictable, however, is Matthew’s fantastical relationship with Jesus Christ – who is available by phone — and withdrawal into memories of the time he spent with his father in the North Woods. It takes a while to understand the young man’s fear of and fixation with water, but it finally makes sense in a strange sort of way. What truly distinguishes “Radio Inside” from the thousands of other offbeat indies made in the last 20 years is the cinematography of Brian Capener, which shows Miami in a more flattering and meteorologically dramatic light than any other movie I’ve seen. The shots of storm clouds and sunsets, alone, are worth the cost of a rental. The MGM title is available on a manufactured-on-demand basis through Internet retailers. There are no extras.

Other new MOD titles include “Vice Squad,” a 1953 procedural in which Edward G. Robinson plays an LAPD captain “during the course of an ordinary day,” if you consider two police shootings, a bank heist and personal visits from a friendly madam normal. Shot largely on location, the inaccurately titled “Vice Squad” is fun to watch for its nostalgia value, if nothing else.

Released in 1989, “Getting It Right” reminds me of a British version of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” In the place of wild and wacky Steve Carell is Jesse Birdsall, a subdued London hairdresser whose sexual awakening is sparked by eccentrics played by Lynn Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter and Jane Horroks. John Gielgud and Peter Cook also have memorable turns in this very British comedy.

“Up the Creek” is a wildly uneven comedy from the Golden Age of gross-out and slob movies. Six years after “Animal House,” Tim Matheson and Stephen Furst are still in no hurry to graduate college, if only because they’re having too much fun and don’t feel any obligation to study. The dean (John Hillerman) is so anxious to see them leave that he offers them the degree of their choice if they win an annual collegiate white-water rafting competition against teams of stereotypical jocks, ROTC geeks, fraternity thugs, sorority sluts and other undergraduate misfits from other schools. If “Up the Creek” isn’t nearly as funny as “Animal House,” it’s because the writers don’t appear to have had any association with the National Lampoon. “Porky’s” regular Dan Monahan also is part of the home team.

Christopher Reeve took on “Monsignor” in the hiatus between the second and third installments of “Superman.” Its status as one of Hollywood’s great turkeys – on a dollar-for-dollar, frame-by-frame basis, anyway – isn’t mentioned in the notes on the DVD cover, but its notoriety is the only possible reason the rascals at Shout! Factory would release it some 30 years later. Reeve is an American priest and war hero, whose rise in the Catholic Church is greased by his dealings with the Mafia and other shady businessmen. The most notorious moments occur when he breaks his vow of celibacy with a nun played by Geneviève Bujold, and who could blame him? There no bonus features. – Gary Dretzka

Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
The Toynbee Tiles are the stuff that urban myths are made of … or would be if they weren’t so prevalent and well recorded by cultists and pop-culture historians. For the uninitiated, the tiles have been found embedded in roadways across much of the United States and several South American capitals. Each placard carries the words, “TOYNBEE IDEA/IN Kubrick’s 2001/RESURRECT DEAD/ON PLANET JUPITER,” or some variation of them. What they mean precisely can’t be known for sure because the perpetrator of the phenomenon has yet to be identified with any certainty, although the producers of “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” have found a couple of likely candidates. The most common theory holds that the messages refer to theories by historian Arnold Toynbee about death and resurrection and their relation to the “Space Baby” sequence in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The mystery has attracted the kind of attention usually reserved for crop circles, the JFK assassination, Trilateral Commission and Elvis Sightings. Jon Foy’s documentary addresses the history of the tiles and the many theories surrounding them. There’s a photo gallery of the tiles, which are all slightly different, as well as other bonus material. – Gary Dretzka

Electric Daisy Carnival Experience
Imagine coming home from work one day and seeing a Big Top on one end of your street, one sidewalk filled with midway attractions and the other lined with food trucks. In between them, several thousand people are wandering around waiting for the circus to begin. That’s kind of how I felt while watching “Electric Daisy Carnival Experience,” a DVD chronicling an annual two-day dance-music party held at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2010. Here were tens of thousands of young men and women, seemingly from around the world, gyrating to the pulsating sounds of house, dance and electronic music, delivered by the some of the genre’s most popular deejays. There was a Ferris wheel on one end of the field and a giant stage dominated by a single “spinner,” his mix kit and a bunch of sexy clowns on the other. How come I wasn’t invited? Probably because I would have passed out and died after the first six hours of jumping up and down while wearing some insane costume and candy-chain bracelets. These sorts of parties have been going on for years in Europe, where a large part of the underground economy is fueled by Ecstasy sales. Here, the parties have been smaller, more impromptu affairs. Apparently, though, the sheer magnitude of the 2010 “EDCE” surprised even seasoned deejays and promoters. A veritable horde of peaceful young freaks filled the football field and much of the grandstands; dozens of clowns and acrobats performed; and a couple dozens of deejays entertained the throng estimated at 100,000. Among those represented in the DVD are Steve Aoki, Moby, will.i.am, Laidback Luke, MSTRKRFT, Skrillex, Travis Barker vs A-Trak and a bunch of acts my kids would recognize, but I don’t. The “EDCE” film is a first-class, no-expenses-spared effort. It looks great on 2D, too. – Gary Dretzka

Hunted by Night
Potnah
Unless one is a bow-hunter, the thrills in “Hunted by Night” are pretty much limited to watching Cuban-American heartthrob and People magazine coverboy Jencarlos Canela almost single-handedly wipe out a small army of cocaine traffickers and their stooges. The action begins in the Florida Everglades, where three friends are spending a few days hunting deer with high-tech bows and arrows. When one of the men spies a low-flying plane dropping bales of blow on what appears to be a designated pickup spot, we almost are able to see dollar signs emerging from a cartoon balloon over his head. He manages to convince one of his buddies to go along with his plan to rip-off the cartel, but is less successful with the hunter played by Canela, who senses a disaster waiting to happen. Within hours, a posse of heavily armed Hispanics shows up in their swamp buggies and Escalades, anxious to pick up the packages and ruin the lives of school children and fashion models across the U.S. of A. Instead of cocaine, they find a misplaced arrow, which, of course, leads them to the hunters. The remaining 90 minutes of the movie are taken over by chases, ambushes, shootouts, martial-arts action and well-placed arrows with razor-sharp broadheads. Did I mention that the extremely buff Canela also is a world-class kick-boxer? Anyway, that kind of wraps up what happens in “Hunted by Night.” The action is very good, but I would have expected veteran stuntman and freshman director Juan C. Bofill to up the ante by adding some alligators, man-eating pythons and cougars to the cast.

When was the last time you saw a movie about illegal cigarette trafficking in the ’hood? Yeah, me neither. If the idea sounds appealing, check out “Podnah,” a do-it-yourself crime story directed by Darrell Smith and written by Kyron Hodges, a self-admitted graduate of the New York State Correctional Facility and budding multimedia magnate. “Podnah” appears to have been drawn from Hodges’ personal experiences in the cigarette trade, at least until, “the feds got jealous.” Hodges also stars in the micro-budget indie, which offers a thug’s-eye view of the life in the criminal underworld. It isn’t pretty, but “Podnah” does deliver some cheap thrills. – Gary Dretzka

Tabitha’s Salon Takeover: Complete Season 2
The Rachel Zoe Project: eason 4
The Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 5
Ancient Aliens: Season Three
For most of its first 20 years of existence, the Bravo network was known as a repository for shows highlighting the performing arts, drama, British television serials and independent film. For the past 10, it’s been a testing ground for reality-based shows no sane person could have imagined in the early days of cable television. The changeover began in 2003, with the unlikely success of the fashion-makeover series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” It would spawn such kindred shows as “Project Runway” and “Real Housewives.” For those too poor (or snooty) to afford a cable subscription, Bravo Media makes available full-season collections of all of its original programming. Generally speaking, these compilations pop up a week or two before the launch of a show’s new season, adding the reunion specials, confrontations between the shows’ stars and added footage.

In the case of “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover,” there’s been a bit of a lag between the newly begun Season 4 and release of the Season 2 collection. Aussie salon owner and former “Shear Genius” contestant Tabatha Coffey has been assigned the task of rescuing businesses that are on the brink of disaster and consoling employees at loose ends. In Season 2, the blond-tressed, black-clad fashion dominatrix visited 10 salons in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. In doing so, she takes over control of the facility and makes all the difficult decisions. If only she could do the same thing with Congress.

Also available in an exclusive deal with Target are “Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 6” and “The Rachel Zoe Project: Season 4.” When, in 2006, the SoCal housewives found a ready audience for their bad behavior and pathetic addiction to consumerism, it was inevitable that groups of similarly spoiled MILFs would be found in other major American cities, including New York, Washington, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Miami and Atlanta. (There also are spinoffs in Athens, Israel, Brazil and Vancouver.) In Season 5 Alexis Bellino replaces original housewife Jeana Keough. Tamra and Simon are feuding and Lynne and her family facing eviction. The widow Gretchen has begun dating Slade, the slimeball once engaged to Jo De La Rosa.

Rachel Zoe began her television life as a much-in-demand stylist to the stars. What, you think celebrities could dress and accessorize that hideously on their own? The series now is more about the otherwise talentless Zoe, her staff, family and ancillary businesses than her celebrity clients. In the fourth stanza, Zoe and Roger appear to have settled their differences and she’s six months pregnant. If a baby can’t slow Zoe down, as her husband has requested, what hope is there for her wannabes? Former aide Brad Goreski now has a series of his own, “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” which, of course, is on Bravo.

Meanwhile, over on the History Channel, Season 3 opened with a nod to the newly released sci-fi Western, “Cowboys & Aliens,” in that the show explores Native American myths and visits a cemetery, where, in 1897, an “ancient astronaut” is rumored to have been buried. It also examines how genetics, religions, cults and our Founding Fathers might have been influenced by alien contacts. It’s worth mentioning, here, that shipwreck finders recently found what they believe to be one or two UFO’s 300 feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea. With news like that, “Ancient Aliens” could run forever. – Gary Dretzka

Real Steel: Blu-ray
I was a little surprised at how much fun I had watching “Real Steel,” a very expensive movie about robotic boxers that basically combines the entire “Rocky” saga with the venerable children’s toy, “Rock’em, Sock’em, Robots.” The story’s large heart, though, can be attributed to fantasist Richard Matheson, who, in 1956, wrote the short story “Steel,” which would be adapted for “Twilight Zone” and nearly 50 years later as “Real Steel.” Not being aware of the screenplay’s provenance ahead of time, I actually found myself wondering if the entirety of Shawn Levy’s movie could have been compressed into a single half-hour episode of the landmark sci-fi series. Apparently, yes. Fact is, there are very few of the show’s gem-quality episodes that couldn’t have been expanded into feature films. By adding a hundred more minutes and a lot more dough to Matheson’s concept, Levy and writers John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven were able to take the “Rocky” conceit and embellish it with sub-plots involving father-son bonding, the evils of gambling and booze, and the redemptive power of love. Toss in the Spielbergian notion that kids are inherently smarter than adults and, voila, you have “Real Steel.”

When we meet sideshow hustler Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), two significant changes are about to occur in his life. First, he’ll lose a large bet on a fight pitting his robot against another boxer owned by his longtime nemesis. (It’s not the robots fault that Charlie took his eye off the prize at the wrong moment.) Second, he’ll learn that a woman and son he abandoned long ago have died and he’s being asked to sign away his rights of parenthood to her sister. Charlie has no emotional ties to the boy, so he happily agrees to accept a payment in return for his signature. With the money in hand, he’ll be able to buy another pugilist and get back on the circuit. What neither he nor Aunt Debra (Hope Davis) have taken into consideration, however, is that Max (Dakota Goyo) is a huge fan of robot boxing and, in fact, knows more about the sport than Kenton. An unlikely compromise is reached when Charlie agrees to let Max travel with him during the summer, while Debra and her husband are enjoying a romantic sojourn in Italy. Charlie is skeptical, but the kid almost immediately saves his dad’s ass by getting a Japanese-built replacement robot to understand English commands. Anyone familiar with “Rocky” probably could guess what transpires in the next 90 minutes, but why spoil the fun?

Everyone in the movie looks as if they belong there, except Jackman, whose Charlie Keaton is altogether too soft and unscarred to be a broken-down boxer and hard-drinking grease monkey. Kids who only know the Aussie actor through his “Wolverine” persona won’t mind the discrepancy, however. It allows Levy to give Charlie a beyond-gorgeous girlfriend (Evangeline Lilly) and a crowd-pleasing personality, when he suddenly manages to sober up. In any case, the real stars of the movie are the robots, none of whom is made to look as if it were manufactured inside by computer software. Their boxing talent was enhanced by Levy’s decision to hire Sugar Ray Leonard to supervise the actors involved in the motion-capture process. Thus, the fights in “Real Steel” pack a more realistic punch than those choreographed for the fighting games I’ve seen in arcades. Moreover, the gigantic robots are given personalities that shine through their metal face-plates. The Blu-ray featurettes include several instructive making-of mini-docs, including breakdowns of the highly complex robot-junkyard scene and Leonard’s contributions to the film. There’s a mockumentary in which actors remain in character to discuss Charlie, Max and the heroic robot, Atom; bloopers and deleted scenes; a DVD and digital copy; and Second Screen, which allows viewers to use their computers to interact with the movie. – Gary Dretzka

The Whistleblower: Blu-ray
The old adage about war and conquest, “To the victors go the spoils,” doesn’t necessarily apply to contemporary conflagrations. Today’s combatants don’t wait for a truce to be called before they begin to rape innocent women and children, and there’s rarely anything left of the countryside and coffers worth plundering. In many cases, it’s never really clear who, in fact, benefitted most from the wars or whether the ceasefires were merely a ruse. In “The Whistleblower,” a woman cop from Nebraska agrees to become a “peacekeeper” in just such a situation. At the time the movie was set, Bosnia was in shambles and combatants on all three sides of the fight continued to hate the others and sabotage efforts for a lasting peace. Indeed, peacekeeping forces still are based in the region to keep the sides separated. In return for a tidy sum of much-needed money, Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) agreed to go to Bosnia, where her training could be used to track down war criminals, rapists and common crooks, alike. The black market was thriving, as it does in all wars, and old scores were still be settled. Bolkovac had seen terrible things as a police officer, but nothing could have prepared her for what she found in Bosnia. Like most outsiders, the single mother had assumed that anything done in the name of the United Nations would be aboveboard and humanitarian. It wasn’t until she began using her investigative skills to track down those responsible for the beatings of a pair of young prostitutes that Bolkovac understood that her concept of justice had little to do with peacekeeping. Within days of her arriving in Sarajevo, she was made aware of a club in the mountains that was equal parts brothel, tavern and torture chamber. The girls had been kidnapped from their homes in cities previously policed by Soviet-trained police and troops. With the collapse of the Iron Curtain, traffickers in everything from cigarettes to human beings had filled the vacuum left by no-nonsense law-enforcement techniques. (If anyone were going to profit from criminal enterprise, it would be the Politburo and local apparatchiks.) Moreover, there was a ready market for contraband in the west.

Even though Bolkovac had collected the evidence needed to arrest the people responsible for the girls’ beatings and enslavement, she was greeted with both indifference and outright resistance in nearly every office she entered. She was told that such matters weren’t covered by the UN mandate and, in Bosnia, evidence and witnesses tended to disappear into thin air. As soon as a brothel was closed, it somehow managed to reopen within a few days. It wasn’t until Bolkovac discovered that employees of companies contracted by the UN – and tangentially the U.S. State Department – had been profiting from the trafficking that she knew what she was up against. It’s a simple enough scenario, really. Corruption is an equal-opportunity disease and it feeds on poverty and despair. Trafficking has become so common that prostitutes from eastern European are as easy to find as foreign-exchange students in places like New York and Las Vegas, the capitals of Europe, Israel and morally lax Arab sheikdoms. It also has become a staple of TV crime dramas. Our inability to stop it borders on the mysterious. In her debut feature, Larysa Kondracki does a nice job replicating war-torn Bosnia and setting the table for a first-rate thriller. A Canadian of Ukrainian background, she was well aware of the epidemic of human trafficking in Eastern Europe.  She also spent time with Bolkovac, now living in Amsterdam, whose memoirs shone a spotlight on the widespread corruption among UN employees and private contractors (none of whom have faced trial). It is a little bit difficult to buy Weisz as an unarmed peacekeeper, willing and able to stand up to the most heinous of criminals, but that’s only because of her physical stature, not her acting. As dark and pessimistic a movie as it is, “The Whistleblower” works both as a thriller and indictment of serious criminality. The Blu-ray edition features interviews with key cast members – Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, David Strathairn – and the people they represented in the film. – Gary Dretzka

Paranormal Activity 3: Blu-ray
First, a confession: when I watch scary movies at home, I leave the lights on. I do the same thing while screening most other DVDs, but in the case of horror movies, at least, a bright fluorescent light tends to dull some of the edge on the knives. Being, at heart, something of chicken, I probably would have avoided the “Paranormal Activity” films in the theater entirely. Even in the light of day, however, they still retain much of their ability to shock and disturb. “Paranormal Activity 3” opens in 2005, with Katie and Kristie Rey rediscovering a box of long-forgotten cassettes in a closet. Immediately, the movie flashes back to 1988, when the same women were wee lasses and have only just begun to realize they’re different than other kids. Among other things, they don’t seem to mind the presence of ghosts in their bedroom, toy bears that talk back to them or, just for kicks, frightening their parents half to death. As usual, we are made aware of what happens in their Carlsbad house through the eye of strategically placed camcorders. Here, one is even mounted on an oscillating fan, so it can repeatedly move from one room to another. All hell can be breaking out in the kitchen, for example, while the living room is even quieter than a mouse.

Fans of the series already know not to take their eyes off the grainy monitor or dismiss what’s visible along the edges of the frame. It’s especially true for “PA3,” because that’s where directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (“Catfish”) enjoy introducing their surprises. Not all of them are terribly subtle, either. As the alternately cute and creepy girls, Chloe Csengery and Jessica Tyler are always fun to watch. They make it easy to believe that something abnormal is going on their room and they’re willing to protect the spirit’s secrets. What keeps us guessing, though, is the degree of threat the ghost actually poses, if any. Maybe, it’s a friendly ghost, like Casper. The Blu-ray edition adds a short “Scare Montage,” a long and short version, a commercial for Dennis’ wedding-photography business, and digital, UV and DVD options. – Gary Dretzka

Hell and Back Again: Blu-ray
Essential Killing
There is moment in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Hell and Back Again” when almost everything that’s wrong and right about our presence in Afghanistan becomes crystal clear. It comes during the 2009 assault by U.S. Marines on Taliban strongholds in the country’s yet-to-be-pacified Helmand Province. Men and women with Company E, Second Battalion, of the Eighth Marines had been helicoptered into the region, with orders to clear the enemy from villages being used as shelters and for storing weapons and other supplies. In addition to eliminating the Taliban from the area, the marines were instructed to explain the mission to town elders and assure them of America’s desire to bring peace and democracy to the region. The officer in charge was stunned to hear that, to a man, they would prefer it if all outsiders simply left their towns and left them alone. (“If you really want to help us, why don’t you leave?,” appeared to be the consensus opinion.) They were pissed off that the Americans had instructed all of the residents to leave their homes, some of which would be ransacked in the search for weapons, and they couldn’t plant their crops. The elders weren’t belligerent and they demonstrated no sympathy with the Taliban, but they’d had enough of the war and didn’t care who knew it. Not trained in the arts of debate or negotiation, the marine could do little more than apologize for the trashed houses, explain why it happened and promise reimbursements for the damage. Apart from that, the marines had their duties to perform and weren’t anxious to stand around any longer waiting for the insurgents to zero in on their positions. Given their druthers, the Americans would have preferred to be home, too. Instead, they’re stuck fighting an enemy they can’t see, won’t surrender and aren’t able to obliterate with bombs because any accidental civilian casualties could produce another public-relations nightmare. Apparently, building a democracy in this tribal backwater wasn’t high on anyone else’s list of priorities.

Photographer and documentarian Danfung Dennis was embedded with Company E as it carved its way slowly through the countryside. Even though, like the marines, he constantly put himself in harm’s way during the mission, Dennis was able to capture remarkable images of the marines in combat and while preparing for it. Not only would “Hell and Back Again” demonstrate to viewers back home the courage and dedication of American forces in Afghanistan, but also some of the obstacles to peace and democracy. After returning home, he learned that his closest friend in the unit, Sgt. Nathan Harris, had been seriously wounded and would require at least a year’s worth of therapy to regain his ability to walk, again. Dennis cuts back and forth between scenes of the fighting in Afghanistan and Harris’ home life. The 26-year-old North Carolinian had been in his third tour of duty and desperately wants to return to action after he heals, which doesn’t seem likely. Harris is in great pain and the medication he takes often blurs his consciousness. If it weren’t for the devotion and loving care administered by his wife, he might have turned one of his ever-present handguns on himself. Watching local residents go about their daily business as if Americans weren’t fighting and dying halfway around the world greatly depressed him, as well. Politics aren’t discussed in either location and, unlike the conscripts in Vietnam, these professional warriors don’t appear to be alienated from brass in Afghanistan or at the Pentagon. “Hell and Back Again” is a remarkable documentary, impressively shot and deeply affecting. The Blu-ray adds commentary with Dennis and editor Fiona Otway; a demonstration of the technical equipment; a music video of Willie Nelson’s “Hell and Back”; featurettes in which family members are coached on what to expect when their relatives return from the front and what injured marines need to know about their rehabilitation; deleted scenes; and a PSA for the outreach group, Blue Star Families.

Although Vincent Gallo plays an escaped Taliban prisoner in Jerzy Skolimowski’s exciting survival drama, “Essential Killing,” no one appears to be making any obvious points about what’s happening in the war. Any Boy Scout already knows that survival in the wild often requires the adoption of skills better suited to animals. Neither is it a secret that, once cornered, a man or an animal will do take out the enemy. Still, no one in “Essential Killing” would be where they are if it weren’t for the war in Afghanistan. After killing three Americans in the rocky badlands of Israel-for-Afghanistan, Gallo’s Mohammed is nearly blown to smithereens by a missile shot from a helicopter. He survives the blast but has lost his hearing, which becomes a problem when he’s interrogated by a CIA type demanding answers to questions he can’t comprehend. Neither does waterboarding make communications with the mute prisoner any easier. While being transported from one secret detention center in Europe to another, the vehicle in which he’s seated swerves to avoid some wild pigs and tumbles down a rugged cliff. Before the truck bursts into flame, the handcuffed prisoner escapes into the woods, which are covered by a thick coat of snow. The rest of this brisk, 83-minute thriller follows Mohammed as he attempts to reach something approaching sanctuary. The mountains are rugged, the ground and rivers are frozen over and it isn’t long before helicopters and wolves are hot on his trail. His escape is further impeded by an inconveniently placed animal trap, into which he steps. (Blessedly he isn’t required to chew off his ankle to escape it.) There’s more, but the surprises are best left unspoiled.

For their efforts, Skolimowski and Gallo both won major awards at the Venice Film Festival. In an interview with the director included in the DVD, Skolimowski describes just how difficult it was to shoot “Essential Killing” in minus-30-degree temperatures and in the forbidding mountains of Norway and Poland. As far as I can tell, the movie was only shown in the U.S. at a Polish Film Festival. Fans of action and adventure shouldn’t miss it on DVD. – Gary Dretzka

The Moment of Truth: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray
Given most Americans’ revulsion toward the “sport” of bullfighting, it’s entirely likely that the Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray of “The Moment of Truth” will go largely unseen, as it was in 1965 when it made only a brief stop in New York. Even if one cared to market Francesco Rosi’s masterpiece as “The Greatest Movie About Bullfighting” ever made, which it probably is, they’d only be risking the consequences of pissing off the actresses who pose naked for PETA ads and Humane Society activists. Film buffs, however, could easily find other reasons to watch “The Moment of Truth,” even they’re opponents of blood sports and leather shoes. Rosi’s docu-drama uses bullfighting as an entry point in his search for the soul of a country, Spain, and the heart of a champion, Miguel Mateo (a.k.a., Miguelin). The splendidly photographed movie alternates between scenes constructed to advance the story of a young peasant’s rise from obscurity to superstardom and documentary footage of Spanish religious festivals and the rituals attendant to bullfighting. It does not avoid the violence and gore of the corrida, mostly inflicted on the bulls and horses ridden by picadors, but occasionally to humans, as well. Indeed, it practically rubs our noses in it, allowing us to make our own judgments about the pastime and people who watch and profit from it. As such, “Moment of Truth” could only have been attempted by someone not carrying baggage to the set each day. Strapped for time and money, the Neapolitan filmmaker Rosi — one of the lesser-known post-WWII neo-realists outside Europe — elected to shoot the events as they happened and absent such safety nets as stunt doubles and rehearsals. It helped mightily that cinematographer Pasqualino De Santi’s was able to locate a lens capable of delivering nearly crystal-clear images of the fans and fighting from long distances.

We’re introduced to Miguelin in Pamplona as he weaves his way through the crowd of knuckleheads attempting to outrun bulls and steers to the city’s Plaza de Toros. More interesting than the “running of the bulls,” however, is the pageantry associated with the carrying of the medieval statue of Saint Fermin through the narrow streets of the oldest part of Pamplona. The procession is accompanied by dancers, gigantes, cabezudos and other street performers. From there, Miguelin visits his parents in an impoverished farming community, telling them that he’ll be seeking his fortune in Barcelona. After drifting through various odd jobs, he discovers a school for aspiring bullfighters, not unlike the many martial-arts facilities found in otherwise empty storefronts and strip malls in the U.S. Naturally full of himself and itching for fame, Miguelin startles the great matador El Cordobes by jumping into the ring in street clothes and mocking the bull being fought. It makes him an instant star. From here, Rosi dramatizes the courting of Miguelin by agents, promoters, fans and jet setters. Typically, the late nights and adoration do very little to enhance the torero’s performance in the ring, which swiftly evolves from unconventional to foolhardy. If the movie ends in tragedy, at least it’s of the operatic variety. The Criterion Collection’s high-definition digital restoration makes “Moment of Truth” look as good as if it were new. The Blu-ray includes an informative interview with Rosi, conducted in 2004, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Peter Matthews. Again, the bullfighting scenes are pretty tough to take. Anyone who made it through Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull,” however, probably will make it through “Moment of Truth” without fainting. It’s worth the effort. – Gary Dretzka

Wings: Blu-ray
William Wellman’s terrifically entertaining and still exciting “Wings” often is mischaracterized as the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. In fact, it was honored as the Best Picture, Production, with “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” taking home the trophy for Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production. Consolidated a year later for the purposes of bestowing a less specific Best Picture award, the categories would make even greater sense today, when fragile arthouse films continually butt heads with mega-budget projects intended to sell lots of popcorn. (And, even then, a superior entertainment such as “Harry Potter” can’t crack the Top 10.) No matter, in 1927, both “Wings” and “Sunrise” deserved their Best Picture nods and continue to entertain DVD and Blu-ray viewers, lo these 80-plus years later. The story of “Wings” can easily be boiled down to that of two men who have gone to war and the girl they both leave behind. It’s a formula that’s served Hollywood for decades, to varying degrees of artistic quality. Here, though, Wellman based much of what happens on his experiences in World War I, when he flew combat missions for the French Foreign Legion and, later, trained pilots for the Army Air Corps. Among other things, it added to the verisimilitude of scenes in which planes fought like dogs in the skies, while, simultaneously, ground troops skirmished on the ground. Given the presence of Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers, Richard Arlen and Gary Cooper, the romance pretty much took care of itself. The nicely restored Blu-ray version adds the hi-def featurettes, “Wings: Grandeur in the Sky,” “Restoring the Power and Beauty of ‘Wings’” and “Dogfight,” all of which are worth the time to explore. – Gary Dretzka

Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Adventure
Elvis Found Alive
Roger Corman’s Cult Classic’s Lethal Ladies Collection, Vol. 2
Don’t you just hate it when you miss an entire fad or a decade-long trend goes by without you? That’s how I felt when I picked up “Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Adventure” and realized that I was completely ignorant of one of the great cultural sensations of the 1980s and ’90s. In effect, Matthew Bates’ highly enjoyable documentary allowed me to jump on a bandwagon that long ago passed me by. Just as the Maysles Brothers and D.A. Pennebaker revolutionized the way American documentaries were made in the 1960s with cinéma vérité, in 1987 “Shut Up Little Man” wrote the book on something called audio vérité. That was when a couple of guys from the Midwest moved into an apartment building in San Francisco and couldn’t help eavesdropping on the nightly rants of their boozehound neighbors, Peter and Raymond. Their tirades were so loud – and strangely entertaining — they kept Wisconsin ex-pats Mitch Deprey and Eddie Guerriero up all night. The first thing they did after having their neighbor’s door shut in their face was to rig up a microphone to record the arguments, during which Peter repeatedly demanded, “Shut up, little man,” of his roommate. The profanities were delivered with a cadence and forcefulness that recalled Charles Bukowski and several of R. Crumb’s nastier characters. After a while, Mitch and Eddie began inviting people over to listen to the arguments and sharing tapes with friends. They, in turn, passed the tapes along to friends who worked in radio, the theater and ’zines. It became such a phenomenon that, without the young men even knowing it, their tapes were being transcribed and turned into plays, comic books and cold readings. The new documentary begins by describing Peter and Raymond’s spiels and explaining Mitch and Eddie’s methodology. Bates goes on to chronicle the legal machinations involving copyright issues and royalties. It then describes his own attempts to find Peter and another occasionally heard friend and get them to sign releases, possibly paying them some money in return. Nearly 20 years later, Peter wasn’t aware that anyone had been listening to their fights, let alone the viral spread of the tapes. “Shut Up Little Man” goes on speculate on how much of an impact such examples of audio vérité would have on such upcoming social media as You Tube and Facebook. It’s fascinating stuff.

“Elvis Found Alive” is a profoundly strange and surprising well-made mockumentary about one man’s search for truth in the death of Elvis Presley. Even though the title of Joel Gilbert’s film suggests that the DVD might merely be compendium of sightings at convenience stores and gas stations, it treats the possibility of Elvis’ life after apparent death straight as an arrow. As such, it reminds me of Neil Burger’s “Interview With the Assassin” and Niels Mueller’s “The Assassination of Richard Nixon.” As the story goes, Gilbert was so moved by a pilgrimage to Graceland, he decided to use the FOIA to request the King’s FBI files. Although they arrived heavily redacted, the ink was barely dry and easily removed. What convinced Gilbert that something fishy might be going on was the frequent mention of Elvis’ alias, Jon Burrows. From there, it was rather easy to locate a Jon Burrows residence in Simi Valley, California, and, as luck would have it, the owner was in a mood to reminisce, if only in shadow. Apparently, Elvis’ undercover work for the DEA targeted key individuals – Bill Ayers and Joey Gallo, among them — in the Weather Underground and Italian mob. Even with the protection of the Memphis Mafia, Elvis was told there was a contract on his life and it was to be taken seriously. His death and funeral were elaborately stage and he’s been underground ever since. The other big revelation is that Elvis’ obsession with law enforcement and the American way derived from nearly a lifetime of reading Captain Marvel Jr. and modeling his public persona on the character.

“The Arena,” “Cover Girl Models” and “Fly Me” are three of Roger Corman’s sexiest and most outrageously entertaining releases. They also comprise the second volume of “Roger Corman’s Cult Classic’s Lethal Ladies Collection” from Shout! Factory. Released in 1974 and starring the great Pam Grier and and Margaret Markov (“Black Mama, White Mama”), “The Arena” (a.k.a., “Naked Warriors”) is a dead-ringer for the Showtime’s version of “Spartacus,” right down to the many large-breasted gladiators. It was directed by Steve Carver, who also shaped the skin-tastic Corman actioners “Big Bad Mama” and “Capone.” After a colossal food fight between slaves, the powers that be in Rome decide to give spectators something different: female gladiators. Naturally, once the ladies agree to join forces, an uprising is organized. The mix of sex and violence against women might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the context makes up for lots of sins.

In the extremely goofy and remarkably similar “Cover Girl Models” and “Fly Me,” sexy supermodels and flight attendants get caught up in dangerous games of spy-vs.-spy. This being the early 1970s, there’s plenty of kung fu action and horrifying fashions. Both were shot on location in Hong Kong, the Philippines and L.A., which explains the cheapo sets and subpar acting, even for a Corman flick. Look for the names of future big shots Joe Dante and Jonathan Demme in the credits roll. — Gary Dretzka

The Confession
Starring John Hurt and Keifer Sutherland, “The Confession” began its cinematic life on the Internet and Hulu as nine short weekly chapters in a 70-minute psychological thriller. Hurt plays a priest who is forced at gunpoint to hear the confession of a professional hitman. After admitting that he’s just killed a man and his last confession was, well, never, Sutherland’s assassin engages the priest in a debate about the existence of God and his relevance in a world filled with pain. He describes in detail other hits, during which he displayed a semblance of mercy toward some of the intended victims. As the hitman’s confession progresses, we sense something below the surface is struggling to get out. I won’t say what it is, but the foundation for the revelation is well laid. The webisode format isn’t a perfect fit for a feature film. Here the episode breaks are anything but seamless, for example. There’s no faulting the acting, though. Both Hurt and Sutherland approach the material as they might a two-man play off-Broadway. The bonus features add three more chapters, which take the story out of the confessional, and interviews about the webisode process. – Gary Dretzka

Undocumented
Ostensibly an exercise in torture porn and found-footage horror, “Undocumented” describes in vivid, often disgustingly graphic detail what could happen if the right-wing fundamentalists running for the presidency convinced voters that illegal immigrants and undocumented workers were subhuman and worthy of being hunted down like terrorists. Even a president’s tacit approval of allowing armed militias to patrol our borders — rounding up or killing anyone whose neck is darker than red — could promote Old West-style vigilantism and a return to lynching as a law-enforcement option.  In “Undocumented,” militia members have constructed their own temporary holding pens and inflict their own forms of punishment on border-crossers. If that doesn’t sound particularly horrific, I dare you to watch “Undocumented” and try keep your eyes from turning away from the screen even once. In it, a team of gringo documentary makers attempt to follow a group of poor Mexicans who have hired a “coyote” to help them cross the border. It would be a dangerous mission by any journalist’s standards, but the necessity to occasionally use lights to record their movements doubles the risk. Factor in a pack of blood-thirsty vigilantes and it becomes horror. I won’t spoil anyone’s, er, enjoyment of the movie by revealing any of the punishments exacted on the illegals caught within hours of entering the U.S., but, take my word for it, they border on the hyper-realistic. First-time director/co-writer Chris Peckover requires of the documentary makers that they film the tortures as they’re being applied and record the rants of the militia leaders. It’s their intention to ship the tapes to television stations across Mexico as an example of what awaits illegal immigrants in the Land of the Free. It’s a reasonable premise for a horror movie, no matter how difficult it is to watch. “Undocumented” also is competently produced, so I wouldn’t be surprised to find Peckover’s name on future credit rolls. – Gary Dretzka

Fake
As insidious a practice as it is, audiences have shown a willingness to buy into the notion that art forgery is a romantic pursuit and the saps who make the mistake of buying fakes are too wealthy to pity. If the direct-to-DVD “Fake” doesn’t break much new ground on the subject, it’s at least able to keep viewers guessing as to where, when and how master forger Daniel Jakor will be made to pay for his crimes. Insulted by the attention paid to a classmate whose work he considers to be inferior, Jakor (Gabriel Mann) decides to demonstrate how easy it is to emulate the same style. What begins as a stunt, however, becomes a profession when important gallery owners insist on paying him handsomely for the paintings he explains were given to him by the artist. His art-authenticator girlfriend, Kelly (Jill Flint), admonishes him and threatens to leave if he doesn’t quit. By now, though, he’s hooked. Jakor has learned to copy the work of far more famous painters and, anyway, the money’s good. After they split up, he disappears into the criminal underground, reinventing himself as he goes along. Eventually, he finds himself in the unenviable position of being indebted to an unethical gallery owner who thinks he can deceive a mobster with an appreciation for art. At the same time, Kelly has forged a relationship with a misplaced FBI agent (Fisher Stevens) who knows little about forgery but is desperate to sink his teeth into a gangster (Robert Loggia).

Jakor’s hubris complements the gangster’s greed and eventually they put themselves in a pickle even the FBI agent can spot. The only real question now involves Kelly and her willingness to rescue her old pal from a life of scribbling graffiti on the walls of his prison cell. I don’t think “Fake” would have a chance in hell of succeeding on the big screen. On DVD, though, it’s at least as entertaining as your above-average Lifetime movie. – Gary Dretzka

Beware the Gonzo
When revenge-of-the-nerds movies veer into teen-angst territory, the results aren’t always pretty. The less commercially ambitious they are, however, the better it seems the picture is. I don’t know if its backers anticipated “Beware the Gonzo” would strike a nerve with teenagers and return a profit. It’s far too derivative, I think, to impress anyone who can remember “Freaks and Geeks” or “Napoleon Dynamite.” Still, it’s never wise to underestimate the buying power of the Nerd Nation. Here, Eddie “Gonzo” Gilman (Ezra Miller) is less a nerd than a classic high school wiseass who isn’t shy when it comes to taking on the jock aristocracy. He constantly makes the mistake of thinking that muscle-heads Barbies can be intimidated by logic and the well-placed zinger. As such, he’s constantly getting beat up and threatened with expulsion for hurting the feelings of jock aristocracy. When the editor of the school paper – himself a star wrestler — nixes an article on steroid use, Eddie rallies the school’s outcasts for the purpose of producing an alternative publication. To this end, he’s surprised by the willingness of one of the school’s hotties (Zoe Kravitz) to set traps for the jocks and humiliate them in print and on the Internet. Right out of the box, the publication is a hit. The principle and editor of the official school paper decide to shut down the Gonzo Files after it prints an expose on the toxic lunches served in the cafeteria. One thing leads to another and the nerds are required to choose between standing up for their beliefs and or risk not getting into a “good” college. Freshman director Bryan Goluboff manages to avoid most of the clichés in constructing his story, although some can’t be avoided. I don’t think anyone older than 18 will find much in “Beware the Gonzo” to enjoy, but teens who’ve considered joining their school’s AV club might to check it out. Other cast members include Amy Sedaris, Campbell Scott and Judah Friedlander. – Gary Dretzka

Another Happy Day
Anyone who doesn’t consider “Rachel Getting Married” and “Margot at the Wedding” to have been sufficiently unforgiving on the subject of reunions staged around weddings ought to check out “Another Happy Day.” It’s populated with even fewer appealing characters than we’ve met in previous dramas about wildly dysfunctional families about to be united in Holy Matrimony. In the hands of fledgling writer/director Jack Levinson — son of filmmaker Barry Levinson — “Another Happy Day” makes the sacrament of marriage seem as blessed as a Planned Parenthood rally at the Vatican. What is heaven-sent here, however, is a terrific ensemble cast that includes Ellen Barkin, Kate Bosworth, Ezra Miller, Demi Moore, Ellen Burstyn, Siobhan Fallon, Diana Scarwid, George Kennedy and Thomas Hayden Church. If the actors had less steady hands, Levinson’s script probably would still be sitting on a shelf somewhere in Hollywood, no matter who his daddy is. It’s that dark. Barkin is at the center of the story as the mother of the groom. She didn’t see much of the young man as he was growing up, because he somewhat inexplicably was raised by his dimwitted father and sexpot stepmother (Church, Moore). Barkin’s Lynn was given custody of their daughter (Bosworth), a “cutter” and occasional patient at a local treatment center. Lynn has two sons by her current husband, an agreeable, if emotionally detached fellow who doesn’t seem to notice the storm clouds gathering above him. One of those sons is about to turn the wedding ceremony upside-down with his alcoholism and substance-abuse problems. The youngest boy spends every waking hour, it seems, filming the relatives in compromising positions. Grandma’s a bitter old WASP, grandpa is a heart attack waiting to happen and Lynn’s sisters are cackling hens. It’s remarkable that these characters are able to exist on the same planet. If that makes “Another Happy Day” sound like a comedy, know that the laughs come from a very dark corner of Levinson’s mind. Again, though, the actors here turns something that could have been painful to watch into a movie that argues: no matter how unpleasant you think your wedding was, it probably can’t compare to the ones that are staged by creators of independent films. – Gary Dretzka

Today’s Special
Any movie about food and foodies that doesn’t inspire you to pick up a Zagat Guide probably isn’t worth skipping a meal to see. “Today’s Special” barely made a dent at the box office when it went into limited release in 2010, but, in fact, it’s pretty mouth-watering. As such, David Kaplan’s low-budget family comedy fits nicely alongside such modest foodie pleasures as “Big Night,” “Dinner Rush,” “Soul Kitchen,” “Tortilla Soup,” “The Ramen Girl,” “Woman On Top” and “Soul Food.” As written by Aasif Mandvi and Jonathan Bines, “Today’s Special” describes how a young Queens sous chef (Aasif Mandvi) learns to love the cuisine of his ancestors and save his father’s rundown restaurant from total collapse. Duty calls at a most inopportune time for Samir, who’s just quit his job at a swank Manhattan restaurant to enroll in a culinary academy in Paris. It puts that grandiose dream on the back burner. His father suffers a stroke that allows him to be lazy for a few months, while Samir tidies up the restaurant. He has no faith in his son’s ability to master the tastes of India and, while recovering, quietly seeks buyers for the joint. Meanwhile, the American-born Samir has found inspiration in an Indian Renaissance man (Naseeruddin Shah) disguised as a cab driver. Akbar introduces Samir to a world of unfamiliar scents, tastes and cooking techniques. Together, they suffer all the usual indignities and trials associated with resurrecting a nearly dead ethnic restaurant. Samir is lifted by the reappearance of an old girlfriend (Jess Weixler), a single mom impressed by his personality transplant. If there’s nothing particularly surprising about how “Today’s Special” plays out, the actors’ upbeat approach to the material and writers’ refusal to belabor the necessary stereotyping is refreshing. The movie, which was adapted from Mandvi’s one-man off-Broadway play, “Sakina’s Restaurant,” put me in a mood for tandoori chicken and the best bread in the world. – Gary Dretzka

Ice: The Movie
Most of the feature-length anime I’ve watched in past year has defied easy description. Before the writers and animators begin throwing the proverbial kitchen sink into the works, something resembling a coherent storyline can be discerned. By the time the end credits roll, it’s clear that no throughline, supporting character or cool visual was left on the cutting-room floor. In “Ice,” Makoto Kobayashi and Yasushi Hirano (“6 Angels”) have conjured a vision of the near future in which an environmental disaster has decimated the world’s population, sparing 20,000 women and no men. If that weren’t a sad enough scenario, the women are themselves divided into warring factions, representing hedonists who couldn’t care less about the promulgation of humanity and the Guardians who do. Apparently, the world’s supply of frozen sperm has been exhausted or contaminated, as well, because the warring parties both are interested in a substance called Ice, which could substitute for man juice. It gets more complicated, of course, but that’s the nuts and bolts of it. Any anime that manages to find distribution outside Japan probably is better than hundreds of others that haven’t, so “Ice” should please fans of the genre here. By the way, the year in which the disaster is supposed to occur is 2012. – Gary Dretzka

David & Kamal
David is a 9-year-old American, in Jerusalem visiting the Israeli father he hasn’t seen in five years. Also 9, Kamal is required by his tyrannical Palestinian grandfather to help support his family by selling postcards to tourists in Old City of Jerusalem. Anywhere else but the Middle East the boys probably could have put their economic and religious differences aside and found enough common ground to develop a budding friendship. In Israel, though, it’s damn-near impossible. Their meeting hardly could be described as cute, at least by Hollywood standards. Kamal spots David as he’s standing outside a dealer in rare coins in the Old City with his dad’s girlfriend. As naïve as most other Americans his age, David makes the mistake of flashing a wad of money. Desperately poor, the street-smart Kamal snatches the pouch carrying David’s precious antique coins, instigating a chase through the narrow streets and alleys of the Old City. Along the way, a gang of Palestinian thugs spots Kamal, who owes them money, and gives chase to both of the boys. Inspired, perhaps, by the story of the Good Thief, Kamal invites David to share his hiding place, which he does. When David demands that Kamal return the pouch, they engage in negotiations that resemble all transactions between merchants and tourists in such places.

When the smoke clears, the boys agree to meet the next day and finalize their deal. His father, who’s been too busy at work to spend more than five minutes with his son, forbids David from leaving the house, but he cons the girlfriend into leaving the apartment long enough for him to escape. What transpires next need not be revealed. Suffice it to say, it involves the thugs; Israeli police, soldiers and political figures; a Bedouin black-marketeer; and a few bruised tourists. The bittersweet ending reflects the complexity of life in both sectors of Jerusalem. Written and directed by Kikuo Kawasaki, the 78-minute “David & Kamal” is set in parts of the holy city rarely seen in movies with much larger budgets. Adult viewers will find holes in the story through which you could drive a Humvee, but kids probably will be able to identify with the boys, if only because they’re bullied, estranged from a parent and aren’t afraid to act on their dreams. – Gary Dretzka

Beginning of the Great Revival
Considering all the hoopla surrounding the 90^th anniversary of the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and China’s first wobbly steps toward a representative form of government, it’s fair to wonder how the country will celebrate the centennial. It would require a lot of time, money and effort to top the pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics, but the Chinese seem to enjoy such challenges, even as millions of peasants continue to live at a subsistence level. “Beginning of the Great Revival” follows hot on the heels of Jackie Chan’s “1911” and Benny Chan’s “Shaolin.” Blessedly, very little overlapping of storylines is visible. Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin’s “Beginning of the Great Revival” is similarly epic in scope and loaded with China and Hong Kong’s most popular actors. Here, though, the focus is on the creation of the Communist Party and resistance to those attempting to restore power to the monarchy and various warlords, and lease valuable parts of the country to Japanese imperialists. How much a viewer enjoys the movie will depend entirely on how much they know about Chinese history and respects what the Communist Party has been able to accomplish in the ensuing 90 years. Certainly, I wouldn’t rely on “Beginning of the Great Revival” as a primary source for a master’s thesis.  It can’t be much more misleading than movies we’ve seen about our own Revolutionary War or the ability of the Democrats and Republicans to work together in the common interest of all Americans. The cast includes John Woo, Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Fan Bingbing, Nick Cheung, Daniel Yu, Ye Liu (as Mao Zedong), Wen Zhang (Deng Xiaoping), Ma Shaohua (Sun Yat-Sen) and more than 140 veteran actors. I assume it was a huge hit in the People’s Republic. – Gary Dretzka

Revenge of the Electric Car
Queen Of The Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?
In “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and “Revenge of the Electric Car,” Chris Paine has built the foundation for a series of industrial-horror flicks not unlike the “Halloween,” “Friday the 13^th” and “Saw” franchises. In the former, an entire species of automobiles is wiped out in a conspiracy involving money-crazed capitalists. The title of last year’s sequel suggests that a zombie strain has returned from the dead to demonstrate how difficult it is to kill a good idea. “Who Killed the Electric Car?” revealed that 5,000 electric cars were destroyed by the major car companies because, either, they didn’t work right or profit margins couldn’t sustain the business.  Much of the blame was placed at the doorstep of General Motors, a company not known for its humanitarian and environment qualities. It’s curious, then, that “Revenge of the Electric Car” opens with a positive view of GM’s efforts to correct that image with the new Volt. It also reports on the efforts of Nissan, Tessla and others to revive the program by convincing consumers that electric cars are a sound investment. The manufacturers gave Paine unprecedented access to their plants and development officials, demonstrating how cooperative embattled companies can be when they have a good product to sell. This time around Tim Robbins has replaced Martin Sheen as narrator. Lest anyone think that the “Electric Car” franchise might end with “Revenge,” it’s possible that a third film could made about the Volt’s battery packs, which apparently have shown a tendency to self-immolate, causing damage to property. Even though the Volt was given a thumb’s-up by a federal safety agency, longtime opponents of the GM bailout in Congress plan to put the feet of company executives over the fire in planned hearings.

“Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us” joins at least two other fine documentaries – “Colony,” “Vanishing of the Bees” – alerting viewers to the looming environmental calamity referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder. Each is worthy of our attention and interesting to watch, if only because everyone loves honey and beekeepers tend to be eccentric. CCD has only been identified as a potential worldwide hazard within the last 10 years. It began when transporters of hives began having difficulties filling orders by farmers who need the pollen-spreaders to survive.  Today, they’ve been forced to import bees from other countries, a strategy that raises questions of its own. No one knows with any certainty what is causing the bee population to decline so dramatically, although it’s reasonable to think that the widespread use of powerful new pesticides is a factor. By extension, it’s safe to assume that lobbyists for the chemical industry are able to lavish more money on lawmakers than beekeepers, thus clogging the flow of money necessary to fund research. All three documentaries make emphatic cases for the protection of bee colonies, as they are an essential link in the food chain. “Queen of the Sun” differs from the others in that it puts the crisis in a more international context, introducing us to people from Europe and America, to New Zealand. There’s also a discussion of the history of beekeeping and possible organic options. The farmers in all three movies raise parallels between the canaries once used to alert miners about the diminishing supplies of oxygen and the bees now warning us of an impending ecological disaster.  – Gary Dretzka

WWII in 3D: Blu-Ray
Meet the Browns: Season 4
Just when you think you’ve seen everything worth watching about World War II, along comes another cache of archival material recovered from attics, safes and libraries in places no one has previously bothered to search. In the last couple of years, for instance, home-based historians have discovered remarkable, unfiltered combat footage, shot in color. The previously censored material was made to look even more dramatic when upgraded to high-definition. When I saw the title, “WWII in 3D,” I couldn’t help but think of a Michael Bay movie with Zeroes, B-25 bombers, torpedoes and V-1 rockets landing in the laps of PBS viewers. In fact, though, “WWII in 3D” is a truly fascinating examination of the use of stereoscopic photography by Adolph Hitler’s propaganda machine. The long-believed-lost photographs – most were destroyed in the bombing of Dresden – provide a crystal-clear depth of field in which background material is as recognizable as that in the forefront. Among the photos that impressed Hitler was one taken at political rally, when he truly was just another face in the crowd. The documentary also demonstrates how the Allies employed 3D photography in airborne reconnaissance missions, as it allowed intelligence officers to make accurate readings on the size of buildings and objects, as well as the topography of landscapes.

Season 4 of Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” begins with the Colonel suffering a heart attack, a pair of aborted weddings, and several visits to the hospital. It ends with two possible scandals, one involving a possible athletic recruiting and the other a purloined essay. In between, guest stars included Kellita Smith, Christina Milian, Khalil Kain, Judge Greg Mathis, Finesse Mitchell, Beverly Johnson, Bill Bellamy, Reginald VelJohnson, Pat & Gina Neely and Kim Fields. Otherwise, the TBS series seniors living in Brown Meadows remained fully capable of raising a ruckus all by themselves. – Gary Dretzka

Al Di Meola: Morocco Fantasia
It would be difficult to name a musical style or genre that hasn’t been embraced by guitarist Al Di Meola or a marquee talent with whom he hasn’t jammed. Di Meola began his professional career in 1974 with Chick Corea’s fusion band, Return to Forever. A true student of the guitar, his technical skills are unsurpassed, as is his willingness to experiment and broaden his creative base. “Morocco Fantasia” recalls De Meola’s 2009 appearance at the Mawazine Festival, in Rabat, where shared the stage with a diverse ensemble of international musicians and Moroccans  Said Chraibi (oud), Abdellah Meri (violin) and Tari Ben Ali (percussion). The music demonstrates how meaningless borders are when it comes to music. – Gary Dretzka