DVD Playhouse--November 2012

By Allen Gardner

PIER PAOLO PASOLINI’S TRILOGY OF LIFE (Criterion) Pier Paolo Pasolini was Italy’s last Neo-Realist, a product of post-WW II Europe who was fervently Catholic, openly gay, defiantly Marxist, and one of the most original voices of the 20th century’s second half. Before his brutal murder in 1975 (after the premiere of his still-controversial swan song, “Salo”), Pasolini directed a trilogy of films based on masterpieces of medieval literature: Boccaccio’s “The Decameron,” Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” and “The Thousand and One Nights (also known as “The Arabian Nights”). The three films celebrate the uninhibited, earthy, raw carnal nature of the original texts, leaving little to the imagination, but also offering Pasolini’s own very unique and pointed views on modern society, consumerism, religious and sexual mores (and hypocrisies), and an unexpurgated celebration of the human body, both male and female. Extraordinary production design by Dante Ferretti and another evocative, memorable score by maestro Ennio Morricone. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Visual essays by film scholars Patrick Rumble and Tony Rayns; Interviews with Ferretti, Morricone, film scholar Sam Rohdie; Intro to “Arabian Nights” by Pasolini; Documentaries on the films’ productions and on Pasolini himself; Deleted scenes; Trailers. All are widescreen, Dolby 1.0 mono.
AMERICANO (MPI) A Frenchman (writer/director Mathieu Demy, son of filmmakers Jacques Demy and Agnes Varda) journeys to Los Angeles to settle his late mother’s estate and track down the mysterious woman (Salma Hayek) named in her will. Demy, who is the spitting image of his late father, has fashioned both an homage to his parents’ work as well as a freshman outing that’s unique unto itself, and only partly successful on that end. While its nobility and good intentions are obvious, the film lacks a sure hand and its obviousness becomes its own worst enemy, undercutting any sense of subtlety or subtext, both things his parents were masters of. Hayek is okay as a world-weary Mexican stripper, but better work is delivered by Geraldine Chaplin and Chiara Mastroianni (another Euro-celeb offspring: of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni). A mixed bag, but worth a look. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interview with Demy; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
THE WATCH (20th Century Fox) In suburban Ohio, four neighborhood friends (Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade) decide to form a watch group after the mysterious death of a security guard at the local Costco. When the four quickly discover it’s not a crime wave that’s hit their quiet hamlet, but a full-scale alien invasion, they must try to single-handedly save their ‘hood—and the world. Promising set-up is given middling treatment, thanks to a script (co-written by Seth Rogen) that focuses more on potty humor than clever set-ups and executions. Lots of gross-out gags abound, as well, a few of them funny, but they become redundant very quickly. A real shame, what with all the talent both in front of and behind the camera. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Gag reel; Alternate takes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Lionsgate) The long-in-the-tooth action heroes (Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Liam Hemsworth) are back, this time hell-bent on revenge when one of their own is killed by a psychotic terrorist. Simon West takes the directorial reins from Stallone this time out, doing a solid job, and raising the bar just slightly higher than the original—which isn’t saying much. Fans of lobotomized action flicks will likely enjoy this cinematic mayhem, others, stay clear. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by West; Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Gag reel. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
WEEKEND (Criterion) Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 satire on, well, just about everything is at once startling, brilliant and prescient as well as dull, annoying and downright pretentious. It’s undoubtedly the most polarizing film ever made by, arguably, the world’s most polarizing filmmaker. “Weekend” follows a bourgeois couple who attempt a weekend holiday in their new car. After getting stuck in the screen’s most epic traffic jam (featuring one cinema’s most astonishing tracking shots), the couple undergo an odyssey that makes anything written by Homer (or the Marquis de Sade, for that matter) look anemic in comparison. Hugely influential, from its camerawork, to its self-reflexive asides, to its use of intertitles to break up action, “Weekend” is a film that should be seen by all who view themselves as serious connoisseurs of cinema, although after watching it, be warned: you might start questioning your own cinefile status and reach for the nearest superhero Blu-ray just to feel sane again. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Video essay by writer and filmmaker Kent Jones; Archival interviews with actors Mireille Darc and Jean Yanne, cinematographer Raoul Coutard and A.D. Claude Miller; Featurettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
RUDYARD KIPLING’S MARK OF THE BEAST (Blood Bath Pictures) Ellen Muth and Debbie Rochon star in this modern adaptation of the classic Kipling horror story. Two women lose their way after fighting off a faceless creature in the woods. Ultra-low budget feature suffers from its humble origins at times, with some amateurish acting and staging, but the creature effects are quite remarkable and the two leads do solid work. What’s more impressive is how Kipling’s 19th century tale, with subtext involving political and religious themes, is still relevant today. Bonuses: Featurettes; Documentary on film’s production; Commentary by directors Jon Gorman and Thomas Edward Seymour. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
RASHOMON (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 classic is often credited as being the film responsible for creating the “Best Foreign Film” Oscar category, having received a special Oscar for just that in 1952. Toshiro Mifune stars in this objective account of four different people’s versions of a man’s murder and rape of his wife, all seen in flashback. Legendary film revolutionized the language of cinema and put Japanese films on the international map. One of the all-time greats. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Audio commentary by Japanese film historian Donald Richie; Interview with Robert Altman; Featurettes; Documentary; Archival radio interview with actor Takashi Shimura; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
MAGIC MIKE (Warner Bros.) Channing Tatum plays a veteran male stripper who shows a directionless twenty-something (Alex Pettyfer) the ropes and the moves at Dallas’ hottest ladies’ club. That’s about the extent of this modern take on “42nd Street,” and the like that populated screens in the 1930s and early 1940s. The fact that it was helmed by Steven Soderbergh, arguably one of the most important directors working today, is the biggest conundrum the film presents. Soderbergh didn’t have to make this film any more than Martin Scorsese had to make “Shutter Island,” both essentially being B-grade exploitation films, with Scorsese’s dressed up in Armani clothing. “Magic Mike,” however, offers little, if any cinematic flair or invention, and presents its rather straightforward story…straightforwardly. Not a bad film, per se, but at the end this viewer found himself scratching his head and muttering “Yeah…and?” Lots of gorgeous manflesh on display for the ladies (and men) looking for that kind of thing. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes; Extended dance scenes; Dance playback mode. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
VAMPS (Anchor Bay) Goody (Alicia Silverstone) and Stacy (Krysten Ritter) are BFFs and wells as BVFs (Best Vampire Friends), both having been undead for hundreds of years. As they try to navigate being vampires in the modern world, both find that being blood-suckers and finding compatible romantic partners is rather challenging. Director Amy Heckerling (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Clueless”) brings undeniable energy to this comic-horror pastiche, but while it’s loaded with cleverness and appealing performances, it never quite finds its legs. Terrific cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Wallace Shawn, Richard Lewis, Kristen Johnson and many more familiar faces. It is good to see Heckerling back on her game again. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
PAINTED SKIN: THE RESURRECTION (Well Go USA) A battle wits and wills between a demon who’s taken on human form and a scarred princess pursuing her one true love propels this martial arts adventure from Hong Kong. Eye-popping visuals, bone-crunching stunts and an attractive cast keeps this moving at a breakneck pace, which also helps cover up some major convolution in the plot, providing you look too closely. On the whole, a riveting period martial arts adventure. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurette; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
THE CAMPAIGN (Warner Bros.) Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis play an incumbent redneck congressman from North Carolina and his long-shot challenger in this broad, often funny, often strained comic effort. Director Jay Roach, a comedy veteran whose credits include the “Austin Powers” films among others, does his best to navigate Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell’s elbow-in-the-ribs script, using the two leads’ very appealing and contrasting personas to keep the proceedings moving at a nice clip. It’s all downhill from Ferrell’s sure to be classic opening mantra, however: “It’s all about America, Jesus and freedom!” My gut still hurts from that one…Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Gag reel; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
CHERNOBYL DIARIES (Warner Bros.) Twenty-five years after the disaster at Russia’s Chernobyl nuclear facility, six young vacationers, seeking “extreme tourism,” visit the ruins of the city that surrounded the plant, thought to be abandoned. When they are forced to stay the night (what else?), they soon find out they are anything but alone. Co-producer/co-writer Oren Peli, creator of the “Paranormal Activity” frachsise, takes what could have been a clever set-up ripe for not only good scares, but also humor, satire and pointed social commentary, and plays it by-the-numbers from the first frame. Hardly extreme tourism, more like taking a vacation with one of those old stereoscopic Viewmasters, seeing the sights without actually being there. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Alternate ending; Featurettes; Bonus scene. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
ROSEMARY’S BABY (Criterion) Roman Polanski’s 1968 film based on Ira Levin’s best-selling novel has lovely Midwesterner Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and her ambitious actor husband Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes, at his intense, twitchy best) moving into a grand old apartment house on Central Park West (actually the Dakota, where John Lennon was infamously gunned down a decade later). After the tragic death of a neighbor, Rosemary and Guy find themselves “adopted” by the building’s oldest denizens, Minnie and Roman Castevet (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer). When Rosemary discovers she’s pregnant, the Castavets take a pointed interest in seeing her pregnancy through with her: giving her special vitamin drinks, suggesting an OBGYN, cooking her meals. Then the nightmares begin, and the stomach pains, and the discovery of a disturbing book…Quite simply the greatest blend of satire and full-throttle horror ever committed to film. Everyone in “Rosemary’s Baby” is at their finest hour (save Polanski, who exceeded himself six years later with “Chinatown”), and it still holds up and feels fresh, forty-four years later. Not to be missed and a must-have for any cinefile’s library. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Levin; Documentary on composer Krzysztof Komeda. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
DARK HORSE (Virgil Films) Abe (Jordan Gelber) is overweight, in his mid-30s, and still lives at home with his parents (Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow) and his collection of action figures. When he has an awkward meeting with Miranda (Selma Blair), whose mishaps have also landed her back at her parents’ house, a tentative romance slowly builds. Writer/director Todd Solondz once again populates his nightmarish suburban landscape with a parade of utter losers who we wouldn’t want to stand in line with at the grocery store, much less spend two hours with in a cinema (or on television). What Solondz does that works, once again, is make these utterly pathetic people somehow empathetic by arguing that they deserve compassion as much as anyone else. Not easy, to be sure, but rewarding if you’re willing to stick it out. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
YOUR SISTER’S SISTER (IFC Films) After the death of his brother shatters Jack (Mark Duplass), he accepts the invitation of his brother’s girlfriend Iris (Emily Blunt) to spend the weekend at her family’s cabin. When Iris’ sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), raw from a recent breakup with her girlfriend, also arrives at the family homestead for a weekend of respite, she and Jack find themselves engaging in a drunken night of confessions and shared experiences. Writer/director Lynn Shelton brings humor, pathos and realism to the proceedings, reminiscent of films like “Five Easy Pieces” and “The King of Marvin Gardens.” Great stuff. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Trailer; Commentary by cast and crew; Commentary by Shelton and Duplass. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
JAVIER BARDEM: 3-FILM COLLECTION (Lionsgate) Spain’s biggest male star has made a splash on this side of the Pond, as well. This set contains three of his best: BIUTIFUL features Javier as Uxbal, a single father of two children, who finds his life in chaos after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is forced to escape the heat of crime in underground Barcelona, to break away from the manic depressive, abusive mother of his children and to regain spiritual insight in his life. Tough stuff and a shattering emotional experience. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN offers Bardem in his Oscar-winning role as a ruthless assassin who must track down a cache of drug money stolen by an itinerant cowboy (Josh Brolin). Joel and Ethan Coen’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel captured the Best Picture Oscar. MONDAYS IN THE SUN is set in an industrial city in Spain, where five unemployed middle-aged friends daily meet in a bar, whose owner was also a former employee of the local shipyard, for drinking and small talk. Santa (Bardem) is their rebel leader, who dreams of moving to Australia, where he imagines he’ll have a better life. All are widescreen, Dolby 5.1 surround.
RITES OF SPRING (IFC Films) This movie is about Rachel and her friend who are taken by someone while in a car park while changing a tire. They wake up in a strange barn tied up and frightened. They know that things are going to get worse. The reason why they are abducted becomes clear as there is a horrible secret in the town where girls have gone missing each Spring for many years, and this year is no different. Meanwhile a group of kidnappers are plotting to take the child of a prominent business man and his wife. They take the child and go to a farm where they wait to get their ransom. The two groups collide when Rachel escapes but is chased by a stranger wearing a mask of some sort. She runs to the farm where the kidnappers are and all hell breaks loose. Bonuses: Commentary by cast and crew; Storyboard, poster, art work galleries; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BURNING MAN (IFC Films) Matthew Goode (“Match Point,” “Brideshead Revisited,” “The Lookout”) stars as a hotshot restaurateur in Sydney who is dancing as fast as he can to keep his life from falling apart after a tragedy forces him into a tailspin. Goode is terrific as an unhinged former superstar and the film is loaded with visual pyrotechnics, proving helmer Jonathan Teplizky has an unerring eye. That said, there is more pizzazz than substance on hand and by the film’s end, you feel somewhat cheated, as though you’d gone to a haute cuisine restaurant for a meal, and only been served a gorgeously presented appetizer. Still worth a look. Bonuses: Commentary by cast and crew; Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.

DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL!

ALCATRAZ: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Warner Bros.) Intriguing blend of sci-fi and police procedural as San Francisco cops must team with FBI agents to track down the notorious “63s,” a group of prisoners and guards who mysteriously vanished from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, only to resurface on the streets of modern-day San Fran. Veteran actors Sam Neill, Leon Rippy and Jonny Coyne team with young pups Sarah Jones, Parminder Nagra and Jason Butler Harner to create an entertaining chase. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes; Unaired scenes; Gag reel. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround.
Lifetime releases two movie collections. The first, MOMS TO THE RESCUE COLLECTION, features “Honeymoon with Mom,” about a young woman (Virginia Williams) jilted at the altar, who takes refuge on a tropical paradise with her mom (Shelley Long), not knowing she has an agenda all her own. “Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story” stars Taraj P. Henson in the true story of a woman’s fight to get custody of her kidnapped son back from Korea. “Mom, Dad and Her” tells the story of Sydney (Brittney Wilson) who is sent to live with her father and stepmother after a rebellious period, only to find that her stepmother and their new baby reunite both families. Finally, “Mom at Sixteen” tells the story of Jacey, a 16 year-old honor student (Danielle Panabaker) who, when she discovers she’s pregnant, finds her mother (Mercedes Ruehl) moves them to a new town, where she raises the baby as her own, until an attentive teacher (Jane Krakowski) helps Jacey come to terms with the lie she’s living. THE GOLD COLLECTION features “Homeless to Harvard,” starring Thora Birch as a homeless teen who doesn’t let her adverse conditions prevent her from attending Harvard. “Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy” tells the story of Geralyn (Sarah Chalke) who tackles her breast cancer diagnosis with aplomb. “Ambulance Girl,” directed by and starring Kathy Bates, tells the empowering, and often hilarious story, of a woman who overcomes depression by becoming an EMT. “We Were the Mulvaneys” is a thrice Emmy-nominated movie starring Beau Bridges and Blythe Danner as the scions of a “perfect” family who try to hide the shameful secret of their daughter’s rape. All are widescreen, Dolby 2.0 stereo.
TOUCH: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (20th Century Fox) Kiefer Sutherland stars as Martin Bohm, a single father struggling to raise his emotionally-challenged son, Jake. He soon discovers that Jake has an amazing gift: the ability to see hidden patterns of numbers that connect everyone on the planet. With the help of a brilliant professor (Danny Glover), Martin learns to communicate with Jake and help people around the world. 3-disc set. Bonuses: Featurettes; Extended pilot episode; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
Vivendi releases two Hallmark productions: THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT stars Melissa Gilbert as a big-shot Broadway director whose temperamental ways get her fired from another job. When the only gig she can find is directing a small town Christmas pageant, she must swallow her pride to prove herself. Robert Mailhouse and Edward Herrmann co-star. ANNIE CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN stars Maria Thayer as Santa’s daughter, who has moved from the North Pole to sunny California, where she spreads Christmas cheer throughout L.A., all the while looking for a replacement for her dad to run things up north. Cute, sure to please the little ones. Both are widescreen, Dolby 5.1 surround.
WOLF LAKE: THE COMPLETE SERIES (eOne) Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Detective John Kanin, a Seattle cop who finds his world turned upside down when his girlfriend Kathy (Mia Kirshner) mysteriously vanishes one night. After months of searching, an anonymous tip leads John back to Ruby’s hometown Wolf Lake, a place where the residents hide a dark secret…Bonuses: Unaired pilot; Commentary by creator/exec producer John Leekley and director Rupert Wainwright; Documentary. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
A&E/New Video release a host of reality titles, starting with: DUCK DYNASTY: SEASON ONE, which follows Louisiana’s Robertson family, proprietors of Duck Commander, a sporting goods empire specializing in top-drawer duck calls and decoys. ANCIENT ALIENS: SEASON FOUR looks at the hypothesis that natural disasters could really be the work of extraterrestrial forces. Also takes a look at the Mayan Long Count Calendar, which many believe gives credence to the Doomsday Prophecies that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Also available on Blu-ray disc. TOP SHOT: SEASON FOUR returns with Colby Donaldson as host, with competitors vying for a $100K prize package. Sharpshooters include a 21 year-old world champion pistol shooter and a high school custodian who makes his own ammunition. SHIPPING WARS: SEASON ONE follows six independent shippers who have discovered fortunes can be made transporting items that traditional carriers won’t touch, from oversized loads to the truly bizarre, some of which must be seen to be believed. AMERICAN RESTORATION: SEASON TWO, features Rick Dale and his crew of loose screws at Rick’s Restorations in Las Vegas, NV. Whether it’s a giant gas pump from the ‘40s, a Hopalong Cassidy bicycle from the ‘50s, every restoration is a high-stakes business project. All are widescreen, Dolby 2.0 stereo.

DOCUMENTARY DAYS

THE DUST BOWL (PBS) Another landmark, epic doc from Ken Burns, this time focusing on the worst man-made ecological disaster in U.S. history when a frenzied wheat boom on the southern Plains, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s, nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation. Undoubtedly the darkest chapter of the Great Depression, Burns does his usual exemplary job of combining archival footage, photos, dramatic re-enactments and voice-over narration from some of America’s best actors (Peter Coyote, Patricia Clarkson) to create a searing document of struggle, survival and redemption. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Additional interviews. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
History Channel/New Video release DISASTERS RECONSTRUCTED, which painstakingly recounts some of the worst accidents, mishaps and tragedies in recent history, including the explosion of the dirigible The Hindenburg, the sinking of the Titanic, and engineering disasters involving dams, buildings and vehicles. 6-disc set. HISTORY IN 3D offers three blu-ray programs in 3D: WWII IN 3D, loaded with color and B&W archival footage, most never before seen, of the 20th century’s greatest conflict, TITANIC: 100 YEARS IN 3D, looking at the doomed ship’s final resting place with remarkable underwater footage, and HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN TWO HOURS IN 3D, offers a CGI-enhanced look at the world’s origins, offering a rapid-fire view of 14 billion years of evolution. 3-disc set. THE UNIVERSE IN 3D reconstructs the violent natural events that brought the universe, as we know it today, into being. Eye-popping CGI effects enhance this fascinating program, even more so in 3D. All are widescreen, Dolby 5.1 surround.
CELEBRITY TRIALS IN THE MEDIA (MVD) Director Brian Malone takes a look at some of the more sensational tabloid and legitimate news stories that have filled the headlines and the Internet in recent years, including the Kobe Bryant rape case, O.J. Simpson’s multitude of legal issues, the child molestation trial of Michael Jackson, and more. Informative and objective study, refreshingly free of sensationalism. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
HIGH GROUND (Virgil Films) Terrific blend of action movie and documentary chronicles eleven wounded U.S. veterans who join an expedition to climb the 20,000 foot Himalayan giant Mount Lobuche, led by a blind adventurer named Erik Weihenmayer! Truly remarkable film and story of the indelible human spirit. Bonuses: Trailer; Commentary by Weihenmayer; Deleted scenes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
NAZI COLLABORATORS (Shanachie) 13-part documentary looks at the reasons why so many Europeans and Middle Easterners collaborated with Hitler and the Nazis after their countries were invaded by the German war machine. Culled from over 4000 hours of archival footage, this massive doc takes painstaking care to present objective viewpoints of all involved. Fascinating and highly unsettling—as it could easily happen again. 4-disc set. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
THE ROLLING STONES UNDER REVIEW: THE RONNIE WOOD YEARS, 1975-1983 (Part 1). (Sexy Intellectual) Interesting look at the tenure of Ronnie Wood, former guitarist for the legendary sixties band The Faces, as a member of the Rolling Stones, and how his unique brand of guitar playing and singular persona helped The Stones redefine themselves during a period when many feel they were growing stale. Loaded with archival footage and interviews, a must for any Stones fan. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
MINDS IN THE WATER (EOE) Terrific doc about pro surfer Dave “Rasta” Rastovich and his international journey to help save whales, dolphins and their ocean environment. Five years in the making, the film offers amazing surf footage of Rastovich as well as remarkable footage of marine life in its natural habitat. Inspiring and thrilling. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround.

FOR THE YOUNG ‘UNS

BRAVE (Disney/Pixar) Another animated extravaganza from the Pixar team that’s sure to become a classic. Merida, a Scottish princess whose interests include archery and horse riding, is told by her mother that her interests are not what a princess should be doing and that she has to marry. But Merida chooses to defy her mother. And when she and her mother have an argument Merida rides off and meets a witch. She asks for a spell to change her mother. And the witch gives her a cake which she gives to her mother but the change is not what she was hoping for. So she tries to find a way to fix it. Terrific CGI animation, loaded with knowing humor and pathos that’s sure to appeal to kids and adults, alike. Voice work from Kelly MacDonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, and Robbie Coltrane adds to the greatness. Available in Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy combo pack. Bonuses: Featurettes; Shorts; Alternate opening; Art gallery; Promotional pieces; Extended scenes; Commentary by cast and crew. Widescreen. DTS-HD 7.1 surround, Dolby 5.1 surround.
PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION 2 (Disney/Pixar) More inventive genius from the Pixar crew, this time featuring 12 animated shorts, including multiple Oscar nominees (“Presto,” “Day and Night,” “La Luna”) and a host of family favorites. As an added bonus, this 2-disc collection features all the student short films of Pixar bosses John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Pete Doctor. Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Bonuses: Featurettes; Commentary by filmmakers. Widescreen. DTS-HD 7.1 and Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL: 20th ANNIVERSARY (Disney) Charles Dickens gets the Jim Henson treatment, or is it the other way around? The Muppets assume the roles in Dickens’ classic tale of a miserly lout (Michael Caine) who is visited by a group of ghostly apparitions one Christmas Eve who force him to take stock of his life’s choices. Lots of clever bits and creative reimagining of the original text and story abound, leaving little wonder why this holiday classic has endured for two decades. Caine makes a wonderful human contribution to the cast, as does ‘70s icon Paul Williams with his soundtrack. Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Bonuses: Commentary by the Muppets and director Brian Henson; Featurettes. Widescreen. DTS-HD and Dolby 5.1 surround.
Shout Factory releases TRANSFORMERS PRIME: SEASON TWO, featuring all 26 episodes of the series’ sophomore season, courtesy scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, whose skills raise the proceedings up several notches. ASTONISHING X-MEN marks a collaboration between the creative minds of Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday, featuring four X-Men adventures: “Gifted,” “Dangerous,” “Torn,” and “Unstoppable.” Loaded with knowing humor and loads of imaginative action. Both discs are available on Blu-ray, and look terrific. Bonuses: Interviews with the makers; Featurettes; Music video. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
DRAGONS: RIDERS OF BERK (DreamWorks) TV spin-off of the hit “How to Train Your Dragon” is still great fun, featuring the epic story of Hiccup, Toothless and his fearless friends continues with four fun and exciting new episodes of adventures. Bonuses: Featurettes; Collectible trading cards. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
KAIJUDO: RISE OF THE DUEL MASTERS (Shout Factory) Four episodes of the hit animated series featuring the adventures of teen hero Ray, who has been recruited by the mysterious Duel Masters to study Kiajudo—an ancient martial art. Although it’s an extended form of product placement by co-producer Hasbro (who produce the best-selling Duel Masters card game), the shows are imaginatively designed and executed. Bonuses: Featurettes; Trading card. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
ADVENTURES OF BAILEY: CHRISTMAS HERO (eOne) Bailey the Labrador find himself worried that he won’t get any presents from Santa this year until he learns of a mysterious Native American brave who can make his holiday wishes come true. Loaded with adorable animals who take on human voices, sure to please both the little ones and adults with a soft spot for our furry friends. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
ROBOT: MY FIRST COLLECTION VOL. 4 (Scholastic) Another “read-along” title featuring 12 award-winning stories on 3 DVDs, brought to life through animation and voice work from the likes of Zach Braff and many more. The three volumes are “Robot Zot!...and Many More Rhyming Stories,” “Too Many Toys…and More Stories About Problem Solving,” and “The Curious Garden…and More Stories About Nature.” Bonuses: Interviews with stories’ authors and illustrators; Read-along. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.