Month: November 2009

Funny People: 2-Disc Unrated Collector’s Edition (R/NR, 2009, Universal)
“Funny People” is, inarguably, a movie. Whether it’s actually two movies, though, is a little more open to interpretation. “People” begins as a cross-section of the depressing backstage life and times of two comedians — supermarket employee and total nobody Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) and jaded movie megastar George Simmons  (Adam Sandler) — whose separate inabilities to successfully participate in society run somewhat parallel in spite of their disparate career successes. When the two cross paths by chance, “People” zooms in a little closer and becomes both a buddy picture and, due to plot circumstances best left unspoiled, an especially unflattering look at one character’s uncanny gift of all-fronts alienation. Some more unspoiled events happen, things reach something of a conclusion, and if “People” barely changed a thing about its first 85 minutes and wrapped right there, few would accuse it of being an unfinished product. But it doesn’t, marching merrily on for another hour-plus of storytelling to clock in at 146 (or, for the unrated cut, 153) minutes, which is unheard of for what humbly begins as just another Judd Apatow comedy. And with so much good storytelling done already and, as it turns out, so much left to do, why not? “People” never runs on fumes and never compromises between being very funny, very cruelly honest and very intelligently heartfelt. More of that is never a bad thing, especially now that you can hit pause whenever you need an intermission. Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Aubrey Plaza and Jason Schwartzman also star.
Extras: Theatrical and unrated cuts, Apatow introduction, Apatow/Rogen/Sandler commentary, deleted/extended scenes, four-part making-of documentary, George Simmons retrospective (will make sense after seeing the film), an episode of “Yo Teach…!” (same), uncut Sandler prank call (same), documentary about Randy (same), outtakes, bloopers, line-o-rama.

Familiar Strangers (PG-13, 2008, Phase 4 Films)
As history has shown umpteen time through umpteen films about a son (Shawn Hatosy as Brian) returning home to reopen old familial wounds over a hot Thanksgiving meal, there are numerous ways to steer this ship. Given the wealth of baggage — divorce, father-son alienation, failed expectations on multiple levels — passed between the six people and two dogs who comprise the immediate Worthington family, “Familiar Strangers” easily could have taken the road repeatedly traveled and devolved into a depressing tidal wave of bottled feelings finally uncorked. Instead, and to its great benefit, it elects to toe a very fine line between garden-variety drama and a general disposition that’s dryly funny enough to make that garden-variety drama more interesting in practice than on paper. “Strangers” neither breaks the mold nor aces the exam: Its devotion to that balance sometimes comes at the expense of a few supporting characters, who flash promise early but ultimately feel like devices for helping color Brian’s story. But while that approach breeds some narrative dissatisfaction, it also help Brian emergence as that rare character who is funny, engaging and very likable despite also being kind of a dullard. And how many holiday films legitimately culminate through a game of donkey basketball? Only one, and this is it. Tom Bower, Ann Dowd, Cameron Richardson, Georgia Mae Lively and Nikki Reed also star.
Extra: Behind-the-scenes feature.

Is Anybody There? (PG-13, 2009, Magnolia)
Like many people incapable of taking complete care of themselves, Edward (Bill Milner) lives in a nursing home. Also arguably unsurprising: Edward has parlayed a bored existence into a fascination with morbidity, going so far as to attempt communication with the dead. But Edward isn’t near the end of his life — he’s 10, and the only reason he lives here is because his parents (Anne-Marie Duff and David Morrissey), who themselves are going through a spot of disenchantment, run the thing. And when a slightly senile, very cranky washed-up magician (Michael Caine as Clarence) enters the home kicking and screaming, “Is Anybody There?” becomes a bastion of people living lives they never counted on living. Impressively, though it flirts with both angles, “There” doesn’t take this occasion to bring its audience down any more than it uses it as a stage for darkly ironic comedy. Instead, it’s an honest, explicitly character-driven story that unloads more human interest than the 94-minute runtime can completely handle. Throw in another layer of interesting supporting and prop characters, and it becomes quickly clear that some of them aren’t going to get their full due. Fortunately, where it counts — a corrosive friendship between Edward and Clarence that finds Caine delivering some of the best lines of his career to an 11-year-old kid astonishingly capable of handling them — “There” is  magnificently resonate success that doesn’t come around nearly enough.
Extra: Deleted scenes.

Evergreen (PG-13, 2004, Indiepix)
There is no such thing as an instruction manual for raising a child. But you’ll have to forgive 14-year-old Henri (Addie Land) for her waning sympathy for journeymom Kate (Cara Seymour), who has been carting her from one barely adequate living condition to another her whole life. This time, the leaky roof over their head is that of Henri’s grandmother (Lynn Cohen), whom Kate has enlisted to help raise Henri while she tries to find some kind of stable cash flow. The sympathy/longing quotients are further complicated when, as the new kid in yet another school, Henri strikes up a relationship with a kid (Noah Fleiss as Chat) who has both significantly greater means and a seemingly functional family who welcomes her into their lives. If you’ve hypothesized that “Evergreen” isn’t the knee-slapping laugh fest of the season, you done so correctly. But while “Evergreen” is a bleak movie about dead ends and promises seemingly destined to go unfulfilled, it takes on those topics in a fashion that’s more uncomfortably honest than cloyingly weepy. Henri and Kate in particular are developed to the point that their stories are involving in spite of their implied and seemingly inevitable dreary end, and the script has some rewards hiding in wait once that heavy lifting is done. Bruce Davison and Mary Kay Place also star.
Extra: Cast/crew bios.

Humpday (R, 2009, Magnolia)
A meandering conversation between intoxicated old friends Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) has turned into a serious dual dare: What would happen if the two straight friends shot a sex scene together and presented it at the pornographic art film festival that’s about to roll into town? A few other details worth noting: Ben is married, and Ben’s wife Anna (Alycia Delmore) had never even met Andrew until he unexpectedly showed up at their house in the middle of the night not even 24 hours prior. Also? The meandering conversation took flight during an impromptu party with strangers that went deep into the night while Ben’s wife waited at home with a dinner she prepared for the three of them. How’s that for a situation? “Humpday” has enough absorbing weirdness in its premise to coast to the credits on intrigue alone. So that’s what it does, electing for a conversational, almost documentarian storytelling style that allows the ensuing fallout to develop naturally and without twisty contrivance. The characters achieve dimension through rambling, imperfectly-delivered dialogue, and the rest of “Day’s” bone-dry manner, right down to the grainy cinematography, falls in line stylistically. The ultra-indie approach will inevitably annoy those who prefer a little gloss, but for what “Day” is trying to do here, it’s an uncomfortably enjoyable success.
Extras: Director/crew commentary, Duplass/Leonard commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature.

Angels & Demons: Two-Disc Extended Edition (NR, 2009, Sony Pictures)
One person’s wall of blather is another person’s two-hour blockbuster thrill ride, and that person’s mindless fun is another person’s personal affront. So here’s something about “Angels & Demons” that’s pretty harmlessly universal: It’s exquisitely polished in all the usual Hollywood ways, and for being a companion piece to (though, per usual, no replacement for) a book that itself has brought more baggage to the table than all the marketing and word of mouth ever could, it does a respectable job. Corners, as usual, get cut when paring 480 pages down to 146 minutes, and a different set of eyes easily could spot chunks of “Demons” that run unnecessarily long for their cinematic purposes. Someone’s favorite portion of the book inevitably has been shortchanged, while those who see “Demons” without reading the book inevitably will roll their eyes at some wink at the readers that never receives any follow-up treatment. Other than the strange rearrangement of chronology — the film is a sequel to “The Da Vinci Code” despite the book being a prequel — nothing “Demons” does changes the trajectory of book-to-film translation history, making it a complete disappointment or a comfortably fun success depending on your expectations. At least, as with “Code,” we have a likable lead (Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon) to steer the whole weird ship. Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer,     Pierfrancesco Favino and Stellan Skarsgård also star.
Extras: Seven behind-the-scenes features.

Thirst (R, 2009, Focus/Universal)
Even priests have crises of confidence, and in Father Sang-hyeon’s (Kang-ho Song) case, it’s enough to propel him to participate in an experimental blood transfusion that could benefit society but also is so risky as to be arguably suicidal. What wasn’t explained to him was the possibility that, upon death, he could wake up as a vampire. But it’s too late for warnings now, so here we are. Yes, “Thirst” is yet another vampire movie. But Father Sang-hyeon isn’t just another mopey dreamboat with a complex: He’s unstably hungry, thoroughly rattled by the blow his faith’s been dealt, a bit angry, a bit scared, but also completely enraptured by his newfound strength and abilities. And that’s to say nothing of his followers, who think he’s some kind of deity for surviving the transfusion, or the married woman (Ok-vin Kim) who lusts after him before she even knows he’s anything but a priest who should be completely off-limits. “Thirst” pays respect to numerous vampire film conventions, but it does so with its own brand of barely-contained madness, and by the time the story reaches its completely crazy and morbidly satisfying conclusion, it has become an animal of its own creation. In Korean with English subtitles. No extras.

Brüno (R, 2009, Universal)
Borat Sagdiyev is one seriously tough act to follow, and perhaps no one knows that quite as intimately as the man who created him. “Brüno” plays out in similar fashion to “Borat,” with Sacha Baron Cohen once again undercover in the titular role as he tries to achieve fortune in America. Fans of Cohen’s “Da Ali G Show” already know Brüno, whose segment regularly followed Borat’s on the show, so it’s not as if he’s a brand-new creation hastily devised in light of “Borat’s” big-screen success. But even with that said, it’s pretty clear “Brüno” is trying to out-Borat “Borat” — and with the main character being an outwardly gay fashionista and with most of the film’s stomping ground being rural and suburban America, it’s about as challenging as setting a leaky gas can on fire. But that’s also “Brüno’s” problem: While Cohen regularly puts himself at risk for physical harm with his stunts, the vast majority of his antics revolve around the same gag (making prudes deeply uncomfortable), and the thoroughly course nature of the stunts feels far more confrontational than Borat’s hilarious but outwardly well-meaning social flaps. That, of course, doesn’t mean “Brüno” doesn’t have its moments, because it absolutely does. Cohen’s most dangerous stunts — including a doozy at a mixed martial arts event — are wince-worthy on a horror film level, and some of his throwaway lines (or better yet, the things he gets other people to say in their haste to fulfill their own interests) are just magnificently funny.
Extras: Revelatory commentary with Cohen and director/partner-in-crime Larry Charles, deleted/alternate/extended scenes, extended Larry Robinson (makes sense if you’ve seen the movie) interview.

How to Be (NR, 2009, IFC Films)
For those unnerved and annoyed by the return of “Twilight” fever and Robert Pattinson’s thousand-mile stare assaulting television commercials and movie posters everywhere, here’s an early holiday present from the man himself. In “How to Be,” Pattinson (starring here as depressed supermarket clerk and wannabe musician Arthur) trades dreamy glance for every page in the socially hopeless playbook: He’s on the verge of either an epiphany or full-scale nervous breakdown, and he’s flailing wildly away at anyone and everyone — a soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend (Alisa Arnah), his best friends (Jeremy Hardy, Mike Pearce, Johnny White), his parents (Rebecca Pidgeon and Michael Irving) and eventually a published psychologist (Powell Jones) who makes extended house calls — in hopes of getting someone to understand. “Be,” for its part, travels on a similarly unstable path, regularly flirting with both light and dark comedy while also veering into darkly dramatic waters every once in a while. The result isn’t your traditional three-act storyline, and Arthur is such a bundle of nerves that he’s bound to annoy entire swaths of people in ways even Edward Cullen couldn’t, but “Be” is starkly honest, funny, and completely dead-on in its portrayal of a person who just needs a hand while waiting for all these weird new feelings to make sense.
Extras: Director commentary, behind-the-scenes feature, Pattinson interview, audition footage, photo gallery.

Andy Barker, P.I.: The Complete Series (NR, 2007, Shout Factory)
The good news about the light-speed cancellation of “Andy Barker, P.I.,” which chronicles the adventures of a floundering, goody-two-shoes accountant (Andy Richter) who accidentally stumbles into a career as a suburban private detective? It gave Richter the free time he needed to reunite with Conan O’Brien (who co-created “Barker”) on “The Tonight Show.” The bad news? Take your pick. Though it shares no narrative ties with Richter’s similarly under-appreciated “Andy Richter Controls the Universe,” “Barker’s” comedic philosophy should strike an immediate chord with anyone who loved that show. Similarly, while Richter doesn’t play himself the way he did in “Universe,” his lovably self-depreciating turn as Barker might as well make this a spiritual sequel. The supporting cast (Tony Hale, Harve Presnell, Marshall Manesh, Clea Lewis) keeps up, though their growth obviously suffers because of the show’s stunted run. Lack of time also hurts a few loose plot ends, which cap otherwise terrifically-written episodes with cliffhangers that never stop hanging. But that isn’t the fault of the show, which uses the little time it has to tell six pretty great stories. Watching them now is somewhat bittersweet because of how much potential “Barker” had in the tank, but that doesn’t mean Richter fans shouldn’t indulge anyway.
Contents: Six episodes (cast/crew commentary on all six), plus a behind-the-scenes retrospective, a writers roundtable and bloopers.

Skills Like This (NR, 2008, New Video NYC)
Wannabe writer Max’s (Spencer Berger) most recent play was so awful, it caused his grandfather to pass out and end up in the hospital before it ended. His friends (Brian Phelan, Gabriel Tigerman) aren’t doing a whole lot better at their respective ambitions, and there appears to be no end in sight for all this lack of life direction. So when one of them off-handedly suggests that Max should rob a bank, Max steps outside, crosses the street, robs the nearest bank, sort of charms the teller (Kerry Knuppe as Lucy) handing him the cash, and discovers his real calling. How’s that for a productive 15 minutes? “Skills Like This” can’t credibly get away with such a silly premise without being a little silly itself, and that pretty much is what it is. That means a number of things, from characters who sometimes are too cute for their own good to plot turns that could and would never pass muster in the real world. If authenticity is a problem, watching “This” will bring with it no shortage of fits. But Max is a pretty likable character in spite of his new hobby, Lucy makes a great foil once she inevitably reenters the picture, and the whole dance comes off as a well-written, pleasantly light comedy about young idiots doing something even grizzled geniuses could never pull off.
Extras: Deleted scenes, cast/crew interviews, filmmaker bio.

The Open Road (PG-13, 2009, Anchor Bay)
Take an empty script, cover it in glue and dip it into a box of stock storytelling scraps to see what sticks, and you’ll probably come away with something like “The Open Road,” which amounts to a nicely-shot, well-acted, talent-laden collection of storylines you’ve almost certainly seen countless times already. Minor league baseball player Carlton Garrett’s (Justin Timberlake) mom (Mary Steenburgen) is undergoing potentially life-threatening surgery, but she won’t go under the knife until Carlton can convince his estranged baseball legend father (Jeff Bridges) to visit her. So he, along with his ex-girlfriend (Kate Mara), head on a road trip that will change all their lives and so on and on. You’ve heard this riddle before, and because “Road” takes no more chances with its storytelling than it does with its setup, you also know where it’s headed. The film does a nice job of getting there: The characters are sufficiently developed, the cast is certainly capable, and there’s a nice attention to detail with regard to setting and backdrop. But given how well-worn every narrative road in “Road” is, that’s probably the least it could do. A little note for those intrigued by the box: Despite Carlton’s vocation, “Road” isn’t a baseball movie. It also isn’t a comedy, despite the box’s puzzling claim — unless your idea of funny is broken families, men who hide their feelings and mile after mile of bottled-up regret coming unspooled.
Extras: Writer/director/Bridges commentary, behind-the-scenes feature.

The Limits of Control (R, 2009, Universal)
There’s something completely romantic about the way Isaach De Bankolé’s unnamed character, who is sent to Spain and tasked with completing a dangerous but otherwise unspecified assignment, goes about his work, and it’s that romanticism on which “The Limits of Control” hopes to coast. The character says not a word beyond what is necessary, and multiple strings of dialogue-free scenes find him interacting blankly with his targets while working his way through his mission’s pieces with robotic precision. For a while, it’s slightly hypnotic, and “Limit” certainly is nice to look at when no one’s saying anything. But as the wait for answers grows and one character after another follows with opaque, often repetitive turns of phrase that reveal even less than our lead’s silence often does, the illusion succumbs completely. Once the jig is up, all that remains is a pretty, artsy but absurdly pretentious two-hour lull that takes shallow roads and tries to pass itself off as something far more refined than it even remotely is. “Control” doubtlessly has all the ingredients it needs to fool some into giving it art-film cred it doesn’t earn, but anyone with an ounce of critical self-confidence will laugh it out of the DVD tray. Paz de la Huerta, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Luis Tosar, Gael García Bernal and Bill Murray also star.
Extras: Cast interviews, bonus landscape footage (which, as it happens, is the best part of the film anyway).

Worth a Mention
— “The Steve Coogan Collection” (NR, BBC): Most collections devoted to a single actor are just excuses to sell a handful of said actor’s most obscure movies in a pretty box. But “The Steve Coogan Collection” exists on the complete opposite extreme: It includes the full series runs of “I’m Alan Partridge,” “Saxondale,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Coogan’s Run” and “Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible,” as well as “The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon” and the Paul and Pauline Calf specials. Given the brevity of British television series, it isn’t as immense as it sounds on paper, but it’s awfully hard to argue that it isn’t comprehensive. Special features that appeared on previous DVD iterations of the series featured here are included as well.
— “Farscape: The Complete Series Megaset” (NR, 1999, A&E): The brilliant sci-fi classic belongs in the dictionary next to the definition for “cult favorite,” but if it’s still new to you, the time has never been better to dive in. Includes all 88 episodes, plus commentary, deleted scenes, three behind-the-scenes documentaries, a handful of smaller behind-the-scenes features, home video premiere footage for the long-lost behind-the-scenes special, series wrap footage, interviews, bloopers and promotional stuff.
— “Rome: The Complete Series” (NR, 2005, HBO): It didn’t last very long, but it was awfully good while it did. Includes all 22 episodes, plus commentary, nine behind-the-scenes features, two interactive historical guides and a photo gallery. As per usual with HBO series sets, the packaging is almost too classy for the humble DVD format.
— “UFC: The Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights” (NR, UFC/Anchor Bay): The Ultimate Fighting Championship has persevered and prospered over the course of 100 pay-per-view specials since 1993, and so this set, which features 100 hand-picked fights (tallying more than 26 hours of content) in their entirety, provides a most fitting tribute.

Up: Blu-Ray and DVD Combo Pack (PG, 2009, Disney/Pixar)
Once Pixar knocked out a few cute character movies and got the computer animation ball rolling, it forged ahead to more complicated fare while everybody else flooded the market with more cute character stories. That journey comes fittingly full circle with “Up,” which itself chronicles a journey devised by a boy and potentially realized ages later by a cranky old man who grew to fear the world he once promised to explore. “Up” raises the maturity bar yet again with its disarmingly ardent (but, in true Pixar show-don’t-tell fashion, completely elegant) look at the dark side of mortality. But in the same space, and often without losing a beat, “Up” reaches back for familiar conventions — hilarious physical comedy, clever dialogue that works on multiple levels, a cute kid, some adorably personified animals — it mastered years ago in ways few studios have even now. Per usual, “Up” also looks magnificent down to the most minute texture or light source, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the relationship between the film’s script and its visual style. Pixar’s track record is dependable to the point of predictable by now, and “Up” has its share of arguable nitpicks, particularly with regard to a cluster of scenes in act three that go on a bit longer than is necessary. Overwhelmingly, though, it’s a remarkable display of all the things that make film so great working in near-perfect harmony.
Extras: Two shorts (“Dug’s Special Mission” and “Partly Cloudy,” which opened for it during the theatrical run), alternate endings, nine behind-the-scenes features (eight are exclusive to the Blu-ray disc, but the 22-minute centerpiece is on the DVD), Blu-ray game, international trailer/promo collections, digital copy.
— Also available this week: “Monsters, Inc.: Blu-Ray and DVD Combo Pack” (G, 2001, Disney/Pixar): The Pixar classic makes its high-definition debut, and it hasn’t aged a moment. Extras include the “For the Birds” and “Mike’s New Car” shorts, a new filmmaker commentary and roundtable, a new behind-the-scenes feature, a new Blu-ray disc game, a Pixar factory tour, outtakes, a compilation of banished concepts and a digital copy.

Paraiso Travel (R, 2008, Phase 4 Films)
“Paraiso Travel” is the heartwarming story of how Marlon (Aldemar Correa) and Reina (Angelica Blandon) braved the odds, chased the American dream and scratched their way to a storybook ending in bustling New York City. Or rather, that’s how the young lovers think it’ll go when we flash back in time and find them hatching their migration plan in Columbia. “Travel” doesn’t keep us in suspense about whether it’s a fairy or cautionary tale: The unpleasant aftermath of the trip is laid bare in the film’s very first scene, and the film jumps back and forth in time to tie fantasy and reality together before the storylines merge for the final act. Given the heat surrounding the subject matter — it’s illegal immigration, perhaps you’ve heard about it recently — “Travel” can’t escape whatever preconceived (and immovable) notions viewers might have about its characters. Fortunately, it doesn’t try to, either, ducking the message movie route and emerging simply as a polished and honest story about two people doing what they’ve set out to do. All that time-traveling allows “Travel” to pile extraordinary amounts of history and dimension on its characters, and by the time the story reaches its conclusion, all those exterior notions have long faded out of view. John Leguizamo and Ana de la Reguera also star. The original Spanish theatrical cut is available with English subtitles, but an English dub also is included.
Extra: Photo Gallery.

Spread (R, 2009, Anchor Bay)
Nikki’s (Ashton Kutcher) life’s mission is simple: Move to Los Angeles, say the right things to the right people, look as pretty as a man can look, and coast through life as a paid boy who trades sexual favors with the rich and glamorous (Anne Heche, in “Spread’s” case) for a free slice of their lives. “Spread” initially tells its story  through Nikki’s narration, and it does so without any overly apparent irony or self-awareness, which means it also requests your cooperation while it tries to develop Nikki into a credibly likable lead rather than simply some schmuck whose potential downfall becomes the film’s primary rooting interest. Whether it pulls that off comes down to personal perception, but without spoiling much, “Spread” at least gives both audiences a chance to get their way — sometimes predictably, but just as often surprisingly. And while the script gets off to a dangerously pretentious start and occasionally falls back into bad habits, it’s smart enough to make Nikki — whether you like him or wish him the worst — a better character than he probably had any right to be. Margarita Levieva also stars.
Extras: Kutcher/Heche/Levieva commentary, three behind-the-scenes features.

Xavier: Renegade Angel: Season 1 and 2 (NR, 2007, Adult Swim)
Some shows are so completely beyond weird as to defy the typical parameters that constitute a review. Many of those shows make an appearance on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block. “Xavier: Renegade Angel” makes most of those shows appear somewhat normal by comparison, because that’s how far out there this one lies. “Xavier” follows a self-appointed guardian angel Xavier, who goes on what he (and only he) classifies as spirit walks and quests to help regular Joes going about their lives. From there, the 11-minute plotlines simply explode in a fireball of inanity. Ever hear the one about the kid in a wheelchair who creates life in a petri dish and turns it into a persistent explosion that not could destroy the planet, but also happens to be his dad? Give “Xavier” a chance, and you will. The writing is so purposefully beyond bad as to be kind of hilarious, and the animation — 3D computer animation that would look horribly dated in 1997, to say nothing of 2007 — fits right in. It’s terrible and incredibly wonderful all at once, so who needs a review? Figure it out yourself.
Contents: 20 episodes, plus fan commentary, fan-made “Xavier” tribute shorts and an Xavier workout video.

Show me Yours: The Complete Series (NR, 2003, E1 Entertainment)
Trite premise, thy name is “Show me Yours,” which finds a slightly uptight, not-quite-happily-involved psychologist (Rachael Crawford as Kate Langford) unhappily forced to co-research a book about sexual experiences with a silver-tongued counterpart (Adam Harrington as Benjamin Chase) who very openly wants to free her from that aforementioned involvement. Wonder what’s going to happen here, right? Fortunately and probably necessarily, “Yours” gets a good chunk of the inevitable out of the way in the first episode, and in the same stroke leaves us with some characters who have a little more going on than those initial archetypes promise. “Yours” also is good with words, capably dabbling in storylines and exchanges that never get too smart or silly for their own good. And because it’s Canadian rather than American network television, it can linguistically and visually go places a show about this stuff probably should go. Rachel Wilson, Jeff Seymour, Jennie Raymond and Alberta Watson also star.
Contents: 16 episodes, no extras.

Enlighten Up! (NR, 2008, Docurama)
Before you watch “Enlighten Up!,” which bills itself as a “skeptic’s journey into the world of yoga,” ask yourself this: Are you here to be enlightened, or will some simple light entertainment suffice? If it’s the latter, “Enlighten” is a reasonably fun documentary about filmmaker and yoga fanatic Kate Churchill’s attempt to communicate the virtues of yoga through a lab rat — journalist Nick Rosen — who previously has never partaken and indeed lives up to his billing as a skeptic. The pair travel the world over a period of several months, meet a number of renowned yoga masters and receive some hands-on knowledge about a number of rather extraordinarily different disciplines. That makes for some good storytelling, as does the bickering that ensues when Churchill can’t leave well enough alone and lets her emotions interfere with the purity of the experiment. But if it’s wisdom you seek, it’s there where the wheels fall off the film. For all the talking “Enlighten” does, the knowledge it passes along to the viewer rarely reaches beyond the superficial or abstract. If you come looking for answers to the same questions Rosen has, the film will leave you pretty much right where it finds you, and that’s quite a bummer, entertaining or not.
Extras: Extended interviews, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes photo montage, filmmaker bio.

Worth a Mention
— “The Offical Major League Baseball World Series Film Collection” (NR, 2009, MLB/A&E/New Video): Yankee fans will rightly argue that this set arrives a teensy bit out of date right out of the gate, but that’s about as harsh as the criticism gets for this set, which packages its discs as companion pieces inside a so-beautifully-illustrated-it’ll-make-you-cry picture book. The films — 50 hours’ worth over 20 discs, covering the series between 1943 and 2008 — are still the main attraction, but it’s a closer call than one might expect. Simply gorgeous.
— “G.I. Joe: The Complete Series” (NR, 1985, Shout Factory): Shout Factory’s “Transformers” set was something to behold, and its treatment of “G.I. Joe” is no less sterling an example of how to do a gift set right. In addition to all 95 episodes, this 17-disc set — packaged inside a sturdy footlocker case that’s as functional as it is pretty — includes eight new behind-the-scenes features, an archive of the “G.I. Joe” PSAs and Hasbro toy commercials, footage from G.I. Joe’s 1963 Toy Fair presentation and fan submission material. Other in-box extras include a 56-page companion booklet, rub-on tattoos and a 1 GB flash drive, fashioned in the form of a dog tag, that includes two digital comic books. In a final nice touch, Shout includes an empty disc slot for the 1987 animated movie, which hits DVD next year. Just be sure to explain that to any giftees, because while the set makes many mentions of the 17-disc count, it doesn’t outright say that the empty slot is a case of inspired design instead of missing materials.

Where God Left His Shoes (NR, 2008, IFC Films)
It’s November, which means it’s Christmastime as far as studios, merchandisers and marketers are concerned. It’s also 2009, which means it’s high time for a holiday movie that name-drops the economic downturn in some way. That leads us to Frank Diaz (John Leguizamo), a married father of two who must find a way to provide shelter for his recently-evicted family (Leonor Varela, David Castro, Samantha M. Rose) despite some skill setbacks and an employment history that consists solely of a failed boxing career and some off-the-books odd jobs. No problem, right? After all, look at the title of the film and the cover art on the box: Both have “Christmas miracle” slathered all over them. That’s something of a shame, because it clears a lane for people to dismiss “Where God Left His Shoes” as nothing more than hokey fluff that makes light of and cashes in on complicated problems for which there is no neat, happy ending. “Shoes,” in fact, is nothing of the sort: Its characters are spectacularly imperfect, their problems authentically ugly and complicated. And while Frank occasionally gets off a little easier than a real-world counterpart in the same situation might, good breaks are the exception more than the rule. “Shoes” still has its points of inspiration, but they come in the form of a likable lead character and a family’s attempt to stick together in spite of its failings rather than some cheap and easy miracle that bails them all out. That makes for an exponentially better story, and it’s a script “Shoes” sticks to all the way through to the bittersweet end. No extras.

The Answer Man (R, 2009, Magnolia)
For 20 years, author Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels) has enjoyed a stratospheric level of fame and reverence for a book that very convincingly documents a conversation he had with God. Actually, scratch that — he hasn’t enjoyed it much at all, which is why he’s taken on the life of a recluse despite living smack in the middle of big-city civilization. A few turns of events draw him out of seclusion, and wouldn’t you know it, the great guru of all things mystical can’t stop tripping over his own feet when it comes to simple human interaction and the art of conversing with the opposite sex. For a while, “The Answer Man” seems content to lean on this cute irony, and exist as yet another movie about a life expert who can’t sort his own life out. But then a funny thing happens: “Man” sees its fate as a humorous also-ran, cringes, and decides instead to get honest and put all the yammering to genuinely good use. Turns out, Arlen isn’t simply a recluse because it makes for a good comedic device: He has his reasons, and the film does a nice job of sneaking in little insights before dressing him down completely once it has your interest. That goes as well for the film’s supporting cast (Lauren Graham, Lou Taylor Pucci, Olivia Thirlby and Max Antisell), who initially feel like little more than talking plot devices meant to push Arlen in certain contrived directions. Once Arlen blossoms into a real character, they follow his example, and “Man” becomes a much better film than it initially ever had any right to be.
Extras: Crew/Graham commentary, three behind-the-scenes features.

Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America (NR, 2009, HBO)
Will Ferrell’s send-up of former president George W. Bush made for a terrific five-minute “Saturday Night Live” skit, but a 90-minute stage show? Surprise: It works even better here. “Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America” finds Ferrell, continuously in character as Bush, monologuing about everything from his college days to the before, during and after of his presidency. At first, it’s the silly Bush Ferrel crafted on “SNL.” But as time passes, Ferrell gradually slips deeper into character, and there are moments where “America” flirts with what feels like genuine reflection and projected sorrow. Once in a while, Ferrell brings the laughs to a complete halt, only to bring them back by calling them names or venturing down some fantastically, hysterically funny tangent about monkey troops or a family vacation to a mineshaft gone disastrously wrong. Ferrell’s impersonation of Bush may be the funniest in the business, but his ability to weave it between moods — and take a packed auditorium with him every step of the way — is another gift entirely.
Extras: Behind-the-scenes feature, Bush on Bush interview, Decider true or false game, digital copy.

Food, Inc. (PG, 2009, Magnolia)
By now, pretty much anybody with any kind of media savvy has some sneaking ballpark suspicion as to the inconvenient realities of what goes into processing the foods we eat. But vague ideas and suspicions are one thing and, as “Food, Inc.” once again proves, images and testimonials straight from the source is quite another. “Food, Inc.” touches on several of the same issues other books and films previously have — the abusive environments in which animals are raised, the demoralizing and unsanitary conditions under which workers operate, the propagation of disease from these awful conditions, and the ridiculous abuse well-meaning farmers face from corporate bullies who want the industry completely to itself. The arguments are numerous, but as usual, the real impact moments come with imagery on top of words, and “Food Inc.” doesn’t pull punches in either regard. Unfortunately, the film also shares the same problem most documentaries of this sort have: It’s 90 minutes of problems and one minute of solutions, and a lot of its best information — most of it arriving during the end credits — feels like anticlimactic common sense that its target audience already would know. Maybe that’s the best anyone can do, but somehow, that doesn’t seem likely.
Extras: Deleted scenes, ABC News “Nightline” segment, two how-to features, celebrity PSAs, tip sheet.

I Love You, Beth Cooper (PG-13, 2009, Fox)
The title doesn’t lie: Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) really does love Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere). He loves her so much, in fact, that he uses his high school valedictorian speech not only to speak to her for the first time, but to tell her in no uncertain terms that he loves her. That, to his credit, leads to a post-ceremony conversation, which (to perhaps his lesser credit) leads to an invitation to a bogus party he and best friend Rich (Jack Carpenter) aren’t actually throwing. That, in turn, leads to the fake party, and from there, it’s a wacky night to remember featuring all kinds of wacky antics with Denis, Beth, Beth’s friends (Laurene Landon and Lauren Storm) and oh yeah, Beth’s boyfriend (Shawn Roberts). How much you enjoy these antics depends rather explicitly on how much tolerance you have for cuteness. “I Love You, Beth Cooper” features two scoops of it: The humor aims more for cartoony antics than the usual gross-out stuff, and once we get to know everybody, the film lays it on pretty thick with the sentimentalism. In the real world, Denis’ antics probably would lead to a slap in the face rather than a night to remember, so “Cooper” is best enjoyed as the lightly funny fantasy it portends to be and nothing more than that.
Extras: Alternate ending, deleted scenes.

Who is KK Downey? (NR, 2009, Indiepix)
Terrance Permenstein (Darren Curtis) is a failing musician in love with a girl (Kristin Adams as Sue) who has moved on from him to someone else (Pat Kiely as Connor). Terrance’s best friend Theo Huxtable (Matt Silver) — and no, that isn’t a typo — is a failing writer who can’t get his memoir-style novel published because he’s too plain for the publishing world’s liking. So Terrance and Theo put their heads together and devise a plan that has Terrance inhabiting the character from Theo’s book and concocting a level of celebrity that could help him get Sue back. And because the world of “Who is KK Downey?” is overrun by mindless hipsters who froth for bad literature and at least one sweet girl who can’t recognize her ex-boyfriend when he don a wig and sunglasses, the plan takes flight. “Downey” gets off to a pretty weird start, but it really piles it on once the plan goes into effect, and the insanity just spikes from there. As such, recommending it becomes a matter of personal taste. The film’s thirst for unbridled unpredictability makes for a most unique experience, and the hammy acting and visual style complement it perfectly. On the other hand, Terrance and Theo are accessibly interesting characters early on, and most of the weirdness that follows arguably betrays that. Additionally, where some will see hammy exuberance, others simply will see bad acting, and both sides have a point.
Extras: Filmmakers commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, photo gallery.

The Tournament (R, 2009, Dimension)
The respective rises of reality television, the YouTube generation and the straight-to-DVD market have given way to a torrent of “Running Man” knockoffs that find a handful of seedy, desperate people legally killing each other for (a) their freedom and (b) the entertainment of a depraved gazing public. But even by the middling standards established over the last few years, “The Tournament” doesn’t even try aspiring for anything better. The titular tournament refers to a top-secret competition, knowingly viewed only by a select few very rich people, in which combatants murder each other before a frightened populace until only one is left alive. The top-secret wrinkle is different, particularly because it ropes in one accidental competitor who has no idea what’s even going on, but beyond that, “The Tournament” is just one long treadmill of obnoxious, charmless idiots killing each other while equally charmless captains of industry whoop and clink glasses at all the death. The few protagonists “The Tournament” gives us fare even worse: Their back stories are completely stock, and the only purpose they serve is to completely make obvious how this competition is going to end before it even begins. A pretty good cast (Ving Rhames, Kelly Hu, Robert Carlyle, Ian Somerhalder) provides the only highlight, but only because it’s morbidly fun to watch skilled actors mail it in for an easy payday. No extras.

Worth a Mention
— “Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro: The Complete First Season” (NR, 1957, Disney) and “Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro: The Complete Second Season” (NR, 1958, Disney): With all due respect to the many beautiful silver tins Disney has released over the years as part of its “Disney Treasures” collection, the black tins that house these sets exist in a class all their own. Both sets, at six discs each, contain the 39 episodes (digitally remastered, naturally) from their respective seasons, and each set comes with a collectible pin, lithograph and certificate of authenticity. Both sets also include two one-hour “Zoro” specials each (“El Bandido” and “Adios El Cuchillo” on the first season set, “The Postponed Wedding” and “Auld Acquaintance” on the second season set), introductions by Leonard Maltin, and two behind-the-scenes features each.
— “Scholastic Storybook Treasures: Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics” (NR, New Video): Scholastic previously has released these excellent storybook DVDs — featuring illustrated, animated readings of everything from “Curious George” to “Harold and the Purple Crayon” to “Where the Wild Things Are” — separately and in themed anthologies of 25 stories each. Now, thanks to the magic of slim DVD cases, the entire 16-disc, 100-story set is available inside one extremely attractive box set. No new material that hasn’t been released already, but if these DVD treatments are new to you, this is as good as it gets.
— “Leap Frog Learning DVD Set” (NR, 2009, Learning Path): Parents who want something a little more interactive out of their DVD purchase can take some solace in this set, which includes three 35-minute volumes — “Let’s Go to School,” “Letter Factory,” “Talking Words Factory” — and 26 flash cards intended to help kids learn about letters, learn about sounds, and take a more active role in the viewing experience. Intended for ages 2-6.
— “Spin City: The Complete Third Season” (NR, 1998, Shout Factory): Includes 26 episodes, plus liner notes.