Month: June 2011

Max Manus: Man of War (NR, 2008, Music Box Films)
If Max Manus (Aksel Hennie) and his cohorts (Nicolai Cleve Broch, Christian Rubeck, Knut Joner, Mats Eldøen, Eirik Evjen) were a stone-faced pack of slobs with cardboard personalities, the true story of how they came together as a band of saboteurs and successfully undermined the Nazis in the name of their Norwegian homeland would be awesome anyway. Though history obviously gets credit for a huge assist, “Max Manus: Man of War” is supremely gifted as a thriller, mixing large- and small-scale action and consistently stacking the tension deck at exactly the right speed. Even if you know the outcome, watching these jobless, uneducated and broke nobodies play so skillfully on such a ridiculously unbalanced playing field makes for one truly exciting movie. But what elevates “Manus” from merely awesome to one of the era’s best war films is the face it puts on these characters over the five years it covers. Our resistance fighters are anything but bores: They’re funny, loving, sophomoric and ready to breathe fire at the crack of a Nazi’s grin. “Manus” extends a similar courtesy to the enemy without awarding any sympathy points, and the honesty and versatility with which it paints Max’s picture is absolutely magnificent. Never does a dull moment pass when the battle is raging, but it’s plenty telling when some of “Manus'” most engrossing screens are those that run in the war’s aftermath. In Norwegian with English subtitles. Siegfried Fehmer and Agnes Kittelsen also star.
Extra: “Max Manus: Film and Reality” documentary.

Erasing David (NR, 2009, FilmBuff)
The whole dustup regarding 21st century privacy needs no introduction. So let’s skip that and go straight to David Bond’s experiment, in which he sets out to discover just how little privacy he has left. For 30 days, David ventures off England’s grid — which contains, among other things, his home, pregnant wife, daughter and numerous modern conveniences — and attempts to live invisibly on the run. In the opposing corner: two private detectives, whom David has hired to use every resource they have to find him before the calendar strikes 30. The experiment gives way to a lively chase that not only shines light on the fallacy of privacy in the digital age, but produces a few unexpected side effects as well. “Erasing David” unquestionably feels like an extreme test case, and Bond’s preconceived suspicions certainly lend an exaggerated angst to the tone of the chase. But “David,” to its credit, never resorts to preachy fear mongering, nor does it ever lose its way and cease being objective and entertaining. No one would blame you for being spooked by some of the film’s results, but if you treat this one as educational entertainment, it might be the most fun you’ve had being unnerved in a while.
Extras: Five “David” short film offshoots, interviews, premiere Q&A.

The Warrior’s Way (R, 2010, Fox)
“Sukiyaki Western Django” and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” didn’t simply prove that westerns and martial arts movies could co-exist: It confirmed the long-held suspicion that they belonged together. Now, with “The Warrior’s Way,” we have exhibit C. “Way” begins with assassin Yang (Dong-gun Jang) on the run after his conscience prevents him from killing the newborn child of the family he was ordered to completely annihilate. Yang takes the baby and heads to the American west, where he meets cowboys, drunks, circus performers and a knife-tossing woman (Kate Bosworth as Lynne) whose past gives her more in common with the baby than anybody else. “Way” makes no small deal about establishing Yang and Lynne’s characters, but rarely does too much time pass before the cowboys, clowns, assassins, not-so-innocent bystanders and (eventually) Yang’s pursuers are turning some chunk of the Old West into a playground of violence. Toss in Lynne’s past catching up to her at the same time, and it’s anything goes out here. “Way” makes spectacular use of its setting and combatants, mining both for humor, bloodshed, whimsy and honest-to-goodness heart without breaking a sweat. The fights are consistently excellent, too — vicious but never artless, and buoyed by special effects without letting them take over. Geoffrey Rush and Danny Huston also star, while Analin Rudd makes a terrific debut as Baby April.
Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature.

Blast! (NR, 2008, Docurama)
When you look at the Sun, which resides eight light-minutes away from Earth, what you see is actually what the Sun was doing eight minutes earlier. Mark Devlin and his crew are operating under a super-sized version of that premise: By observing galaxies that reside thousands of light years away — and, as such, give us snapshots right now of their distant pasts — the crew hopes to gain insight into the formation of our own galaxy. It isn’t exactly time travel, but it’s in the ballpark, and to hear Devlin and his crew describe the concept, the possibilities are pretty awesome. Now if only they could launch the stupid telescope, everything would be just fine. “Blast!” explains the science behind and ambitions of Devlin’s endeavor, but more than that, the documentary is about the crew itself — in particular, its struggles with logistical setbacks, launch delays, losing expensive equipment and spending more time than anticipated away from loved ones while hopping from continent to continent. The actual results of the experiment will have to wait for another movie, but as a picture of grassroots ingenuity, “Blast!” is terrific fun. Putting any face at all on such an ambitious scientific experiment is feat enough, but giving us this level of access — and revealing just how small and normal this group of explorers really is — is a real treat.
Extras: Additional scenes (with a visit from Werner Herzog).

Barney’s Version (R, 2010, Sony Pictures Classics)
To look at and listen to fictitious wealthy producer Barney Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is to see an obnoxious, disloyal, unattractive schmuck who should be lucky to have any romance, much less multiple wives, much less a movie that encapsulates three decades of his life.
But even if we cannot fathom a marriage to or even friendship with Panofsky, the poor judgment of others would still be worthwhile fodder if “Barney’s Version” saw its subject with the same objective eyes with which we see him. For a while, it does, and what takes shape is a darkly amusing faux-biopic of a man who, even in his version of his life’s story, is almost wholly contemptible. The comic contemptibility is such that when “Version” occasionally breaks and asks for a pinch of sympathy for Barney, it’s easy to oblige for just a moment. But 30 years is a lot of time for 134 minutes to cover, and “Version” makes some unfortunate turns of face in the interest of time. The movie’s homestretch smothers numerous loose ends, replaces the breezy energy with a syrupy straight face, and practically holds its hands out for Oscars, Golden Globes and whatever other awards a good emotional swell can garner. The maneuver paid off for Giamatti, who won a Globe for his trouble, but it makes for a movie that isn’t all it could have been. Rosamund Pike, Dustin Hoffman, Rachelle Lefevre and Minnie Driver, among others, also star.
Extras: Writer/director/producer commentary, interviews, behind-the-scenes feature, red carpet footage.

Beastly (PG-13, 2011, Sony Pictures)
Uberpopular high school student and narcissistic pretty boy Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) has never been shy about putting down others in the name of his own vanity. But when he wakes up under a curse that leaves him hairless, scarred and inked in all the wrong ways, crossing the school’s unpopular but supremely gifted witchcraft guru (Mary-Kate Olsen) sure seems like a step too far. The only w
ay to break the curse? Lose the attitude, develop some redeeming qualities beneath the skin level, and persuade a girl to love him for who he is on the inside. Easier said than done — or, you know, maybe not. As entertainment goes, “Beastly” is considerably more enjoyable than your average vapid teen movie, thanks largely to a clever script and a perfectly-cast Neil Patrick Harris as the Obi-Wan to Kyle’s Luke. Just don’t make the mistake of looking too hard behind that witty facade, because what you’ll find is a story that’s distressingly neat and more concerned with fulfilling its parable than really challenging its main character. “Beastly’s” second half just sort of falls into place, and it cuts a lot of difficult corners to reach its predictable destination. Even if you see the end coming, and even if you don’t mind that “Beastly” goes there, the speed and ease with which it arrives may still catch you by surprise. Vanessa Hudgens also stars.
Extras: Alternate ending, deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features, music video.

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (NR, 2009, IFC Films)
How to explain “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man?” There really is no good way, and if you read even a blatheringly positive review that doesn’t cop to its general lack of cohesion, that reviewer is isn’t being totally honest. Skeletally speaking, “Tetsuo’s” plot is pretty simple: A man (Eric Bossick as Anthony) watches a car intentionally run down his young son, and the resulting anger is so acute that it alters his body chemistry. Specifically, it transforms him into a human gatling gun — part man, part metal, and capable of spraying bullets from his body at a ridiculous clip. “Tetsuo” lucidly explains how this is possible. But those moments of clarity are fleeting and essentially punctuate long stretches where “Tetsuo” absolutely loses its mind. The loud, violent, screeching and mostly dialogue-free insanity provides “Tetsuo” the means it needs to pad the threadbare story without giving it much color at all, and whatever word you have for it — pretentious, noisy, amateurish, self-indulgent — cannot possibly be dismissed as a wrong answer. You might even call it brilliant — a fiercely original, show-me-don’t-tell-me portrait of rage and grief run frightfully amok. Just be prepared to explain your answer if that’s the path you take, because “Tetsuo” sure doesn’t make appreciation come easy. No extras.

Worth a Mention
— “The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Edition” Blu-ray (PG-13, New Line Cinema): If you’re keeping score, or attempting to, this would mark the umpteen hundred thousandth time New Line has released these “Lord of the Rings” movies in some kind of home video format. This time, though, the studio seems to really mean it. The picture quality gets the Blu-ray bump for the second time, but this time the extended editions are included instead of the theatrical versions, which inexplicably comprised last year’s Blu-ray trilogy. The 15-disc set includes just about every previously-released special feature of import, including the behind-the-scenes documentaries and commentaries from the 2004 DVD set and the Costa Botes documentaries from the 2006 set, as well as digital copies of all three films. If you’ve been holding out for the optimal “LOTR” home theater experience, your patience has been rewarded. (For now.)
— New Scholastic Storybook Treasures releases: Scholastic continues to churn out its terrific Storybook Treasures compilations with two new releases. “Good Night Gorilla … and more wacky animal adventures” includes 16 stories, including “Danny and the Dinosaur” and “Happy Birthday, Moon.” “I’m Dirty! & I Stink!,” meanwhile, compiles 12 stories and employs the voices of Andy Richter, Forest Whitaker and Steve Buscemi, among others. Though a couple of stories in the latter compilation do indeed deal with filthiness, the majority of the collection (“Arnie the Doughnut,” “Johnny Appleseed” and “The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle,” among others) keeps it from becoming too much of a theme. Both sets include read-along functionality and interviews with a few of the stories’ authors or illustrators.

Cedar Rapids (NR, 2011, Fox)
If the 40-year-old virgin had a brother, he might look a little something like Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), a small-town insurance salesman who works in the shadow of his co-workers, has a degree from the Ned Flanders Academy of Sheltered Living, and is “pre-engaged” (his words) via promise ring to a woman — his former schoolteacher (Sigourney Weaver) — who just got divorced and just wants to have fun. A change of fortune affords Tim the chance to ride his first airplane and descend on the annual regional insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, where he runs into a trio of significantly less sheltered insurance people (John C. Reilly, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Anne Heche) and kicks off a coming-of-age journey that’s better enjoyed late than never. “Cedar Rapids” surfs a weird timeline that makes it as much a movie about insurance sales as it is about Tim Lippe. But the way it mixes the two — and the similar way it allows a stupidly funny scene to credibly co-exist with something legitimately sweet in the next (or even same) scene — makes this the first movie you ever see that will make you care (however briefly) about the politics of insurance conventions. And if not, no worries: Those funny scenes are truly funny, Helms is masterfully sheltered as Tim, and Reilly plays out of his mind as the convention’s resident sleazebag. Alia Shawkat, Stephen Root and Kurtwood Smith, among others, also star.
Extras: Deleted scenes, three behind-the-scenes features, bloopers, Top Notch Insurance commercial.

Louie: The Complete First Season (NR, 2010, Fox)
Louis C.K. has tried this standup-comedian-gets-a-sitcom thing before, and a quick glance at his newest attempt might leave one with the impression that he isn’t going to put his back into it this time. A typical 22-minute episode of “Louie” fits in two separate storylines and glues them together with standup footage that may not necessarily be related to the subjects of the storylines. Sometimes, you’ll see a standup joke from an earlier episode repeat itself in a later episode. Even the theme song, which simply croons “Louie” repeatedly until the very last line, feels like it was probably written during a bathroom break. But all any of this really does is complement a show that, more than anything, is about a 42-year-old guy who is divorced, feels old, looks defeated and will repeatedly remind you that no year in his future can possibly be better than the ones in his past. So really, why break a sweat? Fortunately, the notion that “Louie” mails it in is, as it relates to the actual quality of the show, completely illusory. The stories, though short, ring true at worst and are extremely funny at best, and Louie’s standup is so funny that even a repeated joke is good for a fresh laugh. Even if it’s trite by now for a standup to get his own show, the thin line C.K. cuts between fact and fiction makes this one pretty special.
Contents: 13 episodes, plus commentary, deleted/extended scenes, behind-the-scenes feature.

Unknown (PG-13, 2011, Warner Bros.)
Ready for something new in the “guy gets into accident and can’t remember who he is upon waking” genre? Try this out: Four days after Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) nearly drowns in a taxi that careens into a river, he wakes up remembering not only who he is, but who his wife (January Jones) is, why they’re in Berlin together and even the name of his hotel suite. Problem is, nobody believes him — and that includes his wife and another man (Aidan Quinn) whom everyone believes is the real Martin. That leaves Martin wondering if he’s gone insane … but has he? This being (a) a movie and (b) a thriller that sets a foreboding tone almost immediately, of course not. Fortunately, “Unknown” eventually reveals a pretty good explanation. And if you think you know what it is — and, roughly halfway through, the movie’s hand seems all but shown — there’s a good chance you’ll be happy to know you guessed wrong. “Unknown’s” second half initially appears on a collision course with cliche, albeit with methods (a great car chase and some terrific introductions of what otherwise might be bland role-players with predictable intentions) that somewhat cushion the disappointment. When the big reveal flies in, though, it does so in the best way possible — as a legitimate surprise for many, but a logical one that closes some plausibility holes that were starting to plague the story. That it builds to a rather simple conclusion is disappointing, but by that point, “Unknown” has done enough right to offset even this arguable wrong.
Extra: Deleted/extended scenes.

The Adjustment Bureau (PG-13, 2011, Universal)
Aspiring politician David Norris (Matt Damon) is moments removed from a losing election when he meets Elise (Emily Blunt) in the nearest men’s room. The chance encounter leads to feelings that inspire one spectacularly candid (and very popular) concession speech. That, in turn, creates some serious headaches for the Adjustment Bureau, an ultra-secret group of god-like string-pullers who look like normal Joes but secretly write the script for what we mistakenly perceive to be our own free will. A happy ending for David and Elise means an unhappy end for the aspirations the Bureau has for David, and when David stumbles into the revelation of their existence, the headache becomes a migraine. Too bad “The Adjustment Bureau” only has a couple hours and not a couple seasons to play this all out. David’s discovery uncorks some seriously cool ideas that come alive in some visually awesome ways without going overboard with effects. But because “Bureau” hinges on what essentially is a love story, it’s obligated to rush things along and give neither the science fiction nor the love story their full profound due. A ton of really compelling questions are left unanswered in the interest of time, and even though “Bureau” ends things on a reasonably satisfying note, it still feels slightly like a cop-out simply because the final revelation isn’t able to play itself out as elaborately as it so clearly could. The result still makes for a fun movie, but it’s impossible to ignore the potential that goes unused in this medium.
Extras: Writer/director commentary, deleted/extended scenes, three behind-the-scenes features.

The Glades: The Complete First Season (NR, 2010, Fox)
We don’t immediately know what Jim Longworth (Matt Passmore) specifically did to lose his job as a Chicago homicide detective, but it happened, and if he harbored any hopes for an easier life at his new post in Florida, a tide of murders have washed that away. Just don’t expect Jim to get too bent out of shape about it, because if “The Glades” has a characteristic that sets it apart from the pile of police procedurals already on television, it’s the near-constant smile on his face and the wave after wave of pleasantly smarmy words that pour out of his mouth. Jim’s happy-go-luckiness is pervasive to the occasional point of irritating, though fortunately, it’s more an irritant to his co-workers, suspects and love interests, who do a excellent job of providing foil service and keeping the show balanced enough to avoid smug overload. As the cases go, “The Glades” delivers: It doesn’t blaze amazing new trails, but it uses its setting well, and it sets a great pace with a nice twist in the very first episode. Mostly, though, it provides the necessary playground for Passmore and his co-stars, who grow on you as characters and give the show a fun quality that doesn’t undermine the police work. If you’ve developed a case of grim police procedure fatigue but don’t want to abandon the genre entirely, the balance this one strikes between casework and comedy makes for an excellent antidote.
Contents: 13 episodes, plus commentary, deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features and bloopers.

< strong>Happythankyoumoreplease (R, 2010, Anchor Bay)
Well into “Happythankyoumoreplease,” a character makes the apt assertion to writer Sam (Josh Radnor) that, just as he enjoys writing short stories instead of novels, he is better equipped to cope with life when it’s doled out in similar fashion. As it happens, that’s a pretty apt strike against “Happythankyoumoreplease,” even though it’s entirely possible the short story metaphor was intentional here as well. “Happythankyoumoreplease” isn’t just about Sam: It’s also about Sam’s sick friend Annie (Malin Akerman) and the socially awkward co-worker (Tony Hale) who takes a liking to her, as well as Sam’s other friend Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan), who faces the prospect of leaving New York if she wishes to stay with her boyfriend (Pablo Schreiber) and help him follow his dreams in Los Angeles. Even Sam’s portion of the movie comes divided: There’s a girl (Kate Mara), of course, but there’s also a kid (Michael Algieri) who Sam finds abandoned on the subway and is determined to help in the clumsiest way imaginable. “Happythankyoumoreplease” is, by and large, good at telling everybody’s story and giving everyone a personality that elevates them beyond simple plot placeholders. But the divided attention keeps some stories from venturing too far beyond predictability, while the ones that do make it end a little too neatly. It’s a nice collection of nice stories, but one wonders what the powers that be could’ve done with fewer characters and more attention to spread around.
Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature.

Bending All the Rules (R, 2002, Lions Gate)
Bradley Cooper is kind of a big deal these days, and it’s almost certainly for that reason that “Bending All the Rules” — a long-lost 2002 movie formerly more cleverly known as “carnival knowledge” — has resurfaced. No other explanation would really fly. “Rules” is the story of Kenna (Colleen Porch), an aspiring photographer/current cocktail waitress with a checkered past as a philandering carnival worker’s daughter. She’s currently balancing two love interests at once, and in addition to being diametric opposites, Jeff (Cooper) and Martin (David Gail) are fully aware of each other and where everything stands. As you might guess, Kenna’s past plays a role in her present, and “Rules” tries to balance some extremely light romantic comedy with a collection of flashbacks designed to give depth to Kenna’s character. Problem is, even with all the filling in, there’s little about her that makes her very likable or separates her from the millions of other aspiring photographers/emotional opportunists we’ve already met in the movies. Jeff and Martin come off as similarly vapid, and “Rules,” with acting that grows startlingly flat as time ticks away and a script that mostly goes nowhere before wrapping things up with some wincingly bad preaching on behalf of a narrating Kenna, is completely ill-equipped to right the ship. No extras.

Worth a Mention
— “Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One” (NR, 1993, Shout Factory): Shout Factory’s karma-generating revival of 1990s Nickelodeon cartoons continues with this arguable classic about a wallaby named Rocko, who has emigrated from Australia to America and, along with his dim but loyal canine buddy Spunky, must overcome one seriously tall order of culture shock. Includes 13 episodes, no extras.
— Other Shout stuff: The studio’s retro B-movie double-feature bender continues with “Giant Robot Action Pack” (which includes “Robot Wars” and “Crash and Burn”), “Wild West Collection” (“Rio Conchos,” “Take a Hard Ride”), “Action-Packed Double Feature” (“Gordon’s War” and “Off Limits,” with commentaries on both), and the three-film “The Women in Cages Collection,” which includes Roger Corman’s “The Big Bird Cage,” “Big Doll House” and “Women in Cages.” The “Cages” set also includes a new behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of “House,” director commentaries on “House” and “Bird,” and various promotional spots. Shout also has released standalone DVDs for the “Gunslinger” and “Hamlet” episodes of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” though these are available only at ShoutFactoryStore.com. Neither includes extras beyond the original episodes.
— “Squidbillies: Volume Four” (NR, 2010, Adult Swim): It may be one of the more polarizing shows on Adult Swim, which is really saying something when you consider how good that network is at bear-hugging the thin line between uncaged brilliance and complete stupidity. But in spite of its ability to so thoroughly repulse people, and also perhaps because of it, the odyssey of a mean-spirited family of trucker hat-wearing squids keeps rolling along, with more episodes on the way this year. Includes 10 episodes, plus Dragon*Con 2010 footage, a new round of Funny Pete Stuff, two behind-the-scenes features, footage from Dougal County Ink-Off 2009 and various bits of art, music and promotional stuff.

36th Precinct (NR, 2004, Palisades Tartan)
A single gang of thieves has run up the score on the Paris police force, piling up seven robberies and nine kills and leaving the cops with little more than a few leads to show for their effort. When all other methods fail, two lieutenants (Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu as Léo Vrinks and Denis Klein, respectively) receive the ultimate carrot on a stick: Whoever stops the gang first gets to be the next chief of police. As you might guess, the two cops’ methods and means differ, which feeds into a rivalry that was visibly contentious before and now looks ready to blow at the first sign of a lit match. But “36th Precinct’s” best trick is the way it uses Denis and Léo’s not-quite-common enemy to really mess things up. The crooks and the cops share ties that aren’t terribly neat, and those ties don’t necessarily fall in line with everything else you know about our two lieutenants. “Precinct” sets its story over several years instead of weeks or months, and it fills that timeline with enough developments (some predictable, some surprising, but almost all some degree of satisfying) to make the final scene feel like the end of a great television series run instead of a feature-length movie. It’s inevitable almost from the start how “Precinct’s” final scene will at least partly look, but that doesn’t make it any less engrossing when we finally get there. In French with English subtitles, but an English dub is available.
Extras: Half-hour making-of documentary, two additional behind-the-scenes features, director interview.

How to Fold a Flag (NR, 2009, Virgil Films)
At this point, it’s unreasonable to praise or pan “How to Fold a Flag” as a movie in a vacuum. Rather, “Flag” is part of a larger collage, the latest collection of stories about Iraq veterans and what happens to them when they return home from their service. As vertical slices go, the four that comprise “Flag” are potent (and surprisingly diverse) examples of the frustrating cycle that ensnares many soldiers as they return to a life of little money, few means, few prosperous avenues and an alarming amount of baggage to overcome en route to some kind of normalcy. As you might guess, “Flag” sometimes gets a little political and sometimes reaches for arguable generalizations to make its points. But because “Flag” removes narrators and storytellers from the production and leaves the entirety of the speaking to its subjects and their loved ones, it can get away with (and even justify) that. And while the overriding themes expressed here have been expressed elsewhere by numerous media that tackled the same subject, there’s no such thing as a story with too many perspectives when those perspectives are borne out of first-person accounts. Even if you’ve heard it all before and even if you don’t believe all that you’ve heard, there’s gravity in a person telling the story of his own downfall while cameras indiscriminately roll and untold numbers of people watch. No extras.

Monogamy (NR, 2010, Oscilloscope)
You’ve seen stories about married couples — perhaps even ones you know — who struggle with the encroaching fear that all the excitement and mystery life has to offer them has passed them by. But what about a couple that has yet to even swap vows? That’s the story with Nat (Rashida Jones) and Theo (Chris Messina), who are rather happily engaged as “Monogamy” kicks off but slowly let the cracks show as the minutes tick by. Theo lets his doubts shine in through a weird curiosity about (some might say obsession with) a client (Meital Dohan) he meets in his work as a photographer. His curiosity leads to Nat’s insecurity, which leads to curiosities of her own, and when you throw in a film-wide theme about misfired tact and misplaced intimacy, we suddenly find ourselves in trouble here. As portrayals of growing commitmentphobia go, “Monogamy” ventures a bit overboard, delving a little too willingly in light melodrama that mushrooms out of proportion with what’s happening on screen. But the alignment is never so off as to feel outrageous, so “Monogamy” plays more like an exaggerated but still plausible dramatization than something completely incredible. Given the way it stays grounded in some kind of authenticity without ever growing dull — and given how few movies in this space can hold that note without losing it and going on tilt — that’s probably as good a balance as can be expected.
Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes, music video, copy of the screenplay.

Battle: Los Angeles (PG-13, 2011, Sony Pictures)
Honestly, what is there to say? If you’ve seen even a single commercial for “Battle: Los Angeles,” and have any reasonable gift of perception, you would be rock-hard-pressed to be surprised by anything that happens in the 115 minutes not shown in that ad. Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) has just been given his retirement papers. Unfortunately, he’s getting them just as a cluster of what appears to be meteors lands off the coast of Los Angeles and reveals itself to be an invading alien force bent on colonizing the planet. So Michael’s back in battle — which is a problem for some of his underlings, who don’t trust him because of a prior failed mission that, even with the specifics left out, clearly left a few soldiers dead on his watch. At this point, “Battle’s” hand is too deep in the cliche cookie jar to come loose, and what follows is a roll call of themes, characters and twists you’ve seen in action movies and parodies of action movies alike. In “Battle’s” defense, it’s never offensively bad, and it never punishes you with obnoxious baditude or cloying cheesiness. Additionally, the action scenes at least look like real action with real people in real environments instead of excessively rendered computer graphics faux-pulverizing each other. Perhaps if that action served a story with something to say, it’d make for a pretty arresting show. But “Battle,” which is perfectly content to meet standards in every way and exceed them in precisely none, has no such aspirations.
Extras: 19 behind-the-scenes features (most only available on the Blu-ray), demo for “Resistance 3” for Playstation 3 (Blu-ray only).

Hall Pass: Enlarged Edition (R, 2011, Warner Bros.)
Rick (Owen Wilson) has committed yet another act of stupidity that, while fairly benign, has added more ammo to wife Maggie’s (Jenna Fischer) belief that he’s just a little too wistful for his days as a single, free man. On the advice of a friend, Maggie decides to grant Rick a hall pass — one week off of marriage, with no strings attached. Rick’s friend Fred (Jason Sudeikis) gets the same deal from wife Grace (Christina Applegate), and off we go into an adventure that pulls off the tricky feat of being totally implausible and rather predictably dull at the same time. “Hall Pass” never becomes hard to watch, and there are some funny moments here and there. But when a post-credit roll scene involving a barely-used supporting character (Stephen Merchant) is the movie’s funniest scene by 10 lengths, something’s wrong. “Pass” twists exactly how you expect it to twist, its jokes rarely aim much higher, and a plot idea with endless comic potential finds itself stuck inside what may as well be a not-so-special episode of an elongated sitcom.
Extras: Extended cut of the film, deleted scenes, bloopers.

Worth a Mention
— “Jackass 3.5: The Unrated Movie” (NR, 2011, Paramount): Like they did with “Jackass 2.5,” the gang knows better than to leave “Jackass 3’s” too-hot-for-the-MPAA bits on the cutting room floor. Instead, “Jackass 3.5” rounds up those scenes and builds a whole new movie out of them. It would have been awesome, of course, if “3.5’s” scenes were included as part of the “Jackass 3” DVD’s bonus content. But it’s a
feature-length (84 minutes) movie and includes its own bonus content (deleted scenes, outtakes, European tour footage and a behind-the-scenes feature), so it earns its keep as a standalone product.
— “Midnight Movie: The Killer Cut” (R, 2008, Bigfoot Ascendant): The cult 2008 movie, about a midnight movie house that comes under attack when the killer from the film its playing comes out of the screen to terrorize the patrons, gets the director’s cut treatment and then some — enhanced visuals, undeleted scenes, extended scenes and all. If you’ve never seen (or, understandably, never heard of) one of 2008’s better horror films, this is a terrific way to rectify that. Other extras include director commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes and five behind-the-scenes features.

True Grit (PG-13, 2010, Paramount)
Conventional wisdom would suggest it takes guts to dare remake a Hollywood classic, but considering how often it happens and how unapologetically horrible most attempts turn out, that can’t possibly be true. Sure enough, there’s nothing innately dangerous about “True Grit,” which quite comfortably adopts the plot, characters and overall disposition of the 1968 novel — and, to a lesser point, the 1969 John Wayne movie — without rocking any boats. But that’s precisely why this shines where others stain. “Grit” doesn’t take extreme liberty with its source material, but instead culls material from the book — in particular, giving 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) her complete due as the catalyst in this hunt for her father’s killer — the original movie sometimes marginalized. That, along with a reverence for the book’s sense of humor, give this “Grit” a voice of its own that never sets foot into the realm of alienation. Instead of changing the story, the movie lets its cast shine en route to giving old characters new life. Jeff Bridges was born to play Rooster Cogburn, but that doesn’t mean Mattie and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) can’t steal a scene or three as absolutely perfect foils. And when we finally meet the object of Mattie’s revenge (Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney), the moment is terrifically tense despite resembling what otherwise might be mistaken as a clever exchange of pleasantries. “Grit” continually toes the line between tribute and reinvention simply by staying true to its original reasons for being, and where most cowardly remakes are panned, ignored and deservedly forgotten, this one belongs right alongside all that paved its way.
Extras: Seven behind-the-scenes features.

American: The Bill Hicks Story (NR, 2011, BBC)
If you’ve merely heard of Bill Hicks but have never seen a firsthand demonstration of why so many consider him the best standup comedian ever to hold a microphone, put down this DVD and pick up “Sane Man” first. Once you’ve seen that, though, by all means return to this. “American: The Bill Hicks Story” is exactly what it purports to be — a look at the life of a spectacularly outspoken comedian who started young, found his following in a most unlikely place, and died way too young and while in the prime of a career that should still be thriving today. That’s all it needs to be, too, because Hicks’ short life is a hilarious, infuriating and extremely life-affirming tale that tells itself. “American” provides a complement of interviews with friends, family and contemporaries and mixes in a wild range of performance footage (along with some other surprising storytelling methods) to tell an extremely lively story. It’s an unconventional example of a life well-lived, but it’s an extremely powerful (and often very funny) one that — whether you’re a fan of Hicks or a complete stranger to his work — should not be missed.
Extras: Three hours’ worth of extended interviews, bonus footage of Hicks on stage, Hicks audio journal recordings, deleted/alternate scenes, outtakes, SXSW panel with Hicks’ friends, film festival footage with Hicks’ family and a handful of short features about or including Hicks.

In Her Skin (NR, 2009, IFC Films)
“In Her Skin,” the based-on-a-true-story dramatization of one jealous girl’s (Ruth Bradley as Caroline) abduction of a girl (Kate Bell as Rachel) who personifies the ideal she can never achieve, hits the melodramatic ground in a full sprint. It opens under such a heavy cloud, in fact, that for a fleeting moment, you might convince yourself that you accidentally started the film at the halfway point. But there’s a method to “Skin’s” madness, and once it becomes clear how uncomfortably intimate we’re about to get with Rachel and especially Caroline, the process — dueling timelines that focus on the who more than the what, how or why — easily justifies the unusual opening mood. With that said, come prepared, because “Skin” only gets crazier once it gets going. Caroline’s abduction of Rachel is stomach-turning in its own right — additionally so because it’s based on true events — but it’s her screeching hatred of herself that provides “Skin” with its most uncomfortable moments. Guy Pearce, Miranda Otto and Sam Neill also star.
Extras: Deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes feature.

The Big C: The Complete First Season (NR, 2010, Sony Pictures)
“The Big C” isn’t just a cute title for a half-hour show about a woman (Laura Linney as Cathy) who discovers she has Stage 4 melanoma and has, until now, wasted too much of her life being a boring wife to Paul (Oliver Platt), a boring mom to Adam (Gabriel Basso) and a boring teacher, neighbor and sister to the rest of the show’s supporting cast (Gabourey Sidibe, Phyllis Somerville, John Benjamin Hickey). Rather, the name’s a harbinger. Most visibly, it’s a wink at Cathy’s refusal to break the news to anyone, family included, who doesn’t find out the hard way. But “C” adopts Cathy’s excessive discretion by regularly misplacing the subject of her illness amid a riptide of subplots involving her mid-life crisis, the adventures on which that crisis sends her, and a cavalcade of slightly to severely unhinged supporting characters. That adds up to a fun show that doesn’t need to preach to make its point about living life while you can. On the other hand, there’s a certain assumed responsibility when your show even implies cancer in its title, and if you walk away from “C” feeling alienated and frustrated by its sidestepping instead of entertained or lifted by its message, no explanation would be necessary.
Contents: 13 episodes, plus deleted scenes, outtakes, cast interviews and a behind-the-scenes feature.

Rubber (R, 2009, Magnet/Magnolia)
Even if “Rubber’s” first scene isn’t its best scene — and one could make an effortlessly strong argument that it is — its value cannot be overstated. It’s during this scene in which Lieutenant Chadh (Stephen Spinella) addresses the audience — which, in addition to you, is a literal audience of people watching what they view as a live movie playing before them — and explains how many of history’s greatest movies hinge on events that happen for no reason. It’s something to keep in mind while witnessing “Rubber,” which is about a tire (named Robert!) who comes alive, discovers he has telekinetic powers, and uses them to destroy all who get between him and the woman (Roxane Mesquida) of his desire. “Rubber” plays this with something of a straight face, but as the first scene and weird semi-presence of a not-quite fourth wall imply, it simultaneously recognizes how silly the whole thing is. The upshot, though, is that the line between straight face and wink are blurred into oblivion. “Rubber” jumps freely between perspectives — so much so that its characters are sometimes as confused as viewers are likely to be — and it’s kind of up to you to fill those lines in. Some will happily play along just to see where “Rubber” goes, while others will (very understandably) see the whole thing as an incredibly stupid instance of what must be an inside joke-turned-feature film. The varying mileage makes “Rubber” impossible to flatly recommend or pan, but this much is clear: In a summer full of sequels and rehashes, nothing that awaits you is quite like this.
Extras: Interviews, behind-the-scenes feature, camera test footage.

Nice Guy Johnny (NR, 2010, FilmBuff)
If you’ve ever been penalized for being too nice and can’t understand why, do yourself a favor and watch “Nice Guy Johnny.” “Johnny” is the story of Johnny Rizzo (Matt Bush), an engaged 25-year-old who is plugging away as a small-time Oakland radio talk show host while dreaming of making it big as a broadcaster. His fiance (Anna Wood), however, would rather he give up the dream and take a better-paying but soul-draining job through her father. Johnny acquiesces and visits New York for an interview, but precedes that with a visit to Uncle Terry (Ed Burns), an aging playboy who wants to be the Emperor Palpatine to Johnny’s Anakin Skywalker. Does any of this sound familiar? It should: Between its characters, what happens next and what happens last, “Johnny” dives into the bowl of coming-of-age movie cliches like a puppy at dinnertime. That’s troubling, and it’s made worse by the presence of Terry, who isn’t even likable on a pitiful, ironic or devil’s advocate level. But “Johnny’s” killing blow is Johnny himself, whose calling is as a doormat instead of a broadcaster. And as the “aw shucks, come on guys” attitude hurtles from endearing to tolerable to grating at a neck-breaking pace, the perils of overdoing it — even in the area of agreeability — become powerfully clear.
Extras: Burns commentary (he also wrote and directed), deleted/extended scenes, casting footage, Burns interview.

Worth a Mention
— “The Superman Motion Picture Anthology: 1978-2006” (PG/PG-13, Warner Bros.): We’re knocking on the door of yet another crack at a “Superman” feature film, so here’s hoping the powers that be study this Blu-ray set, which includes both the highlights and lowlights of the Man of Steel’s film offerings to this point. In addition to theatrical cuts of the four Christopher Reeve films and the somewhat unfortunate 2006 reboot, this set includes the Richard Donner Cut of “Superman II” and the expanded edition of the first movie. Also included: Three documentaries (“Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman,” “The Science of Superman,” “You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman”), a “Superman” television pilot, the 1951 George Reeves theatrical feature “Superman and the Mole-Men,” eight 1940s Famous Studios “Superman” cartoons, and a metric ton of extras (commentaries, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features and archival footage) that originally appeared on these films’ standalone DVD releases.
— “Handmade Films Collection: Michael Palin” and “Handmade Films Collection: Bob Hoskins” (NR, Image Entertainment): Why should the same old studios and the same old actors always get the same old anthologies? Handmade Studios — an outfit founded in the name of giving influential independent British films their proper due — has other ideas. Bob Hoskins’ collection includes four films (“The Long Good Friday,” “Mona Lisa,” “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne” and “The Raggedy Rawney”), while “Monty Python” alum Michael Palin gets a trio (“Time Bandits,” “The Missionary” and “A Private Function”).

Biutiful (R, 2010, Lions Gate)
Nothing brings life’s loose ends to light like being told you have only months left to tie them together. But that’s the reality for terminally ill Uxbal (Javier Bardem), whose ends — two young children (Guillermo Estrella and Hanaa Bouchaib) to feed, an estranged wife and unfit mother (Maricel Álvarez) who wears him out faster than his illness can, a not-quite-above-board “profession” of helping (for a cut) undocumented immigrants get work with unscrupulous employers — aren’t merely loose so much as split, frayed and as erratic as an unmanned garden hose firing at full blast. “Biutiful,” by comparison, is significantly more in control — able to convey both Uxbal’s pains and epiphanies with an expertly effective mix of poignancy and subtlety. Surprisingly, it pays similar respect, with similar skill, to the kids and other characters — and not just the major ones whose development is to be expected. At 147 minutes, “Biutiful” isn’t short, and the sheer number of scenes that show more than tell may be to the movie’s detriment if you lack its patience. But the words left unsaid have as much effect as those we hear when a movie is this good at conveying emotion that’s unmistakable but never brazen. “Biutiful” starts strong, it stays strong, it takes viewers on one seriously intimate journey, and it closes things out with one of the best instances of coming full circle that you’ll ever see. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Extras: Two behind-the-scenes features, interviews.

Drive Angry (R, 2011, Summit Entertainment)
Say what you want about Nicolas Cage, his range and the mannerisms that occasionally turn him into a human cartoon character. If “Drive Angry” is any barometer, he at least appears to get the joke. Conceptually, “Angry” is both simple and deliriously scattered — simple in that it’s just a story about a dad (Cage as Milton) bent on avenging his daughter’s murder and rescuing his granddaughter, but scattered insofar that Milton’s undead, his enemies (William Fichtner, Billy Burke) are undead, and the mission coincides with the potential advent of a literal Hell on Earth. The contradiction trickles down to the execution, which finds “Angry” alternately mixing fundamentally raw action, supernatural powers and some absurdly, darkly comic attempts to combine the two and lob curveballs whenever possible. By the standards set forth by the checklist of staid movie criticism, it’s an awful mess. But “Angry” carouses in its awfulness with a spirit that’s beautifully true to the Grindhouse method, and it doesn’t deserve to lose points simply because it doesn’t sprinkle in phony film artifacts and make the whole thing obnoxiously self-aware. If it’s OK to love those movies, then there is no crime in reveling in “Angry’s” revelry. And if you don’t like Cage so much? It doesn’t matter, because Fichtner, and his ability to steal a scene with nothing more than a twitch, is the real star attraction here.
Extras: Writers/director commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature, a montage of Milton’s greatest hits (complete with scoreboard).

Undertow (NR, 2009, Wolfe Video)
You’ve likely heard a story before that sounds somewhat like that of fisherman Miguel (Cristian Mercado), who is awaiting the birth of his first child with wife Mariela (Tatiana Astengo) while secretly carrying on a love affair with Santiago (Manolo Cardona). But things prove slightly more complicated when “Undertow” reveals just how small and gossipy this Peruvian seaside village is — to the point where “The Painter,” as Santiago is derisively known, is effectively the village leper because of his sexuality. But even that really is no match for what happens a half-hour into the proceedings. It won’t be spoiled here, but it changes the parameters considerably, and it transforms “Undertow” from a movie about uncomfortable secrets to something with enough gravity to leave its characters completely emotionally paralyzed. Though a slight suspension of disbelief is needed to go where “Undertow” wants to go, it isn’t an unreasonable request. For your trouble, the movie simultaneously tackles the themes you see coming and those you didn’t see coming with an enviable level of grace — nuanced without overstating its points, heavy without losing the smile it brought to its opening scenes, and flashing a heartfelt spirit that’s unquestionably genuine and never cloying. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Extras: Deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features, Mercado/Astengo interviews.

Never Apologize (NR, 2007, Warner Bros.)
“Never Apologize” is 111 uninterrupted minutes of actor Malcolm McDowell on stage telling stories. But this isn’t so much McDowell’s story as that of his relationship with director Lindsay Anderson, with whom he collaborated on “If…” and “O Lucky Man!,” among other projects. “Apologize’s” spartan production — some archive footage, but mostly just our emcee standing alone on a nearly bare stage — places the full sink-or-swim burden on McDowell’s back. But if you mostly know him from his work in character, this is a terrific opportunity to see him in a startlingly different light — humble, self-depreciating, heart-on-sleeve genuine, mournful, and as masterful at forming unforgettable sentences as he is at delivering them. “Apologize” is considerably better enjoyed by those familiar with McDowell, Anderson and especially the work they did together. But if you don’t count yourself amongst that crowd, know that this isn’t exclusively for them. Anyone who enjoys the process of writing, acting, creating or just reaching for a star and catching it will find some common ground in McDowell’s stories, which are as much an affirmation for dreamers and doers as they are a tribute to Anderson and all he did. No extras.

Passion Play (R, 2010, Image Entertainment)
Sometimes, a movie is best enjoyed for what it accidentally becomes rather than whatever it set out to be. That, somewhat unfortunately, is the only play “Passion Play” really has. “Play” tells the story of Lily (Megan Fox), who, depending on whom you ask, is either a real-life angel (biologically-attached wings and all) or nothing more than beautiful fodder for a carnival sideshow. The latter opinion belongs to two competing gangsters (Bill Murray and Rhys Ifans), while the former is the domain of Nate (Mickey Rourke), a washed-up jazz musician who falls for and sets out to rescue Lily almost from the moment he meets her. If a Rourke/Fox love story sounds weird, you don’t know the half of it. “Play” boldly wears its heart all over its sleeve and down its leg, but in terms of telling a story, it’s kind of a mess — a wholly straight-faced saga that’s chock full of melancholic music montages, thousand-mile stares and more self-indulgence than most can tolerate in the span of a single film. The cast plays the self-indulgent card to the nines, and between all the ham and the bizarre peaks and valleys the story ventures down en route to an ending that’s both crazy and predictable, there’s a lot about “Play” that’s easy to enjoy on some fascinating (and most likely ironic) level. There’s no way that’s what the filmmakers had in mind when they put it together, but if it has to completely miss the mark, at least it isn’t dull in doing so. No extras.

Worth a Mention
— More Malcolm: In addition to “Never Apologize,” Warner Bros. is celebrating the 40th birthday of “A Clockwork Orange” (R, 1971) with a new Anniversary Edition Blu-ray that includes a new 25-minute behind-the-scenes documentary and a new feature in which McDowell reflects on working with director Stanley Kubrick. The set also includes a digital copy of the film, three additional documentaries (“Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures,” “Still Tickin’: The Return of Clockwork Orange” a
nd “O Lucky Malcolm!”), commentary with McDowell and historian Nick Redman, and a shorter behind-the-scenes feature. It also comes bound like a book, with a 40-page photo booklet providing the set’s centerpiece.
— More Kubrick: And in addition to standalone “Clockwork Orange” set, Warner is releasing the nine-movie “Stanley Kubrick: Limited Edition Collection” on Blu-ray and DVD. Everything from the 40th Anniversary edition of “Orange” is included in this set, which also includes “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Full Metal Jacket,” “The Shining,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Spartacus” and the Blu-ray debuts of “Lolita” and “Barry Lyndon.” The set comes accompanied by (and packaged within) a 40-page book that explores Kubrick’s career in pictures.
— More reissuing: Albeit with less fanfare, Universal is releasing a special edition of “American Graffiti” (PG, 1973) that includes a remastered transfer, a new commentary by George Lucas and the feature-length “The Making of American Graffiti.”
— More false hope: Because it wouldn’t be spring without one, there’s a new documentary about the Chicago Cubs and the tortured fans who continue to root for them. “Chicago Cubs: The Heart & Soul of Chicago” (NR, 2011, Questar) won’t make you understand if you don’t already, but if you’re a fan, the roster of interviewees — the late Ron Santo, Kerry Wood, Dutchie Caray, Bob Costas, Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Corgan and more — is impressive. Extras include director commentary, a feature about the 1908 Cubs, footage of the Banks statue dedication and a Wood profile.