The week’s DVDs begin with some baseball:
DVDs for August 28 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin right here in North Texas:
The Essential Games of the Texas Rangers:
Nolan Ryan’s Seventh No-Hitter, 1991; First post
season game, vs. the Yankees, 1996; Texas wins its first American
League pennant, vs. the Yankees, 2010; Texas wins second pennant, vs.
Detroit Tigers, 2011.
As the Texas Rangers close in on their third consecutive
divisional championship, the complete televised broadcasts of four
select games from their past have been boxed into this four disc set
by Major League Baseball and A&E Networks. The four will rekindle
fond memories for fans, including 44 year-old Nolan Ryan’s record
seventh no-hitter (against Toronto); the Rangers’ first post-season
game in 1996, against the Yankees; winning their first American
League pennant, 2010, against the Yankees; and winning their second
consecutive pennant, vs. the Detroit Tigers, 2011.
Not rated, 546 minutes.
One in the Chamber (**1/2)
This action-filled thriller stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as
The Fixer, a Bible-toting, Bible-quoting hit-man hired by one of two
feuding Eastern European mob families. When he botches a job in
picturesque Prague, the other side calls in The Wolf (Dolph
Lundgren), a masochistic killing machine who eventually faces off
against The Fixer. Meanwhile, the bad guys sit around chain-smoking,
speaking in whispers, and looking grim in this passable
entertainment.
Rated R, 91 minutes. The DVD, in various formats and
combo packs, also includes commentary and a ten minute “making of”
featurette.
Barack Obama: From His Childhood to the Presidency (***)
This brief bio-pic examines the high points of President
Obama’s eventful life, from his early days in Hawaii, and on to
Columbia and Harvard Universities, his early political days and his
community work.
Not rated, 47 minutes.
And now, something for the kids:
Pocahontas, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has packaged their two feature animated films
based on the famous American Indian figure, giving them a Blu-ray
debut with extra supplements. Pocahontas (1995, 81
minutes, rated G) won two Oscars, for Best Song, and Best Original
Score from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. It tells the well known
story of the title character (voiced by Irene Bedard) and Captain
John Smith (Mel Gibson). The unrated sequel Journey to a New
World (1998, 72 minutes) follows Pocahontas as she travels to
England. Among new supplements are a fascinating documentary on
Disney’s initial attempt to make a film on Hiawatha, which eventually
helped pave the way for Pocahontas. Plus: commentaries,
a deleted song, extra cartoons, deleted scenes, and more. Several
earlier supplements are also included, so check labels.
Looney Tunes: Mouse Chronicles—The Chuck Jones Collection
This two disc collection offers nineteen cartoons from
Chuck Jones, possibly animation’s greatest name not named Disney.
Twelve of the animated shorts feature once popular mouse Sniffles,
while the rodent comedy team of Hubie and Bertie are prominently
featured in the others.
Not rated, 145 minutes. The collection includes five
commentaries, a storyboard, 11 bonus Warner Brothers cartoons, and
the featurette “Of Mice and Pens.”
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
This once-popular 1992 animated feature makes its DVD
debut, telling the story of Babs (voice of Tress MacNeille) and
Buster Bunny (Charles Adler) and their white-water rafting trip.
Plucky Duck, Hampton Pig and Elmyra Duff also end up sharing the
adventure.
Not rated, 73 minutes.
Bob the Builder, Sam the Fireman and Angelina Ballerina make appearances this week:
Bob the Builder: The Ultimate Can-Do Crew Collection
Bob and friends return in ten new episodes along with
two bonus games. Not rated, 103 minutes.
Fireman Sam: Heroic Rescue Adventures
Sam and buddies Elvis, Penny, and Trevor return in these
seven episodes. Not rated, 55 minutes.
Angelina Ballerina: Dreams Do Come True—the movie
The dancing mouse joins Alice, Viki, Gracie, A.Z. and
others for a dance competition and more. Not rated, 56 minutes.
Includes an Angelina sing-and-dance game.
And, finally, from this week’s many TV releases:
Homeland—season one
This new series garnered universally positive reviews not only for Claire Danes’ performance but for an involving, twisting plot
filled with terror and menace. Danes plays Carrie Mathison, a C.I.A. agent/operative who fights to hide her mental problems while also
battling terrorism, particularly in the form of Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis). He has returned to the
U.S. after eight years as a prisoner of war, and Mathison believes him to have secretly turned into an Al Qaeda operative. The series revolves around the cat and mouse game of the two principals, all deftly orchestrated each week for maximum suspense. Mandy Patinkin plays Mathison’s beleagured CIA boss.
Not rated, 664 minutes. The collection of 12 episodes, including the pilot, on
three discs also holds commentary on the pilot, about eight minutes
of deleted scenes, a four minute peek at season two, and a
comprehensive 34 minute “making of” featurette “Under
Surveillance.”
Once Upon a Time—first season
After penning LOST, the febrile minds of Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis came up with the idea of this new
mega-hit ABC TV series. The 22 episodes, on five discs with
supplements on each, of this initial season showcase an imaginative
yet earthly fairy tale world. Characters from various tales assemble
in Storybrooke, Maine, a town inhabited by not only an Evil Queen
(Lana Parrilla), who is also the town’s mayor, but by an assortment
of classic storybook characters who take double identities, such as
Robert Carlyle appearing as Rumpelstiltskin, as well as the town’s
pawnbroker and most prosperous citizen. Innovative, colorful, and
filled with stellar special effects.
Rated TV-PG-LSV, 946 minutes. The collection also has
commentary, three minutes of bloopers, deleted scenes on each disc.
Plus: featurettes of around seven minutes each about “Fairy Tales
in the Modern World,” “Building Character,” and more. Ginnifer
Goodwin offers a tour of the set, and childhood memories of Snow
White are shared by the cast.
The Walking Dead—second season
TV’s creepiest zombies return along with a batch of
increasingly stressed-out “normals” in AMC’s popular horror
series. These 13 episodes, on four discs, pick up the group from last
year, as they flee Atlanta’s C.D.C., with Rick Grimes (Andrew
Lincoln) again leading the pack. But this year, he faces rebellion
from former partner Shane (Jon Bernthal) as the now fractious group
assembles on the grounds of a friendly farmer (Scott Wilson) and his
family.
Not rated, 600 minutes. The collection contains
bounteous extras, such as five commentaries, eight deleted scenes,
six webisodes, and eleven featurettes totaling more than an hour on
such topics as the music, the effects, the sound engineering, the
wardrobe, and more.
And, finally, A&E Networks releases a flavorful batch of reality series:
Dance Moms—season one
These 13 episodes, on four discs, of the new Lifetime
series showcase Abby Lee Miller, the owner and operator of
Pittsburgh’s Abby Lee Dance Company. She forcefully instructs her
young wards in dance while doting mothers look on—in fear. Not
rated, 546 minutes. The collection also contains additional footage
and a featurette on “The Most Outrageous Moments” from the
season.
Pawn Stars: Volume five
The three generations of Las Vegas’ Harrison family
still run Gold and Silver Pawn on the fringe of town. In this
offering of 16 episodes, on two discs, from seasons three and four,
the family lands the opportunity to uncover several possible jewels,
including an authentic Picasso. Not rated, 352 minutes.
American Pickers—volume four
Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz continue their quest for
undiscovered treasures in these eight episodes on two discs. In one
episode, William Shatner hires them for a special assignment.
Not rated, 356 minutes.
Also on DVD: Battleship, Darling Companion, Headhunters, Lovely Molly, The Lucky One.