The week’s DVDs begin in a small Paris apartment:

20 August 2013 Boo Allen

DVDs for August 20 by Boo Allen

 

This week, we begin in a small apartment:

 

Amour (****)

This winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar, and nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, from director Michael Haneke is an uncompromising, often devastating examination of old age, ruined relationships, and lost dreams. Jean Louis Trintignant and Oscar-nominated Emmanuelle Riva play a married couple, George and Anne, who have been together for more years than either can remember. The seemingly healthy pair enjoys their senior status, indulging themselves in their lifelong love of music. But once Anne suffers a stroke, their existence deteriorates.  Eva (Isabelle Huppert), their frazzled daughter, can see that the two cannot take care of themselves despite their objections. Haneke does not flinch in revealing the sad state into which the couple falls. George fights the inevitable while tending to his wife, revealing that love maybe able to conquer everything but old age.

Rated PG-13, 127 minutes. The DVD includes a 25 minute “making of” featurette and a 39 minute question and answer session with Haneke and moderator Elvis Mitchell.

 

Scary Movie V (**)

These horror movie spoofs always work best when the viewer knows and recognizes the films being spoofed. For the initiated, this latest in the now worn series offers a few laughs. For others, however, laughs might prove elusive. The eclectic cast pokes fun at Black Swan, 127 Hours and many others in and out of the horror genre. Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan appear in the first bed-ridden five minutes or so before wisely leaving the scene. Eventually, their offspring are left to be raised by relatives (Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex) to horrific results. With Snoop Dogg, Katt Williams, Katrina Bowden, Kate Walsh, Mike Tyson, Heather Locklear and other luminaries.

Rated PG-13, 86 minutes. Also included are an unrated version of 88 minutes and eight deleted scenes.

 

Super Storm (**)

Syfy Channel movies have gained notoriety lately for various reasons, and this latest release proves representative of the over-the-top science fiction premises behind much of their output. Here, earth again finds itself in peril as an electric field on Jupiter, or something like that, causes havoc on earth in the forms of tornadoes and some gnarly looking electrical storms. Overall, it’s just plain bad weather. Thankfully, it looks like civilization can be saved, even if it comes from a teen’s science project. With Erica Cerra, Leah Cairns, David Sutcliffe, Luisa D’Oliveira.

Rated PG-13, 89 minutes.

 

Chihuahua Too

A family takes possession of a vacation home that has long been in the family. When they and their golden retriever, Homer, move in, they think it might be haunted by Sophie, a movie star chihuahua that once lived there. The kids, and Homer, discover that Sophie is actually alive, leading up to the obvious decisions for mom and dad.

Not rated, 80 minutes.

 

The Wheels on the Bus: Animal Adventure

In the four episodes of this children’s series, Papaya, the monkey, and Mango, the toucan, have new adventures, exploring exciting topics and making animal friends. Roger Daltry supplies the voice of Argon the Dragon.

Not rated, 45 minutes

 

And, finally, from this week’s TV releases:

 

The Captains Close Up With William Shatner

This five episode mini-series elaborates on the earlier documentary The Captains, in which William Shatner interviewed actors who have played Star Trek‘s Captain Kirk. Here, in each episode, Shatner goes deeper with Captains Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula. The results are surprisingly entertaining, proving, once again, that William Shatner loves being William Shatner.

Not rated, 150 minutes. The DVD also offers extra interviews with Shatner.

 

Revenge—second season

With a beautiful cast dressed in consistently stunning outfits, and with a Long Island ocean setting, this ABC night time soap opera always looks great and boasts plenty of high drama. Through this second season of a labyrinth plot filled with new characters, unlikely alliances form and surprising romances arise, both involving fresh faces. Emily (Emily Van Camp) continues to seek revenge on the dastardly Graysons, vampish Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) and sniveling Conrad (Henry Czerny), who declares his candidacy for New York governor. And Jack (Nick Wechsler) and Declan (Connor Paolo) discover they could possibly lose their father’s bar. The weekly intrigue becomes even more convoluted in this sophomore season. With Gabriel Mann, Josh Bowman, Christa B. Allen, Barry Sloane.

Rated TV PG DLSV, 946 minutes. The set also includes commentaries and deleted scenes on each of the five discs. Plus: bloopers and outtakes, a 15 minute featurette on the series’ sound elements, an eight minute featurette on Ashley Davenport’s (Ashley Madekwe) wardrobe, and a brief featurette on the upcoming book “Revenge School.”

 

Mike and Molly—season three

This breakout hit (which should be titled Molly and Mike) featuring a pair of deft comedians, Melissa McCarthy and Billy Gardell, is about a  plus-sized couple who find love with each other. This season, after the romance and eventual wedding, they honeymoon in Paris and then return home to their new status. Molly’s sister Victoria (Katy Mixon), mother Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz), and others help the couple adjust to married life. With Cleo King, Rondi Reed, Reno Wilson.

Not rated, 464 minutes. The set includes a gag reel.

 

Also on DVD: Epic, Evidence, Killing Season, Shadow Dancer.