New DVDs

Friday, November 28, 2008

New DVDs you can watch this weekend:

MARQUEE NAMES

· Fred Claus (PG) Post critic Stephen Hunter said Vince Vaughn doesn't quite cut it as Fred, the glum older brother of Santa (Paul Giamatti), adding, "Vaughn's con-man jive doesn't get much play in this one; he spends most of his time as a bitter creep, and the writing isn't sharp enough to make the hipster-at-the-North-Pole theme pay off in any meaningful way." Extras include director commentary and about 25 minutes of additional scenes.

· Hancock (PG-13 and unrated single- and two-disc editions available) Hunter didn't think much of this flick either, saying that Will Smith as a despised, soused superhero is intriguing but that a plot twist midway through the movie ("the strangest turn in movie history") delivers a blow that Smith's character never recovers from. Extras include behind-the-scenes footage and featurettes about the movie's stunts, special effects and costume design.

· Meet Dave (PG) Eddie Murphy plays the title role here: a two-inch-high alien in charge of a tiny crew of interstellar explorers. It's a clever premise, Post critic Ann Hornaday said, but never quite gets off the ground. "There are moments that make the most of Murphy's assets here, but not nearly enough of them," she said. "For the most part, the film features him moving with unblinking passivity through the urban landscape, uttering things like 'My colon is impacted' with robotic flatness." Extras include a gag reel and "Crew Confessions."

· Space Chimps (G) None of this week's marquee offerings hit it out of the park, and this animated feature about, well, chimps in space, is no different. The Post's John Anderson called it the "missing link no one was looking for." Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines and Patrick Warburton are the voices of the aforementioned primates. Extras include footage from a casting session.

OTHERS OF NOTE

· Criterion Collection's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (Unrated) Criterion has restored "Spy," the 1965 thriller starring Richard Burton as a Cold War agent, and added such extras as new interviews with author John Le Carré and cinematographer Oswald Morris as well as a 1967 BBC interview with Burton.

· George Carlin: It's Bad for Ya' (Unrated) Missing the comic master? This was Carlin's 14th HBO special (it aired live in March, and he died in June) and was nominated for an Emmy.

TV to DVD

· 24: Redemption In case you missed it Sunday, this two-hour run-up to the show's seventh season finds Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in Africa rescuing orphans.

· Artic Exposure With Nigel Marven Think it's cold here? In this five-part Animal Planet series, zoologist Marven takes a nine-month expedition to the Canadian Artic, where he explores animal life in the extreme conditions.

· Beverly Hills, 90210: The 6th Season

· A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

· Family Affair: The Complete Series "Uncle Bill, Uncle Bill!" Those of us of a certain age will either cringe or smile fondly at these words, remembering the late '60s and early '70s series that featured Brian Keith as the gruff and sometimes hapless single dad to Buffy and Jody and big sis Cissy. Pull out your old Mrs. Beasley doll and get set for a nostalgic evening.

· Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series: Yearbook Edition

· The Mod Squad: The 2nd Season, Vol. 1 Another trip down memory lane: Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III (remember the huge afro?) starred as hip crime fighters in this ABC police drama that ran for five seasons.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Notable DVDs being released Tuesday include:

· The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG)

· Fly Me to the Moon (G)

· The Longshots (PG)

· Step Brothers (R and unrated versions)

· The X-Files: I Want to Believe (PG-13)

· Wanted (R)

-- Amy Hitt