COMING ATTRACTIONS

Friday, December 12, 2008

New DVDs you can watch this weekend:

MARQUEE NAMES

· The Dark Knight (PG-13) The Post's Stephen Hunter said that Heath Ledger carries this movie and that "when the Joker is absent, the film loses most of its energy and becomes nothing but a pretty-boy face-off between Christian Bale (Batman) and Aaron Eckhart." Extras include director's commentary and featurettes about the special effects.

· Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (G) Jim Carrey and Steve Carell are the voices of Horton and the Mayor, respectively, in this computer-animated feature based on the Dr. Seuss book. Post critic Desson Thomson said the movie "honors the book's flavor and spirit with a bright, funny treatment. . . . All in all, it's a sweet, guileless experience for young viewers and even their adult chaperons." Extras include a singalong music video and actors' commentary.

· Man on Wire (PG-13) This engaging documentary about French high-wire artist Philippe Petit begins with footage of his 1974 walk between the World Trade Center towers. From there, according to The Post's Ann Hornaday, the film "takes on the taut urgency of a thriller." It's a gripping story, she said, "but also a deeply cathartic one, as a place of loss and grief is transformed, briefly, into a place of transcendence and lyricism." Extras include an interview with Petit and an animated short film, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers."

OTHERS OF NOTE

· Anamorph (R) Willem Dafoe ("Spider-Man") plays a New York detective in this psychological thriller about a serial killer.

· Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (Unrated) This sequel to the spoof "Another Gay Movie" has the guys (and RuPaul) headed for Florida on spring break. The Post's Neely Tucker summed it up: "Lots of gratuitous nudity, bad jokes, crass humor and tasteless sight gags follow -- and that's before the poolside orgy! What, you thought this was going to be different from the boys and girls version of spring break flicks?"

· The Early Works of Cheryl Dunye (Unrated) Dunye's lesbian-themed work is perhaps more well known on the film festival circuit than to mainstream audiences. This collection of six of her early short films includes "Untitled Portrait" and "Greetings From Africa."

· Europa (R) This 1991 film by Danish director Lars von Trier, about an American pacifist in post-World War II Frankfurt, has been restored and includes such bonus features as an interview with von Trier, a making-of documentary and footage from the set.

· Flow: For Love of Water (Unrated) Hornaday called this moving documentary by filmmaker Irena Salina a "lyrical and indicting testament to the importance of water and increasing attempts to privatize it. . . . There's one more thing to worry about, and you just showered in it."

TV to DVD

· Deadwood: The Complete Series

· Gunsmoke: The Complete Series

· Happy Days: The 4th Season This is the season before Fonzie jumped the shark.

· McLeod's Daughters: The Complete 7th Season

· Swingtown: The 1st Season

· The Wire: The Complete Series Might as well set aside your whole weekend and maybe call in sick Monday to watch this engrossing HBO drama set in Baltimore; once you start, you won't be able to stop.

-- Amy Hitt

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Notable DVDs being released Tuesday include:

· Mamma Mia! (PG-13)

· The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PG-13)

· Traitor (PG-13)