Susan’s DVD update for week of June 18:
Denzel Washington plays a mysterious traveler in post-apocalyptic America in the grim, brutal “Book of Eli,” carrying in his knapsack the world’s only remaining Bible, a leather-bound King James edition that’s coveted by Gary Oldman, as the self-proclaimed dictator of a repopulated outpost. The Blu-ray disc features immersive Maximum Movie Mode, which includes 40 min. of picture-in-picture commentary with Denzel Washington and the Hughes Brothers, along with 10 Focus Points.
For Father’s Day from the Warner Archive Collection, consider “Alibi Ike,” Ring Lardner’s baseball classic with Joe E. Brown as rookie pitcher, Francis “Ike” Farrell, who suddenly shows up to help the Chicago Cubs win the National League pennant.
“New York Street Games” brings back childhood memories of playing stickball and kick-the-can, interviewing prominent New Yorkers like Ray Romano, Regis Philbin, Hector Elizondo, Joe Pantoliano, Curtis Sliwa and Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. Or, on a more serious note in Chris Smith’s “Collapse,” visionary journalist Michael Ruppert lays out the harrowing causes of the current economic crisis and makes a passionate plea for our future. Is he a conspiracy theorist or a prophet? You decide.
First there was Angelina, then Madonna, now Pauly Shore acquires an instant family in Africa in the politically incorrect “Adopted,” written, directed, produced and starring Pauly Shore.
In the wretched romantic comedy “When in Rome,” Kristen Bell is a Guggenheim Museum curator who wades into a Trevi-like fountain in the Eternal City and, instead of tossing in a coin and making a wish, she removes five coins, causing the men who once owned them to pursue her throughout Manhattan.
For kids, there’s “Barney: Songs from the Park” with its bonus five-song music CD, along with “Bob the Builder: Building from Scratch” and Sara Hickman’s “Big Bird, Little Bird.”
PICK OF THE WEEK: In the coming-of-age comedy “Youth in Revolt,” based on C.D. Payne’s acclaimed novel, Michael Cera (“Juno,” “Superbad”) plays two very different adolescents. The first is a charmingly reticent, tongue-tied lad and the second is his rebellious alter-ego with a French-style moustache, ascot and cigarette in hand.