Video/DVD Report

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, May 16:

On the 10th anniversary of his death, celebrate Frank Sinatra's remarkable career with "Sinatra: The Miniseries." Produced by his daughter Tina, it recalls Sinatra's music and life with some astonishing personal revelations. There's also "Frank Sinatra: The Early Years" (his first five movies), "Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years" (five more movies) and the "Frank Sinatra/Gene Kelly Collection" (three M.G.M. musicals).
From the sublime to the ridiculous, in the implausible, improbable comedy caper "Mad Money," Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes form an unlikely sisterhood when they decide to rob American's Federal Reserve Bank.
If you're into thrillers, Diane Lane stars in "Untraceable" as an FBI agent tracking a tech-savvy internet predator who displays graphic murders on his website, leaving the grisly fate of each of his captives in the hands of the public; the more hits the site gets, the faster his victims die.
Because Li Yu's sex drama "Lost in Beijing" shows a modern, if melodramatic, slice of 21st century city life, it was banned in China; basically a morality tale, it involves innocence and corruption along with poverty and wealth. A far better choice is the powerful documentary "Nanking" which chronicles the infamous 1937 Rape of Nanking, when 200,000 residents of what was then China's capital were massacred by invading Japanese troops; Woody Harrelson and Mariel Hemingway, among others, read from journals and letters from a handful of Westerners who risked their lives to help.
For toddlers: "Bob the Builder: The Three Muskettrucks" and favorite friends in "Summertime Fun!"
PICK OF THE WEEK: Inspired by the remarkable story of Wiley College's winning team, "The Great Debaters" stars Denzel Washington as the volatile, controversial coach who uses the power of words to influence a group of African-American students.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of May 9:

Hilariously satirical and shallow, Tom DiCillo's "Delirious," starring Steve Buscemi, reveals the soft, subversive underbelly of the sycophantic entertainment press - from battling rival publicist to eccentric bottom-feeders.
On the topic of vulgar vanity, Paris Hilton embarrasses herself once again, panting "A life without orgasms is like a world without flowers" in "The Hottie and the Nottie," as Joel David Moore's object of desire and best friend to an ugly duckling, played by Christine Lakin.
Continuing with sappy, disappointing romantic comedies, "Over Her Dead Body" stars Eva Longoria, Paul Rudd and Lake Bell; it's about the battle between two women (one of them a ghost) for the love of one guy. There's another apparition in "P.S. I Love You," as Hilary Swank flounders as a grieving young widow whose late husband (Gerard Butler), an impetuous Irishman, keeps instructing her on how to rebuild her life; it wants to be "Ghost," but Swank's no Demi Moore and Butler's no Patrick Swayze.
In "First Sunday," Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan are bumbling petty criminals who concoct a desperate scheme to rob their neighborhood church and end up spending the night in the presence of the Lord, being forced to deal with more than they bargained for.
For youngsters, this week's best bets are "Treasure Island Kids 2: The Monster of Treasure Island" and "Barney: Hi! I'm Riff," introducing a new, six year-old Hadrosaur.
PICK OF THE WEEK: If you're into existential cinema, Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There" explores the tumultuous life and music of Bob Dylan. What this kaleidoscopic, non-linear meditation lacks in coherence, it makes up for in eccentricity with six actors, including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere, each representing a phase in Dylan's chaotic life.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, May 2nd

"27 Dresses" is an amusing chick-flick with Katherine Heigl as a perennial bridesmaid who can't find her own happy ending until she meets a cynical newspaper reporter (James Marsden). It's a fluffy, frivolous indulgence for those who still enjoy the occasional wedding fantasy.
Adapted from the first book in Phillip Pullman's sci-fi series, "The Golden Compass" involves a 12 year-old orphan girl (Dakota Blue Richards) who lives in an alternate world under the guardianship of icily manipulative woman (Nicole Kidman) who transports her to the frozen Arctic to find her adventurous uncle (Daniel Craig). It's light on plot and heavy on CGI, particularly a spectacular showdown between two armored polar bears.
Like "Stomp the Yard," the Canadian-made "How She Move" showcases another exhilarating urban dance form, starring Ruta Wesley as an energetic Jamaican who joins the all-male "Jane Street Junta."
Aside from its incongruous title, "What Would Jesus Buy?" is Rob VanAlkemade's funny and informative examination of the American commercialization of Christmas.
For kids, ages 6 and up, I highly recommend Trevor Romain's "If You Don't Take Care of Your Body, Where Else Are You Going to Live?" which issues a fitness challenge, along with his "Cliques, Phonies & Other Baloney," "Taking the 'Duh' Out of Divorce," "Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain," "Facing Fear Without Freaking Out," "How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up" and "What on Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies?"
PICK OF THE WEEK: In French with English subtitles, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is the story of how 43 year-old Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of Elle France, suffered a stroke and was left almost entirely paralyzed yet dictated a best-selling memoir, communicating only by blinking. It's a testament to the indomitable human spirit.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, April 25:

    Who would think that the story of a reclusive man and his mail-order sex doll would make a remarkably sensitive romantic comedy? But thanks to actor Ryan Gosling and screenwriter Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl" chronicles a strange yet tender relationship.
    Starring Edward Burns and Shannyn Sossamon, "One Missed Call" is a supernatural thriller about college students who receive eerie cellphone messages about their deaths. And "Cloverfield" is an effective sci-fi/horror/monster movie about the invasion of Manhattan by some giant creature and its parasites, borrowing elements from "Godzilla," "The Blair Witch Project" and 9/11 newsreels.
    For those who have dealt or are dealing with angry, aging relatives, the dysfunctional family serio-comedy "The Savages" hits home. Oscar-nominated Laura Linney teams with Philip Seymour Hoffman as a sister-and-brother who are summoned to care for their estranged, elderly father (Philip Bosco). It's a heartfelt, touching, coming-of-middle-age saga.
    For children ages 2-5, "Funky Valley" and "Return to Funky Valley" are a collection of delightfully funky fables as seen through the eyes of a madcap farmyard of odd, misfit animal characters. Aimed at 'tweeners,' children ages 6-12, "Grizzly Tales" is a collection of spine-chilling stories that elicit laughter while teaching valuable life lessons.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: For families, "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," set in coastal Scotland, is about a lonely lad who finds a mysterious object on the beach from which hatches a magical Celtic water horse. It's enchanting!
    For adults, Mike Nichols' "Charlie Wilson's War," starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, is the outrageous true story about the largest, most successful covert operation in U.S. history. DVD extras include a profile of the real Charlie Wilson and Joanne Herring, along with interviews with the stars.

Susan Granger's Video/DVD Update for week of Friday, April 18:

    Jeff Garlin's "I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With" is a laid-back romantic comedy by one of the executive producers of Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." It's about a veteran of Chicago's Second City improv group who still lives with his mother and develops a mild crush on a jazz-loving teacher (Bonnie Hunt) but falls hard for a shockingly funny ice cream parlor employee (Sarah Silverman).
    Gwyneth Paltrow keeps it all in the family as she stars in her younger brother Jake's feature film debut, "The Good Night.," a feeble comedy about a jingle writer (Martin Freeman) obsessed with sleeping because he so enjoys his dream girl (Penelope Cruz).
    Created by married filmmakers Sean Fine and Andrea Nix, the heartbreaking, uplifting documentary "War/Dance" follows a group of schoolchildren from Patongo Refugee Camp in northern Uganda to a national music competition as they reclaim their lives.
    If you think you've heard enough about the 2008 election, consider 2012, as another documentary, Dan Cox's "Running With Arnold," examines California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's muscleman past and political aspirations for the future.
    THREE PICKS OF THE WEEK: Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, is an insightful crime drama, revealed out of sequence to show each character's perspective. Confident and compelling, it has the moral undertones of classic Greek tragedy.
    "There Will Be Blood: 2-Disc Collector's Edition," starring Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis, is an enthralling masterpiece, with Paul Thomas Anderson emerging as one of the most exciting filmmakers of the decade. The added disc features deleted scenes and more information about the early 20th-century oil boom.
    And there's "Juno," Oscar-winner Diablo Cody's endearing, coming-of-age crowd-pleaser, starring playful Ellen Page. It's full of life, laughter and tears.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, April 11th:

    Whether it's the images in "Jaws" or sensationalized news stories of shark attacks, sharks have long been stigmatized as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters. But Rob Stewart's visually stunning documentary "Sharkwater" reveals the reality that sharks are being dangerously over-fished and brutally slaughtered.
    In another environmental documentary, "The 11th Hour," Leonardo Di Caprio explores the perilous state of our planet and the means by which we can change our course. And in a third, ESPN offers and inside and in-depth profile of New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter, the first of its upcoming athlete profile series.
    Switching to fictionalized truth, "The Final Season," starring Sean Astin, is a well-intentioned, corn-syrupy Iowa high school baseball saga filled with sports-movie clichés. But if you want terrific baseball movies, rent "The Pride of the Yankees" (1942), "Bull Durham" (1988) or "Eight Men Out" (1988).
    Featuring Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix, "Reservation Road" is a bleak, rather contrived drama about two suburban Connecticut fathers on a deadly collision course when the son of one is killed by the other in a hit-and-run accident along a wooded road.
    On a lighter note, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" features a larger-than-life musician and songwriter, played by John C. Reilly. Behind the music is the up-and-down story of a legend whose songs would change a nation.
    PICK OF THE WEEK:  If you're a fan of M.G.M. musicals, as I am, you'll love "Classic Musicals From the Dream Factory: Vol. 3" with the remastered/restored singing and dancing of "Hit the Deck," "Kismet," "Deep in my Heart," "Nancy Goes to Rio," "Two Weeks With Love" and "Broadway Melody of 1933/Broadway Melody of 1938," starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, Eleanor Powell, Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller and Howard Keel.

Susan Granger's Video/DVD Update for week of Friday, March 28th:

   When a film begins with a suicide and explores purgatory, chances are, it won't be a feel-good romantic comedy. But Croatian-born director Goran Dukic's "Wristcutters: A Love Story" is surprisingly sweet, original and filled with absurdist humor.
    Few actors can carry a picture alone. Tom Hanks did in "Cast Away" - with only a volleyball to talk to - but Will Smith fares less well in "I Am Legend," set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan, with only his German shepherd for company; it's a sci-fi fantasy of grim isolation and stark desolation.
    "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" is Jonathan Demme's tribute to Carter's sharp intelligence and homespun candor; it's insightful in that it shows the kind of impact a former President can have after leaving the Oval Office.
   British filmmaker Tony Kaye's lengthy documentary, "Lake of Fire," is an eloquent cultural shock treatment for both pro-life and pro-choice advocates.
    There have been plenty of movies adapted from Playstation video games before, but "Hitman" may be the first one that actually feels like a computer wrote and directed it; Timothy Olyphant is the bald assassin raised from birth to be a killer and tattooed with a barcode on the back of his head.
    In the tradition of "Over the Hedge" and "Barnyard," "FARMkids" is a delightful animated series based around the irony of city-bred farm animals who know nothing about living in the country - aimed at children ages 6-11.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Marc Forster's timely adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's best-selling "The Kite Runner" delves into the doomed friendship of two Afghan boys, focusing on universal themes of honor and redemption, enhancing the narrative with resonant visuals. The non-professional child actors, discovered in Kabul schools, are impressive, and the Middle Eastern actors acquit themselves admirably.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, March 21:

    Adapted from Stephen King's thriller, "The Mist" relates what happens when a military experiment goes awry and a Maine coastal town is enveloped by a cloud bank. Thomas Jane tries to lead an escape but is resisted by Bible-thumper Marcia Gay Hardin.
    "Sleuth" is Kenneth Branagh's remake of the 1972 thriller starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, based on Anthony Shaffer's crime caper. In this adaptation by Harold Pinter, Caine plays the aging crime novelist with Jude Law as his wife's young lover, but the new twist ending isn't as effective as the original. Rent 'em both and compare.
    "Southland Tales" is Richard Kelly's black comedy/political satire - starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Seann William Scott - in which the U.S., at war with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea and Syria, uses a repressive security regime to ward off terrorists.
    Based on Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel, Mike Newell's "Love in the Time of Cholera," set in exotic Cartagena at the dawn of the 20th century, is the tale of a passionate man (Javier Bardem) who pursues the woman he loves for an entire lifetime.
    "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising" is a poor boy's "Harry Potter," as a teenager (Alexander Ludwig) learns to use supernatural powers to battle evil spirits.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: For family viewing, see Disney's "Enchanted" in which a beautiful princess (Amy Adams) is banished from her magical, musical animated land to the reality of modern-day Manhattan, where she captivates a cynical divorce attorney (Patrick Dempsey) - but then there's persistent Prince Charming (James Marsden).
    Nominated for seven Academy Awards, "Atonement" is a sweeping British W.W. II saga about wronged lovers (Keira Knightley, James McAvoy) and the young girl (Saoirse Ronan) who betrays them.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, March 14:

    "My Kid Could Paint That" is Amir Bar-Lev's fascinating documentary about the painting 'career' of controversial four year-old Marla Olmstead, the artistic daughter of a dental hygienist and a Frito-Lay factory worker from Binghamton, New York.
    Robert Zemeckis' animated adaptation of the epic "Beowulf" is revisionist mythology, pop art for adults, voiced by Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie, among others. And "Awake" is writer/director Joby Harold's psychological thriller about a man (Hayden Christensen) who suffers "anesthetic awareness" during heart surgery but is temporarily paralyzed and unable to communicate; it is quite unsuitable for the squeamish or anyone about to undergo surgery.
    In Peter Hedges' glib comedic drama "Dan in Real Life," Steve Carell tries to revive a rehashed plot as a widower/advice column writer with three battling daughters who falls for his brother's (Dane Cook) girlfriend (Juliette Binoche) at a family gathering.
    Recommended for family viewing, Kirsten Sheridan's "August Rush" is the heart-warming saga of a young musical prodigy's (Freddie Highmore) relentless search for his parents (Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) - and the soundtrack, blending rock, classical and gospel is terrific. Quaint and campy, "Nancy Drew" finds the ever-preppy 16 year-old sleuth (Emma Roberts) moving to Hollywood, where her father (Tate Donovan) has rented a creepy estate that once belonged to a famous actress. And "Bee Movie," Jerry Seinfeld's first major project since the end of his TV series, is about an adventurous young bee's startling discovery that humans have been stealing and eating the hive's honey for centuries.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Ethan and Joel Coen's Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men" is a wry, brutal, intense mindgame. Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, it's set on the West Texas-Mexico border and stars Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, March 7:

    Until ludicrous plot twists throw it into mediocrity, James Gray's crime drama "We Own the Night" pits a rebellious son (Joaquin Phoenix) and his girlfriend (Eva Mendes) against his NYPD brother (Mark Wahlberg) and father (Robert Duvall).
    Cate Blanchett got an Oscar nomination as one incarnation of Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There" but Todd Haynes' kaleidoscopic meditation on the man and his music has little coherence as six different actors, including Christian Bale, Richard Gere and the late Heath Ledger, embody different aspects of Dylan's life.
    Even more disappointing is "Things We Lost in the Fire," in which Danish director Susanne Bier, along with Halle Berry, David Duchovny and Benicio Del Toro, tackles a melodrama about love, loss, jealousy, rage and drug addiction.
    As for family films, in the charming "Martian Child," a sci-fi novelist/widower (John Cusack) must grapple with the concept of alienation when he adopts an abandoned boy (Bobby Coleman) who believes he's from Mars. But "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" simply squanders talented Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman in a lackluster fantasy that yearns to be "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
    For preschoolers, I recommend the new "Thomas & Friends: Engines and Escapades," "Barney: Animal ABCs" and "Bob the Builder: Building Bobland Bay."
    And a "must have" for film buffs is TCM's "Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2," the second group of sassy, taboo sizzlers from the Pre-Production Code era. 
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Based on the true story of an enterprising hoodlum (Denzel Washington) who became a billionaire by dominating the Harlem drug scene, Ridley Scott's "American Gangster" could be described as "Superfly" meets "Serpico," because an incorruptible New Jersey cop (Russell Crowe) brings him down. The DVD contains deleted scenes, never-before-seen footage and an alternate ending.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for the week of Fri., Feb 29:

    Oscar remnants: Tommy Lee Jones searches for answers "In the Valley of Elah," a suspenseful drama about a war veteran who attempts to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of his son returning from Iraq. And George Clooney's critically acclaimed "Michael Clayton" is a riveting legal thriller about a "fixer," a man called in to conduct damage control for his law firm's elite clientele.
    "Rendition" refers to America's highly controversial policy that grants the government the right to hold anyone suspected of terrorism - without evidence or legal counsel; in the film, Reese Witherspoon plays the pregnant wife of an Egyptian-born chemical engineer abducted en route home to Chicago from a business conference in South Africa.
   Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" is an erotic Chinese drama, set during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai during World War II; the plot involves a guileless young drama student (Tang Wei) who is recruited to impersonate an aspiring socialite in order to seduce and entrap a cruel collaborator (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai).
    In "Resurrecting the Champ," a struggling rookie sports reporter (Josh Hartnett) at the Denver Times stumbles onto an elderly homeless man (Samuel L. Jackson), nicknamed Champ, who claims to be boxing legend Battling Bob Satterfield, and is determined to tell his story.
    It's most unusual when a coffin is delivered with the wrong body inside - but that's what propels a silly, screwball farce called "Death at a Funeral," aimed at those who enjoy droll British humor.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: In Wes Anderson's quirky, endearing "The Darjeeling Limited," three estranged brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman) have a reunion onboard a train headed across the deserts of Rajasthan. On the DVD, there's also an intriguing short, "Hotel Chevalier," with Natalie Portman.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, Feb. 15:

    "I wish there was a cookbook for life," muses a temperamental chef (Catherine Zeta-Jones), as the precise complications of creating haute cuisine pale in comparison with the dilemma of nurturing her 10 year-old, recently orphaned niece (Abigail Breslin) in the slyly sensual "No Reservations," in which food is the metaphor of love and life.
    There's a strange déjà vu quality about "Becoming Jane, the fictionalized biography of Jane Austen. If you're familiar with "Pride and Prejudice," you've seen the same costume drama - better done - before. Anne Hathaway ("The Devil Wears Prada") plays Jane with James McAvoy ("Adaptation") as her penniless lover.
    Sean Penn adapted Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" about a rebellious college graduate, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who gave away his money, cut off all ties to his estranged family, tramped around the country and wound up alone in the Yukon wilderness, where he died in 1992. It's a bleak, pretentious melodrama, but Hal Holbrook delivers a stunning, Oscar-nominated performance as an elderly widower who befriends him.
    If you enjoy short features, the remarkable "Academy Award Animation Series" features 15 winners and 26 nominees; there are many legendary cartoons that are rarely seen on television.
    The original DVD series "History's Heroes" features "Paul Revere: Midnight Ride" in a format children enjoy, understand and can enjoy over and over, while the newly re-mastered "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" has bonus features and two extra episodes.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Ben Affleck makes a powerful directing debut with "Gone Baby Gone," a timely, yet perplexing thriller about two private investigators (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan) searching for an abducted four year-old Boston girl. Amy Ryan is Oscar-nominated as her irresponsible mother - and the challenging conclusion is bound to ignite conversation afterward.

Susan Granger's DVD/video update for week of Fri., Feb. 8th:

    Innovative theatrical director Julie Taymor ("The Lion King") transforms more than 30 Beatles songs into a lavish, phantasmagorical audio/visual experience in "Across the Universe," a counterculture voyage to nowhere, proving "All You Need Is Love."
    "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Frost" not only has an unwieldy title but runs a long 2 hours, 40 minutes. Brad Pitt plays the notorious outlaw, while Casey Affleck snagged an Oscar nomination as his fawning, hero-worshipping killer.
   With more sensibility than sense, "The Jane Austen Book Club" revolves around six members of a Sacramento reading group whose lives intersect. Kathy Baker organizes the once-a-month meetings, joined by Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt and British heartthrob Hugh Dancy.
    Youngsters will relish the new "Bob the Builder On-Site Roads & Bridges," as the Can-Do Crew visit real-life construction sites for the first-time ever, seeing how the impressive rigs do their big jobs.
    Looking ahead to Valentine's Day, you can re-visit the original cyber-sweethearts, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, with the romantic comedy "You've Got Mail" new Deluxe Edition, featuring a commentary by co-writer/director Nora Ephron and producer Lauren Shuler Donner. Also consider renting any of these favorites: "Pretty Woman," "Ghost," "Dirty Dancing," "Jerry Maguire," "Notting Hill," "Annie Hall," "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Notebook,"  "A Room With a View," and "The Way Were."
    PICK OF THE WEEK:  Victim to vigilante: that's the emotional journey Jodie Foster takes in "The Brave One," a high-tension, action drama that switches gender with Charles Bronson's "Death Wish." Foster plays the host of a Manhattan FM-radio show who's attacked by muggers and her fiancé is killed. Befriended by an NYPD detective (Terrence Howard), she's determined to regain control of her own life - at all costs.

Susan Granger's DVD/Video update for week of Friday, Feb 1st:

    Can it really be 15 years since Bill Murray's "Groundhog Day"? Apparently so, because there's a 15th Anniversary Edition with director Harold Ramis revealing everything you ever wanted to know about this seasonal comedy.
    Richard Gere and Terrence Howard star in the political thriller "The Hunting Party" as reckless TV journalists-turned-bounty hunters in Sarajevo, pursuing a Balkan war criminal who killed thousands of Bosnian Muslims.
    Inspired by a New York Times article, Kevin Kline's "Trade" tells the story of a 13 year-old Mexican girl and young Polish woman kidnapped by sex traffickers and put up for sale in the United States.
    Produced by Jennifer Lopez, "Feel the Noise" is a musical drama about popular Reggaeton movement, focusing on a Harlem rapper (Omarion) who finds his salvation in Puerto Rico with its spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats.
    Resembling a "Napoleon Dynamite" from New Zealand, "Eagle vs. Shark" chronicles the awkward courtship between Lily (Loren Horsley), a fast-food waitress, and Jarrod (Jermaine Clement), a video game clerk, who has spent the last decade plotting revenge on a bully from his high school past.
    "Daddy Day Camp," the tedious, lackluster sequel to "Daddy Day Care," continues the dysfunctional family concept as Cuba Gooding Jr. and Paul Rae launch a day camp with plot elements from "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" and humor deriving from predictable body malfunctions.
    PICK OF THE WEEK:  In "Feast of Love," Oscar-winner director Robert Benton ("Kramer vs. Kramer," "Places in the Heart") explores facets of the heart, as an Oregon professor (Morgan Freeman) witnesses how passion and attraction can whip up mischief among his neighbors, including Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair, Radha Mitchell and Jane Alexander, noting, "We are all blindsided by moments we never saw coming."

 

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, Jan. 18th

    Reminiscent of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Solaris," Danny Boyle's sci-fi thriller "Sunshine" is an intense, metaphysical odyssey. In 2057 when our sun is dying, Icarus II, a spaceship with eight astronauts is on a mission to save mankind. Unfortunately, the morally provocative premise dissolves into killer-on-the-loose religious fanaticism.
    The Farrelly brothers' turn their remake of Elaine May's "The Heartbreak Kid" into yet another gross-out romance. Ben Stiller and Malin Akerman play incompatible honeymooners whose brief marriage is disrupted when he meets Michelle Monaghan.
   There's nothing very wise about "The Brothers Solomon," a moderately funny but overly drawn-out comedy skit about two brothers (Will Arnett, Will Forte) who decide to have a child to satisfy the greatest desire of their comatose father (Lee Majors).
    Cautionary "September Dawn" chronicles the horrific, real-life Mountain Meadows massacre which took place in Utah on September 11, 1857, and became the first known act of religious terrorism on U.S. soil and one of the darkest moments in Mormon history.
    "Joshua" combines the sinister "Bad Seed"-type sociopath child with disturbing family drama, as Wall Street yuppies (Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga) cope with their nine year-old piano prodigy son (Jacob Kogan) and newborn daughter.
   Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti and Monica Belluci star in "Shoot 'em Up," an intentionally trashy satire characterized by frenetic, absurdist, over-the-top violence. The overwrought revenge thriller "Death Sentence," starring Kevin Bacon, Kelly Preston and John Goodman, is even worse. Don't say you weren't warned.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: In "3:10 to Yuma," Russell Crowe is a ruthless killer who terrorizes a crippled, courageous rancher, played by Christian Bale. With the clock-ticking convention of "High Noon" and "Rio Bravo" and an enigmatic conclusion, it's brutal and violent - an authentic Western with cynical, contemporary touches.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Fri., Dec. 28:

   Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Chris Cooper star in the politically provocative "The Kingdom" as FBI agents investigating a massive suicide bomber attack on an American compound in Saudi Arabia.
    The romantic fantasy "Stardust" stars Charlie Cox as a British lad who ventures into a parallel universe to retrieve a fallen star. Reminiscent of "The Princess Bride," he discovers enchantments, curses, talismans and a fearsome airborne pirate (Robert De Niro).
    "The Simpsons Movie" finds Homer, Bart, Lisa and Marge - America's most irreverent dysfunctional family - romping around Springfield; it's cleverly conceived, subversive and very funny.
    For cheesy, chop-socky laughs, there's "Balls of Fury," revolving around a former child prodigy (Dan Fogler) who is recruited to compete in an illegal, underground table-tennis tournament to help capture a notorious arms dealer. And "Rush Hour 3," in which Jackie Chan again teams up with Chris Tucker to bust an international crime syndicate.
    For New York Yankee fans, "The Bronx Is Burning World Championship Limited Edition" - with John Turturro as Billy Martin and Oliver Platt as George Steinbrenner - is a five-disc collector's set, featuring more than seven hours of bonus content with '77 World Series highlights, including the complete game six as telecast and rare footage of Reggie Jackson, Lou Pinella, Willie Randolph and more.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: Golden Globe nominee Viggo Mortensen stars in David Cronenberg's thriller "Eastern Promises," as a stoic, ruthlessly ambitious Russian working for the Godfather of the expatriate Mob; the most celebrated scene takes place in a Turkish steam bath where he's attacked by two knife-wielding Chechen thugs. And the rock musical "Once" chronicles the bond formed between a Dublin street musician (Glen Hansard) and a young Czechoslovakian woman (Marketa Irglove) who plays piano.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Fri. Dec. 21:

    'Tis the season to see these perennial Christmas favorites:
    1) "It's a Wonderful Life," a classic story of redemption with Jimmy Stewart as a depressed man thinking his life means nothing and wishing he'd never been born - and discovering what would have happened if he'd never existed.
    2) "A Christmas Carol" with George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge.
    3) "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the timeless Dr. Seuss tale.
    4) "The Santa Clause," starring Tim Allen as a divorced dad chosen to be the next Santa Claus.
    5)  "Holiday Inn," the original musical with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby.
    6) "White Christmas," a re-make of "Holiday Inn" with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.
    7) "Meet Me in St. Louis" with Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
    8) "Miracle on 34th Street," the 1947 version with Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood
    9) "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan
    10) "The Bells of St. Mary's" with Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby
    11)  "The Lemon Drop Kid" in which Bob Hope sings "Silver Bells"
    12) "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas," filled with inventive, stop-action animation.
    13) "Elf" with Will Ferrell
    14) "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus" with Charles Bronson as an editor touched by an inquiry from a young reader.
    15) "Bad Santa," Terry Zwigoff's subversive comedy, mocking the commercialism of the season and starring Billy Bob Thornton as a misanthropic, two-bit criminal who masquerades as a shopping mall Santa to rob a series of department stores.
    New this year: "A Dennis the Menace Christmas," with Robert Wagner as Mr. Wilson, along with Louise Fletcher as Mrs. Wilson and newcomer Maxwell Perry Cotton (TV's "Brothers and Sisters") as the re-defined Menace.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Fri., Dec. 14:

    With mumbled dialogue, fewer fantastical creatures, and a perplexing prophecy, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the weakest installment in the series but necessary to understand what's going to happen next, as the iconic characters played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson grow up. But the new, family-friendly Harry Potter Interactive DVD game lets you experience the challenges of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
    Daniel Radcliffe shows a different kind of charm in "December Boys," a modestly muddled coming-of-age story, as one of four orphans navigating adolescence in late-1960's Australia.
    Steve Buscemi's "Interview" - a remake of Theo van Gogh's Dutch film - turns celebrity journalism into an amusing two-character psychodrama; Buscemi plays the New York magazine writer and Sienna Miller as a saucy, one-name, B-movie diva.
    Less effective is Ethan Hawke's "The Hottest State" in which an angst-ridden 20 year-old New Yorker (Mark Webber), who falls for a would-be singer (Catalina Sandino Moreno), gets dumped after one blissful week in Mexico.
    Director/writer Jorge Gaggero's bittersweet Argentine drama "Live-In Maid" - in Spanish with English subtitles - illuminates class struggle, as embodied by a once well-off divorcee (Norma Aleandro) and her family's longtime servant (Norma Argentina).
    NBA superstars Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Carlos Boozer joins rising stars Greg Oden and Kevin Durant in "ESPN's High School Phenoms: Top of the Class," a collection of rare, early career footage of these talented athletes.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Based on the third of the spy novel series by the late Robert Ludlum, "The Bourne Ultimatum" supposedly concludes the escapist action-adventure trilogy. Matt Damon stars ad CIA agent Jason Bourne seeking those responsible for turning him into an assassin. But is it really the end? Don't bet on it.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, Dec. 7:

    In the teen comedy "Superbad," two foul-mouthed, sex-obsessed, suburban high school seniors (Jonah Hill, Michael Cera) really, really, really want to act like grown-ups but are totally inept - and you cringe in recognition of their adolescent humiliations.
    "The Nanny Diaries" is the somewhat disappointing film adaptation of the satirical chick-lit novel about a working-class girl (Scarlett Johansson) who is hired by a high-strung, complaining control-freak Manhattan mother (Laura Linney) to take care of a spoiled, precocious five year-old; it's predictable, generic and only occasionally funny.
    Venturing into "March of the Penguins" territory - on the opposite tip of the globe - "Arctic Tale" follows the parallel stories of a polar bear cub and walrus pup from birth through adolescence to maturity and parenthood in the frozen Arctic wilderness. It's an astonishing adventure that's spectacularly photographed.
    In French with English subtitles, "Lady Chatterley," based on the scandalous D.H. Lawrence novel of 'forbidden love,' is directed and co-written by a woman, Pascale Ferran, and filled with graphic sex and full-frontal nudity.
    From Film Movement, distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, comes a Norwegian dramatic comedy, "The Bothersome Man," and the Romanian drama, "The Way I Spent the End of the World," exec produced by Martin Scorsese and Wim Wenders - available through major retailers and at www.filmmovement.com
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Johnny Depp reprises free-spirited Captain Jack Sparrow, now trapped in the netherworld of Davy Jones' Locker, in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Coming to his rescue are his buccaneer cohorts, played by Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley and Geoffrey Rush, who travel to exotic Singapore as deception, betrayal, duplicity and supernatural confusion abound. Be patient through the long credits for a revealing epilogue as the salty seafarers sail on.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Fri., Nov. 30:

    Mira Nair's "The Namesake" is a culture-clash drama about an Indian-American family over three decades; magnificently designed and photographed, its storytelling melds Bollywood with Hollywood. It's a gem!
    From sublime to ridiculous, "Hot Rod" stars Andy Samberg as an amateur stuntman who's an accident magnet; constantly berated by his step-father (Ian McShane), he nevertheless comes to the rescue when his 'old man' falls ill.
    Made in 1964, Mikhail Kalatozov's "I Am Cuba: The Ultimate Edition" is an epic celebration of the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power; there are two commentaries - a 'making of' and director's - plus the infamous cigar-box packaging. If this limited edition is hard to find, go to www.milestonefilms.com.
    Lindsay Lohan sabotaged her promising career with the dreadful "I Know Who Killed Me," a morbid, violent saga of an aspiring writer/gifted pianist who vanishes and then reappears, grotesquely maimed, leaving her family and friends thoroughly bewildered.
    Not much better is the tacky screen adaptation of "Bratz," the popular 'tweener' story in which fashion floozies deliver the dubious message that - while it's great to be athletic - it's even better in stiletto heels.
    To increase children's reading ability, I recommend BookBox's "Enchanting Christmas Stories From Around the World," a new series that introduces "reading Karaoke style" - word-for-word, what is heard is what can be read on-screen.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: In the sweet 'n' sassy "Waitress," Keri Russell is a Southern pie genius' who concocts inventively delicious bakery goods but can't seem to get away from her despicably abusive husband who not only takes her money and gets her pregnant but makes her promise she won't pay more attention to their baby than to him - until she meets a compassionate obstetrician from Connecticut. It's truly scrumptious!

Susan Granger's video/dvd updates for week of Fri., Nov. 23:

    Bruce Willis is back as Detective John McClane in "Live Free or Die Hard," a high-tech action adventure with little subtlety and only a smidgeon of substance - but the stunts are spectacular. Willis is as formidable as ever, and Justin Long not only matches him in anti-authoritarianism but gets the best laughs.
    Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn" chronicles the ordeal of a U.S. Air Force pilot, German-born Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) who was shot down making a top-secret bombing raid over Laos; captured and tortured, he refused to denounce America. Intensely visceral and violent, it's not for the faint-hearted.
    "The Santa Claus 3: The Escape Clause" continues the slushy holiday series about Everyman-turned-Santa Claus Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is threatened by jealous Jack Frost (Martin Short); the gag reel that plays over the credits is funnier than the film.
    For fashionistas, "Project Runway, Season 3" is a marathon reality fashion show, running 13 continuous hours. The 'where-are-the-finalists' now updates skips the second-place finisher Uli, and Tim Gunn's season-long blog is boring.
    For Led Zeppelin fans, there's a completely re-mastered and re-mixed version of their famed concert film "The Song Remains the Same" with all 16 song performances for the first time together on DVD and more than 40 minutes of extra material.
    For toddlers, "Winter Wonderland" blows in with everyone's favorite friends Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Kipper, Pingu and Thomas & Friends teaching memorable life lessons.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Set in Baltimore in the early 1960s, "Hairspray" is the bouncy, campy musical story of how pudgy Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) stuns her overly protective parents (John Travolta - in drag - and Christopher Walken), winning as spot on an afternoon TV dance party and becomes a force for racial integration.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Fri., Nov. 16:

    Walking on the moon was humankind's most incredible journey and a feat experienced by only 12 people in history. In the documentary, "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon," Tom Hanks narrates an amazingly realistic approximation of what it was like. There are voiceover accounts from astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong and input from Paul Newman, John Travolta, Matt Damon, and Matthew McConaughey, plus an interactive Lunar Exploration Command Center, trivia game, moon maps and more.
    From vast to intimate, "Paris, Je T'Aime" ("Paris, I Love You") consists of 18 eclectic vignettes, each lasting no longer than five minutes, celebrating the spirit of the City of Love; it's an engaging sampler of different perspectives that never quite connect.
    "Shrek the Third" brings back the lovable ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) who is not only about to become a father but also rule as king - with a little help from his friends. There are still funny moments, just not as many as in the first two animated installments.
    All about abolition, Michael Apted's "Amazing Grace" tells the story of how a small group of men in the early 1800s dedicated to ending slavery in the British Empire accomplished their goal; it's an interesting history lesson cloaked in costume drama.
    Clint Eastwood has produced an inspiring PBS documentary, "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends," that chronicles the career of one of American music's best.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: For fun, in "Oceans Thirteen" Danny (George Clooney) summons the gang back to Vegas when trusting Reuben (Elliot Gould) is swindled out of half-ownership in a new hotel/casino by ruthless, egomaniacal Willy Bank (Al Pacino). For a brilliant, sure-to-be-Oscar-nominated performance, Marion Cotillard embodies Parisian chanteuse Edith Piaf in the evocative "La Vie en Rose."

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, Nov. 9th:

    Brutal, urgent and devastating, the documentary "The Devil Came on Horseback," revolves around a former Marine Captain who was an unarmed monitor for the African Union in Darfur; the title refers to Arab 'janjaweed' terrorists.
    "Stardust" begins with an Englishman falling in love and its unexpected, unpredictable ramifications. Tristan (Charlie Cox) promised Victoria (Sienna Miller) to retrieve a fallen star; his quest takes him into a fantastical universe where the star fell and transformed into a radiant young woman (Claire Danes). Filmed in rustic Iceland and Scotland's Isle of Skye, it's visually sumptuous, combining realism with fantasy.
    Adam Sandler's satirical "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" is a raunchy, testosterone-driven comedy about two firefighters who fight bureaucracy by pretending to being 'life partners,' delivering a relevant message about tolerance and acceptance.
    "Deck the Halls" documents the mean-spirited rivalry between a bore (Matthew Broderick) and a boob (Danny DeVito) who thrust their families into competition with dazzling, megawatt Christmas decorations.
    Like father, like daughter: Julie Gavras, daughter of Greek filmmaker Costa-Gavras, makes an assured directorial debut with "Blame It on Fidel," about the ideological conflicts within a French-Spanish family, as seen through the eyes of a precocious nine year-old child. It's in French with English subtitles.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: For informative adult viewing, Michael Moore's "Sicko" takes aim at America's corrupt health-care system showing - albeit anecdotally - how the insurance industry and pharmaceutical companies have 'bought' Congress so they can continue to dictate governmental decisions about health care. It's an incontrovertible indictment.and for fun, you can't beat "Ratatouille," an animated gastronomical caper about a rat-turned-chef in Paris. Soufflé-light, it's so perfectly paced with subtle character humor and heart that it's an inevitable Oscar contender. Family audiences will eat it up!

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Fri., Nov. 2nd:

    In Washington, D.C. in the 1960s, Ralph Waldo "Petey" Green Jr. (Don Cheadle of "Hotel Rwanda") ruled the airwaves, telling it "like it is."  Yet what's so unusual about "Tell It Like It Is" is that it reflects those turbulent times from an African-American's point-of-view.  
    Music is the only reason to rent the tepid "El Cantante," in which Marc Anthony plays Puerto-Rican salsa legend Hector Lavoe with Jennifer Lopez chewing the scenery as his domineering wife Puchi. There's too much of her, too little of him.
    In "Invisible," an angst-ridden teen (Justin Chatwin) finds himself trapped between the worlds of the living and the deceased. Aimed at young people, it's all about alienation - trying to be seen, literally and figuratively, when those around you don't perceive who you really are.
    In a lighter vein, "License to Wed" revolves around a conscientious pastor (Robin Williams) who forces an engaged couple (Mandy Moore, John Krasinski) to pass his "foolproof" marriage prep course. And "In the Land of Women" finds a directionless young man (Adam Brody) fleeing from Los Angeles to Michigan, where he becomes intertwined with a neighbor (Meg Ryan) and her two daughters.
    Writer Larry Cohen ("Phone Booth") and director Roland Joffe  ("The Killing Fields") - who should know better - have created one of those nasty "let's torment women" thrillers called "Captivity," in which a Manhattan supermodel (Elisha Cuthbert) is kidnapped and tortured.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: "In "Spider-Man 3," Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) must  choose between the seductive powers of his new suit and the compassionate hero he used to be - and still battle Venom (Topher Grace), Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) and Harry Osborn (James Franco), the vengeful son of Willem Dafoe's original Green Goblin, who takes up daddy's mantle.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Fri., Oct. 26:

    Malcolm McDowell is not just a "lucky man;" he's a busy man too. His "A Clockwork Orange" and "O Lucky Man" are now available in a two-disc Special Edition, which includes commentaries by McDowell, a career profile and new featurettes.
    Oscar-winner Kevin Costner alters his image in the highly implausible "Mr. Brooks," playing a schizophrenic serial killer who dutifully attends AA meetings and engages in imaginary conversations with his creepy, caustic alter ego (William Hurt).it's Costner's dark field of screams.
    In the early 1970s, actor Peter Coyote and a group of young artists/activists moved to a remote California wilderness to create a new world with the slogan "Free land for Free People;" their counter-culture experiment is chronicled in "Commune." And filmmakers Stephen Fell and Will Thompson's "Unborn in the USA: Inside the War on Abortion" delves into the deep secrets and deep pockets of the pro-life movement.
    The animated "Meet the Robinsons" revolves around a 12 year-old orphan - now a science geek, but not as cool as Jimmy Neutron - who tries to trace the mother he never knew and is unexpectedly catapulted into a retro'ish, candy-colored Future World, where he and his new friends are menaced by the Bowler Hat Guy.
    Celebrating 23 years of caring and sharing with tiny tots, "Care Bears: Oopsy Does It!" marks the Care Bears return with a new look and two new characters: the clumsy Oopsy Bear and bilingual Amigo Bear.
    HALLOWEEN PICK OF THE WEEK: The Cryptkeeper is back with the final scare of the gory, frightening "Tales from the Crypt: The Complete Seventh Season." There are 13 terrorific tales based on those classic moldy-but-goodie horror comics from back when, featuring Daniel Craig, Natasha Richardson, Ewan McGregor and Eddie Izzard.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, October 19:

    Angelina Jolie stars in Michael Winterbottom's timely, morally complicated drama, "A Mighty Heart," about the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal South Asia bureau chief Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan, in January, 2002.
    The remarkable early years of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers are at the center of "Runnin' Down A Dream," an exuberant new four-disc documentary by legendary director Peter Bogdanovich ("The Last Picture Show"), which closed the New York Film Festival this week.
    "Crazy Love" is Dan Klores' mad documentary about lunatics - specifically, Burt and Linda Puglach; it distills every functionally dysfunctional relationship into one horrific case study.
    In "Hoax," Richard Gere plays con artist Clifford Irving who sold a fraudulent "autobiography" of aviation industrialist Howard Hughes to McGraw-Hill publishers back in 1971. The screenplay cleverly utilizes news clips of the powerful Hughes, whose eccentricities were explored by Martin Scorsese in "The Aviator."
    Hilary Swank plays a former Christian missionary who has become a cynical, world-renowned debunker of paranormal religious phenomena in Stephen Hopkins' "The Reaping." She's summoned to a small Louisiana bayou town that's suffering from on onslaught of what appears to be the 10 plagues from the Old Testament.
    For tiny tots in tutus, "Angelina Ballerina: The Silver Locket Special Edition" comes with an added book bonus (while supplies last), plus there's "Angelina Ballerina: A Star Collection." For little guys, there's "Bob the Builder: Ultimate Adventure Collection," along with "Thomas & Friends: Steam Engine Stories."
    PICK OF THE WEEK: For sci-fi excitement and escapist, fast-paced action, you can't beat "Transformers." According to Cybertron mythology, two races of alien robots - the 'good' Autobots and the 'evil' Decepticons - have been fighting for centuries. And when their battle comes to Earth, only a suburban teenager (Shia LaBeouf) can save humanity.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, October 12:

    "God help us!" is how Malcolm McDowell begins his commentary on the new three-disc "Imperial Edition" of Tinto Brass's shock-trash classic "Caligula." Amid 2½ hours of graphic orgies and violence, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole and John Gielgud cavort about. As Mirren recalls, "It was an irresistible mixture of art and gentials."
    "28 Weeks Later" is the tension-filled sequel to the horror hit "28 Days Later," as the zombie infestation continues. Britain has been quarantined since its population was decimated by a mysterious virus. London is occupied by U.S.-led NATO troops as reconstruction and repatriation begin.
    Meg Ryan and Adam Brody bond in Jonathan Kasdan's mediocre "In the Land of Women." Brody's a soulful slacker who's been dumped by his girl friend and moves from L.A. to Michigan to care for his wacky, dying grandmother (Olympia Dukakis); matronly housewife Meg and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) live across the street.   
    "Evan Almighty" is a mildly amusing sequel to "Bruce Almighty" with Steve Carrell as an arrogant TV anchorman-turned-Congressman commanded by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark because a mighty flood is imminent. While the animals appear, two-by-two, this preachy, ponderous parable desperately needs divine intervention.
   "Surf's Up" joins the anthropomorphic penguin parade, profiling an up-and-coming teenage Rockhopper penguin (voiced by Shia LaBeouf) who learns from a reclusive veteran surfer (voiced by Jeff Bridges) that coming in first doesn't always make you a winner: "It's not the destination, it's the journey."
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Adam Sandler scores in the therapy drama "Reign Over Me" as a sad, lonely New York dentist who went off his trolley when his wife and daughters died in a plane that hit the World Trade Center and is saved by his disturbed dental school roommate Cheadle).

Susan Granger's upcoming dvd/video update for week of Oct. 5:

   In "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," the heroes (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Mickael Chiklis) learn they're not the only super-powered beings in the universe; the Silver Surfer is the hunky harbinger of Galactus, a planet-devouring entity.
   "1408" is an underwhelming Stephen King story about a New York hotel room where scores of people have died in ghastly ways; John Cusack plays a jaded writer who ignores the warnings of the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson) and decides to check in overnight.
    Remember "Hotel Rwanda," the powerful depiction of the 1994 genocide? Set during the same chaotic period, Michael Caton-Jones' "Beyond the Gates" follows a priest (John Hurt) and a teacher (Hugh Dancy) whose school becomes a haven for Tutsi fleeing the massacre.
    The classicl men vs. nature adventure "Deliverance" marks its 35th anniversary in a Deluxe Edition with a historical look at the novel, its screen adaptation and its impact with a commentary by director John Boorman.
    From one of "Comedy Central's" top comedians, there's "D.H. Hughley: Unapologetic," featuring a 60-min. HBO live performance from The Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C. And if you're an aspiring screenwriter, see "The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters, Vol. IV," featuring in-depth interviews with Callie Khouri, John Hamburg and Nick Kazan.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: The engrossing Australian drama "Jindabyne" asks: how much can we ever truly know another person, even a spouse? Based on a Raymond Carver tale, it revolves around a wife (Laura Linney) who becomes suspicious when she discovers that her husband (Gabriel Byrne) and his buddies found an Aborigine woman's corpse on the first day of their annual fishing trip into isolated high country but continued angling for several days before reporting it.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, September 28:

    Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven ("Robocop," "Basic Instinct") returns to the Netherlands in "Black Book," an erotic, gripping drama about the Dutch underground in German-occupied Holland in 1944. Based on a true wartime incident, it revolves around the plight of a young Jewess (Carice van Houten) who seduces an SS officer (Sebastian Koch) and infiltrates Gestapo headquarters at The Hague.
    The casting of "Evening" is divine - Vanessa Redgrave and her real-life daughter, Natasha Richardson, with Meryl Streep and her real-life daughter, Mamie Gummer, plus Claire Danes - but the drama is dreadful. Susan Minot's fragmented story works far better as a novel and director Lajos Koltai lets scenes run on far too long.
    In "Next," Nicholas Cage plays a "pre-cog" with uncanny powers to see two minutes into the future. He's reluctant when he's recruited by Julianne Moore, as an FBI agent, to use his talent to stop a terror attack but he's convinced by Jessica Biel.
    "Bug" is neither a creature-feature nor a horror movie. It's William Friedkin's bizarre adaptation of an avante-garde, off-Broadway play about fear, starring Ashley Judd as a lonely cocktail waitress with Harry Connick Jr. as her abusive ex-con husband.
    For film buffs, there's "The Ultimate Collector's Edition: the Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection," five-discs featuring M.G.M. musical classics like "Babes in Arms," "Babes on Broadway,""Girl Crazy" and "Strike Up the Band" - with bonuses like an in-depth Mickey Rooney interview by TCM's Robert Osborne.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Undoubtedly the surprise comedy hit of the summer, Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up" is the hilariously crude, rude and vulgar story of how an E! Entertainment interviewer (Katherine Heigl) got pregnant during a one-night stand with a stoned slacker (Seth Rogan) - and, against all odds, how they became parents.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, Sept. 21:

    Set in the world of high-stakes poker, Curtis Hanson's "Lucky You" revolves around a professional player (Eric Bana) living in the shadow of his legendary father (Robert Duvall) - until a young singer (Drew Barrymore) hits Las Vegas and his heart.
    Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox and David Strathairn star in "We Are Marshall," an insipid inspirational football drama. Set in the 1970s, it's about how a small West Virginia town coped with the fatal crash of a chartered jet carrying Marshall University's football team, coaches and fans.
    "Brooklyn Rules" is an edgy, insightful story of loyalty and sacrifice. Playing an amiable con-man, Freddie Prinze Jr.narrates this story of friendship; it exudes cultural authenticity and, surprisingly, heart.
    Elisabeth Shue's "Gracie," supposedly based on her adolescence, is a predictable underdog soccer melodrama. Far better is "Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team," celebrating female athletes like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and their cohorts, just in time for Youth Soccer Month.
    "Stories of The American Puppet" is an intriguing oddity, journeying through the history of American puppetry - from Howdy Doody, Charlie McCarthy and Lamp Chop through Kemit the Frog; originally aired on PBS, it won an Emmy.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: In French with English subtitles, Frcis Verber's "The Valet" is a frothy Gallic farce. CEO Pierre Lavasseur (Daniel Auteuil) lands in the tabloids when he's photographed on the street with his supermodel mistress Elena (Alice Taglioni). Desperate to pacify his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas), he convinces her that Elena is really with a passerby in the photo who turns out to be Francois Pignon (Gad Elmaleh), a restaurant parking valet. Pierre and his lawyer (Richard Berry) then convince Elena to move in with Francois - a temporary charade that backfires.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, September 14:

    While the controversial "Stephanie Daley," a Sundance favorite, unfolds in a non-linear fashion, Amber Tamblyn ("Joan of Arcadia") stars as a shy teenager who denies not only killing her newborn on a class ski trip but also even knowing that she was pregnant. She's gently interrogated by a forensic psychologist (Tilda Swindon) whose own pregnancy is an integral part of the morally ambiguous story that underlines the gender gap between men who judge and women who bear children. Extras include deleted scenes and commentaries.
   "Blue Smoke" and "Carolina Moon" are separate Lifetime TV movies from the pages of best-selling novels by popular author Nora Roberts. Alica Witt, Matthew Settle, Scott Bakula and Talia Shire star in "Blue Smoke," a suspenseful tale rife with passion, family, food and fire, while "Carolina Moon" features Claire Forlani, Oliver Hudson and Jacqueline Bisset.
    The two-disc, 35-cartoon "Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection, Vol. 3" brings back Hanna-Barbera's most popular and neverending cat and mouse act, 15 of which are re-mastered in their original CinemaScope Widescreen formats. Special features include "The Tale of Tom and Jerry," chronicling the history of this team - from censorship controversies to award-winning glory - and "The Karate Guard," a theatrical short released in 2005 that marked Joe Barbera's return as a writer, director and artist.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: In "Away From her," the marital serenity of a devoted couple is broken when one of them falls prey to Alzheimer's disease, causing them to redefine their love and loyalty. Based on the Alice Munro short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" and directed by 28 year-old actress Sarah Polley, this powerful drama is about the grace and cruelty of aging and stars Julie Christie and Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, Sept. 7th:

    It's not a great week. "Georgia Rule" is a cliché-ridden, dysfunctional three-generational dramedy, starring Lindsay Lohan as a sassy, seductive, rebellious teen who is exiled to spend the summer with her no-nonsense grandmother (Jane Fonda) in Hull, Idaho, when her alcoholic mother (Felicity Huffman) can no longer cope with her.
    Larry the Cable Guy stars in "Delta Farce" as am Army reservist who, along with two even dumber buddies, is ordered to report to Iraq but, accidentally, get dumped in the Mexican desert. Thinking they're in a battle zone, they vow to reveal nothing except their "name, rank and favorite cereal." It's dishonorable discharge, a real Bagh-dud.
    In the voyeuristic, overwrought techno-thriller "Perfect Stranger," Halle Berry plays an abrasive investigative reporter who suspects that the mysterious murder of her childhood friend might be connected to a prominent, womanizing ad exec, played by Bruce Willis, going undercover with two separate identities, neither of which is compelling.
    On the other hand, September is National Hispanic Heritage Month, so consider the seven-disc "Kids Love Spanish" series, which teaches language basics involving words and phrases children use every day, utilizing effective educational tools like repetition, colorful graphics and engaging music.
    Or the "Adult Swim" show, "Robot Chicken Season 2: Uncensored," a modern take on the variety/sketch format with stop-motion animation bringing 20 pop-culture parodies to life. Action figures spoof everything from Quentin Tarantino's blood-splattered epics to The Real World - with deleted scenes, commentaries and a gag reel.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: To celebrate the beginning of classes, bone up on Laurence Olivier's recently revived 1965 version of "Othello." This was one of the first stage/film hybrids, co-starring Frank Finlay, as the shrewd Iago, Maggie Smith as Desdamona and Joyce Redman as Emilia.

Susan Granger's Video/DVD Update for week of Friday, August 10th:

    "Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be clever," says the young narrator in "Starter for 10," a charmingly cheeky, coming-of-age comedy/drama about a quiz show wiz and his confused love life, set in England in the mid-1980s. Even cleverer than the movie, though, is the book that inspired it: David Nicholls' "A Question of Attraction."
    "TMNT" catches up with the Turtles after the defeat of their archrival, Shredder. Now the hard-shelled heroes (James Arnold Taylor, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chris Evans, etc.) must defeat a mysterious tycoon (Patrick Stewart) who threatens New York.
    "Are We Done Yet?" is an ill-advised sequel to "Are We There Yet?" as a couple (Ice Cube, Nia Long) and their children exchange a cramped apartment for a rural Victorian fixer-upper with more problems than square feet; the 1948 Cary Grant/Myrna Loy comedy, "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," did the hammer, nails and dry rot far better.
    Utilizing a stranded-in-an-airport situation, "Unaccompanied Minors" misses every opportunity to be funny as a major blizzard cripples air travel on Christmas Eve and five mischievous youngsters escape from a basement holding cell to stage a frantic free-for-all; a terminally boring layover, this sloppy film could be subtitled The Joy of Vandalism.
    For fans of HBO's "Rome," there's "The Complete Second Season," five discs with bonus materials including an interactive onscreen guide and historical features. Plus there are two Lifetime movies based on Nora Roberts' popular novels: "Angels Fall" starring Heather Locklear and "Montana Sky" with John Corbett, Ashley Williams and Diane Ladd.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: A troubled adolescent (Shia LaBoeuf) finds voyeuristic horror lurking in his suburban neighborhood in "Disturbia," an updated, youth-oriented adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" that ultimately becomes a violent psycho-slasher thriller.

Susan Granger's Video/DVD Update for week of Friday, August 3:

    If you're into uber-violent video games, "300" is an overblown, yet spectacular sword 'n' sandals action-packed adventure revolving around the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 doomed Spartans - under heroic King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) - fight for three days against thousands of Persians.
    There's more bloodshed and violence in "Pathfinder," a brutal revenge thriller. Apparently, at least 600 years before Columbus discovered America, the Vikings did. These rampaging Norsemen raped, pillaged and slaughtered Native Americans. Karl Urban stars as a half-breed hunter/warrior who is taken prisoner and forced to be a Viking guide.
    In a lighter vein, the family-friendly comedy "Firehouse Dog" finds a pampered, top-grossing movie mutt called Rexxx abandoned in a strange city and befriended by a lonely 12 year-old (Josh Hutcherson) whose fireman dad (Bruce Greenwood) discovers the canine's spectacular skills that are put to use during rescue calls.
    But you can forget about the mystery "Slow Burn," in which an ambitious district attorney (Ray Liotta) shuffles between two police interrogation rooms, trying to figure out why one of his assistant DAs (Jolene Blalock) killed a CD-store clerk (Mekhi Phifer) who was either her rapist or her prey.
   "ESPN Ultimate NASCAR" takes fans inside the birth of the sport by examining the evolution of stock-car racing and celebrating the cultural phenomenon it has become. This comprehensive collection includes never-before-seen images, plus behind-the-wheel commentary from Richard Petty, Jeff Burton, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison other legendary drivers.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Action comedy rules in filmmaker Edgar Wright's buddy-cop spoof called "Hot Fuzz." Simon Pegg plays a London supercop whose humorless zeal gets him banished to the quaint hamlet of Sandford, where he's partnered with the local police chief's drunken son (Nick Frost) as bloody corpses start turning up.

Susan Granger's Video/DVD Update for week of Friday, July 27th:

    Joel Schumacher's "The Number 23," starring Jim Carrey, is a murky psychological thriller about obsession, insanity and the "23 enigma," referring to the belief that all incidents and events are directly connected to some permutation of that magical number.
    While David Fincher's "Zodiac" purports to delve into San Francisco's most notorious serial killer, it's actually about a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) at the Chronicle newspaper who becomes obsessed with the murders, lurking around the desk of the boozing, egotistical crime reporter (Robert Downey Jr.). Disappointingly inconclusive, it runs a tedious 2 ½ hours.
    Even worse is Tom Tykwer's bizarre, macabre fantasy "Perfume" about a deadly olfactory obsession. In 18th century Paris, perfumer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whitshaw) indulges his quest for the perfect fragrance by becoming a vicious murderer.
    "The Host" is a horror comedy about a South Korean family that faces off against a mutant sea creature; actually, the real villains are the officials who can't contain it. Born in water contaminated by an American scientist, the monster rises out of the Han River to create chaos; the concept has already been picked up for a Hollywood remake.
    And Martha Stewart serves up "Martha's Guests: Master Chefs," including segments with culinary experts Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Lidia Bastianich.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: My birthday's this week - and I got myself a finger-snapping, toe-tapping gift: "Classical Musicals From the Dream Factory, Vol. 2," a feel-good collection of seven newly-remastered favorites from MGM's Golden Era, including Fred Astaire and Jane Powell in "Royal Wedding," Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in "The Pirate," Gene Kelly's extravaganza "That's Dancing," Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in "Words and Music," "That Midnight Kiss" and "Toast of New Orleans," pairing Mario Lanza with Kathryn Grayson.

Susan Granger's Video/DVD Update for week of Friday, July 20th:

    "Carlos Oscar: Life is Crazy Good!" is the full-length version of stand-up comedian Carlos Oscar's Comedy Central Special. His observations about his Latino family tickle a cross-cultural funny bone.
    "Premonition" is this week's psychological thriller. Sandra Bullock plays a seemingly happily married mother of two daughters who is told that her husband (Julian McMahon) died in a car crash. Yet the next morning, she wakes up to discover he's not dead. Or is he? Is she experiencing a psychic phenomenon?
    The mutants are still alive in "The Hills Have Eyes 2." Last time, they attacked a vacationing American family, now it's a group of bumbling National Guard soldiers at the Yuma Flats Training and Testing Facility in New Mexico who come up against the bloodthirsty clan. As one says, "Oh, man we're getting' picked off one by one here."
    Esther Williams was a champion swimmer who pioneered a new genre of film-making: "Aqua Musicals," filled with laughs and romance. "TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams" features five of her splashiest: "Bathing Beauty," "On an Island With You," "Easy to Wed," "Neptune's daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet," along with outtakes, interviews and vintage shorts.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: The fascinating PBS documentary "The Mormons" explores the Latter-day Saint movement - from early days with Joseph Smith's 19th century revelations, the bloody Utah massacres and polygamy - through contemporary spokespeople, like presidential candidate Mitt Romney and an excommunicated feminist scholar. On the lighter side, there's "Avenue Montaigne," a wistful French comedy about a young woman (Cecile de France) searching for fame in Paris, the City of Light. She could be "Amelie's" blonde sister as she wangles a waitress job at a café on the chic Avenue Montaigane and soon gets involved with its patrons.

Susan Granger's dvd/video Update for week of Friday, July 6th:

    Writer/director Jay Craven calls his magical realist comedy/adventure "Disappearances" 'a Vermont Western.' Actually, it's a Depression-era tale of whiskey-running across the Canadian border. Kris Kristofferson, Charlie McDermott, Gary Palmer and William Sanderson run into a heap of trouble with legendary outlaw Carcajou (Lothaire Bluteau) - after ignoring the prophetic warnings of Genevieve Bujold.
    "Pride" is another inspirational sports drama, elevated from the ordinary by the performances of Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac. Howard plays real-life hero Jim Ellis, who started a swim team in an inner-city Philadelphia recreation center marked for demolition. After a few weeks of practice, his African-American athletes take on a rich, white squad (coached by Tim Arnold) and the training scenes splash with some fresh twists before drowning in clichés.
    On the other hand, in "Peaceful Warrior," an arrogant, ultra-competitive gymnast (Scott Mechlowicz) finds enlightenment in a Berkeley, California, gas station after meeting an old mechanic (Nick Nolte) who spouts Zen'ish aphorisms, like "Knowledge is not the same as wisdom. You know how to clean a windshield? Wisdom is doing it." Not surprisingly, director Victor Salva, who was convicted and served jail time in the 1980s for child-molestation, devotes much screen time to sweating, half-nude teenagers.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: While you're waiting for the new "Harry Potter," you can see Rupert Grint (a.k.a. Ron Weasley) in "Driving Lessons" as the soulful yet savvy, poetry-writing 17 year-old son of a passive English vicar and a religious, relentlessly jubilant mother (Laura Linney). Julie Walters plays a boozy aging actress in this sort-of genteel, updated "Harold and Maude" - without the sex. The mild British wackiness is more droll than funny, and writer/director Jeremy Brock based Walters' character on his experiences working for eccentric British actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, June 29:

    Writer/director Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow") positions "Black Snake Moan" as one of the silliest, pseudo-serious stories in years. A backwoods nymphomaniac, played by Christina Ricci sashays around like Daisy Duke after her beau (Justin Timberlake) goes into the Army. So Samuel L. Jackson, an ex-blues man, tries to reform her by chaining her to a radiator and reading from the Bible. Listen to the soundtrack but skip the Southern-fried scenery.
    Mark Wahlberg stars as a sniper in "Shooter," Antoione Fuqua's violent revenge thriller combining conspiracy theories, post-9/11 paranoia and non-stop action; it's all about a wrong man fingered for a crime.
    "The Bridge" is a creepy, brutally honest documentary about suicide, capturing on film almost two dozen people leaping to their deaths off San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Filmmaker Eric Steel juxtaposes this 2004 digital footage with the harrowing personal stories of family members and friends of those who jumped.
    The hot button topic of gay weddings is the basis for the romantic made-for-TV comedy "Wedding Wars" with John Stamos, Eric Dane and Bonnie Sommerville; bonus features include "Gays on Strike: The Truth Behind Wedding Wars."
    From writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan ("Saw") there's "Dead Silence," in which a husband (Ryan Kwaten) tries to figure out why his wife (Laura Regan) died just after a mysterious ventriloquist's dummy showed up on their doorstep.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: "Anthem" chronicles the adventures of two young women who went on the road to explore and expose The American Dream, interviewing the late Hunter S. Thompson, Robert Redford, George Stephanopoulos, Willie Nelson George McGovern, Studs Terkel.and many more. Made 10 years ago, it gives a fresh perspective to race, religion, politics, freedom and what it means to be an American.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, June 22:

    Everyone loves Lucy - and "The Lucille Ball Collection" showcases a different side of the "First Lady of Television" with five films she made from 1940-1974: "Dance Girl Dance," "Du Barry Was a Lady," "The Big Street," "Critic's Choice" and "Mame."  In addition, Lucy's adaptation of the Broadway's "Best Foot Forward" with June Allyson and Nancy Walker is available separately.
    "Reno 911! Miami" presents the inept Comedy Central cops in a series of sketches that are crudely stapled to a plot. The Miami beachfront offers a chance to mock Hollywood blockbusters, as well as "Baywatch." What's refreshing about the movie and the series is how the women are in on the jokes.
    London's current "It" girl, model Sienna Miller, stars as Andy Warhol's beatnik chic muse Edie Sedgwick in "Factory Girl." It's a familiar, cliché-riddled show biz rise-and-fall tale with banal notes about substance abuse and the price of fame.
    Heather Graham stars in "Grey Matters" that combines passé elements of "The L-Word" with "Puccini for Beginners." The gimmick is that a co-dependent brother and sister face a sibling crisis when they fall in love with the same girl.
    "The Abandoned" deals with an American film producer (Anastasia Hille) returning to her provincial Russian birthplace searching for answers about her past and discovering a man (Karel Roden) claiming to be her twin brother. When they explore the ruins of their old family home, they encounter ghosts who provide clues to their horrific childhood.   
    PICK OF THE WEEK: It's always risky to dramatize a beloved children's book but "Bridge to Terabithia" does it brilliantly. Utilizing their imagination and creativity, two "outsiders," played by Josh Hutcherson and Anna Sophia Robb, devise a fanciful forest kingdom with whimsical creatures in this reality-based, coming-of-age story.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, June 15th

    Timed to coincide with the theatrical release of "Nancy Drew," there's "The Original Nancy Drew Movie Mystery Collection," starring 1930s star Bonita Granville.
    "Ghost Rider" is a flaming Marvel comic book about a daredevil biker (Nicholas Cage) who sells his soul to Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) and must kill Blackheart (Wes Bentley) who is determined to create hell on Earth. Writer/director Mark Steven Johnson envisioned an Evel Keneivel-meets-Faust concept but the pyrotechnics took over.
    In Tyler Perry's "Daddy's Little Girls," a haughty corporate attorney (Gabrielle Union) falls for a saintly garage mechanic (Idris Albert) who lives in the 'hood with three daughters. Subtlety has never been Perry's strength but his previous films balanced sermonizing with humor and sincerity but this morality tale is just heavy-handed.
    Director Susanne Bier earned an Oscar nomination for "After the Wedding," a highly entertaining Danish 'soap opera' about a charity worker (Mads Mikkelsen, the villainous LeChiffre in "Casino Royale") who is mysteriously summoned from India to Copenhagen by a billionaire about to throw a lavish wedding for his daughter.
    Set in Bucharest, "Blood and Chocolate" is a weird "Romeo and Juliet"-like tale about a Romanian werewolf (Agnes Bruckner) who moonlights as a chocolatier and meets an American writer (Hugh Dancy) who whets her appetite, and the by-the-numbers horror thriller "Primeval" is about hunting for a 20-foot long crocodile in the midst of a civil war in Burundi.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Subtle and suspenseful, "Breach" exposes how the FBI tracked and trapped its own most dangerous and damaging double-agent, Robert Hanssen.. It begins as an ambitious newcomer (Ryan Phillippe) is assigned to spy on a computer technology specialist (Chris Cooper), who is back in Washington, D.C. to set up a security division to protect classified intelligence.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, June 8th:

    One reason Eddie Murphy may have been knocked out of Oscar contention for "Dreamgirls" was the ill-timed release of "Norbit," a dreadful misfire in which he substitutes shtick for acting, believing that vulgarity is always funny.
    "Hannibal Rising" is even worse! Beginning in Lithuania in 1944, it traces how Hannibal Lecter became Hannibal the Cannibal. Gaspard Ulliel plays the deliciously evil madman immortalized by Anthony Hopkins, but there's an obvious disconnect in continuity and credibility as this Hannibal becomes a 'victim of circumstance.' It's a horror movie that's unintentionally comedic.
    "The Messengers" channels "The Amithville Horror," "The Others," "The Shining," even "The Birds" as a Chicago couple (Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller) settles into a desolate North Dakota farmhouse, hoping to raise sunflowers. But chaos erupts when their troubled teenage daughter (Kristen Stewart) and her mute toddler brother start seeing ghosts. And what's up with John Corbett as an oblivious field hand?
    "Nicotina" is a Mexican black comedy/thriller with Diego Luna ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") as a hacker who uses hidden cameras to spy on his sexy female neighbor and gets involved with nasty Russian mobsters in a caper gone awry.
    On a lighter note, comedian Annabelle Gurwich builds her documentary "Fired!" around her dismissal from Woody Allen's Off-Broadway play, "Writer's Block," and includes similar reminiscences by Anne Meara, Tim Allen, Sarah Silverman and Jeff Garlin.
    And for Jerry Seinfeld fans, "Seinfeld: Season 8," is now available in a deluxe four-disc boxed set with all 22 episodes and extensive bonus material.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: If you intrigued by Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," Susan Sarandon narrates "Secrets of the Code," a documentary examining that mystery and controversy, including secret societies like Freemasons, Priory of Sion and Opus Dei.

Susan Granger's video/dvd update for week of Friday, June 1st:

    This week look for several low-budget, independent movies that never got a general release - like "Memory," a mind-bending psychological thriller with Billy Zane, Dennis Hopper and Ann-Margret about a neuroscientist who is accidentally exposed to a mysterious red powder from the Amazon rain forest. Soon after, he begins experiencing strange, horrific flashbacks, accessing the mind of a serial killer.
    Fascinated by falconry? "The Hawk Is Dying" is a meandering spiritual meditation about an angst-ridden man, played by Paul Giamatti, who captures a magnificent red-tailed hawk and finds meaning and purpose in life.
    Natalie Portman stars in Amos Gitai's soul-searching, philosophical/political excursion, "Free Zone," as an American who inveigles a ride with an Israeli cabbie who is driving to Jordan, a Free Zone, where they link up with a Palestinian woman.
    If you're a Johnny Depp fan, do you remember that he had a minor part in Oliver Stone's "Platoon"? Depp's role expands on the "Platoon 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition," which utilizes footage that wound up on the cutting-room floor. The two-disc set also includes new interviews with Stone and three new documentaries about the Vietnam War and the making of the film which won four Oscars.
    "Epic Movie" spoofs "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Da Vinci Code," "Harry Potter" and other blockbusters as the faun from "Garnia" meets four orphans who have wandered into a wardrobe.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: The "Katherine Hepburn 100th Anniversary Collection" includes six new-to-DVD films: "The Corn Is Green," "Dragon Seed," "Morning Glory," "Sylvia Scarlett," "Undercurrent" and "Without Love," plus vintage shorts and classic cartoons. Great Kate's independent life and sharp-witted, strong-willed, sophisticated characters made her a role model for generations of women and a beloved heroine to filmgoers for more than 60 years.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, May 25th:

    Spoken in Yucatec dialect, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" is a bizarre, savage, action-packed spectacle about the cruelty and barbarity of the Mayan civilization that dominated Mexico and Central America from about 2400 B.C. to the 15th century A.D.
    Intrigued with the black-and-white movies of the 1940s, Steven Soderbergh created a shadowy espionage thriller, "The Good German," that looks like a film-school exercise. George Clooney plays a war correspondent who returns to Berlin to cover the Postdam Conference and meets up with Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguire. Stylishly self-conscious, it's a stilted artifice and a mildly engrossing melodrama.
    Set in 1968, five years after the end of the Civil War, "Seraphim Falls" is an epic Western with a revenge, retribution and forgiveness theme, as a mysterious stranger (Pierce Brosnan) is shot by a former Confederate Colonel (Liam Neeson) and tracked through the rugged Ruby mountain wilderness of Nevada.
    Starring Toni Collette, Giovanni Ribisi and Brittany Murphy, "The Dead Girl" is a bleak, baleful psychological drama about the investigation of a sordid murder.
    For tots, early communication is pivotal and Brainy Baby's "Baby IQ" features charming puppet characters who introduce young eyes to the world around them. It's produced without narration and is designed for parents and babies to watch together.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: Peter O'Toole stars as an aging actor who forms a liaison, of sorts, with a cheeky 19 year-old girl in the wryly clever "Venus" - for which he was Oscar-nominated. And Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" presents the Japanese perspective on the defense of that pivotal Pacific island. Subtle and non-judgmental, Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" examine history within its context and emerge as strikingly effective anti-war statements.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, May 18th:

    With a hip-hop collegiate twist, "Stomp the Yard," starring Columbus Short and Meagan Good, is a raucous, rhythmic fable about finding your place in a group.
    Darren Aronofsky's visually intoxicating romantic fantasy "The Fountain" is an audaciously original, spiritual and often confusing meditation on the power of love. Hugh Jackman is a scientist whose wife (Rachel Weisz) is dying of an inoperable brain tumor.
    In Isobel Coixet's slow-paced "The Secret Life of Words," post-traumatic stress syndrome affects two people (Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins) who connect on a dreary, windswept oil rig on the Irish Sea. While the acting is excellent, the production values, particularly acoustically, leave much to be desired.
    Joining the recent spate of films aimed at Christian audiences, Michael Landon Jr.'s "The Last Sin Eater" is a religious-themed period thriller about a 10 year-old (Liana Liberato) looking for forgiveness in 1860s Appalachia after the death of her little sister.
    Nicole Kidman's talent is wasted in the bewildering, banal "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" about the famed photographer. Perverse and pretentious, it has a narrow, grotesque, hallucinogenic depth of field.
    All children are intrigued by magic - and kids can create their own illusions with the help of master illusionist Lyn Dillies in the entertaining "Learn Magic With Lyn."
    PICK OF THE WEEK: "In "Pan's Labyrinth," writer/director Guillermo del Toto has created one of the most fascinating, imaginative yet darkly disturbing political fables of our time. In 1944 during the Spanish Civil War, a troubled 10 year-old girl (Ivana Baquero) retreats into a sinister, surreal, strangely grotesque R-rated fairy tale that evokes both "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Chronicles of Narnia." Don't be put off because it's in Spanish with English subtitles because it transcends language.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, May 11th:

    Given the unpredictable origins of contemporary music, it's not difficult to understand why a pop princess would ask her childhood idol to write and record a duet with her. So in the swingin' "Music and Lyrics," Hugh Grants plays a callow, good-natured, washed-up '80s rock star who teams up with ditzy Drew Barrymore to write a song.
    Love relationships take unprecedented twists in "Breaking and Entering," Antony Minghella's drama about theft and regeneration in North London's squalid King's Cross neighborhood as Jude Law, Robin Wright Penn and Juliette Binoche become involved in a romantic triangle. It's intellectually engaging but never delivers on an emotional level.
    Renee Zellweger stars in "Miss Potter" as Beatrix Potter, a proper Victorian lady who broke barriers to write and illustrate fanciful children's books, with Ewan McGregor as her devoted publisher and Emily Watson as his headstrong sister. Directing his first film since "Babe," Chris Noonan gently melds in the whimsical animation.
    Slow and meditative, "The Secret Life of Words," shows how post-traumatic stress syndrome affects two troubled people (Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins) who, miraculously, connect on a dreary, windswept oil rig in the Irish Sea.
    Among this week's dreary disappointments are "Because I Said So" with Diane Keaton as the meddling mother of three grown daughters and "Catch and Release," Jennifer Garner's floundering, forgettable attempt at romantic comedy.
    PICK OF THE WEEK: Set in 1925 in pre-revolutionary China, "The Painted Veil" tells the tale of a selfish, spoiled London socialite (Naomi Watts) who impulsively marries a dull, priggish bacteriologist (Edward Norton) and then has a reckless affair with a dashing diplomat (Liev Schreiber) in Shanghai. Based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel, their physically and emotionally arduous journey of self-discovery is a magnificent, sumptuously photographed melodrama.

Susan Granger's dvd/video update for week of Friday, May 4th:

    Arriving 20 years after the original, "The Hitcher" continues the craze for remakes of horror movies geared to a new generation of teenagers. Sean Bean replaces Rutger Hauer as the menacing stranger. In the opening seconds, a bunny is reduced to roadkill as Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton learn why not to pick up strangers.
   Also youth-oriented, Nick Cassavetes' "Alpha Dog" is a gritty gangsta film about a drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) who heads a well-heeled San Fernando Valley gang  (Justin Timberlake, Shawn Hatosy, Fernando Vargas) that kidnaps a 15 year-old (Anton Yelchin); ineffectual adult supervision is supplied by Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis.
    The animated "Happily N'Ever After" is a disappointing, satirical re-telling of Cinderella with a vocal cast led by Sigourney Weaver, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and George Carlin. Too bad it's stale and derivative.
    An off-beat, attitude-filled action-comedy, "Surviving the Rush" is the story of three lone, deeply odd movie theater employees on the hottest day of summer when the most over-hyped film of the decade comes, exclusively and without warning, to their theater and the rest of the staff calls in sick.
    PICKS OF THE WEEK: Adapted from the Broadway show, "Dreamgirls" is about the trials and tribulations within a '60s Motown trio modeled on the Supremes. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx are sensational and the soundtrack is dazzling. And Kate Winslet received an Oscar nomination for her combustible role as a dissatisfied stay-at-home mom who has an affair with a fellow neighborhood parent (Patrick Wilson) in "Little Children," a provocative and evocative saga of suburbia complicated by the presence of a convicted sex offender (Oscar-nominee Jackie Earle Haley), who has moved back home to live with his mother.

Susan's video/dvd update for week of Friday, April 27th:

    Set in Manhattan's Museum of Natural History, the adventure/comedy "Night at the Musem" centers on the spooky mischief and mayhem discovered by a bumbling new security guard (Ben Stiller). A skeletal Tyrannosaurs Rex wants to play as growling Neanderthals quest for fire, but the bickering miniature cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and tiny Roman general Octavius (Steve Coogan) provide the most fun.
    Denzel Washington stars in "Déjà vu" as a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent who is summoned to investigate a post-Katrina New Orleans ferry explosion and, inexplicably, feels he's been there before and is drawn to a woman but doesn't know why. It's all about top-secret government experiments to bend time.
    Cedric the Entertainer is a janitor who finds himself unexpectedly entangled in a high-level conspiracy in "Code Name: The Cleaner" - which should be much funnier than it is, even though Lucy Liu and Nicollette Sheridan are romping around.
    Perfectly timed for Mother's Day giving, "The Essentials Classics Collection" includes Classic Romances ("Gone With the Wind," "Casablanca," "Dr. Zhivago"), Classic Family Films ("Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," "Goonies," "Wizard of Oz"), Classic Dramas ("The Maltese Falcon," "Citizen Kane," "Ben Hur"), Classic Musicals ("My Fair Lady," "Gigi," "Singin' in the Rain") and Classic American Musicals (""The Music Man," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"). There's also "James Cagney: The Signature Collection" with "The Bride Came C.O.D.," "Captain of the Clouds," "The Fighting 69th," "Torrid Zone" and "The West Point Story."
   PICK OF THE WEEK: In "The Queen," Oscar-winner Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II dealing with the crisis that befell the House of Windsor after the death of Princess Diana, as newly-elected Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) urges the monarch to acknowledge public sentiment.