Susan Granger’s DVD/Video Update for week of Friday, August 7:
Jon Foster, Mena Suvari, Nick Nolte, Sienna Miller and Peter Sarsgaard star in “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” about a young man’s bisexual coming-of-age, based on Michael Chabon’s 1988 novel. Sloppily adapted and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, it’s a dismal disappointment which is why it never got a nationwide theatrical release.
“Obsessed” is a predatory psychodrama about an asset-management executive (Idris Elba) who’s happily married to his former assistant (Beyonce Knowles) when a femme fatale (Ali Larter) begins to stalk him. But why he doesn’t report her obvious sexual harassment and aberrant behavior is never explained, nor are her motives and why a detective (Christine Lahti) is so clueless. As a result, it becomes a bit ludicrous.
Aimed at 10 year-old boys, James Wong’s “Dragonball: Evolution” is an apocalyptic teenybopper kung-fu fantasy, starring Justin Chatwin as the grandson of a wizened martial arts guru, battling evil Lord Piccolo (James Marsters), with the help of a heavily armed hottie (Emmy Rossum). But despite the impressive line-up of voice talent (Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Val Kilmer, Chris Kattan, Michael Clarke Duncan, Lou Gossett Jr., Malcolm McDowell, Burt Reynolds and the late Anne Bancroft), Mark F. Adler’s cheaply computer-animated adventure “Delgo” fails to ignite an interesting storyline, so its appeal may only be to undemanding, not-easily-bored youngsters.
PICKS OF THE WEEK: Based on Roberto Saviano’s 2006 best-seller, “Gomorrah” is a brutal Italian saga – with English subtitles – about the corruption and violence hidden in the ugly, soft underbelly of a Mafia-type organization that rules Naples and infiltrates its environs. Five intersecting stories revolve around people who believe that they can ‘work’ the system which generates over $233 billion worldwide each year. And “Race to Witch Mountain” begins in the Nevada desert where a UFO has landed. While Homeland Security is determined to secure the “illegal aliens,” a Las Vegas taxi-driver (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and a visiting astrophysicist (Carla Gugino) pick up two shape-shifting, telekinetic, telepathic, space-traveling siblings (AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig) who need their help to return to their home planet. It’s cornball sci-fi fun.