Susan’s DVD UPDATE for week of Nov. 19:
“Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” is a live-action caper comedy featuring anthropomorphized household pets; the plot revolves around a longstanding interspecies rivalry that’s interrupted when Kitty Galore (voiced by Bette Midler) goes rogue.
If you’re familiar with the Nickelodeon fantasy-adventure, M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender” may make sense to you but be prepared for long, often incoherent expository speeches and embarrassingly inept acting. On the other hand, some CGI visuality is memorable, particularly fantastical creatures like Aang’s airborne, six-legged bison buddy, lifted from Hayao Miyazaki.
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Tom Wisdom and Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep’s daughter), “The Lightkeepers” is Daniel Adams’ second in a trilogy of costume dramas that he dubs ‘Easterns’ because they’re about the denizens of old Cape Cod, revolving around ‘loners’ looking for a connection on the inhospitable New England coastline.
PBS’s “Cuba: The Accidental Eden” explores the island’s vibrant landscape and varied animal life, along with the threat to Cuba’s ecological riches. And PBS’s Peggy Cappy helps arthritis suffers decrease their aches and pains through simple techniques that seem to work for everyone at any age and ability in “Easy Yoga for Arthritis.”.
“The Best Worst Movie” is Michael Paul Stephenson’s amusing documentary about the strange nature of celebrity, an Alabama dentist and a self-deluded Italian filmmaker who come to grips with their role in the worst movie ever made.
Classic film lovers will appreciate the restored Blu-ray Book 75th anniversary edition of “Mutiny on the Bounty” (1935), featuring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton..
PICKS OF THE WEEK: For most of us, family comes first. But the definition of what constitutes a family has been altered and extended in recent years – and that’s what Lisa Cholodenko explores in “The Kids Are All Right” with Julianne Moore, Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo; it’s an unconventional look at the commitment issues inherent in long-term relationships. And soaring into the holiday season, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” is Robert Zemeckis’s vivid, new interpretation of Charles Dickens’ tale, utilizing performance-capture technology, with Jim Carrey as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.