Susan Granger’s DVD UPDATE for week of Fri., Oct. 21:
Best known for low-budget comedies like “Clerks” and “Mallrats,” writer/director Kevin Smith’s clever yet highly controversial horror/thriller, “Red State,” focuses on a fanatical Christian fundamentalist group with a sinister agenda.
Cameron Diaz stars in “Bad Teacher,” playing a frustrated, foul-mouthed, irresponsible seventh-grade teacher who is determined to marry rich, setting her sights on a geeky, new substitute teacher (Justin Timberlake) whose family got wealthy making watches.
In “Monte Carlo,” fresh-faced Disney star Selena Gomez is a spunky teenager who impersonates a look-alike spoiled British socialite in Monte Carlo in a wish-fulfillment fantasy timed to coincide with the real-life wedding of Monaco’s Prince Albert to commoner Charlene Wittestock.
“Baseball’s Greatest Games: Collector’s Edition” compiles historic, singular and momentous games, culled from the MLB archives, including the Yankees, Pirates, Red Sox, Reds, Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers, Mets, Twins, Braves and Blue Jays.
The animated “Batman: Year One” covers Frank Miller’s origin story, detailing the gritty, formative days of The Dark Knight, and The Visitors have returned to Earth in “V: The Complete Second Season,” including an extra hour of never-before-seen sci-fi content.
There’s the 40th anniversary Collector’s edition of “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,” starring Gene Wilder, plus “Mel Stuart’s Wonkavision,” a new interview with the director, a new featurette on author Roald Dahl and a 144-page production book reprint.
Long before “Transformers,” there was a sweeping animated sci-fi epic, “Robotech,” that delivered “mecha” to the masses – and now that complete series is available with bonus background material.
In “ThunderCats: Season 1, Book 1,” the first eight episodes reveal Prince Lion-O’s ascension to the throne and those who would thwart his destiny.
PICKS OF THE WEEK: Chris Weitz’s critically acclaimed drama “A Better Life” is a timely, compassionate father/son drama, illuminating the contemporary immigrant experience with Mexican actor Demian Bichir delivering a powerful performance as a hard-working single father trying to raise a teenage son. And “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” continues the action-packed adventure franchise as Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) searches for the legendary Fountain of Youth.