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‘Red Tails,’ ‘The Secret World of Arietty’ on DVD
RED_ILM_107 - Leslie Odom Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Nate Parker, Kevin Phillips, David Oyelowo and Elijah Kelley in “Red Tails.”
Updated: May 29, 2012 8:47AM
NEW THIS WEEK
RED TAILS ★ ★
Rated: PG-13 for some sequences of war violence
Rated: PG-13 for some sequences of war violence
George Howard spent years trying to get this WWII adventure airborne and, unfortunately, it shows. Though the historical drama of the Tuskegee Airmen, African-American pilots who won many honors in the closing days of the war (despite prevailing racist attitudes) is well worth telling, this weary rehash has little to offer except dreadful clichés. Though the spectacular CGI dogfight sequences almost make it worthwhile to doze through the drama. ad
THE GR EY★ ★ ★
Rated: R for violence/disturbing content including bloody images, and for pervasive language
Stars: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Ben Bray
Lean, mean and suspenseful from its opening moments, “The Grey” wastes no time sinking its teeth into you and never lets go — until the slightly disappointing, ambiguous ending. Neeson is perfectly cast as the reluctant alpha male trying to lead a half-dozen oil-rig workers to safety after a plane crash in Alaskan wilderness, fighting off cold, hunger and a ravening pack of wolves. Not bad at all. Extras include commentary and deleted scenes.
RECENT RELEASES
THE BIG HEAT★ ★ ★ 1/2
Rated: No MPAA rating
Stars: Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin, Gloria Grahame
A tough crime-noir that pulls no punches in its expose of police corruption, this 1953 classic benefits greatly from the emotional intensity director Fritz Lang wrests from the scenario and from a remarkably hard-boiled performance by Ford as an honest detective investigating the suicide of a fellow cop mixed up with a ruthless crime lord. But the only thing anyone really remembers about “The Big Heat” is sadistic thug Marvin disfiguring showgirl Grahame by tossing scalding coffee in her eyes. Well, that’s one way to get noticed.
ALBERT NOBBS★ ★ ★ 1/2
Rated: R for some sexuality, brief nudity, and language
Stars: Glenn Close, Janet McTeer, Mia Wasikowska
In addition to her peculiar, exquisitely subtle, Oscar-nominated performance in the title role, Close produced and co-wrote the screenplay to this odd, painful, but ultimately moving indie drama. Close plays a 19th-century Dublin woman disguised as a man for employment and safety, who lives a life of extreme loneliness and isolation—until love lures her out of hiding with tragic results. Extras include commentary and deleted scenes.
ALSO NEW
CASTLE IN THE SKY: BLU-RAY DEBUT
Japanese animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki’s 1986 adventure pits a young girl and boy against a granny lady with a clan of sky-pirate pilots, all searching for a lost, legendary floating castle. Walt Disney Home Video also presents the Blu-ray debuts of Miyazaki’s “Secret World of Arrietty” (above) and “Whisper of the Heart.”
ECLIPSE SERIES 33: UP ALL NIGHT WITH ROBERT DOWNEY SR.
Actor Robert Downey Jr. came by his irreverent humor the old-fashioned way: He inherited it. Downey’s dad made a name for himself with a series of outlandish experimental and scandalously satirical films, represented in this five-film collection from 1964-1975, including: “Babo 73,” “Chafed Elbows,” “No More Excuses,” “Putney Swope” and “Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight.”
LOVE, ETC.
This award-winning documentary by Jill Andresevic explores the nature of love in the form of an elderly couple proving love lasts forever, a teenage couple at the onset of love, a divorced parent starting over, young lovers contemplating marriage and a gay man beginning a new life as a parent.
MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD
Japanese cult-movie directors Yoshihiro Nishimura, Noboru Iguchi and Tak Sakaguchi joined forces for this splatter-horror-comedy about a teenage girl who teams up with friends to fight an alien invasion—partially represented by her dear old dad.
SHERLOCK: SEASON TWO
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this modern-day mini-series of brand-new Sherlock Holmes adventures on the BBC, with Martin Freeman as Dr. Holmes. Extras include commentary and a “Sherlock Uncovered” documentary.
THIS MEANS WAR
Two top CIA operatives (Chris Pine, Tom Hardy) wage an epic battle against each other when they learn they are dating the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). McG (“Charlie’s Angels”) directed the action comedy. Rated PG-13 for sexual content including references, some violence and action, and for language
AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK:
Just can’t get enough “Dragon Tattoo”-style Swedish crime? Check out the celebrated Swede TV mini-series “Wallander.” Or, if that’s too hard-core, monkey around with 1970 kiddie TV’s “Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp.”
