Susan’s DVD Update for week of Friday, May 21:
In “Extraordinary Measures,” when a pharmaceutical exec (Brendan Fraser) discovers two of his three children have a rare, genetic form of muscular dystrophy called Pompe’s disease, he turns for help to a cantankerous medical researcher (Harrison Ford), who believes he’s created an experimental drug that can arrest the disease’s painful progress – but at what cost?
Garry Marshall’s “Valentine’s Day” is a fluffy, celebrity-drenched comedic confection interweaving the lives of several Los Angelinos – played by Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Biel, etc. – on one fateful February 14th. And Jackie Chan churns out family fare with “The Spy Next Door” as a mild-mannered pen importer who moonlights as an undercover CIA agent in Albuquerque.
In the poignant, insightful “The Messenger,” Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster are casualty-notification officers who deliver the news of a soldier’s death to the next of kin.
Shot in Argentina, Francis Ford Coppola’s “Tetro,” a drama about family secrets, is the second in his new line of self-financed, low-budget art films, following “Youth Without Youth.” And Johnny Kevorkian’s “The Disappeared” is a British supernatural shocker about a young man’s struggle following the loss of his sibling.
John Lennon “Rare and Unseen” is a collection of original footage, newsreels and photographs from private collections, giving an inside look at the rock legend. And “You Really Got Me: The Story of the Kinks” contains music and commentary from various band members including Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory.
New for rugrats, there’s “Barney: Let’s Play Outside” and “Being a Friend,” a new adventure with Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Thomas & Friends.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Directed by Clint Eastwood, “Invictus” is a brilliant, powerful underdog story, transcending the clichés of a traditional, historical biography and encompassing far more than the sport of rugby, earning Oscar-nominations for Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Springbok team captain Francois Pienaar. DVD extras include Damon’s rigorous rugby training, Freeman’s real meeting with Mandela and Eastwood’s insights about this compelling story.