Susan’s dvd/video update for week of Fri., Nov. 27:
Tom Hanks reprises his portrayal of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon in Ron Howard’s intriguing adaptation of Dan Brown’s “Angels & Demons,” set in Vatican City just as the College of Cardinals begins its ritual conclave to elect a new Pope.
Adam Sandler teams up with writer/producer/director Judd Apatow for an unexpectedly dramatic turn in “Funny People” about a lonely, conflicted mega-star who discovers he has a terminal illness and hires a struggling stand-up comic (Seth Rogen) to be his personal assistant/confidante as he confronts his mortality. The Blu-Ray Hi-Def, two-disc Collector’s Edition DVD contains a new, unrated version not seen in theaters, along with Sandler’s and Apatow’s personal prank phone calls and additional stand-up performances by the cast.
Justin Long stars in “Taking Chances” as a guide at his small town’s often-ignored historic battlefield; when he discovers plans for a casino to be built on that site, he and the town siren (Emmanuelle Chriqui) launch a comedic offensive to stop the project.
Revolving around a mysterious Rainbow Rock that has the power to grant wishes,
Robert Rodriguez’s family-friendly “Shorts” is a cautionary fable, filled with wisdom like, “Friends can’t be wished into existence; you have to work for them.”
For gift-giving, “Farscape: The Complete Series Megaset” is a groundbreaking TV cult classic which ran from 1999-2003 on Sci-Fi, fusing live action, state-the-art-puppetry, prosthetics and CGI from The Jim Henson Company; extras include over 90 minutes of deleted scenes, slideshows and archival photos, interviews and documentaries.
Jean-Paul Jaud’s documentary “Food, Beware: The French Organic Revolution” presents an argument for chemical-free, locally-based farming and cooking, taking a pragmatic, health-based approach, buttressed by frightening statistics about cancer. And Deidre Timmons’ documentary “A Wink and a Smile” follows a group of ‘ordinary’ women learning the art of burlesque dancing and striptease in a quest for self-discovery.
PICKS OF THE WEEK: While you’re finishing leftover turkey, consider these timely Thanksgiving-themed rentals: “Home for the Holidays,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “The Ice Storm,” “Addams Family Values,” “Plymouth Adventure,” “Avalon” and “What’s Cooking?”