Susan Granger’s DVD UPDATE for week of Friday, Nov. 5:
Given the vicarious nature of our gossip-riddled culture, the on-screen pairing of Hollywood sweetheart Drew Barrymore with her on-again-off-again beau Justin Long (TV’s “Mac Guy”) propelled the wannabe romantic comedy “Going the Distance,” but it’s hampered by novice feature-film director Nannette Burstein’s clumsy, forced pacing.
Set in Britain in A.D. 117 and featuring explosive geysers of blood, Neil Marshall’s “Centurion” is filled with fast-paced, visually stunning action, revolving around a trusted Roman Army officer (Michael Fassbender) who is fighting the barbaric Picts.
The award-winning documentary “Salt” follows photographer Murray Fredericks on his annual pilgrimage to the heart of Lake Eyre in a remote corner of South Australia. Commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “Ocean Odyssey” is an amazing undersea journey to remote places, exploring the marine ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, Hawaii, the Maldives, the Azores, the Channel Islands, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, etc.
“Winnebago Man” is Ben Steinbauer’s curious, mildly entertaining documentary about Jack Rebney, a retired salesman of recreational vehicles whose YouTube rants have made him an Internet celebrity. And PBS’s 13-episode “Cook’s Country, Season 3” revels in simple, regional, American country-style comfort food, adapted for the modern kitchen.
The award-winning “Families of the World” series profiles “Families of Afghanistan” and “Families of Kenya,” focusing on two children from different households, exploring both the similarities and differences that exist between them as well as us.
PICKS OF THE WEEK: Perfect for the upcoming gift-giving season, the six-disc “The Pacific” contains the acclaimed 10-part mini-series, tracking the real-life journeys of three U.S. Marines during World War II – from their first battle with the Japanese on Guadalcanal, through the rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the bloody sands of Iwo Jima, through the horrors of Okinawa and their triumphant but uneasy return after V-J Day. And the nostalgic, heartfelt “Toy Story 3” creates a traumatic dilemma for Woody, Buzz and the other beloved characters, while the DVD and Blu-ray editions provide an in-depth look into Disney/Pixar Animation Studios and its various “Toy Story” creators.