Susan Granger’s DVD update for week of Fri., May 13:
Natalie Portman gets gross in the sexy, role-reversing romantic comedy “No Strings Attached,” playing an ambitious medical resident in a strictly sexual relationship with an affable TV production assistant (Ashton Kutcher). Guess how long the friends-with-benefits arrangement lasts?
Spanning the course of six years, “Blue Valentine” is a brutally grim, tortuously overwrought chronicle of a doomed relationship, redeemed only by the remarkably naturalistic performances of Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling.
In Russian with English subtitles, the existential thriller “How I Ended This Summer” explores themes of isolation and dependence between two men stationed on a desolate island in the Arctic Circle.
“Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story” is an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest board games. Monopoly is sold in over 100 countries in 40 different languages. Tournaments are held every four years with a winner-take-all prize of $20,580, the total amount of play money in a Monopoly set.
Another documentary “Cropsey” tells the real-life horror story of convicted child murderer Andre Rand, who lived in the old, abandoned Willowbrook Mental Institution. Filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio assumed he was an urban legend until 12 year-old Jennifer Schweiger disappeared from their Staten Island community in 1987.
The sci-fi horrorfest “Dahmer vs. Gacy” introduces Dr. Hess (Art LaFleur) working within a secret government lab to create the ultimate killer by combining the DNA of two of the most infamous serial murderers, Jeffrey Dahmer (Ford Austin) and John Wayne Gacy (Randal Malone). But when a freak accident allows their escape, only Ringo (Harland Williams) can stop the carnage.
Looking ahead to Father’s Day, consider Tim Allen’s “Home Improvement: the 20th Anniversary Complete Collection,” encompassing all eight seasons on 25 discs, packaged as a stunning red toolbox.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never” relates the teen idol’s journey en route to a performance in Madison Square Garden. Born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, Bieber was raised by a loving single mother who posted clips of him on YouTube, where an Atlanta record exec spied him and introduced him to R&B star Usher and music mogul Antonio Reid.