Susan Granger’s DVD UPDATE for week of June 15:
Picking up where the last film left off, the sassy, stylish “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” finds Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) recalling his 1891 “last case” with genius detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.), whose manic, eccentric behavior verges on psychotic.
Set in New Orleans, “A Little Bit of Heaven” is a romantic comedy in which a fatally ill, yet relentlessly cheery advertising exec (Kate Hudson) falls in love with her Mexican/Jewish oncologist (Gael Garcia Bernal).
Gleefully over-the-top tasteless, Troma’s “Father’s Day” follows a boy who, after watching his father raped and murdered, grows into a vengeful killer, while Vincent D’Onofrio’s “Don’t Go in the Woods” is a twisted hybrid slasher-musical, co-written by veteran singer/songwriter Sam Bishee.
Narrated by Ewan McGregor, “Fastest” is the highly anticipated documentary sequel to “Faster,” capturing the thrilling, terrifying world of competitive motorcycle racing.
In “Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance,” Mandy Patinkin reveals how visionary choreographers challenged convention and founded one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. And “Give Me the Banjo” is a musical odyssey through 200 years of American banjo history and culture, highlighted by performances from Earl Scruggs, bela Fleck, Pete Seeger and Steve Martin.
Another documentary, “Something’s Gonna Live,” is Daniel Raim’s intimate portrait of the last generation of production designers, cinematographers and storyboard illustrators whose techniques and wisdom constitute a “master class” for today’s filmmakers.
Foreign film aficionados should find Agnieszka Holland’s “In Darkness,” a harrowing, intense true story about a brave Polish sewer inspector who repeatedly risked his life to hide a small group of Jews in the dank, rat-infested subterranean tunnels of Lvov during W.W. II.
For preschoolers, there’s “Awesome Adventures: Races, Chases & Fun” with Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder, plus “Angelina Ballerina: Musical Moves,” “Babar: the Classic Series: The Complete First Season,” and “My First Collection, Vol. 3, Featuring Chicken Little.”
PICK OF THE WEEK: Doug Tirola’s intriguing “All In- The Poker Movie,” celebrates the worldwide poker renaissance and documents a popular way to chase the American Dream.