NEW ON THE SHELF

“NEIGHBORS,” Seth Rogen, Zac Efron. The generation gap descends into all-out war in this uproarious farce from director Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), which pits new thirtysomething parents Rogen and Rose Byrne against the constantly intoxicated, tirelessly partying college students (led by Efron) in the fraternity house they’ve unwisely moved in next to. The attempts made by the no longer cool couple to both fit in with and shut down the frat bros are both funny and awkwardly charming, and Efron successfully casts aside his normally likeable persona to portray a hilarious vapid prettyboy. A solid straight-up comedy that harkens back to the “Animal House” era. Rated R. Running time: 1:45. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $34.98.

“THE ROVER” Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson. Director/co-writer David Michod’s lean and mean follow-up to his excellent “Animal Kingdom” follows Eric (Pearce) as he roams and shoots up an inexplicably barren and bankrupt Australian scape, looking for the guy who stole his last remaining possession in the world: his car. Forced to team up with the seemingly useless brother (Pattinson) of the thief, the unlikely, disagreeable duo doggedly pursue this single minded goal, and in the interest of remaining spoiler-free, we’ll leave it to the viewer fortunate enough to select this stylish, intense action-drama to discover the nasty surprises Michod has in store. Rated R. Running time: 1:43. Suggested retail price: $19.98; Blu-ray $24.99.

NEW TO DVD

“BROOKLYN NINE-NINE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON” Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher. Arguably the best comic ensemble on TV, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is assured and hilarious right out of the gate, melding the surreally goofy sensibilities of Samberg with a clear reverence for such classics as “Barney Miller” to create a new cop comedy that somehow feels lived-in, with Braugher a revelation as the no-nonsense captain Holt. A critical favorite primed to take on the larger audience it deserves. Special features include deleted scenes. Not rated. Running time: 7:57. Suggested retail price: $44.98.

“MODERN FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SEASON FIVE” Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen. Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell’s (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) wedding becomes the main focus of season five of the unstoppable comedy juggernaut that is multi-award winner “Modern Family,” and it’s as lavish and fraught with disaster, tension and hilarity as one might expect, as well as being one of the most moving and rewarding moments of the year in TV. As with any program receiving near-universal acclaim, the hype can be fatiguing, but the writers and cast keep earning it five years in. Not rated. Running time: 8:38. Suggested retail price: $39.98.

VIDEOPORT PICKS

“THE SIGNAL” Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke. Fascinating, bewildering sci-fi experience finds a pair of MIT students tracking down the signal of a hacker that’s been targeting them, only to be knocked unconscious and relocated to a mysterious facility populated with hazmat suited scientists, one of whom (Laurence Fishburne, no stranger to guiding confused guys through crazy futuristic environments) begins enlisting the young man’s services in unexpected and unexplained ways. Somewhere between “The Twilight Zone” and “The Matrix,” with a coat of “Primer” slapped on for good measure, “The Signal” is quality head-trip entertainment. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:37. Suggested retail price: $34.98.

“VERY GOOD GIRLS” Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen. The friendship between two young women comes to a crossroads in this beautifully filmed and sensitively played drama, written and directed by first-timer Naomi Foner and brought to vivid life by leads Fanning and Olsen, both heartfelt and heartbreaking as Lilly and Gerry respectively, enjoying one last summer together before heading off to college, hoping to have a few misadventures beforehand, and if said misadventures include losing their virginity, so much the better. A distinct YA fiction sensibility permeates, so viewers can take that as a warning or an invite, but all concerned succeed at delivering an intelligent, troubling and overall winning drama. Rated R. Running time: 1:33. Suggested retail price: $24.98; Blu-ray $29.98.

– Courtesy of Videoport

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