NEW ON THE SHELF:

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Gary Oldman, Andy Serkis. Follow-up to 2011’s hugely successful reboot finds the damn dirty apes (led by the redoubtable Serkis) facing off against a group of human survivors after a deadly virus wipes out a considerable portion of humanity. The most successful “Apes” features to date, “Dawn” is serious business, offering a grim but consistently thrilling sci-fi/actioner. Includes a commentary from director Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”). Rated PG-13. Running time: 2:11. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99.

“The Hundred-Foot Journey,” Helen Mirren, Om Puri. Lovely, amusing dramedy from ever-dependable helmer Lasse Hallstrom (“Chocolat”) pits restaurateurs against one another, with the recently relocated Kadam family serving traditional Indian fare across the street from the formidable Madame Mallory (Mirren), who will stop at nothing to attain another Michelin star. Sumptuously filmed and engagingly performed, here we have an ideal “Journey” to embark upon with any ape-violence-eschewing family members. A true delight throughout. Rated PG-13. Running time: 2:02. Suggested retail price: $29.99; Blu-ray $36.99.

NEW TO DVD:

“Justified: The Complete Season Five,” Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins. The constantly up to no good Crowe clan gets the spotlight in season five of the ever-entertaining action-comedy series based on characters created by the late Elmore Leonard, giving U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (the lamentably Emmy-less Olyphant) even more than usual to be ornery about. Still one of the most underrated hours on television, nothing out there blends wry comedy and gritty action better than “Justified”. Not rated. Running time: 10:07. Suggested retail price: $55.99; Blu-ray $65.99.

“The Simpsons: The Complete Season Seventeen,” animated, with the voices of Dan Castanella, Julie Kavner. Originally broadcast between September 2005 and May 2006, season seventeen (!) of TV’s longest-running comedy continues to supply a steady stream of laughs both perceptive and puerile, with a memorable return from the nefarious but profoundly unlucky Sideshow Bob netting a well-deserved Emmy for Kelsey Grammer, in addition to one for Outstanding Animated Program for “The Seemingly Neverending Story”. Not rated. Running time: 8:26. Suggested retail price: $49.98; Blu-ray $59.99.

Advertisement

“The Strain: The Complete Season One,” David Bradley, Jonathan Hyde. Based on a series from Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, “The Strain” miraculously manages to find a new angle on the somehow not yet exhausted vampire theme, observing an impending vampire epidemic from the perspective of professions all along the American class system, allowing the creators to make all manner of commentary on our society while simultaneously delivering a truly creepy bit of sci-fi/horror. Original and unsettling to the say the least. Not rated. Running time: 9:56. Suggested retail price: $39:98; Blu-ray $49.99.

NEW TO BLU-RAY:

“The Legend of Korra: Book Three – Change,” animated. One of the most gorgeously animated shows on TV, Nickelodeon’s popular series shows no signs of slowing down in its third season, with a beautifully detailed hi-def release that includes creator/crew commentaries on all thirteen episodes and thirteen behind-the-scenes featurettes. Not rated. Running time: 4:54. Suggested retail price: $19.99; Blu-ray $35.98.

VIDEOPORT PICKS:

“As Above So Below,” Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman. Opinions vary concerning the lasting appeal of the seemingly unkillable “found footage” motif so popular in horror filmmaking these days, but just when you think it’s finally played out, along comes a stunner like “As Above So Below”, which uses its unprecedented access to the Paris Catacombs to full advantage in relating its unbearably eerie tale of archeologist Scarlet (Weeks, “The Tudors”) and the crewmen unfortunate enough to accompany her on a quest to locate Flamel’s Philosopher’s Stone, a pursuit that drove her own father to madness and suicide before her, something one can hardly blame him for once it become apparent what’s down there. For viewers who can stomach a little shaky cam, “As Above” is a spooky treat for non-claustrophobic audiences. Rated R. Running time: 1:34. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $34.99.

“Broad City: The Complete Season One,” Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer. Few comedies are as proudly, brazenly off-putting as Comedy Central’s “Broad City”, which follows unambitious but hopeful besties Jacobson and Glazer as they navigate their early twenties, not always with any particular degree of success, and more often than not finding themselves in surreally humiliating situations. It’s “Girls” without any need to be linear or in any way redeeming, and that level of freedom elevates what could have been derivative into something much more worthwhile. Not rated. Running time: 5:00.

Suggested retail price: $26.98.

– Courtesy of Videoport


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.