Saturday, May 25, 2013
NEW ON THE SHELF
“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” a 3D-CG adventure from the creators of “Despicable Me” and the imagination of Dr. Seuss, features the voice talents of Danny DeVito as the gruff but lovable Lorax.
Universal Pictures and Illuminatiion Entertainment
"DR. SEUSS' THE LORAX," animated with the voices of Danny DeVito and Betty White. Dr. Seuss' timeless environmentalism parable gets the CGI treatment in this fairly faithful adaptation, which benefits greatly from a stellar ensemble of familiar voices including DeVito as the grouchily lovable protector of nature, Ed Helms ("The Hangover"), Zac Efron ("17 Again") and the ever-dependable White. Never the least preachy of Seuss' classics, but the message behind "The Lorax" is worth hammering home, and there's more than enough comedy and eye-popping animation to leaven any soapbox tendencies. Special features include three shorts involving characters from the film. Rated PG. Running time: 1:26
Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $34.98
"GRIMM: SEASON ONE," starring David Guintoli and Silas Weir Mitchell. Intriguing genre mash-up is part police procedural and part fairytale, a heretofore unexplored combo that generates a good amount of grisly fun. Guintoli ("Caroline and Jackie") strikes the right balance of determination and incredulity as Nick Burkhardt, a normally hardened detective understandably caught off guard by the number of citizens transforming into hideous monsters and committing brutal crimes all of a sudden. Not as family-friendly as most fairytale-based entertainment, "Grimm" runs with a potentially awkward concept and makes it work smashingly. Not rated; contains language and violence. Running time: 16:52
Suggested retail price: $59.98; Blu-ray $69.98
NEW TO DVD
"PARENTHOOD: SEASON THREE," starring Lauren Graham and Peter Krause. Loosely based on the 1989 Ron Howard/Steve Martin comedy, this mostly dramatic series functions as something of a "thirtysomething" for a new generation, with "Friday Night Lights" mastermind Jason Katims proving his usual pathos and insight, resulting in a remake of sorts that easily outshines its source material. The big surprise here is Dax Shepard. Known mainly for dim-witted comedic supporting roles, Shepard is outstanding as a genial slacker who unexpectedly becomes a father. Not rated; contains language and mild sexual content. Running time: 12:55
Suggested retail price: $59.98
NEW ON BLU-RAY
"JOHNNY GUITAR," starring Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden. You don't run into many psychosexual dramas masquerading as B-movie Westerns these days, and you certainly didn't find many back in 1954. But that's exactly what many critics have posited is going on in this one-of-a-kind classic, which finds the inimitable Crawford vamping it up as only she can as Vienna, a seemingly omnipotent small-town tavern owner who is more man than the majority of the hombres in the general vicinity. Her rivalry with cattle baroness Mercedes McCambridge contains far more sexual tension than her on-again, off-again dalliances with the balladeer of the title (Hayden), but regardless of what you read into the onscreen proceedings, it's a guarantee you've never seen anything quite like "Johnny Guitar." Running time: 1:50
Suggested retail price: $29.95
VIDEOPORT PICKS
"BLUE LIKE JAZZ," starring Marshall Allman and Jason Marsden. Writer-director Steve Taylor set his sights on delivering a religious-minded comedy-drama that manages to attract churchgoers and heathen alike. We follow young Don (Allman), a college-bound youth who becomes compelled to derail his Christian lifestyle upon learning that his mom has been sleeping with his pastor. Taking that as his cue to enroll in the least godly university he can find, Don tests the waters of worldly experience and becomes more confused than before. Rated PG-13 for mature material, sexuality, drug and alcohol content, and some language. Running time: 1:47
Suggested retail price: $27.98; Blu-ray $39.99
"GIRLFRIEND," starring Evan Sneider and Amanda Plummer. What makes this film all the more impressive is the fact that Sneider has Down Syndrome, as does his character, also named Evan, in this acclaimed film from writer-director Justin Lerner. After a chance encounter finds Evan $15,000 richer, he sets about using his newfound wealth to woo a longtime crush (Shannon Woodward, "Raising Hope"), a single mom with few options, no money and a volatile ex-boyfriend who won't go away. Not rated; contains language, nudity and some violence. Running time: 1:34
Suggested retail price: $27.99
- Courtesy of Videoport
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