NEW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

“BATTLE: LOS ANGELES,” starring Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez. Nonstop action and a you-are-there approach distinguish this big-budget sci-fi flick from the rest of the pack. Soon-to-be-retired Sgt. Michael Nantz (Eckhart, “The Dark Knight”) is forced to return to the front lines, this time to defend Los Angeles from an alien invasion. The special effects are impressive throughout, and Eckhart lends gravitas to a role that could have been a bland cliche. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:56.

Additional Photos

Owen Wilson, left, Jenna Fischer, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate and a fine supporting cast help "Hall Pass" succeed. Warner Bros.

Suggested retail price: DVD $28.95; Blu-ray $38.96

“BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON,” starring Martin Lawrence and Brandon T. Jackson. For those viewers eager to behold Martin Lawrence in a fat elderly woman suit once again, here’s the third entry in the good-natured (if perhaps a bit long in the tooth) comedy trilogy, adding the genial Jackson to the mix as Lawrence’s son, fated to inherit a no-doubt burdensome life of fat suits and cross-dressing. Director John Whitesell livens the proceedings some with several unexpected but entertaining music numbers, and fans of slapstick humor may enjoy the lowbrow shenanigans on display. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:47.

Suggested retail price: DVD $29.99; Blu-ray $39.99

“HALL PASS,” starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. From the always eager to offend Farrelly brothers (“There’s Something About Mary”) comes this typically ribald farce about a pair of married pals (Wilson and Sudeikis) whose long-suffering wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) allot their oversexed hubbies a consequence-free week with which to indulge their oft-wandering eyes. While one wonders where the briefly emancipated men would be able to locate better-looking spouses than Fischer and Applegate, it’s a lot of fun watching them try (and repeatedly fail), and a hilarious supporting cast (including Stephen Merchant, Richard Jenkins and J.B. Smoove) helps matters greatly. A return to form for the once-reigning screen kings of crass. Rated R. Running time: 1:45.

Suggested retail price: DVD $28.98; Blu-ray $35.99

“RED RIDING HOOD,” starring Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman. Gorgeously shot if intellectually vacuous, director Catherine Hardwicke reveals her “Twilight” roots in this revamp of the children’s fairy tale. Seyfried’s Red is stuck in a loveless betrothal in a medieval-era town where a werewolf reportedly stalks the land. Visually sumptuous, but for a more brain-engaging (and fun, for that matter) take on the Red Riding Hood tale, check out 1996’s “Freeway,” with Kiefer Sutherland and a young Reese Witherspoon. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:40.

Suggested retail price: DVD $28.98; Blu-ray $35.99 

NEW ON DVD

“THE GLADES: SEASON ONE,” starring Matt Passmore and Alexis Windsor. A refreshingly straight-arrow police series stars tough but ingratiating Passmore as a detective who relocates from Chicago to Florida in the vain hope of achieving a less stressful workday. The effectively low-key approach and relative and welcome dearth of snarkiness recalls the best detective series of the ’70s and ’80s, e.g. “Magnum, P.I.” and “The Rockford Files.” Not rated, contains language and violence. Running time: 9:27.

Suggested retail price: $39.98

“HAVEN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON,” starring Emily Rose and Lucas Bryant. From the ever fertile and twisted mind of best-selling author and native Mainer Stephen King comes this highly enjoyable series. The story follows FBI agent Rose as she attempts to extract info regarding a murdered ex-con from the odd citizens of a tight-knit Maine community known as a refuge for folks with supernatural powers. As one can easily glean from that synopsis, all the usual King elements are safely in place. Not rated, contains language, violence and frightening images. Running time: 9:32.

Suggested retail price: DVD $44.98; Blu-ray $49.98

“VANISHING OF THE BEES,” documentary narrated by Ellen Page. This thought-provoking and ultimately worrisome doc looks at the plight of the common honeybee, an insect whose importance to the worldwide economy is infinitely more crucial than most might expect. The honeybee’s waning numbers are investigated by filmmakers George Langworthy and Maryam Henein in a manner not unlike a good mystery, albeit one with very real and upsetting real-life implications. Special features include an animated short film and a featurette that shows you how to remove an unwanted honeybee colony from your property. Not rated, nothing objectionable. Running time: 1:27.

Suggested retail price: $19.98 

NEW ON BLU-RAY

“THE CINCINNATI KID,” starring Steve McQueen and Ann-Margret. The man who practically invented the very notion of “cool” receives the majority of his critical props from his celebrated turn in “Bullitt,” but more fun in the long run is this 1965 drama from director Norman Jewison (“In the Heat of the Night”). McQueen plays The Kid, the current reigning poker champ of New Orleans who’s slated to face off, appropriately enough, against The Man (scowlmaster Edward G. Robinson) in the granddaddy of all card games. Poker enthusiasts are likely to respond best to the expertly filmed and very tense scenes of card play, but the top-notch acting (and the presence of timeless hotties Ann-Margret and Tuesday Weld) should attract any viewer up for a good old-fashioned drama. Not rated, contains mild language and smoking. Running time: 1:42.

Suggested retail price: $19.98

“INSIGNIFICANCE,” starring Michael Emil and Theresa Russell. Ever wonder what might happen if Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Joseph McCarthy and Joe DiMaggio hung out in a hotel? Wonder no more with director Nicholas Roeg’s difficult to classify but often fascinating experimental drama, with the above personalities convincingly portrayed by Russell, Michael Emil, Tony Curtis and Gary Busey, respectively. Only a truly awful soundtrack inhibits enjoyment of this 1985 curiosity. Rated R. Running time: 1:50.

Suggested retail price: $39.95 

VIDEOPORT PICKS

“KILL THE IRISHMAN,” starring Ray Stevenson and Christopher Walken. Any film or TV show that involves the Mafia and takes place during the ’70s is going to start right out owing a debt to “Goodfellas,” so let’s get that out of the way early. What sets writer-director Jonathan Hensleigh’s fact-based crime drama apart is a lead character for the ages: that of Danny Greene, a seemingly indestructible Irish thug played with stunning confidence by relative newcomer Stevenson (“The Book of Eli”). Danny agrees to snap a femur or two for a few bucks under the auspices of a local mob boss (Walken), but when Danny refuses to repay a loan to one of Walken’s cronies, large armed Italian men come looking to collect, little realizing the grisly challenge in store for them. Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity. Running time: 1:46.

Suggested retail price: DVD $29.98; Blu-ray $34.98

“RUBBER,” starring Stephen Spinella and Wings Hauser. Here at Videoport, we have the tendency to become a little jaded at times. So when a movie like “Rubber” comes along, which happens to be about a sentient car tire named Robert who rolls around a desert town blowing everything and everyone up with his telekinetic powers, needless to say we’re tickled pink. In this case, we have writer-director Quentin Dupieux to thank for this wholly unpredictable comedy-horror, and not only does Dupieux impress with his innovative camera work, but he brings ’80s B-movie mainstay Hauser (“Nightmare at Noon”) along for the ride as a grizzled wheelchair-bound man understandably obsessed with the killer tire. Rated R for some violent images and language. Running time: 1:22.

Suggested retail price: DVD $26.98; Blu-ray $29.98

— Courtesy of Videoport

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