NEW ON THE SHELF

“EPIC,” animated, with the voices of Colin Farrell and Amanda Seyfried. Still dealing with the loss of her mother, a young girl (Seyfried) is sent to live with her oddball father (Jason Sudekis), an excitable scientist obsessed with the idea that there are tiny creatures inhabiting the forest surrounding his home, an insane notion that of course proves completely true, and the exploits of these magical miniature denizens provide Blue Sky Studios (the company behind “Ice Age” and “Rio”) with more than a few excuses to show off their bag of CGI tricks. A vast cast of voice talent — which also includes Josh Hutcherson, Aziz Ansari, and rapper Pitbull — adds considerably to the fun. Rated PG. Running time: 1:42. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99. 

“KILLING SEASON,” starring John Travolta and Robert De Niro. While the pairing of De Niro and Travolta doesn’t hold nearly the promise it once may have in the past thanks a string of indiscriminate choices on the parts of both actors, “Killing Season” boasts a compelling plot that engages both viewer and cast, pitting Bosnia War veteran turned hermit Benjamin (De Niro) against Serbian soldier Emil (Travolta), returning for revenge after being left for dead by Ben during the war. Following the men as they go mano y mano in the Appalachian Mountains, director Mark Steven Johnson (“Ghost Rider”) keeps the action tense, albeit relying a bit too heavily on unnecessary shock violence and gore at times. Rated R. Running time: 1:31. Suggested retail price: $28.99; Blu-ray $29.99. 

“SCARY MOVIE 5,” Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex. Yet another entry in the seemingly endless horror spoof series, with no low hanging fruit left unplucked in its tireless sending-up of stale horror tropes. Those looking for a few mindless chuckles will find them here; others are encouraged to wait until it becomes free on Wacky and Worldly Wednesday. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:26. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99. 

NEW TO DVD

“BOARDWALK EMPIRE: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON,” starring Steve Buscemi and Kelly Macdonald. Season three of the popular series about Prohibition-era gangsters pulls out all the stops, mainly in the form of cast addition Bobby Cannavale (“The Station Agent”), brilliantly terrifying as the volatile Gyp Rosetti, a serious thorn in the side of Atlantic City treasurer/crook Nucky Thompson, played as ever with exquisite exasperation by Buscemi. While it cribs noticeably from the “Sopranos” Book of How to Make Compelling Television, at least it’s stealing from the best, much like its cast. A somewhat unsung cable offering well worth catching up with. Special features include commentaries with cast and crew. Not rated. Running time: 11:13.

Suggested retail price: $59.99; Blu-ray $79.98. 

“THE GOOD WIFE: THE FOURTH SEASON,” starring Julianna Margulies and Chris Noth. Slowly but surely becoming one of the most addictive hours on television, the tale of the wife (the ever-incredible Margulies) of a disgraced politician forced to return to her former life as a litigator is in peak form in its fourth season, with more unpredictable storylines and one of the tightest casts out there. Not rated. Running time: 13:08. Suggested retail price: $64.99. 

“SOUTHLAND: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON,” starring Michael Cudlitz and Shawn Hatosy. One of those shows whose greatness probably won’t be fully comprehended until well after its run, “Southland” is widely considered by critics and fans to be one of the best police dramas in the history of television. The fifth season provides ten episodes of all-too-believable drama, with LAPD officers simply trying to get through their day and hopefully eliminating more pain than they create. A sterling example of the possibilities of TV drama, “Southland” is primed for cult appreciation, and if nothing else it will make your own job seem a lot less stressful. Not rated. Running time: 7:10. Suggested retail price: $39.98. 

NEW TO BLU-RAY

“BETTY BOOP: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION, VOLUME ONE,” animated, with the voices of Mae Questel and Bonnie Poe. A top-notch hi-def collection of the animated Depression-era sexpot’s best known and most notorious shorts, including the following toons: “Chess Nuts,” “Betty Boop’s Penthouse,” “The Foxy Hunter,” “Betty Boop’s Bamboo Isle” and many more. Not rated. Running time: 1:39. Suggested retail price: $29.95. 

“DEATH HUNT,” starring Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin. Macho classic from 1981 co-stars two of the manliest men ever to grace the screen, Bronson and Marvin, the former a trapper who has killed a man in self-defense at his remote cabin, the latter a lawman saddled with the unenviable task of tracking him down and bringing him in for murder, no small feat when the wanted man in question knows the Yukon like the back of his hand and has an arsenal of hunting tricks at his disposal. Just a good old fashioned game of cat and mouse, and a movie to watch with your dad if there ever was one. Special features include an interview with producer Albert Ruddy. Rated R. Running time: 1:37. Suggested retail price: $19.97. 

VIDEOPORT PICKS

“AMOUR,” starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva. Never one to make things easy on his audience, director Michael Haneke (“Funny Games”) unleashes arguably his most harrowing — and most critically acclaimed — film to date, an excruciatingly detailed account of a rock-solid, longstanding marriage in its final stages due to the inevitable mental and physical decay of Anne (Oscar nominee Riva, “Hiroshima, mon Amour”) following an unexpected stroke. It is then up to her husband, Georges (Trintignant, “The Conformist”), to care for Anne in her final days, which are starkly — yet not cruelly, perhaps a first for Haneke — laid out for the viewer. Unflinching, bleak, and all too real, “Amour” for all its horrors is as true an example of love as you’ll find onscreen. Special features include a Q & A with Haneke. Rated PG-13. Running time: 2:07. 

“RAPTURE-PALOOZA,” starring Craig Robinson and Anna Kendrick. The end times are apparently weighing heavily on Hollywood’s mind lately, as in “Rapture-Palooza” we have yet another comically bent look at the apocalypse, led here by the always winning Robinson (having already survived this sort of thing once before in “This is the End”), having a high old time as the Anti-Christ, a smooth operator who develops a serious crush on Seattle native Lindsey (Kendrick, “Pitch Perfect”) while creating deadly havoc in the northwest region. It’s then up to Lindsey and her not particularly adept spouse (John Francis Daley, “Freaks and Geeks”) to contend with the big man’s terrifying carnal urges before she becomes crowned Queen of the Underworld against her will. Arguably even sillier and more far-fetched than “This is the End,” “Rapture-Palooza” doesn’t quite measure up to the sublime vulgarity of that entry, but Robinson and company are clearly having a great time destroying the world and all who reside within it, and the catastrophic fun is contagious. Rated R. Running time: 1:24.

Suggested retail price: $19.98; Blu-ray $24.99.

— Courtesy of Videoport

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