This week we start with a few bad men: Brief Interviews with hideous Men (***1/2) not rated, 80 minutes. Coming Tuesday on DVD.
John Krasinski (The Office) makes an impressive writing and directing debut by tackling novelist David Foster Wallace’s supposedly unfilmable story. Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) stars as Sara Quinn, an anthropology graduate student who conducts a series of interviews with a variety of men. she examines why and how men can treat women so poorly, a subject on her mind after being dumped by her boyfriend (Krasinski). the director rotates the film’s mostly male cast as they spill their sins to the interviewer. the fascinating experiment proves insightful, innovative and compelling.
the DVD, also on Blu-ray, holds an 11-minute “making of” featurette and an interview with Krasinski.
Broken Embraces (***) Pedro Almodovar’s latest melodrama stars frequent collaborator Penelope Cruz as Lena, one-time lover of writer Harry (Lluis Homar), who has gone blind after an auto accident 14 years prior. Almodovar chronicles the tumultuous love affair, jumping in time but inevitably concluding with his trademark heightened drama. the film, with its coastline panoramas and explosions of color, constantly entertains while being a visual treat.
Rated R, 128 minutes.
the DVD, also on Blu-ray, offers three deleted scenes, an interview with Cruz, a brief “Pedro Directs Penelope” featurette and a separate short film by Almodovar.
Paris (***) Juliette Binoche plays Elise, a harried Parisian whose crowded life becomes more difficult when she’s forced to care for her fatally ill brother (Romain Duris). Director Cedric Klapisch paints a loving portrait of Paris while chronicling the intimate details of a multi-character drama.
not rated, 129 minutes.
the DVD, also on Blu-ray, has a comprehensive, 51-minute “making of” featurette.
The Fourth Kind (**1/2) Milla Jovovich stars in this Blair Witch/Paranormal Activities-like horror film set in Nome, Alaska, and supposedly based on true events. no, really. for years, people have disappeared from the town, and no one knows why. Maybe the filmed patient confessions to a local therapist (Jovovich) will explain what is happening and where everyone is. Filled with so-called actual testimonies of the “real” therapist and “real” patients.
Rated PG-13, 98 minutes.
the DVD offers 23 minutes of deleted scenes, with the Blu-ray also containing extra featurettes and options.
Alice in Wonderland (**1/2) Of the many recent Alice reissues, this famous 1966 BBC production might not be the best (that’s still the 1951 Disney animated version), but it is the most prestigious. Directed by the legendary Jonathan Miller, it featured acting luminaries Peter Sellers (as the King), John Gielgud (Mock Turtle), Malcolm Muggeridge (the Gryphon), Peter Cook (Mad Hatter) and others. when not unfolding at a deadly pace, it nevertheless sparkles visually and, with Ravi Shankar’s score, musically.
not rated, 71 minutes.
the DVD boasts several fascinating supplements, such as the 1965 Alice, written by Dennis Potter, and the 1903 silent Alice, the character’s first screen appearance. plus, a featurette on Shankar and the score.
Old Dogs (**) Robin Williams and John Travolta star as friends and business partners who discover one of them is the father of 7-year-old twins. their mother (Kelly Preston) dumps the kids on them, letting the grown-ups learn about parenting the hard way.
Rated PG, 88 minutes.
the DVD comes in one-, two- or three-disc versions, all containing commentary and deleted scenes. the Blu-ray also holds a music video by Travolta and his daughter. Also, a music video by Bryan Adams and an additional “making of” featurette.
39 Steps (***1/2) This recent BBC television production improves on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 version, also based on John Buchan’s novel. the brilliantly colorful remake takes place immediately before World War I when Richard Hannay (Rupert Penry-Jones) looks to be guilty of murder and flees London only to land in a bleak Scottish district chased by both the police and German spies. There, a beautiful suffragette (Lydia Leonard) aids his chaotic flight. A rousing, ripping yarn.
not rated, 85 minutes.
Fix (***) This clever, fast-paced film sees Bella (Olivia Wilde) and Milo (the director, Tao Ruspoli) scurrying around Los Angeles with Leo (Shawn Andrews), Milo’s brother, to raise $5,000 to pay an upfront fee for a drug rehabilitation program that will keep Leo out of jail. and it has to be done by 7 p.m.
Rated R, 93 minutes.
the DVD has 10 minutes of interviews and an 11-minute, three-part “making of” featurette.
The Princess and the Frog (****) Disney returns to hand-drawn animation in this fun musical treat about Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose), a new Orleans Jazz Age waitress (Disney’s first black heroine) who mistakenly kisses a frog only to be turned into a frog. Featuring Randy Newman’s Oscar-nominated songs.
Rated G, 97 minutes.
the film comes in plenty of options. the one-disc DVD holds commentary, deleted scenes and various games and activities. the Blu-ray also features a “making of” featurette and more than a half dozen other segments, including looks at the “Disney Legacy” how the villain was created and more.
Greek — Chapter Four The fraternity brothers and sorority sisters at Cyprus-Rhodes University return in 12 episodes on three discs. This season, Casey, Ashleigh and Frannie have their loyalties and friendships tested.
Rated TV-14, 522 minutes.
the set also includes commentaries, bloopers, a Greek recap, a behind-the-scenes featurette and a Jesse McCartney music video.
Monk — the Eighth and Final Season Emmy winner Tony Shaloub makes his final appearance as the obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk. This season’s guest stars include Elizabeth Perkins, Daniel Stern, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and others.
not rated, 680 minutes.
the collection also holds commentaries, a goodbye from mr. Monk himself, a set tour, and the cast and crew reminisce.
Also this week: Armored, Astro Boy, Did you Hear about the Morgans?, The Twilight Saga: new Moon, Breaking bad — the Complete second Season, Wonderful World.
DR. BOO ALLEN is an award-winning film critic for the Denton Record-Chronicle.