AUTUMN

(2009)

* * * (B)

Directed by Steven Rumbelow

Starring Dexter Fletcher, Dickon Tolson, Lana Kamenov, David Carradine

Echo Bridge//Rated R//Horror//90 minutes

Available on: DVD

After a zombiefying virus sweeps the land, two men and one woman seek refuge in the countryside. Isolated and frightened, their anxiety grows as throngs of mindless reanimated dead grasp at them while they make food runs into an abandoned town. Days pass and the zombies learn to kill and eat animal flesh. Since crowds of undead are attracted to the survivor's new home, the uninfected build a fence to protect themselves. Hoping they can outlast the creatures, the trio prepares nice dinners, drinks too much wine and watches movies, though fear is their constant companion. During a supply-gathering foray, they find a survivor (Carradine) unable to part with his zombie mummy, kept tied to her bed. The film, more interested in the psychological aspects of the situation than in zombie attacks, makes the most of its $1.5 million budget. This thought-provoking adaptation of a David Moody novel, may be grim, but it's worth watching. DVD features: Digital copy, widescreen.

CITY ISLAND

(2009)

* *1/2 (B-)

Directed by Raymond De Felitta

Starring Alan Arkin, Andy Garcia, Emily Mortimer, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Ezra Miller

Anchor Bay//Rated PG-13//Comedy//104 minutes

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

Bronx native Vince Rizzo (Garcia) is a prison guard whose nutty clan take pains to hide their foibles from one another. Vince secretly attends an acting class while his daughter secretly works as a stripper and his son hide his preference for fat women. Family skeletons come rattling out of the closet after Vince discovers his long-lost son is incarcerated and arranges for the young man's release into his custody. Vince's decision unleashes a torrent of resentment and exposes everyone's vulnerabilities as each family member confronts difficult truths. DVD and Blu-ray features: commentary with Director and Andy Garcia, Dinner With The Rizzos featurette, deleted scenes. English language tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.

THE UNIVERSE: OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

(2007-2009)

* * * * (A)

Created by Douglas Cohen

Directed by Douglas Cohen, Laura Verklan

A&E//Not Rated//Documentary//470 min

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

The History Channel's "Universe," unravels the unknown with stunning photography captured by deep space probes to reveal the planets and moons of our solar system. Knowledge concerning our tiny corner of the universe has grown immensely, leaving scientists salivating over other questions. Do liquid oceans exist beneath ice-covered Europa? Will Titan's atmosphere and liquid methane oceans support life? Has life ever existed on Mars? What is the likelihood earth will be destroyed by an asteroid or quasar? Are there other earthlike planets we can find? Eye-popping graphics depict a mix of fact and educated speculation that tickles the mind. It's worth owning these jam-packed discs because multiple viewings are required to absorb the wealth of information they contain. 2-Disc DVD and Blu-ray features: 10 episodes, English language tracks, widescreen.

THE BACK-UP PLAN

(2010)

* *1/2 (B-)

Directed by Alan Poul

Starring Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Noureen DeWulf, Eric Christian Olsen

Sony//Rated PG-13//Comedy//105 minutes

Jennifer Lopez's comeback romantic comedy casts her as Zoe, a pet store owner racing against her biological clock when she decides to get artificially inseminated using a friend's sperm. On the very day of the procedure, Zoe meets Stan (O'Loughlin) and romantic sparks fly. The film, occurring over the subsequent nine months, examines the couple's ups and downs as Stan attempts to support Zoe's pregnancy. Olsen and DeWulf appear as wacky pet store employees while Watkins fulfills the obligatory role of Zoe's best friend. DVD and Blu-ray features: deleted scenes, Making-Of Featurette, Interview with Jennifer Lopez, English language tracks, widescreen.

2:22

(2008)

* *1/2 (B-)

Directed by Phillip Guzman

Starring Mick Rossi, Val Kilmer, Peter Dobson, Bruce Kirby

Inception//Rated R//Drama//104 minutes

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

At 2:22am on New Year's Eve, master-criminal Gully (Rossi) and his gang impersonate a luxury hotel's staff so they can pinch the pricey jewels lining its vault. Guests caught in the wrong place at the wrong time are subsequently held hostage along with the staff, but the robbers are unprepared for the demands and schemes that result. DVD features: English language tracks, widescreen. Blu-ray features: Making of featurette, Theatrical Trailer, Photo Gallery, English language tracks, widescreen.

LONG GOOD FRIDAY

(1979)

* * * (B)

Directed by John Mackenzie

Starring Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman, Dave King, Derek Thompson, Eddie Constantine, Bryan Marshall

Image//Rated R//Thriller//113 minutes

Available on: Blu-ray

It's only fitting the film putting Bob Hoskins on the map be included in a group of Hoskins movies getting a Blu-ray makeover. Here he plays gangster Harold Shand, planning to go legit by redeveloping dilapidated London dockyards for the 1988 Olympics. Shand finds it difficult to stay on the straight and narrow when his associates are killed and his favorite pub is blown sky-high, during his negotiations with an American Mafioso. Blu-ray features: Theatrical trailer, English language tracks, widescreen.

MONA LISA

(1986)

* * * (B)

Directed by Neil Jordan

Starring Bob Hoskins, Cathy Tyson, Michael Caine, Robbie Coltrane

Anchor Bay//Rated R//Drama//104 minutes

Available on: Blu-ray

Hoskins shines as a gangster's lackey. Temperamental George (Hoskins) falls for Simone (Tyson), the high class London call-girl he chauffeurs. When Simone confides her desperate efforts to locate a missing teen prostitute, George trolls the city's underbelly for clues to her whereabouts. Stylishly filmed and emotionally tense, Mona Lisa engenders some sad and knowing smiles. Blu-ray features: Theatrical trailer, English language tracks, widescreen.

Also Out This Week

LOST: Season Six

(2010)

Created by J.J. Abrams

Starring Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Emerson

Buena Vista//Rated TV-14//Drama//802 minutes

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

The aftermath of a devastating explosion results in alternate realities experienced by survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. The sixth and final season attempts to bring the popular ABC series to a satisfying conclusion, while giving fans of the show a new chapter of the island's story found exclusively on the DVD and Blu-ray season. 5-Disc DVD features: commentaries on selected episodes, The new man in charge - a new chapter of the island's story, Crafting the final season, A hero's journey, See you in another life, brotha - mysteries of this season's intriguing flash sideways, Lost on location with the cast and crew, behind the scenes look on the set in Hawaii, Lost in 8:15 - a crash course, Lost bloopers, deleted scenes, English language tracks, French or Spanish subtitles,widescreen. Blu-ray features same plus: BD-Live connection to Lost University - delve deeper into the themes and mysteries explored by the series.

TITANIC II

(2010)

Directed by Shane Van Dyke

Starring Bruce Davison, Brooke Burns, Shane VanDyke, Marie Westbrook

Asylum//Not Rated//Action//90 minutes

Available on: DVD

On the 100-year anniversary marking the sinking of the Titanic, a luxury cruise liner, christened Titanic II, embarks on its maiden voyage. Unaware of impending disaster, the crew and passengers head directly in the path of a tsunami and free-floating icebergs. This made-for-TV-movie scored an abysmal 2.2 average rating out of a possible 10, from 450 users on the Internet Movie Database. DVD features: Making Of Featurette, Gag Reel, trailers, English language tracks, widescreen.

DINOSAUR TRAIN: DINOSAURS UNDER THE SEA

(2010)

Paramount//Not Rated//Children//120 minutes

Available on: DVD

The Jim Henson Company and PBS reach out to preschoolers with Tyrannosaurus Rex Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons. Together they explore their prehistoric world, sing about it and offer up fun dinosaur information for rugrats. DVD features: Games, Coloring Pages and Dinosaur Reference Guide, Information for Parents, English language tracks, widescreen.

WORDGIRL: TRICKS AND TREATS

(2010)

Paramount//Not Rated//Children//100 minutes

Available on: DVD

This PBS learning video introduces 16 new vocabulary words. The program teaches and reinforces the words' meanings in eight action-packed adventures that feature WordGirl using her word knowledge to defeat ill-mannered villains. DVD features: Interactive Games, Coloring Pages, Information for Parents, English language tracks, widescreen.

ABANDONED

(2009)

Directed by Michael Feifer

Starring Brittany Murphy, Dean Cain, Mimi Rogers, Peter Bogdanovich

Anchor Bay//Not Rated//Thriller//93 minutes

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

In her final performance, Brittany Murphy portrays Mary, a young woman who becomes unhinged after her boyfriend (Cain) mysteriously vanishes from his hospital bed. The hospital administrator (Rogers) has no record of his stay, a police search turns up nothing, and Mary's friends, who have not met her boyfriend, begin to suspect he's a figment of her imagination. A staff psychiatrist (Bogdanovich) interviews Mary, and claims she is unstable, but a stranger presents himself, claiming Kevin is being held for a $10 million-dollar ransom. DVD and Blu-ray features: English language tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.

$5 A Day

(2009)

Directed by Nigel Cole

Starring Christopher Walken, Alessandro Nivola, Sharon Stone, Peter Coyote, Amanda Peet, Dean Cain

Image//Rated PG-13//Drama//98 minutes

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

All on the same day, Flynn (Nivola) loses his job, gets dumped by his girlfriend (Peet), and learns his estranged, deadbeat dad Nat (Walken) has a terminal illness. He's susceptible to Nat's plea that Flynn drive him cross country to get experimental treatment. However, Nat is a con man, pulling dangerous scams along the way to gather the funds he needs. DVD and Blu-ray features: Director and cast interviews, Trailer, Still galleries, English language tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.

METAMORPHOSIS

(2008)

Directed By Jeno Hodi

Starring Christopher Lambert, Corey Sevier, Irena A. Hoffman, Charlie Hollway

MTI//Rated R//Horror//105 minutes

Available on: DVD

Three young Americans trek through Hungary in search of a famous castle said to be protected by man-eating wolves and tied to the Blood Countess Bathory. Briefly joined by the beautiful Elizabeth, one youth is seduced before she mysteriously disappears. The trio reaches the castle where blood-thirsty vampire Thurzo (Lambert), is pleased by the arrival of fresh blood. Elizabeth returns when Thurzo pursues the Americans, but the adventurers don't know whether she's friend or foe. DVD features: trailers, English language tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.

WOLFHOUND

(2007)

Directed by Nikolai Lebedev

Starring Oksana Akinshina, Actor Aleksandr Bukharov, Aleksandr Domogarov

Universal//Rated //Action - Russian with English subtitles//135 minutes

Available on: Blu-ray

This Russian-language fantasy epic follows the efforts of a warrior named Wolfhound, to take revenge against the man commanding an army that obliterated his tribe and killed his family. Blu-ray features: Russian language tracks, English subtitles, widescreen.

THE SIMPSONS: Season Thirteen

(2001-2002)

Created by Matt Groening

Voices of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith

Fox//Not Rated//Animated, Comedy//491 minutes

Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

The popular animated series finds Homer living in a smart-house that tries to kill him. In another episode, he gets hooked on marijuana prescribed for his injury. Daughter Lisa investigates Buddhism, son Bart's illness forces him to live in a plastic bubble, wife Marge attempts to get sugar banned and Homer makes a tough decision when his wife's old flame offers a million dollars to spend one night with her. By making smart social commentary on popular culture, the show remains fresh and relevant. 4-Disc DVD features: commentary on each Episode with writers, actors and directors, Ralphisms, A Token from Matt Groening, The People Ball, The 13th Crewman, Blame It On The Monkeys, The Games, The Sweet Life of Ralph, Sketch Gallery l & ll, deleted scenes, Commercials, English, French or Spanish language tracks, widescreen. 3-Disc Blu-ray features same plus: Multi-angle, Animation showcases, Special l.