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Family September 28, 2007
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New film, TV releases on DVD

Film and television author Randy Williams reviews the latest movies, television shows, documentaries and music programs now available for purchase online or at your retail store.

Wild Hogs- Weekend road warriors suffering from midlife crisis are played by John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. Therapy involves a road trip on their motorcycles from their Ohio home to the West Coast. Extras include writer/director commentaries, outtakes, an alternate ending, deleted scenes and a feature- "How to Get Your Wife to Let You Buy a Motorcycle." (Touchstone)

Blades of Glory- Two rival Olympic ice skaters (Jon Heder and Will Ferrell) are stripped of their gold medals and permanently banned from singles competition. Their long fall from grace at the top of their sport is halted when a loophole is discovered that allows them to perform as a pair. The contrasting personalities slowly put aside their differences while training under "coach" Craig T. Nelson to return to championship form. Famous names from the sport, including Nancy Kerrigan, Peggy Fleming and Scott Hamilton, add authenticity, as does veteran Olympic broadcaster Jim Lampley. Special features include deleted scenes, a gag reel, alternate takes and a making-of presentation. Ferrell, a sports information major at USC, has starred as a race car driver ("Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby") and soccer coach ("Kicking and Screaming"). (Paramount)

The Shakespeare Collection- A quartet of the Bard's best work adapted for the screen is lavishly presented in this five-disc presentation. An allstar cast performs in the timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge in director/star Kenneth Branagh's twodisc special edition of "Hamlet." Laurence Olivier delivers a classic performance as the proud general in "Othello." Winner of two Academy Awards, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" features James Cagney and Olivia De Havilland. Divided by family but bonded by love, Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard star in the classic romantic tale, "Romeo and Juliet." An encore of bonus material includes a Branagh intro and commentary, a vintage Olivier interview, De Havilland's screen test and numerous shorts, features, trailers and scholar commentaries. (Warner Bros)

30 Rock (Season 1)- Written, produced and starring Saturday Night Live anchor Tina Fey, the show features Emmy-winning Fey as the head writer for a live variety program in New York City. Her challenging job is made more difficult by a meddling network executive (Alec Baldwin), a quirky writing staff and an unpredictable cast (led by Tracy Morgan). The complete first season of 21 episodes are included in this three-disc set. Extra material includes various shorts, deleted scenes, a wrap party video blooper reel and audio commentary by Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer. (Universal)

Hustle (Season Three)- A group of sophisticated British con artists band together to attempt to pull off complex scams, but their backs are against the wall after failing in Las Vegas. This twodisc third season presentation includes story lines involving hiphop, unscrupulous bankers and a challenge for leadership among themselves. Witty, insightful and imaginative, "Hustle" was created by the producers of the highly acclaimed spy series "MI-5" and features that veteran spook of yesteryear in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." series, Robert Vaughn. Cast interviews included. (BBC Warner)

Friday Night Lights (Season One)- Inspired by the bestselling book and theatrical film hit, the debut season of the television series and its look at the emotional dynamics of small-time life using Texas high school football as the backdrop now comes to DVD. The five-disc package contains all 22 episodes. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, cast commentaries and a makingof special. Peter Berg, one of the show runners and the director of the film version, is also the cousin of H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger, who wrote the original book that the film and series are based on. (Universal)

The Fugitive (Season One, Volume One)- Debuting on ABC in 1963, 30 years before Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones played it out on the silver screen, David Janssen starred as Dr. Richard Kimble. In this groundbreaking series with a noirish sensibility, Kimble is a man on the run after being falsely convicted of murdering his wife. He is hounded by Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) all over the country while trying to prove his innocence by finding the real murderer, a one-armed man. Many character actors early on in their careers make appearances: Bruce Dern, Jack Klugman and Robert Duvall among others. William Conrad is the narrator. Package contains 15 episodes on four discs. (Paramount)


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