'I Am Number Four'
This science-fiction thriller, adapted from the novel of the same name from Jobie Hughes and James Frey, was filmed in and around Pittsburgh including at Franklin Regional High in Murrysville last year. Directed by D.J. Caruso, "I Am Number Four" is the story of John, one of nine young aliens (Alex Pettyfer) living on Earth to escape a deadly group of enemy aliens. John and his protector, Henri (Timothy Olyphant), stay on the move to avoid capture. In Ohio, John falls for a beautiful student named Sarah (Dianna Agron) and decides to stay and fight, getting help from alien Number Six (Teresa Palmer). "I Am Number Four" does feature a few good action sequences, but the plot is filled with holes. Viewers who haven't read the book might struggle to find their way through the 109-minute film that's reminiscent of the 1984 movie "Starman," but not nearly as good. Extras include a great featurette on Palmer's role of Number Six, and a blooper reel. Deleted scenes are exclusive to Blu-ray packages. PG-13; 2011. 1.5 Stars.
'Gnomeo & Juliet'
Applying William Shakespeare legendary tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" to cartoon garden gnomes calls for skepticism. But the action-packed love story is family fun, and it puts out some positive messages for the kids. A score from Elton John, who also is a producer on the picture, adds bonus points for adults. Otherwise, the picture is fairly predictable, hammering home the Shakespeare angle (minus the tragic part) instead of focusing on jokes. In this tale, the star-crossed lovers from opposing families of gnomes — Redhats and Bluehats — in two backyards in England. Gnomeo falls in love with Juliet. The couple's love has the power to draw the opposing factions together. Voice work is done by Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, Michael Caine and Ozzy Osbourne. A featurette about John's involvement is worth a look. A featurette on Osbourne's character is good, too, but it's exclusive to Blu-ray. G; 2011. 2.5 Stars.
'A Small Act'
"A Small Act," a film from Jennifer Arnold, is the story of Chris Mburu, a poor student from Kenya who graduated from Harvard Law School and now works as a human rights lawyer for the United Nations. Mburu was helped by the contributions of Hilde Back, a Holocaust refugee and teacher in Sweden. Donations from Back put Mburu through secondary school, eventually leading him to Harvard. Arnold's documentary brings Mburu and Back together for the first time, and sheds light on work he's done in helping students from his homeland pay for the next step in their education. Arnold weaves together the meeting of Back and Mburu with the path of these young students hoping to earn scholarships to secondary school. It's a touching portrait of the educational system in Kenya, and what it takes to make it out of a hardscrabble situation. DVD extras include a featurette that updates viewers on the status of those featured in the documentary. A set of deleted scenes is also included. NR; 2010. 3 Stars.
'The Kids In The Hall: The Complete Series'
The success of "Saturday Night Live" resulted in networks hitting the streets to find a comedy troupe of their own. One of the more remarkable crews was The Kids In The Hall, a Canadian troupe formed in 1984. The sketch crew, made up of Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney,and Scott Thompson, made its debut on Canada's CBC in 1988, and enjoyed runs on CBS and HBO. The boys put together a body of work including almost 800 sketches over several years. "The Kids In The Hall: The complete Series Megaset" offers every sketch, along with a handsome collection of special features that include interviews, bios, audio commentary, archival footage and compilations. The DVD set is 22 discs broken into the five seasons. "Death Comes to Town," an eight-part comedic miniseries that made its debut in Canada before airing on IFC last year, is included. "Death Comes to Town" will also be sold individually in a two-disc set with special features. NR; 2011. 3 Stars.
OTHER MOVIE RELEASES:
• "Anton Chekhov's The Duel" (Andrew Scott and Fiona Glascott, NR, 2010, Music Box Films): Russian writer Anton Chekhov's 1891 novella gets a close adaptation in this drama that centers on the relationship between a playboy and a married woman that dissolves into betrayal and violence. Extras.
• "The Big Bang" (Antonio Banderas and Sam Elliott, R, 2011, Anchor Bay Films): This thriller about a Los Angeles private investigator trying to track down a Russian boxer's girlfriend and a stash of diamonds didn't last too long in theaters. But it features wall-to-wall action, not to mention a remarkable body count. Extras.
• "In The City of Sylvia" (Pilar Lopez de Ayala and Xavier Lafitte, NR, 2007, Cinema Guild Pictures): Jose Luis Guerin's romantic drama centers on a young artist returning to a town in hopes of finding a woman he met several years earlier. Extras.
• "Burning Palms" (Dylan McDermott and Zoe Saldana, R, 2010, Image Entertainment): Christopher B. Landon wrote and directed this multi-narrative drama that studies the lives of five people. The separate stories unfold in Los Angeles, and they are all steeped in darkness and despair. Extras.
• "Public Speaking" (Documentary, NR, 2010, HBO Home Entertainment): Legendary director Martin Scorsese turns his camera on bestselling writer Fran Lebowitz for this spirited documentary that made its debut in November on HBO. Scorsese's film captures Lebowitz's witty personality and her impressive collection of accomplishments. Extras.
• "Picasso and Braque Go To the Movies" (Documentary, NR, 2008, Arthouse Films): Filmmakers Arne Glimcher and Martin Scorsese team for this guided tour on the effects of the technological revolution on artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Extras.
• "Transcendent Man" (Documentary, NR, 2011, Docurama Films): Barry Ptolemy's film explores the life and ideas of futurist Ray Kurzweil, a talented inventor who foresees the rise of technology and the changing civilization. Extras.
• "The Roommate" (Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly, PG-13, 2011, Sony Pictures): Fans of the 1992 film "Single White Female" will find a lot of similarities in this thriller about a college gal with an obsessed roommate. Extras.
• "Lemonade Mouth" (Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks, G, 2011, Walt Disney Pictures): The Disney Channel film follows five teens who sing their way to the top. Extras.
• "Forget Me Not" (Cody Linley and Carly Schroeder, R, 2009, Phase 4 Films): A popular girl's friends start disappearing. Extras.
• "Waiting for Forever" (Rachel Bilson and Tom Sturridge, PG-13, 2010, 20th Century Fox): A charming street performer takes his shot at love. Extras.
• "Seconds Apart" (Orlando Jones and Samantha Droke, R, 2010, extras, Lionsgate Pictures).
• "Fertile Ground" (Leisha Hailey and Gale Harold, R, 2010, extras, Lionsgate Pictures).
• "The Hustler on Blu-ray" (Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason, NR, 1961, extras, 20th Century Fox).
• "Tigerland on Blu-ray" (Colin Farrell and Cole Hauser, R, 2000, extras, 20th Century Fox).
• "The Comancheros on Blu-ray" (John Wayne and Stuart Whitman, NR, 1961, extras, 20th Century Fox).
OTHER TV RELEASES:
• "Children's Hospital: The Complete First & Second Seasons" (Megan Mullally and Lake Bell, two discs, 22 episodes, Warner Bros. Pictures).
• "Swamp People: The Complete Season 1" (reality series, three discs, 10 episodes, extras, A&E Home Entertainment).
• "IRT: Deadliest Roads: Season One" (reality series, three discs, 13 episodes, extras, A&E Home Entertainment).
• "Capadocia: A Place Without Forgiveness: Season One" (Ana De la Reguera and Erendira Ibarra, five discs, 13 episodes, extras, Maya Entertainment).
