DVDs of the Week: An ageless ‘Club’

The superhero romp “Kick Ass” seemed like a surefire franchise starter until audiences stayed away in droves.

That’s a shame, but it’s likely the film will do just fine on home video:

• “Kick Ass” -It’s not your average superhero flick. A pint-sized heroine teams with an upstart superhero-in-training to battle a local baddie. It’s raw, button-pushing and utterly visceral in its intensity.  Extras include a four-part “making of” documentary, the comic book origins of “Kick Ass” and a peek at the artistry behind the film.
• “The Ghost Writer” -Director Roman Polanski doesn’t recapture his glory days in his latest thriller. But he does illustrate the tool kit that made him a legend, his  off-screen behavior notwithstanding. Pierce Brosnan stars as a former Prime Minister trying to cobble together his memoirs with the help of a scribe for hire (Ewan McGregor). The Blu-ray presentation includes an interview with Polanski and a feature called “The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality?”
• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” – Jeff Kinney’s beloved book and web series gets the live-action treatment. Young Greg (Zachary Gordon) enters middle school hoping to fit in but must deal with the usual complications of pre-teen life. The list of Blu-ray extras is endless, including a “deleted diaries page,” “Fregley’s Shuffle,” “Greg Has the Cheese Touch” and “Mr. Winky’s Safety Patrol Assignment, plus commentary by director Thor Freudenthal and writer Greg Sachs. Not reviewed by WWTW.
• “The Breakfast Club: 25th Anniversary Edition” (Blu-ray) – Saying “Club” is arguably John Hughes’ most celebrated teen movie says plenty. The story of five dissimilar high schoolers forced to spend their Saturday in detention yielded a generational touchstone that still resonates today. The copious extras include peeks at the music behind the movie, reflections from many of the cast members of the film including Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson and commentary from artists impacted by the film including Oscar winning screenwriter Diablo Cody.
• “Bull Durham” (Blu-ray) – What better way to celebrate the Boys of Summer than watching one of the best baseball movies in recent memory? Kevin Costner stars as an aging slugger enmeshed in a love triangle with a hotshot pitcher (Tim Robbins) and a savvy groupie (Susan Sarandon). The Blu-ray extras include audio commentaries from writer/director Ron Shelton, Costner and Robbins, a featurette dubbed “The Greatest Show on Dirt” with the cast and crew reminiscing about the movie 25 years later and other extras including a peek behind the scenes of minor league baseball.

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2. DVDs of the Week: Mumblecore and more
3. DVDs of the Week: ‘Release the Kraken!’
4. DVDs – The ultimate stocking stuffers
5. ‘Extraordinary Measures’ – More than a disease of the week affair