A weekly round-up of the latest DVD releases

By Damon Smith


New to rent on DVD/Blu-ray

DVD of the week

This Is The End (Cert 15, 107 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Comedy/Sci-Fi/Action/Horror, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99)

Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jason Segel, Emma Watson, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Paul Rudd.

Seth Rogen excitedly welcomes actor buddy Jay Baruchel to Los Angeles, a city which Jay clearly loathes. He's less than thrilled at the prospect of attending a house party thrown by James Franco. "I will stay with you all night," Seth promises. "Nobody puts Jay in the corner." With the booze flowing and Michael Cera harassing anything in a skirt, Jay puts on a brave face, especially when he encounters arch-nemesis Jonah Hill. In order to escape, Jay heads to a nearby grocery store for cigarettes with Seth in tow. Pandemonium ensues as bright blue beams of light scythe down from the sky and suck up hundreds of people. The buddies race back to the party but Jay immediately wants to leave, telling Seth, "I don't want to die in James Franco's house!".

This Is The End is a raucous comedy directed and written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, co-writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express, which pokes merciless fun at the decimation of the US west coast. It is a potty-mouthed hot mess that scores a decent amount of laughs in between homoerotic male bonding and inevitable toilet humour. The cast appear to be having a blast and occasional smirks suggest some of the banter is ad-libbed. There are undeniably hilarious moments in the ramshackle script including the appearance of a sinkhole that claims the lives of virtually the entire cast. However, there's a surfeit of ideas without clear direction, the tone lurches awkwardly from comedy to special-effects laden mayhem and the final reckoning arrives 15 minutes too late.

Rating: ***


Released

Chasing Mavericks (Cert PG, 111 mins, Entertainment In Video, Drama/Action/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)

Starring: Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, Elisabeth Shue, Abigail Spencer, Leven Rambin, Greg Long.

Jay Moriarity (Jonny Weston) feels at home on the Californian waves and he is also determined to ride the monstrous waves close to the home he shares with his depressed mother (Elisabeth Shue). His father left when he was eight so Jay became the man of the house at an early age, putting aside adolescent crushes on best friend Kim (Leven Rambin) to keep his family afloat. After much pestering, Jay convinces veteran surfer Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) to train him for the epic trial of riding Mavericks, which can swell to 50 feet high. A father-son bond forms between the prodigy and the old-timer, and Frosty neglects his wife (Abigail Spencer) and children to guide Jay to greatness. While Frosty becomes a positive male authority figure for Jay, the youngster enriches his mentor's life too. Chasing Mavericks is an overly reverential tale of rousing triumph against the odds, based on the inspirational true story of a daredevil teenage surfer, who risked everything in the pursuit of his adrenaline-pumping dream. Butler and Weston perform most of their own stunts, which adds to the spectacle, although some judicious editing clearly allows stunt doubles to take to the monster waves in key sequences captured by cinematographer Bill Pope. The former's American accent is not as robust as his abilities on a board, but he's an appealingly gruff curmudgeon who warms to his protege. Despite its slavish devotion to expectations, the film still manages at least one surprise rooted in shocking fact.

Rating: ***


Admission (Cert 12, 107 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Comedy/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99)

Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd. Director: Paul Weitz, Gloria Reuben, Wallace Shawn, Nat Wolff, Lily Tomlin.

Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is one of the most dedicated members of staff in the admissions office at Princeton University, responsible for selecting the brightest and best students to attend the seat of learning. When Clarence (Wallace Shawn) announces his retirement as Dean of Admissions, workaholic Portia is his natural successor. She throws herself into her work while dealing with the emotional fallout from losing her stuffy professor boyfriend, Mark (Michael Sheen), to a blonde member of faculty. With her head in a whirl, Portia embarks on her annual tour of high schools in her district and visits a bohemian place of learning run by former college classmate John Pressman (Paul Rudd). He believes that his most gifted and quixotic student, Jeremiah Balakian (Nat Wolff), deserves a place at Princeton. More troubling, John also reveals a personal connection between Portia and the boy that compromises her objectivity. Based on the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Admission is a lightweight romantic comedy that boasts only a couple of decent laughs. Gifted comic actors Fey and Rudd are a dream pairing in Paul Weitz's film and they share fizzing chemistry, but the trajectory of their characters' relationship is predictable. Lily Tomlin is a pleasing distraction as Portia's hippy mother, who fails to recognise her daughter's dulcet tones. "How many people call you Mom?" wonders the admissions officer drolly. She is a glimmer of delight in an otherwise laboured 107 minutes that fail to make the grade.

Rating: **


Also released

Alpha And Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure (Cert U, 45 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Animation/Family, also available to buy DVD £9.99/Double Pack DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £12.99/Double Pack Blu-ray £17.99 - see below)

Nobody's Daughter Haewon (Cert 12, 90 mins, Studio Canal, Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99 - see below)

Trap For Cinderella (Cert 15, 100 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Thriller/Drama/Romance/Action, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 - see below)


New to buy on DVD/Blu-ray

Mad Men - Season Five (Cert 15, 592 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £29.99/Seasons One To Six DVD Box Set £89.99/Blu-ray £39.99/Seasons One To Six Blu-ray Box Set £139.99)

The assassinations of Dr Martin Luther King and President John F Kennedy provide a turbulent backdrop to the Sterling Cooper advertising agency in New York City in 13 engrossing episodes of the award-winning drama. This series, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) proposes a merger with rivals Cutler Gleason And Chaough in order to win the Chevrolet account, Roger (John Slattery) comes to terms with his mother's death, Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) saves Joan (Christina Hendricks) from an awkward situation and Don finally reveals his traumatic childhood as an orphan raised in a brothel. An 18-disc box set comprising all six series is also available.


Grey's Anatomy - Complete Ninth Season (Cert 15, 987 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £30.99/Complete Seasons 1-9 Box Set £88.99, Drama/Comedy/Romance)

The staff and patients of Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital face more heartbreaking trials and tribulations in 24 episodes of the award-winning medical drama. This series, the plane crash at the end of last series has devastating consequences, resulting in the deaths of Mark (Eric Dane) and Lexie (Chyler Leigh). Derek (Patrick Dempsey) contemplates a life away from surgery when he badly damages his hand, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) discovers she is pregnant, and Miranda (Chandra Wilson) overcomes last-minute jitters to marry Ben (Jason George). A 53-disc box set comprising all nine series is also available.


Miranda - Series 3 (Cert 15, 175 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Series 1-3 DVD £39.99)

Another six episodes of the award-winning BBC Two comedy, written by and starring Miranda Hart. This series, Miranda and Gary (Tom Ellis) struggle to remain just friends then he gets a girlfriend (Naomi Bentley) which convinces Miranda that it is time to move on. A visit to a chiropractor (Tim Piggott-Smith) ends in embarrassment and a wedding proposal provides a suitable cliffhanger. A three-disc set comprising all three series is also available.


Family Guy - Season Twelve (Cert 15, 457 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £27.99/The Complete Seasons 1-12 DVD Box Set £199.99, Animation/Comedy)

Three-disc box set of 23 episodes from Seth MacFarlane's hugely popular animated comedy, which chronicles the misadventures of the Griffin family led by despairing patriarch Peter (voiced by MacFarlane). This series, the Griffins strike it lucky on the lottery but the clan struggles to keep its feet on the ground, Lois (Alex Borstein) considers a retirement home for her father Carter (MacFarlane again), Meg (Mila Kunis) finally turns 18 and Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds (playing himself) visits the town of Quahog and befriends Peter. A 34-disc set comprising all 182 episodes from the first 12 series is also available.


Wentworth Prison - Season One (Cert 18, 500 mins, Fremantle Home Entertainment, DVD £24.99/Limited Edition DVD £29.99, Drama)

Based on the cult Australian soap opera Prisoner Cell Block H, which broadcast from 1979 to 1986, this modern reimagining follows Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) as she arrives at Wentworth Detention Centre after an attempt to murder her violent husband. Fellow inmates Doreen Anderson (Shareena Clanton), Franky Doyle (Nicole da Silva) and Liz Birdsworth (Celia Ireland) show Bea the ropes before a riot throws the enter facility into chaos. As the dust settles, officers discover Governor Meg Jackson (Catherine McClements) lying stabbed in a hallway with Bea standing over her.


Bula Quo! (Cert PG, 91 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £14.99, Comedy/Drama)

Rock legends Status Quo witness a crime and go on the run for their lives in Stuart St Paul's action comedy. Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt (playing themselves) play a sold-out gig in Fiji as part of their 50 Year Celebration tour. They head into a private bar where they witness sadistic gangster Wilson (Jon Lovitz) knocking off a rival gambling ring using the tried and tested method of Russian roulette. The musicians flee with evidence of the murders and Wilson's goon in hot pursuit. The band's resourceful manager Simon (Craig Fairbrass) and a cheeky intern Caroline (Laura Aikman), work tirelessly to keep Francis and Rick alive while dodgy tricky questions from tenacious reporter Dave (Matt Kennard), who senses that Status Quo could be at the centre of the biggest scoop of his career.


Alpha And Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure (Cert U, 45 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £9.99/Double Pack DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £12.99/Double Pack Blu-ray £17.99, Animation/Family)

Richard Rich directs this straight-to-DVD sequel to the 2010 computer-animated adventure. Humphrey (voiced by Justin Long) and Kate (Hayden Panettiere) are happily settled in Jasper National Park with their three mischievous wolf cubs, Claudette (Lindsay Torrance), Runt (Liza West) and Stinky (Kate Higgins). Winter is approaching so Humphrey and Kate prepare for the treacherous conditions then Runt disappears without trace. The pack sets out on a desperate rescue mission, determined to find Runt and bring him home before the snow begins to fall and temperatures plummet. A two-disc set comprising the original Alpha And Omega and the sequel is also available.


Dynamo: Magician Impossible - Series Three (Cert 12, 172 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Complete Series 1-3 DVD Box Set £24.99/Blu-ray £24.99/Complete Series 1-3 Blu-ray Box Set £29.99, Special Interest)

Thirty-year-old Bradford-born street magician Stephen Frayne performs dazzling close-up magic and spectacular illusions in this four-part series, which was broadcast on UKTV channel Watch. Some of the bigger stunts including a daring set piece in New York's iconic Times Square and a unique demonstration of paintballing in South Africa's Soweto township. Special guests include Samuel L Jackson, Keith Lemon and Olympic gold-medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill, and a three-disc box set comprising all three series is also available.


Celebrity Juice: Unseen And Obscene (Cert 15, 136 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.99/T'Box Set £29.99, Comedy)

Bang tidy! Leigh Francis's outrageous and defiantly un-PC comic creation, Keith Lemon, hosts this compilation of the filthiest and most potty-mouthed highlights from series seven to nine of the ITV2 panel show featuring team captains Fearne 'Dot' Cotton and Holly 'Willoughbooby' Willoughby. Celebrity guests include Kelly Brook, Joey Essex, Mo Farah, Helen Flanagan and Jason Manford. A four-disc box set comprising compilations of the best moments from series one to three is also available.


The Indian Doctor - Series Two (Cert PG, 205 mins, IMC Vision, DVD £14.99, Comedy/Drama)

Sanjeev Bhaskar reprises his role as Dr Prem Sharma in five episodes of the BBC comedy drama set in a sleepy 1960s Welsh mining village. This series, a smallpox epidemic pits Prem and his wife Kamini (Ayesha Dharker) against evangelist minister Herbert Todd (Mark Heap), who believes God can save his flock not medicine. Also, the doctor's disapproving mother-in-law Pushpa (Indira Joshi) comes to visit the village and creates friction between her son and his wife. The DVD includes Foreign Bodies, Immunity, The Miracle, Quarantine and The Source.


Trap For Cinderella (Cert 15, 100 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Thriller/Drama/Romance/Action)

Based on a novel by Sebastien Japrisot, Trap For Cinderella is a suspense thriller about a young woman with amnesia, battling to recovered her fractured memory. Fire breaks out at an idyllic seaside villa in the south of France and hedonistic photographer Micky (Tuppence Middleton) is thrown from the building by the resulting explosion. Sadly, her best friend Do (Alexandra Roach) perishes in the inferno. Micky suffers head trauma and loses her memory, waking in a clinic where plastic surgeons have rebuilt her face using photographs supplied by her rich aunt's personal assistant, Julia (Kerry Fox). At first, Micky struggles to make sense of her old life, visiting her flat and meeting with friends including ex-boyfriend Jake (Aneurin Barnard) in the hope that someone or something will jog her memory. She returns to the South of France and the ill-fated villa where the truth about the fire emerges and Micky comes to terms with her grief.


Diamond Heist (Cert 15, 95 mins, 4Digitial Media Ltd, DVD £15.99, Comedy/Action)

Crime pays handsomely in Eva Gardos and Robert Koltai's action comedy. Diamond smuggler Terence (Michael Madsen) runs a nightclub where the male strippers are the star attraction. When two performers go missing without trace, Terence turns to old acquaintance Jack (Vinnie Jones) for replacement dancers and he sends raw recruits David (Csaba Pindroch) and Zoli (Gyozo Szabo), who are blissfully unaware of the job requirements. Behind the scenes, Jack intends to gather vital intelligence on Terence's smuggling operation by kidnapping beautiful courier Cherry (Jamelia) but she has her own nefarious plan in action that relies on bringing Terence and Jack together.


Nobody's Daughter Haewon (Cert 12, 90 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £19.99, Drama/Romance)

Hong Sang-soo directs this touching South Korean drama, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Film student Haewon (Jung Eun-chae) feels depressed that her mother Jin-joo (Kim Ja-ok) is poised to emigrate to Canada. Having enjoyed a final lunch together before the matriarch's departure, Haewon gravitates towards people and places that conjure fond memories for her and in Sajik Park, she meets her professor, Lee Seong-joon (Lee Sun-kyun), who is also her old flame. Lee is now married but the couple enjoy some precious time together, reminiscing about the past. Old wounds are re-opened forcing Haewon to acknowledge past mistakes but her sadness is tempered by a chance encounter with a handsome visiting professor from America, Joong-won (Kim Eui-seong).


Viking - The Darkest Day (Cert 15, 86 mins, Signature Entertainment, DVD £9.99, Drama/Action)

Chris Crow directs and co-writes this historical drama about a young monk called Hereward (Marc Pickering), who accepts a daunting quest to return the Holy Gospel of Lindisfarne to an Iona monastery in the aftermath of a Viking raid. Flanked by a highly skilled swordsman who vows to protect him, Hereward battles against the odds to complete his mission with an army of bloodthirsty Vikings in hot pursuit.


DVD retail top 10

1 (6) World War Z

2 (-) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

3 (3) Breaking Bad - Season 1-4

4 (-) Iron Man 3

5 (8) Breaking Bad - Season 5

6 (10) Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred

7 (3) Wreck-It Ralph

8 (1) The Jungle Book

9 (-) The Little Mermaid

10 (-) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk


DVD rental top 10

1 (1) Jack The Giant Slayer

2 (2) Identity Thief

3 (3) Iron Man 3

4 (4) Cloud Atlas

5 (5) Olympus Has Fallen

6 (6) Star Trek: Into Darkness

7 (7) Mud

8 (8) Lincoln

9 (9) A Good Day To Die Hard

10 (10) Zero Dark Thirty

Chart supplied by www.LOVEFiLM.com


Film streaming top 10

1 (1) Friends with Benefits

2 (2) The Princes And The Frog

3 (3) Barbie - Princess Charm School

4 (4) The Smurfs

5 (7) The Perks of Being a Wallflower

6 (6) Straw Dogs

7 (5) Rise of the Planet of the Apes

8 (8) I Give It A Year

9 (-) Swiss Family Robinson

10 (10) Tinker bell

Chart supplied by www.LOVEFiLM.com