DVD releases for Tuesday, July 22
Here's a look at DVDs coming out Tuesday, July 22:
“Transcendence” (PG-13, 119 minutes, Warner): The dystopian future envisioned by last year's critical darling “Her” reappears here, albeit with a lot more testosterone. You could even call this new thriller — in which a godlike artificial intelligence, played by Johnny Depp, starts building an army of cyborg zombies — “Him.” Unlike that earlier film about a man who falls in love with a computer operating system, which was a poetic meditation on the failure to connect, “Transcendence” is a kind of high-tech horror story. Contains violence, language and sensuality. Extras include “What Is Transcendence?” “A Singular Vision” (on director Wally Pfister, a former resident of Elmhurst). Also on Blu-ray: “Guarding the Threat,” “The Promise of A.I.,” “It's Me” “Singularity” and “R.I.F.T.” featurettes.
“Heaven Is for Real” (PG, 100 minutes, Sony): In this family drama, Colton Burpo, the angelic 4-year-old son of a Nebraska pastor, has emergency surgery and while under anesthesia experiences a series of visions, including watching his own operation, observing the prayers of his anguished parents and meeting Jesus. At first, Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) listens to Colton's stories with the amused forbearance of a mildly skeptical but proud parent: He and his wife, Sonja (Kelly Reilly), chalk up Colton's detailed visions to the stories and hymns he's been steeped in all his life. But when Colton mentions encountering people he never met or even knew existed, Todd becomes convinced that his son really has glimpsed the afterlife, a revelation that sends the preacher on a journey that will ultimately threaten his parish and his family. Contains thematic material. Extras include behind-the-scenes featurette and deleted scenes. Also, on Blu-ray: making-of and “Creating Heaven” featurettes.
“Dom Hemingway” (R, 93 minutes, Fox): Though writer-director Richard Shepard (“The Matador”) knows how to spin a yarn about the vicissitudes of fate, Dom's adventures make for a pretty thin garment in which to clothe such an outsize antihero. Shepard tries to add heft to the lightweight tale by introducing a thread about Dom (Jude Law) trying to repair his relationship with his daughter. Rather than humanizing him, however, Dom's efforts to play Daddy — and to convince us that he has a heart — feel dictated by market research, not character. Contains violence, drug use, sex, nudity and language. Extras include commentary and the “Ping-Pong Loop.”
“Cesar Chavez” (PG-13, 101 minutes, Lionsgate): You don't get to be the namesake of countless roads, schools, buildings and even a state holiday unless you've led a pretty exceptional life. But the Diego Luna biopic does little to enhance the man's legacy. This should have been a plum role for the talented Michael Pena, who portrays Chavez, but he doesn't have the opportunity to do much more than recite trite adages. Rosario Dawson, who plays a fellow labor organizer, also is painfully underused. Contains some violence and strong language. Extras include a making-of documentary.
Also: “Sabotage,” “Made in America?,” “Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club,” “The Suspect” (South Korea), “GMO OMG,” “Sector 4: Extraction,” “Insomnia” (1997, Sweden), “The Wind Will Carry Us” (1999), “The Essential Jacques Demy” (1961-70), “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” “Make Your Move,” “Justin and the Knights of Valour” (Spain), “Detour” (1945), “Mumfie's Quest: The Movie” (1994), “The Garfield Show: Best Friends Forever,” “The Human Race,” “All Cheerleaders Die,” “WWI Centennial Collection,” “Antboy,” “Appleseed Alpha” and “American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight.”
Television series: “Wahlburgers: First Season,” “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys: Season Five,” “Dalziel & Pascoe: Season 10” and “Xena: Warrior Princess: Season Five.”