DVD previews: 'Million Dollar Arm'
Here's a look at DVDs coming out Tuesday, Oct. 7:
“Million Dollar Arm” (PG, 124 minutes, Disney): Jon Hamm plays a Los Angeles sports agent who has recently started his own firm but faces imminent shuttering if he doesn't snag a major client. While channel surfing one night, he hits upon his golden ticket: Search India for a cricket bowler with enough speed, accuracy and power to become a major league baseball pitcher. In a movie culture increasingly dominated by niche audiences, there's a special place of honor reserved for that rare film that can appeal to just about everyone. This easygoing, entertaining baseball drama is that kind of film. Contains language and suggestive content. Extras include a making-of-featurette. Also, on Blu-ray: alternate ending, deleted scenes, outtakes, featurette and a look at the musical score.
“Edge of Tomorrow” (PG-13, 113 minutes, Warner): Summer blockbusters have gotten too big, too loud, too dependent on slick computer effects and too dismissive of narrative and character arc. Then something like “Edge of Tomorrow” comes along. A crafty, clever, stylish science-fiction action adventure, this time-travel loop-de-loop didn't have to be this good. Thanks to the efforts of a superb creative team and Tom Cruise — here deploying his own persona with stunning self-awareness and humor — what might have been a throwaway genre exercise instead turns out to be surprisingly satisfying. Contains violence, language and brief suggestive material. Extras include featurettes. Also, on Blu-ray: deleted scenes, featurettes and a making-of short with director Doug Liman.
“A Million Ways to Die in the West” (R, 116 minutes, Universal): Writer-director Seth MacFarlane plays a cowardly, lovelorn sheep farmer, with Charlize Theron as his romantic mentor and Liam Neeson his gunslinging nemesis. The comedy-parody is passably funny, assuming you have the stomach for jokes about diarrhea, sex, death and all manner of body parts (human and sheep). When stretched out to almost two hours by all the absurdist plotting, pop-culture asides and sometimes painfully awkward silences that MacFarlane (“Family Guy”) is known for, it's not quite so zingy. Contains language, sexual situations, violence, drug use and brief nudity. Extras include commentary, a gag reel and locations featurette. Also, on Blu-ray: unrated version; commentary with MacFarlane, Theron and co-writers and executive producers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild; alternate ending; deleted/extended/alternate scenes; a behind-the-scenes short and a featurette.
Also: “Obvious Child,” “The Prosecution of an American President,” “School Dance,” “A People Uncounted,” “Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video,” “Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs,” “Frank Zappa: Freak Jazz, Movie Madness & Another Mothers,” “Foreign Correspondent” (1940), “Doc Holliday's Revenge,” “Houdini” (History miniseries), “The Legend of Lizzie Borden” (1975), “The Great Train Robbery” (BBC miniseries), “Sleeping With the Fishes,” “Roger & Me 25th Anniversary” “It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas” (2002), “Level Five” (1996, France), “On Strike! Films by Chris Marker & The Medvedkin Group,” “Ava and Lala,” “The Devil Incarnate,” “Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave,” “The Little Penguin: Pororo's Racing Adventure,” “Raw Force” (1981), “The Dead and the Damned 2,” “Sons of Liberty,” “A Haunting at Preston Castle,” “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods,” “Snakehead Swamp,” “Adventures of the Wilderness Family Triple Feature” (three 1970s family films) and “Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart.”
Television series: “Vikings Season 2,” “China Beach: The Complete Series,” “Duck Dynasty: Season 6,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: First Season,” “The Almighty Johnsons Season 1,” “Bates Motel: Season Two,” “Sharknado 2: The Second One: Extended Edition,” “Republic of Doyle, Season 2,” “Ancient Aliens: Season 6 — Volume 1,” “Adventure Time: Fourth Season,” “Still life: A Three Pines Mystery” and “Woody Woodpecker and Friends Holiday Favorites.”
Web series: “Hemlock Grove”