Nic Cage, prophet of doom
Knowing
Summit, $26.99; Blu-ray, $34.99
There’s a substantial amount of “not this again” weighing down the sci-fi thriller “Knowing,” which stars Nicolas Cage as a divorced, reluctant prophet of doom with a son who talks to spirits. Although the dialogue’s overheated and the tone heavy-handed, “Knowing’s” thoughtful depiction of how one man reacts to a coming apocalypse is lovely to look at and even haunting at times. Just try not to think about how much of it you’ve seen before. The DVD and Blu-ray come with a commentary by director Alex Proyas and featurettes about the talent and research behind the movie’s grim vision of the future.
Jeff Garlin:
Young & Handsome
A Night With Jeff Garlin
Shout! Factory, $14.99
Best known for comic supporting appearances on such TV series as “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Arrested Development,” Jeff Garlin is also a respected stand-up comedian with a loose, self-deprecating style that relies more on good storytelling than contrived punch lines. Garlin’s new DVD offers an hourlong set, shot at Chicago’s Second City, where Garlin got his start. The disc also contains deleted scenes and an interview conducted by comic Bob Odenkirk.
Push
Summit, $26.99; Blu-ray, $34.99
There’s too much going on in “Push,” a quasi-super-hero movie about a secret society of psychics who fight against the government agency that created them. And yet given how devoid of ideas most modern action-adventure movies are, it seems churlish to complain too loudly about a movie with such a complicated plot and rich mythology. Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning play second-generation psychics whose faltering powers of telekinesis and future-telling make them more vulnerable than the average movie heroes. Director Paul McGuigan shoots their journey through the Hong Kong underworld in a raw style that’s heavy on local color. The DVD and Blu-ray add a McGuigan commentary track, a short featurette and deleted scenes.
The Unborn
Universal, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98
The Jewish community gets its own version of “The Exorcist” with “The Unborn,” writer-director David S. Goyer’s stilted horror film about a college student (Odette Yustman) who discovers that she’s being stalked by the demon that possessed the body of her grandmother’s unborn twin at Auschwitz. Despite a few decent shock scenes and creepy images, “The Unborn” can’t overcome its string of supernatural cliches. The DVD and Blu-ray extras are unexceptional as well.
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All titles available Tuesday.
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