Selected home-video releases:
“Secret Window”: Johnny Depp scored a minihorror hit in this latest Stephen King adaptation. The psychological thriller stars Depp as an author with writer’s block coming unglued amid the breakup of his marriage and visitations from a menacing stranger (John Turturro) who accuses him of plagiarism and demands justice. The DVD has three background featurettes and animated storyboards. Director David Koepp, who also wrote the screenplay, provides audio commentary for the full movie and four deleted scenes. DVD, $28.95. (Columbia TriStar)
“Bad Santa”: As if Billy Bob Thornton wasn’t profane and sleazy enough, his holiday black comedy hits DVD in two flavors: the raunchy R-rated theatrical release and an extra-raunchy unrated “Badder Santa” version, featuring seven extra minutes. Thornton plays a potty-mouthed, boozing department-store Santa moonlighting as a mall thief, who gets a lesson in the Christmas spirit from a lonesome kid convinced he’s the real Kriss Kringle. The DVD includes deleted and alternate footage, outtakes and a behind-the-scenes featurette. DVD, $29.99. (Dimension)
“Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator,” “Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy”: Two portraits of the 40th president arrive weeks after his death. “The Great Communicator” packs more than seven hours of material on two discs, with a comprehensive examination of the Reagan White House, his philosophy against big government and the military buildup that helped cause the collapse of the Soviet Union. The set also chronicles Reagan’s career in Hollywood and his tenure as California governor. The single-disc “His Life and Legacy,” a CBS News special, offers a 90-minute glimpse into Reagan’s life, with DVD extras that include audio excerpts from some of his most memorable speeches. “The Great Communicator” DVD set, $39.98. (MPI); “His Life and Legacy” DVD, $19.99. (Paramount).
“Elvis: ‘68 Comeback Special,” “Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii”: Two of Elvis Presley’s best-known TV specials debut in DVD sets loaded with extras. The 1968 “Comeback Special” that resurrected Presley’s career includes the original TV show as it aired, plus two solo concerts and two jam sessions whose performances were used as the core of the broadcast. The three-disc set also features previously unused takes of the show’s two main production numbers. “Aloha From Hawaii,” which aired in 1973, gets similar treatment on two discs, with the original special as broadcast, plus the live concert, a rehearsal show and a post-concert session to record five more songs. “Comeback Special” DVD set, $49.98; “Aloha” DVD set, $29.98. (BMG)
“The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story”: A terrific portrait of artist Hirschfeld, whose celebrity caricatures enlivened The New York Times arts section. The DVD includes a 20-page booklet packed with background and appreciation for Hirschfeld, who died last year at age 99. DVD, $24.95. (Home Vision)
“The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection”: This hourlong anthology gathers 15 of the singer’s video performances, including tunes such as “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Save Up All Your Tears,” “Half-Breed” and “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss).” DVD, $19.99. (Warner)
Associated Press
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