Selected home-video releases:
“The Game Plan”: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson goes the family guy route — breaking that old Hollywood rule against working with kids and dogs and delivering a hit. Johnson stars as a prima-donna football quarterback on his way to the big championship game (for all of Johnson’s stardom, the filmmakers didn’t work out the rights to call it the Super Bowl) when his life is turned upside down by the arrival of an 8-year-old daughter (Madison Pettis).
The DVD ($29.99) and Blu-ray ($34.99) high-definition releases have deleted scenes and a batch of bloopers featuring sports commentator Marv Albert. Other extras blur the line between real sports and Johnson’s fictitious football career, with ESPN personalities interviewing the actor on how he trained and examining his character’s “biography.” (Disney)
“Saw IV”: Even from beyond the grave, the psychotic serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) manages to lay wicked traps. The fourth movie in the blood-soaked horror franchise picks up after the death of the terminally ill Jigsaw, who before checking out concocted new terrors that test the mettle of a police SWAT team commander (Lyriq Bent).
The DVD ($29.95) and Blu-ray disc ($39.99) feature a deleted scene and two commentary tracks, one with director Darren Lynn Bousman and Bent, the other with the movie’s producers. Also included are featurettes on the traps the killer sets and the grisly props he applies to victims, along with a video diary from the director and a music video. (Lionsgate)
“This Sporting Life”: British director Lindsay Anderson, who went on to make the Malcolm McDowell films “If …” and “O Lucky Man!” made documentaries before coming to narrative films with this stellar debut. The 1963 film stars Richard Harris as a coal miner who becomes a rugby player as he races and rages his way through his personal life and new sports pursuits.
The two-disc set features commentary with the screenwriter, David Storey, along with Paul Ryan, who edited the collected writings of Anderson. The set also has two early documentary films by Anderson and his final autobiographical film from 1993, plus interviews with the filmmaker’s friends and collaborators. $39.95. (Criterion)
TV on DVD
“Torchwood: The Complete First Season”: The BBC series follows the adventures of an edgy young team of alien hunters out to protect humanity from menacing forces beyond Earth. A seven-disc set has the first 13 episodes, along with deleted scenes, commentary and a huge range of features. $79.95. (BBC)
“The Simple Life Goes to Camp”: Lifelong pals Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie ended their feud and went roughing it together for this fifth season of their goofy reality show. $19.98. (20th Century Fox)
“Barney Miller: The Complete Second Season”: Hal Linden and his crew of detectives are back for another season of the sitcom set in a New York City squad room. $29.95. (Sony)
“The Odd Couple: The Third Season”: Slob Jack Klugman and finicky Tony Randall continue their mismatched roommate routine in the sitcom adaptation of Neil Simon’s play and film. $38.99. (Paramount)
“Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season”: Jack Lord books more bad guys in the cop show set on the island paradise. $49.99. (Paramount)
“Thunderbirds”: Producer Gerry Anderson’s puppet action series gets fresh treatment in a 12-disc set with all 32 episodes, accompanied by behind-the-scenes segments and an interview. $129.95. (A&E)
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