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Frankly, a subject for mature viewers

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Times Staff Writer

There’s a lot of talk about sex in “Kinsey,” Bill Condon’s acclaimed film from last fall about the groundbreaking sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. And even more talk about sex on the two-disc DVD (Fox, $35) of the film that stars Liam Neeson as Kinsey and Oscar-nominee Laura Linney as his wife.

In addition to deleted scenes and commentary from Condon (“Gods and Monsters”), the digital edition includes several frank, adults-only extras including “The Kinsey Report: Sex on Film” -- a feature-length documentary that examines the movie’s difficult path to the big screen as well as Kinsey’s pioneering research -- and even the sex histories of members of the cast and crew.

“Sex Ed at the Kinsey Institute” offers a tour of an exhibit at the Kinsey Institute in Indiana that includes sex toys from the past. Rounding out the DVD set is an interactive sex questionnaire based on the current sex study being done by the researchers at the Institute.

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Fox Home Entertainment is also promoting the DVD with “The Art of Sex: Collections From the Kinsey Institute,” an exhibit taking place this week at the Gallery at 8920 Melrose.

Also new this week:

“The Sea Inside” (New Line, $28): This acclaimed Spanish-language drama from director Alejandro Amenabar (“The Others”) picked up the Golden Globe and Academy Award for best foreign film. Javier Bardem is memorable as Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic Spanish poet who fights for the right to die with dignity in a movie that comes across as life affirming. Extras include a detailed behind-the-scenes documentary, deleted scenes and commentary with Amenabar in Spanish with English subtitles.

“Tarnation” (Wellspring, $30): This award-winning documentary -- a self-portrait of New York actor Jonathan Caouette and his dysfunctional family and upbringing. His mother, Rene, who was a child model, underwent numerous electric shock therapy treatments as a teenager that contributed to enduring, chronic mental problems. Jonathan spent time in and out of foster homes, where he was abused, and then was adopted by his grandparents. The DVD also includes a photo gallery and emotional commentary from Caouette.

“Son of the Mask” (New Line, $28): The original special effects-laden comedy “The Mask,” starring Jim Carrey, was one of the surprise hits of 1994. But this big-budget sequel laid an egg with critics and audiences alike. Jamie Kennedy, Alan Cumming and Traylor Howard star. The DVD has a few entertaining extras including mini-profiles of the twins who play the baby, as well as of the terrier who plays Otis, and a look at pampered Hollywood pooches. The pedestrian commentary is provided by director Lawrence Guterman (“Cats and Dogs”), writer Lance Khazei and Kennedy.

“White Noise” (Universal, $30): Some may find the extras on this horror film starring Michael Keaton far creepier and scarier than the movie itself. Because the film’s premise revolves around “electronic voice phenomenon” -- the dead communicate through images and voices on tape recorders, VCRs and other electronic media -- the majority of the special features deal with EVP.

“Making Contact: E.V.P Experts” interviews people who conduct EVP sessions and looks in on several seminars in which families have allegedly made contact with loved ones. “Hearing Is Believing: Actual E.V.P Sessions” follows two investigators as they visit a haunted Hollywood mansion and a ghostly nightclub in Chicago. Extras include a how-to guide on recording the afterlife at home.

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“The Princess and the Pirate” (MGM, $15) The one-liners, double-takes and pratfalls come fast and funny in this breezy 1944 Technicolor Bob Hope comedy. Hope plays a hack impersonator who tries to save a beautiful princess (Virginia Mayo) from the clutches of a ruthless pirate (Victor McLaglen) and a corrupt governor (Walter Slezak).

“Seinfeld -- The Fourth Season” (Columbia, $50): The watershed 1992-93 season of the NBC comedy about “nothing.” Among the classic episodes are “The Pitch,” “The Bubble Boy,” “The Cheever Letters,” “The Opera,” “The Virgin,” “The Contest,” “The Pick,” “The Outing,” “The Junior Mint” and “The Smelly Car.”

The four-disc set is jammed with extras including a retrospective of the fourth season, a trivia track, deleted scenes, NBC promos, inside looks on several episodes, delectable bloopers, footage of Jerry Seinfeld doing his stand-up routines and commentary on several episodes.

“Scrubs -- The Complete First Season” (Buena Vista, $50) The quirky NBC one-camera comedy series about interns and nurses at a hospital has been more of a critical success than a blockbuster ratings success. Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley star. The three-disc set certainly isn’t lacking in extras -- deleted scenes, bloopers, favorite moments from the cast and crew, a look at the regulars’ ability to improvise, a retrospective on the first season, a look at the actors before they were cast and commentary on several episodes with creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence, Braff and others.

May 24: “The Aviator,” “Are We There Yet?” and “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie”

May 31: “Boogeyman,” “Swimming Upstream” and “Fascination”

June 7: “Be Cool,” “Beyond the Sea,” “The Machinist,”’ “Imaginary Heroes,” “Seed of Chucky,” “D.E.B.s,” “Black Cloud”

June 14: “Hitch,” “A Dirty Shame,” “Rory O’Shea Was Here,” “Brother to Brother”

June 21: “Coach Carter,” “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous,” “Hostage,” “Cursed,” “The Jacket,” “Callas Forever,” “Bright Leaves,” “Bigger Than the Sky”

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June 28: “The Pacifier,” “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Man of the House”

July 5: “Hide and Seek,” “Bride and Prejudice” and “In My Country”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The 10 top-selling DVDs for the week ending May 8. Rankings are compiled from a variety of major retailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Blockbuster and Circuit City.

1. “National Treasure”

2. “The Phantom of the Opera”

3. “Blade: Trinity”

4. “Meet the Fockers”

5. “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”

6. “The Incredibles”

7. “Sideway”

8. “Ocean’s Twelve”

9. “Pocahontas”

10. “House of Flying Daggers”

Source DVDExclusive.com

Los Angeles Times

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