A collapsed ‘Bridge’

Every week movies are released on DVD that had little or no theatrical exposure. Rarely do these films star Oscar-winning performers, but two films that saw limited theatrical release debuting today on DVD from New Line -- “Bridge of San Luis Rey” ($25) and “11:14” ($20) -- feature Academy Award-winning casts.

“Bridge of San Luis Rey,” based on the classic novel by Thornton Wilder, boasts three Oscar-winners -- Robert De Niro, Kathy Bates and F. Murray Abraham -- along with Harvey Keitel, Geraldine Chaplin and Gabriel Byrne. Byrne plays a Peruvian priest in the 18th century who investigates whether the deaths of five people who had been crossing a rope bridge when it collapsed was divine providence. The film, produced in 2003 for $24 million, grossed a meager $50,000 when it was briefly released in selected theaters in the U.S. in June.

“San Luis Rey” is a handsome enough production, but the performances aren’t enough to keep it from being about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Far more entertaining is the ensemble thriller “11:14,” which was made in 2002 and features Oscar-winning Hilary Swank, who also was one of the executive producers. It played the festival circuit, was released internationally last year and played a few theaters stateside this year.

Written and directed by first-timer Greg Marcks, the fast-paced and interestingly structured thriller revolves around events that lead up to a gruesome death at 11:14 p.m. in a small town. Henry Thomas plays a tipsy young man who has an accident while driving; Rachael Leigh Cook is the town’s bad girl; Patrick Swayze and Barbara Hershey play her frantic parents; Shawn Hatosy plays a dimwitted convenience store worker; Swank is his equally clueless co-worker; and Colin Hanks and Ben Foster are joyriding teenagers.

Extras include a making-of featurette and passable commentary with Marcks, who was 25 when he directed this film.

Also new this week:

“Kingdom of Heaven” (Fox, $30): Critical and financial success proved elusive with this uneven extravaganza set in Jerusalem during the Crusades. Orlando Bloom, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson star. Ridley Scott, a DVD enthusiast, always documents every aspect of his productions, and “Kingdom of Heaven’ is no exception. The ambitious “interactive production” grid allows one to access all the production documentaries through the perspective of the director, the crew and the cast. There’s also an informative text commentary and two documentaries that aired on A&E; and the History Channel. It does seem odd that Scott doesn’t provide a commentary track. Perhaps he is reserving it for a special-edition DVD.

“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (Warner, $29): The performances of Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Blake Lively spark this adaptation of Ann Brashares’ popular coming-of-age novel. Extras include a behind-the-scenes documentary, a conversation with Brashares, deleted scenes with commentary by director Ken Kwapis and video commentary on selected scenes with Tamblyn, Bledel and Ferrera that almost becomes too cute for its own good.

“Z Channel -- A Magnificent Obsession” (Hart Sharp, $25): Xan Cassavetes -- the daughter of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands -- directed this inspired look at the groundbreaking Los Angeles pay-cable network that provided an eclectic array of classic, art house and neglected films during the late 1970s and ‘80s thanks to its chief programmer, Jerry Harvey. The two-disc set includes commentary with Cassavetes and her crew, extra interviews, footage from the “AFI Tribute to Z” and the full-length radio interview with Harvey from 1985 on “Castaway’s Choice.”

“Veronica Mars -- The Complete First Season” (Warner, $60): The UPN detective series starring Kristen Bell may not be a ratings blockbuster, but it has a loyal cult following, The set includes an extended version of the pilot with an unaired opening sequence and 20 minutes of unaired scenes.

“The Duchess of Duke Street -- Series I” (Acorn, $80): One of the most popular series from the golden age of “Masterpiece Theatre” in the 1970s. Inspired by the life of hostess Rosa Lewis, the addictive series chronicles the rags-to-riches tale of an ambitious young woman who rose from scullery maid to the finest cook in London to the premier hostess in London society. Gemma Jones stars. Extras include a biography of Lewis, a look at Edwardian society and a photo gallery.

What’s coming:

Next Tuesday: “Batman Begins,” “Land of the Dead,” “Tell Them Who You Are,” “Mad Hot Ballroom” and “Ma mere.”