Mum’s the word on ‘Beowulf’

Beowulf

Paramount, $29.99, HD, $39.99

Poised to replace the CliffsNotes as the shortcut of choice for young scholars, Robert Zemeckis’ violent and bloody CGI motion capture version of the epic poem displays the evolving state of the technology to impressive effect (minus the 3D), but there continues to be a digital aloofness that leaves you cold. Ray Winstone plays the legendary beast-slaying warrior, with Crispin Glover as the monster, Grendel, and a virtually nude Angelina Jolie as his mother. Available in an unrated director’s cut as well as the theatrical version, extras include five featurettes and half a dozen deleted or alternate scenes, but no commentary.

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The Darjeeling Limited

Fox, $29.99

Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman indoctrinate Adrien Brody into the wacky, stylistically self-conscious world of director Wes Anderson with this tale of three brothers on a bonding trip through India by rail. Though it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the film revels in the delightful brotherly interplay of its three stars, sumptuous visual and aural detail, and Anderson’s ability to turn a seemingly random collection of fetishes into something with surprising emotional and satirical resonance. Includes the short prequel, “Hotel Chevalier,” starring Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

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Death at a Funeral

MGM, $29.99

Frank Oz directed this amusing ensemble farce about two brothers attempting to maintain familial equilibrium at a memorial service beset with improprieties. The strong comic cast includes Matthew Macfadyen, Rupert Graves, Alan Tudyk and Andy Nyman. Extras include two commentary tracks, one with Oz and the other featuring screenwriter Dean Craig and actors Tudyk and Nyman.

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Silk

New Line, $27.98

Last year’s other Keira Knightley historical romance is about a young Frenchman’s instant obsession with a once-glimpsed Japanese woman beginning in 1862. Based on Alessandro Baricco’s bestselling novella, it stars Michael Pitt as the unenthusiastic army officer who bags his military career to work for a local silk magnate (Alfred Molina) and carry on in the Far East despite his marriage to Knightley’s devoted schoolteacher.

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30 Days of Night

Sony, $28.95, Blu-Ray, $38.96

The winter nocturne of a small Alaskan town seems longer than a month in this contemporary horror flick about northerly vampires. Directed by David Slade, the film gets some style points, but the storytelling wears thin. Commentary by stars Josh Hartnett and Melissa George with producer Rob Tapert and eight making-of shorts are included. The Blu-Ray disc features a comparative gallery between the film and the graphic novel on which it’s based.

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And

“Goya’s Ghosts” (Sony, $24.96); “Legend of the Black Scorpion” (Weinstein Co., $24.95), “Slipstream” (Sony, $24.96); “Them” (Dark Sky, $24.98); “To Kill a King” (Anchor Bay, $26.98; Blu-Ray, $29.98)

-- Kevin Crust