New On DVD: 'Shutter Island'

By Noel Murray, Special to the Los Angeles Times

June 6, 2010 12 AM PT

Shutter Island

Paramount, $29.99; Blu-ray, $39.99

The ongoing collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio takes a weird (and weirdly profitable) turn with “Shutter Island,” a gothic thriller based on a Dennis Lehane bestseller. DiCaprio plays a lawman in 1954 investigating a disappearance at a mental institution and uncovering a conspiracy involving McCarthy-era hysteria, atomic paranoia, and a secret from his own past. Scorsese goes way over the top with the visuals but never loses track of the dark emotions at the center of the piece. Though “Shutter Island” has a strange, not-always-sensible plot, the movie is as haunting as it is splashy. The DVD and Blu-ray contain two short documentaries providing a window into what the story is about and how it toys with the audience.

From Paris With Love

Lionsgate, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.99

French director Pierre Morel and writer-producer Luc Besson scored a surprise hit last year with the tense thriller “Taken” and now follow that with the equally amped-up “From Paris With Love,” starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a spy-in-training under the tutelage of a live-wire agent played by John Travolta. The movie is stylish and snappy, though it lacks the moral complications and emotional gravity that made “Taken” so effective. The “From Paris With Love” DVD and Blu-ray add a Morel commentary track, a decent making-of featurette, and a look at the real lives of spies.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Seventh Season

HBO, $39.98

For the seventh season of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” the “Seinfeld” co-creator sneaked a reunion of his old show in through the back door, making the whole arc of the season about the “Curb” version of Larry David bringing the “Curb” version of the cast of “Seinfeld” back together. With all the original stars both improvising and playing “themselves,” the season gets so meta that it bends the brain. But fans of “Curb” will appreciate that David keeps the comedy as profane and acerbic as ever, while fans of “Seinfeld” will love how much fun it is to see the old gang again. The seventh-season DVD set keeps the warm feelings going, adding four “Seinfeld”-specific behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Tales of the Gold Monkey: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory, $49.97

If you’re already suffering from “Lost” withdrawal, consider venturing to the mysterious island of Boragora to witness the adventures of heroic cargo pilot Jake Cutter in the 1982-83 ABC series “Tales of the Gold Monkey.” Set in 1938 and starring Stephen Collins, “Gold Monkey” was part of the wave of early ‘80s retro-swashbucklers trying to capitalize on the popularity of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” “Gold Monkey” was better realized than most — with a dash of wit and a vivid pre-war setting — and though it lasted only one season, its 21 episodes have been remembered fondly. The DVD release comes with interviews and commentary tracks.

Caddyshack

Warner Blu-ray, $24.98

It would’ve been awesome if Warner Bros. had included a “quote index” on its new Blu-ray edition of the golf comedy classic “Caddyshack” so fans could skip straight to the best jokes. But then that would be most of the movie, wouldn’t it? Instead, “Caddyshack” fans can enjoy a 45-minute featurette (carried over from the DVD) and a new 90-minute documentary. And, of course, “Caddyshack” itself: the quintessential early ‘80s slobs vs. snobs movie.

And...

“Animation Express” (Lionsgate, $29.98; Blu-ray, $29.98)

“The A-Team: The Complete Series” (Universal, $149.98)

“Before & After Stonewall” (First Run, $39.95)

“ Bob Hope: Thanks for the Memories Collection” (Universal, $39.98)

“The Cry of the Owl” (Paramount, $22.98)

“Family Matters: The Complete First Season” (Warner, $29.98)

“The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It” (20th Century Fox, $22.98)

“Ghostwriter: Season One” (Shout! Factory, $34.95)

“Happy Together” (Kino Blu-ray, $29.95)

“iCarly: iSaved Your Life” ( Nickelodeon, $16.99)

“Jim Henson’s Dog City: The Movie” (Lionsgate, $14.98)