History channel’s critically acclaimed ‘Roots’ and throwback film ‘The Nice Guys’ hit DVD

New on Blu-ray

“The Nice Guys” (Warner Bros. DVD, $15.96; Blu-ray, $34.99; also available on VOD)

This has been a disappointing summer for blockbusters by and large, but that’s not the fault of writer-director Shane Black, who did his best to start the season in May with his entertaining throwback detective picture “The Nice Guys.” Very much in the mold of the Black-penned ’80s and ’90s hits “Lethal Weapon” and “The Last Boy Scout,” the film stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as deeply damaged Los Angeles gumshoes trying to get to the bottom of the case of a dead porn star in the shaggy world of 1977 California. “The Nice Guys” did only middling box office, but like a lot of Black’s films it’s sure to become an enduring favorite. The punchy dialogue, the lovably screwed-up characters and the explosive action scenes are exactly what escapist Hollywood fare is supposed to be.

Special features: Two breezy behind-the-scenes featurettes.

VOD

Joe Swanberg star of “Uncle Kent 2.”

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times )

“Uncle Kent 2” (available Aug. 26)

There’s no need to see Joe Swanberg’s low-key 2011 slice-of-life “Uncle Kent” to appreciate the sequel, which has little to do with its predecessor outside of the title and the main character: a sad-sack artist played by Kent Osborne. This time out, Swanberg has the helm for only the first few minutes, after which he hands the movie off to absurdist filmmaker Todd Rohal (best-known for “The Catechism Cataclysm”), who follows Osborne on a surreal trip to San Diego Comic-Con. A winking commentary on superhero pictures and Hollywood’s franchise frenzy, “Uncle Kent 2” is mostly just one big inside joke for indie film buffs — but it’s hard not to appreciate its nutty sensibility.

TV set of the week

“Roots” (Lionsgate DVD, $26.98; Blu-ray, $29.99)

Few would accuse the original 1977 “Roots” miniseries of being too tame in its approach to the history of slavery and race relations in America, but even people who’ve seen the original may be startled by how much more intense History channel’s recent remake is. The new version takes Alex Haley’s classic novel and turns it into a gripping “you are there” experience, following proud African tribesman Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby) as he’s kidnapped, shipped overseas and forced to work on a plantation. Over the course of nearly seven hours, the miniseries follows its hero and his immediate descendants, offering the same oft-ignored perspective on American history as its predecessor, but with more emphasis on wrenching violence and squalor.

Special features: A lengthy History channel documentary about the show and slavery.

From the archives

“Woman in the Dunes” (Criterion DVD, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.95)

The history of Japanese cinema is often defined by the domestic dramas of Yasujiro Ozu and the historical epics of Akira Kurosawa, but Hiroshi Teshigahara’s dreamy avant-garde films should be part of the conversation too. His Oscar-nominated 1964 masterpiece “Woman in the Dunes” is one of the most beguiling and beautiful films ever made — an arty allegory that’s unbound by realism yet not too hard to grasp. Based on a novel by Kobo Abe (who also wrote the script), the movie stars Eji Okada as an academic who finds himself stuck in a strange house at the bottom of a sand pit and forced by the surrounding village to live with a widow and assist her in keeping the hole from collapsing. A sublime metaphor for the randomness and futility of daily existence, “Woman in the Dunes” is a fine example of how cinema can be both direct and poetic.

Special features: A documentary about the collaboration between Teshigahara and Abe, a video essay and four Teshigahara short films.

Three more to see

“Ash vs. Evil Dead: The Complete First Season” (Starz/Anchor Bay DVD, $39.98; Blu-ray, $49.99); “Maggie’s Plan” (Sony DVD, $25.99; Blu-ray, $30.99; also available on VOD); “Wiener-Dog” (Amazon DVD, $14.99; Blu-ray, $15.99; also available on VOD)

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