See all in New on DVD

See all in New on DVD

New on DVD

New to DVD for the week of December 27, 2005

Into the Blue | Sony | In this underwater thriller, Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) and Jessica Alba (Sin City) are divers who discover a shipwreck in the Bahamas that may hold millions in gold, and also a sunken plane brimming with cocaine. Jared and Sam need big cash to rent the requisite heavy equipment to raise the gold, but they won’t cross the line by cashing in on the coke. That’s left to Jared’s cocksure buddy Bryce (Scott Caan), a New York defense attorney who brokers a deal with cutthroat drug dealers; the expected double-dealings and shark-infested waters ensue. Walker and Alba are likable enough, and buff enough, as the wide-eyed lovers in over their heads, and director John Stockwell (Blue Crush) keeps the tension high, but the tedious plot twists and cheesy, shot-in-a-pool underwater scenes sink this unofficial remake of The Deep. | 110m

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill | Docurama | This nimbly shot documentary about a flock of parrots and their loving chronicler shares the vibe and the beauty of its San Francisco setting. Filmmaker Judy Irving and caretaker Mark Bittner spin years of observation into mini-dramas about the green birds’ individual personalities and relationships. The film is equally a portrait of Bittner, himself a rare bird, though probably a recognizable type to San Franciscans. No smotherer, he argues before a city council for leaving the birds alone. The emotional lives of parrots and Bittner alike are compelling, but some may quail before the poignancy on display. By the end, when Bittner recounts sensing gratitude from a dying bird named Tupelo, you’ll either be deeply moved or wish Errol Morris had gotten here first. | 83m

Undiscovered | Lion's Gate | For a jerky, cliché-riddled yarn about the evils of fame, Undiscovered has enough sensitivity, wit, and inadvertent guffaws to rise above its lame underpinnings. And the uproarious supporting performances by veterans Carrie Fisher (as a mother-hen agent with all the answers) and Peter Weller help too. The film is a romance of sorts about two generic twentysomethings who have a passing, love-at-first-sight moment on a New York subway and reconnect in Los Angeles. She’s a semi-famous model trying her hand at acting; he’s a songwriter hoping to become a rock star. Brier (a perky Pell James bearing up under her inane name) already has a boyfriend, a philandering rock star who’s always on tour, but Luke (Steven Strait from Sky High) persists. Their awkward courtship is predictable and tedious, as is Brier’s subversive buzz campaign to get Luke signed. You also get a skateboarding bulldog and Ashlee Simpson as the amiable third wheel, plus video director Meiert Avis proving he can’t sustain a drama. | 97m

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