DVDS
“Star Trek” (PG-13): This cinematic relaunch of the venerable Starship Enterprise salutes Gene Roddenberry’s original vision as actionmeister J.J. Abrams (“Lost”) recruits a near-perfect cast, led by Chris Pine as hot-headed, hot-blooded James T. Kirk, “Heroes’ ” Zachary Quinto as young Spock, Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Simon Pegg as Scotty — and, inevitably, Leonard Nimoy as time-warped Spock Prime.
In the heart-tugging “My Sister’s Keeper” (PG-13), based on Jodi Picoult’s book, a young girl (“Little Miss Sunshine’s” Abigail Breslin) conceived as a genetic match for her cancer-stricken sister (Sofia Vassilieva) rebels against her parents (Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric). Michael Caine, meanwhile, continues his remarkable late-career renaissance in “Is Anybody There?” (PG-13), about a curmudgeonly magician who finds an unlikely friend in a precocious, death-obsessed 10-year-old whose parents have transformed the family residence into an old-folks home. And “Borat’s” Sacha Baron Cohen returns as another outrageous, equal-opportunity offender: “Brüno” (R), an Austrian fashionista who’s “schwartzlisted” at home, prompting an international odyssey, from Hollywood to the heartland, in search of fabulousness and fame. And in “Wild Child” (PG-13), a Malibu princess (Emma Roberts) is shipped off to a strict English boarding school.
In our classics file, 1939’s mighty “Gone With the Wind” (G) returns in 70th-anniversary special edition and Blu-Ray Disc editions; other Blu-Ray debuts include a Criterion Collection edition of Robert Redford’s 1969 “Downhill Racer” (PG) and director Steven Soderbergh’s 1989 breakthrough “sex, lies and videotape” (R), along with “Fight Club” (R), “The Professional” (R), “Clerks” (R) and “Galaxy Quest” (PG). Turning to movies that never played local theaters, “Twilight” heartthrob Robert Pattinson headlines “How to Be” (not rated), playing a young man who recruits a self-help guru to guide him through an existential crisis. Director Jim Jarmusch follows a mysterious loner in “The Limits of Control” (R), while Eva Green and Ryan Phillippe star in the futuristic “Franklyn” (R).
Making the jump from TV to DVD (all titles unrated unless otherwise noted): “Hollywood Wives: The New Generation,” “Rome: The Complete Series,” “The Sopranos: The Complete Series,” “Andy Barker, P.I.: The Complete Series” (PG), “Farscape: The Complete Series,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: It’s A Very Sunny Christmas,” “Monk: Best of Monk,” “Wagon Train: The Complete First Season,” “Elvis Costello: Spectacle — Season One” and “7th Heaven: The Ninth Season.”
CDS
Them Crooked Vultures, “Them Crooked Vultures”: Last time they teamed up, the album that ensued shook the Earth like an angry fault line. And that was before they added one of the dudes from Led Zeppelin.
When Foo Fighters frontman/former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl returned to the kit on Queens of the Stone Age’s career-best “Songs for the Deaf,” recruited by QOTSA mainman Josh Homme, the results were explosive.
Now, Grohl and Homme have joined forces again, bringing along with them Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.
What they’ve given us are some lean, mean, hard-nosed jams that occasionally scale epic heights.
These Vultures fly high.
Also in stores: Kris Allen, “Kris Allen”; Annie, “Don’t Stop”; Boyz II Men, “Love”; 50 Cent, “Before I Self Destruct”; Forever the Sickest Kids, “The Weekend: Friday”; Norah Jones, “The Fall”; Leona Lewis, “Echo”; John Mayer, “Battle Studies”; Paul McCartney, “Good Evening New York City”; OneRepublic, “Waking Up”; Katy Perry, “Katy Perry: MTV Unplugged”; Pretty Ricky, “Pretty Ricky”; Rakim, “The Seventh Seal”; Robbie Williams, “Reality Killed the Video Star.”
BOOKS
“Going Rogue” by Sarah Palin: As John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 election, Sarah Palin was loved and hated by the American public. In her new memoir, Palin talks about the campaign, as well as detailing her life growing up in Alaska; her marriage and career; her faith and family; and the challenges of being a working mother.
James Patterson also has a book expected out this week. In “I, Alex Cross,” the police detective investigates the murder of his own niece.
Also hitting shelves: “Art of Living” by Barbel Miebach; “Cookin’ with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price” by Coolio; “Crocodile Tears” by Anthony Horowitz; “The Original of Laura” by Vladimir Nabokov; “Shadowland (The Immortals Series No. 3)” by Alyson Noel; “Too Much Happiness” by Alice Munro; and “The Wrecker” by Clive Cussler.
