'Five-Year Engagement,' 'Homeland' get good marks

Actors Emily Blunt, left, and Jason Segel pose at a promotional event for upcoming cinema release "The Five Year Engagement" at the Soho Hotel, London. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

If ever a movie showed the perils of titles, The Five-Year Engagement does.

Out this week on DVD (Universal, $29.98) and a Blu-ray/DVD combo ($34.98), the movie starred the more-than- likable Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple planning to get hitched -- only to see the years pass.

The title seemed to tell moviegoers too much about what the movie was, since most stayed away and the box-office returns were disappointing. Still, it's a mostly amiable movie, even if the script by Segel and director Nicholas Stoller sometimes gets too involved with the characters to sustain a good pace; though just over two hours, it feels longer.

The movie is somewhat more serious than some of the comedy-laden promos suggested, but I liked it for being more real than farce. And Segel and Blunt are supported by a cast that includes Rhys Ifans, Chris Hart, Mindy Kaling, and Alison Brie (although Community's Brie struggles with an English accent).

That said, be aware that the movie's R rating was well deserved -- and the DVD and Blu-ray include an unrated version that is seven minutes longer than the theatrical release. Other extras include deleted, extended and alternate scenes, a blooper reel, and audio commentary.

Also in stores now, and highly recommended, is Homeland: The Complete First Season (Showtime Video, 13 episodes, $59.98 DVD, $69.98 Blu-ray). The excellent drama, which begins a second season on Showtime on Sept. 30, is a twisty tale of trust and truth starring Damian Lewis as a Marine sergeant back in the states after prolonged captivity in Afghanistan. While he appears to be a hero, one CIA agent (Claire Danes) needs to be sure -- and she is not always careful about her methods. While you can pretty much figure out where a lot of shows are going, Homeland kept me guessing and made its characters as compelling as the plot.

Extras include deleted scenes, a making-of piece, and a prologue to the second season.

HBO Video, meanwhile, is releasing the final seasons of three canceled series: Hung: The Complete Third Season (10 episodes, plus an alternate ending to the finale, $39.98 DVD, $49.99 Blu-ray); Bored to Death: The Complete Third Season (eight episodes, $39.98 DVD, $49.99 Blu-ray); and How To Make It in America: The Complete Second Season (eight episodes, $39.98 DVD, $49.99 Blu-ray). All come with extras.

On the other hand, there are bunches of returning series heading to stores, ranging from The Office's disappointing eighth season (Universal, 24 episodes, $49.98 DVD, $59.98 Blu-ray) to the splendors of The Good Wife: The Third Season (CBS/Paramount, 22 episodes, $64.99 standard DVD only). The Office box does promise ample extras, among them deleted scenes, extended cuts of some episodes, and bloopers. The Good Wife adds deleted scenes and several featurettes about the show. The Good Wife begins its fourth season Sept. 30; The Office starts its final season Sept. 20.

Other items of possible interest: Holy Flying Circus (Acorn, $34.99 Blu-ray/DVD combo) is a dramatization of the events and controversy following the release of Monty Python's Life of Brian (which is on DVD and Blu-ray, if you want further context). Not-yet-20-year-old filmmaker Emily Hagins' latest effort is the vampire comedy My Sucky Teen Romance (Dark Sky, $24.98 DVD, $29.98 Blu-ray).

Changes: The Blu-ray release of Arachnophobia, originally scheduled for this week from Hollywood Pictures, has been moved to Sept. 25.

Down video road

Rock of Ages, which proved that a good movie needs more story than Journey lyrics provide, will be on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 9.