Transformers
Two-disc DVD set, $36.99; single-disc DVD, $29.99; HD DVD, $39.99
With a human cast led by Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Tyrese Gibson, Anthony Anderson and John Turturro, the movie centers on a battle of good vs. evil waged by two bands of shape-shifting machines, the big-hearted Autobots and the dastardly Decepticons, who wreak havoc as they tramp about our puny world. Extras are highlighted by a huge batch of behind-the-scenes featurettes spelling out the backstory of the robots and the master power source they fight over, and a breakdown of the moviemaking that went into the desert assault at the start of the movie.
A Mighty Heart
DVD, $29.99; HD DVD, $39.99
Angelina Jolie delivers a tremendous, self-effacing performance as radio journalist Mariane Pearl, who rallies a diverse circle of loved ones and new friends to try to save her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was abducted by terrorists in Pakistan and later beheaded. The DVD and high-definition HD DVD release include a making-of featurette, a segment on the Committee to Protect Journalists and a public service announcement featuring CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour for the Daniel Pearl Foundation.
Planet Terror
DVD set, $29.95
Following the September DVD release of Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof,” half of this year’s theatrical double feature “Grindhouse,” comes Robert Rodriguez’s half, the bloody zombie fest “Planet Terror.” The cast is led by Freddy Rodriguez, Marley Shelton, Bruce Willis, Michael Biehn and Rose McGowan as the flick’s poster girl, an exotic dancer who uses her machine gun leg to mow down the flesh-munching mutants. The two-disc set has an unrated extended cut, with commentary from Rodriguez, along with featurettes on the stunts, characters and casting.
The Reaping
DVD, $28.98; Blu-ray disc, $34.99 HD DVD combo disc, $39.99.
Hilary Swank goes biblical in this thriller about a debunker of supernatural phenomena who encounters plagues of locusts, rivers of blood and other Old Testament manifestations in rural Louisiana.
The Invisible
DVD, $29.99; Blu-ray disc, $34.99
A teen (Justin Chatwin) finds himself between worlds, invisible to all but a single classmate, a girl who sets out to help him solve his own murder. The DVD and Blu-ray releases include deleted scenes and commentary with director David Goyer and the screenwriters.
The Hoax DVD, $29.99
Richard Gere stars as Clifford Irving, who pulled off one of the greatest literary fibs ever, convincing the publishing world his fake Howard Hughes biography was based on tell-all interviews with the reclusive billionaire. The disc has deleted scenes with commentary by director Lasse Halstrom, who also offers commentary for the full film.
TV ON DVD
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series
DVD set, $59.98
Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet lead the cast of the short-lived series from “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin. The show takes a behind-the-scenes look at a late-night sketch comedy series. The six-disc set has all 22 episodes, with commentary from Sorkin on the pilot.
