This week: Mark Wahlberg flexes his muscles as a reformed bad boy who agrees to one last smuggling job in the action thriller "Contraband," which costars Kate Beckinsale and Giovanni Ribisi.
Also new this week is the chilling indie ghost tale "The Innkeepers," the inspirational coming-out/coming-of-age drama "Pariah," and the 45th anniversary edition Blu-ray debut of the musical "Camelot."
'Contraband'
Box Office: $67 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 51% Rotten
Storyline: Mark Wahlberg plays former ace smuggler Chris Farraday, who is trying to make an honest living for the sake of his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and sons. When Chris' brother-in-law botches a drug deal for a local kingpin (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced out of retirement and into the cutthroat world of international smuggling to make one last, dangerous run before his family becomes the target of hit men.
Extras! "Under the Radar: The Making of 'Contraband'" takes you behind the scenes of this action thriller and is available on both the DVD and Blu-ray.
We Say: There's enough tough talk, gun play and rat-a-tat action to please action fans even if you've seen this sort of setup before, but we wish "Underworld" heroine Beckinsale had more fight in her here, instead of signing up to be the damsel in distress.
'The Innkeepers'
Box Office: $78,396
Rotten Tomatoes: 76% Fresh
Storyline: "The House of the Devil" director Ti West helms this spooky ghost tale about the final days of Connecticut's century-old Yankee Pedlar Inn. Its remaining two employees (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy) become amateur ghost hunters as strange events escalate and stranger guests check in.
Extras! "'The Innkeepers': Behind the Scenes" shows the casual atmosphere on location as the cast and crew stayed at the same hotel in which the movie was shot.
We Say: Although a haunted hotel isn't exactly novel ("The Shining," "1408"), the witty banter between the two quirky minimum-wage paranormal investigators breaks up the building tension wonderfully, and Kelly McGillis makes a welcome appearance as a faded actress-turned-psychic guru staying in the hotel.
'Pariah'
Box Office: $769,552
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% Fresh
Storyline: Writer-director Dee Rees makes her feature-length film debut with this gritty drama about a 17-year-Brooklyn teen Alike (Adepero Oduye), who's growing into her identity as a lesbian while dealing with a family in extreme denial.
Extras! Although the bonus features on both the DVD and Blu-ray are disappointingly sparse, the short "Dee Rees: A Director's Style" features actors Oduye and Pernell Walker talking about Rees' approach to the material.
We Say: This universally praised expansion of Rees' award-winning 2007 short film of the same name features an extraordinary performance by young Oduye, who is an actress to watch.
'Camelot' (1967) Blu-ray
Box Office: $31 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 60% Fresh
Storyline: This Oscar-winning musical based on the Broadway production explores the legend of King Arthur (Richard Harris) and his tortured relationship with Queen Guinevere (Vanessa Redgrave), who falls for Lancelot (Franco Nero) after Arthur forms the Knights of the Round Table.
Extras! The Blu-ray comes packaged in a regal-looking Warner Bros. digibook with production photos. The disc itself contains four featurettes that explore the history of the film and its enduring appeal.
We Say: This Blu-ray debut in celebration of the this classic love triangle's 45th anniversary highlights "Camelot"'s Oscar-winning art direction and score, but the real draw is the musical numbers.
Also New This Week:
"Dark Tide"
"Let the Bullets Fly"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979) Blu-ray
"The Wicker Tree"
"Titanic" (2012)
"11-11-11"
