The Break-Up
UNIVERSAL, $29.98
Who’s in it: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams
Recap: Vaughn and Aniston hook up in real life in advance of a movie about breaking up.
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Best extra: The set is packed with great commentaries, from director Peyton Reed to a track with both Aniston and Vaughn to a Vaughn-‘n’-friends-hosted tour of Chicago (which has never looked better on film).
Secrets revealed: An alternate ending shows the filmmakers at one point favored something both sillier and less simple than the somber chance encounter that ends the theatrical version.
Feature to skip: Given all the great extras, who wants the boring official “making-of”?
Trivia: Twenty minutes of outtakes feature old friends Vaughn and Jon Favreau improvising like crazy, but they claim they could indulge only because Vaughn was a producer.
If you liked this, try: “Down With Love,” director Reed’s somewhat overlooked gem of a romantic comedy.
RATING: 3 PLAYS
Reds
PARAMOUNT, $19.99
Who’s in it: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson
Recap: One of the last great Hollywood epics, “Reds” focuses on a love affair set against the political backdrop of the Russian Revolution, earning star/writer/producer/director Beatty a whopping 12 Oscar nominations.
Best extra: Disc 2 features a seven-part (though only 30-minute) documentary that ropes in many of the major players, including a reluctant but enthusiastic Beatty.
Secrets revealed: Beatty claims off the bat in the doc that he “disapproves” of DVD supplements.
Feature to skip: The only feature on the first disc is a one-minute teaser trailer for “Reds” on DVD, which is kind of pointless even if it cleverly links the movie’s themes to today’s world.
Trivia: “Reds” was the last film to earn Oscar nominations in all four acting categories (only Maureen Stapleton won).
If you liked this, try: “Doctor Zhivago,” the best-known epic romance set in Russia (starring former Beatty squeeze Julie Christie).
RATING: 3 PLAYS
BEST OF THE REST
“The Omen” (Fox, $29.99); “Billy Wilder Speaks” (Kino, $24.95)
ALSO OUT TUESDAY
Over the Hedge
DREAMWORKS, $29.99.
Bruce Willis provides vocals for a sly raccoon running a con on his newfound “family”–including a turtle (Gary Shandling), squirrel (Steve Carell) and other woodland creatures who awaken after winter hibernation to find a housing development has surrounded their domicile. The DVD has a new short cartoon starring Carell’s manic squirrel and a spoof infomercial with a pest-control technician urging job-seekers to come to exterminator school.
American Dreamz UNIVERSAL, $29.98.
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Writer-director Paul Weitz assembled a top-notch cast for his satire of politics, reality TV and modern celebrity. Dennis Quaid plays a president whose kingmaker (Willem Dafoe) arranges for him to appear as a guest judge on the finale of an “American Idol”-like TV talent show. The DVD has deleted scenes and two behind-the-scenes segments.
COMING SOON
IN STORES NEXT WEEK
– “Mission: Impossible III” – “Nacho Libre”
– “Monster House” – “Slither”