Two Mormon comedy discs lead off this collection of family-friendly DVD releases, most due in stores on Tuesday.
"Mobsters and Mormons" (HaleStone, 2005, PG, $24.95). This LDS-centric farce is more story-driven and less like a collection of skits than most of HaleStorm's pictures ("The Singles Ward," "The Home Teachers"). It's still an uneven venture, both in terms of storytelling and performances but is nonetheless a genuine step up.
The film also has an ace-in-the-hole with Mark DeCarlo, a Hollywood actor who handily dominates the entire movie as Carmine "The Beans" Pasquale, a New Jersey mobster in the witness-protection program who finds himself and his family relocated to Provo, Utah. There, he is predictably embraced by his Mormon neighbors, and the culture clash begins.
DeCarlo's Carmine, and Jeanette Puhich as his wife, Gina, are a hoot, and there are some genuine laughs to be had, which make up for other bland, silly scenes that follow the HaleStorm formula of goofy broad Mormon stereotypes.
Extras: Widescreen, audio commentary, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, bloopers, trailers, subtitle options (English, Spanish), chapters.
"Divine Comedy: Pro Tour, Volume 1" (Independent, 2005, not rated, $20). Divine Comedy, for the uninformed, is made up of students from Brigham Young University. It's a comedy group patterned after Second City, the Chicago-based troupe that has led many stars to "Saturday Night Live." (This video was taped at the SCERA Theatre in Orem.)
These blackout skits are not all Mormon-specific, though some are (the best being the right and wrong way to give a church talk), along with the occasional inside jokes about BYU and neighboring Utah Valley State College.
The rest is hit and miss (isn't everything today?), but among the funnier sketches are a parody of a modern-dance class, a man "courting" a woman in the math lab, a very Monty Pythonish cross between "Sense and Sensibility" and "The Terminator," and a spoof of "Saturday's Warrior" about a family of ninjas, which takes a few minutes to get into but has some genuine satirical rewards.
Peyton Buhler and Maren McCaleb stand out in an ensemble that proves to be quite talented.
Extras: Full frame, audio commentaries, chapters.
"Once Upon a Mattress" (Disney, 2005, not rated, $19.99). This is the third TV version of this musical spoof of "The Princess and the Pea," and the third to star Carol Burnett — though she played Princess Winnifred the first two times, and here she steals the show as that character's mother, Queen Aggravain. The songs aren't particularly memorable, but it's amusing, with Burnett's evil queen trying to prevent the marriage of her son to a bombastic princess —played to the hilt by Tracey Ullman (who is too old for the part but makes up for that with boundless energy). Tommy Smothers, Zoe Deschanel and Michael Boatman are also on board. (Too bad Burnett's earlier TV versions aren't available.)
Extras: Widescreen, making-of featurettes, chapters.
"Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.0" (Universal, 2005, not rated, $49.98, three discs). The first season's cliffhanger is resolved and civil war looms as the second season begins for this excellent sci-fi series, based on the '80s show but much improved. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell lead the fine cast.
Extras: Widescreen, 10 episodes, deleted scenes, podcasts, subtitle options (English, Spanish), chapters.
"ER: The Complete Fourth Season" (Warner, 1997-98, not rated, $49.98, six discs). Season 4 of this high-quality medical drama with soap-opera machinations sees Alex Kingston's Dr. Corday joining the cast (which already includes George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle). The season kicks off with the live episode "Ambush," constructed as a faux documentary.
Extras: Widescreen, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, bloopers, subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.
"The Amazing Race: The Seventh Season" (Paramount. 2005, not rated, $39.98, four discs). One of the show's favorite couples, Rob and Amber, highlights this season of the competition — which is much more good clean fun than most reality programs. The show takes us around the world, from Buenos Aires to Botswana. Included are three hours of never-before-shown footage.
Extras: Full frame, 12 episodes, audio commentaries, deleted scenes, making-of featurette, optional English subtitles, chapters.
"Martha's Baking Favorites" (Warner, 1993-2005, not rated, $19.98). Martha Stewart demonstrates the baking of cakes, pies, cookies, tarts, shortbread and all kinds of other recipes that can make you fall off your New Year's diet resolutions in this latest disc in the series.
Extras: Full frame, featurettes, bloopers, printable recipes, subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.
"Thundercats: Season 1, Volume 2" (Warner, 1985-86, not rated, $64.92, six discs). More animated adventures of the human/feline heroes who are trying to rebuild their lives on a new planet after their home world Thundera is destroyed.
Extras: Full frame, 32 episodes, making-of featurette, language/subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters; in a box with a 3-D cover.
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com