Napoleon Dynamite ... er, Jon Heder ... continues to rise in the Hollywood ranks, teaming up with major stars, the latest being Will Ferrell.
Recent films
"Blades of Glory" (Paramount, 2007, PG-13, $29.99). Heder and Ferrell make an amusing pair as rival ice skaters who disgrace themselves, then discover they can only return to competing if they team up. What seems like an odd fit works surprisingly well, although the film is a hit-and-miss affair. Good support from Amy Poehler and Will Arnett helps.
Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, deleted/alternate scenes, featurettes, bloopers, photo galleries, trailer
"Year of the Dog" (Paramount, 2007, PG-13, $29.99). This romantic comedy in a lower key is also rather hit and miss, though "Saturday Night Live" alumna Molly Shannon is excellent in the story of a lonely woman whose dog has died, and the two offbeat men (John C. Reilley, Peter Saarsgard) in her life. Better as a character study than an animal-rights treatise.
Extras: Widescreen, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, bloopers
"Kickin' It Old Skool" (Fox, 2007, PG-13, $27.98). Dreadful Jamie Kennedy vehicle about a goofball skateboarder from the '80s awakening after a 20-year coma.
Extras: Widescreen
Foreign film
"Offside" (Sony Classics, 2007, PG, $29.95). Exceptional, realistic, almost documentary-style comedy-drama about women in Iran who must dress as men to attend an important soccer match. Interesting mix of commentary on both nationalism and women's rights.
Extras: Widescreen, in Persian and Farsi with English subtitles, featurette
TV movies
"Gideon's Trumpet" (Acorn, 1979, $19.99). Henry Fonda is great in this real-life look at an aging Florida inmate whose desire for justice led to the Supreme Court's right-to-counsel ruling. Jose Ferrer is equally good as his lawyer, and the supporting cast includes John Houseman, Dean Jagger and, in her final film, Fay Wray.
Extras: Full frame; four-page booklet
"Diana: Last Days of a Princess" (Genius, 2007, $14.95). Unsatisfying mix of documentary footage and dramatic re-creations about Princess Di.
Extras: Widescreen, featurettes
Vintage movies
"Teachers" (MGM, 1984; R for violence, sex, nudity, language; $14.98). A good cast — Nick Nolte, Jobeth Williams, Judd Hirsch, Ralph Macchio, Laura Dern — stars in this sadly failed, very dark attempt to satirically dig at the public-school system in the way "MASH" skewered war and "Hospital" lampooned medical care.
Extras: Widescreen
"Nobody's Perfect" (MGM, 1989, PG-13, $14.98). Weak gender-bender comedy with Chad Lowe as a college frosh who pretends to be a coed to get close to the girl he loves.
Extras: Widescreen/full-frame options
Straight to video
"The Dog Problem" (THINKFilm, 2006; R for language, sex, nudity; $27.98). Another romantic comedy about dog-owners, this time with Giovanni Ribisi getting a pet at the advice of his psychiatrist (Don Cheadle). Bolstered by spoofs of Los Angeles life but awfully raunchy.
Extras: Widescreen, audio commentary (with Ribisi and Scott Caan)
"A New Wave" (THINKFilm, 2007; R for language, sex, violence; $27.98). Goofball heist comedy falls flat.
Extras: Widescreen, deleted scenes, bloopers, music video, trailers
"Meatballs 4" (MGM, 1992; R for sex, nudity, language; $14.98). There were three more "Meatballs" movies? Without Bill Murray, what's the point? Corey Feldman stars in this raunchy camp-counseler yarn.
Extras: Widescreen/full-frame options
"Ski School" (MGM, 1991; R for sex, nudity, language; $14.98). "Animal House" on the slopes.
Extras: Widescreen
Reissued DVDs
"A Night at the Roxbury: Special Collector's Edition" (Paramount, 1998, PG-13, $14.99). Two dumb, self-centered brothers (Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan) prowl L.A. club nightlife in this feature-length "Saturday Night Live" skit ... which wasn't very good as a skit.
Extras: Widescreen, featurettes
"National Lampoon Box Set" (MGM, 2004-2006, unrated, three discs, $29.98). Three sleazy "Lampoon" titles, "Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj," "Gold Diggers" and "Dorm Daze," all in their raunchier unrated versions.
Extras: Widescreen, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, bloopers, trailers
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com