New to DVD and Blu-ray Disc

“Saving Grace: Season Two”
For now, forget about Grace--it’s the show that needs saving. This uneven yet promising second season stars Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko, an unlikable, self-destructive Oklahoma detective who has her share of issues, not the least of which is her messy bout with booze, her obnoxious mouth and her penchant for sleeping with any man who will share her bed, among other vices. In a show that employs an angel (Leon Rippy) to help guide Grace to her salvation, it’s Hunter’s scrappy performance that gives “Grace” its steamrolling jolt--and which saves it from some pretty sloppy writing. Grade: C+

“Sling Blade” Blu-ray
In this rich, deeply moving and Academy Award-winning film, director Billy Bob Thornton is Karl Childers, a man released from an Arkansas mental institution 25 years after he committed two violent, bloody crimes. Now, having done his time, Karl is forced to face his freedom with enormous trepidation--how can he possibly survive in a world he knows so little about? With the help of Frank (Lucas Black), a young boy he befriends by accident, as well as the boy’s kind-hearted mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday), and her gay friend, Vaughan (John Ritter), Karl finds his way. But he also finds himself thrown in the middle of Linda’s abusive relationship with Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), a raging alcoholic who beats and threatens this family that Karl loves--and will protect at any cost. With strong performances from all members of the cast, “Sling Blade” is a triumph of humanity over evil. It shakes by stripping away the bones of society and exposing the rotting marrow at its core. Rated R. Grade: A-

Also on DVD and Blu-ray disc

On television are several new offerings, beginning with the fast-moving second season of “Burn Notice,” in which Jeffrey Donovan’s Michael Westen fights crime in Miami in a show that’s obnoxious to the point of being glib. Still, wit and energy are its strong points--as is a good performance by Donovan--so for those reasons, it’s worth a look on DVD and on Blu-ray disc.

Also consider Warner’s fierce legal drama “The Closer: Complete Fourth Season” with Kyra Sedgewick in full bristle, as well as the Victorian period thriller “Murdoch Mysteries: First Season” and, for children, the first season of “The Transformers: 25th Anniversary Edition,” which offers at once a throwback and a fine primer for the upcoming movie, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” For teens and adults, look to John Cena's thriller "12 Rounds: Extreme Cut," which is set in New Orleans--a city that has seen far worse than this. The movie features Cena as a police detective who must contend with the crook he put behind bars when the man escapes. It's slight and slick, and not without a few kicks.

Those seeking solid options on Blu-ray should begin with HBO’s “Generation Kill,” a seven-part mini-series about the first 40 days of combat in Iraq; the 45th Anniversary Edition of “Dr. Strangelove,” which features a 32-page graphic booklet and the Blu-ray exclusive featurette, “The Cold War: Picture-in-Picture”; and the first and second seasons of “Lost,” which follow the bizarre adventures of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. By far, these episodes are the series at its best--not long after, the show lost its way in misguided later seasons. Each set includes exclusive Blu-ray content, but none is as compelling as the high-definition transfer itself.

Finally, from the BBC, look for several recommended series, including the fifth season of the comedy show “Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1979”; the complete series of “Roy Clarke’s Open All Hours”; a very good Kenneth Branagh taking the lead in the three-part detective series “Wallander”; and the first volume of “Mistresses,” which essentially is a cross between “Sex and the City” and “Desperate Housewives,” though set in London and not as slight nor as cheeky.