New to DVD and Blu-ray Disc

“American History X” Blu-ray
An unnerving movie that explores the violent worlds of neo-Nazi skinheads. Edward Norton gives an Academy Award-nominated performance as Derek Vinyard, a ruthless bigot and fearless gang leader who renounces his past after murdering two black men for attempting to steal his car. With Edward Furlong as Derek’s impressionable younger brother, the film sometimes feels pieced together and its conclusion is too neat to suit, but Norton is consistently watchable, charging this ugly, relentless film with one of the best performances of his career. Rated R. Grade: B+

"Final Destination" Blu-ray
The opening of James Wong’s “Final Destination” is about as subtle as an amplified death rattle--only not quite as fun to listen to. It begins with Alex (Devan Sawa) and his classmates preparing for a doomed trip to France. We know this trip is doomed not only because Alex is clairvoyant and sees it happen right before it does happen, but because Wong tells us its doomed with foreshadowing that’s so blatant, it’s surprising he didn’t underscore the first 20 minutes with flashing arrows and the following text running along the bottom of the screen: “See this rusty hinge, kids? This broken door? That careless flight attendant? And these other pieces of faulty airplane equipment? I’m showcasing them because I want you to PAY ATTENTION--something really bad is going to happen!” When handled well, this sort of spoon feeding can build tension; Hitchcock was a master at it. He gave audiences just enough to draw them in, while never revealing more than necessary. It’s called restraint. The best horror films and best directors have it. Wong doesn’t. Wong doesn’t exactly have the same finesse. Wong’s idea of restraint is to sever a woman’s throat with an exploding computer, have her stumble around her house while she drowns in her own blood, electrocute her, and then, as if that weren’t enough, have a set of butcher knives fall on top of her and pin her to the floor. Still not enough? As with each calamity that occurs in “Final Destination,” all of this happens while John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” warbles in the background. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think this is the sort of legacy Mr. Denver had in mind when he himself died in a plane crash. Grade: D-

“Ghosts of Mars” Blu-ray
From John Carpenter, a movie that feels as if the World Wrestling Federation took over the red planet and gave it a pile driver. In the film, it's the year 2176 and a band of Earth colonists is under attack by an army of zombies. Ice Cube and Natasha Henstridge lead the onslaught of bad acting. The film does score a handful of well-conceived action scenes, but its story is so rote, most of it is a bore. Rated R. Grade: C-

"Lilo & Stitch: Big Wave Edition" DVD
Disney's Lilo & Stitch, just out in a new "2-Disc Big Wave Edition," is something of an oddity these days. It was drawn completely by hand, eschewing computer animation and putting the effort where it belongs--on the story and its characters. The effort paid off. Lilo & Stitch is a cute, well-done family film that trots all over such recent efforts as "Monsters vs. Aliens." In the film, a mischievous little monster named Experiment 626 is sent into exile, but instead escapes to Earth, where it slams into Hawaii and starts to cause all sorts of trouble when he meets Lilo, a lonely Hawaiian girl seeking a new pet. Knowing it’ll probably get kennel cough if it stays around too long, this intergalactic Tasmanian Devil transforms itself into a cute-looking koala-bear-thingamajig and turns on the charm. Unfortunately, not everyone is as enthusiastic as Lilo about him, especially the aliens soaring to Hawaii to recapture Experiment 626, who now is called Stitch. What ensues is a bright, colorful film that plays it smart—and eventually hits a high note with the unexpected help of the Elvis at film's end. Bonus features include five deleted scenes, an interactive behind-the-scenes look at the film, audio ommentary by Directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, music videos and more. Rated PG. Grade: B+

“Marley & Me” DVD, Blu-ray
For those who love dogs, even the most ravenous, destructive types, here’s your movie. For those who prefer cats, here’s a good reason why. “Marley & Me” is about a yellow Labrador named Marley, who is such an unhinged wrecking ball of bad manners, you’d swear you see the numbers “666” etched into the top of his forehead if you looked beneath the fur. For his owners, John and Jennifer Grogan (Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston), they are exasperated by him and, at least for John, who writes a popular newspaper column about Marley, also inspired by him. Beyond Marley, though, this is a movie about the ups and downs of marriage, the highs and lows of career and life, and how the Grogans and their three children grow up and apart and together again while Marley ages. The film is manufactured to the point of offering zero surprises, but Wilson and Aniston possess a swell, unexpected charm. As for Marley, he’s here to channel our own memories and emotions in ways best left for the screen. Rated PG. Grade: B-