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Time to ‘Meet the Fockers’ on DVD

Other new releases include ‘XXX,’ ‘House of Flying Daggers’
/ Source: The Associated Press

“Meet the Fockers”Last year’s blockbuster comedy sequel reunites Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker and his future wife (Teri Polo) plus her parents (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner), the gang gathering for a fresh weekend of mayhem with Greg’s outrageous mom and dad (Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman). The DVD presents an extended cut of the movie that adds 15 minutes of footage and includes a handful of other deleted scenes. The disc also packs an excessively long blooper reel of the stars yucking it up, which grows tiresome after a minute or two. Director Jay Roach offers audio commentary, while featurettes focus on pampered co-star Jinx the cat and De Niro’s “manary gland” contraption his character wears to breast-feed his grandson. All six stars sit down for a group interview, discussing how they were cast and their own uncomfortable encounters with in-laws (“There’s something very threatening about not marrying within your ‘sameness,’ if you will,” Hoffman observes. “‘What do you mean, you’re not marrying what we are?”’). DVD, $29.98. (Universal)Original theatrical review

“XXX”Rob Cohen’s director’s cut of his action hit starring Vin Diesel arrives as a prelude to the follow-up debuting in theaters April 29, “XXX: State of the Union,” with Ice Cube taking over the franchise. The new version of the movie adds eight minutes of footage, accompanied by commentary from Cohen. The two-disc set has a truly bizarre short film with a stand-in playing Diesel’s character as he meets a gruesome, fiery death, perhaps as a warning to other actors reluctant to return for sequels. Also included is the usual sneak peek at the new movie. DVD set, $24.96. (Sony)

“House of Flying Daggers”

Director Zhang Yimou followed his glorious martial-arts epic “Hero” with one of last year’s finest films, another saga loaded with dazzling action and visuals. “Hero” co-star Ziyi Zhang stars as a rebel in ancient China caught up in a love triangle with two comrades-turned-rivals (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau). The DVD has a 45-minute behind-the-scenes documentary examining the grand style of the costumes, dance and fight choreography, and colorful sets and costumes, along with a featurette on the film’s elaborate visual effects. Director Yimou and actress Zhang also team for audio commentary. DVD, $28.95. (Sony)Original theatrical review

“Errol Flynn: The Signature Collection”The great swashbuckler returns with a boxed set containing five of his best-known films from the 1930s and ’40s: the pirate tale “Captain Blood” that launched Flynn to stardom; the historical pageant “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex,” with Bette Davis; the Western “Dodge City”; the naval adventure “The Sea Hawk”; and the George Armstrong Custer biopic “They Died With Their Boots On.” Each film is accompanied by new making-of featurettes, plus vintage newsreels, cartoons and live-action shorts. The six-disc set also has a full-length documentary, “The Adventures of Errol Flynn.” The five films are available separately, as well. Single DVDs, $19.97 each; DVD set, $59.92. (Warner Bros.)

TV on DVD:

“Dynasty: The Complete First Season” — The prime-time soap opera that debuted in 1981 starred John Forsythe as an oil patriarch, Linda Evans as his former secretary and new wife, and starting in season two, Joan Collins as his scheming ex-wife and business rival. Year one’s 13 episodes are contained on four discs, with commentary on three from series co-creator Esther Shapiro. DVD set, $39.98. (20th Century Fox)

“That ’70s Show: Season Two” — The bell-bottomed decade is back with a four-disc set that packs all 26 episodes of the sitcom starring Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher. The set also has eight background featurettes, plus commentary on three episodes from director David Trainer, who also contributes a short interview segment. DVD set, $49.98. (20th Century Fox)

“Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume 7” — Original star Joel Hodgson and replacement wiseguy Mike Nelson keep the mockery alive as they and their robot pals heap good-natured derision on four more bad, bad movies: “Hercules Unchained,” “Hercules Against the Moon Men,” “Prince of Space” and “The Killer Shrews.” The set also has the gang skewering three short films. DVD set, $59.95. (Rhino)

Other new releases:

“Birth” — Nicole Kidman stars in last year’s eerie drama about a widow who’s about to remarry when a 10-year-old boy enters her life, claiming to be the reincarnation of her first husband and privy to intimate details about her previous marriage. DVD, $27.95. (New Line) Original theatrical review

“Primer” — This enigmatic low-budget techno-thriller won the top dramatic prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Writer-director Shane Carruth stars with David Sullivan in the story of two garage entrepreneurs who stumble onto a time-travel device that leads them down dangerous paths. Carruth provides commentary. DVD, $27.95. (New Line)

“Riding the Bullet” — A college student (Jonathan Jackson) encounters mystery and terror from beyond as he hitchhikes through the night to see his ailing mother in this adaptation of a Stephen King story. Director Mick Garris offers commentary, and the DVD has a making-of featurette. DVD, $26.98. (Lions Gate) Original theatrical review

“Johnny Cash: Ridin’ the Rails” — The late country legend — whose life story comes to the big screen this fall with “Walk the Line” starring Joaquin Phoenix — tells tales and sings songs of trains in this 1974 TV special. Tunes include “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer,” “Casey Jones” and “City of New Orleans.” DVD, $14.99. (Rhino)