!["Death Race 3: Inferno," "Nature Calls" and "Officer Down"](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/ca/57/1358694939_6524_1-22.jpg?itok=fzcOA4jX ""Death Race 3: Inferno," "Nature Calls" and "Officer Down"")
Among the movies that became available Tuesday, Jan. 22 on Blu-ray and DVD at retail stores and rental outlets throughout the Valley are a threequel about a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory, a comedy about a bunch of Boy Scouts and a crime drama starring Stephen Dorff.
Filmmaker Neil Berkeley chronicles the vaulted highs and the crushing lows of commercial artist Wayne White who, as one of the creative forces behind “Pee-wee's Playhouse,” has struggled to find peace and balance between his work and his art. (NR – 92 minutes)
“Beauty is Embarrassing” is not so much a documentary about commercial artist Wayne White as it is a one about how the determination to exercise one's creativity is the secret to success when it comes to living the happiest life possible. Granted, filmmaker Neil Berkeley also reveals that said determination can pose a few problems when it comes to the more socially acceptable measures of success, but that is where priorities come into play. As such, it is an inspiring celebration of the imagination, which White has demonstrated himself to have via his various projects like the spectacular “Pee-wee's Playhouse.” (Grade: B)
Luke Goss plays a legendary driver who is pitted against ruthless adversaries in the first desert Death Race. Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames also star. (NR - 106 minutes)
To some people, non-stop heavy-metal music, women pull each other’s hair out, a group of men clubbing someone until nothing is left but bloody pulp and cars that have been tricked out to look like tanks exploding in bursts of flames is extremely exciting entertainment. To most people, though, it is just noise - snippets of aural and visual noise that have been strung together with more cuts and edits than there are fish in the sea. Either way, it is called “Death Race 3: Inferno.” Save for its surprise ending, this flick crashes and burns in a very bad way. (Grade: D)
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña play a pair of young Los Angeles police officers who discover a secret that makes them the target of the country's most dangerous drug cartel. Frank Grillo, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera also star. (R – 109 minutes)
“End of Watch” is an exceptionally riveting cop drama but, unfortunately, a few things hold it back from attaining the greatness of writer/director David Ayer's previous motion pictures – “Training Day” and “Harsh Times.” For starters, while the mostly found-footage technique adds an increased layer of grit that makes the events that transpire just that much more realistic and therefore unsettling, the movie occasionally comes across as too in-your-face and tries too hard to be on-the-edge. The story is also extremely uneven, awkwardly mixing comedy with serious situations. Having said that, it remains an exciting and disquieting cinematic experience. (Grade: C)
Jacob Wysocki plays an overweight teen with no friends who puts his planned suicide on hold after he is taken under the wing of an older yet unstable punk rocker (Matt O'Leary). (R – 94 minutes)
One would think that the focus of a film titled “Fat Kid Rules the World” would be the overweight character. Unfortunately, one would be wrong – at least when it comes to Matthew Lillard's feature-length directorial debut. The new dramedy should be admired for its honesty and sincerity – especially during the nearly dialogue-free scenes that afford audiences an opportunity to see inside of its plump protagonist's mind. However, said protagonist is eventually booted into the backseat to make room for the less-compelling character. And as if that were not bad enough, the tone is all over the place. (Grade: D)
Lauren Miller plays a young woman who, after reluctantly moving in with an enemy from her past (Ari Graynor), discovers that her new roommate is working as a phone-sex operator and decides to sign on as her business partner. (R – 86 minutes)
Seeing as it resembles both “2 Broke Girls” and “Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23,” you could quite accurately say that “For a Good Time, Call...” is somewhat sitcomish. That is not necessarily a negative thing, though. In fact, the new comedy – which was directed by Jamie Travis and written by Katie Anne Naylon and star Lauren Miller – happens to be not only one of the funniest female-centric films in recent memory but also one of the most emotionally rewarding. At its heart, the flick is a buddy comedy for women, demonstrating that bonds between friends can often be unbreakable. (Grade: B)
'Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai'
A samurai arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord, requesting an honorable death by ritual suicide. The lord threatens him with the tale of a desperate young ronin who made a similar request with ulterior motives, only to meet a grisly end. Undaunted, the samurai tells a story of his own, with an ending no one could see coming. (NR – 126 minutes)
“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” wields more than most martial arts motion pictures. Granted, the new Japanese-language drama – Takashi Miike's remake of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 cinematic adaptation of Yasuhiko Takiguchi's novel – has enough keenly choreographed swordplay to satisfy fans of the genre. However, it also has enough metaphorical swordplay – the kind in which words are used as weapons – to appeal to other audiences, as well. It is definitely a must-see movie for fans of the genre and maybe even worth a try for those who are not. (Grade: C)
Thus Lindhardt plays a documentary filmmaker who meets a handsome but closeted lawyer (Zachary Booth). As the two men start building a home and life together, each continues to privately battle their own compulsions and addictions. (NR – 101 minutes)
Though it is engaging thanks to its complex story and solid performances, “Keep the Lights On” ultimately suffers in both its ability to keep viewers awake and its capacity for any real insight about its subjects thanks to an unbalanced representation of its characters. That is to say that co-writer/director Ira Sachs focuses on Thus Lindhardt's character while essentially shoving Zachary Booth's character to the back-burner to be used as a tool rather than someone who could have been equally fleshed-out thereby solving a pacing problem and developing additional hypotheses about the role that addiction plays in gay relationships. (Grade: D)
Patton Oswalt plays a Scoutmaster who, when his apathetic troop ditches a scout meeting in favor of a TV-themed slumber party hosted by his brother (Johnny Knoxville), rounds up the boys in the middle of the night for an highly unauthorized/unorganized trip to the woods. (R - 85 minutes)
“Moonrise Kingdom” “Nature Calls” is not. The former is a quirky comedy with heaps of heart and relatable romanticism whereas the latter is lifeless - and not to mention mindless - comedy with much meanspiritedness that appears to have been written and filmed in less than 24 hours. Writer/director Todd Rohal’s flick fails to be even remotely funny due to each and every joke either feeling as though it was conceived of by a little kid who is trying to prove that he can play with the grown ups or comes at the expense of one of the characters’ safety - most notably a patriotic senior citizen who gets blown to smithereens. (Grade: D)
John Krasinski and Rosemarie DeWitt play a couple whose relaxed dynamic is tested after they take in a young artist (Olivia Thirlby) so that she can complete her art film. (R - 83 minutes)
“Nobody Walks” appears to be incredibly interested in being very, very “indie.” That is to say that the new film from director Ry Russo-Young, who co-wrote the drama’s screenplay with Lena Dunham, features a lot of artistic qualities. Unfortunately, the flick also appears to be incredibly interested in being very, very boring. And, for once, it is not those aforementioned artistic qualities that are to blame but rather its pretentious screenplay that resembles a soap opera in subject matter but lacks the melodramatic passion that makes them entertaining. Nobody walks nor do they do anything else worth watching. (Grade: F)
Stephen Dorff plays a cop who, when his crooked past comes back to get him, must decide between doing the right thing and succumbing to the threats of his dangerous connections. (R - 97 minutes)
Had “Officer Down” starred a bunch of relatively unknown actors of middling talent, it would have just been a bad movie. However, with a cast that includes Stephen Dorff, Walton Goggins, David Boreanaz, Dominic Purcell, Stephen Lang and James Woods, it is completely criminal as it wastes our precious time and their precious talent. The new crime drama seemingly desires to be considered smarter than similar films, layering its story with flashbacks and other time shifting elements, but it instead comes off as just jumbled, confusing and boring. Even the actors appear to have no idea what this atrocity is all about. (Grade: F)
Matthew McConaughey plays investigative reporter who, with the help of his younger brother (Zac Efron) and a sultry death-row groupie (Nicole Kidman), tries to prove that a violent swamp-dweller (John Cusack) was framed for the murder of a corrupt local sheriff. (R – 106 minutes)
If it were not for “The Paperboy's” stellar cast, it would have been a complete mess of a movie. Fortunately, director Lee Daniels' new nostalgic crime drama has not one, not two, not three but four talented actors on which it can lean and keep viewers somewhat satisfied. Although its atmosphere is also quite commendable, its strange editing style and tendency to become boring in between scenes that appear to be controversial simply for the sake of being controversial drag it down. The movie remains relatively watchable but it squanders its potential, missing the porch by at least a mile. (Grade: D)
'Pina'
Wim Wenders honors Pina Bausch, taking viewers into in the choreographer's imaginative sets, such as a gliding monorail, a bare stage covered with chairs and a towering man-made waterfall. (PG – 104 minutes)
“Pina” is thoroughly hypnotic. Each dance in filmmaker Wim Wenders' new documentary about choreographer Pina Bausch is beautiful – both aesthetically and thematically. In other words, the film is not only stunning visually but also emotionally. Moreover, each and every one of said dances tells an individual story that takes your breath away. However, tied all together, they make one extremely moving celebration of not only Bausch's life but also life in general. One needs not be a fan of dance in order to enjoy this motion picture – but an interest in the art form certainly does help. (Grade: B)
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