Raunchy ‘Good Time’ looks just good enough
This week’s new DVD releases tackle the topics of phone sex, the Olympics and American history.
• “For a Good Time, Call…,” Grade C-plus: The film, a mix of “2 Broke Girls” and “Sex in the City,” is a lot like the phone sex operators in the film. It teases a really good time but in the end never makes a great connection.
The film, the latest in raunchy R-rated movies featuring predominately all-female casts, throws former college foils Lauren (Lauren Miller) and Katie (Ari Graynor) together when Lauren needs a place to stay. They reluctantly put their differences behind them to live together and introduce Lauren to Katie’s work-at-home phone sex business.
There are funny moments, but the heart of this movie is the relationship between the two women. Both are likable enough to distract from a so-so script.
Considering the running time of this movie is 86 minutes, “For a Good Time, Call …” is fun enough at 12 cents per minute.
• “Twenty Twelve: The Complete Series,” Grade B: The British series takes the work place insanity of “The Office” and kicks it up 100 notches with a quirky look at the people behind the scenes of the Summer Olympics held in England.
The faux documentary follows the efforts of Hugh Bonneville, head of the Deliverance Committee, and his staff to get the city ready for the big event. The team might have made a gold medal effort to stage the games if they were more competent. But then they wouldn’t have been as funny.
• “The Men Who Built America,” Grade B-plus: This cable production looks at the likes of John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford, men with the vision to forge the foundation on which this country was built. The series takes their stories beyond the stuffiness of a biography to offer deeper insights into what made these men so forward-thinking.
This works both as an informative history lesson and an entertaining look at some of America’s true titans.
Also new on DVD this week:
“End of Watch”: Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this tale of life on the streets shown from the point of view of the patrol officers.
“Death Race 3: Inferno”: The fast cars are off and running again.
“Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft”: Booboo and Fivel Stewart star in this dark look at the fairy tale.
“The Imposter”: A 13-year-old boy disappears without a trace from San Antonio, in 1994.
“noobz”: Casper Van Dien stars in the comedy about the competitive world of gaming.
“Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Fourth and Final Season”: Kate Jackson’s TV spy show.
“Chris Hardwick: Mandroid”: Cable special featuring Chris Hardwick.
“Kendra: Season 4”: Cable series starring former Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson.
“Iron Man Armored Adventures: Season 2 Vol. 3”: More animated tales featuring the Marvel superhero.
“Leap Frog: Adventures in Shapeville Park”: Scout & Friends teach math skills as they build a playground.
“Fat Kid Rules the World”: A story for anyone who has looked for their inner rock star.
“Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning”: Only one man can stop an army of Universal Soldiers.
“Searching for Sugar Man”: Profile of the musician known as Rodriguez.
“Hard Romanticker”: A hoodlum accidentally kills the grandmother of a rival thug.
“Wild Kratts: Lost at Sea”: Wildlife explorers Martin and Chris Kratt go under the sea.
“Birders: The Central Park Effect”: A look at birds and birdwatchers in New York City’s Central Park.
“Tai Chi Zero”: Villagers must trust a stranger.
“The Seven-Per-Cent Solution”: Nicol Williamson plays Sherlock Holmes.
“Officer Down”: A dirty cop gets a second chance to clean up his life.
“Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis”: Documentary on the TV and film comedian.
“Abel’s Field”: A high school senior struggles to care for his younger sisters. Kevin Sorbo stars.