Burgundy just as bad second time around

Fri., April 4, 2014

Rick Bentley Mcclatchy-Tribune

Locally made

Two locally filmed movies are out on DVD this week:

“Knights of Badassdom”: A wannabe heavy metal singer named Joe (Ryan Kwanten) is dumped by Beth (Margarita Levieva), who thinks he’s squandering his potential. His roommates Eric (Steve Zahn) and Hung (Peter Dinklage) think they know what will mend his broken heart: getting him high and dragging him (literally) to one of their LARPing events, grandiosely titled the Battle of Evermore. Joe has no interest in participating, but he changes his mind when he meets a beautiful LARPer Gwen (Summer Glau), and Beth’s existence seems to fade from his memory. That is, until Eric casts a spell that conjures a succubus from the depths of hell that rampages through the forest in Beth’s form. The rest of the film, set deep in the woods of Riverside State Park, is like a crazy, blood-soaked LARP scenario come to life, as the she-beast brutally devours the players one by one, a formula that grows tedious as soon as it’s introduced.

“At Middleton”: A quirky, dialogue-driven story about two strangers in crumbling marriages who meet and share something special over the course of a single day starring Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga. It was filmed in Spokane and Pullman, combining footage shot on the Gonzaga and Washington State University campuses to create the grounds of the fictional Middleton College.

Staff reports

This is no joke. The selection of new DVD released on Tuesday was thin.

• “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” D: There’s not a lot of good news for “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”

Like the proverbial pony supposedly buried under a mountain of manure, there are some funny comedy moments to this sequel that was almost a decade in the making. The only problem is getting through all of that stinky material to find the gems.

Will Ferrell reprises his role as the socially inept, emotionally awkward, journalistically impaired news anchor Ron Burgundy. Through a series of relatively bland events, Burgundy finds himself working at the first 24-hour news channel. The idea sounds absurd to him, but the money and fame are too much to turn down.

Early in the movie, when Burgundy has been reduced to being a SeaWorld host, a young girl shouts, “Children and animals hate you, Ron Burgundy.” That’s wrong, little girl. It’s children, animals and at least one film critic when it comes to this overdone sequel.

• “Power Rangers: Seasons 13-17,” B: The 21-DVD box set includes the “Power Rangers S.P.D.” season along with “Power Rangers Mystic Force,” “Power Rangers Operation Overdrive,” “Power Rangers Jungle Fury” and “Power Rangers RPM.” That means there are 166 episodes of action, plus bonus content that includes interviews with members of the cast and crew and archival material.

If you are a fan of the colorful heroes, this is a way to power up with the team.

Also new on DVD:

“Ride Along”: A high school security guard (Kevin Hart) must prove his worth on patrol.

“47 Ronin”: Keanu Reeves stars in this tale of a band of samurai swordsmen who avenge the death of their master.

“The Pirate Fairy”: Swashbuckling animated tale of Zarina, a dust-keeper fairy.

“The Bunker”: A soldier must attempt to save his fellow troops from a rogue special forces unit lead by a madman.

“The Dick Van Dyke Show: Classic Mary Tyler Moore Episodes”: Includes 20 episodes of the TV series that spotlight Moore.

“No Holds Barred”: An evil executive creates a new wrestling program where rules don’t exist.

“The Dinosaur Experiment”: Texas town is turned upside down when it’s discovered that a local cattle ranch is a breeding ground for velociraptors.

“American Experience: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”: A look at the real story of the famous outlaws.

“Seal Team 8: Behind Enemy Lines”: Covert team of U.S. Navy SEALs is sent to locate a secret mining operation.

“The Little Rascals Save the Day”: A group of third-graders hatch some big schemes. Doris Roberts stars.

“Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda”: Documentary on the country’s stand against LGBT men and women.

“George Gently: Series 6”: Martin Shaw stars in the murder mystery series set in England.

“Power Rangers Turbo, Volume 1”: The Power Rangers battle Divatox.

“Birds of Paradise”: Animated adventures of a sparrow who becomes extraordinary.

“The Bag Man”: John Cusack film about a low-rent thug who ends up in big trouble.