Don’t Come Knocking *** 1/2|Wim Wenders creates a wonderful bookend for his beloved road-and-regret movie “Paris, Texas.” Here, co-author Sam Shepard stars as a cowboy movie actor who rides off into the sunset to right some wrongs from his wild life. He winds up in Butte, Mont., with an angry former girlfriend and an even angrier son he didn’t know he had. Generous and beautiful, full of the Wenders spirit.|R|105 minutes|Released today|Michael Booth
Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector *|Larry the Cable Guy has a stand-up’s timing and a non-Southerner’s grasp of what makes the Southern-fried redneck hilarious. His movie has some of what makes Larry funny in it. But not nearly enough. It sets him up as a good ol’ boy who keeps diners safe in an unnamed Southern city. Larry drives his truck, the one covered in American flag, gun-nut and Hooters bumper stickers, as he tries to solve a series of food poisonings leading up to a citywide “cook-off.” And he breaks wind, pretty much constantly.
Funny, the first time it happens in a four-star restaurant. After that, not so much. A good comic actor knows to share those laughs with the others in the cast, because the movie’s deader’n roadkill without their support.|PG-13|89 minutes|Released today|Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel
The Lost City **|Andy Garcia stars and takes his first shot at directing, in a labor of love harking to his childhood memories of leaving Cuba in exile. “The Lost City” is an arty, beautiful but politically stilted love poem to old Havana, before Fidel ruined everything. Garcia plays a nightclub owner in a conscious imitation of “Casablanca,” trying to stay neutral as revolution approaches. The music and dancing are impeccable, as are the lush tropical shots by cinematographer Manu Kadosh. But the portrayal of the revolutionaries and the reactionary Batista thugs feels retrograde, even for angry expatriates.|R|143 minutes|Released today|Michael Booth
V for Vendetta ***|Cheesy but true: “V for Vendetta” deserves an E for entertaining. Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving are Evey and masked avenger V, the shades-of-gray heroes in this ka-pow, ka-boom tale of fascism and resistance. Although the movie is based on a graphic novel created during Margaret Thatcher’s stint as British prime minister, the Wachowski brothers have found plenty of resonant material. And while the movie is set in London in the near future, the “former colonies” make disturbing cameo turns. And the brothers have a copacetic director in James McTeigue (he worked on their “Matrix” trilogy). “V” takes you on a pleasure ride all the while tossing pop-culture kernels of wisdom at you. The one sticking point: the movie’s R rating.|R|132 minutes|Released today|Lisa Kennedy
TV ON DVD
“Dallas: The Complete Fifth
Season” | If you didn’t get enough
the first time around or are too
young to have seen it, here’s a
chance to take another crack at the
1981-82 season at Southfork, home of
the primetime soap “Dallas.” You
can enjoy 26 episodes of scheming
Texas oilman J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman)
and his equally conniving
clan. |$39.98 | Released Aug. 1 | David Germain,
The Associated Press
OTHER RELEASES | These DVDs are also available today
Anne of Avonlea
Aristocrats
Beautiful People: First Season
Bring It On: All or Nothing
Cavite
Damon Wayans: The Last Stand?
Dante’s Cove: Season One
Death in the Bunker: The True Story of Hitler’s Downfall
EZ Money!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Fourth Season
Gille’s Wife
Heidi
Jude the Obscure
Laguna Beach: Second Season
Led Zeppelin: The Origin of the Species
Prison Break: Season One
Rolling Stones: Under Review 1962
Third Man Out: A Donald Strachey Mystery
The Tooth Fairy
The Wire: Third Season
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING | This week’s top DVDs
RENTALS
1. She’s the Man
2. Failure to Launch
3. ATL
4. Basic Instinct 2
5. The Matador
SALES
1. She’s the Man
2. ATL
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
4. Failure to Launch
5. Eight Below
