May 2, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 25 DVD releases (continued from previous page) Though short on characterization, the film does contain plenty of well-staged action sequences and a strong supporting cast that includes Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Michael Fassbender, and Channing Tatum. Special features on the Blu-ray and DVD editions include the featurettes “Gina Carano in Training” and “The Men of Haywire.” “Joyful Noise” (Warner Home Video) stars Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah as the leaders of a small-town choir determined to win a national choral competition at any cost. The leaders come into conflict about which direction to take the choir. Cliché after cliché undermine the narrative, as simple as it is. Musicals are not known for the strength of their books or scripts. Exceptions, such as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “My Fair Lady,” and “Cabaret” are few, but there has to be a semblance of reality. Even on TV’s “Glee,” when high school kids break into song, musical accompanists magically appear and elaborate production values dazzle, viewers understand this is a stylized convention of the musical. The story itself is grounded in substance. In “Joyful Noise,” the story is so flimsy that the music is its sole attraction, so it might be better to download the music and bypass the film. Blu-ray extras include “Spotlight on a Song: Dolly Parton’s ‘From Here to the Moon,’” three behind-thescenes featurettes, and extended songs. “Tarzan: The First Season, Parts 1 and 2 (Warner Archive) is now making its bow on DVD. The adventure series, this time starring Ron Ely, came to the small screen in the fall of 1966. Based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the series extended a long tradition of bigscreen Tarzan films dating back to 1918, when Elmo Lincoln was the first actor to portray the iconic “ape man” of the jungle. Perhaps the most famous Tarzan was Johnny Weissmuller in his series of pictures for MGM in the 1930s and 1940s. Ely was the fourteenth actor to portray the character, and the first in a regular TV series. In the TV series, Tarzan had left for England after learning that he was the Earl of Greystoke and now returns to the loincloth and his native jungle after years of formal schooling. This Tarzan speaks in full sentences rather than the “Me Tarzan, you Jane” dialogue of earlier films. Back among the wild animals with whom he can communicate, Tarzan deals with renegades, poachers, and other outsiders who threaten the balance of nature in the jungle. Tarzan’s closest companions are the chimpanzee Cheetah and an orphan boy named Jai (Manuel Padilla Jr.). Ely performed many of the stunts himself, and sustained 17 separate injuries during the first season. Tarzan’s famous yell was the recorded voice of Weissmuller. There are no extras on these DVD releases. Each volume contains four discs. “She’s Not Our Sister” (Image Entertainment) is the story of three sisters who find out they stand to inherit a multimillion-dollar fortune from their estranged father. Sibling rivalry soon goes into overdrive, and complications ensue when they discover that a half-sister was one of their father’s deep secrets. The sisters experience a range of emotions as they attempt to deal with the unexpected death of their father, long-buried family secrets, and the shocking revelation of an extramarital affair that nearly broke apart their parents’ seemingly idyllic marriage. Questions of family loyalty, honesty, and acceptance are raised. The only extra on this unrated DVD release is a photo gallery.