November 6, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 23 New DVD collection pays homage to Hollywood legend by Dennis Seuling “James Dean Ultimate Collector’s Edition” (Warner Home Video) is a box set paying homage to the actor’s short but memorable career. Born in 1931 and raised on an Indiana farm by his aunt and uncle, Dean moved to New York after high school to pursue his dream of acting. A successful appearance on Broadway in “The Immoralist” caught the attention of Hollywood, and Dean was soon appearing in small parts in the early 1950s. His big break came when he was cast as Caleb in Elia Kazan’s “East of Eden,” but his first starring role as the red-jacketed, brooding teenager Jim Stark in “Rebel without a Cause,” fixed his image in American culture. He followed this with the George Stevens-directed “Giant,” in which he played Jed Rink, the nonconformist cowhand who strikes it rich when he discovers oil. With two features still unreleased, Dean died in an automobile accident in late September of 1955. In addition to his three major films, restored from orig- inal camera negatives at Warner Bros., the limited edition, six-disc set contains three feature-length documentaries about Dean’s life, including “James Dean: Forever Young” narrated by Martin Sheen, “American Masters: James Dean Sense Memories,” and “George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey.” Other special features include commentaries on all three movies, screen tests, deleted scenes, wardrobe James Dean as troubled teen Jim Stark. tests, and several behind-the-scenes featurettes. “White House Down” (Sony Pictures) stars Channing Tatum as policeman John Cale, who has just been denied his dream job as a Secret Service agent protecting Presi- dent James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). Not wanting to disap- point his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House just as the complex is taken over by a heavily armed paramilitary group. With the government falling into chaos and time running out, it is up to Cale to save President Sawyer, his daughter, and the country. The movie presents President Sawyer as having infuri- ated the country’s hawkish elements with his peace plan for the Middle East. Initially, Foxx plays the role straight, but the movie falls into silliness when the character becomes a wise-cracking, sneakers-wearing, hand gre- nade-tossing chief executive. A film with a similar plot, “Olympus Has Fallen,” treated a similar subject without resorting to self-defeating buffoonery and contained some terrific special effects. “White House Down,” directed by Roland Emmerich, makes a lot of noise while delivering tired clichés, forced humor, and a ho-hum story. The two- disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack contains nine featurettes, a gag reel, and profiles of Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, and other cast members. “Lovelace” (Anchor Bay) is the story of porn star Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried) set against the sexual revolution of the 1970s. Escaping a strict religious family, Linda discovered the high life when she fell for and mar- ried charismatic hustler Chuck Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard). As “Linda Lovelace,” she gained international notoriety. (continued on Crossword page)