Page 28 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • October 8, 2014 DVD releases (continued from Restaurant page) next baseball pitching sensation? He heads to Mumbai with a cantankerous scout (Alan Arkin) and stages a televised nationwide competition called “Million Dollar Arm.” Out of 40,000 competitors, two 18-year-old finalists, Rinku (Suraj Sharma, “Life of Pi”) and Dinesh (Madhur Mittal), emerge as winners and JB brings them to the United States with the goal of getting them signed by a Major League team. As the boys undergo rigorous training and adjust to an entirely new way of life, they look to JB for guidance. The movie follows a predictable, amiable path to a rous- ing finale. The growing, changing relationship between the boys and their mentor is the hook that draws viewers in and sustains interest. Bonus extras on the Blu-ray edition include a digital copy, deleted scenes, outtakes, an alternate ending, and three featurettes. “Houdini” (Lionsgate) stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody as the escape artist who found fame by defying death with incredible stunts and illusions. This four-hour mini-series attempts to capture every aspect of a full life, but this results in padding and wordiness, with too much informa- tion, annoying voice-over narration, and dialogue that never sounds conversational. The series spans the late 1880s, when Houdini (born Ehrich Weiss) first decided to pursue magic, through his tours to world capitals as a star, to his death in 1926. Brody projects this driven personality. A highlight is the recreation of Houdini’s stage illu- sions and the crowds’ reactions to them and to Houdini, a genuine superstar of his era. Viewers also see how, late in his career, Houdini became consumed with exposing fake spiritualists, who were thriving at the beginning of the last century on claims they could communicate with the dead. The Blu-ray edition contains the original broadcast version, extended version, digital copy, and four behind-the-scenes featurettes, including a profile of the real Houdini. “The Lusty Men” (Warner Archive) is one of the best films made about rodeo life. Based on a “Life” magazine story and co-scripted by cowboy David Dortort, the film is filled with classic dramatic situations. Spinning tales of big money made as a bronco buster, ex-rodeo star Jeff McCloud (Robert Mitchum) wanders into the life of ranch hand Wes Merritt (Arthur Kennedy). Under the guidance of McCloud, Wes becomes a rodeo star despite the protests of his wife, Louise (Susan Hayward), about the dangers. But Louise is also drawn to the stranger. As directed by Nicholas Ray (“Rebel without a Cause”) and photographed by cinematographer Lee Garmes, “The Lusty Men” is filled with action and impressive stunts. To give the picture a sense of realism, Ray took his cam- eras on location, filming rodeos in Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and California using real rodeo stars. The movie balances the comfort of family with the draw of excitement and riches on the road, and romanticizes the kind of rugged male Hollywood had exploited for years. Mitchum is espe- cially effective portraying a man whose fame is fading and who must find new direction in life.