'Reign Over Me' new to DVD

Some goodies this week, and some disappointments, are among new DVD releases.

Recent movies

• "Reign Over Me" (Columbia, 2007; rated R for language; $28.95). Every now and then, Adam Sandler feels the need to leave behind his penchant for vulgar comedies and do something more serious (see "Punch Drunk Love" or "Spanglish"). And this one is pretty good, as he plays a disenfranchised depressive who lost his family in 9/11.

Even better is Don Cheadle as Sandler's former college roomie who, after a chance reunion with him, sees the renewed relationship disrupt his life. Also good are Jada Pinkett Smith as Cheadle's wife and Liv Tyler as a psychiatrist.

Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, featurettes, photo gallery

• "Evan Almighty" (Universal, 2007, PG, $29.98). Amusing idea about God (Morgan Freeman) calling a new senator (Steve Carell) to be a modern-day Noah is rather half-hearted, despite the obvious huge computer-animation budget. (A loose sequel to "Bruce Almighty.")

Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers, game

• "28 Weeks Later" (Fox, 2007; R for violence, nudity, language, sex; $29.99). Gory sequel to "28 Days Later ... " as zombies attack humans and the shaky camera imitates art. Robert Carlyle fares much better in the TV movie about Hitler listed below.

Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, deleted scenes, animated segments, audio commentary, featurettes, trailers

Foreign films

• "Man Push Cart" (Koch Lorber, 2007, $26.98). Interesting but uneven character study about a former Pakistani rock star who heads for America where he is reduced to selling coffee to morning commuters in Manhattan.

Extras: Widescreen, in English and in Urdu with English subtitles, short films "Bad Reception" and "Dogs," audio commentary, trailer

Reissues

• "Poltergeist: 25th Anniversary" (Warner, 1982, PG, $19.97). Did Tobe Hooper ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") really direct this film, or was it producer Steven Spielberg? That's a question film buffs have argued over for decades, but there are no answers here. But if you don't have this one, it's a great choice for Halloween — scary, funny and a trend-setter for films that followed.