NEW ON THE SHELF

“DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK,” starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce. Those of us who grew up in the 1970s may recall the many sleepless nights that followed after Mom and Dad foolishly let us stay up late to watch the 1973 TV-movie this effective upgrade is based upon, wherein a young woman (Kim “True Grit” Darby in the original and newcomer Bailee Madison here) is terrorized by tiny, demon-like creatures, and of course has no luck getting her parents (Holmes and Pearce) to believe her. Where the original declined to explain the existence of the creatures and was all the more effective and disturbing for it, first-time director Troy Nixey attempts to relay a few messages regarding childhood and parenting, with mixed results. When it concentrates on simply frightening its audience, however, “Dark” manages to recapture much of what made the original so special. Rated R. Running time: 1:39.

Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $35.99.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT,” starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Pierce Brosnan. Viewers still pining for the golden days of “Sex and the City” would seem to be the target audience for this overactive comedy, which attempts to convey the hectic insanity that comes with the territory of being a working mom in the big city. There’s not a whole lot of suspense inherent in the “job vs. family” decision Parker’s harried protagonist is forced to confront, but events progress pleasantly enough, and a dependable supporting cast (which includes Kelsey Grammer as her stolid boss and “Saturday Night Live” anchorman Seth Meyers as an obnoxious office rival) keeps things lively. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:29.

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99.

“SHARK NIGHT,” starring Sara Paxton and Dustin Milligan. Admirably sincere attempt to pull off a straight-faced horror film that doesn’t need to poke fun at itself every other frame is in the end no better or worse than any other “Jaws” ripoff that’s come down the pike. Still, we applaud director David R. Ellis’s (“Final Destination”) noble attempt to craft actual believable characters out of his scantily clad college kids before tossing them to the great whites like so much chum. A decent throwback to pre-“Scream” by-the-numbers horror, and more than adequate Friday night viewing. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:31.

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99.

NEW TO DVD

“JUSTIFIED: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON,” starring Timothy Olyphant and Nick Searcy. “Sons of Anarchy” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” tend to get the most attention when it comes to FX series, but we’ll take the gritty, often funny exploits of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Olyphant, bringing the same dogged cool he exhibited so memorably in “Deadwood”) over those show-offs any day. Season 2 finds Givens ably protecting Harlan County from those who might exploit or destroy its well-meaning citizens, this time tangling with the formidable Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale of “Million Dollar Baby,” who won a well-deserved Emmy for her fine work here) and her clan. Not rated, contains violence and language. Running time: 9:07.

Suggested retail price: $39.95; Blu-ray $49.95.

“PUNCTURE,” starring Chris Evans and Brett Cullen. Hotshot lawyer and functioning drug addict Mike Weiss (Evans, “Captain America”) finds himself tackling more than he can perhaps handle when he takes on a case involving widespread healthcare corruption, balancing an already massive case with his ever-increasing drug habit. A worthy attempt to get Evans out of his various superhero outfits and into more credible territory, “Puncture” makes the potentially odd combo of “Erin Brokovich” and “Requiem for a Dream” and makes it work, thanks largely to Evans’ alternately engaging and troubling performance and a compelling fact-based story to draw from. Rated R. Running time: 1:40.

Suggested retail price: $28.99; Blu-ray $29.99.

NEW TO BLU-RAY

“PEARL JAM TWENTY,” starring Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard. Even moderate fans of the pioneering grunge-rock band will find much to enjoy about this Cameron Crowe-helmed retrospective, which follows Vedder and company through two decades of constant touring and acclaimed albums. Not rated, contains some language. Running time: 2:26.

Suggested retail price: $29.98.

“SERENDIPITY,” starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. The boundaries of love and fate are charmingly tested in this well-loved 2001 romantic comedy, which finds potentially perfect couple Cusack and Beckinsale splitting up after a whirlwind romance, vowing to solidify the relationship if they ever encounter one another again. Those wondering if everything will work out for the crazy kids clearly haven’t seen too many rom-coms, but the two leads are so appealing that anything other than a happy ending simply wouldn’t do. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:30.

Suggested retail price: $14.99.

VIDEOPORT PICKS

“THE GUARD,” starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. Long an underrated but undeniably striking presence in the world of cinema, character actor Brendan Gleeson (“In Bruges”) runs with a rare starring role opportunity in this gruffly hilarious directorial debut from writer John Michael McDonagh (“Ned Kelly”). Gleeson takes the notion of the “cop who doesn’t play by the rules” a few steps further than most, reluctantly teaming with a more orthodox FBI agent (Cheadle, an excellent foil) to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring, a case the “Guard” has no real interest in helping to crack, distracting him as it does from caring for his ailing mum and cavorting with prostitutes. In the end, his tendency to interpret the law in his own personal fashion works mostly to the duo’s benefit, but the various disagreements and catastrophes that happen in between are a lot of fun, and colorful side characters and quotable vulgarities abound in this enormously likable buddy comedy that suggests “In the Heat of the Night” meets “Planes Trains and Automobiles.” Rated R for pervasive language, some violence, drug material and sexual content. Running time: 1:36.

Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $35.99.

“MILDRED PIERCE,” starring Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce. Good melodramas aren’t as common as they used to be, and it isn’t surprising that most modern examples of the genre either borrow heavily or outright remake the work of the past, which is exactly what director Todd Haynes does, to brilliant effect, with this adaptation of the James Cain novel, and by proxy the classic 1945 film version that famously sent the inimitable Joan Crawford home with an Oscar for her indelible performance. Here, Winslet ably fills in for Joan, and while no one could hope to match Crawford when it comes to displaying pure, primal rage, Winslet nicely conveys the complexities and idiosyncrasies that make up her history with her fairly insufferable daughter. In the meantime, suitors come a-calling, James LeGros and Guy Pearce among them, further complicating familial matters. This is an exhilarating take on an old chestnut that does the original source material justice without upstaging it in any way. Not rated, contains mild language, graphic sexual content, nudity and thematic material. Running time: 5:36.

Suggested retail price: $39.98; Blu-ray $49.99.

— Courtesy of Videoport