17 Emmy nods, 1 presidential hopeful

Last week, Fred Thompson announced he was throwing his hat into the 2008 presidential race. Perhaps the former Republican senator was inspired to become a candidate after playing a famous Republican U.S. president, Ulysses S. Grant, in HBO’s “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” which arrives today in a two-disc DVD set ($27).

Based on Dee Brown’s acclaimed bestseller, “Bury My Heart” has received the most Emmy nominations (17) of any program this year. And Saturday night it topped the list of winners at the 58th annual Creative Arts Emmys, receiving statuettes for makeup, picture editing, sound mixing, sound editing and cinematography.

The historical drama, which begins with the Little Big Horn battle in 1876, revolves around three characters: Charles Eastman (Adam Beach), a Dartmouth-educated Sioux doctor; Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg), the Lakota chief who refuses to submit to U.S. policies; and Sen. Henry Dawes (Aidan Quinn), one of the creators of the government’s policy toward Indians who unsuccessfully lobbied Grant for more humane treatment of the Native Americans.

The extras on the DVD include two commentary tracks, one with director Yves Simoneau and the second with Quinn and Beach. There are also several mini-documentaries on the production and a photo gallery.

Also new

“Away From Her” (Lionsgate, $28): Julie Christie may give a heartbreaking performance in this sad, lovely drama dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, but she isn’t at her best doing a solo audio commentary track.

The veteran, Oscar-winning actress seems ill-at-ease chatting about the film. It’s too bad that writer-director Sarah Polley didn’t do the commentary or at least share the track with Christie because Polley’s commentary on the deleted scenes is thoughtful and elegant.

“Obsession” (www.obession themovie.com, $20): This disturbing documentary focuses on radical Islam’s war against the West, beginning with the Sept. 11 attacks six years ago today. Included are clips from Arab TV and interviews with a former PLO terrorist, a Nazi youth commander who talks about the parallels between Nazi Germany and global jihad, and a daughter of a martyred terrorist.

“Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection” (MGM, $40): Though the erudite actor was a Broadway star who appeared in classic films such as “Laura,” he is best known for scaring audiences in numerous movies, including the seven in this new collection: “The Abominable Dr. Phibes,” “Dr. Phibes Rises Again,” “Tales of Terror,” “Twice Told Tales,” “Theater of Blood,” “Madhouse” and “Witchfinder General.”

“The Noel Coward Collection” (BBC Video, $80): Besides being an actor and songwriter, Coward was one of the top playwrights of the 20th century. This ambitious, seven-disc set features TV versions of six plays, eight one-acts and six dramatized shorts, plus six radio plays.

Among the titles are a 1969 production of his controversial drama “The Vortex,” with Margaret Leighton and Richard Warwick; a 1976 adaptation of his sparkling comedy “Private Lives,” with Penelope Keith and Alec McCowen; a dreadful 1979 version of his saucy comedy “Design for Living”; and an uneven 1991 version of “Tonight at 8:30,” with Joan Collins and ex-husband Anthony Newley.

A young Hugh Laurie (“House”) shows up in 1985’s “Mrs. Capper’s Birthday.” Extras include two TV interviews with Coward.

“The Lost World” (Fox, $20): Irwin Allen produced and directed this delectably goofy 1960 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story of an eccentric scientist (an over-the-top Claude Rains) who returns to London from the Amazon with tales of dinosaurs, then gathers a hodgepodge team of explorers and a reporter (David Hedison) to return to the area. Michael Rennie, Fernando Lamas and Jill St. John also star. The two-disc set includes the far superior 1925 silent version.

And “Even Money” (Fox, $28); “Snow Cake” (Weinstein, $20); “Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror” (Xenon, $27) “Face/Off: Special Collector’s Edition” (Paramount, $20).

--

[email protected]