New on DVD

'Orphan' a quirky thriller with respected cast

Tom Long / Detroit News Film Critic

New and notable on DVD this week:

"Orphan" (Rated R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language; Warner, $28.98): The first indication this isn't your typical bad-seed, violent-child horror flick is that it stars Vera Farmiga and Peter Saarsgard, two of the most respected actors around. The story of how a grieving couple come to adopt Esther (the terrifyingly appropriate Isabelle Furhman) not only builds in a manner far more artful than your standard fear flick, the film also has one wallop of a surprise ending. A must-see for any genre fan. GRADE: B+

"Whatever Works" (Rated PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, brief nude images and thematic material; Sony, $27.96): What doesn't work in this otherwise witty, if somewhat standard, Woody Allen comedy is Larry David standing in for Woody. (Why? They're not that far apart in age.) "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star David is just too neurotic and too visibly uncomfortable reading lines that aren't his. Still, Evan Rachel Wood shines as his witless young lover and Patricia Clarkson is a perfect fit as her adaptable mother, and Allen does get off a lot of funny lines. GRADE: B-

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (Rated PG for some mild rude humor and peril; Fox, $29.98): Far and away the laziest of the three "Ice Age" films, this one follows the familiar prehistoric animal collective as it stumbles into a "lost land" where dinosaurs still roam, ripping off dozens of better movies to no great effect and little laughter. Time to freeze this series. GRADE: C-

tlong@detnews.com (313) 222-8879