Crazy Heart

Blu-ray ($39.99)

Jeff Bridges took home a Best Actor Oscar for his starring role in this moving tale of a washed-up country singer on the road to possible redemption. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the newspaper reporter who takes a romantic shine to the man behind the music, Robert Duvall is his voice-of-reason best friend, and Ireland-born Colin Farrell does a commendable job as a younger country superstar whose career has eclipsed that of his idol. Bonus features include deleted scenes, commentary from the actors and alternate takes of the numerous musical performances that helped create the award-winning soundtrack. 

—Neil Pond, American Profile

Kung Fu Magoo

DVD ($14.93)

The comically nearsighted bumbler has been around for more than 60 years, but Mr. Magoo gets a youthfully hip reboot in this feature-length cartoon frolic featuring the voices of Disney stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse (from TV’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”) and Kenny Mayne. The far-out kung-fu funhouse of a story features martial-arts mayhem, jet-skiing ninjas and giant robot spiders. Oh, Magoo, you’ve done it again—but a bit differently than you’ve ever done it before!

—Neil Pond, American Profile    

Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy

Blu-ray ($99.98)

Fans of director Peter Jackson’s three eye-popping and award-winning movies built around the fantasy novels of writer J.R.R. Tolkien, rejoice. Now together for the first time on stunning Blu-ray, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King” look more spectacular than ever and come with more than seven additional hours of special features. Hobbits, elves, dwarves, orcs and sorcerers may not always get along in Middle Earth, but on this they can agree: The epic clash between good and evil looks even better in high-def!

—Neil Pond, American Profile

The Legacy of Flight

By David Romanowski & Melissa Keiser

Hardcover, 288 pages ($25)

More than 130 images selected from the archives of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum depict the many stages, phases and landmark events of mankind’s quest to conquer the skies. From the Wright Brothers at the turn of the 20th century to the modern-day space program, our strides into the clouds—and beyond—are captured in poignant photos that chronicle the 100-year span in which the world got its wings.

—Neil Pond, American Profile 

The Finger: A Handbook

By Angus Trumble

Softcover, 290 pages ($25)

We use it every day yet rarely think about the many multi-facets of its usefulness or its fascinating role in history, art, communication and culture. Quirky, intelligent and thoroughly engrossing, this wide-ranging examination of the human finger will “point” you in a whole new way of thinking about the humble digits on our hands that, in no small way, have helped shaped our humanity. 

—Neil Pond, American Profile