New This Week: Endless Love, Gambit and More

This week marks the unofficial start of summer, and there are some hot titles coming out on DVD and Blu-ray. Remakes of Endless Love and Gambit, a look at the creation of “Doctor Who,” and more are on tap.

An Adventure In Space And Time (2013)

In November of 1963, British TV viewers were introduced to an irascible, time-travelling alien and his companions, and within a few months “Doctor Who” became a nationwide sensation. Witness the origin and unlikely success of the long-running sci-fi series in this drama starring David Bradley as First Doctor William Hartnell, Jessica Raine as neophyte producer Verity Lambert, and Brian Cox as BBC executive Sydney Newman.

Airplane vs. Volcano (2014)

As the commercial airliner prepared for its descent over Hawaii, the captain called for clear skies and pleasant temperatures. What he didn’t call for was the sudden emergence of an active volcano from the ocean floor…and now the crew must figure out how to save the imperiled souls on board. Explosive action tale stars Dean Cain, Robin Givens, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs.

A Birder’s Guide To Everything (2013)

 Unable to deal with either the still-stinging loss of his mom or the impending remarriage of his dad (James LeGros), a confused teen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) retreats into his abiding passion of birdwatching. When he thinks he’s caught sight of a believed-extinct duck, he gathers his birding buddies for a remarkable journey. Engaging coming-of-ager co-stars Katie Chang, Alex Wolff, Michael Chen, and Ben Kingsley

Black Ops (2014)

This six-disc documentary series puts viewers deep inside some of history’s boldest covert military missions. With detailed accounts, interviews, and gripping animated sequences, armchair operatives will feel like they’re right in the midst of the action! Features programs on the 1976 Entebbe Airport raid; the 2000 Sierra Leone rescue known as Operation Barra; the Moscow theater siege of 2002; the 2008 Mumbai attacks; and the takedowns of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Osama Bin Laden.

Covert Affairs: Season Four (2013)

Undercover CIA operative Piper Perabo is back in the USA action series. All 16 episodes from the fourth season are featured in a four-disc set. 

Endless Love (2014)

Jade (Gabriella Wilde), privileged, pretty, pre-med, and with private sorrows, had the eye of poor-but-hunky David (Alex Pettyfer) all through high school. Will their budding attraction survive the interference of her surgeon dad (Bruce Greenwood), who’ll go to any lengths to see it broken off? Romantic redo of the ’80s teen sudser co-stars Joely Richardson, Robert Patrick, Emma Rigby.

Gambit (2012)

In this stylish updating of the 1966 Michael Caine caper film, Colin Firth plays art curator Harry Deane–who decides to strike back at his abusive and egotistical boss (Alan Rickman) by persuading him to pay millions to buy a forged copy of a famously-missing painting by Monet. Assisting Deane in his daring gambit is the sassy Texas cowgirl (Cameron Diaz) expected to help close the deal. Scripted by Joel and Ethan Coen; Tom Courtenay, Cloris Leachman co-star.

Ghostquake (2012)

 The halls of a high school will run red with blood when the spirit of a long-dead, occult-obsessed former principal is freed from the underworld to prey on the pupils and staff. It’s up to the principal’s grandson and a handful of his fellow students to staff the demonic doings in this scholastic scarefest from Syfy. M.C. Gainey, Jonathan Baron, Lauren Pennington, and Danny Trejo as Ortiz the janitor.

Journey To The West (2013)

Adapted from a 16th-century Chinese novel, this humorous and visually outrageous adventure follows a Buddhist demon hunter (Zhang Wen) into battle against the supernatural. While he prefers to lure demons out of hiding with lullabies, a female colleague (Qi Shu) takes a more aggressive style. Shock: They fall in love, and then pool their talents against the formidably evil Monkey King (Bo Huang). Co-directed by Stephen Chow and Chi-kin Kwok; Show Luo, Sihan Cheng co-star.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Series 2 (2013)

Distaff detective Essie Davis solves more baffling cases in 1920s Australia. All 13 episodes from the second season are featured in a four-disc set.

Suits: Season Three (2013)

More legal drama with Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht in the USA drama. All 16 episodes from the third season are featured in a four-disc set. 

WWI: The Great War (2014)

What started with the 1914 slaying of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand became the First World War, a singular mark in history with respect to its global reach and massive loss of life. This two-disc set of documentary programs revisits the conflict with “The Concise History of WWI,” which chronicles the battles from Mons to Gallipoli, and more; and “The Battle of the Somme,” which details the 1916 trench warfare that claimed over one million lives.