A less than ‘Fantastic’ sequel surfs into homes

The “Fantastic Four” movie franchise has proven itself to be critic-proof. The 2005 adaptation of the popular Marvel Comics series about four co-workers who develop superpowers didn’t exactly win the hearts of critics but managed to pull in over $300-million worldwide. And this summer’s sequel, set for Tuesday on DVD, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” probably won’t be making it on any major critics’ top 10 lists at year’s end.

Though “Four” wasn’t so fantastic at the box office this summer -- it took in about $50 million less internationally -- the sci-fi adventure still was one of the big performers. This adventure introduces one of the most popular comic bookcharacters, the Silver Surfer, who is voiced by Laurence Fishburne. The man who provided the model for the computer graphically rendered Surfer is Doug Jones, who played the Pale Man and the Faun in “Pan’s Labyrinth.” With comic book fans still clamoring for more of “Four,” no doubt there will probably be another chapter in the heroes’ lives coming to the big screen.

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It’s up to you, ‘New York’

The world -- make it the VH1 universe -- first met the sassy, outspoken and utterly over-the-top diva Tiffany Pollard last year on the first season of the cable network’s “The Flavor of Love.” The surreal reality series found flamboyant rapper Flavor Flav attempting to find the love of his life amid a house filled with vixens. Refusing to learn their real names, Flav nicknamed his potential main squeezes. Hence the trash-talking Pollard was rechristened “New York.”

Though she was one of the final two bachelorettes vying for Flav’s affections, New York didn’t win. But with her tattooed chest, lavish hair extensions and a mouth that would make David Mamet blush, New York proved so popular with audiences that VH1 gave her a series of her own, “I Love New York,” which arrives Tuesday in an unrated edition. This time around she had 20 men to choose from, and helping her find Mr. Right was her disapproving mom, Sister Patterson, who went so far as to offer one of the bachelors money to leave the house. Needless to say, New York didn’t find true love because the second season starts Oct. 8.

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Audrey Hepburn’s ‘Funny Face’ at 50

Before Audrey Hepburn won audiences’ hearts and an Oscar for her first Hollywood film, 1953’s enchanting “Roman Holiday,” the Belgium-born actress trained to be a ballerina. And her dancing skills are put to good use in the blissfully colorful 1957 musical-comedy “Funny Face,” which has been reissued in a special edition for its 50th anniversary.

Loosely based on the hit George and Ira Gershwin Broadway show -- only three of the songs in the film came from the original musical -- “Funny Face” casts Hepburn as a mousy employee in a Parisian bookstore who is turned into a high-fashion model by photographer Fred Astaire, who had appeared in the Broadway show 30 years earlier with his sister, Adele.

Stanley Donen directed this classic, which was nominated for four Oscars and features such Gershwin tunes as the title song as well as “How Long Has This Been Going On.”

-- Susan King