New on DVD and Blu-ray: 'Project X' and More

By Robert DeSalvo

June 18, 2012 / 3:00 PM

This week: In "Project X," a teenage house party goes viral, and the neighborhood watches helplessly as things get explosive.

Other new DVD releases include the funny, warm-hearted "Jeff, Who Lives at Home," the fish-out-of-water comedy "Wanderlust" with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston, and the Blu-ray debut of Christian Bale in "Newsies."

'Project X'

Box Office: $54.7 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 26% Rotten

Storyline: Three high school teens (Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown) plan a party to make a name for themselves, but the situation gets out of control when the all-night bash attracts news helicopters and even the police are unable to get the party under control. This R-rated found-footage flick comes with an extended version to keep the party going.

Extras! The Blu-ray exclusive "Project Xpensive: Tallying Up the Damages" adds up the final price of the trio's fight for their right to party.

We Say: Even though the three lead characters and the partygoers initially come across as obnoxious and mean-spirited, everyone can relate to wanting to gain the respect of their high school peers. Part cautionary tale, part birth-control incentive and part "Animal House" for Generation Next, you might still end up rooting for Thomas to succeed in his quest to have the most epic birthday party of all time, even as his parents' house literally burns down around him.

'Jeff, Who Lives at Home'

Box Office: $4.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 77% Fresh

Storyline: Jason Segel plays the titular character -- a 30-year-old stoner living in his mother's (Susan Sarandon) basement -- who searches for the meaning of life by following random signs. An errand to get wood glue sends him on a cross-town adventure during which he helps his brother (Ed Helms) spy on his cheating wife, as Jeff himself stumbles toward enlightenment.

Extras! Except for an Ultraviolet digital copy of the movie that you can stream from the cloud service to any compatible device, there are no extras on the DVD or Blu-ray.

We Say: On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum from "Project X," this warm, funny tale about one guy's quest for meaning features touching performances by Segel and Helms. There's also an engaging subplot about Sarandon's lonely cubicle worker, who's excited about having a secret admirer in the office.

'Wanderlust'

Box Office: $17.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 59% Rotten

Storyline: After George (Paul Rudd) loses his high-stress job, he and his wife Linda (Jennifer Aniston) abandon their expensive Manhattan studio apartment and wind up crashing at Elysium, a wilderness commune filled with nouveau hippies, pacifists, nudists and sexual explorers (played by Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman and Alan Alda). Will George and Linda stay, or will they go?

Extras! The Blu-ray contains the Bizarro Cut, an alternate version of the film with different jokes in every scene.

We Say: This fish-out-of-water comedy works because of the improvisational skills of its talented cast -- particularly Rudd and Theroux -- and the fact that the naturalistic hippie ideology is easy to make fun of in an age of smartphones and iPads. Writer-director-producer David Wain paints these nouveau flower children as goofy, good-natured aliens unaware of how the world has moved on, which is funny in a pitiful kind of way.

'Newsies' 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

Box Office: $2.8 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 32% Rotten

Storyline: Long before he played Batman, Christian Bale starred as Jack "Cowboy" Kelly, a young man who organizes a union of newsboys that goes on strike after the price of newspapers is raised. Based on the true story of New York's Newsboys Strike of 1899, this musical drama has 12 songs and multiple dance sequences.

Extras! This Blu-ray debut has a sing-along feature, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and an interesting mini-documentary on the actual strike.

We Say: Disney performed a state-of-the-art restoration on this period musical, and it shows in every frame. The film didn't find much love upon its initial release in 1992, but has since found a cult following that should increase now with popularity of "Glee" and Bale's "The Dark Knight Rises" looming.