DVD Picks

Pick of the Week

A History of Scotland / A History of Britain

(Special Edition)

Historical documentaries; unrated

The Gist: Two ginormous BBC DVD sets dedicated to the glorious history of the Scots and to the lesser, but still interesting, history of Britain.

The Lowdown: It should be noted at the outset that I'm full-blooded Scottish on both sides of the family, so some may read bias into this account. This is absurd, of course. The Scots have been empirically outshining the Brits since the Stone Age. It's not bias - it's a sober assessment of the facts.

I kid, I kid. These are both excellent, thorough and naturally complementary documentaries representing years of work, hundreds of film crews and millions of pounds. Each takes a different approach to the long-form historical doc, but both feature stunning photography and creative presentation strategies.

The 5-DVD Scotland set is the more recent, broadcast in 2008 and hosted by celebrity archeologist Neil Oliver. The 6-DVD "Special Edition" Britain set, 10 years old and in its third DVD iteration, is hosted by marquee historian Simon Schama - sort of the Ken Burns of the U.K.

The Extras: Scotland set: Additional two-part doc "How the Celtics Saved Britain" plus a 24-page booklet. Britain set: A making-of featurette and interviews and bonus presentations with host Schama.

The Bottom Line: Appropriately, the Britain series is stuffier and more serious than the looser Scotland set. In fact, the Scotland series caused a spot of unpleasantness among hardline historians upon initial broadcast.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: Both the Romans and the Vikings, at the height of their respective empires, tried to conquer the Scottish Highlands. Both failed. So bear that in mind.

Skellig: The Owl Man

Children's adventure, rated PG for thematic elements, some peril and language; also available on Blu-ray

The Gist: Lonesome schoolboy Michael makes an unlikely friend when the vagrant sleeping in his shed turns out to have a set of atrophied wings.

The Lowdown: A slow week for decent U.S. DVD releases, so it's back to Britain we go. "Skellig," based on the award-winning children's story, is a surprisingly rich and nuanced modern fable.

Starring Tim Roth ("Pulp Fiction") and Kelly MacDonald ("Trainspotting"), the film seems to be strolling the usual sunlit avenues of kids' lit - until it suddenly ducks into darker alleyways of magical realism.

Skellig (Roth) is a remarkable fictional creation. Part angel, part owl and part wino, he can perform miracles of healing and flight but generally can't be bothered. When Skellig and young Michael (Bill Millner) form their unlikely bond, each carries the other toward redemption and peace.

The Extras: None

The Bottom Line: This is a terrific kids' movie that works on several levels and treats its audience - young and old - with respect.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: The original book by David Almond was recently voted one of the 10 most important children's novels of the past 70 years.

Quick Picks

" The Diplomat" is an engaging spy movie from the U.K. starring Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani. Originally broadcast as a four-hour miniseries, it has some clever twists on the usual espionage template. For one thing, the U.S. isn't even mentioned. Refreshing!

Also New To DVD: Miley Cyrus in Nicholas Sparks' " The Last Song." Colin Ferrell in the war drama " Triage." Ashley Judd in the domestic drama " Helen." And giant space robots in Adult Swim's " Titan Maximum: Season One."

TV on DVD: " Ugly Betty: The Final Season," " Cougar Town: The First Season," " Max Headroom: The Complete Series" and " Numbers: The Final Season."