DVD's.

Byline: Rob Lowman, Entertainment Editor

History, only better, in 'Frost/Nixon'

History buffs may wonder why even bother to watch "Frost/Nixon." After all, the original 1977 interview by British talk-show host David Frost of former President Richard Nixon on the Watergate break-in that brought his presidency down is readily available on DVD.

But as dramatic as the real thing was, the theatricality of the Ron Howard-directed film makes for an awful lot of fun. It undoubtedly helps that there's been plenty of time to heal and distance ourselves since the scandal caused so much pain in this country. The movie comes across a bit like a WWE match, very showy and filled with spectacle - inside and outside the ring.

Undoubtedly, its top-notch leads - Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost, who originated the roles on the London stage - enhance the production. The veteran actor Langella, in particular, manages to inhabit the role of our former chief executive, although at first it seems that it doesn't bear much resemblance to Nixon. Sheehan captures the glibness of Frost but also his ambition and perseverance. Others in the cast, including Sam Rockwell as James Reston Jr., who helps Frost prepare for the interview, add their own color to the proceedings.

Howard opens up Peter Morgan's somewhat fictionalized play on which the film was based. He keeps the razzle-dazzle to a minimum but adds a bit of lightness to the proceedings.

The face-off, though, between Nixon and Frost still has a darkness to it, like it did then when it drew enormous television ratings. Back then, people watched for closure or vengeance or hoping that the ex-president would somehow make things right. Ironically, the original broadcasts may come across for many today as simply a history lesson, while the movie "Frost/Nixon" may come across as the real thing.

'The Wrestler'

As Randy (the Ram) Robinson in "The Wrestler," Mickey Rourke looks the part of an over-the-hill gladiator. With flowing blond locks, which likely are dyed, there's not much of him - like pro wrestling - that seems real. He's puffed up from years of taking steroids and beat up from all his battles. While those fights in the ring are staged, they still require a great deal of physicality and often require taking some real, painfully brutal hits.

Outside the ring, Randy's life is pretty painful, too. He is estranged from his daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), and his efforts to reconcile with her only seem to make matters worse. He seeks solace by getting lap dances from a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), and sees her friendliness - even as he's forking over cash for it - as a sign of hope.

A lot has been made out of the role of Randy being something of a comeback for Rourke. And if anyone can be convincing as a character who looks like he's taking his lumps, it's the veteran actor. He once plied his trade in the boxing ring, and has the face to prove it, having taken some fierce beatings.

Tomei, as always, is able to make something out of what would seem to be a thankless part. Cassidy and Randy both make their livings making what is obviously fake seem real. But the pair - in their own ways - have an honesty about them, which can be seen in every move they make.

What shouldn't be overlooked amid the fine acting is how well director Darren Aronofsky intimately captures the inside world of pro wrestling. While every move is practically choreographed, a bout still holds some expected twists, turns and tricks, or in this case some exciting smackdowns.

'Caprica'

It was a clever idea to release "Caprica" on DVD months before the "Battlestar Galatica" prequel starts airing. The Sci Fi Network stalwart had just wrapped up gloriously after five seasons, and fans, undoubtedly, needed a new fix.

What they'll get in this movie, which will serve as the opening two-hour episode (minus the nudity), as an intriguing premise for a series. Set 58 years "before the fall," "Caprica" is a world that looks much like our own, just with more technology. Religion and culture still divide people, and teens like Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Toressani) frequent halo-clubs, virtual-reality worlds where they act out some of their baser instincts.

Making weapons is still big business, and Zoe's dad, Daniel Graystone (Eric Stolz) - a computer genius - is working on a robotic killing machine. A tragedy brings Daniel together with Joseph Adama (Esai Morales), a sharp lawyer with shady connections. (He's also the father of Edward James Olmos' character in "Battlestar.")

Without giving too much away, their meeting sets off a chain of events that should sustain the series for a while. Like "Battlestar," "Caprica" seems to be able to make connections to our own times that go beyond the usual sci-fi series mythology and technobabble.

It does take a good half-hour before "Caprica" begins to take hold, though, and for the uninitiated probably even longer. Things might have seemed clearer had they woven in the deleted scenes, most of which help in explaining the complicated plot as well as bringing some insight into the characters. But by the end, "Caprica" pays off - at least for the "Battlestar" fans.

Also out

There is a two-fer out of Peter Bogdanovich's 1971 "The Last Picture Show," arguably a classic, and 1976 "Nickelodeon," the director's homage to the early days of motion pictures, starring Ryan O'Neal and Burt Reynolds. A film historian, Bogdanovich made "Nickelodeon" to proclaim his love of the movies. It is more misfire than fireball, but it does have its moments.

"Notorious," the biopic of Notorious B.I.G. is a glossy take on the murdered rapper's career in the 1990s.

Don't overlook two recent PBS airings: "Great Performances: King Lear," with a powerhouse performance by Ian McKellen; and "Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts," a documentary on the American composer classical music lovers either love or love to hate.

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OUT TUESDAY

New films

"Caprica" $26.98 $17.49

"The Wrestler" $29.98/ Blu-ray $39.99

"Frost/Nixon" $29.98/ Blu-ray - $39.98

"Notorious" $29.98/ three-disc edition $34.98/ Blu-ray $39.99

"The Last Word" $27.98/ Blu-ray $35.98

Television

"Great Performances: King Lear" $24.99

"Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts" $29.98

"Dallas: The Complete Eleventh Season" $39.98

"Hawaii Five-O: Sixth Season" $49.99

"Top Gear 10: The Complete Season" 10 $39.98

"Rhoda: Season One" $39.99

"Mulligans" $24.95

"My Own Worst Enemy: The Complete Series" $29.98

"iCarly: Season 1, Vol. 2" $26.98

"Freakazoid!: Season 2" $26.98

Older films

"Last Picture Show & Nickelodeon 2-pack" $24.96

"Wages of Fear - Criterion Collection" Blu-ray $39.95

On Blu-ray

"X-Men Trilogy" $79.98

"Sin City" $35.99

"Hellraiser" $29.97

"The Arrival" $29.99

In concert

"Ron White: Behavioral Problems" $16.99

"Caught In The Act - Michael Buble" (Amazon Exclusive) Blu-ray $27.99

"Awake Live Josh Groban" (Amazon Exclusive) Blu-ray $27.99

"John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension - Live At Belgrade" $18.99

Animation/for kids

"Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return Trilogy" $14.98

"Sesame Street: Elmo and the Bookaneers" $14.93

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Marisa Tomei plays a friendly stripper in the Mickey Rourke "comeback" film, "The Wrestler."