DVD REVIEWS OF NEW RELEASES.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

Shades of gray in black-and-white "Good Night"

The end of "Good Night, and Good Luck" should seem like a triumph, but there is a bit of sadness to it.

George Clooney's recounting of CBS news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow's historic attack in 1954 on Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, who had committed numerous abuses in his anti-Communism crusade, may be shot in stark black and white, but it offers shades of gray in its telling.

An esteemed journalist, Murrow (David Strathairn) knew the power of his television pulpit. Not only did Murrow host the hard-edged news program "See It Now," but he did fluff interviews, including asking Liberace about his marital plans (we know the irony in that now) on "Person to Person." This made him popular as well as respected, a potent combination, and it allowed him to push not only those at the network but those in government into taking on McCarthy.

Clooney, who directed and has a role in the film, wrote the movie with the film's producer, Grant Heslov, relying heavily on Murrow's broadcast scripts.

Much of the action takes place in and around the set, and this gives the film a tighter focus. While Murrow is surely a hero to Clooney, the director doesn't overpraise him.

(Strathairn - with cigarette smoke curling around his tilted head, and his clipped, precise speech - seems to inhabit the role.)

What sets "Good Night, and Good Luck" apart is how it uses a key point in our recent history to raise important questions regarding the media, our constitutional rights and our right to know. But the trumping of McCarthy was a last hurrah for Murrow, whose "See It Now" was taken off prime time and relegated to Sunday afternoons. It was an indication of the public's increasing preference for entertainment but also the networks' reluctance to go out on a limb or tackle controversies.

Clooney, despite the humorous and self-effacing comments on the disc's commentary, was not simply delivering a historic film, but one squarely aimed at today's press corps - much of it controlled by big conglomerates - which until recently has shown little inclination, or gumption, to ask the tough questions of our government. That's the sadness.

While Clooney's commentary is interesting, that's pretty much it except for a making-of featurette on the DVD. Maybe for the special edition they can include a documentary on Murrow.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" (Warner; $28.98)

"A History Of Violence" "In this family, we do not solve problems by hitting people!" Tom Stall tells his teenage son, Jack, in David Cronenberg's penetrating dark drama "A History of Violence."

Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is a family man in a small Indiana town with a beautiful wife (Maria Bello) who is also an attorney. They have a son and a young daughter. He runs a small diner, leading an unassuming life in an unassuming town.

Late one night, two men - thugs who have left a trail of bodies behind them in a series of small thefts - happen into his diner. Tom, his crew and a few patrons are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The vicious pair need money, and the diner is open.

Suddenly, as the gun is being held on him, Tom goes Rambo. The criminals are dispatched with violent skill, although Tom is slightly wounded. Hailed as a hero, Tom's face is seen nationally and, soon after, a mobster from Philadelphia with a scarred face (Ed Harris) shows up and addresses Tom as "Joey," something the family man pleads ignorance to. Tom's heroics were first put down to adrenaline, but suspicions begin to rise. Is nice Tom really this Joey, a man who made his living killing people?

But Cronenberg is asking a deeper question than that. When Tom tells his son not to use violence as a way to settle things, it's after the boy - who until then had seemed a peaceful soul - had thrashed another boy and after the incident at the diner. Is the impulse toward violence inherent? Contagious? The violence in the film is delivered with alarming swiftness that makes it both repelling and exciting.

When Tom comes clean about his past, his wife, Edie, is at first sickened, but that doesn't stop some wrestling between the two from turning into rough sex on a flight of stairs, leaving her confused. Mortensen is excellent as Tom/Joey, flipping personalities with a subtle flicker in his eye.

And William Hurt comes on late for his brief but memorable Oscar-nominated turn in a performance that borders on craziness.

The arc of "A History of Violence" is not unexpected, so telling you Tom is Joey is not going to matter. But in the end, the film will leave you feeling uneasy because Cronenberg ("Dead Ringers") has again peeled back the thin skin of our civilized selves, exposing dark realities about our natures.

"A History of Violence" (New Line; $29.98)

'The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio,' 'The Year Of The Yao'

Based on a true story, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" stars Julianne Moore as a mother of 10, Evelyn Ryan, who in the '50s and '60s enters jingle- and slogan-writing contests to support her family. The film is more about Evelyn's dead-end marriage to Kelly (Woody Harrelson), who drinks, brings home a meager paycheck and ignores her - except for those 10 kids, of course.

"Prize Winner" is decently directed by Jane Anderson, and anything with Moore in it is worth checking out. But it's hard to believe that this film - though meant to be uplifting - speaks to many people. You would hope anyone today with a husband like Kelly would be long gone before 10 kids. But I could be wrong.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, who stands 7-foot-6, is big in the NBA but huge in China. The documentary "The Year of the Yao" follows the superstar as he faced the challenge of coming to America to play. There is certainly something likable about the giant, and the documentary seems to go to pains not to show anything negative. The film is probably most suited to hoop fans, but there are some moments as you watch Yao adjust to America and his teammates that go beyond basketball.

"The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (DreamWorks; $29.99)

"The Year of the Yao" (New Line; $26.98)

The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection,' 'Basic Instinct'

There is a yin and yang among older films.

On one hand, there is "The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection." These are the films of the early '60s starring Dame Margaret Rutherford as the nosy sleuth. They include the 1961 "Murder, She Said," as well "Murder at the Gallop," "Murder Most Foul" and "Murder Ahoy." There's a lot of murder, but the tone is playful and lightweight, and Rutherford is charming.

On the other hand, there is "Basic Instinct - Ultimate Edition - Unrated Director's Cut." Sharon Stone - who played author and notorious leg-crosser Catherine Tramell in the edgy 1992 film noir and will star in the soon-to-be-released sequel - offers a new introduction on this disc. Beyond that, you're on your own to find out what is revealed in this unrated edition.

"The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection" (Warner; $49.98)

"Basic Instinct - Ultimate Edition - Unrated Director's Cut" (Live/Artisan; $19.98)

'I Dream of Jeannie,' 'Sleeper Cell,' 'VIP,' more TV

A show a lot of people have been waiting for to show up on DVD is "I Dream of Jeannie," starring Barbara Eden as the mischievous genie and Larry Hagman as the astronaut Tony Nelson, who uncorked her bottle. The first season (1965-66) is now available in both black and white and in color. The series succeeded because of the pair's great comic timing - and despite the fact that the network covered up Eden's navel.

Showtime's "Sleeper Cell," about terrorists living in our midst, is worth a look. As for "VIP," starring Pamela Anderson as a bodyguard, and "She Spies," with Natasha Henstridge leading a team of female ex-convicts fighting crime, the word "camp" isn't enough. As far as I can tell, the only tension in the two shows came from waiting for the leads to bend forward in their low-cut outfits. But I could be wrong.

Other television-related discs are also listed below.

"I Dream of Jeannie" (Columbia; $39.95) black and white or color

"Sleeper Cell" (Showtime; $34.98)

"VIP" (Columbia; $49.95)

"She Spies - The Complete First Season" (MGM; $39.95)

"Columbo - The Complete Fourth Season" (Universal; $39.98)

"Murder, She Wrote - The Complete Third Season" (Universal; $49.98)

"MacGyver - Season Five" (Paramount; $38.99)

"Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers" (Warner; $19.98)

"Simple Life 3: The Interns" (Fox; $19.98)

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) DAVID STRAITHAIRN in ``GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK''

(2) VIGGO MORTENSEN and MARIA BELLO in ``A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE''

(3) SHARON STONE in ``BASIC INSTINCT''

(4) LARRY HAGMAN and BARBARA EDEN in ``I DREAM OF JEANNIE''