Fast Scans, November 15, 2010 

Arn: The Knight Templar. color. 133+ min. In English, Swedish, Arabic, & French w/English subtitles. Entertainment One. 2007. DVD ISBN 9781417233366; Blu-ray ISBN 9781417234233. $24.98. Rated: R.
Based on a trilogy by popular Swedish author Jan Guillou, director Peter Flinth’s sumptuous epic (the priciest in Scandinavian history) calls to mind Kingdom of Heaven and Braveheart with its old-fashioned tale of a heroic nobleman’s son sent to fight in the Crusades while his one true love endures her penance in a convent awaiting his return. Capable but little-known leads Joakim Nätterqvist and Sofia Helin are abetted by the familiar Simon Callow, Stellan Skarsgård, et al., in a widely appealing period piece.

The Killer Inside Me. color. 109+ min. IFC Films, dist. by MPI. 2010. DVD UPC 030306975795. $19.98; Blu-ray UPC 030306185590. $29.98. Rated: R.
An outwardly normal small-town Texas deputy sheriff (Casey Affleck) with a big score to settle with an obnoxious local kingpin (Ned Beatty) unleashes his inner psychotic in a string of startling killings. Closely adapting Jim Thompson’s 1952 dime novel, Michael Winterbottom persuasively re-creates the period look and feel on a small budget, with ironic use of pop standards, opera, and classical music. Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson provide enjoyable supporting performances in this insidiously brutal film noir for genre buffs.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. 2 discs. color. 123+ min. In English & Japanese w/English subtitles. Criterion Collection, dist. by Image Entertainment. 1983. DVD ISBN 9781604653168. $29.95; 1-disc Blu-ray ISBN 9781604653151. $39.95.
Set in a Java prisoner-of-war camp circa 1942, Nagisa Oshima’s clash of cultures between British army officers (David Bowie, Tom Conti) and their Japanese commandant (Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also wrote the memorable score) recalls the similar battle of wills in the more action-oriented Bridge on the River Kwai. Seppuku, or ritual suicide, is one point of contention, prompting the question, “What deeds could be done in the name of honor?” It seems one person’s honor is another’s cowardice. For astute viewers.

The Secret in Their Eyes. color. 129+ min. In Spanish w/English subtitles. Sony. 2010. DVD UPC 043396352902. $28.99; Blu-ray UPC 043396355958. $38.99. Rated: R.
While writing a book based on an unresolved murder case, a retired criminal investigator is troubled by the past. Reconnecting with a former colleague–turned–judge (Soledad Villamil), the erstwhile detective (Ricardo Darín) gets not only a second chance at securing justice but another shot at the one big romance that got away. Adroitly mixing police procedural and love story, director Juan José Campanella’s work won the best foreign-film Oscar over the artistically bold but emotionally unfulfilling front runner The White Ribbon.

Seven Samurai. 2 discs. b/w. 207 min. In Japanese w/English subtitles. Criterion Collection, dist. by Image Entertainment. 1954. Blu-ray ISBN 9781604652475. $49.95.
Generally acknowledged as the greatest Japanese film, Akira Kurosawa’s classic about seven hired swords picked to protect a feudal farming village from brigands has the distinction of being among the initial foreign films remade stateside (as the entertaining but lesser The Magnificent Seven). Upgraded in 2006 from a prior release, that extensive makeover has been tweaked for its magnificent Blu-ray debut, with a plethora of extras adding luster to a film that even viewers who don’t like reading subtitles can enjoy.