Though it has nothing to do with the writers strike, there is not much in the way of new films for the start of a new year. The early crop of films, such as they are, is so weak that studios won’t bother to screen them for critics.

This neglect is a calculated strategy to dump some lousy films on an unsuspecting public. Well, I won’t fall for it, and neither should you. So let’s take a look at some of the DVD releases for the short term, and figure out if staying home is a better option.

If the writers strike keeps going on indefinitely, we might be seeing more DVD releases like the one for El Cid, starring film legends Sophia Loren and Charlton Heston from a bygone era when grand-scale, sweeping historical epic films were made in Hollywood. The Limited Collector’s Edition of El Cid digitally remasters its picture and sound, with an introduction by director Martin Scorsese.

The richly romanticized tale of a real-life Castilian knight and legendary Spanish hero earned several Oscar nominations and popular acclaim. The special two-disc DVD set includes not only multiple featurettes, but also reproductions of the original 1961 souvenir program and original 1961 El Cid comic book.

An ongoing trend in the DVD business is the reliance on the ubiquitous Collector’s Edition to spice up old favorites. This is the case for director Rob Reiner’s timeless romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally.

Starring in the titular roles, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan attempted in comical ways to answer the question of whether sex will ruin a true friendship between a man and a woman. The film was memorable for some of the greatest scenes and quotes in movie history. Now, this special edition of the DVD has many hilarious deleted scenes and never-before-seen bonus features, including the “I Love New York” featurette in which the cast and crew describe the location and its importance in setting the story.

Denzel Washington cut a charismatic figure as Frank Lucas, the brutal heroin kingpin from Harlem, smuggling the drug into the country from the Far East in American Gangster. This film may be released on DVD sometime in February at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the true story of Frank Lucas’ drug rival during this era is being released as Mr. Untouchable. Nicky Barnes became the face of drug trafficking and dominated the heroin trade scene of the 1970s. Trusted and trained by two Italian mobsters, Barnes set up his own black crime family, the Council.

Infamous for his excessive lifestyle and inability to be prosecuted, Barnes was dubbed “Mr. Untouchable.” After 23 years of silence, Mr. Untouchable includes firsthand tell-all testimony from Nicky Barnes, who is currently in a witness protection program. The film includes interviews from former Council members and others in the Barnes drug collective. One of the bonus features is a recorded phone conversation between Nicky Barnes and Frank Lucas.

Maybe you didn’t catch this quirky dark comedy series when it was on the FX network, but now you can pick up The Riches Season One DVD set.

Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver star as Wayne and Dahlia Malloy, who take their family of three children for a life on-the-run to con and scam the unsuspecting and the greedy. One day, in a darkly comedic twist of fate, an opportunity presents itself, allowing the Malloys to escape from their past by pulling off the con of all cons. They assume the identity of a family living a privileged life in an exclusive, gated suburban community. Living as law-abiding citizens is complicated by nosy neighbors, jealous fellow con artists, and authorities hot on their trail.

British actor Clive Owen is not quite a household name, but he’s done terrific work in films like Croupier and Children of Men. Not so long ago, in recognition of his charisma and physical presence, he was touted as a possible James Bond. His early television work made him a huge star in Britain, and now it is time to catch up to Chancer.

Acorn Media already released Chancer, Series 1 last year, and now “Series 2” delivers the final seven episodes about a con artist, swindler and purported savior of a struggling sports car company.

The central figure is Clive Owen’s Stephen Crane, an irresistible rogue who gets caught up in enough intrigues involving sex, money and power struggles to rival anything seen on Dynasty or Dallas.

Jason Biggs, who achieved notoriety by carnal knowledge of baked goods in American Pie, stars with Isla Fisher in the riotous comedy Wedding Daze. After suddenly losing his “perfect girlfriend,” Biggs is convinced he’ll never find love again.

But at the urging of his best friend, he spontaneously proposes to a neurotic coffee shop waitress named Katie (Fisher). Thus starts an unusual journey to the wedding, which somehow involves a prison break by the bride’s father and a robbery of a clothing store for appropriate wedding attire.

The Dragon Dynasty label from the Weinstein Co. keeps cranking out martial arts films. Fatal Contact presents a dark, amoral world with contemporary style, pace and themes.

A naïve martial arts champion of China’s national team, Kong (Wu Jing) is desperate for cash and with the added pressure from his girlfriend he reluctantly joins an underground fighting ring. Blending visually brilliant fight scenes with raw violence, Fatal Contact is broken up by occasional humor from the supporting cast, including funnyman Ronald Cheng.

The post-holiday cinematic blues should end in the next week, and the studios will be back to promoting even their mediocre product.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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