New on DVD: The Simpsons, Blade Runner (The Final Cut) and Balls of Fury

Only one of this week's releases can actually be considered a National Treasure (part 1)

by John P. Meyer

If you like ping pong, overweight heroes and Christopher Walken in oriental drag, this just might be your dream film.

Hitting your local video stores on this date are such recent blockbuster films as The Simpsons Movie, which has already brought us beer and donut-flavored ice cream; and Blade Runner - The Final Cut. (I'll believe that "final" part when they pry the raw film footage from Sir Ridley Scott's cold, dead fingers.)

Also premiering on home players is the out-of-bounds sports comedy Balls of Fury (featuring Christopher Walken in oriental drag), along with more dated big studio film fare such as Mel Gibson's oscar-winner Braveheart (in a "special collector's edition") and National Treasure (in a two-disk "collector's set"). It's probably no coincidence that the next installment of Treasure (subtitled Book of Secrets) opens this Friday (Dec. 21); look for our review of that one on opening day.