In theaters

MR. WOODCOCK, directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert, 90 minutes, rated PG-13.

The new Craig Gillespie movie, “Mr. Woodcock,” is a tense comedy about a verbally and physically abusive physical education teacher.

It’s for those who remember the days when the bad guy at school wasn’t just the bully in the next seat, but an ex-jock whose life peaked when they were 17 and who now possesses the authority that comes with age, position and a whistle. For some, all those good memories and more will come spilling back while watching “Woodcock,” a movie that stars Billy Bob Thornton in the title role.

And what a title! Nothing subliminal there.

Now about that role. Embracing his inner “Bad Santa” and running riffs on roles he has been playing for years – “Bad News Bears,” “School for Scoundrels,” “The Ice Harvest” – is Thornton, who obviously takes perverse delight in being one mean, uncompromising SOB onscreen, particularly if children are on the receiving end of his wrath.

That the actor is willing to go for it in “Woodcock” is good because what nobody wants in a movie about a cruel gym teacher who picks on his students and barks out orders like a drill sergeant on crystal meth is any trace of humanity. We want the real thing – a monster with no redeeming values. Thornton has the basketballs to give us just that, and God bless him for it.

Too bad about the movie, though, which has been delayed by New Line Cinema for so long, Gillespie’s new movie, “Lars and the Real Girl,” is set to be released in a matter of weeks. Based on Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert’s script, the film focuses much of its attention on Seann William Scott’s John Farley, a best-selling author whose self-help book, “Letting Go,” is all about living in the now and leaving behind all of the negative chi that might have befallen one in the past.

You know, like being pummeled in front of your peers by Mr. Woodcock.

While John’s book suggests popular ways of letting go, what becomes increasingly clear is that John himself can’t do the same. The moment he learns that his widowed mother, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), is dating his old nemesis Woodcock, whose virility is a thing of legend, let’s just say that the past becomes present, though in ways that don’t make for a particularly funny movie.

As John’s agent, Amy Poehler scores a few showy laughs – she has a penchant for the business end of a bottle that tends to lead to some drunken loose lips. A few scenes of John as a young boy (Kyley Baldridge) can be amusing, particularly if, like Woodcock, you don’t especially like children. But otherwise, the jokes in “Mr. Woodcock” fall flat in ways that curiously contradict the title.

Grade: C-

On DVD

Several worthwhile television series now are available on DVD, the best of which hails from the BBC. It’s “All Creatures Great and Small: The Complete Collection,” and thus far, it’s the boxed set to beat this year.

Debuting in 1978 and running for seven seasons, the show was an enormous hit for good reason – it sprang from James Herriot’s popular book about a naive Yorkshire vet (Christopher Timothy) who has his share of adventures in the English countryside when he becomes the assistant for the eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Robert Hardy – wonderful).

Mayhem ensues, but so does hard-won respect from the prickly natives who love and rely upon their many farm animals. Set during the 1930s and stretching into the 1950s, this nostalgic show recalls a less-harried time, but it’s too smart to overtly pine for it. The richness of the storytelling and the attention to characters drive the episodes, with the 28 discs in the collection including the series’ specials, a 48-minute documentary on Herriot, and many commentaries and features.

Also new to DVD is the second season of “Bones,” in which FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and forensic anthropologist and novelist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) team up to solve their share of grisly crimes. Since a whiff of the “CSI” and “Murder, She Wrote” franchises hang over the production, the writers rely on the wry humor and the chemistry between the leads to set the series apart. They succeed. In this second season, the romantic tension between Booth and Bones simmers.

For comedies, two are worth noting. First is the irreverent “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” a darkly funny series that always has felt like a hybrid of “Seinfeld,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Arrested Development,” with a dash of “Cheers” thrown in since the show takes place at a bar.

The premise is simple – in fact, it’s about nothing. The three male owners of Paddy’s Irish Pub (Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day) spar daily with their bartender, Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson), who will remind plenty of Elaine from “Seinfeld” – albeit amplified. Danny DeVito joins the cast in the second season and, as you’d expect, his involvement lifts the already engaging comedy.

Finally, for a solid throwback, there’s “The Addams Family, Vol. 3,” which features the last 21 episodes of a series that surprisingly ran only two years. Highlights include “Uncle Fester, Tycoon,” “Gomez, The Reluctant Lover” and the delirious “Christmas with the Addams Family,” which is right on par with the buffoonery found within “Pugsley’s Allowance.” The set includes commentaries and the peculiar game of Tombstone Trivia. Sail through that game, and you know you’re a pop-culture geek.

Grades: “Creatures”: A; “Bones”: B+; “Philadelphia”: B; “Addams”: B+

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s reviews, which appear Mondays, Fridays and weekends in Lifestyle, as well as on bangordailynews.com. He may be reached at christopher@weekinrewind.com.

The Video-DVD Corner

Renting a video or a DVD? BDN film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases in video stores. Those in bold print are new to video stores this week.

Akeelah and the Bee – B+

Blades of Glory – B+

Blood Diamond – C+

Boston Legal: Season Three – A

Breach – B+

Breaking and Entering – C-

Casino Royale – A

Charlotte’s Web – B+

Children of Men – A

The Dead Girl – A-

Death Proof – B+

The Devil Wears Prada – B+

Disturbia – B

Eragon – C

Everyone’s Hero – C+

Evening: DVD, HD DVD – C+

Fail Safe – A-

Family Guy, Vol. 5 – B-

Flags of Our Fathers – B+

The Fountain – D

Fracture – C

Georgia Rule – D+

Gods and Generals: HD DVD, Blu-ray – D-

The Good German – C

The Good Shepherd – B-

Hannibal Rising – C

Happy Feet – A-

The Hills Have Eyes II – D

The History Boys – B+

The Holiday – C+

Hollywoodland – C

The Illusionist – B+

Infamous – B+

Invincible – B

Knocked Up: DVD, HD DVD – A

Letters from Iwo Jima – B+

Little Children – A-

Lucky You – C+

The Marine – C+

Music and Lyrics – B

Next – D

Night at the Museum – C+

Notes on a Scandal – B+

Pan’s Labyrinth – A

Perfect Stranger – C-

The Prestige – B+

Primeval – D

Prison Break: Season Two – B+

The Queen – A-

Rocky Balboa – B+

A Scanner Darkly – B+

Sherrybaby – B+

Shooter – C+

300 – C-

Unaccompanied Minors – C

The Unit: Season Two – B-

Vacancy – C+

Venus – B+

We Are Marshall – D

Zodiac – C