The Movie: Spending time in a recent Woody Allen film is like taking tea with a slightly addled great aunt who continually offers, from the depths of an enormous handbag, peppermints that fossilized during the Ford administration: It’s tedious, obligatory, and stale. Allen’s frozen-in-carbonite sensibility pervades Melinda, a story told as both comedy and tragedy (though regardless of the genre, the title character, played by Radha Mitchell, is self- centered, imperious, and infuriating). The sprawling cast displays a dizzying variety of acting styles, and many of the talented actors flounder with Allen’s exposition-heavy dialogue. One exception is Will Ferrell, who has a surprising facility with Allen’s nervous rhythms.

The Disc: The disc offers Melinda in widescreen and full-screen presentations. Otherwise, this is bare-bones; maestro Allen must be above such vulgarities as DVD extras.—S.B.