New on DVD

A Christmas Tale

(Criterion, $39.95)

The latest from France’s Arnaud Desplechin isn’t your typical Christmas movie, said The Washington Post. The “ever-regal” Catherine Deneuve stars as a mother with terminal cancer. Though dark, the film is a “refreshing change” from Hollywood’s “holly-jolly holiday fare.”

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Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian

(Fox, $29.98)

If you have a “houseful of kids” for the holidays, just pop in this highly diverting sequel, said the New York Daily News. Ben Stiller stirs up enough “historical chaos” inside the Washington, D.C., museum to keep little ones distracted for an afternoon.

The Golden Age of Television

(Criterion, $49.96)

“When the small screen was in its infancy,” it soared close to high art, said the Los Angeles Times. Rod Serling, Paddy Chayefsky, Sidney Lumet, and others created still-legendary live dramas. This three-disc set unites the best of Playhouse 90, Studio One, and other epochal series.