The Screening Room

This little ditty has been running in the print Guide Daily for months. We thought we'd let you take a look at it. It's just to keep you updated weekly until the Couch Potato weighs in on a monthly basis. Sometimes, there will be a story, this one on Metalocalypse Season 3, to add to the mix. As always, if you don't find your favorite here, go to our DVD page. Ready? Let's go!

(Photo of Dethklok from Metalocalypse by Adult Swim)

The need to catch up on the Harry Potter films prompted me to finally sign up for Netflix this weekend. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm only 10 years behind everyone else on signing up. Whatever, don't hate.) With a one-month free trial, there really wasn't a reason not to. In fact, I'm pretty sure I may stick with it because ohmygod did I spend hours - HOURS, I tell you - browsing titles Sunday morning and adding them to my instant queue (PS3 for the win!).

So here are the movies I got in there now, just waiting for me.
What else do you suggest I add to my Netflix instant queue?

The Crazies
Alice in Wonderland
The Never Ending Story
Ponyo
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Angels & Demons
The Secret of Kells
Survival of the Dead
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Muppets from Space
The Messenger
Mad Max
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
Year One
Art & Copy
Paper Heart
Michael Jackson's This Is It

I love love LOVE the weekends. There's finally time to just sit and watch movie after movie. I usually get two to five in each weekend. This weekend I got my first viewings of:

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Thank you, Syfy, for this one. It's like you know me. I came across this Bradley Cooper slasher-horror fun late Saturday night, which of course led to trouble sleeping throughout the night (but hey, that lingering fear is why I love me some scary movies!). The Hangover star plays photographer Leon Kaufman, who is obsessed with a butcher he suspects is responsible for passenger disappearances dating back hundreds of years. We'll just add riding underground trains at night to the danger list.
Familiar faces Vinnie Jones, Brooke Shields and Leslie Bibb also star.

Also watched 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' and 'Babies'. Keep on reading for thoughts ...

Beware the discoveries you make over an extended weekend. That's exactly what happened to me when I suddenly got hooked on Apple TV, a device we've owned for a while. Sitting there on my couch, not wanting to watch fireworks, I started playing around with Apple TV ... and wow! I did a search for many of my favorite movies dating back to the 1960s, and most were there, some with rental fees as low as 99 cents. My wife and I ended up renting New York, I Love You, an indie film from 2009. Although uneven at times, this ensemble art film of interlocking stories worked beautifully at times, not so beautifully at others. The short film within the larger film that worked best featured Julie Christie as an aging opera star. But back to my point: I then did a search for Goodbye, Columbus, a 1969 classic from my high school days at W.W. Samuell in Pleasant Grove. They had it on Apple TV! It's the film that "introduced" Ali MacGraw to movies (she played the female lead, opposite Richard Benjamin, in a film adapted from a Philip Roth novella). Apple TV requires wi-fil (a wireless Internet connection) and a high-def TV. The picture is great in high-def (many of its movies can be watched either in standard def or high def), and it's also great for listening to all of the music in your iTunes library. Very cool.

Photo: Ali MacGraw and Richard Benjamin in Goodbye, Columbus

No Couch Potato in the paper this week (I was busy, so sue me), but that's what the Internet is for. Well, that and and other less wholesome things. Keep reading for my thoughts on Shutter Island, the Martin Scorsese mindgame thriller that comes out Tuesday.

The latest in an ongoing series: Vintage films you gotta see.

I've had Prohibition on the brain of late, a consequence of doing research for a story running this Sunday on Daniel Okrent's new book Last Call. So it seemed like a good time to revisit Raoul Walsh's 1939 gangster classic, a story of World War I veterans who decide to make a buck through bootlegging when the country goes dry.

Among the many thoughts that crossed my mind as I watched the epic sheep drive doc Sweetgrass: I gotta see Red River again. The immaculate Howard Hawks Western is actually about a cattle drive but you get the drift. Lots of animals being transported over endless miles for greener pastures.

Here's all the juicy details from the press release. Tell us, which Borders location will you be at Friday night?

Twilight Saga fans are invited to Borders stores in Texas Friday, March 19 to celebrate the release of the highly anticipated The Twilight Saga: New Moon DVD. Borders is offering a collector's edition gift set of "the DVD with more than 90 minutes of exclusive content including never-before-seen extended scenes. After enjoying a host of activities, fans can purchase the special edition DVD when it goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20.

The festivities kick off at 10 p.m. when fans will gather to celebrate their passion for Edward, Bella, Jacob. Party attendees will be welcomed with a specially-recorded video message from actors Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and others. Activities include:charades, a movie debate sponsored by fan site TwilightSeriesTheories.com, and a quote contest.

Borders is once again hosting the "Borders Movie Awards," where fans in each Borders store will have the opportunity to cast their votes in award categories such as "Best Shirtless Moment," "Best Fight," "Best Scene," "Best Song" and "Most Reckless Bella Moment." To cast ballots, fans simply download a ballot, complete it and bring it with them to the party (ballots will also be available at the parties). Award category winners will be announced at the end of the evening.

Next week's Sapphire Blue-ray release of The Godfather and The Godfather II brings up a debate that's always fun: Which movie is better? In today's Couch Potato column I state my case for Part II, but by no means is it a slam dunk. One point I make only in passing: Part II does a brilliant job of using the Mafia as a metaphor for the American corporation, especially in the Cuba section ("That's why they call him Superman." Thanks Fredo). In some ways the bottom line ends up corrupting Michael just as much as family loyalty.

In any case, any excuse to watch these movies is a good one. They get better with every viewing. And how about this '70s hot streak for Coppola: The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation (see it now if you haven't) and Apocalypse Now. As they used to say on SportsCenter, en fuego.

That's this Saturday, so if you haven't added them to your collection yet, now's the time. My Disney Movie Club e-newsletter reminds me that production will stop on DVDs and Blu-rays on Jan. 30 for Sleeping Beauty 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition, The Jungle Book 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition, The Jungle Book 2 Special Edition, and four 101 Dalmatians movies, including 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure Special Edition, 101 Dalmatians (the 1996 live-action one), and the 2000 live-action 102 Dalmatians. A couple box sets of these films exclusive to the club are being locked away too.

I'm anxiously awaiting the liberation of Beauty and the Beast from the vault later this year. I don't know how, but I somehow missed that one. And the waiting has been looooong. If any of these are on your list of must-haves, I suggest getting them now, because who knows when your next chance will be.

When I chose to review 35 Shots of Rum and write about Paris, Texas for the Couch Potato column I didn't immediately see the connection - at least not consciously. Rum director Claire Denis (an acquired taste that I long ago acquired) cut her teeth with fellow minimalists including Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. She was an assistant director on Wenders' indelible Paris, Texas. That's not all - Rum's cinematographer, the great Agnes Godard, was first assistant camera on Wenders' film.

Watching Rum and Paris back to back was quite the immersive experience. They are both, by any objective measure, slow. But they're also very assured; they absolutely nail a dreamlike mood of wandering and uncertainty. I'm thrilled that Denis' films still get distribution in a mid-size market like Dallas (thanks to The Cinema Guild and the Angelika for making that happen). The big Oscar contenders are all well and good but it's always a pleasure to have the option of something different.

You've all probably been wondering about The Couch Potato's whereabouts. Or not. In any case, the C.P. has rolled over from Tuesday to Friday for the foreseeable future. This week's main DVD attraction is The Golden Age of Television, a stellar Criterion anthology of '50s teleplays featuring the likes of Paul Newman, Rod Steiger, Mickey Rooney Jack Palance and many others. Good stuff.

Golden Age is out now, but future columns will look ahead to the following Tuesday's releases. Next week look for the potato's take on Michael Mann's Public Enemies.

Happy Thanksgiving. Watch lots of movies.

Once again The Couch Potato has french-fried the limits of our paper product with too much verbiage. We're thinking about moving our digs from Tuesdays to Fridays to avoid such real estate issues. In the mean time, here's a brief rundown of this week's releases. The reviews of Up and Heat (love one-word titles) Blu-rays will be online soon at http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/movies/ .

The Ugly Truth -- Katherine Heigel and Gerard Butler butt heads in this romantic comedy.

Spread -- Ashton Kutcher takes enough time off from Twittering to bed lots of ladies.

Sesame Street: 40 years of Sunny Days -- Two discs of Sesame gold. Get your Snuffleupagus on.

Death in the Garden -- Luis Bunuel gets jungle fever with Simone Signoret.

Logan's Run (Blu-ray) -- '70s sci-fi gets 21st-century treatment.

Near Dark (Blu-ray): Twiwhat? Kathryn Bigelow's 1987 down-home vampire drama is still a keeper.

Coming next week

Star Trek

Blu-ray: Gone With the Wind

The Couch Potato got so excited about this week's DVD releases that he wrote way over his allotted space. (Cursed newshole). Here's what got cut. Enjoy.

Gone but not forgotten

The best impressionists don't turn into carbon copies of their subjects; they take a trait or two and accentuate to hilarious proportions. That's what Will Ferrell does in You're Welcome America, his Tony-nominated one-man George W. Bush show captured for posterity by HBO.

Ferrell's Bush is the swaggering, eager-to-please frat boy more comfortable with bestowing jocular nicknames than conducting foreign policy. The anger of You're Welcome America -- and it's there if you look deep enough -- is wrapped snugly inside the comedian's art. And if you want a little bit of inexplicable full-frontal nudity, they got that, too. This is, after all, Will Ferrell.

Also this week

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 -- Underrated Tony Scott remake in standard and Blu-ray.

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra -- The cobra rises. Filmmaking falls.

The Watchmen: Ultimate Blu-Ray -- Apparently even more ultimate than the previous Blu-ray.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season One -- Love me some General Grievous.

Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart -- Acclaimed documentary on the banjo maestro and the instrument's African folk traditions.

So the marketing-savvy folks at Disney have unleashed a combo DVD/Blu-ray package edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A few thoughts:

The film looks remarkably clear - almost too clear. There's something about the old-fashioned Disney animation style - 1937, in this case - that's a little jarring in Blu-ray. The line looks harder than ever; you half expect Her Fairness to jump of the screen and sing in your ear.

It is indeed a pioneering work of narrative feature-length animation: strong story arc, vivid characters, everything we would come to take for granted in animated movies.

Speaking of song: When I think back to the satiric slings and arrows hurled by Shrek, I think of Snow White. Spontaneous treacle abounds. This is one happy chick.

Finally: What's with the "fair" obsession? Why is the queen so color-conscious? Of course nine years later Disney would remove all subtext with Song of the South. Snow "White?" Hmmm. Better get Undercover Brother on the case. In the meantime, The Princess and the Frog await.

I've always had a thing for American movies of the '30s. The period is right up there with the early-to-mid '70s in terms of artistic creativity; the coming of sound and the turmoil of the Great Depression combined to yield some of the most bracing work to emerge from American pop culture. Now I've got an extra reason to indulge my habit. I'm almost done with Dancing in the Dark, Morris Dickstein's addictive cultural history of the Great Depression (which I'll be writing about soon in the DMN). So I've been staying up way too late digging into the world of '30s comedy, a field always worth revisiting.

If you're looking for a theme for your next party, this week's DVD releases have one (or two) ready and waiting for you. Blaxploitation films probably won't become the rage that they once were, but with Black Lightning on its way to a theater near you, there's no better time for that party. Out this week and fitting snugly into that genre are double features of Blacula/Scream, Blacula, Scream; Black Mama, White Mama/Foxy Brown; Cornbread Earl & Me/Cooley High; Hell Up in Harlem/Cotton Comes to Harlem; Coffee/Friday Foster.

Or go with an animated theme with a lot of Batman , Batman & Robin, Batman Beyond and Scooby Doo on the release schedule, along with Static Shock and Ben 10. Or even a poetry night, with Brave New Voices or Russell Simmons Presents: Def Poetry. Yes, Brave New Voices is also presented by Simmons.

Whichever. It's your choice.

Other releases

Bring it On: Fight to the Finish - Hey, you might as well finish out the series. This time, Christina Milian stars as the fish out of water with mad cheer skills.
Brave New Voices - Queen Latifah narrates and Russell Simmons presents as youth teams from 45 cities compete to see whose voice will be lifted.
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season - Oh, Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe ... what would TV be without you?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Ninth Season - Eww. Did you see that time that the eyeball was in the tree?! Eww. Double eww.

Adventureland - Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart working at an amusement park and set in the 1980s? Well, you'd be there, too.
American Son - Don't let the Nick Cannon fool you. He's left behind his antics for grown-man fare as he plays a Marine who faces telling his friends and family that he's being deployed to Iraq amidst problems at home.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - I adore this series and seriously can't quit humming its jazzy theme song. And I'm not the one when you're messing with the Big DC Three: Wonder Woman, Batman or Superman. This series pairs one of the comics titans three, well, titans with other lesser-known DC heroes. Red Tornado has a heart? Awwww. Who knew?
Californication: The Second Season - David Duchovny helped to build the Showtime original programming brand into what you see today with this series about a man with, shall we say, obsessions.
Children of the Corn: 25th Anniversary Edition - 25th Anniversay Edition? It was high camp then and perfect fodder for a remake. And someone finally made my dreams come true with Syfy's version. Love it!
Duplicity - Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play the spies who loved each other but not more than they love the con. The movie wasn't universally loved upon initial release. Give it another try here.
Fighting - Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard talk a whole lot about the title, but don't do enough of it. Come on! That's bait and switch! But, still. Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.
Grindhouse Greats Collection - Cult movies? Check. Horror classics? We'll get back to you. Nevertheless, you know you want to see Madman of Mandoras, also known as They Saved Hitlers' Brain.
House: Season Five - Anyone with a chronic condition wants Dr. House as their doctor. Forget bedside manner; I want results! Seasons one through five are also available today as a set.
Lie to Me: Season One - Tim Roth affects an American accent the best way he knows how (dropped consonants and long vowels) in this series that examines lying.
Life: Season Two - The last season of the NBC show about a man framed and put in prison who gets out and resumes his life as a cop.
San Francisco 49ers: Five Greatest Games - Also out today is The New York Giants: 10 Greatest Games. In what sports fans heads does that make any sense? I guess the Chargers DVD will last five minutes. And, they're of ...
Otis Redding: Respect Otis Live - It's one thing to hear him sing "Respect." It's another to feel him sing it as you will on this DVD.
Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season - Follow the antics of the staff at Mercy as they move to ABC, home of the broad comedy with a ginormous laugh track.
Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season - Lois crushes on Clark while Green Arrow and company save some of the day. Chloe, well, that's her in left field with Doomsday. If you're still reading, good for you. We welcome you, fellow geek.
The Suite Life on Deck: Anchors Away - Now, the boys are living on an oceanliner in, you guessed it, a suite. They're still so very cute! (And how slow is London anyway?)
Sunshine Cleaning - What job would you do in this recession? These girls (Amy Adams and Emily Blunt) decide to go in the cleaning business. As in, I'll clean up that gruesome crime scene, no problem.

If it's Tuesday, then it must be DVDs. Here goes:

Fast & Furious - Like the tagline says, it's the same old parts - Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez. But that adds a certain anticipatory air to the blow-em-up, drive-fast proceedings. (I just don't think they meant that about the story, too, or the absence of the articles in the title.) And most of the women look, well, skanky. But if you're in, you're in. 'Fess up and buy the darn thing.
Dragonball: Evolution - I've often wondered where James Marsters would turn up. Well, he's here in the live adaptation of the days before Dragonball-Z.
An American Affair - A teen witnesses the events of 1963, including JFK's affair and assassination plans.

For more new releases, go to our video and DVD page. You can also find some TV on DVD releases on the TV blog.

This week (and next with Battlestar Galactica DVDs, Dragonball: Evolution and Torchwood: Children of Earth) is prime time for the geek contingent. Come with us on a fantastic voyage as we recount the ways that your movie-watching nights can be happy.

Coraline --Neil Gaiman's work gets the stop-motion treatment from Henry Selick. Dakota Fanning voices the tyke who finds out her dream world can be a nightmare.
Watchmen: Director's Cut -- Director Zack Snyder's vision of the seminal graphic novel. You know you want to.
The Great Buck Howard -- It's worth it just to see John Malkovich play a "washed-up" mentalist. Fun, funny, heartbreaking, all that.
Hotel: The First Season -- Remember the theme music? I do. I remember being fascinated by Harry Belafonte Jr.'s daughter with her close-cropped hair. And getting the sheet music for the theme song. I've been a geek for a loooooong time.
The Lucy Show: The Official First Season -- All by herself, well with her friend Vivian, Lucy keeps the shenanigans going. Still golden after all these years.
The Mighty Boosh: Seasons 1-3 -- You either get this far-out, trippy series on Adult Swim. Or you don't. For those who do, these individual two-disc sets are where it's at.
Prison Break: The Final Break -- Got some questions about Michael and the gang that are still bothering you? Well, this wraps things up in a messy little bow.
Pushing Daisies: The Complete Series -- This is another one of those series that's better served by DVD than episodic television. You can turn the quirk up to 11 and spend time wondering why Chi McBride, Kristen Chenoweth and Ellen Greene (what a voice on that one) aren't on your TV every night. Or not. Your choice.
Robot Chicken Star Wards: Episode 2 -- LOL ... wait, I can't even write about it, I'm laughing so hard. LOL ... OK. If you've ever chafed at the sheer seriousness of the saga that was Star Wars and how seriously the saga takes itself, you must watch this. Darth Vader does what? Luke, really? I don't want to give any of the gags away. But the item is a must-have for fans and detractors alike. Equally funny for both groups. Trust me.

For more DVD releases this week, go to our DVDs page.

FYI: The almost warmly received remake of Wes Craven's '70s film is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Aug. 18.

If you remember, the story of a mother and father seeking a bit of revenge (not nearly served cold) for the injuries done to their daughter came to theaters not so long ago. (If you were like me, you were saying, "Don't do that to Aquamarine!" through a good portion of the film.) If you weren't, you were probably tickled pink by the violence. Or tickled sick. Or just creeped out. (I could go on ...)

Either way, there you go. The Last House on the Left, out Aug. 18.

(Photo by Lacey Terrell/Rogue Pictures)

Christmas has come in June.

The Norman Lear Collection is a television lover's dream. And that's not only because it features the first seasons of seven of the producer's greatest groundbreaking creations: All in the Family, which begat The Jeffersons; Maude which begat Good Times; Sanford and Son; One Day at a Time; and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Lear literally changed the face of television with feminists, black actors and single mothers, along with hot-button issues of the day, taking the spotlight.

The 19-disc set also includes the pilot for All in the Family, then called Those Were the Days. There are tons of special features, including "The Birth of All in the Family" and "Ain't We Lucky We Got 'Em: Good Times," with Norman Lear and Jimmie Walker talking about the show and black audiences.

Lear, who's now 87 years old, hasn't rested on those laurels; he pens a blog for the Hufftington Post and has a record label (!) and an interest in Village Roadshow Pictures.

I can't imagine his trademark shows being produced today. Those shows still can make a viewer flinch sometimes with the brutal honesty of everyday life.

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music The Director's Cut 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition - The Oscar-winning documentary gets the director's cut treatment. And on this DVD, you can make your own playlist. Want Hendrix to lead off instead of batting cleanup? Yes, you can.
The Jack Lemmon Film Collection - Comedy -- "with a twist of Lemmon." And that's how we like it. There's five films in this collections, all comedies from Columbia Pictures: Phffft!, Operation Mad Ball, The Notorious Landlady, Under the Yum Yum Tree and Good Neighbor Sam.
Crossing Over - Harrison Ford and immigrants in a Crash-like tale that focuses on immigration.
Gran Torino - The neighborhood changes around a flinty, crusty (read: angry) Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood), who is forced to face his own prejudices.
The International - Clive Owen and Naomi Watts trace murder and intrigue across the world and back to the world's largest bank.
Spinning Into Butter - Sarah Jessica Parker confronts her own ideas about race in this movie based on the play.

For more DVDs, click here.

So, I've been gone for a bit tending to other things under my hat. But I'm back with more and more and more DVDs. Here goes:

Friday Night Lights: The Third Season - Well-acted, well-written and generally underlooked (yeah, I made up a word; what of it?). Discover it here and then go back to the beginning.
My Bloody Valentine 3-D - The deluxe edition comes with four pairs of 3-D glasses, the better to see the few tricks that this dud of a remake has up its sleeve. But, hey, there's Jensen Ackles!
Outlander - Jim Caviziel crash-lands in early A.D. Norway. And then the movie gets heavy. It wasn't as bad as some have said, but it takes some stick-to-it-iveness.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop - Kevin James had a blockbuster hit with his take on security officers in a mall. The kids will like it. You? You tell me ...
True Blood: The Complete First Season - If you read the books by Charlaine Harris, HBO's first season of True Blood was almost too faithful. That said, I watched every episode. And now, so can you. And you should. One can only hope the humor of the books is etched more definitively into the series about a girl who can hear thoughts, Sookie Stackhouse, and her vampire lover, Bill Compton, in a world where vampires have come out of the closet. It's only 12 episodes but there are those extras (hmmmm, Bill, and Lafayette dishing dirt on the residents of Bon Temps? Hee).
Valkyrie - It's action-figure Tom Cruise, playing a German officer in a group of military types that are trying to kill Hitler. The accents are all over the place, and Tom looks like he's play-acting, not the real thing.

For other DVDs released today, click here.

Battlestar Galactica fans won't have to wait long to dissect their favorite diversion. Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 will be released on July 28 on Blu-ray and DVD. Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series, all 25 disks of it, will also be released in both formats that day.

That's a whole lot of Starbuck (pssst -- I saw Gaeta on Smallville Thursday night). But fans of this show, including some of us on this staff (me! me!), can't wait to press pause, then rewind, then zoom in on all the little things we might have missed the first (or second or third) time around.

Of course, SciFi (I think I'll always call it that no matter what NBC Universal says; they're changing the name to Syfy in July) has already blessed us with Caprica (already out on DVD). But Caprica is a much different animal in look and tone, which I guess it should be seeing that's it's pre-fleeing for their lives from the very machines that they built.

Anyway, I really just have one thing to say: "I love you Bill!"

(Photo from Universal Home Entertainment)

It was December 1971. I was spending the holidays in New York City, where I decided to go to the opening night of a new movie set in Texas, titled The Last Picture Show. As a native Texan, it blew me away. I had no idea what a national sensation it would become, launching the careers of Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges and giving director Peter Bogdanovich his best film ever. And no one, of course, can underestimate the genius of author Larry McMurtry, who wrote the novel in 1966. It was "lovingly dedicated" to McMurtry's hometown, Archer City, where the movie was filmed. He co-wrote the screenplay with Bogdanovich, earning the pair one of the film's eight Oscar nominations. And that's why Thursday night's screening of The Last Picture Show, and post-film discussion with Bogdanovich at the Nasher Sculpture Center, was so memorable. It proved to be one of the highlights of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival and served as a sublime beginning to the Nasher's new series, Free Films on First Thursdays. (See previous Playlist item for further details on the series and click below to read on!)

Photo: Peter Bogdanovich

Just heard that it was director Catherine Hardwicke who made a surprise appearance at the Borders in Allen for the store's Twilight release party. Anyone see her there? How amazing was that?

Evidently the Borders bookstore in Allen and the Blockbuster in Frisco were on an official list for a visit from Twilight cast members according to Access Hollywood. Can't wait to find out if it all happened as planned and who came...Any details anyone?

There was a crazy rumor going around at the party at the Borders in Plano that the cast from Twilight was going to pop into the Borders in Allen for the midnight release of the DVD. Don't know if there's any truth to that -- seems kind of out there -- but some teens were so convinced that they left Plano to head to Allen, with a patient parent in tow. Well, it's 9 minutes to midnight, so I guess we'll know soon enough!

Just got back from the Twilight DVD release party at the Borders at Park and Preston in Plano and it was fun. It wasn't packed like the Harry Potter parties, but the fans -- about fifty in all -- were fervent and having a blast.

I saw a LOT of Team Edwards shirts along with an Alice and a Twilight Mom shirt (no Bella shirts, although there were shirts with Edward and Bella together). They had a vampire baseball game in which they had to say which things happened in the book vs. the movie (they knew it). Then there was the scavenger hunt where they had to hunt for books like the book on the science class that Bella and Edward had together. (They found it.)

My favorite part was the Twilight Movie Awards (along with the warm cookies and the red drinks -- blood, get it?), where the winners will vary from store to store. Somehow it seemed as if the winner in most categories was Edward or something to do with Edward (as in best quote: "Your mood swings are kinda giving me whiplash," as Bella says to Edward). About the only category Edward DIDN'T win was Best Baseball Player. That was Alice. But Edward did score for Best Vampire and Best Hair.

Did you go? Did you vote? What did you pick?

The bookstores aren't the only places to party Friday when the Twilight DVD is released just after midnight on Saturday. In addition to any Borders and Hastings in Denton, you can find more sites here.

And here's a fun one that just came our way: The Blockbuster at 5649 Lebanon Road in Frisco is promising a pint of Dreyer's ice cream to the first 50 people that volunteer to give blood to CarterBloodCare. The blood drive starts at 7 p.m. and continues until 11 p.m. The party activities run from 10 p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday.

Craving a Cullen-ary fix? You can wait until midnight on March 20 for the release of the Twilight DVD. OR you can start partying at 10 p.m. at a Vampire Ball at Hastings in Denton or at 10 p.m. at any Borders bookstore with the wild and wacky variety of vampire-themed activities they've cooked up. OR you can start voting now for the Borders Twilight Movie Awards to determine the "Best Bella-Edward Moment," "Best Vampire" and Best OME" (Oh My Edward) moment. Download ballots at www.bordersmedia.com/twilight, complete them and bring them to Borders, where fans can also view a videotaped message from the Twilight cast.

Just note: if you want the exclusive two-disc, limited-edition copy of the DVD for $29.99 with cast interviews, red-carpet footage and photo cards, you'd better make your reservations now. Some stories have sold out and are taking reservations for a second release that will be available in April. Of course you can always get the single disc version, available everywhere, for $22.99.

Read on for party details. And tell us, which party are you going to and why?

This is an especially strong release date, with several films in the buy-right-now category:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Mark Herman (Little Voice) adapts the novel by John Boyne. An 8-year-old unwittingly makes friends with a man in a Nazi work camp.
Cadillac Records - Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def and Beyonce try on the clothes of music pioneers Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Etta James in this biopic of Chess Records. The film, which plays fast and loose with the facts, also stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess.
New editions of Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain - Twins Tony and Tia race to Witch Mountain in this Disney classic (and its sequel) released just in time for moviegoers to relish the original before going off to see the reimagining, Race to Witch Mountain, which will be released Friday.
Family Ties: Season 5 - All together now: "Sha-la-la-laaa." Michael J. Fox became a household name as Alex P. Keaton in this sitcom.
Happy-Go-Lucky - Sally Hawkins won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of an eternally optimistic teacher in this Mike Leigh film.
Howard the Duck - I know, I know. But this was a childhood favorite of mine, this sci-fi tale of an extraterrestrial duck. And, besides, it's from George Lucas. And, look, it's Lea Thompson and Tim Robbins!
Let the Right One In - A young boy befriends the new girl next door, and discovers she's the vampire responsible for several murders in this Swedish film.
Milk - Sean Penn turned in an Oscar-winning performance as trailblazing San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. Co-star Josh Brolin also received an Oscar nomination.
Pinocchio - It's the 70th anniversary edition of Pinocchio learning lessons that lead him to become a real boy. Also on Blu-ray
Rachel Getting Married - Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway was a revelation in Jonathan Demme's family drama as Kym, the troubled sister of the bride-to-be.
Role Models - Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott become court-ordered mentors to a group of kids, including whip-fast Bobb'e J. Thompson.
South Park: Season 12 - Three discs include fourteen uncensored episodes of the sometimes foul-mouthed tykes.
Transporter 3 - Jason Statham has to transport, natch, a kidnapped, feisty young thing while her father's men come at them from all sides in the lastest in Luc Besson's series. In Blu-Ray.

For more releases, see our DVD page.

Australia - Aussies Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman romance each other in what amounts to a postcard from their home country.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua - Pampered pooch voiced by Drew Barrymore has to curb her appetite for bling. To quote Forrest Gump: "And that's all I have to say about that."
East of Eden - John Steinbeck's novel became a miniseries in 1981 starring Jane Seymour, Timothy Bottoms and Bruce Boxleitner.
ER: Season 10 - Father-to-be Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) returns to Chicago after a stint with Doctors Without Borders in Africa; Reports of Luka's (Goran Visnjic) death in Africa have been greatly exaggerated; Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane, aka Montgomery from Fame) has a run-in with another helicopter, this time fatal; Parminder Nagra joins the cast; and Weaver and her partner, Sandy, give birth to little Henry. Unfortunately, Sandy dies, leaving Weaver in a bitter custody battle. There's more, but who has the room?
In the Electric Mist - Tommy Lee Jones (natch) plays a lawman investigating the dirty dealings of John Goodman's bayou mobster.
I've Loved You So Long - Two sisters rediscover each other after one of them is released after serving 15 years in prison.
My Two Dads: The Complete First Season - Odd-couple friends Greg Evigan and Paul Reiser find themselves the parents of Staci Keanan in this '80s sitcom.
Nash Bridges: The Second Season - Don Johnson plays another police detective, this time in San Francisco. This time, he partners with Cheech Marin in five discs.
Spongebob vs. the Big One - Johnny Depp voices Jack Kahuna Laguna. The DVD features seven episodes, including a new one.
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic - The graphic novel gets the digital treatment: The DVD adds motion, voices and sound effects to all twelve chapters of the very necessary comic book, and it lets illustrator Dave Gibbons talk about the faithfulness of the film to the source material. This isn't recommended for children. Please believe me.
Wonder Woman - The latest in the line of DC Comics' animated movies, Wonder Woman follows one of the comics giants' big three as Diana leaves the Amazonian island of Themyscira to join the outside world.

Breaking Bad: Season 1 - Bryan Cranston, so scattered and great as the dad on Malcolm in the Middle, pulls out his dramatic chops to play a terminally ill man who becomes a crystal meth dealer. Hey, times are hard ...
Girlfriends: Season 6 - Sex in the City? Not really. This Kelsey Grammer-produced series follows the lives of four friends in L.A., seen mostly through the eyes of Joan (played by Tracee Ellis Ross).
The Haunting of Molly Hartley - OMG! It's Nate from Gossip Girl! Yes, that's Chace Crawford in this tale of a young girl haunted, natch, by her past and what seems to be an even scarier future.
Hounddog - Dakota Fanning stars as a girl who puts her faith in Elvis in this movie set in 1950s Alabama. Fanning's Lewellen tries her best to overcome her surroundings and problems, including being raped.
Just Shoot Me: Complete Third Season - Don't be ashamed. Admit that this NBC sitcom makes you laugh. The gang's all here as Enrico Colantoni, Laura San Giacomo, George Segal, Wendie Malick and David Spade run a fashion magazine.
New Edition: Last House on the Left - Before you fall prey to the remake coming to screens soon, take a look at this offering from horror master Wes Craven.
The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalis - This shameless ripoff of the Indiana Jones-The Mummy franchises, themselves shameless ripoffs of old movie serials, is shameless fun, too. Noah Wyle stars as the librarian who harbors a jet-setting adventurer in this third movie in the TNT movie trilogy. And, yes, this time vampires are involved.
My Wife & Kids: Season 1 - Damon Wayans' hit ABC series gets the DVD treatment. As always, it's nice to see Tisha Campbell Martin, who plays his wife, still getting work. And in true sitcom tradition, watch as one of the children is mysteriously replaced by another actress.
What Just Happened - Starring Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Sean Penn and wife Robin Wright Penn, you have to expect an R rating ( for profanity, violent images, sexual content and drugs). The movie's set over two weeks as a Hollywood producer tries his best to get a film made.

For more releases, please see our DVD page.

OK, this is not exactly Oscar chatter, since the film in question isn't nominated for anything. But something has been bothering me since I saw the Holocaust movie, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, whose DVD release is March 10. I saw it in West Texas soon after it opened. The theater was packed. But when we got to the ending -- which I won't give away for those who have yet to see it -- the crowd reacted with such shock and horror that ... it left me cold, as though nothing having to do with concentration camps had bothered anyone up to that point. I'm not saying the crowd reaction was anti-Semitic, but have we as a culture grown so accustomed (jaded?) to stories of the Holocaust that the evil business of concentration camps no longer provokes a strong reaction? (Please click below to read on.)

Body of Lies - Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in a spy thriller. We probably can't handle the truth in this movie based on David Ignatius' novel.
Changeling - Oscar nominee Angelina Jolie stars as a mother looking for her son in this Clint Eastwood film inspired by events in Los Angeles in the 1920s.
Feast III - For the completist only, Feast III is just as bloody as the other two. The first Feast was the winner of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's Project Greenlight, the reality TV competition for nascent filmmakers.
Flash of Genius - Greg Kinnear stars in this true-life movie about college professor Robert Kearns, who was in a long fight with the auto industry about receiving credit for his invention.
Hard Country - Kim Basinger's screen debut.
High School Musical 3 - Didn't you produce a musical to express your feelings about the changes that come with graduating from high school? These kids did. The gang's all here as Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) and Troy (Zac Efron) continue the love story.
Law & Order SVU: Season 8 - Olivia goes AWOL for much of the season, and Det. Stabler breaks in a new, temporary partner who is almost as gung-ho as he is about violating criminals' rights.
Murder, She Wrote: Season 9 - Guest stars that include David Soul, Harvey Fierstein and Neil Patrick Harris as writer and detective Jessica Fletcher continues to solve crimes in Cabot Cove and beyond through five discs and 22 episodes.
Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: Season 1 - First thought: Race has a daughter?! Second thought: Jumping the children into teendom wasn't a bad idea at all. This two-disc collection contains the 1996 TBS series' first 13 episodes.
Religulous - Bill Maher takes a hard look at the practice of religion in the USA in this documentary.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Fifth Season - Sabrina continues her never-dull existence as an undercover witch in this cute, cute, cute series.
Quarantine - This remake of a foreign horror film (aren't they all?) follows a TV reporter and her trusty cameraman (aren't they all?) into an apartment building, that before they can blink an eye, is quarantined. Deadly goings-on ensue.

For more DVD releases, see our DVD page.

Miracle at St. Anna - Inspired by real-life events, director Spike Lee tells the story of four black soldiers who find themselves trapped in a Tuscan village after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy during World War II.
W. - Josh Brolin stars in the biopic about former President George W. Bush that follows him from his college days through his first term.
Blindness - There's nothing hysterical about the blindness that affects people around a sighted Julianne Moore.
The Sam Elliot Western Collection - Cowboys' cowboy Sam Elliott gets the box-set treatment as viewers are treated to Desperate Trail, Rough Riders and You Know My Name. Sorry, no Virgil Earp in sight.
Backyardigans: Robin Hood the Clean - Nick Jr. takes us to Ye Old Rottingham and the annual festival of dirt in Filthville with this animated musical creation that includes three music videos. Of course, Robin Hood the Clean saves the day after the mayor gets rid of the last bar of soap.
Nights in Rodanthe - Richard Gere and Diane Lane get to meet cute in this romantic tale from author Nicholas Sparks.
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job: Season 2 - Yes, it might have taken you the entire first season to find the fun in this irreverent show from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. But now you've got it. And you can't stop watching.

For more releases, see our DVD page.

The DVD of Twilight is at the top of the current bestseller list on the Barnes & Noble Web site. That's expected, right? What's notable, though, is that the DVD isn't scheduled for release until March 21. And it's not even discounted.

Boys and girls, we hear you. Bella's scent is powerful. You can't resist. Vampires are hot. You have some discretionary income. Your parents are under your power. This DVD release will be bigger than big, ginormous even! Sequel, stat!

Bewitched: The Complete Seventh Season - Samantha, Darrin and their two children pay an extended visit to Salem, Mass. to kick off a season in which Tom Bosley and Imogene Coca guest-starred.
Coming to America - Why is this movie, long out on DVD, listed here? Well, this time it comes with the music CD. If you've heard any marching band in the last 20 years, you've heard the theme that played any time the King of Zamunda (James Earl Jones, natch) was on the move. Eddie Murphy played the African prince who ran from an arranged marriage by looking for his lady love in Queens.
Friday the 13th: Deluxe Edition; Part Two: Widescreen Deluxe; Part Three Deluxe Edition - Of course, any good marketer knows to remind people of the past while preparing them for the future. To that end, here's the story of Jason Voorhees, released a couple of weeks before the franchise's bloody reboot in theaters on Feb. 13.
A Good Day to be Black and Sexy - Six vignettes set in Los Angeles, all concerned with the topic of sexuality in the black community. It tries really hard to provide food for thought and "shatter stereotypes about black sexuality."
Gym Teacher: The Movie - NIckelodeon's made-for-TV movie gets the DVD treatment. I watched it for Christopher Meloni, who plays an ex-Olympian (failed) turned gym teacher. Amy Sedaris also stars.
Night Court: Seasons One and Two - Doop, doop. Doo doo doo doo doop. With a few notes of its theme song, Night Court explored the antics of a wacky judge and the colorful characters who made up his courtroom. Look how skinny John Larroquette is! And why did I have a crush on comedian and magician Harry Anderson (Judge Harry T. Stone)?
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Prowling Manhattan in a yellow Yugo never looked so inviting as when Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad) and Kat Dennings do it to the tune of their favorite bands, falling for each other along the way.
The Secret Life of Bees - Dakota Fanning learns about life and bees from a trio of sisters -- Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo, and Alicia Keys -- and her housekeeper, Jennifer Hudson.
Space Buddies - Golden retrievers go on a mission to the moon, learning about teamwork and friendship on the way there and back. Disney? Check. The cutest marketing you've ever seen? Check.
Yentl: 25th Anniversary Edition and Director's Extended Edition - Barbra Streisand stars in and directs this story about a young Jewish woman who poses as a man to further her studies. Extras include rehearsals and an introduction by Streisand.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Available today in three flavors (conservative box art, two-disc and regular). Money's tight, so a young couple decides to get into making porn films with hilarious results.

For more released, see our DVD page.

Blossom: Seasons One and Two - The NBC series that introduced "a very special" (insert show title here) gets the DVD treatment. "Whoa."
Cheers: The Final Season - Oh, Sam. Never waning, and with the Emmy wins to attest to that, the series' 11th season featured the return of Shelley Long as Diane Chambers and the breakup of Frasier and Lilith Crane's marriage. Of course, that breakup would spawn another longtime NBC hit, Frasier.
Fireproof - Kirk Cameron stars as a fireman in this "faith-based marriage drama."
Lakeview Terrace - All menace, all the time. Sam Jackson stars as a cop with some boundary issues when it comes to the interracial couple next door, Kerry Washington (Ray) and Patrick Wilson.
The Sidney Poitier Collection - Four movies, including the poetic A Patch of Blue, from the great movie idol. Sadly, you'll have to find Uptown Saturday Night elsewhere.
Vicky Christina Barcelona - Penelope Cruz received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her portrayal of a hot and bothered ex-wife in this Woody Allen film.
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown - Poor Charlie Brown. This 1957 special won an Emmy. Of course, Charlie is saddled with the number 13 as he competes in motocross with the gang. The DVD also includes You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown and Dust Yourself Off and Pick Yourself Up, Charlie Brown.

P.S. Get your Bourne on as the series is released on Blu-Ray. The Bourne Trilogy includes Matt Damon as amnesiac-spy-on-the-run Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger - This HBO special was compiled from shows in South Africa, London and New York's
Apollo Theater. Rock proves, not that he has to, that he has the sharpest commentary about the times in which we live. Also available in a deluxe edition.
The Express: The Ernie Davis Story - The the first black Heisman Trophy winner gets the star treatment in this biopic starring Rob Brown (Finding Forrester). If you watch, tears might not be far behind.
Igor - One ambitious Igor trying his best to become a scientist makes for a fine animated film, with a good lesson to boot.
Max Payne - Mark Wahlberg shoots up, well, everything in this movie based on a video game.
Moonlight: The Complete Series - Dreamy Mick St. John, a sensitive vampire, lives forever, falls in love, solves crimes, hangs out with vampire friends. Forever Knight, anyone? Maybe it'll make the brilliant but cancelled category. I mean, it won the 2008 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. Why did CBS cancel it again?
Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition - Find the episode that's shown backward. Then you'll truly understand the genius that is the Powerpuff Girls. Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, made from sugar, spice and everything nice (along with Chemical X), saved the day for six seasons in a town overrun with super villains. Whee!
Repo! The Genetic Opera - A musical about a repo man who recovers organs from those who don't pay. Trust me. It's funny, bloody and it stars Anthony Stewart Head (Little Britain, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Saw V - If you're a completist, go for it. Just don't expect anything new. Fair warning: The twists are telegraphed so broadly that your interest will wane, well, a quarter of the way through.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

In stores:

Swing Vote: Thank Goodness that this is a fantasy. Kevin Costner is the regular Joe (not to be confused with the plumber) who has the fate of the country in his hands when voting irregularities leave him with the decisive vote in the presidential election.
Appaloosa: A moody-looking Viggo Mortensen (is there another kind?) plays to form in a good old Western. Ed Harris and Renee Zellweger co-star. And, look, there's Jeremy Irons!
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys - When will the multi-hyphenate take his name off the title of his movies? No matter, he pulled in some big-name stars for this one, namely Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard as two friendly matriarchs with some not-so-friend family problems. The tagline: "Follow your heart. But watch your back."
Little Britain USA - You know how some things can make you laugh so much you hurt? Try the other way around when you watch this HBO version of a British import. I can't even write about it without giggling.
Dallas: The Complete 10th Season: I don't really need to sell you on this, do I? It's the next-to-last season for J.R. and his homies. Relive the big 80s, why don't you?
Mirrors: One more reason to fear a mirror. First, there was Bloody Mary. Then there was Candyman. And now, some evil force is using mirrors as a gateway into our world. Good thing Jack Bauer, I mean Kiefer Sutherland, is there to help.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

In stores today:

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong -- The books and cafes move to the screen again as Chrissa deals with bullies in American Girl fashion.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0 -- This comes out just in time for viewers to catch up; the second part of the series' last season begins Jan. 16 on SciFi. The set also includes the unrated, extended version and the broadcast version of the Battlestar movie, Razor.
Bangkok Dangerous -- If you must add to your Nicolas Cage collection (he gets a pass in my book for taking his stage name from Marvel Comics' Luke Cage, aka Power Man), well, try this. If your collection stopped at Con Air, well, don't. Mr. Cage is a tough assassin (natch) who lets down his guard.
Mamma Mia! -- Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan warble their way through the movie version of the hit musical.
Mannix: Season 2 -- Back when our TV detectives had less angst and, well, detected, Joe Mannix was the man.
Pineapple Express -- Seth Rogen and James Franco star in an action-stoner film, if there can be such a thing, for the aughts. Judd Apatow, of course, produces.
Righteous Kill -- Al Pacino and Robert De Niro star as a pair of New York cops. Donnie Wahlberg and 50 Cent co-star.
The Tudors: Season 2 -- Anne Boleyn becomes King Henry VIII's new queen in Showtime's royal steamer. Yes, we know how it ends. The fun is watching actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers get there as Henry. The set includes the first two episodes of new Showtime drama The United States of Tara.

For more titles, check out our DVD page.

Dear Santas, holiday shoppers and movie/TV/DVD lovers,

DeepDiscount.com is offering a buy one, get one free deal. It appears to be only Fox and MGM titles, but the prices are discounted and shipping and handling is FREE.

And heaven knows we like free stuff.

Our good friends Victor Godinez and Andrew Smith have some movies-related news over on the tech blog:

Iron Man director says Blu-ray version has already outsold all previous Blu-ray movies

Netflix video streaming to Macs by year's end

You've got to see this. If you missed Street Kings in theaters, it's your chance to see Keanu Reeves (!) go all punisher on screen. Yep, the same Keanu Reeves that isn't known for any kind of explosiveness as an actor. But he has no choice when surrounded by a fiery, mustached Forest Whitaker and a scary, barely recognizable John Corbett in "Street Kings," released Tuesday.

From the moment the film starts, you know something's very wrong with every character in the movie. And you'll also be a little distracted by playing a game of "Hey, it's that guy!" as each cop is introduced. These cops consider themselves judge, jury and executioner. (The movie doesn't do a thing to help The Los Angeles Police Department's reputation.) Internal Affairs is snooping around, of course, but the investigation is rapidly going nowhere because as Forest Whitaker's character says late in the film, "We're all bad." And, by that time, you'll have to agree.

(Photo of Keanu Reeves by Merrick Morton)

Dinosaurs were long gone by the time 10,000 B.C. rolled around, but that doesn't keep the dimwitted 10,000 B.C. from laying a huge dino egg at video stores everywhere today. Flee this one as if a herd of giant dodo birds were bearing down on you.

As any movie fan/geek knows, Criterion editions are the ones to own.

And now Western lovers can join in the fun. Criterion will release its first Western this month, Anthony Mann's The Furies. It's available for pre-order now through Criterion.com.

Synopsis from Criterion: In 1870s New Mexico Territory, megalomaniacal widowed ranch owner T. C. Jeffords (Walter Huston, in his final role) butts heads with his daughter, Vance (Barbara Stanwyck), a firebrand with serious daddy issues, over her dowry, choice of husband, and, finally, ownership of the land itself. Both sophisticated in its view of frontier settlement and ablaze with searing domestic drama, The Furies is a hidden treasure of American filmmaking, boasting Oscar-nominated cinematography and vivid supporting turns from Judith Anderson, Wendell Corey, and Gilbert Roland.

Special Features:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer


• Audio commentary featuring film historian Jim Kitses (Horizons West)


• The Movies: "Action Speaks Louder than Words," a 1967 television interview with director Anthony Mann


• A rare, 1931 on-camera interview with Walter Huston, made for the movie theater series Intimate Interviews


• New video interview with Nina Mann, daughter of Anthony Mann


• Stills gallery of rare behind-the-scenes photos


• Theatrical trailer


• PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by renowned critic Robin Wood ans a 1957 Cahiers du cinéma interview with Mann, as well as a new printing of Niven Busch's original novel

I'm not a Grey's Anatomy fan, but I've gotten to like Katherine Heigl anyway. She has smarts, an Everygirl attractiveness and a goofy sense of humor that just might make her the Meg Ryan of the decade. I also like the fact that she hasn't found it necessary thus far to get nekkid on the screen, yet she doesn't exude a cloying good-girl aura, either.

That said, I wonder why she chose to do this movie? 27 Dresses (out on DVD today) doesn't give Ms. Heigl much to do from a comedy standpoint, except to (a) parade in a series of horrible bridemaid's frocks and (b) lead a booze-fueled, sing-along version of Bennie and the Jets in a bar.

One of the biggest cheats of 2007, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, arrives on DVD today. Run, don't walk, away from this one, which is likely to gobble up prime display space at the video store. You may recall its big Christmas Day opening and its lavish ad campaign heralding the final showdown between two icons of sci-fi/horror flicks. If you didn't catch it then, you might think you missed something. You didn't.

Ripped from yesterday's newscasts and available on DVD today, Lions for Lambs attempts to be a talker about the Iraq war but winds up a big snoozer instead. The star-studded cast (Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and Robert Redford) tries to deliver the goods, all three looking as if they believe the preachy lines they spout, but in the end there are no goods to deliver. Just talk, talk and more talk. It's not so much a movie as it is a panel discussion, the kind one could catch on Fox News or CNN last year, before the elections and the economy claimed the spotlight.

You'll likely see this one given prime display among the new releases at the video stores, and with the three stars featured prominently on the DVD cover, it's tempting not to bite. After all, with Streep, Cruise and Redford, who did double duty as director, how bad can it be? Well, that depends on how bad you think boring is. If you could use a good night's sleep, this film could get you there. If you think a film should engage the viewer and deliver something resembling a plot, stay away.

If you were one of the unfortunate souls who invested in Toshiba's now-defunct HD-DVD high definition disc format -- and you bought your player from Best Buy -- you can now get a consolation prize in the form of a $50 gift certificate.

Read all about it at our tech blog.

I've got a post up over at our technology blog about a new feature on a handful of high definition Blu-ray movies that lets you legally and easily rip a copy of the movie to your computer's hard drive or to your portable video player (such as the iPhone).

It's a capability that the studios were talking about before either Blu-ray or HD-DVD hit the market, and I have to admit I was skeptical they'd ever actually implement it.

So kudos to Fox and Lionsgate for taking baby steps in this consumer-friendly direction, and let's hope this is just the beginning of a trend.

Don't know about you, but I'm pretty underwhelmed by Apple's entry into the let's-beat-Netflix sweepstakes. If you download the latest version of iTunes (available in Windows and Mac formats), you'll discover that, after yesterday's big announcements at the Mac World convention, Apple is now renting movies on its iTunes Music Store. But it all looked lame to me. Virtually none of the titles jumped out at me. I don't know ... maybe you differ? I like the idea; I just can't applaud the execution. At least not now.

Courtesy

Washington Post writer Jen Chaney breaks down a list of seven exceptional DVD moments from 2007, from Judd Apatow's entertaining commentaries to the thoroughness of Twin Peaks: The Gold Box Edition. Tell us your top picks -- or disappointments -- with this year in home entertainment.

Personally, I have to give props to MGM for its massive Stargate: SG-1 complete series box set. If nothing else, it wins hands down for Shiniest Packaging.

And for Best Use of Extra Space on a DVD: a shout out to BBC for Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series. Video commentaries (especially "The Girl in the Fireplace," with then-coupled co-stars David Tennant and Sophia Myles) that appear as picture-in-picture frames of the episode, and David Tennant's video diaries (think "The Real World" confessional with an actual engaging person inside).

Amazon.com

You'd have to be VERY good this year to get Santa to drop this off at your house. The Warner Mega Classics Collection (released last year) boasts a staggering ... actually, I have no idea how many. And I refuse to count.

It pretty looks like what I imagine the Turner Classic Movies channel vault looks like. Or at least, reminds me of the video store from my childhood. I was pretty addicted to the classics section (only 99 cents to rent!) and American Movie Classics channel (back in the day before TCM). I don't know when I'd ever have time to watch all of these or even store them, but if that's what Santa drops down my chimney, I'd say I've done pretty good.

Want the full list? Click below to keep reading. But I can say that it includes my all-time favorite, Now Voyager. (Movies I've seen in bold. Because I can.)

Screen shot of IMDb.com

IMDb.com really really wants you to know that Twin Peaks is out on DVD tomorrow.

Like, really.

See it if you haven't (Criterion)

Aside from the glorious restored HD transfer, Criterion's new two-disc set offers a bevy of goodies, including a pair of provocative video essays: Jonathan Rosenbaum's Breathless as Criticism, a knowing look at the film's many cultural references and threads of commentary; and Mark Rappaport's Jean Seberg, a snapshot of the tragic star who became an American-in-Paris icon selling the New York Herald Tribune in Breathless. No one can match Criterion's ability to present a portable master class on a vital piece of film history.

Courtesy

and will end with two more. That's what we call "full circle." Which is appropriate, because we're talking about Stargate. Specifically, Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series, which crossed our desk this week. Actually, "thudded heavily onto" might be more appropriate because this set of all 10 season is nearly 8x8x8. And heavy.

So what does it offer? ...

Courtesy

With the absence of late fees and the convenience of home delivery, renting DVDs is easier - and harder - than ever. I've got some 60 discs in my queue right now, including a half-dozen seasons of TV shows I need to catch up on. Some get mainlined pretty quickly and sent right back (The Fountain, Match Point), some linger around for multiple viewings (Miracle, Primer) and some languish in unwatched ignominy.

Now I'm faced with two choices: send the films back, unwatched, after wasting nearly a month of new films. Or, hold on to them a little longer because I am omgtotally going to watch them now, for reals. Right.

So what's your queue drama? Is it ambitiously overflowing or pathetically empty? Are you constantly sending discs back to find out just how many "unlimited" is in a single month? Or does that copy of The Bourne Identity have a two-inch layer of dust on it? Vent - it's good for the soul.

Take me to Lower Greenville or suffer my wrath: Robocop digs on Dallas (MGM/Fox/Orion)

The producers chose Big D to play "New Detroit" for its tripped-out techno skyline and sleek architecture. The coolest parts of the movie play the skyscrapers against the more industrial streets of West Dallas (actually one chase looks like it was shot down on Industrial or nearby, not far from Reunion Tower, which sticks its head up in the near distance). In another scene, The I.M. Pei-designed Fountain Place (otherwise known as that beveled glass building downtown) can be spotted in all its modern glory. (Incidentally, the building opened in 1986, one year before Robocop came out).

So: What's your favorite movie that made good use of our fair burg?

... Boy Culture .
Now don't freak out about the subject matter. It's not nearly as graphic as it could be. And, honestly, Derek Magyar and Darryl Stephens make delightful eye candy no matter what they're doing.
What surprised me was how good the movie actually is. It's a pretty cool love story as well. I was all drawn in with the ups and downs of X, the main character, and his room mates.
Hey, did I menition the eye candy thing? Good flick, snappy dialogue, believable characters, but did I mention the eye candy?

Hang on, Deckard. There's more where that came from. (Warner Bros.)

So it's just been announced that there will be (after years of speculation) a definitive "final cut" of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (recently added to AFI's 100 best films list) coming in December. Other options will include a two-disc version (with the new cut plus a three-and-a-half-dour documentary called "Dangerous Days," about the grueling production), a four-disc version (the aforementioned materials plus three other cuts and another disc of bonus material), a 5-disc ultimate collector's edition (which includes a "workprint" version and more features), as well as HD-DVD and Blu-ray incarnations. Phew. It's more Blade Runner than anyone can probably handle. At least in one sitting.

Donald Sutherland opens wide and ruins my childhood (United Artists)

I'm happy to report that Kaufman's film holds up quite well on the new Collector's Edition DVD, which comes with cleverly designated "pods" of special features. The '50s Red Scare brainwashing fear that fueled the 1956 original somehow works for the '70s Me Decade. Back then, though, I just knew it freaked me out. (Yet another variation, The Invasion, is due out next week).

Which brings us to the question: What childhood movie watching experience gave you the Willies? More important: Have you recovered yet?

Ok, so I bought 300 on DVD yesterday for $19.96, and it came with a "final super-swank director's cut" of Alexander.

Alexander was on the Big List of DVDs I Want. But "I Want" tends to translate to "only if I come across them in a big bi somewhere for about $5." So you see, attaching it 300 made me spend about $5 on Alexander than I normally would have. Smart marketing based on the convenience factor and the Ancient Story Told with Pretty Boys with Swords factor. But annoying nonetheless.

I never would have thought that two of the best movies I've seen this year are foreign and star German movie star Sebastian Koch (whom I had never heard of before)! Koch plays a Nazi officer in the emotionally complicated Black Book, out of theaters now and heading to DVD Sept. 25. And I just watched a DVD of The Lives of Others in which he plays an East German playwright under surveillance by the East German police before the Berlin Wall came down. As much as I now like Koch, the most fascinating character in The Lives of Others is played by Ulrich Muhe as the guy who does the surveillance. There's a remarkable arc in which he starts out as a pitiless Javert-like inspector for whom everything is black and white. As he spies on the playwright, he is slowly and subtly changed by him. It is truly a remarkable story. It will be released Aug. 21 and I really recommend it.

Sometimes you just want to stay home. The movie theater doesn't have what you're interested in. Or it's packed. Or you don't feel like paying 9 bucks a pop to see stuff blow up. So you go to Hollywood Video (or, God forbid, Blockbuster) or even some local libraries to rent a DVD. You get an hour or so into your movie and the screen freezes. How many times has this happened to you? Frankly, I'm sick of paying money to rent a scratched-up DVD. Are stores going to have to go back to "Be Kind" stickers? Instead of reminding customers to rewind, remind them that DVDs are not:

-Frisbees
-knife sharpeners
-coasters

Remember. These are movies. People who rent it want to see the whole thing. So take care of the DVDs you rent.

Postscript: What have you faithful blog readers found as alternatives to chains? Netflix? Premiere Video? Let us know.

NetFlix is the best thing ever. I have decided. Of course, it might be just the act of getting DVDs in the mail. But I have managed to broaden my movie horizons. Chris Vognar will be proud of me. I have added The Seventh Seal to my queue. It's like the 80th flick in line, but still. It was an important gesture.

Besides, 300 came out on DVD yesterday, and Leonidas get my attention first

So, after years of putting it off, saying I'd eventually get around to it, I finally buckled down and watched the incredible Sunset Blvd. last night. It wasn't at all what I had expected. I expected some noirish touches and have a lot to do with lost fame, but I had no idea it would be a pitch-black comedy, a May-December romance (sort of), and a deep, rich study of delusional behavior. It's got to be one of the most original, fascinating and downright bizarre movies I've ever seen. And Gloria Swanson's performance has got to be one of the all-time greats. I think my favorite Wilder picture will always be Double Indemnity, but he's got so many great works. Having said that, and given all the love for the recent DVD release of Ace in the Hole (which I'm still dying to see), I'd like to make a bid that, for his body of work, Billy Wilder is the greatest director of all time. Would anyone like to refute this? I'd love to hear your answers.

Yes, it's a girl thing. Women have one Thing we look for when we're in a store, mall or on a website that may carry it. For me, it's lingerie. I could be at Kohl's or Nordstrom's, Target or Ross, either way, I'm taking a stroll through the undies section. It's not that I need more unmentionables, it's just that you can never have too much, especially if there's a sale.

Just so with DVDs. Whether I'm at Target, WalMart, Half Price Books or Best Buy, if they've got DVDs, I'm looking, no matter what I set out to buy. Do I need Cool Hand Luke? An argument could be made that I do, but technically, no, I do not. What about Miami Vice, My Fair Lady, Carlito's Way, Primal Fear ...?

Again, no. But I own them all, and then some. I hardly ever watch them. But I hardly ever rock the 6-pack of plaid Hanes Her Way I bought either. It just sort of ended up in the basket ... along with Grease 2 and Shag.

Hot off the presses (Criterion)

Tell us what you saw this weekend, if it rocked your world or made you cringe. My big revelation came last night when I watched Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole , a long-neglected Kirk Douglas movie from 1951 that arrives on DVD this week from Criterion. This might be the darkest depiction of journalism I've ever seen, and it's right up there with two other classic '50s tales of media and power, A Face in the Crowd and The Sweet Smell of Success. Douglas plays a newspaper reporter who stumbles upon the story of a lifetime in the form of a man trapped in a mine shaft. Yeah, it would be great to get the guy out. But then the story would disappear. Media circus, anyone?

As Spike Lee says in his afterward, this is nasty stuff for 2007, let alone 1951. If Sweet Smell's J.J. Hunsecker is like "a cookie laced with arsenic" (as he's described in the film), then the heart of Ace in the Hole pumps pure battery acid.

Just got word that Warners is releasing a massive three-disc Jazz Singer set later this year. The film is known for launching the talkie era when it was released in 1927. It's also known as a very mainstream throwback to the days of minstrel shows, in which white performers painted their faces black and indulged in the most egregious stereotypes of the day.

How will The Jazz Singer play in 2007? Probably a lot better if some of the copious extras - we're talking three discs here - address the minstrel issue. The Jazz Singer doesn't have the same capacity to offend as the KKK-glorifying Birth of a Nation, but a minstrel show is still a minstrel show, and the imagery doesn't (and shouldn't) play well in the 21st century, especially not without a little context. Should it be released? Absolutely; it's a landmark film. But don't try to sweep the ugly stuff under the rug.

DVD Pick O' The Week: You're Gonna Miss Me, the moving doc on the life, times, fall and hard-earned redemption of Roky Erickson, the Texas psychedelic rock pioneer who fronted the great 13th Floor Elevators. Directed by Dallas' own Keven McAlester (remembered by many locals for KDGE-FM's Adventure Club), Miss Me chronicles Erickson's legal, mental and chemical troubles without exploiting or romanticizing them. It also reminds us that this guy had one of the most haunting high-pitched yawlps in the annals of rock.

Speaking of which: You can check out the real deal July 14 at the Granada. Erickson is celebrating his 60th birthday in the city of his birth. He might not sound like he used to. But once you watch the film, which will also show at the theater that night at 8, you'll be amazed that the guy can still get up on a stage and rock.

Predicatable battle lines are being drawn over Michael Moore's Sicko, and box office lines are forming for Ratatouille. But the film I can't get out of my head is La Jetee . New to DVD this week, Chris Marker's 27-minute sci-fi gem is one of the most perfectly realized sci-fi films I've seen. Made up entirely of stills (with one haunting exception), set in a post-Apocalyptic Paris, this is a time travel loop story conceived as an eternal existential crisis. Twelve Monkeys, the Terry Gilliam movie based on La Jetee, isn't bad. But do yourself a favor and check out the real deal.