We’re very sequel heavy on DVD this week as one of the spring’s biggest sequel hits, and biggest sequel flops, both come to DVD on the same day.

That’s right, it’s finally Fast Five day on DVD so you can take the all-star cast from the nearly billion-dollar megahit home with you. Or, if horror is more your speed, you can hang out for the thousand-dollar non-hit Scream 4 and let the blood flow.

All that plus many more TV on DVD and a whole lot of Lion King.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Fast Five

A common complaint among the mid-20s male moviegoer is the lack of the old school 80s action movie.

We miss the dry cool wit of a hero, plots that don’t really matter, and so much unintentional comedy they make a high school play blush.

Well here’s the thing: 80s action movies are back. And they’re called the “Fast and Furious Franchise”.

This has everything you want – a terrible actor in the lead (Vin Diesel), ridiculous action (the basic demolition of half of Brazil) and really awful dialogue (what do you remember about your father?).

It’s all right there!

So get over your “car movie” bias – Fast Five is the action you’ve been missing.

Buy Fast Five on DVD.

• Sarah Palin: Undefeated – Buy Now
• Scream 4 – Buy Now
• Submarine – Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Friday Night Lights”: The Complete Series

The fuss over an “Arrested Development” reunion reminded me of a simple fact: Most people who love the show never watched it.

Sure, they caught up on DVD or the scant re-runs you see on weird cable channels, but nobody actually watched it on TV. Which is why it got canceled.

That would be fine if it weren’t for the condescending way these people, who never watched the show, talk down about how stupid everyone is not to watch, and that’s why it got canceled. Even though they were the biggest part of the problem.

I have a feeling “Friday Night Lights” is next on this train. A highly lauded show that now has its entire series out on DVD – just in time for “I don’t own a TV” crowd to catch up and look down on us that it only got five seasons. Even though it’s once again their fault.

But I’m not bitter, I just want them to buy Friday Night Lights on DVD and enjoy it.

• “According to Jim”: Season 5 – Buy Now
• “Bored to Death”: Season 2 – Buy Now
• “Boy Meets World”: Season 7 – Buy Now
• “In Treatment”: Season 3 – Buy Now
• “Ken Burns’ Prohibition” – Buy Now
• “The League”: Season 2 – Buy Now
• “Lie to Me”: Season 3 – Buy Now
• “The Walking Dead”: Season 8 -Buy Now

TV on DVD

Normally, I ignore it when Disney “opens its vault” to put out another limited-run DVD, but I just couldn’t pass up The Lion King, only because the DVD and Blu-Ray release of this movie also comes along with “The Lion King Trilogy”.

There’s a trilogy? What is that!?

• The Lion King: Four-Disc Diamond Edition – Buy Now
• The Lion King: Two-Disc Diamond Edition – Buy Now
• The Lion King Trilogy – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Tron: Legacy, Little Fockers, The Chronicles of Narnia (0)
• New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother (0)
• New DVD Releases: Bridesmaids, Modern Family, The Mentalist (0)
• New DVD Releases: Thor, Glee, Star Wars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Prom, Sons of Anarchy, House (0)
• New DVD Releases: Win Win, The Beaver, NCIS (0)
• New DVD Releases: Something Borrowed, Jane Eyre, Priest (0)

There’s a total of one movie coming to DVD this week, but it’s an absolute doozy: The third installment in the Transformers saga.

Yes, you can finally bring all the noise, clatter and LeBoufiness of Dark of the Moon home with you to give your flat screen a full-on workout. Or, if you prefer quieter fare, we have another selection of about a dozen TV on DVD seasons for your viewing pleasure.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

“It was actually pretty bad.”

This is the universal review I’ve heard from countless friends who went and paid 18-or-so dollars to see this movie on a gigantic 3-D screen.

This after my constant pleas with them to skip this movie. Warning them that just because the trailer looks cool doesn’t mean this is going to be a great movie all of a sudden.

Not that this warning comes from any place of knowledge, as I’ve never spent a second watching the Transformers franchise. Instead, it comes from my friends’ constantly bashing the Transformers movies – the movies that they continue to see despite their not enjoying them very much.

So why does this happen? Why do people come back again and again to a story they hate and movies that irritate them? Is the franchise faith that strong in them? Do you absolutely need to see every sequel once you see the first one?

It’s very confusing. And this is from a person who saw The Pink Panther 2 on opening night.

If you are also addicted to the franchise, you can buy Transformers: Dark of the Moon on DVD.

TV on DVD

As stated above, a whole lot of Network TV on DVD again this week, but nothing that really stands out:

• “Army Wives”: Season 5 – Buy Now
• “CSI”: Season 11 – Buy Now
• “CSI: Miami”: Season 9 – Buy Now
• “CSI: New York”: Season 7 – Buy Now
• “How to Make it in America”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “How I Met Your Mother”: Season 6 – Buy Now
• “Hung”: Season 2 – Buy Now
• “Law & Order: SVU”: Season 12 – Buy Now
• “The Middle”: Season 2 – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Transformers, Garry Shandling, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1)
• New DVD Releases: Fast Five, Scream 4, The Lion King (1)
• New DVD Releases: Bridesmaids, Modern Family, The Mentalist (0)
• New DVD Releases: Thor, Glee, Star Wars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Prom, Sons of Anarchy, House (0)
• New DVD Releases: Win Win, The Beaver, NCIS (0)
• New DVD Releases: Something Borrowed, Jane Eyre, Priest (0)

It’s an Emmy-heavy week on DVD this week, with last night’s winner for Outstanding Comedy (as well as dozens of other awards) and this year’s winner for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy both have big DVDs dropping this week.

But it’s not just winners here. The networks still have their coffers full of last season’s offerings from many top shows and they’re unloading another big bunch this week.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Bridesmaids

I think we need a term for what’s happening to Melissa McCarthy.

You know the scenario: A character actor that you’ve always liked, been doing good work for years, suddenly catches lighting in a bottle and is a huge star overnight. Except it isn’t overnight because they’ve been around forever.

This happened to McCarthy last night when she upset a category full of NBC favorites and Showtime dramedy stars to take home her first Emmy following her breakout performance in Bridesmaids.

It’s happened dozens of times. Two that jump out in my mind are Jane Lynch riding her newfound superstardom from ‘Glee’ all the way hosting the Emmys and Terrence Howard who went from a guy who did good work in everything to an Oscar nomination for Hustle & Flow (more due to his work in Crash) to being the highest paid actor in the first Iron Man movie and all the way back down to being spit out of the bottom of a canceled “Law & Order” spinoff (see below).

It’s an odd phenomenon and something that begs for a new term. I can’t quite think of it though, so I ask for help in the comments.

Meanwhile, if you want to hop on the McCarthy bandwagon, you can buy Bridesmaids on DVD.

TV on DVD

“Modern Family”: Season 2

On Sunday, “Modern Family” achieved the rare clean sweep at the Emmys. It won every single category in which it was nominated and actually had so many nominees that it lost more Emmys than it won.

Not only that, but this show has supplanted “Two and a Half Men” as the number one comedy on television and seems to be the one show people don’t want to miss each week.

But is it the best? Is it really the funniest comedy on television? The Emmys   I put the question to you:

If you voted for ‘Modern Family’, you can buy Season 2 on DVD.

Also:

• “Body of Proof”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Castle”: Season 3 – Buy Now
• “Happy Endings”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Hawaii Five-O”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “The Kennedys” – Buy Now
• “Law & Order: Los Angeles”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “The Mentalist”: Season 3 – Buy Now
• “Mike & Molly”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Raising Hope”: Season 1 – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Robin Hood, Modern Family, 30 Rock (0)
• New DVD Releases: Fast Five, Scream 4, The Lion King (1)
• New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother (0)
• New DVD Releases: Thor, Glee, Star Wars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Prom, Sons of Anarchy, House (0)
• New DVD Releases: Win Win, The Beaver, NCIS (0)
• New DVD Releases: Something Borrowed, Jane Eyre, Priest (0)

DVD is on overdrive this week with new feature releases, droves of TV on DVD and a couple of special editions too big to ignore.

Yes, Star Wars is here on Blu-Ray, so rev up your comments engines for an assault on George Lucas filled with more vitriol than Jabba had for Han. Yes, even the DVD picks column isn’t safe from the Lucas-hating Trolls!

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Thor

Why does it always have to start at the beginning?

Thor, by unofficial measures, is the 4,897th comic book super hero movie to come out in the last 6 months. These movies have a variety of directors, storylines, tones, takes and ways of approaching the genre but they all have one thing in common: they all start at the origin story of the superhero.

While that seems like the logical place to begin, it’s often the least entertaining. For the first third of the movie we’re loaded with nothing but exposition, backstory and simply watching a “normal” person. Where’s the fun in that? Not to mention the fact that just about everybody who’s going to see the movie knows the origin of the superheroes anyway – so it’s not even something we need to know.

The other problem with every superhero movie functioning as an origin story is that they become very formulaic. These films aren’t repetitive because they’re about superheroes, they’re repetitive because they’re about the origins of superheroes. There’s only so much new you can do with a structure that’s been repeated so often.

My suggestion: Start in the middle. Once we get to the inevitable Dr. Strange movie, Flash movie or a Hawkman movie, let’s start in the middle. Let’s present the hero as already established as see what happens? It will certainly at least be different.

But if you still like Superhero origin stories, you can buy Thor on DVD.

Or you could check out an awesome Superhero origin story that I missed last week due to labor day – X-Men: First Class on DVD.

Also:

• Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop – Buy Now
• Hesher – Buy Now
• Meek’s Cutoff – Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Glee”: Season 2

Much has been written about ‘Glee’s’ Jumping the Shark in season 2, about how it’s lost its way, and how it isn’t fun anymore. But nobody seems to be able to point to the reason for its decline.

I think the reason is very simple: it got away from its core philosophy.

When this show premiered, it was a story about outcasts and underdogs. The “Losers” of the posters. The main characters were all outsiders (with the exception of Finn) and the story was about how they banded together to overcome their being pushed to the fringes.

A lot of fun right? Well, that, I suppose, became unpalatable for somebody involved in the show as those outcast characters were quickly pushed aside to make room for storylines about the cheerleaders, the new hunky football players on the team and to beef up villain Sue Sylvester’s role.

In other words, the show decided it was time to ignore the outsiders so the prettier people could shine. The exact opposite of the intent of the show, and a cruel reminder that the original theme behind the show doesn’t work in the real world, as the creators choose to focus on the characters who are most popular, not with fans, but with the other people at the fictional high school.

All that, and Matthew Morrison continues to be the lead on this show.

But if you liked the show’s second season, you can buy Season 2 of ‘Glee’ on DVD.

Also:

• “The Big Bang Theory”: Season 4 – Buy Now
• “Blue Bloods”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Camelot”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Grey’s Anatomy”: Season 7 – Buy Now
• “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”: Season 6 – Buy Now
• “Outsourced”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “Private Practice”: Season 4 – Buy Now
• “Rescue Me”: Season 6 – Buy Now
• “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “Supernatural”: Season 6 – Buy Now

Special Edition of the Week

Star Wars:  The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray

Oh, Star Wars, fanboys. Will you ever learn? Your little boycott of this DVD set won’t faze George Lucas in any way at all.

Do you understand that there are millions of fans of Star Wars who couldn’t care less that these aren’t the original theatrical versions? Are you aware that there are millions of people who don’t even really know the difference between the Special Editions and the Theatrical Editions?

See, some people just really really like these movies. They don’t care about the money grabbing, the “affront to fans” and everything else that convention attendees discuss. They’ll just rush out to get three of their favorite (and three they put up with) movies on DVD.

And let’s face it, you’re going to Buy the Star Wars Complete Saga on Blu-Ray even with your animus toward Lucas.

Though I suspect many of you will just buy the Original Trilogy on Blu-Ray.

If not, feel free to disagree in the comments.

Also:

• Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Blu-Ray – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Keep in mind, Mandy Moore got Because I Said So and License to Wed released in theaters and this went straight-to-DVD. (shudder)

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Glee, The Prince of Persia, Letters to Juliet (0)
• New DVD Releases: Fast Five, Scream 4, The Lion King (1)
• New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother (0)
• New DVD Releases: Bridesmaids, Modern Family, The Mentalist (0)
• New DVD Releases: Prom, Sons of Anarchy, House (0)
• New DVD Releases: Win Win, The Beaver, NCIS (0)
• New DVD Releases: Something Borrowed, Jane Eyre, Priest (0)

If you came here hoping for some big movie releases on DVD, I have bad news for you – it’s not gonna happen. This week, we’ve got Prom and that’s about it. Ouch.

Fortunately, Fall DVD TV season is rocking away to the tune of nearly a dozen series unleashing full seasons on DVD. So if you’ve always wanted to catch up with Nikita this is your chance.

All that, plus scores of canceled shows and the worst DVD of the week!

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Yes, we’ve got Disney’s Prom but we also have a thriller starring David Hyde Pierce!

• Prom – Buy Now
• The Perfect Host -Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Sons of Anarchy”: Season 3

This last season of ‘Sons of Anarchy’ was overrated. Even though everybody hated it.

It may seem like a contradictory circumstance, but in this case it wasn’t. That’s because the common response to the show’s third season was that, “It wasn’t the best,” or “Bad season of the show”. Neither of those responses really illustrate the degree to which Season 3 of ‘SoA’ was terrible.

Firstly, ‘Sons’ was an excellent series through its first two seasons. It had a very fine and entertaining first season and made a massive leap in its second season adding further depth and strengthening its characters. It was so strong that its exclusion from the Emmys was a major oversight and it seemed poised to finally hit the awards big time with Season 3.

But that didn’t happen. Conventional wisdom would have it that ‘Sons’ took a step, or even two, back during its trip to Ireland, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

The third season of this show wasn’t bad for the show. It was bad for television. It would have been seen as a bad season of much weaker shows that ‘Sons of Anarchy’. It was simply a horrible season of television, no matter what you were comparing it to.

So to say it was a bad season of ‘Sons’ almost lets it off the hook. Since ‘Sons’ was heretofore a great show, a bad season of it would imply that it was at least watchable, but that’s nowhere near true. Unless you enjoy watching one character demand to see his kid for eight straight episodes as the plot doesn’t move at all. Which I’m sure nobody does.

So, yes, this was just an abhorrent season of television, and not just “a bad season of this show”. In fact, you may simply want to skip it if you’re catching up.

But if you really want to stay current, you can buy Season 3 of ‘Sons of Anarchy’ on DVD.

Also:

• “90210″: Season 3 – Buy Now
• “Cougar Town”: Season 2 – Buy Now
• “The Defenders”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “Desperate Housewives”: Season 7 – Buy Now
• “Detroit 1-8-7″: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “House”: Season 7 – Buy Now
• “Mad Love”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “Nikita”: Season 1 – Buy Now
• “Parenthood”: Season 2 – Buy Now
• “Running Wilde”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “Vampire Diaries”: Season 2 – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Sons of Anarchy, House, Marmaduke (0)
• New DVD Releases: Fast Five, Scream 4, The Lion King (1)
• New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother (0)
• New DVD Releases: Bridesmaids, Modern Family, The Mentalist (0)
• New DVD Releases: Thor, Glee, Star Wars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Win Win, The Beaver, NCIS (0)
• New DVD Releases: Something Borrowed, Jane Eyre, Priest (0)

It’s that time of year again. The time where the networks begin unleashing their previous season TV on DVD box sets in order to get you ready for the upcoming TV season…or to burn off the shows that didn’t work last year.

This week it’s a pretty even split between the holdovers and the castaways, enough to make you think it’s sweeps week all over again.

All that, plus three tiny little independent movies and the wonderful moment where a huge international star goes straight-to-DVD!

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Not a whole lot to write about this week, just three little indies that may not have come out in your hometown. They are:

• The Beaver – Buy Now
• Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold – Buy Now
• Win-Win – Buy Now

TV on DVD

And here they are, the collections of cancelled shows and megahits making their previous season DVD debuts this week. Basically, unless you’re an “NCIS”, things probably didn’t go too well last season:

• “Brothers & Sisters”: Season 5 – Buy Now
• “The Event”: Complete Series – Buy Now
• “Gossip Girl”: Season 4 – Buy Now
• “Navy: NCIS”: Season 8 – Buy Now
• “NCIS: Los Angeles”: Season 2 – Buy Now
• “Off the Map: Complete Series – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Monsters vs. Aliens, The Wizard of Oz, Life on Mars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Fast Five, Scream 4, The Lion King (1)
• New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother (0)
• New DVD Releases: Bridesmaids, Modern Family, The Mentalist (0)
• New DVD Releases: Thor, Glee, Star Wars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Prom, Sons of Anarchy, House (0)
• New DVD Releases: Something Borrowed, Jane Eyre, Priest (0)

Rom-Com lovers get to bug out this week as Something Borrowed lands on DVD with the dubious honor of the first real summer release to hit shelves. Oh happy day!

But the real winner this week are period film buffs who get The Conspirator and Jane Eyre on DVD this week. Two films which, after much investigation, I’ve determined were released this year. Who knew?

Not only that, but season five of everyone’s favorite Showtime Serial Killer, two excellent Special Editions and the worst DVD of the week!

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Something Borrowed

One sign for me of a true cinephile and somebody who doesn’t know much about the movies they go to see is what they base a pattern of viewing on.

The cognoscente will base this on the director. Coen Brothers? Martin Scorsese? Woody Allen? You’ll see whatever they make because you know it’ll be good.

The layman? They prefer to base it on the actor. “I’ll see anything with Tom Cruise” in it they’ll say. This always puzzled me because what in the world does “Knight & Day” have to do with “Magnolia” have to do with “Cocktail”? Actors are all part of the plan while the director is the plan.

So I used to look down on people who based their viewing choices based on the star of the movie. That was until I realized this:

• Something Borrowed
• Bride Wars
• Fool’s Gold
• You, Me and Dupree
• Raising Helen

What are those? Besides just being horrible movies? Those are the last five wide releases that starred Kate Hudson. All rom-coms of some level. All total clunkers. All with a similar vibe. It’s almost as if Kate Hudson hexes whatever movie she’s in. Just look at the picture above, it’s as if she’s trying to suck all the talent out of Ginnifer Goodwin and bring her into Hudsondonia.

So when it comes to saying you see movies based on who is in them rather than who made them, I’ll now except avoiding the films of Kate Hudson as a justifiable stance.

But if you do like Kate Hudson fare, you can buy Raising Helen on DVD.

Also:

• The Conspirator – Buy Now
• Hoodwinked Too! – Buy Now
• Jane Eyre – Buy Now
• Priest – Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Dexter”: Season 5

Remember five years ago? Remember when everybody was saying that Showtime had now supplanted HBO as the best network on television?

Remember when everybody pointed to new shows like “Weeds”, “Dexter”, and “Californication” as turning points that proved Showtime was ready to take its place at the top?

Well, whatever happened to that? Why are all the shows that have come out since then (“Nurse Jackie” excluded) complete duds? Why did a network on the cusp of greatness start giving us “The Big C” and “The Borgias”. Didn’t they want to take their newfound position seriously? Were they totally unaware they’d soon be competing with “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire”?

So many questions, so much befuddlement.

Whatever the answer, you can still enjoy one of their good series by buying “Dexter”: Season 5 on DVD.

Special Editions

I don’ usually put special editions in here because I hate the idea that people who already have bought the DVD once or even twice now have to buy a better edition to get all they want. But these two just may be too good to pass up:

The Big Lebowski: Limited Edition Blu-Ray:

• Limited Edition collectible 28-pg book packaging including an exclusive interview, Jeff Bridges’ on-set photography, a film timeline, trivia and more!
• Digital Copy of The Big Lebowski (expires 12/31/2012)
• U-Control: Scene Companion – Watch behind the scenes footage, interviews and more while you watch the film
• U-Control: Mark It, Dude – This on-screen counter keeps track of the “F-bombs,” “Dudes” and Lebowski-isms during the film
• U-Control: The Music of The Big Lebowski – Identify the songs in the film and create a custom playlist
• Worthy Adversaries: What’s My Line Trivia – Test your Lebowski knowledge with this interactive game
• The Dude’s Life
• The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later
• Making of The Big Lebowski
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story
• Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude
• Interactive Map
• Jeff Bridges Photo Book
• Photo Gallery

The Killing: Criterion Collection

• New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• New video interview with producer James B. Harris
• Excerpts of interviews with actor Sterling Hayden from the French television series Cinéma cinémas
• New video interview with film scholar Robert Polito about writer Jim Thompson and his work on The Killing
• Restored transfer of Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir feature Killer’s Kiss
• New video appreciation of Killer’s Kiss with film critic Geoffrey O’Brien
• Theatrical trailers
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film historian Haden Guest and a reprinted interview with Marie Windsor on The Killing

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• New DVD Releases: Dexter, Cougar Town, The Last Song (0)
• New DVD Releases: Bride Wars, The Uninvited, Hotel For Dogs (0)
• New DVD Releases: Fast Five, Scream 4, The Lion King (1)
• New DVD Releases: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, CSI, How I Met Your Mother (0)
• New DVD Releases: Bridesmaids, Modern Family, The Mentalist (0)
• New DVD Releases: Thor, Glee, Star Wars (0)
• New DVD Releases: Prom, Sons of Anarchy, House (0)

It’s a bit of a nerd Nirvana on DVD this week as three different sci-fi/fantasy/comic book parodies all arrive at once with the releases of Paul, Your Highness, and Super. So get your condescending laughs ready.

For those not looking for the geek-parody genre in order to fulfill their home entertainment desire, there are even more feature films hitting shelves this week, plus another that suffered the sad fate of having its premiere in stores.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Paul

What do you do when your favorites misstep?

If you’re like me, you love you some Nick Frost and Simon Pegg comedies.

Also, if you’re like me, Paul was kind of a chore to sit through. Uneven, too long, and tried to do too many things at once.

So what do you do? Do you completely lose faith? Does the duo’s next film no long hold for you the same appeal it once did? In other words, have we just suffered an Intolerable Cruelty/The Ladykillers-like reaction to these other two cinematic brothers?

It’s troubling, because once you lock into a reliable film constant you begin to plan your movie year around it. Circling your calendar and suffering through horrible runs of Source Codes and Adjustment Bureaus more readily knowing that something that has to be good is coming right up.

But then, it doesn’t, and you’re left betrayed and unable to ever fully trust again. What is a fan to do?

I know! You blame the fact that Edgar Wright didn’t direct this one and you move on. Hope you chaps will reunite soon!

But if you need something to tide you over, you can buy Paul on DVD.

Your Highness

It seemed that a lot of the animus toward this movie was chiefly directed at two of its three stars.

James Franco: Crappy Oscar host, does too much, overexposed.

Natalie Portman: Too many movies, No Strings Attached – really?, I like Mila Kunis better.

Yes, this film was sort of a catalyst for sealed anger to explode on these two actors, but one got by unscathed – Danny McBride.

And I’m fascinated by that. Can Danny McBride do know wrong? Does having about three moves as an actor (which he does transcendently well, mind you) right all wrongs. Does it make becoming a K-Swiss spokesman and the co-star of Land of the Lost not even matter?

I’m totally confused. I need help:

If you answered “yes”, you’ll want to buy Your Highness on DVD.

Also:

• Jumping the Broom – Buy Now
• Mars Needs Moms – Buy Now
• Super – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

• Paul: Movie Review (7)
• International Trailer for Paul with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (0)
• New Photos from Simon Pegg, Nick Frost Comedy Paul (0)
• Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Paul Teaser Trailer (0)
• Comic-Con 2010 Video: Cast of Paul Favorite Comic-Con Moment (0)
• Paul Photo With Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (0)
• Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Video Diary 3 (2)

A nice little hodgepodge on DVD this week as you can get a couple of kiddie films (one religious, one bird-consumed) and a DVD about sitcoms. Yes, it’s indeed a hodgepodge.

The TV side is dominated by a couple of premium channel sitcoms, but there’s still enough room for a WB classic that you may forget existed. And don’t forget about the one truly horrible DVD this week.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

Rio

You start to wonder if it’s foolproof.

It seems like every single Friday there’s some sort of colorful computer-generated animated comedy with a couple of big name stars above the title and a new type of species or object talking when it normally wouldn’t.

And what happens? Almost without exception the movie scores at least an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, make $100 million, and do huge business on DVD.

It’s a formula that just doesn’t seem to fail. In fact, it’s so trustworthy and such a cash cow that you wonder why every studio doesn’t just become all computer-animated comedies all-the-time.

Then you remember that Mars Needs Moms came out this year and you realize it’s not so easy.

But if you like the hits, you can buy Rio on DVD.

Also:

• Exporting Raymond – Buy Now
• Soul Surfer – Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Eastbound and Down”: Season 2 and “The United States of Tara”: Season 3

A lot of people feel like Network comedies and dramas can’t compete with cable because the content allowed on premium cable provides

But I feel like it’s a crutch. It’s a way to avoid humor that’s sophisticated or intelligent or requires creativity and simply be vulgar.

Take these two shows for example. “United States of Tara” had nothing more on its agenda in its third season than shocking with violence and sexuality rather than playing its characters for humor. “Eastbound”, meanwhile, is essentially a long string of F-words that stays on one note for the entire time.

So is it really better that premium cable comedies are allowed to swear and show boobies? Isn’t that what gave us the last 5 seasons of “Entourage”? For me, I’ll take the cleverness of “Parks & Recreation” to the crassness of most premium cable comedies any day. I don’t need to hear F-Bombs to recognize a laugh line.

Now if you like this sort of comedy, you can:

Buy “Eastbound and Down”: Season 2 on DVD

Buy “The United States of Tara”: Season 3 on DVD

Also:

• “Everwood”: Season 4 – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

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Jake Gyllenhaal fans rejoice! Because your favorite actor has the week on DVD all to himself this week, allowing you to enjoy his trip to a train in total exclusivity.

No. Seriously. There is really nothing else on DVD this week. Not at all. Nada. Bupkus. Oh wait! The third season of “Jersey Shore” hits shelves this week too. So there is hope.

Check it all out below…

Feature Films

The Source Code

It’s interesting what passes for a leading man these days.

Jake Gyllenhaal, by most measures, is the seventh or eighth biggest male movie star in America. Why? Because he routinely gets films, and weekends, all to himself.

Since he starred in his biggest hit (“The Day After Tomorrow”) Gyllenhaal has been given the lead in a war movie Oscar vehicle (“Jarhead”) summer tentpoles (“Prince of Persia”), movies from big name directors (“Zodiac”, “Brothers”) and a Thanksgiving rom-com (“Love and Other Drugs”). All that, plus a few other lead roles that consumed commercial breaks for months on end.

And take a guess. How many movies passed $100 million at the box office? Yes. That would be zero. Zero! Jerry Bruckheimer couldn’t even get this guy across the century mark.

In fact, the only movie of his that could be considered a success in this time period was “Brokeback Mountain”. Of course, that film did not feature him the lead and didn’t really rely on him for marketing.

In other words, in the films that Gyllenhaal has been required to open, he’s 0-for-8 with an average box office gross of $40 million per movie. Not exactly setting the world on fire.

And the biggest surprise? The very mediocre-performing Source Code is actually an above average film for Gyllenhaal! That’s not to say any of this is his fault, he just gets way more hype than he merits.

But if you love him, you can Buy “The Source Code” on DVD

Also:

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night – Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Jersey Shore”: Season 3

My “Jersey Shore” recommendation goes one of two ways.

Most people who have watched this show for awhile hate it at this point. The constant Ronnie/Sammie bickering has torpedoed the show, The Situation doesn’t do anything anymore, and the cast repeats the same actions on an endless loop. So yes, it’s not as good as it once was.

But I think that comes with a caveat: The initial shock of this crew has worn off. The big draw to this show initially was simply how crazy these people were and the shock of seeing this insane world they inhabit.

I still think, if you’ve managed to not hear of them at all, that the third season of this show will hold the same allure the first season did for those who’ve always been along for the ride.

Don’t believe me? Buy “Jersey Shore” Season 3 on DVD

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

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Not a whole to crow about on DVD this week. In fact, there’s only three new releases (not counting the de facto Straight-to-DVD travesties) of any real note landing on shelves this week. And two of those are movies that you don’t remember existed (or at least that Robert De Niro starred in one of them). What a shame!

Luckily, the third DVD is probably the most exciting DVD release (for me) that I can remember. A TV series so beloved that I had to make it my Twitter Avatar. What is it?

Check it out below…

Feature Films

Limitless and Take Me Home Tonight

I have a problem and I think I need some help.

I always lump movies into three categories: Absolutely must-see in Theaters. Will Most Likely See in Theaters and Wait for the DVD.

The first two I’m very solid on. I never miss anything in the first category and only horrible reviews doom the second category. It’s the third category that I have the most trouble with.

It seems that once a movie leaves theaters it’s gone from my mind. Even as I write this column every week and see the movies being released, I just never bother to log on to my Blockbuster Online Account (who’s laughing now?) and add the newbies to my queue.

This week, I’m faced with two such movies. Both that interested me, but only enough to wait for on DVD. I love me some 80s throwback and Limitless actually earned some decent reviews and word-of-mouth. I should be logging on right now to get them in the mail just as soon as I finish my “Larry Sanders” DVDs.

But I won’t do it. I know I won’t do it. And I’ll probably live my life not knowing how Bradley Cooper was able to think so many moves ahead of Robert De Niro or why Dan Fogler continues to get paid as an actor.

Alas, the curse of the lazy.

But if you have these on your DVD to-watch list, you should buy them right now before you forget!

Buy “Limitless” on DVD

Buy “Take Me Home Tonight” on DVD

TV on DVD

“Hey Dude!”: Season 1

For a 90s Nickelodeon TV geek like myself, the good news just keeps on coming. First, TeenNick announces that it will begin re-airing old 90s Nickelodeon episodes at midnight starting next Monday. Now, my favorite all time 90s Nickelodeon show (which inspired my Twitter Avatar) is finally available on DVD!

Even better, it gives me a great subject for this week’s show:

Buy “Hey Dude”: Season 1 on DVD

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

I’m not sure if the tagline refers to the shark attacks or having to watch this movie.

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After a week off for the Fourth of July, the DVD picks are back with a nice lineup of big comedies, cartoons, horror movies and Matthew McConaughey’s hair. It’s hard to think of a better belated birthday present to America than that DVD rundown.

But that’s not all. There’s also a couple of critically acclaimed Cable Series unleashing their latest seasons on DVD and the absolute worst DVD you’ll see anywhere.

Check it out below…

Feature Films

Rango

I did not see this movie and I have no idea why.

It doesn’t make sense. I try to see every well-reviewed film and this is one of the top five of the year. It boasts an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 75 on MetaCritic and our own Mali Elfman gave it a very solid review.

So why did I miss it? Why didn’t I even consider seeing it? It’s simple – it’s animated.

I don’t what it is about animated films but I seem to skip them en masse. How to Train Your Dragon? Didn’t see it. Despicable Me, totally missed it even though my friend is on the production team. Ratatouille? Nope. Not that either. (And it isn’t even the only Pixar film I skipped).

The weirdest thing to me about my constantly skipping animated films is that I really enjoy them. Up was my second favorite movie of 2010. Wall-E my favorite of 2009. Despite this, I just can’t bring myself to go see an animated film.

Can anybody offer me help to get over my animation bias? I feel like I’m only hurting myself!

But if you love animation, you can buy Rango on DVD.

Insidious

Another big hit that was well-reviewed and actually seen by many as a watershed moment in filmmaking that I didn’t see and had no interest in seeing.

Why? Well this is a simple horror bias. I don’t really care for horror movies, I haven’t seen a tremendous amount and that sort of leaves me outside their sphere of moviegoing.

And that’s where the realm of horror can be off-putting. Not because of the movies themselves, but because of the aura surrounding them and the snobbery of their fans. They’re like comic books in that way – even if you want to get into them, the arrogance and pomposity of all involved will put you off as you’re deemed not worthy to want to watch the remake of “The Grudge” (The Japanese version was much better).

It’s a movie like Insidious that seemed, to me, to fall right into that horror wheelhouse – a great-reviewed little mini-movie that the horror fanboys (and girls) will drool over to no end and when I dare to enter the theater I will be greeted with sneers and rolled eyes as I fail to compare the frights in the film to the original version of ‘The Wicker Man’.

So yes, horror can be very intimidating – even if movies don’t scare you at all.

If you are one of those horror fans, you can buy Insidious on DVD.

Also:

• Arthur – Buy Now
• The Lincoln Lawyer – Buy Now
• Miral – Buy Now

TV on DVD

“Damages”: Season 3 and “Entourage”: Season 7

Two shows. Two cable shows. Two cable shows that have left their best days far behind them. So I ask our weekly TV on DVD poll question:

Buy “Damages”: Season 3 on DVD

Buy “Entourage”: Season 7 on DVD

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

I think we have this year’s winner for ‘Most Ironic Tagline’.

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