New Releases for Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011

Posted Dec 11, 2011 by John Allman

Updated Dec 11, 2011 at 01:19 PM

What’s new in stores and on video shelves this week:

Point Blank
Genre: Thriller
Directed by: Fred Cavayé
Run time: 84 minutes
Rating: R
Format: Blu-Ray

The Lowdown: It’s been 16 years since Keanu Reeves boarded a bus bound for hell, strapping in along with the audience for a white-knuckle thrill ride of improbable twists and turns.

“Point Blank,” is an amazing French thriller about a married nurse, Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) who interrupts an assassination attempt at his hospital only to have his pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) kidnapped, throwing him into the middle of a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with a deadly police detective and the criminal underworld. 

It’s as gripping and electric as “Speed,” but without the bus.

Director Fred Cavayé maintains such a frantic pace that the viewer barely has time to breathe. It’s an undeniably kinetic experience, one that generates such adrenaline that you feel as if you’re racing on foot along with Pierret.

The master stroke of “Point Blank,” however, is that it offers not one, but two protagonists to cheer for – Pierret’s hellbent husband, determined to find his wife or die trying, and Roschdy Zem’s Hugo Sartet, the expert safecracker and notorious criminal whom Lellouche saves from death in the hospital.

Sartet is a bad, bad man. But he and Pierret must team together, a la Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in “The Defiant Ones,” in order to survive.

Where Pierret would show mercy, Sartet kills with ease.

It’s a fascinating and thrilling dynamic that crackles with renewed energy, a tired plot contrivance given a second life.

And, at a time when most films struggle to find a villain worthy of fear, Cavayé unleashes upon his unlikely heroes a true devil of a man, Commandant Patrick Werner (Gérard Lanvin), whose moral compass never points in any direction but south. Werner is a man driven by an unmoral code to protect the establishment at any cost, no matter who he has to kill, whether it’s a criminal or a police colleague.

I can already foresee the inevitable Hollywood remake. It’s the type of movie that should have producers salivating to cast the roles of Sartet and Pierret. I could see proven A-list celebrities lining up for the chance.

But I can tell you this with confidence, it wouldn’t be nearly as good.

The reason why is simple. Something critical will get lost in the translation from foreign thriller to glossy Hollywood tentpole. Because it’s a French import, you’re almost willing to overlook the leaps in faith, the gaping lapses in logic and the insane, death-defying action that would render any other, ordinary hospital nurse dead on a sidewalk, either the victim of a 20-foot fall or a bullet to the back.

“Point Blank” is not a film you spend hours analyzing. It’s like a 5-hour energy drink. You consume it, you feel the jolt to your senses and you eventually wind down.

But during those five hours, or 84 minutes, as is the case here, you feel clear-eyed and alert, buzzing with nervous energy, sketchy and alive and praying to God that a humble, everyday guy can somehow keep evading bullets and torture and high-flying leaps between tenement buildings to save his wife.

The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – Yes.
Nudity – Yes.
Gore – Gun violence.
Drug use – No.
Bad Guys/Killers – An elite squad of corrupt cops.
Buy/Rent – Buy it.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features – Behind the scenes documentary, theatrical trailer.
On the Web – http://www.magpictures.com/pointblank/

The Hangover Part II (Warner Bros.,102 minutes, R, Blu-Ray): A lot of sequels recycle the same ideas that made the earlier films successful. Or they take specific elements and ramp those up to comic proportions like a bodybuilder on ‘roids.

Very few sequels try to replicate the entire film that preceded it. In fact, I can think of just one film that I’ve ever seen that attempted this and pulled it off: “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn,” which was basically a shot-for-shot remake with a few new added elements, and it was wonderful.

“The Hangover Part II” is not “Evil Dead 2,” far from it.

It’s not even “The Hangover Part I,” despite trying to copy it nearly point-for-point.

I wouldn’t care if “The Hangover Part II” was at least funny. But it’s not, honestly, and that’s a shame. There’s one big gag that works near the midway mark, but the rest looks and tastes like a reheated dinner that came out of the microwave. There’s nary a hint of oven-baked goodness to be found.

I think the potential is there, however. And there are precedents that would justify a third adventure with the Wolfpack because the chemistry of the three leads is undeniable. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis riff off each other with impeccable timing, and they seem to genuinely get along.

But what worked in small doses last time – Ken Jeong’s manic energy, Mike Tyson’s hysterical cameo – become annoying and clichéd with a larger helping.

Saddling Helms with the brunt of them misfortune, again, and tying the entire plot around another ill-conceived group drug dosing by Galifianakis, makes the film feel lazy instead of inspired.

Michael Bay was able to recover from the blasphemous, overlong, overloud blight that was “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” I think Todd Phillips & Co. can do the same. But they have to go in an entirely different direction for the third, and hopefully final, “Hangover.”

The Debt (Universal, 113 minutes, R, Blu-Ray): A good, but not instantly great, espionage thriller, “The Debt” succeeds in small doses, giving viewers a chance to see familiar actors like Sam Worthington in roles that they might never otherwise have imagined them.

The best bits involve the flashbacks because in those scenes, younger versions of Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson crackle with intensity, none better than Jessica Chasstain as a female Mossad agent who is forced to expose herself, literally and figuratively, to a German war monster, a butcher of women, whose crazed experiments are the true stuff of nightmares.

Cowboys & Aliens (Universal, 135 minutes, PG-13, Blu-Ray): Here’s the deal: “Cowboys and Aliens” isn’t a bad film, it’s just not a very original one.

But it’s still a fun slice of escapism, a worthy waste of two hours on a Saturday spent crashed on a couch.

The genre mash-up of Old West meets Sci-Fi doesn’t feel as fresh and electrifying as it should. No one runs around shrieking about the end of the world and WTF are those crazy flying saucer things (which, it should be pointed out, I would have done).

There’s never a sense of a group of people discovering something for the first time, which is absolutely essential to sell a premise like this. Even with a movie like “Dances With Wolves,” you honestly believed that Lt. John Dunbar lived by himself at a remote, abandoned outpost, and that he genuinely had never encountered a Native American tribe before. That sense of wonder, of possibility, of being immersed in the unknown, was true, and infectious.

In “Cowboys and Aliens,” each scene feels like a set-up for the next big set piece. Part of the problem is that because these Old West settlers had never encountered aliens from outer space before, they realistically should have had no idea how to combat them, or even find them.

But find them they do, with relative ease. And they hold their own against an improbable force that otherwise should have wiped them out like a militia storming a retirement home.

A bigger problem is Daniel Craig, who I never realized looks almost alien-like with his fascinating bone structure and refusal to smile. He doesn’t feel right in the role. As I watched, I wondered what a different actor, the first actor rumored for the part, Robert Downey Jr., might have done with the role.

Craig is a fantastic actor, he has such presence, but he just doesn’t fit here. He plays his role with such earnestness that it’s almost maudlin. He just doesn’t seem to be having any fun, and fun is exactly what a movie called “Cowboys and Aliens” needed most.

Also Available:

Underbelly: The Trilogy – Epic, sprawling, ambitious. Those are just a few adjectives to describe this Australian television sensation, which features three 13-episode seasons broken into three parts, all of which help tell the story of that country’s violent, 30-plus year crime war. There’s A Tale of Two Cities, The Golden Mile and War On The Streets. Did I mention gratuitous violence and nudity? That’s right, kids. Other countries can show a lot more than the buttoned-up, conservative suits in the U.S. will alow.

The Help – I’m beginning to think it’s a little wrong how much I fancy Emma Stone. Is she the perfect woman? Discuss.

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fourth Season – Russell T. Davies created this spin-off of the wildly successful BBC hit “Doctor Who” about an investigative journalist, Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), who fights to protect the Earth from alien attack. The cool crossover potential has been realized on several occasions with both David Tennant, the 10th Doctor, and Matt Smith, the 11th Doctor, making guest appearances. Sladen first appeared as Sarah Jane back in the 1960s on the original “Doctor Who” serials, and she continued to appear off and on through the 1980s and 1990s before re-emerging in 2005 when Davies kickstarted a fresh take on the iconic show. The spin-off, now in its fifth season overseas, faces an uncertain future with Sladen’s death in April 2011 at the age of 66.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 XXII: Mighty Jack, Time of the Apes, The Violent Years and The Brute Man – Joel, Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot return to lay waste to a host of awesomely, unbelievably, mind-blowingly bad B-movies that you otherwise might never know existed.

The Smurfs – NPH, I’m willing to overlook this. I haven’t said anything about the “Harold and Kumar” movies because, honestly, you were the best thing about the first two (I haven’t seen the third yet). But there better not be a Smurfs sequel. I don’t care how much money it might make. That’s your one and final warning.

Mr. Poppers Penguins – I think the movie would have been funnier if the penguins were all laying around taking big whiffs of amyl nitrite and getting into trouble. 

Big Love: The Complete Series – See 2011 Holiday Gift Guide

Astral City: A Spiritual Journey –  Based on a best-selling book by a renowned medium, this visually dazzling journey through the afterlife, en route to spiritual awakening and fulfillment, is probably what the creative team behind “What Dreams May Come” was hoping for, but couldn’t quite achieve.

Mangus! – It’s a coming of age story about a high school student who wants to play the title role in “Jesus Christ Superstar.” I’m not kidding. And it has been described as early John Waters meets Pedro Almodóvar. That’s pretty enticing, if you ask me.

Psychic Experiment – Katie Featherston tries her hand at horror that doesn’t have “Paranormal Activity” in the title. Unfortunately, this one is a confused mess of rehashed imagery you’ve seen in a bunch of other direct-to-DVD fright flicks.

Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising – This new take on the mythology of the ages-long battle between Autobots and Decepticons is supposed to thrill longtime fans while serving as an introductory primer for people who have only seen the Michael Bay films and not any of the older cartoons.

Triple Tap – This Chinese import takes a unique approach to a classic action premise. The protagonist here is a competitive marksman who finds himself caught between the criminal underworld and a rival marksman, who just happens to be a cop.

Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians/Beast from Haunted Cave – It wouldn’t be Christmas without big boobs, bad puns and a classic B-movie about Santa Claus defending the Earth from those pesky little green guys.

Tora! Tora! Tora! – Pearl Harbor, told with meticulous attention to detail. It’s a classic, restored and enhanced to high definition, and it comes in a handsome hardback case with a collectible booklet.

Medea - The classic tale of Medea is told with opera legend Maria Callas in the title role.

The Simpsons: The Fourteenth Season - This collection includes all episodes from the 14th season (2002-2003) of Fox’s long-running animated hit.

 

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New Releases for Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011

Posted Dec 4, 2011 by John Allman

Updated Dec 4, 2011 at 11:52 AM

What’s new in stores and on video shelves this week:

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Directed by: Eli Craig
Run time: 89 minutes
Rating: R
Format: Blu-Ray

The Lowdown: Easily one of the funniest, and best, releases this year, “Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil” is about as good as a horror-comedy genre mash-up gets.

It has gratuitous gore that’s as startling as it is funny. It has exceptional performances, particularly from Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk as Dale and Tucker, respectively. And it’s actually a very sweet love story about social acceptance and why not to judge a book by its cover.

But you’re here for the gore, and the laughs, and “Tucker & Dale” has both in spades.

Eli Craig’s first feature deftly flips the conventional backwoods redneck rampage tale, playing against type, by not telling the story from the POV of the group of unsuspecting college kids who find themselves deep in the forest and facing an uneducated, unrefined, possibly inbred menace.

Instead, Craig makes the protagonists the rednecks, creating two likeable hillbillies who are best friends who just want to fix up their vacation cabin in the woods. But, to the group of college kids who initially encounter them on a rural highway, they’re scary and menacing simply because of their appearance and the big, beat-up truck they’re driving.

Craig has fun playing with first appearances. After the college kids and T&D converge on a rural gas station, Tucker convinces Dale to go talk to Allison, a hot blonde. Dale walks over holding a scythe and makes uneasy conversation – not because he’s illiterate, but because he’s nervous talking to someone so pretty.

All the college kids see is the scythe and a big redneck in overalls laughing like a lunatic.

Throughout the film, this theme of miscommunication, of simply judging someone based solely on appearance, recurs in hilarious and unexpected ways.

Tudyk and Labine have amazing chemistry. They play off each other like they’ve been best friends for years. The jokes work because they’re funny, but also because of each actor’s impeccable timing.

It’s also nice to see Labine, who has been saddled with the sidekick role for too long, get the breakout opportunity, and in a love story, no less. He carries the film when Tudyk is incapacitated, exhibiting a leading man presence that previously might not have been apparent.

“Tucker & Dale” is a film that you will want to share with others. It’s best being played for a big group of like-minded movie fans, ones who appreciate how difficult it can be to merge horror and comedy and those who will love and champion that rare movie that gets the balance just right.

The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – Yes, the smoking hot Chelan Simmons, who makes running through the woods in stripper heels look easy.
Nudity – No.
Gore – Amazing gore.
Drug use – Yes.
Bad Guys/Killers – The demon spawn preppy child of a backwoods maniac.
Buy/Rent – Buy it.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features – Audio commentary, a short Making-Of documentary, outtakes, storyboards and the best feature, “Tucker and Dale ARE Evil: The College Kids’ Point of View,” a 17-minute shortened version of the film that shows how the movie might have been if it were a straight backwoods redneck rampage genre flick.
On the Web – http://www.magnetreleasing.com/tuckeranddalevsevil/

Kidnapped (IFC Midnight, 85 minutes, Unrated, DVD): Brazen, brutal, breathtaking. It’s rare that a genre film, especially one for a genre as played out as the Home Invasion thriller, not only captures the imagination but consistently surprises the viewer with unexpected twists, a depth of character development rarely seen and a seriously shocking ending that hits home like a double axe-handle punch to an unsuspecting gut.

“Kidnapped” is all of that, and more.

Writer/director Miguel Ángel Vivas and co-writer Javier García take every established/expected plot device and turn it into something truly memorable.

The setup is simple: A businessman, his wife and daughter are moving into a new home. The family dynamic is nothing surprising, mom and daughter bicker over the young girl attending a party, she runs to her Dad, he gives in and says OK.

Just as dinner is about to be spoiled by a family fight, someone crashes through the plate glass window in the hallway. Two more men wait outside the front door.

“Kidnapped” is like a well-trained distance runner. It moves with such fluid economy, maintaining a ridiculously high level of tension, that you literally feel tired from sitting so coiled on the couch, anticipating each dreadful development. Vivas and Garcia trick you at every turn with unexpected moments that allow you to contemplate how you would react, how you would respond. More often than not, you find yourself frustrated with the father, his wife and their daughter. You fight the urge to sympathize with the thieves who seem sincere in their desire not to hurt anyone as long as everyone listens and follows a basic set of rules.

The film’s third act is one of the best sleight of hand performance you’ve ever seen. You may believe you know how it will end. But you will be wrong. So wrong.

This is a major statement from a director who previously was best known for a series of short films in his home country of Spain. You will want to keep up with Vivas. There’s no telling what he might do to us next.

Chillerama (Image, 120 minutes, Unrated, Blu-Ray): I was so excited to see “Chillerama,” the ode to drive-in creature features, exploitation Nazi films and 1950s-era teen dramas and musicals.

But the truth is, while their love for movies is super evident, the final print that up-and-coming directors Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Tim Sullivan and Adam Rifkin deliver is half-baked, at best.

And that’s not a fun thing to write because I had such high hopes.

The idea is a wonderful one – make an anthology film about the last night in the life of a once popular drive-in theater where the theater owner decides to subject his patrons to a series of cult classic films without knowing that a zombie outbreak is happening down below the projection room.

Each of the films represents a satirical and often campy take on an old classic. There’s “Wadzilla,” based on the atomic creature features of the 1950s and 60s like “Them!” only this time the monster is a giant sperm. “I Was a Teenage Werebear” is the Douglas Sirk/Beach Blanket Bingo entry that somehow manages to splice together the bold visual style of Sirk with the fun musical numbers of an Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello film with the 1960s camp of horror films like “I Was A Teenage Frankenstein,” only it’s really a gay coming of age tale. “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein” combines the exploitative nature of films like “Ilsa, She-Wolf of the S.S.” with the classic cautionary tale of “Frankenstein,” only Adolf Hitler is the mad scientist trying to create a monster, Meshugannah, to destroy all Jews.

The three films all play within the context of a fourth film, “Zom-B-Movie,” which chronicles the undead outbreak at the drive-in.

The problem with “Chillerama” is that two of the four directors, Rifkin and Sullivan, while offering strong ideas, fall flat on execution. Rifkin’s “Wadzilla” is not unlike his cult favorite “The Dark Backward.” It’s interesting and kind of edgy, but it’s not nearly as good as you want it to be.

Sullivan’s “Werebear” has funny moments, kitschy songs and campy special effects. It’s better than his last film, “2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams,” but it too just doesn’t rise to the level of greatness that you keep hoping it will.

Green and Lynch are the two stalwarts here, and they very nearly elevate “Chillerama” to cult status.

It’s no surprise. They have shown the best chops to date in their careers. Green is capable of making really good thrillers like “Frozen” and really good slashers like “Hatchet,” but nothing he’s tried yet has shown as much promise as his first feature, the incredibly claustrophobic and open to interpretation “Spiral.” Green teams up again with Joel David Moore as Hitler for “Anne Frankenstein,” and it’s pretty much a riot. Of all the films, “Anne Frankenstein” most resembles a long-lost drive-in classic. Kristina Klebe plays Eva Braun as a sexpot nympho with a heaving bosom, and Kane Hodder is hysterical as Meshugannah with his Orthodox payot and traditional black hat.

Lynch only has one feature to his credit, but it’s a good one, the exceptional sequel “Wrong Turn 2: Dead End,” and he’s got “Knights of Badassdom” on tap for 2012. His “Zom-B-Movie” is a fun, gory take on classic walking dead films with a pervert’s eye for the sexed-up nature of drive-in theaters. And that’s a compliment. There’s necrophilia, gobs of blue goop that infects and animates the undead and a very sweet story of two young lovers hoping to lose their virginity to each other amid the zombie insurrection.

“Chillerama” is a fun movie, one that is definitely worth your time. It’s got gags galore, boobs, unsafe sex, monsters and a host of cameo appearances by some of your favorite B-movie stars. The only reason this isn’t a more glowing critique is because I personally was hoping it would be even more, a new standard for anthology films, a cult classic the likes of “The Evil Dead” or “Re-Animator,” and it’s not. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just a case of what could have been.

30 Minutes or Less (Sony, 83 minutes, R, Blu-Ray): “Zombieland” helmer Ruben Fleischer returns with his second feature, “30 Minutes or Less,” reteaming with Jesse Eisenberg for an action comedy about a slacker stoner pizza delivery driver who gets forced into robbing a bank by a pair of would-be criminal masterminds who strap a bomb to his chest. That Danny McBride plays the criminal ringleader, you know you’re in for a raunchy, irreverent ride, and “30 Minutes” does not disappoint. Also along for the ride is Aziz Ansari, as Eisenberg’s best friend, and he’s hysterical, stealing almost every scene he’s in, and Nick Swardson, the “Reno 911” veteran, and longtime Adam Sandler collaborator.

Friends with Benefits (Sony, 109 minutes, R, Blu-Ray):  Here’s the problem with “Friends with Benefits”: It’s got no edge. Zip. Zero. It turns out to be dull as an old razor blade after promising to be something sharp and fresh. Some of the jokes are funny, but few connect above a chuckle. It tries too hard to be cute. There’s a whole lot of skin to be shown, but the very noticeable edits make you wonder, did I just see Mila Kunis’ butt or a body double? Justin Timberlake isn’t shy about showing off his bare butt. That’s good because his acting here is four steps back from the progress he showed in “The Social Network.” To say I was disappointed throughout is an understatement.

Also Available:

Vampires

The Wave

The Smurfs

One Day

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Mission Impossible: The ’88 TV Season

The Future

5 Days of War

Needle

Look: Season One

Another Earth

The Art of Getting By

Smallville: The Complete Series (See 2011 Holiday Gift Guide)

The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series (See 2011 Holiday Gift Guide)

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The 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for the Good, the Bad and Everyone In Between

Posted Nov 27, 2011 by John Allman

Updated Dec 6, 2011 at 09:34 AM

Movies for People Who Love Movies:

Bellflower (Oscilloscope Laboratories): Hands down, best indie film in years. This is beautiful, brutal, visceral filmmaking that doesn’t just dance along the edge, it leaps into the abyss. After our first viewing, it leapt into our Top Five All-Time Favorite Films along with “Se7en,” “Fight Club,” “Chasing Amy” and “The Evil Dead.”

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (Magnet/Magnolia): A wonderfully subversive play on the generic backswoods, inbred hillbilly cannibal/killer horror movie tropes, filled with absurdist humor and some of the funniest gore since “Dead Alive.”;

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Oscilloscope Laboratories): The new holiday standard to (finally) replace “A Christmas Story” as the alternative to traditional Christmas fare.

Attack the Block (Sony): The best alien invasion movie since, well, ever. It has all the elements you love – humor, action, scares – not to mention extremely well-developed characters, and none of the cheese that soaks less-smart flicks like “Independence Day” or “Battle: Los Angeles.”;

A Serbian Film (Invincible Pictures): People talk about “The Human Centipede” as crossing the line. They obviously haven’t seen this unrated import that quite literally goes beyond anything you’ve ever seen. Shock value for the sake of shock value wouldn’t have the same impact if not for the underlying social message that manages to bleeds through. This is bold filmmaking that practically dares you to keep watching.

Kidnapped (IFC Midnight): It’s not often that a genre film comes along and really stands out from the pack, but “Kidnapped” may well be the best home invasion thriller you’ve yet to see. It’s not as creepy as “The Strangers,” but it’s better, building mad tension from the opening credits on, and the ending is like a double ax-handle punch to your gut when you’re completely exposed and unprepared.

Roger Corman’s Cult Classics Triple Feature: Lethal Ladies (Shout! Factory): The best release yet from Shout! Factory’s two-year promotion to deliver the very best (and worst) from cult producer Corman’s collection. Lethal Ladies includes “Too Hot to Handle,” one of the best late-70s exploitation films we’ve ever seen, filled with gratuitous nudity, sweet kung fu and some of the most irreverent dialogue you’re likely to encounter in a genre flick like this.

Horrible Bosses: Totally Inappropriate Edition (Warner Bros.): We’ve watched this one now about four or five times, and it is just as funny every time. We’ve got mad love for “Bridesmaids,” and “Bad Teacher” was gross-cute, but “Horrible Bosses” is a comedy on par with “The Hangover” and “Dodgeball” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” It’s just that damn good.

Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition (Music Box Films): This new, four-disc collection gathers together the three previously released films based on Stieg Larsson’s phenomenally successful books about journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, breaking each film into two parts and inserting additional footage not originally released in theaters. There’s also a fourth disc with special features, including a lengthy new documentary about the books and Larsson. This is a great opportunity to see the films as originally presented in Sweden before the David Fincher American remake hits theaters just before Christmas.

Little Deaths (Image Entertainment): Horror anthologies are a tricky thing to pull off. It’s not easy to string together a series of short films into a cohesive narrative that maintains a consistent level of quality and style. For every “Creepshow,” there is a “Chillerama,” a good idea that sadly falls flat due to uneven execution and one or more subpar segments. “Little Deaths,” a trio of short films by three prominent and cutting edge UK directors (Andrew Parkinson, Sean Hogan and Simon Rumley), is one of the best anthologies you’ll ever likely see. Each film deals with the darker side of sex, human relationships and need. And each film is shocking in its blunt portrayal of how we humans will do most anything to get what we crave in the bedroom, no matter how twisted or perverse. But nothing can prepare you for the inevitable consequence of such selfish actions. Gritty, erotic and bloody as hell.

Current TV on DVD that You Should Be Watching

Fringe: Season Three
Studio: Warner Home Video
Number of Discs: 4
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $46
The Lowdown: One of the smartest shows on television, genre or not. J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman crafted near-perfect characters, including Dr. Walter Bishop (the fact that John Noble has yet to win an Emmy is a crime!), the wackiest, most lovable, most humanized mad scientist ever. This third season deftly straddles two worlds, present day and an alternate version of present day 2011 where the Twin Towers still stand, but danger lurks in the threat of unexplainable scientific phenomena.

Sons of Anarchy: Season 3
Studio: Fox
Number of Discs: 3
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $51
The Lowdown: Brutally direct and absolutely mature, but oh so good. Kurt Sutter’s drama about a northern California biker gang manages to make you identify with this fringe counter-culture even as you recoil in horror at the depths the gang members will go to survive and protect their own.

Supernatural: The Complete Sixth Season
Studio: Warner Home Video
Number of Discs: 6
Format: DVD
Available for: $29
The Lowdown: Six seasons in, the Winchester brothers remain compelling. Eric Kripke’s masterful mash-up of family drama and paranormal spookfest isn’t shy about spilling lots of blood, but you’ll stick around long after the corpses have cleared because of the incredible dynamic between co-stars Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles and the fantastic storylines, which have evolved from monsters-of-the-week to Satan to warring angels fighting over the future of Heaven.

Doctor Who: Series Six
Studio: BBC Warner
Number of Discs: 6
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $63
The Lowdown: You never forget your first Doctor. For me, that would be David Tennant, the first Doctor Who that really grabbed me and captivated my interest. Since Tennant, however, I’ve gone back in time to the Doctor’s early BBC days from the 1960s and ‘70s, while enjoying the current adventures of the 11th actor to play Who, the quirky and irresistible Matt Smith. Series Six isn’t as compelling as past seasons, but it does offer more than its fair share of interesting storylines and new villians, plus the return of several fan favorites.

Animation Exploration

Robotech: The Complete Original Series
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 17
Format: DVD
Available for: $59
The Lowdown: It’s a blast from anime’s past with the release of “Robotech: The Complete Series.” I’m not sure how many people remember this early anime from Harmony Gold, which debuted in the U.S. in 1984. The series was kind of a cross between “Speed Racer,” “Shogun Warriors” and “Ultraman,” with the main story line being that scientists and military leaders on Earth were able to develop new technology to help fight off an alien invasion after discovering an extraterrestrial spaceship in the South Pacific.

Jem and the Holograms: The Truly Outrageous Complete Series
Studio: Shout! Factory
Number of Discs: 11
Format: DVD
Available for: $58
The Lowdown: Do you remember this weird hybrid that mixed anime-style characters with old Hanna-Barbera animation? The dayglo colors. The kitschy 80s soundtrack. The musical numbers that flowed like acid-tinged fever dreams complete with cars made out of guitars and other bizarre imagery. This 11-disc collector’s set includes all episodes from the show’s four seasons spanning 1985 to 1988, plus a plethora of bonus materials, including a documentary, the original commercials and more. Somewhere, grown adults are weeping glitter in anticipation.

Robot Chicken: Season Five
Studio: Cartoon Network
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $18
The Lowdown: Robot Chicken has evolved from a silly sketch show built around action figures and vintage toys to a razor-sharp skewer of all things pop culture, from ridiculously popular films (that shouldn’t be as successful because they suck) to reality celebrities to time-honored children’s fairy tales and urban legends. Each episode contains an extended skit that is more cinematic than most movies, that manages to capture the essence of its inspiration without sacrificing or watering down its precision-strike snarkiness or social commentary.  This is the best season yet, and having had the fortune to watch the latter episodes, which are still airing first-run on Adult Swim, I can report that things keep getting better in the lead-up to the 100th episode, and season finale, “Fight Club Paradise,” which will broadcast in early 2012.

Transformers: Beast Wars – The Complete Series
Studio: Shout! Factory
Number of Discs: 8
Format: DVD
Available for: $37
The Lowdown: The Transformers go back in time to prehistoric Earth in this mid-1990s animated series, “Beast Wars,” which featured the good guy Maximals versus the evil Predacons, with many of the fan favorite characters getting new names, such as Optimus Primal and Dinobot. Shout! Factory, which has a deep love for all things Transformers, has put together a very nice boxed set, featuring all 52 half-hour episodes from all three seasons.

TV Boxed Sets

Classic TV

It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series
Studio: Entertainment One
Number of Discs: 18
Format: DVD
Available for: $99
The Lowdown: Long before he was wealthy businessman/amateur investigator Jonathan Hart, solving mysteries with his sexy wife, the luminous Stefanie Powers, Robert Wagner played Alexander Mundy, the world’s greatest cat burglar, released from prison and put to work by the U.S. government, in “It Takes a Thief.” Mundy is enlisted by the SIA (I’m pretty sure that means Secret Intelligence Agency) to steal on behalf of the government. It’s a clever premise that gets ample mileage out of Wagner’s star charisma. It doesn’t hurt that he’s joined by the incomparable Fred Astaire for a five-episode arc as Mundy’s father. The series, which aired from 1968 to 1970 is a blast of cool attitude, making the most of its exotic locales and espionage-heavy subplots. The entire series gets the boxed set treatment in a collectible cube that stands out nicely on the shelf.

Barney Miller: The Complete Series
Studio: Shout! Factory
Number of Discs: 25
Format: DVD
Available for: $99
The Lowdown: One of the best half-hour television series of all time comes to DVD in a massive boxed set. “Barney Miller,” which ran from 1974 to 1982, an impressive 171-episode lifespan, featured one of the best ensemble casts ever gathered with Hal Linden, Max Gail, Ron Glass, Steve Landesberg, Ron Carey and Abe Vigoda. The sitcom, based around the lives of a group of NYC detectives inside their precinct house, deftly balanced broad comedy with serious character development and, often, unexpected human drama. This 25-disc series from Shout! Factory comes in a handsome and cool collectible box, shaped like the door to the precinct, and features commentaries, interviews, a 32-page retrospective booklet, the original Pilot episode and the entire first season of “Fish,” the popular spinoff series featuring Abe Vigoda’s character.

Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Television Series
Studio: Lionsgate
Number of Discs: 55
Format: DVD
Available for: $121
The Lowdown: The groundbreaking, family-favorite show, “Little House on the Prairie,” which ran for nine seasons and told the story of the pioneering Ingalls family in the early 19th century American west, finally comes to DVD in one gigantic collector’s boxed set. This 60 disc – that’s right, 60 disc – collection includes every episode of the show that cemented America’s love affair with Michael Landon and launched the career of Melissa Gilbert, who remains Hollywood royalty as a result.

Cult TV

The Office: Special Edition
Studio: BBC Warner
Number of Discs: 4
Format: DVD
Available for: $30
The Lowdown: Love him or loathe him, Ricky Gervais is a funny, funny man, and because of him, we give thanks for the years that Steve Carrell played Michael Scott, the worst boss in America. And because of Gervais, we give thanks for the two seasons he spent playing David Brent, the worst boss in the United Kingdon, whom Gervais created in the original “The Office.” This new collection gathers together both seasons of the UK smash show, along with its accompanying Christmas special. It’s a reasonably-priced bundle for longtime fans of the US incarnation who otherwise have never seen Gervais’ original masterpiece of uncomfortable workplace comedy.

Crime Story: The Complete Series 25th Anniversary
Studio: Image Entertainment
Number of Discs: 9
Format: DVD
Available for: $19
The Lowdown: Michael Mann, the wonderful director who gave us such crime classics as “Miami Vice,” the TV show, not the feature film, “Heat” and “Manhunter,” turned his eye toward organized crime in the short-lived, but remarkably influential television series “Crime Story,” which chronicled a Chicago detective (the always great Dennis Farina) as he tried to thwart the rise of Ray Luca, a brutal bit player who began to ascend the ranks within the mafia. Mann’s decision to make “Crime Story” a period piece didn’t win over the mass audience needed to sustain such a show, but the crisp writing, superior acting and a who’s who of guest stars cemented its deserved cult status. Stretching over two seasons, “Crime Story” was compelling TV, each episode a mini-movie of its own. Previously released as single season sets, this 25th anniversary is a gift to longtime fans, and an excellent introduction for friends and family who never watched the show during its original run.

Smallville: The Complete Series
Studio: Warner Home Video
Number of Discs: 62
Format: DVD
Available for: $200
The Lowdown: It’s not easy to find a new way to tell the old story of how Superman came to Earth, was raised by human parents and eventually grew up to protect Metropolis as the Man of Steel. But over 10 seasons, co-creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar deconstructed the mythos of one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, had fun with storylines that followed a young Clark Kent through high school as he slowly learned his past and discovered the inherent power contained in his DNA, and ultimately geeked out on the entire DC Comics universe, introducing characters that had never received flesh-and-blood, live-action creations before, like Aquaman and the Green Archer, before showcasing the formation of the Justice League of America.  Good, geeky, glorious fun.

Doctor Who: The David Tennant Years
Studio: BBC Warner
Number of Discs: 26
Format: DVD
Available for: $106
The Lowdown: A massive testament to the power of David Tennant’s acting and the breadth of his appeal as the 10th individual to portray the wonderfully complex Timelord, Doctor Who, this gorgeous 26-disc compilation spans all four years that Tennat portrayed the Doctor, from his first appearance in 2005 in “The Christmas Invasion,” where he replaced Christopher Eccleston, through the complete Second, Third and Fourth series where Tennant co-starred with Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman and Catherine Tate. Tennant’s appeal, and his gift, was his ability to blend just the right mix of impish mischief, childlike wonder and end-of-the-universe gravitas, often in the course of a single hour episode. This series also include all eight Doctor Who specials, and two animated adventures, for a total of nearly 40 hours of Who, not counting all the extra features, interviews and such.

Farscape: The Complete Series
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 20
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $97
The Lowdown: Science-Fiction fans have had a lot of shows over the years to choose from. There have been standouts, of course, like “Star Trek,” which take on a life and cult following all their own. But then there is a show like “Farscape,” one of the best genre shows of its kind ever produced. Never before available in one complete collection, fans will rejoice at the meticulous care given to preserving all 88 episodes in high definition. What made “Farscape” so thrilling was its rich character development, the use of live-action puppets as main characters, courtesy of Jim Henson Productions, the company that helped bring the show to life, and its deft balance between science fiction, science fact and space action. “Farscape” took established themes and expanded on them, going far beyond other well-done, but ultimately secondary series, to present a vision of the galaxy and our future that was both thrilling and thought-provoking. Included with the set are new, never-before available bonus features, such as a new documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew. TV doesn’t get much better than this.

The L Word: The Complete Series
Studio: Showtime Entertainment
Number of Discs: 25
Format: DVD
Available for: $90
The Lowdown: Soapy, campy and often incredibly erotic and sexy, Showtime’s “The L Word” created a rich tapestry of characters who became entwined over the course of six seasons from 2004 to 2009. The complete boxed set includes all 70 hour-long episodes in a nice hardback book case, and features several hours worth of additional material.

Big Love: The Complete Collection
Studio: HBO Home Video
Number of Discs: 19
Format: DVD
Available for: $130
The Lowdown: For anyone who has watched the reality show “Sister Wives” and felt the need to take a shower as soon as it ends (and I’m included), HBO’s bold, surprising breakout hit “Big Love” dealt with polygamy in a way that didn’t make it seem as skeevy and creepy as it likely is. Sure, there are family dynamics at play that most people wouldn’t, couldn’t ever understand, but when you’ve got actors as talented as Bill Paxton, Harry Dean Stanton, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Chloe Sevigny playing the key components to the polygamous Henrickson tribe. This boxed set includes all five seasons. 

Band of Brothers/The Pacific: Special Edition Gift Set
Studio: HBO Home Video
Number of Discs: 13
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $100
The Lowdown: Two Emmy-award-winning HBO miniseries, “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” both of which deal with different phases of World War II, get the deluxe, double collector’s set treatment, and in stunning high definition. 

The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series
Studio: MPI
Number of Discs: 17
Format: DVD
Available for: $130
The Lowdown: If it seems like there’s been a lot of Hugh Hefner lately, that’s because there has been a lot of Playboy going on. NBC tried to create a weekly serial about the early days of The Playboy Club. Hef changed girlfriends, got engaged, got jilted by a bodacious blonde, all of which was tabloid fodder. His former girlfriends, the lovely Kendra, Holly and Bridget, all have their own reality shows now. And for many fans, the cause to celebrate this holiday season is this 17-disc collection that culls every episode since 2005 of their part-sweet, part-camp, part-creepy reality show, “The Girls Next Door,” from E!

Educational TV

Planet Earth: Special Edition
Studio: BBC Warner
Number of Discs: 6
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $51
The Lowdown: Yes, it’s probably the greatest series of its kind ever to be released about the natural world. But it’s also becoming the king of the double-and-triple dips. To compensate for asking fans to fork out more money for this “Special Edition,” the BBC has wisely upped the ante as far as special features, which include a 10-minute behind the scenes for each episode, select episode commentary, the option to view the series with music only, multiple featurettes and a new documentary, “Planet Earth: TheFuture,” which examines the various environmental issues raised by the show, wisely keeping the political aspect of environmentalism separate from the breathtaking imagery captured around the globe.

The Universe: The Complete Series Megaset
Studio: The History Channel
Number of Discs: 19
Format: DVD
Available for: $150
The Lowdown: Five seasons, and 63 episodes worth of galactic mysteries, breathtaking imagery and some truly mind-warping theories posited by leading scientists about a host of topics ranging from the forces that combined to create life to the very fringes of the known galaxy. This one is a must for science geeks.

The Universe: 7 Wonders of the Solar System 3D
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $12
The Lowdown: The perfect companion gift for friends or family with 3D-enabled televisions and Blu-Ray players, “7 Wonders” explores the solar system, traveling from Saturn’s outer moon Encleladus to Mount Olympus, the so-named largest volcano on Mars’ surface.

America: The Story of Us
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 4
Format: DVD
Available for: $53
The Lowdown: The 12-part series that tells the story of American history is collected here along with a special 400-page collectible book filled with facts, stories, maps and more. A must for the history buff on your list.

WWII in HD
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 4
Format: Blu-Ray
Available for: $46
The Lowdown: This stunning, four-disc set culls archival footage from more than 3,000 hours of footage unearthed after an exhaustive national search to tell the story of World War II through the memories and experiences of 12 Americans who were there. The set includes two additional specials, “The Battle for Iwo Jima,” featuring previously unseen footage, and “WWII in HD: The Air War,” which chronicles the American troops 8th Air Force battle with the German Lutwaffe.

Sports TV

Yankeeography: Pinstripe Legends Collection
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 16
Format: DVD
Available for: $150
The Lowdown: Love them or hate them, fans of the New York Yankees are outspoken, passionate and loyal to a fault about their favorite team, and this gorgeous boxed set is a love letter to them. “Yankeeography” includes a handsome 30-page collector’s book with 16 discs filled with 48 episodes of the sports series, which clocks in at a staggering 44-plus hours worth of Yankee player and team facts, interviews, stories and championship celebrations.

The Official Major League Baseball World Series Film Collection
Studio: A&E
Number of Discs: 20
Format: DVD
Available for: $115
The Lowdown: Thorough and exhaustive, this 20-disc set covers 66 years of America’s Game, culling footage from championship series and some of the most thrilling World Series games and matchups ever played. The collection includes a 56-page pictorial essay on the game, plus more than 50 hours of highlight reel thrills.

UFC: Ultimate Fight Collection 2011
Studio: Anchor Bay
Number of Discs: 20
Format: DVD
Available for: $80
The Lowdown: Here’s what fight fans need to know: 170 fights, culled over a year from 2010 to 2011. 50 hours. 20 discs. You get the guys who put butts in seats, from Lesnar to GSP to Velasquez to Silva. Here’s what you don’t get, though, according to some mild criticism – all the fights from every pay-per-view and UFC special that the bouts were pulled from – and they’re not in order. Other than that, this is a hell of a set filled with some amazing fights from some seriously talented competitors.

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New Releases for Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011

Posted Nov 22, 2011 by John Allman

Updated Nov 22, 2011 at 08:10 AM

What’s new in stores and on video shelves this week:

Conan the Barbarian
Genre: Action/Remake
Directed by: Marcus Nispel
Run time: 113 minutes
Rating: R
Format: Blu-Ray

The Lowdown: Here’s everything you need to know if someone asks whether the 2011 remake of “Conan the Barbarian” is even half as good as the 1982 original.

This is Conan, in 2011, describing what makes life worth living: “I live, I love, I slay, and I am content.”

And this is Conan, in 1982, describing what is best in life: “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women.”

Yep, that’s right, director Marcus Nispel and his trio of writers, who should not be named for fear they will be hunted down and piked by longtime fans (like me) of Robert E. Howard’s Cimmerian warrior, have gone and turned Conan the Barbarian into a metrosexual softie.

He grunts and grumbles like an uneducated barbarian ox, but when it comes to battle, he’s yelling “Run! Run!” and smiling and making jokes, when it comes to women he’s got game but nothng like you’d expect and he’s just not nearly as cool as the character conceived in the early 1980s by director John Milius and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

How thoroughly disappointing because Nispel’s production team actually did create some interesting, creatively cool sets and backdrops to make the most of the mystical Hyborian Age. There are awesome mountains that resemble skulls, desolate valleys filled with giant skeletal bones, imposing war carriages hoisted by minions and more.

But deep down, what 2011 Conan is missing is something that can’t be replicated in this new age of opening weekend gross, front-end profit and marketing surveys: The grit is gone.

Schwarzenegger played Conan like a wild beast, a barely-tamed feral cat who could and might attack at any moment. He wasn’t pretty like Jason Momoa. He cleaved off limbs, punched camels, had sex with witches that he then threw into fireplaces, tangled with a giant pet snake that looked real and provided genuine menace. He also almost died and was rendered vulnerable, having to rely on a wizard to heal his wounds from the Tree of Woe and give him the strength to avenge his barbarian warrior bride-to-be Valeria.

The 1982 “Conan the Barbarian” was epic. I remember sitting in the theater, my skull tingling with anticipation. My poor father sitting next to me, my ticket into the hard R-feature. For more than two hours, I didn’t move or speak, just sat in awe, soaking each sword fight, every fantastic adventure into my brain. Back then we didn’t have Google. I had seen few photos from the production, maybe a trailer if I was lucky. I knew I had to preserve it in my memory banks.

The 2011 “Conan the Barbarian” is limp, by comparison.

It tries mightily, but too much of it tries to compensate for its shortfalls by replacing good storytelling with visual pizzazz. Nispel, who has made a couple of decent remakes (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th), just can’t get it right here. He struggles with the character and how hard to make Conan, opting finally to try to straddle the fence between sensitive warrior and brutal barbarian and that proves to be a fatal flaw.

Even the bad guys aren’t as memorable. Stephen Lang is now being typecast after “Avatar,” and you never once believe him as Khalar Zym, the most ruthless, power-mad king to ever rule. He’s a far cry from James Earl Jones’ Thulsa Doom, a sorcerer so wicked he would lure virgins to their doom by making them leap into the pit of his giant snake as a sacrifice and he would host orgies where everyone was intoxicated on a brew made from body parts and blood. Now that’s evil.

Rachel Nichols, who has done an OK job in big-budget summer movies like “Stark Trek” and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” looks lost as Tamara, the last of an ancient bloodline, who can help summon an evil god. She comes off like a valley girl who somehow teleported back in time and suddenly has to fight for her life. She ain’t Sandahl Bergman, that’s for sure, long, lean and muscular and looking like she could easily kick butt.

The only person who appears to be having any fun is Rose McGowan, playing the evil sorceress Marique, with a half-shaved, tattooed head, long metal finger blades and a thirst to kill. I loved her character, even if she’s given too little to do, but the scene where she tries to sex up her father, Khalar Zym, provides a hint of what might have been if Nispel & Co. had taken off the blinders, removed the governor from the engine and gone for it, making the kind of twisted, bloody barbarian epic that Conan fans deserve.

The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – Rose McGowan, evil skanky sorceress hot.
Nudity – Yes.
Gore – Lots of blood spray.
Drug use – No.
Bad Guys/Killers – Khalar Zym, crazy warlord dude, and his evil skank witch daughter Marique.
Buy/Rent – Rent it.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features – Audio commentaries with both the director and cast; multiple featurettes, but none longer than 18 minutes, too slight to properly sum up the life and work of Robert E. Howard or the impact of his greatest creation.
On the Web – http://www.conanthebarbarianin3d.com/

The Devil’s Double (Lionsgate, 109 minutes, R, Blu-Ray): Dominic Cooper gives a tour-de-force performance as Uday Saddam Hussein in “The Devil’s Double,” an unsettling and riveting look behind the palace doors of life in Iraq in the 1980s from director Lee Tamahori. Cooper also gives a tour-de-force performance as Latif Yahia, an Iraqi Army lieutenant who unfortunately happens to look a whole lot like Uday, so much so that the two men could be twin brothers. That this is based on a true story gives “Double” an air of excitement – how crazy must it have been to be forced to become one of the most hated men in an entire country? Uday Hussein was known as the “Black Prince,” a man so despicable that he would take any woman he wanted, regardless of age, and brutalize her before having her body discarded in the desert like trash. The true story angle also adds an element of mystery, particularly in the film’s third act, when Latif decides to break from Uday despite the potentially deadly consequences. You’re never quite sure what might happen, and that’s a pretty strong narrative device to have on your side. “The Devil’s Double” isn’t an award-winning film in its own right, but it’s a damn good film. However, Cooper’s performance as both Uday and Latif is deserving of recognition and awards, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name mentioned come Oscar time next year.

Carjacked (Anchor Bay, 89 minutes, R, Blu-Ray):  Stephen Dorff and Maria Bello are both fine actors. They have sustained long careers by balancing a handful of A-list roles with solid work in both television and B-grade action movies. Pairing them up makes total sense. But the heavy-handed push to make Bello’s character a vulnerable, hot mess is so smothering, and told through flashbacks, that it effectively stunts her character growth, limiting the power of her story arc from wimpy and berated military wife to mama bear protecting her cub ferocity. 

Also Available:

Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series – Or, the season where the Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory come to the United States, help Nixon and discover the truth about Riversong. Thematically darker than previous seasons and rich with ominous storytelling arcs, the sixth series of “Doctor Who” isn’t quite on par with the best of the David Tennant years, but it’s really good and better than 99.9% of the shows on American cable.

Helldriver – This is a must-see for fans of “The Machine Girl,” one of my all-time favorite Japanese gore-and-splatterfests, and “Tokyo Gore Police,” two of the previous efforts from director Yoshihiro Nishimura. Here, Nishimura conjures up another fantastical vision stuffed with zombies, hot babes in schoolgirl outfits and lots and lots and lots of blood. You don’t go into a Nishimura film expecting a coherent story, character development or restraint, and thankfully he doesn’t deviate much from what has worked so well in the past. Few American directors could ever match his zest and zeal for gore, and it’s safe to say no other director from any other country or continent is making movies quite like this one right now.

The Adventures of Tintin: Season One – See how the worldwide phenomenon began with the animated adventures, including “The Secret of the Unicorn,” which plays a prominent role in the big-screen, big-budget Christmas release coming from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson.

Action Double Feature: The Nickel Ride and 99 and 44/100% Dead – Exactly how does one come to be 99 and 44/100% dead?

Perry Mason: Season Six, Volume 2 – I wonder what Robert Ironside would have thought after Perry Mason successfully defended a perp he had arrested?

Trigger – A female, rock and roll version of “My Dinner with Andre.”

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World – Thankfully, the Blu-Ray doesn’t come with Smell-O-Vision. Now if only we could employ Change-O-Vision and suddenly be watching “Sin City 2.” Hear that Rodriguez? That’s right, I thought you did.

Conan the Adventurer, Season Two Part One – Trust me, an animated Conan the Barbarian from the early 1990s hues closer to Robert E. Howard’s original vision than most of the 2011 remake.

Sarah’s Key – Kristen Scott Thomas is such an incredible actress, she performs in awesome foreign language films and speaks the language. Seriously, watch this and “Tell No One” and you will see exactly what I mean.

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CBS Renews ‘Survivor’ for two more seasons

Posted Nov 17, 2011 by Walt Belcher

Updated Nov 17, 2011 at 04:43 PM

CBS Orders Two More Cycles of “Survivor” for the 2012-13 Season

Emmy Award Winner Jeff Probst Returns as Host and Executive Producer

  CBS announced today a February premiere date for the next “SURVIVOR” and ordered two more editions of the series for broadcast during the 2012-2013 season.  The broadcasts next season will mark the 25th and 26th editions of television’s longest-running hit reality competition series. 

Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst will return as host and executive producer for all three upcoming cycles. Probst has hosted SURVIVOR since its inception in May 2000.

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