This Week in DVD

Vicky Christina Barcelona: This one's on my Must-Rent list, and I should be--hey, whaddya know, it just arrived, via Netflix, at the Fortress of Sharkitude. I realize that I claim a lot of DVDs are on my "Must-Rent List," and I assure you that it's pure coincidence that the one that features Penelope Cruz kissing Scarlett Johansson is the one that rockets to the top of my queue.



Pride and Glory: Gritty drama about police corruption--OK, hardly a fresh topic, but if it's well done, so what. This one is also on my Must-Rent List, but, ah, it might be a while. A wistful glance or two between Colin Farrell and Edward Norton doesn't do it for me.

Mill Creek TV Collections: Now, these are the DVDs that really intrigue me this week, but these Mil Creek sets always make me want to paraphrase Joni Mitchell: Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's...bought...by someone else, who then is kind enough to do the gruntwork and post the details on the Internet.

There is a Sci-Fi TV set that is packed with 1950s shows and the one that I almost pre-ordered, "Classic Games Shows and More." The price is right on that latter set, and I like the mix of old-school game shows and kiddie shows. But if a large number of the kiddie show episodes are the same ones that appeared on the "Hiya, Kids" collection Shout released last year, I'm not as interested. So how do I find out? I wait. If Mill Creek has the details on its own site, it's doing a heck of a job hiding them.

The Rocker: He might be a nice guy and all, but I don't know how many more times we're gonna see the phrase "RainnWilson vehicle" used to describe a major motion picture.




RocknRolla: Rainn Wilson is NOT in this one, the latest rockin' and rollin' crime flick from Guy Richie. I heard this was an upgrade from Mr. Madonna's recent efforts, but honestly, I'm not sure how people can keep them all straight.



Cannery Row: Warner Brothers links this with several other new-to-DVD titles in a tenous romance collection. Fun Fact: I happen to be rereading the John Steinbeck novel from which this is adapted.

(Disclaimer: Fact may not be as fun to the reader as it is to the blogger)



Lakeview Terrace: An intense, intimidating Samuel L. Jackson menaces people. Isn't it great when veteran performers really stretch their acting muscles?



WWE Legends of Wrestling: A collection of roundtable discussions that premiered on WWE 24/7. I don't know about their rewatchability, but these programs provide some of the most entertaining content that pay service offers.



Cheers Season 11: Good news: With the release of this final season, Paramount completes the run of the classic sitcom. Bad news: Those of us who taped the entire night of the series finale on NBC, including the Bob Costas special and the cast's drunken sitdown with Jay Leno after the episode, are going to be keeping our VCRs a while longer. Extras consist of original promos but none of that cool stuff.



The Invaders Season 2: I've only seen a few episodes of season 1 (and enjoyed them), but I think it's safe to say Paramount did a quality job with this short-lived but well-regarded show. The episodes are all out there, largely intact, and they're not split into ridiculous half-season volumes.



The Love Boat Season 2 Volume 1: And then there's this. Regardless of how you feel about "The Love Boat," you have to think if the show is gonna hit DVD, it's ridiculous to split seasons like that. I don't know if I've ever typed a DVD title as absurd as "The Love Boat Season 2 Volume 1."



The All-New Superfriends Hour Season 1 Volume 2: Guess I spoke too soon.