This Week in DVD and Instant Watching

Pain and Gain: Mark Wahlberg IS Frank Pain. The Rock IS Bob Gain. Together, they are...

You knw, Michael Bay has directed a lot of movies with a lot of explosions and a lot of fantastical visuals, but I don't think any of his films ever had a special effect more ridiculous than Rock's physique in "Pain and Gain."

The Great Gatsby: I know, I know, I loved the book, too. But let's look at the bigger picture: Leo DiCaprio doing this one meant one less movie in which Martin Scorcese could cast him.

To Be or Not to Be: Criterion Collection: I guess this will have to tie us over until the Criterion Collection edition of "The Horn Blows at Midnight" arrives. I love Jack Benny, and I love Carole Lombard, but I only liked this Lubitsch classic the first time I saw it. I'd like to revisit it at some point, but I don't see anything about this release that would make me ditch the previous Warner Brothers release. Still, this has been a pretty good year for Jack Benny fans.

Walking Dead Season 3: Well, I fell off watching this show, but I feel like it's a waste of time listing this DVD release since, if the ratings are accurate, 9 out of 10 of you have already ever seen every episode 5 times.

Grey's Anatomy Season 9: Season 9? I've run out of things to say...much like the series has, I presume.

Best of Warner Bros 25 Cartoon Collection: DC Comics: Hey, I hope this DVD has the one where Aquaman talks to the fish.

Sorry, I keep forgetting if it's hip to sincerely like Aquaman, to sincerely dislike Aquaman, to sincerely like him but pretend you dislike him, or to sincerely dislike him but pretend to like him.

Turns out, this collection is a sampler of the 1980s on and doesn't include any of those old 1960s shorts (such as the Aquaman ones). It looks like a decent overview of the modern era, but just be aware that this doesn't go back any further than late-era Super Friends.

And in Instant Watching:

Several ABC season 2's arrive: Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Scandal. Hey, I've read several things lately that make me think I might like "Scandal."

OK, go ahead and watch Dredd now that it's probably too late to make much money for this cool, underappreciated comic book adaptation. Yeah, go ahead and see it, you freeloaders. Just remember the early adopters who actually paid money to go see it in the theater and support the thing (And, uh, people like me who paid a buck and change to get it from Redbox).

Lego movies and shows: I remain fascinated that these are a thing. I had my money on Shrinky Dinks being the multimedia breakout.

The Road: I think that's what we all need: Instant access to a bleak, depressing, unrelentingly grim couple hours of misery. You know, in case we don't happen to have any copies of Grey's Anatomy Season 9.