This Week in DVD

This week's post is all about sadness, and there's no tasteful way to mention Brittany Murphy's reccent death and talk about what I'm going to, so I should probably not mention it at all, except I'm doing so because it's just a real downer to see Across the Hall listed as a new release this week, particularly since the cover features Murphy in a vampish pose. Just too soon, I think. And I feel a wee bit skittish about watching an Artie Lange standup special, let alone one called Jack and Coke, weeks after his gruesome suicide attempt.

Moving on while acknowledging this is ultimately much less significant, let's consider the sadness of DVDs that are not widely available. This week marks the official direct-from-manufacturer releases of Shout Factory's "Room 222" season 2 and "Ironside" season 3, and if this is the only way they come out, well, that's life. But it's a shame we can't get them eslewhere at a discount (at least not yet) or rent them from Netflix to sample the quality.

Speaking of Netflix, the company's release-window-extending deal with Warners apparently starts now, because two new titles, the Ricky Gervais comedy The Invention of Lying and the Kate Beckinsale thriller Whiteout, are not available from the company. I tried to snag the Gervais flick from Redbox, but that was a no-go on Tuesday. Oh, well. Guess I'll have to go buy it retail.

NOT! Seriously, Warners, you don't think I can wait a few weeks to rent it?

Baby on Board: Does Heather Graham now star in a new inane comedy about the pitfalls of conceiving a child every 6 months, or does the same one keep getting retitled? Send your responses to Brian Williams c/o NBC News. He has nothing to do with this blog, but I just get the feeling he'd dig Heather Graham.

Che: Regardless of how brilliant Steven Soderbergh is, I can't muster the energy to watch, what is it, 4 hours of the story of Che Guevara, and unless I travel back in time to my sophomore year in college and get massively stoned, I don't see it happening in the neasr future.

Gamer: I don't care what this movie is about, this is one of the stupidest titles to come around since...since...OK, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel is worse, so it's already been eclipsed. But come on! Whatever Gerard Butler is supposed to accomplish in this one, I just think he gets an affectionate "pat on the fanny" from his coach, who then tells his grizzled assistant, "That guy's a real gamer, I tell you. I wish we had a dozen more like him."

Weeds Season 5: Great box covers, not-so-great show.