Release of the Week Eclipse's Nikkatsu Noir Collection (DVD only) This absolutely brilliant collection comes from Eclipse, Criterion's "no-extras, but a great transfer" subdivision. This is the top release of the week for the gaping hole in Region 1 film history this completes. Nothing else this week carries nearly the degree of significance of this set, no matter how many extras and fluff they squeeze into it. Rather than futilely try to do a better job than someone I consider a subject matter expert, I'm going to briefly excerpt from fellow Austinite Rodney Perkins' series of reviews over at Twitch. Here's Rodney's take on A Colt is My Passport: "Takashi Nomura's 1967 film A Colt is My Passport is arguably the best known of the five films featured in the Nikkatsu Noir box set from Criterion sub-label Eclipse. For that reason, and the fact that it is the most recent of the five films included in the set, A Colt is My Passport a good place to start when examining Nikkatsu Noir." "In A Colt is My Passport , chipmunk-cheeked action star Jo Shishido plays Kamimura, a hitman hired by a mob boss to exterminate the head of an opposing group. Kamimura, who runs around with a sidekick named Shiozaki (Jerry Fujio), does the job perfectly. In fact, he does the job too perfectly, forcing his employers to send him into hiding. While in Kamimura is in exile, the rival mobs team up, leaving Kikimura and his buddy in a bad situation. During their effort to get out of Japan, they are aided by a young woman named Mina (Chitose Kobayashi) who works at duo's hotel hideout." The titles below link to the individual pieces he's done on the set. I'll update these links as I see him post reviews of the rest. Click here to see everything written by Rodney at Twitchfilm.net. I'm not exaggerating when I say he's among the best and most knowledgeable film programmers I've ever met. Koreyoshi Kurahara's I Am Waiting (1957) Toshio Masuda's Rusty Knife(1958) Seijun Suzuki's Take Aim at the Police Van (1960) Takumi Furukawi's Cruel Gun Story (1964) Takashi Nomura's A Colt is My Passport (1967) Catalog New to DVD I haven't gotten my hands on either of these, but below are a listing of the extras from Criterion's site. Jeanne Dielman: 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles -Autour de "Jeanne Dielman," a 69-minute documentary--shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnes Ravez and Akerman--made during the filming of Jeanne Dielman -New interviews with Akerman and cinematographer Babette Mangolte -Excerpt from "Chantal Akerman par Chantal Akerman," a 1997 episode of the French television program Cinema de notre temps -Interview with Akerman's mother, Natalia -Archival television interview excerpt featuring Akerman and star Delphine Seyrig -Saute ma ville (1968), Akerman's first film, with an introduction by the director -A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ivone Margulies The Last Days of Disco -Audio commentary featuring Stillman and actors Chloe Sevigny and Chris Eigeman -Four deleted scenes with commentary by Stillman, Eigeman, and Sevigny -Audio recording of Stillman reading a chapter from his book The Last Days of Disco, with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards -Behind-the-scenes featurette -Stills gallery with captions by Stillman -Original theatrical trailer -An essay by novelist David Schickler New Release Rudo y Cursi (Blu-ray & DVD) Extras: Feature Commentary with Carlos Cuaron, Gael Garcia Bernal, & Diego Luna, 6 Deleted Scenes [4:45], Making-of Featurette [26:51], "I Want You to Want Me" Music Video [2:54], "Rudo y Cursi" Music Video [3:53], Turn Off Your Cell Phone! Promo [1:09] Blu-ray Exclusive: Q&A with Cuaron, Bernal, & Luna [1:11:32] I'm not certain anything could live up to the expectations of a followup to Y tu mama tambien starring the same lead actors. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal play off of each other well, and I had fun with the movie. Your own experience may depend on your enjoyment of soccer. The Informers (Blu-ray & DVD) Extras: Director & Cast Commentary, Human Intersections: Making The Informers [15:26] This movie was difficult to stomach. There was no one to identify with, nor was there anyone to relish the destruction of. At a certain point, I wanted all of the characters to just die in a fire and put me out of my misery. I'll get into why this didn't work as well as other Ellis adaptations later in the week. Duplicity (Blu-ray & DVD) Extras: Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Tony Gilroy & Editor/Co-Producer John Gilroy Duplicity really didn't get its due, and I've heard various reasons as to why. Some would like to allege that Julia Roberts is "over" or Clive Owen "can't 'open' a movie" or that the script was too clever for its own good. There are a variety of variables that screw with March openings, so don't let anyone use the movie's box office take as evidence against it being worth your time. In the sea of "turn your brain off" crap that's out there, Duplicity is a sweet respite. Fighting (Blu-ray & DVD) Extras: Unrated & Theatrical Cuts, Digital Copy, and 5 Deleted Scenes [8:03] The title is the whole movie. I can't wait for the sequels: Punching, followed by Kicking, and then Punchin' n' Kickin' a few years down the road when the franchise grows stale. I found it entertaining that the commercials for the DVD & Blu-ray referred to Channing Tatum as "GI Joe's" instead of "Step Up's". Adventureland (Blu-ray & DVD) Extras: Digital Copy, Feature Commentary with Mottola and lead actor Jesse Eisenberg, 3 Deleted Scenes [2:27], Just My Life: The Making of Adventureland [16:30], and Song Selection Blu-ray exclusives: Frigo's Ball Taps [HD 2:34], Lisa P's Guide to Style [HD 2:08], and Welcome to Adventureland, which includes two in-character commercials (Fun-tastic Time [0:39] and Fireworks [0:49]), an Employee Orientation video [HD 3:31], and a Drug Policy training video [HD 0:44] The more time that passes since I saw this movie last week, the more it grows on me. No matter what, I probably won't relate to it as much anymore now that I'm married and a ways out of college. Click here for my review from Friday. Sunshine Cleaning (Blu-ray & DVD) Haven't seen this one yet, but I've heard mixed news. I've got it as a B-priority to rent & watch. Goodbye Solo (DVD only) Extras: Feature Commentary with Director Rahmin Bahrani, Theatrical Trailer I missed this one at an extremely out-of-my-way screening at SXSW this year and should be catching up to it soon. I've heard nothing but good things. The presence of a commentary on a release this "arty" is wonderful to see. Patton Oswalt: My Weakness is Strong (DVD only) Patton Oswalt is truly one of the funniest men on the planet, living, dead, or undead. The only way to support truly gifted people like Patton, who also goes to bat for unknown, talented people, is to buy their stuff and not download it. Hear me, you young punks on my lawn? American Son (DVD only) Extras: Leave in Bakersfield: Behind the Scenes of American Son [11:37], Feature Commentary with director Neil Abramson & producers Danielle Renfrew and Michael Roiff, 1 Deleted Scene & 1 Alternate Scene [3:18 total] with optional audio commentary by director Neil Abramson & producers Danielle Renfrew and Michael Roiff Nick Cannon plays Mike, a soldier on a four-day Thanksgiving leave from the armed forces after he completes basic training. He meets a girl on the bus into town (Melonie Diaz) who he becomes somewhat infatuated with. For me, the solid gold contained in the movie is Tom Sizemore as Mike's stepdad. In the audio commentary, it's suggested that Sizemore couldn't keep different characters' names straight...wonder why. The movie itself is a wandering around town, coming of age thing. Cannon's charm, as evident back in Drumline, carries the movie admirably. It reminded me a great deal of Three Blind Mice, an Aussie military-on-leave movie IFC released earlier this year. This movie is worth checking out when you're in the mood for it. Boot Camp (DVD only) Extras: a trailer for Dragonball: Evolution Boot Camp's box art almost makes it appear like a horror film. It's really just an "escape from the island" light thriller with tinges of Lord of the Flies mixed with a message film about Tough Love rehab camps. Mila Kunis plays a bad girl who's portrayed sympathetically as not-so-bad. She gets shipped off to one of these camps run by Peter Stormare, one of the few guys working who does a perfect over-the-top schlock villain. The movie is tremendously didactic, but is much, much better than what is typically considered "direct to video" product. Trouble the Water (DVD only) It was Oscar-nominated, but stood not a chance in hell of winning up against Man on Wire. Another well-received doc to go on collectors' Katrina Movies shelf next to When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts. Nights & Weekends (DVD only) A Swanberg production I couldn't make it into at SXSW due to the excessive number of VIP seats taken up by people dying to see themselves on the screen. New to Blu Children of the Corn Screwballs How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Deluxe Edition Here's my review from a few days ago. TV New Release House M.D. Season 5 (DVD only) Extras: House Meets a Milestone: The 100th Episode [5:42], Commentary on "Locked In," Keeping it Real: Accuracy in Writing [7:22], Dr. Mom: Cuddy's Storyline [8:46], Anatomy of a Teaser [12:03], and House Guests: Casting the Show [11:10] (which is more about the initial casting than guest parts) I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes, so I also happen to enjoy this show, Sherlock Holmes' American Great Grandcousin, M.D.. A couple revelations from this season just past were particularly shocking, especially the final episode cliffhanger that really makes the viewer question a lot. Please, no one decry that as a spoiler. That's the definition of a network TV season-ending cliffhanger. Hugh Laurie would be the Sherlock Holmes I'd cast in an adaptation of Nicholas Meyer's novel The West End Horror, but that's just me and no one's listening. Scrubs Season 8 (DVD only) Extras: Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Alternate Lines, My Bahamas Vacation [20:12], Scrubs Intern Webisodes The final season of this much-beloved show is finally out there so that ABC/Disney can do a complete series set in the shape of a bedpan or something. I never really watched it until I got married. Ashley introduced me to it, and I got hooked shortly before the end of the series. Samantha Who (Final) Season 2 (DVD only) Extras: Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Tour the Set with Christina Applegate, and Christina's Dance Moment This is part of a two-week wave of Shows That Are No Longer, all of which might still be around if not for the WGA Strike. I'm not saying I'd have preferred the strike didn't happen, but it's interesting to see the wake it can really create. Back to the show itself: I've always found Christina Applegate entertaining and capable of more than she's usually offered. It really is unfortunate that not enough women get their own shows and have a chance to be something other than The Wife of The Comedian. This show is kind of like The Cleaner or Saving Grace, but instead of a former druggie loser, she's a horrible person who gets amnesia. This is all there will be, so it's easier to catch up. NCIS Season 6 (DVD only) Extras: Cast and crew commentaries on selected episodes Featurettes: "Bodies of Work," about the artificial bodies used on the show; "Fear: a DVD Exclusive," and acoustic version of Pauley Perrette's "Fear"; "Starting With a Bang," about the opening of Season 6; "Horsin' Around," about the "South by Southwest" episode; "Season Six: Cruising Along," where cast and crew reflect on Season 6; and finally "Six Degress of Conversation," which is just the cast talking about Season 6 I have to be completely honest here: I'm not a fan of this show, but my father-in-law is. Regardless, if they did an episode on horseback, I'll check that one out and probably get hooked. "I hate television, but I also hate peanuts, and I can't stop eating peanuts." Included in this package are all 18 hours and 26 episodes from Season 6. As I understand it, the show is about to be spun off, so good for everyone's residual checks! Life (Final) Season 2 (DVD only) Extras: Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Audio Commentary with cast and crew It isn't petty that I hate this show because NBC flipped a coin and kept it instead of Journeyman, is it? Well, it's a dead show now. Lie to Me Season 1 (Blu-ray & DVD) Ashley got into this show, and I caught a couple episodes along the way. It seems to be House MD: Pathological Liar Unit from what I have seen. I've always liked Tim Roth, so I'll eventually catch up with it. TV Catalog The Untouchables Season 3 Volume 1 (DVD only) At the beginning of Season 3, Eliot Ness has Frank Nitti and his gang right where he wants them: on the run, but hold the phone! Heroin crashes onto the scene and gives Ness and his men a new nemesis: the needle. That was my best shot at a 1960's-style "coming next week" promo, hope it was entertaining. Seriously, though, I love this show and am sincerely glad CBS is continuing to put them out volume by volume on DVD. Half a season of these shows amounted to 13.5 hours of TV. The transfers on these episodes look great, too. The Adventures of Robin Hood Complete Series (DVD only) All four seasons are available from Amazon in this set for $25, whereas individual seasons run around $13 apiece. 143 episodes for $25 is not bad, if I do say so myself.

Release of the Week Husbands (DVD only) The release of a John Cassavetes film that was previously unavailable on DVD is cause for celebration, as far as I'm concerned. The transfer is solid, the sound is sharp, and it actually has extras. Someone in the world of DVD production still loves me. The movie concerns Cassavetes, Peter Falk, and Ben Gazzara as middle aged men who bury a friend and then run headlong into a trip steeped in contemplating their futures and mortality itself. The movie is rough around the edges, meanders, and isn't generally considered a classic of any sort. None of those things change the fact that it's a damn good movie that holds up these years later. Similarly to how I felt about Judd Apatow's Funny People, the 142 minutes of Husbands is well spent contemplating human nature and the stupid, regrettable things we often do without remorse. People don't really change much once they've settled into their own idiosyncratic patterns. Film critic, author, and Elsewhere commenter Marshall Fine delivers a solid, knowledgeable Feature Commentary. He wrote a book about Cassavetes that came out three years ago, and I've been told it's well worth a read. The Story of Husbands: A Tribute to John Cassavetes [29:46] traces the origins of the film through interviews with friends and Ben Gazzara, and it doesn't waste a second of your time. I don't expect Criterion-deep extras for every movie out there, but releases like this one and Lookin' To Get Out really get it right. Give me the movie, make it look good, and put together a 20-30 minute piece about it. Discs like this one have reassured me that catalog titles are not, in fact, dead. As for the movie on its own: if you can't or don't want to deal with a two and a half hour running time, that's the beauty of freedom of choice. I'm just glad that the option is there. New to Blu Kagemusha Playtime Criterion's recent editions of both movies get the Blu-ray upgrade. I've only had a chance to look at Kagemusha thus far, and I have to say the color and picture quality are stunning; however, at this point that's as profound as saying it rains in the Pacific Northwest. A full review of Kagemusha should arrive in the next couple days, with Playtime coming some time after Amazon delivers it. Go Doug Liman, where have you gone? John August appears to have been the more favorably destined of the young bucks who made this movie. I haven't seen this disc yet, so I have no idea regarding picture quality. The Last Starfighter (Blu-ray & DVD) I didn't grow up wearing out a tape of this. In fact, I recall only having seen it two or three times my entire childhood. It came out the year after I was born, so I don't know if my generation of kids got into it nearly as much as kids four or five years our senior. By the time we were the right age and it was on tape, we were all going Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crazy. I've seen complaints online of digital scrubbing, edge enhancement, DNR, and so on, but I didn't pick up on anything that particularly bothered me. My mantra on this stuff is "consider the source material," and I'm at a disadvantage due to the fact I never saw a print of this movie projected. I'll be damned if the Blu-ray doesn't impress anyone who's known this movie on VHS for most of its life, though. The CG shots are remarkably clear and crisp, and the live-action stuff looks up to par when compared to what a relatively recent print I saw of Flight of the Navigator looked like. There's a brand-new retrospective doc called Heroes of the Screen [HD 24:18] on here in addition to the now 10-year-old Crossing the Frontier: Making The Last Starfighter [SD 32:01]. They don't really repeat one another too much. The Feature Commentary is with Director Nick Castle and Production Designer Ron Cobb, and the Photo Gallery on the disc features (among other things) toy prototypes and muddy stills of the original ending, which was only different in that it was shot on a different set than the one they ended up using in the reshot one. New Release Tyson (Blu-ray & DVD) James Toback's revealing and surprisingly moving (for me at least) portrait of "Iron" Mike Tyson should be on minds toward the end of the year for nomination as Best Feature Documentary. I had no idea how introspective Tyson was, nor did I scratch the surface when it came to really knowing anything about who he was or has become until now. In some respects, that lack of familiarity is representative of the era of pop culture idols that includes Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson, and Michael Jordan among many others. They were commodified personas who were all plastered on every kind of merchandise in existence, from drink cups to clothing to video games. What does it say about modern culture that we are still putting the weight of the world on the shoulders of celebrities who have no interest in ruling it as much as living in peace and quiet? Extras include: a Director's Commentary from Toback; "A Day With James Toback" [HD 16:11] featuring footage from the day of the L.A. Premiere of the director primarily and eventually Tyson himself; a featurette called Iron Mike: Toback Talks Tyson [HD 11:49]which is just that; and an excerpt from an episode of "The Big Picture Show" featuring Toback [HD 13:08], which is referred to in the program itself as "The Fabulous Picture Show," for clarification. Julia (DVD only) Tilda Swinton always impresses, but hopefully she's remembered for this performance at the end of the year. Julia is a woman given to excess. She's oblivious to just how far over the edge she's gone when she gets mixed up in a situation she wouldn't have control of even if she were sober. The DVD from Magnolia carries only Deleted Scenes [26:00] in addition to the 144-minute feature. I only mention the running time as a courtesy so that viewers know precisely what kind of time investment they're looking at. The movie is well worth two and a half hours to me thanks to Swinton's performance, which the entire movie hinges on. If you aren't with it in the first 30-45 minutes, you probably don't believe in 2.5-hour movies to begin with. Surveillance (Blu-ray & DVD) I didn't really care for this movie at Fantastic Fest last year, with the exception of Bill Pullman's performance. My review last September: "Please take anything you see written about this movie that includes a comparison to Rashomon with a grain of salt. Kurosawa's movie and this movie really should not be found mentioned in the same sentence, paragraph, or article. Three different people all have somewhat varying accounts of an "incident" in this serial killer movie. The accounts are not as wildly different as using the R word would imply. Three different POVs, murder? Check and check, but that doesn't equal the dynamic of Rashomon as a whole. The visuals of the flashbacks are all consistent, it's the story people are telling that contains different information. It is patently unfair to compare this film to Rashomon, so don't. Rant ends here. "Serial murders are being committed in broad daylight and FBI agents (Pullman and Ormond) are sent to investigate after a particularly grisly encounter finds a stoner, a young girl, and a local cop telling their individual accounts of what went down. The acting was pretty solid all around really, with the exception of some bizarre stuff the local police guys say (even for backwater morons...badly written, takes you out of the film)." The Feature Commentary is with director Jennifer Lynch and actors Mac Miller and Charlie Newmark. Miller is the shitkicker boyfriend and Newmark is the cop who isn't French Stewart. Surveillance: The Watched Are Watching [15:01] is a making-of/behind the scenes featurette. There's also an HDNet "A Look At" featurette that's standard on all Magnet releases for the most part. Most interesting are two Deleted Scenes and an Alternate Ending, all of which have optional Director's Commentary. I'm glad they didn't use this ending, because it doesn't work nearly as well as the one they went with. That variant ending actually made me appreciate the movie a lot more. At the very least, this isn't a revived-franchise serial killer movie, and even though at the time I said I "forgot I'd seen it two days later," it's turned out more memorable than the Friday the 13th or My Bloody Valentine do-overs. Hannah Montana The Movie (Blu-ray & DVD) I find the very existence of this movie hilarious due to a comment Miley Cyrus made at some appearance or another where she talked about how she hoped to pick up an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. The plot involves Miley going "back home" to save something or another by "putting on a show." It's no more derivative than many classic musicals. Yes, I went there. Believe it or not, I'm given to defend the movie on philosophical grounds, because it has a "to thine own self be true" message that makes it more substantive than the vast majority of Disney Channel-birthed product of the last decade or so. I still can't get over the fact that I saw an inflatable Hannah Montana chair at Target that seemed to be marketing the idea of how fun it was to sit on her face. Don't get me started on the wigs! Extras on the DVD & Blu-ray outdo most Disney releases with a total of 7 Music Videos; Bloopers; Director's Commentary, which I might review on its own; Find Your Way Back Home, where the stars show the viewer around their own hometowns; a featurette where boy of Miley's character's dreams Jason Earles digs into why "I [He] Should Have Gone to Film School"; and finally a Digital Copy of the movie. Blu-ray exclusive extras include a "Throwdown Hoedown" Dance-Along and a featurette called The Dance Experience with the cast. The Blu-ray also includes a DVD copy of the movie with the DVD extras on it. Last House on the Left (Blu-ray & DVD) I haven't watched this one yet, but when Scott Weinberg says it's "One of the best horror remakes ever made," that's a quote worth paying attention to. The Blu-ray features the Unrated and Theatrical Cuts via seamless branching, a Digital Copy, Deleted Scenes, and a featurette called A Look Inside. The Golden Boys (DVD only) From my review a few days ago: "David Carradine, Rip Torn, and Bruce Dern are retired sea captain roommates looking for a housekeeper. I must have missed the reason why, but one of them has to marry this lady so that two of them can live for free. I replayed the opening minutes of the movie to try to figure this out and gave up. Did I mention the movie is set on Cape Cod in the days of horse-drawn carriages? It may read like a sketch slotted in the closing half hour of Saturday Night Live, but if you trust the quote on the front cover of The Golden Boys, it's apparently "a cross between Grumpy Old Men and Three Men and a Baby." It's not really either one. "The picture itself wasn't nearly as interesting or entertaining as From Zen Master to Shipmaster: The Life and Career of David Carradine [40:07], which is more a Making-of/Behind the Scenes featurette than a Carradine career tribute. The bits with David telling stories are indisputably the most tolerable parts of the whole disc. "I must note that I really do dislike slagging off the months and months of work people put into making a feature, but this is a great example of how not to write or complete a period film. The reason to touch this disc is to sift through that featurette if you have an interest in Carradine." Reissue Pete's Dragon (DVD only) This disc replaces an eight-year-old edition, retaining all but one of the original extras: a 25-minute theatrical short called Man, Monsters, and Mysteries. The upside is the short had little to do with this fondly-remembered children's classic that would likely never be made today. The video and audio transfers don't look any different from what I remember. The swirling grain all over Elliott (the dragon) makes me wish for the sacrilege of a Lowry Digital-style restoration that'd strip out the grain from him, just because I wonder what that would look like. New extras include Brazzle Dazzle Effects [25:23], which is mostly about the animation technique, spending some time with unsung Disney hero Ub Iwerks. It's also in part a "looking back" piece for the movie's star, Sean Marshall ("Pete"), who narrates. A Deleted Storyboard Sequence: "Terminus and Hoagy Hunt Elliott" [2:27] is in there too, along with three music samplings. There's an early Original Song Concept [2:35] for the song Pete sings to Elliott, Original Demo Recordings [7:07] of three songs (one of which was deleted from the film), and finally a Promotional Record of 4 "Pop" Versions of Songs [12:00] including "Candle in the Water." Carried over are a DVD game, and a couple of excerpts from shows that remind me of when The Disney Channel showed the older 1950's programs. Catalog TV The Simpsons Season 12 (DVD only) It feels odd to consider the year 2001 as having been 8 years ago. The opening episode of this season, Treehouse of Terror XI (depicted above), features the best case against The Cove I can think of: those dolphins are going to turn on us in the moment we least expect. The packaging is Comic Book Guy-themed (photos to come) and includes the Worst Episode Ever among other excellent latter-day Simpsons shows. The 4-disc set features Audio Commentary on every episode with alternating participants, Deleted Scenes (w/ optional commentary) via button-push during the episodes, and Multi-Angle Alternate Animation. Also on there is a Comic Book Guy: Best. Moments. Ever. [9:38] clip package, some clips from The Simpsons Global Fanfest [7:28] 10th anniversary event on the Fox lot back in 2000, Commercials, Original Sketches, and the option to play one episode with Hungarian, Ukranian, Portugese, or Italian audio. New Release TV Sons of Anarchy Season 1 (Blu-ray & DVD) Fox's FX cable network has consistently been putting together "grit" shows like this one, The Shield, and Rescue Me aimed squarely at the blue collar demographic. They might just rename the channel The American Badass Network. This isn't intended as a slight, but all their shows could cut promos to Kid Rock's salt of the earth anthem. What got me to sit up and pay attention to this show was the fact that it stars Ron Perlman, Charlie Hunnam (Hooligans), and the criminally under-used Katey Sagal. They're the reason I'll watch this even though I don't give a shit about the various biker reality shows across cable. There's ten hours of TV to chew through on this thing, just in time for the start of the new season. The Blu-ray is a three-disc package with 11 episodes split between the first two discs and the last 2 on the third along with the extras. Audio Commentary is present on select episodes throughout the season, and there are Making-Of, Behind the Scenes, Casting, and Production Design featurettes rounding things out along with Deleted Scenes. Dexter Season 3 (Blu-ray & DVD) You know what's weirder than a show about a serial killer that's caught on big-time? A Blu-ray disc whose special features are almost exclusively available via BD-Live. Don't get me wrong, I think it's brilliant to give purchasers of Dexter Season 3 free-to-watch access to "gateway drug" episodes of other Showtime series like United States of Tara and The Tudors and push BD-Live use and adoption. The problem is that not everyone is using a PS3 or WiFi-connected player, and let's face it, ethernet jacks in the wall aren't a standard feature of most American apartments or houses. You can't watch any of the Cast Interviews or other features without BD-Live access, which is a bit of a bummer for people without the necessary hardware or those like me who hate the horrendous load times for BD-Live content. Everybody Hates Chris (Final) Season 4 (DVD only) This is the beginning of a multi-part series of capsule reviews I write for shows that have been cancelled much to my chagrin. I really wish that we could have seen this one get Chris all the way through high school and not just leave us hanging after his 9th Grade year. For those unfamiliar, the show is based on Chris Rock's life and he narrates. They released a four-season complete series bundle this past week as well. Extras include Director Webisodes, Intro and Commentary by Exec Producer Ali LeRoi, a Gag Reel, four or five featurettes, and Deleted Scenes. Dirty Sexy Money (Final) Season 2 (DVD only) There's a little trinity of "Second and Final Season" sets from ABC including this, Eli Stone (further down), and Samatha Who (the following week). I blame the writers' strike for all three disappearing. None of them could hope to retain audiences. Dirty Sexy Money is the kind of show that some friends dubbed "HBO Lite" because it was part family dynasty drama and part dark comedy garnished with plenty of people of privilege, just without all the nudity and cursing. You would expect a show with a cast of this caliber would implode from star salaries before just tanking in the ratings, but the latter is what ended up happening here. Three featurettes, a Blooper Reel, and Deleted Scenes are included. If you got in to the first season and were among the millions who dropped off, now there's a fixed amount of the show to catch up on. Eli Stone (Final) Season 2 (DVD only) I had no idea what this show was about when it was on the air. Was it a supernatural comedy, a quirky lawyer show, a sci-fi thinker? It turns out it's about a lawyer who has an inoperable aneurysm and starts having visions. None of the ads ever told me that. It's got a good sense of humor to it and is worth watching. I didn't even know Loretta Devine and Victor Garber were in the cast. Why did no one tell me this show had musical numbers in it? I would have watched it, for cryin' out loud. Similar to DSM above, there are a couple featurettes, Bloopers, and Deleted Scenes for devoted fans. GREEK Season 3 (DVD only) This show is the focus of my rant for the week. Why is there a show in its third season on a major cable network that seems entirely designed as a National Pan-Hellenic Council recruitment ad? I never had any interest in the Greek system in college, nor do I have interest in the High School For Big Kids atmosphere invented here. This show makes it seem like there's no one in the world who could survive college without pledging a frat or sorority. Most cinematic depictions of the Greek system aren't realistic, owing mostly to Greek system graduates scattered throughout the industry. These people want to perpetuate a legend that's never been real. The hive-mind groupthink being promoted here is thoroughly disgusting. The DVD includes Commentaries, Bloopers, and a 20 Questons With the Cast of Greek featurette.