Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo

Every year for the past 70 years, officials at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary have allowed a select group of inmates to take part in the world’s only behind-the-wall rodeo. In 2007, they decided to let female inmates compete for the first time, an historic moment that director Bradley Beesley brilliantly captures in this fascinating documentary. While a big part of the film is taken up with the women preparing for and competing in the actual event, it is the intimate portraits that Beesley captures of the inmates that give the film its true power. It’s one thing hear the statistics – about how many young women are facing spending large chunks of their lives in prison because they did something stupid – but listening to these individuals talk about their families, their life inside prison and their dreams of what life will be like for them when – or if – they ever get out will haunt you.

Despicable Me

An evil genius named Gru finds his world turned upside down when he adopts a trio of little girls to help him in his plans to defeat his arch enemy, Vector. Stripped of its big screen 3D effects, the film is still a delight to look at, but what it may lack in big screen effects it more than makes up with in terms of character, particularly in the relationship that develops between Gru (voiced by Steve Carrel) and the girls. And the Twinkie-like minions are still hilarious comic relief.

The Horde

You have to give directors Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher credit for the relentless energy they have put into this zombie movie about a street gang and a band of cops who have to work together to survive being trapped in a condemned high rise apartment as hordes of the undead try to eat them. Even in the few quiet moments in the film, when the cops and robbers try to sneak down darkened hallways without attracting any zombie attention, are cranked up to 11 on the tension scale. That’s the good news. The band news is that the directors show little restraint when it comes to the gory action scenes. There’s nothing wrong with blood, but there’s something boring about watching live people empty their guns into a walking corpse and never even hitting them in the head.

An Ultimate Gulliver Collection

Legendary animated film maker Max Fleisher almost made film history with his full-length cartoon of Gulliver’s Travels. Released in 1939, it just missed being the first full-length animated feature to be released in theaters, a feat Walt Disney achieved when he released Snow White. Still, the charm of Fleisher’s work is well worth seeing, as are the seven spin-off cartoons made with Gabby, the pint-sized comic relief of his Gulliver’s Travels. The 1902 film by George Melies added to the disc is a curiosity, but at just 4 minutes running time hardly worth the effort. The 1965 anime of Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moon is fun, but probably for anime fans only.

Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The Complete Seasons 4 & 5

Dad’s an egomaniac rock star. Mom is a former centerfold (who is still pretty damn hot). The kids are spoiled brats. Yet despite all the negatives, there is something oddly compelling and almost endearing about watching the blood-spitting, fire-breathing bassist for KISS act like a parent. Whether he’s out on the road rocking to hundreds of thousands of fans or doing some menial chore around his palatial home, you just can’t help but like the guy. The insight you get into the mind of a rock star who is also one of the world’s great businessmen is a bonus.

Bastard Swordsman

A lowly servant in the home of a powerful clan turns out to be the bastard offspring of the clan leader. No wonder the leader spent so many late nights in disguise training his illegitimate son the art of kung fu. When the leader is killed, it’s up to the son to rise from the bottom of the social ladder and defeat his clan’s enemies. As complicated as it may sound, the plot to this classic movie, directed by Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms) is little more than an excuse for 90 minutes of high flying martial arts action. The wire work is impressive, but it’s the other-worldly effects of the lethal Silkworm Technique that make the movie unforgettable.

Groucho Marx TV Classics

The actual games are unimportant unless you are a fan of trivia from the 1950s. The real reason to watch these classic shows is to watch the mind of Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx at work as he interviews the contestants. With one of the world’s greatest straight men, George Fenneman, at his side, Groucho lets his rapier wit slice away at the laughing guests. Not all of the jokes work, but with Groucho there is another, and probably, funnier one on the way so just stay tuned. The extras, especially the stag reel of jokes the censors wouldn’t approve back in the 1950s, are a real treat.

Charlie Brown Christmas Tales

While it simply can’t hold a candle to the classic Charlie Brown Christmas, this animated short stands nicely on its own. Each of the major characters gets a chance to shine by sharing their Christmas wish, be it Linus trying to send a Christmas card to the little girl he sits next to in class or Snoopy’s valiant attempt to share peace on earth with the ferocious cat next door. It’s a new and unique way to share the season with the characters you grew up with.

Yogi Bear’s All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper

Rather than hibernate through the holidays, Yogi and Boo Boo decide to head into the city to spend time with their cartoon friends. While hiding from the rangers who are on their trail, the pair hides out in a department store where they meet a little girl whose Christmas wish is to spend more time with her busy father. It’s a simple, but sweet story that will warm you holiday heart, especially if you are old enough to remember the classic Hanna-Barbera characters that make guest appearances throughout the show. Same goes for the bonus episode about Yogi’s surprise birthday party.

Billy the Exterminator Season 1 & 2

Let’s face it: The reason you watch most reality shows is to laugh at the people on it. They may be beautiful, but their stupid behavior makes you laugh and feel better about yourself. Billy the Exterminator doesn’t play that game. The star, a mullet-wearing metal head from Louisiana, is one of the most likable guys on television and you can’t help by admire him as he goes about his daily job, particularly because his job could be anything from cleaning a house of rats to wrestling an alligator that’s almost bigger than he is. The fact that the guy tries to do his job without actually exterminating any animals is a bonus. There’s plenty of family drama to draw you into the lives of Billy and his clan, but they, too, avoid the usual clichés of reality TV to stand out as just regular people who deal in normal ways with the problems we all face. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the tawdriness of most reality TV.

Birdy the Mighty: Decode Season 02

Fans of the first season of this anime series may have a bit of trouble adjusting to Season 2. The humor and silliness from Season 1 have been replaced with a darker edge as Birdy tracks down the criminals responsible for the events that almost destroyed the world at the end of the first year. Once you’ve settled in with the mature tone, though, Birdy Season 2 becomes much more satisfying to watch, the art is still good, the characters strong and well acted, and the story wraps up on a rich and completely satisfying note.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Caught up in all the summer 3D movie hype, this story of a young man who discovers he’s made for something greater than he ever imagined didn’t get the audience it deserved. Now here’s your chance to sit back and watch it on its own terms. The story is good and the effects are string, but what makes it so darn watchable (and enjoyable) is the fine acting from Nicholas Cage as the Sorcerer and Jay Baruchel as the apprentice, not to mention the delightful scenery chewing of Alfred Molina as the bad guy.

Gun X Sword: The Complete Series

Gun X Sword is one of the strangest anime series you will ever see. It starts out as the adventure of a tuxedo-clad gunman hunting down the evil guy who killed his wife and ends up as a battle to save the human race from being wiped out so it can be reborn. Some of the episodes wander way too far off the mark to be a memorable part of the plot, but it somehow all pulls together in the last few episodes to be something you will never forget.

David Bowie: Rare and Unseen

Ones level of interest in this patchwork presentation of old interviews with David Bowie will depend in large part on just how much you care about the man, his music and his place in rock history. If you want to know everything you can about the man, then this is DVD will be essential for you. If you only have a passing interest in Bowie _- in other words if you only know him from either Space Oddity or Young Americans (and not both) then you may get lost watching his switch personalities from interview from interview the way other people change outfits.

Peanuts Holiday Collection

Let’s face it: What would the holidays be like if you didn’t watch Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang in their annual adventures? Whether you are watching them dance, listening to Linus give his heartfelt explanation of what Christmas really is all about or giggling every time Charlie Brown gets a rock instead of candy on Halloween, there’s something to warm the cockles of your heart in these classic stories (and yes, that means even the one for Thanksgiving).

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

Love her or hate her, as a person or as a performer, you will at least learn to respect her after seeing Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. This fascinating documentary, directed by Ricki Stern and Ann Sundberg, gives viewers an intimate, in-depth look at a true comedy legend and at just what it took for her to reach the pinnacle of her career, and then stay there for close to half a century. It’s not only a fantastic insight into the life of this talented, if abrasive, comic diva, but a great reminder to anyone who thinks they can be the ‘next’ Joan Rivers that it takes a lot more than a few jokes to climb to the top of the show business pyramid. It takes real chutzpah, and Rivers has plenty.

Bee Gees: In Our Own Time

For some, they will always be the English boy band who sang about the Lights Going Out in Massachusetts. For others, they’re the three white guys who taught the world to strut their stuff with the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever. As this fascinating documentary shows, though, there was a lot more to Barry, Robin and Maurice (not to mention Andy) than the hits on the pop charts. Even if you think you hate their music, you will learn to admire the men who made it when you watch this DVD.

Girls Bravo: The Complete Series

Like a lot of anime aimed at the teenage boy market, a lot of the action in Girls Bravo centers around finding new and inventive ways to get the scantily clad buxom stars to bounce around as much as possible. And that’s fine as far as it goes. What makes this tale of a lonely young boy who discovers a portal to another world – a world full of lonely women – through his bathtub is the way it uses the sexy sight gags as background for some interesting storylines that have little to do with the jiggle factor.

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

Known today as either the luckiest guy in the world or a dirty old man, this excellent documentary does a good job of setting the record straight about what Hugh Hefner is all about. Sure, he’s made millions selling a magazine known more for its centerfolds than its editorial content, but in his younger days Hefner used his money, his personality and the power of his publication to help change the way America looked at sex, race and each other. Hef haters may not find enough here to make them change their opinions about the guy, but at least they will be better informed about what his legacy will truly be.

Space Precinct: The Complete Series

It is clear from the first few episodes why this series was never a hit. It’s basically a generic cop show set in a low budget alien world that gives the producers a chance to distract the audience form the cheesiness of the plots by having half the cast appear in Halloween masks that look like they were purchased at a Spencer Gifts fire sale. It’s also clear from those first few episodes why Space Precinct has become such a sought after cult phenomenon. The rubber masks and model sets might have been state-of-the-art when it was first released, but time has painted the series in a patina of pure campy goodness that makes it almost irresistible.

Human Weapon: Complete Season 1

Two guys travel the world looking for new ways that different peoples use to beat the crap out of each other. They learn the new fighting system and then challenge a local expert to a fight using what they just learned. It’s a silly idea, but it’s also addictive as hell. It’s part travel show and part Saturday night fights. Jason Chambers and Bill Duff aren’t great hosts, but the sweat equity they put into the training makes up for their lack of personality. Watching them get beaten up in the final scenes makes it all worthwhile.

The Sacred Triangle: Bowie, Iggy & Lou 1971-1973

They are rock legends now, during the years that this documentary focuses on the music world came very close to losing David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed forever. Label problems, personal problems, drug problems and just about every other problem a creative mind must face gathered above them like angry storm clouds ready to wash them down into the gutter. Somehow, they discovered each other and not only survived, but changed the music world forever. The archival interviews and concert footage are fantastic reminders of the men and their time. However, the endless barking of David’s ex-wife Angela almost ruins the film.

Cairo Time

With the glut of sickeningly sweet and stupid romantic comedies that have flooded theaters over the past few years, it’s absolutely delightful to sit down with a film that reminds us what real emotions can be between two believable adult characters. The film stars the always enjoyable Patricia Clarkson as Juliette Grant, the wife of a professor who goes to Cairo to meet with her husband. When he is delayed getting to her, his friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig) offers to show her around the ancient city. The story unfolds slowly, but the strong acting of the two leads makes the time fly by as you try to guess what will happen as we watch them fall in love.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

After years of budget busting box office bombs, the animation branch of Walt Disney Studios was close to closing its door forever. A combination of fresh blood among the artists who drew the pictures and an infusion of cash from a corporate takeover took the drawing departments off life support and lead them to a new golden age, an age that produced new classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. While it certainly celebrates the achievements of the studio, the film doesn’t shy away from shining a harsh light on the power hungry people behind the corporate office doors who almost ruined it all.

Pastor Shepherd

This story of a freeze dried pet salesman who becomes a televangelist is one of the strangest comedies to come along in years. And that’s a good thing. While most directors would be tempted to let the audience in on the joke, Edwin L. Marshal plays his cards close to the vest, so that the weirder the story gets the straighter the cast plays their parts. Pastor Shepherd—a standup comic whose video ministry, prayerhour.com, is an internet sensation -- deserves a lot of credit for the wide-eyed wonder he brings to every scene, no matter how insane it becomes, and the supporting cast should get a medal for not guffawing every time he opens his mouth.

2010: Moby Dick

This updating of the Herman Melville story about a mad sea captain obsessed with finding and killing the gigantic white whale that bit off his leg is that rare kind of film that’s so bad, it’s good. Barry Bostwick leaves no piece of scenery unchewed in his manic performance as Cpt. Ahab, a submarine commander with a passion for nothing beyond his hatred of the gigantic mammal, and that’s just as it should be. The only thing more outrageous than his acting are the effects, especially the scene where Moby Dick rises from the ocean to devour an army helicopter in a single bite.

Batman Beyond: The Complete Series

Over the years, The Dark Knight has been reinvented more times than just about any other comic book superhero, but none of the past reincarnations of Batman have had the guts to show him as an old man who no longer has the physical strength to fight the next generation of evildoers. So he does the next best thing and takes on a protégée and trains him to be his replacement instead of his tight-wearing sidekick. The animation is as good as any of the Batman’s to come before, but what makes Batman Beyond work so well is the open antagonism between the old Bruce Wayne and young Terry McGuiness.

Deadwood: The Complete Series (Blu Ray)

Forget every romantic notion you ever had about the Old West and settle in for this gritty series about what life in the gold rush was really like. There’s plenty of action to be seen over the course of this HBO series, but it’s the powerful acting that makes each episode worth watching over and over again. Timothy Olyphant is great as the reluctant sheriff who brings law and order to the town of Deadwood, but it’s the priceless profanity-laced performance of Ian McShane as the ruthless Al Swearengen that gives the series its edge. Repeated viewings – and you will watch it more than once – reveal that while history likes to tell us that the men may have ruled the Old West, the women were every bit as tough as they were.

The Six Million Dollar Man

When you think about it, the only thing you probably remember from this hit 70s ABC series is the cool sound Col. Steve Austin made when he jumped into the air using his bionic legs. Now here’ your chance to time travel back and rediscover exactly why the show was such a hit. Unlike a lot of rereleases, this box set offers more than just a trip down memory lane. The majority of the shows still stand up well, particularly in the strong stories of the early seasons. The 90-minute pilot movie is particularly effective as it concentrates more on the emotional side effects that Austin goes through as he wakes in a hospital bed to hear doctors talking about how they will rebuild him. Lee Majors does a good job of keeping the focus of the series on the man and not the machine he became, and Richard Anderson is perfect as Oscar Goldman, the military man who helps Austin find his way in life.

The Special Relationship

It’s official. More people have seen actor Michael Sheen portray former Prime Minister Tony Blair than have actually seen Tony Blair, but that’s OK because, frankly, nobody is better at it. What makes this HBO film different from the others is the cast that Sheen gets to work with, particularly Dennis Quaid and Hope Davis as Bill and Hillary Clinton. The story takes place at the dawn of Blair’s emergence as a power in British politics, a time when his special relationship with Clinton gets put to the test when the Monica Lewinski scandal hits. The dynamic between the actors portraying the two world leaders is palpable, as is the tension that Davis brings to every scene as the woman who rose above it all.

How to Train Your Dragon

Children will get it right away: A cartoon about Vikings fighting dragons? Take me. Take me. Adults, however, who may think that going to see an animated movie is strictly for kids may have a little trouble surrendering to the idea of going to see How to Train Your Dragon. Well, get over it, because everybody -- young, old and in between – will find something to enjoy in this thoroughly entertaining film about a young Viking who proves his worth to his clan by doing the unexpected and becoming friends with the Viking’s mortal enemies, the dragons. It’s not only filled with action and comedy, but the film has the kind of strong, well developed characters you just don’t find in many movies today. Of course, you wouldn’t expect less from directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, the creative team who made the classic Disney film, Lilo and Stitch. The two films actually have a lot in common: They share the same spirit of adventure, the same sense of humor and the same understanding that a film needs to be about something (in both cases, the need for family) to be truly worth watching.  How to Train Your Dragon just does it all with a lot more action.

The Warlords

Set in China during the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s, The Warlords is filled with tons of huge action scenes, the kind that fill the screen from edge to edge with warriors on horseback charging into hordes of sword wielding soldiers while arrows darken the skies above them, all gorgeously photographed by cinematographer Arthur Wong. It’s violence raised to the level of art, and for fans of that sort of thing The Warlords is intensely satisfying. But even if you have to avert your eyes when the blood starts spattering onto the camera lens, there is a lot to love about The Warlords, thanks to a well written script and some truly strong performances from the cast. The screenwriters do a really good job of making sure that even as the action intensifies, the audience never loses sight of the fact that the people up on the screen aren’t just nameless and faceless cannon fodder. Sure, not everyone gets a full story, but enough of the supporting cast are included in the tale to keep it interesting, which also helps to support the main story about the three blood-oath brothers who lead the army into battle and the woman who is destined to change their lives more than any battle ever could.

Jonah Hex

It sounds strange to say it, given the generally bloated nature of the movies these days, but Jonah Hex needed to be longer. With a brisk running time of 81 minutes, the film never really slows down enough to give you a chance to truly understand or appreciate the characters and why they are doing what they are doing. The information is telegraphed in short burst of violent imagery and painfully inept exposition crammed between the gigantic action scenes. It’s as if the filmmakers were so anxious that people wouldn’t really appreciate the story – or the generally unlikable nature of the ‘hero’-- that they decided to deliver the highlights in cinematic shorthand and hope nobody noticed. And that’s a shame because even though he may not be as cool with mainstream audiences as other comic book characters, the facially disfigured Hex is one of the more interesting examples of the genre, from his back-story as a confederate soldier in the Civil War to his uncanny ‘gift’ of being able to communicate with the dead.

Winter's Bone

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, in a performance that’s as raw and real as any you will ever see, the film tells the story of a teenage girl named Ree (Lawrence) as she struggles to keep her family together under some truly harsh circumstances. When her absent dad gets arrested for cooking meth, he puts his house and land up as collateral on his bond without telling his family. Knowing he’s not likely to show up for his court date on his own, Ree sets out  to find him and make sure he does the right thing so she and her family don’t end up homeless. Like all great movies, Winter’s Bones is a multi-layered masterpiece. You could watch it just for the mystery of the missing father, or you could watch it just to see the phenomenal acting from the entire cast. You could view it as a searing commentary on the life of people who live on the other side of the poverty line whose only real means of survival is to make meth, or you could see it as an equally emotional story about real family values and the lengths a young girl will go to in order to preserve them. The important thing is that you see it.

Predators

The new Predators starts out with the adrenaline levels cranked up to 11 as the hero of the story, Royce (Adrien Brody) wakes up in free fall wearing a parachute that he can’t get to open until its almost too late. Other bodies – and other things – start dropping out of the sky and Royce soon finds himself the leader of a ragtag group of mercenaries ready to hunt down whoever dropped them from the sky in the first place. Fans who have been waiting almost a quarter century for a good Predator movie will be delighted with what director Nimród Antal and his cast have done with this rebooted version of the franchise; what’s even better, though, is that they’ve created a movie that will be just as exciting for a new generation of Predator fans as it was for those who were there back in 1987 when Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) first declared, ‘If it bleeds, we can kill it.’

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Based partially on a section of the 1940 Disney animated movie Fantasia (the one where Mickey steals the magicians hat and makes the brooms come to life), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a delightful adventure about a young nerd named Dave (Jay Burachel) whose life is turned upside down when the mysterious sorcerer Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) shows up one day to tell him he’s not only going to be an apprentice, but needs to learn magic very, very quickly if he wants to save the world from being destroyed. Directed by John Turteltaub (National Treasure), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice if filled with special-effects and action scenes, all of which look great. Of course, effects are nothing but eye candy if the story isn’t strong and the actors aren’t good enough to make it come to life on the screen, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice doesn’t disappoint on either level. The script is well paced, with just enough snappy dialogue between the Sorcerer and his apprentice to give the movie a nice comic tone.

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam

While this DC DVD is certainly worth watching for the main story – a classic battle between the Man of Steel, Cpt. Marvel and a magical menace from the future – the real treat is in all the extras packed onto the disc. The episodes involving Jonah Hex, Green Arrow and The Spectre all appeared on Blu ray editions of past releases, but each stands on its own and it’s nice to have them collected on a single disc. Plus, there are plenty of episodes from past TV series to enhance the experience. It’s like finding a stack of cool comics and curling up with them on a rainy afternoon.

Murderland

Long before he started playing Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, Robbie Coltrane had a career playing some great serious roles as a detective on several British TV shows. This mini-series about a child witnessing the murder of her mother is one of his best. In it, Coltrane plays Detective Douglas Hain, a cop whose reputation and life get put on the line when the investigation of the murder turns out to be more personal than anyone expected. The show powerfully combines scenes of the original investigation, where Cain worked with the daughter who may have witnessed the crime, with present day scenes of the now grown daughter still searching for the man who killed her mom.

Cher: The Film Collection

You probably already know the classics contained in this box set, like Cher’s Oscar-winning work in Moonstruck and Silkwood, but what makes it worth buying even if you already own some of the films, are the inclusion of two rare Cher gems. Good Times, the only movie she made with husband Sonny Bono, is a Beatle-esque romp through Hollywood as the pop pair tries to come up with an idea for their first movie, and it’s a lot of silly fun. The fact that it was directed by William Freidkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist) is amazing. Even better is the film called Chastity, which features a Sonny-less Cher as a hippie hitchhiking free spirit out to discover the world.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Fans of Disney’s big budget extravaganzas based on the popular C.S. Lewis stories may have a bit of trouble adjusting to his much humbler version of the story of four children who discover the doorway to a magic world at the back of an old wardrobe. But what the BBC version lacks in special effects it makes up for with better acting, better overall storytelling and a better attitude towards its audience. Instead of trying to wow watchers with fancy effects and CGI -- not to mention hiring famous movie stars to provide the voices – this series encourages people to use their minds and their imaginations.

Robo Geisha

Just when you thought Funimation Entertainment couldn’t possible top their release of the epic Frankenstein Girl Vs. Vampire Girl, they send this twisted tale out into the world, and film fans couldn’t be happier. Directed by Noboru Iguchi, who made the classic Machine Girl, Robo Geisha follows the adventures of a pair of sisters – the older one a famous geisha and the younger one a geisha wannabe – who are kidnapped by a crazy steel baron and trained as part of his robotic army of geisha warriors. Crazy as it sounds, it’s nothing compare to the delirious fun of actually watching Igushi’s twisted vision unfold on the screen.

Sherlock: Season 1

If you thought Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law did a good job of updating the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories of London’s first great detective, wait until you see what Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman do as Holmes and Waston in this enormously entertaining BBC series. Set in modern day London, the show never so much as winks at its audience in allusion to any Holmes that has ever come before. This Sherlock is a modern man – with his own crime advice website – who helps Scotland Yard solve the seemingly unsolvable. The fact that he sometimes sends them the solution in a text message only adds to the quirky charm of the show. The rapport between Cumberbatch and Freeman is spot on, too, particularly in the timing of their banter as they race to find the bad guy. Even in its infancy (the first season just came out in America on DVD) this series already ranks as a Holmes for the ages.

Compulsion

Rather than marry the man her parents have arranged for her to wed, a young Indian women makes a dirty deal with the family chauffer: If he takes care of the problem, she will sleep with him for a single night. The plan doesn’t go well on any level, but if you think you know what happens next, you will be surprised. There are plenty of plot twists in Compulsion, and every one of them is believable thanks to some terrific performances from Parminder Nagra (Bend it Like Beckham) and Ray Winstone (Beowulf). The ending will shock you.

Yoga

The story, about a group of women signing up for an intensive yoga class in the hope that it will make them more beautiful than they already are, is silly and the acting, for the most part, is awful. So why should you watch this film from director Jae-yeon Yun? Because it will scare the crap out of you. It’s not just the startling visual imagery of the film, although after you watch it you will have a hard time getting to sleep and not dream of having a poisonous black snake crawl in your mouth. The true terror of the film comes from the way the director paces the story to build the tension from the minute the women sign up for the class to the final scenes where one of them gets her wish to be beautiful forever.

V

What starts out to be just another day turns decidedly weird when the skies overhead are suddenly filled with shiny UFOs that, it turns out, are filled with humanoid aliens who come in peace. Or at least that’s what they say in the beginning of this entertaining Sci-Fi television series. It soon becomes clear that not only do the visitors from another world have a hidden agenda, but they also have a hidden army already on the planet, disguised as the very humans they are out to enslave. The special effects are good, but it’s the acting that keeps you coming back to see what will happen next.

Trigun: The Complete Series

Vash the Stampede is wanted everywhere he goes, with a $60 Billion price on his head, dead or alive, for the murder of thousands of people and the destruction of an entire town. Or at least that’s the legend. In fact, Vash is a nerdy guy in a long red duster who just happens to have the worst luck in the world when it comes to trying to make his way in the world: everything he touches is eventually destroyed. The series starts out as a slapstick comedy of errors as Vash travels around the desert planet he’s been stranded on, but as his adventures continue, the story takes a decidedly more serious tone when Vash stars to uncover who he is and what he’s really doing on the planet. The change is gradual, almost seductive, and the way it pulls you into the mystery of Vash is addictive.

Kisses

Anyone renting this Irish tale of two children off for an adventure expecting to see a Disney-esque version of Dublin and its inhabitants will be in for a shock. This dark tale follows a pair of youngsters on the run from their abusive parents who soon discover that the bright lights of the big city may light up the streets of the tourist areas, but they also cause dark shadows to be thrown in the alleys where these kids are forced to try and find a way to survive. Kelly O’Neill and Shane Curry give fantastic performances as the kids.

Slings and Arrows

Few shows have captured the life of a theater company as completely as this Canadian television series. The good news is that even if you’ve never stepped inside a theater to see a play in your life, you’ll still be delighted watching the backstage drama (and comedy) of this imaginary Shakespearean theatre troupe. Paul Gross is fantastic as Geoffrey Tennant, a passionate (and borderline insane) thespian willing to do anything in the name of art, and Stephen Ouimette is his perfect foil playing his mentor, a recently deceased director who haunts the theater.

Back to the Future Trilogy

Hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since crazy Doc Brown and Marty McFly (Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox) first turned on the flux capacitor in their supped-up Delorian and traveled through time, and while some of the moments in the films haven’t stood the test of time (the old age makeup in BTTF 2 is almost laughable) there are plenty of extras crammed into this package to remind you (or perhaps bully you into believing) how timeless this trilogy really is. As for the movies, it’s pretty much how you remember it: The first one is good, the second one is pretty bad and the third one is a mess.

Shonen Knife: The Ultimate Live DVD

Shonen Knife has been touring the world playing their unique version of pop/punk songs for more than 25 years. This lively DVD of their show at Mohawk Place in Buffalo, New York shows why they are still going strong. Combining Ramones-style riffs with some of the silliest, catchiest lyrics you’ve ever heard (try listening to Banana Chips and not getting the chorus stuck in your head), this powerful trio keeps the energy level cranked up to 11: Just try not to dance along with them.