How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
October 7, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
From Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Conway, Will Arnett and Edie Falco to Carrie Fisher, Matthew Broderick, David Schwimmer and Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock's second season was infiltrated with a bevy of guest stars. However, unlike Will & Grace, which signed on guest actors for the sake of putting their mug on camera, this NBC comedy knows how to put its stars to good use. Four men received Outstanding Guest Actor noms at September's Emmys (with Conway taking home the prize), while three ladies - Falco, Fisher and Stritch - earned their own nods in the Outstanding Guest Actress category.
In its first season, 30 Rock was one of those rare shows that grew better with age. By the end of the season, it quietly became so much better than its first handful of episodes that the two were arguably incomparable. Building off that momentum, 30 Rock's sophomore season was even better than the first, benefiting not only from its guest actor list, but also storylines that carried over multiple episodes. (Were they silly? Tracy's porn videogame story arc would point to a resounding yes, but such is the comedy in 30 Rock).
The series' third season kicks off October 30th, following a series of Saturday Night Live political specials that are slated to air in its timeslot. And new season buzz is already growing, with Megan Mullally, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey and (maybe!) Steve Martin signed on for roles alongside Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, deleted scenes, "Cooter" episode table read, 30 Rock live at the UCB Theater, Tina Hosts SNL featurette, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Presents: An Evening with 30 Rock featurette.
For people who miss Maude Flanders: The Simpsons: The Complete Eleventh Season
Obviously, The Simpsons get a shout-out no matter what season or merchandise item is being promoted. (I do this, of course, to ensure that the other fine folks here at Box Office Prophets don't have my head for failing to make mention of it). So here we are with the show's 11th season, which aired way back during the 1999-00 television season. Highlights include Bart being diagnosed with ADD, Homer bowling a perfect 300 game, Apu's wife giving birth to octuplets, Maude Flanders dying after a freak NASCAR accident and Springfield Elementary going bankrupt.
The show's 20th season, which ties Gunsmoke's U.S. primetime, scripted television record of 20 produced seasons, started September 28th. Treehouse of Horror XIX, featuring parodies of Charlie Brown and Transformers, airs November 2nd.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, A Star on Hollywood Boulevard featurette, The Many Faces of Krusty featurette, deleted scenes, Multi-Angle Animations Showcases featurette, Special Introduction from Matt Groening feauturette, original sketches.
For people who take kindly to randos squatting in their living spaces: The Visitor
Never appearing in more than a few hundred theaters, indie film The Visitor stars Richard Jenkins as Walter Vale, an economics professor who befriends a pair of illegal immigrants - Tarek and Zainab - who have been living in his New York City apartment without him knowing. When Tarek is arrested at a subway station and is taken to a detention center, the professor tries to prevent his deportation from the United States by paying for an immigration lawyer.
The movie, from The Station Agent's Thomas McCarthy, earned rave reviews from critics, but not without controversy. Some criticized its opposition to immediate deportation of illegal immigrants, as well as the injustice in deciding who gets deported, and when.
Disc includes: None.
For people who don't mess with the Zohan: You Don't Mess With the Zohan
At $100,018,837, You Don't Mess With the Zohan marks Adam Sandler's ninth straight mainstream comedy to eclipse $100 million at the domestic box office (excluding the forgettable Little Nicky, which was released after Sandler's biggest hits, 1998's The Waterboy and 1999's Big Daddy). Though incredibly stupid, Zohan is surprisingly co-written by Judd Apatow (with Sandler and SNL's Robert Smigel), and basically proves for the umpteenth time that Sandler knows how to open a comedy. Period.
In Zohan, Sandler stars as the title character, Israel's renowned counter-terrorism expert who fakes his death to reemerge in New York City and pursue his dream job as (what else?) a hair stylist. Besides a number of celebs - Chris Rock, Dave Matthews - who make cameo appearances, there are also plenty others who simply play themselves, including Henry Winkler, Mariah Carey, John McEnroe and George Takei.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, deleted scenes, Look Who Stopped By featurette, Dugan: The Hands-on Director featurette, The Stunts of Zohan featurette, Dugan Espanol? featurette, Zohan vs. Phantom featurette, Shooting Baja for Tel Aviv featurette, All American Redneck featurette, From Guns to Scissors featurette, The Root featurette, Laughing is Contagious featurette, Zohan's Doubles featurette, News on 3: Missing Goat featurette, News on 3: Who is the Zohan featurette, News on 3: It's Very Good featurette, Getting Sticky featurette, digital copy of the film.
For people (like me) who have no words: The Happening (Special Edition)
What's up with you, M. Night? Ever since 1999's masterful The Sixth Sense, your films have arguably skewed worse. I mean, let's take a look: The Sixth Sense was better than Unbreakable, which was better than Signs, which was better than The Village, which was better than Lady in the Water, which was better than The Happening (though that really isn't saying a whole lot). Thankfully, his next project is 2010's The Last Airbender, based on an animated show on Nickelodeon. Now, at least, the man can blame the source material if/when critics decide to pan it.
In The Happening, touted as the writer-director's debut R-rated release, Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel star as a paranoid couple on the run from a mysterious substance released by plants. When it comes into contact with humans, the substance causes people to (gasp!) kill themselves. (Folks, you just can't make this stuff up - ‘cept he did).
Disc includes: The Hard Cut featurette, I Hear You Whispering featurette, Visions of The Happening: A Making-of featurette, A Day for Night featurette, Elements of a Scene featurette, deleted scenes, gag reel.
October 7, 2008
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (50th Anniversary Edition)
Against A Crooked Sky
Almost Home for Holidays
Beetlejuice (Deluxe Edition)
Beneath the Surface
The Beverly Hillbillies: Official Second Season
Boy A (Miriam Collection)
Brotherhood: The Second Season
The Business (Widescreen)
Cathouse: The Series
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Deluxe Edition)
Corpse Mania (Widescreen)
Crossed Over
Cyborg Soldier
Dead Country (Full Screen)
Detroit Red Wings: 2007-2008 Stanley Cup Champions (Widescreen Special Edition)
The Devil's Chair (Widescreen)
Devil's Mercy
Dog Gone
Faces of Death
The Fourth King
The Gatling Gun
Gold (Full Screen)
Halloween (Collector's Edition)
How I Met Your Mother: Season 3 (Widescreen)
Innocent
Interview With The Vampire
Jack Frost (Deluxe Edition)
The Jackals
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (Widescreen)
Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Season 1
Kill Switch
Korn: Live On The Other Side
Lexx: The Complete First Series
Martin: The Complete Fifth Season
Mission: Impossible - The Fifth TV Season
Mister Roberts
Mobile
A Model Employee
The Munsters: The Complete Series
Normal (Widescreen)
The Note (Widescreen)
The Omen Collection
Otis
Paranoid Park (Widescreen)
Peaches (Widescreen)
Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Deluxe Edition)
Peanuts: You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (Deluxe Edition)
Pirates: 1st Season
Prom Queen
Psycho (Legacy Series)
Rear Window (Legacy Series)
Robot Chicken: Season 3
The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete 1st Season
Shelter Me
Slacker Uprising
Sleeping Beauty (Platinum Edition)
Snow
Snowglobe
South Park: The Cult of Cartman
Speed Racer: The Complete Classic Collection (Set)
Third Day: Christmas Offerings
Three Stooges Collection: Volume 4, 1943-1945 (Set)
Touch Of Evil (50th Anniversary Edition)
Vertigo (Legacy Series)
Watership Down (Deluxe Edition)
Wicked Lake