How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
August 25, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who want to see what happens when Kristen Stewart pursues a non-vampire relationship: Adventureland (Unrated)
Director Greg Mottola follows up 2007's Superbad with the tamer Adventureland, a coming-of-age dramedy starring a lost Jesse Eisenberg who has not a clue what to do with himself after graduating from college. Finding out he's not even qualified enough for manual labor, his character (James) gets a summer job at an amusement park, dubbed Adventureland – where the employees are hot (Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart), the games are impossible to win and adult "supervision" consists of Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader walking aimlessly around the campus.
Adventureland was sadly overlooked earlier this year. Released in more than 1,800 theaters in its first week of release, it managed just $5.7 million. (It tapped out at $16 million). I'm hoping more people take a chance on Adventureland on DVD, as Eisenberg's performance is (as per usual) quite stellar and its soundtrack will be something you'll likely want to own. (Even if Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" is included on it).
Disc includes: Deleted scenes, Just My Life: The Making of Adventureland featurette, audio commentary, picture music selection
For people who thought May's Scrubs finale made it blatantly clear that there wouldn't be any more Scrubs: Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season (Widescreen)
Scrubs is the new Family Guy. (Or more with the times, Futurama). It just can't die! After being axed by NBC in 2008 following seven years on the air, the long-running Bill Lawrence series was quickly snatched up by ABC for an 18-episode eighth season. The series' final episode, titled "My Finale," had the show's major storylines neatly tied up – complete with J.D. strolling the Sacred Heart hallway one last time while schmoozing with all the people he's encountered during his years at the hospital.
Then ABC decided to revive Scrubs for a ninth season. I'm still undecided on how I feel about that – though my indecisiveness probably means I'm not in favor of the move.
Part of the blame rests on the fact that season eight would have been a good one to end on. Courteney Cox guest starred for a multiple-episode arc as the hospital's new chief of medicine, new interns added fresh blood to the mix, some Sesame Street Muppets paid Sacred Heart a visit and one particular episode – "My Last Words" – packed enough emotional power in it to make me shed a few tears.
Season nine has no premiere date at the time I'm writing this. You can probably expect to see it on ABC's 2010 midseason schedule.
Disc includes: My Bahamas Trip featurette, deleted scenes, bloopers, alternate lines, webisodes, Bill Lawrence Answers Fans' Questions featurette
Think you know all there is to know about Scrubs: Season Eight? Take the HowWellDoYouKnow.com quiz! (Part I / Part II)
For people who practice necrophilia: Sunshine Cleaning
Following the recent trend I've noticed of sticking straight-laced white people in ridiculous situations (Weeds' Nancy Botwin sells drugs, Breaking Bad's Walter White cooks meth, Hung's Ray Drecker's adventures in male prostitution), Sunshine Cleaning has Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) entering into the lucrative crime scene cleanup biz with her underachieving sister, Norah (Emily Blunt). Along the way, the sisters find meaning in their unique line of work in their attempt to make ends meet.
Sunshine Cleaning is populated by some pretty colorful characters, including a one-armed cleaning supplies salesman named Winston and a Little Miss Sunshine-like Alan Arkin, who plays Rose and Norah's grumpy father.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, A Fresh Look at a Dirty Business featurette
**Think you know all there is to know about Sunshine Cleaning? Take the HowWellDoYouKnow.com quiz by clicking here.
For people who like watching David Duchovny have sex with women: Californication: The Second Season
Way back when Californication was in its infancy, I asked a friend - who was raving about the Showtime series – to give me a brief synopsis on what the show was about. After a brief hesitation, he replied: "Basically David Duchovny walks around and bangs women. But don't get me wrong, it's the best show on TV!" Something tells me Duchovny's involvement in all this is really doing nothing to curb his real-life sex addiction.
The third season of Californication starts September 27th – the same evening as Dexter's fourth season premiere.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, Marcie' Waxing Salon featurette, cast interviews, episodes of The United States of Tara and The Tudors
For people who agree Julia Roberts and Clive Owen would make some fine lookin' children: Duplicity
Following the critical, financial and award season success of his last film, Michael Clayton, writer-director Tony Gilroy sidestepped heavy drama in favor of a surplus of quirk in Duplicity, a comedy spy-thriller (a la Oceans 11 and its offspring) starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Sadly, no George Clooney sightings were had here.
The expensive $60-million pic did OK business for Universal, having earned $40.6 million here in the States and another $39.9 million abroad. With Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti rounding out the cast, it's a wonder why this one didn't make any more than it did.
Disc includes: Audio commentary
August 25, 2009
Blu-ray
Adventureland (Unrated)
Carols Acosta: Romeo & Juliet
Children Of The Corn (25th Anniversary Edition)
Devil May Cry Complete Collection
Duplicity
Fighting
The Informers
Lie to Me: Season One
Rudo y Cursi
Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season
Sunshine Cleaning
DVD
Adventureland (Unrated)
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Complete 4th Season
The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Complete Series (Set)
Australian Open 2009 Mens Final: Federer vs. Nadal
Booker: The Complete Series
Californication: The Second Season
Cheap Trick: Sgt. Pepper Live
Children Of The Corn (25th Anniversary Edition)
Corner Gas: 5th Season
Corner Gas: 6th Season
Duplicity
Fighting
Gangland: Complete Season 4
Google Me
Here's Lucy: Season 1
House: Season Five
House: Seasons 1-5 Collection (Set)
The Informers
Judge Judy Collection
The Last Days Of Disco (Criterion Collection)
Lie to Me: Season One
Life with Derek: The Complete Second Season
Life: Season Two
The Lucy Show (Collectible Lunchbox)
NCIS: Seasons 1-6 (Set)
NCIS: The Sixth Season
New Tricks: Season 1 (Widescreen)
One Tree Hill: Complete Seasons 1-6 (Set)
One Tree Hill: The Complete Sixth Season
Otis Redding: Respect Otis Live
Patton Oswalt: My Weekness is Strong
Roy Rogers (Collectible Lunchbox)
Rudo y Cursi
Samantha Who?: The Complete Second & Final Season (Widescreen)
Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season (Widescreen)
Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season
The Suite Life on Deck: Anchors Away!
Sunshine Cleaning
Thirtysomething: The Complete First Season
Wanted: Dead or Alive - Season 1
Wanted: Dead or Alive - The Complete Series (Set)