How to Spend $20

By Eric Hughes

February 10, 2009

Presidentin' is hard.

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Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Michael J. Fox fires up the DeLorean, Melissa Leo travels to Canada and Donnie Darko goes Blu-ray.

Pick of the Week

For people who didn't know they could have sympathy for Dubya: W.

I went into W. with an open mind, and ended up tremendously enjoying Oliver Stone's George W. Bush biopic. More considerate of the former president than I expected from the liberal director, the picture follows Bush's ascension to the White House and just how in the hell he ended up there in the first place. News to some, the Texan was basically a yes man to Cheney and his administrators. And if George Sr. had his way, Jeb would have been the country's 43rd president...not W.

Like a top-notch SNL skit, the movie features a number of established actors – who, by the way, ARE ready for primetime – putting on their best impressions of the members of the Bush administration and family. Casting includes Josh Brolin as George, James Cromwell as George Sr., Elizabeth Banks as Laura, Ellen Burstyn as Barbara, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney and Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice.

Disc includes: Audio commentary, Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency featurette, DVD-ROM research and annotations guide

For people who can't think of the mechanics of the flux capacitor without giggling uncontrollably: Back To the Future (Special Edition)

It's here: Back to the Future's special edition DVD. Yes! This is just the thing people wanted, considering that 2009 is the year the trilogy celebrates its...wait for it...24th anniversary? I realize times are tough right now, but let's release these anniversary DVDs on actual milestone years. Eh, Universal?

Either way, the two-disc set comes packed with a number of features that science fiction aficionados (and Christopher Lloyd enthusiasts) are bound to enjoy, including five featurettes and interviews with star Michael J. Fox and director Robert Zemeckis.

Also released today are special editions of Back to the Future Parts II and III.

Disc includes: Back to the Future: The Ride featurette, Looking Back to the Future featurette, Back to the Future Night featurette, The Making of Back to the Future featurette, Making the Trilogy: Chapter One featurette, Q&A with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale, Michael J. Fox interview, audio commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, animated anecdotes, original makeup tests, production archives, original screenplay excerpts




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For people who want to see Samuel L. Jackson lookin' good in a suit: Soul Men

We've seen him scream at snakes. We've seen him yell at happily married couples. We've even seen him bark at Darth Maul. So when Samuel L. Jackson finds the time to shriek into a microphone, you ought to just sit and listen to the music. Here, the 60-year-old stars as a former backup soul singer who reluctantly agrees to reteam with his singing partner (Bernie Mac) after 20 years of separation for a reunion concert in honor of their deceased lead singer (John Legend). A beautiful woman (Sharon Leal) joins the duo as their new lead vocalist.

The comedy, which scored an OK 44% of positive reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, marks Mac's second-to-last posthumous releases. His final movie is Disney's Old Dogs, slated for release on November 25th.

Disc includes: Audio commentary, The Soul Men: Bernie Mac & Samuel L. Jackson featurette, The Cast of Soul Men featurette, Director Malcolm D. Lee featurette, A Tribute to Bernie Mac featurette, A Tribute to Isaac Hayes featurette, Boogie Ain't Nuttin': Behind-the-Scenes featurette, Bernie Mac at The Apollo featurette


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