DVD Pick of the Week: Watching the Detectives

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

This week brings a decent selection of titles — from worthy indies to those I never heard of, to horror, to drama, to foreign actioners. None of the titles are terribly high profile, but I am sure you will find something worth checking out, I know I did.

Watching the Detectives. Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu star in this romantic comedy, and I found it to be quite charming. I have to say that I loved this movie. I can think of plenty more movies that are way better than this, but somehow, some way, Watching the Detectives cut through my defenses and captured my imagination in a way that a movie hasn't been able to do recently. I still cannot truly explain why, and likely never will. Let me end by saying that you must give this film a shot; see if you aren't charmed the same way I am. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Secret. This movie stars David Duchovny, Olivia Thirlby, and Lili Taylor and tells the story of a man whose wife;s spirit is reincarnated in his daughter. Sounds kind of weird to me. It was directed by Vincent Perez, who is best known to me as the second Crow. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Prison Break: Season Three. Season three finds Michael Scofield in prison in Panama. This season was shortened due to a strike and saw one of the characters leave under ugly circumstances. On top of that, it was the weakest of the three seasons, although I still liked it. While it is good, I found it a letdown based on the season two finale. Anyway, here's hoping season four steps it up. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Smart People. As much potential as the film had, I was left unfulfilled. The story never takes off and I was never allowed to forget that this was an indie character film. Perhaps another rewrite would have helped. I cannot recommend this as much as I liked some of the performances. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures. In the 1960's it was not only Batman and Superman getting the Filmation treatment. This two disk set delivers some cartoons featuring the likes of Wonder Woman, Flash, and Hawkeye. I cannot recall having seen these before, but I am intrigued despite low expectations. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Brand Upon the Brain! Here is a movie that I am interested in seeing, although I am not sure I will like it. It was helmed by Guy Maddin, a director whom I have only seen one other film (the excellent The Saddest Music in the World). Quite frankly, I read the description and don't know where to begin to replicate that description. It just sounds very out there, could be intriguing.... (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Tru Calling: The Complete Series. This show had previously been released in its separate seasons, now together in one box. I liked the show, but it was cut short in its second season just as it was beginning to gain some steam. I have not picked it up yet, but this could be a good option down the road. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Killing Gene. The latest release under the Dimension Extreme imprint. They don't always deliver good movies, but I have found, in the ones I have seen, they are always worth giving a shot, especially if you are a horror fan. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Art of War II: Betrayal. It has been eight years since the first film, in that time star Wesley Snipes has gone from big screen star to direct to video star. If I am not mistaken, his last feature was Blade Trinity. Anyway, this film sees him returning to the Neil Shaw character who has been setup for something and seeks revenge. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

CJ7. I wish I had gotten to see this on the big screen. That said, I hope I like it when I get to see it I like it. This is a family film from Kung Fu Hustle star Stephen Chow. In the movie, he finds an orb he mistakes for a toy his son wants, turns out it is an alien that will teach them important lessons. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Legend of the Shadowless Sword. This swordplay epic from Korea made a splash in its home country when it was released in 2005. I am looking forward to getting my hands on it! The film was partially funded by New Line Cinema. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Ninja Cheerleaders. I know nothing about this movie other than the title, but how can you go wrong with it? Seriously, it has ninjas and cheerleaders, what else do you need? (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Gun Crazy Collection. These formula flicks take an attractive young woman, adds a leather outfit and a pair of guns, supplies a suitable motivation for the use of those guns, and sets them loose. Both of these clock in at under 70 minutes in length,therefore keeping any fluff and story padding to a minimum. Definitely worth checking out for action fans. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)