How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
September 1, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who will watch Hayden Panettiere prance around in a cheerleading outfit no matter what's going on around her: Heroes: Season 3
Heroes. In my mind, it's the quintessential series that could have been.
When it premiered on NBC in fall 2006, I was a sucker for its excessive marketing and tuned in to see what the big to-do was about the series. I wasn't alone, as the pilot generated 14.3 million viewers - enabling the series to quickly become one of the network's most prized possessions. (And a lone bright spot in a seemingly empty slate of programming, save for The Office and not much else). Heroes' ninth episode, the wonderful "Homecoming," scored a series high 16.03 million viewers (which still stands by the way) - pacing Heroes to a fantastic 13.86 million viewers per episode in its inaugural season.
Then the shit hit the fan. Tim Kring apparently forgot that his characters needed a gripping story to tell if he expected viewers to latch on to another season. After spending waaay to long in developing any sort of cohesive story - and merely introducing new characters for the sake of introducing new characters - many viewers, like me, abandoned ship. Network TV, with its usual 20+ episode seasons, is a huge commitment. Especially these days. If a show's writers are just going to throw a bunch of story lines against the wall and hope for a couple of 'em to stick, then you can forget about it.
Though season three averaged a fairly pitiful 7.61 million viewers - a far cry from even the 11.46 million who had the patience to get through season two - some consider it the series' best (at least creatively). Just don't ask me to confirm that.
Disc includes: The Super Powers of Heroes featurette, deleted scenes, Completing the Scene featurette, Genetics of a Scene featurette, The Writer's Forum featurette, Alternate Stories featurette, Pinehearst commercial, The Prop Box featurette, Time Sale gallery of screen art, audio commentary
For people who don't blame Emile for breaking out the video equipment: The Girl Next Door (Unrated) [Blu-ray]
If Elisha Cuthbert (or Emile Hirsch, depending) wasn't already hot enough, you now have the chance to see her flaunt her former porn star self in the delectable Blu-ray format. The 2004 teen comedy, about a boy (Hirsche) who - no surprise here - develops a thing for Cuthbert's character, really introduced us to Hirsch for the first time.
It's strange, really, to remember he starred in a movie like The Girl Next Door when he has since gained considerable notoriety for appearing in such quality movies like Into the Wild, Milk and, uh, Speed Racer.
Disc includes: Audio commentary (feature with director Luke Greenfield; scene specific with Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert), The Eli Experience featurette, A Look Next Door: Making Of featurette, gag reel, deleted scenes, extended scenes
For people who just assumed "it" had already been brought: Bring It On: Fight to the Finish
Bring It On was a delightful summer 2000 comedy that pitted a cheerful Kirsten Dunst against a feisty Gabrielle Union in a fight to the death. (Or put another way, in as big a battle as cheerleaders can realistically get themselves into). For the unaware, the flick, which stands as one of my favorite high school movies following 10 Things I Hate About You, The Breakfast Club and a few others, spawned three eerily similar direct-to-DVD sequels that had so much in common with the parent project so as to be the Final Destination of teen comedy.
Well, apparently the franchise is far from being dead as another DVD sequel – Bring It On: Fight to the Finish – is released today in stores. Like its predecessors, it pits two rival cheer squads against one another. However, something is making me highly doubt that the aforementioned "fight" in this one's title will be to the finish...
Disc includes: Practice Round featurette, Backstage Pass featurette, On Set with Christina Milian featurette, deleted scenes
For people who don't think Ben Affleck can play a convincing Congressman: State of Play
Based on a critically acclaimed six-part serial of the same name that originally aired on British TV back in 2003, State of Play had the firepower – Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren – but not nearly enough oomph to make this one a bigger deal on this side of the Atlantic when Universal released it in April. The political thriller opened to a respectable $14 million, yet that number turned out to be embarrassingly smaller than the boffo $23.4 million Zac Efron managed to reel in with 17 Again.
Whatever. Russell could still take down Zac in a bar fight any day.
Earning a high 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 200 reviews), I imagine State of Play could make considerable bank on the home movie market.
Disc includes: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurette
September 1st, 2009
Blu-ray
Braveheart (Sapphire Series)
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish
The Crusades: Cresent & The Cross
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Ninth Season
Earth (Includes DVD)
The Girl Next Door (Unrated)
Gladiator (Sapphire Series)
Heroes: Season 3
High Crimes
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 1
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 2
James Bond Blu-ray Collection: Volume 3
Life After People
M*A*S*H
Michael Buble: Meets Madison Garden
Monster
State of Play
Sugar
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season
Terry Fator: Live From Las Vegas
DVD
Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (2-Disc Edition)
Braveheart (Sapphire Series)
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish
Brothers & Sisters: The Complete Third Season (Widescreen)
Clatterford: The Complete Season Two (Widescreen)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Ninth Season
Degrassi the Next Generation: Season 8 (Full Screen)
Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fifth Season (Widescreen)
Earth
The Game: The First Season
The Girl Next Door (Unrated)
Gladiator (Sapphire Series)
Heroes: Season 3
Heroes: Seasons 1-3 (Set)
High Crimes
Life After People
Meteor (Widescreen)
Michael Buble: Meets Madison Garden
Michael Jackson: Devotion, An Aunauthorized Story
People Like Us: The Complete Series
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares: Complete Series 2
Some Like It Hot (50th Anniversary Edition)
State of Play
Sugar
Supernatural: Seasons 1-4 (Set)
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 8
Terry Fator: Live From Las Vegas
Two and a Half Men: Seasons 1-6 (Set)
Two and a Half Men: The Complete Sixth Season
WWE: Tagged Classics Great American Bash '04 / Ven (Double Feature)
WWE: Tagged Classics SummerSlam 04 / Unforgiven 04 (Double Feature)