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Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Heroes avoids cancellation (in part for airing on NBC!), Emile and Elisha make a porno and Bring It On brings "it" again.

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

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