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Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Starship Troopers 2 gets erased from memory, Abigail Breslin strands herself on an island and Obama and McCain duke it out (Biography style, that is).

Pick of the Week

For people who detested the first Starship Troopers sequel: Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

Since the original Starship Troopers' tepid box office performance in 1997 – roughly $120 million worldwide against a similar budget figure – Sony smartened up a bit and decided to release any future sequels straight-to-DVD. Four years ago, it was Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, which banked enough Benjamins to justify today's release of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. More of a true sequel to the original film than the 2004 release ever was – Troopers 2 didn't feature any original characters and strayed far from the novel that the first movie was based – Troopers 3 picks up eight years after Starship Troopers, focusing on the adventures of original character Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien), who is defending a base on a bug-infested planet that is soon overrun by a pesky nest of spiders. Also back this time around is original screenwriter Edward Neumeier, who both wrote and directed the latest release.

Disc includes: The Bugs of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder featurette, Enlist: Marauder Mobile Infantry featurette, It's a Good Day to Die music video, audio commentary.





For people who speak German: The Counterfeiters

Stefan Ruzowitsky's award-winning film, The Counterfeiters, enters the DVD market today. The movie, which struck gold at the most recent Oscars ceremony by earning the award for Best Foreign Language Film, focuses on a Jewish counterfeiter who is forced into assisting the Nazis in carrying out Operation Bernhard, which was a secret plan during World War II that aimed to knock the U.K. off its rocker by inserting loads of forged currency into its economy. The Counterfeiters marked Austria's first-ever win for Best Foreign Language Film, and was just the country's second nomination in the Oscars category to date (1986's 38 precedes it).

Disc includes: Audio commentary, The Making of The Counterfeiters featurette, Adolf Burger's Artifacts featurette, deleted scenes, interviews, Q&A, trailer.

For people who, at age 12, merely faced the unimportant challenges of middle school while Abigail Breslin was making movies with Jodie Foster: Nim's Island

Abigail Breslin: the new Dakota Fanning, mayhaps? Though the tween got her start six years ago in the last M. Night Shyamalan release that didn't suck (Signs) Abigail is probably best known for her star turn as Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine, which even landed the girl, just ten-years-old at the time, a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Of course, starring in Nim's Island won't earn you more praise, but appearing alongside Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler ain't ever shabby, no?

The adventure film, which eventually surpassed its $37 million budget at the domestic box office, stars Abigail as Nim, a girl who lives on a South Pacific island with just her father (Butler) and various animals. Following her father's disappearance at sea, Nim tries saving her father with the help of the author (Foster) of her favorite book series. Problem is the young girl lives on an island in the middle of nowhere, while the author resides in San Francisco.

Disc includes: Audio commentary, Nim's Friends featurette, Abigail's Journey featurette, Working on Water featurette, deleted scenes, public service announcements, trailer.

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