How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
June 23, 2009
Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Icky. Not a good week for new DVDs. Jump on inside to see what I'm talking about. Pick of the Week
For people who miss waking up early on Saturday mornings in nothing but their underwear to watch some funny, animated programming (I'm having a nostalgia trip): Tom & Jerry: Chuck Jones Collection
You know it's a slow week in 2009 when a toon from the 1960s is your #1 pick of the week. Seriously, that's what's happening here. Let's agree this isn't How to Spend $20's finest moment.
Out today is a collection of 34 Tom and Jerry shorts released between 1963 and 1967. So, not exactly the time this thing was winning the major awards – that was at least a decade before. Though these little ditties still stand the test of time.
Disc includes: Tom and Jerry... and Chuck featurette, Chuck Jones: Memories of a Childhood documentary
For people who think The Pink Panther 3 could benefit from Steve Martin walking around in a giant, pink panther suit: The Pink Panther 2
Remember when Steve Martin was funny? I don't believe I do. It's been awhile since he's been in something good – or even decent. I'm thinking it was around the time of Bowfinger, released ten years ago. Think about that. The last time Steve was funny was when we were still stocking up on Y2K supplies.
In what has to be the final movie in this skippable franchise, Inspector Clouseau joins forced with detectives from foreign countries to take down The Tornado, a burglar who has returned to action after a decade of inactivity.
Disc includes: Gag reel, A Dream Like No Other featurette, Drama is Easy... Comedy is Dangerous featurette
For people who are in debt – and don't know how they got there: Confessions of a Shopaholic (Special Edition)
That crazy girl from Wedding Crashers gets her own movie in Confessions of a Shopaholic, based on the bestselling book franchise by Sophie Kinsella. Drawing from the first two books in the series – out of five total – the adaptation is about recent college grad Becky Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) who finds herself in serious debt, even though she pens a weekly column on how to wisely spend your money.
Confessions of a Shopaholic scored decent business for Touchstone/Disney, earning $44 million here and another $63 million abroad. Critics weren't quite so warm with it – a meager 23% of ‘em liked it over at Rotten Tomatoes – but that surely doesn't mean we won't be seeing Confessions 2 in the next year or two.
Disc includes: Bloopers, deleted scenes, "Stuck with Each Other" music video by Shontelle (feat. Akon)
For people who think this is at least a step up from those Mummy movies: Inkheart (Special Edition)
What can I say? It's the obligatory Brendan Fraser reference in its usual spot at the bottom of a How to Spend $20 column. Both he and Nic Cage earn a personalized shout out here whenever they've got new DVD products to sell us.
This time it's Inkheart, based on the bestselling German novel of the same name by Cornelia Funke. (No umlaut necessary). In it he plays he plays a father who brings book characters to life simply by reading their names out loud. However, when Mo (Fraser) enables a rare villain to leap from the pages and steal his daughter, he must find a way to set things right again.
Disc includes: Eliza Reads to Us featurette
June 23, 2009
Blu-ray
American Gangster
Casino
The Code
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Dragon Hunters
Eastern Promises
Hit Man: David Foster & Friends
Inkheart
Last Year at Marienbad
Michael Buble: Caught in the Act
Mr. Troop Mom
Origin
The Pink Panther 2
Waltz with Bashir
DVD
Choke Canyon
The Code
Colorful
Cry For Help
Dragon Hunters
The Girls Next Door: Season 5
Hit Man: David Foster & Friends
Hobgoblins
Hobgoblins 2
Hoffa (Special Edition)
John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band: Live in Toronto 69
Lady Revenge (Limited Edition)
Last Year At Marienbad (Criterion Collection)
Michael Buble: Caught in the Act
Mr. Troop Mom
Phoebe in Wonderland
Reba: The Complete Sixth Season (Widescreen)
Reggae Spring Break 2009
Scarface (Limited Edition)
Table for Three
Trapped
Waltz with Bashir
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