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Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP’s look at the latest Blu-ray discs and DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Matt Damon plays rugby, a shark battles an octopus and Chris Farley is a fat man in a little coat.

Pick of the Week

For people who think it’s about time Morgan Freeman became a president: Invictus

Clint Eastwood’s what-seems-like-annual-Christmastime-release came in the form of Invictus late last year. Co-starring Eastwood’s go-to friend, Morgan Freeman, as former South African President Nelson Mandela, Invictus is a bio drama based on events surrounding the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which President Mendela used to springboard a movement that brought together a segregated nation. Matt Damon rounds out the cast as the fit captain of South Africa’s rugby union team. Whether or not the guy actually passes as a world-class athlete named Francois is really up to you.

Given that Barack Obama is our President, it’s probably a no-brainer why Warner Bros. released Invictus at the time that it did. Mandela’s story in some ways compares to that of Obama’s. Both times we’re talking about black presidents who are elected to office during trying times. The men are faced with a struggle to unite a population that stands divided, be it racially (Mandela) or politically (Obama).

Through Obama, Americans could relate to Invictus on a more personal level. With this in mind, I went into Invictus expecting smart, compelling drama, and was disappointed to find it come up short. Invictus is the watered-down version of a movie that one would expect from a guy like Eastwood, who in recent years has impressed me with movies like Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino. Of these, Invictus is an easy fourth.

Disc includes: In-Depth Picture-in-Picture featurette, Mandella Meets Morgan featurette, The Eastwood Factor featurette, Matt Damon Plays Rugby featurette, Invictus music trailer





For people who love it when movies stuff themselves with excessive plot clichés: Valentine’s Day

Audiences expecting a romantic comedy similar to Love Actually were in for a exceptionally rude awakening when Valentine’s Day, co-starring everyone who is anyone, turned out to be a mess of a movie. Even my mother, who likes any romcom – trust me on this; the woman loves it all – told me she left the theater with severely bitter feelings toward the Garry Marshall project. She wasn’t alone either: 16% of the nation’s top critics were similarly disinterested in the film, according to movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Marshall, of course, is the dude behind (mostly) beloved movies like Overboard, Beaches and Pretty Woman.

Valentine’s Day assembled one of the largest ensemble casts in Hollywood history. Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Ashton Kutcher and more showed up for work, as well as the industry’s younger generation of stars like Emma Roberts, Taylor Lautner and acting newb Taylor Swift. In the film, they navigate through the highs and lows of dating and relationships over the course of one Valentine’s Day.

The $52 million movie made back its production budget in its opening weekend alone, grossing more than $56 million on its way to a $110 million domestic cume. To no one’s surprise, a 2011 sequel is in the works. The title? New Year’s Eve.

Disc includes: The Stars Confess Their Valentine’s Day Stories featurette, audio commentary, The Garry Factor featurette, “Stay Here Forever” music video by Jewel, blooper reel, Sex and the City 2 trailer, additional scenes

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