Punch Drunk DVDs

Megamind
Last year was definitely the year of the villain, what with Despicable Me and his little yellow minions stealing hearts(and famous landmarks), but also because of Megamind, which received a little less buzz even though the storyline is essentially the same. Will Ferrell voices Megamind, a brilliant but underachieving evil genius locked in a stalemate with the city's protector, Metro Man(Brad Pitt). When Megamind finally vanquishes his foe, is being a bad guy nearly as enjoyable? Probably not.







Todd Phillips follow-up to The Hangover brings back his pal Zach Galifianakis, pairing him up with Robert Downey Jr. at his most smarmy. This one is pure generic road trip fodder, but slightly more mean spirited than the classic Planes Trains and Automobiles. Ok, it's a lot more mean spirited. 









All-Star Superman
I would say that Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman comic is the greatest story about the Man of Steel ever told. It boils him down to his essence, presenting him not as the unreachable alien we've all come to know and love, but as a man and earth's rightful protector. This animated adaptation, scripted by the recently departed comics icon Dwayne McDuffie(RIP!), attempts to faithfully tell the story of what happens when Lex Luthor succeeds in poisoning Superman with terminal cancer.







Get Low
A true American treasure at his absolute best, Robert Duvall stars in this fanciful true life fairy tale about an old hermit named Felix Bush, who decides he's had enough of people talking behind his back. With his life running short, he decides to hold a living funeral, inviting the town's residents to come and tell all the wild stories they have about him. It quickly grows into a spectacle. Bill Murry and Sissy Spacek co-star in one of last year's truly underappreciated films.








The Stieg Larsson Trilogy

Those hoping to snag the complete, unedited versions of the Swedish adaptations of Stieg Larsson's popular trilogy might want to look elsewhere. These are representative of the theatrical versions we received here in the States, but the trilogy was originally conceived as extended TV works. Still, Larsson's violent, borderline sadomasochist thrillers translate well, especially in Noomi Rapace's riveting transformation into enigmatic computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander.







Fish Tank
If you need to know just how good Fish Tank is, just note that it's American release is presented as a Criterion Collection, reserved for cinema's elite. A powerful, bittersweet story of a girl growing up in a poor Essex ghetto, her rebellious attitude causing her no end of problems with her troubled mom and her new boyfriend(Michael Fassbender). Kate Jarvis gives a fiery, electric debut that I think marks her for future greatness. I put it right up there with Carey Mulligan's debut in An Education. A must own. Due Date