This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - February 9th, 2010

We are back in business, folks. Big things have been happening since last time. The Saints just won the Super Bowl and the Oscar nominations were just announced. I know both are a big deal, but I haven't exactly gotten worked up over either. For the first time in over sixty years, the Academy has nominated ten films for Best Picture.

One of them is the latest from the Coen Brothers. "A Serious Man" hits stores this week on DVD and Blu-Ray courtesy of Focus Features. Inspired by the Book of Job and their own childhood, the serious man of the film is Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlberg) who suffers from one oddball misfortune after another. "Serious Man" is probably one of the Coens' most polarizing movies. I've heard from some about how much they hated it and some about how much they loved it. Dean Winkelspecht gave it a positive spin in his review of the Blu-Ray. So check it out and formulate your own opinion.

For you romantics preparing for Valentine's Day, there is a pair of releases that might be up your alley. "The Time Traveler's Wife" stars Eric Bana as a man who uncontrollably moves through time and visits his lover (played by Rachel McAdams) at various points in her life. John J. Puccio has reviewed both the Blu-Ray and the standard edition DVD.

Less dramatic and more comedic, "Couples Retreat" will also hit stores this week. Directed by Peter Billingsley (yes, Ralphie from "A Christmas Story"), "Couples Retreat" finds a group of friends on an island resort to repair their relationships. The cast assembles several talented actors including Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Jean Reno, and Malin Akerman. The film was a hit at the box office, but received mostly negative reviews. The script, co-written by Vaughn and Favreau, is a far cry from "Swingers."

Yet another remake of a classic horror film, "The Stepfather" comes out in an Unrated Special Edition from Sony. The original featured Terry O'Quinn, now known as John Locke on "Lost," as the titular character, a serial killer who murders the family that disappoints him. The new version stars Dylan Walsh from "Nip/Tuck." I haven't seen the remake, but it appears I didn't miss out on much. David Van Der Haeghen has reviewed the Blu-Ray and you can check out my review of the original film.

Action hero Steven Seagal is still plugging away. Although his last theatrical release was 2002's "Half Past Dead," Seagal continues to break necks and cash checks in a string of direct-to-video movies. The latest is "A Dangerous Man" with Seagal as an ex-Special Forces operative battling Chinese gangsters and the Russian mob. John J. Puccio had the pleasure of reviewing this latest masterpiece.

Who loves you and who do you love? I know you're gonna say me, but the answer I was looking for his Richard Dawson. The game show host stars as a…well…a game show host in the futuristic sci-fi actioner, "The Running Man." The Governator plays a prisoner forced to compete in violent deathmatches for the amusement of the masses. It's one of my favorite 80's action flicks and it debuts on Blu-Ray this week. Ranjan Pruthee has reviewed the new high definition release.

Also debuting on Blu-Ray is the big-screen adaptation of comic strip superhero, "The Phantom," starring Billy Zane as the title character along with Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The inaugural season of the Jay Mohr sitcom, "Gary Unmarried" arrives on DVD this week for you TV fans. Also out this week are the Lifetime soap, "Army Wives: The Complete 3rd Season", Comedy Central's "The Sarah Silverman: Season 2, Vol. 2," the sci-fi series "Stargate SG-U: 1.0" (on DVD and Blu-Ray), the classic "Patty Duke Show: Season 2," and "JAG: The Final Season."