Semi-Pro

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Weeds: Season 3
I added the third season of the hit Showtime series Weeds to my must-haves for June because it's a must-watch before the fourth season starts up this month. This is a series I love to own because I want to watch the lovely Mary-Louise Parker and gang whenever I get the urge.

As I said in my must-haves post, the seasons prior to this one always balanced dark elements with high comedy but this third go-around is mostly dark. New faces in the cast this third season include Matthew Modine playing a real estate mogul and Mary-Kate Olsen as the religious (yet still tokey) girlfriend of Nancy's (Parker) son Silas. Even Carrie Fisher pops up — but that's all I'll say, so as not to spoil the fun.

Special features include eight commentary tracks, the full set of Good Morning Agrestic videos, and a sampler of the show's soundtrack.

Two more new titles — one TV, one movie — up next. So read more

The lion's share of box office dollars went to director Roland Emmerich's 10,000 B.C. which earned an estimated $35 million. This same weekend last year saw the outrageous success of 300, but while 10,000 B.C.'s opening comes nowhere near the debut weekend of that blockbuster, it still fulfilled studio expectations, Variety reports.

Disney's College Road Trip starring Raven-Simone and Martin Lawrence secured second place, despite poor reviews. Vantage Point and Semi-Pro took the third and fourth spots, respectively. Coming in at No. 5 was the R-rated bank heist thriller The Bank Job, which stars Jason Statham. The Other Boleyn Girl fell three spots this weekend to seventh place behind The Spiderwick Chronicles which was No. 6.

The charming Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day failed to crack the top ten (rounded out by Jumper, Step Up 2 the Street, and Fool's Gold) as it was only playing in limited release. Not an Oscar nominee in sight for the top 10 this week, so it looks like awards season might officially be over.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Scarlett Johansson is auctioning two tickets to the red carpet premiere of He's Just Not That Into You on eBay to benefit Oxfam. — eBay
• Despite taking in only $15.3 million, Semi-Pro scored the top spot at the weekend box office, followed by Vantage Point and The Spiderwick Chronicles. — BuzzSugar
• Rapper The Game has begun serving his 60-day jail sentence for weapons possession, although he'll be kept separate from the general population during his stay. — TMZ
• Jamie Lynn Spears was spotted shopping with Britney at an LA baby store, and her purchase of light blue items has prompted speculation that there's another baby boy Spears on the way. — The Scoop
• Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have released the names of their newborn twins: Max and Emme. — UK Popsugar

Source

Despite earning the top spot at the box office, the predictable laughs in Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro only earned $15.3 million over the weekend. This is considered a disappointing sum, especially compared to opening weekends of other Ferrell films like Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory. Variety reports that this underwhelming performance by the basketball comedy may have been due to mediocre reviews and an R-rating.

Vantage Point was only bumped down one spot to No. 2 over the weekend followed by The Spiderwick Chronicles at No. 3. The adaptation of Buzz Book Club's February selection The Other Boleyn Girl took the fourth spot earning an estimated $8.3 million. Penelope starring Reese Witherspoon and Christina Ricci also opened this weekend coming in at No. 8 behind Jumper, Step Up 2 The Streets, and Fool's Gold.

Filling out the top ten were Oscar-nominated films No Country for Old Men and Juno.

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema

By now the Will Ferrell formula is apparent: Find some job or sport or fashion era that has loads of inherent humor, give the main character some insurmountable challenge to face, and . . . action! This time it's basketball in the 1970s. Not that I’m complaining, really; the movie's predictable laughs are still laughs.

In Semi-Pro we find Will Ferrell shoving his gigantic, blindingly white self into a super tight unflattering outfit — not unlike the gimmicky tight costumes in Blades of Glory, only this time it's a basketball uniform. The movie follows one-hit wonder Jackie Moon's (Ferrell) team, the Flint Michigan Tropics, as they fight for a place in the NBA. Though the Ferrell train sometimes seems to be running out of steam, I still think it's worth jumping on board one more time with this movie. I'll tell you why if you read more

Will Ferrell didn't have many of his frat pack buddies at the premiere of Semi-Pro last night, but he did manage to rally together quite a team. Kristen and Dax were super smiley about having their photo taken together, while Amanda Bynes looked cute as usual in her LBD. Not surprisingly, Will stole the show — he got decked out in an oversized suit he claims to have borrowed from Shaq. He also took a little trip down memory lane, sharing his worst athletic experience. He said,

"In junior high P.E., I was way too shy to take a shower in front of the other kids. It was a horribly awkward time — body hair, odors. … So I'd go from my sweaty shirt back into my regular clothes and have to continue the day."

We all know Will Ferrell isn't so shy about his physique these days (Old School ring a bell?), though we're pretty excited about the prospect of him getting back into his Anchorman suit.

Lots more pics including Stacy Keibler, Andy Richter, and Michael Moore if you read more

In promotion of his comedy Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell will be setting out on a tour to do something you have probably never seen him do: stand-up comedy. The event is called "Will Ferrell's Funny or Die Comedy Tour Presented by Semi-Pro," and will feature Ferrell as the headliner for seven shows over three weeks in February, leading up to the movie's Feb. 29 release date. Other stand-up comics involved are Zach Galifianakis, Demetri Martin, and Nick Swardson.

The tour will kick off Feb. 4 in Kansas and will include stops at colleges in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Boston, and North Carolina. A video crew will follow Ferrell and Co. and clips from the stand-up shows will be posted on FunnyorDie.com.

Now that the full trailer for Semi-Pro has just hit the Internet, we can get a look at what Ferrell will be working so hard to promote. The trailer, which you can watch after the jump, seems to include some funny quips by Ferrell, but not much else. Maybe they're saving all the awesome bits for the movie itself? To check out the trailer for Semi-Pro, read more