The Ghost Whisperer

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. In addition to the titles below, you can watch some very funny recorded improv comedy starring Amy Poehler when you rent The Upright Citizens Brigade: Asssscat!

The Kite Runner
If you enjoyed Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel, you won't be disappointed by how closely the screen adaptation resembles the book in both plot and its ability to tear your feelings apart. I gave this warning in my review and will say it again: The Kite Runner is not for the faint of heart, and some of the most gut-wrenching scenes from the book are even harder to take visually.

That said, there is much to appreciate about this story, which follows two young boys growing up in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban come to power. The relationship between the two friends is beautifully explored, as tense political events unfold around them. When one of the boys stands mutely aside while his best friend is brutalized, the decision sets off a series of mostly agonizing events and haunts him the rest of his life. In the end, however, it's a tale of love and redemption. Special features include commentary from Khaled Hosseini and the filmmakers.

Two more titles to go — one spooky, one that will take you back in time — so read more

It's the time of year when the networks start plotting their schedules for next season, checking out new pilots and deciding what shows to bring back. It's always a frustrating time for me, as I wonder why so many terrible shows make it back year after year.

At the end of the week, we'll learn the winner of Kristin Veitch's annual Save One Show campaign, which will help boost the winning show's chances of renewal. Meanwhile, I'm starting a poll of my own: the Stop One Show contest.

If you could pull one show from the air to make room for a quality series, which would it be? Unlike Kristin, I don't have the ear of the networks, so I can't promise that your vote will do anything to get the winner (loser?) kicked off the air. But I do promise to write about the show with all the ire and vitriol it deserves.

I've stocked the poll with some of my least-faves, limiting the candidates to scripted series only; I don't think I could possibly choose just one reality series to cancel. And I'm sticking with the broadcast networks' primetime shows; sorry, but "Pimp My Ride" and "Maury" don't count. Obviously, this is all in good fun, so if I've listed your favorite show among the candidates, please don't take it personally. You can vote here, but first you can check out the candidates if you read more