What to Rent

In addition to the following DVDs, Project X is also available.

Wanderlust

Confronted with sudden unemployment, George (Paul Rudd) and his wife, Linda (Jennifer Aniston), must say goodbye to their NYC miniloft, swallow their pride, and head to George's brother's house to live temporarily. On the way there, they spend one magical night at Elysium, a commune in the wilderness, and following a confrontation with George's brother, they return to Elysium. There they discover the joys of living a life free of material possessions but also discover that the new way of life isn't exactly perfect for them. DVD extras include audio commentary by director David Wain, a gag reel, featurettes, and an episode of Wain's Web show.

59%

Big Miracle

Inspired by true events, Big Miracle chronicles the story of a reporter (John Krasinski) who discovers that three grey whales are trapped under ice in the Arctic Circle. He calls on his animal activist ex-girlfriend (Drew Barrymore) to draw attention to the situation and figure out a way to save the whales, and eventually the dilemma becomes an international sensation. Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, and Dermont Mulroney also star in the family-friendly animal tale. The DVD comes with commentary from director Ken Kwapis, deleted scenes, and two featurettes.

74%

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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the snarky British detective in the sequel to 2009's Sherlock Holmes. This time, Holmes leaves London when his quest to solve the murder of a royal and capture evil villain Dr. Moriarty (Jared Harris) takes him and trusty Watson (Jude Law) on a European tour of France, Switzerland, and Germany. DVD extras include featurettes "Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Perfect Chemistry," "Holmesavision on Steroids," and "Moriarty's Master Plan Unleashed."

61%

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Nicolas Cage is back as the motorcycle-driving Johnny Blaze in the supernatural action flick Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Unhappy that he is strapped with the curse of being the Ghost Rider, Blaze is hiding out in Eastern Europe until he is called on by a French monk (Idris Elba) to save an innocent boy from the devil. A battle (and over-the-top action sequences) ensues when the devil attempts to reclaim the boy, who is actually his son. Extras include the featurette "The Path to Vengeance," commentary from the filmmakers, and deleted scenes.

18%

Machine Gun Preacher is also available on DVD this week.

Safe House

Ryan Reynolds stars as Matt Weston, a young CIA agent stationed in South Africa, in this gritty, well-written action film. Matt's been there for over a year waiting to be assigned a prisoner to "take care of" when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) shows up. Though the circumstances of his visit are originally murky, Matt soon learns Tobin is a rogue agent, and thus begins a thrilling game in which Matt must question everything he knows to be true. Extras include several making-of featurettes.

54%

John Carter

Taylor Kitsch is John Carter, a Civil War soldier who gets transported to Mars in the big-screen version of the classic book series. Despite the fact that he's on unfamiliar territory, Carter is tasked with saving the planet and its princess, who he falls in love with. The mostly shirtless Kitsch is a commendable leading man, but the plot feels a little stale is this visually stunning feature. The DVD doesn't come with extras, but the Blu-ray/DVD combo includes deleted scenes, a blooper reel, commentary by the filmmakers, and "100 Years in the Making" and "360 Degrees of John Carter" featurettes.

52%

One more release when you read more

We Need to Talk About Kevin

What do you do if the son you raised commits a monstrous crime? Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly star in this drama as parents to Kevin (Ezra Miller), a quiet but haunted child. As he grows up, his mother notices signs that may point to sociopathic behavior, but his father remains adamant that he's a totally normal, sweet little boy. Of course, everyone notices all is not well when Kevin goes on a shooting spree at his high school. DVD extras include bonus footage, an interview with author Lionel Shriver, and two featurettes.

76%

Man on a Ledge

At first glance, the man on the ledge is a desperate ex-con, seeing no other way out of an extended prison stay than to jump to the street below. But once you look closer, you realize that he's not desperate at all, nor is he looking to escape his life of crime. In fact, he's just looking to create a distraction while his brother scores a bunch of diamonds across the street. Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, and Ed Burns star in this psychological thriller. Extras include a making-of featurette and trailer commentary with Elizabeth Banks.

31%

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This Means War

In This Means War Reese Witherspoon plays a woman tasked with a tough challenge when she starts dating two guys (Tom Hardy and Chris Pine) at once, who just so happen to be secret agents and best friends. Her choice becomes harder as the super spies pull out all the stops to win her heart, including some hilarious hijinks meant to sabotage the other's efforts. It may be a corny premise, but it's easy to fall for both leading men and the script keeps it light and funny. Extras include commentary by Director McG, deleted scenes, and alternate endings.

25%

The Woman in Black

In the Edwardian era, a young lawyer (Daniel Radcliffe) travels to a small town to manage the affairs of a recently deceased local. While he is there, he finds the real case is a string of child suicides in the area. Though he still has many demons of his own, he attempts to investigate as more children die at their own hands. Locals alert him of the legend of the Woman in Black, and before long, he has his own run-ins with the ghost, who is none too pleased to have a man encroaching upon her space. DVD extras include commentaries and behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes.

65%

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The Vow

Channing Tatum stars in this romantic drama as Leo, the husband of a woman (Rachel McAdams) who has recently lost her memory in a traumatic car accident. Leo must painstakingly woo his wife back, as she has no recollection of the past four years in which they met, fell in love, and started a life together. Though the story is an interesting hook, the movie is more depressing than hopeful. The Vow does, however, give Tatum a chance to shine as a serious actor, and, of course, he's not bad to look at for two hours either. Extras include commentary by the director, deleted scenes, and a blooper reel.

29%

Underworld: Awakening

Kate Beckinsale reprises her role as the leather-clad vampire Selene in the fourth installment of the sci-fi Underworld series. After escaping imprisonment, she isn't prepared to find that humans have not only discovered the existence of the vampire and Lycan clans, but have vowed to eradicate them from the earth. The DVD comes with an abundance of extras, including a special "Creating the Underworld: Picture-in-Picture Experience" viewing option, five featurettes, audio commentary, a blooper reel, and a music video for "Heavy Prey," one of the songs featured in the film.

29%

New Year's Eve

Garry Marshall's latest ensemble comedy features a whole bushel of A-listers. Everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Robert De Niro makes an appearance in the flick that features stories of people experiencing New Year's Eve in New York City. The movie also stars Glee's Lea Michele as an aspiring singer, Michelle Pfeiffer as a woman on a mission to cross items off her bucket list, Zac Efron as the bike messenger who helps her, Katherine Heigl as Jon Bon Jovi's super angry ex-girlfriend, and many others. Though the film isn't the best in the genre, it's fun to see all the stars assembled and matched-up together. Extras include director's commentary, a gag reel, and deleted scenes.

7%

Haywire

Real-life mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane, a skilled black ops soldier on a mission for revenge after she is betrayed. Director Steven Soderbergh wrote the story around Carano after seeing her in a match, which means her butt-kicking skills are the focus of this action thriller. Also showcased? Antonio Banderas, amazing chase sequences, Channing Tatum, and lots and lots of hand-to-hand combat. Extras include a featuring looking at "the men of Haywire" and Gina Carano's training for the movie.

80%

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Contraband

Mark Wahlberg stars as Chris Farraday, a reformed smuggler who gets dragged back into illegal activities when a drug dealer (Giovanni Ribisi) threatens his family. In order to secure his family's safety, Chris must employ his drug-running skills and settle his brother-in-law's debt to the crime boss. Intense action ensues as Chris assembles his former team and heads to Panama for a final run that goes awry. Ben Foster and Kate Beckinsale also costar. DVD extras include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and commentary from the director and producer.

51%

Dark Tide

Shark expert Kate (Halle Berry), once known as "the shark whisperer," leaves the business of diving with the fearsome creatures after a shark attacks and kills her mentor. As her life begins to fall apart and her debts grow higher, her old boyfriend (Olivier Martinez) shows up with a proposal that could earn her the money she needs to save her company. Kate has to overcome her fears and guide a thrill-seeking millionaire through the infested waters of Shark Alley.

0%

In addition to the following releases, Born to Be Wild and The Divide are also available.

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) returns for a fourth installation of the Mission: Impossible franchise, and this time, he and his comrades are forced to go rogue after they're implicated in a bombing at the Kremlin. Disowned from the IMF, if they fail to take down a dangerous Russian spy, they'll be arrested for treason. Costarring Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, and Simon Pegg, Ghost Protocol is full of over-the-top stunts, crazy gadgetry, and shirtless Tom Cruise at his finest. DVD extras include a three-part look behind the scenes of the movie, interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes, and film commentary from director Brad Bird.

93%

Shame

Michael Fassbender stars as a tortured sex addict whose secretive life gets disrupted when his sister (Carey Mulligan) shows up for a visit. The film garnered an NC-17 rating for Fassbender's full-frontal nudity and a slew of graphic sex scenes, but it's worth watching for Fassbender's tour de force performance. The DVD includes a "Focus on Michael Fassbender," "The Story of Shame," "A Shared Vision" featurettes, and well as the theatrical trailer.

80%

In addition to the following releases, Into the Abyss and Sleeping Beauty are also available.

The Iron Lady

Meryl Streep won the Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in this political biopic. The film spans the life of the influential prime minister, spending a fair amount of time showing Thatcher's descent into dementia but also utilizing flashbacks to her personal life at the peak of her career. It gives great insight into the way Thatcher broke down gender barriers and the challenges she faced, making it a good pick for historians and film buffs alike. The DVD includes a making-of featurette, a look at Thatcher's husband, and a bit on the subject's historical context.

53%

The Darkest Hour

Starring Emile Hirsch, The Darkest Hour is an action-packed thriller that follows a group of 20-somethings as they travel to Moscow and get more than they bargained for when aliens wage an attack. The twist is that the invaders can see the humans, but not vice versa. DVD extras include a short epilogue to the film, commentary by director Chris Gorak, deleted and extended scenes, and a "Visualizing the Invasion" featurette.

11%