Edge of Darkness

If you're on the hunt for a rental for this weekend, look no further. This week's new DVD releases are high on intrigue — although personally, I think I'll settle in with a favorite TV show of the past, instead. Take a look!

Edge of Darkness

Mel Gibson puts on a Boston accent and goes tough guy on us in this tale of father desperately trying to uncover the mystery behind his daughter's murder. It has all of your predictable thriller conventions — underhanded politicos, hitmen in suits, and a ton of blood — but the suspense gets high marks. Even if you're not a Gibson fan, you're sure to be somewhat entertained. Bonus features included deleted and alternate scenes.

56%

Daybreakers

Yet another example of Hollywood's vampire obsession, Daybreakers is set in 2019 when the undead have taken over, and the only people left are being farmed for blood. Ethan Hawke stars as one of the vamps who team up with a group of humans (including Willem Dafoe) to see to it that the human race doesn't go extinct — but unfortunately he has some corporate types in his way. The movie got decent reviews when it came to theaters, so I may check it out — if I can stomach a few flesh wounds. Bonus features include a making-of featurette.

67%

One more release when you read more

Surprise — it finally happened! After seven straight weeks at No. 1 and record-breaking ticket sales, Avatar got the boot. Which film pulled off the upset? Well, it wasn't Valentine's Day as the majority of you guessed, but Dear John. The Nicholas Sparks romance took in $32.4 million in its debut week in theaters, dethroning the James Cameron box office king which came in second with $23.6 million.

Despite mixed feelings on John Travolta's From Paris With Love, the new film ranked in at third in its first week with $8.1 million. Edge of Darkness followed close behind at No. 4 with $7 million, and Tooth Fairy finished out the top five with $6.5 million.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

After passing Titanic last week as the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar continued to add to its box office tally over the weekend with a hefty $30 million. New films Edge of Darkness and When in Rome couldn't unseat James Cameron's phenomenon, as each took in a respective $17.1 million and $12 million for second and third place.

Rounding out the rest of the top five was Dwayne Johnson's kid comedy The Tooth Fairy with $10 million, and The Book of Eli with $8.7 million.

Now, the question remains: what film will finally take Avatar down?

Photo courtesy of Fox

You may have already read my reviews for When in Rome, Edge of Darkness, and The Last Station, but if you just have a minute, check out these quick reviews of the movies and see my advice for checking them out in the theater.

John Mayer says he's sick of girls with "daddy issues," while Jimmy Kimmel keeps the late night feud alive with Jay Leno. Plus, watch video of Gwen Stefani's adorable playtime at the park with Kingston and Zuma! All that plus the Watch Pass or Rent movie reviews on today's PopSugar Rush Weekend Edition!

Full disclosure: I went into Edge of Darkness with some trepidation. Mel Gibson hasn't exactly ranked in the public's high esteem in recent years, and the film looked like your run-of-the-mill thriller — which, in many respects, it is. But I didn't expect to become so enthralled.

Based on the BBC miniseries of the same name, the movie centers around Thomas Craven (Gibson), a Boston detective and single dad whose one treasure in life is his daughter Emma. When Emma returns home for a visit, he pries just like any father would. Her boyfriend? She's keeping mum. Her scientific research job? That's classified. Thomas tries to connect with Emma, but he never gets the chance. Hours later as they're leaving his house, she's tragically shot down on the front doorstep by an unknown gunman.

Don't worry, I'm not giving away any spoilers here, because it's what happens after that delivers the most suspense. Just read more