Post Grad

I can't get over the number of new DVD releases hitting shelves this week (I know what I'll be doing Saturday!). Along with these three picks, you also have Charlize Theron in The Burning Plain, Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Downloading Nancy with Maria Bello, and the political satire In the Loop.

The Hurt Locker

A small film with big word-of-mouth buzz, The Hurt Locker was one of the cinematic dark horses of this past year. The behind-the-scenes story of an elite bomb squad in Iraq is an action movie with depth, as it explores how the members cope with the weight of their high-risk job. Critics love it, and I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't catch Locker when it first hit theaters. I plan on making up for lost time by devoting my Saturday to it —  before it runs away with all of the award season trophies. Of special note is Kathryn Bigelow, who is receiving the most accolades for her directorial work.

DVD extras include a commentary and a behind the scenes documentary.

97%

Fame

Most of you said that you wanted to see Fame in theaters, but you can take it home now in case you missed it (or if you want to see it again!). This update of the 1980s musical follows a whole new class of singers, musicians, and actors at the New York City High School of Performing Arts. It feels a little more cutesy, teeny-bopper than the original, but seeing as how I'm sucker for dance movies, I'm adding it to my queue for the flashy production numbers alone.

DVD extras include deleted scenes and the Fame National Talent Search Contest Winner.

27%

One more release to check out when you read more

I just saw the college graduation comedy Post Grad starring Alexis Bledel and like Buzz, I thought the movie was also quirky and cute, but I had a few quibbles with the technology.

First, there must have been some sort of MySpace deal for placement, because it opens with Bledel's character Ryden posting a video blog getting live video comments on a very fancy-looking MySpace UI. I haven't been on the 'Space for a while now, but I'm pretty sure this is not the latest redesign. Speaking of UIs, though Ryden uses an Apple laptop in the movie, it's not the OS X interface either, but another fake Hollywood OS. What's wrong with existing UIs?

That's not even my biggest tech problem with this movie — to see what it is, just read more

The big elephant in the room while watching Post Grad is that the plot seems like it's totally zeitgeist-y, but it's actually not. A young woman (Alexis Bledel) can't seem to get a job despite her qualifications and languishes in unemployment. Unemployment! Super timely, right? But no, there is no mention of the current recession that's keeping a lot of the brilliantly competent out of work, which solidifies that this movie must have been made quite a while ago. Adding to my suspicion is the fact that Bledel's character Ryden does all her job hunting with a red pen and a newspaper. In 2009. In LA.

Once you're past the faux timeliness, however, the movie becomes surprisingly enjoyable. Is it Alexis Bledel channeling a less-successful Rory Gilmore? Not so much, though she is believable and irritatingly adorable. More than anything, the fun of this movie lies in the strength and comedy chops of the supporting cast. To hear what I thought of it all, just read more