Bad Boys on Blu-Ray ( just out; $19.99 ) : Relive two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn's dramatic performance on this Lionsgate disc. Penn is Mick O'Brien, a young Chicago street thug torn between a life of petty crime and the love of his girlfriend ( Ally Sheedy ) . However, things go wrong, and Mick is sentenced to a brutal juvenile prison.
Blue Mountain State: Season One ( already out; $24.49 ) : This comedy about a fictional college-football team is deliciously over-the-topand features several twists that explore homoeroticism ( and more ) . When you see four players wearing only jockstraps and carrying cookies between their cheeks, you know you're in for something special. Among the stars is the very delectable Alan Ritchson, who's about to embark on a same-sex tryst on the CW series 90210. Special features include "The Cheerleaders of BMS."
Castle in the Sky: Special Edition ( already out; $29.99 ) : This Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment filmlike all of Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's moviesfeatures stunning animation. This adventure features an engineer's apprentice named Pazu finds a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky; together, they go searching for a floating castle. The movie features the voices of Anna Paquin, Cloris Leachman and James van deer Beek, among others.
David's Birthday ( already out; $19.95 ) : Real-life Armani model Thyago Alves makes quite an impression as the title character, the son of a couple who rents an Italian seaside villa with another couple who are longtime friends. David's beauty strikes everyone, including married psycharist Matteo ( Massimo Poggio ) . Co-starring the legendary Maria de Medeiros, the film is in Italian with English subtitles.
Elena Undone ( already out; $24.95 ) : Necar Zadegan and Traci Dinwiddie star in a movie directed by Nicole Conn, who is best known for helming the lesbian drama Claire of the Moon. Elena ( played by Zadegan, of TV's 24 ) is a devoted wife to her pastor husband, mother to her teenage son and daughter to her traditional Indian familybut things definitely change when she meets lesbian writer Peyton ( Dinwiddie ) . Among the features are bloopers, deleted scenes and a special featurette, "The Kiss: Part 2." ( By the way, the movie has the longest kiss in cinema history! )
For Colored Girls ( Feb. 8; $29.98 ) : The largest cast of African-American actresses ever assembled comes together under the direction of Tyler Perry as Lionsgate releases For Colored Girls. ( Among the actresses in the movie are Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Macy Gray, Thandie Newton and Phylicia Rashad. ) In the moviebased on Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enufnine women endure crisis and heartbreak to come together.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest on Blu-Ray ( already out; $34.95 ) : This 148-minute ( ! ) film again spotlights Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth in the last of the trilogy of books/movies that include The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. In this movie, Lisbeth is hospitalized, suspected of murder and targeted for death by thugs. ( Who hasn't been through those things? )
I Love You Phillip Morris ( April 5; $27.98 ) : Jim Carrey stars in the true story of Steve Russell, a small-town businessman who became one of the most wanted men in Texas for his brilliant con schemes and prison escapes, all to impress the handsome and incredibly naïve Phillip Morris ( Ewan McGregor ) , whom Morris meets in prison. When he initially reviewed the movie, WCT critic Richard Knight, Jr., wrote, "With Russell, Carrey has found a part that perfectly taps into his goofy, over-the-top talents like nothing since the multiple comedic roles he played in the criminally overlooked Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events."
The Last Exorcism ( already out; $39.99 ) : In the movie, a documentary crew tails Texas minister Cotton Marcus ( played by Patrick Fabian ) who supposedly is going to reveal all about really happens during exorcismsand he accepts one last request in Louisiana, to apparently prove his point. However, things take an all-too-real turn ( including an unexpected gay twist ) in this movie that seems to owe a bit to The Blair Witch Project. Bonus features include audition footage and trailers.
Machete ( already out; $39.99 ) : Although this 20th Century Fox movie got plenty of ink because tabloid fixture Lindsay Lohan makes an appearance, this ultra-violent film stars a who's who of actors, including Robert DeNiro, Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez.
Nurse Jackie: Season Two ( Feb. 22; $39.98 ) : The ultra-talented Edie Falco delves deeper into the journey of the title character, who viewers will feel compelled to root for despite the facts that she's committed indiscretions and pops pills. The bonus materials examine all 12 episodes with creator and actor commentaries as well as two featurettes on the characters of Dr. Cooper and Dr. O'Hara ( the sinfully good Eve Best ) . By the way, the this season does not feature gay nurse "Mo-Mo," played by Haaz Sleiman.
Winter's Bone ( already out; $19.98 ) : This Lionsgate movie has to be one of the best movies I've seen from last year. Seventeen-year-old Ree ( the justifiably Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence ) has been caring for her mentally ill mother and her two younger siblings while her father runs from the law. However, she embarks on a dangerous journeywhich involves some scary men ( and women ) to find him. John Hawkes also earned a 2011 Oscar nod for his turn as Ree's sometimes terrifying uncle, Teardrop.
*All prices are for the items on DVD ( not Blu-Ray ) , unless otherwise indicated.
Andrew Davis
( Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com )