One half of Tenacious D and one half of Blackstar? The return of David Duchovny. Matthew McConaghey and Kate Hudson, blond and as tanned as ever, ride again. A live-action "American Tail?"

It's time for this week's new releases on DVD, and Videoport Jones is here to give us the hits and misses.

Be Kind Rewind

Videoport Jones: "Emerging quirkmeister Michel Gondry brings us this tale of...well, the plot's a little convoluted, so here goes: Mos Def works in a retro video store that only carries VHS, which is cool, if completely unviable, but then his wacky pal (Jack Black, everybody’s wacky pal) somehow gets magnetized and even more somehow demagnetizes every single tape in the joint. Now, instead of beating the crap out of Jack (which would probably be pretty easy and cathartic), Mos and Jack, for a decidedly quirky reason, decide to film their own, and, yes, quirky versions of films as diverse as 'Ghostbusters,' 'Driving Miss Daisy,' and even 'The Lion King.' Gondry’s a unique presence on the film scene; I was absolutely in awe of 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,' and both 'Human Nature' and 'The Science of Sleep' had their brilliant moments (plus, the dude knows how to make a great music video), and I love Jables and Mos Def, so I look forward to this one with great, if quirky, enthusiasm."

Justin: "And don't forget 'Dave Chappelle's Block Party' from that list, which I think also buys him a little more cred. I never know what to think of Godry's movies, I always wonder if it's a mistake to try and market them like every other Hollywood flick, cause the ads always end up being a little confused and misleading at best. Another thing I think this movie hinges on is how you feel about Jack Black. Some folks don't care for his antics and high-wire shenanigans. I am not one of those people. So the idea of him and Mos Def as a comedy duo is so very appealing to me. Still, as a video store employee, was the idea of a store still stocking VHS just too hard a hurdle to cross?"

Fool's Gold

VPJ: "Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson star in this...um...geez, sorry, my mind wandered there for a minute. I'll start again. Ahem. Matthew Mc.....dammit! It's as if this film and its two stars are somehow so insubstantial that I cannot keep my train of thou..... HA! Take that! I made an absurdly overpunctuated joke at your expense, Matt and Kate! But I kid two of our blondest, blandest, pleasantest stars. This is some 'Romancing the Stone-y' action adventure romance situation where, no doubt, the anemic duo take time out from changing in and out of revealing swimwear to have blond, bland, stoner sex. Listen, I like Kate Hudson (who, based on her performance in 'Almost Famous,' I thought would develop into a more interesting actress), and when Matty stays away from romantic comedies and pastels, I can really dig him (he was legitimately badass in 'Reign of Fire,' great in a character part in the near-perfect 'Lone Star,' and his Wooderson in 'Dazed and Confused' will live on forever), but put these two on screen together, and it's like watching two otters work on their tans for an hour and a half."

JE: "Wow. Two otters tanning. Blond otters, too. Not surprisingly I feel the same way you do about this pair. I know they're as sexy as they are marketable. Individually I like both of them, despite some bad role choices along the way. (I think I extended them both significant credit for their roles in 'Almost Famous' and 'Dazed and Confused' respectively.) But it's the idea of them together and a shoddy romantic-comedy-adventure that slams the snooze button down on this one. I think the only thing that could have made this worse is if they threw Owen Wilson in for triple the blond hijincks. Come see me when you got something good, Wooderson. Alright, alriiight."

Under the Same Moon

VPJ: "Touching, great little movie about a little boy who, tired of waiting for his illegal immigrant mother to earn enough money to reunite them, leaves Mexico, sneaks into the United States to find her, finding help, hindrance, and some kid-unfriendly peril along the way. Right wing fence-builders look out, this film successfully makes the case that 'illegals' are people, with rights and feelings and everything. The little kid is great, by the way."

JE: "Wow, some restraint on your part Jonesy. I really was sensing a Lou Dobbs joke coming along, but instead you took the high road. Sort of. I'd like to think that this movie is the live-action equivalent of 'An American Tail,' minus the talking mice with Russian accents, or the sappy, tear-inducing musical numbers. I think it's funny how some immigrant stories can be seen as moving and noble, while others aren't. Is it the motivations that matter or the methods, and along those lines ends justifying means. I could go on for hours about this. ANYWAY, rent this."

Super High Me

VPJ: "Of course neither I, nor especially Justin, have any experience in this matter, so this review will no doubt be plagued by inaccuracies, hysteria, and hyperbole, but this documentary, about mediocre stoner comedian Doug Benson deciding to smoke the demon weed every day for an entire month, hits Videoport’s shelves this week. (We're expecting a lot of late returns, frankly). Sure, the title's the sort of half-clever pothead punnery (on 'Super Size Me,' duh) that makes me want to whip the box across the store, but Benson is joined in his quest by genuinely funny friends like Bob Odenkirk, Brian Posehn, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, and others. Whatever your position on pot's illegality (*ridiculous hypocrisy in a world where mega corporations make untold billions marketing the vastly more murderous and destructive drugs alcohol and tobacco*), we can all agree that stoner humor is...um...something..."

JE: "Once again, I must stress that neither I, nor this organization condone or endorse the use of illicit substances...even for comedic effect. That said, I'd more than likely check out this movie for the supporting players than Doug Benson. Can't say I have much need for Benson outside of seeing him on 'Best Week Ever.' Thats not to say he isn't funny, but he'd have to prove it to me. Also, the premise of the movie is a little flimsy, except to stoners of course. But it could be funny. Maybe."

Californication - Season 1

VPJ: "Is Showtime the new HBO? 'Weeds,' 'Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t,' and now this raunchy, funny, sexy new series starring David Duchovny seem to be making the case. Duchovny plays an embittered, drinking, drugging, womanizing writer whose last book was turned into an awful Tom Cruise movie and who grumps, humps, and guzzles his way through LA. I've seen one episode of this one, and one scene, with a pretty Scientologist, some dirty behavior, some unfairly illegal substance, and a pricey painting made me laugh in delighted, grossed out surprise. Duchovny gets to play a semi-bastard (and shows his butt a lot), the women are hot and funny, and the snarky attacks are pretty darn funny. And mean. I’m in."

JE: "It's got everything a man could want! If that's not a tag line, I don't know what is. It's surprising and nice to see Duchovny make a return after disappearing for such a long time. And if he gets to play a pseudo Alpha male bastard along the way, all the better. We could have the HBO vs. Showtime debate for an entire blog, and maybe that's something we should explore some day. Pit 'Californication' against testosterone-heavy 'Entourage,' 'Curb You Enthusiasm' against 'Weeds' and so on. Maybe it's time to get to the bottom of this."

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

VPJ: "An uneasy mix of squishy family values and dumb-ass slapstick hijinx, this one attempts to tap into the surprisingly-lucrative Tyler Perry demographic (much the same way that 'First Sunday' did) with predictably tepid results. At least 'First Sunday' had Tracy Morgan, Ice Cube and Chi McBride; this 'slick city boy gets schooled by his down home relatives' concoction is saddled with lesser lights like Cedric the Entertainer, Mo'Nique, and Mike Epps (they do have James Earl Jones, who must need a new driveway or something), and, sigh, Martin Lawrence as the LA ego case in need of his comeuppance. I do not get Martin Lawrence. At all. I don’t like him when he’s being hyperspazzy, and I don’t buy him when he’s being serious. At least when Eddie Murphy's being awful, I have a sense of a talented comedian wasting his talents; with Lawrence, I feel like he’s exactly where he should be."

JE: "But what about his tour-de-force in 'Bad Boys' and 'Bad Boys II?' I think there is some place for Martin Lawrence, but I just don't know what it is. I remember that his old sitcom was funny for a while, but then wasn't. Much like his movies. Maybe it's time for him to get back to TV. While I can't say I think all the folks who show up in this one are lesser talents, I'd say that the plot probably does not help them. It's a cookie cutter movie with cookie cutter roles, the stern loving parents, the wise cracking cousin/sibling, the family events where things go horribly wrong, and the protagonist reconciling their roots. There, I just wrote a spec script. Someone cut me a check."

The Signal

VPJ: "Far be it from me to pass up any mention of a new zombie movie on the block. TV signal sends people into a murderous berserker rage. Videoport’s Sam says it's good and that's good enough for me...”

JE: "Are we just looking for new ways to make zombies now? How long till a zombie movie about zombie movies, or a zombie movie that turns the people who watch it into the walking dead? Zomb, zomb, zomb!"

Chaos Theory

VPJ: "Ryan Reynolds is a pretty funny guy. In this one he downplays his usual smarmy charmy for the buttoned down role of an obsessively-organized efficiency expert who, predictably, gets comically unraveled by unexpected (to him) circumstance and saucy ladies Emily Mortimer and 'Scrubs' hilarious Sarah Chalke."

JE: "I always am willing to give Ryan Reynolds a chance, and I can't say I know why. He seems to have good comic timing. What else can explain why I end up watching a few minutes of 'Van Wilder' when it's on TV? Emily Mortimer and the sorely underrated Sarah Chalke? Yes please."

The Boondocks - Season 2

VPJ: "Funny satirical animated show about a wise-beyond-his-years black kid who deals with issues facing his community with genuinely wit. BET sucessfully lobbied to have some incendiary jokes at its expense censored from the original broadcast (something about 'destroying African American society' seems to have struck a chord there), but Videoport's got it all uncensored for you."

JE: "Oh oh, things got too real for the BET crew. I love how BET has the gall to throw around their 'clout' on something like this. In a show that completely savages American society and modern black culture, BET felt like it was slighted more than anyone else. Seriously BET, have you looked at what you're putting on the air lately? How are you not asking to be made fun of? Besides, (Boondocks creator) Aaron McGruder already took on Oprah, the civil rights movement, hip-hop and national politics. How did you not figure you were going to be a target? Don't get me started on BET. MY POINT, is rent 'The Boondocks.' The second season suffered from a little less Huey, but had plenty over the top kung fu and was solid all the same. Do it and 'Do it Big' as Grandad would say.

The Tin Drum

VPJ: "Videoport brings you the new Criterion release of this adaptation of Gunter Grass’ novel about a young boy who, deciding that the world has grown too bat-sh*t crazy, decides never to grow up. The deluxe DVD release includes a documentary about the controversy created by ignorant Oklahoma hayseed fascists who, deciding that the movie was obscene, bullied video stores there to not only hand over all copies of the acclaimed film, but also to cough up the names of everyone who’d ever rented it so they could be prosecuted for child pornography. Of course, the case was laughed out of the courts as the patently-unconstitutional thuggery of some fundamentalist hick philistines, but Videoport proudly stocks this film (and lots more that right wing loonies would love to burn on a stack of rap albums and science textbooks) and would never, ever give you up to any jackbooted crusader. Sorry, but some things just get under my skin - don’t ever, EVER mess with our movies.”

JE: "Uh...only at Videoport ladies and gentlemen! Ha ha...uh, look, Jonsey, no one is trying to take your movies buddy. You're safe."

Top questions:

- What are your feelings on Jack Black, hilarious or intolerable?

- Is this the last of the McConaghey/Hudson pairing, or will we see more? What would you cast them in?

- The HBO vs. Showtime debate, can it be settled? Should we take on the challenge? Suggestions?

- What did you think of this season of The Boondocks?"

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