After breaks, vacation and some alone time, Videoport Jones and I are reunited - and it feels so ... normal, I guess I would say.

Today's new DVD releases offer lovable traveling stoners, good and bad nostalgia, a Middle Eastern interlude and a Brit gem.

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

Videoport Jones: "The new millennium's Cheech and Chong get diverted from the last film's proposed jaunt to stoner heaven Amsterdam, mistaken for a Korean/Arab terrorist team by a gung-ho idiot homeland security agent (Rob Corddry), escape (not really a spoiler, considering the title), and head across country to try and clear their names and bust up Kumar's ex's wedding to a right-wing d-bag. As with the first film, I am torn; both movies are both smarter and dumber than I expected at the same time. On the minus side, you've got the traditional banes of stoner comedy: lack of ambition, repeated jokes, lazy pandering to the presumably-also-stoned yahoo contingent. On the plus side, you've got the decidedly-ballsy front and center statement that marijuana is illegal for no good reason, is the drug of choice (as opposed to the legal, yet far more deadly and destructive, alcohol and nicotine) of otherwise perfectly rational, well-rounded, and nice, productive people, and that two non-white dudes are going to be the target of mean-spirited, racist abuse in this great land of ours, just for being who they are. And it's got John Cho and Kal Penn who are much funnier, more likable, and better actors than Cheech and Chong could ever dream of being. It's not a great movie, but it's as funny as the first one and has a triumphant return engagement from Neil Patrick Harris, playing Neil Patrick Harris. Over to you Justin...and, oh, here is that ten foot pole you won't touch the central premise of my review with..."

Justin: "(awkward pause)...Uh, HAHAHAHA! Yes, those two lovable stoners will never learn! OK, who am I kidding, I can't mail this one in. I love John Cho and Kal Penn way too much (to say nothing of my adoration for NPH). Here's the thing that in my eyes redeemed the first movie from some of the stoner faults you mention: they went head-first into the stereotypes that Arabs and Asians face in an honest and almost touching way. Sure it was weird when they got high and rode a cheetah, but you empathized with Harold's plight at work and Kumar's struggle with his family. And it had an oversexed NPH wreaking havoc. This one looks to offer more of the same, which is probably OK, because how ambitious can you get with a movie like this? Can't say I was motivated enough to go see this one in the theater, but I will enjoy it in the comfort of my own home. And as always I must point out that neither I nor this paper endorse, blah, blah, blah - you know the drill. Damn dope fiends, always need things repeated."

Shine a Light

VPJ: "Martin Scorcese occasionally likes to kick back from his busy schedule of making the best American films of whatever decade he's working in to turn his attention to making the best American music documentaries you've ever seen. See 'The Last Waltz' and 'Bob Dylan: No Direction Home' for proof - no, seriously, go and see them. We'll wait. Well, he's taking on the Rolling Stones in this one and, while the Stones could be said (if you're looking at their career with any degree of rationality) to have produced no new music of any note whatsoever for the last, oh, thirty years (literally), the old bastards can still put on one hell of a live stage show. And when you get Scorcese's mastery of moviemaking on the scene, you're in for one revelatory, exhilarating show for anyone who likes the rock and roll..."

JE: "Oh good, here we go again. Jonesy is off insulting yet another group of rock fans. What is it with you man? See the bee hive, punch the bee hive. Are you saying 'Bridges to Babylon' was not their finest? But I digress. Personally I always seem to shift between phases of 'man, Jagger looks old doing his rooster strut' and 'how the hell do these guys keep doing it?' Seriously, Keith alone may just be running on the residual effects of copious amounts of drugs. If only medical science could catch up to him. Jokes aside, if you're a music fan this is a solid rent."

Lost Boys: The Tribe

VPJ: "It's time for another round of the 'what's more pathetic and dispiriting' sweepstakes. Is it more embarrassing that this is a direct-to-DVD sequel to a middling teen vampire film from TWENTY ONE YEARS AGO? Or that they allowed bloaty, poorly-aged former child stars The Coreys to reprise their roles with about exactly as much acting skill as they had back then before they stripped themselves of whatever dignity they've been saving on their humiliating reality show? Or that they hired Keifer Sutherland's heretofore unknown half brother to essay the villain role that Keifer played in the original? Well...it's a draw. Videoport's got it anyway...schaudenfreude all around..."

JE: "Is it really fair to call it schaudenfreude? Seriously, Haim and Feldman have always been a joke, and now they're reaped the benefits of all those grand films of the 80s and early 90s...and it's gotten them this. Can you really take swipes at them in good conscience? They're just pathetic - and I don't say that to be mean, but you would have thought that time had taught them a lesson, but apparently not. Also, what or who exactly is the audience for this fine movie?"

The Band's Visit

VPJ: "An Egyptian police band gets on a bus to play at the opening of an Arab arts center in Israel. And then they get lost. This is not good. But the film is; here's to the artists of the world who, against all history and awful, violent, ignorant human nature, keep spinning thoughtful, funny, hopeful fables that portray the possibility of people overcoming all of that and reaching some sort of peaceful understanding. It's all just waiting for the next bullet or bomb to rip it to shreds of tattered celluloid, but it's a nice thought anyway..."

JE: "Why so pessimistic, old chum? If I understand it right this film and its themes of cross cultural misunderstandings and bridge-building is supposed to be a little heart-warming. Look, we all know that the violence, aggression and decades long arguments between these countries is not something easily solved, so maybe a movie where things are relatively nice rings false. But maybe it could help. Who knows."

Doomsday

VPJ: "Director Neil Marshall made two scruffy, effective, nasty little horror flicks in 'Dog Soldiers' and 'The Descent', so some studio gave him a lot of money...and he promptly went utterly bananas with it, creating a 'Road Warrior'-meets-'28 Days Later'-meets-'Escape From New York' hybrid action/horror flick that's pretty darned entertaining, for all it's being totally bananas and all. A deadly plague causes the British Isles to be walled off and quarantined, only...surprise...the stuff gets out, and some science-y types have to venture into the walled off wasteland that is Scotland to search for a cure. (And if you thought Scotland was bonkers before being walled off for 20 years...yowza). Violence, over-the -top makeup, some decent actors (David O'Hara, Bob Hoskins), and a guarantee that Marshall's next film will be another low-budget, scruffy little horror movie. Which is probably for the best."

JE: "And I thought I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on with this flick. Clearly Marshall had an idea for some sort of explodey-thunderdome insanity, and some executive said 'oh heck yes!' I can't begin to wrap my brain around it, and honestly don't want to. Waaaaay too busy for my tastes. Is it a horror flick? Is it an action ride? Is it a 'post-apocalyptic world gone mad' flick? Too, too much, even for me with my Anglophile tendencies."

Finally, I'll leave you not with a question or grab-bag of the rest of this week's new releases. No, instead we'll finish things off with Jonsey's take on the release of the entire run of the BBC show "Spaced." I think he sums it up well, and I could not agree with him more:

Spaced - The Complete Series

VPJ: "At the risk of starting a stampede and a logjam and a log stampede amongst you lucky readers of Justin's blog, I'm about to go all gooey over this show. So, both of you (zing!), call up today and reserve your copies at Videoport so that there's no unpleasantness. This Brit-com, from Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Nick Frost (the bloody comic geniuses behind two of the best comedies of the last five years 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz') is, quite simply, and without fear of exaggeration, the best, funniest, quickest, most inventive and most completely all-around charming television show I've ever seen. Yeah, digest that statement for a a moment while I list some shows I absolutely love which 'Spaced' is actually better than: 'Arrested Development?' 'Spaced' is better. 'Scrubs?' 'Spaced' is better. 'Futurama' or 'Home Movies?' 'Spaced' is better. 'The Office' (both the British and American versions)? Repeat after me: 'Spaced'...is...better. The show takes a standard, 'Three's Company'-worthy sitcom set up (two underemployed slackers - Pegg and the radiantly shlumphy Jessica Stevenson - who, individually homeless, decide to pose as a couple to get a nice apartment) and twists it, flips it, and generally toys with it like a particularly wacky cat with a tired old mouse in favor of sparkling dialogue, clever pop culture references/homages, and just plain all-around comedic fried gold. Along the way, they've got some great comic support, led by everybody's favorite sidekick Nick Frost (as the lovably gung-ho Mike). Which episode is my favorite? The paintball one, or the Star Wars-themed dog rescue? The Matrix-y one, or the night-out-on-the-town with the utterly brilliant twist ending? No way to choose, really. So I'm just gonna say it one more time, so we can get this 'Spaced-mania' off the ground: you know those shows that just become beloved to you? The ones that you watch over and over? The ones you purchase on DVD so you can have them at hand all the time, like comfort food for your soul? 'Spaced' is gonna become one of those for you. Trust me. I've got my set on order right now. (Oh, and as if you need another reason to watch this, there are guest commentaries on each episode by celebrity fans: maybe you've heard of Kevin Smith? Quentin Tarantino? Matt Stone? Bill Hader? Patton Oswalt? Diablo Cody? Hmmmmm?)"

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