It's a new week and we're rolling the dice once again - one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of all time, an international film touches a controversial topic, and an homage to one of Steven Speilberg's classics.

It's another new release Tuesday with Videoport Jones, so strap yourself in.

The Wire - Season 5

Videoport Jones:"We at Videoport are girding our loins (and we all know how painful that can be) in preparation of the stampede of customers clamoring for this, the fifth and final installment of what may, in fact, be the greatest achievement in television series history. The city of Baltimore once again stands in for the complex, violent, heartbreaking soul of America, with the standard trappings of the cop show transformed into the stuff of legend. This is it, folks - all of the cops, drug dealers, politicians, teachers, and the rest of the teeming underbelly of the Queen City play out their roles to their inevitable, yet still surprising conclusions and the best HBO series of all time brings its story to a close. Better than the Sopranos, by the way."

Justin:"And just like that the gauntlet is thrown down. The better show gauntlet, that is. You won't catch me sticking my neck out on a bet like that. We're talking about arguably two of the biggest dramas to hit the American TV landscape in recent years that have consequently changed the way TV dramas are made. cough cough MAD MEN,cough cough. You may be girding your loins, but as someone who has come late to 'The Wire,' I have long since shielded myself against the 'IT'S THE BEST SHOW EVAH' arguments and 'what is wrong with you, why aren't you watching it,' fights - let alone not getting plot developments spoiled. The thing is I would be interested in this season already without all the critical praise of the show, since David Simon turned the camera back on another part of his history: the newsroom. So the man responsible for the gritty, complex and compelling look into Baltimore's criminals, politicians and protectors is now aiming at the press? Yeah, sign me up for that. And NO SPOILERS!"

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days

VPJ: "Who's ready for some gut wrenching? This acclaimed foreign film follows the trials of two women attempting to attain an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania and transcends the politics of the central issue through its focus on the human issues involved. Whatever your politics (whether you feel that a woman automatically becomes a legally-bound brood mare for the State at the moment of conception or, um, not), this one will keep you riveted and upset ... and isn't that what we go to the movies for? Isn't it? Anyone?"

JE: "Yes, lord knows I go to the theater - Sour Patch Kids in hand - to get upset and agitated. Good times really, when your rage tastes so bitter in your throat that your Sour Patch Kids taste like fresh honey. If I remember correctly, this movie did not have the easiest ride to getting on the screen. Who knew making a film about abortion in an former Eastern Bloc country and distributed globally would be so difficult? I do recall at least one interview with the director, Cristian Mungiu, who said the story is not supposed to be about abortion as much as it is about the women, their lives at the time and the society they found themselves in. If only it were that easy, but whenever you throw abortion into debate/script/discussion, things tend to get mucky. So yeah, definitely a popcorn movie."

Paranoid Park

VPJ: "Director Gus Van Sant continues to alternate between edgy, thought-provoking, nearly-experimental art films (like 'Gerry,' 'Elephant,' 'Drugstore Cowboy,' 'My Own Private Idaho,' 'Mala Noche') and assured, heartfelt, yet more commercial, projects ('Good Will Hunting' and, well, we'll forgive him for 'Finding Forrester'). Guess which camp this tale of a teenaged skateboarder hiding out from the law and one tragic incident and writing his memoirs in the titular skate park falls into? Yup, it's 'non-professional-actor-wanna-slit-your-wrists' time for fun-time Gus again, and I can't wait to see it. The guy's charted an ideal artistic course for himself as far as I'm concerned."

JE: "Was it 'YOU'RE THE MAN NOW, DOG!' that soured you on 'Finding Forrester?' Or just the general Good Will derivative-ness of the whole endeavor? Also, can I just point out that you seem to be on a 'depress the hell out of me' movie kick with this week's picks. Is it you, or is it a strange release-date occurrence? While I may not share your devotion to Gus, I'll agree that he's carved out a place for himself in a universe of sometimes crappy movie making. Even with the downers (I can't ever seem to make it through 'Elephant'), and the 'what the...?' (yes, another dig on 'Finding Forrester') he still provides solid stories that are worth watching."

Wasted

VPJ: "Sort of an indie, 20-something 'Big Chill,' this one follows some former high school friends of recognizable archetypes (college golden boy, townie nice guy, ticking time bomb addict) as they reunite to deal with the drowning death of a friend. Good reviews and an third-tier cast of once-hyped up-and-comers using the indie route to rebuild some cred: there's Kip Pardue (from Stallone's cataclysmic failure 'Driven'), and Eddie Kaye Thomas (who has, perhaps, trailed only Chris Klein in his inability to ride the 'American Pie' juggernaut to grownup success; he was funny in the 'Harold and Kumar' movies, though). Worth a look."

JE: "Have we really reached a point where 20-somethings need a 'Big Chill?' I thought that would come later in life, like when I was my parents' age at the time 'The Big Chill' came out. Can I take a quick sidebar for a second and ask the question I think people my age wonder - what was it about the 'Big Chill' that made our parents' generation lose their minds. Seriously, that movie was like a generational milestone or something. I'm not saying it's a bad movie, the contrary even. But it does make you wonder if your parents shacked up with their friends when they couldn't get pregnant. ANYWAY, I always liked Eddie Kaye Thomas - he was in this hilarious sitcom with John Cho that got canceled. Jokes aside, maybe I should watch this to prepare for my late-20s crisis, and the impending early 30s crisis."

The Killing Gene

VPJ: "Gorehounds rejoice! A new serial killer sanguinarium with a kinky sick twist, this thriller can at least boast respected Swedish character man Stellan Skarsgard (sorry Stellan, but my keyboard doesn't have that 'a' with the little circle over it for your last name), as the typically hard boiled copper on the trail of a serial creep who ... GIMMICK AHEAD ... forces one of his victims to kill a loved one in order to stop with the torture! Yeah! Enjoy! From the torture-porn enthusiasts at Dimension Extreme."

JE: "Wow. What, uh...wow. I got no time for the torture porn."

CJ7

VPJ: "Writer/director/star/cool dude Stephen Chow (of the enduringly-fun and popular 'Shaolin Soccer' and 'Kung Fu Hustle') is back with a heartwarming tale of a poor dad, his adorable moppet son, and the CGI alien he mistakenly brings the tot as a toy. Chow's self-confessed homage to 'E.T.' (there's also some '*batteries not included' and some 'Gremlins' in there) combines his trademark high-flying wackiness and stuntwork with an extra helping of heart, with the little munchkin and the alien fluffball vying for the world cuteness title."

JE: "Now here's a solid family flick. You and the kids can enjoy the insane high-wire work and stunts with a touch of palatable family fluff? Sure, why not? If someone is going to make an homage to 'E.T.' (and let's face it, it's only a matter of time before its updated, remade or painfully resurrected by Speilberg), why shouldn't it be someone from a foreign cinema background who loves the original and truly wants to put his own spin on it. Plus, anyone who's seen 'Shaolin Soccer' or 'Kung Fu Hustle' knows Stephen Chow is going to have a lot of fun no matter what he's putting on screen, so it's a good bet."

- Did you take Jonesy's bait? Better series, "The Wire" or "The Sopranos?"

- Can you explain the significance of "The Big Chill?" Has there been another big generational movie like that (like say, "Singles," or "Reality Bites?")

- E.T. - enduring heartwarming family film, or scaring childhood memory? Discuss.

E-mail this entry to a friend