Kal Penn might have stolen the show in the first Van Wilder film, but in Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj he's got the lead role. Can Penn follow in the footsteps of Ryan Reynolds and turn this comedy into a cult hit? You decide as Van Wilder 2 opens wide this weekend. Also in theaters this week is The Nativity Story - the phenomenally talented Keisha Castle-Hughes stars in this Catherine Hardwicke film about Mary's life up until the birth of Jesus Christ; Turistas - all the trailers scream Hostel-copycat, but we doubt this fright flick will have the same glorious depravity as Eli Roth's masterpiece; and 10 Items or Less - Brad Silberling follows up Lemony Snicket with this indie film starring Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Volver, The Fountain, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, Deck the Halls, Deja Vu, Casino Royale, Fast Food Nation, Happy Feet, For Your Consideration. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

This week Silent DVD has a look at some comedy films from both sides of the Atlantic. Kino has released five early Ernst Lubitsch films from his time in Germany under the banner "Lubitsch in Berlin." These comedies and costume dramas show the director experimenting with style and developing what would eventually be know as "The Lubitsch Touch." Then crossing over to Hollywood we have a look at a new three disc set of comedy shorts, American Slapstick. Filled with rare and interesting films these hilarious shorts are sure to please fans of early comedy. In case you missed them, be sure to check out or previous columns on The Films of Jacques Feyder, Leni Riefenstahl's The Blue Light, and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler.

DVD Stalk is back at it and packed with tons of great reviews (including an early look at the new special edition of Black Christmas and the first season of Criminal Minds), information on all of this week's horror releases, previews of some upcoming scares, and a close look at a few overlooked horror films. We also have our usual bag of evil goodies, including a few clips from Black Christmas and an opportunity for DVD Stalk readers to load up on DVD Stalk apparel for the holiday shopping season. What better way to say Happy Holidays than with a DVD Stalk sweatshirt?! We hope you'll check out DVD Stalk and drop us a line to let us know what you think. Join us in the DVD Stalk Forum to chat about all things horror, friend us on DVD Stalk's MySpace, drop by the DVD Stalk Apparel Store, and be sure to check out DVD Talk's reviews of over 1,600 Horror DVDs.

A number of notable TV on DVD releases reviewed this week including: Criminal Minds - The First Season - an refreshing antidote to the bevy of lackluster series currently on TV; Baywatch Season 1 and Season 2 - Borat might have fallen madly in love with this show, but it left us a little wet and cold; Spongebob Squarepants - Whale of a Birthday - some gems from the show's fourth season; Adventures of Superman - The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons in Full Color - one of the most iconically '50s/Eisenhowerian programs of its era wraps up with an aging George Reeves and serious budget cuts. Family Affair - Season 2 - a family show to fall in love with...again;Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist - Season Two - Ray Romano and Dom Irerra highlight a series which has some strong ups and downs. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted TV on DVD.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: The Quiller Memorandum - Playright Harold Pinter takes a whirl at super-spydom in this low-key but exciting espionage drama set in West Berlin; Mothra vs. Godzilla - Classic Media continues the Godzilla saga with a double bill of this original Toho monster rally and its American dubbed version, Godzilla vs. The Thing; The Last Voyage - Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone star in Andrew and Virginia Stone's suspenseful tale of a sinking ocean liner. Clever camerawork and misleading publicity -- the notion that the show was filmed on a real sinking ship -- raise the tension. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

A truly 'super' week for notable DVDs including: Superman Returns [Review] - the caped crusader returns in style in one of the best comic book inspired films of the year; Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition - 7 Superman Films, 20 hours of extras in a killer silver Superman tin, a must for any fan; Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut - the legendary cut no one thought would ever see the light of day and the wait has been more than worth it; Clerks II [Review] - Kevin Smith delivers a funny and touching look at growing older and moving on; Robin Hood: Most Wanted Edition [Review] - one of the forgotten gems of the Disney Empire. Other notable DVDs out this week include: A strong week for notable DVDs including:The Ant Bully [Review], Bones: S1, Evening With Kevin Smith 2 [Review] Pandora's Box [Review] and St. Elsewhere: S1. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

HTMarket.com is back with another fantastic Home Theater Holiday Giveaway on DVD Talk. This week they're giving away four fantastic home theater goodies including: A Personalized Movie Marquis - give your home theater the custom touch with a personalized sign made from furniture grade wood, Personalized DVD Home Theater Intro - start movie night out with a blast and impress friends with a custom intro, Quick Snap Movie Poster Frame - a quick and easy way to display your favorite movie poster and Metropolitan 4oz Popcorn Machine - movie theater popcorn in the comfort of your own home...how much better can it get? Enter now for your chance to win one of these great prizes from HTMarket.com.

This week we have several clips from Black Christmas [view theatrical trailer]. Predating John Carpenter's Halloween by four years, the 1974 horror classic will be available December 5th in a digitally re-mastered Special Edition featuring new interviews with stars Olivia Hussey, Art Hindle and Margot Kidder. Check out these spine-tingling clips from Black Christmas: Lurking in the closet, Obscene phone call and The caller's in the house (Get more information about the Black Christmas: Special Edition DVD here). Also, we have some bonus clips from the animated cult classic William S. Burroughs' The Junky's Christmas: Hitting the street and Danny's good deed (Get more information about William S. Burroughs' The Junky's Christmas DVD here) . Be sure to catch past week's clips at DVD Talk TV.

With over 17,700 DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: Brothers of The Head - Part rock 'n' roll biopic, part psychological horror with Good music and strong performances that surpass illusion and enter a hyper-reality; The Premiere Frank Capra Collection - the five classic motion pictures in the collection are all winners and the set is so well supplemented with solid special features it's a no-brainer to recommend; King Kong Extended Edition - a case where the original theatrical cut is stronger than the extended, but the wealth of extras warrant checking it out; The King and I - one of the best film adaptations of a Rogers and Hammerstein play on an excellent DVD; Home Alone: Family Fun Edition - now 16 years old, the film has snowballed into a perennial Christmas tradition, recently passed down a generation, yet losing none of its celebrated status. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week Anime Talk looks a several interesting series. Paniponi Dash: Lethal Lesson has an 11-year-old genius teaching a class of hyper high school girls, Gaogaigar is a giant robot series that is a lot of fun, and the hilarious Ninja Nonsense has come to an end. There are capsule reviews of the lasted series sets including Gad Guard, the Mermaid Forest, Star Ocean Ex, and more. We also have a special treat this week. DVD Talk reviewer Stuart Galbraith IV is known as an authority on director Akira Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune (his book on the pair, The Emperor and the Wolf, has been praise by Martin Scorsese as "a must read."), but is also a fan of Kaiju films. He provides an interesting and informative look at the second volume of Ultraman episodes for us this time. Of course Holly's back with her anime bargains, just in time for the holiday buying season, and we have our list of up coming discs so you'll know what to ask Santa for. If you're having trouble finding that prefect gift for an anime check out our Top Ten Anime discs of 2005 article.

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