Will Ferrell and sports? Now that's a crazy combination, and the comedian's Semi-Pro proves the formula might be wearing out its welcome. Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman strap on corsets and go head to head in The Other Boleyn Girl, a delicious soap opera sure to please fans of costume dramas. And Christina Ricci goes hog wild in Penelope, a fractured fairy tale that will test even the most patient filmgoer. Also in theaters: Jessica Lange and Joan Allen take a trip to a funeral in Bonneville, and City of Men furthers the story started in Fernando Meirelles's 2002 smash, City of God. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Witless Protection, Be Kind Rewind, Charlie Bartlett, Vantage Point, The Signal, Diary of the Dead, Jumper, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.

This week Silent DVD is back with a jam-packed issue.  There are reviews of four German Expressionist films including the famous Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and the eerie Hands of Orlac.  Then the three-disc set Saved from the Flames is examined.  This entertaining set contains 54 rare films that have been restored and preserved.  We also cover the 1919 feature The Dragon Painter with Sessue Hayakawa the first Japanese actor to make it big in the west, news about the new Harry Houdini boxed set and much more.  All in this week's installment of Silent DVD.

TV on DVD remains very popular with more and more favorites being released. New TV reviews include:  Father Ted: The Definitive Collection - Fall-down funny in both low-and-high brow fashion, this show stands with the absolute best U.K. sitcoms; Human Giant - Season One - a dark sketch comedy show that has some moments of genius; The Smurfs: Season One, Vol. One - almost thirty years later, but The Smurfs will not only recapture your heart they will be adored by your kids as well.; Other shows include:  Jackie Gleason: Genius at Work, Rough Diamond, Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Fourth Season, and The Red Green Show - 1999 Season.  Want more?  Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Midnight Express - The 30th Anniversary Edition of Alan Parker's Istanbul prison saga dances around its blanket xenophobia; author Billy Hayes later admitted that his account was greatly exaggerated. But the movie is very good, if you like torture with homoerotic trimmings; Ladrón que roba a ladrón - It's an American production using Spanish-language novela stars in an attempt to attract the enormous Latino audience. But good intentions can't improve a dumbed-down caper script about con-men ripping off a maker of sleazy infomercials;In the Valley of Elah - Big audiences didn't materialize but Tommy Lee Jones has received a Best Oscar nomination for Paul Haggis' drama of substance and wisdom about what the Iraq war is doing to our combat soldiers; and American Gangster - Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe duke it out in Ridley Scott's gangland epic. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Another banner week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films and boxed sets such as:  Beowulf (Unrated Director's Cut) [review 1], [review 2] - with incredible energy and intense acting it's hard to not buy into the film and roll with the action; The Darjeeling Limited [review] - the film is a gas with spiky moments of comedy, a lovely familial melancholy about it, blink-and-you-miss-em star cameos and a luscious soundtrack; and Justice League - The New Frontier [review]- an entertaining animated adventure, it features the greatest heroes of the DC Comics universe banding together in the 1950s to fight a villain; Other releases of note include:  Newhart - The Complete First Season, 30 Days of Night [review],  The Last Emperor - Criterion Collection, and Comanche Moon. 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.

This week the DVD Talk Review Database has some great new entries, including some discs you may have overlooked. Recent DVD Reviews include: Breaker Morant - a riveting examination of those who insist they were "just following orders," this a modern classic of the military historical drama genre; Into the Wild - a poetic engaging film about a young man who essentially decided to leave everything behind and head into the wilds of Alaska to live; and Tristan und Isolde - one of the benchmarks of 19th century culture, this well-produced, gorgeously sung and played version will be loved by most Wagner fans; Other recent reviews include: Death at a Funeral, In The Shadow of the Moon, 9 Star Hotel, and Trailer Park Boys The Movie.  Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week and the ability to browse reviews by studio.

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