From the creative talent behind Mystery Science Theater 3000 comes a (relatively) new project: Rifftrax! Originally envisioned as audio download commentary tracks making fun of big budget movies (that they could never afford the rights to) the Rifftrax crew has now graduated to releasing their own DVDs. Hosted by Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett, these Rifftrax discs skewer both obscure and famous films now in the public domain. DVD Talk was lucky enough to get the entire batch of 10 discs from the good folks at Rifftrax (check out their site!), and several of our crack staff gave them the once-over. How did they stack up? Find out in DVDTalk's overview of Rifftrax: The First Wave.

It's time for another installment of Anime Talk! Over the last month we've taken a look a lot of programs, from complete series such as Gad Guard, Samurai Champloo, Karin, and Law of Ueki to the latest releases from on going shows like One Piece, Naruto, Kenichi, Eureka Seven. Not only do we have all the latest anime releases covered, but WTK has another bargain column with loads of ways to stretch your anime dollar. All this and more in this month's Anime Talk, sponsored by RightStuf.com!

Ladies and gentlemen, start your wands. The boy wizard has returned to the big screen and he's brought friends, crushes, and a heaping helping of trouble in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. DVD Talk critics Brian Orndorf and Jamie S. Rich look over the results. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Bruno, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Labor Pains, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, Public Enemies, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D, The Hurt Locker, The Proposal, The Hangover, Moon, Up, and Star Trek. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.

TV shows continue to roll out on DVD. Check out these recent reviews:  Peanuts: The 1960s Collection - comes Highly Recommended for all audiences, whether this is a blind buy or you know them all by heart; Peyton Place: Part Two - anyone interested in superior night-time dramas will not want to miss a moment of this set; and Reno 911!: The Complete Sixth Season - After something of a down season, this year the show came back strong. Other shows recently reviewed include:  Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series, Dollhouse: Season One and Burn Notice: Season Two.  Want more?  Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Whether you're a fan of recent animation, classic TV cartoons or big production studio movies, there's some discs you'll want to mark on your calendar. Warner Home Video is putting out a second set of cartoons from yesteryear Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Vol. 2 and Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 2. Watch for them on October 27; Monsters vs. Aliens, the fun and hilarious animated feature, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 29; and more musical swimming numbers are coming to DVD on October 6 TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams, Vol. 2 including Thrill of a Romance, Fiesta, This Time for Keeps, Pagan Love Song, Million Dollar Mermaid, and Easy to Love. Keep track of all the upcoming releases with the DVDTalk Release List.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Watchmen Special Edition Director's Cut - Warner Home Video's Blu-ray of Zack Snyder's superhero epic is a half-hour longer and stacked with innovative features. The complex graphic novel adaptation doubles as an alternate-history science fiction tale; "12" - Nikita Mikhalkov's Moscow-set adaptation of 12 Angry Men is a fascinating look at the New Russia. Twelve jurors break a deadlock over a murder verdict by exploring their personal backgrounds. Terrific writing and acting, and an interesting lesson in comparative justice; and Black Money - This alarming Frontline documentary follows a vital Department of Justice investigation almost completely ignored by the media -- the phenomenon of large international companies that use bribery to do business overseas. The financial-political web of intrigue in just one case ensnares the governments of Great Britain and Saudia Arabia. Very thorough -- and frightening. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

This week we have a special giveaway from National Entertainment Media for Night Train (view trailer), a new, nail-biting thriller starring Danny Glover, Leelee Sobieski and Steve Zahn... How far would you go to have everything you have ever desired? When a veteran conductor (Glover), a young pre-med student (Sobieski) and a struggling salesman (Zahn) discover a dead passenger onboard a night train, the three strangers find themselves on a collision course with destiny. Among the deceased man's possessions is a mysterious box, containing a treasure so valuable that they conspire to keep it for themselves. Their decision sets in motion a tense game of obsession and deceit, where greed betrays reason and morality gives way to temptation. Bonus features on the DVD and Blu-ray editions of Night Train include a "Making of" featurette as well as interviews with the cast and crew. Book your one-way ticket to terror today, and enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of Night Train on DVD!

Great DVDs are hitting the shelves this week. Check out these notable titles: For All Mankind [DVD review, Blu-ray Review]- Reissued to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of one of mankind's most towering achievements, this is a worthy film that belongs in any collection; Mad Men: Season 2 [DVD review, Blu-ray review] - one of the most masterfully crafted and endlessly compelling series on television; and The State: The Complete Series [DVD review] - even with the dual demons of timeliness and music copyrights working against it, this series remains truly hilarious. Other releases of note include:  [REC] [DVD review], Eldorado [DVD review] and The Edge of Love [DVD review]. 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.

I'm rushed to get this done before catching a plane, so let's just jump to the recent reviews: Dragon Hunters - a gorgeous, thrilling adventure - witty, heartfelt, exciting, and wonderful. Highly Recommended; The Saragossa Manuscript - a wonderfully surrealist film that is a joy to watch, especially if you like challenging narratives and non-linear stories; and Sea Beast - This latest entry in the Sci-Fi Channel's Maneater series winds up being a predictable bore. (I know I usually profile good films, but like I said I'm in a hurry...) Other recent reviews include: Daisies, Shut that Door! Larry Grayson at ITV, and oh, how about Paul's review of What's Up, Tiger Lily?.  Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week. Great! I'm outta here...

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