This week, a judiciously timed release for one film's Oscar campaign.  No, not Lady in the Water.

Little Miss Sunshine

The indie success story of 2006.  Bought for a record $10 million at Sundance by Fox Searchlight and given a platform release in the summer that kept it in the top ten for six weeks and almost $60 million gross.  What's more: it doesn't suck.  One of the most heartwarming, fun and clever flicks of the year with outstanding performances by Steve Carell and Abigail Breslin, among others.  Look for this to creep into a fifth Best Picture slot after dining out on a couple of well-deserved Golden Globe nods.  

Extras include four alternate endings, although I quite like what they ended up with.  

Jet Li's Fearless (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

An excellent cap to Jet Li's wuxia career (don't worry, he'll still do modern-day action flicks).  Combines stunning cinematography by Hang-Sang Poon with some of the best Yuen Woo-ping choreography to date.

There is a deleted scene in the extras, but whether or not it's the one that supposedly has Michelle Yeoh is beyond me. 

Lady in the Water

Not as bad as The Village, but still not the M. Night we know and love.  Paul Giamatti manages to give a compelling performance through all the treacle.  

Extras include a six-part doc, which is probably more than the film really needs. 

A Scanner Darkly

Also, not the Linklater we know and love, but pretty close.  Outstanding animation marks this Philip K. Dick adaptation about identity, drugs and drugs.  Linklater and his cast are dead on when dealing in conversation and character (Robert Downey Jr. practically steals the film) but when the plot (kind of a big deal in a Dick story) comes into play in the final act, the film suddenly gets mired in platitudes.

Extras include commentary from Linklater, probably well worth checking out in spite of (or perhaps because of) the film's flaws. 

The Simpsons - The Complete Ninth Season

Some of the lamer eps ("The Principal and the Pauper") share space with some classics ("Simpson Tide") this season.  Still, you have to love a season that gave us The Canyonero Theme Song and a U2 guest spot.

Extras include a sneak peek at the new Simpsons movie. 

In this week's long list, another American Pie movie.  Wait, where are you going? 

2006 FIA Formula One / F1 / Formula 1 Championship Review

2006 Indianapolis 500

The 2006 Ryder Cup

The 9/11 Commission Report (History Channel)