It’s the time of the season, I suppose. July has never been a whiz-bang, golly-gotta-get-this-one month for new releases, neither in music or video. The studios would really prefer you spend your bucks on the summer blockbusters making their first runs in the local cineplex before hitting you up again in the fall for the blockbuster DVD releases.

That’s not to imply they don’t want you to shell out a bit of coin this week. They really want to give you a second chance to see all those second tier releases you missed in the theatres way back in the first quarter of the year. But they’re not expecting you to camp in order to be the first kid on your block to own their offerings this week, either. Be forewarned, though. Depending on your mindset, you’re going to need to stock up on either hankies or insulin.

The Last Mimzy bills itself as a science fiction film for the entire family, or some such words to that effect. The PR for it also proclaims it’s bound to draw comparison to ET. Based on a 1943 short story by Lewis Padgett, it concerns a couple of kids who find a box full of magical artifacts from the future, among them a stuffed rabbit they name Mimzy. Hijinks ensue as the artifacts imbue the kids with powers, and the rabbit reveals its true nature. It’s all very warm and fuzzy, proving in the end that Trix are indeed for kids.

If you need another heapin’ helpin’ of saccharine, The Astronaut Farmer debuts today. Billy Bob Thornton wouldn’t have been my first choice to sub for Jimmy Stewart in what purports to be a Capra-esque fantasy about pursuing a dream in the face of all odds. Thornton’s just a good ol' boy farmer in West Texas who has a dream of flying his homemade rocket into orbit. The family’s behind him, even though the farm’s in danger of foreclosure. Villainous bankers and Feds want to know why he wants to buy 50,000 pounds of rocket fuel. It’s all about the American Dream, man.

One ugly side of the American Dream is illustrated in not one, but two MTV releases. I’m talking, of course, about the pubescent terror known as the sweet sixteen party. Now you can vicariously relive the horrors as spoiled rich girls turn nasty, single-minded in their quest to bankrupt parents, change from BFFs to teen bitches, and generally show Paris and Nicole how the girls play uptown. My Sweet 16: the Movie and My Sweet 16:Seasons 1 & 2 must be essential viewing, since they’re all the rage in the mass market sales flyers.

The obligatory TV boxed sets don’t fare much better. Granted, Bewitched: the Fifth Season is probably the most important of the entire series, if only by virtue of the fact that it was the last one for the only real Darrin, the inimitable Dick York. And Beauty and the Beast: Season Two laid the groundwork for the puzzling third and final season. One bright spot this week is the cult favorite Extras: the Complete Second Season, with plenty of extras and easter eggs to occupy your time ‘til what will hopefully be a better next week.