I’m not sure what happened this week. Maybe the studios had a huge, top-secret convention. Perhaps the distributors all got together and decided to take inventory at the same time. Or it could be there was a mega-party, and my invitation got lost in the mail. Whatever the reason, this is not a good week for those looking for a hot new movie.

You may remember commercials for the theatrical release of Perfect Stranger, but that’s most likely all you’ll remember. This Halle Berry/Bruce Willis thriller sank more quickly than the paper boats I used to construct as a kid. Somewhere in all the muck of online dating, murder, and media machinations, there’s a plot. Expect this one to be in the running for a Razzie or two.

The Lives of Others, on the other hand, has generated some Oscar buzz in the foreign film category. Set in 1984, as the GDR was crumbling, this German-language film is a carefully crafted thriller that relies on character development rather than histrionics to make its point. In the process of making observations about political and personal motives, it remains a taut thriller to its conclusion.

That’s pretty much it for movie releases. But if you like television wrapped in box sets, there a few items of interest. Foremost among them (at least for me) is the long-awaited Dexter: The First Season. This Showtime series hooked me from the first — so much so that I covered each episode for Blogcritics. The comment I most often heard was, “I wish I had Showtime.” Now that those initial dozen episodes are collected in one easy to digest set, everybody can become acquainted with America’s favorite avenging angel — or serial killer who only kills other killers. It’s all a matter of perspective.

House, M.D., Season Three bows this week. So does Ugly Betty: Season One. And for those still pining its demise, JAG: The Complete Fourth Season lets you relive the glory days of a series whose popularity I never could fathom. Oh yeah — South Park: The Complete Tenth Season debuts this week, too. At least the networks have our interests at heart. And just in time to whet our appetite for the fall season. You don’t think it’s a marketing ploy ...? Naaah!