Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

This week brings an eclectic selection of films: there is one Oscar nominee, two Oscar winners, a couple of foreign flicks (including notorious Italian horror), near classic animation, and a decent romantic comedy, with only one obvious stinker in the bunch. I know there are a few here that I am looking forward to checking out, as well as some that I am eager to see for the first time. Read on and see if any strike your fancy.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I missed this on the big screen, now I can catch up. I read nothing but good things regarding this Oscar-nominated film (Best Director). Frankly, I was shocked that it did not receive a Best Picture nod, and I know why it wasn't nominated in the Foreign Language category (France submitted Persepolis, which turned out to be a mistake as it was nominated in the Animation category). Anyway, this is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of the French edition of Elle, who suffered a massive stroke. He was only able to move his left eyelid, which he used, with the help of a speech therapist, to write a book. Actually, it sounds rather dull, but I am looking forward to experiencing this. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

27 Dresses. Nothing original to be found in this romantic comedy, but the likability of the leads and the earnestness with which they take on the roles is infectious making this romantic comedy easy to watch and enjoy. It is the story of a woman who is always a bridesmaid and never a bride, always planning and never being the object of the plans. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Golden Compass. This lackluster fantasy film is an Oscar winner for special effects (should have been Transformers). It is the first story of the His Dark Materials cycle by Phillip Pullman. It was met with protestations from religious groups for its anti-religion stance. The protests turned out to be for naught as they had already toned down that content, and even more importantly, the film was just not all that good. It was all set-up, with no payoff, no heart, and no reason to care. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Red Balloon. I have never seen this Oscar-winning short film, although I am definitely intrigued. It is a near silent film about a boy and a red balloon that he finds and becomes attached to. It is being released as part of th Criterion Collection, so you can be assured that it will have an excellent transfer and worthwhile supplements. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)