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 strong selection of films that includes one of the best films of the year, a better than expected rom-com, low budget horror from overseas, a new movie based on a short-lived television series, an excellent family fantasy, a prehistoric epic, and more. 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.

In Bruges. One of the absolute best films of the year is now on DVD. It only received a limited release earlier this year, so I am sure that many of you have not yet seen it. Do yourself a favor and see it as soon as possible. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as hit men sent to Bruges following a hit gone wrong. This is a movie that has action, comedy, drama, romance, all in a package that makes sense. This is an absolutely wonderful film that needs to be seen by as many people as possible. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs. Following the success of Bender's Big Score comes the second direct to video movie. Hopefully it will be at least in the same league as the first. However, when it comes right down to it, more Futurama is good Futurama. This is a show that should not have been canceled in the first place. I am looking forward to checking this out. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

10,000 BC. Here is a movie that, for all intents and purposes, should have been fun. There is no reason why it shouldn't have been fun. All of this begs the question: What went wrong? At what point did this old time epic fly off the rails into the realm of the also-rans? In other words, this movie is not all that good. You would be better off checking out the vastly better Apocalypto. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Spiderwick Chronicles. If you are looking for a thrilling ride that the whole family can enjoy, this is going to be for you. It is magical, thrilling, scary, funny, and whatever else you want to feel. It was, honestly, as big a surprise to me as Bridge to Terabithia was last year, movies that target youngsters but don't treat them like idiots. It is always a joy to discover a film that knows its audience and writes to their strengths. In other words, check this movie out! (BUY, RENT, SKIP)