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 a strong selection of films that includes some comedy, a little drama, some romance, a splash of blood, some extreme dancing, a little television, 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.

Now, hopefully there won't be any debacles this week like there was last week with Jet Li's Fearless. If you don't know, it appears that many, if not all, of the two disk sets contained two identical disks, and they did not contain the director's cut. Hopefully, Universal will address this. I know I will not be picking it up until I hear something.

Penelope. Probably an odd choice for pick of the week, but believe me, this is a good movie. No, there is no blood, violence, fart jokes, or sex. What you get is a sweet natured, good-hearted fairy tale. It tells a story of believing in oneself and liking someone for who they are. It also doesn't hurt that the cast is led by a duo who know their way around a set in Christina Ricci and James McAvoy. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Eureka: Season 2. Here is a series that I get the feeling doesn't get enough attention. It is a show that combines comedy, action, drama, and romance under a science fiction banner. It is a quirky, fun series that does not take itself seriously. It is set in the town of Eureka, which is inhabited by all manner of scientists working on all sorts of strange and bizarre projects. This is one that you will like getting wrapped up in. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Birds of Prey: The Complete Series. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this release, but the show was not terribly well received in its short tenure. Of course, it was not a very good show. Still, for some reason I enjoyed this spin-off from the Batman comic universe. It is cheesy fun and stars Ashley Scott and Dina Meyer. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Step Up 2 The Streets. I would hesitate to call this a good movie, but it is good for what it is. The story is as generic as they come, but the dancing is quite impressive from start to finish. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Bank Job. Being based on a real event, one has to ask is this what really happened? I have no idea. I do not know much about the actual incident, but it does feel like this could have been how it went down. There is a strong sense of reality imbued into the piece, the script covers its bases, giving all the pieces without laying everything out, giving just enough detail to fit the pieces together. Whatever the reality is, this is as solid and entertaining heist film as has been seen for some time. It also features a strong performance from Jason Statham. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)