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Welcome back! Don't you feel better? You will now be rewarded with talking vehicles.
Cars
Pixar simply refuses to suck. From Toy Story to now they’ve churned out not only some of the best animation of the past decade, but some of the best films, period. Cars is no exception, and represents some of the most mature work to come out of the studio thus far. Ostensibly the Doc Hollywood story with automobiles, the film yearns for the golden age of the American automobile while lamenting the corporate interests that brought that era to an end. And, yes, there’s plenty of stuff for the kids, too.
If, for some reason, you missed this on the big screen, do what you can to see this on a nice, fat hi-def plasma or something to truly appreciate the so-real-it’s-scary CGI Lasseter’s team has pulled together this time. The drive through the country alone is enough to convince you that computer animation is maybe a few years away from rendering entire worlds that will fool you completely.
Extras include an all new Pixar short, plus the Oscar-nominated One Man Band short that played with the film in theaters.
Wordplay
This much-loved doc profiles Will Shortz, confounding maestro of the New York Times crossword puzzle, the gamesters who love/hate his challenges (including such VIPs as the Indigo Girls, Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton) and competitors in the championship he hosts in Stamford. A fascinating look into the world of crossword puzzles, and one of the most relentlessly entertaining docs of the year.
Strangely, this DVD appears to be more tricked out than the Cars DVD.
Little Man
Because White Chicks wasn’t enough, the Wayans decided to see if they could wring humor out of turning one of them into a baby, in this case a criminal who looks enough like a baby to pass. Think of all the gross things you could do with a premise like that, and you’ll pretty much have the movie because, I assure you, they thought of them, too.
Extras include a featurette on the special effects which, admittedly, aren't half bad.
West Wing - The Complete Seventh Season
Where season six more or less redeemed the suffering-without-Sorkin series, the last season brought things to an end on an okay-but-not-terrible note with the conclusion of the truly riveting race between presidential candidates Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Vinick (Alan Alda). Bringing in Janeane Garofalo as the tough-as-Josh campaign advisor, reprising Rob Lowe briefly as Sam and finally resolving the romantic tension between Josh and Donna in fairly satisfactory fashion, the show built to a series finale that, frankly, was boring but not wholly unworthy of the show. Still wish they brought Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme back for the last ep, though.
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