Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope 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.

Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles, and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Friday the 13th: The Killer Cut (2009) (also Blu-ray). No, this is not a perfect reboot, but it is terribly effective in delivering a nasty, death-dealing Jason. Playing like a mash up of the first four films, this redux takes us through the death of Jason's mother up through his being the mythical reason for disappearing teens. It is bloody, nasty, and an awful lot of fun. The biggest problem is the movie's focus on the drug aspect, which is a bit much; and the writing for the kids not strike me as being terribly realistic. The DVD is available in theatrical release and extended-cut varieties, while the Blu-ray includes both versions, as well as a second disc with a digital copy. The extended cut runs nine minutes longer than the theatrical version, adding more gore and smoothing out a few sequences.

Burn Notice: Season Two (also Blu-ray). This USA Network series has just begun its third season. It centers on a former operative for the FBI who has been "burned", that is, somebody does not like him and has had him cut off from his assets. He is stranded in Miami with a friend who used to inform on him, an ex-girlfriend, and his mother. He takes whatever work he can while trying to stay alive and find out who is behind the burn notice. It is a fun, action packed series, well worth spending time with.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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