Baby on Board - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
First of all, I only have the Blu-ray to review, and I can't make detailed comparisons between the versions. However, since the Blu-ray is actually cheaper than the DVD, I can't imagine it will be the weaker value.

Heather Graham stars as Angela, a successful ad executive looking from a promotion from her demanding boss. She is married to Curtis, an equally successful divorce lawyer who has a string of sleazy clients. Angela discovers she is pregnant, which is not happy news as she doesn't know if she and her husband are ready for this. Additionally, her boss, who is unmarried and without kids, has made it known she doesn't want her underlings to have families to distract them. So she decides to tell no one, but this causes no end of complications, as when Curtis finally finds out, he's not convinced the child is his, because he always "double-bags it" for extra protection. (On a side note, this doesn't work. Wearing two condoms actually reduces protection, as there's a greater chance they will rip due to the latex on latex friction.) She in turn thinks he is cheating on her, partially due to his odd behavior, but also due to the fact that their best friends' marriage just went up in flames for that reason. And now she has problems at work, at home, and in her belly.

Raunchy humor gets a bad rap. It is looked at as a cheap route to laughs and one that is taken by lazy writers. However, this is unfair, as raunchy humor is actually very difficult to accomplish correctly. The problem is most writers simply stop at raunchy and hope the humor comes naturally. This rarely works, but sadly, it seems to be the route taken here. It really earns its R-rating. I mean it really earns it and there are some scenes that are so over-the-top that it is groan inducing. There are some funny jokes, which I won't spoil here, and at times the film looks like it will had a kernel of a good idea and could come together and work, but it never really does. Really, it doesn't even come close.

As I said previously, I don't have the DVD but the Blu-ray has an audio commentary track as its only real extra. The two participants, director Brian Herzlinger and producer Emilio Ferrari, are a little too easy with the praise for my liking, but at least they are energetic, which helps the track immensely. As for its technical presentation, I have no real complaints about the video or audio, but I have no real complements either. It's a relatively low budget affair (budget was reportedly only $8 million) and it shows. This will not test the limits of your home theater, but nor are there many problems with the transfer. The audio is even more middle of the road and quite frankly, I could have disconnected my rear speakers and not noticed.

Baby on Board is low expectations entertainment and the raunchy romantic comedy doesn't have enough romance or comedy to have any replay value. Or play value. I do like the fact that the Blu-ray is cheaper than the DVD, but I can't recommend buying either version, or even renting. Skippable.

Burn Notice - Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
As I noted last week, the Blu-ray wasn't sent in the mail until Tuesday when it hit stores and didn't arrive until just before the weekend started. Fortunately, it was a slow week for new releases, so I was able to get to the screener right away, and I'm glad I did.

Jeffrey Donovan stars as Michael Westen, a secret agent who is "burned" during the series opener. That is to say, someone declared him unreliable, so the government turned their backs on him and cut him off. Now he's stuck without a personal history, without any money, or any real contacts. He has to rely on the few people still willing to talk to him. This includes his ex-girlfriend, Fiona Glenanne, and ex-operative in her own right, and someone who has extensive knowledge, and a love of explosives and high powered weapons. Additionally, there's Sam Axe, an ex-FBI agent who used to tail Michael back in the day, but is now among his very small circle of friends he can trust. Finally there's Madeline, a.k.a., his mom. Each episode can usually be divided into two main storylines. Firstly, there's the "job-of-the-week." where Michael, Fi, and Sam help those in need, like a secretary trying to prove her boss murdered her father, or a record-label accountant trying to prove he was framed for embezzling before his gangster-rapper boss decides to settle the problem permanently. Secondly, episodes also move the overall story arc forward, namely, Michael trying to find out who burned him, and why. Season two revolves around Carla, who may hold the keys to this information.

There is good news and bad news regarding the quality of the show. First of all, it's a great show with high marks going to the writing, the acting, the directing, etc. The on-screen chemistry between the four leads is great, while there is an amazing balance between individual episodic stories and the main story arc, which helps the replay value a lot. The bad news, the show tries a little too hard to be cool and stylish at times. Any show with Bruce Campbell is going to be cool; you don't need to force it. But the frequent shots of Miami used as transitions screams "effort," which is the opposite of cool. Additionally, the effects used here (stuttering the footage, reversing the footage, etc.) also feels forced. However, that's a minor complaint overall and I can enthusiastically recommend the show.

On a side note, this is a very violent show, but Michael Westen kills very few people. He's a master at getting bad guys to kill their partners. And a lot of the time this violence happens off screen, but it doesn't feel like it is being sanatized for TV. This is hard to do.

Looking at the extras, there are audio commentary tracks on three of the 16 episosdes, which features a selection of participants from the creator, Matt Nix, as well as directors stars, and even guest stars. Having guest stars on audio commentary tracks is a huge help, as they tend to bring something from a different perspective to the show. There are also about a dozen deleted scenes from seven episodes spread over the three-disc set. Disc two brings us Nixin' It Up on Burn Notice, which has the creator talking about the show in general and the episode he directed in particular. Over on disc three, we find a gag reel and a really easy-to-find Easter egg called Boom Notice. These people are clearly having fun on set. It appears none of this is exclusive to the Blu-ray edition. Also, there are some complaints with the audio / video on this DVD. There is a lot of grain present here, but while some think this might be due to the studio trying to cram 16 episodes onto just three discs, others think this was a stylistic choice made by the creators to give the film a more realistic look. I don't know which explanation is true, but I do know that overall result is mixed. The audio is surprising lacking in dynamics, and outside of a few scenes, my rear speakers were not used nearly enough. Then again, the Blu-ray costs just 25% more than the DVD, which is an excellent price for this type of release.

Burn Notice - Season Two is worth picking up, there's no doubt in my mind about that. And while the Blu-ray is not the best I've seen, or heard, it is worth paying the extra money compared to the DVD. For many TV on Blu-ray releases, that hasn't really been the case.

Isla Fisher stars as Rebecca Bloomwood, a magazine writer who desperately wants to be on the staff of the fashion magazine Alette, but the position is filled internally before her interview. Desperate to join the Dantay West family of magazines, which publishes Alette, she takes an interview with Successful Saving magazine. However, the interview goes poorly, and in a drunken stupor, she and her friend Suze write a drunken letter telling off the editor, Luke Brandon. They also write a letter to editor of Alette, but in their drunkenness, they accidentally send the wrong letters to the wrong people. However, as this is the movies, Luke is intrigued by Rebecca's comparison of investments to how women buy shoes and hires her. He also becomes intrigued by her on a personal level, and she of him, after she learns he has a keen fashion sense. But with secrets that could destroy her career (she's massively in debt due to her shopping addiction) will she be able to keep control, or will it all come crashing down?

The movie is a Romantic Comedy, so you can probably answer that question without having seen the movie.

Yes, the movie is predictable, but that's not really an issue with the genre. The real question is how is the romantic chemistry between the leads and is the comedy sharp? This is mixed. The chemistry was good, but not great. You knew they were going to get together in the end, but the journey didn't draw you in. Leslie Bibb played "The Obstacle" to their romance, and while her performance was good, the character was underwritten. The same can be said of most of the supporting cast, as most of them were under-utilized. Even so, if you are a fan of the genre, there's enough here that work and it is worth checking out, if just for a rental.

Extras on the DVD include just three deleted scenes with a total running time of just over 6 minutes, just over 2 minutes of outtakes, and a music video. It also comes with a digital copy of the movie.

The Blu-ray has those, plus six short featurettes, and two more music videos. And by short, I mean short. They run from just over three minutes, to barely more than 90 seconds. At least they are in High Definition, unlike the rest of the extras. The video quality is solid but this is not the kind of film that will blow you away in that department. Also, the audio is merely average, but then again, this is true of most Romantic Comedies, which tend to be dialogue driven and lacking in the sound effects department. For a Blu-ray of this nature, I would be willing to spend 30% to 40% more than the DVD; however, over on Amazon, it costs nearly 65% more. That's way too much.

For fans of the genre, Confessions of a Shopaholic is cute. Cute enough to be worth watching, but not substantial enough to be worth buying. If you are intent on purchasing this movie, while the Blu-ray does have exclusive features, it costs way too much compared to the DVD for me to recommend.

Jonas Brothers - The 3D Concert Experience - Buy from Amazon: Single-Disc DVD, Two-Disc DVD, or Three-Disc Blu-ray
An actual review that's done early. And it's not the only such review this week.

A concert film showcasing the Burning Up Tour, as well as some documentary / behind-the-scenes aspects of the Jonas Brothers' life on tour. Joe, Nick, and Kevin might be heartthrobs to millions of 'Tweens, but do they have what it takes to win over this critic?

I went into reviewing this Blu-ray with the same mindset that I had when I reviewed the Best of Both Worlds Blu-ray. I was not expecting to be won over by the music, but I was more interested in judging this concert based on the energy and stage presence of the band. After all, I'm not part of the target audience here, and if you are not, then you have probably moved onto the next review. And if you are part of the target audience and love The Jonas Brothers, you don't care what I think about the movie. I was won over by Miley Cyrus; granted, her music is definitely pop, and that's not my usual musical choice, but it is well crafted pop, and her enthusiasm is infectious. This is not the case here. A lot of the critics complained that the music was rather generic sounding, and quite frankly I agree. Having just finished watching the movie one and a half times (once in 3D, and partially in 2D and on DVD to compare video and audio quality) and have to say that if I heard these songs on the radio right now I wouldn't be able to identify them. For the most part, they could have been playing the same song over and over again and I just didn't notice. The highlight of the concert for me was Taylor Swift; it's not a good sign when the special guest outshines the main act.

As for the documentary segments, they could have been completely removed and it would have improved the overall show. Totally superfluous.

I only have the Three-Disc Blu-ray, but I'm 90% sure I can figure out what's on the other versions.

The Single-Disc DVD has two bonus songs, "Love Bug" and "Shelf", as well as a 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette.

The Two-Disc DVD has those extras, while the second disc is a digital copy of the movie.

The Three-Disc Blu-ray has all of those extras on the Blu-ray disc, and includes the Two-Disc DVD version of the movie. (The DVD version is only in 2D version. However, I think the only way to get the 3D version is to buy the Blu-ray.) Technically speaking, the audio was great, but that was too be expected since it was a concert film and it relies to heavily on the sound. As for the video, the 2D version looks a whole lot better than the 3D version, but that's just a result of the 3D technology. Some of the behind-the-scenes shots feel like they were not shot in true High Definition, but that could have been an editorial choice and not the fault of the transfer. As for the 3D effects, there were some shots that I will admit were really cool (including the drumstick throwing), but I'm still not a huge fan of the technology. Most of the time it feels like it is just a gimmick, and not intergral to the storytelling, not that there's a lot of storytelling in this type of movie. Finally, it is BD-Live enabled with the usual suite of extras (Movie Mail, Movie Chat, etc.) Comparing prices, it only costs 13% more to get the film in High Definition, which is a very, very reasonable upgrade for what you get. In fact, if you have not yet upgraded to High Definition, it might be worth buying the Blu-ray now, to avoid the extra cost of double-dipping when you do.

Jonas Brothers - The 3D Concert Experience is for fans only and won't win over any new converts. That said, the Three-Disc Blu-ray is likely worth picking up for such fans.

Lavender Limelight - Buy from Amazon
A 1997 documentary about lesbian filmmakers. Featuring interviews with Jennie Livingston (Paris is Burning), Rose Troche (Go Fish / The L Word), Monika Treut (Seduction: The Cruel Woman), Maria Meggenti (The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love / Puccini for Beginners), Su Friedrich (Sink or Swim and Hide and Seek), Heather Lyn MacDonald (Ballot Measure 9), and Cheryl Duyne (The Watermelon Woman and My Baby's Daddy). These women talk about how they got into movies, what inspired some of their work, as well as how they came out and how that affected their work and how they are perceived by filmmakers and the industry. (One of these women complains that she is dismissed as a 'Lesbian filmmaker' by fellow experimental filmmakers, while her fellow Lesbian filmmakers tend to dismiss her as an 'Experimental filmmaker'. Instead she should be bridging two niche genres.) There are a lot of interesting stories given here, but I do have two complaints about this movie. First of all, it is short at just 56 minutes, including opening and closing credits. With seven filmmakers featured here, that's not even 8 minutes per filmmaker, and that's just not enough to get into their stories and you want to hear more. Then again, having a documentary that leaves you wanting to hear more is hardly a major complaint. Also, the documentary is not very cinematic and is almost entirely talking heads and clips from movies.

Outside of some text-based bios, there are no extras. This is a shame, since the film is more than a decade old and it would have been nice to get some updates on some of these women.

Lavender Limelight is a little short and the DVD has no real extras, but it is worth checking out. However, it's a better deal to grab Lesbian Nation, which came out the same day and includes this movie and other short films with the same theme.

Lesbian Nation - Buy from Amazon
Five short films made in the mid-1990s all with a lesbian theme. They are, in alphabetical order...

• Carmelita Tropicana - 1994 - 26 minutes
  Directed by Ela Troyano, co-written by Ela Troyano and Alina Troyano, and starring Alina Troyano. Alina Troyano plays the titular character, a performance artist that is mugged one night coming home from a gig. The next day she has to deal with her father, a tenant in a building where she is the super, he sister, and all of this is before she is arrested at a abortion clinic protest, along with her much more conservative sister and her best friend. Also in the same prison cell as these three women, is the woman that mugged her the night before.
  A very funny short film that tackles topics from politics, to Latina identity, to feminism, and lesbianism. To call it 'over-the-top' is an understatement at times, but those who are fans of Telemundo, for instance, should get a real kick out of this.
• Jumping the Gun - 1996 - 9 minutes
  A woman wakes up after a one-night stand and while looking around the apartment of the other woman, she imagines their entire relationship from initial bliss, to tragic breakup. Given the state of this woman's apartment, the relationship was probably better imagined than lived out.
  A funny and surreal look at the after effects of a one-night stand. The wide gab in reality (dirty dishes fill the sink while the fridge in empty) and her imagination are very wide, and it doesn't try and stretch the set-up and longer than it can sustain.
• Lavender Limelight - 1997 - 56 minutes
  As mention above, this movie is available both separately and as part of this collection. Don't see the need to review it twice.
• Little Women in Transit - 1996 - 7 minutes
  Tells the story of Jennie, a 12-year old girl stuck in the middle of the back seat of her parents' station wagon in between her big sister, and her younger sister. Being forced to sit on the hump during a long road trip is hell enough, and it gets worse when he sisters start in on her.
  I remember driving across Canada in a truck with more people than could comfortably fit. Even if you really like the people you are traveling with, they quickly get on your nerves, especially if you have to sit in the middle. So I really empathized with the main character here. At just seven minutes (six-and-a-half minutes really) it is the shortest of the five films here, but it doesn't need to be any longer.
• Playing the Part - 1995 - 38 minutes
  An auto-biographical documentary (some say it's a mockumentary) about the writer / director, Mitch McCabe, and her attempts to come out to her upper-class parents during the holidays.
  The second longest short on this DVD, it is a little too repetitive to be wholly successful, as there's one build-up after another before Mitch decides now is not the right time to come out to her parents. She keeps looking for the perfect moment, and to paraphrase Voltaire, she is letting 'perfect' be the enemy of 'good'. The fact that in the end when we are let down again, I still reacted to it means I was emotionally drawn in, which is a high compliment. So even if the movie isn't perfect, it is good, and I can recommend it.

Lesbian Nation collects five short films on one DVD, and while the technical quality is suspect at times (these are low-budget, independent short films) the overall quality is high. If you are interested in lesbian films, short films, and especially short lesbian films, this is an excellent deal.

Princess Protection Program - Buy from Amazon
This made-for-TV movie airs on the Disney channel this Friday before coming out on DVD next Tuesday. But I received a screener early, so I can say whether it's a purchase, whether it's worth catching on TV, or if you can safely let it pass by.

The movie stars Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) and Demi Lovato (Camp Rock). The latter plays Princess Rosalinda Marie Montoya Fiore, who is about to become the queen of Costa Luna. However, General Magnus Kane of neighboring Costa Estrella decides that since she is too young to be a leader, the two countries should united under one rule. His rule of course. That's where Major Mason comes in. He's an agent of the Princess Protection Program, which jumps into action whenever royalty is threatened. (Or if the name is accurate, only with female royalty is threatened. Princes have to deal with danger on their own, I guess.) He whisks her away, but her mother is captured. Now Rosalinda must live as a regular teenager named Rosie in order to avoid detection, much to the horror of Major Mason's daughter, Carter (played by Selena Gomez). Can Rosalinda fit in with the common teenager? Will Carter and Rosie get along? Will Carter get the guy of her dreams? Will Rosie clash with the snobs at school? Will her secret be exposed? Will she ever return home and take her place on the royal thrown?

If you've seen many Disney TV movies, you can answer all of these questions, and more. Okay, originality is not this film's strong suit, then again, this is true of nearly every Disney TV movie made, so condemning it on that point seems a little harsh. I do think stars Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato have good chemistry together, and that adds a lot to the overall value of the movie. Also of note, Demi Lovato's acting in this movie is a step above her performance in Camp Rock, which I reviewed previously. Then again, here she is acting along side Selena Gomez, who has a lot more screen presence than whichever Jonas Brother was playing the male lead in that movie. (Quite frankly, I don't which Jonas brother is which, nor do I care to learn.) Overall, this isn't the best Disney TV movie I've seen, but it is probably in the top third. If you are a fan of either of the two leads or of the genre in general, it is worth checking out.

As for the extras, there are four main selling points. Firstly, there's the extended ending, which is basically a huge setup for a sequel, and there will be a sequel if the ratings for this show are any good. Secondly, there's a seven-and-a-half minute long behind-the-scenes featurette called Royal and Loyal BFFs, which highlights the chemistry between Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. A Royal Reality talks to a real-life princess, and more of the cast and crew. Finally, there's a music video for "One and the Same", which is a duet by Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. It's actually better than I was expecting. Certainly better than most Disney stars who are given a chance to sing.

I'm quite confident in saying that for its target audience, Princess Protection Program should be a crowd pleaser, while the DVD is solid entertainment value. Check it out on TV this Friday, and if you really like it, pick up the DVD next Tuesday.