WHAT: After her father dies in a car accident on her 18th birthday, India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) becomes infatuated with her uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who she never knew existed, when he comes to live with India and her unstable mother (Nicole Kidman). But when people around town start disappearing, she begins to suspect that Charlie may be the one responsible.

WHY: Written by former “Prison Break” star Wentworth Miller, “Stoker” plays like one giant homage to Alfred Hitchcock (particularly his 1943 film “Shadow of a Doubt”), but with a decidedly unique and erotic twist that only a director of Park Chan-wook’s warped sensibilities could conceive. To call the movie a slow burn would be putting it lightly, but it’s entirely compelling in the way that it patiently seduces the audience into an almost dreamlike trance. You simply can’t look away, and that’s thanks mostly to the stylish combination of Chung Chung-hoon’s rich cinematography and Nicholas de Toth’s playful editing. Though it would be easy to criticize the film for favoring style over substance, there’s a lot more going on behind the sumptuous visuals, including some excellent performances by its lead actors. “Stoker” isn’t for everyone, but fans of Park’s previous work won’t be disappointed by this offbeat, psychosexual thriller.

EXTRAS: Fox’s single-disc release boasts a behind-the-scenes look at making the film, a trio of featurettes on the characters, production design and score, footage from the red carpet premiere and deleted scenes.

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

WHAT: When a young farmhand named Jack (Nicholas Hoult) accidentally opens a gateway between his world and a race of vengeful giants using some magic beans, he joins a search party of the king’s bravest men to climb the beanstalk and rescue the princess (Eleanor Tomlinson) from captivity, reigniting a centuries-old war.

WHY: Bryan Singer hasn’t made a good movie since “X2: X-Men United,” and that streak continues with this dull reimagining of the classic fairy tale, which features some of the ugliest special effects of the year (unless you include Ewan McGregor’s hair). There are so many things wrong with “Jack the Giant Slayer” that it’s hard to know where to begin, but a lot of the problems stem from the script, which strikes such a contradicting tone (one minute a silly adventure film, and the next a dark and gritty action movie) that it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. The actors suffer the most as a result – especially star Nicholas Hoult, who’s unable to do much with such a bland, one-dimensional character. McGregor does have a bit of fun as the head of the king’s guard, but he’s about the only enjoyable thing in an otherwise lackluster film.

EXTRAS: In addition to an interactive experience on how to “Become a Giant Slayer” hosted by Nicholas Hoult, there are also some deleted scenes and a gag reel.

FINAL VERDICT: SKIP

WHAT: Pre-med student Jeff Chang (Mike Chon) doesn’t have any big plans for his 21st birthday, instead resigned to staying in and preparing for an important interview the next morning. But when his two best friends from high school (Miles Teller and Skylar Astin) persuade him into going out for a few drinks, what begins as a casual pub crawl quickly devolves into a wild night of debauchery after Jeff Chang passes out and the guys have no idea how to get him back home.

WHY: There’s a lot of stupidity to be found in “21 & Over,” but it’s not nearly as damning as anything that appears in the abysmal “Project X,” which several critics unfairly compared it to during its theatrical release. Although the screenplay is pretty juvenile and far-fetched at times, the film still contains a decent amount of laughs thanks to its likeable cast of up-and-comers. Sure, the movie feels a little bit like “The Hangover: The College Years” (it was even written by the same two guys), but despite boasting a similar wild streak, it also features some real heart and life-and-death stakes sandwiched between all the crazy hijinks. In fact, it actually shares more in common with films like “Superbad” and “Weekend at Bernie’s” than the Todd Phillips-directed comedy, and though it takes a while to get going, once the beer starts flowing, “21 & Over” manages to be somewhat entertaining provided you’re in the right mindset.

EXTRAS: Considering its last-minute addition to the release schedule, it’s not surprising that the only included bonus material is a pair of featurettes and a gag reel.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

Ultimate Gangster Collection: Classic and Contemporary

Most guys love gangster films, so it’s hard to think of a better “one size fits all” gift than Warner Bros.’ recently released Ultimate Gangster Collection on Blu-ray. Divided into two volumes, the Contemporary edition is arguably the more desirable of the pair as it’s comprised of favorites like “The Untouchables,” “Heat” and three Martin Scorsese films (“Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas” and “The Departed”). Though the Classics edition is a little more niche, you really can’t go wrong with a quartet that includes Golden Age standards like “Little Caesar,” “The Public Enemy,” “The Petrified Forest” and “White Heat.” All four films have also been remastered for their Blu-ray debuts, and like most Warner Bros. catalog titles, they look fantastic. Each collection also includes a 32-page book with images and additional info on each movie, and the Classic edition comes packaged with a feature-length documentary. The best part? At $40 a pop, you’re getting some great movies at an unbeatable price.

Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Collection

What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with one of the coolest dads in movie history? We’re talking about John McClane, of course, even if he wasn’t exactly a very good father himself. Though Fox has released the fifth installment in the “Die Hard” series, “A Good Day to Die Hard,” just in time for the holiday, we’d actually recommend picking up the “Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Collection” on Blu-ray instead. Though the earlier films haven’t been given the HD restoration that they deserve, the set does include a nearly two-hour retrospective on the franchise titled “Decoding Die Hard” that’s definitely worth checking out. Plus, unlike the latest installment, the other four movies are all worthy of repeat viewings (yes, even the underrated “Live Free or Die Hard”), making this five-disc box set a must-have for any fan of the series, Bruce Willis or great action films in general.

Forever Marilyn Collection

She’s probably our most iconic sex symbol. Marilyn Monroe remains relevant after all these years for more than just her amazing beauty and charisma. She was a true starlet, but she could act as well. Now you can get many of her best films in one collection with “Forever Marilyn: The Blu-ray Collection.” The films include classics like “The Misfits” and “Some Like It Hot,” along with new-to-Blu-ray titles “How to Marry A Millionaire,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “The Seven Year Itch,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “River of No Return.” We’ve included some images of Marilyn from the films courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, including the memorable scene of Marilyn’s white dress being blown up in the subway in “The Seven Year Itch.”

House of Cards: The Complete First Season

Based on the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same name, “House of Cards” is an enthralling and immensely addicting drama that boasts the kind of top-shelf quality we’ve come to expect from networks like HBO and AMC. In addition to being produced by David Fincher (who also directed the first two episodes), there’s not a single weak link in the cast. Kevin Spacey delivers his finest performance since “American Beauty” as the calculating politician, while Robin Wright is the perfect complement as his stone-cold marriage partner in crime. Corey Stoll also delivers some fine work as the congressman who gets ensnared in Underwood’s puppet strings. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the series is partly based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Richard III,” because there are so many political power plays in each episode that it has the Bard’s fingerprints all over it.

Skyfall

Just like a good scotch, it’s amazing what a little time can do for a movie’s quality. After the disappointing “Quantum of Solace,” it was imperative that the next James Bond film didn’t follow suit, and although the MGM bankruptcy fiasco that put production indefinitely on hold was worrying, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Not only does the story feel more polished as a result, but it features one of the best Bond villains in the series’ history. Javier Bardem’s platinum-haired cyber-terrorist doesn’t appear until the midway mark, but the actor makes the most of his limited screen time, including a particularly memorable introduction. It’s hard to imagine Bardem would have even been interested in doing a Bond movie if it weren’t for Sam Mendes, and the same could probably be said for the rest of the cast as well. Though he was certainly an unconventional choice, having a director of Mendes’ caliber behind the camera is something the Broccolis should strive for more often, because it’s clear from the start that “Skyfall” is in a totally different class than past installments and Daniel Craig’s best Bond adventure to date.

Django Unchained

Though Quentin Tarantino doesn’t make very many films, when he does release a new one, it’s always met with the same kind of crazed excitement usually reserved for summer tentpoles, and that’s because his movies are practically big events themselves. After dabbling in just about every genre at this point in his career, it was only natural that he would eventually try his hand at making a Western, even if “Django Unchained” is more of a genre mash-up between a spaghetti western and a blaxploitation film, complete with all the musical cues, whip pans and other stylistic flourishes. The film also reveals itself to be somewhat of a buddy comedy, and this is when “Django Unchained” is at its best, delivering some of Tarantino’s funniest dialogue and anchored by yet another show-stopping performance from Christoph Waltz. But while “Django Unchained” is filled with plenty of classic Tarantino moments, it’s hard not to feel a little letdown, because it simply doesn’t live up to the high standards set by his previous films.

Lincoln

Steven Spielberg has been trying to make a movie about Abraham Lincoln for so long that it seemed like it might never happen. But after years stuck in development, his passion project finally got made, albeit with a different actor in the title role. Though Daniel Day-Lewis is certainly no slouch, the prospect of Liam Neeson reteaming with his “Schindler’s List” director was a lot more exciting. Nevertheless, Day-Lewis proves himself a more than adequate replacement as the 16th U.S. President, commanding the screen with a vigor that combats the film’s languid pace. His Lincoln is stubborn and stoic, but also witty when the mood permits, and though he was the only cast member to win an Oscar for his performance, the acting is top-notch all around, including fellow nominees Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, and James Spader as a slimy lobbyist. “Lincoln” does get a little too caught up in the intricacies of the political process at times, but it’s an engaging behind the scenes look at one of the country’s most historic moments.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

It was never going to be an easy job adapting “The Hobbit” for the big screen, and although that likely played a part in Peter Jackson’s initial decision to let another director take the reins, at the end of the day, it just wouldn’t have felt right with anyone else behind the camera. Not only does Jackson know the source material inside and out, but in keeping with the same tone and breathtaking visuals from the original trilogy, the movie feels like it’s part of a bigger story. Granted, “An Unexpected Journey” only covers about a third of Tolkien’s novel, and as a result, there are times when the movie seems to be holding back in fear that it’s covering too much too soon. Though Martin Freeman is perfectly cast as the young Bilbo, and Ian McKellan effortlessly slides back into the role of Gandalf, the film’s real MVP is Andy Serkis, who delivers his best work as Gollum in perhaps the most memorable scene of all four movies. “An Unexpected Journey” still falls a bit short of “The Lord of the Rings” in the end, but it’s a delightfully fun trip back to Middle-earth whose biggest flaw is not knowing when enough is enough.

Schindler’s List

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since the release of Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” but even after all that time, it remains one of the director’s finest films and arguably the best movie ever made about the Holocaust. Though the film is plagued by many of the typical Spielbergian problems, Janusz Kaminski’s cinematography is superb (it looks even better in high definition) and the acting is great all around. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes’ Oscar nominations were both fully deserved, delivering some of the best work of their careers as the heroic Schindler and psychotic SS officer Amon Goeth, respectively, while Ben Kingsley’s absence from the Supporting Actor category feels unjust in hindsight. Still, the movie walked away with seven Academy Awards that year – including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay – so it’s not like it didn’t receive its fair share of recognition, and now that it’s finally on Blu-ray, a whole new generation of moviegoers can finally enjoy Spielberg’s excellent drama the way it should be seen.

Argo

Ben Affleck may have proved that he was more than just a one-hit wonder with “The Town,” but for his next project, the multihyphenate moved away from the comforts of Boston to a much larger stage, delivering his best film in the process. A politically charged thriller that felt eerily timely in the wake of the U.S. embassy attacks in Libya, “Argo” is unique in that it also juggles a lighter Hollywood insider subplot in addition to its main story. By all accounts, it shouldn’t work, but Affleck makes the blending of the contrasting tones seem effortless. The comedy provided by Alan Arkin’s veteran producer and John Goodman’s makeup artist never undercuts the seriousness of the action in Tehran, and yet the strategically placed laughs help break up the tension that mounts over the course of the film. It’s been a while since a movie literally had me on the edge of my seat, but “Argo” is extremely taut and suspenseful, topped off by a fantastic nail-biter ending and one of the year’s best ensembles. The fact that it’s also based on a true story is simply the icing on the cake.

Hatfields & McCoys

This History Channel miniseries was a huge hit last summer and should be a welcomed gift by most dads. Kevin Costner stars as Anse “Devil” Hatfield and Bill Paxton stars as Randall McCoy in the epic and true tale of close friends turned enemies. The infamous back country feud that became an American legend begins when the two friends return home near the end of the Civil War. Hatfield is from West Virginia, while McCoy is just across the Tug River border in Kentucky. They soon experience increasing tensions, misunderstandings and resentments that then explode into all-out warfare between the families. As hostilities grow, friends, neighbors and outside forces join the fight, bringing the two states to the brink of another Civil War.

The Rat Pack: The Original Bad Boys

Like most guys, we have a great deal of respect and admiration for the Rat Pack. These guys knew how to enjoy themselves, and they always did it with class. Fran Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford were the guys that had all the fun, and everyone wanted to be around them. The played in old school Las Vegas when Vegas was Vegas. LIFE was there to document all of the fun and frolic with photographer John Dominis, and you can see many of his best images in this tribute to the Rat Pack. You’ll also see photos with other celebrities and iconic figures, including Shirley MacLaine, Jackie Gleason, Bing Crosby and President Kennedy along with some shady characters as well. You also get all of the great stories from this period that we all seem to long for as we swallow down our own Martinis today. For many dads this one is a no-brainer.

INSTANT BASEBALL: The Baseball Instagrams of Brad Mangin

For dads who love baseball and great photography, this book can be a great option. It’s different, however, from all other baseball photo books, as this one is filled with photos taken with an Apple iPhone 4S using the Instagram app. Brad Mangin is a professional baseball photographer and he had all the access he needed to compile all of these beautiful photographs that give us a glimpse of the 2012 season from so many unique perspectives.

WHAT: Following a mandatory leave of absence after a political tirade goes viral, news anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Bridges) returns to find that most of his staff has quit. Seeing an opportunity to rebrand the nighttime program, his boss (Sam Waterson) hires Will’s ex-girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), to executive produce a show that values quality news over ratings-driven infotainment.

WHY: Aaron Sorkin’s last TV project (“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”) may not have been his best work, but he’s hit a homerun with this HBO drama, which uses actual news stories (the BP oil spill, the death of Osama Bin Laden, etc.) to ground the show (and by extension, its characters) in reality. The writing is every bit as snappy, whip-smart and funny as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, while the cast is littered with great performances from veterans like Bridges, Mortimer and Waterson, as well as up-and-comers like John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill and, quite surprisingly, Olivia Munn.

EXTRAS: In addition to cast and crew audio commentaries on half the episodes, the four-disc set also includes all of the “Inside the Episode” recaps, a handful of deleted scenes, and a 25-minute roundtable discussion with Sorkin, Daniels, Mortimer, Waterson and directors/producers Greg Mottola and Alan Poul about making the show.

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

WHAT: After Senator Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), the House Majority Whip, is passed over for the Secretary of State position, he exacts revenge on those who betrayed him by exploiting his devoted wife (Robin Wright), a young reporter (Kate Mara) and a troubled congressman (Corey Stoll) to help do his dirty work.

WHY: Based on the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same name, “House of Cards” is an enthralling and immensely addicting drama that boasts the kind of top-shelf quality we’ve come to expect from networks like HBO and AMC. In addition to being produced by David Fincher (who also directed the first two episodes), there’s not a single weak link in the cast. Kevin Spacey delivers his finest performance since “American Beauty” as the calculating politician, while Robin Wright is the perfect complement as his stone-cold marriage partner in crime. Corey Stoll also delivers some fine work as the congressman who gets ensnared in Underwood’s puppet strings. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the series is partly based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Richard III,” because there are so many political power plays in each episode that it has the Bard’s fingerprints all over it.

EXTRAS: Sadly, no bonus material has been included.

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

WHAT: When carnival magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is swept away by a tornado to the magical land of Oz, he meets a witch named Theodora (Mila Kunis), who believes he’s the prophesized wizard that will defeat the terrorizing Wicked Witch. But after Theodora’s older sister (Rachel Weisz) tries to trick Oscar into killing Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams), he becomes embroiled in a fight for the kingdom.

WHY: For someone who supposedly counts “The Wizard of Oz” as one of his favorite films, Sam Raimi’s prequel doesn’t resemble it all, nor does the story add much to the mythology. It’s a messy hodgepodge of half-baked ideas and tongue-in-cheek references that mostly fall flat. “Oz the Great and Powerful” isn’t without its charms – Williams is perfectly cast as Glinda and Zach Braff turns in an entertaining performance as the voice of a friendly flying monkey – but Raimi seems so concerned with hitting all the familiar hotspots (like the Emerald City and Dark Forest) that he completely glosses over the fact that the story is a bore.

EXTRAS: James Franco’s behind-the-scenes documentary “My Journey in Oz” is arguably the highlight of the two-disc set, but there’s also a great look at Walt Disney’s history with the Oz books, a quartet of production featurettes and a blooper reel.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

WHAT: A Shaolin disciple (Bruce Lee) is recruited by the British Intelligence to infiltrate a martial arts tournament being held by a crime lord (Kien Shih) suspected of drug trafficking and prostitution. He’s joined at the tournament by a gambling-addicted playboy (John Saxon) and black activist (Jim Kelly), both of whom are on the run for different reasons.

WHY: It seems a little unfair to refer to “Enter the Dragon” as Bruce Lee’s masterpiece, because he was just starting to hit his stride at the time of his unfortunate death, but it’s definitely one of the best martial arts movies ever made. Though incredibly cheesy at times and unabashedly inspired by “Dr. No,” the film serves as a great reminder why Lee was such an incredible entertainer. His martial arts skills may take center stage in the action scenes, including the iconic mirror room fight versus Han, but it’s his remarkable charisma (unrivaled by any other martial arts star to this day) that keeps you watching, and that’s why he was one of a kind.

EXTRAS: The 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition boasts many of the same extras from previous releases, as well as a few new ones, including featurettes on Lee’s legacy, the locations used during filming and the art of Wing Chun.

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

WHAT: After his estranged son (Rafi Gavron) is imprisoned for accepting a delivery of drugs on behalf of his friend, John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson) strikes an agreement with the U.S. District Attorney (Susan Sarandon) to go undercover for the DEA and bring down a local drug dealer in exchange for his freedom.

WHY: Films like “Snitch” are meant to infuriate you about the supposed injustice of our legal system, but instead, it fails to generate any emotional response apart from boredom. A social issue movie disguised as a paint-by-numbers crime thriller, “Snitch” is reportedly based on a true story, but the events have been so distorted that hardly any details from the original news story remain. Johnson delivers a surprisingly subtle performance in the lead role, but he’s not given a whole lot to chew on. In fact, Barry Pepper’s scraggly goatee – which looks like something you’d find clogging a drain pipe – is probably the most interesting thing about the film, and though there have been far worse movies this year (see below), none have been so miserably tedious that an actor’s facial hair steals the show.

EXTRAS: In addition to an audio commentary with co-writer/director Ric Roman Waugh and editor Jonathan Chibnall, there’s also a fairly in-depth making-of featurette and some deleted scenes.

FINAL VERDICT: SKIP

WHAT: Picking up where the fairly tale ended, orphaned siblings Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have grown up to become famous witch hunters. Hired to retrieve some missing children from a small village, they discover that a dark witch named Muriel (Famke Janssen) plans to sacrifice them during the upcoming Blood Moon in an attempt to make all witches immune to fire.

WHY: After being shuffled from one release date to the next, Tommy Wirkola’s Hollywood debut shocked everyone when it made over $225 million worldwide, sparking talks of a potential sequel. Hopefully, that won’t come to pass, because anyone that actually sat through this movie can tell you just how horrible it really is – and not in a so-bad-it’s-good way either. The dialogue is dreadful, the acting isn’t much better, and the special effects are so cheap that there’s a troll character played by a guy in a goofy costume. It’s honestly hard to believe that Renner and Arterton were able to keep a straight face while making this B-movie garbage, because if the studio did anything right, it was delaying the film’s release as long as it did.

EXTRAS: While the original theatrical cut appears on the included DVD, the Blu-ray contains an unrated version of the movie with an additional 10 minutes of footage. There’s also a trio of featurettes on the various stages of production, creating the look of the witches and bringing the troll character to life.

FINAL VERDICT: SKIP

The “Die Hard” series may have proven that it still had some life left in it with 2007’s “Live Free or Die Hard,” but the latest installment is so shockingly dull that the studio would have been better off ending it there. Not only is it the weakest entry in the action franchise, but it’s so generic in just about every way that the only thing that makes it feel like a “Die Hard” movie at all is the inclusion of John McClane, and even he seems like a watered-down version of the character we know and love. After bringing back McClane’s daughter in the last film, it made sense to incorporate his son Jack into the story this time around. But while that dynamic may have sounded great on paper, it doesn’t work as well in execution. A lot of that falls on Skip Woods’ awful script, and between the clichéd plot and recycled jokes, “A Good Day to Die Hard” feels like a direct-to-video action film that’s replaced key characters with members of the McClane family. Director John Moore takes it one step further by sucking almost all the fun out of the experience. Though he clearly takes pride in the sheer ridiculousness of the violent set pieces, it’s mostly just a bunch of noise, and not terribly exciting to watch either.

Blu-ray Highlight: A review copy wasn’t provided in time, but if the list of bonus material is any indication, the extras are probably the best thing on the disc.

Director Jonathan Levine has tackled some pretty ballsy material in his short career, but “Warm Bodies” is easily his most adventurous and challenging project yet, if only because the subject matter is about as outside-the-box as you can get. Based on Isaac Marion’s young adult novel of the same name, the movie plays out like “Romeo and Juliet” by way of George Romero – a post-apocalyptic fairy tale that takes quite a few liberties with zombie film mythology along the way. One of the biggest changes is that eating someone’s brains now comes with the added effect of absorbing their memories. It doesn’t exactly make sense, but it’s essential to the story that Levine is trying to tell. And for the most part, he gets away with it, thanks mainly to his two leads. Teresa Palmer does a good job playing the love interest (a more proactive damsel in distress who could kick Bella Swan’s butt), while Nicholas Hoult’s performance is nothing short of impressive considering a bulk of his speaking lines are delivered in hilariously self-aware narration. The film drags a bit in the middle, but Levine’s script is bursting with such wry, dark humor that it just barely tips the scales in its favor.

Blu-ray Highlight: Same deal as above, and with a collection of extras that includes a cast and crew commentary and production featurettes on everything from casting and locations, to make-up and stunts, some of it will surely be worth checking out.

It’s a little embarrassing to admit having never seen any of the “Mad Max” films in their entirety before, but after finally getting around to watching the cult classic trilogy over the weekend, I’m still puzzled as to why they’re so popular. Although it helped launch the careers of star Mel Gibson and director George Miller (who’s currently at work on another sequel), there’s not much more to appreciate beyond the excellent stunt work on display in each movie’s symphony of high-octane vehicular carnage. Gibson’s character doesn’t even play a very big part in the first film, and though he’s given a more traditional leading role in the gonzo, post-apocalyptic sequels, he seldom gets the chance to showcase the kind of movie star charisma that defined his future work. That’s because all three films have little in the way of actual plot or character development, and apart from Gibson, the acting is pretty horrendous too. “Mad Max,” “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” operate quite well as fun midnight movies as a result (partly because the villains are so comical), but that’s about the extent of their entertainment value.

Blu-ray Highlight: Unfortunately, there’s not much in the way of extras, although the first movie does include an audio commentary with some of the crew and a retrospective titled “Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon,” while “The Road Warrior” features a commentary with director George Miller and cinematographer Dean Semler.

The Mayans may have been wrong about 2012, but that hasn’t curbed Hollywood’s obsession with the end of the world. As if there weren’t enough doomsday-themed films released last year, 2013 will see no less than five different movies on the topic – that is, if you include “World War Z.” But before audiences flock to theaters to watch stars like Brad Pitt and James Franco try to survive the end of days, writer/director Todd Berger’s “It’s a Disaster” offers a darkly comic tale about a group of friends (and one stranger) who are forced into an impromptu therapy session following a biological attack on the city. Unfortunately, between the uneven script and lazily written stereotypes masquerading as characters, the film just isn’t very funny. David Cross earns some laughs as the straight man of the group, but the rest of the actors are pretty awful, even Julia Stiles and America Ferrera. “It’s a Disaster” has enough smirk-worthy moments to prevent people from making any lame jokes about the title, but with movies like “This Is the End” and “The World’s End” on the horizon, this is one apocalyptic comedy that you definitely don’t need to see before you die.

Blu-ray Highlight: In addition to a lively audio commentary with Berger, Cross and co-stars Kevin M. Brennan and Jeff Grace, there’s also a short behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast, footage from the Comic-Con panel, and a trio of videos from Berger’s sketch comedy group The Vacationeers.

It’s been just over a decade since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last major film role, but after dusting off the cobwebs in last year’s “The Expendables 2,” it’s hard to imagine a more perfect comeback vehicle than “The Last Stand.” Directed by Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, the movie not only reintroduces Schwarzenegger as an older, wiser action hero, but it harkens back to earlier films like “Commando,” when you could get away with being silly as long as it was fun. The first half is a pretty slow burn as Kim patiently builds up to the climactic showdown between Arnie’s band of small-town cops and the bad guys, and though there are some entertaining set pieces along the way, the movie would have benefited from a stronger sense of urgency. Once the film arrives at its big standoff, however, “The Last Stand” is given a much-needed adrenaline shot that cranks up the intensity and violence, more than earning its R rating with some cool gunplay. The movie is far from Jee-woon’s best work, but it’s a mostly enjoyable U.S. debut that will hopefully inspire audiences to track down some of his previous films. It also serves as a welcome return for Schwarzenegger, because no matter how you feel about the man, Hollywood just hasn’t been the same without him.

Blu-ray Highlight: None of the extras are particularly memorable on their own, but Lionsgate has provided a solid collection that includes a behind the scenes look at making the movie, a short weapons featurette, and an in-depth breakdown of the cornfield chase sequence.

It’s a little upsetting to think that “Side Effects” could be Steven Soderbergh’s directorial swan song, because he’s proven over the last few years that while not every one of his movies is a success, his ability to jump between genres with ease makes him one of the more exciting filmmakers in Hollywood. In addition to reteaming the director with past stars like Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum, the film reunites Soderbergh with “Contagion” screenwriter Scott Z. Burns for another medical-themed thriller that strikes a similar chord of paranoia and Hitchcockian suspense. Though it’s not nearly as great as it could’ve been due to a slow first act, once the mystery at the center of the story is revealed, the movie eventually hits its stride, even if that means suspending your disbelief at times. Law, who’s always been a surprisingly underrated actor, delivers another solid performance as the hard-done psychiatrist, while Rooney Mara proves that “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” wasn’t a fluke. It’s hardly one of Soderbergh’s more memorable movies, but “Side Effects” is an enjoyably old school thriller that serves as a worthy bookend to an impressive career cut far too short.

Blu-ray Highlight: There’s a faux behind the scenes featurette that’s good for a few laughs and a pair of fictional drug commercials, but unfortunately, that’s it.

With the exception of a few movies on his resume, director Taylor Hackford has generally been a pretty disappointing filmmaker, so it’s not at all surprising to find that his latest effort follows in those footsteps. Though “Parker” marks the first time that author Donald E. Westlake’s famous hard-boiled criminal (whose adventures have been adapted for the big screen several times before) is referred to by his real name, it doesn’t change the fact that the movie fails on numerous levels. Jason Statham is an incredibly likeable action hero, but his brooding presence just doesn’t feel right for the title character, while Jennifer Lopez is terribly miscast in a part that serves little purpose to the overall story. The rest of the cast is comprised of great character actors like Nick Nolte, Michael Chiklis and Clifton Collins Jr., but their talents are wasted in throwaway roles. Having never read any of the books in the Parker series, it’s hard to say whether the film lives up to the source material, but as a fan of Mel Gibson’s turn as the antihero in “Payback,” it pales in comparison.

Blu-ray Highlight: Director Taylor Hackford provides an informative audio commentary about making the movie, including an interesting recount of the on-the-fly creativity required to capture the opening heist sequence at the Ohio State Fair, but the rest of the bonus material is about as generic as it comes.

It may seem lazy to draw such comparisons, but “Beautiful Creatures” is about as close to a “Twilight” clone that Hollywood has produced, trading vampires and werewolves for witches, and although the film shows more promise than its spiritual predecessor in the early stages, its overdependence on the main love story prevents “Beautiful Creatures” from distinguishing itself as anything other than a “Twilight” wannabe. Of course, one thing the movie has that the vampire saga didn’t is a pair of likeable leads, and that’s credit to authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s source material, as well as newcomers Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert for bringing them to life. The film also benefits greatly from the prestige that Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson and Viola Davis bring to the project (particularly Thompson, who’s clearly having a ball hamming it up as the villain), although that doesn’t save the film from its own inadequacies. Characters drop in and out of the story with no explanation and there’s so much babble about destinies, curses and rules that it becomes a jumbled mess of boring exposition. The movie’s unexpectedly goofy sense of humor helps to keep things light, but “Beautiful Creatures” doesn’t feel like it was made by a studio that loved the books, but rather the idea of success that a film adaptation might bring – all business and no soul.

Blu-ray Highlight: The two-disc combo pack includes a collection of mini-featurettes on everything from adapting the book for the big screen, to costumes and special effects, but they’re packed with so much filler that the bonus material feels like an afterthought.

Leave it to David O. Russell to create a romantic comedy as quirky, dark, funny and surprisingly touching as “Silver Linings Playbook,” because the movie is almost as crazy as its two leads. One minute a fiercely honest character study about a man coping with bipolar disorder, and the next minute a charming rom-com revolving around an amateur dancing competition, the film performs such an amazing tightrope act that it’s really to Russell’s credit that it doesn’t come crashing down like a house of cards. The movie wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable if it weren’t for the risks it takes thematically, but none of that would matter without its incredible cast. Bradley Cooper finally gets the chance to show what he’s fully capable of in the best role of his career, and Robert De Niro has some great moments as Cooper’s superstitious father, but it’s Jennifer Lawrence (already so good at such a young age) who steals the show with a phenomenal performance fully deserving of her recent Oscar win.

Blu-ray Highlight: The making-of featurette, “The Film That Became a Movement,” does a great job of balancing the usual behind the scenes footage with cast and crew interviews promoting mental health awareness, while the Q&A highlights are worth watching for those who want to know more about the film’s production. And though most of the deleted scenes can be easily skipped, the alternate ending is a must-see for any fan of the movie.

You wouldn’t think that it’d be very hard for someone like David Chase – who helped reinvent the TV drama with “The Sopranos” – to get his feature film debut off the ground, but then again, “Not Fade Away” feels so hastily thrown together that it’s not surprising it took five years to do so. A good idea in need of a better script, Chase’s 1960s’set story about a kid trying to follow in the footsteps of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to make it big as a rock n’ roll star doesn’t feature a single likable character. That makes enjoying its anticlimactic story even more difficult, because it’s hard to care what happens to anyone in the film when they’re as naïve, selfish and just plain boring as the characters here. James Gandolfini’s overbearing father is probably the most interesting (and levelheaded) of the bunch, and yet he’s portrayed almost like a villain. The music is good and the tale of failed stardom is more believable than most rock band movies, but that’s also what makes “Not Fade Away” so forgettable.

Blu-ray Highlight: Divided into three sections, “The Basement Tapes” offers a look at various aspects of the filmmaking process, including training the actors to play their respective instruments (with the help of Steven Van Zandt, no less), the 1960s setting and costumes, and the similarities between the story and David Chase’s teen years.

With the exception of her supporting roles in the two “Meet the Parents” sequels, it’s been 16 years since Barbara Streisand actually starred in a film, so it’s a little surprising that she chose “The Guilt Trip” as her highly anticipated return from semi-retirement. It’s not a bad movie by any means, but it’s one that left me feeling totally indifferent, and you’d expect more from someone as respected as the veteran actress. There’s just nothing particularly funny about anything that happens to Streisand and Seth Rogen’s characters over the course the film, and that’s mostly due to the fact that the material is really tame. Dan Fogelman’s script is incredibly formulaic, and apart from its somewhat twist ending, there are so few surprises that it would’ve been entirely forgettable without its two stars. You wouldn’t think that Streisand and Rogen would have such great chemistry, but they make the movie a lot more tolerable. Unfortunately, while “The Guilt Trip” may have sounded funnier on paper, it’s a fairly harmless mother-son comedy that fails to leave much of an impression.

Blu-ray Highlight: There aren’t any standout extras on the disc, but there’s a nice collection of behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes that should please fans of Barbara. If you can’t stand the sound of Seth Rogen’s annoying laugh, though, you might want to steer clear of the gag reel.

It’s been a while since Hollywood delivered a truly great mobster movie, and though “Gangster Squad” falls a little short of remedying that, it’s still an entertaining and welcome return to the genre, partially because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Will Beall’s script does a good job of balancing the drama with brief moments of humor, while Sean Penn’s gleefully over-the-top turn as Mickey Cohen is just campy enough without being distracting. The action sequences are also really well done, although the unique visual style that Ruben Fleischer brought to “Zombieland” isn’t as prevalent here as it was in that movie. If there’s one thing that really makes the film worth seeing, however, it’s the killer cast. Josh Brolin is great as the leader of the titular squad, and it’s nice to see Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone rekindle their chemistry from “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” even if both parts are poorly underwritten. The other cast members don’t get as much to do, but having top-notch actors like Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Michael Peña, Giovanni Ribisi and Robert Patrick in those supporting roles definitely elevates the material. The story is predictable, and it owes a lot to “The Untouchables,” but “Gangster Squad” is enjoyable in spite of all that.

Blu-ray Highlight: It’s a shame that Warner Bros. didn’t include the original movie theater shootout sequence among the deleted scenes, but the rest of the bonus material is pretty good. “The Gangland Files” collects many of the disc’s extras (including Focus Point mini-featurettes, historical trivia and other bits) into a picture-in-picture track that plays alongside the film, while the audio commentary with director Ruben Fleischer is informative but not terribly engaging.

Based on the true story of the Alvarez-Belon family – who were separated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while vacationing in Thailand, only to overcome incredible odds and be miraculously reunited – the aptly titled “The Impossible” is a stunning second feature by Juan Antonio Bayona that blends physical filmmaking with raw emotion. The tsunami sequence is a remarkable technical feat that perfectly captures the danger and desperation of being caught in the storm, and the scenes that follow are every bit as harrowing and intense as any horror film. That’s because “The Impossible” is essentially a real-life horror movie, although one that features some soul-baring performances by its cast. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor both deliver some of the best work of their careers as the two parents stuck in a difficult situation, while newcomer Tom Holland announces himself to the world with a star-making turn as the couple’s eldest son. The end result is not only an extremely well-made survival thriller, but a poignant celebration of the human spirit that deserves to be seen by all.

Blu-ray Highlight: Though the audio commentary with director J.A. Bayona, writer Sergio G. Sanchez and real-life survivor Maria Belon isn’t nearly as interesting as you’d expect considering the subject matter, there is a short but sweet behind-the-scenes featurette titled “Realizing ‘The Impossible’” that provides a cool look at filming the tsunami sequence using a combination of practical effects, models and CG.

The direct-to-video market has really improved over the last five years or so, with many films now featuring well-known actors keen to make a quick payday. But while the presence of these stars certainly makes the movies more appealing, there’s usually a good reason why they didn’t get a theatrical release, and in the case of “Pawn,” it’s down to some bad writing. Though the crime thriller starts out fairly promising, it doesn’t take long before the film devolves into a poorly scripted mess filled with stupid characters, contrived plot twists and one of the worst rush job endings you’ll ever see. The movie tries really hard to be clever, but it just comes off as unnecessarily complex, with strange decisions on both sides of the camera. Michael Chiklis, sporting a Cockney accent for some strange reason, is the best thing about the film, but unfortunately, the rest of the big names (like Forest Whitaker, Stephen Lang and Ray Liotta) don’t have nearly as much to do. With a better script, “Pawn” could have been a lot more enjoyable, but instead, it’s just another example of good actors stuck in a bad movie.

Blu-ray Highlight: The only extra on the disc is a 23-minute behind the scenes featurette that’s pretty hard to sit through. Not only does it include the usual self-congratulatory interviews with the cast and crew, but it’s done in such a confident and overenthusiastic manner that you’d think they were making a future Oscar winner.

Though the director doesn’t make very many films, when Tarantino does release a new one, it’s always met with the same kind of crazed excitement usually reserved for summer tentpoles, and that’s because his movies are practically big events themselves. After dabbling in just about every genre at this point in his career, it was only natural that he would eventually try his hand at making a Western, even if “Django Unchained” is more of a genre mash-up between a spaghetti western and a blaxploitation film, complete with all the musical cues, whip pans and other stylistic flourishes. The film also reveals itself to be somewhat of a buddy comedy, and this is when “Django Unchained” is at its best, delivering some of Tarantino’s funniest dialogue and anchored by yet another show-stopping performance from Christoph Waltz. By the time Leonardo DiCaprio’s charming but villainous plantation owner is introduced, however, the movie starts to lose steam. Though DiCaprio is a lot of fun to watch in the role, the second half of the film drags on for too long, and that’s coming from someone who usually welcomes Tarantino’s tendency towards excess. “Django Unchained” is propped up by a pair of fantastic performances and is filled with plenty of classic Tarantino moments, but it’s hard not to feel a little letdown, because it simply doesn’t live up to the high standards set by his previous films.

Blu-ray Highlight: A review copy wasn’t provided in time, but if other sources are to be believed, the included bonus material is a bit lackluster, with only a handful of extras (including featurettes on the film’s costumes, stunts and production designer J. Michael Riva) and no audio commentary by Tarantino.

Steven Spielberg has been trying to make a movie about Abraham Lincoln for so long that it seemed like it might never happen. But after years stuck in development, his passion project finally got made, albeit with a different actor in the title role. Though Daniel Day-Lewis is certainly no slouch, the prospect of Liam Neeson reteaming with his “Schindler’s List” director was a lot more exciting. Nevertheless, Day-Lewis proves himself a more than adequate replacement as the 16th U.S. President, commanding the screen with a vigor that combats the film’s languid pace. His Lincoln is stubborn and stoic, but also witty when the mood permits, and though he was the only cast member to win an Oscar for his performance, the acting is top-notch all around, including fellow nominees Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, and James Spader as a slimy lobbyist. While the more bureaucratic scenes drag on for too long, they’re a big part of what “Lincoln” is all about and provide some of the film’s best moments. The movie does get a little too caught up in the intricacies of the political process at times, but it’s an engaging behind the scenes look at one of the country’s most historic moments.

Blu-ray Highlight: A review copy didn’t arrive in time, but some quick research shows that there are two versions of the Blu-ray available: a barebones two-disc edition with a pair of brief featurettes and a four-disc edition with an additional 65 minutes of bonus material. If you’re a history buff, or you just really like behind-the-scenes extras, go with the latter set. Otherwise, the two-disc version should suffice.

Unlike his polarizing 2007 Western, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” Andrew Dominik’s “Killing Them Softly” is much more accessible, despite the fact that it’s unlike your typical gangster movie. Though there’s a certain familiarity to the story, and it features the kind of violence and brutality that we’ve come to expect from the genre, the film is mostly comprised of lengthy, dialogue-heavy scenes that are almost Tarantino-esque in nature. They occasionally don’t go anywhere, and some drag on a longer than necessary, but the dialogue is so sharply written and the characters so richly imagined that it’s easy to be sucked into the seedy criminal underworld that Dominik has created. The movie can be a tad too political at times with its allegorical comparisons between mobsters and corporate America, but the film is just as enjoyable without all the commentary thanks to its fantastic ensemble cast. Of course, in making it feel like less of a gangster movie, “Killing Them Softly” actually feels oddly more genuine as a result. “Jackie Brown” is still the best when it comes to talky crime thrillers, but Dominik’s latest film at least deserves to be part of the discussion.

Blu-ray Highlight: Unfortunately, there aren’t many options in the special features department except for a small batch of deleted scenes and an all-too-brief making-of featurette. The actors all have nice things to say about director Andrew Dominik, but an audio commentary with Dominik or some of the cast would have been appreciated.

Like peanut butter and jelly, there’s something irresistible about the combination of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and TV. From “Saturday Night Live,” to “Seinfeld,” to “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” the actress has been making people laugh for the better part of the last three decades, and if the first season of the HBO comedy “Veep” proves anything, it’s that she’s still one of the funniest women in the business. Created by Armando Iannucci (“The Thick of It,” “In the Loop”), “Veep” is a lot more absurd than the biting political satire of his previous work, but it’s a consistently funny look at one of the strangest jobs in U.S. politics: Vice President, a surprisingly powerless position considering it’s only a heartbeat away from becoming the most powerful person in the country. Though Iannucci spends plenty of time exploring that concept in the eight-episode first season, he uses that platform as a way of lampooning the inner workings of the U.S. government as a whole as well. The jokes don’t always land, and the series gets increasingly more ridiculous by the episode, but with Louis-Dreyfus’ Emmy-winning performance to fall back on, “Veep” is the best place to find laughs on HBO until “Curb Your Enthusiasm” returns.

Blu-ray Highlight: It looks like HBO is finally starting to step up its game in the special features department. In addition to cast and crew audio commentaries on every episode (12 in total, with some episodes boasting multiple tracks), “The Making of Veep” is an enjoyable behind-the-scenes look at the series, covering topics like the creative process, the ensemble cast and replicating the Vice President’s office.

It was never going to be an easy job adapting “The Hobbit” for the big screen, especially after the success of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and although that likely played a part in Peter Jackson’s initial decision to let another director take the reins, at the end of the day, it just wouldn’t have felt right with anyone else behind the camera. Not only does Jackson know the source material inside and out, but in keeping with the same tone and breathtaking visuals from the original trilogy, the movie feels like it’s part of a bigger story. Granted, “An Unexpected Journey” only covers about a third of Tolkien’s novel, and as a result, there are times when the movie seems to be holding back in fear that it’s covering too much too soon. Martin Freeman is perfectly cast as the young Bilbo, and Ian McKellan effortlessly slides back into the role of Gandalf, but the dwarves are another matter, with Richard Armitage’s leader the only one to really distinguish himself from the pack. However, the film’s real MVP is Andy Serkis, who delivers his best work as Gollum in perhaps the most memorable scene of all four movies. “An Unexpected Journey” still falls a bit short of “The Lord of the Rings” in the end, but it’s a delightfully fun trip back to Middle-earth whose biggest flaw is not knowing when enough is enough.

Blu-ray Highlight: It’s a bit disappointing that the only bonus material Warner Bros. saw fit to include on the Blu-ray are the two hours’ worth of video blogs that were already made available online in the lead-up to the film’s release. With that said, it’s an impressively in-depth look at the making of the first movie (back when it was only two parts), from location filming in New Zealand, to shooting in 3D and 48 fps, to the dwarves’ intricate makeup and costumes, and much more. Some newer extras would have been nice, but with the inevitable Extended Edition in the pipeline, it’s not much of a surprise either.

Regardless of how you feel about torture techniques or the controversial release of classified information to writer Mark Boal about the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, it’s hard not to be totally engrossed by “Zero Dark Thirty,” especially since it represents a major moment in U.S. history. Jessica Chastain is brilliant as the CIA agent whose obsession with tracking down bin Laden helped lead to his eventual death, while Jason Clarke also delivers a standout performance as a fellow agent working the case. Though this ridiculously in-depth account of the CIA’s search for the al-Qaeda leader could have been an extremely dull affair in someone else’s hands, director Kathryn Bigelow injects the film with the same level of intensity and suspense that made “The Hurt Locker” so riveting. It certainly makes for some fascinating viewing material, and the final 20 minutes – comprised of the climactic attack on bin Laden’s Pakistan compound – are some of the most exciting of any movie released this year.

Blu-ray Highlight: The lack of an audio commentary by director Kathryn Bigelow or writer Mark Boal stings a little bit, and none of the included extras are necessarily must-see, but together they form a decent collection of bonus material that covers the construction of bin Laden’s compound, the authenticity of the SEAL Team 6 equipment (including the top secret stealth helicopters), and Jessica Chastain’s lead character.

It may seem a little suspect releasing another R-rated comedy about bridesmaids behaving badly so soon after Paul Feig’s Oscar-nominated film became a box office hit, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end between “Bachelorette” and “Bridesmaids.” In fact, those claiming that the former is just a cheap rip-off might be surprised to discover that Lesyle Headland’s directorial debut is actually based on her pre-“Bridesmaids” stage play of the same name. Unfortunately, despite its excellent cast and my indifference for the overrated Kristen Wiig comedy, “Bachelorette” is actually worse. For starters, there’s not a single likable character in the entire movie, and most of them are selfish, emotionally-stunted individuals who wouldn’t know how to exist in the real world. Though it’s great seeing Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan reunited after the cancellation of “Party Down,” that’s about all the film has to offer. “Bachelorette” isn’t just mean-spirited and completely unfunny – it’s surprisingly boring as well. Maybe the story works better on the stage, because the film version isn’t nearly as entertaining as its cast seems to think.

Blu-ray Highlight: There’s not much in the way of special features, but if you don’t mind sitting through the movie a second time, writer/director Lesyle Headland’s audio commentary is worth a listen, especially for any aspiring filmmakers interested in what it’s like to shoot your first feature.