This week finds several tv series as well as a neglected fine little horror flick land in stores (and websites) near you.

The weekly DVD lists are not meant to be a complete list of the week’s releases, but rather a summary of ones that have caught our eye or ones that we feel are applicable to the criminal nature of Crimespree. I would love to offer up a list of all releases, but then I would not have time to watch them!

ALLY MCBEAL: The Complete Series (1997-2002) Thirty-two disc set, $199.98. Extras: “Bygone Days an Ally McBeal Retrospective” with cast and creators including Calista Flockhart, Jane Krakowski, Lucy Liu, Peter MacNicol, Gil Bellows, Greg Germann, and David E. Kelley; “The Best of Ally McBeal” soundtrack with never before released songs; Season 2 TV special “Life and Trials of Ally McBeal”; Season 5 “Goodbye, Ally”; behind-the-scenes featurette; more. (Fox).

Get your fix of love, laughter and lunacy with the award-winning show that made Calista Flockhart a household favorite. With engaging story lines, hip music and appearances by some of the world’s biggest stars, including Robert Downey Jr., Elton John, Christina Ricci, Jon Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Taye Diggs, Tracey Ullman and Barry White, Ally McBeal transformed TV for women and raised the comedy-drama genre to an outrageous new level!


ALLY MCBEAL Season One (1997-98) Six-disc set with 23 episodes, $39.98. (Fox).

Ok, I admit I will be giving ALLY MCBEAL a shot. I was a big fan of David Kelly’s BOSTON LEGAL, so I figured I might as well check out his other odd show that features quicky lawyers. But in case any of you are thinking of calling into question my manliness, I will point out that I will be following it up with the Blu-ray release of UFC 100.

ASSASSINATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT (2008) Mischa Barton, Reece Thompson, Aaron Himelstein, Luke Grimes, Bruce Willis. Extras: Commentary, alternate opening sequences, extended and alternate scenes, deleted scenes. (Sony).

Dark high school comedy. Sophomore newspaper reporter Bobby Funke is assigned to write a cover story on the popular class president and top athlete. After a stack of SAT tests is stolen, Funke publishes an expose that names the jock as the prime suspect and suddenly, Bobby is BMOC. But when the jock’s girlfriend makes a move on him and even his former bullies play nice, Bobby begins to doubt the boy’s guilt, mounting an investigation that uncovers a campus-wide conspiracy that threatens to take down students and teachers alike.

BONES Season Four (2008-09)David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel T.J. Thyne, Eric Millegan DVD: $59.98, Blu-ray: $69.99 . Extras: Three extended episodes, deleted scenes, gag reel, featurettes: “Androgeny: Playing Haru Tanaka” and “Squints In Training.” (Fox).

Temperance Brennan is a highly skilled forensic anthropologist in Washington, DC. FBI Agent Seeley Booth calls on her to assist with investigations when the standard methods of identifying a body are useless – when the remains are badly decomposed, burned or destroyed beyond recognition.

CHINATOWN: Centenial Collection Dir: Roman Polanski; Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway. $16.99 Extras: Chinatown: An Appreciation, Water and Power, Commentary by writer Robert Towne with special guest David Fincher. (Paramount)

A landmark movie in the film noir tradition, Roman Polanski’s Chinatown stars Jack Nicholson as private eye Jake Gittes. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband’s extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in…Chinatown.

DARK COUNTRY (2009) Thomas Jane, Lauren German, Ron Perlman. Extras: Commentary, making-of featurette. (Sony).

Two honeymooners rescue a mysterious car crash survivor in the Las Vegas desert but they come to regret that decision when the man makes their ride a hellish one.

GET SMART: Season 4 (1958-69) Don Adams, barbara feldon, Edward Platt, Robert Karvelas $24.98. (HBO Home Video).

Maxwell Smart is back…And Loving it! And so is Agent 99, The Chief, Fang and the rest of the fearless Get Smart gang. Here is the legendary, Emmy Award-Winning spy-spoof series inspired by the comic genius of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, digitally restored, remastered and brought to you by HBO Home Entertainment. Now its easier than ever to out-smart the world’s least secret…secret agent, in this cunningly funny 4-DVD collection, featruing all 26 episodes of Get Smart’s fourth hit season. So if the object of your mission is timeless family comedy…grab your shoe phone and get ready…for Get Smart!


MEDIUM: The Fifth Season (2009)Patricia Arquette, Jake Weber, David Cubitt, and Miguel Sandoval $60.90. (Paramount).

Allison Dubois (Arquette) is a strong-willed, devoted young wife and mother of three girls, who has gradually come to grips with her extraordinary ability to talk to dead people, see the future in her dreams and read people’s thoughts. This season, Allison and her family’s world is turned upside down after her abilities are publicly exposed, resulting in sweeping changes both professionally and personally.

TRICK ‘R TREAT (2008) Quinn Lord, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett, Lauren Lee Smith, Britt Mckillip, Jean-Luc Bilodeau. DVD: $27.98 ,Blu-ray: $35.99 Extras: “Trick ‘R Treat: Season’s Greetings” featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).

Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband.

T r’T was actually filmed in early 2008 and has been collecting dust ever since. While the film is a horror flick, the crime here is that this entertaining creeper has been neglected for so long.