Bloglander

DVD
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 

Around the time Stieg Larsson's book trilogy about high-tech sleuthing and age-old sexual abuse were on their way to (somewhat unexpectedly) conquering all sorts of international bestseller lists, the decision was made to repackage this series of Swedish TV adaptations of the books into theatrical releases for the American market. The movies helped keep arthouse theaters afloat (the Magic Lantern will still be showing this film even after it's gone to DVD). Problem is, they kinda showed like blown-up TV movies. Watching them at home should solve that problem. (Rated R)

Red
A bunch of hot middle-aged spy retirees (Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren) are suddenly targeted for annihilation by the very agency they once worked for. The solution, of course, is to break into the CIA and, I don't know, prove a point about age being nothing but a number. (PG-13)

Nowhere Boy
John Lennon had a life before the Beatles. It involved a degree of sexual dysfunction. (Rated R)

Secretariat
Horse overcomes various personal/professional issues to eventually run faster than other horses. Man rides on his back. (Rated PG)

Saw: The Final Chapter
The title of this film is almost certainly a lie. (Rated R)

VIDEOGAMES
Dead Space II | PS3, XBox

The adverts for this alien murder porn shooter say, "Your mom will hate this." If your mom is anything like our moms, the ads are probably right. Critics, though, who crave atavistic slaughter like it was mother's milk, are calling it a classic.

Two Worlds II | PS3, XBox
Not the same as Four Worlds, or Worlds IV (which aren't even games, I just made them up to be snotty), this is a pretty good — from the critical reception — entry into the American-traditionalist school of RPGs. You know, Elder Scrolls as opposed to Final Fantasy or, say, Mass Effect.

Jam City Rollergirls | Wii
Looks like a downloadable Mario Kart meets Roller Derby.

MUSIC
Wanda Jackson | The Party Ain't Over
Jackson releases her first album in years with the help of Jack White (The White Stripes, Raconteurs, The Dead Weather). No doubt both are hoping White can do for Jackson what he did for Loretta Lynn's Van Leer Rose.

Besides that, it's a thin week rounded out by a bunch of releases from indie bands like Deerhoof, Fujiya & Miyagi, and the Cold War Kids. The highlights are Destroyer's sure to be weird Kaputt and a sad, heartwarming entry into the Iron and Wine canon, Kiss Each Other Clean.