The Other Guys

THE OTHER GUYS
Adam McKay’s cop/buddy film spoof does double duty as an indictment of corporate malfeasance and the government’s role in helping the rich get richer. A nice mixture of broad slapstick and smart satire enhances the film’s multi-layered texture. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play off of each other beautifully.

Blank City

BLANK CITY
The NYC 1970s punk scene has been well-documented, but until now the concurrent no-wave / cinema of transgression movements have gotten short shrift. Compelling, uncensored personal stories are vividly illustrated with film excerpts and home video of NYC’s evolution from depressed artist’s haven to real estate developer’s playground.

Smallville Season 10

SMALLVILLE Season 10
It may be five seasons overdue, but this final year has yielded payoffs Superman fans have longed for. Erica Durance may be the best Lois Lane ever and Tom Welling remains a solid Kal-El. Taken on its own terms, two-hour finale could be well worth the wait.

Foo Fighters, Wasting Light

Foo Fighters, WASTING LIGHT
Pat Smear rejoins the Foos as they go back to the garage (and analog tape) with producer Butch Vig in a blistering return to form after the beer-jingle complacency of their last two records. Happily, I can again ask and answer, “You know who doesn’t like Foo Fighters? Jerks!”

Community, Season 2

COMMUNITY, Season 2
Literate, lowbrow, meta, absurd, cynical, warm, brilliant, traditional, radical, refreshingly unpredictable. Ken Jeong is a comic genius, but the ensemble truly shines. It took a while for COMMUNITY to find its voice, but in this second season, it’s become my favorite sitcom. There, I said it.

Jonah Hex

JONAH HEX
It ain’t the worst comic book movie ever, and there’s some amazing actors (Josh Brolin! John Malkovich! Michael Fassbender! Michael Shannon!) slumming (Megan Fox, no) in this VERY loose supernatural adaptation of the DC western, but it ultimately just feels like a pointless sequel to WILD, WILD WEST.

Can You Dig It?

CAN YOU DIG IT? THE MUSIC AND POLITICS OF BLACK ACTION FILMS
The vast majority of Blaxploitation compilations recycle the same songs over and over, but, aside from a few stalwarts (Isaac Hayes’ SHAFT theme seems mandatory), this two-disc set contains lots of rare groovy, righteous soul power from 1967-78 (as well as a 100-page book). You gotta make a resolution!

75 Years of DC Comics

75 YEARS OF DC COMICS: THE ART OF MODERN MYTHMAKING by Paul Levitz
Taschen’s massive, beautifully illustrated 15-lb. tome may well be the quintessential history of the storied publisher of Superman, Batman, et al. Levitz’ four decades at DC make him a knowledgeable and passionate (yet surprisingly objective) chronicler of a vast, complicated legacy. And it makes a great desktop—literally.

Blue Bloods

BLUE BLOODS
Genetically improbable siblings Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan are the progeny of Tom Selleck, the paterfamilias of a legacy of NYPD cops. While every liberal bone in my body screams to hate this thing (Reagan? Really?), I can’t help but eat it up like red, white and blue ice cream.

Comic Art Propaganda

COMIC ART PROPAGANDA: A GRAPHIC HISTORY by Fredrik Strömberg
A succinct history of how comics’ unique marriage of words and pictures can be a powerful tool for pushing an agenda. Fighting Hitler, hawking cigarettes, anti-drugs, pro-drugs, religious proselytizing, atomic energy, political revolutions and sex ed are just some of the topics covered in this fascinating collection.

The Horror! The Horror!

THE HORROR! THE HORROR! COMIC BOOKS THE GOVERNMENT DIDN’T WANT YOU TO READ by Jim Trombetta
While the EC horror comics of the 1950s have been reprinted and eulogized ad infinitum, the other, lesser-known pulp atrocities that the government decided led to juvenile delinquency have, until now, gotten the short shrift. This nicely annotated, lavishly illustrated, DVD-enhanced tome ghoulishly picks up the gory slack.