There is a LOT of TV to catch up on - Season 5 of “Entourage” is like sweet, sweet candy, “Eastbound & Down” is like a Whiskey Sour, and “Secret Life of a Call Girl”, is, well, something else entirely. Did you know that most of the episodes of HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” are directed by David Gordon Green, one of Happy Bats favourite directors ? His films, and the show, are definitely worth checking out. Rounding out the new TV stuff is “Saving Grace” season 2, the final season of “Stargate Atlantis”, and the second season of the British import “The IT Crowd” - a personal fave.

Our friends at The Criterion Collection have gifted us in releasing a nice new DVD of “My Dinner With Andre”, so no more leaving us your first-born in order to rent our old copy. We didn’t know what we would have done with them anyway if you had not returned for them. Unless they were good at alphabetizing. Could always use more of that.

Our Feature Section theme for the month of July is “Hot Movies For Hot Weather” - great flicks to watch while it’s sweltering outside. Whether it’s Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” or “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”, come grab a movie to sweat along to. It’s gonna happen anyway, right ?

There were so many things happening in recent weeks to get me reminiscing about the past, and the year 1984 in particular - whether it was the passing of the King of Pop or the anniversary of “Ghostbusters” (also new on Blu-ray at the Bat!).  Seems like Bill Murray has been part of our lives forever, so here’s some welcome levity from him, Caddyshack-style! 

Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season (Widescreen, 3PC) Rated: NR

Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season (2PC) Rated: TVMA

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (Widescreen, Unrated Version) Rated: R

The Education of Charlie Banks Rated: R

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season Two (Widescreen, 2PC) Rated: NR

Stargate Atlantis: Season Five (Widescreen, 5PC) Rated: NR

The It Crowd: The Complete Second Season Rated: NR

Lookin’ to Get Out (Director’s Cut / Edition) Rated: R

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Widescreen) Rated: PG     Also available on Blu-ray

Inkheart (Full Frame, Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: PG

The Pink Panther 2 (Widescreen, 2PC) AMG Rating: Rated: PG

My Dinner with Andre (Special Edition) AMG Rating: Rated: NR

Saving Grace: Season Two (Widescreen, 4PC) Rated: NR

True Romance (Widescreen, Unrated Version) AMG Rating: Rated: NR       Requires Blu-ray compatible player.

Ghostbusters (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: PG       Requires Blu-ray compatible player.

It’s a week of contrasts for New Releases: road trips for the soul, or dismemberment ? Alec Guinness or Joshua Jackson,  each with limited time on their hands ? Family Guy or watching paint dry ? It’s all here (minus the paint) for you to decide. Yes, The Seventh Seal has been on DVD before, but never looking this good, and is also now on Blu-ray. Those folks at Criterion continue to amaze. Here is a link to their upcoming releases, including David Mamet’s Homicide, for the first time on DVD!

And as always, all the pictures below will link you to something related to that DVD. So clicky!!

One Week (Widescreen) Rated: PG Also available on Blu-ray

Friday the 13th (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: R Also available on Blu-ray

Cherry Blossoms (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: NR

The Seventh Seal (Full Frame, Special Edition, 2PC, Black & White) AMG Rating: Rated: NR Also available on Blu-ray

Bergman Island (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: NR

Essential Art House: Last Holiday (Full Frame, Black & White) AMG Rating: Rated: NR

The Family Guy, Vol. 7 (3 Discs) (Full Frame, 3PC) Rated: NR

Lots of good stuff this week, running the gamut from a teen cheerleader comedy to a collection of films by the late great Jack Lemmon. Some totally sweet60’s action for you hippies out there, with the new Director’s Cut of Woodstock and Marianne Faithful’s The Girl On A Motorcycle. The release of David Cronenberg’s M Butterfly finally brings all of his feature films to DVD (I believe).  And having taken care of the fellas with that one, there is A Village Affair, an earlier, audacious made for British TV drama starring the then very young Kiera Knightly and Kerry Fox.

And of course, for big Hollywood fare, there’s Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, the biggest (box-office) hit of his career, which he claims is his last acting performance. I guess we’ll see.  And don’t forget Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in the ‘banks are bad’ thriller The International, from Run Lola Run director Tom Tykwer.

All in all, a good week. And don’t forget to click on the pics below for reviews, trailers, and other assorted goodies. And while you’re on the interwebs, why not join us on TWITTER ? You’ll be glad you did.

Gran Torino (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: R Also available on Blu-ray

The International (Widescreen) Rated: R Also available on Blu-ray

The Sky Crawlers (Widescreen) Rated: PG13 Also available on Blu-ray

Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: R

Fired Up! (Widescreen, Unrated Version) Rated: PG13

Powder Blue (Widescreen) Rated: R

Crossing Over (Widescreen) Rated: R

M. Butterfly Rated: R

Nobel Son (Widescreen) Rated: R

Eden Log (Widescreen) AMG Rating: Rated: R

A Village Affair Rated: NR

Woodstock (Widescreen, Special Edition, Director’s Cut / Edition, Anniversary Edition) AMG Rating: Rated: R

Girl on a Motorcycle Rated: NR

Shaun the Sheep: Sheep on the Loose (Full Frame) Rated: NR

Bleach, Vol. 16 (Standard Screen) Rated: NR

The Shield: The Complete Seventh Season (Widescreen, 4PC) Rated: NR

The Jack Lemmon Film Collection (Widescreen, 6PC) Rated: NR

Sin: The Movie Rated: TV14