Now this is a good week for DVD. From Academy Award winning (and nominated) comedies to brooding dramas, you have sweet sweet cinema to choose from. If you haven’t seen either Juno or Lars and the Real Girl, make them a priority.

Juno –
What’s left to say about the little teen-pregnancy movie that could? Jason Reitman brings Diablo Cody’s phenomenal first-time script to life with the eternally charming Ellen Page, and the results are witty, delicate, real, and poignant. While I don’t think it was Best Picture caliber, it certainly was one of the best films of last year. You cannot go wrong with this one.

Recommended for everyone, unless you’re a soulless cynic who enjoys kicking puppies and popping balloons.

Lars and the Real Girl –
This is the kind of concept that should have gone direct to DVD or had “American Pie Presents” attached to the front of the title. Ryan Gosling plays the introverted Lars, who purchases a sex doll and proceeds to pretend that ‘Bianca’ is a real person. The expected jokes never materialize, and instead you’re given a sweet romantic comedy that is surprising in all the right ways.

Recommended if you liked Juno or would enjoy less raunchy versions of Judd Apatow comedies (Knocked Up, The 40-Year Old Virgin)

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Sydney Lumet is 80 years old – 80 years! – and he’s still making films. Starring the always brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman (as well as Ethan Hawke, who holds his own), the story involves two brothers who decide to knock over their parents’ jewelry store. Needless to say, this is not a happy movie. The film is a buffet of great acting, but none of the characters are particularly fun to be around, kind of like that guy in your English Lit class who always had the most brilliant observations but possessed zero friends.

Recommended if you’re the soulless cynic who won’t be renting Juno this week, or if you liked A Simple Plan, Match Point, or Reservoir Dogs

Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem
This is neither franchise’s proudest moment. Although I am an unabashed Aliens fan (I’ll have to tell you about the extent of my fanboyism sometime – it’s truly frightening), this one is virtually unredeemable. It is better than that neutered PG-13 attempt from a few years back, but that isn’t saying much. The script is 3rd grade level, the directors (another team of brothers) have little clue about either basic story structure or orchestrating decent scares, and the whole thing serves as an example of how little Fox values either of these properties and how stupid they think their audience is. There is another great Aliens film out there, but this one doesn’t even come close.

Recommended only if you liked the first Aliens Vs. Predator or if you absolutely must see any film with either Aliens or Predators in it (i.e., you’re a rabid fanboy)