And what delectable discs will be trickling down the Hollywood pipeline and onto the shelves of Blockbuster (actually, does anyone even rent there anymore? in fact, does Blockbuster still exist?) this week? Some very solid choices this time around, which more than anything else indicates that Oscar is just around the corner.

Terror’s Advocate

Terror’s Advocate
You’ll notice a trend with these posts: I like docs, and I think you should like them too. And they don’t get much more fascinating than this. Meet Jacques Vergès, an international lawyer who defended Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy. The crucial question comes when the director asks him whether he would have even defended Hitler. Riveting stuff, even if it is in French.

American Gangster

American Gangster – MovieZeal Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Denzel and Russell do what they do best: glower, seethe, and get crazy mad at stuff. A Godfather for the modern age, this is a solid motion picture and a good rent, even if it doesn’t rise to the promise of its pedigree. Just don’t expect too much violence, as its parceled out in small doses.

Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton - MovieZeal Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Another solid choice, and has the distinction of being up for 7 Oscars including Best Picture. Clooney really only plays ‘George Clooney’ in this, but he does it well and is not unpleasant to watch. The supporting cast is top notch, the writing is as sharp as razor wire, and the legal bits are compelling. Even if it is a slow burn, there’s much to like here.

30 Days of Night

30 Days of Night - MovieZeal Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
It doesn’t get much more high concept than this. In the northen reaches of Alaska, the town of Barrow goes through an entire month without sun each year. This naturally attracts a herd of vampires (or gaggle, or pride, or flock, or whatever they get labeled when there’s more than one) who go on a blood binge at the expense of the inhabitants. It has a few scares and a lot of gore, but you can find more effective elsewhere (The Descent, 28 Weeks Later, and Dawn of the Dead are all better choices).

Hit the jump for more choices.

In the Valley of Elah

In the Valley of Elah
Iraq war dramas do not appeal to me in the slightest. They don’t appear to be appealing to the vast majority of American filmgoers either, as they have run screaming from them at the box office like my wife runs screaming from hordes of roaches. Tommy Lee Jones garnered a Best Actor nomination here, but only because he wasn’t nominated for No Country for Old Men (don’t ask me why). He’s looking for his missing son who was in Iraq or something. Charlize Theron also stars, looking marginally better than she did in Monster, but not by much.

Rendition

Rendition
Thrilling Iraq war movie of the week part 2. Reese Witherspoon’s husband has been unlawfully detained and Jake Gyllenhal tries to help. Meryl Streep stands around and does…political things. I’m sure this appeals to someone out there. Maybe.