Well, Merry Christmas… there are a sleigh load of options at theaters this week and one very good option out on DVD…. but if you’re like me and the weather has you behind the times, then there are a ton of options out there!!! 

If you can’t get to the theaters during this week, there’s always next week, so with no new movies in wide release, we can all try to catch up…

New on DVD: “Burn After Reading” (Sunday), “Savage Grace”, “Pulse 3″, “Beethoven’s Big Break”

MY TAKE ON WHAT’S NEW ON DVD: There’s only one movie to recommend here, UNLESS your rental audience includes kids, then “Burn After Reading” - one of my favorite comedies of the year – is NOT for you, otherwise, I highly recommend this quirky Comedy/Drama from the Coen Brothers with a great cast of characters.

There are nearly a dozen movies out new in theaters this week, including 3 with possible Academy Award chances for Best Picture, so be sure to read the releases for both Thursday (12/25) and Friday (12/26)…

New at Theaters Thursday 12/25: “Frost/Nixon” (wide), “Bedtime Stories”, “The Spirit”, “Marley & Me”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “The Reader” (limited), “Doubt” (wide)

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New at Theaters Friday 12/26: “Slumdog Millionaire” (expanded), “Valkyrie”, “Last Chance Harvey” (limited), “Revolutionary Road” (limited), “Waltz with Bashir” (limited)

MY TAKE ON WHAT’S NEW IN THEATERS: “Frost/Nixon”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, and “Slumdog Millionaire” are the 3 movies with Oscar buzz… so far, I’ve only seen one, but that will soon change, not to mention “Benjamin Button” was part of my Fall/Holiday Preview, and now its finally here!! 

“Doubt” and “The Reader” are dramas with Golden Globe nominated performances.

If you see “Marley & Me”, be sure sure to take some tissues with you – this movie may be labeled a romantic comedy – but its not a gut buster, its a tear jerker!

For the romance, there’s “Last Chance Harvey” (Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson) and “Revolutionary Road” (Leonardo DiCpario and Kate Winslett) but both are in limited release and may not be playing at any theater remotely near you.

For the kids/family: Adam Sandler’s new “Bedtime Stories” looks like a lot of fun… we’ll see.

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MY REVIEWS OF MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS: 
“Four Christmases”  (7.5)
“Twilight”  (7.0)
“Australia”  (7.9)
“Quantum of Solace”  (7.5)
“Role Models”  (7.5)
“Slumdog Millionaire”  (9.5)
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”  (7.5)
“Changeling”  (9.5)
“What Just Happened”  (6.5)

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Next Week at Theaters: “Defiance” (limited), “Good” (LA/NY)

Next Week on DVD: “The Duchess” (Saturday), “Eagle Eye” (Saturday), “Ghost Town” (Saturday), “An American Carol”, “Surfer, Dude”, “Towelhead”