"You got a chapter in one of those books on jumping to conclusions?"

It's easy to jump to conclusions with a name like True Detective. The moniker conjures up images of the true crime pulp magazines of the 40's and 50's. You might get a sense that this is one of those "based on a true story" type of shows. There was even a second when I expected we might have our first "found footage" television shows. Whatever ideas you have going in, expect your perceptions to change. Whatever else it is or is not, True Detective is one of the most unique and atmospheric shows I've had the pleasure to watch. And that's just the opening credits.

There have been more than a few films that have revolved around radio DJ’s. Good Morning Vietnam, Talk Radio, and Private Parts: these are just a few films that explore the world of the character behind the microphone, who speaks through our radios through the day-to-day grind.  Now, following in the success of the Oscar nominated film Philomena, Steve Coogan steps into the radio DJ world as Alan Partridge. Most of us are used to listening to our local DJ’s who come on between songs and blast us with their obnoxious personalities, silly games and pop culture news of the day on our morning drive to work.  But as the radio market seems to be phased out as listeners have options like Serius XM and personal listening devices loaded with music, the need for DJ’s is simply becoming a thing of the past.  And that is where Alan Partridge starts off.

The local radio station is being bought out, and the radio talent is being phased out for newer and more polished voices to bring in the younger listeners.  With his job on the line, Alan Partridge (Coogan) makes a feeble attempt to save his job by throwing another DJ, Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) under the bus.

“People believe money is a tool. Money is the master; the better you serve it, the better it treats you.”

That mantra — spouted by a ruthless hedge fund manager in Capital — may not be as succinct or as elegant in its simplicity as “Greed is good,” but the message remains the same. Most people see money as a means to an end, but to the financial masters of the universe in this French financial thriller, money is the end.

Our crazy pals guys over at Arc Entertainment have sent over three copies of A Short History Of Decay on DVD for a few lucky Upcomingdiscs fans. It's a dark comedy about a guy who wants to be a writer but life keeps getting in the way. It stars Linda Lavin (Alice) and Bryan Greenberg (One Tree Hill). This is one you won't soon forget. It's twisted. It's funny. It's out of control.

To win just follow these instructions.

“You’re not just an analyst anymore. You’re operational now.”

Witness the birth of -- actually make that rebirth of --one of the most popular action heroes in literature. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been a character of many jobs and many faces over the years. Baldwin, Ford, and Affleck have all stepped into the role of the man who has been a soldier, an analyst, an operative, and a president. Now Chris Pine looks to fill the shoes left behind by some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters and try his hand at a retelling of the legendary character which also stars Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley, along with Kenneth Branagh who doubles as the film’s director. There are two clear differences between Pine’s circumstance and the others who have played Ryan: the story has been modernized to fit today’s setting, and Pine’s story is the only one not to be based on a popular Clancy novel.

“Maybe you’re missing the real question: do you want to believe?”

Talk about a loaded question. If you apply it to the plot of Resurrection, it obviously refers to the formerly-deceased residents of Arcadia, Missouri who suddenly and inexplicably return home many years after their respective deaths. But I think the question also applies to the attitude modern TV viewers have toward any new network series. Before they decide to invest their time, those viewers "want to believe"…that an intriguing drama like Resurrection won’t get canceled after five episodes.

For most who have heard about the West Memphis Three, it is because of the HBO documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.  It was a documentary that sparked the interest of many and fueled a movement to free Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley for the murder of three young boys in 1993.  It was a documentary that attempted to expose the trial as a witch hunt in which the only things the boys were guilty of were listening to heavy metal, wearing black and participating in Wiccan practices.  Numerous documentaries later and with the support of Hollywood A-listers such as Johnny Depp and Peter Jackson and musicians like Metallica, Marilyn Manson, and Eddie Vedder, the West Memphis Three finally were freed from prison in 2011.  As for the answers to who is responsible for the murders, many will theorize, but it would seem only the child-killers would know what really happened that night.  As for Devil’s Knot, just what does this film present to us, the viewers?  Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to carry the same emotional punch as the documentaries, despite the impressive cast that it boasts.

Colin Firth plays Ron Lax, an investigator who comes into the case against the West Memphis Three and attempts to help the defense team as best he can, while Reese Witherspoon comes in playing the role of Pam Hobbs, a parent to one of the deceased children.  The film balances back and forth between the characters and how they are dealing with their grief and the investigation, yet despite the efforts of these two Oscar winners, both fail at getting the viewer to care at all about them.

Mike Warren (Tveit) has just graduated at the top of his class for the FBI. His family includes past directors, and he's personal friends with the current director (Vance). He expects to write his own ticket to a fast-track gig in DC and into a director's chair at a young age. It all gets sidetracked when he's assigned to Southern California and a place called Graceland. It's a beach house seized in a drug bust. Now it's an inter-department Federal unit. There are FBI, DEA and Customs officers all sharing the house and coordinating both their domestic lives and their law enforcement lives. The name comes from the previous owner who happened to be an Elvis fan.

The job is a little easier to take because the house leader and his training officer will be Paul Briggs (Sunjata). Mike knows his reputation. Briggs was him a few years earlier. The house residents also include Johnny Tuturro (Montana). He's the immature kid in the group. He has a lot of heart, but he's loud, impulsive and a showboat. Catherine "Charlie" DeMarco (Ferlito) is the house's mother figure. She's young like the rest, but she's more nurturing than the others. She's their makeup artist when an undercover calls for tats, wounds or track marks. She's also the best cook in the bunch. Jakes (McLaren) is the only Customs agent in the house. He's moody and likes to keep to himself. He labels his food and doesn't share or play well with others. He has a son he pushed away with the mother in an attempt to keep them safe. Now he regrets the decision. Paige Arkin is the wildcard of the team. She can be flashy or quiet, whatever might be called for. She's the best chameleon of the house. You'll also find her bright eyes very distracting in the first couple of episodes. The show runners must have agreed, because an obvious effort is made quickly to dim them considerably.

Perry Mason officially ended in May of 1966, but that wasn't going to be the end. Twenty years later the surviving cast members reunited for Perry Mason Returns. It was Perry and Della back together again. Both Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale returned to their roles. William Hopper had died in 1970, so William Katt joined the reunion as Paul Drake, Jr. Katt might not have really been Drake's son; he was Hale's son. When Katt left the films he was replaced by William R. Moses as Ken Malansky. Ken was a young law student helped by Perry once when he was framed in law school for a rival's murder. He ends up being both a legal assistant and investigator for Perry in the reunion films. The films also often starred James McEachin as Lt. Brock, the cop on many of the cases.  M*A*S*H's David Ogden Stiers would often play his rival in the prosecutor's office, Michael Reston. The team would continue to do 30 television movies from 1985-1995. CBS has now begun to package these reunion films in collections like this. You get six films on three discs.

In this collection you'll find the following movies:

"The meek shall inherit the Earth when the strong say so."

Director Manish Patel wants his now. He is mostly known as a British television documentary guy, and it's only natural that he'd eventually want to try his hand at a feature film. If you can't find the right project, there's always writing your own. Patel ends up being one of those one-man bands with a low budget and a minimal crew. The result is Original Gangster, known as Full English Breakfast in his home territory of England.