To the point, Criminal Minds is very compelling television. Ever since The Silence Of The Lambs and perhaps long before, we have been fascinated by serial killers and the profilers who try to get inside their heads. To see evidence of the continuing trend, one needs only look toward the success of films like Zodiac and shows like Dexter. Of course, serial killers are not the only prey this FBI team pursues, but they are certainly the marquee item on the agenda. To be sure, there are equally disturbing subjects such as arsonists, bombers, kidnappers, and rapists to give the show a touch of variety, but let’s face it, it’s the killers that keep us tuned so attentively to Criminal Minds.

Let’s not take anything away from the show’s true force here. This is an excellent cast being fed brilliant scripts playing to an awesome crew. Everything just clicks on this series, and it only got better in the second year. I am truly impressed with how much these characters are fleshed out and how much we learn about them without the need of office romance. No precious show time is squandered on excessive personal life stories. We’re given just enough to bring the characters alive beyond their team dynamic, which is quite strong. Each character is constructed through the subtle nuances the actors infuse their performance with. From the moment you watch your first episode, you will find this team believable enough to care about them and their work. Surprisingly, the show often gets muddled in a ton of exposition, but somehow it’s carried off by the cast so that you never find yourself going numb with clinical information overload. Granted, the material itself is attention-worthy, but these guys pull it off no matter how interesting the information might be. Add to the stellar portrayals a writing team second to none in the industry. The support teams do everything they need to make sure these talents are never wasted.

The idea of taking a long road trip with your loved one or best friend is something everyone has to do at least a few times in your life.  There is something that occurs while driving down long lonely roads with nothing but music, scenery and good conversation to keep you company.  The road trip film is almost a genre onto itself and can be funny like Plains, Trains and Automobiles, insightful like On The Road, or horrifying like Joyride.  These films are so easy to relate to, because at some point we all share in these kinds of adventures, perhaps not so exciting but memorable nonetheless.  As for Scenic Route, it explores what can go wrong when you decide to take the long way home to take in the scenery, especially when there is a rising tension between two best friends.

Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler) have been lifelong friends, but since Mitchell got married the two have seemed to drift apart.  To make up for lost time, Carter decides to plan a long road trip that takes them through Death Valley and hopes that this quality time together can help bring the two closer together.  Unfortunately Mitchell isn’t much for the scenery and not so big on talking, leaving Carter to make a drastic decision to stage the car breaking down.  This is the first of many confrontations between the two as we discover how Carter feels Mitchell jumped into his marriage after getting out of a bad breakup.  Mitchell, on the other hand, believes his wife is the best thing to happen to him and that getting married is simply what people do when they get older.

Even though director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean’s 11, Magic Mike) has an Oscar under his belt and numerous box office hits, the road to getting Behind the Candelabra was a difficult one.  Originally Soderbergh had planned for the film to play in theaters, but every studio was afraid of the project believing it to be “too gay”.  Sure, there have been numerous films in Hollywood that dealt with homosexual subject matter, and considering this was also a bio pic I’m still surprised the typically liberal studio system was so afraid of this project.  But thankfully the film found a home with HBO, and the result is an intense film that is more than just a look behind the closed doors of the famed Liberace but the loss of innocence once introduced to wealth and fame.

When we first meet Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), he is a young impressionable teenager who has a passion for working with animals.  But it’s after seeing Liberace (Michael Douglas) perform on stage that something begins to change for him.  Getting the chance to meet the performer after the show is one of those surreal moments in Thorson’s life, but it’s also the moment where Liberace first laid eyes upon him and when some would say the seduction and corruption began.  Thorson is young and impressionable from the beginning, clearly having issues with his sexuality.  Liberace knows how to work this to his advantage, distracting him with money and a comfortable lifestyle, and before Thorson can realize it he finds himself the lover and possibly the adopted child of Liberace.  If this were not strange enough for you, Liberace goes so far as to have Scott see a plastic surgeon so he can have work done to look like Liberace.

In previous years of reviewing Army Wives I described the show as being somewhat akin to Desperate Housewives but on an Army base where these women are married to soldiers who often find themselves in war zones in the Middle East. I have to say that season 7 is somewhat of a serious transition year for this show, and it is changing significantly both in cast and the way the stories are told. For me, the change is somewhat for the better. Still, I understand I'm not the target audience for this Lifetime series, but we do not have any women on our staff here at Upcomingdiscs. That means you're stuck with my opinions.

The show used to feature a core of Army wives who called themselves The Tribe and worked together to help each other deal with the realities of Army life. The Tribe is now pretty much gone, and you will not hear that term at all during the season. That's because more than half of The Tribe are gone or seriously limited in their appearances this season.

Ever wonder what the kids of South Park might be like if they ever made it to adulthood? While I’ve not seen that many episodes of the FX series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, that was the first observation that came to mind. These are the South Park kids all grown up. They’re crude, raunchy, mean, and most importantly, they are as politically incorrect as ever. If you need an example, I can offer one right from this episode. The guys have a Christmas tradition that dates back to their childhood of throwing rocks at moving trains. An episode I caught a while back had two of the guys going to an abortion rally because they suspected that pro-choice chicks gotta be easy. Sound like anyone we know? If you love irreverent humor that’s not afraid to cross over the line, this F/X series has everything you’re looking for, and without those silly construction paper animation limitations. These are real dudes.

The best way to introduce you to the world here is through the characters. The Philadelphia setting and all of the other trappings really don’t matter. You could put these characters any place, doing almost any jobs, and the series would pretty much be the same. The actors and some cleverly written dialog really make the show.

“You must leave this house before it’s too late. Leave now; I won’t be able to help you later.”

First of all, call me superstitious or paranoid, but when someone gives you that kind of warning about a place, it’s probably best to heed that warning. After watching The Haunting of Helena I am seriously reconsidering whether or not I’m going to let my kids believe in the Tooth Fairy. I’m not one who scares easily, but the tense atmosphere around this story makes for a truly haunting film (no pun intended).