Movies opening in C-U this week

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (Rated R, dir. Tim Burton)
When Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) unfairly sentences Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) to imprisonment, Barker returns as the barber Sweeney Todd to exact his gruesome revenge. Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Timothy Spall, and Christopher Lee round out a stunning ensemble cast.

"2 Days in Paris" (Rated R, dir. Julie Delpy)
French photographer Marion (Julie Delpy) and American interior designer Jack (Adam Goldberg) take a trip to Europe in order to save their dull relationship, but a visit to Marion’s home city of Paris proves a comical and potentially disastrous obstacle that their relationship may not surmount. (Note: This movie is currently playing at Boardman's Art Theatre.)

"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (Rated R, dir. Jake Kasdan)
John C. Reilly stars as the titular character in this mock biopic about the life of fictional rock ’n’ roll singer Dewey Cox. Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman, Justin Long, "The Daily Show"’s Ed Helms, "SNL"’s Chris Parnell and the White Stripes’ Jack White also feature.

"Charlie Wilson’s War" (Rated R, dir. Mike Nichols)
Veteran director Mike Nichols (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “The Graduate”) helms this screen adaptation of the true story of alcoholic, womanizing Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), the man who armed Afghan rebels against the Soviet Union and set the stage for the violence and bloodshed that occurs in the Middle East to this day. Julia Roberts, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star.

"P.S. I Love You" (Rated PG-13, dir. Richard LaGravenese)
A deceased husband (Gerard Butler) has left his grieving widow (Hilary Swank) a series of messages and tasks in order to help her get over his passing.

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (Rated PG, dir. Jon Turteltaub)
There are 18 pages mysteriously missing from the diary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. It is up to treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) to discover the truth about the murder of one of America’s most revered historical figures.

Kumars’ Pick: “Charlie Wilson’s War” looks fascinating, and I’ll be sure to check it out — if only for Mike Nichols, whose rate of success in Hollywood is an overlooked and astonishing fact. The only thing that keeps it from being Kumars’ Pick is “Sweeney Todd” — anticipated since this time last year, Tim Burton’s latest has generated enormous buzz and very little negative response from early reviews. The extraordinary cast and Johnny Depp’s unrivaled status as the most interesting man to watch onscreen in the last 20 years make this a shoo-in for my pick of the week. Everything else, even the potentially decent “2 Days in Paris” at Boardman’s, is rendered a mere trifle by the sheer enormity of the spectacle we should all be experiencing this weekend courtesy of Burton.

CD releases this week

Lupe Fiasco, "The Cool"
The socially aware storyteller drops his second studio album, based off one of the characters from a track on 2006's Food & Liquor with the same name. Singles include "Superstar" and "Dumb it Down."

Mary J. Blige, "Growing Pains"
The queen of hip-hop, soul, and R&B releases her first album since 2006's "The Breakthrough." Singles include "Just Fine" and "Do You" featuring Ne-Yo.

Chingy, "Hate It or Love It"
The St. Louis rapper comes out with his fourth studio album and his second on the Disturbing tha Peace label. Guest artists include Ludacris, Amerie, Bobby Valentino, Rick Ross, and Trey Songz.

Laura's Pick: The new Weezy and Lupe are both on my Chrismahannakwanzaakah list this year, but if I had to narrow it down to one, it'd be "The Cool," hands down. I know many find his music obnoxiously trendy, but assuming you aren't one of the morons who gives out Grammys, there's no denying Lupe's talent.

DVD releases this week

"The Simpsons Movie" (Rated PG-13, dir. David Silverman)
The hit TV series-turned-movie finds its way onto DVD as Homer’s big-screen stupidity creates a world-endangering catastrophe that only he can stop.

"Underdog" (Rated PG, dir. Frederik Du Chau)
This screen adaptation of the beloved animated series finds an ordinary beagle transformed into a superhero with special powers and the ability to speak. Now, Underdog (voice of Jason Lee) must battle evil in order to save Capitol City.

"Stardust" (Rated PG-13, dir. Matthew Vaughn)
Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Peter O’Toole, Sienna Miller, and Ian McKellen make up a magical cast in this fantasy adventure about a meteorite that emerges from the ground in the form of a girl with magical powers.

"Halloween" (Rated R, dir. Rob Zombie)
Rob Zombie remakes the 1978 John Carpenter classic about that ultimate embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, an escaped killer who returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Ill., after 15 years in a mental institution.

"Balls of Fury" (Rated PG-13, dir. Ben Garant)
A former pingpong prodigy (Dan Fogler) is pulled back into the dangerous game of underground table tennis by the CIA in a bid to nab his father’s killer, a pingpong kingpin named Feng (Christopher Walken).

Kumars’ Pick: “The Simpsons Movie” is quite likely the only halfway decent thing here. I pick it.

Video game releases this week

“Nights: Journey of Dreams” (Sega)
A sequel to “Nights into Dreams,” which was released in 1996, “Nights: Journey of Dreams” has come out on the Wii 11 years after the original. Like the original, “Nights: Journey of Dreams” is set in the fantasy world of Nightopia. In the game, you can play as two characters and use the Wii remote to physically maneuver them through seven different environments. “Nights: Journey of Dreams” costs $49.99 for the Wii.

“A Sensible World of Soccer” (Codemasters)
Originally released in 1992 and immediately becoming one of the most popular sport games, “Sensible Soccer” returns onto the Xbox 360 and PC. “A Sensible World of Soccer,” the remake, features the original version and a modified edition that includes improved visuals, better audio, and new gameplay modes.

“Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command” (THQ)
The "Warhammer 40K" series returns in the DS strategy game “Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command.” The game’s single-player campaign follows the Imperium’s Ultramarines force as they try to defend against the Word-Bearers of Chaos. The game also supports a multiplayer that allows up to nine players to compete against each other in nine different maps. “Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command” costs $29.99 for the DS.

Gordon’s Pick: “Nights: Journey of Dreams” appeals to me, and I definitely think that this game is a good addition to the Wii games. The art style looks excellent and the audio sounds good. As well, soccer fans will be attracted to “A Sensible World of Soccer,” and “Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command” will appeal to fans of the "Warhammer 40K" series.