Unwind from all that Black Friday/Cyber Monday madness and tuck in with some really excellent movies, starting with this week's DVDs for rent. Decemeber will be an exciting month for film-lovers so be sure to take frequent breaks from the holiday rush to enjoy. 

It's the circle of life for DVDs, The Lion King is re-released today along with a slew of other gems, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis with a wacked-out 80's soundtrack, a truly explosive and unique indie, Alex Cox, and more. 

Reviewer: Jeffrey M Anderson
Rating (out of five): **** 1/2

Kino's new box set, the Great Italian Directors Collection, is far from comprehensive. There's no Rossellini, for one thing, nor any kind of nod to the great, second-tier genre directors like Mario Bava or Sergio Leone. But it is a nice showcase for three of Kino's new releases, and a very cool set nonetheless.

One word to sum up this week's new releases: intense. We've got killer clowns, bank robbers, religious fanatics, prisoners, and soldiers featured on this week's roster of new releases. But there's some fun to be had too - peek inside for more!