Atonement [Blu-ray] Being nominated in 2008 — the year of No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood — was a harsh buzz kill to many films. Saoirse Ronan was nominated for Best Supporting Actress (and she’ll be nominated for best actress this year for The Lovely Bones, no doubt.) The screenplay, art direction and costumes were nominated. It had amazing cinematography in a year that every nominee deserved to win a cinematography award. I will be cross-grading my HD-DVD to Blu-Ray for this.

Whip It [Blu-ray] – I was disappointed in the lack of rock-n-roll girl power in this movie, but the quiet things it says about girls finding empowerment at the same time they’re meeting boys is worth telling. (Boo on Barrymore for filming this Austin-based story in Detroit.)

Michael Jackson: This Is It [Blu-ray] – Is the 80% freshness rating for this doc on the 80’s icon’s last show prep worth it? or is it a sympathy rating? I’ll rent it to find out.

Paris, Texas [Blu-ray] – Criterion is really pulling at my purse-strings releasing a Sam Shepard storied, Texas based, Harry Dean Stanton starring, Ry Cooder music’d movie. I think I’m required by several regulations to buy this.

Pride & Prejudice [Blu-ray] – Nominated for four Academy Awards, including then-new-comer Keira Knightley for Best Actress, this is another must-own.

Fame [Blu-ray] – The classic 80’s musical comes to Blu-Ray. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, and it won two.

Soul Power [Blu-ray] – I haven’t seen it, but I hear great things about one of the greatest soul concerts in history.

Bright Star – I’m down with costume period dramas, particularly when they have an 83% freshness rating. I didn’t know this movie existed, but I’m adding it to my NetFlix queue.

The Boys Are Back – Another movie I haven’t heard about, and it only has a 73% freshness rating, but I’ll add it to my NetFlix queue and let it sit at the bottom for a rainy day.

The Donner Party – Crispin Glover starred in a movie based on the classic true American cannibalism story?!? and I missed it at Austin Film Festival?!?

Hard Revenge Milly: Hyper Violence Collection (two Hard Revenge Milly movies) – I saw this double feature at Fantastic Fest. If you like the hyper-violent crazy-weapon style of Japanese chop-socky exploitation then you’ll like this movie. I felt it would have made a better pair of short films, since I don’t need to really feel the character’s motivation.

Pontypool – This was shown during the Fantastic Fest sponsored midnight shows for SXSW, and it is highly reviewed. Fans of independent zombie films should be excited.

LOST Unraveling the Mystery – I’m not so much of a Lost fan that I’d watch this and play the included “mystery game”, but sometimes I wish I was.

Pawn Stars: The Complete Season 1 – There’s not much replay-ability in this tv show, but watch for the NetFlix release and add it to your Instant Queue. This show, about a family in Las Vegas that runs a pawn shop, is surprisingly educational while it entertains.