As America struggles to cope with the hype of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Hollywood is doing its part by sending a slew of new DVD releases our way. We’ve got old films, we’ve got TV series by the bundle, and we’ve got new films even. Not that many, but enough so I don’t have to pad out my intro. So let’s see the line-up.

Now on DVD:

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Britain’s charming sci-fi parody novel that broke all the rules in its making has been made into a movie that breaks all attempts to break any rules. Passable and forgettable, the movie is more like Cliff’s Notes for those too lazy to read a 200-page novel. You get all the cleverest jokes, diluted and slapsticky for today’s movie audiences, and the movie doesn’t waste its time getting into human nature in the slightest. Oh, and the romance is tacked on so you hardly even notice how flimsy it is to the premise. Oh, goody.

Mindhunters
Any more by-the-numbers a thriller would look like a learn-to-count film for preschoolers. A group of FBI behavioral profilers are caught in a game of mouse-and-mouse with a movie-style psychopath, who’s quite clever and just wants to torment them, even if it would be easier and more psychopath-like to just attack them and cut them to pieces. How long did this movie sit on a studio shelf? I’m not sure, but it did stink like mothballs.

The Longest Yard
Burt Reynolds used to be a Hollywood golden boy. Now they hate him so much they cast Adam Sandler in his role for remakes. Yes, Adam Sandler plays a football star (you read that right) who goes to jail and organizes a game to rally prisoner spirit. This movie recaptures all the uplifting good stuff from the first film like Sandler’s Mr. Deeds captured Frank Capra’s wit, charm, and optimism. Yep, 0 for 2 for Billy Madison.

Robots
Hollywood, I’m making you this counter offer: I’ll give you every projected dollar I’ll earn next year if you give up on making cutesy CGI movies with annoying celebrity voices. We both know sooner or later the fad is going to bottom out, at least for a 10-year drought or so, so take advantage of the offer while you can. It’s easily a clear $9,000, maybe up to $18,000, if Domino’s returns my call. I’ll give you anything I can to avoid sitting through another animated movie with the voice of Robin Williams. Sometimes I still wake up screaming with Aladdin flashbacks. So get back to me on this, Hollywood. I’ll lie, cheat, or steal to honor my part of the bargain. But hurry up, before Cars comes to the theater.

That’s our answer to disaster this week. As they say, fight fire with fire. Which makes no sense, because everyone knows you’re supposed to fight fire most effectively with water. But it doesn’t have as much alliterative appeal, and logic never made for great clichés anyway. Good-bye, America, and don’t forget to choke on it.

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