Just what every widow needs

May 8, 2008 at 10:44PM

"P.S. I Love You" (PG-13) Just what every widow needs: A hubby thoughtful enough to leave behind a series of letters with life-affirming tasks so she can get on with things (or maybe he's just too selfish and perverse to go to his grave quietly and let her grief run its course naturally). Hilary Swank stars as the woman left alone after her husband (Gerard Butler) dies of a brain tumor, his posthumous letters turning up for a year after his death to encourage her to get out of the house and put an end to her moping. The DVD ($29, Warner Bros.) and Blu-ray ($36) releases come with deleted scenes, a featurette, a music video and a chat with author Cecelia Ahern, whose novel was the basis for the movie.

"First Sunday" (PG-13) When they pass the collection plate at church, Ice Cube is there to take out his share. Cube and Tracy Morgan star as a couple of inept crooks who need cash fast and decide to steal it from the local house of worship -- only to take the congregation hostage after they discover someone's already beaten them to the money. The movie is accompanied by deleted scenes with commentary from writer/director David E. Talbert, who also provides commentary for the full flick. The DVD ($29, Sony) and Blu-ray ($39) releases also have a gag reel, outtakes and a behind-the-scenes segment.

"Over Her Dead Body" (PG-13)

"Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria Parker is desperately in need of better movie offers -- and a different screen persona. This painfully unfunny supernatural romantic comedy casts Longoria Parker as a fidgety, scheming, high-maintenance clone of the character she plays on the TV show -- only here, she's dead, jealously returning from beyond to foul up a potential new relationship for her fiancé (Paul Rudd). The wisest move by the people behind this dud: no extras on the DVD ($28, New Line). There's no need to kick a dead housewife.

"I'm Not There" (R) One of last year's boldest films -- not just one portrait of Bob Dylan, but six, featuring half a dozen actors taking on aspects of the music icon -- proved largely an exercise for hardcore fans. While the movie was too esoteric for general audiences, it features captivating performances, including the Academy Award-nominated turn by Cate Blanchett in a spot-on rendition of the Dylan-goes-electric era of the mid-1960s. In one of his last roles, Heath Ledger also does Dylan, along with Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin and Ben Whishaw. The DVD ($29, Genius) has commentary and a conversation with director Todd Haynes, nine deleted scenes, a music video and a making-of segment. Also included are audition reels by Whishaw and Franklin.

DAVID GERMAIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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