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— Movies
“Swingers” pals Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau team up again for “Couples Retreat.” Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell play a pair desperately in need of couples’ therapy, so they convince three other couples to accompany them to a tropical resort. One hitch: The other couples don’t realize that they’ll have to be in therapy, too. Vaughn and Favreau co-wrote the screenplay and their pal Peter Billingsley (aka Ralphie from “A Christmas Story”) directs. (Opens Oct. 9)
There’s already a bit of Oscar buzz around Michelle Monaghan’s performance in “Trucker.” She stars as a female truck driver whose carefree lifestyle is put on hold when her estranged 11-year-old son comes back into her life. Cinematical.com wrote, “The good news here is that Monaghan finally delivered the sort of performance I've known was trapped somewhere inside her, hidden behind a variety of big, flashy Hollywood films.” (Opens Oct. 9)
Music
Indie dance rockers The Gossip return with a new album, “Music for Men.” Spin magazine described singer Beth Ditto as “caught somewhere between Donna Summer and Dolly Parton: she loves to love, but all those complications keep her down.” And added that the album “is a tightly wound disco-punk conjugation.” (On sale Oct. 6)
Need a bit of religion in your music? The new Mountain Goats album looks to the Bible for inspiration. Each song is named after a biblical passage, but don’t mistake this for Christian rock; this is pure lo-fi folk rock. U.K. Web site The Skinny wrote that the album “mostly seems unflinchingly autobiographical with consistently breathtaking results.” (On sale Oct. 6)
TV
Animal Planet's new "I'm Alive" has a pretty lurid title and the premise to back it up. The show tells the stories of people who've come to the brink of death due to animal attacks, from a cop bitten by a rattler to a father racing to bring his bitten son the black widow spider anti-venom he needed. Best of all, you can watch it from the safety of your couch. (Premieres Oct. 9, 9 p.m., Animal Planet.)
DVD
Jack Black and Michael Cera do the time warp in "Year One," where they play two cavemen who make a star-studded journey through the ancient world. Along the way, they meet Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac and other famous biblical names. Admits the San Francisco Chronicle, "'Year One' has one joke, but it's a good one, played for many variations over the course of an often very funny comedy." (Out on DVD Oct. 6.)
Having trouble remembering that Calista Flockhart played another character before she was Kitty Walker McAllister on "Brothers & Sisters"? "Ally McBeal: The Complete Series" and "Ally McBeal: The Complete First Season" hit DVDs this week. Whether you jump on this purchase or not may be determined by just how much you liked Richard Fish's wattle fetish, his Fishisms, and that damn dancing baby. Ooga-chocka, ooga-chocka! (Out on DVD Oct. 6)
