March 2 (Saturday)
All movies are 2012/13 releases unless otherwise noted. Availability: 
DVD | 
Blu-ray | 
Both Blu-ray and DVD
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2 52 + Queue
Is the second half of Breaking Dawn the best Twilight film yet, as commercials for the home video release proclaim? Not exactly; critics place it in the middle of the five films (Eclipse 58 and the original Twilight 56 both scored higher), while Metacritic users scored it below all but New Moon 44. Still, it's your last glimpse of Bella, Edward, and Jacob until the inevitable franchise reboot in ... oh, let's say five years.
March 5
Red Dawn (2012) 32 Add to Netflix Queue
A last-minute subbing of North Korea for China as the invading nation did little to salvage this remake of the 1984 film of the same name. As in the original, it falls to a group of teenagers (yes, they're still Wolverines, though this time they're in Spokane, Washington) to save America after a surprise attack on U.S. soil. The directorial debut for Dan Bradley (a former stunt coordinator and 2nd unit director) stars Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and Adrianne Palicki.
Wreck-It Ralph 72 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Though it lost the animated feature Oscar to Brave, Disney's Wreck-It Ralph remains among critics' favorite animated films of the past year. A rarity in that it's a new, original concept that is neither a sequel nor based on an existing story, the film follows the titular Ralph, the villain in a fictitious, 1980s-era 8-bit video game ("Fix It Felix Jr."), who gets tired of being the bad guy and jumps from game cabinet to game cabinet in his arcade in an attempt to prove that he's a hero (and ultimately forced to be just that when a crisis threatens all the games in the arcade). Along the way, he encounters plenty of characters from classic games, including Q*bert, Pac-Man ghost Clyde, Kano from Mortal Kombat, Bowser from Super Mario Bros., and Ryu from Street Fighter; think of the film as a videogame version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Voices come from John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch.
| More movie releases on March 5, 2013 | ||
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| 65 | The Bay Thriller directed by Barry Levinson |
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| 62 | California Solo Robert Carlyle |
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| 31 | A Dark Truth Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria Parker, Forest Whitaker |
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| 55 | Gun Hill Road (2011) Esai Morales, Judy Reyes |
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| 52 | Heleno Brazilian drama |
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| 38 | Lay the Favorite Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joshua Jackson |
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| 52 | The Nativity Story (2006) Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo |
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| 27 | Playing for Keeps Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman |
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| 93 | Schindler's List (1993) 20th anniversary edition |
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| Westworld (1973) Yul Brynner, James Brolin, Richard Benjamin |
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| 45 | Waiting for Lightning Documentary |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| Duck Dynasty Season 2 Vol. 1 |
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| House of Payne Vol. 10 - Episodes 193-212 |
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| Party of Five Season 4 |
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| Peter Gunn Season 1 |
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| Regular Show Party Pack 3 |
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| Wagon Train Season 6 |
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March 12
Hitchcock 55 Add to Netflix Queue
Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story of Anvil 82) directs this biopic of Alfred Hitchcock based on Stephen Rebello’s book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho. As the book’s title implies, the film focuses on Hitchcock’s struggles to get Psycho made even after the success of North by Northwest. While the movie itself provoked a tepid response, there was plenty of praise for stars Anthony Hopkins (playing Hitchcock) and Helen Mirren (who co-stars as the director's wife, Alma). Also starring are Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, and Jessica Biel as Vera Miles.
Life of Pi 79 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Yann Martel’s best-selling, Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi was supposed to be unfilmable, but director Ang Lee took that challenge and ran with it, earning a directing Oscar in the process (while the film itself picked up three additional Academy Awards after receiving 11 nominations). The story follows a shipwrecked Indian boy named Pi who is stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Newcomer Suraj Sharma plays Pi, and supporting turns are provided by Gérard Depardieu, Irrfan Khan, and Rafe Spall. While most of you won't be able to experience the film in 3D at home, Claudio Miranda's vivid cinematography should still be a treat.
Rise of the Guardians 57 Add to Netflix Queue
A holiday movie that isn't specific to any one holiday, this animated adventure finds an all-star team of childhood heroes (think Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost) battling the nightmarish Pitch, who seeks to bring darkness to the world. David Lindsay-Abaire's (Rabbit Hole) script is adapted from William Joyce's The Guardians of Childhood book series, and it stars the voices of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher, and Hugh Jackman. Despite grossing more than $300 million worldwide, Guardians is actually a rare flop for DreamWorks Animation, with the studio forced to take an $87-million write-down as a result of its underperformance.
Smashed 71 Add to Netflix Queue
Stars Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) earned raves (though no Oscar nominations, as once seemed possible) for their work in the latest indie film from writer/director James Ponsoldt (Off the Black 62), which looks at a couple's battle with alcoholism. Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and Octavia Spencer also star.
Sound City 76 Add to Netflix Queue
The directorial debut for Nirvana/Foo Fighters member Dave Grohl is a documentary look at the now-closed Los Angeles studio Sound City, where Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, and Nirvana recorded some of their finest albums. A companion album (out the same day) finds Grohl leading an all-star band with contributions from many of the artists who recorded at Sound City.
This Must Be the Place 61 Add to Netflix Queue
Sean Penn does his best Robert Smith impersonation as an aging former goth rock star in the English-language debut for Italian director Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo 81). Penn plays Cheyenne, who takes on his deceased father's obsession for revenge (against a Nazi, no less) in a bizarre road trip dramedy that also stars Frances McDormand and Judd Hirsch. This Must Be the Place, which features David Byrne performing the titular Talking Heads song on the soundtrack (Byrne also co-wrote original songs for the film with Will Oldham), proved to be divisive among critics, with Penn's performance striking some reviewers as eccentric and grating and the movie as a whole unfocused.
| More movie releases on March 12, 2013 | ||
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| 51 | Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away |
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| 55 | The First Time Britt Robertson, Dylan O'Brien, James Frecheville |
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| 83 | The Flat Documentary |
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| In Their Skin James D'Arcy, Selma Blair |
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| 60 | Kumaré Documentary |
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| Ministry of Fear (1944) Criterion Collection |
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| 90 | This Is Not a Film Documentary |
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| 93 | Tristana (1970) Directed by Luis Buñuel; newly restored |
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| 83 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) 25th Anniversary Edition |
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| Willow (1988) Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| Father Dowling Mysteries Season 3 |
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| Fraggle Rock Season 1 |
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| Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Seson 4 |
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| Law & Order: Criminal Intent Final Year |
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| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Season 2 |
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| The Mind of a Chef Season 1 |
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| 42 | The Mob Doctor Complete series |
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| Pioneers of Television Season 3 |
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| 72 | Ripper Street Season 1 |
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| Roseanne Season 7 / Season 8 (separate sets) |
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| SpongeBob SquarePants Season 8 |
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| That '70s Show Season 7 / Season 8 (separate sets) |
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| Xena: Warrior Princess Season 4 |
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March 19
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 58 + Queue Trailer
The 15th film to break the $1 billion barrier in worldwide grosses, this first of three (!) Hobbit films is easily the worst-reviewed of Peter Jackson's J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations, with critics finding it (unsurprisingly) bloated and plodding. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis return as Gandalf and Gollum, respectively, while a well-cast Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Office) takes the lead as the young Bilbo Baggins.
Rust and Bone 73 Add to Netflix Queue
After a terrible accident, a killer whale trailer (Marion Cotillard) explores a romance with Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead) in this French drama from director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet). The mostly well-reviewed film received scores of nominations (though not at the Oscars).
Zero Dark Thirty 95 Add to Netflix Queue
Though the film was all but redacted at the Oscars, critics hailed Kathryn Bigelow's latest look at the war on terror as one of the best films of 2012; in fact, like its predecessor, The Hurt Locker 94, it finished with the year's highest Metascore. As with that film, the script once again comes from Mark Boal, with the story here focusing on the lengthy manhunt for Osama bin Laden. Jessica Chastain heads a cast that also includes Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, James Gandolfini, and Kyle Chandler.
| More movie releases on March 19, 2013 | ||
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| 57 | All Together Jane Fonda, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniel Bruhl |
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| 52 | Bachelorette Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Rebel Wilson |
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| Badlands (1973) Criterion Collection |
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| 71 | The Big Picture Catherine Deneuve |
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| The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) Criterion Collection |
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| 63 | The Other Son Foreign drama |
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| Porky's (1982) Directed by Bob Clark |
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| 67 | Price Check Parker Posey |
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| Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) Cult classic |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| Ghost Hunters Season 8 Part 1 |
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| Jersey Shore Season 6 (uncensored) |
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| Quincy, M.E. Season 5 |
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March 22 (Friday)
Les Miserables 63 Add to Netflix Queue
Director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech 88) put together quite a cast for his big-screen adaptation of the hit English stage musical Les Miserables, based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel about an ex-convict’s struggle for redemption. The cast's headliners include Oscar winner Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as his nemesis, Inspector Javert, Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Samantha Barks as Éponine, Eddie Redmayne as Marius, and Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thénardiers. All the cast members were tasked with singing their parts live during filming (a highly unusual step for a filmed musical) in the hope that the emotions of the songs would feel more immediate to the audience. The resulting film is flawed, though some critics found it successful nevertheless.
This Is 40 59 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Judd Apatow's first directorial effort since 2009's Funny People 60 is a semi-sequel to his 2007 hit Knocked Up 85, focusing on the latter film's side characters played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, who find themselves confronted by the approach of middle age. Also reprising their roles from the original are Charlyne Yi and Jason Segel, while newcomers include Albert Brooks, Megan Fox, John Lithgow, Lena Dunham, Melissa McCarthy, and Chris O'Dowd. As that Metascore suggests, critics didn't love 40 as they did Knocked Up, with many reviewers finding the new film overlong, self-indulgent, and messy, though certainly not without its charms.
March 26
Killing Them Softly 64 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Based on George V. Higgins' 1974 novel Cogan's Trade, but moved forward in time over 30 years to include references to the recent economic downturn and the 2008 election, this pulpy, violent thriller reunites writer-director Andrew Dominik with star Brad Pitt, who last worked together on The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 68. Pitt stars as a mob enforcer who tracks down a pair of thieves who rob a poker game; Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, and Ray Liotta also star.
Parental Guidance 36 Add to Netflix Queue
In this generational comedy—which a few critics found tolerable—Billy Crystal and Bette Midler play grandparents whose old-school ways conflict with their daughter’s 21st-century ideas of good parenting. Marisa Tomei plays their type-A daughter who requests their babysitting services for her three kids, so she and her husband (Tom Everett Scott) can go on a work trip. Andy Fickman (You Again 28) directs.
| More movie releases on March 26, 2013 | ||
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| 64 | Beautiful Girls (1996) Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton |
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| 49 | Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Felicity Jones, Elizabeth McGovern |
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| 36 | The Collection Josh Stewart, Emma Fitzpatrick |
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| 46 | The Comedy Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, James Murphy |
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| 77 | Easy Money (Snabba Cash) Joel Kinnaman |
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| Futureworld (1976) Sequel to Westworld stars Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner |
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| 68 | Jurassic Park (1993) 20th Anniversary Edition; also out today: The Lost World, Jurassic Park III |
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| A Man Escaped (1956) Criterion Collection |
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| 68 | Marvin's Room (1998) Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep |
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| Monsieur Verdoux (1947) Criterion Collection |
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| 54 | Music of the Heart (1999) Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn |
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| Playing by Heart (1998) Sean Connery, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid, Angelina Jolie |
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| 73 | A Royal Affair Oscar-nominated foreign historical drama |
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| 47 | The Shipping News (2001) Judi Dench, Julianne Moore, Kevin Spacey |
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| 68 | Step Up to the Plate Documentary |
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| 48 | To the Arctic Documentary |
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| 48 | Womb Eva Green, Matt Smith |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| 81 | The Borgias Season 2 |
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| Continuum Season 1 |
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| Kingdom Complete series |
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| The Lawbreakers Complete series |
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| MADtv Season 2 |
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| 36 | Men at Work Season 1 |
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| Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXVI |
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| Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1 (Remastered Blu-ray release; still includes terrible theme song) |
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| 72 | Veep Season 1 |
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