Comedic group Broken Lizard crafted this farce about Vermont highway patrol men pulling frat like pranks while duking out a rivalry with the local police force. Super Troopers is far from sophisticated comedy; many of the jokes miss, but when they hit it ends up being hysterical. The comedy troup (consisting of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske) does terrific ensemble work, and the casting of Brian "the original Hannibal Lectar" Cox as their long suffering superior adds another layer of comedic greatness and he seems to be enjoying every minute of his role. All in all, Super Troopers isn't the best recent comedy to hit lately, but it is definitely worth seeing.

Before the ninth season of The X-Files aired, it had a lot going against it. David Duchovny was gone for good, and after Gillian Anderson announced this would be her last season on the show, it hardly came as a surprise that the show was soon canceled. Before that announcement hit though, you could tell that a transition was being made that would have made Agents John Dogget (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) the focus point of the show. Mitch Pileggi's A.D. Skinner finally became a full time cast member as well as he is featured in the opening credits for the first time. The 2-parter season premiere "Nothing Important Happened Today" is lacking, but it seems that there would have been more of a developing story arc that would have carried over to another season and added more to an already overbloated mythos. That aside, standout episodes of season nine include "4-D", "Provenance/Providance", "Audrey Pauly", "Jump the Shark", "William", and the series finale "The Truth" where David Duchovny returns to end the series in a special two hour episode. The series finale is decent, but it could have been so much more, and even though Mulder and Scully end up together, there are purposely left loose ends that could lead up to a hinted to X-Files feature film in the near future. All in all, Chris Carter's The X-Files went down in TV history as one of the greatest and most well written prime time dramas of all time, and for any true X-Files fan, there could have been no perfect way to end the series.

I'm admittadly not the biggest fan of Marvel's Ultimate line, but there was something about The Ultimates that just made me want to give it a look. Mark Millar's re-imagining of the Avengers is flawed to be sure, but it sure does have it's flashes of brilliance here and there. Beginning with Captain America's final mission during World War II where he was believed to have been killed, and leading up to his frozen body being found and later joining the government funded Ultimates consisting of Nick Fury, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and his wife Janet. Later on we are introduced to the mighty Thor, re-invisioned here as a hippie, pacifist who can mysteriously control weather elements and wields a rather large hammer. Nick Fury undergoes probably the biggest change as he is now black (he looks so much like Samuel L. Jackson it's not even funny) and not the cigar chomping grizzled war hero we knew and loved. Dr. Bruce Banner is re-imagined as a brilliant scientist who feels left out by the woman he loves (Betty Ross) and the rest of the team, concluding with him becoming the Hulk. This version of the Hulk is where my biggest gripe is; he's a sex crazed, beer guzzling idiot who rambles moronic things while trying to kill Freddie Prinze Junior (yes, you read that right). This version of Tony Stark is practically the same as in the regular Marvel universe, although I'm not too fond of the new Iron Man armor. The volitale relationship between Hank and Janet Pym however, is where the book shines, as the domestic violence and Hank's ego mania takes control and becomes quite chilling. The rendition of Captain America I really enjoy, even though I wish more of Cap trying to cope with this new world would have been seen. The art by Bryan Hitch is fantastic, but the book loses points with one too many pop-culture references that are here to remind us that this story is supposed to take place in the present day. All in all, this is my favorite Ultimate title, but the issues that followed after this (due out soon in the next volume called Homeland Security) is where The Ultimates becomes something really special.

Whether the upcoming remake is any good or not doesn't matter; George Romero's 1979 follow up to the legendary Night of the Living Dead can still dish out the chills nearly 25 years after it's initial release. We all know the story by now: four people barricade themselves inside a shopping mall while hordes of the undead hungrily try to claw their way inside. Dawn of the Dead is nothing short of epic with great, taut performances and Tom Savini's landmark gut ripping gore effects, plus the satirical stab at consumer culture that made the film a hit with critics. The film still manages to be shocking to this day, and it has aged quite gracefully. Anchor Bay finally decided to re-release Dawn of the Dead on DVD, and it features a fantastic commentary by Romero, Savini, and crew. Other than that, the extras are a bit lacking, even though a deluxe edition is supposedly due out later this year. All in all, if you've ever called yourself a horror fan, than Dawn of the Dead deserves a place in your film library.

Possibly the best show to premiere on Comedy Central since South Park, gifted comedian Dave Chappelle's half hour comedy show is a work of near comic brilliance. The first episode, even though it may start out a bit shakey, ends hysterically as Dave introduces us to Clayton Bigsby; a blind, black, white supremicist. Dave also spoofs comercials, various TV shows, and celebrities in general, while delivering hilarious sketches such as "The Mad Real World" in which a token white guy is trapped in a house with a group of the craziest black people on the planet, a music video spoofing R. Kelly's private life, and an autobiographical movie in the spirit of Antwone Fisher where Dave can't help but lie. Season 1 of Chapelle's Show borderlines on juvenile (and in some cases it goes over) but it is undeniably hilarious; the only downside of this DVD set is that Paramount hardly included any extras. It's still at a good price though, and is more than worth buying if you're a fan of the show.

In the tradition of the smash hit Origin: The True Story of Wolverine, Punisher scribe Garth Ennis has crafted Born; telling the never before seen story of a pre-Punisher Frank Castle during his third tour of Vietnam. While Born may start out as average, it quickly evolves into one of the bloodiest, most shocking, and expertly written stories that has ever come from the pen of Garth Ennis. This is by far Ennis' best work since his acclaimed Preacher saga, and he is without a doubt the best writer to ever pen the Punisher. The art by Darick Robertson illustrates all the graphic and gritty detail as he and Ennis both strike gold again as they did earlier with the Fury mini-series. The twist ending will actually make you look at the character of the Punisher much differently than before, and the unexpected impact will leave your jaw on the floor. Born is nothing short of brilliant, and deserves to be in every comic fan's library, even if you aren't a fan of the super hero genre of comics.

The Hood: Blood from Stones collects the six issue mini-series by Brian K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man) and artist Kyle Hotz (Incredible Hulk). The Hood tells the story of Parker Robbins; a low life street thug who cheats on his pregnant girlfriend, lies to his institutionalized mother, and struggles to make any cash whatsoever. One night, Parker comes across a mysterious red cloak and a pair of boots which allow him to turn invisible when he holds his breath and walk on the air. Instead of using these newfound superpowers for the greater good, he turns to the life of a costumed super villian, and is soon wanted by the police and a ruthless crimelord who has employed three lower tier villians in Constrictor, Jack 'O Lantern, and Shocker to terminate The Hood. Vaughn's imaginitive writing keeps what could have been an otherwise dismal story pumping with action and quirky dialogue, while Hotz' art greatly carries the story along. I love Marvel's line of MAX comics, but there is something about The Hood that gives me the feeling that Vaughn was a bit restricted with his storytelling. Maybe it's just me, but as good as The Hood is, it just feels like there is something missing. That aside though, The Hood is one of the best MAX titles, and is definitely worth picking up.

Undoubtadly a must have for anyone who has ever considered themselves a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, this Greatest Hits Video Collection DVD is one of the most well put together best of DVD's on the market today. Featuring every Pumpkins video (including fan favorites "Disarm", "1979", and "Tonight, Tonight" as well as live clips of "Geek USA" and "An Ode to No One". Never before seen videos of "I Am One" and "Untitled" are added bonuses, as is the "Try" short film directed by Jonas Akerlund (whose directed disturbing and gritty videos by Prodigy and Metallica as well), plus a commentary by the band (mainly Billy Corgan) and never before seen outtakes all add this DVD as an absolute must have. Do yourself a favor, if your even a casual fans of the Smashing Pumpkins, there is no excuse not to own this.

If you want proof that Grant Morrison is the best writer to pen X-Men since Chris Claremont, look no further than Planet X. Collecting the five part storyarc which drops the biggest bombshell in comics of 2003. Xorn; a mutant healer that has lived among the X-Men for months, is Magneto. When Magneto reveals himself while all of the X-Men are effectively neutralized, he cripples Professor X again, destroys the school, and completely decimates New York City christening it New Genosha; all the while the Phoenix force continues to grow in Jean Grey, all concluding with a shocking climax and epilogue that sets the stage for Morrison's final New X-Men storyarc: Here Comes Tomorrow. Planet X proves that Morrison is still a brilliant writer, and his new turns on characters we have known and loved continues to impress. The art by Phil Jimenez is nothing short of beautiful, with Magneto looking absolutely fearsome. It's a shame that Morrison's run on New X-Men is over, so hopefully Marvel will find another high caliber scribe to take on the merry mutants. All in all, this is the best X-Men read in years.

Visionary director Terry Gilliam (Brazil, 12 Monkeys) helms this would be mess (which was originally set to be directed by Repo Man and Sid & Nancy director Alex Cox) based on Hunter S. Thompson's drug induced "gonzo" journals. The film revolves around journalist Raoul (Johnny Depp) and his lawyer Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) traveling to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to seemingly cover a motor cycle race, and we're treated to the duo's hallucinatory visions brought to us by the always great Gilliam. If not for Gilliam's visionary directing and the outstanding performances from Depp and Del Toro, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas would be a pure waste of film. And while the film borderlines on annoying, and the film outstays it's welcome thanks to it's running time (over two full hours), Fear and Loathing still manages to funny and enjoyable for the most part, and has since become a cult classic and is now part of Criterion's DVD series. Had it been in the hands of Cox however, this could have been something really special. Look for cameos aplenty from the likes of Tobey Maguire, Cameron Diaz, Mark Harmon, Gary Busey, Christina Ricci, Ellen Barkin, and Law & Order: SVU's Christopher Meloni. The Criterion Collection DVD is a true work of art that is well worth the money, and the commentary by Depp and Del Toro; as well as the look at the controversey of the screenwriting credit (Cox receives credit as a co-screenwriter) are worth the price of admission alone.