The new DVD releases cover a wide range, from paranoid thriller to Elizabethan drama to supernatural comedy. With so many different genres to choose from, let us help you pick which flicks to buy, rent or skip.

Rent it: Eagle Eye. Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) star in the action thriller about an everyday citizen, Jerry Shaw, who suddenly receives calls on his cell phone demanding he complete dangerous tasks or suffer deadly consequences. Someone very powerful is watching him at all times, so LaBeouf must do as he as he is told. There’s plenty of action in the film which makes you forget that LaBeouf is slightly weak as a lead character. Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone, Mission Impossible III) also stars in the film as a single mother who also becomes involved after she mysteriously receives the same phone calls. The film taps into your paranoia of modern technology; you might never turn your cell phone on again.

Rent it: The Duchess is the story of Lady Georgina Spencer Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire who lived from 1757-1806 and was married to the powerful Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish. She was well known for her fashions and political teachings in England. Keira Knightly stars as the Duchess, which could easily be her best role to date. The well-written script and ornate costumes make this movie a must-see.

Buy it: Ghost Town is a romantic comedy with a little supernatural mixed in. An anti-social dentist played by Ricky Gervais has a side effect after a routine hospital procedure: he can see dead people. Now all of the ghosts in New York City want his help finishing their unwanted business. Gervais delivers a great performance in this film and when paired with love interest, Téa Leoni (Fun with Dick and Jane, Jurassic Park III) and director David Koepp (Secret Window, Stir of Echoes) the film is a refreshingly tender story that will keep you entertained.

Skip it: Surfer, Dude follows Matthew McConaughey as Steve Addington who is a surfer who returns home to Malibu to find everything has changed. The waves are flat and his sponsorship dries up, so his options are limited as all he wants to do is surf. The film is a wipeout because McConaughey comes across less as a soul searcher and more as a stoned idiot.

Skip it: An American Carol is a political spoof starring Kevin Farley (the brother of late comedian Chris Farley). Farley plays a left wing documentary film maker (with a striking resemblance to Michael Moore) who wants to abolish the Fourth of July.  He then is visited by three spirits who try and change his views. Thus it also mocks A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The movie had potential to be very entertaining, but it is just not funny. The jokes are lame, and it seems overly fixated on poking fun of Moore at the expense of anything else.

 —Jessica Delli Santi