New releases

By Stephanie Schorow, Globe Correspondent  |  September 29, 2008

Lewis Black's curmudgeonly yet hip brand of comedy is showcased in this Comedy Central series that pits comedian attorneys against each other, arguing over which is the "root of all evil" in pop culture or politics: Paris Hilton or Dick Cheney? Donald Trump or Viagra? Oprah or the Catholic Church? Baby boomers or Generation X? The logic may be flawed but the zingers are right on.

Action: Iron Man
Comedy: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Horror: Pulse 2: Afterlife
Family: Soccer Mom
TV: The Starlost, complete series
TV: Adam-12, season 2
TV: My Name Is Earl, season 3
TV: Numb3rs, season 4
TV: Sports Night, complete series

Kellie Pickler (BNA)
Yet another American Idol "loser" makes it into the actual world of recording. Kellie Pickler, who finished sixth in the fifth season of the make-it-or-break-in reality show, has released her second album, a self-titled collection of bubbly, bouncy contemporary country tunes with a really, really blond Kellie on the album jacket.

R&B: Jennifer Hudson/ Jennifer Hudson (Arista)
Adult Contemporary: James Taylor/ Covers (Hear)
Holiday: Mary Chapin Carpenter/ Come Darkness, Come Light (Zoe)
Hip-hop: T.I./ Paper Trail (Atlantic)
Indie Rock: Ben Folds/ Way to Normal (Epic)
Progressive Metal: Dream Theater/ Chaos in Motion: 2007-2008 (Roadrunner)
New Age: Enigma/ Seven Lives Many Faces (EMD Int'l)
Reggae: John Brown's Body/ Amplify (Easy Star)
Folk Rock: Ani DiFranco/ Red Letter Year (Righteous Babe)

Wii (Sega of America)
With video gaming heading for world domination, we picture a generation of youngsters with oversize, overly dexterous thumbs and gigantic butts. That is, we did until the Wii came along, a game that actually gets players off the couch. In Samba De Amigo, players use the remote like a maraca to shake and shimmy to more than 40 samba-inflected musical numbers. Moves, not mayhem, score in a game that your parents actually have a chance at winning.

Terry Pratchett (Harper Collins)
In a blend of fantasy and historical fiction by British author Terry Pratchett, a fierce South Pacific tsunami has swept away the entire island village of a young boy, Mau. His world shattered, he takes up with a shipwreck survivor, the young daughter of a British governor who is from a culture a world apart. Together, they build a community with other lost souls thrown up on the island and struggle to gain their lost faith in higher powers as they discover secrets on the islands. If this all sounds vaguely familiar, you're probably just jonesing for the next installment of TV's "Lost."