Brian and Spencer discuss Battlefield 1943, The Flaming Lips, Netherland, The Big Rewind, World War Z, Orphan, In The Loop and online Netflix parties. It’s good to be back.

A slew of smarter, more stylish takes on romance give movie snobs something they can get mushy over without the guilt: love stories with substance.

‘A Serious Man’ trailer, ‘I Am So Proud of You’ comes to DVD, season 3 of one of the best shows on TV approaches, and new games and comics featuring our favorite superhero.

Two smaller-scale films stand up against blockbuster season, and get so much more out of so much less by brutally focusing on their subjects.

Between breaks for holidays and vacations, a brief return with notes on Patton Oswalt in ‘Big Fan’, ‘The State’ on DVD, Chan-wook Park’s ‘Thirst’, New Flaming Lips, and ‘Modern Warfare 2′ (with goggles?).

‘Daybreakers’ makes vampires badass again; ‘Bored to Death’ brings a new gumshoe to HBO; and ‘Trine’ brings beauty to puzzle-platforming while leaving story in the dark.

Even if you missed the LA Film Fest, both of these clever little films are worth tracking down when they arrive in a theater near you.

Brian and Spencer discuss Up and the pros and cons of 3D, InFamous on PS3, Punch Out! on Wii, albums by Grizzly Bear and The Rural Alberta Advantage, plus Friday Night Lights and the book House of Cards with bonus guest, James. And fart jokes.

Brian and Spencer discuss Animal Collective, The Decemberists, and The Thermals in concert, plus new albums by The Dirty Projectors and Coalesce. Also, the movies Drag Me to Hell, Dead Snow, Anvil: The Story of Anvil, Tyson, and Dreams with Sharp Teeth.

Rian Johnson’s follow-up to Brick works like a con itself: as long as there’s a part of us that’s willing to be taken on a ride, we’ll end up feeling like we came out ahead.