On DVD: “City Island” and “The Square” If You Need a “Back-Up Plan”

If you're not in the mood for another flop from Jennifer Lopez -- who has tragically never lived up to the promise of "Out of Sight" -- there are a pair of overlooked indies from earlier in the year, a couple of cult classics and two British crime dramas now out on DVD and Blu-ray to keep you entertained while you spend another Friday night with your two best friends, Ben & Jerry.

"The Back-Up Plan" (2010)
Jennifer Lopez stars as a woman of a certain age who's tired of waiting for Mr. Right and decides to have a child via artificial insemination. Well wouldn't you know it, she gets pregnant and then meets Mr. Right. "(A)bout as much fun as 36 hours of labor, only you don't get to go home with a baby at the end," said Connie Ogle of the Miami Herald. On DVD and Blu-ray, watch the trailer.

"City Island" (2010)
After winning the Audience Award at last year's Tribeca FIlm Festival, it took "City Island" nearly a year to get released, and once it arrived, it had trouble finding an audience. It's easy to see why -- no big-name star, no special effects, no hook -- which is a shame. Fortunately, it's exactly the kind of film -- a small, intimate comedy -- that stands up perfectly well to home viewing. And like any good indie, it's got a hilarious cameo from Alan Arkin. On DVD and Blu-ray, watch the trailer and read our review

"The Square" (2010)
From Australian brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton, a deceptively smart and tense noir thriller that lulls you to sleep as it prepares to knock you out, like a perfectly executed cinematic rope-a-dope reminiscent of early Coen Brothers. On DVD and Blu-ray, watch the trailer and read our full review.

"Ajami" (2010)
Israel's nominee for this year's Best Foreign Film Academy Award is filled with scenes of universal understanding that illustrate just how much human beings share, making the hatred and distrust that exists in the Middle East, seem absurdly inhumane. Tragic, bleak, intimate and gripping, "Ajami" isn't an easy film to watch but that's part of its unflinching beauty. DVD and Blu-ray, read our full review.

"Survival of the Dead" (2010)
George A. Romero returns with this "Hatfield and McCoys Vs The Undead" comedy about two families on an inland off the coast of Delaware who can't agree on how to confront the zombie menace. On DVD and Blu-ray, watch the trailer.

"Time Bandits" (1981)
This early masterpiece from director Terry Gilliam follows an 11-year-old boy named Kevin who joins a band of dwarfs as they use a map of the universe they've stolen from God to find "The Most Fabulous Object in the World." Stars Michael Palin, John Cleese, Shelly Duvall, Sean Connery, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm and Jim Broadbent. On Blu-ray, don't watch the trailer as it doesn't do the film justice.

"Withnail and I" (1987)
This cult favorite stars Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann as a pair of besotted unemployed actors who find themselves "on holiday by mistake," based on the early life of writer-director Bruce Robison. On Blu-ray, watch the trailer.

"The Long Good Friday" (1980)
Bob Hoskins stars a London crime lord hoping to turn himself into a legitimate businessman, but whose world is suddenly rocked by a string of bombings and shootings. Helen Mirren co-stars. On Blu-ray, watch the trailer.

"Mona Lisa" (1986)
The film that introduced Hoskins to American audiences and earned the star a Best Actor Oscar nomination, tells the story of an ex-con whose boss (played by Michel Caine) has him chauffeur a beautiful young hooker in an effort to get information about one of her regulars. On Blu-ray, watch the trailer.

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