It's hard to hear R. Kelly's music without thinking of late-night talk-show host punchlines, not to mention a particularly-hilarious episode of Cartoon Network's "The Boondocks." And while the man can still craft a decent R&B record, some of his extra-sexy lyrics can cause a bit of a cringe given his recent legal tribulations, and he relies a little too heavily on syrupy-sweet ballads this time around.

Plots - thickening or not - of feature films newly arrived at a theater near you.

Forget “The Sopranos.” Forget “Rome.” When it comes to grand, operatic storytelling, rich, deep characters and true exploration of modern urban America’s institutions (and their long, slow slide into dysfunction), you can’t beat “The Wire,” whose fifth and final season will be released Aug. 12 on DVD.

Upcoming TV and movie releases on DVD.

Individual artists in the genre of Jamaican dancehall can have a difficult time distinguishing themselves. While the trio known as Voicemail have a sound that works well enough, "Jump Off" rarely elevates above the majority of generic dancehall that's out there.

"Step Brothers" takes dysfunctional families to a whole new level.

Legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is best known for his historical movies, such as “Yojimbo,” “Rashomon” and “The Seven Samurai.” But Kurosawa was no prisoner of the past, and during his long career he made several films set in modern Japan, exploring the social forces of the postwar era.

More details are coming out about the revamped instruments for “Rock Band 2,” and things are looking up for those of us already neck-deep in our fake band investment.

As the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show let out into foggy Foxboro, Mass., on Saturday night (sorry, Sunday morning), there's one thought I couldn’t get out of my head: How Does He Do It?

A few Wu-Tang Clan underclassmen and some of their friends craft a hip-hop compilation that's got the feel of vintage Wu, but settles for a little too much mid-tempo chopped-soul production that drags down a lot of otherwise-intricate wordplay.

You ever see a movie try to be a lo-fi “Lethal Weapon” ... on weed? Oh, there’s some crazy stuff, man. There’s Seth Rogen in the bushes. Has he got a gun? I dunno! Red team, go! Red team, go!

No one would confuse “The Mummy” or “The Mummy Returns” with classic cinema, but each had old-school serial thrills, modulated macabre and palpable heart and charm. Despite returning star Brendan Fraser’s spark, the sequel, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," is soulless, loud, dull and aggressively unintelligent.

On one level, “Swing Vote” is a witty piece of satire that mixes in a generous supply of drunk jokes and pratfalls. On another, it takes sharp aim at politicians of all persuasions, and makes them out to be trained monkeys who do what they’re told by poll-conscious campaign managers.

Nanette Burstein is different from other filmmakers, a fact she learned back in her days at the NYU Graduate Film Program. That’s where she decided to go against the grain — while everyone was making short fiction films, she wanted to make a feature-length documentary.

All DVDs are scheduled for release Tuesday, but release dates are subject to change.