New releases for the week of January 24 to 30

Video

Michael Jackson's This Is It

Offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June 2009, the film is drawn from more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Viewers are given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show. Both the standard DVD and Blu-ray Disc are loaded with bonus features

Director: Kenny Ortega. 2009, 111 mins., documentary.

Surrogates

FBI agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) lives in a world where robotic surrogates stand in for people, protecting them from violence, disease and the appearance of aging. These picture-perfect, real-life avatars - fit, good-looking, remotely controlled machines that assume their operator's life role - enable the population to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Greer and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell), are called in to probe the mysterious death of a college student, whose life ended when his surrogate was destroyed. When Greer's surrogate is damaged in the investigation, he ventures out of his apartment for the first time in decades. In a world of masks, Greer must decide who is real and who can be trusted. Based on the enormously popular graphic novel created by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele

Director: Jonathan Mostow. Stars: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Francis Ginty, Michael Cudlitz with James Cromwell, Ving Rhames. 2009, 88 mins., science fiction.

St. Trinian's

Based on the popular drawings of "The Girls of St. Trinian's" by Ronald Searle, and following the hit film series of the 1950's and 60's about an anarchic school for "young ladies" who are really a motley crew of ungovernable girls. Despite being an old flame of its headmistress , the new education minister is shaking things up and the school is facing financial ruin. But the students of St. Trinian's decide they're not going to give up without a fight: these girls excel at chaos and attitude, not chemistry and algebra, and that's exactly what it's going to take to beat the authorities before they close down the beloved school for good.

Director: Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson. Stars: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Lena Headey, Russell Brand, Mischa Barton. 2009, 97 mins., comedy.

Whip It

Bliss Cavendar is a blue-haired misfit stuck in a tiny Texas town. Tired of following in her family's footsteps - especially her ex-beauty queen mother, who wants her to be in pageants - Bliss discovers a way to put her life on the fast track: she lands a spot on a rough-and-tumble roller derby team. Her journey comes full-circle as she reconnects with her family and finds her own path in the world.

Director: Drew Barrymore. Stars: Drew Barrymore, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Zoe Bell, Ellen Page, Daniel Stern. 2009, 120 mins., comedy.

The Boys Are Back

The death of his wife leaves wisecracking sportswriter Joe Warr (Clive Owen) with a curious six year-old (Nicholas McAnulty) and a rebellious teen from a previous marriage (George MacKay) to bring up in a household devoid of feminine influence. So Joe takes on parenting the only way he knows how: full throttle. With an exuberance born of necessity, he teaches his boys to meet the joy and fragility of life head on.