Movies
Fans of the Hoodoo Gurus' second album may be under the mistaken impression that "Mars Needs Guitars!" Sorry, no. Actually, "Mars Needs Moms," and they've nabbed 9-year-old Milo's mom to mother their own little Martians. Of course, he has to get her back, and his adventures are told in the new Disney 3-D animated adventure. "Bloom County" fans: Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed wrote the book upon which the film is based. (Opens March 11.)
The well-known story of "Jane Eyre" has been told many times, but Cary Fukunga, the director of the new film adaptation, feels earlier versions didn't show the spooky dark side of Charlotte Bronte's book. So he's giving it a shot, with Mia Wasikowska (Alice from last year's "Alice in Wonderland") as Jane, and Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester. (Opens March 11.)
Sure, we all love the sun and the beach, but there are an awful lot of things about Los Angeles that make people long to see it destroyed. "Battle: Los Angeles" gives moviegoers that chance, sending in aliens and forcing Marines, led by Aaron Eckhart, and the Air Force, including Michelle Rodriguez, to defend the City of Angels. Kinda shocked this one's not in 3-D. (Opens March 11.)
TV
We may as well just call Investigation Discovery "the true-crime channel." The network's latest offering, "Nothing Personal," looks at real-life hit men and contract killings, whether mob-based or otherwise. Steve Schirripa, who played Tony Soprano's brother-in-law on "The Sopranos," hosts. (Premieres March 9, 10 p.m., Investigation Discovery.)
At 2, Kenadie Jourdin-Bromley weighed just eight pounds, the weight of many a newborn. Kenadie is a primordial dwarf, and now at age 7 weighs just 17 pounds. "Growing Up Tiny: Kenadie's Story" is a reality show very unlike "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," as Kenadie tries to have a normal childhood in a body that seems too small for the world. (One-hour special, March 8, 10 p.m., Discovery.)
DVD
"Inside Job" won the Oscar for best documentary Feb. 27, and now it's on DVD. Warning: See it only if you're prepared to fume and rage at what a preventable mess our financial meltdown made of America. (Out on DVD March 8.)
In "The Next Three Days," Russell Crowe is no gladiator — he's a professor at a community college with a happy family life. That is, until his wife is accused of murdering her boss and sent to prison, and Crowe's character enters the criminal underworld in a desperate attempt to break her out. (Out on DVD March 8.)
Rejoice, MSTies. Another box set of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" movies is out. This one includes "Project Moonbase," "Voyage of Sinbad," and "Master Ninja 1" and "Master Ninja 2." The "Master Ninja" movies are especially beloved among "MST3K" fans for their sheer weirdness — Timothy Van Patten and Lee Van Cleef drive around in a van saving people with mad martial arts skills. There's also a hamster that lives on their dashboard. No, we don't get it either, but it provided great comedy fodder for Joel and the Bots. The box set also includes a MST3K stress ball that looks just like the show's planet logo. (Out on DVD March 8.)
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is TODAYshow.com's movies editor.